The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-12-08

A Trip to Nebraska.
OsCEoLA, Polk Co, Nebraska, Nov. 30,
Oceula is "a fine town IN Nebraska with
fine dwellings, friendly inhabitants, beau
titul lands, and the incest and easiest roads
| ever travelled over. In these towns you
feel you are at home among them. In
these wide rolling table lands, beautiful
homes are rising, cultured and refined.
From the teeming multitudes coming to
this land cities are rising and the advance
Of civilization is far greater than | sup.
posed.
We meet quite a good many from our
western towns met from our own Otta>
wa three: Mrs. Pembroke, widow OF
Richard Pembroke, and daughter; Mrs.
Harriet BLY,, and husband, formerly OF
Seneca, ILL., They have a pleasant home
In grove OF trees raised by themselves.
As my cousin and myself drove into their
yard, there we're glad hearts and happy
greetings. Dear lady, we have cause for
many happy remembrances In the OLD
home. We had quite nice visit with the
mother and daughter. Mr. BY went late
In the day to cast his vote for Harrison.
lie says he he'd quit. . nice crop Of corn !;
his potatoes were very fine; raised l,4OO
bushels-how Is that for Nebraska! Our
visit over we 90 rolling over the pratrie's
fair roads, with fast horses, and II miles
are soon gone over under a beautiful sun.
set sky, ablazs with the rosy light OF de-
parting day. | exclaim " Beautiful cOun-
try! beautiful homes! rest and COntentment
dwell with you here after the storms are
doneW But after thu sunshine comes
storm, so we fold our hands silently and
watch the sunbeams fade away 10 the
early twilight At the old place, or stopping
place in Nebraska, as night closes in.
Again at Osceola We find an other Otta-
wa man, Dir. HOLLYWOOD ! say he WAS
aU Ottawa man but only partially So be-
tween Ottawa and Chicago. He studied
under Wallace, of ChicsgO, He asked for
the Dlckeys, Lelsnds WAllace's, Of Chss.
and Bell Dickey-uow Wallace, OF the
Wallace's in particular, IS he felt under
peculiar obligations to them, when Asboy,
for kindness received. At the depot man
asked: for old Vermllllon friesds-strange
In far away Nebraska to find our towns
men.
Soon from wilderness to blooming
land flowers grow aheltsred from rude
winds, and hands unseen guide tho dssti-
ny Of this nav world-a nation OF kosora
BILE toillng mon and women. Tho sun tha,
rises In the morning, and the wind with II
going down at sunset. will be unnosicsd. II
will build up a. older towns. Corn, eats
potatoes, grsss In abundance; cattle, drovss
" them 10 the valley. Went to 40 ons
herd of 1000 or 1900. Texas cattle prisci-
paIly We went 10 see buffalo COW In
this herd, hut she had been driven ~
Shell Creek, quite distance away the day
before with her four calves. Tho cattle
we're grazing on what they called buffalo
grass, growing In abundance in the valley
Saw y llOck Of sheep; they were grazing
among the cattle with one large goat
among them-the only flock seen In this
country. Saw few scattering ones here
and there, hut very few. Crossing the
Plat valley for the last time, we next day
went 10 OsCOela. Saw the county poor
farm--a nice frame building (the number
of acres forgotten); an old couple take care
of II, for which they receive five hundred
dollars per year, They have no paupers
now Before We went out there, they
buried two old men which empied the
building. Saw their grave yard on hill,
with not many graves as yet. Since, one
poor old lady was carried to her long rest
nice heBrse conveyed her body TO the
cemetery.
To-day we saw many fine homes in o.
ceola. They have a very fine school bull
ding, handsome churches. banks, land OH
CO, shops ana stores too numerous 70 men
ton. One gentleman, formerly an Illinois
man, said $50 home and tell them We are
not suite so green as they imagine. There
has been no sDOw blizzard while | have
been here" He WAS armed man,
loOSing the other In the Union service.
And SO they drift cut here, far away from
those old battle fields where they served,
after the long marches in good and bad
weather; served their country in war, and
now, amid peaceful scenes, they gather
far away to these countries 10 lind rest al
ter the long marches. God keep them un'
til their warfare is done and crown them al
the close with victory.
We have had our tickets signed, and to-
morrow we will be on our journey.
This morning take the train at Shelby,
our nearest station, and nj IL o'clock we
are on our homewurd journey. Again we
pass throgh Rising, David Brsinard chang
ing cars AZ Valparaiso. We pass through
Cfeston, " ahoo, Mead, two small towns,
names forgotten; cross Plat river, VERY
wide at this point; then Valley, a small
town In Nebraska which spoke Of in d
former letter to the FREE TRADER, Across
the track is Reeds hotel. The next sta
ton is Waterloo; then small! town, name
forgotten At this place there is factory
fer canning fruit. The houses look as II
set in the nils. Again, Elkhorn, Willard,
Pappilia, Pasillion, had superior building,
then station called Gilmore. We are fast
nearing Omaha South, and then Omaha
proper. Here we crossed the Missouri, a
dark sullen stream. Crossing the bridge
the city looks grand in the distance. AT