im———n i—■■■!!■ i■!!■■■■ ■■■■■! i fit inni~»T
Reminiscences of a. Wayfarer
Some of the Important Events of the Pioneer Days
of Richardson County and Southeast Nebraska, as
remembered by the writer, who has spent fifty
one years here
Whoever lives long enough,
will attain to what is known, in
common parlance, as the reinin
iscent age. It is something an
alogous to the review a traveler
makes after perform mg a long
journey. The places lie lias vis
ited, the happening of things
under his immediate observa
tion; the events of which he had
personal cognizance whether
of small moment or of national
or world importance; the ac
spiaintances lie lias made and
lost with tho passing of the
years, all come back to him
when reproduced in memory in
the reverse order of their occur
rence, like links in a lengthen
ing chain, till they bring him
back to tlu‘ place whence he
started
This process of mental resm
rection of bygone memories, in
the case of a single indiv idual
who lias lived the allotted span
of man's life on earth, or any
considerable part of it, may or
may not be autobiography, ac
cording to whether it is intended
to cover the whole experiences
of a life, or some particular part
of them It is the latter, and
not the former that is intended
here. It has been in my mind
for sometime to give to the pub
lic some of my recollections of
the early days in Nebraska, but
I line" fur St. Joseph. There
were thirty or forty passenger
i for tip river points, hut mostly
jin Kansas and Nebraska, all of
I whom with one single exception,
were young men less than thirty
years of age. At Leavenworth,
we were reshipped to another
boat of the same line called the
“War Fugle", the M issouri was
alive with boats in those da\s
and completed our voyage on
that craft. At St. .Joseph, those
who were left of the passenger
list, took passage on a more
l humble vessel, tin* “\\att< >ssa *,
named perhaps, for some mighty
Indian brave somewhere, and on
tlie day following I with another
was put ashore as before stated,
at the town of llulo in the terri
tory of Nebraska. While yet
upon my journey, and while
passing from one boat to an
other, in its prosecution, 1 some
how felt in touch with home and
the state of my nativity; hut as
I stood on the banlc of the fast
Mowing river, and saw the steam
er that had borne me there, cast
off her moorings and slowly
lloat out in the stream to resume
her voyage northward against
the turbid flood of the Missouri,
an indescribable feeling of lone
liness came over me that 1 shall
never forget. For the first time
I realized what it was to break
world indeed, and might as well
have been at the Antipodes on
the other side of the globe. At
least that is the way l felt about
it just then. Hut despondence
would not do. I had started out
to begin a new life in a new
country, and the thought ol
I abandoning that purpose and
| going back, never entered my
| mind And so, while the boat
on the river went <»ut of my
sight and out of my life, I c tiled
I up the old reso ution that im
pelled me to make the start,
gathered my gripsack and with
the words of the great English
man floating through my m ud:
‘‘And whatever skies alum- me,
tlei-i *.** a he-rt for every fate,"
turned tny face to the town on j
the hllside, and to t he unknown'
future, and my life in Nebraska :
had commenced.
My companion on the voyage I
from St. Louis, and who formed
the exception in point of age
among the passengers 1 have
mentioned, was none other than
Joseph Testson, well known to
till tin1 older residents in and
about Uulo and Falls City, and
who bad debarked with me from
the “Wattossa,” accompanied
me uptown, and being acquaint
ed with most of the people there,
kindly invited me to take dinner
with him at the house of one of
his friends, a Mr. William Ken
celeur. We were very cordially
received by Mr. Keneeleur and
his family, and indue time were
invited to partake of as good a
dinner as one could wish to sit
down to, which, besides being
good and very wholesome, was
flavored by the best of till seas
V
c :
= v, s#vr -pmsvn * Co
Stone Street. Falls City. Neb., in 1866
till' demands of business aiul the
exigencies of a busy life, have
heretofore interfered to prevent
the execution of that intention.
Whether I shall be able to per
form the task now, without ma
terial interference from the
same, or other causes, remains
to be seen, l will do what 1
can to rescue from the scrap
heap of forgotten tilings some
of the incidents of pioneer life
in R chardson County ami in
Southeastern Nebraska, and
J write largely for my own
amusement, it will not be of im
portance if the task is not well
done.
1 8KK N KllKAsK A KOH Till-: I-'IKST
TI.MK.
On as fair a day in May as
ever shone upon the world, and
at about the hour of high twelve
in the year of grace, 185H, 1
stepped from the deck of a Mis
souri River steamboat, to the
soil of Nebraska. In those days,
the most rapid and comfortable
mode of travel, when the object
ive point could be reached in
that way, was by steamboat. It
happened so in my case. I took
passage at Quincy, Illinois, on
the good boat “Hannibal City”,
plying on the Mississippi be
tween St. Louis and St. Paul,
and landed atSt. Louis the next
morning. From there 1 took
passage on a Missouri River
Packet called “Kowena" so
namul possibly, in honor of one
of the principal temale charac
ters whom Sir ’Valter Scott has
clothed with immortal life in
his inimitable story of “Ivan
olT the associations of a lifetime.
True, twenty-two years was
not a long lile, hut it was mine,
and like others, comprehended
associations as pleasant in their
creation, as it was painful in
their breaking; and when the
little tramp steamer left me at
the Ivulo landing to churn its
way tlnough the muddy waters
of a river, apparently too thick
with silt and sand to swim in,
and not thick enough to walk
on. every tie tint bound me to
the old life and the old home,
long ago broken up and its mem
bers scattered with all the sac
red memories that c lust e red
around them, were severed at
once and forever.
That the situation may be
clearly understood, it is proper
in this connection, to say, that
fifty years ago Nebraska was as
completely isolated from the
world ami civilization, as the
| land of the “Midnight sun" in
northern Alaska was at the
opening of the present century.
There was not a railroad within
hundreds of miles, and with no
communication east except by
I
the river that was frozen up
half the year, and navigable for
boats for only about three
I months of the year in later
spring and early summer, it may
not appear singular that, when
1 found myself in the wilderness
of the great American desert, as
the country hereabouts had been
called ever since its discovery
by the Lewis A Clark expedi
| tion early in the nineteenth cen
| tury, I felt that I was out of the
oiling, a hearty welcome. My
acquaintance with Mr. Kence
leur, so happily commenced that
day, continued unbroken, to the
end of his life. In after years
he was my client frequently, and
my friend always. 1 esteemed
him highly, for lie was a good
man, a good citizen and a gentle
man. of what is generally known
as “the old school”, whatever
that may mean.
1 was anxious to go on to
Falls City, which, I was told,
was about ten miles west, that
afternoon, but Tesson and Ken
celeur both thought, as I was
intending to make Richardson
County my future residence or
some point in it, and as Rulo
was its most important town, l
had better stay over the after
noon, see the town and get ac
quainter! with the people and go
out to Falls City the next day.
On consideration 1 concluded to
do so. and we sallied forth for
the purpose. What struck me
as most singular was the fact
that everything about it was
new. There was not an old
house in it and there seemed
to be about a hundred—all of
them, as l learned, had been
built within two years, and most
of them within a very few
months. Nor was there an old
manor woman among its people,
| nor any who were much past the
; middle age. Everybody was
young, the town was young, the
territory was young, and the
youth of spring was upon every
thing around them, in its green
est garb. Something of what I
saw, and the people 1 come to
1 know, will receive attention in
another paper.
THE LOCAL LORE
Pruwdcd «»ff ib«* reiriilar Local Paw-**.
T. L. Hall was down from
Wrdon Monday.
Mr. Redwood made a business
tip to Dawson Monday.
George Hansel was down from
Salem Monday on business.
Miss Josephine Graves left the
first of file week for Waine, Neb.
Sam 1 lohst of Humboldt spent
a day tlit first of the week in this
city.
Mr. Bouersox Hud wife of Pres
ton were business visitors here
Saturday.
Mrs. Charles Schulenbery; of
Shubert was in town the first of
the week.
Mrs Evdia Hinton is having
electric lights put i n her home
this week.
Miss Ivina Crook left the first
of the week for Texas where she
is attending school.
Misses Ethel and Helen Pecht
returned Sunday from a visit
with friends in Hiawatha.
W. C. Campbell, Will Carsh.
Frank Kotouc catne down from
Humboldt on business Monday.
Mrs. J. O. Reeves returned to
her home in Kansas City Satur
day after visiting relatives here.
Mrs. E. K. Kentner and Helen
came down from Beatrice and vis
ited friends here during the week.
Mrs. O Radinsky of Sterling
is in this city visiting at the home
of her daughter, Mrs. James
Pickett.
J. W. Curran returned to Min
neapolis, Kans, the first of the
week after visiting his family in
this city.
George Coon of Salem was in
the city Monday looking after
business connected with the dis
trict court.
Dr- Greene this week moved
his office from over Lyford's store
to headquarters over McMillan’s
pharmacy.
Mrs. Grant Sperry and little
son returned from Maitland, Mo.,
where they visited the formers
parents for a few days.
Mrs. Frank Werner left the
latter part of the week for Green
leaf, Iowa, to visit Mr. Werner's
mother who is very sick.
Mesdames Alice Earley and
Greger, who spent several days
with Mrs. George Cbesley re
turned to their home in Atchison
during the week.
Mrs. Nellie Kinff and son
Richard returned Sunday from
St. Paul, Minn., where they
have been at the home of the for
mer’s daughter, Mrs. Chas.Brace
let Neal Thornton of Muskogee,
OkI., also spent Christmas with
his sister and mother there.
This week A. R. Dittmar em
ployed T. L- Himmelreich to take
charge of his dry goods depart
ment. They are now' busy in
voicing and will stock up in all
lines that are short. This will
be welcome news to Mr. Himmel
reich’s many friends. For many
years he was a very successful
salesman in this city.
On Jati• 5th the Fremont Tri
Weeklv Tribune reached our’desk
with thirty-two pages. This ad
dition was filled with reading
matter, many good ads, and sev
eral half tone cuts showing the
growth of Fremont in the face of
the panic. From looking over
the columns 1908 must have been
a good vea,r for Fremonts’ job
bing industries showing a mark
ed expansion of business and im
proved manufacturing facilities.
This was certainly a credit to the
Tribune
B. F. Wiser writes us a few
lines from Arizona this week. He
says that is a fine country, as
farmers are cutting their sixth
crop of alfalfa now. While he
was out driving recently he saw
oranges and other citrus fruits
being shipped from there, lawns
were green and saw many flowers
blooming in the parks. That
valley is said to have one of the
finest climates in the world. He
says many Nebraska people are
there and he sees some of them
nearly every day.
Security For Your Money
You have a right to know absolutely ttiat when you deposit, your
money anywhere you will get it back. The paper- record man v
foolish acts on tlie part of people who distrust the tiatiks. One man
put tnonei in an o d stove, and sotreo e el-e bui t a tire, ther by re
ducing $4,000 to ashes Another man dug a hole under lrs dog ken
net and pu< $'1,000 there in a tin can, o li to find it gone when he
came to look for it Another fellow hid $2,000 in a bed tick and one
night robbers applied the red hot poker test to h's feet until he tin
a ly told where it * as There are hunched* of such cases. I here's
only one su e. sen-ible place to ke p money ttt d that is in a bank It
is a veri foolish man who thinks he cm care for his tnone\ better
than a bank. Y ur money in this bmk is s fegtmrded in every way.
We are prepared to take ca>e of mom y. with strong vaults, burglar
proof safes, burglar ataru s. ottrglar insurance and every modern
appliance. That is our business You employ a phtsician to care
for your health; better employ a bank to care for your money.
The Farmers’ State 5anl{
PRESTON, N E B R ASK A
Chas. M. Wilson
Thanks you for your 1908 patronage
and assures you that the stock of Cut
Glass, China, Dinnervvare and Glass
ware
For 1909
will be the eipial of, or better than,
1908. Our stock of Groceries and
Fruits will always be complete, and
we’ve the best line of Coffees on the
market.
Chas. M. Wilson
Winter Excursions
Low Rates
TO THE SOUTH OR CALIFORNIA:-How long lias it been since
you and your family have taken a winter vacation tour?
Put your thoughts on a change from snow and blizzards to the
soft southern sunshine of California, the Carolinas. Cuba and Gulf
resorts. Such a trip is worth while once in a lifetime anyway.
HOMESEEKERS' EXCURSIONS -If time won’t permit a long
stay in the South try the honie>eekers excursion rates the first and
third Tuesdays of each month to the South and West. Lower rates
and shorter limit.
Personally conducted through tourist sleeper excursions to Cali
fornia frequently, each week; daily through tourist sleepers to South
ern California via Scenic Colorado and Salt Lake City.
Ask for free descriptive literature. Consult me as to the lowest
prevailing rates with ail kinds of variable routes.
E. G. Whitford, Ticket Agent.
L. W. Wakeley, G. P. A , Omaha.
yoj-.o: g Jttal Wmmura—tJMJMMUllIM MWMafaiMWgtMMIMMMM
Pittsburgh Perfect Pences
are enjoying phenomenal success, and are conceded to be far
superior to any other fences on the market. Thousands of
pleased fence users will testify that “Pittsburgh Perfect” Elec
trically Welded Fences are superior.
They will not sag in Summer’s heat nor break in the cold
of Winter. They are made of the best material for fencing
purposes. They will conform to the most uneven ground and
can be erected over hills and through valleys as well as on level
ground. They have MANY other points of merit.
Falls titV, Neb. J. C. TANNER |
!he Falls City Roller Mills
Does a general milling business, and manufactures the
following brands of flour
SUNFLOWER MAGNOLIA CROWN
The above brands are guaranteed to be of the highest pos
sible quality. We also manufacture all mill products and
conduct a general
Grain, Live Stock and Coal Business
and solicit a share of your.patronage
P. S. Heacock & Son Falls City, Nebr.
HANDSOME RETURNS
A small inv* stment in our dental work
at the riflit time will certainly bring you
“handsome returns’’ in the form of beau
tiful, regular teeth. We will either make
your teeth sound with line crown or bridge
work, or supply' you with an entirely' new
set of excellent teeth. Modern methods
of extracting a n d filling. Moderate
charges.
DR. YUTZY
KEPT W1NDLE, D. D. S., Assistant
Falls City, Nebraska