. _ uT |
PART IT. ' " 1 HE SUNDAY PAGES. 9-16
EIGHTEENTH YEAR. OMAHA SUNDAY 3LOimNG. AlKHTST 113 , 1HS8. SIXTEEN PAGES. Nt'MJiEH 50.
i ,
JUSTICE OF THE EARLY DAYS.
T.ho Peculiar Methods of Omaha's
Vigilance Oomralttoo.
HOW THEY CLOSED THE SALOON.
The Hi niggle on the lUvor Bank The
Claim Club ami Its Methods
The Irlsliiii.in'H Siefic
at Florence-
Tlip Old Vli-llantcf.
1C llio old vigilance committee , which
flourished in Omaha in the curly days ,
wore in votfiio DOW it could in all proha-
hility do unreal deal for the good of the
public. A prominent eiti/en states
most emphatically Unit there never was
n vigilance committee in exibtanco in
Omaha , while others state with equal
unphasiH that there wab.
At any rate , there were popular up-
ribiugb of the people , who administered
jiiBtico and dealt death to those whom
tluM , thought deserved it.
There was it Mr.Tuvlor who resided
on Die 1'apio , about twelve miles from
Omaha , who was
AWAKICNKl ) OKKNJOJ1T ,
m-orU thirty yearb ago , hy two burglars
and compelled to disclose the hiding
plai'o of some $ lCOfl she was known to
luivo in her posscsbion. This she did ,
the money was obtained and the two
thieves escaped. They uoro Boon ar-
wM-'tl , hov/evcr. and brought to Omaha
and confined in the old jail at Sixteenth
and FiU'imm street , whore the Puxton
building is now situated. In a room
containing forty mon , Mrs. Taylor
pk-l.id out the two guilty parties. One
of Ih men turned states evidence and
escapi-d punishment , but the
UTHUll WAS 1IUXO
fioiti the rafters by a mob that forced its
way into the jail.
Two horse thiwea were taken from
the jail In this city in 18-VS and convoyed
to alot nnar FJorenco , where they
were lynched.
1ft is wild , and HO it was claimed by ono
of the men , that he had earned the
hui'eti legitimately by working for
tlirin. "Whether or not there is any
truth it : this I am unable to say , as the
old i it ! AMIS who remember ihu occur-
roiu'o jiovor lnuw of its verification.
If it is the truth the hanging of thifc
man uM3 nolltiug los ? thuti murder.
A deipcrulc attempt was mnOo in 1870
10 U.Uj
A MUKDKUCIt
from ( hi jail while Short IT Grebe was in
iirrso r-blon for the purpose of lynch-
li\fft \ Iit the sherilV and his men "with-
Mood < ho Mtuc'it , cijusfoiinntly the nt
iw ! < : msnccc$9lul.
Vluiv MO ) A to be n grove or park , as
11 vtu t ruiccl , thiit oxtondeil from Jftir-
$ ' ney fii t'hU'flgfj strrct In the ' 'goo.'l oh'
'f * , I'olon } tuiys , ' ' along Ii'h.sh ntroou Two
tioiivip"s hortu thieves KOVO taken
' dpwit into tha grqve l y the vi ilan
cniniutiluc ; vho worn determined to
Imif li'u'u : , but whiMi the qritlcal
' inc-iiteit' eviu to
.VWUVT TUB NOOSK
Uif.V grew fuhiUhenrted and had eon-
' cvlci'iloi's ' tcruploi about virtually ore-
itti.jr ilienisclvob nuirdnicrj. Tnoro
vort. plenty of men present rnor j thai
to pull the ropd but numhiu'
t'o iui'.in lit * ropouvind
This sale will continue one week more. Twenty per cent off
our prices , is less than goods can be bought wholesale in Omaha.
Thousands of purchasers visited our store last week. If
you have not been yourself , ask them , and they will tell you
that no goods have been advanced , but that everything is our
ordinary every day regular prices , and 20 per cent is taken
off the foot of the bill.
Everything in the store goes at 20 per cent. This is a splen
did opportunity to purchase your winter Underwear at whole
sale prices. Also your domestics ; also Laces , Silks , Dress
Goods , Buttons , Trimmings , Underwear , Hosiery , Gent's Fur
nishing goods , Shawls , Lace Curtains , Blankets , Comforts , Lin
ens , Napkins , Towels , etc. , etc. Remember this sale continues
just one week more. Take advantage of it , as you will not
have such an opportunity again for years.
N. B. FALCONER.
he necks of the terror-stricken criini-
mls.
mls.The
The mob was undecided as to what
vus the host course to pursue. It was
> lain to them that at present the mon
vould not ho lynched and yet their very
souls thirsted for vengeance. There
wore some present , however , who wore
johsosscd of inexhaustible resources
mcl
M'HIPl'lNO AT Tim STAKE
was proposed. The men were escorted
.o the \\I\K \ \ flan" and securely fastened.
Emulating the old liomi-barburie king
who caused the wronged-to inIlict the
punishment , the owners of the hoiws
were designated to perform the diba-
roeablo task of Hogging the mon.
Ono of the owners of the horses was
; ho possessor of a soft heart , and his
victim did not sulfur so badly , but the
other thief was not so fortunate. The
liori-o owner , filled only with the mem
ory of liis wrongs and thirsting for re-
bongo , belabored the tied thief with all
his strength.
Another \\iiy the vigilance committee
or mob composed of popular uprisings
of the people had of amusing itself waste
to take the unfortunate criminals down
to the river and throw thorn in , coin-
polling thorn to swim to the Iowa Rhore
in1 drown. It was certainly a case of
"sink or swim. " It is related that they
convoyed lour notorious desperadoes
down to the river ono night with the
avowed intention of drowning them. It
was
A DKSl'KlIATi : .STIIUOGU :
between the members of the vigilance
committee and the desperadoes : Stand
ing on the bank with the river rolling
bluggishly along in the night , those
lour men fought with the fury of a
wounded tigress. Thoii * lives wore
at ctuko and they fully re
alized it. Their fooH wore four
to ono , but the desperate
light those made for their lives should
liavo won , and porhnps did win , admira
tion from any ouo of their enemies. 13ut
the odds wore too reat against thnm ,
and they were filially pushed over into
the river mid the Missouri hid them
from sight.
If the banks of the Missouri river in
and near Omaha could Hpoak , many
mysterious disappearances could be
cleared up ; many cold-blooded stories
could bo told. Undoubtedly the vigil
ance committee did many acts for which
the people should have been thankful ,
but there is also no doubt that they
often acted hastily unon their divisions.
There is said to have been u well
known saloon and *
GA.MHUXO imu ,
on Fnrr.riin street between Eleventh and
Twelfth , which the vigilt.ntoh raided
ono night in 1SOO uud bi-oko up in a
very eccentric manner. The bar
tender and occupants wore uiicciemoni-
ously driven out. but not a glass , not u
bottle , nut a chain or table was molested.
Kvorythir.jr was left intact , but this
popular U | > riring of the people left a
startling und ntgnif.cant warning in the
shape ol a rope with u noiu , dangling
in the doorway. The vigilantcd di
appoavcd about ISti'J.
Tin : CLAIM ci.ini.
It wfiH by no means ti ir.ru ocvurrenco
to quarrel over claims. A man named
Snow wild killed on his claim near
Omaha , fi lw l been "jumped , " but
Snow ctuno to this ciry for assistance
but not being able to obtain it , ho
nrined himself ftinl proceeded on I to his
land for the ijurposu of rfeinbtiUiiii. Mm-
.aolf. but lie \vns .hot , o the ' 'jumper"
elalnuid. In loH dnfeuM ; .
Th . Claim club was un orj ; ni/.atlon
I - if oi'ijuniziitloii cither of iLrm were
ihat nourished about the same period
Lho vigilance committee did. The
Claim club is said by many to bo a com-
l > any of men banded together for the
protection of legitimate and bontv lido
settlers against that accursed of all
western men the claim jumper.
Under the United States law a head
of a family or any single potion of a
certain ago can pre-empt 100 acres of
government land , and alter a specified
time , provided the requirements of the
law have been complied with , the land
becomes the property of the bottler.
Some authorities assort , however , that
the object was just the reverse from
protecting the settlor. That after a
claim had been proved up on and it was
valuable and located near Omaha , the
Claim club obtained possession of the
land fairly by the paymontof something
like 11."o per aero , or resorted to foul
means if the owner was found obdurate.
It is als-o maintained that foul means
often became necessary in order that
the club might become the possessor of
a valuable claim , and that more than
ono honest bottler was severely used or
MYSTKHIOUbLY DISAl'PKAKKD
because of his rouisal to accede to the
wishes of the club. Emulating the po
lice of the Emerald Isle the Claim club
went up near Florence for the purpose
of evicting a man from a claim. The
man , through t-oinu of his Omaha
friends , had heard of the intended visit
several days previously , and accord
ingly ho had fortified himself in his
cabin in good old Ireland fashion , and
was amply prepared to resist the pro
posed invasion. At last the memorable
day arrived. Every member of the
club \\as a Urobdignagian when he
moved with martial tread on the cabin ,
but ho immediately became a Lilipu-
tion of the most pronounced typo when
hostilities commenced.
isnsnioKD.
The bolcaguereu had not only pro
vided himself with bulliciunt provision
for a siege , but also with lire arms and
ammunition that would have caused the
hearts of the colonial Indian to throb
fast with envy. It was n veritable
storming of Fort Sumter , in which
stormed and btormors fought with
dogged pertinacity and vigor for pos
session and supremacy.
Hut in the course of time the inevita
ble end was reached when the man's
provision and ammunition were ex
hausted and ho was forced to succumb.
To attempt to run the gauntlet
of the intrepid Claim club wab nothing
short of suicide , and the man wished to
continue his residence- upon this sphere.
Negotiations for a peaceful settlement
of dillleulties were therefore entered
into between the besieged and the be-
seigors. A treaty of peace was at length
satisfactorily perfected , but the man
was lorceu to abdicato.
IIO&TIUTIES WEIli : SUSPENDED
and the man came out of his miniature
fort bearing an emblem of peace , and
departed leaving the battle-scarred and
N ictory-crowned members of the famous
Omaha Claim club monarch of all they
surveyed. Such an overwhelming vic
tory could do naught but lire the club
with enthusiasm , and it is a mystery
how they ever permitted thulr organiza
tion tod'isband , which it did in ISW.
Hut ftill if one-half the stories that
are told of the Claim club arc true it is
a positive wonder that the decent people
ple of Omaha did not compel it to dis
band long hcforo It did.K.
K. A. KATOJf.
Harvard mid Yale will have the
freshmen cl tsr.i cvci isnuWu t ci-.li-r i.-
tutlon.
Rooklosa Waste of Public Money on
the Geological Survey.
MANY REMUNERATIVE SINECURES
Steadily Increasing Appropriations
for DecrcnHine Value The Hall
ways of Ceylon DHllcuUies
In Their Management.
'I lie Geological Survey.
AVvsiuxoTo.v , August 0. Special to TUB
Bte.j Another effort will bo uiudo to de
prive the geological survey of Its existence.
Ono of the appropriation bills now pending
contains the provision for keeping up this in
stitution , and it is ; discovercd that it costs
about a half milliona , year. A member who
has watched the work of the geological sur
vey from its beginning sums it up.is follows :
"I do not remember that any man or the
government has ever profited a dollar by this
work , except ho bo connected with it and
gets his profit by way of salary. There is
no law authorizing iho geological survey ,
anil there is no law governing the large ex
penditures made by it annually. Originally
there was a llttlo apnropriation I bollove it
was $10,000 made tofsccura certain services
in geology , and it nutliorl/cd the employment
of a superintendent. { Ho so managed the
work that ho did hot complete it within
the time specified , iinfl another call was tnado
for an appropriation. ! This time it antici
pated more work , and moro inonoy was given
that at first. From year to year it has asked
congress lor larger and larger appropriations
for the purpose of n 1sg geological surveys ,
but without specifying as to where the work
is to bo done , and forwhat purpose it is to bo
used. The money has boon given and the
appropriation incrcapocl from one , two , thruo
and four hundred thousand dollars till in
round numbers we uro paying about u half
million dollars a yeaf for this work. Inas
much as there Is no iHiuclticatiou as to the
organization of the bureau or the employ
ment of any specific number of men , the su
perintendent may nuiko as many Hinecuros
as hu wishes , and pay as largo salaries as ho
may choose. i
"Hut the thing I most object to , " con
tinued this member , | ' ! H the way in which
this service has boon maintained. If you
will get the roster ofj the geological survov
you will find that nearly every member of
the house committeeon appropriations and
the senate committeebn appropriations , for
the last ten ycurp , has had at least ono
friend If not ten in this eervice. I'laces have
been doled out to nusn In congress for the
purpose of gutting tlleir influence , and It has
been a clear caseof fycu scratch my back
and I'll scratch your l till this llttlo pimple
has grown to bo a great carbuncle on the
body politic , and instead ' of spending 10,000
a year , as at first , 'tho money given the
geological Hiirvey every year comprises quite
a largo part of the general appropriation. I
know of no service t > o Mxoloss to the country
and none that could bo so easily ex
ploded by anjoiio In comjres who
woula take the trouble to jump
Into it. It IK vulnerable at every point.
Nearly all of the 111611 employed as exports
are without any practical knowleJgo of go-
oloity , although ther are some very excel
lent and reputable gentlemen connected with
it. I do not blame tliu ! mun wtio are carried
on the rolls. It Is not their fault. Neither Is
It to their blame thatUhoy have nothing to
do. Nor can it bo said that they arc blame
worthy because U la wIMiin the pjwor of
their chief to givu them largo or small sala
ries , assign them to alleged duties or allow
them to remain at ) their homes , and to
have absolute control of the largo upprop.'iu-
ll3U inado cvrry yean. "
>
American rallrn.iil * iimafr-rb : would un-
JoUbietJIy tx tihcouratjoi * . iitl : > ni.inu oniciH
of llto liula rouiis In tlicislend of Ceylon. The
total number of miles of railroad in Ceylon is
but 182 , and they have only been in operation
fifteen years. It seems from computations
in the possession of the department of state ,
that it cost $150,000 a milo to build much of
this road. The country Is so mountainous
that a great deal of blasting and tunneling is
required. The cheapest line cost SD'J.OVO per
mile , while some of it cost $173,000 a mile ,
the entire length. The stations are about
six miles apart on the main line from Col
ombo to to Nimuoya. This ino taps a worn
out colTco district. It scorns that those
roads , although they charge llvo
cents a milo for first-class passage
for passengers pay only ! t nor
cent on the capital invested. Thogauccis the
same as the American compromise. Some
of the engineering features of the Ceylon
raihoads arc remarkable. There are spans
on some of the bridges COO feet. In length ,
while an iron girder on ono is 1.2UO feet long.
Goods on these lines arc divided into three
classes , and are charged accordingly. There
uro also special rates for certain products ,
coffee , ciiinona , tea , etc. , niostly the products
of plantations belonging to Europeans. The
country is rich in undeveloped products , but
is financially poor. It is believed that theie
Is not a cash equivalent on the whole island
of $10,000 000. The object in making the
heavy Investments in tno railroads Is to develop -
volop the country. A great many dillleulties
are reported in the management of the road.
CONXUHIAIjITIES.
"Good-DIehl" is a combination found in a
marriage advertisement in an Alluntown
( Pa. ) newspaper. Everybody will wish the
contracting parties a Oood-Uiohl of prosper
ity.
ity.Miss
Miss E. II. Ober , the founder and first
manager of the original Boston Ideal Opera
company , was married on Wedncbday last in
lliuo Hill , Mo. , to Virgil H. Kline , u lawyer
of Cleveland , O.
Near Chattanooga , Tenn. , a father who had
forgiven his eloping daughter and her young
Loehinvar , nevertheless gave a sound drub
bing to the fi lend who acted as best man In
the runaway match.
Mrs. Erbe , an Ohio bride of six weeks ,
wants a divorce because her husband has
failed to do all that he promised to do dur
ing his courting. The world would soon bo
without Inhabitants onthat basis.
A prominent young gentleman in Athens
has taken out a blank marriage license , and
so soon as ho can find a fair damsel who is
willing to have her name filled in the blank
ho will seuuro the services of a J. P. and
have the knot tied.
After walking fifty miles , an eloping
couple reached I'omery , O. , and were mar
ried The bride admitted she felt a llttlo
tired and foot sore , but didn't cat o as ' 'she
was in for getting all tho" romance out of the
affair , oven if her pa does object to the mar
riage. "
A man sixty years old has been sued by his
wife , aged eighteen , in Chicago , who wuiU
to got her wearing apparel and personal ef
fects out of her husband's residence. They
lived together only three weeks and ho
kicked her out. Shu says her father forced
her to marry him against her will.
Nlnoyoaisago u Mrs. Manning , of Paris ,
111. , vowed that if her son married a cer
tain young lady who was objectionable to
her she would go to bed and stay there until
she died. The marriage took place , nuti the
mother , true to her resolution , never loft her
bed until last week , when she was berne to
her coflln.
The sweet girl typewriter Is making her
way in this world. Her latest captive is ono
of the wealthiest residents of Htat'Mi Island ,
Dr. James ( ! . Clark. Ho is sixtv-flvo years
of ago , but what does the sweet girl type
writer care for that ( They sail for Europe
and will spend the honeymoon in Italy. She
will continue , of course , to take from his
dictation , at least until the honeymoon is
over.
At Grand HapldR , Mich. , the other day , an
applicant for a marriage license , misunder
standing thu questions put to him , gave tha
nuino of his deceased wife as that of the I inly
ho was about to marry. When , he shoivoj i
thu license to his prospective budo her con- '
stcrnution was unmistakable , nr.tl the cnnt-
fallen groom-oloct soon reappeared at tho.
county tKilMliiff and had the mistake roctl.
lied.
nss on water are growing to bo
qulto the fashion. One was lately reported
from the lied Kiver region , where the bride
and groom wore pushed out in a buggj into
deep water and there wedded according to
the laws of Indian Territory ; and now Dr.
Hill and Miss Pitt , of West Point , Ga , have
got themselves wedded In a yawl at sunset ,
"skimming over the waters of the yellow
Chattaliooeho , "
Society in New York is talking about the
Marlborough marriage , and probably will dose
so for several weeks. The closest friends the
now duchess has in New York declare that
all the talk about the duke of Marlborough
having insistol on financial arrangements
before the ceremony is simply ruoblsh. They
say that ho asked nothing of his bride and
required nothing. It is added , too. that the
alliance was not by any means without a ro
mantic color. Mis , Hamersloy came to have
before the end of the courtship the strongest
possible fooling for Marlborough , and the ad
miration which ho felt for her was never dis
guised from the fhst.
Miss Hester Tyro , of Jackson county , W ,
Va. . eighteen years old , determined in spite
of the opposition of her parents , on marrying
George Fincld , a farm hand , aged nineteen
years. Hctween them they had only Sl.iW.
Last Friday they started out and walked
lifty miles to the Ohio river , taking thrco
days for the Journey. Crossing the river
they found a Justice , who married them for
nothing , kissed the bride and paid their for-
riage. Another fifty-mile walk and they ar
rived homo and received the parental blcbs-
mg. Miss Tyro is evidently ono of the kind
whom you cannot tire
PKPPKIIMIXT
Tins \t \ > tlio end of my striving ,
Yes , this is the end of it all ;
I tiled to steal third , but the pitcher
Hit mo in the neck with the ball.
Of course a girl who fences is graceful , es
pecially if she is on the right side of the
fence.
A pernicious partisan is the man who is
trying to have himself appointed to the of
fice now held by his friend.
If this is the best time to buy coal , as wo
are informed by an oxolinnge , why shouldn't
January bo the best time to lay in fly-paper
and mosquito netting I
Old Mother Hubbard , had she been a wo
man , of disci et ion , would have gone to the
water cooler to get hursolf a quart of melted
ice , whllo the poor dog went to thunder.
There is something cruel in the fate of the
Vermont man who spoilt hover.il weeks in u
swamp looking for n mine of plumbago , and
who while so engaged caught the lumbago.
A Gorman physician has discovered that
excessive indulgence in telephonic communi
cation causes a peculiar disease of the car.
It also brings on total loss of the temper and
promotes expletives.
House-owner I warrant the street a re
spectable ono ; the neighbors are sans ro-
proeho. HousohunterThat's good , sir , M )
far as it goes. Hut the house can you war
rant it suns coekroaelcl
If Muck-u-peo-wah-ken-gah , the Indian who
has Just been granted a punsUm. had notbcci'
successful in his application , ho could hi '
inado a living by renting Uis name to Do uj
us a barbed wire fonco.
It is said that a St. Louis man wlj
a picture of tlm Atoning of St. L
bought it under the' impression thatj
Rented n base ball umpire being inj
giving un uiipopulaRdecislon.
"Get youisclf full of your suJ
the professor. "Satnrato. yoursf
and than your essay will write It/
I know , professor , " Bald Miss/
"but my essay Uon 'Rum , the if
A college graduate , whojo < f
oration wa cntitlod "Uinvanfl
is now guiding a party of if
Hoeky mountain * . Hut he
the kind of upward and or\v
to in his oration.
An tmtcn'rUing Australlarj
tlsea that ho will pay half ,
pcnsoi wlwn patlont * dl
menu No such a proo
cd from American df
ben and watermoli ]
.market.
Iowa crangt- :
pinch of fashlon'rj
yilio .Newt wyi.
I
H
family arravcd in dasliv now hats , ex
claimed : "There go my wife and daughter
with thirty bushels of oats apleco on th'clX
heads ! "
The best treatment for a dog afflicted wltfc
fleas is to give him a batli. Seloet a quiet
spot overlooking a deep body of water ,
kindly but firmly attach u stone weighing
fifty pounds to the animal's neck , put him in ,
the water , and let him bathe as long as hd
fools llko it. This method tin's received the
indorsement of many of the ablest minds in ,
America. It is also useful as a preventive.
*
MUSIOAIj AM ) DIIAMATIO.
Joe Emmet ( Frltzj ha's sailed for Europa.
Gilbert and Sullivan have nearly finished
their now opera , which will be brought out
in September.
Emma Juch will sing in a scrioi of twenty
conceits next season. Hope Glenn , Tcrosa
Carrono and Leopold Lichu-nburi- also
bo in the company.
Campanlni Is taking his annual course of
baths at Acqui and engaging artists for htt
approaching c jncert tour. Ho will return to
the United States In October.
Slgnor Liberal ! has orgunl/ed a military
baud of fifty musicians and soloists for ufaU
and winter season. Ho will start in AuglM
and play in the largo western cities.
The rumor that Mrs. L-ati'jtry Is trying. (
secure the lease of the Giami Opera house ift
probably false. With tlio fulfillment of he * '
contracts for thn coining season she intontM
to retire to private life.
Miss Mathildo Hulini , a young and hand *
some singer of New York cit.\ , received th *
first priio at the closing performances thte
season of the vocal and drain.itie classes et
thn Vienna conservatory.
IJion Houcleault will remain In Now York
during the ensuing winter , to devote hlm 61t
to the establishment of the now draniktlg
school of art , founded by A. M Palmer 4
himself at thu Madison Squat o theatre.
To the list of society amateurs who Infes
the dr.unatie stage a la Mrs Potter is to ta
added the name of Mrs. U' . O'Snlllvam
Uuinpfcl , of Haltimoro , who "U tall .ma hM
a faultless figure , regular foaturtis and
sweet , melodious , well-modulated volco. "
"Mynheer Jan"a nexv opera by the nuthtr
of "Krininu" will bo propucod by the Curie-
ton Opera company. The subjectU' h ( M\
rical ; the period , fifteenth century. Jt ! . ; ?
fords nn opportnnitj for luuulsonio Simuisk
and old Hcil land , costuincs. The musio tt
said to be on a par with that of "Ermlno. "
MMTCATlONALi.
The cost of public education in Prussia Id 1 ]
cents per head.
In Llbcrtv county a
school and two of J
Ho stands ut tin
Mr. unj
candjj