Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-02-21
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
FROM OMAHA. NEBRASKA, TO SAN FRAN
CISCO.

NASNQ-
Ed. Moaitor. The long continued
struggle between Omaha on the west
and Council Bluffs on the east bank of
the Missouri river. as to which should
take the lead. has nearly died away. and
Omaha is steadily advancing. while the
city of the Bluffs holds COED her own
and though she may never have the pop
ulation. area or business Omaha bids
fair to. there are sufficient number Of
channels of wealth. whose natural ten
denotes are toward that city. to ensure
Its firm. though quiet, prosperity in the
future.
Omaha occupies the plateau which ex-
tends from the bank of the river to the
bluffs beyond. and is goo feet above the
level of the sea In 1854, its first house
was erected and its present name select
ed, which was chosen because of tribe
Of Indians near by, which were known
as the Omaha Indians 1t was the first
settlement made in Nebraska. and after
that territory became state. was made
the capital city and remained so until
1868. when the rapid development of
the new state created necessity for a
more central point as the place of law
making and the town of Lincoln was
chosen for that honor.
Omaha has thriven better since the
completion of the Pacific railroad, and
owes very much of Its prosperity to that
enterprise. Here is really the great as
sembling point for all western-bound
travellers, the point at which all freight
and express parcels are reshipped-cre-
ating employment for large number
and giving bustling. busy appearance
to the railroad town" The car and
repair shops of the company are located
here, which. with storage houses, round
houses, etc, make quite a suburban town
Of themselves, they being located on the
outskirts of the city. They furnish en-
plOyment for quite an army of men. all
Of whom, with their families, must be
housed. fed and clothed, thus helping
/ the other business in town. The Smelt-
ing Works, where gold and silver ore
passes through the various stages neees-
sary before it becomes marketable, en-
ploy about so men; the barracks, for
Government troops, are built to accom-
mOdate full regiment; and there are
several manufacturing establishments,
with their full quota Of employers
Whether there IS still room for more is
a question l cannot answer. The city
claims $4,000 people 1t has three dai-
Iy, six weekly and one monthly. papers.
four banks, twenty churches, dry goods
and grocery stores enough to make one
think if competition amounts to any
thing. goods ought to be very cheap
and bar-rooms enough to make druHk-
ards Of the whole town. The Govern
ment has recently completed fine build.
ing for Its own use as post-ofiee, court
house, Offices, etc, at a cost Of some
thing over three hundred thousand dol.
lars, which Is either a practical mani
festation Of the governments faith in
Omaha's future, or Of the successful
seheming Of Nebraska politicians II
the way Of schools, Omaha has at least
all she is likely TO support-two colleg
es, . convent school, numerous private
schools and the public or free schools
The buildings Of the latter are an orna
ment to the city
Hotel accommodations are plentiful
but the only frst-eIass place Is tn
Grand Central, which Is well Furnished
and well ordered-rates $3.50 per dag
each fire one dollar additional Nea
the depot there is building called tn
.'emigrant house" where lodging can b
had for % cents and a meal for th
same price, but no lady would want t
rough it there
Weigh well your baggage before yor
reach Omaha. and lay not the fatterinI
JUNCTION to your soul that few pound
over the regulation 100. will pass tha
point unnoticed- The baggage-smasher
here pounce upon ones trunk like starr
ing buzzards, and | verify think lif
grows sweeter with every overweight
they find. Long will | remember th
happy look their faces wore when the
laid their bold upon ny mammoth sars
toga- Certainly here was something tha
, would pan out we'll 1t tipped the bear
at l96 pounds. and my lord. the bae
gage-master. smiled sEeetly, as be sal
Fifteen dollars extra, madam" BI
J he saddened when / presented two ticl
cts. each entitled to one hundred pounds
and faneiei | caught him murmuring
:. This w0rid Is al sesting sho~,-
! as be slowly put on the check
J. Just here let ne say. baggage shippe
BY freight costs ten dOllass per hundre
: from St Louis. the charges 70 Be pr
: paid It comes through in about or
c month. There WOald be very little di
o ference In time or rates from New Yor
e OF Boston
? By noon Of Wednesday We are settle
= r L.