The Great West

[The following letter to Dewitt C. Fall, of this city, from his friend G. M. Monroe, in Xebraska, we sliall make no apology far publlsbJng. It will rlotily repay ui y one wlio will take the trouhle to read t.- Ed. Courikh.1 (jitA.ND Isi..vNi, Neb., Jan. 80, i Fkif.ni Fall: - Your letter of raoMlt date icaoiiod me at McCook, Nebraaka. I have just rcturncd trom quite au extended trip up the Republicau valley to Colorado, and will glve you a short description of the best valli-y iu Nebraska. Ai a point in Easteru Colorado, near the -ixth principal ïncridian, and -4,030 Feet nbove the sea, nature hai rcstcd the fountaiu head of the Republlcan river, which tlows westward trom the waterslu'd of the " everlastlnc mow " - front a luountain eradle to an oceaii grave. lts first and fayorite conralng terrltory ís the southern tier of couuties in Nebrftika, and durlng its two hundred mile trip therein it leaves more beautj' of scenery, richneu of soil and wealth of crystal waters than any other stream tliat laves the green prairie banks of this grand young state, Why it ihould b caUed Hepublican the niemory of man tnoweth not. and the oldest chronicler lintli forgotten to explain. In Dandy couiity, the extreme southwestern corner of Kebrasfcs, its (brmlng forks come (wgether, and the Republlcan tliere g-ets its name; and its course is through eiglit of the tinest rounties in the valley, unfil at a point 140 miles west of t lie Missouri liTW it crosses the Kansas liiic, and fo? iIhpurpose of tliis sketch toal to us torever. The valley of the river has a peculiar grandeur, and is unequaled In the state for beauty of landscape and richnett of goil. It ranges in width from l'our to ten miles, and the branching of a hundred streams from the north and south. each rich in grand border bottom lands, forms a series of intcriiiiiíablti valleys, which no pen can truthfully describe; and the eye that has closely examined the scène can not afterwards suggest to the tongue how to faithfully teil the story of its beauty to another. It only remains in Nebraska for a distance of 200 miles, and still it migtat truthfully be said that all other rivers of the state have not an iqual nuiuber of clcar, swiftly-flowing tributarle, tbe majority of which have many points available lor power, and all of which rival the receiving stream in the superior character of their waters and the beauty, fertility and extent of their valleys. Frotn the Platte river the lands of Nebraska commence to slope gently towards the southeastern corner of the state. Nearinff the Kepublican valley this declination is clearly defined, and henee wonderful " southern exposure " which is so biffbiy prized and anxiously looked after by the new settler. There can be no doubt ot tne extraorcunary iertimy oí thia vallcy ; and any sced that has the Irust geraa of lite Ín it, that will not obey the husbauilman's will here, and thrive in wonderful abundance, cannot be torced to flourish in any spot on earth where air aiul sunliglit nourish vegetable Ufo. For years, this very section was the sarden spot of native grasses; and f hl geeds, that are planted kndlaoriminately by the breczes and the birds, produce in abundance, it is a severe commentary ou man if, on the same ground, with his intelligencc, experience, and all the udvantnges of modela farmlng implements, he can bring fortli no payiug crop. One of tin; strongest arguments, in my niind, of the beauty and fertility of these valley lands, liad ve no personal knowledge, would be the choice made of thein by the Indian as his tepee lióme BDC happy buntlng grounds on earth, and the tenacity with which he lield on to thein when tile forcé of civilization was beating them back to wilder retreats. It is universally known that where the so-callec child of nature Klectéd his home, whether in forcst or pnürle, by lakc or river, in upland or louland, that place was one oí good oíd mother eaith's favorite bowen Be it rcmembered, that he who comes to the Kepubliean valley to-day visits no wild, unfrequented land, like the pioneer of other places and ottaer lnys. It is a frontier región, to be sure, but pre emiiiently a friendly one. The new set tier ftndl hinisclf n an intel I liícnt, honor able neighborhood ; among a people o energy, industry, enterprise aud publi woitli ; meo of fraternal hospitiility, manj of whdin in the early days of settleincn jiassed througli striifrgles that thelr mor fortúnate tucceaaon i-an onder no circumstanees have to endure ; men whose greal aim is to buikl up and make prosperous this land, and who will extend the generous liand of weloome to all who come I swell the Dumbers of t lie home cpm inniuty. 'l'lic tchool-bouse witli its Infloences omnlpretent, and is always the fint aiu leadlnjr building in town. Churcbea o ever)' denoualnatlon can be found, with an cni)iy pew new-comer; and no matter what bis creed r race, he can rorshlp in his ciwn way, accordingto the díctate of his own cooscience, and hear the supremo Word expottnded lo hisnatlve tonsue. H the secret and benièVolent nrriuii!ili(is li:ivc lodgeS in Hk'-itowns, leM streng in nwnben, pthp, bul eqiAl In (raternlty to any liko nuniber in christendom. The "border,1' as far is Republicao al ley la concerned, consista of the couuïos of Duik] v, Hitcbcock, Red Willow, umas, Harían, Frauklin, Webster, and Nuckolls, reaching from the Colorado ne eástwárd iu the order named. Jn "Vuckolls county the river turns abruptly o the souLli, and bida farewell to Neraska. In thia section eau be fouud far more iian lts share of live stock, owned in the tute. The range cattle are wlotei Ui bnt little loss. The " tender-foot " attle, recently from Texas, are roported be suffering, and naanj are founddead n the ranges. The eold weather of thU winter s reïarkable for this cliraate. Mauy are isappointed because Veunor has "kieked ie bucket " and cannot teil tlicm anyliiifr more regardtng the elements and ¦liat the morrow wlll be. This -week '111 complete a chapter of eight long ¦eeks of winter in Xebraska. Tlus is the limate where the winter cold is mitifcted by tbe extreme d'ness of the atïoaphere, where coal bilis "loom nji " ke greenbacks in a nntional bank. T.UZZAUDS. Like the snpposed evil genius tliat preides on the throne of Hades, the blizanls ui the Northwer-t are ever at work. ,ke li is glauces, too, they come here ¦om all diiections. I5Ht, in the whirl and wist of the wind is the lite of the dnnib niinal?. With a perpendicular fall of now and one week of atmospherie reose, the whole reglón now knnwn is the ange country of the gTet Northwest onicl be left without animal lite, save uit of man and his protected beasts. 'he eiitirc surface of the frrounil would e "M PBd tli snow, and in one week's toe would be bo packed that all splitïoofed iiuinials eould not reacli the earth. tock would wandel in an ainilessseareh 'or food, and perish fiom sturzation. But he blesscd lilizards íend the snow adril't, nd ])ile it here and there, with intervening spaces bare and accessible. Again, he blizzard sends the poor beast driftlog n front of the wind, and the very act of ocoQiotion prciiMvcs heat and life until a esting place is fouud, perliaps hundreds of miles distant, n a warm, sheltered nook, whore food and water abound. L'liua, tliough youi' cattlc are drifting apart, and the spring hunt made a long and irksome task, ,-till every step of the [ep&rtlog lunini Is mnde in the interest of its owner. l'uder the open Eann ystetu the cattle drift handreds of miles laringthe winter, keeping up tlieir march intil tliov linil Bheltet ancl food. Ttiis nakes :i liartlsliip tor the OOwboyg, but it s bette r to ride long distanOM hád lind ¦attle than to ride your own raoge ai ¦' 'ui al carcasses. I expect í rosoli iiome in 3l;rcli. Yours vtfi-.v trulv.