Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1889-05-09
LEGENDS OF THE WILD WEST.
Bill Nye Relates Some Of the Early History
Of the Frontier.
IBill Nye in New York World.l

corlwood, and live stock in great pro.
fusion. The first palmetto ever saw
was at Columbia, :. c., i'm November
last. 1t was situated near the State
House and filled me with wonder and
admiration. The odd endogenous
trunk, with its deep scars, and then,
above and crowning all, the delicate
fluted dark green leaves, through which
the gentle breezes were almost con.
stantly engaged in sOughing.
| looked at it "a long time in silence
and wrapped in profound admiration.
Then ] went away and got a friend to
come and assist me in admiring the
delicate beauty and subtle perfume oi
the tree.
"How wonderful" ! said, "are the
works OF the Creator! Who could
fashion the fronded palm or paint the
delicate fringe OF foliage that crowns
the graceful palmetto? Man may
strive to do it, but he will never sue
ceed. How beautiful, how wonderful,
are the works of the Maker!
| "Yes," said u low voice which ema-
mated from "a full set OF rank whiskers
near by, "but you are mistaken about
the name OF the maker of that tree.
1t was made by the Columbia Iron
Works, OF this place"
] now decided to abandon the tree
and admire something else.
The Platte River is a queer stream.
1t has very large circulation, but
very little influence. 1t covers a good
deal OF ground, but is not deep. In
some places it is mile wide and three
quarters of an inch deep. 1t has q
bed OF quicksand, which assists it very
much in drowning people. The Platte
makes very little fuss about it, but
succeeds in being quite fatal. You
might cross the river without even
getting your hose wet, and then again
you might find that in crossing the
stream you had struck an entirely
new country. from whose bourne no
| Traveller eturns.
Nebraska is bounded on the north
by Dakota, on the south by Kansas,
ON the east by Iowa, on the west by
Colorado and Wyoming. The chief
productions are fruits, including Usage
| orange and lima bean. Cereals OF all
kinds abound here, including maize or
Indian corn IN great prOfrisiOn, broom
corn, sorghum and PercherOn horses.
Thechief industries include agriculture,
running for the Legislature and ship
building
Nebraska is Il very rich state, with
resources on every hand which, as
yet, have hardly been tried or fairly
started. Coal infests the bowels of
the earth. Boundless areas of rich
farming lands await only the agricul-
turlst humorist, who is supposed to
tickle them with the hoe the westward
ho) in order to make them laugh forth
heartily with abundant harvests. The
air is pure and whisky is abundant.
Hostile Indians are now quite scarce,
:. boi"s "I.,Us. ;,nI,r--ib.u ,Ss
enough Tor 10 mess. VIVA geese, water
cre-s, pizen weed, politicians and the
Salvation Army thrive well here.
Farms in Nebraska are very valu-
able, especially those on Farnam
street IN the city OF Omaha.
Omaha was founded by Fred Nye at
the close OF the war. Nye, who is a
Spanlard 10y birth, with rich CASTLE
blood in his veins, discovered the site
of Omaha by accident, and immedi-
ately started IA paper there, which was
followed by the arrival OF several
thousand people, who came there to
subscribe Tor the paper.
After founding the paper and build
ing II court house Mr.. Nye became the
head of what is known all over the
civilized world as the Nye family.
From Omaha this hardy ana ener-
get ic race moved Eastward, and with
its refinement and cultivation soon
made itself felt in Boston and Skow-
hegnn. Me. EyeryMherc the -name
became the synonym for remarkable
strength and rigid integrity. Manly
beauty characterized the males. and
female beauty seemed to coniine il sell
mainly tC the women and girls OF the
tribe.
In 1904 MeSsrS. Lewis and Clarke,
who We're doing n general discovery
Council Bluffs. They held a treaty
with hostile Indians at this point,
under the provisions of which the
Indians We're firmly bound by those
present to avoid killing the Messrs.
Lewis a Clarke. They also decided a
few count les to the white man in con-
slderation of 20 cents worth OF beads
and II iine-tooth comb, to them in
hand paid.
1t is thought that Nebraska was
discovered by Coronado i'm l54l, at a
point which is bet tween Gage and Fumas
counties.
The Omaha Indians now number
about one thousand souls, was about
to say, but they have associated with
the wnite man so much that ] will Just
say there are I 900 head OF them.
some of them at times fly in the face
oi industry. The Indian by nature
seems to reluctantly part with his
perspiration.
Iucien FOntenelle, born i'm New
Orleans about the year $500, went to
the West in 1874, where he soon began
to move in the best Omaha Indian
society circles. lie was always in
| vited to attend the best and most
recherche scalp dances, where he would
trip The light fantastic toe till "the
wee sma hours anent the twa," as
read in paper once. 1t was not long
then until Mr.. FOntenelle won the
heart OF young Indian squaw. 1t
was but the work Of a moment to
make her his wife. She did not play
| on the piano at all and SO made him
| "a GOOD wife. She was II remarkable
woman in many respects, and as she
walked through the spacious halls OF
her home her footballs sounded like a
game OF bean-bag at a quiet social.
She dressed plainly in an army
! blanket. and. in addition to her house
work. used to catch muskrats during
the winter. She became the mother
of five half-breed children. Her hus-
band died in lS4O, as a result OF his
efforts TO combine business with
delrium tremens. Whisky at that
time in Omaha was often attended
with fatal results. 1t would remove
warts, corns and bunions. Mr.. Fon-
tenelle used it frequently in order to