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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1900)
10 Conservative * MR. WOODS AND.TT. CALHOUN. Mr. Woods , who is quoted elsewhere in this paper relative to old Fort Gal- houn , is probably the best-informed of the inhabitants of Nebraska in matters pertaining to the old military post in question. The article quoted is not the most lucid that ho has written concerning it , but his idea evidently is to show the conflict between different accounts of the establishment of the post. The present town of Fort Oalhoun has been in existence since March , 1865 , when it was first surveyed and platted ; but the name had been attached to the locality for some thirty years previous to that time. The old government post which first bore it was abandoned in June , 1827 ; it had been occupied by more or less of a garrison for some eight years , and when first established was called Fort Atkinson. There appears to be no way of determining when the name was changed , nor why. Some tell of a Lieutenant or Captain Oalhoun , who died at the fort ; but there seems to be no official record of such an officer's being there , neither have forts usually been named for minor officers. Others consider that the change was made in honor of John O. Calhoun of South Carolina , who was secretary of war throughout the greater part of Monroe's two terms , from 1817 to 1825 ; one of the four steamboats in which the garrison started for the post was certainly named for him. But inasmuch as the govern ment was at this time constructing a fort in Virginia which bore his name , it does not seem that this one could have been christened identically the same , at least officially. Very possibly Fort Cal houn was merely a local title. As for the previous name , it was manifestly bestowed in honor of General Henry Atkinson , who founded the post in 1819 ; though he did not recognize it , it is said , in any of his reports. This was also the first of several places to bear the name of Council Bluffs , or more properly Council Bluff , being the bluff on which Lewis & Clark held their council with the neighboring Indians in July , 1804. The Captain ( Benjamin ) Contal men tioned was an old soldier , still living in 1890 , who had formed part of the original garrison of Fort Atkinson , his father being drum-major there. The "duel-ground" is a spot which bears the reputation , apparently well- founded , of having been the scene of a fatal meeting between two young southern officers , members of the gar rison. A. T. R. If in the spring PLANT TREES. of 1901 Nebraska will plant as many conifers as Christmas festivities destroyed in 1900 the state will add thousands of acres to its wood land area. Never take tree life except as a necessity and under compulsion. MB. FORBES ON THE CHINESE. The subjoined letter , addressed to one of the Massachusetts representatives in congress , turned up too late for publi cation in the Life of the late John M. Forbes by his daughter. After nearly half a century it has a timely interest. Readers of that stimulating biography know Mr. Forbes for an observer of the first class , who held many Chinamen as close and honored friends : BOSTON , June 80 , 1858. MY DEAR SIR : * * * We had hopes that the exciting state of affairs in China would have tempted you to give the benefit of your experience to that mis sion. It is eminently a case for prac tical wisdom rather than theory ; for the chronic diseases of the Chinese body politic go so far back into antiquity , and have become so identified with the ex istence of the government , and almost of the people , that all European experi ence and theory must be set aside. The rascally government has given the people cowardly habits , but my belief is that , under Yankee officers , the Chinese soldiers might be made to whip the Sepoy troops of the E. I. Company , and , of course any troops , whether Chinese or Tartar , under Chinese management. The great battle , however , which they are destined to fight , whenever light and freedom are let in upon , is an in dustrial one. Even now Chinese' labor is by far the cheapest ( taking efficiency into view ) on the face of the globe. It is capable of becoming instructed and intelligent ; and whenever machinery is introduced there and encouraged , and internal re- stritions upon commerce removed , China will become the greatest manu facturing nation of the world and possi bly the greatest commercial people. Of course , such speculations have little to do with the question of today , or possibly of this century ; they only lead one back to the conclusion which you must have arrived at , in common with most intelligent observers , that the Chinese are much underrated as a people. They have been trained to hard work from generation to generation , and if by chance they are ever able to work freely and for themselves , they will make their mark on the industry of the world. Very truly yours , J. M. FORBES. TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVEBSABY. Mr. Amos J. Harding , western man ager of the Springfield Fire Insurance Company , on December 16 , celebrated his twenty-fifth year of service with this company. He entered the fire insurance business in Nebraska City and will be remembered by those who knew him here as a man of splendid character and strict integrity. The Standard in a recent issue says of Mr. Harding : "Amos J. Harding , who on Deo. 15 will celebrate a quarter of a century in continuous service with the Springfield as western manager , is certainly one of the foremost underwriters in Chicago , although one of the most unobtrusive and retiring. He is accounted a solid business man and a good manager one of real executive ability. Mr. Harding is entertaining and often reminiscent , and is ever ready to talk about Nebras ka , for which he still entertains a warm regard , although it is years since he left the state. He is a native of Ohio , where he was born in 1839 , but moved to Ne braska in the early days and settled in Nebraska City. There he began his career as a local agent in 1858. He served through the civil war , enlisting as a private and coming out as a captain and resumed the local work when mus tered out 1865. For some years Mr. Harding was also a special agent of the Home of New York and in 1871 was ap pointed special agent and adjuster of the Phoenix of Brooklyn for a number of western states , resigning to organize the western department of the Springfield in 1876. Mr. Harding loves a capital story with the best of them and tells some , too , with much enjoyment. He is thoroughly informed on the affairs of . the day and is an encyclopedia regard ing men and events in the business. His fellow managers will give him a dinner at the Union League club on the 15th which promises to be a memorable , event and which President Damon of i the Springfield is expected to attend , " , EDITOB BRYAN AND HIS TOUCH. So William Jennings Bryan intends to start a newspaper of his own. He is to do this in order , as he announces , to keep "in touch with social , economic and political problems. " It is to be a weekly newspaper , sans news , issued to touch the aforementioned problems in order "to provide an income sufficient for my ( his ) pecuniary needs. " We sincerely trust that Mr. Bryan's anticipations of a success that will allow him "more time with his family than he has been able to enjoy for several years" will be realized. If all who voted for the nominee of the Kansas City convention will only send a sub scription of $1 to The Commoner , Lincoln , Neb. , it will establish William Jennings Bryan in the bosom of his family beyond the necessity of running for the presidency every four years. Talk of the Midas touch ? The man who , by keeping "in touch with social , economic and political problems" in the columns of a weekly newspaper , can hope to allure $1 a head from 6,502,925 American citizens annually has a snap beyond Colonel Seller's dream of selling eye water to 500,000,000 sore-eyed Chinese ! Great is Bryan , there is millions in his touch. Times-Herald.
