Year: 1879

marked. it will not compare with that
which is sure to take place in the near
future. There are now nice thriving
villages scattered along the entire road.
The remarkable advantages of the valley
are everywhere visible and it is rapidly
filling up with an industrious and thrift
ty class of farmers. There is ample
room for the millions yet to settle and
the lands of the Union Pacific company
are exceedingly cheap. One might think
by the lay Of the country, that the land
must be wet and heavy, especially in
rainy seasons; but not so; while the
soil which is about three feet in depth,
is of dark, mucky appearance, under
meath this is gravel bed, so that it
drains and dries off quite as quick as
upon the higher table lands or rolling
prairie.


Your first days journey over the U.
P. R. R. is short one, but carries you
through the rich, undulating prairies of
eastern Nebraska, where are the finest
homes and richest soil of the state, open
ing suddenly into the broad and ever
grand valley, looking so beautiful that
even the most desponding or prosaic feel
there is pleasure in prairie life.


You are now about $50 miles from
Omaha, still advancing in your westward
course as night sets in, and one might
think that all the beautiful sights and
things of interest had gone with the
setting sun, and that there would be moth
ing more of enjoyment but to roll into
your neatly made-up and comfortable
berth, to while away the night in dream
less and refreshing sleep. But not so the
night as we'll as the day bring its inter
esting sights, and one of the grandest is


THE PRAIRIE ON FIRE.


AS soon as daylight seems to 60 out
and darkness sets in, the heavens begin
to be Illuminated by the distant fires,
and the passenger. as he gazes out of his
car window, which he can easily do
while reclining in his berth, will soon
find his curious attention rewarded, as
he comes nearer the place of interest, by
one of the most awful yet grandest scenes
of prairie life. The prairie, which seem:
so dry, dull and monotonous by dag.
light, gives place at night to this fire
6end, so that the heavens and horizon
seem like furnace.


A prairie on fire is an exciting, fear
stirring sight Full in the distance i.
seen the long line of bright fame
stretching for miles with its broad banG
of dark smoke. clouds above. AS tht
train comes nearer, the flames seem t.
leap higher, and sweeping away fol
miles towards the bluffs, they jump will
the wind and leap 20 to 80 feet into tn,
air and for miles brighten the prairie
with their awful light Far out on th'
prairie it is the settlers deadliest and
most dreaded enemy. No words cal
describe, no pencil paint the look of ter
ror when the settler beholds approach
ing him the fire fend, when he Is un
prepared and unprotected.


VIEW FROM THE FOOT OF THE NOUN


TAINs.


The second day out and you have lef
the rich, low, bottom lands of the VALLEY
and are fast ascending the high plain
and SUBMITS of the Rocky Mountains
In the distance, some sixty miles, Cal
be seen the ever snow-capped summit 0
Longs Peak and the Colorado Noun
tains. You are alive with enjoyment
The great plains themselves are a sigh
and seem full of interest. The beauti
full, refreshing, oxygenated, enlivenin
mountain air gives you glow of natur
and quickens you into an appreciatio
of this grand country.


Shall we call it blank and desolate
No, for every inch of the ground is rich
the soil contains the finest food. calle
buffalo grass. on which thousands and
may say millions of sheep and cattl
can feed every year. But it is the vast
ness of wide extended, uninhabited, up
lifted solitude. If ever any one feel
that he is mere nothing, it is on thes
plains, where he seems only a specl
amid majesty and loneliness. This vas
area of plain, extending over hundred
of thousands Of square miles, is as larg
as the whole of India or of the Unite
States east of Chicago.


RANCHING.


On these plains are many of our Eas
ern men, herding and fattening thei
cattle and sheep by the thousands upo
the luxurient grasses. All along owe
and through this country will be seel
not the buffalo as in former times, bt
cattle and sheep by the hundreds (
thousands, in their quiet, docile wa,
grazing the plains.


Near Egbert, on the north side of th
road is beautiful tract of land, tI
ranch of our esteemed townsman, B.
Rugg, Esq. 1t is on the line of tt
Union Pacific at Julesburg. where NJ
lifts ranch begins, extending l56 mil,
west He is called the "Cattle King