Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-11-06
An In interesting Letter from Nebrsska-Bmi.
grafton Westward - Nsbraska-soii-Re-
sources and Prospects.

now directed to the "great west" l
thought. perhaps, afew jottings from
there, however imperfect, might be
of some interest; hence the infection
OF this upon you.
As you cross the river and enter
Iowa, the first thing that attracts
the attention of the traveller is the
long lines of covered wagons, stretch
ing away over the prairies, like the
train OF some mighty army, all
headed for the west. At home, we
can hardly conceive of the immense
emigration westward, but once upon
the main thoroughfare you are sell
dom out of sight of the canvas COW
cred "prairie schooners. These,
though, are closely watched by the
inhabitants along the way, many of
whom have grown rich off the emf
grants, and who still regard COW
cred wagon,or rather its occupants, as
legal prey, and charge them most
numerically for the many necessa-
ries they are forced to buy.
But the trip through Iowa is be-
rett of many of it's terrors Of former
years aud the old Californians of
40, or even those who crossed rs late
as 81, when your correspondent first
walked through the state with rail
on his shoulder to pry the stage out
of the mud, paying stage fare for the
privilege, those who remember the
patience, perseverance,, and profani-
W then required to get through,
would be surprised to see the uni
tormily good roads now crossing the
state. All the principal streams are
spanned by good iron bridges, the
slonghs filled up or bridged and
travel generally made easy. But the
change does not stop here, for many
of the little hamlets of that day are
now fiourishing cities. Anamosa,
Marion, Cedar Rapids, Winterset and
Red Oak are among some of the
many places that betoken the thrift,
energy and enterprise characteristic
of the west. The western counties
OF Iowa, though cursed with those
twin curses of the new states, specu.
lative monopolies and railroad subsi-
dies, still offer many striking induce
ments to the emigrant in search of
place to begin life on a small cap
ital. The varied surface of the coun-
try, with its many natural facilities
renders it attractive to nearly all
tastes.
But this was not our destination,
80 the Missouri was crossed and we
stood upon Nebraska soil and were
faced by q Nebraska wind. And
such wind Thoughts of hurricanes,
gales, tornadoes d., crowd in rapid
succession upon one as he first meets
the full force of the wind, sweeping
across the 3oundless plains, with
nothing to obstruct or divert its
course. But it's force is almost for
gotten or suppIanted by keen
sense of admiration and surprise as
we ascend the first eminence, and
behold spread out before US, as upon
a map, the broad plain, bounded on
ly by the soft, airy blue which seems
to meet it at the extent of our vision.
There is no tedious, wearisome mon.
otony ; tor, though destitute of bold
prominent farms, there is a gentle
diversity, with Its broad expanse of
prairie, now level as floor, now gent
ly swelling away into hills-its
streams fringed with timber, and the
smoo thness and finish bestowed up.
on it by nature. | shall not attempt
to describe the emotions and impuls.
es which swell within the breast at
such sight, for no pen of mine is
adequate to The description. Our
route lsy through Cass and Lancas-
ter counties, in the latter
OF which is situated Lincoln, the
state capitol. But who can stand in
its crowded streets, amid the bust.
ling turmoil of city, and gaze upon
its beautiful business blocks, its cost
~, elegant public buildings-capitol,
university, asylum, academy &C.,
see the throng of busy people. and
hear the noise and clamor of her
factories, and realize that less than
half dozen years have passed since
this, too, like it's surrounding was an
unbroken prairie? But this is the weSt,
and we are among the hardy Pio-
neers who have "the will TO do, the !
soul to dare" and 10 whom no OBJ |
stacles are insurmountable.
Passing through Lancaster Co. IN
to Seward, we find ourselves among
the sod cabins and dug outs" the
very mention of which almost caus.
90 the horrors am ng some of the
fastidious in the older states; so
they are deserving OF passing no
tice. The sod cabins are far from
being objects of b. auty. but when
finished as most q them are, are
comfortable and clearly. The sod is
cut uniformly and laid up like brick
work, then generally plastered inside