-
Title
-
Sidney, Banner County, Scotts Bluff, July 30-Aug. 9, 1911
-
Date
-
July 30-Aug. 9, 1911
-
Creator
-
Frank Shoemaker
-
Description
-
Sandhills Narratives
-
Identifier
-
27143
-
Transcription
-
19 of the ravine, and the young were easily reaches. There was a recess in the back of the cavity, however, and I could see two of the little fellows crowded into this; probably there were others. I managed to get two of them out and coaxed them to “sit,” though they were most unwilling subjects, and the resulting photographs do neither them nor myself credit. The parent birds were busy feeding young in the neighboring trees, and on investigation we found that a well-grown young cowbird was the subject of their solicitude. This rather surprised us, for it would not seem possible for a cowbird to enter the nesting cavity; but the evidence points the other way. Numerous old nests of the desert horned lark were discovered about the valley; we ran across probably as many as fifteen or twenty of these. Dr. Wolcott found a nest of the mourning dove on the side of a steep slope on the ground among the vegetation, and I obtained a photograph — one young bird, and an egg which was probably infertile. Cedars are the prevailing conifers on these buttes and ridges, which is in rather interesting contrast to Sioux County , where the cedars are not common. Bull pines are present here also. Aside from the larger size of the Sioux County ridges and canyons, and the presence of streams in most of the canyons, the general appearance of these regions here is much as it is there. We met a Dr. Page in Harrisburg , a Yale graduate who practiced medicine among the Sioux Indians for some years and then in the absence of anything worse to do drifted into this country. He is now county clerk, and showed us in his office maps indicating Bull Canyon, situated in the western part of the county and very near the Wyoming line. It is in this region that the highest altitude in Nebraska is recorded – 5360 feet – not on a peak, but on a rolling plateau above the canyon. He pointed out this region as a desirable place to visit this interesting region, of which we first learned after their departure. It was impossible to get a livery rig, and the account of how we got our team would be quite a story in itself – and a photograph of the team would bear out the story. We finally got the component parts together – one horse about 17 hands high and the other apparently about 7, and with no more ambition than a peddler. We did not get started until noon, and then bade fair to ride into a heavy storm, which, however, passed along the north side of the valley, Hogback and Wildcat
-
Rights
-
To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
-
Is Version Of
-
E:\great nebraska\shoemaker-letters\sidney-banner_020.jpg
