The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-07-15
NEBRASKA'S ASH.PlLE.
FROM A CAR WINDOW.


Nature set herself 1T T. o ~ork Of max.
ing Nebraska she did not begin and
smooth things down fr I'm the we t 10
the old Missouri. n ether. l think the
swept our fields and valleys pret,i'y all
the way from east 10 west and then left
her old rubbish heap very uutidily away
oil iC the northwest corner. Perhaps
she thought that clean white people
would never roam this way. that she had
given them Ill they LCu'd desire in the
land towards the sunrise. But she didn't
know about railroads and che didn't
understan the hsnkering Of, mankind
for seeing what is 10 his neig hbor's yard
even II h. must needs Chamber over his
own ash. pile to do it. Wyoming and the
great north west is too tempting. Sand
hills. bId.lands, pancake plains and all
the variations Of our backyard regions
cannot keep US away.
The train on which left Lincoln,
owing ,oa late start. was bouts. and q
twenty mile stretch through q terrific
Fourth.of July celebration 10 the skiee.
crawled into Alliance two hours behind
time. Anyone who has travelled on the
Billiugs line will know what that means.
1t means that when you look out in the
first uncaLny gray Of the nor ming you
find yourself somewhere in the sand
hills judge it matters little just where.
or whether 1t 10 one dark red station or
another that you pass first in the grow.
ing ligh'. You are impressed by the
great gray hulks which loom W on both
sides Of the track. They seem like the
remains OF some giants early play
ground where they sported. before their
hands were strong enough to sling rocks.
The great, I'm o'hed of shapes are just
green enough now 10 remind you OF the
lumpy, camel.l'ke scenery in "oil paint.
ings' III de- hy Johu's cousins brothers
wife. sscre eddy framed 10 gilt and hung
10 the best room. That everlasting
smoothed't ffness is unkearsbly ugly un.
covered Ne 1t is by any trees. You ride
on and on among these bills, careless Of
geology and the making OF worlds. won
dering how the unbeautiful things got
there and what they are good for. II
you are wise you will not get ranch
man started on this tu' ject-espe cially
il you have vegetarian prt dilections.
The tand hills would DO much i'm.
proved II 'hry ~eIe partly covered with
trees. I'm told that there are trl 90 ia
that region, but all saw was the ugly
hills, ain ost az bare Nc Nature left them
The old tr 70 claim law came as the voice
OF civilization and suggested the wear
ing OF clothes, so there are trees in spots
Ny hostess tells a sto'y ola Sunday
school lad who grsppIed with The prob
lem OF Moses and the buring bueh in
real sand hill fashion. Well" he said
Moses must have lived on a tee claim
cause there amt any bushes anywhere
else Perhaps. after all, We shall find
that our fellow-plainsmap, j. Sterling
Morton, got his Arbor Day idea from the
Bible.
think this country will be different
some day. That trees will grow where
water flows and water will come where
trees grow is 4 common notion. In parts
Of this country, Ut least, all you have
to do to get water is 10 60 out after
supper, put down standpoint or dig q
hole, and set up your windmill. Further.
my owu observation is that about oil
you:necd to set your windmill on is four
clothes pins. While II must be con.
fessed that the country does not look