84 



not only be the shortest 6ne in this latitude from the Missouri to the 

 mountains, but would not throughout have one serious obstacle all the 

 way to the South Pass. Any route that takes the south side of the 

 Platte river has the South Fork to cross, (which is about as difficult a 

 stream as the Loup Fork,) at a point where bridging it or establish- 

 ing a ferry is, at this time, impracticable ; the road then, along the 

 North Fork, has bad places at Ash Hollow and Scott's bluifs, and has 

 to cross the Laramie river and the North Fork of the Platte by bridges, 

 over which the emigrant must pay toll. The route by the north side 

 of the Platte crossing the Loup Fork is, therefore, of particular value, 

 especially i'or early travel in the spring, when the streams are gene- 

 rally high. 



I have spoken of the locality of Omaha being, in my opinion, 

 superior to any other as a point from which to supply the interior 

 portions of the country along the Platte. This in a measure depends 

 upon the improvements being made of the crossing of Loup Fork. 

 At present Nebraska City is a point })resenting almost as short a road, 

 which could be made quite so if bridges were placed over a few small 

 streams, and which could be done at an expense to the general govern- 

 ment of not more than $20,000. A considerable distance of river 

 transportation would also be saved to stores brought from St. Louis 

 by selecting Nebraska City instead of Omaha. Besides, the tirst men- 

 tioned must always be a 8U])erior point from which to supply Fort 

 Kearny. The cost of river transportation to this point is about 75 

 cents per 100 pounds. The distance from Nebraska City to Fort 

 Laramie, by the proposed improved route, is about 525 miles. From 

 Fort Leavenworth to Fort Laramie it is about 645 miles. 



The price paid for transportation, by the Qnanermaster's Depart- 

 ment, on these roads, is about $1 50 per hundred pounds per hundred 

 miles. 



It will thus be seen that the transportation of stores to Fort L ii n luie, 

 by the route from Nebraska City, would be a saving over that irtirii 

 Fort Leavenworth of about $1 55 per hundred pounds. The tot«l 

 expense from St. Louis via Nebraska City would thus be $8 62^ per 

 hundred pounds, and I shall use this route in making a comparison 

 of the advantages offered by any route to the north of it. 



The first place which apparently offers a superior route is the neigh- 

 borhood of Fort Randall. Stores can be delivered at this point from 

 St, Louis at a cost of about $2 25 per hundred pounds. The distance 

 to Fort Laramie is about 380 miles, which, at the rate of $1 50 per 

 hundred pounds per hundred miles, would give a total cost of about 

 / IWW per 100 pounds, which would ap})arently indicate a saving over 

 / the Nebraska City route of $2'0iH^ per hundred pounds, o i '» c » 1mw iti8 wc - 

 / «iiiilM". There are two reasons, however, why this gaeert advantage is 

 ])ractically not now attainable: First, the neighborhood of Fort Rfia- 

 dall, as a depot for supplies, men, and animals, is not to be compared 

 with Nebraska City ; the former being in a comparatively barren 

 country destitute of inhabitants, and where the necessary storehouses 

 can only le constructed at an expense not less than $100,000. Second, 

 the great difficulties of the route from Fort Randall west. That it is 



