Renewed and refreshed from our long winter rest, with the migration of the
birds we winged our way westward, alighting in many a lovely locality in
the flourishing State of Iowa, whose soft undulations of prairies were now
swelling in billows of gorgeous green, and touched with the varied tints
of flowery bloom.

Our last resting place was in Council Bluffs, so celebrated for the
grandeur of its location at the foot of the beetling bluffs of the
Missouri River, and for its flourishing and progressive spirit, aside from
which it holds a place in our historic annals dating back to aboriginal
days. When this century was in its early infancy, and the shadowy dawn of
our young nation was still wrapt in the mists which enshrouded its first
struggling efforts; when the little far-away fur station of Astoria, near
the whispering waves of the Pacific coast, held not the mellowing memories
of time or the living light with which the genius of an Irving has since
invested it; when the great explorers, Lewis and Clarke, were leaving
their foot-prints on the land bordering the Columbia River, they held a
council with the Red Man at Kanesville, Iowa, ever since known as "Council
Bluffs."

Thence we went to Omaha, which is one of the most flourishing places in
Nebraska, and from the improvised post-office of early days, the "plug"
hat of Mr. Jones, its first post-master, has grown the large distributing
office of the department.

It was also a military post and winter garrison for our troops in
transitu, its cheerful barracks, well-kept roads and clean parade ground
converting it into a favorite drive and walk, where resort many strangers