Omaha daily bee., 1884-11-13
NORTHERN NEBRASKA,

resources during the past ten yesrs has
, certainly been remarkable, and ospeo.
ialy so since 1880. Nebraska in 1870
, haa population of only 20 800, only
about 10000 more people than are now
living within the city limits Of Omaha. In
1880 tho national census gave the state
population Of A52, 400. The census
was taken during the month of June
and between that time and the presiden-
tial election in November, the population
was of course considerably increased.
The vote at the presidential election in
November, 1850, was S7,452, and the
vote at the election in November, 1894,
was over 135, 600, or an increase of nearly
: 5000. Multiplying $4,000 by the
established multiple of 6, in
calculating population by the vote, we
now have in Nebraska 5000 people, or
in other words, we have nearly doubled
our population in four years. At this
rate of increase it is safe to say that we
shall have, in 1890, considerably over
800, 900 people.
That portion of the state lying south
of the Platte river, including not more
than one third of cur territory, was first
settled up, owing to the persistent efforts
of the B. tS M. railroad company to in
| dttn inn, tp hat of %.
braska, through which it constantly ex.
tended it's system until it had complete
network of railroad lines. This accounts
for the prosperity which the B. Il M. en-
| Joys from its local traffic. Had the Union
Pacific done as much for the northern part
of the state, which was virtually it's own,
territory, that section of Nebraska would
long ago have been aspopulous as the South
Platte country, and the Union Pacific
would have had local traffic for allbranch
lines that it might have built that would
have proved very profitable. Instead of
doing this, however, the Union Pacific
wasted it's energies in distant, unpopu-
lated and unproductive regions, leaving
the fertile field of northern Nebraska to
fall into other hands, the Sioux City &
Pacific and Chicago, Minneapolis, st.
Paul & Omaha, both of which roads be-
long to the Chicago & Northwestern.
This company has extended its lines
throughout northern Nebraska and du.
ring the past four years has turned immi-
grafton to that hitherto neglected region,
which has proved to be as fertile and
productive US any other part of the state.
The changes that have been wrought in
northern Nebraska are certainly won
derful. Five years ago two-thirds of the
population was located south of the
Platte river. To- day there ia very little
difference in the population of the two
sections. The immense influx of people |
has caused a complete revolution in
northern Nebraska. Lands hitherto |
considered worthless have been taken |
up and converted into garden spots
equal to any in the world. Comfortable
homes and prosperous communities are
20 be found almost everywhere. Hun
dreds of little towns and cities are
sprirging up here and there. Thou
sands upon thousands of cattle are
grazing upon the rich grass-lands. County
after county has been organized out
of what was known In 1870 as
L'eau. qui- court, which included wide
strip of territory from the Missouri river
to the western boundary line of the state,
Among the counties thus organized and
now we'll populated are Knox, Wayne,
Cedar, Pierce, Antelope, Holt and Wheeler
Sioux county, in the northwest part of the
state, was recently organized and contains
enough territory for an empire Like all
the rest it is being rapidly settled up, and
is destined to become poprlous and
wealthy at no distant day. All this has
occurred where the Indian. the buffalo
and the coyote roamed at will only few
years ago. The settlement of southern
Dakota, bordering upon our northern
frontier, has, 1t is true, given consider
able impetus to this development of
northern Nebraska.
The question now arises, why has
Omaha not taken advantage of this
growth in region that is naturally trib.
utary to herr 1t is maintained that we
have not proper railroad connections. If
this is 80, and NE believe it to be largely
true, why should We not remedy the de-
feet by building direct line of our own,
or two or three if necessary, through the
northern partsof the state with branch
extending to the northeast to get the
trade of that section as we'll as of south
ern Dakota, and another branch to the
northwest That such railroad system
would pay, there is no doubt.
At present We have to depend on
inferior railroad connections, and are
at the mercy of foreign corporation.
Weare cut off,on the north blythe Chicago
IS Northwestern, which hauls every ything
out of northern Nebraska by way of the
Blair bridge, and supplies that region by
the same route. Self.protection demands
that Omaha shall build line of it's own,
and'bring to this city the cattle, the hogs,