Richardson County, Nebraska - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 22 of those read), 1917 (part 2 of 2)

In those days a prominent divine, named Chamberlain, was holding a camp meeting in a pleasant grove on the banks of the babbling Muddv creek, south of Archer, and, in order to make his arrangements complete, he appointed Uncle Isaac, a marshal. One day the flock so departed from the primitive style as to mingle together during preaching, and this not agreeing with the exquisite tastes of the divine, he reminded them that it was usual for the ladies to occupy the seats upon one side of the aisle and the gentlemen on the other. Uncle Isaac, as marshal, thought it was his duty to second the motion, and accordingly arose, and with all the gravity of a judge pronouncing a death sentence upon a culprit, said, "Yes, the preacher is right, so he is: sitting together puts bad notions in your heads, it does, so it does.'"

At the same meeting, one night, while a number of penitents were around the altar, and the minister was putting forth his best licks, David Holt drove up with a highly respectal)le lady in his bugg}-, and took his stand near the altar, so as to hear and see distinctly without alighting. During the service the minister saw some laughing, which he doubtless inter[)reted as scoffing, and became somewhat indignant, and with his finger pointed lo the couple in the buggy, made some strong remarks, whicli Mr. H<ilt construed as ill-timed, whereupon lie dismounted from the buggv and started for the offender, who, anticipating the object of David's approach, fled for the brush, and managed, by the aid of brush and darkness, to evade his pursuer until tired out, when he withdrew. In the meantime Uncle Isaac dismissed the meeting for the evening. HoU declined a private apology to the lady, whom he deemed highly insulted, and the minister was the next day required to make a public apology or sacrifice his scalp. He chose the first alternative, and was permitted to continue his revival unmolested.

In June, 1861, William Buchanan had his headquarters in a tent near the Harkendorff place, north of Falls City. I lived west of Falls City, until the middle of August, and then moved to Rulo precinct. Several horses had disappeared from different places that were owned by Union men, and it was evident that the cause of the Union had not been advanced by it. The people of the surrounding country determined to assist the Missourians and regain their property.

Bill Buchanan crossed the Nemaha at the falls and placed some of his spoils under guard there and had a large wagon load of flour left in a large covered wagon, secreted in thick brush. He then moved on toward Padonia, a small village south of Falls City. The aggrieved ones of Missouri and Nebraska followed him, accompanied by a few soldiers. At the falls they captured the jajhawker guard and what they guarded and hunted up the load of flour. Guards were left with these things and men placed as patrols. Then, the aggrieved parties proceeded to Padonia and captured the jayhawker's supper and applied it to their own use, and slept. In the morning the scene underwent a change. Drury Easley, Charles Martin. E. H. Martin and others from Rulo, arrived at the grounds in time to station themselves among the plum bushes and witness the procedure. They returned home with their arms and ponies. Easley said the soldiers betrayed the citizens and helped the jayhawkers.

The guards at tlie Nemaha Falls, and the patrols, when they heard of the outcome of the meeting at Padonia. consigned what they had left to the waters of the Nemaha. They drove up the south side of the Nemaha with the wagon, intending to cross the river at Salem, but the jayhawkers pursued them and the men in the wagon threw out sack after sack of flour, a< the\ were going to lighten the load, until it was all scattered, and did not return the wagon to Mr. Alinnick until evening of the next da)'. Eli Plante said of the affair that he and Joshua Murray and Charles Hergesheimer brought the great battle to an end.

Theodore Hill, a merchant of Brownville and a brother of Louis Hill, of Falls City, brought to Nemaha county, the first threshing machine sold in this district. He also shipped the first wheat by steamboat out of Nebraska to St. Louis. The threshing machine was purchased in i860. It is believed to be the first one brought to Nebraska.

^^'illiam Rieschick, Sr., now a resident of Falls City and one of the earliest pioneers of Richardson county, says that in 1863 he got a threshing machine from Buffalo, New York. This, he says, was the first threshing machine with a twenty-two-foot stacker in Nebraska.

Mr. Rieschick says that 1863 was a poor year for threshing machines as nearly all the spring wheat was destroyed by chinch bugs. His machine threshed about three bushels to the acre, was busy from morning till evening, and made from seven dollars to eight dollars per day. The machine went all the way from Arago on the Missouri river, westward to Pawnee City, a distance of about fifty miles. Mr. Rieschick made about four hundred and forty-nine dollars tliat season. He employed two hands and a team. In 186-1 he collected one thousand one hundred dollars for threshing. The next year he sold the machine. The price for threshing was seven cents per bushel for wheat and five cents per bushel for oats. In recent years the price for threshing has been five cents for wheat and three cents per bushel for oats, but for many years previously it was as low as four cents for wheat and two cents for oats.

Visit Of Secretary Of Agriculture Morton

of Richardson count}-, in 1855, to attend a political meeting at the house of the County Judge Aliller. Then for the first time in my life I saw sweet potatoes grow upon Nebraska soil. They were the largest that I had ever beheld, and from that time to this I have never seen sweet potatoes as big as were those at Archer in 1855.

Among the persons prominent in territorial affairs, who were present at the meeting, I recall Joseph L. Sharp, Hiram P. Bennet, Bird B. Chapman and Napoleon P. Giddings - all of whom have passed away, except Judge Bennett, who is a prominent lawyer in Denver, Colorado. Few of the participants in that meeting remain in Richardson county.

Cicero said of death: "Some men make a womanish complaint that it is a great misfortune to die before our time. I would ask what time? Is it that of nature? But nature indeed has lent us life, as we loan a sum of nidney, only no certain day is fixed for payment. What reason then to complain, if she demands it at pleasure, since it was upon this condition that we receive it?'" Respectfully }-ours,

From Vol. i. No. 25, of the Southern Xcbraskan. (liy J. C and X. O. Pierce) published in Falls City, under date of August 28, 1S66. we take the following official directory for Richardson county :

Postoffices And Postjm A.Sters, I 866 Rulo City Offickrs, 1868

From the Nebraska Register, published by C. -\. Hergesheimer. at Rulo, under date of August 13, 1868, we find the following county directory:

District judge, O. P. Mason; district attorney, Isham I'ieavis; probate judge, William Van Lue; county treasurer, D. R. Holt; county clerk, W. H. JMann; sherifY, George Faulkner; county surv-eyor, A. J. Currence; coroner, H. Burnam; school superintendent, J. B. Masalsky; school examiner, J. J. Marvin; county commissioners, Jacob Shaff. George Gird and H. F.. Moritz.

The First Mail

The fir^t mail to reach l'"alls City under contract, was l>rought liy the route over which Ste[)hen Ij. Miles, Sr., had supervision. In fact. Colonel Miles wa sawarded the contract for the first United States mails carried in the West. He began as early as 1852 with a contract to carry the mail from Independence, Missouri (adjoining the present Kansas City), to Salt Lake City, Utah. It required exactly one month to make the trip. In 1853 he was given the supervision of the mails between this place and St. Joseph Missouri, and out to what is now known as Beatrice, Nebraska. As part pay for this lalxir, Mr. Miles accepted what was called "mail grant land," consisting of a section of land at intervals. Ry this means he acquired title to considerable land, and as the government wasn't particular and Mr. Miles had good judgment, the result was he made good selections, which proved the foundation of the vast Miles fortune. Mr. Miles located his home in Grant precinct, Richardson count}, in 1856. was a resident of the county until his death and was accounted one nf the wealtiiiest men in the state. Mr. Miles employed a large number of men and a huge equipment in the business of carrving the mail and continued to operate under the contracts held until 1868, when he retired from the business.

AN'illiam R. Cain, of Falls City, who was the father of our townsman, Hon. J. R. Cain and Mrs. Laura P.. Paxton, and who was among the first to

St. Stephens was laid out as a townsite by Gen. Benjamin F. Loan and Stephen Story in the spring of 1855. In September of the same year I visited the then new town consisting of one store kept by Stephen Nuckols & Company; Houston Nuckols was in charge; a man by the name of Robert Archer kept a hotel; at that time these two houses constituted the town. When I was on this visit I was so charmed with the country that I built me a cabin adjoining the town tract, and in April, 1856, I landed in St. Stephens with my family and household goods. During that year Washington Morris built a house and Israel Price built and started a blacksmith shop. In 1857 J. W. Crane, of St. Joseph, started another store; during 1857-8-9 the town grew rapidlv, reaching its highest growth in 1861, at which time it had two stores, one kept by Crane & Lewis, and the other by D. J. Martin ; two saloons. one kept by Henley Price and Henry Dunkes, the other was kept by George Codle}-. Price & Dunkes called their house a "grocery store," but saloon was the I)est name. Henry Smith kept a blacksmith-shop ; Allen Gleason kept the ferry on the Missouri river. In the year 1857 Houston Nuckols, Stephen Story and William P. Loan started a general land agency, dealing in land and town lots. In the spring of 1858 they had a pulilic sale of land and town lots in St. Stephens. At this sale Duke Wheeler bought the land that he settled on the same vear. The first sermon that was preached in the town was given liy old Father Thomas, of the Baptist church, who then li\e(l at Rulo. The Hrst justice of the peace was John McFarlen. the second, Stejjhen Lyiins. the third, William Morgan, the fourth, S. G. Lewis, the fifth. William R. Cain, who held the ofifice for eight consecutive years and turned it oxer to his successor without ever having an appeal from his judgment. Israel Price was the first constable. The first school was taught by William Bell; the next by William McMurren. In 1859 the first school board was elected with ^^'. R. Cain, president of the board, who held an office on the school board for twenlv-one vears without a single break and refused to ser\e only when lie ino\ed to Falls City.

In 1858 Lewis Aliegewahr and Henry W. Sonieriadd were sent out \ve.~t Ijy the German Emigrant Association of Buffal(j. New "S'ork, and located tlutown of Arago one mile below St. Stephens on the ri\er.

The first postmaster, as I remember, was T. C. Sicafims. the rlrst tlncinr was David Whitmire. later a resident of Rockport. Missouri. \mong tinprominent citizens, wlicn it was in its prime, we mention tlie names nf Anry

Mallard, B. H. Dixon and his sons, Xoali and Ballard; Dnctor Whitniire, JW. Crain, William M. Morrison. D. J. Phillips. I'ress ;Marvin. Houston Xuckols, W. P. Loan, a lawyer; Price Dunkes. Stephen Lvons. S. K. Twist and Stephen Story, the original owner of the townsite.

Xo colony in southeastern Xebraska ever played a more important l)art in the development of a new country than did the Welsh, who came to Richardson county from Pomeroy, Ohio, in the tirst three or four years following the Civil War, settling in a community known as Prairie Union. northea.st of where is now located Stella, and about ten miles west of the Missouri river. Preceding the Ohio Welsh there came here from Wisconsin three Welsh families, David Thomas and David Higgins. who came together in 1859. and Daniel Davis who came in 1863. The \\'isconsin Welsh made the entire journey by ox-team. They at once began to prosper and were most enthusiastic over the new country. Reports by Mr. Pliggins or ?^Ir. Davis were sent to a Welsh paper (Drych) printed in Xew York, and it was the reading of these reports liv the miners of Pomeroy that led to the coming here of the Ohio Welsh. A colonv of thirteen families settled within a radius of five miles in the territory east of Prairie Union, a number of others at Salem and some at Brownville.

When Daniel Davis started irom Wisconsin tifteen dollars represented his entire amount of cash; he had provisions for the journey, a yoke of oxen and a pair of cows. He died on the morning of July 4, k^oq. and left an estate valued at se\enty-five thousand dollars. I-'or forty-six years Mr. Davis lived continuously on the same farm.

There was a big colony of Pomeroy Welsh, who had come o\er from the old countr\' to work in the coal mines. As they had been here but a comparatively slKjrl time they did not enlist in tlie t'ixil \\'ar, as did their American neighliors. so many of whom were away from home that the miners were paid higher wages than usual. During any time of idleness they discussed opportunities for investment in land and the best place to go. Alex McGechie. a .Scotchman, and some of his Welsh friends, from returning soldiers heard wonderful stories of the country about Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, in Tennessee, and made a journey of investigation, but decided that section was better adapted to nu'ning.

Rev. John T. James was an important personage in bringing the settlers to Nebraska from Pomeroy. He and Caleb Reese came to investigate in September, 1865, and contractetl to buy six hundred acres of land at five dollars an acre. Reese and his family moved to Nebraska that same fall, taking up their residence at the old river town of Aspinwall, where soon after he was shot and killed at dusk one evening by a couple of drunken soldiers on their way to Ft. Leavenworth. They stated they had mistaken him for a wolf. Mrs. Reese gave up her contract for the large tract, but bought and resided tin a quarter section in the Welsh settlement. She died a few years ago in Oklahoma. The wife of Reverend James was largely responsible for his western movement, as she had lived on a farm in the old country. She died in December, after his purchase here, Init following her wishes to bring the sons up on the farm, he moved here the next summer.

Within the very next few years there came from Pomeroy the following twelve families, making many in the settlement from the same place : 1 )a\ id N. Jones, Alex McGechie, John I\l. Lewis, Richard IMorris, Jonah Jones, Edmund Williams, David N. Jones, David R. Jones, Samuel l>rim})Ie, James Evans, Robert Roberts, David Phelps, and John Owens. All were Welsh except Mr. ^IcGechie. The trip was made by water, as Pomeroy was on the Ohio, and .\spinwall in this state was made the landing point. At the time Mr. McGechie and others came, six weeks were spent on the boat. During two weeks of this time the boat was laid up on a sandbar, and three times on the journey the cargo was unloaded.

Of the above men named there is but one survivor today, Alexander McGechie, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, who was ninety years of age in April, 19 1 7. Mrs. John M. Lewis, who, at tlie age of eighty-five, died at her home in Shubert in 1915, was the last surviving woman of the pioneers who founded the settlement. David N. Jones, the last surviving head of a Welsh family among the settlers, died in 1909 at his home seven miles northeast of Stella. He was born in Wales in 1832, came to America in i8_:;7, and had lived continuously on the same farm since 1866.

These pioneers prospered and their families were an honor to the cimiimunity. Most of them, perhaps all, were of a devout religious nature ; anyway two Welsh churches were founded in this community, Prairie Union and Penuel ; the latter, during its e.xistence, lieing about two miles northeast of the former. The homeseekers were cpiiet, peace-loving men. They stuck together like a band of brothers, helping each other until new machinery made the necessity less. Alex McGechie. to the southeast of the settlement, and Sam Brimble, to the northw est, walked manv and nianv a time througii tlic tall

These early pioneers kept attracting other Welsh people from Ohio. Among these were A. E. Evans, who had formerly been postmaster of Shubert, who moved west to be near his son, John M. Evans, cashier of the Farmers' State Bank of Shubert; while he had another son, \V. L. Evans, whd was then siiperintentlent of Nemaha county. Among the colony who settled at Salem was Miles Jones, at one time superintendent of public instruction in this county. Another was A\ Nance, a \enerable rivernian at Brownville.

Thomas Higgins was a devout and pious man. It was his dream that there should be a Welsh settlement in this community and that a \\'elsh church be founded. The coming of the Ohioans made his dream come true. At first, Sunday school was held in his residence, and as soon as the Higgins school house was built it was a place for holding Sunda\- school and religious services ; and ne.xt was Prairie Union church, built in the early seventies. Prairie Union was organized as a Welsh Baptist church, l)ut as the younger people grew up it became English, and, although a country church, is toda.\- one of the strong Baptist churches of the state. Prairie Union in itself is quite a settlement. In 1904 the church was struck by lightning and burned and a year later a modern church was dedicated in its place. The church has stained-glass windows, is furnace heated and has its own lighting plant. There is a nice parsonage on an acre or two of land, a school and a cemetery, all within a short distance of the church, also the sexton's house. The cemetery is beautifully located and admirably kept. The parsonage is ahvays i)ccupied by a minister. The community is bright intellectually and the young people have always had the privilege of excellent schools. A number of these pioneers and their sons helped to build a farmers' elevator at McCandless Siding so as to have a point nearer than Shuljert or Xemaha to market their grain.

Rev. John T. James was instrumental in organizing the \\'elsh Baptist church at Penuel, that organization being later than that of Prairie Union. lUit with the passing of the activity of the elder W'elsh this church became nn more. The church is no longer standing, but the cemetery is maintained and at the death of Reverend James his body was interred therein.

The roads at first were scarcely more than a trail or path and often the grass was tall and wet. or the path was filled with dust; yet Mrs. Elizabeth Higgins t^nce recalled that it was a custom of the young ladies to go barefoot a part of the way to church if they walked in suniiner, carrying their shoes and stockings so as to protect them from the dust or dew. Once she liad a silk jacket of which she was very proud. She recalls that on one of these trips it was ruined by a grasshopi>er that alighted on her back and ate a hole in the jacket. Her first Fourth of July in Nebraska was spent at Hillsdale, where a big barbecue was held, attended b\' the settlers from far and near.

path and often the grass was tall and wet, or the path was filled with dust ; yet Mrs. Elizabeth Higgins recalls that it was a custom of the young ladies to go barefoot a part of the way, carrying their shoes and stockings so as to protect them from the dust or dew. Once she had a silk jacket of which she was very proud. She recalls that on one of these trips it was ruined by a grasshopper that alighted on her back and ate a hole in the jacket. Her first Fourth of July in Nebraska was spent at Hillsdale, where a big liarljecue was held, attended by the settlers from far and near.

Mrs. Higgins was sixteen years of age when she came to the count)- and she and her chum, Miss INIaggie Jones, later Mrs. William Wilkinson, of Lincoln, were the oldest girls in the settlement, and accordingly were very popular; in fact they were the belles of the territory. INIrs. Higgins until her marriage three years later was her father's housekeeper. Corn bread and sorghum were the staple table food. Once she needed soda and was compelled to go to the home of David R. Jones, a distance of more than a mile, to borrow the same. On the way she saw two Indians coming on ponies. She was badly frightened and tried to hide in the tall grass. Thev saw her, but only grunted as they passed. She saw strapped on the saddle of each a half hog with the hair still on. They had just raided some farm and were making way with the stolen property. Singing schools provided social diversion in the early days. These were held at the Higgins school and there gathered many of the pioneer young people, the outgrowth of these meetings being the marriage of many of the young people who met there.

There was a large grove on the farm of Reverend James. The Indians had been in the habit of holding councils at this place and camping there and had taken ever\- precaution to protect the same from fires. Along most of tho streams, now covered with a good growth of timber, in those early days of the Welsh settlement there was not a tree, owing to the very frequent prairie fires.

Some Early Experiences

Having visited Richardson county in 1854 and explored the Nemaha west as far as Salem and the Muddy to some extent, I returned with the others of the party to ^^lissouri (Andrew county), where we spent the winter. In the spring of 1855 I returned to this county with my family and located a claim north of Falls City, the place where William Xutter now resides. I built a log cabin, fenced forty acres of ground and put out a garden of about an acre, all enclosed in the old-fashioned stake-and-rider fence. J\Ir. Leechman lived to the north and west, on the ]\Iuddy, on what was and is still known as the Leechman place, now occupied by Frank and Thomas Leechman, the former being the first white child born within the confines of Richardson county. 'Sir. Harkendorff lived up on the bank of tlie creek later the home of Mr. Fritz, and a man named Robinson lived on what is known as the Cain place. This was in the spring of 1855, and we \vere the first people to settle in this county. The elder John Rothenberger came into the county that year and settled east of the later location of Humboldt, adjoining the farm where has been held for many years the old settlers picnic. The younger John Rothenberger and Joseph Watton were little cliildren. and he brought them with him. ^ly claim was the first claim in the county. -1 built the first log cabin on a claim. The Iowa and the Sac and I'ox Indians were very numerous in this section at that time, tlie reservation being just south of the town at that time.

Ambrose Shelly, John Miller. Wilts Maddox and myself located tlie town of .Vrcher, and laid it out in lots and blocks. It became necessary to survey the Sac and Fox reservation again, as the lines were gone. In running the new lines it was found that the ^lissouri river had cut in alxuU two miles at one place, and as that was the eastern lioundary it threw the west line two miles further this way at that point, which took the town of .Archer into tlie reservation and we had to aliandon the site. Before that time we had had two terms of court there. Judge Black having held one term in 1855 and one in 1856. When the town of Archer was abandoned the county seat was located temporarily at Salem and the next term of court was held there. The ccnmty seat was maintained at Salem three months pending the election to permanenth- locate it. The first election was held and Falls City won it. Tudge Dund\ announced that lie would go to Salem and bring the county seat l)ack with him. luit when he readied diat place, he learned th.at tlic county clerk, a man by the name of DeShazo, liad absconded the night before and with him had gone the county records, so Mr. Ehindy could not get them. On his return here we put up an entire ticket, sherifif, clerk, legislators and all, held an election and elected everyone of them. When our men went U> the Legislature the}- had another date arranged for a county-seat election and at that election Falls City was again victorious.

It was during one of these elections, or on the day one of them was held. April i6, i860, that Thomas J. Meek and Jesse M. Davis were killed, the double tragedy .occuring at my hotel located on the site now occupied liy the Richardson County Bank. I had built a hotel, where I kept boarders, and the shooting occurred there. Meek resided here, Davis was from Ruld and Dunn was from Salem and all were watching the election at this place. It was held at a little brick house owned by Judge Dundy, on the west side of Stone street, between what is now Sixteendi and Seventeenth streets in block Xo. 71. During the afternoon Ab Boyd, who had been drinking heavily, went up to Da\is, who was a one-armed man, and grabbed his hat and pulled it down over his e}es. Davis got mad and pulled his gun and tried to shoot Boyd. Meek grabbed Davis b}- the arm and took the gun away from hitu and then Mr. Holbrook gave Davis his gun (all the men in town that da\ seemed to have guns), and instead of shooting at Boyd, Davis began to shoot at Meek with Holbrook's gun and ]\Ieek to shoot at Davis with his own gun.

They emptied their guns at each other and Davis was shot in the hip. Davis started to run and Meek stooped down and picked up a large-sized rock and hurled it at him. He dodged and reached down and picked up a board that had lieen used to play ball with (as a bat), and knocked Meek down. Davis went from there over tc) my hotel and went up stairs to bed. Meek went up street and procured two re\dlvers and came over to the hotel after Da\-is. He walked up stairs, kicked open the door and began to shoot at Davis who was in bed. I saw Dunn running up the stairs with a gun in his hand. He .shot Meek once and JXTeek fell to the floor. Dunn stepped over him and Davis said, "Doctor, if you don't do something for me I am a dead man." Dunn made no reply, but stooping down, broke the rung from a chair, and with it in his hand walked down the stairs and started for Salem. He reached there safel\- and was ne\er ])r()secuted for his ]iart in the tragedw

Ax Historic Hlm Tree

Aly attention has been called to an elm tree on which it is said the fanitiuexplorers, Lewis and Clark, might have carved their name- while makini; llic ascent of the ^Missouri river in 1804.

I wish to state that the existence of this tree in i\k northeast corner of the count}- is a fact. It stands about three-ciuarters of a mile south of the "Indian Cave" in Barada township. I know whereof I speak, as the tree stootl on my father's land and is standing there at this time; however, the land has changed ownership several times. I was born near this historic tree, within a stone's throw of the same, nearly forty years ago, and have played under its cooling shade many a time. ]\Iy father acquired the land on which llutree is located in the year 1877, the year in which I was born.

;\Iy father came to Nel)raska in the fall of 1865 from Louisiana, I'ike county, Missouri, settling near this tree and the Indian cave and at once ?-ct to work to build a cabin. He returned to ^lissouri to bring his family, but on his arri\-al there found my mother too sick to make the journey and the trip was delayed until the following spring, at which time, after selling their household effects, they made the trip to St. Joseph by rail and from that point came the remainder of the way up the river on a steamljoat, landing at the old historic town of St. Deroin, in the southeast corner of Xemaha county. They arrived at this latter place on the 8th day oi Ma\. 1866. The land my father had Iwught was heavily timbered and father was emplo\ed at first in the w(jrk of clearing and making the land ready tor cultivation. This w;i> slow and hard work, but father pei'severed and in time wa^ rewarded for liis many hardships with the o\ynership of more than one thousand acres of Nebraska land, all located in Richardson county. He retired from the land in 1893, removing to the village of Barada, where he died in 191J, at the age of se\enty-ninc years. He was born in Hanover, Germany, in 183^

The elm tree in (|uestion was found growing; in a secluded spot by my father when he llr-t came to Xel)raska and he found the carxings on the tree and iron s|)a\\]s and pins and also a bor>eslioe which was nailed on the tree. irmly imbedded and grown over. l)eing -aid that the Indians came often to visit om them that the markings had been made dways greatly interested in the tree, diameter across the 'itump. I often in bis lifetime.

The IMornions of Utali erected a monument to the memory of the sea gulls on the temple grounds at Salt Lake Citj-. So far as is known this is the only monument in the world which has been, dedicated to such a purpose and the reasons for Iniilding such a monument takes one back to the pioneer days of the settlement of the JMormon state. The crops planted by the early Mormons were threatened with extinction by a pest of insects, grasshoppers probably, and great flocks of sea gulls attacked them and ate the pests so fast that enough of the crops were saved and the Utah pioneers were thus enabled tn sustain themselves while building up their state.

A parallel to tiiis is to be found in tiie earl\- history of Richardson couiit\-. whereby the streams furnished sustenance to the early pioneer.s. j\ monument could be erected to the memory of the vanished game which abounded in the wooded portions and on the plains of southeastern Nebraska. The succulent catfish should be given the credit for playing a great and important part in keeping alive the families of the pioneers. The catfish was not only a staple article of food for the pioneers, but the oil extracted from his tlesli furnished light for the old-fashioned lamps used in the pioneer homes.

William E. Slagle, a pioneer of Barada, whose father and grandfather settled in this county as early as 1859, is authority for the statement that die pioneers used the oil from the catfish caught in the ^lissouri river for illuminating purposes. He is also authority for a very interesting fish story, wiiich is without a parallel, and tells of the great size of the catfish caught in those earh' days when tiie great river and streams swarmed with fi.'-b and the woods abounded in game. Mr. Slagle says:

Hirain Slagle, my father, could uot liave lived iu ^:iellal-(l^«)lJ louiit.v .nul siiiiiKirtoil lii.s family had it uot been for the abundance of wild game and lisli. Kvei'.v few clays he would go hunting and lay in a supply of venison, wild geese and ducks, which were very lilentiful. The young iieople living now.-idays cannot imagine how the early pioneers livwl in this county in the most meager and primitive manner. For three .vears after settling in the timber we had uo cook stove in our rude ciliiM. Mother cooked .ioliimycike on a sidllet laid on the hot coals of the fireplace.

She also made llap.lacks in a larger .skillet, laid tl.it on tlie hot <(..ils. (lur Iioiled diiuiers were cooked in a large kettle suspendwl from iron rods directly over .1 ro.-irin:/ fire. Father did not own a cookstove until I was about three .years old. when lie managed to buy one at a sjile of some settler's household effects.

We used the old-st.vle grease lamps, filled with oil obtained from rendering tlie fiesh from catfish caught in the Missouri river. >[nny of the fish caught by the earl.\- settlers were of large size. Father caught a great many on trot lines baited with frogs and minnows. One Sunday when ,1 cam|i-nieetiiig was in progress uj) the river aways.

a steamboat Lad passed, 5;i>in^' uii lln' livci-. MUd father riniiliKk'cl. in the afteiiioin]. it was a good time to ttike a look at bis fish lines, it bein^' the <ase that catfish seemed to "bite" better after a steamer had passed, rather thau at auy other time. Upon attempting to haul in the line he found it to be more than he could possibly hanillc alone, and he returned to shore, where he secured the assistance of two other men. The three men went out to where the lines were stretched and father hauled in an immense fish while the other two men held dowu the opijosilc side of the boat to lieeii it from caijsizing, on account of the weight of the monster fish. Large gaff hooks were necessary to haul the fish into the boat. After some difficulty the liig tish was landed on the shore; father took a stake from a stake-aud-rider fence, thrust the stake through the gills of the fish which was theu carried on the shoulders of the two men, the mobster's tail dragging on the ground. This great fish actually measured nine inches Ijetween the gills. Father had uo4»scales with which to weigh his catch, but after it was dressed he managed to weigli the meat with his hand steel-yards and found th.ir the weight of the meat alouc was :i little ukuv tlian one hnndi-ed iiounds.

Charles Loree is authority for further information concerning the great value of the catfish as a means of assisting the early pioneers in maintaining hody and soul together. The catfish oil was rendered in a typical pioneer manner. The flesh of the fish was cut up and placed in a large-mouthed glass jar, or bottle; a cord tied around the neck of the bottle and the bottle, with its contents, hung up in a tree so that it would be fully exposed to the heat of the sun. The heat would gradually fry out the oil from the flesh of the fish and a \ery pure product would be the result. The oil was used for a variety of purposes such as to grease the lx)ots of the entire fatnily, oiling or greasing the harness, and to oil the gun locks: the oil also being considered a fine specific for rheumatism and sore throat.

Southeastern Xebraska of the sixties and early sexctities was truly a hunter's paradise. Wild geese and ducks abounded in the ponds and lakes of the Nemaha valley. Mr. Loree states that the valle)- land of tiie Nemaha was at that time a succession of small lakes and ponds and millic^is of ducks and geese fre(|uented the waters and it was an easy task to kill any number, running into the hundreds; the birds were so plentiful and tame that they could be caught or killed widiout difficulty. Herds of deer and antelope fed on the higher ground and venison was a staple article of meat in every home. The number of prairie chickens were countless, as were <|uail. b'verybody wenfur cajis and coats made from the skins of wild animals killed on bunting fotavs. In the early seventies, as the country began to be settled up the game also became less plentiful and gradually disappeared before the advancing hosts of civilization. As grain crops were grown and grain fields became more extensive the squirrels made their appearance, feeding t)n the grain, and have ever since remained.

I think that the development of the agricultural resources of this count)- cannot be explained in any shorter or more definite way than by stating the actual amount of stock raised yearly for market, and as I am desirous that the people of Richardson county should know the facts by which I judge of the present development of our county and its future prospects, I give you the following statistics of my pork-packing business.

Seven years ago [prior to 1870] I connnenced packing pork in Arago. on a small scale. Hogs were then scarce, and of a very poor breed - hardly any susceptible improvement took place until about three years ago [prior to 1870] when I was agreeably surprised at the improvement of die breed, and consequently the weight, in comparison with former years. This season [1870] the qualitv and (|uantitv of hogs was a great and surprising improvement on last year and the year before that, and I believe the quality was as good as can be found in any section of the \\'est, and the (|uantity as large, in proportion io population, as in any other county west ')f the Mississippi. During former vears the vield of hogs in this county was from 500 to 1,000 head - this year I salted 2,500 head (independent of the hogs I bought in Missouri and packed in St. Joseph), which averaged 228 pounds net, which is a better average than I have seen or heard of from any other source. To this number may be added 500 hogs sold in Aspinwall ( Nemaha county ) , and 500 more, packed bv the farmers themselves, making in the total 3,500 hogs fattened in this count}-. Taking the average weight of the hogs packed by me, 228 pounds, at 9 cents per pctund. this county has realized from the hogs prepared for market, $70,875. This is an increase of at least 500 per cent, in hogs in value. For the encouragement of our fanners to improxc their stock, last fall I offered and awarded the following premiums : $20.00 to the person having the ten best hogs, $10.00 to the 6 best hogs, and $5.00 to the person having the best hog :

These hogs were principally Chester and Suffolk, mixed with the old stock. J. R. Wilkes, Esq., desen-es credit for the importation of the pure Chester White. The old stock is ahout e.xtinct, and next fall, our stock will undoubtedly 1)\- an improvement upon the last crop. I am of the opinion that the raising of hogs will pay better than anything else in this country, and I advise and solicit our farmers to pay particular attention to the improvement of the stock of hogs, and the raising and fattening of them for market.

We have at this time as good a quality of horses, cattle and hogs, as can lie found in any section of the country, and we have the grass, hay and grain to feed them, and feed them well. And the united eft'orts by our farmers to improve the stock, and to raise enough to consume the grain at home, with proper attention to shelter and food, will cover every hill with a drove of good cattle and horses, and the barnyard with plenty of fine fat hogs. Then welcome prosperity will be visible at every farm and enjoyed by every occupant.

Nebraska Bounoaries

Nebraska takes its name from die Nebraska river, generally known a> the Platte. The word is of Indian origin and signifies "shallow water."' The earliest recorded exploration of the region now constituting Nebraska was made in 1739 when Frenchmen followed the Platte to its forks in the West. In 1804 the United States government expedition under Lewis and Clark passed up the Missouri river, which forms the eastern and northeastern boundary of tlie state, returning in 1806. The first settlement was made in 1807, when Emanuel Lista. a French fur trader, built Ft. Lista, near die ])resent site of Ft. Calhoun. Other trading posts, as well as military posts, were estal)Hshed from time to time, but very few settlers came to this region until about the middle of the century.

Louisiana region, whicli was ceded by France to Spain in 179a. receded to France in 1800. and purchased by the United States in 1803. The area now forming the state belonged successively to the District of Louisiana ( 1804- 05), the Territory of Louisiana (1805-12), the Territory of Missouri ( 1812- 34), and the "Indian Country" (1834-54).

In 1854 the Territory of Nebraska was organized from the section of the Indian Country lying between the fortieth and forty-ninth parallels and extending from the Rocky mountains to the Missouri and White Earth rivers. It thus included, in addition to the area of the present state, territorj' now forming portions of North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. In 1 861 the area of Nebraska was greatly reduced by the organization of Dakota Territory, which extended westward to the Rocky mountains, and of the Colorado Territory, in which was included what had been the southwestern corner of Nebraska. In the same year, however, territory was added to Nebraska by the extension of the western boundary to the thirtythird meridian from Washington (approximately the iioth from Greenwich). In 1863 Idaho Territory was organized, with boundaries including that part of Nebraska lying west of the twenty-seventh meridian from Washington (approximately tlie one hundred and fourth from Greenwich) and the Territory of Nebraska was left with substantially the same limits as those of the ])resent state.

In March. 1867, Nebraska was admitted into the Union. In 1882 n small tract of land, formerly a part of Dakota, lying south of the forty-third parallel and between the Keya Paha and Missouri rivers, was added to Nebraska, since which time there have heen no changes in the boundaries of tile state.

The population of the state in 1910 was placed at 1,192,214. Compared with the population of 1,066,300 in 1900, this represented an increase during the decade of 125,914, or 11.8 per cent. During the same period the total population of the continental United States increased twenty-one per cent. The rate of increase for the population of the state during the preceding decade, 1890-1900, was only three-tenths of one per cent.

Nebraska was organized in 1854 and was enumerated separatelv for the first time at the federal census of i860. During the thirty years from i860 to 1890 the growth of Nebraska was very rapid, although some doubt has been cast on the accuracy of the returns of 1890. The ])opulation of the state increased more than four-fold during the decade of 1860-70, about tlircc and two-third times during the decade 1870-80, and a little more than two and one-third during the decade 1880-90. 'I"he absolute increase for this tt-.irtxyear period was 1.033.815. During the twenty years since t8i)o the ])Oimlation of the state, according to the census, has increased 129,558, or (inl\ 12.2 per cent.

During every decade from i860 to 1890 the rates of increase for the state were very much higher than the rate of increase for continental United States, the population of the state being more than thirty-six times greater in 1890 than it was in i860, while that of continental United States had about doubled. Since 1890, however, the population of the United States lias increased much more rapidly than that of Nebraska, the rate of increase for the country as a whole during this period being 46.1 per cent., as against 12.2 per cent, for the state.

The total land area of the state is 76,808 square miles. The average number of persons to the square mile in 1910 was 15.5: in 1900 and 1890 it was 13.9 and 13.8, respectively. The average number ])er square mile for continental United States, as a whole, in 1910 was 30.9. Tlie density of po])- ulation of Richardson county is 26 jier s(|uare mile.

The report of the register of deeds for January i. 1915. showed that there were filed for record during the year just past 306 farm mortgages {<< the anioiuit of $1,065,578.81. of which 251. aggregating $832,225.39 had been satisfied, with Init one proceeding in foreclosure; town and citv mortgages hied, 205. to the amount of $199,622.38, of which. 135 had been satisfied, aggregating $113,298.05. with eight foreclosures chattel mortgages, 504 t.) the amount of $308,041.74. of which 261 were satisfied, aggregating $164,922.03.

Perhaps I am biased because 1 was born there, Init to me Nebraska does not mean just a part of God's footstool that has been bounded and mapped and given a name. The real Nebraska is not to l)e expressed in fertile fields and wide reaches of land. If all that you know of Nebraska can be told in bushels of grain and numljers of live stock; if the Nel)raska within vour heart is a thing exclusively of dollars and cents, then you do mn know the Nebraska that I know, nor do you love the Nebraska that I love.

The real Nebraska is an environment, an atmosphere, within which are being reared a manhood and womanhood as fine and sweet and wholesome as the unpolluted streams of the mountain. True, the fields and the valleys, the grain and die stock are es.sentiai to the product, but they are the means - not tlie end.

You ask nie for a tribute to Nebraska. W'iiat greater one can 1 give than die men and the women of its }esterday who luiilded for today, unless it be the men and women of today who, with earnest i)urpose and clean hearts, unsoiled by intimate contact with the idleness and profligacy of our time. l)uil(l for the security, for the tomorrow of tlie republic and the race.

Congressman C. ¥. Reavis was born in I'^alls City on September 5. 1870, and at present ( 191 7) is serving his second term as representative in Congress from the first Nebraska congressional district, which includes Richardson, f'awnee, Johnson, Xeniaha, Otoe. Cass and Lancaster counties.

Nebraska's first experience with a governor of the people's choice, after being admitted into the Union as a sovereign state, was one long to be remembered. There were usual opportunities to play to favorites in the location of the state capitol and the public institutions, in the handling of the school funds and the leasing of the school lands. The settlers were of pioneer stock, nearly all were poor but were willing to get ahead in the world and kept an eyeopen for the main chance. The politicians especially never let opportunity knock at their door, but went out in the road to give her the glad hand and save her that much trouble, but they were ready to knock on one another, f < ir there was not room nor places and honors and salaries enough to go round. Prosperity was not as pronounced then as now and office-seeking filled many with a consuming desire. Butler's first term had not expired before backbiters, traducers and jealous politicians began to assail his record and question his integrity. Politically. Richardson county was a strong factor in public affairs at that time. Her public men were strong characters and have left an imprint on the history of the state. One of them has told, the story of the inception of the impeachment proceedings. Cunningham. Dundy and Fulton are well remembered by all the citizens of this county whose residence antedates 1880. The following story appears in a \-olume of Nebraska histor\- recently published.

I enclose a .sernij of iiaiier whkli lias ivniaiiu'd iu iii.v ke»'|iiii.i; for tliirt.v-fonr years. It is in the well-kuown hand-writing of (ho late .Tiidse H. S. Dund.v. and was the first move made in proceedings which ended in iniiieaclnnent .and reniovjil from office of the state of Xebi-iislva's first governor. As its liistor.v has never been told .nid nia.v prove of interest I will relate it.

Thronghont the summer of IsKi. and prioi- t(. ilw iiieciinf: of flic i;e|>alili<an state convention, charges of fraud and .speculation weic made dally by the Roman Ilcrulil. and other Democratic papers. a.gainst Gov. David lUitler .-ind his associates in the hoard of commissioners, iu <'onnection with loanini: school funds and the ssde of Lincoln lots, and contracts for erecting jiuhlic buildings at the new state c.iiiitiil. 'I'liese charges were believed by many Democratic cilizens. ;ind by not a few Kepublican.s. and of the number who feared the ch.-irges might prove true were .Tudge Dundy .Miid the writer.

At the fall election 1 was re-elected to the state Seii.itc. anil when Ibe Legisl.iturc met was ehoseii president of tbe Senate. I'.utler. of course, was re-elected governor.

During tbe winter of l.s7(i-71, I roomed with Judge Dundy, or rather we roomed together at the old Tiebeuor House. After tbe senatorial election was over tbe war on Butler and his associates was renewed with ten-fold fury. One evening in our rooms at tbe TlcheJior. there being present besides Duiwly aiul myself. 'I'om It. Steven.son. .1 lawyer and former state senator from Nebraska City, and S. A. l'"ulton. a young lawyer of Falls City, the Kutler charges were discussed at length !ind tbe four Keiaiblicaiis present were agreed tliiit an investig.-ition of tbe charges was rw|uired, in the interests of the Itepublican party .'is well :is tbe state. 1 was the only member of tbe I.egi.sl.iture pre.sent :iiid I requested Dundy to draw a .loint resolution providing for an iuvestig.itioii. Tbe enclosed jiaper with its enisiires and interlineations was tbe result. After it bad been com])leted it Wiis cojiitsl (by either Sleveiison or Fulton - my recolleitiou is that it was by Ibe latter! - tbe .Judge very natunilly not wishing to be known ill the matter. A copy was jib-iced in tbe hands of each member of tbe House, introduced and fllially adopted by both bouses, with amendments. 1 piesuiiie. .-iiid the result of the investigation was resolutions of imiieachmeiit.

After the first <'opy was made I .asked .Tudge Dundy to .illow nic to lake the oiigin.il paper, which reiiiiest was granted. :ind it has remained in my pos.<<'ssion since. Now tli,it Ibe .Tudge is gone I see no li:irm in making the facts known and giving tlie |iaper to yon, that it may find a place ;inioiig other scraps of e.-irly bistoiy in case you deem it of sufficient value.

I underst.-md Tom Steven.son is lonu since dead, tli.it Fnllon is i.ut of ibe st.ile :iiiil maybe under the sod. .iiid 1 am inobahly the only one living of tbe four who were in the room where this incident bad its birlli. it lias .seenieil to nii> that there was :i

"And, whereas, We ileem it Imt just tlJiit if tliese i'U;irj;e;s are false tliis sliduUl have the oiJiwrtuiiit.v of viudieatiuy; themselves before the Legislature auil iieople of this state, ami therefore be it resolvetl liy the r>egislature of the state of Nebraska, that a committee of two on the jiart of the Senate to be chosen by the Senate, and three on the part of the House to be chosen by the House, be and are hereliy aiipointed to investigate the offlcial acts and doings of the aforesiiiil couniiissioii. .-ind that said t-ouiniittee have ix)wer to send for persons and jiajiors. and that tliey be directed to uiake reiwrt of their investipition to the Legislature at its present session."

Pioneer Postoffices And Po.St Roads

Some of the first mail routes were established through this county in 1856 by act of Congress. An act of Congress passed in June, 1856. estalilished one of these routes west from the Missouri river between the Little and Great Nemaha rivers, by way of Archer and Salem, and westwarfl to the Big Blue river, in Gage county.

On March 3. 1855, a mail rotite was establislied from Oregon, in Holt county, Missouri, to New Ft. Kearney, on the Platte river, by way of Stephen Story's on the Missouri river at St. Stephens (just north of the later site of Arago ) ; and another which served the following .early post offices between the Nemahas, at Mr. Purkett's, on Muddy creek, just north of the present site of I'alls City, and at John .\. Singletom's, near Rulo, on the Great Nemaha. .\t the same time a route was established from the Nemalia Indian Agenc\'. in Kansas Territory, to the moutii of the Niobrara river, iti the north part of Nebraska Territory.

By an act of Congress passed and approved June 14. 1858. a route was established starting at Brownville and coming south into this county and ser\ing Archer, Falls City, Monterey, Salem, Pleasantville and Pawnee Cit_\-, to Table Rock: Nemaha City z-ia Salem, to points in Kansas: Brownx'ille 7'ia Nemaha City, Winnebago. St. Stephens, Yancton and Rulo. to St. Joseph, Missouri : .\rcher to Geneva and Shasta, and St. Stephens to Archer.

Dudley Van Valkenburg. now a resident of Rulo: William H. Crook, now a resident of l-'alis City, and William E. Dorrington. now a resident of b'alls City, were carriers on some of these routes. Jesse Crook, of Falls City, and O. J. Tinker, of Humboldt, "were also carriers on the early routes. David Dorrington and Stephen B. Miles were well-known mail contractors in the earlv days and many of the early routes were served under their direction. Mr. Miles was perhaps the best known of any. as his contracts not onlv covered routes in this county, but for man\- years he operatetl one of the longest routes in the coimtn-, extending from Independence, ;Missuuri, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Joel T. Jones, for inany years a resident of Humboldt, M'as employed by Mr. Miles and for man}' years \\as engaged in the work of transporting mails from Missouri points across the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah. Mr. Dorrington's service in this connection was of lesser extent, covering, as it did, routes northward on the river from Kansas to Richardson county and extending over some of the routes in this county.

William H. Crook relates, in telling of his experience, that he commenced the work when a lad not more than twelve or fourteen years of age, although the requirements listed sixteen years as the minimum. He carried mail from Falls City to Arago and St. Stephens and says that one day after arri\ing at St. Stephens he had the pleasure of seeing a herd of many thousands of cattle cross the Missouri river at that place. The cattle had been lirought up from Texas, being driven tiie entire distance and were beingtaken to points in Iowa. The drivers had desired to have them ferried over the river, but were unable to agree with the ferrymen on the price and had ordered the herders to remove their saddles and prepare to swim the vast herd. This was done and some of the herders took the lead with their horses while others urged the cattle into the water. The current was swift and in mid-stream carried the cattle down stream and caused the body of swimming cattle to sjjread out in crescent .shape. The herd probably nmnbered ten thousand and the sight of so great a number crossing at one time made an impression (in the yeuthful mail carrier he has never forgotten.

A New Stage Line In 187O

The postotifice department has established a daily mail service between ihis ])lace and Craig Station. j\Iissouri, z'ia Arago, and awarded the contract to Dudly Van \'alkenburg, of Arago. and D. W Stephenson of this place. This puts Falls City and the enterprising town of Arago in daily communication, besides furni.shing shorter, better and more reliable connection with trains on the Kan.sas City, St. Jo.seph & Council Bluflfs railroad than heretofore established. IMessrs. Van \'alkenburg and Stephenson, the gentlemanly ])roprietors of this line, will run a daily coach in connection with both the up and down trains and at I'alls City with the tlaily stages for Rulo, .Salem, I'awnee City, Hiawatha and Hamlin. - Vvnm the Xciiiaha I'dllcy Journal. Falls City, October 6, 1870.