The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-12-12
LETTER FROM NEBRASKA.
TOME CITY, Neb., Nov. 30, 1874.

lOME SllI, 4NeU., NOV. oO, 1914.
DEAR WuIG:-Thinking you would again
like to hear from the center of the United
States | shall once more attempt to pen a
few notes, hoping that they may be of some
interest to you who dwell on the eastern
portion of our broad hemisphere.
We are beginning to experience the cool
ness of zero and downwards as low as 112
already, which has a tendency to excite
some uneasiness in the mind of Mary
lander in regard to the sinking of the
weather monitor, but as we are in for it, |
suppose we shall have 10 shiver and bear it.
On every hand the effects of the grass
hopper scourge is but too plainly visible,
many have left the State, but not willingly
assure you, for the settlers have, in many
cases. expended all available means in COM
ing here, and making improvements on their
homesteadS, and it is with fearful eyes that
they turn their backs on what they had
hoped to make permanent and comfortable
homes, which they could, with great de-
gree of satisfaction, call their own; many
are trying to weather it through the winter,
but unless relief more than has yet
reached us comes still more will have to
follow those already gone. The most des-
titute are those who came in last spring,
depending mainly on what they might raise
on the first breaking, which is generally of
great help to the homesteader during his
first year at the business; but the great
enemy came and the fondest hopes of many
persisted almost in the twinkling of an eye,
and restitution stares many in the face
We have an Aid Society in condition to
work, but of its "working" there is but
little as yet to commend it.
Now from the foregoing, don't come to
the unpleasant conclusion that Nebraska is
o,,l ,1,tio 1,1
ing of the kind, firmly believe that she
will yet. as her rapid development in the
past few years gave abundant promise,
become one of the great grain producing
States of the West. AS stock raising
country, particularly sheep, actual expert
ence, has proven it to be pre- em!nently well
adapted far that business. The grasses
here do not grow in such lunches as in
Colorado, but in most places the ground is
only covered, and in the absence of fires,
pasturage is good in winter as well as dur
ing the summer. But little hay is required
to be fed while the snow keeps off, and but
little snow falls here to lie any length of
time. Another advantage here is good
supply of water, which is found distributed
all over the vast prairies, in what are called
"pond holes Some of them may dry up
during dry summer while others hold
good throughout the entire year. A great
number of substantial houses mot adobe)
have been erected in the country during
the past summer, including quite number
of school houses, which would be a credit
to even old Cecil herself. At Columbus
City, our county seat, ninety-six miles west
Of Omaha, at least one hundred buildings
have gone up during the past year. Some
of them are large and would @ do off, any
city. Columbus has fifteen to eighteen
hundred inhabitants, many Of them sharp
erS.
We have lost most of our Indian neigh
bors, the "Pawnees.'' Sometime during
last summer they held grand council
and concluded to accept a reservation in
the Indian Territory where about two thou
sand of them have already gone, leaving
only few hundred behind. They say that
they have not been able to raise full crop
of any thing since the Quaker policy began,
and consequently blame all the pests of the
country on the Quakers. The lands which
they held here will doubtless be thrown
open to settlement when they all leave, and
cover an area of thirty miles long and fiji
teen wide, large portion of it being heav-
lily timbered, and is considered as among
the very best lands in the State. Along
the Loup river which divides this track,
the old Mormon trail is plainly seen, and
here they halted and stayed for some time,
and commenced or at least laid out city
which they christened "Zion,' but owing
to the prevalence of the untamable Pawpee,
as well as other obstacles, they pulled up
stakes and marched further Westward
Some of them were loath to leave their
pleasant resting place and are here to this
day.
| believe | shall close these hasty notes
by relating little incident that occurred
at the house Of one of my neighbors shortly
after he settled. He had rather a watchful
kind of dog, and soon the Pawnees COM
menced to visit him. and the dog dislking
the appearance of the 90 Red Skins uncere-
moniously seized one of them by the hind
leg and bit him severely. Then there was
trouble, and the owner of "Trusty fear
ing results, compromised by giving the
Indian a sack of flour half barrel and
then the fun began, for there was not a day
for week or month but that an Indian
was on hand soliciting bite from Trusty
also, i'll order to get sack of flour too.
BAY VIEW.