The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-01-02
MADISON. Neb., Dec. 23d, 1878.

MADISON. Neb, Dec. 23d, 1878.
Editor Republican =
Being the only subscriber OF your
paper In this part OF Nebraska, and
having been a resident OF Marshall
and Stark counties for ten years pri-
or to coming to Nebraska, AMI now
that immigration Is being turned
towards this State from Indiana, as
we'll as from other eastern States. IL
may not be uninteresting to those
Of your readers who contemplate
coming to Nebraska to have the factr
as they are in this (MadisoD) county
and Northern Nebraska before they
start.
Next March I will have been here
eight years. At that time Madison
county had been organized but two
years. and possessed about seven
hundred inhabitants. but now she can
boast Of fraction less than f1ve thou
eand. The B. & NJ. r. r. has large
amount Of the very best lands Ia the
county. and are preparing to locate
not less than two hundred families
on the same the coming summer.
Many parties from Elgin, ILL.,. have
been here and made their selections.
Government land, subject to home
steading, &C., Is about all taken, yet
very many claims can be bought at
low figures, as there are always some
migratory persons who are constant
ly on wheels, bound to go farther
west as long as there Is land 10 travel
on. Madison county is located ad-
joining Platte county on the north.
while Madison. the coun'y-seat OF
Madison county Is thirty i've miles
north Of Columbus, the county seat
OF Platte county, which Is located on
the Union Pacific railroad, and con
tains perhaps 5000 inhabitants. The
town Of Madison Is situated ia Union
Creek valley and Immediately at the
confluence OF Union and Taylor
creeks, both streams affording good
water power which is still waiting to
be utilized.
Madison has one Touring mill as
good as your Plymouth water mill
one weekly paper. one bank. :wo good
hotels, three churches.-all fine sfruc.
tures.-representing the Methodists
Presbyterians and Catholics. Busi
ness Of all kinds Is we'll represented
three blacksmiths, one wagon shop
one butcher. one harness maker
three general stores, one drug store
and a school edifice that will compare
favorably with some in the East, cost
ing fifteen hundred dollars: lumber
yard, boot and shoe shop, &c. The
town consists OF about three hundred
souls. When / settled here, sever
years ago, one small structure, six
teen by twenty. used as a distric
school house, was all there was o
what is now known as the town o
Madison. Norfolk and Battle Creel
are both growing towls In the nortl
and north-west part OF the county
The soil / think is rs good rs there i
Ia the State: black, rich, porus soil
OF q depth OF from four 10 six fee,
which produces in abundance ever,
thing that Indiana does; whea
(mostly spring wheat), corn, rye. bar
ley, oats, potatoes, and in fact an.
aud all kinds OF vegetables are pro
duced readily. For stock raising.
think this country cannot be sur
passed. The general health does
aud always will, excel that OF Indians
or almost any locality east OF tn
Missouri river. The altitude OF tbi
county IL at least fifteen hundre,
feet above Marshall county. Ind
hence the pure air Of which We b0as
so much. This entire county Is tn
best under-drained Of any county
have ever seen; no wet, boggy mars
lands to create ague. We have to g
very deep for water. but 1t Is goo
when We get II. My well Is seventy
eight feet deep. and kucw OF som
on the table lands that are l30 fee
deep, and on down to thirty five fee
Well. / think / can hear some OF tn
!. good people OF Marshall and Star
counties say, to use an indian tsru
heap deep; but think deep wells
,, with good, pure water, far preferabl
70 shallow wells, as some pf them AT
in Indiana. where you pump up agu
by the bucketfuls. We-only conside
/, it good exercise here to draw the wa
ter from our wells. Grasshopper
have been a great drawback to Ne