KEARNEY, Neb., the county-seat of Buf falo County, is located in the fertile Platte River Valley, 191 miles west of Omaha, on the Union Pacific, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, Hastings and North Western railroads, with interurban electric railroad communication. It is on the Lincoln Highway which follows the line of the old Overland and Oregon trail of '49. It is half way across the continent, 1,733 miles from Boston and a like distance from San Francisco. In this community it was demon strated that alfalfa could be raised without irri gation and from its original culture here its growth has spread over the Middle Western States and has become one of the most profi table crops of the farmers. This city is the centre of a vast agricultural and stock-raising industry. The first power canal dug in the State of Nebraska furnishes light and power to the city. It is 16 miles long and is so equipped that it takes the undertow of the Platte River when the surface of the stream is absolutely dry. The canal can also be used for irrigation. The Kearney State Normal with an enrolment of 1,400 stu dents and a teaching staff of 42 is located in Kearney; also the Kearney Military School, the Saint James Parochial School. The city school system consists of well-equipped High School and six ward schools. Kearney has 11 churches;
a public library with 12,000 volumes, the lar gest opera house between Omaha and Denver; a country club that maintains one of the best natural golf courses in the west; a County Fair Association with well-kept grounds and the second largest fair in the State; a Chautauqua Association that does credit to the Chautauqua Idea; two hospitals; the State Hospital for Tubercular Patients; the State Industrial School for Boys; Lake Kearney, a beautiful sheet of water within the city limits; two daily news papers; three parks and several manufactur ing industries among which are two flour mills, grain elevators, concrete mixing machine fac tory, canning factory, bottling works, cigar factories, broom factory, foundry, alfalfa meal mill, advertising novelties, etc. Places of in terest are, Old Fort Kearney, maintained by the government in the early 50's as a protection against the Indians to travelers on the Overland Trail; the mile bridge across the Platte River; 1733 Ranch and Lake Kearney. The first set tlement was made here in 1872, it was incorpo rated in 1873 and received its first city charter in 1889. It is governed by a mayor and eight councilmen. The city owns its own water plant. Pop. &000.