[Omaha—Monday, 18 October 1875]
Monday Oct. 18. Weather perfect. Hotel excellent especially in the best room which we occupy. It has been built but three years and one would guess to look at it, 40 years had passed over it. I presume so many rough people stop here, and the servants are untrained and insufficiently overlooked. We see fine horses and stalwart men, but nothing of what can be called “gentle people.” Everybody is kind to us: their rough hospitality of feeling leaves nothing to be desired. We walked up the hillside yesterday and saw comfortable houses and a pretty valley full of trees with cottages interspersed at the other side. Mr. & Mrs Briggs drove us out.
