NEBRASKA. 



473 



of rank to the commanding officer, and confine Iris 

 precedence to the officers attached to the organization 

 of which he is the representative head, while they are 

 in the discharge of his duty connected with such or- 

 ganization. In addition to other features, the bill 

 recommends a reduction of officers of the marine 

 corps, as well as a change in the proportions and a 

 reduction of the number of line officers of the Navy. 

 Thus, he has recommended a large reduction in the 

 number of lieutenant-commanders and an increase of 

 lieutenants ; a diminution of the number of ensigns 

 and an enlargement of the number of masters en- 

 deavoring at once to promote a wise economy and to 

 bear constantly in mind the actual necessity of the 

 service, and the best method of insuring its efficiency. 



The Board of Visitors to the Naval Academy 

 at Annapolis made a report of much interest. 

 It stated that the Board assembled on the 20th 

 of May, and attended all the public exercises of 

 the midshipmen. They carefully observed the 

 general tone, hearing, and air of all connected 

 with the institution, in all exercises and at all 

 hours, whether on or off duty ; examined into 

 the condition of the grounds, buildings, vessels, 

 apparatus, and appurtenances of all kinds, for 

 evidence as to the thoroughness and vigor of 

 its government. Since the late war the grounds 

 have been enlarged, both by purchase and by 

 filling upon the water-front. The chapel, new 

 quarters, and several other buildings, have been 

 erected. The former residence of the Govern- 

 ors of Maryland has been purchased and con- 

 verted into a commodious library and superin- 

 tendent's offices, and the grounds have been 

 greatly improved. In whatever respect it is 

 viewed, the institution exhibits clearly the ef- 

 fects of the interest Yice-Admiral Porter has 

 felt in it, and of his very vigorous and able ad- 

 ministration of its affairs. 



Upon the inauguration of President Grant, he 

 appointed Adolphe E. Borie, of Philadelphia, 

 Secretary of the Navy, who held the position 

 until June 25th, when he resigned, and was 

 succeeded by George M. Robeson, of New 

 Jersey. 



Perhaps it may not be out of place to men- 

 tion here the boat-race on the river Thames, 

 in England, in which the competitors were stu- 

 dents of Harvard College, Massachusetts, and 

 Oxford University, England. The course was 

 from Putney to Mortlake, on the Thames. 

 It has been the scene of annual contest be- 

 tween students of Cambridge and Oxford for 

 many years, with the following results : 



Year. Winner. Course. Time. Won by. 



1860..Cam'ge. Putney to Mortlake. 26m. Alenjrth. 



1861.. Oxford. Putney to Mortlake. 23m. 27s. 48s. 



1862.. Oxford. Putney to Mortlake. 24m. 40s. 30s. 



1863.. Oxford. Mortlake to Putney. 2.3m. 45s. 42s. 



1864.. Oxford. Putney to Mortlake. 21m. 48s. 23s. 



1865.. Oxford. Putney to Mortlake. 21m. 23s. 13s. 



1866.. Oxford. Putney to Mortlake. 25m. 48s. los. 



1867.. Oxford. Putney to Mortlake. 22m. 39a. HanTgth. 



The race took place on August 27th, and the 

 Oxford crew were the winners by a length and 

 a half just 6 seconds. Time 22m. 41-J- sec. , 



NEBRASKA. One of the central States 

 of the American Union, having the Missouri 

 River for its eastern and northeastern boun- 

 dary, Dakota on the north, "Wyoming on the 



west, and Kansas on the south. Area, 79,995 

 square miles, or 48,036,800 square acres. Pop- 

 ulation estimated at 100,000. Capital, Lincoln, 

 Lancaster County. Real estate, in round num- 

 bers, $13,000,000. Personal property, $28,000,- 

 000. Annual product of skilled and unskilled 

 labor for. 1869, $18,000,000. For some years 

 after the establishment of its Territorial gov- 

 ernment, Nebraska made a very slow growth, 

 its sister Territory, Kansas, for a variety of 

 reasons, attracting most of the immigration. It 

 was not till the commencement of the Pacific 

 Railroad in .1862-' 63, that its active develop- 

 ment commenced. In 1860 it had a popula- 

 tion of only 28,842, and at the beginning of 1862 

 probably even a smaller number. Since the 

 .work of construction was actually commenced 

 on the great trans-continental railway, the 

 growth of the Territory (a State since Febru- 

 ary, 1867) has been steady and rapid, not only 

 along the line of the railway, but in other 

 sections of the State ; and this growth is like- 

 ly to continue and increase, from the rare 

 advantages which it offers to immigrants in 

 climate, soil, admixture of timber and prairie 

 lands, and accessibility to good markets 

 through its completed and projected lines of 

 railway. Omaha, its principal town, though not 

 now its capital, has had a wonderful growth, 

 and, as the starting-point of the Union Pacific 

 Railroad, must be a place of large business, and 

 probably one of the most considerable cities 

 created by that great thoroughfare. Its popu- 

 lation, according to an enumeration made in 

 1869, exceeds 25,000, and is rapidly increasing, 

 from the extensive business brought there by 

 the Pacific road and other enterprises. 



The State is for the most part well watered, 

 not, indeed, with navigable streams, but with 

 rivers which fertilize its soil, and add greatly 

 to the beauty of its scenery and to its manufac- 

 turing facilities. The Nebraska, or Platte, with 

 its northern and southern forks, divides the 

 State from west to east into two slightly- 

 unequal parts, discharging its waters into the 

 Missouri, which, as we have already said, 

 forms the entire eastern and northeastern 

 boundary of the State. Besides the Platte, 

 there are in Northern Nebraska two other 

 important affluents of the Missouri, the Nio- 

 brara, called by the French Eau qui court, 

 "the water that leaps," and the White Earth 

 River. South of the Platte are the Great 

 and Little Nemaha, and the two important 

 tributaries of the Kansas River, the Big and 

 Little Blue, while, farther west, we have the 

 Republican Fork of the Kansas, a stream 

 hardly inferior to the Kansas itself. To these 

 are also to be added the larger affluents of the 

 Nebraska or Platte itself, the Elkhorn, Loup 

 Fork, Carrey's Fork, and Wood River, all fine, 

 large streams. These and their numerous tribu- 

 taries, with the abundant springs and branches 

 which are found all over the State, make it any 

 thing but a waterless desert, as a portion of it 

 has been described. When it was the home 



