Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1879-05-22
CherrYYale, Kansas.
Ed. BANNER:

May l0, 1879.
Ed. BANNER:
1 VISITED the yo1ng and aouFishlng city Of
Neodesha. the commercial me, sorolis of Will
son coussy = few days since. NeodeshA Is
admirably located between the rivers Y4.d,-
girls aud Fall, about a mile above their con.
auence. 90 the east tide OF town Il a splen-
did ison bridge ser6ss the Vetdigris as is
also on the west side across the Kal, river,
The broad and fertile bottoms Of these two
streams are covered with q dense growth of
the aRest Of timber, walnut, hickory, elm,
ash, blackberry and oak which indicates thai
the soil Is exceedingly strong. l believe this
70 be tie bsst land IN kangas. We also vis-
tied the tomb Of Little Bear, chief of the
Usage Indians which is about two and a half
miles northwest Of town on a hill far higher
than the one AZ Tuseunbia. There Is no
lettered OF brass, Of iron or stone,
70 mark the last resting place OF the iilu9-
trous dead. Nothing bat a huge pile Of
stones, 20 indicate the spot whore rests the
remains of the leAder OF a once large and
powerful tribe. Where are they now, reduc.
ed to q few hundred sud gradually growing
less, and bat . feq 3hor; years at most, there
will not be one left. They car have no pos
sible hope OF a restoration OF their old homes,
aud early friends NOS a CLEAN OF hope, for a
dying race. Standing upon the summit Of
that high mound, you can with the aid of an
opera glass see the own Of ChAnute, Thayer.
Morehead, Cherryvale, Independence and
Neodeshs. What 8 grand sweep OF regular
elevations aud depressions as far as the eye
can reach; like the stately heave and swell Of
the oceans bosom, after = storm. Every
where you see waving wheat and corn, &C
eenting with squares Of deeper green this
limitless ezpsnse OF grassy land, whore the
Indians wlgwam stood ten years ago, TO day
stand school houses and churchs. Evidence
Of progress and civilization. IL Ia not quite
ten years since the Usage Indians ceded this
very land to the United States Government.
The people at Neo4egba were voting bonds
to aid ia the building Of the St. Louie,
Whitcbiis & Western Il. B., she day that
We were there, / haYe since learned thai the
bonds carried BY COO majority In Wilson
county. the road will be built TO Neodesha
By the ilrsl day of December Of the present
year, which will give them q direct route to
81. Louis and will doubtless interfere With
the l.. L. & G.. that is run in the interest OF
Chicago. The people OF this section long to
see the time come when the great highway
robber known as the l.. l.. & g. railroad will
be braughi to q realizing sense OF how they
have ~extonioned on The people Of this local
lty. am going 10 take in the town Of More
head next week; / am Informed that they
put on city airs up there. / think they have
80 in population, big, little, old end young,
dogs, cats, preachers and druggists. ono
third OF the population are dogs, with Cats
enough thrown in TO start IA String Bands.
/ have teen ''swinging the circle" with the
II. Z. people makipg Il. Z. speeches. st enc
school house We met eleven preachers in
Joint discussions who we're opposed 10 the