ri-iE Omaha Sunday Bee
PART III.
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THE OMAHA DEC
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VOL. XXXVI-NO. 40.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 24, 1907.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
HENRY ATWOOD HASKELL PIONEER PRINTER OF THE WEST
How the Descendant of Peace-Loving Quakers Came to Take Part in the Stirring Events That Led to the Building of a Magnificent Empire in the Great Transmissouri Region
s.
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P
IONEER printer of the west and northwest Is "Harry" A. Has
kell. When the "Great American Desert" was scarcely
scratched by the most primitive instruments of civilization
he carried that civilizing and educating art of printing Into
the wilderness. He worked with all sorts of presses, presses
which are only memories now, and which even In the early days were
out of date, Washington hand presses, clattering army presses and
backbreaklng drum cylinder presses. He worked for a long time on
some of the pioneer newspapers of Omaha, he operated the first
printing prees In the wild northwest country, he set up and printed
the first newspaper In Montana, the Montana Post, and he is now in
the thirty-fourth year of his Bervlce on The Omaha Bee.
His somber, grey-dressed, high-hatted Quaker grandparents
would have opened their eye wide had they been able to look into
the future half a century and see their grandson with a great, 48
caliber revolver in his belt, loaded and ready for use. Those peace
loving grandparents pursued their quiet lives among the hills of
Wales and the sleepy villages of New England. Their descendant
Inherited little of their spirit for he pushed boldly Into the wildest
part of the country and took a part in some of its most hair-raising
episodes.
Henry Atwood Haskell was born in Cumberland Hill, R. I., June
16, 1843. His parents with several other townspeople moved to
Illinois when he was 7 years of age, going by rail to Buffalo and
acrosa the lakes to Chicago. There they chartered a canal boat and
pushed on to La Salle, an extremely slow trip taking two weeks.
Wagons were awaiting them at La Salle in which they were taken
to "Indian Town," now Tlskllwa, 111. There the boy went to school
for the next seven years. At the age of 14 he first entered the
printing business. A paper had been started In the Illinois frontier
village. It was called "The Tlskllwa Independent." Young Has
kell was carrier for this primitive Journal. Later he became a
"devil" in the office. Within a few months the paper was sold
to a Baptist minister who moved It to the town of Oalva, and young
Haskell went with it. A year later he went to Princeton, 111., and
secured a position on the Bureau County Republican.
Too Young to Be a Soldier
There he was when the war broke out. Sumter had been fired
upon and the call came from Lincoln for 75,000 volunteers. Haskell,
a boy of 17 at the time, was turning the press when the startling
news was brought into the office. The press came to an immediate
standstill and the boy was out of the building and down the street
on the run to the recruiting place. But his employer and his
mother were there nearly as soon as he. He lacked nearly four
years of the required age and he went back sadly to the printing
office. Six months later he returned to Rhode Island and worked
for a time In Pawtucket. In 1862 he came back to Illinois. HI
Jrother had Juet returned from a trip to Omaha, had married and
was about to move to the west. Young Haskell decided to accept
his invitation and accompany him. They made the trip across Iowa
In a wagon, arriving safely in Council Bluffs and coming across the
river 'p a small boat v
Haekell worked on The Nebraskan two weeks an5 then took a
position on The Republican. Miners were returning from Idaho
at that time with sacks of gold dust and they told stories of great
wealth to be had for the digging. The gold fever took firm hold
on the young printer. He walked disconsolately up the street one
day and found Joseph Kennard with two wagons loaded and ready
to pull out for the west. He only wanted a driver for the oxen.
He offered Haskell the position at $16 a month. Haskell accepted,
hurried back and settled with his employer at The Republican office
and the next morning set out, walking by the side of the slow-footed
oxen toward that Eldorado of which the miners told.
A Journey of 110 days brought them to Bannock City, Idaho.
Thoy were part of a train of seventy-five wagons, a number of
which belonging to John A. Crelghton had Joined the train near
Denver. The gold excitement had died out at Bannock City.
Young Haskell with the $55 he had received as wages was at a
loss what to do when he met five other men about to set out for
Virginia City, seventy-five miles further on. He Joined them and they
walked to the new and "wild and woolly" western town built in a
gulch amid the wildest surroundings entirely In harmony with the
"bad men" who made up a large part of the population. His $55
was nearly gene nen he secured employment from a miner at
$3.50 a day. A day's trial showed him he could not stand the
heavy work and he quit.
Varied Activity in Montana
An optimistic man from Missouri asked him one day how he
would Uko to go Into the "lumber business." There was no sawed
lumber within 3GD miles and Haskell thought the proposition was a
Joke. But the Mlssourlan Imparted the secret that he was the
possessor of a whip-saw which he had brought from Missouri and
his plan was to cut down trees and saw them Into boards by hand.
Haskell accepted and the two with a helper went up on the hills,
chopped down a tree, laid the log over a scaffold and set to work
at it In a primitive whip-saw style. Haskell stood on top of the
log with one end of the saw, the helper underneath and the Mls-
" ftrmurl man busied himself all around. Haskell had a hatchet which
' used as a wedge to keep the saw from binding. This fell from
Is hand and cut the Mlssourlan in the arm, severing an artery.
wfhey eucceeded In binding It with handkerchiefs and sent him
' ' to Virginia City, eighteen miles away. He never returned and
Haskell sold the few boards cut and the saw for a substantial sum.
Lumber was then worth upward of $200 a thousand leet la Vir
ginia City.
Another optimistic- individual proposed to Haskell that be go
Into the "plastering business" with him. There was no plaster
excepting ordinary mud, and the business did not prove profitable.
That winter he spent with eight other men in a little hut owned by
the town baker. It was largely due to the baker's klndheartedness
that the nine men were kept from cold and hunger that winter.
In the spring Haskell became a waiter In a restaurant at $80 a
month. He even tried his hand at "tending bar." The proprietor
of the restaurant demanded that he do It In spite of the fact that
Haskell knew nothing of the business. The bars in the early days
were built five feet high and were lined on the Inside with sheet
Iron. This peculiar style of structure was for very good reasons for
every man in those days "wore" one gun at-least and some had three
or four "barkers" In their belts and were ready and willing to use
them at any time.
Lawless Day at Virginia City
Things were about to become "Interesting" in Virginia City.
j- When a thousand men from all rarts of the world, good and bad.
" largely the latter, are gathered in one town, far from civilization,
far from the law's strong ami. far from the refining and softening
Influences of good women and laughing children, a reversion to
barbarism, or at least to medieval civtlUatlon quickly occurs.
"Clubfoot George" was a village shoemaker in Virginia City.
But "Clubfoot George" seemed almost too good to be true. In fact,
a number of business men believed he was not true, that he was
two-faced. The reason for this was that the robbers who surrounded
Virginia City and robbed men who went out from there, always knew
where to find the gold dust no matter how cunningly Itwas hidden.
One man bored out the axle tree of his wagon and filled It with
gold dust, thinking thus to outwit the robbers. They met him
eighty miles out of Virginia City. He calmly Invited them to search
his wagon. But the robbers threw off the wagon box and went
Immediately to the axle where the dust was hidden. This proved
they had spies in the city who Informed them where to find the
valuables and "Clubfoot George" was suspected. A committee called
one sight and Informed him that hU time had come. They re
marked they were sorry to lose so good a shoemaker because shoe
makers were scarce. And "Clubfoot George" cursed their pleaa-
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HENRY ATWOOD HASKELL.
entries. The committee visited a number of other places in the
town and when they had made the rounds five scowling, wicked,
desperate fellows were in their midst, bound and on their way. to
the place of quick revenge.
Work of the Vigilantes
Mr. Haskell was a witness of this famous deed of the Vigilantes.
A log house half built was selected because the roof beams offered a
good fastening for the ropes. The five men were led thither. Five
boxes were secured from a store and each. man waa compelled to
stand on a box until the ropes were adjusted to the proper lengths
around the beams of the roof. While this process was goingpn the
five stood on their boxes with that apparent lack of fear of death,
said to bethe gift only of beasts and savages. One asked for a
drink of whisky and a frienl gave him a quart bottle. All were
good humored and treated their fate only as part of the "game."
There were no prayers, no unusual emotions except on the part of
"Clubfoot George," who angrily threatened to haunt every member
of the vigilance committee. Finally the ropes were ready and ad
Justed' around the necks of the five. The boxes were suddenly
withdrawn and the bodies fell and swung writhing to and fro.
Two mules had been responsible for the organization of that
terrlblo body, the vigilance committee. They had strayed or been
stolen from a man who lived at the head of Alder gulch. He came
down to search for them and was shot by some person unknown.
A young man named George Ives was arrested. There were no
courts in hoBe days and there was some dispute as to how to try
him. Some wanted to use the "miner's law" and others advocated
giving him a trial by Jury.
"There was nearly a riot oier this," says Mr. Haskell. "Pos
sibly a thousand men were thereNln the street of Nevada City and
you can imagine the tumult. Finally a majority derided to give
him a Jury trial. I can see that trial as though it had been yes
terday. The Jury sat in one wagon, the prisoner In another. W. F.
Sanders, afterward senator from Montana, waa ; prosecutor and J.
Thurman of Kentucky acted as the defendant's lawyer. All wore
six-shooters and the spectators to the number of a thousand or
more wore the same. Of course they sentenced .him. A scaffold
was erected and I think there were 5,000 people in the place when
he was hanged next day. A guard of men surrounded the scaffold.
Ives' wish to die with his boots on, was granted. The drop fell Just
as the sun was going down. . At the eame time the guard turned
toward the crowd and there was a click as they cocked their guns
there had been a rumor of an attempt to rescue' him and all
that vast crowd for some unexplained Teason ran swiftly from the
place where that body was dangling from' the scaffold with the
waning light of day upon It."
Perhaps one of the "baddest" men ever hanged by the vigilance
committee was the notorious Jack Slade. He was a good enough
fellow when sober. He had a dairy farm and a beautiful wife.
Slade was a fine looking fellow, but when lutcftlcated he had a
recu'.lnr sense of humor. Haskell has seen hlni' alk Into a saloon
and calmly shoot a dozen bottles off of the apelf with his pistol.
He used to drive Into town in a wagon, stop A. front of the barber
shon. "uet tho "droD" on the tonsorlallst an(T compel him to bring
his chair out Into tho wagon and shave him
in walking into a billiard hall and shootln
. suspected of many crimes but finally was
charge and taken before a Justice of the
information papers and walked ont of the-
eral hundred men walked Into the saloon w
him. He was taken down the gulch where
l:mb and he" was told to say his prayers.
"No one thought Jack Slade would ever H'g." says Mr. Haskell,
'hut he did beg then to see his wife. The niWi knew very well that
If she came she would work on their feellngso they couldn't hang
Mm. The power of a woman in that wild couiifcy was wonderful.
There were so few of them that tho men regarded ne like an angel,
and she could have Just what she wanted. Weill they strung him
up. The body was taken to the log house they called a hotel. Soon
after It wna brought In Mrs. Slade galloped up on Vfoamlng horse.
A dozen men helped her off. She was a handsome oman and she
was almost frantic over her husbnnd's death. Sho afterward mar
ried the richest merchant in Virginia City." . s
Some Memories of Olden Days
Mr. Haskell also witnessed the end of the evil career of Henry
riuninier, a brilliant, educated, handsome, clever man who at
tempted to combine the two occupations of loader of the road agenta
and sheriff. Mr. Haskell witnessed some of the big "games" which
have made that country famous even to this day In the world of
sport. Ho saw the prize fight between Hugh O'Neal and "Con"
Orem. The f.Kht lasted for 180 rounds and although the men wore
no gloves, neither was knocked out. He saw the biggest faro game
probabiy that has ever been played. The stake was $160,000. The
banker had come out from San Francisco with that amount. The
local sports decided to "clean" him. They nearly broke the bank,
butvthe man from 'Frisco cheerily bade them go on and a few daya
later he departed with his $160,000 and some $40,000.' addition.
The necessaries of life were always expensive,, -but iftbXllr
reached the highest pitch in Virginia City one winter while Mr.
Haskell waa there. Snow had blockaded the trail and kept pro-
visions from coming in. Flour went up to $140 a sack and salt to
$1 a pound. A council was held and It was decided to confiscate all
flour found In anyone's possession beyond what he would need for
his own use until spring. Thls was done, though it occasioned some
fighting which was designated the "flour riot."
John A. Crelghton was keeping a store in Virginia City a part of
the time while Mr. Haskell was there. The latter frequently slept
with Crelghton in the store. Some nights they had $50,000 to $60,
000 in a nail keg under their bunk and slept with one eye open.
Mr. Haskell decided to return east in the spring of 1865. With
$800 he had saved he purchased four mules and a wagon and Joined
a train of about forty wagons. All went well until one nlfcht when
they camped on Pole creek, Wyo. The wagons were drawn in a cir
cle and the horses driven a mile away Into the foothills, with thirty
men to herd them. Toward morning Haskell, who was one of the
herders, was startled by coyote cries on all sides. An hour later the
sudden rattle of musketry came from the direction of the wagon
train and tho Indians were seen attacking there. They were driven
off and then came toward the horses, which the herders were trying
to keep together. The Indians succeeded in their object and the
animals were stampeded, only about forty being saved. Morning
found the wagon train in an awful strait. Only forty animals re
mained to draw forty heavily-laden wagons. Haskell bad saved his
four mules. The most valuable freight was loaded on his wagon and
several others. The rear wheels of some other wagons were taken
and rude push carts made with them. All the remainder was then
heaped In a pile and set afire. The total loss was reckoned to be
$140,000. The company arrived at Omaha several months later
without further mlBhap.
Back to Omaha and Printing
Unable to dispose of his outfit here, HaBkcll decided to drive on
east. He did so and visited at his old home in Illinois. The follow
ing spring he drove back once more to Omaha, which was to be his
permanent residence. He went to work In the Republican office
first as a Journeyman printer and later as foreman. It Is a matter
of pride that he "got out" tho first set of blanks used by the Union
Pacific railroad. .He walked out with the strikers In 1874.
In that same year Edward Rosewater offered him the day fore
manship on The Omaha Bee. He accepted the position and has been
with The Bee continuously since that time. Today he Is superin
tendent of the entire meehanica 1 department. Is a stockholder In
both the Bee Publishing company and tho Bee Building company and
a director in the former.
Mr. Haskell married Miss Jennie L. Hardy In Omaha In 18CH.
They have three children, Mrs. W. E. Palmatier, Frank J. Haskell
of the Brennan-Love company and Paul A. Haskell of the Sunder
land Bros, company. Mr. Haskell has been a member of the Masons
blue lodge since his early manhood and has also taken the Scottish
rite degrees.
Extending Y. M. C. A. Work in Spain and Portugal
M
Y TRIPS to Spain and Portugal were
the most expensive for the distance
traveled and the worst accommoda
tions, with barely one or two excep
tions, in my whole world tour. I iald
for first-class tickets for land and sea travel, but
rarely received second-class accommodations. I
was tempted to pass the nation by, but I wanted
to visit them, and I am truly glad that I did so.
Oporto. ,or Porto Portugal, Is an Important
city of 170,000 inhabitants, situated on a very ro
mantic river which winds its way through a very
deep ravine or valley. This river is navigable for
the largest vessels. The city is built on high hills
on both sides of the river, which are Joined by
great aud high bridges. The Chrystal Palace aud
the park about It occupy a most desirable place
high up on the river bank, from which the whole
river far beneath It, winding its way through the
city and far out Into the ocean, as well as the
lofty bridges and the equally hl;h banks on the
opposite side of the river can be plainly seen.
Nothing could be much moro picturesque. The
old cathedral occupies the summit of the old city.
It can be seen from many places In the city and
from it the finest panoramic view of the city, the
river and the suburbs ts afforded. Pcrto on one
side of the river and Gala on the other in early
day by making one word out of them Eave the
name of Portugal to the country. The chief busi
ness of Porto Is wine, and from this city comes
the name "Port wine." Enormous quantities of
wine are stored here in pipes (very large barrels)
and In open canals or channels In the storehouses.
There are multitudes of storehouses for wlna. I
was told that there was stored la Porto millions
of pipes of wine besides what Is in the open canals
or In bulk. I was told that 40,000 pipes of wine
were brought into Porto In two months. Much of
It Is stored for a long time to give It age. Porto
has a large number of factories. It has also some
splendid large buildings. The Chrystal Palace,
with its charming park about it and Its magnifi
cent outlook; the uncommonly large hospital, the
Exchange is a most remarkable structure with Us
Arabic room that scarcely has a rival for its beauty
and elegance. The old large cathedral, which
crowns the summit of the city with its famous
silver altar. It has also a very handsome Young
Men's Christian association building, erected by
one special friend of the association at a cost of
$13,000. The Protestant population is about
1,000. There are several very efficient and hard
working Protestant niisnious that are doing a great
work.
Lisbon Is situated on the north bank of the
River Tagua nine miles from its mouth. The river
is four miles wide. Lisbon is a contraction of a
Phoenician word or word which means "Charming
Bay of the Sea." The bay Is beyond dispute a
charming one. On entering from Cascaes bay to
the anchorage ground may be seen the bathing
sands, Belem tower, the Palace of AJuda (the resi
dence of the dowager queen, Dna. Maria PI a and
the king's brother, Dom Affonso) and of the Ne
cessldades (the residence of King Carlos I and
Queen Amelia) the dome of the EstrelU Basilica
the Belem cathedral, the ancient Convent of the
Jeronymites, as also the Cathedrals of the Se and
of St. Vincent de Fora. The new part of the city
has wide and clean streets, but many are very
steep, as the city is built on high hills. Lisbon
with Its suburbs has a population of 450.000 in
habitants. It was founded at such an early dati
that its origin is shrouded in mystery. A tradltioL
claims that It waa founded by a grandson of Abra
ham in the year 3259 B. C. It has had a thrill-,
lng history, passing from one nation to another for
thousands of years until It became a permanent
possession of Portugal. It has been visited with
devastating earthquakes, notably in 1531 and in
1755. During the latter 10,000 persons were
buried in the ruins and half of the city was demol
ished. There are many cathedrals and churches.
Indeed, there are 276 places of worship. The
Catholic church has almost everything its own way
and is very intolerant. I was told that the queen
was very favorable to the Jesuits, and was afford
ing them much help and encouragement. In view
of the sympathy that the Catholics are claiming
in France and in other quarters of the world
where the power Is passing from them. It seems
to me that they would try to make friends for
themselves In the countries where they are in full
control by being less Intolerant and more friendly
to other Christian churches.
The Belem cathedral Is a wonderful building.
It has been in course of erection for centuries, yet
Incomplete. Tho carvings in stone on the doors
on the outside, on the arches of the cloister and
on the pillar3 which suriport the roof are excep
tionally fine. This rnthedral was founded iu 1400
on the Bite of the hermitage in which Vasco de
'Gama and his company prayed on the eve of their
departure to d'scover India. In the cathedral are
burled the remains of Vao de Gama aud others
ith him.
There is also a Belem tower, which marks
j he place where these early navigators set sail in
search of India, and were the first to discover
Brazil, South America. From the efforts of these
men Columbus learned his lessons that enabled
him to become the acknowledged discoverer of the
new world of America.
Lisbon has several notable squares. The
Black Horse square, which is surrounded by gov
ernment buildings, and In the center Is the statu
of King Jose I, who did so much to relieve the
suffering occasioned by the earthquake, 1765. The
statue contains eighty tons of bronze. The Rocio
is a very large and beautiful square. In the cen
ter of it Is the statue of Don Pedro IV, which com
memorates the granting by that monarch of the
constitution charter in 1820. The end of this
square next to the great theater was once the
scene of tho Portuguese inquisition, which waa
more terrible than the Spanish inquisition. It was
said that in the Spanish inquisition the victims
were burned, but in the Portuguese inquisition
they were roasted.' Oh, what a change has taken
place! The change, thank God, is going on.
In different parts of the city are steam and
hydraulic elevators, very high, unlike any other
city I know of, by which persons are raised and
lowered from low streets to high ones and vice
versu at a small cost I scarcely see bow they
could get Rlong without them. Portugal occupies
a most favorable position in southwest Europe on
the Atlantic ocean. While it Is more or less cold
In the north of Portugal, it is tropical in the south.
Portugal Is much better cultivated than Spain, so
it appears. All of Portugal is well supplied with
trees, orchards, vines and foliage, while Spain Is
quite bare of them. I am told that Its colonies are
many times the size of Portugal. There Is not much
friendliness between Portugal and Spain, while
America and Americans are very much appreciated.
I reached Porto after two days and night travel in
very uncomfortable cars. Called at once at the new
Young Men's Christian Association buildings
(Continued on Page Five.)
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