Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-03
THE MEANDER OF SEVENTY-SlX
The Variously Considered Cut-Of
Lake Of To-day.
A SHEET OF VAST POSSIBILITIES
The Uses to Which the Lake is Now
Being Put and the Schemes
Which Are Being Projected
for the Future.
SHEET OF VAST POSSIBILITIES.


On the night Of the llth of October,
1876, the swollen waters OF the choco-
late-colored Missouri went on frolic.
and in the morning when the inhabi-
tants of the then sleepy town OF Omaha
had arisen, they found that the maies-
tic hood was flowing placidly in a new
channel it had carved nearly two miles
east of the old one. The treacherous
stream has continued ever since to fol-
low in the same course, and the old, de-
serted bend, which las been gradually
filed in at one end with snndbars and
other alluvial deposits, is known on the
Omaha maps as Cut-Oif lake. The sec
tion cut OFF from Iowa by the freshet is
styled Cut'Oif island, and has proved a
refuge for the license-avoiding saloon
keeper, to say nothing of its unprece-
dented sources of legal discord and pro-
bnble unending litigation before future
tribunals.
Not satisfied with its confinements,
the southern neck of the lake has been
washing away its western boundaries
and filling up on the opposite side un-
til it's eastern shores are now where its
western shores were twelve years ago.
Last fail, n band of spectators who had
bought about eightytwo acres ON the
island, expected also to gobble up the
old river bed filed up in the manner just
mentioned, claiming it on the ground
OF accretions, but the government Off
cials declared that IL was still regarded
us river-bed and was the property of
Uncle Sam. This tilled-in strip of
ground comprised n great many acres
and the failure of the spectators to Sc
cure it for nothing, rather dampened
their ardOr. and gave their attempted
boom OF the island decided black
eye.
Cut-Off lake is sheet Of water SINH
lar in shape to n horseshoe, and from
| end to end it is four miles long. 1t has
a uniform width of about II quarter of Il
mile, aud in its deepest place line
| sinks over twenty feet.
Although possessing superior natural
| advantages rs a pleasure resort. it has,
| strangely enough, been neglected by
| the Omaha people, while the little
sheet Of water over in Iowa known as
| Lake Manawa, which is only about a
| quarter of its size, has been freely
| patrOniZed.
A few years since, number of lovers
| of boating discovered that Cut-Of's
placid waters were far superior to those
of the rushing Missouri for indulging
their fayorite pastime, and the result
was the organization of the Omaha Boat
club. A large boat-house was erected
| and a number of racing shells and
barges bought. Last fall, by the Sc
ductive promises of the Lake Man
ava managers, the club was induced
to move its paraphenalia to the Iowa
| lake. but IA single season has demon
strated to the Omaha boys the folly OF
going so far from home, and it is
rumored that next season they will re-
turn to the Omaha lake again.
Three years ago Captain Van Arnam
established the present Star boat house
but soon retired.
This season Otto G. Schwerin IA young
man of tins city, great lover of boat
inc houoht out the establishment and
under his management the patronage
has steadily advanced in rcspectabillty
and numbers. At present eight SAIL
boats and thirty skitfS minister to the
endowment of the pleasure seekers VINO
| visit this resort.
The bathing facilities OF the lake
which are. unusually excellent, nave
been utterly neglected. On the north
end of the island, just across IRON
Swift's ice house is one Of the fines'
sandy beaches in the country, and it
gradual slope into the lake makes i
Valuable for bathing. Preparations are
heinU made to open q bathing resor
here next season Already large
number of cottonwood trees have been
nIanted. and next spring lighthouses
refreshment stands and othe
conveniences are to be erecte'
for the accommodation OF Vlsi
tors. The place, has been name'
J | ''Brighton beach, Whlctpretty uilter
auvc sppallatjon will probably pleas
!