Conservative.
KAllI/lT TIMES IN JKFFJEUSON.
Prom the tiino of the first settlement
of the county by ranchmen and stage
station men until August , 1804 , uo trou
ble had been experienced with the In
dians who frequented the Little Blue
valley , except that the aborigines had a
marked propensity for pilfering , which
they took every opportunity of exorcis
ing.
ing.On
On August 7 , 1804 , every ranch and
station between Ft. Kearney and Big
Sandy in this county was attacked at
nearly the same hour of the day. The
attack was the consummation of plans
made monthly before and was in nearly
every instance successful.
In the summer of 1808 , a year before
the outbreak , the writer , while at Got-
tonwood Springs , on the Platte , was ad
vised by a squaw man , who was living
with the Sioux , to keep off the plains as
the Indians wore planning a raid and a
big one. The idea seemed preposterous ,
but time verified the prediction.
The raid was most severe at Eubauk's
ranch and Oak Grove. The few settlers
iu the vicinity of the Big Sandy receiv
ing a few hour's notice succeeding in
escaping to Marysville , Kansas. At Eu
bauk's ranch , several were killed and
Mrs. Eubank and Miss Roper , of Beat
rice were carried into captivity , from
which they were redeemed the follow
ing March. Captain H. E. Palmer , of
the llth Kansas , who arrived at Eu-
bank's a few hours after the attack ,
states in his history of the Powder river
expedition , that the Indians were led in
the raid by Black Lattlo , Two Face and
one-eyed George Bent. It is interesting
to note that when Col. Ohiviugton de
feated the Indians at Sand Creek , on
Nov. 26th , 1804 , one-eyed George Bent
was found among the slain ; and that
Two Face was hung in chains , near Ft.
Laramie , by Col. Tom Moonlight , the
following March.
During 1805 and 1800 there were no
Indian troubles in this vicinity except
rumors of threatened attacks , which
fortunately proved unfounded. In I860
the settlers on Rose Creek constructed
an enclosure of sod , about one-fourth of
a mile south of Ives Marks' saw mill ,
but had no occasion to use it.
1807 saw a repetition of the scenes of
1864. The Hackney ranch , occupied by
{ Thompson & Halliday in Thayer county ,
was burned , and the Kiowa ranch at
tacked but not taken ; and settler named
Hainey was killed about one mile from
the present location of Hebron.
Bennett & Abernathy had a ranch
between Meridian and Hebron. They
were attacked and retreated to a cave in
the bluffs , the entrance to which was
filled with combustibles by the Indians ,
and the unfortunate settlers suffocated.
Their bodies were recovered by members
of Captain John R. Brown's company of
militia.
July 4th , the settlers on Hose Creek
inn i i ilii ini"i
constructed another barricade three
miles west of Marks' Mills. It was
built of sod and pierced with loop holes.
Joseph Gooller and Frank Thomas plow
ed the sod for the walls , and it was oc
cupied for several weeks by a number of
families.
August 1867 witnessed another out
break of hostilities. Throe men driving
a flock of sheep were attacked near
Hackney ranch , one German was killed
and the others escaped to Big Sandy.
The Indians visited the little home of a
man known as Poland Pete , and after
killing his little son , took his daughter ,
a young girl , prisoner. The little girl
was afterwards recovered by purchase at
North Platte. About the same time ,
Polish Albert and Polish Joe , as they
were called , wore killed near Oak Grove.
The farthest point east they pene
trated was on Coal Creek , soxith of the
present location of Eudicott , where they
found Win. Smith cutting wood. They
shot him in the neck with an arrow , and
took his team , while he made a hurried
retreat to his home across the river.
August 18th , the first company of
militia was organized at Meridian whore
they were stationed until Nov. 15th ,
when they wore mustered out. Several
of the company wore out scouting one
day when they encountered a consider
ably larger force of Indians. The small
squad retreated to Joseph Walker's
ranch , a short distance from Meridian ,
and the Indians crossed the river , stop
ping enronte to secure the team of a man
named Hunt , who was cutting hay in
the bottom. Hunt escaped with his
scalp intact , but minus a good team. Joe
Baker and John Breese of Fairbury , two
members of the militia , rode to the hill
top in time to see the Indians surround
and kill Ignatz Touish , who was on the
opposite side of the stream , but they
were too late to help him or recover his
team , which the Indians secured. A
company of militia was organized , and
mustered on August 18 , 1807 , and was
mustered out of the service November
18 , 1867. All the members were enrolled
from the Big Sandy and several of the
boys still reside in this vicinity.
Juno 1st , 1869 , Governor Butler or
dered the enlistment of a company of
the Nebraska cavalry militia , First Ne
braska. The company wont into camp
near the present location of Hebron , at
Camp Butler , and remained in service
until they were relieved in the spring of
1870 by a company of regulars.
Jefferson was the only county iu the
then territory , where the settlers depended
ponded for protection from the Indians
upon troops raised from their own mem
bers. Other localities were guarded by
the First and Second regiments , the
Eleventh Kansas and the Eighteenth
Ohio , but no troops wore sent to this
valley until the danger was virtually
over.
W. W. WATSON.
CIVIC FKDEKATION.
The Civic Federation of Chicago
which has been active in the promotion
of conferences having for their object
civic improvement , has taken stops for
the organization of a national associa
tion. The object of which , as stated in
the constitution , is :
"To provide for a thorough discussion
of questions of national import affect
ing either the foreign or domestic policy
of the United States , to aid in the
crystallization of the most enlightened
public sentiment of the country in re
spect thereto and , when desirable , to
promote necessary legislation in accord
ance therewith. "
The plan provides for the appointment
of an advisory council of five hundred.
Several mouths have been spent in care
fully selecting the members of this
council , the object of the committee
being to secure only representative , con
servative , practical men of affairs , re
publicans and democrats. No federal or
state office-holders , professional poli
ticians , cranks , hobbyists , or revolu
tionists have boon knowingly included.
In a government like ours , associations
of this character , that have for their
object the investigation and discussion
of public questions , are of incalculable
value in influencing popular judgment
and avoiding the evil consequences of ex
treme partisanship. It is to education ,
by encouraging men to think more and
talk less , that wo must look for the
remedy of existing evils in government.
TIIK HERESY OF 1)11. HIT.OS.
Dr. Hillis , a Presbyterian , and pastor
of Plymouth church , is accused of
heresy. Here are some of the state
ments for which he is blamed : ' 'Ho
spoke of the uncertainty of the world to
come , none of the greatest philosophers
having ever been able to picture it even
to their own satisfaction , and all con
ception differing. " * . * * "When
we read Christ's statements regarding
the future penalties and rewards , and
interpret them in the light of evolution ,
how fragmentary seem the old teach
ings. " * * * "Tho Confession of
Faith says that certain men and angels
are foreordained to everlasting death ,
being 'particularly and unchangeably
designed , and their number is so certain
and definite that it cannot bo either in
creased or diminished , ' and every young
man who enters the Presbyterian church
has to solemnly swear to believe and
teach this frightful view. And every
attempt to revise and expel that state
ment from the creed has been success
fully combattod by a majority that
wishes to retain the doctrine. It would
seem as if a man would prefer to be
burned at the stake rather than hold or
assert or charge such infinite cruelty
upon the all-merciful and all-loving
God. The day the scholastics wrote
that chapter in the Confession of Faith ,
they got the devil confused with God. "
Emporia Gazette.
1
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