Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-05-03
Letter from Nebraska.


YAK, Nebraska, April 20, 1870
Mcsrs. Editors II write you this, my last let
ter from Nebraska The winter was delightful,
much Of It like our pleasant weather the first Of
May There was considerable ploughng done
and wheat sown before the first OF March After.
wards there was no more sowing until about the
tenth Of April / have seldom seen sevorer
weather In Vermont In March than we had here
How the winds did how'll rs II Borcas was blowing
his last blast
Tho inhabitants have not yet recovered from
the gasshoppor plague The crop Of wheat Cthe
main reliance Of the inhabitants for cash sales
was not an average crop, and was extensively in.
jurcd by the rains so that prices were low, aver
aging not above fifty cents per bushcl The corn
and oat crop was abundant, but was not a re-
munomtve crop at fifteen cents for corn and
twenty cents for oats per bushel And there were
Few hogs and cattle to which to feed IT, It would
be peculiar sight In Vermont to look upon pile
Of corn wholly unprotected from the weather. Of
from ten to fifteen hundred bushels, from which
frequent baskets were taken to replenish the fire
Amid all the discoumgements Of the past farmers
are toilng and hoping that the horn Of plenty will
80 pour out It's contents that their wants will
all be supplied They have enough to eat now,
but little to sell to supply themselves with gro
ccries and clothing
see by the Eastern papers that there has been
some talk about an Indian war, but it is little
feared here The Sioux are the most troublesome
If an tribes, and are indeed n terror to other
tribes They are now much exaspeated because
Of the rush OF miners to the Black Hills, and will
do them AN the harm they can, and viii be likely
~ -. "a fIat huya pffgu
done in previous years Since have been in the
state whole families have disappeared in the night,
and none were left to tell the sad tale Of their de
structon 1t seems 70 be the general wish Of the
inhabitants that they should commit some overt
act 50 that the United States troops will humble
their naughty PRIDE and make them submit to
wholesome restraint and remain on their rcserya-
ton, for they care as little for the regulations Of
the United States as the wild geese which fly
over their heads When the Pawnees left the
state on their way to the Indian reservation south
Of Kansas, there was a large company Of the sioux
hanging ON their rear tn cut off straggers and
steal horses.
All the poetry which has been written about
Indians vanishos from An Eastern man when he
comes ont here. And II Spmgue were here, who
wrote so POLITICALLY about the Indians reading
their doom in the setting sun, think De would
be compelled to say they must read Il Ia their
rejecting civilization and Christianity for I can
not learn from any source that the tribes who are
allowed to roam over these broad prairies have
made much improv although they have had
good Christian teachers among them. The men
are still too proud TO labor hut not too proud to
beg They seem to love to boast how well squaws
can plough The PaWnees, who are the most civ
ilized of any OF these Western tribes will ride on
their ponies, while the squaws are plodding along
on foot under their heavy loads. When govern.
ment shall confne them to rcseryations. and com.
| pei them 10 labor or staryc, there will be some
hope that missionaries can do something for them
The times are hard here and money scarce
have heard much grumblng in Vermont about
extoriions, but just let the grumblers come out
here and borrow money, and all their grnmblng
would cease Money can be obtained here at
three per cent per month, provided the security is
good. Bat II the note or notes are not paid when
they mature, the property on which security has
been given will be sold, sometimes for less than
half Of its real value and because the means Of
I purchasing is In the hands Of men Of money and
they seldom bid ON each other
| often look towards the coast aud wonder why
men who have good farms will sell them and
come out on To the frontiers and begin life anew
But If they want 20 come they can now purchase
farms cheap, for there are many who wish To sell
IL IIrHmcK