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Nebraska Agricultural School Entertains Visiting Stockmen
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YiEwmc Nebraska 3cuooi2 Enutir
. rua. limstfAziQMAL Szxaw at. Chicago
FOR SEVERAL yearn the boys attending the
Nebraska State Agricultural school have
been paying an annual visit to the South
Omaha stock yards. They come In a group,
some tlmo during the winter, and ntudy the
tango cattle, the boss, sheep and horses in their mar
ket condition. They alto become acquainted with tho
way in which .very large numbers of animals arc han
dled by the railroads and the stock yards company,
ho.v they are. graded and sold and with the methods
of killing and packing.
Kver and always the stock yards managers, the
packers and tho Individual commission men hare been
glad to see the boys from the Etate Farm and to show
them whatever courtesies they could. Thus a kind of
long diBianco acquaintanceship has been cultivated and
a sympathy has developed which makes tho' two
groups the hard-headed, practical business bunch
snd the enthusiastic, knowledge-seeking students
fuel that they are kin; that their interests travel alon
tho same lino.
So it came about that, after long threatening, tbo
South Omaha live stock Interest got up very early Sat
urday morning, November 12, and bied itself away to
Lincoln, where the Stale Agricultural school baa Its
home. Not every unit of the "interest" went, but in
he party were about 100 handsome, husky, intelligent
and financially strong old and, young bucks from the
stock yards corrals. A thousand could not have been
more interested, or creatod more interest, perhaps.
Delegation Went in Style,
The herd leaders were Everett Buckingham and
Jaiucs Martin, with A. F. Strykcr as active boss of the
tound-up. In the case of tho two first named their
tlrej parado cognonif ns ;aro always forgotten by the
live stock sellers when vacations are on tjje card. They
are then just "Buck" and "Jim." Stryker Is the sec
retary of the South Omaha Live Stock exchange and
bo knows every- mother's son of tho tribe by his first
nauo; so he is the banker for the crowd on the occa
sions when they venturo away from home In a bunch;
fcr be it known, these chaps of tho sunny smile and
the sweet dispositions have a notion they need a man
ager to keep them from worry, when they quit man
: giug for a few hours tbo things they know all about.
H.x or eight of them even took their wives along, Just
(o indicate they Lad full confidence In the high object
of their mission to Lincoln and to prove to the dear
wo in on that the pleasure trips of their lords and nias
te: h ( ?) are about as Innocent and hlgh-tcncd as they
well could be.
' All the way through every man was on bis good,
behavior, even at th foot ball game, when the "mill
ing" In the university yard was of a character to lift'
a wooden man to his full height. Here "Jim" Martin
was the king bee of tho stock yards crowd. He had
bet hlacoln on Nebraska with a Bang frold which con
vinced the most suspicious maverick that he knew all
about the game. To every appeal for explanation' of
plays and information about formations, Martin read
ily and learnedly responded. His popularity aa a foot
ball, authority was high until some man without the
fear of God in bis heart tipped It off, on the way home,
that Martin had keen compelled to ask, "Which side
won?" when the game was over, in order to know
w hether he was to collect or pay.
" . Helped Nebraska Boys to Win.
The more enthusiastic of the stockmen assert that
they helped Nebraska win the game.
"They needed us." said Billy Wood. "I know that
for sure, else why bhould they send their band down
town to meet us when we came In from the Farm?
And just think of the reception the rooter gave us
when we marched on the field behind the music! Why,
they even sang a song which had bomethlng in it about
South Omaha, and I knew then it was all off with
Ames. ' Martin ought not to have taken his. friend's
money after that game. The way the cornred young-
sters with the backing of our crowd, ran over Ames
was awful, nothing less."
Every man Jack agreed that tho day waa one of
the Very best he had ever spent.
Leaving the South Omaha Burlington station at
8 o'clock, the crowd waa dressed decorously and with
out the slightest hint of noise. When they piled out
of the special train at Lincoln they were noisily dec
orated with Nebraska color and stepped along, in a
parade uptown, like prize exhibits at 'a fair. When
they arrived on the gridiron side lines in the after
noon their riotous appearance had been added to by
aim ornaments and Immense chrysanthemums stuck
in their buttonheles. with red carnations planted In
tue center of each cauliflower. And the brave, voclfer-
ous music Just ahead, made by a student band of fifty
pieces, called the attention of the waiting thousands
to about as befly a gang of male beauties as ever hove
in sight on a foot ball field. The herd leaders wer
holding the right of the line witn aignuy ana wiatn.
1 our men In the rank behind did not occupy auy more
ground than "Buck" and "Jim." It waa lucky for
t!em the rooters didn't know their pt names.
. Warmly Received at State Farm.
The serious business of the trip waa transacted at
the Farm, where the stockmen were taken- on special
ktreet cara. Dean Burnett was assisted in receiving
the guests by Regents Whltmore. Haller and Coupland
and Prof. II.. R. Smith, the animal expert. They were
taken through the dairy building and shown its equip
ment and methods. Then, .io a lecture room,
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Dean Burnett went briefly ' into . various details
touching the regular and special courses of study, em
phasizing the thought that the practical part of agri
culture Is always kept uppermost, while the school
work is all directed to fittfng the students by a broad,
generous education, to most profitably apply them
selves to the development of scientific farming and
stock raising. It was a decided pleasure to be able
to say that over 90 per cent of the students taking
the courses go back to the farm.
The dean told the stockmen of the short course
that is given every winter to those farmers and their
sons who cannot attend tho institution regularly and
made them understand that the Nebraska Agricultural
school, while handicapped for lack of funds and ac
commodations sufficient to realize its possibilities, is
still not by any means lagging.
Prof, llaecker, in charge of dairying, followed the
dean in a concise account of the plan on which his de
partment Is conducted, and the visitors were then es
corted through the dairy barns. Here they saw, lined
up in sanitary stalls, the different breeds of dairy cows
with which the department is working. Over the
head of every stall was a card giving age and milk
ing record of each cow. Viewing the figures, the visi
tors could see that Trof. Haecker was w lthln the mark
when he said the State farm herd of milkers is making
an average of four times the ordinary dairy animal on
the Nebraska farms In the production of butter fat.
While the average farm cow produces about 125
pounds of butter fat a year, the state herd shows an
average of better than 400 pounds, and some extra
good members of the herd run over COO pounds.
From the dairy barns the visitors were taken
through the farm machinery section, where the stu-
dents are taught the use of machinery, how to care
for It properly, how to assemble machines and the
making of repairs. In an adjoining room a class of
studenta was seen at work at the forges and benches,
learning practical work by trial and experience.
Watched the Students at Work.
lu the stock pavilion the visitors were seated,
while students went on with their regular work of
judging animals. Under the questioning of instruc
tors they pointed out what they considered the good
and bad points of the subjects and entered into de-
tail as to the reasons on which they baaed their Judg-
ment. Thia feature was interesting to the stockmen;
but they became even more interested when Prof,
Smith had brought Into the ring the animals the Ne-
braska school will send to the International Live
Stock show to be held shortly in Chicago. The pro-
feasor showed especially two calves of about the same
age of Polled Angus breed. One had taken second
prize asaliut a great field at the last International,
while the other had been entirely outside the money.
This latter calf Was purchased for the Nebraska
school and after being fed and fitted is an animal of
very high class. Prof. Smith picked him to beat the
second priie winner of last year, but some of the
stockmen judged the other animal to be the best. Then
Prof. Smith went carefully over every point of the
two n-.agnlfict nt beasts. Indicating their strong and
weak points In a most enlightening fashion.
Animals of every breed kept, and of all age?, were
brought to the ring, and the visitors could not refrain
from expressing their admiration for the results at
tained by those having the stock In charge. They
agreed unanimously that Nebraska will have no cause
to be ashamed of the representation it will have In the
prize ring at the great Chicago show, where the whole
world competes.
After the inspection in tho ring most of the stock
on the farm was marshaled before the pavilion, with
the crowd grouped about and Tho Hee photographer
made a picture. Posing for pictures seems to come as
naturally to the stockmen when they take a day off
as It does to stage folks. They are as tractable as
tame stock and consent to be ordered about by a pic
ture man without a hint of kicking.
Girl Students Won Their Heart3.
The school of household economics was thrown
open to the visitors, and Miss Rosa Lion ton and her
assistants took much joy in explaining everything to
the enthusiastic men and the observant women. After
ward the whole crowd was seated in the dining room
of the Home Economics building and was permitted
to test the quality of the cooking done by the girls.
A course dinner was served, ranging from consomme
to floating island, and it was pronounced considerably
better than good. Some hot biscuits especially caught
the fancy of the hungry ones, while the real table con
noisseurs gave ecstatic praise to a fruit salad which
was really calculated to tempt even a surfeited appe
tite. The wise editor of The Twentieth Century
Fanner left the table after the salad had been served
with the remark that he did not wish to lose the tase
thereof by attempting anything further.
At the close of the dinner Dean Burnett called on
Regent Coupland of the university, who has a long
standing friendship with most of the stockmen. Mr.
Coupland expressed the pleasure of himself and his
fellow regents and of all connected with the university
and tho Agricultural school, over the visit of the
Omaha business men. He pointed out that personal
inspection by leadjng and influential business men of
the work being done is not as frequent as it ought to
be, and he assured them that a most hearty welcome
would always be given to similar parties.
"We want the business men, as well as the farm
ers, to know what is being done in every department
of the university," said Mr. Coupland. "It is the peo-'
pie's institution, and the more widely the knowledge
of its work is disseminated the better we will like it.
"Some one has said the man is lacking in imagina
tion who cannot look ahead for at least fifty years, and
the thought is right. Thia work is not for today or
tomorrow only, but Is for the ages; and as ita power
for good is encouraged and developed, so will be its
accomplishments. We are delighted to have such a
delegation of keen, intelligent and influential bubiucsu
men come and view for themselves what we have,
what we are doing and hear of our plans. The Ne
braska State university is capable of great things if
the people of the Btate will give it the right kind of
support and encouragement, and we hope that visits
like this will become a regular thing, because we know
they will result In immeasurable good to all con
cerned. The demands on this institution by students
cannot be adequately met with the present facilities.
We are always behind the demand, and every year the
number of students Is Increasing. We feel that the
work and the influence of the graduates who go out
from here is of most vital importance to the future of
the state. In an agricultural way no less than in the
general advancement of higher and better education;
and we must depend on the business interests to
create the sentiment that will enlarge our facilities
and make of the state university and the agricultural
school really great influences in the general life of our
people."
Editor McCulloch Responds.
Bruce McCulloch, editor of the Daily Drovers'
Journal-Stockman, responded for the delegation In
felicitous style. He assured the regents and the pro
fessors of the pleasure and profit they bad all Vecelved
from the inspection of the plant and the classes and
exhibits they bad seen, and paid an especially graceful
tribute to the young women who had prepared and
served the dinner Just disposed of.
"You can rest assured of the sympathy and active
co-operation of the stockmen in your efforts and plans
to broaden the scope of your work and influence," said
Mr. McCulloch. "Our interest iu this school Is par
ticularly keen, and we see the results of Its work
probably more practically than any other one element
of the community. We see your young men putting
their education to the test on their yearly trips to the
stock yard plants, and we know the immense benefit to
the state of the very practical work being done here.
I feel that I can speak not only for this delegation,
but for all the business Interests of Oinuha and the
state, when I say that anything we can do to aid your
very laudable plans will be done."
Captured the "Rooters."
Dinner over, street cars took the delegation to
Twelfth and O streets, where the university
band was linod up to greet the Omaha party,
now exuberant and in a shouting mood over the
most hospitable treatment given them. The whole
hundred, women included, fell in behind the band and
marched to the scene of the foot ball battle, where
they were greeted with an enthusiastic welcome. Seats
had been reserved together In one section, and duricg
the game the Omaha folks were heard from many ya
time. They had brought onto the gridiron a pig to be
owned by anybody that could catch it in the race the
stockmen thought was sure to ensue when the pig was
released. The gargantuan growls of the rooters got on
the nerves of Mr. Pig to such an extent that he abso
lutely refused to run. He had to be driven off the
field In disgrace, at a funeral gait.
"If that pig had to root he would surely die," was
the sage observation of Regent Whltmore.
When the Omaha party bad rooted the Cornhusk
er to a signal victory they spread out over Lincoln
to visit their friends for an hour or two, for every
Omaha citizen has a good many friends in Lincoln,
contrary to the intimation of the standing joke.
Dined and Yarned.
At ti:2U the party assembled again at the Lincoln
hotel, where a four-course dinner was served. Gov
ernor Shallenberger was to have been present at din
ner, but was detained elsewhere. Formal speeches
were taboo, but some good stories were told. "Fit,,"
otherwise John Fitz Roberts, told one yarn that will
make him famous forevermore among those who heard
It. He asserted that on a certain train coming to
Omaha were, among others, former Mayor "Tom
Hoctor and Carrie Nation of Kansas. No seats being
available in the Pullman, Hoctor had gouo to tbo
smoking car; and for the same reason, "or because of
a streak of contrariness," as Fitz Roberts put it, Mrs.
Nation also proceeded to ensconce herself In the
smoker, on a seat opposite the South Omaha politician.
"No gentleman would smoko in tho presence of a
lady!" was the acid opening remark of tho Kansas
crusader.
"I was here first, and this is the smoking car," re
torted Hoctor. '
"Well, you shan't smoke," said Mrs. Nation, as she
grabbed Hoctor'a pipe and throw it out tho window.
Mrs. Nation had with her a small dog, a tho story
lias It, and Hoctor threw the dog after the pipe. Then
there was a merry war of words, with the other pas
sengers acting ns rooters. This continued until Blair
was reached, when Mrs. Nation Insisted the marshal
put Hoctor in durance vile.
"And while the argument was proceeding," sol
emnly concluded Fits, "that. dog camo walking up the
track with Doctor's pipe in his mouth, and, of course,
the arrest was called off."
Some designing person put Bruce McCulloch up to
recite the glories achieved by Everett Buckingham on
tho golf links. "The president of the Union Stock
Yards company has great confidence in one caddy,"
said McCulloch. "He relies on the caddy's judgment
as to what club to use for each particular emergency,
and Is in the habit of asking, 'What shall I take now?'
One day when things were not breaking right the
question had been asked so otten and with such poor
results the caddy lost his usual courteous bearing and,
when the question came at a point where an impossi
ble shot was lu view, he retorted, 'You better take
the next car for home, air!' But Mr. Buckingham is
a prize golfer, Ju6t the same," asserted McCulloch, and
Buckingham smilingly agreed with the conclusion.
Keep the Boys On the Farm.
Like every other person In the party, ..Mr. Buck
ingham took occasion to express earnest approval of
the visit and wished there may be more of tho aame
kind. "The talk of 'back to the farm' la all right as
far as It goes," he said, "but it is decidedly better, la
my opinion, to kep the farm boys on the farm, where
they belong and where they can be of most value to
their communities, tho state and tho nation. This is
especially true of the boys educated at the agricul
tural school, and every man at all Interested in the
future development of the agricultural resourcea of
oar state should give every encouragement lu his
power to secure the necessary appropriations and
facilities at the farm to bring about tho very desirable
end of having a few thoroughly educated farmers in
every precinct of every county iu Nebraska."
President Buckingham but expressed the thought
of all who heard his utterance, and they agreed most
heartily with his conclusion. The regents were
greatly pleaded with the commendations showered on
the Agricultural school by the Omaha people, and
when they get ready to present their plans for a
greater Stale university in a more desirable location
tbey will have strong backing to start with.
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