yards, etc. Should it continue to improve as it has done during the past seventeen years, it will soon be one of the largest and most important towns in the Western States.

LAWRENCE,

In Douglas county, is the second city of the State. It is situated on the right or southern bank of the Kansas River, 25 miles east-bysouth of Topeka, and 32 miles south-south west of Leavenworth. The Kansas River is here crossed by a handsome bridge, erected at a cost of $45,000. It is one of the handsomest and best built places in the State, and in spite of its misfortunes has steadily improved with respect to its architecture. The city lies on high ground, which slopes down to the river, and is regularly laid off. The streets are broad, well macadamized, and are shaded with trees. The city contains the

county buildings, about 13 churches, several good schools, a public library, and 3 newspaper offices. The State University is located here. The city is lighted with gas, and is governed by a Mayor and Council. In 1870 the population was 8315.

Lawrence was first settled in the summer of 1854, by a company of emigrants from New England, and was named in honor of Amos Lawrence, of Boston. The settlers were sent out by the Massachusetts Aid Society, with the design of making Kansas a free soil territory. During the continuance of hostilities in the territory, Lawrence was

the headquarters of the Free Settlers, and was, on this account, peculiarly obnoxious to the Pro-Slavery party. In May, 1856, it was captured and sacked by the Pro-Slavery men from Missouri, and damaged to the extent of $150,000. Its greatest misfortune, however, occurred during the civil war. On the morning of the 21st of August, 1863, a party of Southern guerillas, led by the notorious Quantrell, surprised the town. They burned about 150 dwellings, massacred 150 defenceless persons, sacked the town, and escaped with their plunder.

Quantrell was not regularly connected with the Confederate army, and his deeds of violence soon compelled the Southern leaders to set a price upon his head. The city recovered rapidly from this disaster, and is now in the midst of a most promising career.

THE State of Nebraska is situated between 40° and 43° N. latitude, and between 96° and 104° W. longitude. It is bounded on the north by Dakota Territory, on the east by Iowa, on the south by Kansas and Colorado Territory, and on the west by Colorado and Wyoming Territories.

TOPOGRAPHY.

"Nebraska extends from the Missouri westward to the Rocky Mountains, with an extreme length of 412 miles, decreasing to 310 miles on the southern border, its extreme width being 208 miles, diminishing to 138 miles on the west. Its area is 75,995 square miles, or 48,636,800 acres. The country through its entire length dips toward the Missouri River, being upon the western slope of the great central basin of the North American continent. The larger portion is elevated and undulating prairie; there are no mountains or high hills; the bottom lands of the river valleys are generally level. Above these, from 40 to 100 feet, are second bottoms or table lands, sloping backward to the bluffs, which range with the general level of the country. These bluffs sometimes rise hundreds of feet above the river level; back of these is the undulating prairie, well watered with springs and running streams, being covered with excellent grasses. This prairie resembles the waves of the ocean suddenly arrested in their swell and changed into soil and rock. In remarkable contrast with the general appearance of the State is the tract known as Mau

vaises Terres, in the western part of the State, 90 miles long and 30 wide, produced by some powerful agencies of denudation and degradation of the land. Viewed from a distance, it seems like some deserted abode of civilization; the prismatic and columnar masses appear as residences of modern architecture or public buildings, with towers, columns, and walls. A near approach dispels the illusion, the imposing forms of architectural beauty resolve themselves into masses of rocks with labyrinthine defiles. These first appearances, however, are not correct exponents of geological character, as they are found upon examination to contain some excellent lands."*

The Missouri River forms the eastern boundary and a part of the northern. It receives the waters of the principal streams of the State. The Republican Fork of the Kansas drains the southern counties, and the Niobrara forms a part of the northern boundary, and flows into the Missouri. The Platte or Nebraska River is the principal stream in the State. It is formed by the union of its North and South forks, in the centre of the State-the former rising in Wyoming, and the latter in Colorado. The general course of the main stream and its forks is eastward to the Missouri, into which it empties below Omaha

City. Including the North Fork (which is 800 miles long), the Platte is 1200 miles long. As its name signifies, it is a shallow river. In the summer, it is but a succession of shallow pools; but during the spring freshets, steamers can navigate it for a considerable distance. The Elkhorn River drains the northeast part of the State, and flows into the Platte near its mouth.

MINERALS.

Thin beds of coal exist in several parts of the State. Limestone and sandstone abound, and salt springs are frequent, and yield an excellent quality of salt.

CLIMATE, SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.

"The climate is milder than the Eastern States within the same parallels of latitude; the summer is of high temperature, but the sultriness is alleviated by cool, refreshing winds blowing over the prairies. The quantity of rain is less than falls on the Atlantic side. This dryness does not become appreciable east of the 98th meridian. West of that meridian the soil, so far as known, is arid and not so well suited to agriculture; that part of the State to the eastward, however, is not deficient in moisture. The peculiar character of soil and climate indicates that stock-raising will become a very important and remunerative branch of its agricultural enterprise. The dryness of the climate and the copious vegetation, especially of nutritious grasses, will attract capital, with a view to the establishment of wool-raising interests. The soil of the eastern portion is exceedingly fertile; the prairies are covered with a heavy sod, the matted growth of ages of vegetation, several teams of oxen being required to break it; the subsequent tillage is comparatively easy, the ground being rendered light and mellow. Along the rivers are groves of oak, walnut, cottonwood, hickory, and willow; very dense forests of cottonwood grow along the Missouri River above the mouth of the Platte."*

In 1869, there were about 1,000,000 acres of improved land in the State. In the same year, the principal agricultural returns were as follows: