THE OVERLAND ROUTE COUNCIL BLUFFS TO OGDEN. 



25 



great 



the midst of what was formerly known 

 Gen. Dodge says: 



When the railroad reached this point, in 1866, buffalo were numerous. In the 

 . spring these animals were wont to cross the Platte from the Arkansas and Republican 

 valleys, where they had wintered, to the northern countrj'', returning again, sleek 

 and fat, late in the fall. Gradually their numbers decreased on this range until 

 1873, when they disappeared. But at Julesburg, 219 miles farther west, a small 

 band was seen to cross the river as late as 1876. In 1860 immense bands were on 

 these plains. On the south side of the Platte, on the old emigrant road, the number 

 was so large that emigrant teams often had to stop while they were crossing the road. 

 At Fort Kearney, on the south side of the river, in 1860, an order was issued by the 

 post commander, forbidding the soldiers to shoot the buffalo on the parade ground. 



attempt 



s 



sink \vells to the Dakota sandstone to obtain artesian water. A well 

 put down for the city some years ago penetrated 220 feet of sand^ 

 gravel, and clay, consisting of river deposits and probably also of 

 some Tertiary material^ and then w^ent through shale to a depth of 



The artesian stratum there- 

 fore lies at some greater depth. At Hastings, about 25 miles farther 

 south; a well 1,145 feet deep entered sandstone that may be the 

 Dakota. 



On leaving Grand Island the train passes tlu*ough the middle of 



935 feet without finding the sandstone. 



valley, which is here 22 m 



From anything the traveler 

 e might imaorine himseK to 



Wood River. 



Elevation 1,963 feet 

 Population 796. 

 Omaha 169 miles. 



assmp^ 



alley are too far away to be dis- 



tinguished. The surface looks 



manv 



25 



of fact it rises toward the w^est about 10 feet to the 

 mile. No surface depression, such as the term ^ Valley^' might lead 

 one to expect, can be seen. The river flows in 

 channels that frequently shift their position. 



Over tliis part of the route there are long stretches of straight 

 track. West of Silver Creek the train runs for 40 miles in a nearly 

 straight line. The roadbed is remarkably smooth and free from 



Shcrm 



p. 43.) 



(For description see 

 Great Plains,^ which 



* The Great Plains constitute that part 

 of the continental slope ^vliich extends 

 from the Rocky Mountains eastward to 

 the prairies of the Mississippi Valley. 

 Smooth surfaces characterize most of this 



+ 



area^ but in some parts of it there are 

 buttes or flat-topped hills and long bluffs 

 or escarpments. In other places there 

 are large areas of bad lands and sand hills. 



The origin and development of the 

 Great Plains are difficult to determine. 

 From Omaha westward to the Laramie 

 Range, a distance of more than 500 miles, 

 the surface rises with a regular inclina- 

 tion that is imperceptible to the eye 

 but amounts to more than 5,000 feet. 

 The rocks of this area, aside from the thin 

 Tertiarj^ formations and the superficial 



