Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-03
AINswORTH.
The County Seat OF the New County
OF Brown.

Correspondence OF THs BHh.
The thriving town Of Ainsworth,
situated twelve miles west Of Long
Pine, on the line of the Sioux City
g. Pacific railroad, Is the proposed
county seat of the new county OF
Brown. Its site and its location In
reference to the farming portion Of
the county make 1t the only desirable
town for the location of the county
seat.
The span of Its existence measures
scarce half a year, yet 1t Is fast over.
shadowing its neighbor, Long Pine,
and Ia bound to draw all the trade
from the surrounding country. In
The Omaha Herald of February 18th
there Is an article over the signature
of sc. r G" intended to be written
In praise of Long Pine; but all that
may be said in praise of Long Pine
will be treated by those who have
seen the place as sheer irony.
Mention is made In this article of
the fact that the town has been stunt.
cd In growth owing to a contest over
the title to the sand on which 1t
stands. There Is truth In that re.
mark. Whatever may have been the
cause of Its stoppage In growth 1t Is
plain that Its sudden and violent
progress has been brought up with a
jerk.
For some months Long Pine was
the terminus of the Sioux City g. Pa.
oific railroad. These we're the palmy
days of the Pine. Life was astir upon
her streets, full hotels and 'full'
cowboys. The adventurer could 60
no farther so he staid a few days and
went back.
There was q show of business; but
the railroad pushed on. The stream
of adventure flowed on westward, and
left Long Pine sitting upon the sand
hills, disconsolate, moaning q lugubri-
Gus dirge over her departed greatness.
This was her last and Only effort to
gain popularity and recognition among
the cities of earth. Already the
shadows of oblivion are creeping in
from the sand hills and narrowing the
confines of this unfortunae burg.
It will soon be q thing of the past,
and exist only In memory. Soon ali
that will remain Of this once proud
city of sand will be a water tank and a
load of posts.
The temporary location of the
county seat has not yet been made
public, though 1t is plainly evident
where It will be.
The contest for Its location has been
between Alnsworth and Long Pine,
and had the matter been brought to q
vote of the people of the entire
county the temporary location wOulo
lon { since have been at Ainsworth.
We admit that Long Pine L. sltuat-
cd In the geographical center Of the
county; but the geographical center
IL not always the most convenient
place, and notably 10 In this case.
Ainsworth IL centrally located as to
the farming portion of the county.
Plats from the United States office
show that the land taken lays west
and northwest of Long Pine. East
of Long Pine the land Is untaken and
is but an arid desert.
Petitions have been sent to the
governor from Long Pine and Aims.
worth, but let as see who have been
slgners. In the matter of algners
Long Pine has o~verresched herself
and 20 swell the list the soldiers of
Fort Niabrara have been asked to put
down their names.
These men havo no interest In local
affairs, their home Is upon q govern.
ment reserve, and they are amenable
to the general government only. Not
only these, but every one who Ia
scholar enough to write his own name,
be he resident or foreigner. The
question whether q man had a '.local
hsbitation and q name was not asked.
This point vas strangly overlooked
anything, anybody to swell the list,
hoping thus to cajole the governor into
a belief that the majority of the peo'
pie of Brown county wished the TEN
porarlly location of the county seat al
Lone Pine.
We looked over the list carefully
that was sent from Ainswortb, anG
know that these signers are the people
of Brown county, Whatever the PEG.
pie of Ainsworth have done, whatever
steps they have taken to secure the
location of the county seat where II
should be, they have no case acted
unfairly or secretly.
Ainsworth Is growing rapidly ant
permanently. Many Improvement
are now being made and in contem,
plation. Backed by q good farming
country 1t is bound to make a goot
trading point.
The business Is conducted by wide
awake pushing men, who r deter
mined to take advantage of the many
opportunities they have to sustain the
reputation 1t now has Of being the bes
town in the county. Settlers ar,
pouring In to improve the many claim
taken during the fall and winter
Many of the homesteads are alread,
assuming the dignity Of well.orderet
farms. The majority of the farm
houses are substantial frame building
put up 'to stay" The productivenes
of the soil has not been fully deter
mined yet, as the crops of last season
were upon last and the previous year
breaking. But corn under these cir
oumstances yielded thirty bushels Il
the acre, and Mr.. Carpenter had
piece of wheat hal Is estimated t.
have yielded thirty bushels per acre
Potatoess, turnips, Tquashes, ylelc
sbundsntly; in fact, all garden pro
ducts yielded heavily on the sod.