Omaha daily bee., 1885-05-20
NIUBRkRA,
As PiCtlTGd by a Female Land
Seeker,
The Land of Promise on the Going
The Land of Disappointment
on Returning.

have an equal chance, and each free maj
can obtain a free farm. Were yot
there? If not, By all means go. w,
did. We went. W. stopped twenty
four hours. We returned. We went
hopeful, enthusiastic; we returned away
down In the depths of despair. Listen
I'll relate the sad, sad tale.
Ills the old, old story; poor, over
worked, under-pald, broken.down school
teachers; every nerve htretched to Its
uttsrmost, to earn in the service of the
public the few paltry dollars that
serve to keep hunger from tbs
door and shabpiness from the windows.
Uncle Sam is kind to all. He offers 9
farm to any who will accept It, 160 brand
new shining acres of land. Now is the
accepted time. Why not take a farm
pillow a few acres; plant a few trees In two
or three years sell 1t for 81, 1000 or 40; re-
tire from active life and live on the inter
est of our money. No time like the
present time, why not do it now. We
did, that Is we tried to. We worked
harder than ever; we tolled and swested
to instlll In the minds Of the young hope.
fuls under our charge, ven the glimmer
of an Idea, we encouraged, we denied
ourselves chocolate drops and caramels
for three weeks. By this scraping and
saving we got together a few dollars,
quietly obtained substitutes, and tried to
slip away and come back again unknown
to anybody. We reached the depot with
out being detected. We be srded the
train in safety. But scarcely were we
comfortably seated ere on the horizon of
our bright hopes, there appeared a cloud
in the shape of q man. A newspaper
man too. Not the kind who make your
ears ache with their ''here's your morn
ing paper only FIVE cents a copy" Not
that kind at all. The one we met was
one of those who take out their little
book and pencil, scan you from head to
foot ard lot down:
s'Mfs. Jones took the 3 o'clock train
for Denver, where she expects to visit
friends"
We were at first very indignant to
think that he should presume to ride on
the same train that we did. He seated
himself near us. He talked pleasantly;
seemed quite reasonable; was bound for
Niobrara also, and ere the journeys end
he proved 30 valuable a friend we quite
forgave WI atever tlsnder he might nave
heaped upon us through the columns of
his paper. AT NorfJlk Junction we
changed cars. Our companion travellers
hereafter were land seeekers like our
selves. Every one was hopeful, enthusi.
astic, communicative. They were mainly
foreigners. Throughout the car was
heard the busy hum of conversation.
Each man communicating to his ne'ghbor
tlon and receiving In return an equiva-
lent budget of Information. From Nor
folk to Creighton the train seemed to
creep over the rails at a snail like pace,
seemingly enjoying the suspense and
restrained eagerness of Its occupants. AT
Creighton our journey by rail terminated
at 5 o'clock p. IN. At z we started by
stage for Niobrara; reached that town by
10, q distance Of twenty five miles In
three hours, which could not have been
done had not the roads been as smooth
and level as If macadanizsd. The even
ing was warm and quiet; the sky clear;
the ride delightful. In this part Of our
journey the country was quite hilly and
pOSohuo ~ a. We ACokCo ANAoDAoAos
Creighton Is q beautiful and rapidly
growing town; Is ~compac'ly built, streets
nice and wide, houses neat and tasty,
smong them a number of quite fine resi-.
dences, business lively, situated on the
top of the hills overlooking a Wide tract
of country. What q contrast is Mo
brara! The town Is scattered for two
miles along the river. Saloons form a
good portion OF the town IT'S hard to
tell what were intended for streets and
what were not; houses far apart and look
as though blown there by a cyclone.
Situation, down in the valley surrounded
by black dismal looking hills and can
scarcely be seen until you are close upon
1t. We found the town full of people.
The houses were full. The country wal
full as could be seen by the many camp
fires here, there, ard everywhere. Tht
people mostly seen were full themselves
There were, Of course, a few exceptions
Many had been eamped there fer two ol
three weeks 50 as to be on hand for th,
10Th. Wagons loaded with men con
stantly driving into town until midniRht
The women were few. They were pro-
vided with rooms. The men slept il
chairs. on the floor, in the barns, on tn,
hay scales, wherever they could find
place. Some spent the night wslkini
around firing their reviewers and yellin'
to keep awake, 1 suppose. Others ga
still on the edge ef their beds and trem
bed. That is what we did. Tuesda,
morning dawned full darkly. Til
rain came pouring down. About
o'clock 1t was reported that the lam
office could not he opened unit
May 10Th, owing to the non arrivs
of plats from Washington. Though l
mattered but little to the waiting crowd
one.half of the land having been settle
upon the Indians, on each quarter OF tn,
remaining half was a squatter, VIII
would enforce his rights, II disputed, b
means of shot and powder. Dissppoint
ment was seen in every countsnauce
Slowly the crowd began to leave town
cussing the fate that brought ther
there, till but few were left. Many ba
been staying, hoping against hope ths
they might after all bs lucky enough I
get a piece of land; now they felt lk
wailing and crashing their teeth. W
with the others returned without an
land. On the train the scene WI
changed. Everyone was disconsolat'
discouraged. If only the Indians ha
not been there, and the Equatters ia
staid away, then it might have been; bl
now there was no show for anyone els