Omaha daily bee., 1884-11-20
CUSTER COUNTY,
Inud-Ths Rush OF Land
Hunters


correspondence OF lht hEE.
SARGENT, Custer county, Neb., No.
ycmbor Is. - Since my last letter to the
BEE, written some time since, your cor.
respondent has travelled extensively
through this state and Custer county, aud
has not been convinced in the least that
any portion equals this as 4 farm pre-.
ducing section. The land is woyo level
and, of cours,, caster worked. Tho soil
is better, and as q consequence Is thick
licr settled than any other portion. The
county has an area Of . 502 miles, and 10
81 miles east and west by As miles north
and south. The principal towns are
Broken Row Ohio county seat). Wester-
Vile, Walworth aud Sargent. Walworth
is q new town, with excellent prospects,
recently started, 10 miles west
of this point and but three miles west of
tho old West Union p~ostothcc, which is
to be abolished. Hero ia q grand open.
ing for active business men, ~ the cour.
try about is well settled and tho soil OF
tho best quality. Knowing ones sNy that
this town waS started for the purpose of
catching tho county. seat for this quarter
of the county Is much talked up and We
presume 1t will DO made at no distant
day. The leading spirit of the above
new town is VIM. Ii. Predmore, to whom
| can refer all that are looking for agood
location.
Custer county is very badly misrepre.
scented and misunderstood by u majority
of your readers. 1t is true that it is
quite billy, but the hills possess the best
soil, and many Of the Oldest settlers, who
had the choice of the hills aud valleys
alike. took the hill land in preference,
and from my own observation ! believe
they will DO most lasting aud most pro.
ductivc. Sod corn averages twenty tC
twenty-five bushels to the acre, and vege
tables grow about as we'll on sod as OF
old land. So, while many think these
hills are barren, worthless heaps of sand
those hat live here consider them thu
best land they have, and are growing al
kinds of grain, etc. to as good advantage
as are grown in any portion of the state
This is a great stock raising country
and situated on the banks of the rapidly
flowing and pure water of the Middl,
Loup are some cattle ranches of note
Situated at the head of the stream, 10(
miles above this point, is the "Steir
ranch" This ranch comprises thousand
of acres, and has from IA, 900 to Ii, OO(
head Of cattle and 500 head Of horses
They stacked this GUNNER about 2,00t
tons of hay. We recently passed through
their pasture, which is 30 miles from cas-
to west and 30 miles from north TO south
and Is well fenced. Between thirty anC
forty men are employed constantly at thiI
ranch. The next ranch below is the
OKune, with 200 head; the Farley Bros
with 800 head, the @. O. ID. ranch, witt
500 head, and 80 on down to Sargent
with herds ranging from 100 to 800 head
Timothy and blue grass in this vicinity
have nourished far beyond the most san
guine expectations of the credulous en-
thusiasts.
oats yield from so to 90 bushels pei
acre. Millet, rye, etc, all flourish here,
while beans do extra we'll. AS regards
wheat, this country is and has, for many
years, been exporting. The b, ~ M
railroad is expected up this rich vnlie.
before many months, and then III,
thousands of farmers will rejoice, 1t il
both q surprise and wonder, considering
the Thousands of cattle to be shipped, the
advanced state of the settlement of the
country and the ease with which a rail
road could be built, that there has not
been a railroad up here long
long ago. AS it is, the first road will
strike a bonanza. Let all those who
want pure wa ter, a healthy climate, rich
| soil, rood society. and q homo of their
own, come to Custer county. j.. w.
thomas, banker, of Sargent, Neb., can
give you all the reliable information
you may desire.
COLONEL JAMES.