The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-11-22
Letter t'rom Rev. c. c.
Hart.
To TIL Readers of the SENTINEL:

LOUIS IS 50 common llat IL fequif-
es no note. l spent only ono day
in st. Louis, but q week at Web
ster Groves, which is situated ten
miles west OF the Un'o Depot, end
between the Missouri Pacific and
Frisco Railroads. has 5000 inhab-
itants, aud more really elegant
dwellings than any other suburb Of
St. Louis. The country is rolling
and healthy. Tie country from
St. LOUIS 20 Kansas CitJ varies
much. The first 40 miles west of
Webster Groves is hilly. rough and
unproluctive, and apparently very
thmly settled But when you strike
the Merrimac and Gasconnde riv-
ers the country is rolling, and for
more than 100 miles the o;e never
tires of beholding TIE splendid farm
ing land and we'll cultivated farms.
For such grand country the dwell
Jugs generally were small and :nfe-
rior IN architecture, with not the
least display of ornamen!ation. un-
less brick chimney on the outside
at each end Of the house Is an orna
mcnt.
But tho immense fields of corn
which men were husking on The
stalk and throwing into wagons
drawn by four mules or two yoke of
oxen, aud the wheat just covering
the fields with green (Nov. u was
more than orno mentation. But
Kansas City. who can describe 3
Not |. Hcre we made a halt of two
days. Here are Marshal Walker
and Harry Todd. both Logan boys.
The cable cars running up hill and
down--six miles an hours-are tie
wonder of all strangers. It would
be impossible TO do the business of
the city without them. For it is The
most up and down city l ever saw.
We lett <. c. at 8. p IN. and reach
ed Omaha at { next morning of
course we saw nothing of the coun :
try between the two cities, and re-
mained only an hour in Omaha.-
Tee we took the Union Pacific R'y
for North Platte. The first 20 miles
is somewhat rough and hilly. Then
We strike the Plaile river, and also
level open prairie country. The
road following the north bank of the
river 2S0 mics. The whole coun--
try has tho appearance of beng
tilted up from west to east /; such is
the fact. From Omaha, 500 miles
west, the upgrade is from five t."
eight feet to the mile. The conn
try. though so new, is quite 'hickly
settled. The dwellings many FIVE
or six miles apart, yet you are never
out of sight of human babitation.
There are hun dreds, yes thousands,
of immense stacks of native hay
along the road. Hundreds Of acres
of corn meet the eye, but of thai
which you see most is cattle Cat
tie to the right. cattle to the left r.cat.
tie in small punches. cattle IN large
herds, cattle everywhere. But not
a sheep. and 1 saw but few hogs
The railroad crosses the North
Platte river one mile above its juno
ton with the South Platte. The
town of North Platte is situated be-
tween the two rivers, and at this
point the rivers are two miles apart
and each is one fourth of q mile
wide. and sranned by substantial
bridge. The peculiarity of the
South river is the entire absence of
water. Tho bed is mass Of dry
sand. The wa,er is retained in
Colorado for irrigation. So that
we have the anamoly OF 200 miles OF
river with no water. The town of
North Platte has 5000 inh abitan!s
spread out on the prairie one and a
half miles east and west and one
mile north and south. The Union
Pacific R'y and their repair shops
are the most important part of the
make up of the town. More than 200
wio men get their monthly pay from
the Union Pacific live hero. Here
the repairs of 600 miles of the road
are done. The passenger trains,
two east and two west each day,
haul from ten to fifteen coaches,
and all see m we'll filed. We have
three scho"l houses, three weekly
newspapers. three lumber yards, va
rlous stores, Eve saloons, six church
es, and as much out doors as any
town can boast OF. Staple articles
Such as clo,!,ing, hardware, dry
goods. groceries and furniture. can
be bought here almost IS cheap as
in Logan. Corn zoe, potatoes IS.
oats 30. hay So per ton, butter 25.
coai-soft 81 per ton, har'l $15.
lumber so hrgh that short pocket
can't reach it. Hence buildings are
small, rooms smaller
Climate delightful. Indian sum
mer from Oct. ist 10 Decomb bcr Is.
No rain since tho first of October.
and do not expect any until March
or April. We have electric lights
and Holly waterworks.
Come OUT and sec us and we will
show you he wet and dry rivers,
and as big Il country US you can see
anywhere. G. G. IL.
North Platte, Neb. Nov. II, 'SS.