The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-06-19
NRERAsKA CoRREsPONDENCE,
GENEVA, Neb., June 1S7

GENEVA, Neb., June 1873.
DEAR PREss-I glancing over
your welcome columns to-day, it oc-
Cured to me that few words from
this fair far-of land of ours might be
of interest to your many readers. We
are located at Geneva, the county-seat
and geographical center of Fillmore
county. Four months ago we had
not a single building here; now we
have a good courthouse, Jail &C.,
completed and ready for use; also one
store, one grocery and provision store,
and one dwelling house. 1t is situated
on beautiful rolling prairie, seven
miles south of Fairmont, our nearest
station on the Burlington 81 Missouri
River r. r. Perhaps some of your
readers may say we are entirely out
of reaen of civilization; but l assure
Won such is not the fact. We are in
the midst of rich farming district,
wide awake to all the advantages Of
fered by schools, churches, literary
and agricultural societies. We have
nice new schoolhouses in almost ev-
cry district, and there is religious SER
vices held in almost all of them every
Lords Day.
This is strictly prairie country,
and it is certainly the incest soil /
ever saw-black as muck and just grit
enough to scour a ploW. The crops
all look nicely, although we have had
an unusually backward and wet
spring-so say the oldest inhabitants.
/. wish some of your readers, whose
ewes are accustomed to the hills and
woody belts of the Buckeye State,
would gaze with mine upon the bright
panoramic view spread out before me.
Instead of hills and woods, they
would behold stretched far away as
the eye can reach, in any direction, a
gently rolling prairie, covered with
Natures brightest Yerdure, and dot
ted here and there with the dwellings
| of the tilIers of the soil, while over
head the sun shines brightly and the
air is filed with the music of the
birds, and gentle breeze just stirring
enough to prevent the heat from be-
ing oppressive.
The people are, as a general thing,
of the poorer class, but although poor
in the worlds goods, they possess an
unusual amount of health, energy and
enterprise, and are laboring with
hopes of one day being able to cope
with their richer brethren of the East
ern States. This is very healthy and
saIubrious climate, and sickness and
death .are things unheard of, and
almost unknown. People who were
confirmed invalids before they came
here, recovered their health in a few
months. The water is said to contain
certaiA mineral medicinal qualities,
and persons find it tastes very strange
the first time drinking of it; but after
| they become accustomed to it it tastes
better, or else we grow to mind it less.
The water where we are lies far below
the surface, our Wellibeing ninety-fiFe
feet deep, and the County we'll is
somethieg over hundred.
| The greatest trouble here is the
/, scarcity of timber, There is none at
all excepting along the streams, and
they are "few and far between" The
nearest stream of any size is the Blue
River, some twelve or fifteen miles
away to the northWard. Turkey
Creek is small stream about a mile
north of us, but it is dry part of the
summer, except in spots where there
are deep, holes, caused, they tell me,
by buttaloes, and called "hufafo wal
There is mistaken idea in regard
! to the grass here, many supposing it
to grow very tall but in no place
does it grow high enough to NOW, ex-
cept in the draws, which are little
hollows between the swells of land,
and SO called because they carry or
draw off the surface water. The grass
somewhat resembles that cut on the
low ground in Ohio; but / think it
contains more nutriment, for stock
seem to like it and thrive and do well.
We have herd law here for the pro-
lection of crops; for you must know
we have no fences. Each man is
obliged to watch his own cattle while
grazing; or the more common way is
to lariat them out. A rope is tied to
horses fore leg and from thence to
a stake In the ground; cattle are tied
by the head. There are hundreds of
acres where sheep or cattle could be
herded by the thousand, and it would
be profitable business.
In my next letter ! will tell you
something about the sod houses, sod
corn, and many other little items of
interest that would make this letter
tiresome, l will also be pleased to
answer any inquiries regarding this
country that may be addressed to me,
through your columns. a.,
sa... BELLE BIGELow.