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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 1909)
OMAIIA, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 19, 1909. Saunders County's Have More Than Realized Their Expectations D IS ' I I 1 r 1 I f 1 1 1 It! sa I 1 At'NDFRS county Is In the sec ond tier f if ci.un'lcs w, st of the Mssoutl rlvtr. and has I Ik northern and en ern I orders washed hy the waters of the Platte rivr. Is bour.dd on the r El south by Cass and Lancaster counties and on the west hv Butler county. Saunders county Ik flKfmM to hp one of thp richest atricultuial ruuntip In thp state and I Justly entitled to Hint distinction, having Some 4M.M0 hciph of thp richest aoll west of Hip Missouri river, which Ik divided Into Man pialilc a' d rich bottom land. In Saunders lounty exists one. of thp oldest settled places In Hip state, Ashland, for. m.rly ralbd Valine Ford." being situated on Salt creek, at thp old cro-slng of the government trail from Plattsmouth writ. The principal crops I of fours, corn, and Its products In the shape of fat hods and beef. The f.irmer of Saundeis county are among the most prosperous of any in the country, most of them being out of debt and having a surplus of money In the banks and taking life easy. Many of them, having retired from active participation In the management of the land, reside In the towns, wending their children to h.gh schools and enjoying the conveniences of j city life. All purls of the county are In convenlpnt and rapid communication with the larger cities outside, having four lines of railroad crossing the county In different directions. Farm houses are In commu nication with the cities' of Omaha and Lincoln by telephone, and' even farther away. Rural mail route are cstn hlish-d all over the county, and the country folks are dnily supplied with t lie mail. Land la this county Is selling, when any ia sold, at prices that seem fabulous com pared with the prices of comparatively a few years ago. Seldom is any farm land sold for lens than $101 per acre and often the price paid Is higher. The condition of the farms and their Improvement are sufficient evidence of the prosperity and contentment of the owners of the land. Beautiful homes, with all modern conven iences, conduce to the happiness and con Xttitmont of the rural population and f rhange Is not desired. The towns are beautifully laid out and are adorned with many aubstantlal and comfortable homea, occupied by the business men as well as many retired farmers. Nearly every town In the county has a city water system and electric lighting plant, and most of them are municipally owned and operated. Besides the crops of grain and hay pro duced, the farms have orchards of all kinds of fruit grown In a northern climate, and often more fruit is allowed to waste for want of consumers than la saved. The population of the county Is truly cosmopolitan In character, people from many countries of Europe as well as from nearly every state east of the Missouri river, being rcsldentH and neighbors. Besides the Chicago, Burlington & Qulncy railroad's main line from Chicago to Den ver Saunders county has branch lines from Ashland to Schuyler belonging to the Bur llngiou and also a branch line of the Union Pacific from Lincoln and Omaha to Bea trice and the Chicago & Northwestern from. Omaha to Lincoln and west from FremontN through the northern portion of the county, J as well as the branch of the Sioux City & Western from Ashland to Sioux City. Wahoo, the county aeat of the county, Is altuated fifty miles west of Omaha at the Junction of the Schuyler branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Qulncy railroad with the Omaha & Republican Valley railroad branch of the Union Pacific and the Lin coln & Fremont division of the Chicago & Northwestern. It Is a city of about 2.500 psople of several different nationalities, all of whom dwell together In the utmost har mony and business activity. It has a high school and two ward schools with an excellent corps of teachers. A large portion of the residents are Roman Catholic, who have a large and commodious church building, beautifully situated and splendidly maintained. Besides this, there are noma nine or ten Protestant societies, . .; i " - ... - 1. u WEST WARD PUBLIC Most Recent of Electrical Investigation, Experiment and Application Telephone Surpassed. .ANY of the Imperfections of the TV yCT 1 telephone seem to have been 1 overcome by another Invention wmcn is quite as reuiaiKaoia as the telephone was In Its early day. In many respects, says ViviVJ, ""iu. ooKkeepcr, It is mort wonderful. Tho Inventor calls it the dktoKrapu, pan of the name Indicating exactly what it will do, for It will talk when spoken to; there Is nothing In Its operation to suggest will ing, as the latter pail la an lncm.plcuoui little box, some six by eleven inches in size, which may be placed anywhere on the desk and which catch, s the slightest whisper as well a the ordinary t..ne of voice within a radius of fifteen feet or more, and it transmits the exact words and tone to any other office and to any other person with perfect distinctness. Tne box has two circular open.ngs in its f ic .', one of which might be called the 'ear an! the other the tongue, as It la the province of one to receive w hat Is spoken and the other to speak. With this box oh bis de.sit the man who directs a business, the lawyer or the banker may lalk in old. nary to.ie to anyons in his employment in any part of a building, and vvrn to distant bui.d lngs, as though the two were in the name room. It is not neca.-aiy to speak into the mouthpiece, nor hold a receiver to the car. as with the telephone; still the enun ciation is pel feet. The master of the busi ness may sit si tils utn to cany on a conversation r walk about the room, and even slund with his back to the Instru ment, it will still serve him faithfully. Id to be iiure sciisit.ve than tho tymp I'lnpanuni if the ear, slr.ee It will receive and transmit a whisper whuh the orjniur., tar will not uudt i stand. Hermit's Kleclrlcol Home. The envy of hundreds who love outdoor life. James Willis, the turnilt of Willis - I-.. and In the Delaware, near Yardlsy, i' . has Just celebrated the twemy-f .f ta t-vsiss-ry of his habitation there. II i' which have large substantial church edi fices. The streets of Wahnu are of commodious width, regularly laid out at right anirles and furnished lih sub tantlal cement lde wulks and shaded with beautiful tieea, well kept and trimmed. The residence portion l Lenutiful with many large, commodious homes, with large lawns, well kept and adorned with lovely shrubbery. The business houses will compare well with any city of Its size and are substan tially built. Three banks supply the ac commodation for the transact'on of busi ness. One of the most commodious and (lesant court houses in the stnt occupies a dtliehtful rite in one of the highest point In the city limits and Is a cause of pride to all the (people of the county. The elte of the city Is such that It has a nat ural drainage, and It has not been back ward fn taking advantage of this feature and has established a sewer system under municipal ownership. It has also lately purchased the old water works and Is at present installing a municipal water eya- EDWARD LEHMKUHL, Mayor of Wahoo. tern and electric lighting plant. ' Having a superb town hall and owning Its own water and lighta It la proving Itself abreast of the time of advancement and progress and the trejid of modern thought. Wahoo also tias a large opera house, where the lovers of the drama can be delighted with the productions of that art. Besides all these advantages to which Wahoo com mends Its citizens there Is one more Insti tution of which the cltlsens are especially proud and feel Jtstlfled In mentioning wllh a certain feeling of exultation. Here Is the seat of the Luther academy, an Institution of learning and culture that Is attracting wide attention and drawing within Its In fluence the progressive young people of both sexes from a wide and extending ter iltoiy. The buiidhics ul this Institution are beau .-,. .... . -t .'.V.V.V. .t;"V-JI SCHOOL, WAHOO. has entertained at his cabin more than 2.000 prominent visitors from all parts of tho country. Mr. Willis requires every visitor to register in a large bonk, after which the guest Is obliged to partake of generous hospitality. Mr. Willis was a business man In Phila delphia twenty-five years ago. and going to the island for a few weeks' vacation, was Impressed especially with, the Island, which was then a wilderness. Today it has a very different appearance, and the cabin In which he lives is fitted up with every modern convenience, all the work of the ow ner. The place Is secretly wired, and every thing is within the power of electricity. Electricity opens the doors, closes the windows, operates fans to make breezes, and many are the jokes played upon his visitors by Mr. Willis, for not even a book can be picked up without feeling ih--presence of an unseen force. electricity lu the Home. Whtn the gas range made Us Initial bow to the domestic world housewives felt that the problem of comfortable cooking in the warm season had been solved in a manner thai far surpassed their rosiest dreams. Today the progressive woman has only to turn polished copper switches conveniently placed about the house and she can sit and dream before the glow of an elec tric heater, run her sewing machine with out any physical effort, do all manner of cooking and clean her house and every thing In It by attaching her vacuum cleaner to an electric fixture. For the kitchen ihere are electric ranges completely equipped in every detsll and with them is Included a (lumber of cooking utensils. Fur baking an electrically heated oven far surpasses any other. The heat is regulated lu the most even manner, as results prove. Two great features of this range is that It Is absolutely cleanly and occupies a minimum amount of space. There are chafing dishes In various sizes for preparing dishes at the table, waffle Wl v : y i I AC I , ,y V, ", - i LUTHERAN ACADEMY tifully located on an elevation In the north west part of the city and commanding a fine view of the Immediate surrounding country. The campus has the appearance of a lovely park, among whose shady groves the four buildings of the Institution are situated. The following department comprise Us course of studies: The acad emy, normal school, school of business, school of music, school of art. Here the student Is prrpar. d for admission to the University of Nebraska or for the active participation in the life of business. Wahoo can also boast of the possession uf a grand pipe organ, lately Installed In the Swedish Lutheran church building, be ing the only one in the county, and Is cer tainly a tribute to the spirit and musical sentiment of the community. Ashland Is a city of some 2 OCO Inhabi tants and Is among the oldest towns In tha state. It has direct connection with the aat and wesi, being on the main line of the Chicego, Burlington A Qulncy rail road, between Chicago and Denver. Has an excellent high school building and five churches of different denominations. Tw) banks and stores of all kinds to supply the needs of the surrounding country. Its patrons are drawn from the three counties of Cass, Lancaster and Saunders. It owns Its water plant and Its streets are laid out In squares and furnished with permanent cement walks. It contains many residences done in modern style, and is the resting place of many retired farmers, locating here for the educational advantages of fered in lis splendidly conduct:d high school. Ashland Is also the frequent re sort of those who are devoted to the allur ing art of capturing the finny denizens of alt creek, and is annually visited by many of the disciples of old Isaak Walton.. Ash land la said to have the largeHt Ice house in the world, owned by the Swift Packing company and located on the side of a small lake, which Is fed by the waters of Salt creek. It is a favorite place for the shoot ing of w ild geese and ducks In their season, being adjacent to the Platte river. Here Is the Junction of the Chicago, Burlington & Qulncy railroad and the Sioux City & Western, and the Schuyler branch of tha Chicago, Burlington & Qulncy, having the largest railroad yards outside of Omaha and Lincoln. Two large grain elevators and a flouring mill furnish a market for all the farmer's, grain. Valparaiso Is another town of no mean pretensions located on the Beatrice branch of the Union Pacific railroad in the south west part of the county In as beautiful a valley as can be found anywhere, hence Its name, "Valparaiso," Valley of Para dise. It contains two banks, hotels, stores, schools and churches, and Is in easy con nection with Omaha and Lincoln and the territory to the west of Itself by the Union Pacific railroad. Weston is another town located on this same line of road, about seven miles from the county seat and is a market for grain, bogs and cattle. Malmo, located on the Omaha & Repub i -.i.ti-.r .., . -si Irons that turn out the most delicious, crisp, golden brown waffles; toasting stands for the breakfast table that toast a slice of bread perfectly In a minute, coffee percolators, corn roasters, tea ket tles, aluminum (riddles that are clean and smokeless, water heaters and any number of other things. Electrically heated Irons are time and la Great Value S late as 1905 so little was known of the, economical Im portance of Alaska to the rest of the Unltet-States that one of the best Informed of foreign writers on American subjects A ..... ..: "This vast region is inhabited by a few savages, and is not likely ever to support a population large enough to make lis government a matter uf practical con sequence." Major. General A. W. Greeley, U. 8. A., In the National Geographic Magaslne, de scribes the economic evolution of Alaska and shows what has beeu accompllthed along the lines of commercial progress. It Is a wonderful revelation. During its gov ernment by I'.ussia, land and aquatic furs wero the primary, if nut Hie only, source of economical wealth, and after Us ceesion to tho United States the American govern ment followed the standing policy of Rus sia In the conservation of Its extremely valuabU aquatic furs. The Prlbyloff islands, the breeding ground of the fur seal, were made a closed reservation, and this protected the fur seal till It facid practical destruction through pelagic seal ing. The fur trade began with a value of slightly over $2.0Uu,000 a year, continuing UU U7. when it aggregated 13,000,000, and -r-v I - - r 1 I i BUILDINGS AT WAHOO. lican Valley railroad, another market town. Cedar Bluffs tn the northern part of the county, on the Fremont, Klkhorn & Mlssourf Valley railroad, affords market fucllitles for the northern portion, while the towns of Colon, Mead, Yutan and Lcshara, In the eastern part of the county, all connected by railroads with Omaha and Lincoln, afford easy and convenient mar kets for the products of the farms through out the county. Flouring 'lis and grain elevators abound in nearly every town In the county, and besides affording markets for the home product, also import large quantities of whpat from other states. Saunders county stands with the fore most counties in the state in farm prod ucts, and In every other way. In com fortable as well as beautiful homes, healthy climate, good roads and progres sive and Intelligent people. The retail Btores of Wahoo are models of neatness, system and order. Seldom does one see such well kept and superior MOSES STOCKING. First Settler of Saunders County. stocks of goods In cities of this size. All lines of business are well and thoroughly represented and all do a thriving business. Some Idea of this can be formed by the fact that the retail business houses of Wahoo do a combined business annually of over $1,000,000. This Is divided among two large department houses, one general merchandise store, two hardware stores, four drug stores, two furniture and un dertaking establishments, four Jewelry and silverware stores, two meat markets, two art studios, one book and stationery store, two tailor shops, one exclusive shoe MAIN STREET. LOOKING EAST, WAHOO. bor savers, for they can be regulated to any degree of heat by a turn of the hand and save endless steps from the rar.ge to the Ironing board with heavy Irons that are either too hot or too cold. Washing machines run by electricity eliminate rubbing and wringing and save wear and tear on the clothes. Portable vacuum cleaners exempt the housewife vjivV' v;-i. S"L T .... ' ' " ... : of Alaska to the United States so remained till 1SS1. Then began a rapid decline, due to pelagic sealing, so that dur ing the last three years the entire annual catch has scarcely reached Jl.OQO.OcO. While Canadian sealers recognized certain re strictions, the Japanese sealers plundered Indiscriminately, and as a result the Amer ican fur seal herd has been practically an nihilated, having decreased hi per cent. Immigration and Improved methods of travel have also seriously affected the fur tearing mammals of the land, and the catch has fallen off 65 per cent. The flsh eiies, meanwhile, developed great value, and from $43.0u0 in lvl the salmon catch rose to J10.1S5.7S3 in lwte; standing second unly to gold In value of output. At present the dominant Interest In Alaska is guld mining, and from an output of fJO.OUO in l&fcl it has increased to F.'-J.uiu,. Ow In 190M. Estimates as lo future gold productivity are uncertain, but it is thought that the possible yield will be at least $500.0u0.0u). Not one-tenth of Ala-kn lias been explored for gold, while unly high grade placers are being worked. So far Alaska has added to the wealth of the world $70.4is,(w"t In furs. $lus,14J.6'j In fisn erlea, and $itt.t1.7ol In minerals, making a grand total of l-iT.CUW. The euormous cupper resources of store, one exclusive clothing and gents fur nishing stof-e, three confectionery and Ice cream parlors, four saloons, one Implement shop, two lumber yards. This sum does not, however. Include the milling, grain and cattle business. Wahoo's business section has been practically rebuilt during the past six or seven years. Frame struc tures have given place to solid and sightly blocks of stone and pressed brick, giving ' to the city the appearance of stability that it. in fact, possesses. All the business places In Wahoo are well established and owned by the men who have been In business here a long time. They are all thoroughly reliable and their business exemplifies the old adage that "honesty Is the best policy." Saunders county has more farms In pro portion to Its size than almost any other county In the state, but It Is by no means one of the small counties. There are 4.18,-' 000 acres contained In the farms of this ' county and 2SD.0UO undpr cultivation. During the last season this county raised 173.000 acres of corn, 33,000 acres of wheat and 06, 000 acres of oats. The farmers of this county sold and shipped out last year 4.f00,000 bushels of corn. 410.000 bushels of wheat and 922.006 bushels of oats. This county leads all other counties of the state In the sale and shipment of corn. It also leads all other counties of the state, with the exception of Custer, in the sale and shipment of fat hogs. In l:i07 this county marketed 73.514 fat hogs and 17,639 beef cattle. Besides this they sent to mar ket 146 horses and 21.700 sheep. This county also marketed In the sanfe year 3.S78.OO0 pounds of flour. 3,520,000 pounds of mill feed. The county also stands well In the dairy and poultry Industry, as the farmers shipped last year 571.000 pounds of butter and 716.000 gallons of cream. They also marketed 62.000 dozens of eggs and 675,000 pounds of dressed poultry. There are 12.555 cows kept on the farms In this county, where 517 hand separators were used during the last season. This county also leads all other counties In the state In the number of acres of tame grass. The report for 1108 shows It to have raised 39,900 acres of clover, 10.000 acres of timothy and 3, WW acres of alfalfa. This county also stands third in the state In the number of fruit trees In full bearing. It has 109.000 apple trees, S.000 pear, 84,000 peach, 9.000 plum and 13,000 cherry trees. Saunders county has a valuation of $47., 141.000 and a population of 25,566. It has 17 mites of railroad and 1.200 miles of telephone line. It also has nineteen rural route stations and 00 miles Qf rural routes. In the early history of Ashland began the history of Saunders county. The old government trail from Plattsmouth and Nebraska City by Fort Kearny. Fort Lara mie and Fort Brldger passed through the present site of Ashland. On the 10th of June, 1856, Reuben Warbrltton and Aughe from the servant problem. They are easily moved from room to room, consume dust and dirt and are entirely sanitary. Elec tric radiators, in a wide range of sizes and prices, are Just the thing for taking the chill off the dining room on a cold morning after the heat is turned oft from the house and tempering the bath room and other apartments in a shrt time. Alaska are comparatively untouched, the output to date scarcely exceeding $2,500,000. The coal-bearing areas are known to ex ceed over 1,000 square miles, of which large areas are covered by high grade anthra cite and semi-anthracite coals. Products uf- lesser commercial Importance Include petroleum, tin, lead, silver, gypsum, mar ble, Iron, antimony, quicksilver, graphlne and mineral waters. The tluiebr Is also exceedingly valuable, but with an eye to the future the authorities have forbidden Its exportation to other markets. Alaskan hands have built eleven incor porated cities from Alaska material, mod ern in equipment and permanent In con nection. The taxable values in 1907 were 10.0u0,0uu. There is 350 miles of constructed railways, and altogether $5,OUO,000 has been invested In transportation kervlces. In 1903 the Import trade of Alaska amounted to nearly $lo.0u0.0u0. Four years later It ag giegated $20,,J0,0u0, and even In 1907 tha purely American shipments to Alaska ex ceeded those to Hawaii by $4.ouu,000, and to the Philippines by $J3.Ou0,0UO. Last year there was slill greater Increase, Indicating most conclusively the commercial value of Alaska winch promises steadily to ad vance In population, In trade and In all phases uf a higher and better civilization. a- r A. AW in .. - LUTHERAN CHURCH, WAHOO. :M$AA in"" . .-- r-ci - t . ; D-jii-i - it- b a &e SAUNDERS COUNTY COURT HOUSE, WAHOO. broke the first ground in the county and Ing population of ninety-five. The adop- built a sod house at Saline Ford. The sod tlon of the name of Saunders county wast' houses of this county were soon exchanged in honor of Nebraska's last territorial gov for good comfortable log houses and these ernor. ' in turn for good frame dwellings. Dur- This is said to be the best vntered county ing the years of 1S6S-59 Ashland became In the state, as there are not only man quite prominent. It was a depot of sup- streams, but hundnds of springs scat plies for the freighters and emigrants. The tered over the entire county. There were first business enterprise of Ashland was twenty people living In the county In,' a store for general merchandise by Fuller 1S60 and as In ISM. In fho early days thi ft Moe. The war of the rebellion virtu- site of Wahoo was a favorite camping: ally stopped Immigration. In 1S64 Mr. ground of the Otoes, a tribe of Indian Dean built a mill at Ashland Ht)d at tha owning all the land south of the Platte, first general election In lsti." the county Wahoo derived Its name from a shrub Ofl seat was located here. The county was bush that was the Indians' favorite medW organized October 8, lbCT. and had a vet- cine plant. ONE OF WAHOO'S For use In the sick room there are foot warmers with cozy soft covers that slip on and off In a second and heating -pads for the invalid or convalescent. Electric vibrators for massaging Impart strength to the muscles. An apparatus for drying the hair Is operated at a cost of a fraction of a cent per hour. Buffing ma chines clean silverware and all metal work. Motors that are attached to the sewing machine are Invaluable to the busy mother with many little garments to make. The machine can be run as fast or as slow bh one desires, noiselessly, and saves a woman from that fatigue that la the result of hours spent at the sewing machine. Lucky, then, -Is the woman Nvitn elec tricity In her home and a liberal purse, for within her reach Tre all these luxuries. Adopts Composite Telephone. Following the Pennsylvania and the Erie railroads and other large roads, the Phila delphia & Reading has adopted the device for the transmission of routine messages known as the composite telephone system, which permits the use of the telegraph lines for telephone communications simul taneously with the use of the same lines for telegraph transmission. The system was Installed by the Western Electric com pany on the Morse wlrss between Cres sona and Ellendale Forge on the Schuyl kill & Susquehanna branch. Seven tele phone and three Intermediate telegraph sta tions are equipped. The apparatus is not designed for the dispatching of trains, but for the handling of local routine communi cations between given points. The system, as devised by the Western Electric com pany, is designed to save the coat of run ning additional line wires ana erecting poles. Terms uf Klrctrlrttr. There Is a lack of nopular understanding of the unit by which electricity, ss served to consumer. Is measured. The "kilowatt hour" Is best Interpreted by telling what the amount of electricity thus defined will i 1 . It Mi - '. Si r. 1-17- - ij ' -J b s : . r ' BUSINESS BLOCKS. do. For example, the kilowatt hour Is tha, amount of electricity that will pump 109 gallons of water twenty-live feet; that will , move an ordinary passeng- r eleva:or 1.750 feet; that will run a K:-wlng machine for twenty hours; or a church or. an for a, service, or a three-ton truck for one mile. These are some of its uses as u p-iwor producer. In lighting a kilowatt h mr Is good for maintaining for an hour twenty 16-candle power Incandescent lainp-i. That quantity of electricity will heat a quart ' chafing dish for four hours. Condnpltlvltytf Hall Joints. ' Several railway and tramway companies are conducting experiments upon a new system of rail Joints which appears likely to give good results. The type of fish plate which Is being employed consists of a frame or bed with two channels Into which the foot of each rail slides, and two Iron wedges of special section are driven up between the rail and the plate. The sec tion of each chase or channel resemble that of a hook turned towards the web of the rail. The wedges are cylindrical Irv form, and the section, which Is somewhat complicated, varies with each pattern of, rail. Plates of this kind on the Pari Metropolitan railway, with a space of una metre between the points of support, have been found to carry a load of thirty tons, placed In the center of the span, without . any permanent deflection. The chief ad vantage of this system, however. Is from the electrical point of view, because owing to tha large extent of surface In contact between the rails, the supports and tha wedges, and tha great amoont of pressure exerted between these portions, pressures which abolish all tendency to rust oa the part of the bearing surfaces, it la found that the electrical conductivity ob- . talned by tbelr use la almost aa great as ; that which Is secured by means of ordt j nary fish pl&tea furnished wllh copper con nections. The experiments conducted by the Lausanne Tramway company era ape-vfl ipe- daily conclusive oa Uiis point. f m: m ; 0. ' L. ': 1 .... AS.. 1