The Conservative. o
ing of the legislature alarmed both those
already established , and the public
generally. It is not likely that auy
other charters of this kind will ever be
granted. " He also shows why railroads
must come , and gives a fall exposition
of the preemption laws ; then an account
of the physical geography of the terri
tory a wide Held and of the animals
that inhabit it , not counting Indians not
taved. Here is noticed a curious refer
ence. Speaking of the Yellowstone , of
which he says "but little minute information
mation is possessed at the present time , "
he mentions the existence of a tradition
that "one of its branches and one of
those of the Columbia head in a common
spring. " Two Ocean Pass , and the
spring that flows both ways , were not
discovered , or at least their existence
not verified , until 1873.
As to Nebraska weather , he states
that "two winters ago the legislature
held its session , on the first of January ,
out of doors. The weather was mild
and pleasant , and no snow was seen that
winter.
The Counties.
Next follows a "Description of the
Surveyed Counties , " taking up one at a
time ; this must have been a laborious
thing to prepare , considering the scarcity
of exact information concerning any
part of the Great American Desert at
that time. Early in this statement the
author says "it may be well to state
here , inasmuch as some anxiety has
been excited at the East about the
peculiar institution' in Nebraska , that
almost none of the settlers from Missouri
have brought slaves with "them. At
Nebraska City there are eleven slaves
the only ones in the Territory. "
It is believed that grapes may be
grown in Nemaha County. "The ex
periment will bo thoroughly tried the
coming season , of growing the grape ,
and manufacturing wine from it , by
Mr. Furnace of Brownville. " Quantities
of coal of a superior quality had also
been taken out in that vicinity.
Nebraska City.
As to Otoe County , "the largest town
in this county is Nebraska City , which
is a thriving , active town of about 1,200
pbople. The buildings are generally
wood , though a handsome brick block
of some half dozen stores is just com
pleted , while several "others are about
being built. The town lies pretty high
from the river , but one angle touching
the Missouri , and that on an elevation
almost worthy of being called a hill.
The site itself is broken.by a creek
( Rock Creek ) which passes through it ,
forming a deep valley. Bordering the
town is Kearney City , which is separated
from Nebraska City by Book Creek. It
is owned by parties largely interested in
Nebraska City , and can be considered
no rival of that place. Indeed , it is
little more than a town site. At this
place is the old Fort Kearney. The fort
itself is a mere block-house , built of
square logs , two stories in height. About
it are the buildings which the officers
and men occupied as their quarters.
They were not on a large scale , and are
not now appropriated to military uses.
* * * At this place is also the
Nebraska City Preparatory and Col
legiate Institute. This institution is not
yet in operation , but * * * Efforts
are being made to secure the western
terminus of the Burlington Railroad.
One of the main stage routes through
Iowa terminates here. * * * The
Nebraska News , one of the best news
papers in the Territory , is published
here. "
The author was rather partial in his
description of Omaha , though he seems
to have tried not to bo ; he evidently had
a sagacious idea that Omaba was to be
The Town after all. "Omaha City , " he
says , "is well built up with substantial
brick blocks. It numbers 1,800 people. "
But it is too late to quarrel over this.
Nebraska City is not jealous of Omaha
any more.
THE CONSERVATIVE will endeavor to
be more prompt in reviewing the next
guide-book that Judge Wool worth may
write. A. T. R.
JAMES H. KENNICOTT.
It is right that life-records made by
strong and good men should be pre
served , and a duty of the public press
that they should be transmitted to com
ing times. Therefore a plain statement
as to the character of Mr. Kennicott ,
who having been born in April , 1796 ,
has just departed this life after an
earthly existence of more than eighty-
six years is due to his neighbors and
friends in Otoe county where he passed
the last twenty-one years of his life.
Mr. Keunicott was a man of strong
mind. Born in the humbler walks of
life , inherited from his father a soldier
of the Revolution only a pure patriot
ism and the courage to assert and main
tain everywhere his convictions of right
and of duty. He was eminently an
honest man , honest with his fellow-men
in all the relations of life , and supremely
honest with himself in the discharge of
moral obligations , His ideas of citizen
ship were broad and correct , and his
vote and voice were always where his
judgment discovered the right and the
just. He fully comprehended the
dignity and responsibility which devolves
upon old men as to the example and
influence of their every-doy life. In all
the years of his citizenship no man was
degraded by contact with James H.
Kennicott , and very many were made
better and enabled. He was , in every
respect , a clean and comely character ,
and always governed himself by a firm
adherence to pure principles.
Fourth of July , 1870.
He was known to nearly all the early
pioneers of Otoe county and universally
respected and esteemed. Probably the
last occasion upon which Mr. Kennicott
appeared at a general public gathering ,
was on the Centennial Fourth of July ,
1870. Few who were then present at
the meeting in the City Park will ever
forget him ; and how immediately after
Mr. Morton had finished his oration
the grand old patriot stepped to the
front of the platform , and with a clear
and steady voice sang "The Sword of
Bnnkerhill. " His eye flashed and his
cheek glowed like that of a young war
rior entering into battle for the first
time. He sang with the spirit of
seventy-six , and with the understanding
of liberty regulated by law ; and every
person in the sound of his voice was
revived in love of country. He was
then eighty-two years of age , tall and
erect as to form , and benignant and
dignified in feature. No one who saw
and heard him then but felt that Mr.
Kennicott loved the union and the
government for which his father fought
with the utmost intensity.
But he has gone and thus one by one
the pioneers of the state depart leaving
the impress of their labors upon these
beautiful lands , and the influence of
their characters upon their neighbors
and descendants.
Among : Flowers.
As his remains were borne out from
his home , among the blooming orchard
trees and under the shadows of the
maples , which he had planted , one
could but contrast the desolate untilled
prairie which he came to , as a pioneer ;
with the carefully cultured and taste
fully adorned grounds which he was
fnrflver. He had made it better
by his presence ; his industry and his
love of the beautiful. And while the
trees under which the sad procession of
friends wag passing in the discharge of
their last duties to him wore promising
in bud and bloom the full fruition of the
autumn ; it was a consolation to hope
that he too had bloomed for that im
mortal life , which neither storm nor
frost can cut down nor impair. From
the Nebraska Press of April 24 , 1888.
MASTERS OF MEN.
The Saturday Evening Post announces
for early publication a twelve part serial
story of love and adventure by Morgan
Robertson. Masters of Men is a power
ful tale of the new Navy.
The central figures in the story are a
rich orphan , who has entered the navy
as an apprentice , and a young ensign ,
fresh from the Naval Academy. The
author leads his two heroes through a
maze of adventures by land and sea.
This romance may fairly be called the
best work of the best writer of sea
s tories in the country. .
