The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-03-28
LETTER FROM NEBRAsKA.
written for The Spirit of Democracy !

z Written for The Spirit of Democracy
LIBERTY FARM, CLAY Co, NEB3AsKA,l
March IA, 1876 e
ED, SPIRIT: Seeing no communities
Ition from this part of the West, / thought
! would give you short hiatory of Ne
|braska. - ~ n
s Nebraska is unique, even among prai-
rie States. 1t lies ir the same tier of
States as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, but
has peculiarities of soil and climate that
distinguishes it from them all. It's nor
thern half, degree further south than
that of Iowa, With Kansas on the south,
the Missouri River on the east, and the
State gradually rising from the east to-
ward the west, and from the south to
kRasa the north. and its lowest eastern
Valley 800 feet above the level Of the
sea. it occupies one OF the best posi-
tons for drainage and for accommoda
ting dense population. Along the
northern line Of the State the Nebraska
and its tributaries drain large area
This is the least settled and the least
known portion of the State 1t contains
forests of pine, cedar and deciduous
trees. Along the middle portions of its
course are some OF the far famed sand
bills, but above and below them the bot
tom and table lands are exceedingly fer.
ltile. A little soath of the middle of the
State the Platte Valley. 500 miles long,
extends from east to west; its bottoms
are from 3 to IL miles wide. This is the
great highway of the Union Pacific Rail
road, and where most OF its lands are
located. Near the southern line OF the
State the Republican River, to its source
not far east of Denver City, forms val.
ley 250 miles long. 1t and its 10 tribu
taries drain region half as large as En-,
gland. The entire area of the State is
diversified by table lands, sometimes
rolling and sometimes almost level, by
bluffs and bottoms that wind in all di.
rections, and though exhibiting nothing
sublime, present many scenes Of mar
yeous beauty. s. =
| CLIMATE. ..s.,5~,t
| The atmosphere Of Nebraska, ten
months of each year, is as clear as the
sky of Italy Fogs are seldom seen in
the State, and vet the rainfall is abund-
ant; it is true that more rain falls during
the year in many places east, bat here il
comes when most needed; from the mid
die of Nav till the middle of July are
heralded by an abundance of Showers
The rainy season varies some in length
and lime from year to year, but it does
not deyiate much from this period. { 1t
| is the time of the rise of the Missouri
and other rivers heading in the noun
tains. The melting snow raise the
streams, and pouring down into warmer
regions the evaporation is so great that
rain is abundant nine years out of ten -
The ground is so completely soaked du.
| ring the rainy season that it generally
lsglices 10 mature the crops, though no
Z ore moisture falls till autumn. The
weather is charming until winter, which
loften does not begin till January. This
winter, till the first of February, we had
1.-The magnificent days of Indian Summer
If ANYBODY wants to leave old Mon
lroe County, advise them to come to
Nebraska, for man can raise double the
amount of grain with half the labor he
can there There is some government
land yet. You can buy railroad land
from 81 Is to IS per acre. iasse
What you can raise: Thirty bushels
of wheat, 100 bushels Of corn, rs bushels
of oats per acre, l raised last year l04
bushels Of corn per acre; / planted Il
bushels of potatoes aud dug PIG bushels
after using out of them all summer q
/ will give YOU some Of our prices
/ Wheat from SO to 95c per bushel, corn
25c, potatoes 22c. oats 22c, barley Soc
faxseed 81 10. hogs. fat on foot, So pei
cwt, horses $50 to S125, COWS $50 to
S45, butter 124o, eggs l0c. god idza9
And now L will come to a close BY
wishing you success with your railroad
i Yours truly, laekfl3 - no
/ al a ~ 3Gsl Isaac BARACKNAN.5 Is