The Illustrated Bee.
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THE ILLUSTRATED BEE.
August 17, 1002.
lEORGE P. CRONK li another
I Omaha man who baa been placed
J at tbe head of a treat national
organization. On Tuesday at Salt
una viiy ov wib cnosen 10 De
grand exalted ruler of the Benevolent
Protective Order of Elks, the highest offlce
In the order. It Is not alone a position
of high honor to which Mr. Cronk has been
railed by his brother Elks, but one of trust
and much responsibility. As the chief
executive of a great and growing order,
the grand exalted ruler has an Infinitude
of detail work devolving on blm In addi
tion to the social duties of the position,
which practically require him to travel
all over the country. He must give per
sonal attention to the affairs of the order
t large, for on his administration will
depend In a Urge measure tbe success
and prosperity of the organization. Mr.
Cronk haa had large experience In the
MRS. RUTH KENYON, MONROE, Neb.
ONLY WOMAN RURAL MAIL CAR
. RIER IN NEBRASKA.
business affairs of Elkdom, having long
been a member of the grand lodge and
having filled several of lta offices with
credit and ability. In giving him unani
mous election tbe Elks have manifested
most substantially tbe high estimation In
which he Is held by the antlered order.
George P. Cronk was born In Savannah, Ga.,
October 21. 1862, from which place he moved
at an early age to the city of New York,
where his early Ufa was passed. Was edu
cated In tbe schools of that city and Brook
lyn. At the age of 18 he moved to Iowa,
and In 18S5 came to Omaha, where he en
gaged In the coal business with C. B.
Havens & Co., with whom be Is still en
gaged In the capacity of secretary and
treasurer. He baa been Identified with
movements of publio character to the
extent of advancing the Interest of the city
In which he resides. One of the principal
positions held by him In recent years was
that as a member of tbe Board of Gov
ernors of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben. Mr.
Cronk has been prominent In the lodge of
Elks from the time he became a member;
thrice elected grand ruler of Omaha lodge
No. 39. He served three term as district
deputy for the state of Nebraska. He was
aelected as one of the committee on griev
ances In the grand lodge, also one of the
committee on returns and credentials; was
twice elected grand trustee and two yeara
ago appointed as one of the committee of
the Elks home and Is a member of that
committee at the present time.
Oermun people have always been noted
for the'r sociability, and not the least
manifestation of this Is given In the as
sembling of their singing societies for the
occasional fest. These gatherings bring to
gether tho sons and daughters of the
Fatherland, and gives them opportunity for
renewal of acquaintance and reminiscent
Indulgence not otherwise afforded. It Is not
nlon mere sociability that calls these peo
ple to the saengerfest, however, for they
ara true lovers of music, and tbe societies
that take part are not thrown together In
a haphazard way for the occasion, but are
trained bodies of singers, who are working
together for the upholding and advancing
of the atandard of music In their new
home. So the saengerfest which closed at
West Point last Sunday was an event
which brought together not only the rep
resentative Germans of the state, but the
representative German vocalists, and was
the source of not only a very enjoyable
social reunion but of a musical feast which
was enjoyed by the participants and
auditors alike.
AH work and no piay will make groc- -r
and butchers dull as well as Jack, and a
day off during the year will keep green the
heart of the man behind the counter or
the block during the other 364 days. So
when the grocers and butchers announced
that their stores and stalls would be closed
on one day recently, while they all took a
holiday, the housekeepers of Omaha took
due notice and laid In provender accord
ingly. And It was a light-hearted crowd
that followed the lead from Omaha to the
picnic grounds at Missouri Valley. In
fact. It was from point of attendance the
moat remarkable excursion that ever went
out from Omaha. When the grounds were
reached It was discovered that dignity bad '
been left with care at home, and that all
hands were out for a really picnic. It
was out of the question for one photog
rapher to catch everything doing on the
grounds, but The Bee staff artist made an
effort to get some of tho main features of
the day, and succeeded. In the llluetratlons
will be discovered how Omaha business
men can enjoy themselves when they set
about It
Charles F. Steckelburg, the young violin
ist who achieved distinction In musical
circles in Chicago last aeason. though born
In New York City, Is pre-eminently a Ne
braskan and one of the leading artists of
the state. He came victorious out of a class
of 100 candidates for the scholarship of the
Chicago Musical college a year ago. and
nine months of study under Jacobson de
veloped and finished him to such a degree
that he was awarded the diamond medal for
excellence, the test being made in competi
tion with many older student. . a hi.
cert In the Chicago auditorium he received
an ovation such as Is seldom given an un
known artist of his years. The Steckelburg
family came to Nebraska I 11 ttlA AOrlw flna
when the son waa but a few years old. Mr.
Steckelrurg. who Is a veteran musician, for
many years playing with Theodore Thomas
and C II more, did not Intend that his son
shou'd follow the same profession. But the
Inclination cf the boy developed rapidly and
soon he waa an ardent and studious pupil of
hU father's art. With his beautiful sympa
thetic tonea he haa won tbe admiration of
thousands, for bis violin sings like a human
voice, so full of tender pathos that every
heartstrlng responds In sympathetic vibra
tion. He possesses a clean, crisp technic,
tut plays with exquisite delicacy and tone
quality. It waa cf young Steckrlburg that
the musician and critic, Thomas J. Kelly,
wrote: "I never heard Steckelburg say an
unkind word about another musician, nor
did I ever know hlra to do an act which was
unrrofesslonal, discourteous or unkind."
Charles Steckelburg Is passing the summer
with his parents in Lincoln. He expects to
resume his studies next fall, probably with
some maater In Europe. His critics predict
a bright future for htm.
William J. Molr and wife of Eldora. Ia.,
have been closely identified with the de
velopment of central Iowa. Mr. Molr Is
one of the pioneer lawmakers of that state
, " j " a. V i
y y J
CHARLES F. STECKELBURG, THE
LINCOLN VIOLINIST.
and Is one of the older! practicing lawyers
In Iowa. He was borij in Scotland In 1824
and came to Canada with his parents In
1830, com'ng.to this country In 1843. He
was educated In Derby, Vt., and was
naturalized In Plymouth, Ind., In 1854. A
couple of years later he waa admitted to
tbe bar and the same year came to Iowa,
where he has practiced law ever since.
He has twice represented bis district in
the legislature, being elected In 1861 and
again In 1863. Prior to the existence of
the board of control for atate Institutions
Mr. Molr served for years as trustee of
the Industrial school at Eldora and for a
long time was treasurer of the Institution.
Mr. Molr has alwaya been a prominent re
publican and has always stood high In the
councils of that party. He is a leading
Odd Fellow and for forty yeara has been
treasurer of bis local lodge. He Is prob
ably one of the few men In the state who
has practiced law continuously for nearly
a half century. In 1847 he was married to
Miss Olive J. Ball of Canada. He has two
sons, M. W. and George J., the former
having served several terms as treasurer
of hla county.
Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Curtis of Mitchell. S.
D., have Just completed a married existence
of sixty years and their happy condition at
the present time does away with the idea
that marr!a?e Is a failure. The event waa
duly celebrated by their many friends In the
city at a public gathering and the worthy
old couple were made the recipients cf a gift
that will tend to make their pathway
through the rest of their long and eventful
married lives seem more pleasant and take
off a few of the rough edges that come to an
old couple in the latter part of their ex
istence. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were united
in marriage at Hillside. Mich., sixty years
ago and for six years after they continued
their residence at that place. In 1848 the
couple removed to Aurora, III., and re
mained there four years, until 1852. At this
time Mr. Curtis got the California fever
and In the fall of the year he left for the
west. While her husband was away Mrs.
Curtis went back to Michigan and remained
with her folks. Returning at the end of
two years Mr. Curtis and his wife made
their home In Aahtabula county, Ohio, and It
was here that they got the western fever
again, but only going aa far west as Mar
shalltown, Ia. At Marshalltown Mr. Curtis
engaged In the tlacVsmlth business and for a
number of yeara he prospered. After a resi
dence of eight years Mr. Curtis enlisted In
Company K, Eighteenth Iowa infantry. He
followed the fortunes of hla company down
into Arkansas and Missouri. At the end of
a year he was taken sick and he was forced
to give up and return hlme, being given an
honorable discharge. Returning to Mar
shalltown he again resumed the blacksmith
Ing business after regaining his health. In
1877 Mr. Curtis and his wife decided they
would go farther west and In the spring of
that year they turned their steps toward
the then Territory of Dakota. They settled
on a claim near Flresteel, about three miles
from Mitchell, and in a dugout made of sod
he opened the first blacksmith shop in the
M
R. AND MRS. A. S. CURTIS OF MITCHELL, S. D.
l .V )
W. J. MOIR OF ELDORA, PIONEER
LAWMAKER OF IOWA.
lurroundlng country. His fame spread aa a
mechanic and farmers traveled as high as
1C0 miles to bring repairs to him. At the
end of three years the Milwaukee railroad
came through this country and it did not
strike Flresteel, bo Mr. and Mrs. Curtis
moved along with the rest of the boomers
to the present tewn cf Mitchell, starting a
blacksmith shop there and following the
trade a part of the time. He was among
the first sheriffs of the county, serving from
1879 to 1881. In all the years of their mar
ried life they have had but three children.
The first was Mrs. Esther Morris, who
died In 1 8T6. A son named Frank died la
1881, at the age of 16 years. One son Is
living, Ambrose J. Curtis, who resides in
Mltche'l ard Is a member of the city coun
cil from the Seccnd ward. He has looked
after his agel parents with great care In
their declining yearp. Mr. Curtis is an Odd
Fellow and he Is quite prcud of his record.
He was born In tbe same year that Odd Fel
lowship was Instituted, 1819, and in fact is
nineteen days older. He Joined the order In
1849 and has maintained his relations with
a lodge uninterruptedly for fifty-three years.
Mrs. Curtis Is a member of the Daughters
of Rebekah, to which ahe has been at
tached for cne-hBlf a century. She Jolred
the order Immediately after the Schuyler
Colfax reroluticn was adopted by the su
preme ledge of the United States creating
the Rebekahs as an auxiliary to Odd Fellow
ship. The worthy old couple enjoy very
good health Indeed for people cf their years,
the husband being 83 and the wife 80 years.
Mrs. Ruth Kenyon of Monroe, Neb., la the
first Nebraska woman to Invade the realm
of man's work from the avenue of the
rural free delivery service. She has lately
taken tho examination and It Is expected
she will soon begin her dally trips over a
route to be established In the vicinity of
MRS. W. J. MOIR, LIFE PARTNER OF
DISTINGUISHED HUSBAND.
K ' t
U
i s
'V.
People in the Limelight of Publicity
fr inn , n nj-Mi .
R nv. rnnnn. u. nuac, a cnapiain
I In the United States navy, bears
I a strong resemblance to Admiral
Dewey. He and hla wife were In
Wilkesbarre, Pa., recently and
the rumor got abroad that the admiral was
In town. Mr. and Mra. Rose took a trol
ley ride In the afternoon and were fol
lowed by such crowds that It was necessary
for some one to announce that he was not
Admiral Dewey and that the demonatration
waa annoying. Then the visitors were left
In peace.
The new sultan of Zanzibar Is All bin
Hamoud, a youth of 17, who has been edu
cated in England at Harrow. Having com
pleted hla course there, he left that country
some time ago for Zanzibar and the steamer
by which he traveled should have brought
blm home by this time. It Is to be as
sumed that All bin Hamoud wilt have
learned at Jlbutll of the death of hla father
and of hla aucceaslon to the sultanate. He
was traveling home In the company of Gen
eral Ralkes, counuauder-ln-chlef of the
Zanzibar forces and of Basil Cave, the
Brttlkh agoot and consul In the Island. All
tlu Hamoud was recenjly married to his
cousin, a princess of the royal houe, be
tween 11 and 12 years old.
Baron Erik Gustat Rostrum, who has re
placed Admiral von Otter aa prime min
ister of Sweden and Norway, haa won a
signal triumph in statesmanship by the
course of events since his overthrow two
yeara ago. At that time Bostrum so se
verely eppoaed King Oscar's sympathy with
England In the Boer war that he saw fit
to resign from the premiership. He waa
replaced by Von Otter, an editor and naval
officer. Baron Bostrum la regarded aa a
shrewd politician aud one of the brightest
statesmen in Scandinavia.
"Dewet la poasessed of humor," saya a
Lcndcn paper. "One of the leading offlclala
In a refugee camp Is a Scotsman, who, dur
ing the dinner took occaalon In offering the
general a drink to say he must have got a
fair amount of whlakey among his captured
convoys. Dewet was much amused at this
aud anld that before attacklug a convoy he
mad Inquiries If they were guarded by
Scotsmen. If this were so. he further In
quired If It contained any whiskey, if the
aecond condition accompanied the first he
always gave the convoy a wide berth, be
cause he knew the beggars would fight to
the last man!"
Charles T. Yerkea Is credited with sayln?
that men are In their apprenticeship until
they reach the age of 40 and that a bustneus
man Is not ripe until he is ten years old r
than that. The London writer who quotes
him thus draws this brief pen picture of
the former Chicago traction magnate: "Pal
lid, dark-eyed, soft-voiced, with white hair
and mustache and an air of subdued iin.
ment. the railway autocrat might be taken
for a quiet scholar rather than a graduate
of the most strenuous rough-and-tumblo
school of fighting In the world."
When Ambassador White waa minister to
Germany, about twenty years ago, be re
ceived rome queer lettera. One was from
an old woman out west, enclosing some
mall pieces cf linen with this novel com
mission: "We are going to give a fair In
our church and I am making an autograph
quilt. I want you to get me the autographs
of the emperor, empress, the crown prince
and Bismarck and tell them to be very care
ful not to write too near the edge of the
aquares, as a seam has to be allowed for
putting them together."
The fifty years cf service which Admiral
Farragut had seen when tbe civil war be
gan had matured his powers wlth:ut im
pairing his mental or physical vigor. "The
admiral assured me," writes General James
Grant Wilson, "that up to the year 1863 he
made a practice of taking a standing Jump
over the back cf a chair on every birthday.
'I never felt old,' he added, 'until my 62d
Dinnaay came round, and I did not feel
quHf equal to the Jump.' "
Doctors who wait on royalty are usually
well paid. The coronation baronetcy be
stowed on Sir Frederick Treves will not
be his only reward for aeelng King Ed
ward through a serious illness. When
the same patient waa Hi of typhoid fever
in 1871 Dr. William Gull got a fee for four
weeks' service of $30,000. and waa made
a baronet besldea. Twice that amount was
paid to Sir Morell Mackenzie for attendance
on the late Emperor Frederick of Germany.
Dr. Dlmsdale. an ancestor of the present
lord mayor of London went to St. Peters
burg to acclnate Empress Catherine. He
W. ECH AND BESSIE WEINBERG -WINNERS
OF PRIZE FOR WALTZ
ERS AT GROCERS' AND BUTCHERS'
PICNIC Photo by Staff Artist.
Monroe. Mra. Kenyon is no stranger
outdoor life. When 13 years old she aided
in the removal of the Pawnee Indians from
Nebraska to their reservation in Oklahoma,
making the round trip on horseback. Her
lamer was farmer at the agency. Mrs.
Kenyon is a widow and the mother of one
beautiful daughter.
received a $50,000 fee, $25,000 for traveling
expenses, a life pension of $2,500 and the
title of baron.
No other anecdote concerning the late
Paul Leicester Ford shows better his in
nate courtesy and self-possession than tbe
following:
It was at a literary reception in Brook
lyn. A number of "Hons" of greater or less
magnitude were there, among them a
clergyman whose somewhat arrogant man
ner made him unduly conspicuous.
Aa ha came forward, blinking near
sightedly, to greet his hostess, be noticed
a short, slight figure standing at her side.
Without looking more closely at this
second person, whom he supposed to be
one of tbe boys of the neighborhood, the
clergyman slapped him familiarly on the
shoulder, saying:
"Well, how are you. my little man?"
"Very well, thank you," replied the other
politely, amid a general gasp from thoee
around him.
"Fine lad! Who is be?" queried the
clergyman, turning to bis hostess.
"It la Mr. Paul Leicester Ford, the guest
of honor this evening," she answered.