Sketches of the Men Who Make
Loup City a Better Town
JOHN W. LONG.
The subject of this sketch was born
in Clarinda, Iowa, where he received
what education the city schools could
afford and then was thrust upon his
own resources. While a young man
he had the struggles of the ordinary
young man who makes good. He be
gan with a small salary as a clerk
but realized that he would not be con
tented to spend his days behind the
counter of another man's store and,
having a brother in this town, who
was one of the leading attorneys of
the place, John W. Long came west
about twenty-eight years ago and
was so taken with the country and
the people that he at once decided to
make Loup City his future home. At
that time he was not an attorney but
he at once began to study law, for he
saw the future of this country, and
that to succeed, a legal education was
necessary and in a very short time
was admitted to the bar of Sherman
county and often has Mr. Long told
the writer of this sketch of the in
cidents of his early residence in Sher
man county and of the early friend
JOHN W. LONG
ships and attachments formed when
Sherman county was a frontier coun
ty and when the present court house
was a model for the construction of
the then famous sod house. But
times have changed, and with them
those hardy pioneers have ceased to
travel as in those olden times and
now appear in every modern con
veyance according to their thrift and
energy. The same with the subject
of this sketch. He is no longer the
clerk behind the counter. No longer
the beginner in strivings and com
radships in a new county, but through
effort and industry and good habits
he enjoys the patronage and respect
of all the older residents of the coun
ty and is generally loved by all who
know him.
Mr. Long has sold more lands than
most any other man in Nebraska and
those who have dealt with him once
are ready and pleased to deal with
him again. His business consists in
looking after the matters of those
who have once lived in Sherman coun
ty and who are now non-residents but
who have interests here to be looked
after as well as in the old lines
undertaken years ago and pushed to
such a successful issue.
Mr. Long is interested in the best
interprises in the county and state
and is always found supporting every
forward movement that has for its ob
ject the future happiness of our citi
zens. When interested in an enter
prise he knows no bounds to the ef
forts that he puts into it but pushes
to the accomplishment of his object
with all the energy that he possesses.
Many are the men who now own com
fortable homes, who but for the in
sistence of Mr. Long, would be rent
ing today. He saw the future of this
country and urged all of his friends
to buy, when to buy was great gain
and these men are not slow nor spar
ing of their thanks and praise of his
judgment.
Mr. Long has had an expression of
the favor by which he is held in the
offices he has been permitted to serve
the people but he was not willing to
spare from his business the time
necessary to make politics his aim
and he has passed by several requests
to accept nomination for office, when
nominations meant election, to posi
tions that would have been the acme
of many a capable man’s political
areer. Mr. Long is a forceful and
convincing speaker with a remarkable
memory and is often called to differ
ent parts of this state and to other
states to deliver addresses before
educational and patriotic meetings
and gatherings and before K. of P.
lodge meetings and convention, of
which organization he is Past Grand
Chancellor of the Domain of Nebras
ka.
S. E. GALLAWAY.
S. E. Gallaway, business manager
of the Hayhurst & Gallaway hard
ware company, is an old time citizen.
He came here in July 1883. His ex
perience in the hardware and im
plement line dates back to 1885 when
he first represented P. J. Jones of
York. Nebraska, selling implements
on the northwest corner of the Gas
teyer block. In 1897 he associated
himself with E. S. Hayhurst, one of
the leading hardware merchants of
the city and together they built up an
excellent business. The brick hard
ware store in which this business is
carried on is one of the largest and
best that can be found in the west.
After Mr. Hayhurst’s death Mr. Gall
away assumed the business, Mrs.
R. L. ARTHUR
HENRY M. ELSNER
GUS LORENTZ
Hayhurst, however, retaining some
financial interest in the business.
The large building is well filled, ail
the available floor space being oc
cupied with stoves, implements,!
wagons, buggies and a complete line-1
of heavy and light harness. Added
to these the mammoth string of
shelves and cabinets are heavily
loaded with all kinds of shelf goods. I
including a full line of builder’s hard
S. E. GALLAWAY
ware, and the large warehouse to the
rear is full of windmills, steel tanks
and the celebrated American steel
fencing.
Going back to the date of Mr. Gal
laway's advent to this country we
note that he was here before the rail
road came and that he experienced
some of the difficulties during the
pioneer days. In fact Sam says that,
he got a piece of “that air ox" at the '
barbecue and witnessed the incom
ing of the first train.
As a public service man, Mr. Gal
iaway has been much in demand.
He served as mayor, as president of:
the sehool board and now is chief of
the fire department and president of
tlie Commercial club.
JAMES BARTUNEK.
James Bartunek, proprietor of the
leading harness and repair shop in
Loup City, carries a large stock of
harness and has a complete supply 1
of leather and repairs for the trade.
He has also recently added a full line
of shelf and neavy hardware. Mr.
Bartunek located in St. Paul in 1S!H' |
t.-here he started i 1 business. lie j
was not without his share of ill luck.'
however. For two years he did a
successful business, thru he lost near
ly everything he Ha cl by fire. On July
2G, 1S‘J4, his shop with all its contents
was burned to Mie ground. With a
very small capital, the savings of the
few years that followed, he started
up in business in ISilo at Ashton
where he did a successful business !
for three years when lie closed out on ]
account of hard times and accepted '
a more lurative position with Har- i
phan Brothers in their harness fac
tory at Lincoln, which position he oc
cupied for a few months and then at >
a still better salary took the posi
tion as foreman in the Farmer’s har- I
ness shop at that place. Thus it
was that Mr. Bartunek was able to
amass a sufficient sum to start busi
ness again, anil in 1902 he again
started up at Ashton. In 1908 he
came to Loup City, and bought the
harness shop first established by
Draper Brothers and has operated
it ever since to the satisfaction of
his many customers and with profit
to himself. He is sole proprietor of
the large harness and hardware store
where he now is,, has purchased the
lot and building and has also built
a fine residence in the city.
And this is not all that Mr. Bar
tunek has done, or is doing. He has
a family of nine children all of which
he is giving the best educational ad
vantages possible. Two of them are
graduates and the others of school
igo are attending the city schools.
Mr. Bartunek is not unmindful of
the liberal patronage and appreeia
t on his customers have evinced foi
f’.ie good work he has been turning
out, and wishes us to say in this con
JAMES BARTUNEK
nection that he also very much ap
preciates their support. We can say
with a feeling of pride that he is giv
ing Loup City one of the best har
ness shops that can be found in the
west.
C. C. COOPER.
C. C. Cooper came to Loup City,
January 12, 1902 from St. Paul, Nebr.
He first managed a branch general
merchandise store here for the firm
of Jensen & Christian of St. Paul.
This position he occupied for one
year when he bought out the busi
ness and conducted it in his own
name for several years. On August
15, 1908, he sold out and accepted a
position with a firm in Council Bluffs.
Iowa. About May 1, 1909, he en
tered the employ as traveling sales
man for the Loup City Mill & Light
Progressive Citizens Main Factor
in Building Up Town
Company which position he held for
ive years. In 1913 he re-established
■.imself in the general mercantile
business in our city and carries a
omplele line of goods..
Mr. Cooper has always been a
oooster for Loup City and Sherman
ounty. His services as salesman
or the Loup City brand of flour is
aid to have been of great value, not
ally to the mill company but it has
>een a boom to the best interest of
he general public, which he repre
;ented. In fact, he has just recent
ly been prevailed upon to leave his
msiness to Mrs. Cooper and his force
of clerks and make a flying trip over
the old territory in the interest of the
C. C. COOPER
mill. He went, and as a consequence,
several car loads of flour has been
shipped out.
Mr. Cooper's general stock of mer
chandise is complete and he is now
enjoying his full share of the public
patronage.
LOU SCHWANER.
Lou Schwaner, jeweler and music
dealer. Mr. Schwaner carries a full
line of Jewelry, Pianos and Musical
instruments. He is a Nebraska boy
in the fullest sense of the term. His
parents came to Nebraska and home
steaded four and one-half miles
northeast of Arcadia, in Valley coun
ty in 1882, and on March 6, 1883,
Lou was born in the “little old sod
shanty on the claim.” It was a
little one room soddy, was Lou’s
birthplace, where for four years he
lived, when he moved with his par
ents to Ord. When old enough he
entered the public schools at that
place and continued climbing the
ladder until he reached the top
round. In 1905 he went to work in
a jewelry store at Ord and a year
later he bought out his employer and
continued the business until 1909
when he sold out and moved to Idaho.
His stay in Idaho was of short dura
tion, however, and he soon returned
to Ord. Mr. Schwaner came to Loup
City in October 1910 and bought out
the jewelry interest of W. T. Chase.
Since that time he has built up an ex
cellent trade as well as having identi
fied himself with the best interests
of the town. He is clever an active
in all games of amusement as well
as being one of the leading spirits in
musical and entertaining programs.
His clerical services has been recog
nized by the people and he now holds
the office of township clerk of Loup
City township.
Mr. Schwaner carries a large stock
LOU SCHWANER
ill his line. His shelves and cases
are well loaded with goods for the
holiday trade and all the available
floor space is taken up with pianos
and musical instruments. He handles
nothing but the best make of goods
and gives his customers value re
ceived with every purchase.
GUS LORENTZ.
Gus Lorentz came to Loup City
from Aurora, Neb., in 1902 and
started an exclusively clothing estab
lishment. He built the large brick
building where the Mercantile Com
pany operates and soon after as
sociated himself with other parties
from Aurora in the general mercan
tile trade. After a time it became
evident that the building was too
small for such an immense stock, so
he severed his connections with the
company, taking over the clothing
department and re-establishing him
i self in that business again. He
moved across the street to the old
Nightingale building which he pur
chased. That his business has
flourished and prospered is attested
by the fact that he has since put up
another brick business house and a
fine residence. These buildings were
built in the fall of 1911.
BUYING HERE
MEANS HOLIDAY MAKING
JL
Appropriate (Sifts 3ffor
f sung auii ©16
CJ Christmas shoppers will find
at this store a complete line of toys
and dolls for the children; dinner
sets and fancy dishes; gloves, hosiery
and fancy handkerchiefs. Em
broideried novelties and many other
useful and valuable articles.
tj An endless assortment of fine
candies and nuts.
X
JL
JL
M. LESCHINSKY
Dealer in Reliable General Merchandise
ORE and more every day Ford cars
are becoming a necessary link in every
aggressive commercial organization.
Especially are Ford cars becoming the
Salesman’s and Farmer’s utility. The
city Salesman, the Traveling Salesman
and the Farmer going through the coun
try all find in the Ford car the shortest
cut to largest results. Through its service time is doubled.
For the salesmen, more customers can be seen; for the
farmer, much less loss of time from his work, especially in
times when every minute of work counts. The exhiliration
of driving and fresh air gives “pep” to effort. Ford cars
have proven more economical than any other method of
transportation. Ford cars cost less to operate than any
other motor car. Anyone with ordinary intelligence can
drive a Ford car; can look after a Ford, because there is
no intricate mechanism, nothing hard to understand, noth
ing to confuse or mistify.
A. C. OGLE, Local Agent
LOUP CITY, NEBRASKA
