Richardson County An Empire
of Agricultural Wealth.
Falls City. Its Capital A Busy Town of Enterprising Citizens
and the home of Prosperous Men, Who Keep Abreast of
Progress in the Best of Its Modern Madifestations
Cnder the above head and sur
rounded by fine half-tone cuts of
different scenes in and closi toi
Falls City, the Omaha Dee oT |
Sunday. Dec. 20th, lias this to j
say of us;
There are three great pictures1
of southeastern Nebraska. One
that was, one that is, and one
(bat is to be, 'The early western
'ife was primitive, but it never
was the life of a peasantry. Tor
more than ball a century the far
mer lias been tilling Richardson
county, but he is just beginning
to learn how to use it, how to en
rich himself from it, how to en
oy it, how rdlly to feel the mas
tery over it. In the recent his
tory of Richardson county, one
fact stands out vividly: the day
of speculation and experiment lias
passed away, substantial business
progress based on plans of per
mancy lias succeed it. New gen
erations are coining on the stage,
new enterprises are being devel
oped, new territory is being open
ed through the adoption of new
farming methods to the existing
conditions. It is an unending
procession of home seeking and
home-building, ard it continues
today with as regular a move
ment as it possessed forty years
ago. It is one of the great fac
tors in the development of Rich
ardson county.
This whole eastern pai't of the
state has broadened, expanded
and matured within the last few
years. Wider knowledge of pos
sibilities, firmer grasp of oppor
(unities and richer resources mark
it than at any time in its history.
The traveler who has only seen
eastern Nebraska from the car
window could say the same if
they had passed over it in a bal
loon or sailed by it in a boat. To
see and know the state reouires
more than a day, a week or a
month. The saddle is indispensa
ble to the full enjoyment of Rich
ardson county. T li e rolling
farms and wooded streams are
always beconing the rider. Many
a delicate woman finds her way
where she wishes without escort
and careless of fashion in mount
ing. Either she is bent on re
cruiting her health, or means to
have a good time, or has business
reuniting her attention. The
Ikirlington and Missouri Pacific
ir.iins steam past the farm homes
a i! through the great corn fields,
ni'd the rural mail carrier trots
bv with In-, portion of forty miles
>> suburban mail delivery, He*
t"ie i n.g be trolley lines will be
1 <1 in re.
cabs fi‘v is the commercial
c ..erol Ev'nr Is'," -on>1 ♦ v. Tfroj'
a lollar anywhere in the vounti
and it will i\dl into Falls Citv as j
natural as water runs down hill. |
l nc old time idea ot producing
raw material only is passing away.
The manufacturing era is to be
next on the western stage. The
county has eight (louring mills,
one vinegar factory, one canning
factory and a pressed brick plant
employing thirty men. T h e
county lias 2,100 farms, with
-00,000 acres under cultivation.
The last season the countv pro
duced 25,000 acres ol winter
wheat and 20.000 acres of oats
B.nd 100,000 acres of corn. The
county also has 80,000 acres in
tame grasses.
Richardson county is the banner
county of the state as a fruit-pro
ducing section, consisting largely
of apples, pears, peaches, plums
and cherries. They have 200,000
apple trees, 10,000 pear, 80,000
peach and 78,000 plum trees. The
products sold from the farms are
about as follows. Hogs, $1.200,-1
000; cattle, $(,00,000; corn, $750,
000; oats, $100,000; apples, $100.
000- On these farms the dairy
industry is attracting more and
more attention each year, but
while there are 10,000 cows to
supply the demand,but 700 cream)
separators are in use in the coun
tv. This county is fortunate in
ha ving 70 miles ol railroad with
in its borders and 20,000 acres of
timber land along the streams
The county will soon add 40,000
acres of the best tillable land to1
its area by a drainage system to
cost $280,000.
Richardson is not one of the
small counties of the state, as it
has 560 square miles and the pop
ulation is 24,000. Falls City, the
county seat of the county, has
4.000 inhabitants and was estab
lished in 1857; Humboldt has
1.500; Rulo. 1,000; Stella 7u0,and
Salem, once the county seat.with
Dawson and Verdon, each have
about 500 population, and all ex
cellent shipping points for a rich
farming country. Shubert has
but 200 people, but is one of the
best little shipping points in the
state.
There are 110 school houses in
the county with 130 teachers.
This excellent school system has
attracted the best class of citizens
and the social atmosphere is of
the highest order. This county
is, fortunately, on the line that is
not too hot or too dry, and has
the happy medium of 32 inches of
rainfall. Natural conditions are
ideal. It enjoys the warm south
ern winds ot winter seasons and
the cool, pure breeze during the
long summers. Nor is there one
of these features that is not
already giving somebody some
tiling to do. something new and
full of thrift, something new and
encouraging in the prospect it of
fers for the prosperity and pro
gress of tomorrow. A glowing
new life has come upon h’ichard
son county. Things are doing
again as they did in the immi
grant day and in the sixties.
Hut it is as impossible to ignore
Falls City as it is to ignore the
great Missouri river. The city
is an ever present factor. Its
location gives it command of the
commerce of the valley. It has
had a steady growth from the
start- People went to Falls City,
not because it was advertised, for
it was not; not because it was
boomed, for it was not; not be
cause of its hospitality, for it was
anything but hospitable in early
days, but they went because they
could make money there. The
city's position gave it advantages
over any other city of the county
advantages that will always
keep it supreme. And so great
were the opportunities, so vast
the development, and so impor
taut the commerce which continu
ed to How that all who came pros
pered. The city grew for the
same reason that a great bank
grows because o f its utility.
And it grew in much the same
way that a bank grows, with no
hubbub, no shouting, no booming
of any kind; it grew because of a
normal, inevitable demand that
it should grow.
Falls City must be studied and
understood to be appreciated. It
will never shout to attract atten
tion. It is a stranger to what is
known as the hot air method of
exploitation! The city is indebt
ed very largely to its present
Commercial club for its progres
sive methods and unusual pros
perity. The people are not wor
rying about how much popula
tion the city has. “What differ
ence does it make to us what city
in the valley is the largest,” said
one of the Commercial club.
“Falls City has an interest in all
of them." This lack of brag is
more than compensated for by
the intense affection that the
city's sons and daughters feel for
their homes. This pride and
fondness is contagious. It is the
same pride that a craftsman feels
in his handiwork, the inventor in
his creation, and the wife in her
home.
THE LOCAL LORE
■-— ■ I
HAPPENINGS OF INTEREST TO
YOU AND ME
What Your Friends and Their
Friends Have Been Doing the
Past Week
ICdgar Schock is home for the
holidays,
John Hall of Yerdon, Sundayed
in this city.
(irace Cronin oi Rule, visited
relatives here Sunday.
John Hutchings is atCriggsby,
Ind., visiting relatives.
Mrs. I». A. Rose and son. Wes
1 *y. of Salsm, were in town Tues
d a y.
Mrs. Walter V eac li and Nelliei
| Weaver were Yerdon visitors here j
T uesda y.
Mrs. Rebecca Brinegar of
Salem, visited Mrs. Arthur Harris
Tuesday.
J. G. McGinnis of Dawson, re
newed his faith in the Tribune!
this week.
Walter Boyle of Omaha, is in
the city visiting his mother, Mrs.
J. C Yutzy.
Mrs. Frank Snyder and Miss
Anna Pyle were up from Pres
ton. Tuesday,
Miss Josephine Graves came
home from Fremont to spend her
Christmas vacation.
Dorothy Morehead, who is at
tending school at Lincoln, is
home for Christmas.
Mrs. Lillian Stephenson and
baby, are visiting the former's
grandparents at Lincoln.
The Episcopal ladies will hold
a food exchange at the Electric
theater, Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Fordyce came down from
! Lincoln and is a Christmas guest
at the home of W. II. Maddox.
Basil Boyle and wife will re
main in the city at the home of
Dr Yutzy until after Christmas.
F. F. Page and wife of Troy,
Kansas, are in the city visiting
their daughter, Mrs. Dr. Rene
ker.
Mrs. Bruno Hanson and baby
are visiting at the home of the
former’s parents, Dr. and Mrs.
Kerr.
Nap DeMers a n d daughter
Grace, will spend Christmas with
the former’s brother, in South
Dakota.
Mrs. Edward Wilcox came in
from Burlington, Col., to spend
Christmas with her mother, Mrs.
Jenkins.
Jake Bloom of Verdon, has
purchased the Morris property
and is moving his family here
this week.
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Weaver left
Tuesday for White Pigeon,Mich.,
to spend Christmas with Mrs.
Weaver's home folks
Miss Mattie Shilling and sister,
of Bloomington, 111., are in the
city, guests at the home of their
sister, Mrs. Sam Mower.
Dr. Lawrence and sister, Miss
Pearl, are spending a few days
at Western, Neb., with Mrs.
Elizabeth Carney and daughters.
Mr*, John Sloan of Norcater,
Kas., returned home Tuesday, af
ter a short visit with her cousin,
Arthur Harris and family, in this
city.
Mrs. Will Sears will return
Sunday from Denver, where she
has been for some time helping to
care for her daughter, Mrs. Klva
Vincent,
G. H. Simpson, who is attend
ing school in Columbus, Mo.,
spent a few days in this city with
his brother, R. B. Sitnson, on his
way to Ins home at Wahoo.
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Walker of
Council Bluffs, are rejoicing over
the arrival of a baby boy, born
Saturday. Mrs. Walker was form
erly Miss Alice Hutchings, of
this city.
Harvy Hudson was down from
Humboldt Wednesday, with a
load ot those fine home grown
sweet potatoes, for which he has
become the premium grower of
the state. While here he renewed
his faith in this family journal.
What's a Good
Newspaper?
The Tribune tells the news as faith
fully and truthfully as it can, without fear
and without favor, and comments on it
with the best intelligence it can command.
The Tribune is in league with all men
and women who think, and with all the
agencies that strive for the happiness of
the people.
The Tribune shields no wrong that
ought to be exposed and stops at no truth
that ought to be uttered.
The Tribune does not lend itself to the
making of strife between citizens, neither
rages like a demagogue nor weeps like a
charlatan.
The Tribune has ideals, believes in
progress, and wins its way by courage,
plain speaking and fair dealing.
The Tribune assembles each week as
much of the good things that are done in
the world as it can find and no more of the
foul than it must.
The Tribune has political opinions and
may belong to a party, but it cannot be an
organ and keep the high faith of the best
journalism.
The Tribune knows no boss, leans to
no petty satrap of office, and owes no alle=
giance but to that which is believed to be
true.
The Tribune is run on business princi
pies and should make money and prosper
like any other business, but probably
won’t if that is its sole aim.
The Tribune takes a cheerful view of
the world, is kind to human failing, and
helps men more by entertaining them than
by ranting and scolding at them.
The Tribune is Different
That’s All
»