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The Omaha Sunday Bee' Magazine Page
l
W. T. Stead's Efforts to Bridge Life and Death Told by His Daughter
Interesting and Intimate Details of the Beliefs
and Spiritual Experiments of the Great
Journalist Who Lost His Life
on the Titanic.
rrjUJULKX T. STEAD is ft nam that Si
i peculiarly familiar to reader ef this
uewspeper. The griest militant
jowuaJlet at modern times, Indefatigable pots
tie of peace, honored" by every civilized nation,
wm ftfrttatcoatrlbtitor to these columns on
subject f weri-w laterott. Hit death la
the Tttte dleeater wis felt m Iom to all
huataaity.
TIm aohievesaeat Mr. Stead ikui from
th slaei motive whkm wm th Uuplratlaa
of. U hi activities hi evidently passionate
desire to beaoat his fallow belag la th hlgh
est ef thai ware. Wife tkat Ideal la
viaw he aM act fcMltat te haaard his fortune
and hi future. For accomplishing oae ot the
jrraatirt reform la tha Malory ot his country,
bUmmI, he waa cent te prl. But he earns
out a velrersally rwogaed ehaaspkm ef Jau
mefe progress aad sUightnmeat.
Ha wm Mm adored "Chief" ef a eleeely
united family, wboaa members worked, Buffered
aad rejoiced with him. Ta tale iertuaate elr
nmntannii the multitude of readers wbo cam
under th kaeeaoe at Mr. Stead's wriUaa
white ha wm yet livi are Indebted far a
fafthfat, graphic aad bmpntaaaiv vkw of
tita wn hlmesK aad hi labor aad teaehiags
aow thai ha la deed.
Tkta mvaJueW record is fualhed ay his
daughter. etaU W. Stead, Jn a vemm oa
titled T. Stoad, Forgone! and Spiritual
Kiaalnleiiwrrr" Just published ay tha George
M. Bora Oeenpeay, Maw York.
As fc tltia of Mice Stead's book suggests,
tha avcrttaai element in Mr. te4' character
wm always m evidence. It Is wall knows that
ta latar Ufa ha conducted alaborata lavsetiga
Uoas into spiritual phenomena, believing It
poMlble, and seriously undertaking -th Usk
ot erecting a. Tridge" between, this world aad
tha next, so thai death night not wholly sepa
rate seals whkm had been ooageaial upon
earth. A tare ot rasaarek aad egperimeat
wu etnhlih. Writing of this la her hook
MJm Steed says:
.rTha ooei of Maiatalalpc the haraasi U aa
wajy 90 ay tathar, aad. atthaagh he 'dadi
atai" ta the work the MM earafcd W his
"BiNMJlal Obi t aenoail aiica. tha oast wm aaasteV
- - u Im Jm .-n
Seily in tha bureau's oaaaar htr fMaad wrote;
"The raatdt ot throe atatvUM axaortoaoe has
hoaai to ootttrfta vsy oattfioasi ttMhi It la oar'
wtth tho wbo irtMoaaaty Wfa, eraa a4thoah
(stay aja dMaad by tha awayv. eaeeptlas: uader
risiaslfi alaeaaastaaiaaa, la wtnoh It wm kaaa
TiMhla thai saoh wm. aiwatofl t Ion thtmltt ' ho
nihotiil
haro
ha ysmasnhaMd thai arraral ttsM kt
thai have ataoeed siaoo the Tttaate
saashor oikte naArwd friotUla
Ka(l sjAVBaa JPl AHmMv StttvMPavg44
from Mr. Stead. In tha last yaragraph ot her
' hook Miss Stead writes!
"Three weeks after hla sasnlng he earns te
the Uppor Jloom la the Ianer Sanctuary at
Julia's Bureau. (Jalta A. Ames, founder ot the
bureau). Ja that room, where he had himself
so often spoken of the life to come and con
versed with those who had already aasaed oa
ward, he tha holered Chiat cama and spoke
to thoae who prayed aad watted, k&owlng he
would come. Clearly he showed kls face, that
all might see, aad as It faded into darkaees
hla votes rang' through the room, aad he spaks,
saving:
"All I told ym is tme . . .""
From family history Miss Stead axtraets aa
Interesting explanattoa of the difficulties that
lis In the way of spiritual communications
from the other world. Her brother Willie, her
' father's assistant la his work aad between
whom there wm deep affection, bad dld la
the harness. It was. a terrible blow to her
father. But a year and a halt later he wrote:
"Whoa, my boy wm here our offices were
coaaocted by telephone, and It Is much tha
same 0w. He writes to me through several ,
modlams; ha shows himself to my frlsavds. I
myself have aeoa his materlaliaed face."
The Miss Stead quotes tha following see
sago wbJe her father reoalvad from Willie
oa DeeoBtfcor II, Mil, the day after the anal
voraary ot hla death, t which ho oaUad his
"birthday": .
"W. Mead, Jan. My dearest Father. My
birthday .mooeage Is ever tha same. Tie hot
ter oa before. Whoa I think ot the Mom I
had ot the lUe I aat sow living, whoa I wm
la tM world In which ye are, I marvel at
the heyalaM iaadaaaaoy ot my dreams. The
reality te so avoh, so very maofa greater thaa
ever I tcaagtaod,
"Ton aad I aad all boobIo that on earth da
dwell, ara too apt' to Imagine this Ufa m oaly
aa exteaaioti ot tho old Ufa. KrarythMg Is to
ha m It is, oaly mora so. But everything Is
aot m it wm. It la a new life, the nature of
which you eacmot understand, although it Is
possible to explain something of It by analogy.
"Imagine yourself a oatorpular oa a'CabOage
leaf. 'ThhHM will ha hooter oa before you,'
you say to the caterpillar. Bat what does
"bettor1 moan to the oataratUar? Mora cab
bag, even mora cabbages, aad ever oabbages;
mora suoaaiae, lass rata and ao hungry birds
to oat yoa aa. All oaiarptllary Mom limited
by tha seasa&Hw aad expirations of a oahbaga
wwid. Astor a time tha oator pillar haoomos
a bttttorny. Bat how oaa the butterfly explain
to tho oatarpOUrs tha ooaditloua ot his saw
lite, tho htioyaaoy ot flight, tho joy ot love, the
aweotaoM of tha honey sowers?
"Those aasaattala ot tha new existence are
maaaahla ot beta explained to the caterpillar
ia, ter tha vooabalary of the eaJtbage woaM
ooataia no words capable ot oeavaylng eoa.
2pta entirely alien to tha caterpillar's senses.
It Is with ase. I tall you tt is better oa :
fLJways, and far hotter thaa I dreamed
of. Bat whoa I oomc down to tall yea where
the hettoraeM ooMista I feel like the battergy
atttlag by the oatoryUlar aad etvdeavoriac te
, ezplala what eight Is, what light Is, what tight
is, where ta lies the joy of love."
Bat of Mr. Stead's systematic aad well
guarded efforts to prove the possibility ot
thought transference between persons sepa
rated by a considerable distance, she writes
candidly:
"Tfee telepathic test invariably failed r not
one ot the cases succeeded la Impressing the
test word on the 'sensitive.' "
The light which Miss Stead turns apoa the
character of her father, and the motlvu which
actuated him in all ho undertook, gives her
book aa Interest aad value of a solid and per
maaomt nature which are poesessed by few
volumes of this kind. For example, she shows
by hla cwa teettmoay how, at the age ot
eighteen, the future great Journalistic peace
advocate had already resolved that his per
soaal Interacts should always be subordinated
to the interests and progress ot maaklad. Ila
wm already deciding upon a career ia Journal
ism, aad without compensation in money was
Ailing eelamne In the local newspaper with
well-worked-out plaM for the betterment ot
leoal eeadttleas.
But it wm his study ot the works ot tha
Asaerioaa poet, Lowell, which crystallsed his
altratetle leanings. Miss Stead quotes:
"H wm shea that I came apoa Mr. Lowell's
little-known poem, 'Xatreme Unction,' which I
flsd marked in peacll. This poem changed my
life.'"
This was the llhunmaUng verse:
God bends from out the deep, aad says,
"I gave thee the great gift ot life;
Wast thou not called la many ways?'
Are not my earth aad heaven at strife?"
The quotation coatlaues:
"The idea that everything wrong la the
world wm a divine call to use your life la
righting it sank deep into my soul. Aad there,
ia the aarhaoM aad gloom of that time ot
weakness aad trial, I put away from me, m of
the Evil One, all dreams ot tame aad literary
ambitions on which I had ted from my bey
hood, aad resolutely set myself to do what
little I ooald, there and thaa, where I wm,
among those who urroundod ae, to fulfill 'the
tract for such high uses kiven.'
m OM o the decisive moateaas oC ay
ate. Since then I oaa honestly sear that I
have never regarded literary or joaraallstle
Buoeess m worth a straw, excepting ia so tar
as It oaaeed me to strike a heavier 'la lew ia
the cause ot these for whom I vtm called te
fight."
Mr. Stead beoesne editor of his local news
paper, Th Northern Bcho, ia 1871, aad re
maiaed there always true to his heavletio&a
ia his work until lftM.
"It haa area' been my fate," Miss Stead
quotes from her father's letters, "te he called
to try te stem the tide of popular fury. My
first, experience wm when, in 1876-8, I had
to net as Mr. Gladstone's humble lleateasjit
in keapiae; the North of Baglaad as Jar M
possible immune from the jingo madaes that
raged aad clamored for war with Baasle,"
As Mies Stead points out this, wm the be
ginning cf her father's distinguished career as
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aaamamasssaew asKmaNHTs HL,
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BBBBBBBSKBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBae
flSeBBHBBaeWBBBBBBBXSBSBaS
statxe ef Gen
Thomas
Tha Lata Wm. T. Stead
"My father with Oliver Cromwell's pistol, a stat
oral Garden, and a copy of The Imitation' ef
aKempls given him bylGordOR."
(Illustration from Miss Stead's SooK, "W. T, Stead, Personal
and Spiritual Reminiscences.")
a world's peace advocate, which wm later to
take him to St Petersburg, to tho Vatican, to
tha Balkans, to South Africa and to Constan
tinople oa a peace-mission to the Sultan.
Of the most absorbing Interest is Miss . ,
Stead's aecount ot her father's course, when, -
in 1HS, m editor In control of the London
Fall Mall Gasette, the whole civilised world
wm electrified by the shameful disclosures
made la that newspaper under the title, "The
Maiden Tribute ot Modern Babylon."
From her father's autobiographical writings
Miss Stead quotes the following paragraphs
which formed the basis of Mb editorial creed: '
'Ideal to be aimed at 'Thy kingdom come, ,
Thy will be done oa earth aa it I in heaven.
"To be ever in the. van, going ahead, ac '
cepting the responsibilities and discharging
the duties ot leadership of our race in its '
upward strivings after the ideal; to hear new
words of command in every cry of the sor
rowing, aad" be goaded and spurred -on to
fresh exertion by every spectacle ot sin aad
misery.
"'Bvery man aad woman who falls short
The Card Sent from Holloway JbII by Wm. T. Stead During His
Imprisonment for His Cruaade Against Immorality in London.
From "W. T. Stead, Personal and Spiritual Reminiscences."
of the perfect manhood of Christ, Jesus cries
out for hole to realize that manhood, which is
their birthright In Christ with oarnestness and
emphasis, proportioned to his remoteness from
tho Ideal (Lowell's 'A Parablo,' last verse).
Men make Christ's image into paupers and
prostitutes.
"To rodeem the world, every agency for
good is needed, and new agencies still.
"The great need, intelligent sympathy and
Imagination.
"True Catholicity, character, all else in
cluded, to Lbs encouraged; their baser parts
discouraged, more by favor to the good thaa
direct censure.
"To work on, to yearn on In faith.
"Christ, the best remedy for pessimism and
despair. He saw all the chances, and seeing,
chose m the best part the life ot shame, sor
row and death. The prize was worth the sac
rifice. If it was so for Him, it is not less bo
for us."
Referring to the "Maiden Tribute" sensa
tion, Miss Stead quotes direct from her father's
writings:
"In the Spring ot 1885 tho Chamberlain ot
the City of London, a venerable old man of
savonty-flve, came to me In great distress and
informed me that owing to tho unexpected de
feat ot Mr. Gladstone's government and the
confusion occasioned by the installation ot his
successor, a bill for strengthening the laws
for the protection of girls and young women,
which had been Introduced into the House ot
Commons "by the outgoing government would
be sacrificed.
'"All our work,' said tho Chamberlain, 'will
be wasted unless you can rouBe up publlo
opinion and compel the new government to
take up the bill and pass It into law.' "
It la history that Mr. Stead's shooking dis
closures in the Fall Mall Gazette accomplished
the needed reform. It Is also history that a
technical flaw in the evidence he presented en
abled a biased court to send Mr. Stead to
prison. '
This and more episodes go to make up a
book peculiarly interesting in its relations to
the inner life ot one ot the most picturesque
ot publicists.
wnroc ve MfiTji
TlaW m vlAHA
Miaf MstBgcx f Men aM yfmm
WteBmiletediiuOr,
nout in ov onoa am
BMssaaraaaM rf ; see aad
,vt ynm- xmx v-
ggoXABBBaktMsBg? ttC JefaWWWrtgslPlgs
ah wm eeiac well it she knew last year 'to seek hie fertUM in the west He
year's stpteal There'll never be euoh aoeepted om ot the lots that the town
days M these when people Were no faaoy aaeoolatloa was giving away free to any-
elethis, a bee were stuff xl with hsy. om who would build upon them. X few
When paper sellers were the rage, Oh, years later he induced my parents to
ear, deUghttul bygone ace, when we come to Omaha and locatte, which we
were young aad gay, did and have resided here ever since at
lm frf th. OeM Meld. lt wh,Lt l' Mt of
la S, ta ery ef the gold fields ot Omaha had a newspaper in her earlier
CMMerata wm heard, setting the people existence. It waa called the Arrow and
at cw eeuatry nearly wnd, Hundreds was printed In Council Muffs, J. W.
fee the Paem coast, seme In Pattlcen wm its editor. There were only
0E Or OMAHA'S FDCE H0HII1
W0M1K.
mvacAa ook.mji.obc.
at the Mattel re
at the OfMsajM Oeaaty Fieaeeys'
in, Omaha, VlMer lit
a prtod from
5. 2K4. Mrs.
ia the oalr one that I
rimhaeweanii at peaaocr days ia
etty
aad varied
cvenn to erMsaseraie that I aeetee .knew
-where te segav Bet I wM try aad te
late what X oaa Temembsr ot wat 1
. have
lay
.befere see, wtth mr ef whom X have
been1 OGSBBmsiteta aad aeeeoiate tot the
teat half ewtir or mot.
. Those' Mttfe. n?4 bnv teld
vr end ever earnm, eaty t beeet
the heart of the pioneer the aw
ttoVtee; ever tees. It to ImpeeeiM te put
3 - r ' -
oa AoriiMek aad many oa twelve iesues coveriac
feet Wttk thw ausnber came a Wtttiam July K to Kevember
tt, Brewa wh rr.obed ICaaesvnie, aad James X. Ish
aeaaatag the oouatry and the Big Muddy knew of that hM in her peeseseitm the
hatted; pereesytag a great eppertoatty te eetlre series. Its editor, Mr. Fattieea,
make money eneled be wooht ran a wm like George Fraiiete Train. flewf
sny beet U eerry the travellers aetees ery aad enthtieieetto' winter. It wrete
lk miaanitri t v Hk Ha SM muuv Bnlrl ----- In kU" u. u
- tW every hoer frees Xaaesvtile te ike foot containta srt pttdfcHioiis fr Onaha's
ef Deugtoe street where taeee traveliere future. Amen thee he nreateied the
there is wok a vast then take up the etd toatt weet eompleUoa ef the Hate Paeifle railway
aaaltttad ef mtevestla WMa 10 tM &wa D" w wsy or. by the year 1SW, which predtcttea, to
the great aeteatatuMat of all, wm real
Later oa easM A, D. Jones, Tmcsm SMd needy a year sooaer. Many huigiied
and Wttttam Attea. who alee eroeeed Me and made Hht ot Ma predictions, but
river to wake oieim te seme ef the momy itmesrHtere Uan this haa Umh u-
wm a evn ooosplieMd.
a clatm aaa e .."Aj:. " " " . . . .
twwed t Itaaeevitle. To taeee men be fTiT-,' ' TH. 1-1.
leac.the heaer.ef akitig the first sW- " WM for r' M
vey ia KtWh., whteh copri the W" if, R,n!t"?tf.,:r"C
t&2?tJFJJ?, to Omaha and awHed te WahlaW D. Ht ?
r fni- th uMuiuua f d ttutii ruorxu council. Aiier arv)a tnree
i seen aad heatd aad'wat atteesat te kad ia Oaaha. Mr. Jones
aether to the Itttt area ef friends eagiaeer, aad with hie oems
lmwr ISemBBeBBBBBBBBBBBemem?
bbbbbbbbbbbbt-
Mn Saowden built the fourth house, an- the streets, and out ot -the mud during
other log cabin pa a lot given to him a fire. Tor a long tlmo only one string
by the ferry company. It was located on of hose was available. Tho water was
Tenth street south of Howard street This furnished from cisterns built In the
was the first private dwelling and Mr.
and Mrs. Snowden moved into It after a
residence of three' months in the St.
Nicholas hotel. The event was celebrated
with a house warming and the first dance
nf Omaha was given on this occasion.
center ot the streets.
First Telegraph.
Another Important event of 1SS0 was the
completion ot the first telegraph line into
Omaha by way of St. Louis. This line
They danced till morning to the music of was built by the late Edward Crclghton.
Mr. Davis fiddle. There were few ladles who won a fortune and national reputa
for partners so men acted Instead. The tlon In building the first telegraph line
house had no doors or windows so they to tha Pacltlo coast While engaged In
hung guilts and blankets over tho open- this business he went by stage coach to
ings and arranged boards at the sides of
tho room for those who were tired from
dancing to rest upon. '
The Pride, ef the Terra. 1
Salt Lake City whero bo succeeded In In
terestlng Brtgham Young In the project,
nnd from Salt Lake City to Sacramena,
Cal., he traveled over tho mountains.
throUKh tha forests and wildernesses on
The pride ot our town was the new horseback. Imagine, it you can, tho
brick state house erected on Ninth strnqt porii8 apj hardiihlp he encountered on
between Deuglas and Famam streets. It that trip inearly days. He succeeded,
was two stories with hsJl and stairway however, anil returned to Omaha and. en-
In the eeater. The first territorial tegls- gaged In tho banking business and other
lature ever convened in Nebraska met enterprises, and was one of our most
In this building January 18, 1K5. And
thereafter meetings of all kinds, re-
prominent 'men till his death. His wife
gavo $280,660 to begin Crelghtoh college
ltglous, business and social, were" held as his" memorial. This bequest was in ac-
there till it waa torn down some years cordanco with -the wish often expressed
later. by him during his llfo that It should
In 1857 a Mrs. Smith came here an'l bear his name,
opened a little school In the basement Francis Burt was our first territorial
of -the First Congregational church on governor, and Jesse Lowe was elected
Douglas, west of Sixteenth street whlcn March 3, 1S5T, Omaha's first mayor, both
closed after a year. Those wbo could stalwart democrats of the old elate. Tho
afford It had tutors or a governess to in political slate lias chapged from time to
struct their children. This was the bet- time, and the democrats are again, with
i ... . . w 1 j m ii..
into tW brief narrative ail the Wading vIIivinrBa OinahT which 'ear-' h moved to St Joseph. Mo., and , n.t-1 tr way on account of tho scattered John H. Morehead governor of thv
eveate that traaepifed In early days, fer ' . ...... ... about the year 1860 turned hie attention XrJi AOmoXS C BflVMeWi homes and roueh condition of tho roads, etate, and J. O. Dahlman. mayor of tho
Omaha's busy, thrlvlog ed progreelva M 6 jJ7 f t-te .v 'JTL, to literary work. In ISM he returned
u m n h. hut "!? ! wifr ever rocetvea ,M ..L.,,. . .
city mw steaes upon the site where but
a tsaele cabin could be seen In 1SJI.
in OmiiVia wa rpiva bv kim fmm o vmfcs ana in jjej. eetabiumed the
Vashlngtoa containing hie appointment world-Herald, a democratic organ, and
Jt wm the pConeer who strUggte early . rknMim..,r -rw .m,.. with hie Den did valuable service for
and tate aad endured the hardships and hW( thcr, WW6not many comspondeaU iht cJt-' or Omaha and 'the state ot Ne
prlvaiiMe. ef these days. The ranks ot a ,t M th(kt Mr jCHes carTId braska, After tho arrival of Dr. George
the Honeif have been thinned from lime po4,toltlce la hla hat So you se he Ml,l? druggist was heeded to fill
te time y death, yet among those who WM only Omaha's first postmaster, hls Prescristloas. so James K. Ish, a
ervive may ou4 some ot our coun- mallcarrler m well, young pharmacist and promising bust-
try's meet active aa4 preealnent clUsens. 0n iBdependeace Day, July 4, of this n man of BooeeviHe, Ma, ceme to
The pioneer period Is full of stirring and axxt year,, a plcnlo waa held on Capitol Omaha and erected a amall drug store
Inline' lag Incidents. The old settler can hill to celebrate the locating of the City on the present afte eC the new, TTeed
nJr tbee. relnlsceriees, while the new- of Omaha. The eatblee and supplies were men of tha "World building. It was" a
comer eagerly listens to the recital nf "brought over from Xancavllle jn a wagon. vcrr rude affair made or rough boards
that which to him is new aad Interesting. The Hon. Hadley Jones of. that tbwn.and cloth with the same for shelves and
How I regret the good eld days and aH waa called upon tor a speech, and In counter. Mr. Ish spent hie sumatem hero
the pleasant, happy ways, now perished tho absence of a grandstand started to and during dull .times, hie winters in
from the earth. No more the worn bread deliver ttie oration from the wagon, S3oonevilte. Later on, he purchased this
winner 'ate, no more, the cottage rojt Two blacksmith's anvils ftrcd a salute, property, a large betiding wm built
tree rings wHH eonnds ef hearty mirth. lie had not lrogreed very far when thVreon, which he occupied till his
The geed old days! The eheerful atgnut the Indians at distance, heard the noise death several years mo.
We had "thee no electric, HhU, but ell aad came la great numbers. The women iti the year lasa Sdwerd Beeewater
iarnoe flared aad eeked, and now and were terribly f riohteaed. so eatables, ewne to Omaha from WaeMagiee, l. tt,
thea hey weald oatfeda aad blow the anvils and aH were thrown Into the where he was stationed la the War ee
hnty ereesthe read and soaeettmes vU- wagon and started with a rush for the purtment office In the military tele-
umm cronx. xne wirxsowa naa no winaow v "w enure suijicpce. graph service, became manager ot the
eereeee; there were ae beefce or mage'
Mum tc ssalse our morals lame! We used
"r iipiea. Western Union and other telegraph
Wow strange it is that over the same nr. nf rinuh. w-n .. 4i,
t jat'reead In the dark while father streets whaee we now ride ia automobiles fttt4 press agt ad tiregrtrkle eerre
telked t Xok' ark until, our bedtime uwd to rtde 1 with knives glon(j.tlt ot MVer,j of the leading daily
eesae. f ftuPMtoe r seeaw hU ,.setr tetvers la their ntrpftpers of the et He feuaded The
plMt e;as)d Mk the cetd ahr SBrfftveat: DaWy Bee June , MO. a republican
a. flregenem aeM u warn; the heuee was m Krlr Hettleee. paper. Its Wetory 1 well known. Ho
IM) ef fbear aeet aad bastsenc beaade. My wtcle, Jeeph P- MenaW. then a was a dauaUeee fighter. It can. be truly
and sidti U omm. wia'r these was young man reeWIng with our family n said that thle great man with a stroke
a eteeea. We tetephfiies. TthW nsade men the et. Jert heme aad with a few hun- of Is j' could chance the sohtlcal
Sf wtth a HBhdiVtr ye'd eeaverM dea doWara in his pocket followed the outcome ot our state In tho twtnkUe; of
t fismnii setteai the atrl Mermo trail by wagoa and teVided In an eye. Without the elejuent pens of
te he a bctte betleved thac 0;b duriag the summer of this same Dr. Qeorgo L. Miller' and Edward Keee-
water Omaha would have lost many a
worthy enterprise.
Another one most worthy of mention at
this tlmo la our esteemed friend and pip.
noer, Thomas J. FiUmorrla, who is ht
present one ot the editors of The Bee,
who has grawn up and given his life
from childhood to the present tlmo to the
press "f this city and is one of the best
and, most widely known newspaper men
in tho west
First Actaal Settlers.
In July, a Mr. and Mrs. Newell aad
Mr. and Mrs. William I. Snowden came
from Kancsville to Omaha, Mrvand Mrs.
Nowell returning to Kaaesvtlle three
weeks later. Mr, and Mrs. Snowdra re
mained and to them beloaca the honor ot
bcrng the first actual settlers. Mies Tina
Saowden( a daughter and weU-kaewn
arttet of this city, still resides here aad
is with us pa tme occasion. The first
house W1K in ew oHy wm a smell rough
log structure eeaetrueted -for the ferry
company and wm lofated. at Twelfth and
Jackson streets, and occupied by Mr, and
Mrs. Snowden, who kept It as a boarding
house for the employee of the ferry com
pany, and waa called the at. Nicholas
hotel. It was In this building that the
first fsWejkius service wm hM la Omaha
cm Bunday, August 1 H by the Mew
Peter Cooper ef CouacH Blucfe. The sec
. ond wee buJK by Mr. Oayterd at Twenty
second aad Burt streets. TV.e third
was the .Btg Mx. a aed houee oc
cupied ' m a grocery aad ealsen ea
the Keren see of Chicago, be
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets.
homes and rough condition of tho roads, state, and J. O. Dahlman. mayor of tho
Which made It difficult for children to city of Omaha, in control. What tho fu
get about In 18(56, the town being mostly Politics of our city and state wilt
composed of wooden buildings hastily and bo Is hard to predict, but I am sure what
rudely erected, tho danger of fire waa over bo Its party. IV will bo on tha lino
imminent, and many flrea ocurred. It of progression. My friends, have you
is a singular fact the first building burnt ever stopped to realize how strictly up
in Omaha stood on the Paxton hotel elto to-dato and thoroughly modernised every
where years after the Grand Cen- thing and everybody is becoming even to
tml hotel was burned. It was a small tho men folks. They are getting-, out
building occupied as a grocery store, "votes for-women." Just ask Uncle Joo
To avert further loes. tho Pioneer Hook Redman. Billy Klerstead. Fred Dellone,
and Ladder company was organised by Martin Dunham, or August Loclcner and
tho young buslnes men of the town, many they can tell you nil about it, and if
of whom served as volunteers. It was they only would they could tell you many
composed of Andrew J. .Simpson. Frank interesting political stories ot tho early
Murphy, Richard McCormlck." W. J. days.
Xenaey, Henry Pundt James Donnelly Q October SI, V&t. the first census ot
and Harry Taggart These were our first Nebraska waa taken, which .was S.T32.
fire ttghUrs. seven of the bravest men This, of course, did not Include the in-
that ever fought a fire, nnd I believe dlans. Omaha alono today has a popu-
thet Andy Simpson is now the only sur- lation ot oyer 150.000.
Viviag member. This .company Is now CjAatldlnsr Forces.
Company 1, of the Omaha Fire depart- T. . ov ...
. i- ,. , .,,.. If wo were asked to name the prin-
r S1,mpt mT J V 2f clpal thing responsible for the wonderful
the ladders, hooks and carriage. The ot our aDd eUIq many
s norUl 5ufni,hwl M answer that it was the Union Paclfw
saplings from which the ladders were that excrtecl the greatest In-
reads by Mr. Simpson who was a car- nucncc toward the upbuilding of tho
Ttage maker, and in two weeks these Bune bt ,t me add that tt wa, lh0
pioneers were the possessors of Oho first preM arjd tIlQ 8turdy pioneers who made
apparatus for fire fighting in the ter- posaiblo that grand , enterprise. Fifty
ritory ot Nebraska,. Later on. he was years ago ground wa broken for the be-
cemmlseioafd by the city council to go ginning ot this great, railway, and tho
to Davenport, la., and purchase a fire WSfie of this event was near the river
eegtnst TWe he did, and It wm chris- not far from -the Burt street water ata-
teaed the "Fire iUng." I can well re- tlon. Word wm received from JJew York
ntenher, though a child at that time, that President Lincoln had selected
that H required the combined efforts ot Omaha m the Initial point of this great
twenty oa. more men to pull it through project- A. J, Maaecom waa selected u
chairman of a committee of citizens to
quickly arrange a program which , was
carried out the next afternoon following
the, glad tidings, Alvln Saunders, Georgo
Francis Train and B. B. B. Kennedy
spoke. The honor of removing the. first
mother earth belongs to Governor Alvln
Saunders, B. 13., B. Kennedy, mayor of
Omaha, and Qeorgo Francis Train, which
was a token that the commencement of
the first railroad In Omaha had begun.
Forty-four years ago the golden spike was
driven With a silver hammer atTProm
ontory Point. Utah, the western termi
nus of tho Union Pacific railway, mark
ing the completion of tho road. Officials
and employes nllkc observed the anni
versary. The driving 'of the golden spiko
was celebrated with great 'nolso and dem
onstration on the 10th of May, ISO, a
saluto of a hundred guns was fired from
Capitol hill and bells and steam whistles
added to the din. There was a grand
parade Irt which all who were able
marched. High mass was celebrated In
Cathollo churches and all other churches
offored prayer, This event was cele
brated in a llko manner In New York,
Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
narly Schools.
Tho first publlo School built in Omaha
was a two-room building In the year
1SG3, on tho site now known as Jefferson
square. It was there I first learned my
A B Ca. It was supervised by Mr, and
Mrs. Lyman li Hutchinson, principal and
assistant teachers, respectively. I am
sure thero are many here today who can
wltli mo recall pleasant memories ot this
dear old school and It Is a fact, too, that
within tho walls of this rude building
were planted tho seeds of learning from
which grew tho men and women who
have been and are today the, progressive
workers of our city and state. Many ot
us can look back with pride and satisfac
tion that we wero members of that Httlo
brown school houso. In IS70 a four-room
brick school was built on Pacific between
Ninth nnd Tenth streets, which was well
uttended by the older and more advanced
pupils from alf parts of tho city. From
this school In the year lS7t and under
the careful guidance and training of
Principal Lyman E. Hutchinson and
Hetty MyKoon (now l?eos) assistant the
firit class entered the Omaha High school, ,
which was a rented room tp tho Wright
building, southeast corner of Sixteenth
and Chicago streets. The central High"
school was erected on the site of the old
Capitol building, which bad been torn
down, and in iStS was ready for occu
pancy; and the classes under tho high
school Instructors, John H. Kellom, S. D.
Deals and Ualph K. Ooylord transferred
to the new building. For us Joy knew no
bounds. We were the observed of nil
observers, so we sallied forth In pur In
nocent glee determined to win laurels,
which fact can ha best proven by 'tho
multitude of people. vx)10 on tho evening
of Juno 58, 1S78, turned out to do honor
to the first graduating class of the state
of Nebraska. It was with one. exception
(that of tho completion of the Union Pacific-
railway, tho' greatest event In the
history of our city. Parents, relatives
(Continued en Page Eleven.)
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