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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1925)
WorldP;s “Greatest Eccentric Genius” I Had Dazzling Career in Omaha George Francia Train’s Auto* biography Says He Was Most-Talked*o£ Man in America. By A. R. GROH. Ths anniversary of ths death of Georgs Francis Train, "ths greatest eccentric genius ths world has seen," calls for attention to this oddly bril liant character, who had so much to do with building Omaha. A strange mixture of boastfulness and modesty he was. Here U what he has to say In hls autobiography regarding the Union Paclflo railroad' "I organized and built this rail road. It was the fruit of my ef fort.and energy. I also organized the railway that connects ths eastern states with ths great mld dlewest, the Atlantic A Great Western railroad.” He published a summary of one of hls trips around the world thusi ”1 bulldozed tbs mikado In Japan; frightened out of their wits the Chinese at Hong Kong; be wildered the Malays at Singapore; ran over the Slngaless In Ceylon; drove the Arabs crazy at Aden; astonished the Italians, French, English and Irish In turn In a rapid rush through Europe and returned to the United States.” And finally, when this astonishing man was spending hls latter years In New York city, living on a slender remainder of the millions he had made and spent, he wrote a “sketch” of hls life in this modest paragraph: "Born at No. 21 High street. Boston. 1829; residence. Conti nental hotel, at present; generally In some Jail; color, octoroon; sex. male; height, five feet, 11 Inches. My father was born In Boston, my mother at Waltham, Mass. My room, bed, desk In our homestead, 200 years old, still shown to vis itors. Married In 1851. My wife is dead. My education was had In three months at a winter school. I am strictly temperate; I never tasted liquor; I have three grownup children.” Was Omaha Builder. Thla nstonlshlng man played an 'Immense part In the building of Oma ha. But this was too small a “propo sition” to occupy much of hls busy life. He tells how, when he cams to Omaha to break ground for the Union pacific, December 3, 1863, he Invited a number of prominent men to break fast with him at the Herndon house. Service was not satisfactory, and after breakfast. Train, In about an hour, "bought the lot across the street for $5,000 and engaged a contractor to build a hotel costing $60,000, to be completed In two months. It was. and h# named It ths Cozxens hotel. Train showed an almost childish love of prominence, and hls auto biography bristles with such ex pressions as *T was the first man lito—” and “I was now the most talked of man In America.” But he had a jrlght to be dazzled by hls own great yiess. Big things, any one of which might have been enough for an or dinary lifetime's accomplishment, fol lowed, otto after the other, In bls life. Started ns Shipbuilder. 1 Vmorig the things he did were i lie so; lie was a shipbuilder In Boston at lb. age of 20, building the biggest Dilips of the day and selling them at Mg profits. Became partner In a Liverpool house at 21 and was the Intimate companion of dukes and earls. 1 Received a isntnershlp Interest In nn Australian house at 22, which paid him $15,000 a year. Offered presidency of the Austra tlan republic nt 25. Declined. Opened branches of hls house In China, Japan and other parts of the , world. Became the Intimate friend of Em peror Napoleon III, and the empress, and moved In the eourt circles of Paris when he was 30. Plea Before Illcb Queen. Conceiving the Idea of building t> railway In the eastern United States, he went to Queen Marla Christina of Spain, "whose fortune was the great-1 set then possessed by any woman In the world," he naively explains, and got her Interested. Then, In true Train atyle. this as tonlshlng man held numerous meet. Ings along the proposed line, bough* thousands of tons of rails and put ir motion all the other gigantic details This came to grief In a panic, which, says Train, "taught me the Insub stantlallty of the great world of finance. It Is built upon straw and paper. Its ‘Napoleons’ have nothing but what Is called ’bluff.’ ” Followed various adventures In Rus sia, India. Palestine, China, and In 1862 he had a big part In raising the preliminary millions for building the Union Pnclflo. He tells how, at a meeting in Boston, he outwitted the Now York Central financiers and how he shouted at the millionaires: "You stand on the corners of Wall street again and call me ‘a damned copper head;’ but don’t forget that I kicked $200,006,060 worth of you Into the street." Participated In the French com mune In 1870. Organised the Credit Fonder and owned 500 acres of land In the heart of Omaha, which cost him $175 an acre. The 6.000 lota were worth at one time $30,000,000. Three Races Around World. ~Made three spectacular races around the world In 87, 67 and 60 days. Train adds this terse comment on his life: “Have been In 15 Jails without a crime. “Built Train Villa at Newport in 1S68; daughter’s house at 156 Madison avenue, New York. "Ran for presidency against Grant and Greeley In 1872. Cornered law yers, doctors, clericals by quoting three columns of Bible to release Woodhull Olafltn from Jail In ’72. Now lunatic by law, through six courts. ■BH5HS5-K-1 1.-.gg (jtorge Francis (Train “Now living In Mills Palace (New York workingmen's hotel) at $3 a week against 13.000 a week at Train ■Villa. (Daughter always has room for me In country.) Played Carnegie 40 years ahead. Three generations living off Credit Moblller. Author dozen books out of print (vlds Who's Who. AlUbone. Appleton's Cyclo pedia.)” In 1904 this remarkable man died Train school Is named for him. Clarinda Merchant Will Open Store in Red Oak Red Oak, la., Jan. 31.—F. H. Speery, Clarinda merchant, will open a combination store In this city on March 1, according to announcement made here tills week. The store will handle everything for the home but furniture. The new firm has leased the building on Reed street formerly occupied by the Bon Ton bakery. Fontenelle Park Meeting. The Fontenelle Park Celebration as sociation will meet In the city hall Monday night at 8. Secretary G. 11 Fuss requests all members to attend. "Dct’s all get behind the twelfth an nual relelisjilon,” the notlcee rend. _ •. . *. » . ». ^ ^^ & -^ i! :« «, . n Shopping I ’ i In Confidence | ’ 1 • You take the burden of responsi- jj i bility from your own shoulders when jk you shop nt Haas Brothers; for here ' . your every purchase must measure I , up to your fullest expectations in j I every detail or we invite its return j , 1 for refund or exchange. ;« I We eeestaBtly strive te permit eeae A | but garments ef prove* style, J « proven quality and proven value te become a part ef our stock. i | I IF YOU REQUIRE THE LARGER f) SIZES, you will find our GRAY i [ SHOP your Idea^ shop, featuring i I exclusively garments in sixes from j 42 to 66. J?! Beautiful New Spring Merchandise !'• Now Awaits Your Approval Haas Brothers j [ i ! "The Shop for Women” J i ^ gg 16th and Douglas E 1 f 1 j Omaha Lincoln Minneapolis New York j Cotner College Drive for $1,000,000 Making Progress Today Is Cotner college day In Christian churches In Douglas county. Cotner college, a Christian church school at Bethany, IMeb., Is making a drive for $1,000,000 for endowment and equipment, and all of the Chris tian church pulpits In this coanty will be occupied by members of this cru sade force. President Charles KUlott Cobbey will occupy his old pulpit in the First Christian church Sunday morning, bringing a message on Christian edu cation. Cotner college Is the church school for the disciples of Christ In this nrea and rnnks second among the Chris tian colleges in the Xinited States In receiving the services of the newly created department of endowments of the national board of education of Christian churches. Leaders of Drive. Dr. Harvey H. Harmon, who for 1$ years was pastor of the First Chris tian church of Lincoln, is national secretary of this department. Asso ciated with Dr. Harmon In the dlrec tlon of the Cotner crusade Is Mrs, Dora T. Winter, former dean of wom en at Cotner. Simultaneously with the Cotner crusade, Dr. Harmon Is conducting or opening crusades for rhlllips uni versity at Enid, Okla.; Drake univer sity, Des Moines; Hiram of Ohio; Spokane of Washington, all of these to be conducted this year. The story of Cotner college Is Inter esting. It has run true to type of other church schools and the early history of Harvard, Yale and many of our larger Institutions has been duplicated in the history of this Chris tian college on the plains of Ne braska. Able l,e«dershl|». The school has been fortunate Sn its leadership. Strong men with spir itual vision have always been at the helnh and it seems thst a new day Is to dawn for Cotner college. Under the leadership of Dr. Cobber, who succeeded Dr. Harmon as head of the institution a little more than two years ago, the enrollment has grown —————— until the capacity of the school .* taxed to tha limit. The output of this small college haa been remarkable and Its contribution to the church 1" the greatest, propor tionately, of any Institution in the brotherhood. Ctner haa given six college presidents, four of them now serving as heads of Christian colleges: 53 missionaries, 300 Christian minis ters, three national secretaries. 38 college and university professors. 84 school teachers carrying A. B. de grees, 471 men and women engaged in some special religious work. Cotner's resources include buildings and grounds valued at $373,000, gen eral equipment $84,150, productive en dowment $118,978. nonproductive en dowment $25,000, annuities $15,000. Thera were 341 students enrolled in 1934 __ Prowling Washington With Nebraskans ■ V.___— By JACK USE. Invitations ore going out to 500 Nebraskans in Washington to attend the first meeting of the Nebraska as soclation during this session of con gress. There are mare than 300 Ne braskans who belong to the assoeia tlon. Congress man Robert O. Simmons of the "big six" district is president. Back in the dim past. Senator George Norris at tended school at Valparaiso uni versity at Val paraiso, Ind. Last week, Elmer D. Brothers, Chleu go attorney, call J»<-k I**. ed at Senator Norris’ office In the senate office building, and It devel oped that they had been classmate* at Valparaiso and had not seen each other since their school days. A. N. Corbin, former Nebraska at tomey, but now a fruit ranchman and attorney In Wenatchee valley, Washington, was a recent visitor In Judge Seat s' office In the house of fice building. Last week a big box of apples, a dainty confection made from the Juice of prime Washington apples and walnuts, was received from Corbin. The confection made a "hit" with a bunch of the congress man'a frtends. E. Wolverton. former Chnahan and champion Insurance solicitor for the New York Life, retired from business a couple of years ago and bought a farm at Dawsonvllle, Md., a short dls tancs out of Washington. Wolverton brought a sample of Maryland corn In the other day. Wolverton has re^ cently decided to quit farming and la now back In harness as an Insur anre salesman and la doing *• wel aa ha did In Omaha. Nelson H. Loomis and T). f* Ouyer of th# Union Pacific law department were recent callers. Last week a pamphlet on "President Lincoln s Cabinet" waa distributed to members of congress. The pamphlet was wilt tan by John Uahar, former secretary of tbs Interior In Lincoln's cabinet and for years counael general of the Union Pacific. While the pamphlet was Interesting. It was mad. doubly so hv ■ preface by Looml., who was assorts ted with U.h.r ,"th,1VL El worn] Harl.n and Edward Cline, two Indl.na from th. Omaha vatlon. ar. In Washington visiting and watching legislation •««*«"« diana Th. olh.r day word went nut that A famou* criminal waa to hanged In th. Jallyard her. until dea.L The two ornah.ns wished to wltne.s tb. perform.nr. and called on ion newsman gear, to aid them, llow “ver, this was Impowlbl., th. requoat coming too 1st., end th.v left the offh’. with th. admonition that whe the next hangln* come, off. w. want ha then* to **© II v W jefferls was a Washington caller l.st week, coming »•••• £ liver th. electoral votes from N.bra. ", J.ffer Is had th. dla.lm lion of no minal Ins D.*« ««r vh. president ,r th. Cleveland conv.ntlnn and *1* th. distinction of having voted for i'oolldg. four times. While In « hi rago Jeffails visited Hawes W ills tu Washington Jefferls attended to vom» 1*8*1 iu*Mw** Ed J. Gardner. Lincoln, formerly with the Impartmrnt of Justice, has resigned hla position to accept a po sition as assistant professor of law at the Pnlverslty of Nebraska and to prartlce law at Lincoln. Before leav ing Washington. Mr. Gardner was guest of honor at a farewell party at the t'nlverslty club, at which a num ber of Nebraskans were guest*. HOUSE SPLIT OVER POSTAL BILL ROW Washington. Jan. 31— Congress was split Into two leglalatlv# camps today In a clash between the senate and the house over the constitutional power to Initiate changes In postal rates. A finish fight appeared certain as a result of th# senate'* action in passing the Moses omnlbu* postal Mil Friday, providing a 368,000,000 wag# Increase for poatofflce em ployes. but raising postal ratea to furnish the necessary revenue. This latter phase of. the bill provoked uni versal condemnation from house mein tiers as an Invasion of the house's constitutional f. notion to Initial revenue measures. Supported by both republican and democrat leader*, th* house way* and mean* committee wa* to meet today to consider a resolution de nouncing th* bill and th* senate's ac tion as “unconstitutional'' and direct ing th# apeaker to return the meas ure loth# senate without further con sideration. It this la done, It will kill all chance* for enactment of the postal salary Increase* at thta ses sion of congreas. If this threat la carried out It will be the first time In a decade that the house hat gone on record repudiating act# of the upper branch a* ''unconstitutional.’' CHIROPRACTIC MEANS HEALTH Th* following prominent member* of th# Omaha Atlas club ar# con tlnually telling the public with print ar*' Ink what Chiropractic haa and can do for differing humanity: Dr. H. W. Allan. 6104 Military ave nue Phona Walnut 836,1. T>r. Fells Beyar*. 301 Arthur bulldg Ing. Phone Atlantic 5024. r»r. C. N. Burgees. 1720 Military avenue Phone Walnut 6936 Br. Frank F. Rurhorn, 41* Se.-url tie* building. Phona Jarkson 5347. Dr. A. N. Carlaon. Boyles College building. Phona Atlantic 9747 Dr. I-e* W. Edwards, 306 South Twenty fburth streel Phone Jackson 3445. Dr. W It. M. Nichols, 309 Karbach block Phone Atlantic 33*5. Tit- Ethel T Maltbv, 201 I Hsnker.s Saving building Phone Jackson 3073. Br J A Msrkwcll, :c Patton block. Phon* Atlantic 9344 Dr. Molt Mortensen. 2417 \mc l\ enlie Phone Kenwood 3*00 Dr. It. L SOteelei, 2421 Broadway. Council Bluffs, la. Phone 4670 Pre. Thomas, 17i3 itodge slier! Phone Atlantic 129.1 Advertisement, When the winds of Winter Mow Uoof It dally to amt fro. eflvr your Mood a » liaiu# to flow yulii own complexion *low. CHILD LABOR LAW DRIVE RENEWED Washington, Jan. 31.- Plana were drawn up here today for a renewed drive for ratification of the child la bor amendment. Officials of the "Organizations assn elated for ratification of the child labor amendment conferred on ways and means to secure reconsideration In tha 1* states where there have been adverse votes on the proposal. Mrs. A. C. Watkins of the-National Congress of Parents and Teachers, who presided at the meeting, later Issued a statement declaring the ad vocate* of the amendment were work jpg against a “monstrous csiwsijn of organized misrepresentation. She refused to recognize rejection of the amendment by one branch of a state legislature as a rejection by the slate. Fowl Stealer Paroled; Must Avoid Pool Halls Laurel, Neh., Jail. 31.—Ingar Nell son, young man who was convicted of chicken stealing here and bound over to tho district court, has been pa ruled to his father for two years on condition that he attend, school, help at home and keep away from pool halls.___ MAGNUS FIGHTS FOR SENATE SEAT Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 81.—For mal action to contest the seftt In the United SUtea senate of Senator-elect n Thomas D. Schall, republican, of Minnesota, on grounds alleging viola tion of the corrupt practices act, have been instituted by the defeated farmer labor senator, Magnui Johnaon, it was learned today. Preliminary petition* of conteet ar» scheduled to be filed with the aecre trfry of the United States aenate and to he served on Schall in Washington by Monday or Tuesday. --- i #•** I T * All Unsolicited This Friendly Letter Came in Friday’s Mail * Jan. 28. 75. A Mr. C. R. Belden. Thompson-Belden ( o. City. >j Dear Mr. Belden: Every once in so often 1 am delegated to buy some household . necessity, or article of feminine apparel. This used to be »nae task" for yours truly, until I found out that Thompson-Belden s was The Best Place to Shop. After All." Now I go about this formerly unpleasant task with a will. You have such a nice assort ment of stock, so tastefully displayed and such courteous sales people that a mission of this kind, even for a man, is a pleasure. I have also been complimented by the family on my good taste and purchasing ability, but my sole rule so far has been to state my needs and take the first thing offered. Yours truly, FRANK J. CAREY. 521 Park Avenue. . Omaha, Nebraska. .■“The Best Place to Shop, After All”=rr^\ p“^ Buy Them Now—Pay at Your Convenience Our Entire Collection of Fur Coats and Small Furs now At the time of purchase, one need pay only one fourth. The balance is due at your convenience on or before September 1. There will be no charge for the summer storage of furs purchased in this manner during our Final Clearance. Hudson Seals $245 (Dyed Muskrat) 45 to 45-inch lengths of fine quality skins; collar and cuffs of natural squirrel or of skunk) up to 295 Raccoon $295 Clear, dark skins in 45 to 48 inch lengths; beautifully lined These are the most popular sport coats of the season. Exclusive Models An unusual coat of Hudson seal (dyed muskrat) with col lar, cuffs and border of black fox; elaborately lined. Froir Cohn and Rappa- ‘395 Another ngodel from Cohn and Rappaport is of Hudson seal (dyed muskrat) with long shawl collar and puff sleeves of sable dyed fitch; 4 cranberry lining. A long shawl collar and w>d« cuffs of Russian Kolinsky on a Hudson seal (dyed muskrat) coat from Cohn and Rappa port; beauti fully lined. " * Muskrat $145 Smart youthful models in 48-inch length; silk lined throughout. Other muskrats are now priced up to 195.00. Sealine $95 to $145 (Dyed Australian Coney)—The best qualities obtainable with squirrel, skunk, or self trimming; 48-in. length. Brown Caracul $245 A luxurious coat in the new golden brown shade called chestnut caracul. The collar is of fluffy fox. Others 295.00. ' i Opossum $275 An excellent coat for general wear is this model of fine Aus tralian opossum ir» 45 - inch length. Silk lined. Jackets — Scarfs An exquisite short coat of Chinese mink with q < brown fox collar arfsr */ Brown caracul, 30-in. jacket, with red fox collar, now— 1 2 Stone Marten scarfs of natural1 dark skins, are ex cellrnt .values, now w Large fluffy fox skins in new brown shades 10075 are now w w A clever model of natural dark muskrat is ines pensive, now Owe THIRD FLOOR f'fl fS f f ^ mumps L ltawsQnlmkn —“The Best Place to Shop, After A ll *— — .