The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-05-03
BANCROFT, NEB., April 23.

DANChOfI, ApIil
To the Editor of the Standard:
I.receive the Standard every Saturday,
about six hundred miles west of Chicago,
or nearly one thousand miles from Jack
son.
have been ih this State five years, and
am better pleased the longer I stay. The
climate is the most healthful west of the
Missouri River. The soil is very fertile,
the water pure and delicious, and the
crops have never failed. Throughout
this part Northeastern parD of the State,
the crops were very good last year-corn
averaged 40 to so bushels per acre, wheat
IS to %, oats 80 to As, with an abundance
of all kinds of vegetables.
This town is located in one of the rich
est valleys Qogan) of the State, and is
directly connected with two of the best
markets west of Chicago.
People living in the East seldom realize
the progress some of the Western cities
are making. Omaha, 10 miles south of
here, has population of over one hun
dred thousand and is now the leading
city west of Chicago.
Sioux City, 40 miles north of here, is
the principal market for Western Iowa,
Southern Minnesota, Southern Dakota.
and Northeastern Nebraska. 1t is the
only Corn Palace City in the world, and
has population of thirty-fve thousand.
There are a great many prosperous towns
from one thousand to three thousand in
habitants throughout this part of the
West. The farmers are dealing extern
sively in stock in Nebraska. Within a
radios of eight miles of this place, there
are more than nine thousand head of cat
tie, ten thousand head of hogs, and sew
eral hundred head of horses.
The prospects for this year are very
good. Farmers are going to plant and
SOW an unusual large crop and prices for
all kinds of marketable produce are high
er than for several years.
I am teaching, and have been since 1
left Ohio twelve years ago. The West is
making rapid progress in educational
work. Nebraska with all the Western
States and Territories has the county su-
pervision. The County Superintendent
is elected every ten years by the qualified
voters of the county. He grants all GER
tificates and is required to visit each
school in the county at least twice each
year. There are three grades of certifi-
Gates, known as the first, second and third
grades. The first grade requires each ap-
plicant to be examined in mental and
written arithmetic, bookkeeping, civil
government, drawing, English compost
tion, English grammar, geography, U. S.
history, orthography, penmanship. phys
iology, reading, theory and art of teach
ing, algebra, geometry, botany, natural
philosophy. The second grade omits the
last four branches. But few teach on
third grade.
There is good demand for well edu-
Gated teachers. The salary IN town and
village schools is good-from $50 to 800
per month. Nebraska charges each sa-
loon keeper five hundred dollars license
fee, which goes into the school fund to
pay teachers-the latter however may
not be to the honor of Nebraska.
Each teacher is required to teach the
effects of tobacco and alcoholic stimulants
on the human system.
1 seldom meet any one here.from South.
ern Ohio
S. b. Gilliland, who has lived near here
for several years and well known in JEFF
ferson township and Jackson. has moved
to Arkansas.
The newspaper business is well repre-
'ented in the West. Nearly every town
# over two hundred inhabitants has one !