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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1902)
Charles Aldrich, Curator Iowa Department of History UT FEW mon of the west have hail B their life work crowned bo ap propriately as Charles Aldrich . of Iowa. He is a newspaper man, a true journalist of the old school, educated at the case and developed by years of arduous labor In hia chosen field. He is one of the pioneer newspaper editors of Iowa, his career dating from 1Sj7. Years ago he began to take a deep interest in the history of his state, in those things which arc bo easily forgotten, but which go to make up the story of the state's grandeur. About the same time he . . became a collector. He gathered auto-fr- graphs and historical documents and pho tographs of great men. His career had given him a wide acquaintance. He pre pared a collection wihch was of rare merit. As the years went on his collection of au tographs and manuscripts became so val uable that he desired the state to take care of the same for the benefit of future generations. Out of this has grown the Iowa historical department and the beau tiful "Hall of History," which Is being rapidly filled with the choicest treasures of the state and over which Mr. Aldrich presides. It is a natural outcome of his life work, his hopes and ambitions; and Mr. Aldrich Is devoting the clewing years of an active life to this work which means so much to the future of Iowa and for which he will bo remembered through many gem rations. Charles Aldrirh was born in Chautauqua county. New York, In 1S28. and in 184G he entered the office of the Western Literary Messenger In Buffalo to learn the printer's trade. He followed his vocation In various towns of New York and Pennsylvania and established the Cattaraugus Sachem at Randolph, N. Y., in 18.")0. In 1857 he rami' to Iowa and established the Hamilton Freeman at Webster Citv, then a village. He at ence took a high position in politics and gave his support to James W. Grimes for senator. Subsequently Mr. Aldrich was editor of the Dubuque Times and later bought and edited the Marshall Times, now the Marshalltown Times-Republican. At other times he has been connected editori ally with the Waterloo Courier, Council Bluffs Nonpareil and the Chicago Inter Ocean. He locked up his office In Webster City and went to war as an adjutant in the Thirty-second Iowa. In 1S60, 1862, 1866 Gleams N JUDGE NE ELY'S court, Chicago, a young man was on trial for hiEhwav robbcrv. The victim, a 3,36 girl, testified that the man who I. . ., . . M . 1 1 .1 , ilfl WttS Ul lilt? BUHie UUllll and appearance as the prisoner and had a mustache Just like his. For the defense Lawyer F. J. Houlihan put on the stand the prisoner's sweetheart, with whom he had been keeping company for three years. She swore that at the time of the robbery the prisoner wore no mustache and was clean shaven. Other witnesses ecrroberated her. "Well, you can stop at that," at length said Judge Neely. "We can believe the young lady. She's the most competent witness as to whether he had a mustache or not and I know the reason why." The prisoner was discharged. Lawyer Abe Hummel Is authority for the statement, quoted by the New York Times, that If bachelors who wish to avoid breach of promise suits will use telegraph blanks In doing their proposing they will always keep on the safe side. He bases this asser tion on an incident In a Westchester county breach of promise case, In which Mr. Hum mel appeared for the defendant. The plain tiff's lawyer began to read the alleged pro posal of the defendant to the jury, as It appeared on a message blank. He began with "My dearest Louisa." Results of Excavations by Local Investigators t g ' j 4 INDIAN BONES UNEARTHED i V . r- Hi u r v it' 1 f v? ST i i I o jmMfmmntf V,.-v.' if I y I V; If ' 1 j CHARLES ALDRIC" CURATOR HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT OF IOWA. of Mirth Which Brighten Solemn Court Proceedings Mr. Hummel interrupted. "If the court please, this document is partly printed and partly written. By all the rules of evidence the plaintiff cannot offer parts of that in strument. He must read it all." The opposing lawyer protested that the printed matter had nothing to do with the case, and that the fact that the proposal was written on a telegraph blank was an accident. The court ruled that everything on the blank should be read. Reluctantly the plaintiff's counsel read: "There is no liability on account of this message unless the same is repeated and then only on condition that tho claim is made within thirty days in writing." And then, after the signature, "Yours lovingly, John," followed, "N. B. Read carefully the conditions at the top." It didn't take the Jury long to render a verdict. "Don't make the mistake of bullying a witness on cross-examination," Judge Wil liam K. Townsend of tho Unltd Sta es circuit court advised a class In the Yale Law school. "It only makes him obs'Inate and wary. I have found that the best way is to agree with him and flatter him until he forgets you're trying to trap hlin and gives himself away. When I was counsel for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad company the road was sued for ON WAHOO HILL Photo by A. L. Anderson it Hi damages by a stalwart fellow who claimed that his right arm, which looked Bound enough, had been so Injured In a wreck that he could not raise it above his waist. " 'You eay you're unable to move your right arm freely?' I asked him pleasantly. " 'Yes, sir.' " 'What a pity!" said I. 'Now Just how far can you raise it?' "'Only so high,' said he, lifting It with a painful grimace to his waist. " 'Too bad, too bad,' I sympathized. 'And before this accident I'll wager you were physically a match for any man." " 'You bet I was,' ho assented warmly. " 'And could swing that arm around as well as tho next fellow?' " 'Better,' he declared. " 'Just show us how high you could raise it then,' I asked quickly. " 'Away up here!' he answered, hoisting his arm straight ever his head with un wary enthusiasm." Good stories, says M. A. P., have a trick of repeating themselves. The classic Jest of "Daft Davie" with Prof. Blackie about the horseshoe has Just been repeated in real life In the rourse of the extraordinary Studdert remount case in Ireland. "Daft Davie" was what we call in Ireland an omadhaun a congenial idiot with a spark of cunning in him who loved to take Among the Pawnee Tombs on Wahoo Hill, Saunders County, Nebraska 4 f) and 1870 Mr. Aldrich was chief clerk of the Iowa house of representatives. Ho was one of the commissioners appointed by President Grant to settle the lVs MoIium river land troubles. He was a member or the United States geologic survey lit 1S7.V Eighteen years ago tho state legislature accepted the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich of their splendid collection of autographs and manuscripts and It was agreed that the collection should be kept Intact anil in proper eases. The collection remained In the state library for several years, but In 1 802 the historical department of Iowa was established and Mr. Aldrich was made curator. In 1899 a building was erected by the state, which Is but a part of the building planned and which will ultimately be one of the finest historical buildings of the country. Mr. Aldrich, as curator of the historical department. Is devoting his life to his torical research and collection. In his painstaking, persistent, enthuslnstle way he has made wonderful progress. Ills original collection Is being added to year by year and new features are being Intro duced. Here are autographs of hundreds of tho men known to famo tho world over cf this generation and of the past, in all walks of life and of all kin's. The col lection of manuscripts relating directly tn Iowa affairs is Increasing. Mr. Aldrich has ransacked tho records at Washington for manuscripts and valuabla letters. Then he has a great collection of natural history specimens, of geologic specimens, of ancient pottery, of Indian curios, of guns and weapons of all kinds, of curious artil lery from all parts of tho world, of char acteristic western vehicles and Implements and utensils illustrating early western life. The collection of historical portraits Is very line and Is Increasing rapidly. The file of newspapers of early Iowa Is the most complete extant and the collection of historical books Is large. Everything re lating to Iowa history is being gathered In the "Hall of History" to form tho nucleus of a great historical collection worthy of the state of Iowa. It Is to the genius and devotion of Charles Aldrich that tho state of Iowa owes the establishment of a work which is destined to continue Increasing In Im portance through the years. Ho Is living "rises" out of tho Edinburgh dons. Picking up a horseshoe one day on the High street, he approached Prof. Blackie and asked him if, with all his learning, he could say what it was. "A horseshoe," said Blackie. "The shoe of a horse?" queried "Daft Davie." "The shoe of a horse," echoed the profes Bor, with the good-humored smi'.e he ever reserved for those whom he considered true Scottish "originals." "An' hoo do ye ken ony better than 'Daft Davie,' " said the omadhaun, "that it lsna a mare's shoe?" So much for Edinburgh. Now for Ennls. One of the witnesses was asked, "Did you sell Major S.ui!dert a horse?" "No, sor." "Did your father Bell Major Studdert a horse?" "No, sor." "Did your grand father sell him a horse?" "No, sor." "Well, then, did any member of your fam ily sell Major Studdert anything?" "Yes, sor." "Who did,' then?" "I did, sir." "And what did you Bell Major Studdert?" "I sold him a mare, sor." The counsel sat dtwn and the cc urt roared. "That makes me think," said the tall man quoted by the New York Tribune, "how Colonel Ochiltree once got the bet ter of a lawyer In this city who tried to make fun of him on the witness stand. It was In March, 1894, when the colonel had his nurse, James F. Lynch, arrested on the charge of stealing a gold watch, a bet k 6 I 0 R 111 Vl O . $VV v COP :' D r v 6060 WAHOO HILL COLLECTION OF ARTHUR L. to a ripe old ago to enjoy that which he has wrought. Frees Her Mind Chicago Tribune: "I see you've got a lot of snow on your sidewalk, ma'am," said the mutlled-up man at tin' kitchen door. "I know It," replied the woman of the house. "All the other folks along here have had 1 heir's cleaned off." "I know that, too." "Don't you reckon you ought to have yours cleaned off?" "I do." "Like to li'ive It done, ma'am?" "I would." "Well, I'll do It as cheap as anybody." "You will, will you?" "Yes'm; I'll sweep 'em all off, front and back, for i!o cents." "I won t pay It." "Then 1 11 do It for 1.".." "I won't pay that, either." "Well, I II do It for 10." "Yen couldn't have the Jib if jou'd do It for nothing." "Why not, ma'am?" "Itocause that's my husband's Job. If he don't do it those walks can stay covered with snow all winter." "If that's your husband's Job, why doesn't he do it?" "He hasn't got time!" she snapped. "He's downtown talking poinics and saving the count ry." Hereupon she slammed the door In his face. Awful Strain llaltimore Hi raid: "Crab that dip Just arrived, Hill, before he does himself harm," cried the lunatic asylum keeper. "All right. Poor follow, he's do:;-' out cf his head." "Sure; dippy as a March hare. Now, we've got the straight Jacket on, put him In that padded coll." "Must have been a terrible mental strain upon his head." "I should say no. Why, that man sat down and read the president's message right through." ting book, an overcoat, an umbrella, which he had bought In London and a roll of bills. He said that he had lost all this property when he was 111 at N. 8 WeBt Thirty-third street. As soon as the colonel took the stand the lawyer for the nurse asked: "You were suffering from too high living at this time, were you not?" " 'Well, I didn't live in tho cellar, I can tell you,' was the answer. " 'But you had been drinking too much?' " 'No, sir, I had not been drinking, al though I am not a bigoted teetotaller,' was the prompt reply. " 'But this watch you got that for a poker debt,' persisted the lawyer, who was beginning to get red behind the ears. " 'No, It was too honest a watch for that. It had an open face,' chucked the witness. "The lawyer blushed up to tho roots of his hair, took a hitch In his suspenders and then went nt the complainant fe rociously with this question: " 'But, look here! Are you perfectly Bure that this man took your watch? Could not some one else have stolen It?' " 'If you had ever called on me," quietly remarked the colonel, 'I might have be llved you had stolon It.' "The lawyer thereupon gave up the cross-examination." ANDERSON OK WAIloo, Neb
