11
A Memoral Day Story.
(3
TUB CQURIEK.
V
y
h
r
X
"I ehall never forget," said the man
from the West, "how we celebrated Dec
oration Day out in Hooptown, Nebras
ka; in 1883."
Call it Memorial Day,' said hia friend.
"I stand corrected, and Memorial Day
it is," said the first "Hooptown isn't
much larger than two 'Philadelphia
squares, but when I knew it two years
ago it had more patriotism than any
town ten times its size in America. This
was the natural effect of the law of self
preservation. Hooptown had to be
lively to keep pace with a village called
Battersby, which lay three milees down
the river.
Battersby was just like Hooptown in
being intensely public-spirited, and for
the same reason. The rivalry between
the two towns was not friendly by a
long shot, and there wasn't any good
will wasted on either side. The towns
had been knifing each other for years,
and it did them both good. Talk about
college spirit it wasn't in the same
cIbbb with our town prejudice.
"Along in May of the famous year 1
am going to tell you about we Hoop
townians got tidings through interlying
farmers that Battersby wae working up
a monster Memorial Day celebration.
Visits to Battersby on the part of a sun
dry Hooptown citizen confirmed the re
ports.' Our deadly enemy was stopping
at nothing to make the affair a success.
There was to be a parade and a public
meeting with speeches, and a fireworks
display in the evening. The city coun
cil of Battersby had voted an appropri
ation of fifty dollars for decorations, and
there was to be a horse race.
"Careful inquiry revealed the further
fact that Battersby was planning the
celebration more to outdo Hooptown
than to honor he soldier dead, for there
was but one soldier grave in ail her cem
tery. This had a wooden Blab on it,
labeled:
THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
SCHOOL OF MUSIG . . . . .
to
5?
would call the attention of all who desire a musical education
unequalled facilities offered at this school.
W-IIIvARD KXJfelBAlr,, Director.
1
the 3r
o-
-o
SILAS PETERS
Born 1831 Died 1882
He fought well for his country.
O
o
"When all these fact9 had been
gleaned for us, we held a ma&s meeting
one night in the lodge room over the
grocery store. We realized that Hoop
town's reputation wae at stake, and
that her fortunes were lost unless she
could see Battersby and go her one bet
ter. Our selectmen held an impromptu
meeting in a corner and voted seventy
five dollars for decorations, and things
were looking lovely for a Memorial Day
celebration that would cast Battersby "a
demonstration into a total eclipse.
Everybody made speeches and the
smoky air shook with our applause,
until the grocer stood up. His face was
as white as his own flour.
" 'Gentlemen,' said he, his voice kind
of throaty, 'does anybody remember see
ing a soldier's grave in Hooptown cem
etery?' "Well, sir, you could have bought
out the whole audience for two bits. I
never saw such a sick lot of people since
I crossed the Atlantic. The crowd
went home without any noise. The
next day busine2B was suspended and
everybody in Hooptown headed for the
burying ground. There wasn't a mound
that, by any construction, could be
looked upon ob a soldier's grave, even in
the potter's field.
" 'We've got to have an old soldier,'
said the grocer, as we Bat on the ceme-.
tery fence in the shade of a maple tree.
"'Darkey Jim's the nearest approach,'
said the butcher 'and he's only a run
away slave. Besides he might object to
being buried. I saw him hoeing in old
Miss Paddock's garden as we came
past.'
"It looked Hopeless for Hooptown,
when the village lawyer jumped sud
denly off the fence and waved his arms.
'Whose grave is it they're going to dec
orate? he cried. 'Isn't it Si Peters?'
"Everybody answered at once and
took heart, for the lawyer was as much
respected for his shrewdness as disliked
for other things.
'Si Peters' never lived a day in Bat
tersby,' said 'the lawyer. 'His people
rent a farm in there back of Wolcott's
mill. I know his brother Hank.'
" 'What of that?' asked the grocer.
" 'There's this much in it,' said the
lawyer, talking as if he were arguing a
case in court 'The Peters people are
poor and they don't care a snap where
old Si is buried. And if you men think
more of your beloved city than you do
of your purses, Hooptown will have a
Decoration Day celebration that'll echo
all over this glorious country.'
"It took us about a minute to see
what the lawyer was driving at, but
when we did the old graveyard looked
like the wind-up of a Dutch picnic, and
the lawyer was pounded on the back by
rejoicing citizens till be sputtered.
"We left all negotiations with the law
yer and went ahead with our plans for
Memorial Day. There wasn't a man,
woman or child in the place that wasn't
on some committee. The news of our
doings reached Battersby, and the citi
zens of that place stood by and laughed,
for they knew very well we didn't have
a soldier's grave to our name. But we
smiled in bur hands and waited.
"A week before the end of May our
lawyer drove over to Hank Peters' farm
and spent the day. When he came back
all Hooptown was waiting for him in
the lodgeroom.
" 'It's all right,' he reported. I had to
talk him around, but I made him admit
Hooptown was just as near his farm as
Battersby. He agrees on condition that
we give him a cemetery lot here, pay
him $35 in cash and put up a marble
tombstone over his brother.'
"Well, sir, the town went wild with
joy. Six of us drove over to Battersby
that night in a farm wagon and picked
up Hank Peters on theway. We wanted
him on the spot in case there was a row.
Battersby was sleeping the sleep of the
truly unsuepecting and we weren't dis
turbed. By daybreak the mortal re
mains of Silas Peters lay under six feet
of earth in a new grave in Hooptown
cemetery, with a picked guard armed
with shotguns patroling the lot.
"Such a celebration as Hooptown had
on Memorial Day was never seen before
or since in Nebraska. It was ten
Fourths of July rolled into one glorious
whole. A brass band that Battersby
had engaged for her fizzled celebration
played patriotic music in our streets.
We had three parades to the cemetery
and decorated Silas Peters' grave as
many times. There was a lemonade
barrel in front of every store, and all
the fakirs in the state lined up along
the main street with their shell games
and wheels of fortune. The country
people for miles around came to help us
m
People FWe No Trouble
In getting- what they want at the
Good Luck Grocery.
O. M. SKI0T,
iSS
llO'ST O atreet.
Telephone OttO
honor our soldier dead. There were
small boys with firecrackers and torpe
does everywhere, and there were fire
works at night! And all daylong, from
sunrise to midnight, a brass cannon on
the public square thundr.d forth at ten
minute intervals. The people of Bat
tersby could hear it booming, which
was what we wanted.
"It was a day of triumph for Hoop
town, and poor Battersby could never
bold up her head again. Of course, the
state papers took it up and said things
not to the credit of Hooptown, but we
lost no sleep over that. We had ob
served Memorial Day and done honor to
the Boys of Sixty One, and that was the
main thing. Leonard H. Bobbins.
TO TBE DEAF. A rich lady, cured
of her Deafness and Noises in the Head
by Dr. Nicholson's Artificial Ear Drums,
gave $10,000 to this institute, so that
deaf people unable to procure the Ear
Drums may have them free. Address
No. 6,6389 A, the Nicholson Institute,
780 Eighth Avenue, New York.
First Pub. May 26--X
In the district court of Lancaster county. Ne
braska. In the matter of J
the estate of (ORDER TO SHOW CAUSK
John Illff. fee- f
ble minded. 2
This cause came on for hearing upon the pe
tition of Andrew Kroehler. guardian of the per
son and estate of John Illff. feeble minded,
praying for license to sell lota three and four ( 3
and 4 ) in the city of Havelock, Lancaster coun
ty, Nebraska, or so much thereof as is neces
sary to pay the debts and support the said John
Illff, feeble minded, there not being sufficient
personal property or income from the said real
estate to pay said debts and support said ward.
It is therefore ordered that Stella Kroehler.
Havelock. Nebraska: Nora Clark, Auburn.
Nebr.; Emma Allen. Dawson. Ncbr.. J. W. Illff,
Santa Cruz, California; II. G. Illff. Santa Marie.
California: Mary Peck, Pataskala. Ohio: Clyde
Illff. John Illff. and! 'leon Illff. minors of Will
lam S Illff. now deceased, the next of kin of
said ward, and all persons interested in said
estate, appear before me. at my chambers. In
the court house in Lancaster county. Nebraska,
on the 25th day of June, lfiuvat ten o'clock A.
M.. to show cause why a license should not be
granted said guardian to sell so much of the
above described real estate of said ward as shall
be necessary to pay said debts and support said
ward.
It Is further ordered that this order be pub
lished for three successive weeks In The Cou
rier, a weekly newspaper published and In gen
eral circulation In said Lancaster county.
Dated this 22d day of May. 1900.
EuwAitii P. Holm em.
Judge of the District Court.
Do you get your Courier regularly ?
Please compare address. If incorrect,
please send right address to Courier
office. Do this this week.
First Pub. May 28. 1000-3.
SHERIFF SALE
The Rock Island playing cards are
the slickest you ever handled. One
pack will be sent by mail on receipt of
15 cents in stamps. A money order or
draft for 50 cents or same in stamps will
secure 4 packs. They will be sent by
express. charges prepaid. Address,
John Sebastian, G. P. A.,
Chicago, Bock Island & Pacific R'y,
Chicago.
First Pub. June 94.
Notice of Incorporation.
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned
have associated themselves for the purpose of
becoming a corporation under the laws of the
state of Nebraska.
The name of said corporation is Western Med
ical Review Publishing company.
The principal place of transacting iu business
is Lincoln, Lancaster county, Nebraska; and
the nature of the business to be transacted is
the publishing of a medical journal to be called
the Western Medical Review and to carry on
such other business as shall be necessary and
proper In connection with such publication.
The authorized capital stock is ilfioOM), to be
divided into fifteen shares of ilOO each, to be
fully subscribed prior to commencement of
business and paid as required by the directors.
Said corporation shall commence on the 1st
day of June, 1900, and shall continue for ten
years.
The highest amount of Indebtedness or liabil
ity to which said corporation Is at any time to
subject Itself Is $300.00.
The affairs of said corporation are to be con
ducted by three directors, who shall be presi
dent, vice-president and editor, respectively.
GEORGK H. blMMONS,
Sheldon E. Cook.
II. WUMETT 0 BR.
Notice is hereby given. That by virtue of an
order of sale Issued by the clerk of the district
court of the Third judicial district of Nebras
ka, within and for Lancaster county, in arc- ac
tion wherein Mary E. Brown Is plaintiff. aDd
William II.' Cleveland and Margaret Cleve
land, his wife, defendants. I wJlL at 2 o'clock
P. M.. on the 26th day of June &J D. 1900,
at the east door of the court hojse. in the
city of Lincoln. Lancaster county. Nebraska,
offer for sale at public auction the following
described lands and tenements to-wit:
The west one-half (w ) of sub-division
fourteen 14) In S. W. Little's sub-dlrlslon Of
the west one-half ( W X) of the' southwest quar
ter (sw HI of section twenty-four ( 24), tqwnshlp
ten ( 10) north range six (6) east in the city of
Lincoln, in Lancaster county, Nebraska.-
Glven under my hand this 21th day of May.
A D. 1900.
Z. S, Branson
Sheriff.
First publication May 2-4
Notice to Creditors. E 1419.
In the county court of Lancaster county, Ne
braska. In the matter of the estate of Clarence King,
deceased.
To the Creditors of Said Estate:
You are hereby notified, that the county
judge will sit at the county court room in Lin
coln, in raid county, on the 1st day of Octo
ber 1900, and again on the 2d day of January.
1901. to receive and examine all claims
against said estate, with a view to their ad
justment and allowance. The time limited for
the presentation of claims against said estate
Is six months from the 2d day of July. 1900, and
the time limited for the payment of debts is
one year from the 2d day of July, 1900.
Notico of thii proceeding is ordered publish
ed four weeks successively in The Courier of
Lincoln, a weekly newspaper published in this
state.
Witness my hand and the seal of said county
court, at Lincoln, this 23d day of May 1900.
(SEAL.) FKA.NK R. WATERS.
County Judge.
By Walter A. Leese.
Clerk County Court.