Charlevoix county herald., 1914-03-28

told n brief story of his life and 1t
was something like this: Twenty-eight
years ago he left his parental home in
a western New York village and jour
neyed to Buffalo TO get his first city
Job. A fellow schoOlmate took the
same train for Buffalo TO make con-
nectiOns for Omaha for the same pur-
pose The two had never met during
all those years and the first thing our
companion did was to seek out his old
schoOlmate. He found him not only
established in business and prospecting
nicely, but married and with a family.
Their visit was all too brief, as the
meeting had not been planned, but 1t
was interesting and satisfactory.
La our run from Omaha to Lincoln,
we passed Willard, Gretna, over the
Platte river bridge (toll so cents for
the car and driver and 5 cents each for
the other three of us), Ashland, Wa
verify and Havelock. Before we reached
Lincoln, we passed by the State Uni
versity grounds. The institution
makes up in completeness and beauty
what it lacks in size as compared
with the larger universities in the
east,
We were all disappointed to find
JDc lltlG farm u w 1llldUl
Bryan laid in another direction and II
would be inconvenient for US to make
the run to it that day, so we ran a
few miles east of the city and pitched
our tent for the night. We had made
ITO miles for the fifth days run, stop
ping at 6:l5 D. m.
We stopped near farm house and
discovered that no one was at home
but the dog. He was friendly, so we
took possession of a camping location
and prepared for supper. In due time
the farmer came home with his family
and assisted us in getting straw for
our he'd. He was much interested in
our trip and In the evening brought
his wife and two youngsters out to
our camp to look US over and visit
with ms.
The next MISUNDERSTANDING Au-
gust 24th-wc started at 6:45. After
a smooth four hours run of % miles,
a nail punctured a tire and we spent
twenty minutes in repair work.
On our way to Hastings, we passed
Emerald, Milford, Friend, Exeter and
Paramount. From here on we began
TO notice the difference between what
might be termed the middle west,
through which we had passed, and the
prairie west. A gradual climb had
brought us to the plateau land of cen
trial and western Nebraska. Though
We had not noticed the climb, we were
reaching higher elevations all the
time. rhe plains are from 1000 TO
$500 feet above sea level. During the
day we ran from the rolling land Of
Nebraska, which is like that of Iowa,
TO the perfectly level prairies.
Near Minden, Nebraska, we passed
the Sunfower trail to Kearney and the
northwest, over which early pioneers
mace their perilous way. Ii was at
one time the haunt of the wild fuffalO
and other animals, but now it is as
peaceful as any farm section OF New
England.
Ne were not expecting TO see the
prairie land so soon. but when sud
denly we arrived at the brow of the
rolling land section, there stretched
out before us were the prairies as far
as the eye could reach. To eastern
men this was a wonderfully interest
ing sight. IT marked the difference
between the east" and the west" To
US the west" begins at Omaha. cit
used TO begin at Syracue and Bing-
hamton, N. W Perfectly level land
without trees or shruhbery, but one
vast range of land. Land, land and
and-just land. Away of to the
right of us we could see n ranch
house, and by allowing the eye TO take
q long circular sweep to the left, we
could see other ranches. They seemed
to he anywhere from five TO twenty
five miles apart, and as for land II
seemed To he all land-hundreds,
thousands and tens of thousands Of
acres Of land--iust land. The vast
ness of it all Is appalling and after
one gets his bearings about the first
thing ne thinks of it the tremendous
expanse Of this country of ours. As
the mind makes a mental picture Of it.
the thoughts travel instantly toward
the Almighty, the giver of il all, and
one feels how puny and infnitesimal
mere man is. There we were i'm the
open country with nothing surround
ing US but land sky, eXpansivencss
and stiffness No sound of industry.
No appearance of activity No thing
Of life outside Of our own party. Ii
was awe-inspiring and VIC silently
drank il all in I'm wonderment and
qualification Wonder az the scene and
qualification because we were permit
ted 10 view il from such advan-
taCcOus ground.
The lower uari of Nebraska.
through which we passed was not as
fertile as Iowa The farm conditions
are poorer. Corn was poor, parched
and stunted Water is scarce. The
sun poured down on u bl;steringly
hot, but was tempered by prairie
breeze and tho feetness of our speed.
The natives told US that they had had
no rain Of ppucpuuoucp all 1urn m Z, :.
long In spite Of these seeming
drawbacks, however. the farmers were
cheerful and hOreful And here let il
he stated that higher average of in
telligence exists all through the prai-
re and mountain farming sections Of
the west than can be found in like sec
lions in the older eastern sections.
The settlers are fasteners or middle
west people, whose ancestors came
from the east and they seem to love
no Foaffar how for tbay