Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-09
SIOUX COUNTY SETTLERS
The Severity Of the Winter PaiS 10
LIS eli HlGir Enthusiasm,
The Town of kushville and it's Won.
derfnl Growih-Rnilrond Pros
pects-Thc Spring Rush.

Correspondence OF IHF DEE.
RUsHv1LLE, Sioux Co., Neb., March Q,
SS5.-There is a goodly number of PEG.
pie already at home IN Sioux county, the
extreme northwest corner of Nebraska,
of which fact, among others, please allow
( one CT the aforesaid peopls to respectfully
inform you and mayhap your many
readers.
The settlement Of this part of the
county by an agricultural class began in
e~arnest in the spting Of 'S4. The writer,
In company with several other land
seekers from Valentine, the terminus of
the railroad, with teams and wagons en-
tered the Antelope creek county about
ninety miles from Valentine, about the
18th Of last March, and only che rough
board shsnty near the present site of
Gordon was the only s'gn CT a human hab.
itatlon to be see In that pleasant valley
westward at the head of the Lsrve, and
those of the more gently undulsting and
fertile bottoms of the several branches of
Rush creek, which magni6csntly stretch
many miles to the southwest. Entries
under the Homestead, presumption and
timber culture laws
WERE MADE AT A RAPID RATE
and permanent settlement upon these
lands began with the return of warm
weather, and now throughout a distance
of upward of forty miles dwellings cen be
seen to dot, and in macy places TO thickly
dot, the landscape. There has been for
some years past a few scattering ranches
located on the various streams, the head
quarters of clttlemen. Houses were built
of logs, OF Sod, some were "duQout," end
in a few instances of sawed stuff obtained
from a sawmill started last spring on
the Bordeaux, a tributary of the White
river.
The logs were from the native growth
of pine, yellow and pi'cb, which,, quite
abundant along the deep ravines at the
heads of many of the creeks. Hundreds
of acres of tod were broken lend quite a
number of plows) upon which COIN and
many varieties of vegetables grew aud
gave practical and satisfactory evidence of
the soils remarkable qulckness and fertil-
ity, and it's eminent adaptability to their
easy and successful production.
The soil Is chiefly a dark. randy losm,
and provided mostly with ready natural
drainage. Excellent soft and most potable
water In perpetual supply can be obtained
at from twenty to sixty feet from the
surface. and stone of good quality for
walling wells and other uses, can be
found in ample quantity IN sundry peaks
and bluffs at a convenient distance.
Most of the settlers have sufic hay
and other forage, but in some instances
stock Is
the natural and inevitable result Of mi.-
calculation. 1t Is al way s thus in a new
country. Some small herds of horses
have survived the "blizz,rds' thus far
this winter upon tie grass alone which
they manage (perhaps 1 should say horse
sge) to get by roofing and paving away
the snow, swallowing enough of the
beautiful to quench, or partially
querch thirst, which vera 1t not drifttd,
would at the time of Its greatest depth,
have been about fifteen inches. 81 be-
low zero at Z a. IN as measured by an Or
binary thermometer Ia the lowest ex-
IRENE the cold has reached thus far 1.-the
present winter at this point. 34' below
at one ether time, once 80 0 and twice at
SOC below and ranging considerably be-
low 25o at all other snaps. Thermome-
ter on q post away from any building on
an open prairie, 1t was fully exposed,
which is q fact deserving of consideration.
The GREATEST cold has been in every in
stance accompanied by a dead calm and
the air being dry no one would guess 1t
so cold, and each time 1t soon moderat-
ed. Rain came sma1tly from the north
east February A, the only liquid storm cf
the SEASON.
THE FALSE TORY.
Of many persons freezing to death be.
tween this point and Valentine has al
ready been contrAdicted. Only three
deaths from such Cause has bsen reported
here as occurring still west Of this place.
Two were cowboys and one CT a young
man who was out hunting. Ihe poor
"blizzsrd" should not BIS Unfortunately
blamed for such calamitiep, for many of
them are due principally to the impru-
dence or temerlty of man. The above
noted cases occurred in December. The
winter did not really set in until Dscem-
Der 18th, thus giving reasonable time
requisite for seasonable preparations.
Trere has been a good many pleasant,
warm and thswy days, the temperature
reaching to above CO. 10 the sun, and
tea ming, in the way of getting wood for
fuel, and material for building, hauling
hay, goods, etc., and not u~nfrequently a
party of venturesome land hunters has
served to break the winter monotony and
relieve the dullness which Is apt to become
oppressive during the cold season In any
country. A general store, a post
Office and some CT the stand
ard mechanical arts are represented
here, and an M. d. to minister to the
wants of the sick, which fortunately,
owing to the salubrity.of the climate,
for all, except the doctor are very limited
In number. Twenty seven votes were
cast In this, Rushvllle precinct, at the
election last fall, and several voters to
the writer's kno Wedge were not there 10
vote, while a number of others had moi
been hsrs long enough at that time to
vote, which speaks we'll for a precinct In
which not q person lived SIX months be.
fore. A considerable majority of the
voters were
ON THE LOSING SIDE.
In this township almost If not all The
land Is under filing and the coming sum,