THE COURIER
V'"- w' ' '' H
JEN h
i
EUGENE MUNN.
Eugene Munn, president of the Farmers Mutual Insurance company
of Nebraska, is one of the pioneers of Nebraska. He came to the state in
1856, and for nine years was engaged as wagon master for a large freight
ing firm, Russell, Majors & Co., and their successors. He crossed the
plains as often as five times in a single year and was mixed up in Indian
scraps Innumerable. He was among the earliest settlers and has helped
to build up this state from its wild prairies to its present high state of
cultivation.
In 1870 Mr. Munn was nominated for the legislature by a mass con
vention of Otoe county citizens. He was re-elected to the .house In 1874
and again in 1884. For four years he has been president of ithe Farmers'
Mutual Insurance company of Nebraska, the largest mutual fire insur
ance company in the state, and the largest mutual company insuring
farm property against fire, lightning, wind storm and tornado in the
United States, with headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Mr. Munn was born m East Union, Ohio, in 1836, where he resided un
til he was eighteen years of age, when he came west and settled in Otoe
county, Nebraska, and engaged in farming and stock growing. From
there he moved to Lancaster county with his family in 1894, settling at
University Place. He was married in 1867 to Miss Mary D. Kling, of
Ohio. Eight sons compose the family. The eldest, A. M. Munn, Is man
ager of an Independent telephone company of Nebraska City, and has
also been city engineer for a number of years at that place.
IN AND ABOUT NEBRASKA
(Continued from page 5.)
lime and with the cork out float it
away on the water at the point from
which the drowned person entered the
water. True as an arrow the jug will
dance along over the ripples until it
stands directly over the sunken body.
Then it will burst and up will come
the corpse unless Jt is anchored in the
sand or mud. If by chance the first
jug fails try another. If both fail
lack of faith is the only plausible rea
son to be assigned.
A perverse genii of death lurks in
every deadly weapon, particularly In
shotguns. If they refuse to go off when
you pull the trigger they will act later.
That was the case with a girl of
Bloomfleld recently. Melissa Bayslnger
was her name. With her brother she
went to the hayfleld and with them
they took the old muzzle loading shot
gun. They knew of a few ducks on the
pond, for whose sleek sides in gravy
they yearned. Noticing that some of the
hay in stack had been stolen the girl
raised the weapon and pointed it at
the fancied thieves. "I wish I could
do this to them," she said and pulled
the triggers. Neither worked. Then
she looked into the barrel and was
greeted with a charge of shot that sev
ered her windpipe, killing her in
stantly. -1
Is the wife crafty or the husband
stupid? A Grand Island man has been
in the wicked habit of scolding at his
wife for making shirts he said would
not fit. Every day he had a reproach
ful remark to settle in her ear. Of
course it wasn't pjeasant for her. Why
didn't she learn to cut and sew when
she was a girl? he would ask among
other more sarcastic thing's. Finally
she told him she would send his shirt
making elsewhere. He knew of a wo
man who had a good reputation with
the needle and thread and she would
do the work for twenty-five cc "or
shirt. Good enough, said the dSa
husband. He gave the twe
cent pieces to his wife to pay t
man, all with much frequency. "Now
why couldn't you make a shirt as neat
and fine as this?" he would ask pity
ingly and his wife would look corre
spondingly dejected. By herself and
with her close friends she would laugh
and give the wink. She was making
the shirts all her own self and not
only wa3 she pleasing her husband but
she was drawing soda water money on
the side.
Evil luck certainly comes by regi
ments. L. R. Hoag can tell of It. He
Is an auctioneer of Shickley, Fillmore
county. His era of awkward fortune
came several weeks ago when he was
obliged to be operated on for the re
moval of a tumor. No sooner had he
recovered from this than members of
his family took down with smallpox.
He has been confined at home now for
quite a while and consequently has
lost many excellent springtime dates
as auctioneer. The latest piece of ill
befell him when he climbed to the top
of his windmill the other day to give
it some oil. The wind was stout and it
whirled the wheel against him. Down
he fell, a distance of thirty feet. He
was carried into the house with a
broken arm and other severe contu
sions. Job, it appears, was a man of
numerous blessings.
Twenty-five years ago now a fierce
snow storm rushed down upon the peo
ple of Thayer county and among other
things It blew a herd of fifty huddled
antelope almost within the borders of
Hebron. The snow was so deep they
could not run away and a number of
men on horseback sallied forth and
caught twenty-flve of them alive. Now
the common person of Hebron would
fall dead of fright at sight of one of
these animals.
S. C. Purdy, a druggist of Clarks,
lost several fine features of counte
nance the other day at his electric ci
gar lighter. He was filling the bulb
with gasoline -when he moved it In a
.
his face and left his fine moustache,
eye lashes, brows and hair mere bit
terly odorous ashes. A doctor wad
quickly at hand to apply soothing lo
tions to his burnt complexion but alack
for his moustache and his brows!
Smart Irishman! He lives in Platte
county, according to the Columbus
Times and this is what he did. He
was digging a well. When he had
projected it down about twenty feet
It caved In. He didn't think it a pas
time to dig It ail out again. So he be
thought himself. Hanging his coat and
hat on the windlass he hid behind
some friendly bushes. Presently a pe
destrian discovered the apparel and
the fact that the well had caved in. He
fairly tore in his mad effort to get help
in shoveling out the dirt. Soon a crowd
gathered round and In it was the
weeping wife of the well digger. When
all the dirt had been removed and no
body found the consternation was re
lieved by the appearance of the Irish
man from behind the bushes, yawning
as If he had been deep In sleep un
mindful of the proceedings. The pre
tension of sleep was all that saved
him from being strung up to his own
windlass.
The little boy rode on the old cow's
horns and lives to tell the tale. He Is
the very young son of Mr. and Mrs.
Milt Vierson of Pllger. The youthful
adventurer strolled into the cow lot
and feeling drawn to the milk pro
vider strode forward to stroke her ears.
Hardly had Jie put his hand forward
when she ducked and caught him good.
His little body was taken fairly be
tween her horns or would have been
gored and when he struck ground
again he was in the rear of bonsy. She
showed no wish to follow her lead nnd
he regained his feet as quickly as pos
sible and made for the gate. The
frantic mother coming to the rescue
had seen the boy bolted over the cow's
back and fainted before she could
reach the gate.
ii
The benefits of organization have ap
pealed to the threshers of Butler coun
ty. Forty-four out of the forty-seven
of them have banded themselves to
gether under what they call the
Threshers' National Protective asso
ciation. Once a month they will meet
nnd talk over the situation, dissect
each other's grievances and set about
to apply the remedy. Before the end
of the present month they will estab
lish prices for the season's work and In
every case abide by them. The farmer
who wants his work done for less will
have to do It himself or draft a non
union thresher.
The real vicious character of the op
position of a dog to wheeling was Il
lustrated In Colfax county recently.
Albert Herblson was enjoying a spin
In the country when a sedate canine
suddenly plunged for his leg as he
passed. It got a fine hold in the fleshy
part and tugged the boy from his seat
That was all the dog seemed to want.
Picking himself up the boy hobbled to
his father's offlce. As he rolled down
his trousers a gaping wound wns dis
closed and a piece of flesh as big as a
hen's egg clung to the garment.
"
I
ay to strike Are to its wick in regu-jS
yrder. It flashed the gasoline lntc,
JAMES A. O'SHEE.
James A. O'Shee, who will next week go south to superintend as
contractor the construction of 170 miles of bridge work on the line of the
Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf railroad, has been prominent in "bridge con
tracing work In Lincoln for the past twenty years. During this time he
has been employed by most of the leading railway lines in the country.
He has been identified with the bridge construction department of the
Burlington for the past twenty years. In addition he has been connected
with the mechanical departments of the Union Pacific, the Rock Island,
the Kansas City. Springfield & Memphis, the "Kansas City & Southern,
and the Missouri Pacific. With all of these lines he has been Intrusted
with heavy and important contracts. T
Mr. O'Shee was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1856. He first came to
Cass county with his parents in 1871. A year later the family re
moved to Lincoln, where Mr. O'Shee has since resided.
After one year with Shepardson & Neville he was placed In charge of
all their bridge building. This position he held for six years. He was
connected with various firms before going Into the contracting business
on his own account.
For four years, 1891-1893, he represented the First ward in the city
council. He also served four years in the democratic state central com
mittee, besides being prominent in the congressional and presidential
campaigns of Mr. Bryan.
In October, 1900, Mr. O'Shee married Miss May Flanigan of Hen
rietta, Texas. The bride formerly lived In Lincoln and was prominent
in musical and social circles.
During his business career, Mr. O'Shee has handled some of the heav
iest contracts in the west. He leaves next week to undertake one of fhe
largest Jobs ever let to a Nebraska contractor.
Lincoln contributes one of its first families in this move to Okla
homa, inasmuch as Mr. and Mrs. O'Shee will take up their residence In
Guthrie. The subject of this skeatch has been prominent in political af
fairs, while his wife has been influential in the social life of the city.
For four years he was an active member of the city council and did
much to promote the city's welfare by his watchfulness and energy In
the municipality's behalf. ,
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