The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-10-21
OUT WEST ON A BICYCLE.

OUT WEST ON A BICYCLE.
Letters from Jonrnalist Rolling Towards
the Pacific ON Wheels-Lost ON tho Plains
Of Nobraska-Tho First Patch ON Our
Correspondents Abbreviated Pants.
CENTRAL Crrr, Me-, Sept. Is, 1882.
EDITOR CHEF:
On deck! Perhaps this is slang way
Of expressing the situation, but it con-
veys the right idea very we'll, and gives
the reader the impression that the I'M
dersigned is still able to wiggle along in
good style.
On Wednesday of last week / left
Council Bluffs, crossed the river and re-
NAMED in Omaha till after dinner, aud
then started ON my tour across Nebraska.
am now about 135 miles from Omaha,
though have travelled considerably
more than that to get here, by reason of
being misdirected and getting on wrong
roads several times. Wednesday evening
l got all tangled up among a lot of prai-
rie roads, and losing my bearings, was
out on the plains till nearly 10 o'clock at
night. admit that was little scared,
for after dark came on went fully three
miles without seeing G. house, and not
knowing where was, the prospect for
spending cold, frosty night out OH the
"perairry began to be just little too
luminous, when came along by a house
surrounded by big dogs, and slipping
through the lines in some miraculous
way without getting bit, I found lonely
man who put me on the right track, and
at about 9:45 the lights Of Elkhorn APP
peared to my gladdened eyes and I was
saved.
/ reached Central City, a pretty little
place of 1900 or 1900 inhabitants, Friday
evening, aud Saturday / spent in putting
the first ugly patch OH my abbreviated
pants, darning my bicycle stockings and
preparing newspaper correspondence
am getting tough now, and o bent pin
on chair would have few terrors for ME
at present Sunday / spent in quietly
resting, and to-day continue my jour
ney across the State. 4 have yet to travel
three hundred miles through Nebraska,
and four hundred before reaching Chey-
enne City, in Wyoming, where l expect
to spend next Sunday.
The first thirty miles in Nebraska I
found quite hilly, though after that the
roads were comparatively level, but very
sandy fully one-half the time, making
difficult wheeling, and besides had a
strong wind to push against nearly all
the way. They .re having an Indian
scare in the western part Of this State;
don't know whether l will join it when
1 get there OF not. 1t would be real
mean i'll the "nobb red men to turn in
aud scalp my bicycle after I had worked
SO hard TO come sofsr, wouldn't it :
am now riding throughsthe beautiful
Platte valley. It is from FIVE to twenty
miles wide and is simply lovely Away
off in the distance, on either hand, is a
row Of bluffs that add beauty and gran-
deur to the scene, especially as now
| have none If them to climb. The laud is
very rich, but there are thousands and
thousands of acres that have never yet
felt the pillow, and are now only awaiting
! the hand of the skillful farmer to become
| rich in fruit and grain. Thusfar l find
| the crops in Nebraska have been good
this year. Corn will turn out we'll, as
most Of it is too far advanced for these
early frosts to injure it,. Some are already
huskiug. They have few fences in this
State; what they do have are mostly
barb wire or willow hedge. All stock is
herded. Towns are generally small and
there are few that so as high as five
thousand in population, and they are
getting further and farther apart us l &C
west. On this account, and the distance
| between houses OH the road, travelling il
getting " lonesomer" every day. Every
once in while some kindly disposed
person seeks to cheer my lonely spirit b,
looking serious and saying: Better keel
your eyes open for Indians and COW boys
young man, for you don't know at wha
time they may be after YOU" But l hav'
already seen one COW boy, aad he looked
any thing but savage. He came from th
Sucker State, and when he told me Of i
almost wanted to hug him, it seemed
SO long since 1 had seen any one fron
"Old Iilinoy." He gave me some goo'
pointers concerning my route, and wen
OH my way rejoicing. am now follow
ing the emigrant trail across the plains
which keeps in sight of the U. p. R Il
nearly all the way to Cheyenne City.
Some attention is given to fine stock j.
this part Of the State, tliongh as yet
have seen but few fine blooded cattle.
is to be hoped that this worthy branclle
stock farming will be more encourage
in "the sweet bye and bye" To hea
!, tho natives talk, it is not much Of a trio
: to make living in this part OF the STATE
and to look at the soil it is easy to bt
7 lieve. Improved land can be bought 9
. from five to teu dollars por acre. 1t wi
. bring much better price some of thes
days. Much Of it is now owned by spet
l ulators.
RI When arrived at Council Bluffs, Ia
I I found a present awaiting me. 1t was
] neat new bicycle from the John Wilso
: Co., of Chicago. The machine is of the
u latest model, very neat built md ston