Short Sketch of Sherman County
and the Present Officials
By PEARLE NEEDHAM.
Sherman county is located in the
oast central part of Nebraska, and
the Middle Loup river like a silver
thread winds in and out, from the
northwest corner to the southeast
comer of the county, making a broad
fertile valley with rolling plains
sloping on either side. Forty odd
years of habitation and cultivation
have changed the desert waste to
a flourishing garden. The strong
arm and dominant will of the sturdy
pioneer have wrought the transfor
mation. Where once were the sod
huts and dugouts, the early homes of
these people, we see large modern
farm houses, ample barns, and
granaries filled to overflowing with
the products of the soil. Where a
few short years ago we saw the
roaming buffalo, and elk, the cattle
feed upon a thousand hills, and they
are fat, too.
Not long since, the farmer plowed
his weary way hack and forth across
his field behind a yoke of oxen
dragging a plow, turning one furrow
at a time; now, while his blooded
horses rest in their comfortable
stalls, he sits beneath an umbrella,
on the tractor seat, turning from
three to six furrows each time across
his field.
The automobiles are fast taking
the place of tlie good old driving
teams of the farmer. When he
wants to go to town, his team rests
and he is whizzing away to the city
in about the length of time it used
to take him to get his team ready,
in fact if Henry Ford should come to
Sherman county, he would think
this a small Detroit. The cities of
the county are enterprising, progres
sive, and wide awake. Many indus
tries we find, employing several men,
and it is not surprising with such a
people, that the wealth of the coun
ty has increased so rapidly in the
past ten years. In 1905 the valua
tion of all property, real and personal
was approximately $5,850,000, while
in 1915 it was $16,600,000, showing
uimost a threefold increase.
It is surely a credit to the people
who have made it. It is the indus
t ry, and the stick-to-it-iveness of the
early settlers that have made this
a land of plenty, and marvelous
growth. The splendid improvements
we find in the towns and on the
farms testify to the up-to-dateness
: d progressiveness of this people.
Only one spot left to mar the beauty
of the “land scape” hereabouts.
The old county court house is stand
ing there still;
But the days of its youth have fled.
For the last forty years it has stood
in that block.
And the people who built it are
dead.
The floor boards are warped, and
bent out of shape,
The walls are all molded and gray,
The windows all rattle, and the doors
all squeak
And the joists have begun to decay.
The stairs are all shaky and fill one
with dread,
Although we must climb them each
day.
The roof leaks a stream when ever it
rains
And the outside is fast crumbling
away.
Its dear to our hearts is the old coun
ty court house,
As it stands there so bleak and for
lorn
We have had it so long that its hard
to give up,
But if a new one were builded—
who’d mourn?
But with the paying off of the coun
ty indebtedness, which will be done
with the 1915 levy, we are sure the
good people of this county will show
the same sturdy true-hearted spirit
that has characterized the settlers
from early days on down, and erect
a court house that will be a credit
to them and to the generation to
come.
SHERMAN COUNTY OFFICERS.
If any one in the good old state
of Nebraska can produce a more
genial or more handsome bunch 'of
county officials, why we’re from Nis
souri.
Always they treat the public with
i he greatest cortesy, and are ever
obliging, and send their callers away
with a smile that repeats the spoken
invitation, "Come again."
Since gray hairs should he honored
lirst, let us intorduce to you our
sheriff "Dad” Williams as he is
familiarly called. Since 18S3, he has
been a resident of the county. A
civil war veteran, of two enlistments,
the first in the 7tli Wis. and later in
the 13rd Wis. of which he was made
lieutenant. His reputation for marks
manship makes the culprit hide in
fear and trembling and keep shy of
his jurisdiction. He has served as
sheriff since 1904.
F. M. Henry came to Sherman
county about 1898. He was with the
Ravenna Creamery company for
several years until in 1912, he lef
their employ to assume the duties
of custodian and collector of the
county’s funds, which is not an
envious position for the County
Trea-surer, regardless of everything
gets the blame for high taxes, dear
readers.
E. A. Smith. 13th County Judge of
Sherman county, in 1S83 in company
with H. L. Bell of Webster township
arrived in this, the garden spot of
Nebraska, on board a Prairie
Schooner, the chief mode of travel in
those days. Since that time he has
been farmer, merchant, attorney,
shoe maker and school teacher,
the vicissitudes of a pioneer life
which is the making of the true sons
Board of Supervisors of Sherman County
of Nebraska. Since 1910 he has been
meteing out justice to the erring ones
of the county, ami his judicial mein
and wisdom give him the appearance
of a supreme justice, all he lacks, be
ing the robe.
Charles Bass of towering stately
form and bass voice is custodian of
the records of the district court.
He doles out judgments and divorce
decrees with a sparing hand and has
become an expert at deeipering court
proceedings. His merry “good morn
ing” will drive away the “blue
devils,” and he is the proverbial
roails and carried more chains than
any other surveyor of Sherman coun
ty. But when all is said and done,
when E. B. Corning cannot locate a
government corner there is no use
for any one else to try.
Dr. A. S. Main has been a practi
cing physician of Sherman county
for a number of years. The arduous
duties of County Coroner rests light
ly on his broad shoulders, and he re
ports vital statistics, looks into the
causes of violent deaths, with the
calm dignity of one to the mauoi
born.
DAN MCDONALD
District No. 4.
W. O. BROWN
District No. 3.
F. T. RICHMOND
District No. 7.
JOHN WtLTV Chairman
District No 2.
E. F. KOZEL
District No. 5.
WENZEL REWOLINSKI
District No. 1.
Happy Hooligan” of the court house,
and he's never been known to have
a grouch on since he came to Sher
man county in 18S7.
E. B. Corning, our genial County
Surveyor, has occupied that position'
since Christopher Columbus dis
covered America, or perhaps it has
been only since the signing of the
Declaration of Independence. At any
rate he has located more corners,
set more stakes, straightened more
HIYO ADEN
District No.6.
L. 13. Polski, a native son of Sher
man county, very ably graces the of
fice of County Clerk, having been
splendidly fitted for the clerical work
of that office by several years of
banking experience. He filled the of
fice of deputy clerk for three years
under the late W. C. Dieterichs, and
then being appointed to fill vacancy
and afterward elected to office.
L. L. Stephens, born and raised in
Sherman county, also, is splendidly
equipped to fill the office of County
Attorney, being a graduate of the
University of Nebraska, one of the
best Universities in the United
States. A young man of sterling
worth, he will no doubt occupy a high
position in the realm of law, some
day in the future.
U. H. Currier, Superintendent of
public instruction, has been promi
nent in educational circles of the
county for several years. The schools
of the county are in a flourishing
condition as a result of his efforts.
That he is very popular with the
■chool ma'ams of the county is evi
ienced by the large institute attend
nee each year.
County Assessor W. T. Owens has
ived in Loup City since August 1885.
He is a veteran of the civil war.
Inflated in Company 1 second Wiscon
■in Cavalry and w'as never killed,
rounded or taken prisoner that he
an remember of. Before entering
he army he had served three years
■iprenticeship learning the carpen
ter trade, to which occupation he re
turned on his return home when that
little unpleasantness was over in
December , 1865. In 1871-2 he was
along the Missouri river, building
churches on Indian reservations;
then went to Chicago to help rebuild
that city after the fire. Then he re
lumed to Wisconsin for a few years
In the winter of 1878-9 he went to
Leadville, Colorado, to try the game
of get rich quick, but old Dame For
tune wouldn't smile on him. On ar
riving in Loup City in August, 18S5,
he went into the contracting and
building business which he followed
until he was appointed postmaster
at Loup City and filled that position
from January 1, 1899, to February,
1909. He was elected and served as
city assessor in 1910 and 1911 and
was elected county assessor in 1912
for four years and is ready now to
draw cuts with Teddy to see who
will take the head of the ticket next
year.
S. H. Richmond the latest acquisi
tion to the court house bunch, fills
the office of deputy County Clerk.
He came to Sherman county about
ten .years ago and has since made
it his home. His cheerful smile and
ever willingness to oblige makes him
a very efficient deputy.
Mrs. Anna May, the pleasant little
lady, who as clerk assists in the cler
ical work of the County Judge’s of
fice, is getting to be an expert in the
issuing of marriage licenses. When
in need of same, call upon her, she
will help you into difficulties.
Pearle Needham, a native born
daughter of Sherman county, has
years. She very smiling and
graciously relieves all callers at the
office of their spare change, and al
though they often glare at her wrath
fully, they haven't the heart to
grumble much because she's so ex
tremely polite about it.
R. M. Hiddleson, ex county treas
urer, helps out at the treasurer's of
fice, once in a while during the
busiest seasons. He is an old resi
dent, having come to this county in
1S80. He is jolly and good natured
and ever ready to please.
The county board of supervisors
is composed of seven members; they
are all farmers and are splendid
representatives of the countie's in-1
dustrious tillers of the soil, except
E. F. Ivozel of Rockville, who is a
merchant, but interested in the farm
ing business, anyway.
There is Welty who graces the chair
And assumes a most dignified air.
And there’s Brown who is jolly and
fat—
No one need ever deny that.
McDonald, who’s lanky and lean—•
But you never dare say that he’s
mean,
Rewolinski of Polish decent,
Who is ever on business intent,
And Richmond who wears a broad
smile,
Regardless of weather, it’s there all
the while.
The handssomest man on the board
is Kozel,
But don’t let him know it or his
head might swell.
Then Aden, who does not know how
to frown—
Everyone is aware when he reaches
town.
This is the roll of the board, tried and
true.
The best bunch of fellows you ever
knew.
NEBRASKA.
By Carl E. Herring, in the National
Magazine.
The sun never shone on a country
more fair
Than beautiful, peerless Nebraska;
There’s life in the kiss of her rare
fied air,
Nebraska, contented Nebraska.
Her sons are all valiant and noble
and bright,
Her beautiful daughters are just
about right.
And her babies, God bless them—are
clear out of sight;
That crop never fails in Nebraska.
Her homes are alight with the halo
of love,
Nebraska, prolific Nebraska;
They bask in the smiles of the
heavens above,
No clouds ever darken Nebraska:
Her grain waves as billows of gold
in the sun,
The fruit of her orchards are equalled
by none.
And her melons, some of them weigh
’most a ton.
They challenge the world In Ne
braska.
Her girls are sweet models of maiden
ly grace,
In that modern Eden, Nebraska;
They’re perfect of figure and love
ly of face.
That’s just what they are in Ne
braska.
Their smiles are bewitching and win
ding and sweet,
Their dresses are stylish, yet modest
and neat;
A Trilby would envy their cute little
feet,
In beautiful, peerless Nebraska.
When the burdens of life I'm called
to lay down,
I hope I may be in Nebraska;
I never could ask a more glorious
crown
Than one of the sod of Nebraska.
And when the last trump wakes the
land and the sea,
And the tombs of the earth set their
prisoners free,
You may all go aloft, if you choose,
but for me,
I think I’ll Just stay in Nebraska.
We Don’t Handle
HoUdati Goods
But we do handle necessities that appeal to the shoppers who
have put in a busy day buying gifts for friends and relatives.
After a strenuous day the shopper is pretty certain to be
hungry and will appreciate a good dinner or supper. Take
home an order of our
Steaks, Chops, Ham, Cutlets,
Oysters, Fish, Celery
and Mixed Pickles
and you will find yourself much refreshed after enjoying the
same. Our stock of meats is always fresh and reliable and
there is no limit to the different cuts you may prefer. We
also carry a standard line of relishes, sweet and dill pickles, etc.
Our Line of Hams and
Bacons Are the Best
Pioneer Meat Market
O. L. TOCKEY, Proprietor
•%
J
fCaxwEll
TKe Wondei* Car”
WE arc always pleased to demonstrate
this car to prospective buyers. If you arc
figuring on the purchase of a car drop in at our
garage and let us tell why they call the Maxwell
“The Wonder Car.”
OmMcm’MoknrEp
Demountable K«r
j, * f0J*Electric.
fQJJ^
'ElectricStarter
\ectxklxjf®
Ignition
r.oa- oa-raoit'
of expert workmen
01 c . _»nnirs and
Our repair *»«>«« f«* UI,C «1 «*•“
ana eqn'PP'O wim *
:rr!--WAite
LOUP CITY.