Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-05-14
Correspondence of the Herald
LETTER FROM NEBRASKA.
Westward the Tide of Emigration Flows
York County, Nebraska-its Growth and
Prospects.

DEAR HERALD There is but lit
tie pleasure in anticipation of trip
from Wisconsin to Nebraska-a dis
lance of five hundred miles-particu-
larry if one starts with an emigrant
wagon in the month of March, and
starts out in violent snow storm.
But for once, it's terrors existed prin-
eipally in the imagination, for al
though we had some pretty cold
weather, we escaped that dread OF
Western travellers, Iowa wind, and
had uniformly good roads all the
way through. This was something
of surprise, though an agreeable
one, as | had formerly had little
experience travelling in Iowa In the
Spring of the year. We encountered
no storms except a couple of snow
squalls, one of them overtaking US
in Adair County being pretty severe,
as the snow fell to the depth ofthree
or four inches The rolling, broken
prairie, when covered with snow,
presents waste, dreary appear
ance, and the high winds sweeping
down across the immense snow
fields, SAVIOR but little of the "bslmy
breath of Spring" As we come
West, we miss the bold, picturesque
| scenery that characteriZes our Wis
consin water-courses. Here we find
nothing bold or prominent, though
there is grandeur and sublimity
pervading the great plains from their
very vastness.
My Impressions of Nebraska are
even more favorable than on my
former visit. The poorest portion
| have yet seen 10 the State is in the
vicinity Of Lincoln, to the westward
along the basin of Salt Creek. Here
we find out-cropping boulders, like
those covering large portions of Iowa,
with saline incrustations along the
basins. This, though, is confined to
a comparatively small area, and we
emerge from it to good, smoth, rich
prairie. But York County is where
| am now located, and to it | shall
endeavor to confne this letter.
One or two pioneers penetrated
York County ten or twelve years
ago, settling on the West Blue, near
the Seward County line ; but for
years afterward emigration came in
slowly. In 1870, the County seat
was located at York Center the
County at that time only 100 voters.
The County now contains over 5000
inhabitants, having gained over 5000
in the last four years. 1t has q
church societies-Methodist, Bap-
fist, Congregational, Presbyterian,
Christian and United Brethren-with
few church edifices, though meet
ings are principally held in school
houses or private dwellings. There
are 65 school districts in the county,
with fifteen frame school houses
two of them very creditable build
ings The other school houses are
Of Nebraska brick" vulgarly called
"sod" An academy is projected at
York. and q donation of 40 acres of
land has been made by the B. d M.
r. r. Co. to forward the project. La
the County there is one lodge each
of Free Masons and Odd Fellows,
two Of Good Templ2rs, and twenty
oranges of Patrons Of Husbandry.
There is one good Touring mill in
the County, situated within three or
four miles of whore | am located !;
and another is being erected within
about the same distance. There are
a number of good water privileges,
and as our people are alive to pro-
gress, their improvement cannot be
far in the future.
The surface is gently undulating,
without being rough or broken, and,
strictly speaking, there is no waste
land. The soil is rich, dark loom,
three to six feet thick, with subsoil
of lacrustrine deposit, varying in
depth from thirty to sixty feet. 1t
is triable, easily broken and cultivat-
ed, and yields bountifully. The av-
erage for last year was Of wheat 20
| bushels, oats As, barley 40, rye 20,
corn 2O,-the average of the latter
staple being greatly reduced by SO
large an area being planted to sod
corn. The immense migration ere.
ates large home demand at fair
prices, though there have been heavy
shipments of wheat from last years
| crop at prices but little below those
realized in Wisconsin. Here, our
| greatest lack is timber, though few
years will overcome this defect to a
great extent, as nearly all take a
deep interest in tree culture, with
the promise of good success. Trees
of nearly every variety, when plant
ed in good order, thrive well The
streams are skirted with a native
growth of ash, elm, cottonwood, soft
maple and blackberry, though far in
adequate to the demand. Indica-
tions Of coal have been discovered,
but her mineral resources are still
undeveloped, aud we must live in
hopes.
| forgot to mention that we have
a newspaper also that there is not
a place in the County whore liquor is
sold so we have no use for "cru-
saders ;" but wherever the necessity
does exist that has called or will
call them into existence, | can only
say, in all ferveney, may God bless
them and their noble efforts. X.
| Fillmore, Neb,, April %, 1874.
R9~In the house of representatives
on Wednesday, 9Th inst, while the
Indian appropriation bill was under
consideration, Speaker Blaine called
Mr.. Rainey, from South Carolina, &c