tbe Conservative.
MTTI.K I1MJE MEMOIUES OF IN
DIANS.
The Inst effective assault of savages
upon the outposts of civilization in
southeastern Nebraska transpired in
August , 18154 , when the Sioux Indians
ravaged the Little Blue valley , burning
property , slaughtering stock and killing
and scalping ninny of the settlers up to
Clark's ranch where "the Overland"
trail left the Blue river and struck out
for Fort Kearney. Immediately upon
the receipt of news of that raid and its
atrocities , Nebraska Ciiy and Otoe
county were afire with indignation and
zeal to administer vengeance. Among
other things which inspired the people
to hasten the organization of a courage
ous and avenging pursuit of the miscre-
antswas the fact that several young wo
men and girls of a family named Roper
had been taken away by the Indians and
subjected to a terrible captivity. That
family was well-known and highly es
teemed in Nebraska City where they
had previously lived for some years.
Colonel Oliver P. Mason , who was
subsequently the chief justice of the
state of Nebrosloi.
COL. O. P. MASON.
recruited a few
militiamen and started in eager chase of
the Indians within a week from the first
news of the massacre.
Among those who accompanied Colonel
Mason were many prominent and brave
citizens of Otoo
DIl. FRED KEXNEK.
couuty Bufc fof
the purpose of this sketch their names are
not necessary. This reminiscence is
only as to trophies brought home by Dr.
Frederick Renner who was a gallant ,
active and efficient member of the com
mand , which served without compensa
tion , and endured many privations and
considerable sacrifices of personal inter
ests and property for the sake of the
commonweal.
At one crisis Colonel Mason ordered
Doctor Renner to place himself and
twenty men under his orders , between
the fleeing settlers and the pursuing sav
ages. This order Doctor Renner carried
out with courage and skill and in doing
so distributed to the whites along the
Little Blue and the Sandy twenty-five
hundred rounds of ammunition. Not
long after this feat , which required cool
ness and cunning , as well as bravery ,
Doctor Ronuer , with six frontiersmen
who were armed with Spencer rifles
and Colt revolvers , took the trail of
forty retreating Sioux warriors and pur
sued them across the Republican river
and far into northern Kansas. The topography
graphy of that country was like a well-
read book to Doctor Renner , because , as
a surveyor of government lands , he had
travel sed and studied them with Chief
Surveyor Charles A. Manners in the
years 1857 and 1858.
At last returning to Nebraska City
Doctor Reuner exhibited to his admiring
friends and a wondering neighborhood
the trophies of his excursion into "the
enemy's country , " and among them
were three scalps.
Two of them were adorned with long
locks of hair which , block as night , were
woven or braided together , and so oiled
that they glistened in changing lights
and shades like ebony that has been
polished. But from the third scalp
depended long , rich tresses of a beauti
ful blonde which had evidently been
taken from the head of some unfortu
nate white woman. Together these
gory and ragged reminders of barbar
ities , too hideous to be described , were a
horrible certification of the savagery of
warfare upon the lines of those borders
where barbarism and civilization collide.
After some time Doctor Renuer , hav
ing properly prepared and preserved
them with alum , tannin and arsenic
presented the scalps to our late highly
esteemed and sincerely lamented towns
man , Mr. Frederick Boyschlag , who
transmitted them to his venerable father
residing at Noerdlingen , a thriving city
in central Bavaria. Upon the death of
the senior Beyschlag , some years since ,
none of his heirs would accept this
ghastly personal property as an inherit
ance ; and so the three historic scalps
from southeastern Nebraska passed into
the hands of Hen' Offenhauser , the lead
ing hair-dresser and wig-maker of
Noerdlingeu , in the show window of
whoso establishment , on the corn mar
ket of that thriving German city may
still be seen , by the passers-by any day ,
those tragical reminders and relics of
the savagery and slaughter which in the
summer of 18C4 ravaged the beautiful
and fertile valley of the Little Blue ,
where now dwell a happy and contented
people from whose farms , factories and
firesides are ever ascending the hum of
remunerative industry and the songs of
domestic tranquillity and endearment.
Our thrifty cousins , the Norwegians ,
have increased their national wealth by
nearly one-third in the lost ten years.
Norway is the only country in Europe
where land has been appreciating in
recent times.
An interesting
. relic has just been
presented to Christ
church in the shape of the cardinal's
hat , which once belonged to its founder ,
Cardinal Wolsey. Unlike many relics ,
the hat boasts an authentic and fairly
complete pedigree. It appears to have
been stolen by Bishop Burnet , who was
clerk to the royal wardrobe and bishop
of Salisbury in William Hi's time. It
then passed into the hands of Horace
Walpole. One of the latest owners of
the hat was Charles Kean , who wore it
when playing the part of Cardinal Wol-
soy in Sbakespero's "Henry VIII. " The
hat is in good condition , but the tassels ,
which are so prominently represented on
the Christ church coat-of-arms
- - , have
been torn off. Westminster Gazette.
FOKTY-ONE YEAKS AGO.
This lady , who , with her husband ,
was a resident of this city for upwards
of 80 years , has
DEATH OF MRS. m .
DAVID FRENCH.
cently departed
husband to another world. Wo extract
the following notice from The Nebraska
City News , of December 5 , 1857 :
"This lady died at Arbor Lodge , the
residence of J. Sterling Morton , on
Monday evening , at a quarter to five
o'clock. Consort of the late Dnvid
French , Esq. , of Detroit , the deceased
outlived her lamented companion only
a few brief months. For many years
her lamp of life burned dimly in its
socket ; yet , by virtue of a determined
will and an inspiration , so to speak , on
her part , she lived to accomplish her last
fond wish and desire to see her daugh
ter ( Mrs. Morton ) and the children
as she had frequently expressed herself
since the death of her husband , and par
ticularly while on her journey to this
place.
"Arriving at her destination late Sun
day evening ( November 29 , 1857) ) in
charge of Mr. Morton , she survived but
a few hours the fulfillment of her de
sire ; and she felt as if to say resignedly
anxiously :
"Here is my journey's end , here is my
birth. " She was buried on Wednesday
at 3 o'clock.
"The death of Mrs. French was calm
and tranquil as the setting of a sum
mer's sun or the birth of an evening
star. Her mission accomplished , like a
dying taper , she went out , to give no
more light to earthly friends , except
by the pleasant memories of her virtues
and her examples.
"It is sweet to die the death of the
righteous ; a practical Christian , her's
was the Christian's death. There are
sad hearts here ; the news of her decease
will sadden sensitive hearts elsewhere.
The poor of Detroit will not soon forget
the charities and kindnesses of the one
mourned and departed ; her virtues and
her examples will ever be remembered
by one to whom she was the kindest of
mothers. ' ' Detroit Tribune.
THE CONSERVATIVE , after a lapse of
forty-one years , republishes the fore
going tribute to a foster mother , whose
good teachings and affectionate solici
tude for her adopted daughter , Caroline
Joy Morton ( the mother of Joy , Paul ,
Mark and Carl ) are now influencing a
tliird generation. The good one does
lives long after the doer has gone to
eternal rest.
JONES.T"BCONSE" -
l-HOFESSOH JONES.
VATIVE gives to
the reading public this week an inter
esting , instructive and very attractive
article from the pen of Prof. W. A.
Jones , the principal of the state institu
tion for education of the blind. It is a
valuable essay , especially for parents ,
teachers and all those deliberate citizens
who investigate the origins of our pres
ent civilization with the desire of find
ing out whence it has been evolved.
