Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-04-15
April Sd. 1880.

EDITOR JoURNAL:-In my last letter |
left your readers at Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The weather extremely cold and the
wind blowing a perfect tornado. This
city is on the extreme western portion
of the State, and about three miles from
| the foot of the Bluffs, and is four miles
distant from Omaha, Nebraska. The
old-time explorers-Iewis and Clark
| held council with some Indians here i'm
| 1904, and named the place Council
| Bluffs. 1t was originally settled by the
Mormons and called Kanesville. II con-
tains q population of some fifteen thOus-
and, and like all western centers of
trade is alive with business.
We are now at what Is known as
'sTransfer Grounds" here all passen-
gers, baggage and mail from the East
are changed to the cars of the Union
Pacific.
We now launch out upon the vast
sweeping plains, the barren desert and
the grand old mouutains-for all these
various features of the earth's surface
we encountered before reaching Ogden,
Utah. 10 enjoy the trip over this road
one must be an ''Indian AGENT" or some
other kind of employee, whose expenses
are paid for him, as everything con-
sumed costs full three times as much as
it does In the States. He must also lay
aside all his precOnceiyed ideas, preju-
dices and ways, and for once be perfect
ly natural, while he flies as 1t were
among natures grandest and loYeliest
creations.
1t is now Has o. m. of Tuesday,
the Sth. All ready, the bell is rung,
the call aboard' is sounded, and our
train starts on a journey of 1923 miles
this being the length of U. Z. Road from
here to Ogden, Utah-the western ter
minus of this road, and the eastern ter
minus of the "Union Central. The
Missouri river is here crossed on one
of the finest bridges on the continent
known as "Post's PATENT" supported
by hollow iron columns y In number,
two of which form pier. These col
unns are made of cast iron, IA inches
thick, Sls It. In diameter, and weigh 8
tons to each joint of 10 ft. They are
bolted together air tight, and sunk to
the bedrock of the river. The main
span Is, between abutments, 2750 feet.
We are now at Omaha-once the cap
ital of Nebraska. This is a city of no
mean pretentions. A great many of Its
citizens are very wealthy, and numer-
Gus blocks of large and costly buildings
adorn many of the principal streets.
The Government erected large custom
house and post office building here about
five years ago, costing $3.50, 900.
| want to give your readers some idea
of this western city. 1t has Board of
Trade consisting Of l2S members; smelt-
ing and refining works reducing ores
TO the yaine of $5,000,O00 annually
three banks, with an aggregate capital
of $S20, GOO, whose depositOrs in 1877
numbered a,974, whose average deposits
amounted TO S2.537 ,02l 20, while their
exchange for the same time was $SS,-
lSl .GTl ,3S, and their currency shipments
10 $S,5l ,3O3. There Is published In the
city, three daily papers-the Herald,
Republican and Bee; two weeklies, the |
journal of Commerce and Commercial |
Exchange; one tri-weekly, the Omaha
Post, and one monthly, the High School. |
The city has S430, ,975 invested in free |
school property, employs a teachers, |
and Is educating between three and four |
Thousand pupils. Population estimated |
st $4,000.
AT :35 p. m. we stop st the town of |
Fremont for dinner. This is the coun-
ty-seat of Dodge county, population
$500. The Herald, a daily and weekly,
aud the Tribune, weekly, are newspa-
pers published here. The Sioux City & |
Pacific X. K, connects here with the U.
z. ard runs through to Mo. Valley, To-
wa, where it connects with the Chicago
& Northwestern. @ 80
We are running Immediately up the
Platte River, along whose historic banks
the plodding emigrant and tired freight
er toiied from 1919 until the Pullman
palace car took the place of the covered
wagon. Now and then the watchful
eye of the passenger will catch
glimpse of lone grave, marked by
rude headboard, where some loved one
far from home, and worn down with toll
and sickness, laid down and died. Those
were days, and these plains the place
that tried mems souls.
The Platte is indeed strange river,
and after all there's more fancy than
fact in this, In some respects, strange
stream. Its average width, from where
it empties into the Missouri to the juno
tfon of the North and South Forks, Is
said to be three-fourths of a mile, while
It's average depth is but siz inches.
ftS =. a. STONE.
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The Eorl;eh r ;ho.o,o L.,,o -.