The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current, September 19, 1907, Image 1
J. ptefcte 5 ouma VOLUME XXVII lLATTSMOUTII, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, SKITEMIMJK 1!, 1907 STUM HER :IH v ( OH EASILY DAY Daniel llolchkiss Wheeler, Nov of Omaha, an Early Pioneer of Piaiismoulh. FOR YEARS A PROXHNFNT CITIZEN Mayor of the Gity During the Host important Year of the City's Developments, in 1869. Sunday's Omaha Bee contained a tine write-up of Daniel H. Wheeler, who was a prominent ami enterprising citi- : zen of Plattsmouth in its infant days, and when she began to build up as a city, and we take the lilerty of repro ducing sections of the article, wherever ' it refers to Mr. Wheeler as a resident. While Mr. Wheeler lived here no one ; took more interest in the welfare of the town than he, always, leing in the front ranks of the procession which lid much good for the old town in its early days. After giving the birth place of Mr. Wheeler, the Bee says: "He entered the employ of his uncle, a distiller at Three Rivers, Mich., at the age of 20 years, as lookkeeper, . and remained there about a year. Then j his attention -was directed westward, ; and in company with his brother-in-law j he emigrated to western Iowa. The j trip from Burlington to Council Bluffs j took ix -days auid nights by stage. It i was a trip he Itas never forgotten, j through a glorious land full of waving ! wild flowers, basking in the spring sur- j light. The vast acres seemed to be ly- ; ing waiting for the advance of the j army of men who should till the fertile I soli and make it yield the great wealth which was stored up in it. He had in- tended to teach school, but on finding that the salery was only $30. and board ; would cost about $27 a month, he de- ckled that wealth was not to be gained ! in disseminating knowledge. So he er tered the employ of Nuckolls & Co., who had stores in Glenwood, Iowa, and in Plattsmouth. Neb. He traveled be- j tween these two points, making col- i lections, buying furs from the Indians ; and performing other services of a pioneer merchant. A girl had been left behind him in '. Michigan and as soon as he had a per- ; manent location in the territory he hur- : ried back over the arduous miles to j Kalamazoo, and on February 26. 1857, ; he married Charlotte A Lewis, a cousin ' of the late Dr. Dio Lewis, of New York I and of former Judge of the New York I years later. Supreme Court Lorin L. Lew is. It He was mayor of Plattsmouth during was on this trip that he first visited the most important year of that city's 'imaha. It was on New Year's days, ; development, 1869, when ground was 1857. ' He stayed in the Douglas house ; broken for the Burlington railroad and on the southwest corner of Thirteenth j when the city voted $50,000 bonds to and Harney streets, where he shared a j secure the headquarters of the road, bed in the crowded quarters "with three j His little law office was the place where other travelers. i the stock subscription of $7,500,000 to Reaching Plattsmouth with his bride : the road was made. Perkins, Touzalin he determined to go into business for j and Thielsen, three of the great mag himself with money he had saved. He j nets of the Burlington were there. Mr. erected a two-story frame building and Wheeler took $3,000 of the stock him put in a stock of hardware. He took a ; self, this being the only block that was leading part in affairs at once, holding j bought by a citizen of Nebraska. The the position of county superintendent ! of schools in 185$ and making the first educational report in that county. He was elected county clerk of Cass Coun ty in 1859 and at that time began the insurance and real estate business, which he has continued ever since. He was appointed Indian agent the dav previous to the assassination of President Lincoln, and took charge of the Pawnee reservation. west of Columbus, Neb.. July 1,1865. He suc- ceeded in maintaining peace among the red men better than any of his prede- cesssrs. He sed to drive out from Plattsmouth, a distance of 110 miles, Once he made the trip in a spring wag- on, with a pair of ponies, in a day. As a rule the trip took longer and was of- ten marked bv hardships. One of the first thines he did after taking charge of the tribe was to ride" 150 miles to the north, accompanied by the four big chiefs of the Pawnees, and complete a treaty of peace with the warlike Sioux, which tribe was accustomed to amuse itself freouentlv bv roir.g on the war- or,. Tr,r.-frir-cr its red brethem of bJl JV -p other tribes. Having smoked the pipe of peace with there, he returned and took up his duties of apportioning bright red calicos ami brilliantly-striped blankets to the noble red men. "We had a peaceful tribe there," says Mr. Wheeler, "and everything went along swimmingly. It was hard to get the Indians to do any work. About the only ones who would do man ual labor for pay were old squaws or those who had lost their husbands. The bucks, of course, never stooped to toil and their squaws would work only for them. Each Indian had from one to four wives and a liberal supply of pap pooses. We started a government school while I was there, and that was one of the hardest jobs I had. pappooses were as wild as rabbits, they didn't want to go to school, could hardly blame them, for it The and You was something which they could not under stand in its ultimate object. We had the worst time getting hold of them the first few weeks. They would run and hide in the bushes, and I, assisted by my police Indians, had to chase them out, just as one would chase out rabbits or other wild game. The parents of the children were willing to have the girls go to school, but for the boys who were to become braves they were con- vinced the school could be of no advan tage." Perhaps President Andrew Johnson knew that Mr. Wheeler had voted against him as Lincoln's running mate at the national convention in 1864, to which Mr. Wheeler was a delegate from Nebraska. Probably some per son who coveted his job called John son's attention to this fact. At any rate he removed Mr. Wheeler from the place, and on October 1, 1806 he re turned again to Plattsmouth, where he devoted his attention actively to real estate and insurance business. But these interests were not sufficient to take up all his time and he began read ing law under T. M. Marquett. He made such progress that he was ad mitted to the bar in less than two Sheldon and Pollard families were in timate friends during the residence of the latter in Plattsmouth. Congress man Ernest Pollard was named after the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Wheel er, who died in his youth. Mrs. Lottie Pollard was named after Mrs. Wheel er. Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Pollard were once participants in a typical Indian scare. They were alone with their little children in the Pollard farm house, when thought was they saw what they an Indian come riding 1 over the hill, his blanket fluttering out ' behind him in the wind. They hurried i into the house, barricaded the door, and j armed with axes, determined to resist ' to the end. But the supposed Indian j turned out to be only a woman from a i neighboring farm, who was wrapped up in shawls so as to resemble an Indian at a distance. Mr. Wrheeler was elected secretary of the State Board of Agriculture in 1S6S and held that office for sixteen years. He was elected secretary of the state senate in 1873 and occupied that positi- : tion at the two following sessions and : also at one special session. ! Mr. Wheeler moved to Omaha in 1885. With his son, Daniel If. Wheeler, jr., he established the firm of Wheeler and Wheeler, insurance and real estate agents, which firm hes continued in business until the present time. He continued his strenuous activities after coming to Otnaha. The first public position which he held was that of sec retary of the Omaha Pair and Speed Association, in which capacity he served two years. He was elected a member of the city council in 1889 and served in that body seven years. For six years he was chairman of the finance committee, and in that capacity had more to do with distributing the city funds than any other man. He performed his duties so carefully and was so vigilant in de tecting and resisting measures to spend money in a manner which he considered useless or lavish that he soon gained the name of "Watchdog of the Treas ury." Some of the hardest work of his life was done while he was super visor of the census in the second con gressional district of Nebraska, in 11)00. He had 197 people working under him and for eight months devoted himself to the duties of his position eighteen hours a day. He came out of the or deal with his health somewhat broken and has never fully recovered. In the activities of the leading secret fraternities, Mr. Wheeler has been amongst the foremost. He is now a thirty-third degree Mason wearing up on his little finger that three-banded ring of which there is but one in the state. He joined the Masonic lodge in Michigan in 1856. He has been master of Plattsmouth lodge No. 6 and master of Nebraska lodge No. 1 in Omaha. He is the oldest past grand master of the lodge, having held that position in 1863; past grand high priest of Nebraska chapter No. 3; past grand high priest of Nebraska grand chapter; grand master o.f the grand council, Royal and Select masters; past commander of Mount Zion commandery No. 5, Knights Templar; and past grand commander of the grand commandory of Nebraska. He is a member of the Knights of Pyth ias, which order he joined in 1868. He joined the Odd Fellows in 1856 and is past grand master of that order. Though somewhat disabled by partial paralysis, Mr. Wheeler is still active in the pursuit f his varied interests. He is a leader in the councils of the secret fraternities to which he belongs. Dur ing his long connection with these or ganizations he has received many med als and diplomas of honor in recogniti of his services. These form a valuable and interesting collection. He has also an extensive library in his home. A DAY OF ACCIDENTS Three Accidents in One Eve ning is the Reord for Thursday Thursday evening C. A. Richey's driving horse ran away from in front of tae lumber yard. It came across the third street bridge at a lively rate and when it reached Main street it came near coliding with a rig driven by Mrs. F. H. Nichols. In fact, in order to es cape the runaway horse Mrs. Nichols drove her horse too near a hitching post at Alloway's livery barn, the wheel catching on the hitching post and demolishing the wheel. Her horse then became unmanageable and started to run up Third street, but was caught by Mr. Alloway. Mrs. Nichols was unin jured. Mr. Richey's horse ran home and to the barn where it upset the bug gy, but did very little damage. Later in the evening Mrs. Wm. Wade, Mrs. Ed Pribble and Mrs, G. WT. . May field were driving near Charles Urwin's house in the south part of town. They were met by two of Frank Pettit's children on horseback who were racing their ponies. The pony ridden by the little girl struck the carriage in which the ladies were riding. The. pony was knocked down, the little girl being thrown about fifteen feet, injuring one of her shoulders and otherwise bruising her. One of the wheels of the carriage was injured. Louisville Courier. Big Land Deal. One of the largest land deals ever made in Cass county was consummated today. J. P. Falter and W. W. Coates buying the old Miller farm, containing six hundred and forty acres, located three miles west of this city. This pro perty has been held by an estate for a number of years and the new owners expect to improve the farm and put it in a much higher state of cultivation, and are also counting on dividing it in to several smaller farms which would be a great benefit to Plattsmouth. The deal was made through the Windham Investment Company. CANDIDATE FOR COMMISSIONER Charles R. Jordan, a Prominent Far mer of Greenwood Precinct. In looking over the Third district for a suitable man to represent the tax-payers of the district on the board of com missioners, from among a large number of suitable men for the position, Chas. R. Jordan, a retired farmer livingin the village of Alvo, was the gentleman so licited as the most available. ' Here is a true incident of "the office seeking the man and not the man the office." Mr. Jordan is a well-to-do farmer, who has apparently retired from active farm work, and has plenty of time to give in looking after the in terests of his constituents, and comes from a section of the county that has had no representative on the board for many years. " Had Mr. Johnson been nominated by the republicans it would have been different. Like Mr. Jordan, Mr. Johnson is not an office-seeker, but his friends thought that that section of the county had been neglected about long enough, ami shoved Mr. Johnson to the front in the hope that the repub licans would "see the point" and nomi nate him. Mr. Johnson is a good man, and his defeat for the nomination is keenly felt by his friends. Charley Jordan is just as good a' man as Mr. Johnson, and the people will support him in preference to another Weeping Water man, and especially one who has already served three years on board, and who comes from the same vicinity in which Commissioner Switzer resides. Mr. Jordan is one of the best men, in every way, in that district. He is a man possessing most excellent busi ness qualities, as his past career would signify, and when it comes to transact ing business for a constituency, that business will have to be done right, or a kick will be registered by Mr. Jordan. Mr. Jordan has been a resident of Greenwood precinct for many years, where by his own energy and good management he has laid up a sufficiency for the veritable "rainy day." Withal, he is a gentleman and scholar, and if elected to the position of commissioner, the tax-payers can expect a careful watch over their interests. He believes in equal justice to all, and will see that in this district this shall be done irre spective of locality. The voters will have done a good day's work when they go to the polls and deposit their ballots for Charles R. Jordan. Partial to the Gentler Sex. That old joker, the stork, seems in his visits to this neighborhood to have exercised his discretionery powers, and is giving more favors to the gentler sex in the gifts he has been making lately. Now, don't think we are kicking. O, No! We are satisfied, for he escort ed a very charming bevy of young ladies to Plattsmouth night before last and has made many hearts happy. He was instrumental in the. creating of a happy event in the south part of the city, when, he rapped at the door of George Klinger, and made George and his good wife the present of the sweetest little girl, to have for all their very own. One could guess how George appreciat ed the gift, for yesterday he was wear ing a smile that would not rub off and anyone could have a cigar for the ask ing. Mother and little one are both do ing well. After the stork had blessed this family, he slipped over across lots to the home of Enos Mason, where he supplied Mr. and Mrs. Mason with a stock of happiness in the shape of a nine pound girl, who is the very picture of her papa. Might Have Been Serious. Last evening Mrs. T. M. Patterson and her sister, who is visiting at the Patterson home, were coming down town after dark in the buggy, one wheel ran upon a pile of crushed rock which had been unloaded just at dark, upsetting the buggy and spilling the oc cupants in the street. When the buggy was overturned the horse became frightened and started to run, dragging Mrs. Patterson, who held to the lines, and stopped him after a few jumps. Both ladies were bruised very badly and as a consequence feel very sore from the result of the mishap. Under the circumstances it is a fortunate thing they were not seriously injured. Had the top of the buggy been up the hances for them escaping would have een less. Peaches for Sale Our peaches are now ripe, and ready for the market. We will be pleased to fill all orders as long as they last. Place your orders now. Dan Kiser. Mynard, Neb. Helped Celebrate Her Birthday At the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. John P. Sattler, the other afternoon in commemorating the forty-second anni versary of the birth of Mrs. Sattler, a number of the friends called anil helped make merry with her. The afternoon was spent in a joyous social time, intercepted with many a laugh and'joke. A large number of useful and very beautiful presents were given as tokens of love and friendship which those present held for their hostess. A delightful luncheon was served and on departing all wished Mr. Sattler many pleasant returns of the occasiou. Those present and participating in fhe pleas ant experiences of the, celebration were: Mesdames E. K. Perttig, H. M. Son nichsen, John Lutz, Peter Coos, Phil lip Theriolf, John Bauer, Jacob Mason, and Misses Julia Teipel, Maggie Jess, Tillie Fanger, Elsie Thierolf, Hellen Lutz and Catherine Lutz. What Do We Want? George Ballance has arranged for a meeting of the citizens with Mr. 1. J. Kaar, of Havelock, who will come here next Monday to talk about the estab lishment of a factory at this place for the making ofjiis corn planter, 'potato planter and loose ground lister. Mr. Kaar will arrive on the Burlington train next Monday at ten o'clock, and will be pleased to meet the citizens and talk the matter over, with a view of locating his factory here. Now the question arises, do we want the indus try, and if so, what are we going to do to secure it? We surely want the industry located here, and we want the additional 150 men in our city that is required to operate the plant. Now let us get af ter the matter in the right way and get it. Robber Seen By Three People C. D. Quinton says he is not parti cularly in love with bloodhounds and that he did not have the hounds at the scene of the man hunt west of Manley, but that Mr. Spence had one there. The exact amount of money taken as per the checked investigation was $1,160. Two men met the robber at the place he entered the corn field, each being armad, one with a shot gun and the other with a rifle, they both knew he was the robber and that he had just got the money. They allowed him to crawl through the fence into the corn field and get away. He was seen by the Wabash mail carrier, trying to emerge from the field on the other side, but he did not know then that a robbery had been com mitted, or he could have apprended him. Caldwell Not Satisfied The following special from Lincoln would indicate that P. A. Caldwell, who came so near defeating Clarke for the republican nomination for railroad commissioner's not altogether satisfied with the result of the primary election. "In an interview secured over the long distance telephone and published in the Lincoln News this afternoon, P. A. Caldwell, defeated candidate for rail way commissioner, said he would not contest the nomination of Mr. Clarke if the official returns showed he had a majority. Caldwell blames Governor Sheldon for the large Clarke vote in Cass county and says he lost many votes in Clay because of his ardent sup port of Sheldon last year. To Senator Norris Brown he returns thanks for the vote in Buffalo county and says that paid him for the efforts he made to se cure the nomination of Mr. Brown for senator. Had Wallace not been in the race he said he believes he would have secured two-thirds of his vote and been nominated. He would like, he said, an explanation of the Douglas county vote." The Western Bees Otto H, Stubin of Omaha is in the city working in the interest of the Western' Bees, a fraternal organization, similar in many respects to a number of other fraternal insurance orders, and wiil endeavor to organize a hive of the order on the 20th cf the month, one week from today. Mr. Stubin is a friend of Col. H. C. McMaken and eeems to be a hustler. They Will Marry. Joseph Zitka and Miss Anna Jelenek have announced in the Holy Rosary church that they will marry on Tuesday, September 24th at the church. Breaking Chain Causes Wreck. While climbing the hill out of Kan oska Wednesday the propeller chain on the threshing engine of Joseph Loyd broke, letting the engine and separator run back down the hill. The separator ran across the road and the engine ran into it, badly damaging them both, but to what extent is not yet known. No one was injured. WILL A NIGHT SCHOOL PAY It Would Be a Great Oppor tunity for Those Who Work all Kay We have often heard it said "that the wheel will never turn with the water that has passed." So it is with opportunity, when it has slipped by us we can no more claim it for our own. There are times and tides which when taken at their full, lead on to fortune and affluence. One of the greatest secrets in any avocation in life is the preparedness of the person aspiring t promotion in any branch. Many are the people who have neglected to make the necessary preparation for the strug gle with the problems in life, which they, with the rest of the human race, must encounter, and have been -im-pelled to admit in later years, that "if I only had an education I could have taken this or that prsit ion. " The fa cilities for acquiring them are better now than before. The one great re quirment is a desire to acquire '.he learning and the Jtierve to apply one self in order to get it. Night schools have sprung up all over the land, where those who have ne glected their opportunities, can receive instruction which in part compensate for what they failed to get in their youth. There has been evinced a desire on the part of many in this community for the establishment of a night school in which a few of the more common and essential branches should be taught. Some whose children have neglected the opportunities, and now see the mistake, and others who wish to know themselves some things which they do not. Many foreigners, who come here we'l advanced in years, do not try to master anything but their own native tongue, and even when they have bus iness to transact they have to have the services of an interpreter. They fail to attempt to learn anything about the language of the country, because of no way. Many of these people want an opportunity to get in touch with this age and generation of the go-a-head American- times. Cannot some of our enterprising citizens who would like to turn an honest dollar and render a last ing benefit to this class of people, in augurate a night school for the w inter L OUR CANDIDATE FOR SHERIFF A. J. Box, a Prominent Farmer of Weeping Water Precinct. The democrats of Cass county were very fortunate in the selection of Mr. A. J. Box for the office of sheriff. They could not, to use the old expression, "if they had raked the country over with a fine tooth comb," found a better man for this position. Mr. Box has resided in Cass county for many years, has never been a can didate for any position, and this is sim ply another case where "the office sought the man and not the man the of fice." Having never had much to do iit a political way, Mr. Box is a stranger in some sections of the county, but take him where the people know him best, and in the estimation of all, republicans? and democrats alike, no citizen stands higher. Being large and robust, he is the very image of true manhood. And his fine countenance denotes the char acter of a genial gentleman in business transactions, and one who will do his duty at all hazards. Our candidate for this responsible po sition is a man well qualified in every way, and when the people see and be come acquainted with him they will soon determine that he is just the man for the place. His friends over in the west part of the county say he is every inch a man, his word is his bond, and all love and respect him. While he has never before been a candidate, it being his first appearance before the public, he may appear a little timid in approch ing the voters, but when he thoroughly becomes acquainted with the people they will soon perceive that A. J. Box is just the proper man to elect to the high position of sheriff of Cass county, and they will never see the day or hour that they will regret their action. The Fuel Question It is a little early to consider the fuej question for this winter, but already the railroads express fear of the car shortage. It is 'very evident that the country has outgrown the railroads, or the ability of the roads to handle tre traffic 1 1