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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 1900)
Mitt 1,1 Ti i iro'in Arnun ihm; Dfcoiiibci lti, HtOO. Historic Capitol PROSPERITY BEGINS AT HOME 10 NHIIHASKA'S FIItST CAPITOL HUILDINO. , ,, ,; Tho now Omaha High school building, now In process of construction on Capitol sqtinro, will be tho third building erected In wholo or In part on that ground by the people of tho city of Omaha. Tho Cnnltol Hiiuaro has been one of tho places around which tho general Interesf of the Inhabitants of tho city has centered ovor hIiico tho Omaha Town company first projectod tho town which was destined to bo tho Katewny to tho richest agricultural, RruzliiR and mining rcRlon of the United States. When tho original survey of tho town site was made In 1851 Capitol Hqnaro was laid out with Its present boundaries, The city limits made a departure at tho corner of Twentieth and Dodge streets, ran 000 feet west, COO feet north and then back to tho lino of Twentieth street. Tho Rrounil tlniH added to tho territory of thu town waB olllclally deslRiiated on the plat of tho llrBt survey as Capitol Hqunro and tho street which led up tho grass-covered hill to the contor was named Capitol avonue, althoiiRli nt that tlmo tho cnpltol existed only In tho minds of tho sungiilno men who hoped to seo Omnha city successful ui sccurltiR th cnpltal or tho territory which at that time did not exist. Tho struggle of tho contend Iiir cities for the location of the cnpltal of tho territory haw been told until It Is fa miliar In n Roucrnl way to every rcHldout of tho stnto and men nre still alive who took leadliiR pnrtB In tho contest. At one tlmo It appeared that Capitol Bituaro would bo nothliiR but a name, for when Governor Hurt came to the territory ho landed on Nebraska soil first at Hellovue, then a stroiiR rival of Omaha for tho loca tion of tho cnpttnl. It Is nald on very Rood authority that Oovoruor Hurt hail decided to locate tho capital on tho slto of tho first I'resbytorlan mission In tho territory. Ho died before tho order was promulgated and ActliiR Governor CumluR, who enmo to tho territory ns Hurt's private secretary, called tho first IcRlBlaturo to meet In tho city of Omnha. Capitol square was still hut a nnmo. Locale I lie 1,'unltiil. When tho next courtcss mot, howovor, It appropriated tho sum of $00,000 for tho erec tion of a cnpltol bulldliiR for tho territory of Nebraska. James C. Mitchell was np- MHUUOITH HOUSK AND pointed commissioner to locato the capltol bulldliiR. In n provlnua leglBlaturo Mitchell had been classed as an opponent of Omaha for tho territorial capital, but nt the next session ho reported that he had decided upon tho renter or Cnpltol square In the city or Omaha us tho place for tho erection or the bulldliiR, This report was made March 7, 1855, and at tho ineotliiR of tho second legislature, December 13, 1S55, ho roported that tho foundation or tho cnpltol had been laid. Tho contract tor the bulld liiR wns lot to Orson Wilson nnd tho brick which wont into the bultdlUR wns nmoiiR tho first burned In tho territory, Thoy wero mndo by Hovoy & Armstrong. Tho Ilrst plan of tho bulldliiR wns de signed In tho colonial style, with largo columns around tho main structure, tho Intention boliiR to erect u balcony on tho lovel of tho second story. These columns wero of brick, to bo covered with cemout In Imitation ot stone. During thu con struction or tho building n storm arose, which demolished thu columiiB, nnd they woro removed, tho original plnns being altered. No reason wns assigned for tho in Square in Omaha change, but tho Hinall appropriation waB no doubt tho cnuso. Tho construction of tho cnpltol waB Blow, for In January, 1857, ovor n year after tho laying of tho founda tion, tho legislature, which mut nt Omaha, adopted n bill ehniigltu; tho location of tho capital from Omaha. Governor Izard vetoed tho bill, giving iih IiIh reason that "a coHtly and substantial building buIII Clent to meet tho demands of tho territory for many yearn Ik now In course of erec tion at tho preHent location and will In completed during tho year." Governor Izard was a friend to Omaha, but ho was not a prophet, fot tho build ing wns not only uncompleted at tho end of tho year, but It wbh never llnlHhed. ;n ernor'M I'l-eillellnn I r 1 1 1 1 a I . Shortly after the prediction of tho rov- ernor tho cnpltol fund became exhausted and work was Hiispended. Tho city of Omaha waB vitally Interested In Its con- Bt,uctlon nud tho city council took steps tn ,mv thu wnrk c,)mllot(.(,. Thu K0V. ,.rmir B(alC(, tlmt if , (.,ty wouI(, Vanco tho money tho federal government wuld undoubtedly refund their ndvanco. with thin understanding the matter was taken up by Councilman llovey, who In- trcducod an ordinance InstructlnR tho mayor to proceed with tho erection of tho building, using any available fundB In tho treasury and InerenshiR thoso funds by tho Bale of land set npart for tho purpose, or iy using tho credit of tho elty nnd bo;-- rowing money, I'lnns wero perfected by which tho city Issued $30,000 in city scrip for a period of nine months at 10 per cent Interest. Tho pnyment of this scrip to tho amount of $2(1,000 wns Riiaranteed by olght bnnkH'nnl bankers of tho territory. This money was added to tho JfiO.OOO appro- printed by conRress, mnklnR tho total cost ,)f orlRlnal territorial cnpltol $110,000. Sponklng of tho bulldliiR as It stood Lewis s- N'oil Bays: "When I tamo to Oninhn thlrty-Boven years aRo Omaha was still tho capital of tho territory and tho cnpltol was occupied by NUW OMAHA 111(311 SCHOOL HUILDINC IN COUHS13 OF F.ltlOCTION. i mm OLD CAPITOL UUILDINO. tho governor, tl-o secretnry of state, tho ter ritorial auditor nnd tho superintendent of tho territorial schools. Tho legislature, which nt that time met annually, held Its sessions In thu building. The council, cor responding to the sennte, occupied tho room at tho southeast corner of the building, whllo the room nt tho northwest corner was occupied by tho house or representatives. "Tho larger rooms In the bulldliiR were on great occnnlnns used for balls nnd pub lic gatherings, being the largest nssoiubly rooms in tho city In tho territorial days, "Tho bulldliiR was of brick ami tho ma terial was mndo In Omnha by llovey & Arm strong, Mr. Hobert S. Knox was territorial librarian nnd custodian of building nnd grounds, Ho took great pains to Ret trees planted and Blnrted to growing on whnt wns then considered n bleak and barren hill. Some of these trees, cottenwood nud mnplu, nre still stnndlng, not having been dostroyed by subnoquent grading of tho grounds. At a later period l'rof. S. D. Ileals had charge of tho building nnd lived In It with his family." From tho time tho building wns occupied until tho ndmlBBlon "f Nebraska ns a stnto OMAHA HUSH SCHOOL HUILDINt J -TO COUKSIC OF CONSTRUCTION. tho city council never ceased Its efforts to havo congress appropriate money to pay tho debt Incurred by the city In tho con struction of tho cnpltol. As early as 1S5S Dr. Miller waB at pointed us n commissioner of tho city to collect tho money. In lSu'j V. W. Hitchcock made a proposition to col lect thu money, but wns turned down In fuvor or J. M. Woolworth, "who was to be In Wnshliigtou on legal business." Samuel Clinton or Iowa wns then mithorizcd to no cure tho rundfl nnd the effort was finally abandoned while David L. Collier hail chnrgo or thu matter. About this tlmo A. D. Ulchnrdsnu nnd John II. Saltier reported that It would require $20,000 to complete the cnpltol building, but the ruiid'j were never rnlBed. "In tho winter or 1S57-S some party or parties announced their Intention or open ing a saloon In one of thu rooms li the huscmt'Ut of tho building, but the city coun cil mndo a protect In an ordinance, in widen It declared that the saloon located In the building would bo nil insult to the legisla tors, and empowered tho mayor find city marshal to assist the territorial authoiitlcn In keeping tho liquor ;leab rti out or the basement. I'Mrnt Sellout on tin Siiiiire. In 1SG1 tho first school was held on Cnp ltol square. Tho building wns still tho cnp ltol, but l'rof. S. D. Heals made arrange ments whereby ho secured the north hair or tho building for what was known as tho Omaha High school. Upon the meeting or tho legislature this school was moved to tho old Hamilton house, which stood on tho south side or Douglas street between Fourteenth nod Fifteenth. Tho net which mndo Nebraska n state In 1SC7 established tho capital at Lincoln. The legislature or 1SG9 ordered the governor to deed Capitol square to tho city or Omnha for High Bchool purposes. David Hutler wn then governor. Tho act deed lug the square to tho city carried with It n provision by which a board of regents for tho Omaha High school was appointed. When tho re gents took chnrgo the school board of Omnha turned ovor $20,000, and the city voted bonds to tho amount of $100,000 for tho purpose of erecting a High school build ing. It was at first thought posstblo to uso T ' l '"j HIC UHl'LACICD HY NUW HUILDINC IN thu old cnpltol building tor High tcbool pur poses, but u board of survey condemned It ns faulty In material and workmanship. A C. Dort was employed ti demolish the old building. The first High school building was b gun In 1S70. Speaking of thu history of Capitol square from that tlmo Mr. Itued says. "Tho regents employed George P. Han dull as architect and tho High school build Ing with the mansard roof was constructed from Handnll's plans. The Omaha Ilrlck layers' nssoclutlon did tho mason work, while tho carpenter work wns done by Vlsscher & Wilson. Henry II. Vlsscher recently died nt Pasadenn, Cal. Orson Wilson built the barracks at Fort Omnha and nfterwards was a member of tho legislature from Doug las county. "When tho act was pulsed at tho first mcctliiK of the stnto legislature granting Cnpltol squnro to tho city of Omnha for High school purposes tho deed, tr made wns never plnced upon tho records or Doug las county. Somo eighteen or twenty years later when It wns proposed by tho school board ot tho city to locale ward school buildings upon tho square some residents or tho neighborhood objected, contending that tho grounds hnd been granted by the stnto for HIrIi school purposes only and not for common school purposes. A committee of theso citizens went to Lincoln nt tho ses sion of tho legislature of 188!) nnd hnd a law passed directing tho governor nt thnt time to make a deed In accordance with tho pro visions ot tho original net. This new act wns passed nnd n deed wns then made by John M. Thayer, governor, to the city or Omaha. This deed was recorded nnd may be found In the olllce of the register of deeds. "I.nter the school board proposed to erect a nev High school building nnd decided that in order to hnvo proper Rrounds It would bo neeesjury to lower tho Rrnde or tho square. Mr. Ulrlch, a landscape Rardener who hnd met with much success In managing tho grounds or the Trnnsmlsslssippl Exposition, wns called Into consultation. Ho submitted n scheino tor grading nnd benutirylng the squuro which contemplated cutting nwny (he hill until the northwest comer or the grounds would bo seven feet below tho grndp or Davenport street. This plan nppirently met with the approval or some or the mum hers or the school board. The citizens were Indignant. A public meeting wns held at which tho plan was denounced, nnd upon n change In tho ofllco or nrchltert for the school board It was abandoned nnd the plans for fno present building wero adopted." Tho cornerstone of this building wns lnld November 10, 1000, nnd nn accompanying photograph shows Its present stnto. Short Detroit Journal: Jnnlco lingered beneath the mistletoe. "A kiss!" cried Clifford, gnlly. "Not on such n short acquaintance!" re plied the beautiful girl, with a melodious luugh. For Clifford, understand, was only 5 feet 2, whllo Jnnlco wns 5 feet 10; nnd more over, her Rown sot perfectly lovely, by rea son of which It was no pudding stooping down. All this tho niorry company saw nt a glance, and roared again. Nebraska People Aro Showing a Spirit of Loyalty to Homo Institutions. THE STATE OF IOWA SETS A GOOD EXAMPLE The Kiiiiriiiiiiin llrnln of Premium .Sent from NetiriinKn to KitNterii Life liiHurimef CoiiiiiiiiI-m I3 eeedH I, .-,00,000 A ii ii II II 1 1 Many urgent nnd logical pleas for the patronizing or home Institutions hnvo been published In the newspapers of Omaha during the past year nnd most gratifying results have been produced. It wns with tin1 assistance of tho press thnt the Home Patronage bureau was so successfully es tablished by Omaha tnunufacturers and merchants. A spirit of loyalty to home affairs has thus been Infused Into the people of Nebraska, who nre consequently beginning to bellovo that money kept nt homo will be much more beneficial than It sent out ot tho state. Whnt Is true of manufactured products Is equally line or UTo Insurance. Aro the bankers or Nobrnskn awaro or tho tact that tho sum ot $1,500,000 Tor life lnsurnnco Is annually taken out of Nebraska by alien companies? Such Is tho fact, and this im menso sum Is withdrawn rrom tho banks or Nebraska to swell tho coffers of eastern bankers. Tho banks of Nebraska aro tho commercial arteries through which flows the Income from nil tho resources of tho stnto. Our bankers nro Interested In secur ing customers who will deposit their funds, not only for current business, but for per manent Investment. Kvery dollar sent east for lifts lnsurnnco premiums Is n per manent withdrawal of tho deposit or tlu customer nnd n draft on tho banks that In the nggregnto amount exceeds $1,500,000 nnnunlly withdrawn from tho banking chan nels of Nebraska. Only nbout one-third of this sum returns In death claims nnd settle ments by tho companies In the stnto. Tho Iowa bankers, bccomlmr enormous drain upon tho ensh resources of their Btato, decided somo ton years ngo to lend their hands to tho upbuilding of Iowa lnsurnnco coinpnnles. The result Is that Icwn has securities on deposit with tho auditor of stnto nmountlng to nbout $0,000, 000, saved to the state largely through tho efforts of tho lown bankers, whoso work along this lino begnn only n decado ago. Similar results, on u lnrger scale, have been secured to Connecticut, Mnssachurctts, Pennsylvania Now York and other states largely through the Inlluenco and co-oporatlon of their bankers and flnnnclnl Institutions. Nebraska being nn agricultural state, with limited manufactures ns yet, Is Interested far moro thnn the above mentioned stntes In promoting nnd maintaining savings institu tions. This enn bo done by retaining nt homo the moneys sent east tor lire lnsurnnco premiums. In bringing nbout such a result tho bankers or Nebraska aro doubtless In terested or should be moro thnn nny other class. They should en.lenvor to keep nil moneys nt homo not only for deposit, but for permanent Investment through tholr customers. Tho fnrmors nro llkewiso Interested in this matter. If thero Is plenty of money n tho banks they will bo ennbled to sccuro loans nt chenp rates when they nro in need of ready cash. Wo wonder U tho bankers or Nebraska hnvo evor taken note or tho number or drnrts drawn In rnvor or customers to bo sou east to settlo life lnsurnnco premiums never to lie ruturned hero. Let us stop this enormous drain. It can bo dono by patroniz ing homo Institutions, one of which Is tho Hankers Itesorvu Life nssoclntlon of Omaha, which, under tho innnngement of Its presi dent nnd rounder, Mr. H. II. Itoblson, u man or unimpeachable Integrity nnd Iirelong experience In llfo Insurance, Is meeting with phenomenal success. In tho nctlvo manage ment ot thla company Mr. Itoblson has tho nfeslstnnco or eminent business nnd profes sion men, Including tho well-known banker nnd cnpltnllst, J. P. Latta, vlco president nnd trensuror; the prominent physician, Dr. W. O. Hrldges, medical director, and other men of high standing. Tho Hankers Heservo Llfo ntsoclatlon Is ono of tho homo Institutions thnt Is doltiR much tnwnrds BnvliiR to tho peoplo or No braska a larpo portion of tho lmmonso sum of money thnt has horetoforo been sent out of tho stnto to eastern companies. Hankers of Nebraska will consider thnt every dollar paid tho Hankers Itesorvo for llfo lnsurnnco premiums will bo dopoBlted In tho banks of tho stnto, and Its permanent funds will bo Invested in tho securities of tho stnto designated by law. Tho Hankers Heservo Llfo nssoclntlon hns been doing business for only nbout three years, yet In thnt brief period it hns writ ten npproxlmntelv $3,500 .0(10 nf Infilirnnin In tho last eleven months it hns written poll cles to tho amount of $2,552,000, It sustained nnd promptly paid $10,000 for death claims during the first fifteen months or Its ex istence and hns hnd only Hired 'death claims, each ror $1,000, during tho pnst twenty "Ight months, which wero promptly paid upon rocolpt or proor.s. Tim testimonies Or ItS Clnltlinnts nro thn nlmnmcl nnnll.l. endorsement or " the st'nbllfty ot' the .com pany, 1 ' !. ,