Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-05-28
From Nebraska.

OC0NNOR, bTeeley w., NeD., NAY
Is, 1880.-EDs. DEMocRAT:-Hav-
ing been requested by many friends
in Iowa county to write them ac-
counts of Nebraska, as to its soil.
climate, and farming facilities, and
time not permitting me to write
those numerous accounts to each, |
request that you publish this letter
in your valuable paper, for the
benefit of its many readers.
Nebraska is being settled up very
fast, on account Of its healthy
climate and good soil. The only
difficulty being the scarcity Of fuel.
But when scarcity Of anything ex-
lists necessity compels US TO utilize
something else, that may partially
fill the deficiency; hence, hay, corn
stalks, or even corn or cob are
burned, any of which make very
good fire.
Not having had IN opportunity
of seeing the table lands lying be-
tween Omaha and Lincoln, ] can
not attest TO its goodness. In and
about Lincoln, and west, rs far us
Hastings, is the prcttiest country in
the United States; with excellent
soil, only here and there are found
patches Of alkali lands, chat will
produce nothing.
Land can be obtained in this
locality for from So TO $50 per acre.
West from Hastings about TWEEN
ty-fivc miles lies the city of Grand
Island, which is very cntcrprising
and thriving little city. and is stu
atcd near the Platte; hence, the
land around il IL sandy, and not
very good for larminH North and
west from Grand Island, for about
seventy miles, that being the extent
of my travels, the land is ns benuti.
lul MS the garden Of Eden, devoid of
trees. Is vast prairics, stretching
out Us far ~ the eye can reach, and
every now and then Il can on,
varying from forty TO one hundred
feet in depth, and from from four
TO ten rods wide, and extending in
very irregular line for miles, may
be sccn, which helps to break the
monotony of tho smooth lrairics, as
you pass over them.
Springs arc something unknown
here, and running water, therefore,
il necessarily hard to be found, al
though in the small valleys may be
seen bitches cut, one would sup
pose, by living water. Whether il
has been the dryascason that dried
them up, or not, cannot say.
Water may be had in abundance, at
q reasonable depth, even ON the
highest lands, and there il no
trouble i'll putting down wei,
there being no stone within 200
feet of the surface.
Government lands cannot be had,
excepting i'll counties north and
west of this (Greeley) county, in
which counties the land is very
good, with tho exception of IN oc-
casional sandy section; but those
IN immigrant, must look out for,
or the shrewd settlers will be sure
TO stick him in one of them, so MS to !
save the good land for some friend,
whom they may expect from the
east. One half section may DO
taken by any person who is twenty
one years old; one quarter-soction
rs II timber claim, and one quarter
section as n homestead. But, pro-
vidod n person did not want 70 go
SO far from civilization, no could
purchase from homesteader, or
from one who has II timber claim
in this Greeley or Howard
counties, their claim for from $500
to 500, and MS those parties have
been the first settlers here, they
have the prettiest land. Then 10y
purchasing n claim in this way,
you can save five years taxes, be-
cause YOU enter on the claim AS
though it were never entered on
before.
This (Greclcy) county has been
purchased by colonizing society,
under the direction of Bishops
O'Connor, of Omaha, and Spalding,
Of Peoria, and is reserved for Irish
Catholics only, and it is being set.
tied up very fast. land being worth