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.