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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 1940)
MONDAY, JANUARY 9 I90. PLATTSMOUTH SEMI . WH1E1Y JOURNAL PAGE THREE Reminiscences of Early Day Life in Cass County Memories of Nebraska Pioneer Days Written for the Journal by Eugene 0. Mayneld $ (Editor's Note: Mr. Mayfield, re tired veteran newspaper man. is also an author of numerous books, and countless stories that have appeared in leading magazines and metropoli tan newspapers. He was born in old Oreapolis, Nebraska Territory. No vember 4, 1S60. His memory of pio neer events is unusual for one cf his years). This is not a story, as tales usually run. It is a historical ramble with skits from which many tales might be given birth, all of wnicn are founded on facts, so far as memory recalls memory that runs back to the day when a stranger rode a big black horse into my lather's ranch home yard, out on Cedar Creek, and touched his hat brim father re spondirg "Comrade," said the stranger, "1 have bad news for you. President Lincoln has been assassinated." "My God, is that true?" father ex claimed. "Yes, he is dead," replied the stranger. "He was shot." Again touching his hat brim, the stranger hurried away to carry the sad news of America's greatest trag edy of all time to other settlers liv ing farther out in the territory. Long years have passed since that eventful day, yet at 79, I remember yes, most vividly can I see in my mind's eye, my mother as she drew her apron over her face and cried like her heart would break. Father was speechless for a moment. Then he gave the signal to the man who was digging a well to come up When the well-digger appeared a the top. h was told the news. ' There will be no more work done today," father said. "Let us go into the house and pray. Our country needs prayer now as never before It needs divine help." My mother years later, related to me the story about father abandoning work on the well and going into the house to pray. I do not recall that inci dent, but the stranger on the big black horse I'll never forget. Abraham Lincoln s wife was my mother's cousin Mary Todd, and also related to the somewhat numer ous Todds now living in Cass and Saunders counties, Nebraska. East of father's home there was steep hill it s there today, but cu down for modern traffic. Day after day ox teams six, eight and ten yoke came down the steep incline, carrying pioneers westward. But few were contented to stop and look for land. ' Westward ho" was painted on some wagon covers. On others ap peared the wording, "Pike's Peak 01 Bust." Rarely did the homeseekers travel in small numbers. Sometimes the caravans consisted of a dozen outfits few in lesser numbers. Again there would come an outfit of about twenty-five. The custom was for voyagers to wait at the Missouri river until the outfits had been augmented to presumed safety for Indian attacks were feared. A captain would then be selected and the move westward begun. Not infrequently, if available, Scouts who had crossed the plains were employed, especially by outfits bound for the gold mines of the Rockies, California and Oregon. Those seeking farm land, not too far out, felt little fear. Night stops were often made a quarter of a mile from my father's ranch home, on the banks of Cedar Creek, where there was water and fuel. Horse-drawn outfits were not as numerous as ox outfits and made much better time in traveling. Oxen made slow progress, their speed varying from eight to twelve miles a day, on an average, depending on the loads carried. Often cows were yoked with oxen. This was done, as w CHECK UP today on your Fire Insurance. Don't wait until you have a loss to learn that your protection was not ade quate . . . that something had been overlooked. Searl S. Davis OFFICES! 2XD FLOOR Platts. State Bank Bldg. S a rule, by homeseekers, so they could have milk for the children and the cows to breed when the new home had been established. Some mules were used by heavy freighters, who hauled mining machinery and merchandise. Out from Plattsmouth and Ne braska City, the first good stopping place for voyagers was Mullin's ranch, where there was a large cor ral and food for man and beast not to forget a barrel of "snake bite" medicine. Mullin's ranch was lo cated south of the present town of Louisville, on the 'ridge road" used by many travelers coming up from Nebraska City and St. Joseph river crossings. Today, under the farm earth of the present fields, there rest number of voyagers who faltered by the wayside ... in unmarked and unknown graves. According to tra ditional history, births' and deaths were not uncommon among the voy agers as the new west was being given birth. After the earlier rush had sub sided, sod houses and dugouts ap peared well offr the territory of Ne braska. Frame homes followed. The treeless prairies blossomed and lay waiting. Earth was marred by the ruthless plow horse-drawn and ox drawn. Still later came the harvest to give unbounded joy to the hearts of Nebraska pioneers. Millions of words could be em ployed in relating tales of the hard ships our pioneers passed through But few faltered. Only a few who put their hands to the plow turned back. Most of them have gone forward to eternal rest. Behind them, these fathers and mothers have left a rich heritage . . . sturdy sons and daugh ters, grandsons and granddaughters who are carrying on, trom genera tion to generation . . . and will con tinue to do so as the ripened years multiply. Nebraska Becomes a State Nebraska Territory was created by an Act of Congress in 1S54. On March 1, 1SC7. Congress made the territory a state. The same year 18C7 Lincoln. Lancaster county, was officially selected as the capitol of the new state. Lincoln was named in honor of President Abraham Lin coln. Questions Come to Mind With this prelude, It seems timely that we delve into the land of quer ies regarding matters of common knowledge to pioneers of the long ago, but not to most of the genera tions of these modern days, except as related to them by those who helped lay the foundation of the most beautiful state in the union of states Nebraska. Not many of the men and women who pioneered into this one-time "wilderness" in the fifties, sixties and early seventies, are with us, but their progeny are scattered through out the domain and are known as citizens of real worth an honor to their homeland. This all leads up to a battery of questions Can You Eemember When buffalo robes were used for overcoats, floor rugs and bed cov ering? When an iron cook stove was a curiosity and pioneer housewives walked miles to see one in opera tion? When fireplaces were used both for cooking and heating? When a large iron kettle usually swung from a fireplace crane, being fenerally filled with prairie chicken, quail, venison, antelope, choice cuts and corn meal, cooking for the major !?ast of the day? When oxen were, used for plow ing the fields for planting, but not for cultivation? When the pioneers cut down trees on government land for fuel and sometimes were given a short jail sentence at Plattsmouth for their "crime?" When sheep flocks were guarded at night to keep the wolves and sheep dog killers away? When rattlesnakes were as plen tiful in Cass county as they are to day in the mountains of Texas and Arizona? When the ox team and horse team rush was on for the "golden west" those hardy days when gold min ing beckoned and miners impatient ly awaited the arrival of the freight ers, bringing them needed machin ery? When Main street in Plattsmouth was jammed with ox caravans, bound for the almost unknown west, while side-wheel and stern-wheel steam boats threw out their gang planks and unloaded freight near where the Burlington railroad now has its pas senger depot? ' When covered wagons passed day after day, going west, some of them having painted on the wagon sheets, "Pike's Peak or BuBt" . . . some to repass, eastward, the following year with the wording "Busted by God" painted underneath the initial inscription? When the immortal John Brown had an underground hide-out cave at Nebraska City for secreting slaves he was piloting to Canada? When Kit Carson usually stopped at Nebraska City, to visit relatives, on his trips to the Rocky mountains, convoying wagon trains? When the first U. S. A. Nebraska Volunteer Cavalry regiment, under General John M. Thayer and Col onel Thos. J. Majors about one thousand strong left to join Sher man on his remarkable march to the sea . When plums, choke cherries gooseberries, grapes, hazelnuts and black walnuts grew abundantly along the creeks delicious wild strawberries on the bluffs and out over the prairies and very bitter 'pig nuts" ripened on medium-sized hickory trees, extensively located northwest of Plattsmouth, a few miles out? (The wild fruit has all but disappeared, in marked compari son to the pioneer days). When Yankee pumpkins were cook ed down with sorghum for winter use barrels and barrels of the con coction? When blizzards were more fre quent than now and how they raced across the vast treeless expanse be tween Cass county and the Canadian and Colorado Rocky mountains to deal unspeakable hardships and often death to unprotected pioneers and their live stock sometimes raging for days? When sun-dried buffalo "chips' lay all over the west and were gathered in the fall for winter use? When Kansas jayhawkers raided sod stables and stole horses and one time when three of them two men and a boy were caught red-handed by infuriated settlers, near Isaac Wiles' home, and all of them hanged from a tree limb, in what now is Eight Mile Grove precinct, a hole dug and the thieves dumped in and covered without the benefit of clergy or ceremony of any kind? When claim jumpers became so active that a vigilance committee put two of them under the ice of the Missouri river one moonless night, at a point where the Burlington bridge is now located, just below Platts mouth with a third escaping? When the boys went barefooted except in winter and the girls often wore home-made maccasins of deer hide? When baby cradles were fashion ed from rip-sawed green cottonwood logs and chairs were three-legged stools? When green coffee of an inferior quality cost a dollar a pound and was mixed with roasted corn to make it go farther? When "Mullin's ranch" was the first stopping place for freighters and others after crossing the Mis souri river at Plattsmouth or Ne braska City where the late Edwin R. Todd fought a lone-handed night battle with horse thieves, putting a bullet through one thief and thus saving his team of horses needed on his way to Fort Kearney with a load of merchandise taken on at Plattsmouth, where it had been brought up the river on a steam boat? When water-wheel mills ground only corn, the grinding being done by upper and nether stones and im ported flour, which was so expen sive that two or three ranchers often "chipped in" to buy a sackful? When Rock Bluffs was an import ant river town and tried to get the capital of Nebraska located there, but would have been satisfied with the seat of government of Cass coun ty today, like Oreapolis, only a memory of "what might have been?" When little wooden g;een barrels of fifty Lucifer matches cost "four bits" and fires were "banked" for the night to save matches? When pioneers of eastern Nebras ka, driving oxen, figured on about two weeks to make a round trip to the head of Salt creek, near what now is Lincoln, to scrape up a wagon load of sun-dried salt while those driving horses were able to make the trip in a few days? When there were no telegraph lines in Cass county no available way of sending or receiving mail? WThen there were no schools out side of the river towns in Cass county and mother taught the child ren while father used the hickory to keep the young savages in line one of whom was the writer? When word came that no longer the pioneers of Nebraska lived in a territory, but in the proud state of Nebraska, and how the male popula tion swung their hats and fired their six-guns, while the women cheered for joy? Rubber Stamps, prompt CeTlv ery, lowest prices. All sizes at the Journal office. COUNTY COURT NOTES Final settlement was had in the estate of Herman C. Ross, deceased. the appointment of Martin Ross as trustee was made for the minor heir of the estate. Petition was filed for the probate of the estate of John P. Meisinger, and Verner Meisinger nominated ns the executor of the estate. Hearing on claims of the estate of Charles E. Cook, deceased was held. Raymond C. Cook is the administra tor of the estate. Hearing on claims in the estate of Fayette Rested was held. William J. Ilau of Manley is the administra tor. Death of Dr. Roy A. Dodge, Former Resident Prominent OmaLa Physician Dies at Home Last Night After Long Ill ness from Heart Trouble. Dr. Roy A. Dodge. C3, prominent Omaha physician and former Platts mouth resident, died Friday nigh. ?t the family home in Omaha, following a long period of ill health, he having suffered from a heart ailment for sev eral years. Dr. Dodge was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George A. Dodge, old resi dents here, where the deceased grew to manhood and was graduated in the class of 1SS7 of the Plattsmouth high school. He later attended the university and after receiving his degree as a physician, located in Oma ha, where he has been one of the prominent members of the profes sion. Dr. Dodge is survived by his sister. Miss Violet Dodge, who has been with him in Omaha since the death of Mrs. Dodge a number of year ago. The body will lay in state on Sun day afternoon at the Brailey & Dor ranee mortuary at 19th and Cuming. Funeral services will be Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Holy Trinity Cathedral at Omaha. HAS A CLOSE CALL Wednesday night George Trotter of the headquarters company of the 17th infantry, at Fort Crook, had a closr call from death while on his return home. Mr. Trotter was driving home to this city after his tour of duty at the fort, and just this side of the Platte liver bridge he was unable to con trol his car in the snow, the car sliding in a ditch along the roadside. Mr. Trotter was able to get out or the car but was unable to break his way out of the deep snow and as the result suffered very much from the effects of the cold. The southbound Union Pacific bus that reaches this city at midnight passed some time after the accident and the driver glimpsed Mr. Trotter waving from the snow drift in which he was imprisoned. The driver help ed him get out of the drift and brought him on to this city. He suffered the frosting of both hands in the intense cold and a short time more in his exposed condition would have been most serious. DEATH OF JOSEPH 0GDEN From Saturday's Dally One of Weeping Water's former pioneer residents, Joseph Ogden, passed away this morning at the Cass county farm at the age of seventy eight years. Mr. Ogden would have been seventy-nine years old in July. He was taken ill yesterday and his death came rather suddenly. The deceased had spent the greater part of bis lifetime in Weeping Wa ter and four years ago he was brought to the home where he has since resided. Only surviving relatives known are a brother at Lincoln and a sister-in-law in Weeping Water. The body was taken to the Horton funeral home, who will have charge of the arrangements. MRS. READ RETURNS Mrs. Malvern Read and infant son returned to their Cass county home Wednesday from the Anton Kani hospital, Omaha, where the for mer spent about ten days. Both have shown the speedy recovery hoped for. 4. .:.!..!..i..:.:-.h.i-!..i-m-h-i..i. Thomas Walling Company Abstracts of Title Phone 324 - Plattsmouth Death of John A. Robbins at Louisville Well Known Cass County Resident Dies at Age of 60 Spent 30 Years in Farming. John A. Robbins, CO, of Louisville, died last evening after an illness that has covered the past year, altho the death came suddenly after a heart attack. Mr. Robbins was well known over the county, having for a number of ears lived in tne vicinity ot weep ing Water and engaged in farming, bin in the last few years he has re sided near Louisville. He is survived by the widow and eight children, Mrs. Tom Young of this city, being a daughter. Mrs. George Miller, of Plattsmouth is a sister. No funeral arrangements hare been announced. Bingo Party at Veterans' Hospital in Near Future American Legion Auxiliary Contrib utes $10 for Plattsmouth Sponsored Program. The cold weather and slippery streets served to cut down attendance at yesterday's monthly meeting of the American Legion Auxiliary, held at the home of Mrs. E. G. Ofe yes terday afternoon. Associate hostesses were Mrs. R. T. Cuthrell. Mrs. Chas. Nelson and Mrs. H. L. Gayer. At the business meeting it was voted to contribute $10 to the U. S. Veterans' hospital at Lincoln for a Plattsmouth sponsored Bingo party, as the men are said to get a greater delight out of this than any other form of entertainment provided. For several years the local unit has sponsored this annual Bingo party at the hospital. All the members present pledged their assistance to the Membership committee in helping get the mem bership up to quota, and those who have not paid 1940 dues may be ex pecting a call soon as the "flying squadron" goes into action. The presence of a number of Cass county men at the hospital was re ported. January being Legislative month on the Auxiliary calendar, Mrs. A. H. Duxbury, chairman of the Legislative committee, gave a much appreciated talk on the legislative program of the Legion and Auxiliary as well as an explanation of the workings of con gress, now in session. Climaxing feature of the afternoon was the delicious luncheon served by the hostesses. February meeting on the 16th will be held at the home of Mrs. Roy Y. Knorr, with 'Americanism and Na tional Defense" the theme. FORMER RESIDENT QUITE ILL Mrs. John Cherney, Omaha, who is better known in Plattsmouth. as the former Julia Sabatka, is critically ill at the St. Joseph hospital in Omaha where she was taken Sunday, January 14. Mrs. Cherney has been poorly for some time and her condi tion grew such that she was rushed to the hospital and underwent an operation Monday morning, January 15. Mrs. Frank Aschenbrener, of this city, a "sister, was at Omaha Wednesday and yesterday, and she reported her sister's condition as "unchanged." The Cherneys live at 4540 West Q street, Omaha. MARRIED AT COURT HOUSE At the office o f County Judge A. II. Duxbury Friday afternoon oc curred the marriage of Walleen V. Johnson and Helen M. Conover, both of Omaha. The marriage lines were read by Judge Duxbury and the ceremony witnessed by Paul and Mary Eosen, of Omaha, friends of the young people. Subscribe for trie dournaf. Well Drilling We have the equipment and the knowledge to locate a satisfactory well anywhere in this territory. We have drilled scores of wells in Cass and adjoining counties, and have never yet missed getting a fine supply of water. Our present equipment permits going to any depth necessary up to 2,000 feet. PHONE OR WRITE 0. G. WIESNETH Phone 50 Louisville, Nelr. FUNERAL OF MRS. FLEMING Thursday at one p. m. was held ihe funeral services for Mrs. Mary Fleming, mother ot Earl Redd of this city. The Independent Church of Christ took charge of the services. with Rev. Walter Steinkamp preach ing the sermon, and paying tribute to the long, useful life of the de parted. The church quartet san "Sometime We'll Understand" ami 'Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown," this being the favorite son:.: of Mrs. Fleming. Neil Lancaster was the accompanist. The remains were taken to River- ton, Iowa and laid to rest by tne ide of the husband, James Gre.n Redd in the family cemetery on the Redd homestead. The pallbearers were relatives and menus ot me family, including Aulton E. Roland, a step-grandson, cf Lincoln, Nebr., Raymond Adkins. grandson-in-law and Ferd Detlef, Robert Longmoro, Luke Harrington and Carl Dooley, all of Plattsmouth. Mary Phydailia Rhcades was born March 18, 1S6?., at Liberty, Iowa, and passed away January 13, 1940 it the home of her son, Earl Redd, in Plattsmouth, at the age of 7 years. When 19 years old she was united in marriage to James Green Redd at 3rd, Xebr. To this union 12 children were born, including two sets of twins. Orvell. Austin, Oscar and Arnold Redd, all of Grand Junction oolo.; Ada Schaffer of San Francisco, Calif; and Hazel Holt of Riggens, Idaho; Earl Redd of this city. Also preceding her in death were Arthur who died at the age of 23 and Charles at the age of 53, three boys dying in infancv. Wbile these children were all very young the father was killed while hauling logs at Tabor, Iowa, in 1901, leaving the responsi bility of this family to the mother Mrs. Redd was again united m marriage to Tom Fleming at Savan nah, Mo. To this union was born five children, including twin girls and two boys, all dying in miancy, one 'tn, Roy Fleming, now living in Olive, Oregon. Mrs. Fleming lived iii brand junction, lo.o., on a nome-stt-r.d until after the death ci the rusband, Mr. Fleming and then J?s she was in failing health, she came to the home of her son in Platts mouth three years ago this comlnj July. She was tenderly nursed and cared for here by the daughter-in-law, Mrs. Flossie Redd, who with the children and a large number of grandchildren and great-grandch'l-dren mourn the passing of this good woman. She was a loyal mother, and true Christian and we feel she has "fought a good fight," and will be rewarded in the Heavenly Home. DIES AT MASONIC HOME From Saturday's Daily Mrs. Lena C. Fallis, SO. died this morning at the Nebraska Masonic Home, where she has been since September 20, 1938. Mrs. Fallis was born on October 20, 1S59, at Toledo, Ohio. She has spent the greater part of her lifetime in the west, first at Omaha and later at Elko. Nevada, where she resided prior to coming to the Home. She was a member of Adah chapter No. 52, Order of the Eastern Star of Omaha. She is survived by one sister, Mrs. Elizabeth McDonald, of Seattle, Washington. The funeral services will be held on Monday afternoon at 2:30 at the Horton funeral home, with Adah Chapter of the Eastern Star in charge. The burial will be at the Oak Hill cemetery. HERE FOR FUNERAL Aulton E. Roland, who is a stu dent at the University of Nebraska was home Thursday to attend the funeral services of his step-grandmother, Mrs. Mary Fleming. He re turned to Lincoln last evening. ecososooocsosooeccoooooccg MEN'S 8 ALL I LEATHER JACKETS with Zippers Priced to Close $4-85 $5-95 $7-65 Wescotts Where Quality Counts 8oggggggggggoooogggogoogq Penalties for Failure to Give Information Ask William L. Austin, Director of the Census, Tells of Some of the Penalties Provided. Considerable circulation has been. given recently to an erroneous state ment to the effect that there is no egal compulsion to respond to tio nquiries of census enumerators. The taking of the census of popu- aiion is provided for in the con- titution. Since its results provide he basis for congressional repre- entation. all persons are required by law to give correct answers to the nquiries of census enumerators. From time to time the congress has, by special enactment, provided pen alties for failure to comply and for the giving of intentionally incorrect information. These penalties apply not only to the public but to census employees as well. Census employees are required to treat census infor mations as confidential nnd divul eence of information about any indi vidual or firm is severely penalized. Fortunately, in the 150 years of census-taking, the records show that it has rarely been necessary to re sort to compulsion. The penalties provided for non compliance with the 1940 decennial census were sent by congressional enactment of 1929. Similar penal ties have been provided by census law for more than 100 years. Penalties applicable to the public range from $100 fines or 60 days im prisonment for refusal to answer, up to $500 fines or one year imprison ment for giving intentionally Inco'- rect information. Proprietors of hotels, apartments, boarding houses and similar enter prises who refuse to co-operate with the enumerator in registering guests are subject to a fine of $500. Indi viduals or committees who conspiro to cause an inaccurate count of a community are subject to a fine cf $1,000 or imprisonment of one year or both. Compulsory submission of reports by business firms dates from 18S0. Penalties for refusal range from $50 J or 60 days imprisonment or both up to as high as $10,000 fines or one year imprisonment for misrepresen tation. A census enumerator who refuses or neglects to do his official duty is subject to a fine of $500. If he re veals to an outsider any information he has collected on his official duties, he is subject to a $1,000 fine or two years imprisonment or both. If he knowingly reports false informa tion to the bureau of the census, he is subject to a fine of $2,000 or im prisonment for five years or both. LOOKING AFTER PROPERTIES From Friday's Daily M. M. Ramey and J. W. Jennings, of the Omaha office of the Home Owners Loan corporation, were in the city today to check the properties owned by the corporation. While here they also conferred with Searl S. Davis, the local control broker for the HOLC. Join the Journal's growing list of Semi-Weekly subscribers. It costs only $2 per year. Faires are Dangerous Beware of Overheated Stoves AND Poor Chimneys Insure for Safety with PHON 16 Plattsmouth INSURANCE-