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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1909)
THE OMAHA STTXDAY REE: A NHL 11. 100P. Cheyenne PITILS OP THE LODGE POU5 BCHOOI CHEYENNE COUNTT. HH home-making Instinct U a 1 wrll di'VPloppcl trait In Ne I I brask rlinrm-tor Tl.n r,i,- . of the grr-nt p'ains w3 thq rnUlPtnan. In his almlrm wan drrtng whPn he rcoclipd Chey-. emu? county he called a halt. Ho wanted time to think and the problem before him demanded thought. Most rreat discoveries are made by accident. Thl trail drover aa a good buelnens man, and certainly no man In all the world ever knpw the cow aa did he. He could converse with a steer In hli own language, and knew the moat In timate thoughta of Its heart nt any hour In the day or night. He knew the cost of each Item in hla business. And yet this Wf Il-equlppcd business man for a long tima H1 not see further than the end of his nose. Borne cowman whose name was forgot ten If ever known-got to the northern market too late and was obliged to winter a herd of cattle In a northern climate. Ha found by accident against his will that tl uurruJo grass, the bunch grnss, the various other plains grasses totreth.r with sham cold winter m h r x I, O Winter, wnicn forced the animal to put on a provision of tallow for Its self preservation, would cause. a Texas stier merely to double In Its gross weight. The first drover who failed to sell his herd sat down and wept; he found that, facing sudden ruin, he had found sudden wealth. Two years In the north had multi plied his holdings by four. His animals would weigh almost double, and th..v would bring almost twice the price by rea- on or their superior quality In beef. TWi was a great and remarkable disc .very. It became the more Interesting in that it took place about the time Amorlcan railroads began to cross the western plains. This business of the trail drover then is act two of the drama of the Nebraska steer. In 1868 occurred certain phenomena of In terest to students. The corn-belt feedprs from the Mississippi valley . followed the railroad west. These farmers wanted cattle nomes ln a" Part of Cheyenne county, but Improve the moral tone of society. It was mighty army. They were soldiers of In to feed. The railroads in these days were ,lttl8 wlnter feeding is done. The ranch a fair type of western border towns, where dustry, drilled by labor and hardship, and meek and lowly. They fought for this new buslness which came up out of the ground. The banks of the middle west got strictly tnt I. - . rv.1 . .... inry wouia DacK lo any limit the reputable farmer who would go west and buy cow. to ship to the corn- belt. Land In 1S71 was bought freely in Texas at 2tf cents per acre. A milch cow nd calf at her side was worth a section thev legan to demand northern wintered beef. Note also that this range beef, doubly wintered In western Nebraska, began to compete with the corn-fed beef in the middle west. In 187S Texas land jumepd to the awful price of tlOO per ec- tion. Eight times to whet It was two yea earlier. But cow. kept up their march along thl. dualy highway to the west. Bold men pushed into the cattle range .. , of land in Texas. One could drive . cow rdK City to Osalalla and Sidney has the lawyer and the doctor, both great judiciary purposes. The first regular elec- of barley and 55.CCO bushels 'of rye and it and bulldh e up new aicuiture , " ha" tl,e mdPrn lmpr0Ve' north to market, but he could not drive been thoroughly obliterated. The railroads healing mediums with peculiar methods. tlon of tho county was held In October. Is stated by the county officers That thJ tie, of TonsMerll f! ".T nien. e accompanying cut. will .how " 01 'a"a. ' -"perseaea tne trail, ana wnat the lney were a part of the rude civilization jsn. one year after Its organization. The Is more grain on hand, being held by the must not be forgotten haT tw k , 1 naVe a dPC""t r m That absurd creature, known differently rad left undone the small ranchers of frontier life, which paved the way for first school district was organized ln Sid- farmers, than at any time in the hlstor Ing with thomTrder .1. Z I T th CU"ty " enUrely OUt f debt and a. homesteader." -granger." "farmer" or hav completed. But there Is still plenty the gentler Influence, that follows; to mold ney In 1871. The first school was taught of the county. The farmer, of the couZ modern home One otSnf ' mMy t'U'- "nester," began to persecute the soul of wor for a good cowboy, and there is no the morals of the race that peopled the In the winter of 1871 and 1872 by Mrs. are making rapid progress along the dairy appointments ' of 'the vl, 1 ,T p Bldney' lndeed "a8 many attractive fea- drovers. north and .outh. The government ack,,f "mance " work. Owing to the cities of the prairie,. Every store in the Irene Sherwood, at her residence. In 1882 Industry. At the present time these farm- county who U lonkmV -?f Chp-enne tures. Her wide streets, her elegant homes, at this time bought much beef for the breaking up of the great herds, there has city on the Sabbath contracted and carried Cheyenne county had 9,072 square miles, era have 3.700 acre, seeded In alfalfa and something western Is fhi hi VZ'I her 8,,bB,antlal business blocks and her rmv inri tha inrii.n. xit .v. .. coma an Increased demnml for mor. mia.ua, iuiu ""'""'i1' westorn, is that he cannot f nd uV.nn.i-.nt ir. v.,.. 1, ..... . ...'v-;;.,.,'. r,t.:.;yT?l " -.a. -'" k -r - ... , OBTTRFELDER. BLOCK, SIDNEY. ) 1 n ." 7- A- ' t J V AMERICAN BANK. SIDNEY. County a PLOmXO BY STEAM , a , a .k v. . v. . . v. Vllirt CIIIIO IUU1IIV. J HIT All ITKUM IWMlUlf! mo w xiy lini iiiiie n had been fullv riemnnatrntH thut rha.rnnn. ' - county's cattle range had this faculty of doubling values. The industrious drover was no fool; he began to locate ranges for himself. The Spaniard was the original cattle ranchman In the west and he made progress from the start. You will hardly turn a corner In our dictionary In western Nebraska without running up against him. Tet 11 Blvcs one a little thrill to find all across the plains country where they left their bones these unobllterated foortprints ese unobllterated foortprints s. The live stock interest. of the pioneers. The live stock interests have undergone a marked change since tho organization of Cheyenne county. With the thinning out of the larger ranches, the largely Increasing acreages of alfalfa, the Inevitable development of the dairying Industry Is not far off. The Nebraska steer Is responsible for hundreds of prosperous ""UOD """y w-'cupies some nine vaney on a clear tream. a"d " Is an interesting "lght and undoubtedly a reassuring alght tO the rAflfhmnn t n vtaor tha hllnitraa . " " catUo on thelr flr8t wava of the Prlri nd beyond. Th cowboy of today does not live under "e conditions that marked his life a gen- eratlon ago. The old cattle trail from know how to care for cattle. Saddle manu- facturers are turning out more cowboy addles today than in the day. of the ran kings, .Imply because there are more men ln the cattle business and more herds, It 1. no longer a question of what so- clety one will find in Sidney. Men and women are not far to eek in this thrifty city a. gentle ln manner., a. refined in speech, aa clean in life as can be found ' . T ' ' ,r.r...r ,V:d-Ce-n -.r:r . . . . - 4 - 1 t" Section Where Stockgxower ft POWER ON A CHEYENNE COUNTY FARM. HIIV'.'rilTO I I TO la n frtlA Yts,.A nn - " - " ,u ...i.-.iiu, wo mum; mere is a nine 01 the frontier, nt the Dicnlc about it Still, hilt ' - wU1 tako care of ltsclf tlme- Tne 'tern Uw f lndlvMual responsibility Is In ..uic. iuey are ousy people in mu- ney today, but never too busy to take i look at the part. And If you care to ne- company them Into the country you will una some or tne frontier life remaining, Just as it existed years ago. Th social atmosphere Is characteristically western In I I al a n Maam L.-lial ia . 1 M . 1 .,.. ..imuly na gooa lei- low"hlp- and 18 Particularly noticeable to Its spirit of open hospitality and good fel low"hP- and 18 Particularly noticeable to the "tian8". B Tne far'y history of Sidney Is the most Peculiar, of any city in the state of Ne- bratl. It belongs strictly to the wild and woolly west. The completion of the Union Pacific railroad In 1SCT was the beginning of 6idney. The establishment of Fort Sid- ney "oo" after had but little tendency to numier element naa iuii sway. Hotels would spring into existence In a day; ft bank and an opera house would rise alm.UanAA,i1., .1.1. V. I , . . . , a.uc u, eme, siores anu outfitting establishments of every variety would line the main street, with their quaint signs and emblems of trade. Me- chanlcs and artisans poured In from other parts of the state, and with them eame Gossip and Dickinson'. Heroism. the life HERE'S an incident In of J. M. Dickinson, the new secretary of war, which his In nate modesty will not permit him to discuss. It hap; 3d iime twelve or fif teen years ago. the year the Air.erican l!ar association met at Detroit, relates the Cin cinnati Times-Star. The business session had come to a close, and that evening the party went up the Detroit river ln yachts for an excursion. They were late return ing. It was pitch dark. One of the member, of the party was James F. Joy, then a man about 80 year, of age, one of the prominent and dl- tlngulshed men of Detroit, president of the Michigan Central railroad, und otherwise Identified with the best commercial, .oclal and political interests of his state. He di.?d some ywtrs ago On the evening In ques tion, Mr. Joy started to leave the boat off the gangplank. The darkness deceived him, and what he .-apposed wa. the wharf wa. one of the shadows cast athwart the water. He stepped from the boat Out lntA aifcAna. There was a splash, a muffled K-ream, then hence. Dickinson, he who Is now secretary of war, wa. directly behind Joy. He did not hesitate an instant. There was no time to pull off a coit or kick off shoes. It wa. a caoe of Instant action, or no action what- ever. An expert swimmer, a man of daring and judgment, Dickinson required no prep- aratlon. He plunged Into the darkness and the water, below to save a life If to save it were possible. For a moment the water, closed over him, then he came to the surface, treading water, and looking about. Within a few seconds he spied Joy, who was supported by the great coat he wore, ballooning about him. The octe- fenarUn wu growing feebl?. anl help came Just in time. Dickinson seized the cape of the coat that enveloped Joy and held him above water. The greatest danger that threatened now wa. that he might be crushed between the wharf and the boat. In the meantime the excitement of the lt uatlon had communicated Itself to the other member, of the party, and the engineer was warned In the nick of time. Dickin son', .on. then a boy, now a man engaged In business In Seattle, was the first to vender practical assistance. He caught up a coll of rope and threw one end over. H'.s father grasped It. the boat', .earchllght having been turned on to aid him ln his work of rescue, and gave It to Joy, who wu. yet able to cling to It and help In some .light measure those who then pulled htm out of the water. Dickinson kept him self above water until Joy had been rescued aad hi. own turn came. Then, his wet clothe, .ticking to him and the water run ning from them, he, too, was pulled aboard. He wa hurried into t cabin. The rirt man to enter It wa. William Howard Taft. one of the member of th bar a- """',B " SS-BII SIH. X laaaaaaw . ' !'! -W II U. ' . - ' ' l'i,iVil - 8IDNET HIGH 8CHOOI. FACULTT. mm . . V... U... 4 V. . . . ..I... J ,.,u unn i.m.. u.. any uw-. u, or ine weeK. j ne rreignter, cowDoy ana the for lHor nil o-nth..rrl horo n. tr. . - - - ennh and a" tIle work of developing the west was both a duty and an advantage. The old cattle trail has disappeared for- ever. The cattle trailer and his herds haVe faded together, alone: the a-reat lines of raiiroad plowing their lightening way throueh the once vt .o1Hm,1p . ah i Ufo anfl actlvity frWns and cities have in- vadea tncr .,-,ent paths. Men who foI. iowed tn0 fillnt trall of clvlliZatlon have thpm9elVes beheld the great tide roll over t,1Pm9elve. bphe,d the great tide roll over ther f , and v,pw ,th their own foot prints and view with won- der Its ever advancing waves. Schools, churches and happy homes have appeared to enlighten the multitude and mold to morals of the new born oountry. Tho Anglo-Saxon spirit of enterprise laid the hand of Industry upon the prairies. Tho pioneers of the western plains came as a went forth only to Industrial conquests. The fruits of the pioneer ripen Into the full measure of wealth and refinement. ... ... . . . . ineir names may not live in nistory, no monument of the everlasting hill will bear their fame, but they were the sturdy plo- neers nnd subdued the prairie. Previous to 1870 Chevenne countv wa. . t ...... . ., Stories About Noted People soclatlon. son was. He didn't care how wet Dlckln- He Just threw both arms around him and hugged him In the exuberance of his joy and admiration. "That was a splendid thing you did to night, old man," he shouted. The next day everybody made a hero of Dickinson. The whole town wanted to tell him what It thought of him. But Dickin son couldn't stand It. It was entirely too much fur him. He just took a train and sneaked away. Recently I called on Secretary Dickinson and charged him with the art of heroism in question. He didn't want to talk about it. He just laughed. "If you want to know what really hap- pened," he said, "ask President Taft. He was there." Itooarvelt and Dlntne. "Former President Roosevelt', whole public career ha. shown a startling Inde pendence of thought and action," remarked Arnold C. Scheer, former auditor of West Virginia, quoted by the Washington Post, "To me it has been one ot the most Interesting In this generation. My first knowledge of Mr. Roosevelt was In tho republican national convention ln Chicago In 1S84, when James O. Blaine wa. nomi nated. I wa. a delegate to the convention from West Virginia, and the New York delegation was seated not far away from us. Mr. Roosevelt, then a member of the New York assembly, was charrqan of the delegation; if my memory is correct. The New Yorker, were .upposed to favor Blaine', nomination, but Mr. Roosevelt wa. an ardent supporter of Senator Edmunds of Vermont. He then wa. but twenty-six year old, but he took a leading part ln the convention. That was the convention which confirmed the action of a previous con- ventlon abrogating the unit rule. "Former Senator Sabine, who wa chair man of the national committee, sought to control the convention by voting the stato delegation, a. a unit, and after he aro.e and rapped for order he announced that Inasmuch a the chairman of the variou delegation, had voted for General Powell Clayton a temporary chairman, he would declare General Clayton elected. "Mr. Roosevelt wa quickly on hi. feet and vigorously denounced the action of Chairman Sabine, saying that the unit rule had been forever abrogated In repub lican conventions. He thereupon placed In nomination John R. Lynch of Mississippi. George William Curtis came to the support of Mr. Roosevelt and they won their point. Young Roosevelt did all he could to bring about the nomination of Senator Edmund, but when the late editor Gorham, the con fident of Roacoe Conkllng, appeared among the Blaine iuj. porters It wa evident that Blaine would win. "When the convention nominated him. Mr. Roosevelt walked out of the convention ball and declared that he would bolt th ii GATHERING OF NEIGHBORS IN M V. . . . A L I . I . . . . Bui mm nciiuoi a.sincis. ai me present lime ine county naa l.llM square mpn and evntv aehr.nl .llatrlnta TK - .. first marrlago of white persons In the county was that of Henry Neuman and "US9 aicaiurry. wno were married in Hep- temler, 1869. The first newspaper estab- ll8ned ,n the county wos the Sidney Tele- raPh- the "rst number of which was 1MU n May, 1x73, by IV Connell. The mllltary Post at Sidney was established In and during the following year Fort KlltlAIF T1 ' I a.1 AslrtkllnUnJ HL Ml a. 1 , " ' , ,erd f Ca'tIe w" brou8''t into the county !'erd f ca'tIe w" bro8ht into the county n 18t9. when Edward Crelghton started a , , ' J " , . -''-""" U i, t .St J tim a fct AL. 1 L 1.1,.. 1 -J. a. ,vx. , -vy.s -.A AM&.ii. j:... . .1 J M . . severa! w.rougn it rrom east to west, and the all the mllltary posts and Indian agencies thousand head. Previous to this time the Denver and Black Hills line of the Bur- to the northwest, Including the lllg Horn danger of the Indians was so great that llngton from north to south, making and Powder river districts. The whole cattle had to be personally guarded to seventy-five miles of railroad, with five sale houses of Sidney did an almost prevent them from being stolen. In 1882 railroad stations In the county. fabulous amount of business in the sale of there were 300,000 head of cattle in Chey- Cheyenne Is one of the leading counties goods to supply all this country. A large enne county, but the county long since of western Nebraska, In point of Interest number of six-horse mail coaches, making ceased to be strictly a cattle country, and taken In public schools. It has forty- time at the rate of ten miles per hour, diversified farming is now the order of the -even school buildings, with sixty-six were put on the route. Tho freight busl day. pood farm homes are seen in every teachers, with average of salary running ness carried on along this route wa, lm- commodious barn. " h t L", Thl , .1, f r 1 cf cattle besidea 1407 i.. 1 rxn ,j of norses and mala. ITrn hL ton shTep . Bcs'de, using gaL enough in fattening the stock these farmer. hir,. out 3.BT.S bushel, f e,n i . v...., - . . . . ticket. He went back then hied himself o to New York and his ranch In the Dakotas. He did not bolt the republican ticket, butthe did not support It. Neither did George William Curtis." Candid Tribute to Booth. Edwin Booth used to tell this story of tho most candid tribute he ever received: "We opened our engagement in Atlanta, Ga.. with 'Othello " said Mr. Booth, "and I played Othello. After the performance my friend, Mr. Malonc, and I went to the Kimball house for some refreshment The long bar was so crowded that we had to go around the corner of It before we could find a vacant space. While we wore waiting to be served we couldn't help hearing the conversation of two fine look ing old boy., splendid old fellows with .oft hats, flowing mustaches and chin tufts, black string ties and all th other para phernalia. "I didn't see you at the theater thl. evening, Cunnel." said one. " 'No,' replied the other, 'I didn't buy seats until this mawnin,' and the best we could got were six rows back in the bal cony. I presume, .uh, you were in the orche.tra?' " 'Ye., Cunnel, I was in the orchestra." said the first man. 'Madame and the girl, were with me. We all agreed that we nevah attended a mo" thrillln' play. The com pany was good, too; excellent company. And do you know, Cunnel, In my opinion that damned nlggah did about a. well a. any of 'eml' " Hen a Lawyer Lost a Fee. According to Texas old timers, the late Colonel Bob Taylor of Bonhain once met a woman In the road a he was riding on horseback to hold ourt ln Delta county, he being then district Judge. The woman had a Jug of water and the judge wa. thirsty, relate, the Dallas Time. Being a man with a cheery word for everyone, the colonel .topped her. "My dear madam." he .aid, smiling. "If you will give me a drink of cool water from yonder Jug, when you want a divorce from your husband I will see that It coat you nothing." "Are you a lawyer?" Inquired the woman, banding him the Jug. The colonel explained who be wa and,' waving a farewell, departed, leaving the woman gazing after hiiw. The very next m-rnlng t!e woman showed up In the court room und asked for him. She explained that .he wanted a divorce. She had been separated from her husband . for a long while and the colonel had put an Idea Into her head. The colonel wa. game, however. He pro cured a lawyer at hi. own expen.e and In due course of law the woman was given a divorce, and Colonel Taylor would tell the joke on himself often. and Farmer Thrive J. : 'iih.cV1 ;- ..... PUPILS OF THE SIDNEY CHEYENNE COUNTY. . . irom these farm& last year they sold 42,000 pounds of butter and 42,000 gallons of rr.1 . . ' ... . vcoiii. iiicinj lai inern nave on meir larms at the present time over 6,000 milch cows, and at the present time are using Mil cream separators. Besides this they hav lOC.OOO stock cattle on their farms. Tho poultry industry of this countv Is of no small Importance. Last year tho farmers sold 107,000 dozen of eeas and 20.000 nounds of dressed poultry. Cheyenne county ls a population of ft? fWA lit. a a valuation of 9,426,2fi. The county Is well supplied with railroads, as county Is well supplied with railroads, as the main line of the Union Pacific passes "i me union Pacific passes Worrit v T . .T ? Miss Edith H. "orr'sonnasilately been appointed by the as superintendent of ar.hnr.ia ti, . . the V. Zfn I . counUo!, of totenJen!. " """ BUPer' Aa-riemtiir. 1 iI., ' . . .e. a"e"tion ..' '" "i m History .r.. . . "'""""a ""'"oea in - west- ern -torles There 1. energy, quickness of apprehension and action and character; there is also courtesy, hospitality, educa- tlon, ecute Intelligence, good manners. ani good clothes. This evolution In rural life has. of course, had the effect of enhancing land values and it can be truly said that BnV nt VA VtAn. . . I . J I 1 . . th ,ree dpvery and the telephone have added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the value ot agricultural land, ln this county. , , HIGH SCHOOL, i ....i, ibii r 1 it GOOD tXAill'LU OV - .' ', . ..... ' ( ;'V'.". . " 1 ikn i:'Wr ' Km ' ll fi-'vM1 SW.----p.-'.filn-- SCHOOLS. Cheyenne county has shared liberally In the general prosperity which has blessed the stato In the year Just closing. Its unsur passed soil, excellent water supply for Irri gation and the favorable climatic condi tions, have brought bounteous harvests to tho furnior. JIany people have come Into the county from tho cast and from other part of the state, attracted by the opportunities for securing homes In a sec tion where tin equable, healthful climate and unexcelled opportunltU s for Improv ing their financial condition, exist, co.ipled with exceptional educational facilities. A generous social welcome Is extended to the homeseeker. It is a way with the world that Its peo ple grow Into the strength of maturity with hardly a conscious note of the chang ing seasons. They awake some morning to find themselves men and Women and to use their greater strength In greater enter prises. Cheyenne county Is brunclilng out Into the greater activities this year in a . . . . . . ... . . , , "ajr lu "'" 1,,Hl l"e a.iKenmg nas occurred. Though prosperous an u frontier tnwn, Sidney had a population of only ubout GoO, till after the discovery of gold in the lilack Hills country. That region was opened up In ISTti and as Sidney was tho best located point there were Btage and freight stations soon established, and the greater portion of the Immense travel wu. direct from this town. ' A bridge was built across the North 1'latte river to accommodate the stage and freight companies. Thus was the route fre ope opened not only to the Black Hills, but to mense. It was no uncommon event for 1.000.000 pounds of freight to leave Sidney dally. One buslnese firm alone frequently iioiuraiuj BnP,ed 08 hih 88 m-m Pund8 of freight d" Sidney, the county seat of Cheyenne county. Is a town of about 1.DO0 popula- tlon. and division station of the Union 1Ier schools and churches, so essential to gd society and good government, com- mand the appreciation of anyone who ha. ever enjoyed even a temporary residence i1Pre. Sidney 1. fortunate, too. in having high grade business nnd professional men. who stand together ln support of every nronositlon lnoklnir to the welfare nt th town. We know of no, city In the state which has relatively fewer knocker Everybody here seem, to be pushing and helping their home town. SIDNEY, NEB. f A f -i ft, a. SIDNEY'S BUSINESS BLOCKS.
