8 'Che Conservative.
A PIONEER NEWSPAPER.
Before me lie twelve torn and faded
sheets , which bear the title The Omaha
Arrow , and which make a complete file
of the first newspaper that was published
upon Nebraska soil. No. 1 is dated July
28 , 1854 , less than four weeks after the
day when the new territory was legally
opened for settlement. In many ways
the Arrow illustrates the strong , self-
reliant spirit of the pioneering days ; it
might well be said that "no gentleman's
library is complete without it" ; but
unfortunately these old sheets are now
very rare. I shall try to show some
thing of the temper and humor of the
men who managed the venture , and also
something of the difficulties which
opposed them and whioh they con
quered.
The city of Omaha now holds about
150,000 people , and has all the advant
ages and the dignities of other cities of
its size in other neighborhoods , no matter
what their age may be. The citizens
are proud of their home , not only
because of what it now is , but also
because of the strong growth it has
made a growth rapid and sure as that
of a young giant. Until the 2d day of
July , 1854 , the site of the city was a
wilderness occupied by camps of Omaha
Indians. There were several reasons
why the general government desired to
have these lands opened for settlement ,
and a treaty was made with the Omahas
by which they ceded their rights , and
made it possible for the whites to occupy
and cultivate the soil. July 2d was the
date fixed for the first entry of claims.
Before that time the whites had been
permitted to cross the territory , en route
to Utah , California , and other places in
the far West , and there were some
traders , missionaries , and Indian agents
living here ; but no white man had legal
title to an acre of the ground for his
own use. It was known that some of
the newly opened lands were rich and
very desirable , and as the day approached
preached when entry was to occur , there
were many who gathered upon the
eastern bank of the Missouri river , wait
ing to cross.
Opposite the site of the city of Omaha
stood the bustling trading village of
Council Bluffs , where supplies were sold
to the emmigrant trains that were pre
paring to cross the plains , and where
the pioneers of the region could buy the
necessary tools , arms and provisions. At
several places up and down the river
were other similar towns ; but at Omaha
there was only a landing place for the
old-fashioned ferryboats , nothing more.
Yet before the month of July had passed
the first number of the Omaha Arrow
appeared.
An Ambitious Little Paper.
It was an ambitious little paper , as
one may judge from the headline , in
which it describes itself as "a family
newspaper devoted to the arts , sciences ,
general literature , agriculture , and
politics. " J. E. Johnson and John "W.
Pattison are named as editors and pro
prietors , and the following is a part of
the first editorial :
Well , strangers , friends , patrons , and
good people generally , wherever in the
wide world your lot may be cast , here
we are upon Nebraska soil , seated upon
the stump of an ancient oak , which
serves for an editorial chair , and the top
of our badly abused beaver hat for a
table , we propose editing a leader for
the Omaha Arrow. An elevated table-
laud surrounds us ; the majestic Mis
souri just off our left goes sweeping its
muddy course down toward the Mexican
gulf , while the background of the pleas
ant picture is filled up with Iowa's love
liest , richest scenery. Yon rich , rolling ,
wide-spread , and beautiful prairie , dot
ted with timber , looks lovely enough
just now , as heaven's free sunlight
touches off in beauty the lights and
shades , to be literally entitled the Eden
land of the world , and inspire us with
flights of fancy upon this antiquated
beaver ; but it won't pay. There sticks
our axe in the trunk of an old oak whose
branches have for years been fanned by
the breezes that constantly sweep from
over the ofttimes flower-dotted prairie
lea , and from which we propose making
a log for our cabin and claim.
Yonder come two atalwart sons of the
forest decked in their native finery.
They approach and stand before us in
our sanctum. That dancing feather
whioh adorns his head once decked the
gaudy plumage of the mountain eagle.
The shades of the rainbow appear on
their faces. They extend the hand of
friendship with the emphatic "cuggy
how" ( how are you , friend ? ) , and
knowing our business , request us by
signs and gesticulations to write in the
Arrow to the Great Father that the
Omahas want what he has promised
them , and they ask us also to write no
bad about them. * * *
The Arrow's target will be the gen
eral interest and welfare of this highly
favored , new and beautiful territory ,
upon which we have now for the first
time established a regular weekly paper.
Our cast is decidedly "young American"
in spirit and politics.
The pioneering squatter and the
uncivilized red men are our constituents
and neighbors ; the wolves and deer our
traveling companions , and the wild
birds and prairie v inds our musicians
more highly appreciated than all the
carefully prepared concerts of earth.
Surrounded by associations , circum
stances , and scenes like these , what do
you expect from us , anxious reader ?
Don't be disappointed if you do not
always get that whioh is intelligible and
polished from our pen ( we mean those
of the East and South ; the pioneers
understand our dialect ) . Take , there
fore , what you get with a kindly heart
and no grumbling. * * * We will
now shoulder our axe and bid you adieu
until next week.
The Editor's Sanctum.
Following this editorial was a notice :
"The Arrow is published on Friday of
each week at Omaha City , Nebraska
Ter. ( opposite Council Bluffs ) , at $2 per
year in advance. For a time and until
our press and fixtures arrive , it will be
printed at the office of the Bugle ,
Council Bluffs , Iowa ; to which point
communications for the present may be
addressed. "
This was the second editorial in the
same issue :
Last night we slept in our sanctum
the starry-decked heaven for a ceiling ,
and our mother earth for a floor. It
was a glorious night , and wo were tired
from the day's exertions. Far away on
different portions of the prairie glim
mered the camp-fires of our neighbors ,
the Pawnees , Omahas , or that noble and
too often unappreciated class of our people
ple known as pioneers or squatters. We
gathered around our little camp fire ,
talked of times in the past , of the pleas
ing present and of the glorious future
which the march of civilization should
open in the land whereon we sat. * *
We thought of distant friends and loved
ones , who , stretched upon beds of downy
ease , little appreciated the unalloyed
pleasure , the heaven-blessed comfort
that dwelt with us in this far-off land.
No busy hum of the bustling world
served to distract our thoughts. Behind
us was spread our buffalo-robe in an old
Indian trail which was to serve as our
bed and bedding. The cool night wind
swept in cooling braezes around us ,
deep laden with the perfume of a
thousand-hnod and various flowers. Far
away upon our lea came the occasional
long-drawn howl of the prairie wolves.
Talk of comfort ; there was more of it in
one hour of our sanctum camp life upon
Nebraska soil than in a whole life of
fashionable pampered world in the
settlements , and individually , we would
not have exchanged our sanctum for
any of those of our brethren of the press ,
who boast of its neatness and beauty of
artful adornment. * * *
The little items of local news are quite
as suggestive. Here is one :
"The Omahas are soon expected in
from their hunt to prepare and dry their
green corn. "
There are also rumors of Indian
troubles along the Western trails , and of
massacres of white travelers , all re
corded in a matter-of-fact way , but
speaking eloquently of the wild discomfort -
fort of the time.
At that time there were , of course , no
law courts upon the new soil , and the
settlers had nothing to guide them save
their own good will and good intentions
toward one another. There is news in
the first issue of the Arrow of the forma
tion of an association among the settlers
whioh had for its purpose the protection
of the rights of its members in caring
for their lands and homes. One of the
by-laws of the association provided that
"all persons who have families to sup
port , or who are acting for themselves ,
will have protection from this associa
tion , providing they become a member
of it and act in conjunction with a ma
jority of its members. " They were pro
tected , too ; and nothing more than that