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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1908)
Omaha PART III. A Pspor for tho Horn THE OMAHA DCXB Best t';. West unday HALF-TONE SECTION FAGKS 1 TO 4. vol. xxxvn Na 37. OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 1, 1903. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. The Bee FRED HEDDE PIONEER EDITOR AND LEADER FOR LIBERTY r 'How' a German Student round in Nebraska the Freedom Denied Him in the Fatherland, and How He Has Lived and Toiled and Prospered Among the People in Hia Chosen Home. GRAND ISLAND has among 1U 10,000 citizen tho oldest editor n the Btate. if not In the United States an editor who has fougbt for freedom ot the press and for liberty of speech not only in this, his adopted country, but who began the Btruggle as long as seventy years ago, as a student In Kiel, contributing largely to the thoughts of that day. This man, Fred Hedde, was born nearly ninety years ago, at Runisberg, In Schleswlg-Holsteln, Germany. He thero grew to manhood, but his restless spirit and his love of freedom was destined to lead him half around the globe, ere life's fitful raco was run, and make him a factor In the civilization of a new country, under strange skies, in a land he found savage, wild, desolate and stubborn, and peopled only by the aborigines. And It is both as the oldent editoi and as a first citizen that the people of Grand Island and Hall county revere the venerable pioneer. As an evidence of this respect a tribute, paid him during the celebration of the semi centennial anniversary In that city last July, by the chairman of the day Mr. Hedde being unable during the hot afternoon to attend the ceremonies may well find a place herei. Fred Hedde was a college bred man from the University of Kiel. In common with the student body of his day he took part tn thoBe turbulent demands and demonstrations of the German unlver Blties for freedom of Boeech and the press and for National UnWkv. which Emperor Frederick William and the Holy Alliance sought by means of the Carlsbad resolution to throttle and suppress. Dut the spirit of the great Stein, which had successfully united North Germany against the tyranny of Napoleon in the zenith of his power, BtlU lived unconquered In the hearts of the German folk, and In the revolution of 1848, Fred Hedde, the erstwhile student of Kiel, then a young lawyer Just entering practice, a compatriot ot Carl Schurz and Fritz Siegel, cast his voice, his future and his for tune with the revolutionists. The movement failed for the time and In 1854, by reason of hla political activity, he emigrated to America, stopping for a. time In New York and later entering the practice of law at Daven port, la., then a frontier city. But the call of the wild seemed to be In his blood and the German revolutionist of 1848. still seeking freedom from restraint and a field for his endeavors, looked toward the groat, wMte, unscarred northwest, as the scene for his life's best work. He was 38 years old at this time, an age when most mtya pause before entering upon new and untried vocations, when, In, 1867, he Joined the band of hardy pioneers whose work we are as sembled today to testify was well done, and from Its very Inception took a foreplace a the settlement and building of a great corn monwealth, which today Is an empire in the west. For half a century his character has been woven into the social, commercial and political fiber of this community and It is a matter of common congratulation that a Merciful Providence has prolonged the span of his life to witness the triumph of this hour, when all rivalries are hashed, all bitterness forgotten and only good v 111 prevails. He early took th Initiative In Ok march to the new territory strong, constant and unafraid. He came with his devoted band of fellow-pioneers not aa adventurers, seeking fame and fortune, for neither waa here, but they came and stayed, while others came and went, clinging close to the soil, and asking of pitiless, untamed na ture, that she yield enough for their simple needs and allow them 'to build homes on these homeless plains. In that work, as farmer, merchant, editor and citizen, Mr. Hedde held no uncertain place he never waa a negative. Th6 effect or re sult of a position, once taken by him, never prompted a compromise or gave him much concern so long as his conscience and sense of duty were agreed. Hence it followed that for more than forty years his life was one of conflict, sometimes personal, ofttlmes bitter, al ways strenuous. Yet did the wisdom of years enable him to forecast coming events so clearly that In many great movements he was a generation In advance of his fellow men. The reverence of age is hla. Life still has a flavor that years cannot stale, and while physical weakness forbids his speaking today of the past In which he took so active a part. It does not prevent lils sharing la this Jubilee, and we deem It eminently fit and proper that we give this meed of pralso and pay this tribute to one of the Btrong and trusted men who did so much to make this meeting pos sible and significant His Efforts at Colonizing. While upon this occasion Mr. Hedde waa not able, with others, to relate the experiences of the past, some of his colleagues la that 11Ui image from Davenport, la., to the then unknown Grand Island Lave recorded the main events and from these records glimpse ot the hardships undergone is available. Mr. Hedde, Christian Menck and one Barnard were the advance guard of the colony. After paining a few log houses at the present site of Columbus they saw not a Blnle settlement, or trace ot white man's habitation. The en tire colony located at Grand Island on July 4. 1867. Others cams In 18 08. In many respects the colonists looked to Mr. Hedde as a leader, and It was under his guidance that the first winter waa rtsaed, the short rations made to answer, and supplies were received fioir Omaha. In the following years, too, he took an Important rtiin in the settlement, bavins boon appointed ageat of immlgra tloii lor the state and making a trip to Germany under that com mission. in this connection Christian Menck has recently contributed the following to the early history of Han county. It reveals the cen lldence his associate-colonists placed In Mr. Hedde: When, in the year of 1857, on the 4th of July, we located here with thirty men, six women and one child, wo had seventeen yoke or oxen (five teams), and one team ot mules. The latter was pur chased by the company, which provisioned the colony tor the purpose of transporting supplies tor as from Omaha. Mr. Barnard was the engineer and chief of the company and Mr. Hedde the leader of the Hermans in the colony. After we were here a week or tea days v o began to" wonder why Mr. Barnard did net send the team back .. to Omaha for the supplies. Mr. Hedde. therefore, and the writer, wet to Mr. Barnard to take up the matter with him. Mr. Barnard wa". of the opinion that the mule team was not good enough, and hai' appointed a man who had com out with fclm to bring a load of provisions out. When Mr. Hedde Inquired what security he had for the man that he would return Mr. Barnard was of the opinion that he waa a gentleman. Mr. Hedde was not satisfied with this, and thereupon four men were seat with an ox team to get pro visions from Omaha. When our four men arrived at Omaha they ran across the man who had promised to bring out provisions, walk ing the Btreets. He excused himself by saying that his horse was taken sick. In the settlement all the provisions were brought out of the wagons In the meantime. In order to make In ventory of what there was left, and to gauge the use of them ac cordingly. It was estimated that at least fourteen days would ba ' required before our team could return. Rations were reduced to t ru -third of one pound Ot flour per day for each person, and we wo. .Id have suffered from hunger the first four weeks of our settle ment here. Mr. Hedde thus, from the beginning became to he the ' advisor of our settlement We thereupon began to cultivate the land and to prepare for permanent occupancy by building bouses on the four adjacent cor ners of forty-acre tracts about a mile southeast of the business cen ter of the present city of Grand Island, the purpose being to be close A.att ap In thA nvnnt the Indiana ahnnld bgnimii t miihlnfm A whn tn September. 1857. our team waa aaaln sent to Omaha to V secure provisions for the winter and when the party going with It arrived In Omaha, there were no provisions from Davenport. In the early part of September, Mr. Schernekau and the writer -went to Omaha to bring Mra. Hedde and my wlfe-to-be to the settlement. Mr. Hedde was sick and could not undertake the trip. Mrs. Hedde took the stage to Grand Island. Mrs. Menck and I were united In wedlock at Omaha and tor our wedding trip went to Grand Island, per ox team. But we always look back to the happy days, notwith standing their hardships, with pleasure. Work in Journalism. His career as an editor In this section though he was already a contributor to the press In the fatherland, began early In the eighties, when In conjunction with William Anyan and one or two others he established The Antimonopollst The publication ot this paper was, however, a labor of love. It was distinctly unremunera tive. .But the fight against the corporations having even so early been on, owing to their trowing political pow.T, Mr. Hedde tKk over the Interests of his associates later, purchased the Platte Valley Independent established In 1809 at North Platte and brought to this city a year later by Mrs. f. T. G. Mobley. since deceased and In' a short time changed the name to the Grand Island Inde pendent, while the paper continued to retain the clientele of the former paper. In a large measure this led the way to him to be come, measurably, the pioneer newspaper man of the city, as well ie city's founders. . In 1884 he founded the nreaent Dailv ' " ' i 'fx ' - .' i jt ' . c . v, v s I ' ' I .' , ' .. ' f . . f ..1 ' ' ' f i T i I ' ' - 'Vv V-v rvVC X : - 1 V "x : '' ' FRED HEDDH Independent and remained its owner until 1900. The dally proved unprofitable, on the whole. However, it was a principle the veteran was fighting and, having some other sources ot income upon which to rely, Mr. Hedde never faltered. , For ten years the balance re mained on the wrong side of the ledger. In the meantime, too, the political elements and forces which he was continually fighting sought at different times to establish opposition papers, with the hope of forcing the opponent ot machinery In political affairs and especially railroad machinery to give up the fight But while some of these efforts were longer lived than others, eventually they suc cumbed. From 1895 on there waa a small measure of business re ward, though It never approached that which this grimly determined defender of a policy which he believed to be right offered as a sacri fice. Failing health, his advanced years, and his desire to get his possessions in easy condition lest the grim reaper come unexpectedly, as In the ntght, caused him to dispose of the newspaper property to a company of younger men, one of whom had been a silent busi ness partner for some years, and all of whom had been employes under him. The Independent's policy under Its founder, and, considering the support given It from other sources In Its Infancy, its patron saint, was always that ot an Independent republican, its editor was a firm believer in the policies of the party from its Inception, strongly sympathizing, In company with most of the Germans who sought this country for a greater measure of freedom, with the abolition cause. He was none the less firmly an advocate ot the principle ot a protective tariff and an especially bitter opponent of Mr. Bryan's free silver propacauda again In common with many Germans who had lived through a shifting mouey period in parts of the fatherland. And thuB, in national affairs, the erstwhilo Kiel revolutionist was as vigorous as the most ardent committee chairman could wish. In local affairs, however, he was to the machine devotee a thorn in tho flesh, frequently, even in county elections, supporting candidates ot the opposition and in city affairs preventing In a large degree any party nominations. Iu fact it is in no small measure attributed to him that Grand Island has never, since it has become a city ot any Importance, had a party mayor. The last effort made was about . eleven years ago, the presumably dominant party initiating It and being sadly beaten in the election. Nominations have never slnca been made for any city or school officers along party lines and In the councils of the bodies having in hand the affairs of the municipality or of the school district the word "republican" or "democrat" U never spoken. Appointments are not made along tho line of party organization, even though the executive in other matters be a strict partisan. It would be regarded as a eerloua breach ot faith. It stands today as almost an unwritten law that, for city and school offices, candidates must run by petition, and that the individual voter otes for the man whom he believes to bo best qualified and most re liable. In this direction the veteran has certainly left an Impress ot wide Importance and of lasting effect. In the state's political affairs he often fought side by Bide with the founder of The Bee and the two were very close personal friends, considering the infrequency In which, necessarily, they were able to meet. He was In the thick of the fight twenty years ago for an effective railway commission and the files of his paper show some Interesting analytical editorials concerning public men. Senator Foraker's maiden speech in Washington, for Instance, was thor oughly dissected asd the Ohio statesman stamped from the beginning as an agent of the corporations, even though he was of the same political faith. Waiting for the End. Mr. Hedde In his younger years had been county Judge of the county the first on record, and was also a member of tho terri torial legislature from 1858 to 1861. He was also a member of the city council after the city became Incorporated. He was married In New York City in 1855 to Mrs. Caroline (Waechter) Buenner mann. Some years after the death of his first wife he married. In 1884, In this city, Miss Louisa Spethmann. In his own domestic affairs Fred Hedde has always lived a re tired and simple life. A student, books have been his best com panions; a thinker, the peace and quiet of his library has been his most loved retreat. Even in his younger years he mingled but little in social affairs, barring an occasional visit to nearer friends or a so cial evenln? with the members of the Liederkranz society an or ganization of Germans of which he was a charter member and in which he still retains membership. The veteran Journalist and pioneer has for tome months been closely confined to his home a suite of rooms on the third floor of his business block, commonly known as The Independent building. The allotted "three score years and ten" have for him been stretched Into "four score years and ten." Enfeebled by age, he hesitates not frankly to say to his friends that he yearns for the end. His race Is run and he quietly and fearlessly awaits the hour when God's finger lhall touch him and he shall sleep. About him, in the streets be low, there is the busy hum of Industry and of the commercial activ ity of a growing city. But Its Inhabitants are riot unmindful of the labors performed and of the hardships undergone a half century ago by the near-centenarian and by his companions of that first colony Christian Menck, William Hagge, William Stolley, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Joehnck, Mrs. John Thomssen and Cay Ewoldt, who are still resident survivors of the first settlement and by those others who have passed Into the great beyond or are In other fields. And It Is not merely a pleasant fiction to Bay the wish Is not infrequently expressed and earnestly felt that the sunset of his life may be clear and calm and peaceful, like the roseate ending of a fruitful, balmy A. F. B. summer's day, the benediction of a life well lived. Distinguishing: Between Real and Near Real Jewels WASHINGTON. Feb. 15. In aU this talk about artificial rubles and dia monds the experts keep saying that a reconstructed or scientific ruby can be detected at a glance. Now this may be true of experts, but it scarcely applies to tho average person. ' It Is a fact that most ot the artificially pro duced rubles are off la color, having a brick red tone, which should betray them even to an ordi nary observer. But some of them approach the real stone so closely that If even the expert him self Is going to detect them at a glance he will have to do his glancing through a powerful lens. Not that the color will appear different That is not the only way In which the made ruby be trays Itself. The infallible test is the presence of circular lines or markings in the interior of the stone. If it Is a poor specimen these are easily seen. In the best ones they can be detected only by close scrutiny. When one knows how these stones are made the markings are readily explained. The process is described by Leopold Claremont, a London lapi dary, as follows: "A small crystal of silicate of alumina, colored by bichromate of potash, la rotated at a very high speed, being kept meanwhile at a temperature of about 1,800 degrees centigrade. It Is then nursed with minute particles of natural ruby, which ad hero and become melted on to the center core. "With care and patience a large bead can thus be built np from which the ruby Is afterward cut. The material Is, however, very likely to break di rectly It Is allowed to cool and also during the process of cutting. Manufactured rubies are sold under different names, but the processes by which they are made differ only slightly from one another. The usual tests for precious stones, those of hardness, specify gravity and refraction, are met entirely by these artificial rubies. The color and the mark ings are the only indications ot their real char acter. The markings are caused by minute babbles forming circular parallel lines and also by wavy circles as the substance while being stirred had been allowed to dry suddenly. While dealers in gems do not consider made rubles ss precious stones, they frankly accept cer tain improved specimens as the real thing. For Instance, It Is said that almost all the pink topazes now on the market have been pinked, as the trade Mima iu imu lunulas or surnins is a honored device dating from its accidental discov ery by a French jeweler In 1755. The topaa, though It occurs In many colors, Is rarely pink. Consequently it was a happy chance for the Frenchman when he found that heat would change yellow and brown specimens Into a delicate pink. One method of doing this Is to wrap the stone In German tinder bound tightly on with tin wire and then to burn the tinder. But the stone Is likely to be flawed if the operation is not carefully performed, or to lose its color entirely if thtfi ieat Is too great Sometimes precious stones have dark spots, which are removed by burning in sand and iron filings, but the process Is a delicate one, as in the case of a sapphire, the color may be changed from blue to grayish, or with an amethyst, from purple to mahogany brown. Rubica are sometimes in fected with white snots, which are removed by burning. Black spots adhering to the surface of diamonds may be got rid of in the same way. The zircon is another precious stone which is Improved by burning, being changed from brown to a clear brilliance which enables it to pass as a diamond, though not of the fin tut quality. Dark brown cavlngorin is burned to make it lighter, and therefore more salable. When It comes to agates and carnelians and onyx there 1b no end to the tricks man plays ou nature. The Oriental carnelian owes its beautiful color entirely to burrilng. It is found in quartz sand In Madras and Is cut and burned where it is found. But the greatest marvels with this class of stones are achieved by bleaching and dyeing them. Whole communities in Germany, from little chil dren to old men and women, Co nothing but this work. When onyx is to be dyed It Is washed twice in water, then dried and laid in honey and water, half a pound of honey to sixteen or tv.enty oun'-e? of water. The dish, which must be chemically clean, is placed In a warm oven. Care must be taken that the water does not boil and that the stone is coveerd with the liquid. The treatment is continued for from fourteen to twenty-one days. Then the stone U taken out of the honey and washed and soaked In another dish with sulphuric acid. This dish is covered and put in hot ashes with burning charcoal on the cover. In a few hours, in most cases, the Btone will be dyed, but some stones require a longer time and some will never take s color. The final part of the oroceas Is ffTt Xrom the acid. wash It, dry It in the oven and lay It in oil for a day. By this time because of the varying poros ity of layers of the stone it will be colored In stripes, xray, brown, black or red. It has often been tried to get rid of the tint in off colored diamonds by treating them with acids and with heat, but It Is not known that any one has succeeded. Some dealers have tried other ways of getting rlf of the yellow effect of these stones. The usual thing is to paint the underside with violet ink or an aniline dye. ThiB is carefully rubbed down. Just enough being left to neutralize the yellow in the Btone. Of co use all that Is necessary to guard against this fraud is to wash the stone In alcohol. But it is admitted that irregular dealers have undoubtedly enhanced tho ap:.rent value of many stones by treating them lu this way. Quite distinct from the artificially produced precious stones and from the improved real ones are various imitations. With the public rhine stoue has become a sort of general name applied to the very cheapest of Imitation diamonds. But originally rhinestone, Cornish diamond and Brighton dtumond were names applied to imita tions made from rock crystal. Most Imitation stones are simply made of glass. The cbeapi-st ones, generally spoken of as stage Jewelry, are not cut and polished, but squeezed, as the technical term goes. This Is done with pincers divided into numer ous moulds, each mould comprc tting the semi molten glass into the form of a cut stone. When these stones are taken from the pincers they are connected by a thin film of the glass. They have only to be detached from one another to be ready for setting. Paste or Straus is a flint glass much superior to that used for making stage jewelry. It is often cut and polished much as real stones are, though, of course, the process is very short and simple in comparison. v It la claimed for French paste that its com position Is made as nearly as possible identical of the stones to be Imitated But It is manufac tured only in certain colors and it does not differ greatly anyway in appearance from ordinary sti ass. "All varieties of paste can be detected," said a dealer in precious stones. "They always con tain bubbles and lines wholly unlike the marks in real gems. "Makers ot Imitations even go to the extent of putting In flaws and what we call feathers. But 11 you examine them you find that they are not like the real thing at all. "Of course a Jeweler need never be cheated anyway, for he knows or should know how to test for hardness, specific gravity and optical prop erties. For ordinary paste Just try a file gently on the sharp edge of the Btone." Of recent yearB a good many Improvements have been made In the production of the Imita tions known as doublets. Nowadays there are even triplets, i The old form of doublet consists of a thin pleca of a genuine but inferior precious stone cut to form a front, to which a back of paste of the de sired color Is cemented. The result Is an appar ently valuable gem. It really has one one good trait, if it Is to bo compared with out and out glass stones. The Bur face being genuine, will not scratch and dull. But if it is sold as the real thing the buyer is likely to be Bad when It falls to pieces some day. That Is what It will do at once if soaked in spirit or even n hot water. This will not happen to these doublets, made recently, In which the two pieces are welded to gether. But the character of the Btone can be seen by looking through it from the side. A triplet consists of two pieces of crystal or poor quality gem stone, one part for the front and one for the back, with a thin piece ot colored glass or even simply colored pigment between them. In this way pale, worthless pieces of nevertheless genuine sapphire are used with deep blue glass or plgmc nt; but, of course, while the stone may look all right from the top, it Is easily Identified as a fake. When stones are set with a close back that Is embedded in the metal they are painted or covered with tinfoil to increase either the color or the bril liance. This is done not only with Imitations, but with genuine stones if they are of inferior quality. It used to be the custom always to set gems with a backing of gold, no matter whether the stones were good, bad or indifferent. Apropos of the InUutlonal and the accidental coloring of stones, it U well known that certain gems have a way of doing the changing them selves. Chief among these is the turquoise, with its unpleasant habit of turning green. It Is taid by Jewelers that the use of perfume Is often responsible for this change. Also tho wearer of turquoises must guard them from con tact with any acid or with grease. According to superstition, when the color of a gift turquoise changes the giver Is In danger, or It tlx fiver la ajovsr he or she Is flcklo.
