The Omaha Sunday Bee
PART III.
Advortloo la
THE OMAHA DEC
Best t. West
HALF-TGilE SECTIOU
PA.OB 1 TO 0
VOL. XXXVI XO. 53.
. OMA1IA, SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 23, 1907
SINGLE COrY FIVE CENTS.
AARON ROBISON HOEL EARLY DAY SHERIFF OF DOUGLAS
Ohio Boy Who Was a Childhood Friend of the Carjr Sisters Comes to Omaha a&d Spends Half a Century in the Active Life of the Great and Growing West
THE FRUITFUL valley of the Miami, that Bpot In Ohio bo
typical of the honesty, frugality Industry and Godliness of
which qualities nature forais great men and women, was
the home of a pioneer of Omaha. A little farm house
twelve miles north of Cincinnati was the birthplace, of
Aaron Robinson Hoel, for more than fifty years a resident
of Omaha. Ohio In those days was only in a formative state and
twelve rollos from Cincinnati the country was truly primeval in all
the comforts that go with civilization and culture and advancement.
In one thing the country was not primeval and that one thing was the
courage of its people. They were of that sturdy self reliant type
which broke the wilderness and forged westward year by year, a
typo possessing the physical strength of the barbarian, coupled with
the mental power and moral ideals of the highest races of men, a
type from which "Webster, Calhoun and Lincoln were to spring.
The boy was early initiated to the rigor of the life into which
be had been born. It was a life of toll, a constant battle with nature
and there were few pleasures to temper the rugged discipline. All
work and no play may make Jack a dull boy today but then, Mr.
Hoel says, Jack, had to get up and be bright in spite of the toil if he
hoped oyer to get beyond the limits of the farm.
Four miles south of the Hoel homestead was a little farmhouse
which seemed utterly Inadequate to contain the family of eleven that
lived beneath its roof. The house was on a particularly barren piece
of ground and the owner was very poor. But of the nine children in
that struggling family three were to attain world wide fame. The
farmhouse was the home of Alice and Phoebe Cary who are famous
today for their work in poetry and prose. One of the beys of the.
family, Samuel, better known as "Sam" Cary, became widely known
as a temperance lecturer, and as a candidate for vice president with
Peter Cooper on the Greenback ticket In 1876. Alice Cary tells some
thing of the rigorous life of Industry and hardships and privation In
which they grew up. An extract from her works is as follows: '
"It seemed as If there was actually nothing In existence but
work. The whole family struggle was Just for the right to live free
from the curse ef debt. We hungered and thirsted for knowledge,
but there waa not a dozen books on the family shelf nor a library
within our reach. There was little time to study and had there been
more, there was no chance to learn but in the district school. I never
went to any other; not"very much to that."
School Days of the Carys
The, "Cary girls" as they "were known to Mr. Hoel In his boy
hood were a few years older than himself but he met them frequently
on trips to Cincinnati with farm products. The road to the city led
past the Cary farm house. He little dreamed then that the two '
poorly dressed girls toiling with the butter or in the garden were to
become famous all over the world. He little thought that one of
the greatest men of the day would make a special trip from Cincin
nati Just to visit and talk to those girls, but that is Just what Horace
Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune and once nearly president
of the United States, did in 1849.
Young Hoel too had some of the stuff In him which causes'men
to rise in spite of natural disadvantages and enables them to create
opportunities where seemingly there are none. He burned the mid
night pine torch in reading after the days work what few books he
could get hold of. And when he had reached the proper age he went
A rtfrtuillv n tYi HttlA In anhrtnl hnnaA nnrl tflA RflfflA nnn whprA thfl
LI m . ... . . . . . . . V. 1 , ,kl
school of whom Alice Cary wrote her famous poem beginning with
this word picture:
We used to think It was so queer
To see him, with his thin gray hair.
Sticking our quills behind his ear,
And straight forgetting they were there.
Upon his old pine desk we drew
Hia picture pitiful to see,
Wrinkled and bald, half false, half true.
And wrote beneath It, "Twenty-three."
And tne pathetio closing verse:
And he no more might take his place
Our lessons and our lives to plan:
Cold Death had l.l'sed the wrinkled face
Of that most , 'tie gentleman.
A proud day It was tor the farm lad when he "graduated" from
that little district school with Its humble but good and noble master.
He then entered Farmers' college, which was located six miles north
of Cincinnati, and was presided ove by an uncle of the Cary girls.
Having completed a short course there he became a full-fledged
teacher, an honored man In the community where "still the people
gased and still the wonder grew that one small head could carry all
he knew." He taught in Mount Pleasant, O., for a year and then
returned home, where he married Miss Catherine Durham, whe had
come to Ohio with her parents from New Jersey only a short time
before.
Off for Omaha
The young couple, studying their future, could not see much
promise la the valley of the Miami. Herace Greeley was a grea,
man la that neighborhood ever since his visit to the farm heme ef
the Cary girls aad he had given his famous advice, "Young man, go
west," which had echoed through the east and drawn thousands of
.ecrults to the army for invading the western wilderness. The
young couple determined to Join this army. They left Cincinnati
April 11, 1811, golng'by steamer dewa the Ohio river and up the
Mississippi and Mlsseurl livers, uitll on April 28 they landed at the
Tillage of Omaha, then less than two years' eld. Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liam Crewell accompanied them on this trip.
Mr. Hoel secured work upon his arrival as a carpenter. In
the spring of 1857 ho went Into the hotel business, leasing the
frame building at Thirteenth and Capitol avenue and christening the
place the "Westers Hotel." He continued In business there until
the fall of lftBI, when the financial crash which had been sweeping
the country made Itself acutely felt in Omaha. The city had issued
1100,000 of scrip to build the state house. This scrip was all there
was left of anything like money and it was worthless. For a year
the people lived on the merest hare necessities, using no coffee or
groceries. Mr. Hoel was fortunate in having a big crop of potatoes
that year and his family lived on them almost exclusively for twelve
months, during which time he says his wife prepared them in at
least fifty-seven varieties.
On the Denver Trail
a
The "western fever" frst took hold of him tn 1859, when
Omaha was recovering from the effects of the money famine. Ru
mors and reports of returned "busted Pike's Peakers," however,
kept him at home. The following year he and his brother took a
tralnload of goods to Denver. On his return he made a contract
with Jim Crelghton to haul poles for the Pacific telegraph line,
which waa then extending its strand across the prairies. He spent
several months hauling the cedar poleo from KLkhorn, where they
were taken from the river to Fremont and points west where the
telegraph builders were busy then. In the fall of that year Mr.
Hotl, with "Loag Jim" Crelghton and Charles Brown, made up a
train of wagons and went to Denver. He did some other notable
work In connection with the building of the Paciflo telegraph lino.
On July 12, 1861, he started from Omaha with thirty big wagons
drawn by about 110 oxen and loaded with hundreds of heavy rolls
of telegraph wire rolls which were to put the Pacific coast Into
Instant communication with the Atlantic. His destination was Salt
Lake City and the trip from Omaha took eighty day a He sold his
outfit in the west and returned that fall. Then for four years he
was busy on the plains, hauling the provisions needed by men across
the Nebraska prairies to the growing cities in Colorado and Utah.
On ono of these trips he came near getting into trouble. It
- . .- '..V ' '."WjCir '-4v: J.,,,yt- :.v - ' - , .
AARON ROBC50TJ HOEI
was In 1863. He had gone to Grlnnell, la., and there had loaded
fourteen wagons with powder consigned to Central City, Colo. He
arrived safely with his. load at Council Bluffs, but, coming across
the river with his outfit, he met' an army officer with a squad of men
who placed him under arrest' and smiled wisely as they looked at the
contents of his wagons. Things looked serious, for this was la the
midst of war times and powder was a contraband article. His luck
was good, for he was taken before Colonel Sapp, who was an old
eighty head of cattle before proceeding west in the spring, but even
tually he landed his powder In Central City. On his return he spent
several month on his ranch above Alkali station, cutting hay, for
which the government paid him $25 a ton.
Sheriff of Douglas County
He entered the hotel business in Omaha again in 1865, taking
friend of his. To him he explained that the powder was not contra- charge of the Hamilton house and later of .the Fremont house at
band, because It was intended for blasting' purposes in the moun
tains. He waa soon allowed to go' and set out once more oa his long
Journey. A few weeks later, when he was far out on the plains,
winter descended on him tn the shape of a blinding bllxzard. The
snow drifted to a great depth and he was compelled to camp. When
the storm had ceased he found it Impossible to proceed. Fortu
nately he was near the American ranch, kept at that time by John
Coad and hts brother. There ho went Into winter quarters, from
which he was unable to get away until March of the following year.
Here he also suffered the loss of more than half ef his cattle, which
were taken by Indians in a raid. He was compelled to buy about
Thirteenth and Douglas streets. In the fall of 1867 he was elected
sheriff of Douglas county, being the first, sheriff elected after Ne
braska became a state. The couuty Jail was then located at Six
teenth and Farnam1 streets and was about the only bastlle of any
consequence In the state. Sheriff Hoel had charge of the city,
county, state and federal prisoners and some celebrated criminals
were In his hands. Among these was Baker, the murderer of R.
Hlgglna. Baker was a porter for William King in his wholesale
grocery house at Thirteenth and Farnam streets. Higglns was a
bookkeeper. There waa a woman In the case, though she was not
willingly connected with the crime. Baker had fallen in love with
her, but was financially unable to marry. When the girl's parent
moved to Kansas she went with them. Baker took her departure
much to heurt, Oue night he learned that $1,000 In currency had
been left in the safe. He saw the door open to marry the girl ol
his choice. The temptation was too much for him. He killed Hig
glns, stole the money and set the building on fire to conceal his
crime. He was arrested, tried and convicted and then made a con
fession to Father Kagan, In which he told whoro he had hidden the
money. It was found in a tin can under a board walk at Twelfth
and Harney streets.
t
Murderer Was Much Unconcerned
"He didn't seem to mind his fate much," sp.vs Mr. Hoel. "He
used to talk to me frequently. I found he had been a guest at my
hotel often. He said he remembered mo well. He seemed a little
concerned about his banging. He inquired carefully whether I
could tie a hangniun's noose. 'You see, I want this thing done up
rlsht, so It will be all over In a minute,' lie said. On February 14,
18 68, we took him out of his cell, placed him In a carriage and
drove to the scaffold, which had been erected at Twenty-fourth and
iH'Vglns streets. There he met his fate before the biggest crowd
ol whlfe people that hod ever been seen in Omaha up to that time.
They came from a hundred miles around Just to see that hanging."
Mr. Hoel recalls one Incident very amusing to all except the
man directly concerned. Several Indian prisoners were in the Jail,
among them being Yellow Sun and Skltl Butts, awaiting trial on
the charge of murdering another Indian on the upper Platte river.
One morning Skltl Butts was missing and a hole was found in the
wall of the rather dilapidated Jail showing where he had dug his
way to freedom. On the morning of the pecond day the Indian ap
peared at the Jail. He wore a broad smile, for which the sheriff
was unable to account. ,
"Me come for blanket," he said, and stepped past the officer
Into the Jail. The sheriff followed and, in splto of tho red man's
vigorous protests, locked him la a cell. Skltl Butts looked upon
this action ns a gross breech of his rights.
"Me go away," ha pjiclafmed, gesticulating and showing with
his bands in elahorate sign language how he had made a hole In
the wall and gained his freedom. "Me sleep two suns In woods,
Now m free. White man no lock me up."
But, alas, for Skltl Butts. He found that the white man did
not conform to the Indian custom of considering a prisoner free if
he made his escape and remained uneaptured for two days. He was
kept safe in a cell until hia time of trial and then was sentenced to
a term of years, which ho did not live to serve out. He never ceased
to rail against the injustice of the action of Sheriff Hoel in locking
him up after he had made his escape.
His Later Life -
Mr. Hoel was the first warden of the Nebraska penitentiary at
Lincoln. He was appointed by Governor Butler In 1871, but re
signed the position ono year later. He then went extensively into
contracting, doing a great deal of work in laying out the city of
Omaha and providing it with sewers. In one summer he laid mora
than 15,000 feet of city eewers. He did the excavating for tho
Walnut Hill reservoir at Fortieth and Hamilton streets. He made
tho first important cut In laying out the main streets of the city
through the hills, this cut being from Sixteenth to Twentieth on
Douglas street. He did much other similar work cutting down
hills and filling in the ravines and creek beds that originally con
stituted the topography of the present business district of Omaha.
Tie was street commissioner several years and in that position
showed especial efficiency and diligence.
( Mr. Hoel has a family which has received the approval of Presi
dent Roosevelt himself. He has eight children, thirty grandchildren
and three greatgrandchildren. The children are as follows: Mrs.
Catherine Campbell, Omaha; Mtb. Lucy B. Nye, Essex, la.; Mrs.
Nettie 8mlley, Shawnee, Okl.; Mrs. John Watt, Victor, Colo.; Frank
J. Hoel, Omaha; C. F. Hoel, Cheyenne, Wyo.; H. G. Hoel, Omaha,
and Ernest Hoel, Omaha. Three of hia sons are In the employ of
the McCord-Brady company of this city, Frank being secretary and
treasurer of that firm. The family of hJs daughter, Mrs. Lucy B.
Nye of Essex, la., is the one which attracted the attention of Presi
dent Roosevelt. She has twelve children and the president asked
for a photograph. It was sent and apparently added to the presl- .
dent's collection of model families.
Mr. Hoel Is still a hearty, active man, going every day about hli
business of contracting and sidewalk building. Mrs. Hoel died li
1899 and he now makeq his home with his daughter, Mrs. Campbell,
4816 Grant street. He Is widely known for his geniality and for
his love of a quiet bit of humor and of a harmless Joke. It Is re
lated that when he was street commissioner and had many papers,
to sign, often out on the street among the workmen where writing
facilities were not many he was accustomed to affix his name bj
simply writing an "A" and then punching a hole in tho paper, thli
signifying, he pointed out, "A hole," or "A. Hoel."
President Roosevelt's Plans for His Long Vacation
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT has settled down
In bis Long Island home. Sagamore Hill,
'where he will enjoy the longest summer
vacation that ho has allowed himself
since he assumed the presidency. The
nation's chief executive Is a strong advocate of
the advantages of the vacation habit, it being his
policy to follow the Injunction, "Work hard while
you work and play hard while yon play," but aside
from the dictates of regular habit there is ample
reason why the ruler of the republic should hsvo
a respite from tho cares of state this summer.
The last session of congress, although a short
one, was a decidedly strenuous one for the occu
pant of the White House, and other activities dur
ing the last eighjt months have helped to Impose
an unusual tax upon his strength. Then, too,
next winter will bring the opening lengthy session
of a new congress, and what, with the prelimipa
rles for a presidential campaign In which he Is
much Interested, it assuredly behooves Uncle
Sam's highest salaried servant to store up this
summer all the health and energy possible in an
ticipation of the busy Interim ahead.
The president's vactlon, which he plans to
have continue virtually without Interruption,
until September 29, will be spent, as usual, at
Sagamcre Hill, his attractive estate near the vil
lage of Oyster Bay, on the north shore of Long
Island. The house which he now occupies has
been "home" to Theodore Roosevelt for more
than twenty years, and this picturesque section of
the country had such an association for him at an
even earlier date, for when the present president
was a sickly and delicate lad his father came to
the conclusion that the child would thrive best in
tho country, and erected near Oyster Bay (not
tar from the president's present home) the coun
try, house Tranquillity. Here amid tho hills
which border tho sound and tho bay, Theodore
Roosevelt and his brother and sisters lived the
wholesome open-air life which now finds a coun
terpart In tho experiences of the president's chil-
r
dren.
The site of tho president's own country seat
was chosen largely because of the opportunities
for privacy, or by reason of the tact that, as the
president expresses it, he is net compelled to
"live in a neighbor's pocket" The estate com
prises ninety-seven acres, nearly one-half of which
is w,ooded, afordlng facilities for the indulgence
of the occupation of chopping down trees, in
which Mr. Roosevelt takes such keen delight.
There Is a two or three-acre vegetable garden on
the place that yields a plentiful supply of fresh
vegetsbles for tho Roosevelt table, to say nothing
of potatoes for Uie White House at Washington.
Finally, there Is a tract of some fifteen acres In
lawn, where the members of the family play ten
nis and where are located some hurdles, over
which the chief executive can leap his hunters in
lieu of cross-country riding.
The main portion of the Roosevelt residence
is a rambling frame structure, obviously designed
for homely comfort, rather than architectural
beauty, and with a wide veranda on two sides.
Within the last few years there has been built a
brick wing or sddltion, designed not merely to
Increase the available space of the house, but also
to provide a fire-proof depository for the presi
dent's valuable private library sod his highly
collection of hunting trophies, souvenirs
Spanish-American war, etc. A number of
minor improvements have been completed of late,
Including a rustic entrance to the flower, fruit
and vegetable gardens, and a rustic summer
house sltusted at a vantage point from which
the distant shore of Connecticut can be Keen on
a clear day.
The supplementary bulldiuts ou tho Sagamore
Hill estate Include a stable and a tenant house,
occupied by Noah Seaman, who has been for
twenty years the superintendent of Farmer
Rooevelt's homestead. Incidentally It may be
mentioned that Mr. Seaman and his assistants are
. prized
of the
kept ptetty busy, for, in addition to keeping the
Roosevelt table supplied with fresh vegetable and
fruit products during the summer and early au
tumn, they have to look after at least five horses,
six cows, eight pigs, a flock of Plymouth Rock
chickens and some turkeys. All the hay and
straw needed for the stock Is grown ca the place,
and President Roosevelt never falls to take a
hand, late in July, la getting In the hay.
Tht-odore Roosevelt as a farmer Is as progres
sive as the next one, when It comes to Introducing
new-far gled Ideas, If they be proven to be good
ones. Take, for Instance, the gas and water sys
tems In use at Sagamore Hill. All the buildings
on the place are Illuminated by gas that is manu
factured by means of an automatic machine, from
gasoline stored In an underground tank located
some distance from the house. Then, in a snug
fireproof building located about 100 feet from the
residence, Is a gasoline engine that pumps water
from a tubular well 190 feet In depth. The water
Is pumped Into, a tank In the attic of the resi
dence and the overflow goes to a large frostproof
outdoor tank, whence it is piped to the barn and
to the tenant house.
President Roosevelt has, In his home at Saga
more Hill, a workroom, which he calls his
"office," and which is fitted with desks, filing svs
tems end all the other adjuncts for mental activ
ity, but durlrg vacation time the chief executive
Is naturally anxious to devote as little time as pos
sible to routine detalU, and so the bulk of the
presidential business Is transacted in the village
of Oyster Bay, three miles away. Here, in an
unpretentious suite of rooms over Moore's grocery
store, is located temporarily the business offices
of the chief executive, and In these quarters, a
trifle cramped. It must be confessed, a force of
nine or ten secretaries, clerks and stenographers
busy themselves answering a voluminous corre
spondence and performing other duties, Just as
they wculd at the White House In Washington.
Once, or mayhap twice, every day, William
Loeb, Jr., secretary to the president, places well
filled saddle bags across the back of his rldlnj
horse and Journeys out to Sagamore Hill, where
for a matter of several hours be is In conference
with Mr. Roosevelt regarding such matters as do
mand the president's personal attention. Ha
secures the president's signature to various com
missions, orders, etc., and Mr. Roosevelt dictates
to him replies to Important letters and indlcatoa
the tenor of the responses to be made to othet
communications. In the hours of quiet
and seclusion which the president wlU enjoy at
Oyster Bay he will map out much of his Import
ant work for the coming winter, and, if ho fol
lows the plan of previous years, ho will, ore ho
leaves his summer home at the end of the season,
have all but completed his annual message to
cngres and probably special messages as well.
For purposes of both uninterrupted work and
relaxation, the president desires a summer as
free as possible from interruptions. Few vis
itors except close personal friends of the family
will be invited to Sagamore Hill, and uninvited
callers seeking audience with the president will
have to convince Lis secretaries that their busi
ness is really urgent to be accommodated. There
Is no gam at Sagamore Hill, no guardian fences
or lodgcket-per barring the way, yet for all that
tho president will be mighty secure from unwel
come visitors. A force of ten secret service men
will attend to that. They will form a cordon
around the place and no person can approach tho
house at any time of the day or night unless the
sleuths are convinced that no mischief or annoy
ance U intended.
Moi cover, Oyster Bay is not exactly cut out
for a tourist or excurbion Mecca. There Is quite
a colony of summer cottages hereabouts, but there
are no euminer hotels Inviting the sightseers, and
the prices charged for such accommodations as
are available are not calculated to cause the curl
ou to tarry loug. St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
