Nebraska

a central state of the American Union. It lies on the western bank of the Missouri between the fortieth and forty-third parallels of north latitude. The extreme western boundary of the state is formed by the 104 deg. W. The width of the state from north to south is 208 1/2 miles. The length from east to west is 413 miles. The area is 76,840 square miles. The physical features of the state are remarkably simple. The surface rises gradually from the Missouri river westward. The extreme southeastern part of the state is 842 feet above the sea level. Wild Cat Mountain in Banner County, the highest elevation in the state, rises 5,038 feet above the sea. Aside from the Missouri, the chief river is the Platte, which flows from west to east throughout the entire length of the state. It was called by the Indians Nebraska, meaning Shallow Water. Platte is a French name having the same significance. It is a shallow, sandy river without rapids or falls. All the waters of the state find their way into the Missouri.

CHARACTERISTICS. Limestone is the oldest rock. The state has comparatively little mineral wealth. Lignite coal is found in workable quantities. There are also beds of peat. Limestone is quarried for building purposes. It affords excellent lime and Portland cement. The eastern edge of the state is covered with glacial drift. There is an extensive area of sand drifts or sand hills in the northwest. The eastern part of the state is fertile, comparing favorably with the most productive parts of the Mississippi Valley. The west extends into the foothill region of the Rocky Mountains and is lacking in moisture. The entire state seems to be underlaid with an abundance of water which has entered the soil, no doubt, in the foothills of the Rockies. Artesian wells sunk to depths of from 200 to 500 feet seldom fail to reach water. The annual rainfall in the southeastern part of the state is about thirty inches. It falls off toward the northwestward about an inch for each fifty miles. The extreme northwestern part of the state has about fifteen inches of rain. The winter is so dry that there is little snowfall. The extremes of temperature may be placed at 102 deg. above and 40 deg. below zero. The southeastern part of the state has the mildest climate; the northwestern the most severe. The mean annual temperature for the year varies from 52 deg. to 46 deg. The average for July, the hottest month in the year, is about 78 deg.

AGRICULTURE. Nebraska is preeminently an agricultural state. In order of acreage, the chief field crops are corn, wheat, oats, wild hay, rye, timothy, alfalfa, sorghum, millet, barley, potatoes, clover, and broom corn. An annual corn crop of 250,000,000 bushels is expected and about one-fifth as much wheat. The state takes high rank in dairy products. Extensive irrigation canals have been constructed in the western part of the state, aggregating about 3,000 miles in length. They water perhaps a million acres. Land previously considered too dry for agricultural purposes is now enormously productive. That part of the state east of the 100 deg. meridian has acquired a reputation of late for fruit. Apples, plums, and cherries do well. Peaches and grapes are raised successfully in the southeastern portion. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, and gooseberries thrive. Market gardening, especially in the vicinity of Omaha, is an important industry.

INDUSTRIES. There are extensive stock ranges in the west, on which cattle find their own living the year through. The bluffs and valleys of the east shelter forests of hardwood. Fringes of cottonwood follow the streams. A tree known as the bullpine grows on the highlands of the northwest, but, taken as a whole, Nebraska is a prairie state. Tree Planting Day or Arbor Day, established largely through the efforts of Secretary Morton of the department of agriculture, is popularly observed. As stated, Nebraska is noted for agriculture rather than for manufacturing. The annual value of manufactured products, however, represents the large total of $143,990,000. Half of this sum is to be credited to the immense packing establishments of South Omaha. Flour milling comes next. Car building, publishing, and brewing follow in the order named. The soil has been found particularly well adapted to the raising of sugar beets. The output of beet sugar is about 25,000,000 pounds a year.

HISTORICAL. The Lewis-Clark Expedition followed the eastern borders of the state in 1804. Trappers and fur traders from St. Louis were the first to explore the Platte Valley. Colonel Pike, Major Long, Captain Bonneville, and General Fremont led their forces through the state. Nebraska was a part of the Louisiana Purchase. It formed part of Missouri Territory in 1812. After the admission of Missouri in 1821 Nebraska was designated Indian country. It was organized as a territory in 1854, with boundaries extending from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains, including portions of the present states of Colorado, North and South Dakota, and Montana. The first legislature met at Omaha. The state was admitted to the Union in 1867. The capital was then removed to Lincoln.

EDUCATION. The educational system of the state was organized at an early date. In common with other Northwestern States, every eighteenth section of land was set apart for sale to create a school fund. The early settlers were largely from the Northern States and from Germany. The percentage of illiteracy, as shown by the last census, is but 2.3. A complete system of common schools, graded schools, and high schools covers the entire state. There are two normal schools, one at Peru and another at Kearney. The state university is located at Lincoln. It comprises several colleges and already has an enrollment of 3,000 students. The population of the state in 1900 was 1,066,300.

STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources:

See Omaha