Governor and Members of Legislature Guests
M.It
&ALDRIG-Z 7ouit
0R THE second time In four years Omahs
entertained the NebraHka legiaiaiure
Tuesday. On the first occasion, Janu
ary 29, 1907, the McKinley club pave a
complimentary banquet at , the Millard
hotel to Governor Sheldon, the state
offlcerb and members of the legislature,
last South Omaha Joined with Omaha in
Tuesday
entertalnlnK Governor Aldrlrh, the state officers and
the senators and representatives. On both occasions
special trains were furnished to bring the slate offi
cials from Lincoln, and on this most recent visit, as
on the earlier one. the governor and the spokesmen
for the legislature found themselves able to give voice
to sentiments ol good will and appreciation that gave
decided pleasure to their hosts dn both occasions
the hospitality extended was unstinted and the wel
come most hearty, and found acceptance In the same
spirit In which It was tendered.
Governor Aldrlch, speaking at the luncheon at the
Exchange building In South Omaha, made one of th
heat short addresses of his career. It was spoken In
broad spirit and brought home to the minds of his
hearers the truth that, no matter what walk men fol
low in life, they are inspired by the same motives and
meet with the samo difficulties.
"The men in charge of this tremendous industry,
'nTolving, as it does, great amounts of capital, have to
meet every day about the same pnblems that we are
compelled to face in our various lines of effort," he
said. "They are continually worrying over the ques
tion of making the balance show on the right side, .
lust as we are compelled to struggle to make ends
meet. Their hearts are the same, and they must
wrestle with obstacles of many kinds that perhaps wa ,
hare no conception of. After an inspection of these
'mmense packing plants we cannot fall to realize how
much they mean to the farmers .of Nebraska in fur
nishing a ready market for their live stock. All
things considered, these packing houses can be con
sidered among the greatest in the world. In dealing
with measures affecting their Interests tho legislature
must exercise the fullest degree of caution, so that we
do not put our foot down until we know Just where
we are going to light."
Kuhl and Morehead Respond.
Speaker of the House John Kuhl and Senator
Morehead, president pro tem of the senate, also mad
brief addresses when called on by T. B. McPherson,
who presided at the luncheon. Both expressed the
view that the visit could not fall to bring to the minds
of the legislative members a better understanding of
the extent and Importance of the stock yards and
packing house Industry and their intimate association
with the material prosperity of Nebraska. The two
legislative officials gave warm expression to the thanks
and appreciation of the members of their respective
houses for the arrangements made to give them an
Inside view of the packing plants and for the enter
tainment ao generously provided.
Incidentally, it may be said that the luncheon
erved in the Exchange dining hall was complete in
every detail, from oysters to ice cream and cigars.
Mr. McPherson extended the formal welcome on
behalf of the Union Stock Yards company and in doing
o he aald the only object the entertainers had was to
give the legislators an opportunity to see everything
at first hand and examine for themselves Into the con
ditions surrounding the buying, handling and packing
of thelive stock products of the farms of Nebraska
and the country west.
Through the Tacking Plants.
The special train on the Burlington from Lincoln
arrived at the South Omaha depot at 10 o'clock. Au
tomobiles were in waiting and carried the party to
the Cudahy plant. The inspection here was confined
to the hog-kllllng department, because of the great
amount of ground to be covered before the luncheon.
Methods of receiving, killing, cleaning and dressing
the hog were explained by experts. The members
saw the work In actual operation, and from the gov
ernment Inspectors here and in the other houses they
learned the thorough-going character of that branch
of government supervision of meat products.
"Uncle Sam has certainly made the packers toe the
mark in great shape." waa the comment of an ob
serving member of the senate, after he had seen the
close attention given by the inspectors to every single
carcass before it gets the official stamp.
At the Armour plant the visitors saw the work in
11 departments "in the raw." Beef steers were killed
and dressed while the lawmakers watched the opera
tion. They had opportunity to see the butchers, trim
mers and cutters perform their various tasks with an
astonishing celerity; and the method of cleansing
very part of the beef with stiff brooms to which a
hose spouting hot water was attached was not the
least Interesting part of the work.
In the Armour plant Manager "Bob" Howe and
Superintendent O'Hearn had evidently determined
that dress parade arrangements should not be at
tempted, witli tL liiuTt titt their visitors got a first
Fl pntertatnei the Nebraska legiaiaiure . . v - ' H r " ,.T r-'f JT i -Sir . - 41 A. ; . , -rC'1, H V,
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Going into
Livestock J
Exchange Jbj
ZzzncEeon
hand Impression of the dally work of a big packing
plant such as they never had before.
""'so oleo manufacturing department of Armour's
was keenly Inspected by the legislators. It waa
found In full operation, and the manner of treating
the fat from start to finish was shown and explained.
A close view was also given of tho means of smoking
the hams and bacon and salting the side meat.
In the Swift plant attention was devoted mainly
to the rooms wherein are bung up the finished pro
ducts of beef, pork and mutton. Such a view as waa
given of these rooms was a revelation to most of the
visitors: and, Indeed, the same thing may be said of
the whole proceeding. Those of the party already
familiar with the operation of the stock yards and the
packing houses found themselves becoming as Inter
ested and as enthusiastic over the fine showing as the
people who were getting their first view of the In
dustry. Kven the most critical among the visitors had lit
tle or no unfavorable comment to make as the long
procession wound its way through the hot, the cool
and the wet and dry rooms of the different plants.
Inspected the Ianl Show,
After the luncheon the automobiles were again
brought Into use to take the guests for trips through
Omaha and to the Land show. As a goodly propor
tion of the visitors are practical farmers themselves,
or farm owners, the exhibits at the Land show were
intensely interesting to them. But one regret was
expressed, and that was given voice by Lieutenant
Governor Hopewell and Secretary of State Walt.
"It Is very much to be regretted." said Secretary
Walt, "that Nebraska lias so far failed to provide a
fund to be used in fathering and placing a state ex
hibit, under a competent man. at such shows as this.
We have the material to put up a display of Nebraska
products that would compare more than favorably
with that of any other state, and yet for years we have
been letting our opportunity slip by without grasping
it. I hope that from now on this atate will be prop
erly put before the people at exhibitions of this
character."
Lieutenant Governor Hopewell spoke in the eame
strain. "Such a show as this, of western enterprise
and productivity, must prove of Immeasurable ben
efit," he said. "The men who conceived and organ
lxed it deserve the highest commendation; and our
neighbors of other states have very practically indi
cated to the people of Nebraska wherein we are' weak.
There Is not only an Insistent demand for good land,
but those seeking it want to see for themselves what
It will produce. Nebraska can, if -it will, make as
good a showing as any state, and in certain crops a
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f I HOPEWELL
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better Bhowing than many, and the lesson of this most '
enlightening exhibition of the prolific character of
Western soils should not be' lost on our people."
Several hours were spent moBt profitably by a bi
majority of the Visitors in examining the various ex
hibits of the Land show. In fact, to many this ex-"
position of western crop possibilities was more inter
esting and pleasing than the sights of the morning at
the live stock center.
Some of the legislators and state officers were
compelled by other engagements to return to Lincoln
before the banquet given at the Commercial club in
the evening, but enough remained to test the capacity
of the club rooms. Chief Clerk Richmond of the
house and Secretary Smith of the senate, who handled
the distribution of tickets, saw to It that every mem
ber of the legislature was properly cared for, and the
committee of the Commercial club was indefatigable
'n caring for the comfort of the guests, both before
r.nrt Rfter the banquet.
&
President Cole Leads Off.
After extending the welcome of the city's commer
cial body to the city President David Cole said Omaha
is very proud of the fact, as Nebraska should be, that,
"While we are the thirty-seventh city in population,
we are fifteenth In business transacted, outstripping
twenty-five other cities with a population ranging up
to 425,000.
"I desire to congratulate you that no grand Juries
are investigating your election; that no scandal at
taches to our state the same as now appears so com
mon In many of the other Btates of the union. This
I think is an evidence of the intelligence of the aver
age voter of the state of Nebraska. This is no soil In
which vice and corruption can thrive, and It Is com
plimentary to our people that they cannot be driven
to the voting precinct and sold as cattle In the market.
"We are here tonight because one of our members
had a dream, end from that dream first built an air
castle In his mind's eye. To C. C. Rosewater should
be given credit for the air castle which he first built
and which now lias taken shape in the magnificent
Land Products exh'bit in our Auditorium. In years
to come there will be many people who will bless the
enterprise that will result from the things that are
shown to be possible to the most humble citizen.
"During the year 1910 there were imported more
people than are in the state of Nebraska. These peo
ple will fill up the eastern cities. If we had an immi
gration commissioner those with strong arms and
sound constitutions could with profit to themselves be
placed on our unoccupied lands and In turn would
add to the material prosperity of this commonwealth.
Farm at Rase of Prosperity.
"The products of the soil are the basis of our pros
perity. No city can be great unless it has a support
ing territory surrounding it. Taking Omaha as a
center and 200 miles as a radius, there Is no such
other 200 miles of productive soil In the world. The
land within this 200-mile radius has never known a
total crop failure. Year in and year out there Is a
constant output from this territory that affords food
enough not only for its own Inhabitants, but for a
very large part of the balance of the country.
"In times gone by our farmers found the surplus
products of their soil, which were abundant enough
after supplying their physical needs, were of little
value until the railroad enabled them to transport
the same to a profitable market. While the railroad
alone la not the basis of the prosperity which la now
ours, without the railroad we could do nothing; with
it no part of Nebraska is too remote to be able to ship
Its surplusage wherever needed.
"The Invention of the modern cold storage gave
a new value to the product of the farm. Butter,
eggs and poultry represent in Nebraska greater value
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luu Jpcajfer
than the wheat crop, corn crop or any other single
crop produced. Until the invention of the modern
cold storage butter, egga and poultry were negligible
quanities; therefore, these are the things that have
paid off the mortgage from the average Nebraska
farm and made the owners of the same the automo
blllsts of today, when there are more automobiles on
Nebraska farms than in Nebraska cities.
"However, the farmer who succeeds must be like
the business man that succeeds; he must know his
business. . It is for the successful, progressive farmer
that the Land Products Exhibit is now being held, and
the community at large Is Indebted to the thought
that has crystallized in the finished exhibit, which
brings so ninny people together at this time from all
parts of the country."
Ilaldrlge Happy aa Toast master.
President Cole introduced Howard II. ISaldrlge as
toastmaster, and In assuming the chair Mr. Baldrige
put everybody in good humor by remarking, "However
much you may desire to see us, we are really more
anxious and delighted to see you.
"This being one of the few times tho legislature
has met In Omaha since 1867, you have never had
such a glorious chance before to learn what we want,"
said Mr. Baldrige. still In facetious vein, "and we have
never had a better chance to get what we want. It
has been said that Omaha wants much, and If she got
all she wants she would not get more than she
deserves."
The guests were assured that the Omaha welcome
was sincere and without strings. "We have thrown
away the keys to all the doors within the city walls
and they will swing Inward to your touch. Our
homes and our hearts are open to you. We have re
moved all the 'Keep off the grass' signs and want
you to take home nothing but the recollections of a
most delightful and profitable visit with us."
Paying tribute to the Commercial club as the most
potential factor In the growth and development of
Omaha, Mr. Baldrige said :
"In the last analysis the prosperity of a city de
pends, not on the many material evidences of Its
greatness, but on the character of Its citizenship. We
have in this organization a body of the most active,
energetic, far-sighted, up-to-date young business men
of any city in the west. Their citizenship means
progress, and their whole effort Is centered in adding,
by their work and their genius, to the greatness of
Nebraska and Omaha."
Interest of City anil State Identical.
Arthur C. Smith, responding to the toatt, "The
Commercial Club," laid emphasis on the thought that
of Omaha
s
u2i2 zzid Chief c'Jcr &jc2imond
the organization stands for the advancement of the
Interests of Nebraska no less than of Omaha, "because
the welfare of the state Involves the welfare of the
city." He was felicitous In his analysis of the rela
tions of the business men of the metropolis to the
general interest of the slate and pleaded for a greater
publicity of the undeveloped resources and opportuni
ties of Nebraska, to which movement the Commercial
club Is unreservedly committed.
Speaker John Kuhl had noticed the absence of a
Nebraska display at the Lend show and said this state
could duplicate almost anything shown, and better
some of the exhibits. He paid tribute to the good
work of organizations like the Omaha Commercial
club and the benefit to am agricultural state of the
packing plants visited In the mornln:?.
City Attorney John Rlne devoted his brier talk to
the community of Interest that naturally exists and
should bind together the city and the utate. "Inspired
by common Impulses, aims and purposes," Bald Mr.
Rine. "we can have no real line of cleavage as to
where our Interest lies."
Senator Morehead followed the same line of
thought as to the decided need tor good understanding
and willing co-operation among tho civic divisions of
the state. He expressed the view that, with the tre
mendous extent of grazing country It draws from, th
South Omaha maiket fun, with everybody pulling to
gether, be made the greatest In the United States.
Ne!raka'n Material Grcutnens.
Lieutenant Governor Hopewell and former Lieu
tenant Governor McGilton, In responding to calls,
dealt succinctly with the material greatncH of Ne
braska and the possibilities still dormant. Mr. Mo
ClHon, analyzing the figures of Nebraska production,
said the total, divided, would provide $ 400 for each
man, woman and child, ami $2,000 or more for each
family In the atate. Mr. Hopewell, In a reminiscent
vein, recalled the day when the Idea prevailed that
farm crops could not be profitably grown outside th
eastern counties of the state. From thU premise he
passed to the surpassing development of production
that has come about and predicted the wealth of the
atate can be doubled, possibly trebled. In the next
twenty years, because of modern methods and a
higher degree of agricultural education.
Toasts were called for and drunk standing to tile
president of the United States by Toastmaster Bal
drige; to Governor Aldrlch by A. W. J-fferts, and to
the Omaha Commercial club by Chief Clerk Rich
mond. Enthusiastic cheers accompanied each toast,
letter Representativi s Prim e and Gustafson moved a
vote of thanks to the club for its hospitality, and this
met with a gladsome response.
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