Tib® V®n neb||ska h MMXS C. OLSON, SmfitrinUnJmi •TATI IIITUICU lOCIIfT Each year on the third Sunday in August the former residents and families of former residents of the old Nebraska ghost town of Rock Bluff gather at Hutchin son’s Grove, five miles south of Plattsmouth, for a reunion. In do ing so, they keep alive a colorful but almost forgotten chapter of Nebraska’s history. Though virtually nothing re mains to tell of its former glory, Rock Bluff during territorial days was one of Nebraska’s thriving river towns, and a contender for honors as the metropolis of the trans-Missouri region. According to a map accompany ing an article by Dr. G. H. Gil more of Murray on ghost towns in Cass County (Nebraska His tory, July-Sept., 1937), Rock Bluff was founded Jan. 6, 1856. The town soon developed into an im portant outfitting point for freight wagons crossing the plains, and the Rock Bluff landing was vis ited regularly by Missouri River steamers. A pioneer college, Naomi Institute, flourished for a number of years under the direction of Prof. Joseph Patterson. Perhaps the most notable inci dent in the town’s history is fur nished by the ballot box that went to dinner. In the election of 1866, Nebraska’s voters were deciding whether the territory should be come a state, and if statehood was achieved, whether the first offi cers would be Republican or Democratic. David Butler headed the ticket of the former and J. Sterling Morton the latter. The political parties were quite evenly divided in the territory and the election was close. In Rock Bluff precinct, 107 votes were cast for the Democrats against only 47 for the Repub licans, enough to put Cass County in the Democratic column. The county canvassers decided, how ever, that because the ballot box had been taken to the home of one of the election officials over | the noon hour the votes of Rock Bluff precinct would have to be thrown out. By virtue of this action Cass County went Republican, and its representatives furnished the edge in the legislature that enabled Re publicans to elect Nebraska’s first two United States Senators, John W. Thayer and Thomas W. Tipton. Because of this celebrated case, Rock Bluff achieved a permanent place in Nebraska’s political his tory. When the railroad came through Omaha, however, Rock Bluff like many another river town went into a serious decline, until today it reposes among the rather numerous ghost towns of Cass and other eastern Nebraska counties. TYPEWRITERS ANT MAKE SOLD RENTED REPAIRED , Nebraska Typewriter Co. ( ISO No. lsih St. Phone 2-21A7 Lincoln, Neb. _ i LINOLEUMS TILES METALS SHADES VENETIAN BLINDS EXPERT INSTALLATION AMERICAN LINOLEUM l SHADE CO. 114 No. 14 2-0723 PHONE 2-1777 MANGEL'S Feminine Apporel Pft5 ''O” STREET LINCOLN, NEB* NEGROES START TO SEEK NEW OUTLET Negroes made practically no economic progress during the first generation of their freedom. Because of this, they began to think of ways to escape from this condition. They organized into labor unions and held their first convention of this sort in 1869, i but this wasn’t the answer to their problems. Thousands turned to the ministry, for in this field they felt that they could have the opportunity to attain leadership and independence. Many of these men who turned to the ministry were undesirables and exploited the people, but there were many that were sin cere in their Christian work. Some of the ministers were very successful and did much to aid the Negro in his struggle for “real” citizenship. Then the Negroes began to mi grate to the North in large num bers. The majority of these who migrated during this time went to Kansas. “This movement was organized by two widely known race leaders who thereby at tained distinction. They were Henry Adams of Louisiana and Benjamin, or “Pap” Singleton of Tennessee. By circulation of state ments as to the opportunities in ! the West, these leaders interested between 100,000 and 200,000 Ne groes of the Mississippi Valley, although not more than one fourth or one-fifth of this num ber actually went west. — Carter G Woodsom. Colgate clock in New York har bor, with an illuminated dial 38 feet in diameter is the largest clock in the world. The First National Bank1 of Lincoln 10th A “O” St. Member F.DJLC. THE EVANS CLEANERS — LAUNDERERS Save Monej/ Use our Cash and Carry Plan 333 No. 12th Si. Dial 2-6961 10.-25.. 39* : Lincoln* Favorite Potato Chip ! LET DONLEY STAHL CO. 1331 N St I B—UR—DRUGGIST Umberger’s 2-2424 1110 Q funeral and Ambulance Serv ice. Verna purke. Roy Bheaff. Oarold; Rohrbaucn. Fiord Cmberser Famdte* 2-5050 Wife Sues Boxer, Armstrong For Divorce LOS ANGELES. (ANP). A fa mous couple, married 15 years, apparently came to the parting of the ways last week when Mrs. Willa Mae Armstrong filed suit for divorce from her husband, former triple champion Henry Armstrong. • Mrs. Armstrong is charging ex treme mental and physical cruelty. She is asking custody of their daughter, Lanetta, 12, and a set tlement of the Armstronfe estate, valued at $50,000. M[rs. Armstrong recently re turned home from a visit with her family in Texas. FEPC A ‘Truman Must’ Says Rep. Sabath of Illinois WASHINGTON. (ANP). Rep. A1 Sabath of Illinois said Presi dent Truman has labeled fair employment practices legislation a “must” at this session of Con gress. Sabath is chairman of the powerful house rules committee which virtually controls legisla tion going through the house. The proposed FEPC law is the section of the President’s civil rights program most bitterly fought by the south. i"11" . ■■■■" ~~~ 7, AMERICA’S ! iJL Uhtt • tlMwm • °f room bocomo if* | **r octioo to weother-sealod . that, by Impregiiolo! ( bi-*wiofl bod! ^ 11 - .tv4M| • Mammoth • . ochots hold all adiuetaMo w o yoor outdoor J woods! RWMffls Everything ynu demand in a He-Man jarket. GOLD’S. . Balciny * I. | I I i 1 i i