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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 1930)
MONDAY, MAY i9, 1930- PLATTSMOUTH SEMI - WEEKLY .JOTTENAL -FA3E FIVE r. 4 i - -J a i ft 1 w BP 8 a Robert Ramsey Livingston, Pio neer Physician Noted Figure in Nebraska History as a Physician, Soldier and Leader of Community The beautiful drive that leads to the Missouri river bridge is to be named in honor of one of the most striking figures who has had a part in the life .of. Nebraska and particu larly of Plattsmouth General Rob ert Ramsey Livingston, physician, healer of the sick, soldier, civic lead er and distinguished figure in the hiptory of Nebraska Masonry. Oeneral Livingston gave freely of services to the community in which he had settled as a young man, and bis family that has followed after him. has also served in the life of Plattsmouth and its surrounding community as members of the medic al profession and two of whom, Dr. T. P. Livingston and Dr. J. S. Liv ingston are still prominent in the practice of their profession in this city. Robert Ramsey Livingston was born in Montreal, Canada, on August 10, 1S27, received his early education in the grammar schools of that city, later attending the Magill college in which he pursued the study of medicine and from where he gradu ated in 1849. He later attended lec- turcp and took training at New York City, in the medical schools of that great city. He came to Plattsmouth in 1S50 and started the practice of his profession, interspersing his work ns the healer of the sick in the lit tle f '',r settlement with that of his ctrr-isunity work and which In cluded his interest in the newspaper work, the . Platte Valley Herald at that time being the paper that serv ed the needs of the residents of this locality. It was while the editor of this paper was absent in 1S61 that Doc tor Livingston was acting as editor, whon the news cade from St. Jo seph. Missouri, that the first shot of the great Civil war had been fired at Charleston, South Carolina. On the receipt of this news, the old time hand press on which the edition of the Herald was being printed, was i.topped, a circular was set up call 'v. a mas meeting of the men of the cenmunity for that night to pre-vr-.r.i to enter into the defense of . t'icl" country. That niM in a ha'l over the print- office theio assembled a group ( ifcc men cf C'a county and the t'.rrt r,rpr; ized roup of Nehraskans to join the union cause In the war v.m forme;!. Dr. Livingston started the list as the fim private to enter the F?rvi;'e. hut a. the memners en rolled he was elected captain and Cass county and Plattsmouth offered tbe first company of men to srve in the Union army from the territory of Nebraska, it being designated later as Co. A. First Nebraska, on June 11, 1SG1, and was sent south to be a part of the force that was to. participate in the Mississippi valley campaigns that permitted the cut - ting of the lines of the soutnern UNITED STATES POSTOFFICE H3 ft W W i P4 Corce3 and checked the efforts of the Men hearted General Lee to lead his per pie to victory by destroying his communications with his western armies. The promotion of this gallant sol dier. Captain Livingston, was rapid, as he wa3 promoted to major in the latter part of 1SC1 and in June of 1S62 to lieutenant colonel and in the fall of that year to colonel. The regiment that he headed served in the campaigns of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth and other of the Mississippi valley campaigns. In the summer of 1SG3, Colonel Liv ingston was appointed as command er of the post at St. Louis and later as the commanding officer of the force that was sent to quiet conditions in the state of Arkansas and had a great part in the restoration of the .tate to the union cause. Later the regiment, all re-enlisting in the ser vice of their country, were rated as veterans and were sent on west to settle the Indian troubles in their own and adjoining states. In 1S65, as the reward of his valiant service. Colonel Livingston was advanced to the " rank of brigadier general and was mustered out of service with this rank in July, 1855, after five years of service and sacrifice for his adopt ed country. With the close of the war, General Livingston returned to Nebraska and rerrmed the practice of his profes sion which the call to arms had made him abandon and in the little city of his choice as a heme, the old com rades in arms gathered around him, as this pioneer citizen commenced again his services as a healer of the pul-lic'3 ills. In 1S6S Dr. Livingston was appointed as surveyor general cf the states of Iowa and Nebras ka and served in this office for two years. Dr. Livingston was interested in the; building of the Burlington & Mirrcuri River railroad in Nebraska, arc! in the year IS 69 he was ap pointed as the surgeon of this rail road and continued as the chief med ic p.l officer of the railroad until he was called to rest. . On the office Luilding now occupied by his sons as an office, appeared the sign that des ignated the medical headquarters of the railroad for more than thirty years. Dr. Livingston was mayor of the '"ity of Plattsmouth for many years. he being repeatedly called to the of fice and in his social and fraternal associations was long a member , of the Masonic order, being the master PlattPEi'-uth ledge No. 6, A. F. & A M. for several terma, high priest of Nsbraka ennpter No. 3, R. A. M i ;I rrra-nl high priest of the R. A M. of Nebraska. He. was from its i-.crpticn a member of Mt. Zion colu mn j dory No. 5, Knights Templar. , Dr. Livingston passed, away at the lirrif in TVr t tcmmi t h nn Sontoiv ; b?r 23, JSSS, one of the greatest figures t'-.at has had a part in the -ry cf Nebraska Of his family there are members , still residing in this city, Dr. T. P. Livirgston and his son Robert Ram rev Livingston, III, who is this year grr.d'-atir.g from the Plattsmouth j sholr,: D-. John Stuart Livingston and Mrs. R. V. Clement and her - .c? daughters. Mrs. Anna Britt, r.f rt her. daughter, resides at Minne .apolls, where her daughter also re- j suies. 4 Burlington Shops an Aid to City Building Industry Established in 1869 in This City as First Shop of B & M Still a Great Asset The Burlington railroad shops has been the main Industry of this city for all of the years since 1869 and in this great plant many of the men of the community have served as boys and now as grayi haired men are still a. part of the force that in their daily tasks serves to keep the reputation of the local railroad shop up to the standard long since estab lished and religiously lived up to, that of turning out the best in workmanship of any shop on the en tire Burlington system. Tha railroad organization in the early days as the line of the Bur lington was extended across the state of Iowa, planned the time when the road would be able to stretch its miles of steel across the soil cf the great west and through Nebraska, where its great rival, the Union Pa cific, had already carried its line and was operating trair.s. and ac cordingly in the year 1S69, through the negotiations of General Robert R. Livingston, tentative agreements were made by the officers of the railroad company and the city , of Plattsmouth for the bringing to this city of the headquarters and shops this young railroad organization, i t-.lr.iirating in April, 1SC9, when the city voted the sum of 550,000 as well as a largo number of town lots as a bonus for the location of the rail road. On Juno 15, 1S69, ground was broken at the foot of Main street for the lir.e of the new railroad and in September of the same year, the first lo:omctive, "The American Eagle," was landed here from the transfer boat, to carry on the work of pulling the trains cf the road on west to the ultimate destination which was the Rockies and the city of Denver, al though many years were required to complete the task. The first shops here were frame structures located along the vicinity of the present Richey street, and thrse were later swept away by fire and replaced by the brick structures that have housed the operating plants of the various departments since that time. The headquarters of the railroad here furnished the start of many of the men who were later called to high places. As the road expanded the general offices of the company were taken to Omaha Three Views in Burlington Railway Shops Entrance to Shop Yards 'iv r 'H'iZ r i r- i. t.is Coach Shop Where Tassenger Coaches are Overhauled V - f. " , - - f J,sT.f.-s.l . --v - -v - T-' I General View of Buildings and with trietH t3ebrge ,TT HSliJrilkg, 1 loved figure lri the railfbad .history of the west. and. who for his iifeHm was a firm and .warm T friend, of Plattsmouth and its people whoiri he had known In the days of ,hls youth. All lines, of railroad Shpp work were carried bh here, until the early nineties when the locomotire department was located ai Havelbck; leaving the car .work at the local shops and which they have, since con tinued and which serves to make, a livelihood for the employees , Of the company who serve earnestly and faithfully in the interest of the rail road company. The local shops at this time are largely devoted to the handling of mail and baggage cars, business cars of the officials as well as the n way cars with more or less coach work being carried oh at this point. The coah and paint departments consti tute with the. .way( . car department the main portion of the shops and here some 2S0 men are engaged. The Plattsmouth shops have since J90S been under the superinten dency of William Baird, who has served the company most, efficiently ascl insisted that the high standard of work the local shops is noted for turning out,, has been maintained throughout the past 22 years of his svpel intendency, his efforts along this lino being upheld by the force of workmen under his direction, and working together they have been able to kep the reputation' of the local i"-p? for the highest standard of work, unsullied. In the past month the entire shops here have undergone a thorough renovation, the buildings being re-j paired and repainted arid placed in the very best cf shape, while thru rut the entire shop yards a very elabcrata system of landscaping has he on carried out with the placing of irshel rock driveways and walks, grr.so parking3 and floral decorations, all cared for by a system of special wattling pipes that will keep the parks in the. best of shape through out the entire summer season, no matter how dry the weather may be. j I:i fact the shops here are the most attractive that can bo found on the i entire Burlington system and reflect th pride of the railroad in their first shops on their system. The fine water supply of this section, the pleasant surroundings and home relations all are most adapted to the use of the company in removing many of the problems that come from larger centers and providing comfort and contentment to the workmen of the railroad. t riattsmouth has maintained . a great pride in their shops and the '.cmmur.ity has loyally supported the Burlington in every way possible in the sixty-one years that it has been a part of the community life. (From New Viaduct) t - Y ' - Showing Newly Landscaped Plat SAIt&OAlJ mm ARE ROBBED . , alesbttff-biireg. bandits got 2, 500 from fifty railroad. men in a pool room hoidup here Thursday and miss ed $5;400 more. The , railroad em ployes are paid by check, which they cash at the pdolroora. About fifty were standing about talking after getting their, money when the , ban dits entered and compelled all to lie oh the, floor.. Two. stood guard while one collected the money. ,C. W. Kel laway; one of the. propietors. of. the poolroom, was starting from the bank with $5,400 more In cash when he saw the men lying on the floor. In stead of entering he rah back to the bank, put the money in the vault and called police. ...... The three left town in ari automo bile headed toward Peoria, w-Ith mo torcycle policemen in futile pursuit. Admiral Jones Fires Some Guns at London Pact Makes First. Emphatic Objection to It From Official Quarter; One of Advisers at Conference. Washington, May il. Twd gray haired admirals of the American navy, each with upwards of a half century of distinguished service be hind him, disagreed pointedly today over the merits of the naval treaty of London. Sounding the first note of protest from any official quarter, Rear Ad miral Hilary P. Jones, lens an out standing figure among navy men, told; the senate foreign relations commit tee that he not only disagreed with many of the decisions of the London conference, but thought a different settlement would have been entirely possible. At the same time Admiral William V. Pratt, commander of the battle fleet, was advising the senate naval committee that the treaty suited him, that he was satisfied to have fewer eight-inch gun cruisers than the navy previously had asked, and that in any case the American delegation at London got the best it could. Both admirals were naval advisers at London, but Jones left before the conference ended because of illness, and he came to the committee table today leaning heavily on a cane. His disability did .not diminish the vigor of his replies to questioning senators. "I disagree fundamentally with Admiral Pratt," he said. "I cannot understand Admiral Pratt's posi tion." Great Britain, Jones said, always had tried to beat down the American strength in the eight-inch cruisers most desired by the navy and at Lon don had brought about such a reduc tion. . Japan's Gain in Strength. The Japanese cruiser strength as against the United States under the treaty, he placed at "5-5" plus." When the , witness concluded, Chairman Borah said that while he was not ready to indicate whether he v.xuld support ratification of the treaty, he agreed with Jones in re spect to the need for more eight-inch cruisers. Rear Admlrai Jones said the new classification of cruisers into six-inch and eight-inch ships "is contrary to the consistent policy we have main tained always heretofore." lie likewise criticised the battle ship provision, saying that France and Italy, who had been parties to the Washington treaty, but not to the limitations of the London pact, would not be restricted, and adding that while "it does hot particularly affect Us, I wonder what effect it may have if Great Britain feels alaimed by building by France and Italy." Tbe speed of 20 fenots allowed for tiie unlimited class of ships also was opposed by Jones. Ite said this speed "will make very formidable any com merce raider 6r anti-submarine craft. particularly in the Pacific or in the Mediterranean." Meantime, before the senate com mittee. Admiral Pratt, commander of the battle fleet, was declaring that the United States "went into this conference with no assets at all so far as cruisers were concerned." and "got the best agreement possible." llo Parity for Several Years. Secretary Adams of the navy, be fore the foreign relations committee, also defended the treaty, although llo had disclosed that the American delegation at London really favored a larger allotment of big 10 thou sand-ton eight-inch cruisers than it got In the final agreement. He also admitted, in answer to a question by Senator Hiram Johnson, that under the treaty it is impossible to attain parity during the life of the treaty. He said: "We mus leave two ships to be built after the life of the treaty." In each committee, a small group of members continued to ask ques tions, indicating many doubts as to the fairness of the pact to American naval interests. In large measure, the testimony of both Adams and Pratt was a repeti tion of that given by them yester day, when the secretary was before the foreign relations and the admiral before the naval committee. Today they had just, crossed the street and exchanged witness chairs. World Herald. HORSE'S KICK PPvOVES FATAL TO MAN, 75 Humboldt May 15. The kick of a horse, resulting in peritonitus, caus ed the death of Edward Dorland, 75. Yonr ad in the lonrnal will be read, and they sure do get results. gatiSn on Few Years; Federal Engineers Conducting Surveys Here Whistle of the Steatnboat will Again, be Heard Bringing Advantages to Middle . West, Agriculturally and Industrially DEMAND FOR DOCKS AND HARBORS Plathmoulh Ideally Located to Become Transfer Point for Rail Shipments to Boats and Barges Has C. of C. Dock and Harbors Committee J W-- t?t-"X, ' y.- , -.-..-. . The picture shown above an j ctual photograph of an old time; river scene on the Missouri just be low the mouth of the Platte, that ! will be reproduced within the next few years. The bringing of Missouri river navigation to the great middle west and the securing of adequate docking and transfer facilities at Plattsmouth will be the next big objective the Chamber of Commerce will center its efforts on. In fact, already, there is an active Docks and Harbors com mittee on the job, occupying the lookout post and thinking and plan ning today of the things that wrill come tomorrow. With our Missouri river bridge, in the securing of which the Cham ber of Commerce has played no small part, now completed and being dedi cated today, the energies of the civic body, can be diverted to this next big project that may now look as hazy and far-distant to some as did the bridge, when meetings were first being held to discuss it some four or five years ago. Every day from atop this new bridge government engineers have been taking soundings, measuring the pressure of the flow, securing test samples of the water at varying depths and computing other valuable data that will be useful in laying out the plans for making the upper Missouri navigable. And when that time comes, with in the next three or four years, in stead of small packet steamers like the one pictured above, there will be massive deep water vessels pass un der the bridge and up stream a few hundred feet to dock at the wharves the Chamber of Commerce visualizes as being located east of the Burling ton tracks. And with them will come barges carrying massive products of all klnd3 that must now be shipped by rail. Like autos, trucks, aeroplanes and other modern transportation meth ods that have come to pas?, there is bound to be a return of the oldest and least expensive system known river navigation, only with it will MAIN STREET SCENE Governor Re fuses to Mo lice Maupiii Story Phil L. Kail Denies Intention to Con test Witli Eryan for Hzrxz cratic IToniination. Governor Weaver declined to com ment upon an editorial emanaiing from Will Maupiu of Hastings boom ing James A. Davidson of Omaha, president cf the Nebraska Tower company, tor governor on the repub lican ticket. The proposal to run A power com pany candidate for governor was re garded by state officials generally as bordering on the romantic, and as playing into the hands Cf Senator Norris. who. .is. looking for opposition from the power interests. The entire ri in - - - , ; rrmo iiv.prcved methods and facili tioo 1 ever drear.ud of in the days when thiu packet steamer made its v.ny perilously up the Big Muddy, .'edging the bars that rise up almost over r.i.ht as a result of shifting currents in this, one of the greatest slit carrying streams in the world. Cor.grr.-s Is appropriating neces sary money; already the widening and straightening of the channel has been completed as far as Kansas City and soon the great middle-west 13 to come into its own with a low shipping rate that will enable us to ciiipvlo with the heretofore favored industries on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, Mississippi and Ohio rivers and give our agricultural folks a di rect world-wide market that has heretofore been denied them because of high transportation costs. Visualize Cement Plants And when that lime comes, the Chamber of Commerce hopes to ba instrumental in making thi a great docking center. Its officials readh, and justly so, that the congestion of river front in Omaha already wbtiid make it well nigh impossible to locate ground of adequate size for docking and transfer facilities close in, while here the Burlington rail road could lind the ideal place to plaee its thousands cf cars of grain, brought in from Iowa and Nebraska, at water's edge for easy loading onto the steamers. South of Plattsmouth In yonder hills that border the river, tests ate bing made of limestone deposits with a possible view to locating one cr !:iore cement plants there, from whkli tho raw material could Le made into finished product and load ed onto steamers with great ease and a minimum of expense, enabling Ne braska industries for the first time in hir-tcry to compete with the favored coast states of the nation. These are seme of the things the ChnmLcr of Commerce committee vis ualizes will come with river naviga tion and it is alive and plert to pro tr te the- inttrest3 cf iiattsmouth H Lecor.iing more than a whistling plave lor "shipr. that pass in the night." story wns regard ?d as being based en a falso premise that Govern' r Weaver intends to run for senatrr and slate officials generally declined to discuss it. Governor Weaver i cxpscted to make known his politic; 1 plans scmetiT2?p next week. Phil L. Hall, banker, now reri-.-ing in Lincoln, who has been mo tioned in cn Omaha newspaper a.; n. probrsbly dfmccratic candidate fir governor to contest with former Gov ernor Bryan for the nomination, ehM Thursday he had no intention of be ing a candidate. T. J. MeGuire cf Omaha wav a caller Thursday at the office of Gov ernor Weaver. He said he was in Lincoln on business and his call wai merely perso'hal. He was assistant under former Attorney General Spili rnan. W. C. Anthes. who has been mak ing his home since November with his son, Charles W. Anthes and farrt ilyx . returned this, morning .fo. his home at Clay Center, Nebraska.