, 1874-06-20
NEBRASKA.
Living on tho FrOnticr---Tio North
Ioup Country.
An Interview will. q Sott1or.-A
Frontier Ring.
Correspondence of The Chfcago Tribune.

Correspondence of The Chfcago Tribune.
OMAHA, Mob. juno II, 1875,
I have made two visits to tho North Loup
country Of Nebraska, and what aaw aud hoard
tloro is certainly worthy Of note. To roach II,
no left thu Union Pacific naiIroad at Grand
island, I'D milos wost from OMAHA and travelled
nearly duo north 20 mics, Which brought ua to
tho Loup 1livcr,-a broad, olear, aud beautiful
Hroam, filled with fall. Wo lad passed through
sericB Of ea,ld-hil!g, and suddenly entered tho
wide, greon vallcy, dotted with farms. Some Of
tho houses wcro nero dug-outa, but others woro
convenient farmora' houses, and thoir sslite
sldes goanod III tho bright sunlight. had
expected to eco the valley sparsoiy settled, but
Anrdiy milo intorvonel without cabin and a
sshlwart Eottor or two. Much 1nnd was broken,
mid should think the averago would be as high
"a 10 acrcs to ovcry farm Of 16o.
SETTLER.
To obtain drink OF water md roBt my jadoa
beast, pulaad up ut tue cnbin OF sostlor. aud
dihmountod. Tho 1nau WAS d Blacksmith, aul
had but recently started shop. His wors- place
waB q rude structure Of sols rooted overhead
with boards. I was kindly Invited into his neat
llstlo louie, aud found everything about 1t tidy
and ccan. Two curiy-headod little children wero
playing boforo tho door, and, ut tho approach Of
tho cabin was IN ono room, md 1t ns,swerofl for
parlor, bedroom, and Kitchen. A neatly-3ressod
woman, with q checry face. handed out somo
stools, and IN q pleasant voice asked us to bo
Beatad. Sho seemed proud oil her Hcauty-fur-
nishoi homo, and could not but reflect on how
littlo 1t thkoa in this world to make q Gonte,,tel
l,aart truly happy: No doubt This humble wom-
nh enjoyed har cabin moro tIau docs tue faahon-
ablo lndy hor gilded pnlaco.
FThO rn11 nj tnN1F mr. 3rtn hfa enr1H
dence, ind asked about tho Government Keryice
Lie Igl heard TINT tho Military Comnaallllaut
llad, tho year boforo, employed ut tho camp up
tho Lotp n blacksmith, aud paid him $40 per
tho wagons. The $40 por month seemed to tho
rural blacksmith MI enormous Ein', and ho
could think Of no greater huu,an bap-
pinchs than to bo in tho Governments
months. 1prorniscd to Bl'eah n good word for
him to tho Quartormaster, at which I,e seemed
grently tio!ightcd, anu Hnid, You SEQ l,aye got
d good claim hero. but am too poor to work it.
thirty or forty acres, and that's why want to
work for the Government Tho house will DO"
said he, proudly surveying luis little 2o-by-2o
cahn, ''aud ait | want now ls toan.."
@ "now io,, much; ra.t - inquired "would it tao to
"0xun, ho answered. fare tho beat, md n
nofgh},or OF 1nino gol u splendid pair for 5000.
could got mir Ut horses for $3.50; hut oxen
AE0 tlo pGSt AtE prcHHlHk UP prAlTlo llH0 tQH.'
GETTING LAND.
How did you acquire your ]and?"
"lt III soldler'B claim. hcArd Ito Gogorn-
ment would give q homestead Of 1Go acres to
every one WHO lad been III tho War, and ailow
us to deduct out tho time we bud Burved. was
| three yearB i'll tho aripy, and haye only two
good tile"
there IN mHny soldiora who havo taken
''oh, yuHt Down the platte thoro aro shoals
Of them, md good many have conle ou aud
sottled UP this way At first tho law only gavo
us tbs right to tako 81 acres; but since it LAS
| boon amended, and now We can got 1G0."
'Are there nny other ways getting Govern-
! mcnt land Loro except by service in tho nrny?"
"Oh, yesl FlInt, man Gun pre-ompt 100
acros, mud, after living OIL it aix months ho Gun
prove III, aud by paying 51.25 per acre. get his
planting 10 aeren Ill timber, get 160 acres. Then
lie cali homestead, and, by living OH thu la1lu five
yonrn, get little to 1G0 Rcras more."
So ono man can legally acquire tiireo quarter
SECTIONS, or $50 ncrcB uf lind. 1t strikes that
is very liberal OH the part of tic Goserllnont."'
$50 it is, md unclo Sum il The bost friend
ever poor lIla., bad"
"What does it cost to prove up 1G0 acros2"
AT 31.25 par ncre, it would be S200; but
there ara some lucs which bring it up to about
Si2o8, all told"
!" What imlrove'n3sSnts e have you to mako to &c.
cure presumption I"
~ II cnuln OF uut3-UuG 1tlQ . nCfGb u[OAEQ lnQ
planted, nre considered good enuugll.'
COST Of DNEAK1Na THE LAND.
'tWhat does 1t cost to break tic Iaud 2"
II get mino done for So per nero hut it gen.
orally costs 33.bD, though that is too much"
"N[ay ba io wouldn't think 20 if ho lad q team
OF his qwn," Haid tho woman, arclly.
"Ycs, I would" replied tho Hetttor, sharply.
1T would broak for SO per aero, il lad two
teauln. Dccause people have things is no reason
why they should bo unreasonable, like them Pau
Town chaps"
allow many acros Gun man break in n day?"
I inquired, wishing to end all dispute about the
price; ,.,.-..
thoy do not brunk. generally, ovor MI aero luy
but with q toAu Of goou-stopping horses one
ought to break from one and hnlf to two acres."
You would not expect IL lnan to work all day
with ls tcam for leas than So or q ?'l inquired.
"WelE, no, suppose not; but it hoorH like a
good deal Of money 10 pay ont for such work"
hTOUK-lAGsiNi.
"Hayo you any ssock, cattle or aheop?"
tho, hit only wish has. tell you that Ia
cattle will grow right into eash. a good ntocl OF
young hciters will double in value every two
years a1ld If n.nu iuG 81 ,Uu0 to put into cutie
of TINT sort, he ought to be worth 90 OU0 in four
years."
" First rate; only Wo have to look out for tho
storms, cut hay, aua put up sheds 10 shelter them
iu winter"
Could you not got hord to raAo OIL s!.arcs a'
s'No, only wish I could. / was told aunle
rich laatorn Eentlolnun gave man up tho rlvcr
herd to raiae on shares: ami wish could got
such chnlco"
What ia tho name Of tho county In which
!, you 1.-Two, and what population docs 1t contain 2"
"ThiH il Howard County, aud 1t clnims 10
! hayo about 1000 souls. Tho settlement OF it
begun III October, 1871. md nil That yoar Ii had
junt about enough Inhabitants to Ill Tho public
onlceB."
Avn yo,,r fn~oo b;r}, 3tt