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4.0

CROFUTT’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST

 

German settlers.

Two miles from Elkhorn is

Waterloo —a smail side-track station
where passenger trains seldom stop.. Here.
too, is a flouring mill, store, school-house,
and some neat little cottages of the well-to-
do farmers.

From this station it is 4 3-10 miles to

Walley—tThis station shows a marked
improvement within the last few year-;
there are a score of new buildings in sight;
elevation, 1,147 feet. The curious who
wish to note the elevation—station by sta-
tion —are referred to the ‘Time Table” at
the commencement of each division, where
the figures will be found for each station
on the whole line of road.

The Omaha & Republican
Walley Railroad — branches off
southwesterly from Valley. It is com-
pleted to David City, 61 miles distant.

The road crosses the Platte River on a
pile bridge 2,200 feet long, and enters
Saunders county, crosses the river bot-
tom, and reaches

CLEAR CREEK—the first station from
Valley, 7 miles distant.

Passing on over a rolling prairie, 5 miles
further, we come to

ALVIN—a station named for Senator Al-
vin Saunders, of Nebraska. This is asmall
place, composed of a_ thrifty farming
neighborhood. Five miles from here is

WaHvoo—the county seat of Saunders
county.

Wahoo is situated on a broad plateau,
near the depot, in the midst of a farming
country, where they raise 60 bushels of
corn, 50 bushels of oats, and 25 bushels of
wheat to the acre, and other crops in pro-
portion. There are three flouring mills in
the town. The court house, school, and

other buildings are very good. Near the

town is located one of the finest fair

rounds and race-tracks in the State. The
Ay ahoa House is the hotel to stop at, and
the Independent, a weekly paper published
here, the paper to subscribe for, if you
want to keep posted on what is going on
in and around the country.

Leaving Wahoo, the face of the country
becomes more rolling, and after crossing
Wahoo Creek and making a run of eight
miles, we reach

Wuston—lIt is still young, but a very
prosperous little place, nine miles from

VALAPARASO—asmall place of four stores,
a hotel, and school-house, situated on Oak
Creek, on which is some very fine land, as

well as large groves of oak.

BRAINARD—comes next, three miles from
Valparaiso, after ree over numerous cuts
and rough country. ‘Ten miles more, and
we are at the end of the track, at

Davin Crry—county seat of Butler
county. Population about 250, with two
weekly newspapers, the Republican aud the
Press. There are four churches and several
schools, at David City.

The hote] at which to stop is the Saun-
ders House. Mr. 8, H. H. Clark, the
General Superintendent of the Union Pa-
cific, is its President, and it is understood
to be owned by the Union Pacific parties,
under whose management it is now con-
ducted.

We will now return to Valley, and pro-
ceed westward.

From Valley the Bluffs on the south
side of the Platte River can be seen in the
distance, but a few miles away, in a south-
westerly direction. Soon after leaving the
station we catch the first glimpse of the
Platte River, on our left. Seven miles fur-
ther over the broad plain brings us to

Riverside—an unimportant station,
from which it is 4 3-10 miles to

Fremomt-—the county seat of Dodge
county, situated about three miles north of
the Platte River, and contains a population
of about 3,500. Passenger trains stop here,
both from the East and the West, for din-
ner. The eating house is one of the best
on the whole line.

The company have here, besides their
excellent depot, a round-house with six
stalls. The public buildings include a jail
and court-house, seven churches, and some
fine school-houses. Also a fine opera
house. The Occidental is the principal
hotel. Hight years ago we said: “It
was a thriving place in the midst of
a beautiful country.” Now it is a city
of no mean pretentions. Within the past
eight years there has been built nearly
eight hundred dwelling houses, with stores
of all kinds in proportion. All of this
“beautiful country” has been taken up and
occupied by thrifty farmers, who are reap-
ing an abundant reward for their labor.

The Herald, a daily and weekly, and the
Tribune—weekly, are the newspapers pub-
lished here.

The Sioux City & Pacific R. R. con-
nects here with the U. P. and runs _
through to St. Johns, Lowa, where it con-
sey with the Chicago & Northwestern