FEB \7 
Various. 
FREE HOMES. 
Inquiries and Information Elicited toy 
our Correspondents from those who 
have Homesteaded and Purchased 
in Northern Nebraska. 
MESSRS. HOLMES AND 8WKKTLAND. 
(Special correspondents of the Rural Nkw-Yorker.) 
AMONG the most prosperous of the new 
Northwestern States where free homes can be 
obtained, or where parties can purchase large 
or small tracts cheap for cash (a method 
which is often preferred), there is not one that 
has given better satisfaction to settlers, and 
that is really being more rapidly settled up 
than Nebraska. We have, prior to this date, 
in our correspondence, reviewed a trip taken 
through the Northeastern portion of the State 
over the Sioux City and Pacific Railroad, in 
a Becond letter we gave a descriptive review 
of the prosperous city of Fremont, one of the 
most active and progressive in that portion 
of the country. A third letter gave a general 
idea of the various towns which dot the line 
of the railroad mentioned; and a fourth 
letter gave, more in detail, the advantages of 
the country as a grain, stock and hay pro¬ 
ducing country. 
In the preparation of this correspondence 
we have adopted a course somewhat different 
from any hitherto taken, personally inter¬ 
viewing quite a number of the old settlers, 
and sending letters to others in order to get a 
truthful idea regarding the feelings of those 
who> had cast their lots in this region. The 
results of our interrogatories were some fifty 
answers, the names of the writers of which 
could be given, if necessary. There seems to 
be nothing but satisfaction expressed in the 
answers that we have received, and as the 
names were secured promiscuously, it cer¬ 
tainly seeon to be a good test in regard to 
the advantages, growth and prosperity of the 
country, and also the well-being of those who 
had given it a trial. 
As this letter will complete the series from 
this portion of the country, for the present at 
least, we deem the statements of the different 
gentlemen, or at least a few of them, to be of 
great interest to the many thousand readers 
of the Rural, and, instead of compiling in 
narrative style, we will mention the names 
and post-office addresses of our informants, so 
that any reader may be able to satisfy him¬ 
self by mail or otherwise. 
Mr. John H. Fox, a resident of Pleasant 
Valley, Neb., owns in Indiana, 41 miles from 
Chicago, a nice farm of 80 acres well im¬ 
proved in every way, well stocked with fine 
fruit, etc.; but, owing to continued ill-health, 
he decided to try a change, and removed with 
his family to their present home in 1870, leav¬ 
ing the home farm unsold to fall back upon. 
He says: “We found what we came for— 
good health, good water, good soil, good 
roads, good schools and good society, and the 
most beautiful country to live in; not one has 
been sick, and not one of the family would go 
back.” C. W. Stonberry, living near Hooper, 
Neb., went there in 1870, homesteaded 80 
acres and bought 80—the latter at $6 per acre, 
He had but three horses; says he is to-day 
worth $5,000. Peter Parker went to Hooper 
in 1869, with two cows and two horses, home¬ 
steaded 80 acres and afterwards bought 160 
acres. Ho is to-day worth $10,000. A. E. 
McConnell, of Scribner, Neb , informed us 
that he went to that point in 1872 and bought 
340 acres of land at $5 per acre, improved. He 
had $1,300 in money to start with, and is con¬ 
sidered worth at least $10,000 to-day. 
People are going in rapidly now. At this 
time probably the best land and the most fav¬ 
orable terms can be secured beyond Norfolk 
and back from the line of the railroad, the 
lands near the railroads, of course, command¬ 
ing a higher price. The road Is built up the 
valley which, at its upper end. runs through a 
tract that is quite sandy, but this is left be¬ 
hind when one gets back from four to fifteen 
miles, and good black clay and vegetable- 
mold soil is found in those localities. From, 
in and around Creighton, in Knox County, 
we obtained considerable information, E. A. 
Crane settled near Millersboro, Neb., in 1878, 
at which time he homesteaded 100 acres. He 
had then four horses, a wagon and harness, 
and only a few dollars in money. The annual 
average yield of his farm has been:—Wheat, 
15 to 30 bushels per acre, and corn, 40 to 50 
bushels. The money value of the products in 
1879 was $800; in 1880, $90U, and in 1881, 
$1,200. He says his farm and stock to-day 
are worth from $8,500 to $4,000. August 
Hohuett took a farm near Bazile Mills in 1878, 
having at that time but one cow and two 
horses. He homesteaded 160 acres, pre¬ 
empted 160 and timber-claimed 160. His av¬ 
erage of crops has been about the same as the 
foregoing Ha values his property now at 
about $4,000. William Childeu began farm¬ 
THE BUBAL NEW-YORKER, 
ing near Bazile Mills with one cow, two 
horses and a colt, having pre-empted 160 
acres. He values his property and farm now 
at about $2,500. There are many letters of 
similar effect, and personal observation and 
inquiry have elicited much the same re¬ 
sponse from all those whom we have seen in 
this vicinity. 
From Burnett, Madison County, we learned 
that V. B. Lewis went there in 1870 with one 
team of horses and a lumber wagon, home¬ 
steading 160 acres. In 1881 he sold 200 head 
of cattle at an average of $20 per head, being 
one and two-year-olds. He is worth about 
$12,000. We have received similar letters 
from Antelope County from Thomas L. Arm¬ 
strong, Allan Hopkins, and Adam Heffna of 
Oakdale and John Auten of Inman, Neb., 
Jerry Briggs from Hainsville, Holt County, 
went there in April 1881, with only two horses 
as his all, timber-claimed 160 acres, and to-day 
claims to be worth $1,500. W. E. McRoberts, 
Leonia, Holt County, Neb., located in Sep¬ 
tember 1878. He homesteaded and timber- 
claimed 160 acres each, and had about $1,000 
personal property to start with. He is now 
worth $6,000. Thus from interrogatories we 
have elicited the facts that while there do 
not seem to be any great bonanzas, at the 
same time there is a general feeling of thank¬ 
fulness, contentment and prosperity. 
The farmers seem to be doing well, and we 
might go on giving hundreds of just such in¬ 
stances as those we have mentioned; but it 
seems to be unnecessary. While the yield in 
groins appears to be good all through the 
Northern Nebraska country from statements 
received, still we judge that it is especially 
adapted to stock raising in connection wita 
farming. In fact, the farmer should not en¬ 
deavor at any time to carry “too many eggs 
in one basket;” but by a proper diversifica¬ 
tion of his crops, and a sufficient interest 
taken in stock raising and dairy’ pursuits, 
make everything turn to his advantage. 
We endeavored to get some accurate statis¬ 
tics of the average yields for past years, but 
the farmers in that locality have paid but 
little attention to keeping such statistics. 
Nebraska, however, is one of the five corn- 
producing States that are reported to have a 
largely increased yield this year. 
Our previous correspondence having in¬ 
duced a number of inquiries from readers of 
the Rural New-Yorker regarding routes, 
rates of fare, price of land, etc., we may be 
pardoned for giving verbatim el literatim 
an answer to a letter addressed by us to J. R. 
Buchanan, General Passenger Agent of the 
Sioux City and Pacific R, R. 
Missouri Valiev, Iowa, Nov. 86, 1882. 
Gentlemen: —I have your favor desiring 
information about the great “Free Home” 
country in Northeastern Nebraska, and to 
answer inquiries asking how cheaply people 
can get there, etc. In reply I may say the 
opening up of tnat country is attracting many 
thousands of settlers from all over the United 
States. The Nebraska harvests of 1882 and 
the crops of Northeastern Nebraska took the 
premium at the Btate Fair and at St, Louis 
over ail others—have been so eaormous in ail 
grains, and the section is so superior as a 
grazing eountrv, that even its millions of free 
acres will not very long be available. To get 
there I have arranged with the follow ing 
principal roads, and many others more re¬ 
mote, to sell a cheap “ round-trip, land-explor¬ 
ing ticket” to Neligb, Neb., where the Land 
Office is located, and where I have also ar¬ 
ranged for persons holding Eastern land tick¬ 
ets to get cheap tickets to any other point 
they desire to go to look at, returning 
straight homewards from Neligb. The laud 
tickets are good for forty days, and the hold¬ 
ers can stop off anywhere uorth of Norfolk. 
They are on sale at all coupon-ticket stations 
on the Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway, 
Michigan Central, Lake Shore and Michigan 
Southern, Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chi¬ 
cago, Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis, 
Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western, and 
many other roads covering the territory in 
Michigan, Ohio, Indiana aud Illinois. These 
tickets read »ta the Chicago and Northwestern 
from Chicago, the trains arriving here in the 
morning, making close connections. Should 
any fail to get such tickets at their home sta¬ 
tion, they are on sale at the Chicago and 
Northwestern Office iu Chicago. 
J. R. Buchanan, 
General Pass. Agent, 
Sioux City and Pacific R. R. 
It is a fact that only one-tenth of the popu¬ 
lation of the United States live north of the 
43d parallel of latitude. Of the 50.000,000 in¬ 
habitants 39,500,UUU live between the 89th 
and 43d parallel, 12,000,000 live in the 41st and 
43d—one-fourth of the eutire population. As 
to altitude, nearly 11,000,000 live in an alti¬ 
tude between 500 and 1,000 feet above the sea 
level, aud over W.000,000 iu an altitude be¬ 
tween 1,000 aud 1,500 feet above sea level. 
The laud throughout the region of which we 
have written lies iu the 43d aud 43d parallel 
of latitude, and varies from 500 to 3,000 feet 
above sea level. 
Citoarij. 
THE ST0ET OF STONY BE00K FAEM. 
HENRY STEWART. 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
(Continued from page 89 1 
“ There is none Josiah. I owe all I have to 
you. Yon saved my boy and in doing that 
you saved me. You watched over me too. 
Yes I know it now, I did not then And 
now I will watch over yon if that is God’s 
will. Josiah, there’s my hand upon it.’’ 
(Barley entered the room) “ Barley my son 
this is your father henceforth. He must not 
go back to those dreadful woods again,” and 
the two friends wrung each others hands, as 
the old man pressed a kiss upon the cheek of 
his adopted son. 
“Now father,” said Barley Merritt, “to¬ 
morrow yoa go and get that long hair and 
beard cat off and get some civilized clothes, 
so that folks will recognize you again. You 
know we have to call on Mr. Bates very soon 
and you are to be one of our solid men.” 
“ Pshaw ! boy what are a few dollars or a 
few thousand to make a man of. We have 
learned better in the woods. Bat you must 
not think I am the old man I seem. My hair 
was as white as it is now before I was 35. 
The first year in those back woods brought 
the frost upon me. Why Mary you remem¬ 
ber I am only 48, and there may be a long 
and happy life yet before us in the old famil¬ 
iar valley.” 
“ But it is late. I will go and see Jabez. 
Good night Mary my love; good-bye my boy.” 
The next day what was left of Jonas Pratt 
was consigned to its final resting place, under 
as exciting circumstances as those which at¬ 
tended the funeral of Defiance Bartlett more 
than three years before. 
George Bates attended the funeral in the 
interest of Patience Bartlett, and exhibited to 
the family of Pratt the papers left with bim 
which met with no objection from the relatives. 
Then Patience felt herself relieved from her 
burden, and when she was visited by her lover 
the next day threw herself unconstrainedly 
into his arms and wept long and bitterly. 
“ Let us forget it, darling. Surely there was 
never so bitter a cup as yours has been, and 
mine, too, has been Tull of trouble. But it all 
ends well. What a coil and snarl one temp¬ 
tation, one crime may bring about! How 
little we can tell of what is in store for one 
who does one wrong act, and how the conse¬ 
quences may involve many that are innocent? 
But surely, after all, good will come out of it. 
The strange thing that I cannot understand is 
why so much evil in the world is necessary; 
why there should be so much wrong and suf¬ 
fering and misery to bring out the good that 
seems to spring out of it.” 
“ Patience, I am rich. Mr. Bates offers me 
a hundred thousand dollars for some iron 
mines that I have discovered, and he wants to 
buy the low farm." 
“He wants to buy the high farm,too,Barley.” 
“Patience, you have no ties here. I have 
found a new father. Josiah Jonkius, of whom 
you have heard but have never seen, will 
marry m£ mother this evening, and mother 
will be well cared for and happily, I am sure. 
I have no ties. Let us go west. I have a 
farm and valuable property there to look af¬ 
ter and we may escape some painful memories.” 
“ I will go with you. Barley, anywhere in 
the wide world. Stony Brook farm has no 
more charm for me. But you forget the cloud 
rests upon me yet. I am by law a widow. 
My-, my-, I mean the man who 
owned me, is but just laid in the grave. 
In three months we will go. I must not leave 
my kind friends here any sooner.” 
And the lovers, now freed from care, parted 
in sunshine with all the clouds that had ob¬ 
scured their path melted and dispersed. 
It was a quiet wedding in which Mary Mer¬ 
ritt, free from her widow’s weeds, which she 
had faithfull}' worn for many years, and still 
a blooming woman with much of her girlish 
beauty remaining, was united to her old 
lover. He, too, excepting for his premature 
white hairs, was a fitting groom for the mat- 
rouly bride. The bride was given away by 
her son, and when the minister departed the 
little family drew np around the blazing fire 
and began to talk over old matters as though 
the wedding might have taken place a score 
of years before. Future plans were discussed 
and reminiscences recalled, and the Strange 
occurrences w hich had happened in the last 
few years were all told over again. Aud as 
Mary Jonkius sat between ber husband and 
her sou, with a hand in each of theirs, she 
said: “ it is the Lord’s doings and he does all 
things well.” Don’t let us complain, or be 
bitter to those who have done wrong, we are 
not their judges, we need mercy and forgive¬ 
ness for ourselves.” 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
“ I lose $3,000, Barley” said Mr. Bates “on 
the transaction. I have a mortgage for that 
amount given by Jonas Pratt on the farm.” 
“No, Mr. Bates; you don’t lose by that, I 
take care of that. It was an honest debt and 
though you say I need not, yet I will pay it. 
But it is not lost. I don’t know how Jonas 
missed that iron. It’s there. I saw it a good 
many years ago, and Uncle Merritt told me 
to cover it. It is just under the great beech 
and Uncle said he wouldn’t loose the tree for 
all the iron in the hill.” 
“ Let us go and see” said Mr. Bates. 
“Why he has been working just outside of 
the vein all the time,” exclaimed Barley Mer¬ 
ritt, “ I do declare. Here is the outcrop, 
with only two inches of soil on it where I 
covered it when I was a little fellow, a dozen 
years ago. The money is not wasted any¬ 
how, Mr. Bates the mine is all but opened.’ 
“ So I see. You don’t want the farm 
Barley and I do, with the other half as well. 
I have a purpose in view which I will explain 
to you. I have been very fortunate. I have 
made a good deal of money. It is mine of 
course. But It is mine only to use as I can, to 
do good with it. I have the satisfaction of 
knowing that while I have been malting 
money. I have been helping others to do so 
too. Hundreds of people have found profita¬ 
ble work and a comfortable living in my en¬ 
terprises. That you know. Now I was 
brought up on a farm, my father was a farmer, 
and I owe something to farmers. I want here 
to do what I can to return my obligations. 
I want to establish here an experimental farm 
for studying out all those things which we 
do not yet know, but which if we knew would 
make farm work more easy and productive. I 
want to keep here the best farm stock that is 
to be procured; to put them in the best kinds 
of farm buildings; to have the best dairy; the 
best tools that are possible. 
To keep these on the most economical sys¬ 
tem possible, and to give farmers here or else¬ 
where, who may come to see us, whatever 
information we can that may be useful to 
them, to sell them the produce of the stcek at 
a reasonable profit on the cost: at farmers’ 
prices, in fact. You see, I must have the 
farm pay its way or the purpose of all this is 
void and totally useless. I think it can be 
done and I want it done. I know it can be 
done in business, and I think it ought to be 
done upon a farm, as it is done in a store; in 
a mine; and in an iron furnace. My son aD<i 
daughter have done pretty well, and I want 
to show that brains and energy are worth 
just as much in growing five bushels of wheat 
as in grinding that wheat into flour er mak 
ing it into bread, or in building railroads and 
ships to carry the wheat and flour to market. 
I want to have, too, a dairy school, a farm 
school, in fact, where young men and young 
women may learn their business. One who 
travels as I have done for some years past, 
and who spends much time in hotels, will easilv 
believe in the need and value of a dairy school. 
“ This is my plan. This farm suits me. 
Here is grazing and valley-land and water 
and the place—to me—is very beautiful and 
pleasant. My children are settled here and it 
will be my home part of the time. And I 
want the StAny Brook farm. You own half 
of it and I understand have the disposal of 
the other half. Now, what is your price, the 
ore bed as well as the land ?" 
“Well, Mr. Bates, some money of yours 
has been spent on the ore-bed; you can have 
that for what has been spent upon it and vou 
see, the money could not have been letter 
spent if my cousin had done it on purpose. The 
farm you can put your own price upon, at 
least my share of it. I cannot put a price 
upon the other half; bat I think no reasonable 
offer will be refused as they say when a thing 
is to be sold, and this land is. I leave it 
all to you." 
“ Very well. Now let us talk about vour 
prospects in the West. You are going back. 
Our company have Mr. Jonkins’s property 
and will take yours if you wish. Or if you 
wish to work your mine we will put a furnace 
up there and give you an interest in it and a 
contract from the railroad companv to ship 
your ore. What do you say about that ?" 
“The latter will suit me very well. I ex¬ 
pect to go up there in June and shall not idle 
much time away when I am there.” 
“Well. Mr. Merritt, I have to congratulate 
you. You have had your troubles but time 
has made things even with you and you 
should have no hard words with your fortune, 
although you were followed up pretty closely 
by some very hard luck. You have had 
some narrow escapes but you have escaped 
well. You are one of the bind of men the 
West wants. Men that cannot be kept down. 
And I expect to see you make your mark 
there. You have gained a rich prize there; 
but a far richer one here in the young lady 
who will be your wife. And you deserve U 
all I must say.” 
To be continued. 
