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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1893)
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE : SUNDAY , . DECEMBER 17 , 1893-TWENTY PAGES. EN CRIME WAS RAMPANT BcminisccncM of Twenty Years Ago in a Central Nebraska Oounty. SOME CELEBRATED MUr.DERS RECALLED moody face * of llliliirj tlmt Ilnvo Hern Alinoit ruruotti'ii In tlio Transition to ( 'mll/ition nml l.im nnil Ordrr , The early history of llfo In ccntrnl Ne braska contain * much Hint pertains to crime nnd bloodshed. Tor years Fort Kearney was llio resting point for pioneers of the western trail , and hero the Rambler and the thug found riuh prey. In these days the general government , had Us Hands full of graver problems , that of hunting down and L punishing evil doers whoso crimes wore com- Emitted on thu Fort ICearnoy Military rcscr- ration. The result was that for several I cars murders were an ovcr.v day occurrence Ihorc. During these years Kearney county Y-ns slowly lining up with a sturdy class of pioneers who have slneo redeemed It from thu desert and made it ono of the most pros perous and fruitful counties of thii great stale. Hut the criminals who found security on the military reservation made many a dcr cent outside of It. and the result was that the early history ot Kearney county contains many stories of murder. A few days ago Judge Joel Hull and Louts A. Kent , both pioneers of Kearney county , were found in a reminiscent mood , and from them was gleaned the following criminal history of the county : The first murder In Kearney county , out side of the military reservation , occurred In December , 187l. ! at Walker's ranch. Tills was a point which was situated between the villages of Kceno and Wileox , both of which were laid out long years after the murder. Walkcs carried the mall from ICearnoy City to Republican City , and ho built a house at the point named for his own convenience and the convenience of these who traveled over the route with him. It was Known all over the country as the "Half-Way House. " Ono night durlmj llio month stated there were several parties stopping at the ranch Among them was n young man namea A. Polly. During the evening two men named Lewis and Clark became Involved In a quar rel with several other parties over a claim contest. They resorted to the frontier method of arbitration , and in the firing which resulted I'olly was killed. No one knew who llrctl the futal shot. Polly's father had hccn elected constable at the election the month before , but as he did not care to hold an inquest on the body of his own son ho never qualified. Murder of nil Aged Cutiplo , The next murder , or murders , occuricdon in Island In the Platte river , opposite Fort Kearney. An aged German named Mot- jfcbcU nnd his wife lived there. They had vorkiiiF for them a half-witted fellow. In thu spring of 17-1 the half-witted fellow aioso ono morning before Mctrgcbotz and liis wlfo were up and killed them both by splitting their heads open with an ax. Then the murderer came over to Lowell , in tending to take the train for the cast. Hut the murder was discovered by a hunting party before ho could get away and ho was arrested. Ho was tried and convicted , and was sentenced to twenty years in the penitentiary. The next murder was committed in the 11 sin-iii' . ' of the saino year , and in the village of Lowell. Frank Love , a Texas cattle man , was thu victim. Love , A. A. Andrews and Lew Dickorson were each Infatuated hy the charms of a dashing young widow tunned Gratl ny , who lived in Lowell. Marriage able women were scarcer in that county in these days than they arc now and the result , was that the thrco men became insanely .jealous of each other. The usual result followed. They came together on the Etrcct ono day and a three-cornered fight ensued. Love was hilled. Dickerson and Andrews lied , and indictments were found against them. Dickorson afterward returned - turned and was arrested , but later the case was nollcd. Alob Cnuscii a County Scat's llonioviil. In September , 1S75 , John Williams shot and hilled David and Tom Vromnn. Williams' pony got loose nnd broke into an oat Held be longing to the Vromans , who took it up. When Williams heard the Vromans had his pony ho loaded up his shotgun and swore ho would Itill them both. Ho went over to their place und found both the men standing hi front of tholr Btablc _ door. Williams , with out n word , raised his gun and killed David , As Tom tried to esc-ipo Williams turned ihc gun on him and literally blew his head lo fragmcnlB. Williams was arrested , tried nnd convicted and sentenced to tlio peniten tiary for ten years. Ho was defended by Judge Hamer. When his term expired ho returned to Lowell and threatened to sue Hamcr for allowing him to bo convicted , Public sentiment ran high , and a mob was formed for iho purpose of lynching Williams , but bo fled. The forming of this mob was the direct cause of the romovnlof the county scat from Lowell to Mindcn. The next murder was in iho spring of 1S70 , nnd occurred In iho streets ol Lowell. The victim was James McGonnigul , who was ono of the county commissioners. McOonnlgal had a brother-in-law named Joe Newell , and Koveral times had to take him home when he was drunk. Both men were hard drinkers and desperate men. One night Newell became - came angry with McGonnigal for taking him home. Ho got a gun and swore that lie would kill his brother-in-law on sight. Ho walked down the strcol and saw his victim Bluing In front of a saloon. Ho stepped'up behind him and without a word poured the contents of his shotgun In McGoiinigal's back , killing him instantly. Newell was tried and acquitted. The fact of the mailer is Ihat McUonnlgal was the man tried , nml the verdict of acquittal was rendered on the Kround that thurci was nothing criminal in killing a man who needed killing. WliolitiiilD llulchciy. It was In tlio fall of 1878 that Sam Rich ards killed llvo people In Kearney county. Late in.tho summer of that year Hlchards was In the Jull at Kearney for mealing a watch. In the muno cell with him was a man "omcd llarohlson , who was charged with stealing lumber from the Platte river bridge. Richards learned that Haroldsou had a claim In Kearney county thirteen miles southwest of Mindcn. llnroldson told him ( hat bis wlfo and ihreo children were on iho claim , but that us soon as ho got out of jail ho was going back cast and Icavo me family lo hustle for themselves. When Hlchards was released ho wont out to the Haroldson claim and remained sovcrnl davs. Shortly .afterward the woman and bur thi-co children disappeared. When the neighbor ! inquired for them Hlchards said ihoy had KOIIO lo Haslliigo. Later , when Inquiries were made as to when they were coming back , Hlchards said they were not coming back ; that they had gene bark east to join the husband and father , Not long after this lUchards wejil over to a claim occupied by n " man named Peter Andcrso"h nnd killed bin : with an ax to gfil his moifcy and team , As lUchards was driving away n man came up nnd Inquired for Anderson. Ho was told by Klchanls that Anderron had gene to Adams ' county , but when ho went Into the house Hlchards followed him and attempted to kill him also. Hut iho man escaped and gave the alarm. The house was searched and the mangled remains of Anderson were found in n cellar beneath a pile of coal , In Iho mean time Hlchards had lied. Then Rome ono re called Iho disappearance of Iho Harold- eon family , A crowd went over to thu Placu and a search revealed the mangled remains of the mother nnd thrco vhlldroii MdirvN.uiiUer-a straw-shickr-AV Inanities differ ns to where Hlchurds was ar- rwted , Homo say ho was arrested before ratting out of the county ; others say ho lied to Ohio , \vhero ho was apprnhcndcd. At any ruto lie was arrested and brought back 10 Mindcn , Ho was Indicted for the llvo murders , and was tried for that of Anderson lirbt. Ho was convicted and sentenced to bo hanged. Mindcn was Uicn onlv ahamlet. . The execution was set for April 20 , lb7U. The sheriff erected a stockade , but the crowds that cuuiu into town to see the hang- Jug vroro that it bhould nut staud , uud the sheriff wired the governor for Instructions. The answer cnmo not to attempt to balk the crowd , as bloodshed would follow. This was the cue for Ihe crowd , and a few hours be fore thu time Pt for the execution the stock ade was demolished and the execution was witnessed by hundreds. The dead man was burled In n shallow grave as soon as life was extinct , but that night some physicians resurrected the body. The sheriff learned of this fact and attempted to secure it , but ho did not succeed until the physicians had llssectcd it. The bones of Hlchards were hrown Into the street anu for days Were niTlcd about by the village dops. At last . .omo humane citizens collected them and gave them decent burial. The skulli how- vcr , found Its wa > Into the court housa. Ono day an enterprising young newspaper man found It on a shelf and smuggled It over , o his blllce. For over n year ho used It as in Inh&tnnd. Scinutloiml Trlplo .Murder. On October 13 , 1SS2. ono of the most sensa .lonal utilities in the history of the stain took ilaco In n lltile hotel on the east sldo of the jquurc In Mindcn. The victims were Sheriff Jack Woods of Hitchcock countv , H. H. iJelloy and a boy named Collins , The inu .lorci's were Matt Slmmcrman nnd u man Jitimed liolmoiit. Slmmerman and Ui'lmont stole a lot of horses and drove them Into Hitchcock county , whore they stole more and hastened on to Minden. Sheriff. Woods followed them , and swore ho would arrest them or die In Iho attempt. Slmmermnii and llclmout were located In the Pralrlo Homo hotel , where tho.v were caling supper with the parties the.\ afterwards killed , and several olhcrs. Woods , who had been drink ing heavily , was warned not to po In nionc , but ho paid no heed to the warning. Ho throw open llio door to the dining room and slopped in. No sooner did Situmcrman and Holu.ont see him than they drew tholr re volvers and began firing. Woods was fatally Injured at the ilrst lire , but after ho fell ho llrcd several shots. The guests at supper were stampeded , and Slmmcrinan nnd Hel- motit llred at them after killing the sheriff. The two murderers hastened outof the hotel , and keening the crowd which had collected at bay with their revolvers , reached their horses and made good their escape. Judco ( Jr.slin was holding court In the court house across the street , and was Just In the act of discharging the u'raud Jury when the lirliiR began. Ho Instantly divined iho cause and told the grand jurors tlmt he would hold them a while. Slmmorman was arrcstcu Rome time afterwards nml was tried nnd con victed. The case was taken to the supreme court b.v his attorneys , a man named Parson and U O. Hurr.who is now practicing in Lin coln , The supreme court afllrmed the decis ion. Then the ctiso was taken to the supreme court of llio United States. Deputy United States Marshal "Pnp" Hustings took Sim- inernfan to Kearney , and there his attorneys applied Tor his release on a habeas corpus. He was inkcn before n United States com missioner and admitted lo ball in the sum of W."i,0Kl ( and ordnrcd to report at Omaha on thu following Monday. Simmerman's brother was accepted as bail. IJlit tlio convictcc man nnver appeared In Omaha. As soon as the bail was accepted the two Slmmcrman boys dropped out of sight , and from that day to this they have novcr been located Hurr was disbarred because of these events but was subsequently relustalcd. Two years ago a man was arrested in Montan : who was thought lo bo Matt Simincrman Ho was brought to Minden under a heavy guard and kept there for several days. Dm the men who knew Slmmcrmau best fallci lo identify the man and ho was released. Kearney Count's Last. The last murder in Kearney county was ii ISM.wheu Constable Billy Smith was killed b > John Shaffer. Smith went out to Shaffei's to levy on a cow. and as he was leading the animal away Shaffer shot him from bohini with a shotgun , lltrrally blowing iho top of his head uwuy. Shaffer was tried and con victcd of manslaughter. Ho secured a see end trial and was found guilty again am sentenced ' to ten years in the penitentiary. Aftcr'servingabout half his tlmo ho was pardoned b.v Governor Thayer. Shaffer's de fense was lhat he killed Smith in self-de fense. That ho and Smith were quarreling and that Smith reached for his revolver. Seeing this Shaffer killed him. This plea had Us effect with the juries , but strange to relate an important fact seemed to have been overlooked b.v the twenty-four good men and true. When Smith's body was picked up the stub of a cigar was found be- Iwcen the lingers of his right hand and his revolver was found in his right hip pocljet. Transition to Civlhz itiini. Lowell was laid out In 1S70 , and for a long time was Iho greatest business center be tween Omaha anil the mountains. The Bur lington built through from Plattsmouth to Kearney in 1S7- , and Lowell at once became n great cattle shlppiiur point. In 1870 the countv scat was moved from Lowell to Mln- ili tlimmh tlm ropmjlftvnrn nnf. nil ir.nvml until April , 1S7S. Lewis A. Kent , who is now ono of the best known and most highly respected citizens in the state , was county clerk at iho lime of Iho removal. Ho had largo property iniercsts in Lowell , and he did not want the county scat changed. But ono line April morning a lot of determined men went from Miudcn to Ix > well with rifles and crowbars and Mr. Kent was induced to como over to Mindcn with the records. When the Burlington built through to Den ver from Kcnesaw , Lowell's glory departed. Today it is a village. But" two or three houses remain where once " 00 , mostly saloons and gambling balls , once stood. It is a vision of departed greatness. When the county scat was moved Mindcn had no ex- isteiu'u save on paper. Today it is a pros perous city of ' . ' ,000 people with a good sys tem of waterworks , ilvo churches , two pub lic school buildings and a class of citizens who are enterprising and confident in its future. J.lll'IKTIES. ICxtrcino piousness Is often more provoca tive ot humor than of admiration , as llio em ployers of a certain Puritanical young Scotcn- man have found out. Ho came from some country place near Edinburgh , relates Har per's Bazar , with the strongest of recom mendations from his old pastor , who stated , among other things , that "sao gudo n boy ho was that there was scarcely a dry eye In the congregation when it was announced thai ho was lo go to America to seek his for- lime. " Ho proved to be not only a good clerk , but obliging to his friends , and when the annual picnic was planned ho proposed to save his fellow clerks tlm cxpcnso of printing their programs by typewriting them himself. When , however , the Hat of diversions for the day's plcasuro was handed him , and ho found thai danciair was among them , ho exclaimed , violently : I'll nao print that ungodly word 'dancing1 on paper. I'll type-wrlto the rest of It nnd leave a blank for that wicked word , which some of you worldly men can put In for your selves ! " Uncle Silas had recently Joined thochurch , ami Undo Silas needed It if anybody did. Ono day ho stopped at my gate lo ask about thu cook's health. "How about your joining the church , undo ! " ! nuked , after 1 had told him thu cook's Health was fair. ' I've done done it , boss , " ho replied proudly. "How about having religion and chickens ut the saiuo tlmo ! " 1 asked johln.'Iy. "Do good Uiwd will pcrvide , "honey , " ho answered piously. "Hcligion , probably , but not chicken,1 ventured. "Yes , honey , " and his eves twinkled , "do peed I.uwd Is gwlue tcr holpjlem that ho'ps derselves , an' 1 so able-bodied yit , t'ank do Lawd. " * The yoiinir clergyman had consented at the last moment lo act as substitute lor the ven erable man who Is accustomed to go to the Bridewellbimduy morning und prcuca to llio prisoners , "My friends , " said llio embarrassed young man lib ho rose up and faced Hie usscmblei toughs and vagrants , "H rejoices my hear lo sec su many of you here ibis morning. " * Watts- bet you didn't go 10 churcl. yesterday. Now I did , I never lot the weather Interfere with my observance o" ir-fe alti ns sumo pcoplo do. Potts-vM you fall down on the way ? Yep. TNiVJ } " awful slippery. " 1 "This , " said the kmg\-JHoboimluuzo , lay ing down the piece of rou2k > fss > ° m > ry ho had been wrestling with for tlneV'UlJiJs ! { ? ( , ' "U about the toughest article of the klnii'i over struck. Ha must have belonged to thu foot bull team , " An after theater ( bought , n bottle of Cook's Kxtra Dry Imperial Champagne and tlieu "twcot ulcey. " I I , * i ; / / We have plenty of Woon- JL J socket and Rhode Island Ru bbers for Everybody Retailer or by the Q > Case or Car load. "Send us your orders and they will be filled at the Lowest Prices American Hand Sewed Shoe Co , Omaha , Neb. JAMES A , CARFIELD'S ' FAMILY How Mrs. Gaifield Lives at tlie Dead Presi dent's ' Old Home. A RICH THOUGH UNASSUMING LADY Interesting Gosalp About , the fiiirflcldj anil the Kvcryilny l.lto nt Mentor .Sketches of the Members ot the I'.iiniiy. An hour's ride from Cleveland , along the shores of Lake Eric , brings the traveler to Mentor , the old home of Garfleld , once the most famous village m America. Living there in retirement , wealth and the enjoy ment of her beautiful homo is Mrs. Lucretia Garlleld , the widow of the president ? who fell a martyr to misguided political strife. The nation never know Mrs. Garlleld as it has known the wives of oilier presidents. She never cared for society , and as mistress of the while house she was little seen. Be sides , she was a sufferer from ill health and was ill and away from Washington when her husband was shot. IIo was about to go to sco her to try to cheer her into health when tlio bullet of Guitoau cut short the Journey at the threshold of Iho railway sta- Uon. Uon.Garfiold Garfield never knew that natural gas was under the soil ho purchased , but when the gas boring boom struck Ohio It occurred to ; ho future son-in-law , J. Stanley Brown , who Is a geologist of repute , that gas ought to bo found right ihero , His guess was right , and today natural gas is 'used on the Garlleld place and gives the rooms almost a cltyllkc appearance. With Its modern furnishings and luxurious appointments the interior of the now Gar llold homo is in strange contrast to the old. Mrs. Garfleld would not destroy the old house her husband had built , She merely added to it and insists that the now part l.i only an addition and Iho old house the main p.irt of the establishment. She is a better business manager than her husband was and his failings as a business man she has endeavored to overcome in her children , if they have Inherited his lack of money sense , Bays Iho Post-Dispatch. Mrs. Garileld has already published two volumes of her husband's speeches and nd- dresses , and has long contemplated iho pub licallon of n full nndcomplete biography. She has been carefully collecting the mate rials , and If not written by herself some trusted friend , perhaps one of her sons , will prepare the book for press. Mrs. Garlleld Is a very rich woman. Her husband would bo amazed could ho return to earth and see the luxury of his children and Iho lavish slpnsof wealth about his old homo and In the homo of his oldest sou , Harry , In Cleveland , It would indeed bo a marvel to the man who began his career us chief engineer to a canal boat. Comforts there are and luxuries In thoGarfluld mansion , bui tlwro Is no purposeless extravagance. That she Is a rich woman has not niadu Mrs. Gar- Held any more proud and haughty than she was when In a bright-colored calico dress she tirst learned Latin nnd love from James A. Garllold at Hiram college. Today she is estimated to bo worth nearly $1,000,000 , most of which is in cash or bonds. Her husband's estate was valued at less than i-r > ,000. Then ho had Insured his llfo for J.'JO.UOO ' and the company paid it promptly. Although ( jurllcld had served but a few months of his term as president , comrrcis voted n full year's salary toMrs.Garfloldand In addition gave her a yearly pension of $5,000. Conprcss nnd llio Insurance company made her rich , far richer In fact than ( iarllold himself had over dreamed of being. But in addition to all this a fund was raised , which placed the president's widow and her chil dren forever beyond want and ranked them ul once among iho wealthy classes. Cyrus . W. Field gtnrtcJ the Mrs. ( iarilcld luud in , Po Now York Chamber of Commerce , be- tfi.Tt.ipg with aW.uiX ) subscription. Mr. Field w as fV'lowcd ' by Jay Gould , the Drcxuls , C. p . . ' .Wnglon , U. B. Chlttenden und others , who CUV ? a "lte 8UU1'1 'ie ' fund , through the efforts ot newspapers , ercwdurlugGarlleia's illness , but doubled rapidly after hia death until $38.1.001) ) in cash had been contributed. Mr. Field invested this'in bonds and pre sented them to Mrs. Garfleld. to bo hers dur ing her life and at her death to bo divided equally among her children. Good , manage ment since then has made the widow's pos sessions worth much more. There are those who calculate the holdings of Mrs. Garfleld and her family to be nearly * ! ,000,000. While the subscriptions were pouring infer for Mrs. Garllold subscriptions came also for the president's mother , "Grandma Garileld , " ana about $20,000 were given to her as the gift of a generous public. She left her lit tle fortune to her c-randchildrcn a daugh ter. Mrs. Trowbrldgc , who is still living , and her eldest son , Thomas Garfield , a farmer near Jamestown , Mich. , and the president's only brother. When Garlleld died at Elbcron in Septem ber , 1851 , his llvo children were old enough to rcall/.o their great grief. There was lurry , the oldest , whoso full name was lurry Abram , the middle name being for his 'nther's father. Then came James Hudolph , saving the family name of his mother. Next was "Mollic , " for no ono at home over called her Mary. Irwin was next , and then Abraham , the baby boy , who had the run of the white house after the family moved from Mentor in March , 1SSI. The oldest son was at Williams college , Williamstown , Mass. , when his father was shot. Ho was summoned to Washington at once. After graduation ho studied law and ; oolc his degree at the Coluirfulu Law school. Ho docs not rcsomblo his father in any re spect , although some of the family friends do not agree in this , nor does ho rcsomblo Ills mother. Ho has a passive , resolute face , but lacking the constant smile nnd gcntlo expression of his father's generous nature. Ho does not care for politics , but prefers the hard routine of the law. Ho Is a dill- pent student and gives advice to clients in a cold , hard , dictatorial way , very unlllto this father. James Kudolph Garfleld's personality Is suggestive of his father. In Cleveland every one says bo looks and acts like his father. Ho Is well thought of on his own account , and great things are expected of him. Some day ho hopes to represent his father's old district in congress. Already ho has been a delegate to many conventions county , dis trict and state and never failed to make a speech or take n prominent part. It Is on account of his political ambition that he kcops his residence at Mentor , going back and forth every day. Mentor is in Lake county and In the same old senatorial district which the father once represented In the Ohio legislature. Two years ago young Garlleld was a candidate for state senator , honing to begin his po litical career at the same ago as his father r.nd In the same district. A nomination was equivalent to election , but ho failed to BO- euro the support of Summit county and mot defeat. There was treachery some where , and ho felt hurt. This year ho was not u candidate , but got even with these who Knifed him two years ago , and aided to de feat for ronomlnatlon the man who had been a successful competitor two years boforo. His wife was Miss Newell , the daughter of John Newell , president of llio Lake Shore railway system. Mattlo Garileld , as her people and friends vet refer to her , is now Mrs. J. Stanley Urown , n matron of llvo years and the mother of a child whicji would Imvo delighted - lighted the heart of her father. It was no Biirpi'lso when she was married to Stanley Brown. She had known him from the tlmo shu was u little girl. When the great shociccamo to the Garlleld family young Stanley Ilrown then bccatuo practically ono of the family. Mrs , ( Jarllcld and "Molllo" learned to love him as n son and brother , There was no particular beginning of tlio courtship. They lived in Washington , where Mr. Brown 1ms long held a position in the ofllco of the United States geological survey. Ho is re garded as OMU of the best geologists In the department. Irwin McDowell Garileld Is a bright-faced young man of 1 , nnd a graduate of Williams college. Ho will when older look much like his father. Ho has decided to bo a lawyer. Abram ( Jurllold , the youngest son , Is u student at the Iloston school of technology. The people of Cleveland talk well and kindly ot the boys. They have been modesc , well- behaved , straightforward nnd have no vices. "Whntover.vou win in lifo you must con quer by your own efforts and tlicn it ia yours , a part of yourself , " Garflclu often Impressed the sentiment of Ihcso lines on his boys , and they seem to Imvo remembered it , The "No. U1' Wlicclcr & Wilson , with Its perfected tensions , upper and lower , Is the only lock-stitch machine that muUcs an elastic seam , It la the dressmaker's favorite on that account. Sold by Gco. W. Lancaster & Co. , 511 South sixteenth street. TO RECLAIM BEBRASKALASD Convention to Bo Held at Noitb Platte , Com mencing Next Tuesday. A STATE ASSOCIATION TO BE FORMED Outgrowth of the Iteccnt Mooting nt Great JJulid , Kun. Itrtiulutiuiis Adopted llfncllchil ItcBiiltd In the Interest of Irrigation Anticipated. On the 10th of December .thero will bo held at North Platte , Neb. , a convention for the purpose of organizing a State Irrigation association. This is the outcome of a meeting hold at Great Bend , Kan. , on the Tth of August last , at which , us a groundwork for the Irrigation movement , the following resolutions were adopted , Whereas , The experience of the peoples of nil ngrs has abundantly demonstrated the value of irrigation In all parts of thuoild , undWhereas Whereas , Millions of dollnrs Imvo been nald Into the trinsury of the United Slates by actual settlers alonv the pastern slope of tliu KockV moiintrilnH from HrltUh America to the ( inlfof Mexico In the purchase of lands cl'isscd i > y the government us agricultural hinds , ana Whereas , Paid settlers have expended other millions In fruitless attempts to successfully farm portions nf said lands , and Whuicas , A liirgo proiioitlnn of suld lands dun , as shown by actual survey , be placed under systems of In Igiitlon , and Whereas Tlio stroamsllowlnjeastward from the Hoeky mountains and thu underflow af ford an almudant supply of water fur irriga tion purposes , there i orebo It Ht'soiviMl , That It Is the duly of the national Kovormnont , In conjunction with the several btato governments embraced In Nald terri tory. In render substantial aid In the con struction of propur systems of irrigation : 1. lly causing the necessary topographic , hydro- grnplilc uud KeologleiilMirvoys to ho made to determine the most uvallablo water supply. 2. Hy the construction of rusurvolra to jralher nnd sloro thu sprplui water Unit annually be comes the a cint for the destruction or mil lions of dollars worth of property along thu banks of the loner Arkansas , Missouri and .Mississippi rivers. Resolved , That our sonutorsand representa tives In conxross bo , and they iiro heiuhy urged to use every ott'ort within tholr powiir to socnru such legislation n will result In llio nneedv accomplishment of the purposes out lined In thu foregoing preamble and resolu tions , Hofolvcd , That to carry out the object of this Irrigation movement It. Is necessary that ; liu olllce sf stnto oiiKlnoor bo floated , and wo nrro upon HID h'Klslaluro at Its next session ty nuiku provision for thu appointment of Mich an olllccr , and for a thorough hydrographlu and geological survey of the slate. Itesolveil , That this convention provldu for thoholdlnuof nn Interstate convention from all the states on the eastern slope of llio HoeUy mountains , comprising North and South Dakota , NohnisUa , Wyoiulnj , ' . Colorado , Kan sas , Oklahoma , Texas and Now Mexico , and that un executive committee bo appointed to urruiipn for tliat con vontlon. Hesolved , Tlmtvo recommend that at this Interstate convention permanent slatu 01- Kanl/atloiu huoiruotoil by the representatives from tlio various status. In iiecordiinco wltn tlio lust resolution an Interstate convention was called at Haline , Kan. , on tliu'JBthof .September , 1H03. At thU convention lonrosuntaltvcs wore prcfacm from Wyoming , Colorado , .Nebraska and Kansas , Nebraska helni ? represented hy .Mr. I A. Fort of North 1'luttu and Mr. II. A. McAlluotur of Uniuiia. In accordance with Hie resolutions adopted by thu ( Jrcut Bend convention a purmunent Intnistate organisation was effected and ar- iHir.'cmenls made for u vigorous prosecution of thu work of imitating Irrigation throughout the lunirth and breadth of what Is known as the teml-arld plains , that ia , thu country bu- tweeli the U7lh and lOtth murldlana and be- luet'ii Moxlco and the llrltlf.li possessions. The following aru thu resolutions adopted at llio Interstate convention at Saline , Kun. : Whi'iTas , The KoviTiiinunt of the Culled States has platted and put upon the maikut nn agricultural land th'.i vast territory known us thu ( fieat western plains ; anil Whereat , American mUeus wishing to se cure homes Imvo moved upon llicso plains , bought and paid the t'overnmciit for laud und oMiended their money In Improving It : und Whereax , It has been demonstrated by the experience of these men and by the slunuf sti > - tlonitof the Koki'rniiiL'iit that the amount of rainfall per annum at proper seatons Is ' .11111- vlont to muko Ub'rlcultuio practicable , there fore , ho U Hesolved , That It Is the nonso of this con vention Hint It Is thu duty of congress toimiku tin appropriation for thu purpose of toBtliii ; the prnctlcablllty of the following theories of Irjlgutlou for tucio pluluii I'lrbt , that thu povprmycnt fhoulil by pxperlmrnt" ; deteriiuno whether thu undcrllow water hot snlllcient volume and can ho hrou.vht. to thu Mirfuc" at a rust to make It available for general Irrigation purposes. Second , that It should determine whether reservoirs can bu constructed for the purpose of storing water sulllcient In quantity for Irrigation purposes. Hesolved , That It Is iho POIISO of IhN con vention that an Interstate Irrigation associa tion ho and Is hereby orcanl/.ed by thu ilrlu- Katcs present , for the purpose of proiiiotlng i he cause of irrigation an set , forth In tlm above resolution ; that the olllcers of this In terstate organization shall consist of presi dent , \ leu nresldcnt from each state , secretary and treasurer nnd an executive committee consisting of the president , secretary and llvo other members. Unsolved , That It Is the < ! ciiso of this con vention tlmt all the states and territories In cluded In the call for this meeting should or- puil/e state associations and that the presi dent of these state associations shall bo ex- olllclo vlco president of this association. Ke.solved , That wu demand of our senators and lepreseutatlves In congress lininedlalu action lee 1dm ; to the relief of Hie people upon the Hues Indicated In thu foregoing resolu tion. tion.As As a result of the organization of the In terstate association there was orgaui/.cd tit Wichita , Kan. , on tho'JIid lust. , a state as- cociatlon for Kansas , at which iho above resolutions of the interstate convention wore adopted and made a part of the state association platform. The objects of these associations arc : First , To create an interest throughout the country in the general subject of irrigation. Second , To obtain and .spread abroad among the farmers and others interested all possible information relative to practical means of irrigation upon the plains. Third , To secure the assistance of the United States government in discovering and demonstrat ing the nraclleablllty of all possible methods of irrigation. In addition to having prominent Nebraska gentlemen at the Ko.'th Platte convention , who are interested in irrigation , both in its direct results to the farmer and its ultlinatn bcnollts to the state , wo hope to have pres ent Hon. 10. 1 ( . Moses of Great ilend , Kan. , president of the Interstate ) association ; Mr. J. L. finstow of Sallna. Ktin. , upcrotary of the interstate association nml editor of iho Kalina Daily Kcpublican ; Hon. Martin Moellerof Tonclta , Kan , , secretary oi the Stnto Hoard , of Agriculture ; also lion. J. K. Ktnory of Liwreiieo , Kan. , national lecturer appointed b.v the International irrigation convention recently held at Los Angeles , Cal Tlieso gentlemen nro all thoroughly alive to thu great 1 cinfitH which will accrue to the plains country ami to the states in terested in conseqLo.ico of securing a prac tical and earnest development of the Irriga tion problem. it IB very dcsir- ublo that cho Nebraska association bo or ganized upon the lines laid down by the in terstate organl/.atlon and adopted by iho Kansas state organisation. Thcio will bu Introduced In congress this winter a bill pro viding for an appropriation to bo used for the discovery and demonstration of all pos sible sources of water supply upon the h'rcat plains. Thcso sources of supply are : ( I ) The rainfall. W ) Flowing streams. CJ ) Artesian waters , und1) ( ) Subiurrauo.m waters not nrlc.i > nn. The amount of supply from rainfall and from llowing rivers Is limited and is easily determined has be.eu determined but the'entire supply from these .sources cannot bo utill/.ed unless a system of storage reservoirs can bo con structed which will retain the storm waters of llio winter and spiing months. If Ihcso waters could bo stored and held back until the water was needed for crops In the sum mer , they would sunii'o to inl 'ato a largo scopa of country. The United States will bo usked to devote a portion tf the appropria tion to a careful topographical burvo.v with the essential end in view of determining iho location of reservoir sites uud feasibility of constructing btorago reservoirs lor retaining this water. The greatest benollt , however , to iho coun try at largo will bo attained by the nslnp of such portion of the appropriation , as uny beset sot apart thcrofor , In determining what If any artesian Molds exist , and what If any other underground supplies of water oxlst , which can by practicable and feasible methods bo raised to the surface. There arc in actual operation , In western Nebraska , western Kansas and southeastern - ernV.oming , windmills pumping Hiinlcicut water for the Irrigation of ono to ten or IIf. teen acres of ground. A comparison of statements inudu by wlnd-cngino .pump com- panleb as to what their windmills and pumps are estimated to bo able to accomplish , > vlth the actual operations aid results obtained by parties who are pumping water by means of windmills , for Irrigation purposes , dem onstrates that at an cxpcnso of not exceed- 1m-f-i.M ) a farmer can put up a windmill which will pump a llvo Inch stream of water into u reservoir 100 feet sijuaro and four feet deep , uud thereby obtain suOIclcut water to Irrigate ton to fifteen acres of land , and the results of irrigation farming In till countries have demonstrated that ten to fifteen acres , well irrigated and cnrofullv farmed , is till the land that n fanner can cultivate to goon advantage. Major Powell of the United States gee logical survey , in an address made before the convention at Wichita on the iiSil lust. , stated that In all the countries where irrigii- lion was practiced the percentage of land which the water supply of the locality would irrigate ranged from 1 to 10 per cent. Ifa further stated that in his opinion ( and there is no otic better .qualified to give an opinion , on this subject ) , the water supply of the great pl.ilns , If used to the utmost extent , was sufllclent to irrigate about 7 per cent of the land. This would he about eleven acres out of each quarter section. If each farmer west of the U7th meridian would utilize any SOUITO of water supply most convenient for him , to the extent of irrigating ten acres of his quarter section , ho would place himself In a position to secure a good living independent of the fluctua tions of rair.fnll , and beside that could con tinue his dr.v fanning of the remaining 1.10 acres , sei'urmir therefrom the same annual returns which ho now secures. Further more , there is every reason to bnllovo thab were ten acres out of every 100 Irrigated the result caused b.v evaporation from the nec < essary reservoirs and from the cultivation and abundant watering cf the ten acres , would bo to xo modify the climatic condi tions that the rainfall instead of coming at Infrequent intervals with the possibility of long periods of drouth interval in ? , would bo caused to occur at shorter Intervals and in the way of gentle showers , rather than heavy driving rainii which always causa more or less trouble. Cornell nov has l-Wmon in Its graduate school , which elves it the largest enrollment of any graduate school In the country except Harvard , Lynn H. Porter , known to novel readers as "Albert Iuss { , " and a rc&ldrntof uambridfru , bus given Harvard a dormitory which will cost over $ ' , ' 5,000 , The oipntccnth annual report of President Oilman of Johns Hopkins university on the progress of that institution during tin ) past academic- year sliu'.vs I hat It Is suffering , like a good many olh"i' educational Institu tions , from the hide of money. The original endowment w.is from thrco to four millions , Thomas Shields ( Mariio , Princeton , ' 6" , 11 at work on the design for a memorial win dow , to bo placed in llio uouthorn hull of Nassau hall , facing thocommon. The window will coinmcnior.ito the adjournment nf con- grais on September 1M , 17&J , to attend thu annual commencement. Mary fiarrelt has J'ist purchased ono of thofliiost'classic.il Hljrarl'-'Hln ' ( icrmany for presentation to llryn Mawr. It belonged to the late 1'rof. Suupo .of Gotttngcn , uud con tains over Hl.liU'J voHimos. At the Hoston Schoolboyw' society's ' recent reunion , Joseph IX Jonu.s gave bin rumlnls- ccnces as u schoolboy In Boston ninety-two .years ago. lie Is ' .rj yuuru old. Nobody can bo a member of thu society who has not been out of school fora full half-century. President ( ieorgo T. Angnll of llio Iloston lluiiuino society baa bean told that buys anil girls are lining taught in the publlo schools to dissect cats , and he ban offered a prize of ? : V ) for tno li at outline out of iho devil tenchlnv school bayu and L'lrls how to do It. 11 appears that there nro too many cull * ilren in lliosclioo IB In Philadelphia. For merly , when cramming was in vogue , II was the number of lessons. Now , under thu crowding system , the need late lessen tlio numbers , it i Harvard Annex no longer. Hereafter It will ba itadclin'o collegeu partof Harvard university , iho women students aliarlm ; tlm degrees given In lliu uciulumy part of the college now attended by men , The board of ovcr&ccra at Harvard orJulnod this change by a vote. fir. J. M. lUce. who recently rsturncd from nn Kuropcun visit of Inspection of schools , In the InUTottof llio Forum , presents In thu December number us ono result of ( us study the conclusion thai thn American school sys tem would gam muuh if there were a method of limited Btato control , similar in u general way , but not In many of ila details , to Iho ( Jcrmun system , lly Ihis method , perma nent educational exports might bekoiitlu rhargo of our schools , and tlio ilomoralmng inlluuncoof politics withdrawn. So Ionian wu Imvo a political school manapaniuul , ju L so Ion ; ; are wo sure to have schools con ducted rat her lor politicians or loac-hera , than for children. UoWltt's Witch Hazel salvo cures pile * . ,