The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-05-01
FROM WESTERN NEBRASKA.
Hon. j. p. Conner Writes on Outset
of Honolulu Trip.

Hon. j. p. Conner Writes on Outset
Of Honolulu Trip.
Editor Review:
shall not write about the South
Sea Islands but about my trip since
leaving Denison on Thursday after
noon.
On Friday morning at peep of day
l found myself in the sand hills ne
tween Broken Bow and Alliance.
Neb.. passenger on the Burlington
"Flyer" making as good time as one
would expect from the name of the
train. toward the Box Butte country
in the western part of the state. One
is led to inquire. after viewing the
barren sand hills from the train. why
the government ever conceived the
ilea of prosecuting the cattlemen for
fencing these lands as they do not,
judging from what you can see. APP
pear to be worth anything. But you
are told that away from the railroad
there are fertile valleys, capable of
producing enough to sustain the
families of those who choose to live
amid such surroundings. and, that in
order to protect the small cattle rails
ers and farmers against the greed of
the cattle kings the laws should be
strictly enforced to prevent the fenc-
of
one place it is pointed out that
concern has fenced in strip of land
running north for sixty miles and that
it required the action of the Federal
court. acting through the grand jury
to make sufficient impression to get
the fence down. A short distance east
of Alliance the train suddenly emery
ed from the rough and barren sand
hills and passed into level and at
tractive country. The nearer you
approach the town the better the land
becomes. When the train pulled into
the station it was met by a large
number of people either intending to
take it or to meet their friends. The
first thing which attracted attention
was the absence of deput building.
1t burned short time ago and
freight car now answers the purpose
The plans are made and work has
commenced on new and commodious
building Alliance is an enterprising
city of five thousand people and is the
largest and best city in western
Nebraska. 1t is the county seat of
Box Butte county. l was told that
a large number of peolpe from Craw-
ford and Carroll counties are living in
the neighborhood engaged in farming
and other pursuits. Mr.. Thomas
O'Keefe who at one time lived with
his father on farm between Denison
and Manila and who at thirteen years
of age. twenty-one years ago. left
Crawford county and located with his
father on homestead about fifteen
miles west of Alliance is now a resi-
dent of the city and is regarded as one
of the substantial business men of
the town. He is the owner and pub
Usher of the Herald the leading
newspaper there. He also owns sew
eral thousands of acres of land in the
county. While driving about the
county a number of farm houses were
pointed out to me as belonging to
people from Crawford county. all of
whom it is said are doing we'll. The
land is generally level and the soil is
what is termed black loam | can
not say anything better about it than
to say it looks like Crawford county
soil. One hears the most startling
reports of what is produced and sam
piles of wheat and other grains are
found on exhibition at stores and other
places. And such potatoes [ have
never seen the like. The people arc
unusually happy and contented anc
say they could not be induced to move
back east. After drive of at least
twenty-five miles about Box Butte
county on yesterday l returned at &
late hour last night to Alliance il
time to catch an early freight trair
this morning for Sidney where | an
now waiting and expecting to join the
Congressional party at eight o'cocl
tonight and proceed to the western
trip.
Sincerely yours.
j. P. CONNER
NOTES OF CONNER MEETINGS