Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-25
IT'S A COODLY LAND INDEED.
The Truth About the Country Called
the "Sand Hills"
A DEEP AND FERTILE SOIL.
Copious Showers and an Abundance
of Running Water Make This
Region an Inviting One
For Homeseekers.
BEYOND the sand Hills.

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irregular form, but, generally speaking, in
diagonal direction from northeast TO south
west, nearly II not quite across the state,
and near the northwest corner Of Nebraska,
is range OF prairie undulations which, for
want Of better name, have been called
"sand hills" The actual hills arc princi-
pally Of red sand, and the soil thereof con-
tains large amount Of vegetable mould, so
that they are not barren by long way, but
the sandiest of them are covered with tall
bluejo,nt, low buffalo and luxuriant grami
grasses. These peculiar formations were
most probably thrown off originally by the
action OF the receding and returning waves
of sometime turbulent and tempestuous
sea- After the waters receded, for many
centuries, perhaps, the wild winds swept the
particles together, mixing them with other
things cast off by the bilows into great
heaps, leaving the hard clay valleys between
Then these valleys became fertile by
the gradual growth and spread of
vegetation, decaying and growing again,
and finally climbing the hillsides
and spreading its summer green carpet over
ali that great "shore liue' of centuries ago.
In places there are great cayernous openings
in these hills called 'blow holes,n where the
winds have blown out the sands revealing
wonderful geological deposits, and not in
frequently large logs of pine, thus proving
that the section was once covered with tim
Der and that the great trees finally bowed
and fell before a mightier forest of destroy
ing flames The valleys are of various ex-
tents and are very fertile and are well
watered by the Niobrara and its tributaries
as well as by the tributaries OF the Boup and
ana Platte rivers together with numerous
lakes. These are great resorts for ducks
and geese and grouse and are destined to be a
field of sport for hunters. Now there are
many deer and antelope but these are rapidly
passing away before the encroachng settle
ments Within the past few years hundreds
of families have found homes in these
numerous valleys and their cattle gather
food for bone and flesh on the thousand hills.
Beyond these nearly if not quite misnamed
''sand hills" on the north extending to Da-
kota and on the west to Wyoming, and upon
q somewhat higher elevation, lies one of the
garden spots of the world-a rich, black,
sandy loan and porous clay subsoil, reposing
in fiat bottoms or table lands or rising in gen.
tie undulations or towering in broad lofty
hills. A soil as fertile as the most fertile,
mostened with frequent and gentle showers,
springs and streams of water az clear and
bright and refreshing as ever flowed; timber
enough for present needs, an atmosphere the
purest of the pure, a dry mountain wind
warmed with Pacific breezes-all these and
many other desirable conditions conspire to
ally which the sun ever shone upon. 1t is
not possible to define by the lines drawn on
maps, the exact metes and bounds of the sec
tion referred to or to reveal except 20 the
present eye, just where the sand hills, so
country begins, but for the needs of
this article it. may be said that the
counties Of Sheridan. Dawes, Box Butte
and Sioux in the extreme northwest part Of
the state comprise most of that portion of
this fertile garden spot which lies in Ne
braslsa Beyond Nebraska it extends north
and west, more or less broken by spurs of
mountain ranges or spots of "bad lands" of
sun baked clay far into the .'great west"
However, it is the intention to confine this
article to that portion situated in Nebraska
and for the purposes of general description
TO treat it at present as whole.
It is o territory In extent larger than Con-
necticut and Rhode Island and in the same
latitude. The distance from east to west
across it is one hundred and two miles and
from north to south seventy miles. The
altitude is from 3.7O0 to 5000 feet above the
formation is fairly well described by the ap-
pelation of level Toward the north it be-
comes first gently rolling, then expands into
wider and higher swells, and in the northern
hills, and deep causus, and wide
rolling table lands Of Pine Ridge, and
everywhere, or nearly everywhere, the soil
deep and black and rich in alluvial deposits.
Except where broken abruptly into bare and
precipitous sides, the hills are seldom steep.
1t is country Of magnificent distances" !"
where the hills, though high, are of gradual
and long ascent, great, broad fertile slopes
reaching upwards by easy graduation to lofty
heights.
Flowing east through almost the center of
this lovely stretch OF country is the beautiful
Running Water river, the princiDal stream.
Its waters are sparkling and pure as are
also those Of all its numerous tributaries.
The White river, so called because OF its
white clay banks, precipitous in places, rises
near the west limo and flows nearly across
sIAI G.l.,l -l.l.~
brooksn of crystal purity flow into the latter,
or northward into the Cheyenne, or south
ward Ego on forever" to join the waters of
the majestic Platte. There Is no allxali or
other unusual chemical impurity in any OF
streams, but the waters are pure, beautiful
and healthful.
This country was, for no one knows how
many years, the home of the Indian, un-
trodden by the feet OF white men, and its
natural solitudes disturbed only by the rude
occupations or barbarous warfare of its saw
ages Traditions Of their powerful tribes,
their populous villages, their great councils,
and their mighty battles may be picked up
by the investigating student.
Places OF interest because OF such tradi-
tions may oven be found and, /, he who chooses,
may visit their deserted villages and find un-
mistakable evidences of their former occu-
pancy, or he may walk over their tradi-
tional battlefclds and, by more or less pa
ticnt search, be able to carry away with him
as u memento part at least of some rude
implement OF early lntlan warfare. But Q
few years ago the Great Father took the
country from the red man, after proper
treaty of course, and now the dusfy savages
only visit 1t rs trespassers to behold with
wonder the development of civiliza.
tion they are too ignorant to appreciate
and too weak TO participate ina
curious race rapidly pas sing away to their
destiny. Ignorant, treacherous. murderous
seemingly unable to be othcrw ise they will
soon live only in the dim traditions of q
country that not long ago resounded with the
shouts Of thousands of them.
Five years ago, III the winter of 1884, the
number OF persons engaged In the stock
business on large scale and generally the
employees OF wealthy individuals or com.
papies In the east, the soldiers and attaches
at Fort Robinson and few squawmen
whom the energetic, affable and able DIR. Nc
Gillycuddy, then Indian agent at Pine Ridge
agency, had expelled from the reservation
BY squawmen Is meant men who took squaws
TO their homes in the capacity of wife. Such
mon, by reason OF their superior intelligence
We're no doubt often able TO secure great In
fuence among the Indians. Some such in
corred the enmity of DIR. McGillycudd,
for various reasons and to do thai
when the worthy doctor was chief of nj
the Sioux drawing rations at Pine Ridge
agency meant to get quickly out of the
reach Of his power or.suffcr unpleasant con
sequences. The quickest way TO accomplish
the feat was TO come over the state line into
Nebraska, and at different times perhaps :
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