The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-27

river, and oh! what river Its water Is
as dirty and nasty looking as water can
be made to look by mixing it with mud
and sand. 1t is very tedious job getting
trunks re-checked at Omaha It took me
more than an hour to get mine checked.
The delay is tedious, and tries the pa
thence of the traveller. Finally at 113O
the train started. We were on our way
For four or five miles we assembled a grade
through the bluffs, which is heavy pull
for the engine with its train of nine cars,
but we soon reached the fertile Platte
Valley. This valley taken as whole is
said to be the finest agricultural spot on
the face of the earth. 1t is 375 miles long,
and from 90 to 80 miles wide There is
no waste land, except where a creek wan
ders through its soil on its way to join
the Platte river Here are nearly ten
million acres of rich land, every acre of
which can be easily cultivated. 1t is so
smooth that there is nothing to prevent
q moving machine from running over II,
cutting as close as if it were q rolled
meadow The country being so level a
poor road is seldom seen. 1t is but a
few years since this country was almo st
unknown. But so rapidly has it develop
ed that already, along the line OF the
Union Pacific Railroad, which runs
through the central part of the entire
valley. we find towns and cities varying
in size, from the station OF half dozen
houses to the city of several thousand in
habitants As we glide along, at our left
and near the r. r. track flows the Platte
river-which is a big nuisance, and yet a
great blessing. A nuisance, because ii is
difficult.to ford, hard to bridge, and not
deep enough for the successful operation
of ferry boat However it is great
blessing, as the water is very pure, having
its source in the Rocky mountains; and
while it is very shallow, it is also very
deep, for under the water that runs on
the surface is large amount OF coarse
sand from ten to five hundred feet deep
and through this sand, by far the greater
part of the water of the Platte finds its
way toward the sea. This great filter
makes the water as pure as any OF which
the world can boast.
But there is one thing to mar this
bright picture and that is the grasshop-
per. As the train stopped at Schuyler,
Is mi .es west from Omaha, noticed that
the grasshoppers were very thick, and
for the next IS miles we passed hundreds
of acres of corn that was eaten down to
within IS inches of the ground, with moth
ing left but the bare stalks. Frequently
we passed through very cloud Of grass
hoppers.
In the cars on seat opposite ME was
VIM Cody, or Buffalo Bill, as he is more
commonly called, the celebrated scout
and Indian fighter. He is now in Govern
ment employ as a secret detective. He is
very tall. has fine moustache, very long,
and curling hair which hangs on his
shoulders, and quick flashing eye. He
wore a good deal of jewelry He was
very gentlemanly and graceful in his
manners, but looked as if he would be
tough customer to handle.
At Columbus we passed a camp of
Pawnee Indians Buffalo Bill who was
standing on the steps of the car, Gre
ated quite a sensation among them by
giving hidcous war whoop. We stopped
at Wood River "a hours to visit some
friends that lived eight miles from the
railroad, so we had chance to see the
country back from the railroad. While
out there ! saw some elegant mansions
built Of sod-mud huts. These houses
are quite numerous, and their appearance
amused me very much. | could not help
thinking of that old saying-'.Love liz
hut But really these sod houses can be
made quite warm and comfortable, and
in lieu of any other building material ar
Just the thing. They ale made By simply
piling up sod, leaving places for doors
and windows. The walls are generally
about three feet thick. But let US hasten
westward: passing in the western part of
~
is natural growth of the country along
the rest # the road. Wild game has
most all disappeared from the line of the
road. We only saw four antelope, but
passed numerous dog towns, where prai-
rie dogs, owls and rattlesnakes together
take UP their abode The dogs are about
the size of large gopher, and dig up the
ground about the same, only they leave
their holes open. The owl sits calmly
anl composedly at the opening OF the
hole, at least that was where all tie owls
| saw, were sitting AS we go westw ard
from Omaha, we gradually rise in altitude
Omaha is 966 feet, au Cheyenne-5l6miles
distant,-is GOAL feet above sea level
The higher you go the farther you can see
A short distance from Cheyenne are pine
bluffs, which extend far out on the
plains ending in sharp square hill,
very plainly seen from the passing train.
A man asked me how far distant ! thought
it was Now had heard Of the deceltful-
ness Of distance and tho Ugh l did not
think it, told him supposed it was
about five mics. Greatly was surprised
when h. informed me that it was over
forty miles. But when person can see
mountains very plainly for $50 miles each
way, then can he realize that he has eX-
pericnced great change in the atmos-
phere. Cheyenne is a beautifully stua-
ted city of $500 inhabitants 1t is said to
be the wickedest city in the world. MUIR
derers and robberers make it their home,
and crime of all kinds is continually being
committed While herc-and | had to
wait twelve hours for the train for Den
YER was told that could not run the
length Of one block. Not wishing to dis
appoint them l did not try it, however
| do find tnat | get ''out Of wind re-
markably soon, either in walking or try
ing to rum We left Cheyenne at two
o'clock at night for Denver. woke UP
at four O'Clock, just before we reached