Central City, the county seat of Merrick county, is 132 miles west of Omaha and 93 miles from Lincoln, the leading cities of the state, and is connected with both cities and all important points in the state by rail. It stands near the site of Lone tree; a spot known and remembered by the old overland stage travellers (sic). The town contains about 2,000 inhabitants, is about 2 miles back from the Platte river on the on the main line of the Union Pacific, is the terminal point of the Burlington & Missouri from Lincoln and Hastings, which line connects with other lines making all points in the south Platte country of easy access, and is also the point from which the Lincoln & Black Hills railroad stretched its four hundred miles of track touching the best points in the north Platte country. The town is the principal trading and shipping point for the people in this and the northern part of counties adjoining on the south.
     There are seven churches comprising the leading denominations, all ably ministered to by good preachers. The town is the seat of Nebraska Central college, the institution of learning under the control of the Methodist church of the state north of the Platte river. It has an elegant building, a good faculty, with D. Marquette, D. D., as president, and a large attendance for so young an institution. The city schools are held in three buildings. The high school building, of brick, costing $15,000, is one of the finest school buildings in the state. These schools are under the charge of Prof. Hugh B. McCollum and an able corps of assistants. There are three strong banking institutions, the First National, Hon. N.R. Persinger, president; the Platte Valley bank, D. Martin, president, and Farmers' State bank, F. M. Bryant , president. Nearly all civil societies are represented. There are two newspapers, the Nonpareil and the Courier, the former is republican in politics and the latter is the original prohibition organ of the state. Both are well edited and neatly printed. Both are entertaining and faithful to their constituencies and the interests of the county. There are two places of amusement, the Grand Opera house and the Academy of Music. Both are fine brick buildings, and outside the large cities are the finest amusement buildings in the state.
     "The Newton," the new three story brick hotel just completed and ready for occupancy, occupies a place convenient for the traveling public and is capable of entertaining with lodging and board one hundred people. The building is newly furnished in good style, is lit with gas and contains convenient reading, bath, barber, baggage and laundry rooms. There are a umber of other hotels and boarding houses ready to entertain travelling (sic) people.
     One of the best roller flouring mills in the state is located in the town. Flour of an excellent quality is manufactured and of more than local demand. The mill was constructed but recently and has all the latest improved machinery. Nearly all business interests are represented in the town.
     The city is managed by an economical anti-license administration. Hon. Wm. Patterson of the wholesale hardware firm of Berryman & Patterson is mayor. The town is well laid out with broad streets, many of them lined with trees, good sidewalks, many elegant houses, and contains an enterprising, busy people. Many travelling (sic) men and others have sought the town because of its convenience and because of its educational advantages. Its growth has been steady and even rapid in the last two years. A large number of brick business buildings have been put up, crowding out the wooden structures of earlier days. The growth of the town during the coming year will be in keeping with the past. One brick yard reports a contract with one individual of 200,000 brick to be delivered this year. The health of the town has always been good. Water is easily obtainable. To homeseekers it may be said, that the value of town property has never been influenced by "boom" methods and consequently good homes are within the reach of all.
     To capitalists, to those about to start wholesale establishments in the west, to manufacturers the value of our railroad facilities aided by the building of the Chicago & Northwestern and Milwaukee roads, now taking preliminary steps to come here, can be appreciated. To all kinds of manufactories and especially to oat meal, hominy and starch factories large inducements are held out. To all such parties our board of trade composed of all our business men under the presidency of H. B. Millard will gladly make inducements and answer correspondence.
     Of Merrick county it can in soberness be written that it has a soil of unsurpassed fertility, plenty of rain and a good class of farmers. A number of towns throughout the county make markets convenient; taxes are light; school houses are convenient and all kinds of fruits suited to our latitude can be raised. Framing lands are cheap and can be bought at from $7 to $30 an acre. Thousands of cattle are brought from the western ranges, kept to suitable yards and fattened for the eastern markets. These feeders near the towns have created an excellent home market for corn and hay which fetch good prices. Energetic and reliable real estate men at Central City are ready to answer inquiries as to farm lands.
     The city and county have never experienced what is known in the west as a boom, but they think that their fast prosperity and their many obvious advantages are such as to give good ground for believing that they stand at the threshold of a booming, prosperous year.

FOR SALE - All kinds of city property,
improved and unimproved farm land, school
lands, etc., for cash or on easy payments.

Money loaned, collections made, taxes
paid, abstracts of titles furnished.

Improved farms for sale.
Unimproved lands for sale.
Best stock ranches in Merrick county for sale.
Town property for sale.
Town lots for sale.
I have several good feeding lots to sell at a bargain.
Money to loan on real estate.
Correspondence solicited and all letters answered
promptly

 This hotel is just being finished and will be opened
to the public about May 25. It is a handsome three
story brick, located midway between the U. P. and
B. &. M. depots, on the corner of B. and First sts. It

is supplied with all

 Sample rooms, bath rooms, electric bells, gas, and
will be heated throughout with steam. The proprie-
tor will endeavor to conduct this hotel in a

Issues exchange good in all parts of the world.

 Being organized in 1877 it is the oldest bank in Mer-rick county and has the best facillities for doing a
banking business. With a Hall fireproof vault, bur-
glar proof safe and time lock we promise absolute
safety to depositors.