USA > Kansas > Nemaha County > History of Nemaha County, Kansas > Part 26
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she may again be with the little ones whom she starts on the way to knowledge. Every year Mrs. Collins has a picture taken of the class. On her schoolroom walls are pictures at all stages of photography. Among the interesting are the old-fashioned chromos of two little girls, one curly head surrounded by daisies, another by roses, which the chil- dren of forty years ago remember as the first pictures hung on their nursery or bedroom walls. These favorites of other days have not been removed for more modern works of art, but have merely been moved over that the newer photographs and gravures may have wall space. Mrs. Collins' home is as rare as her schoolroom and herself. She has a remarkably fine library of hundreds and hundreds of books, which will be left to Seneca if that town ever has a public library. The house resembles a quaint old church, and is hung with vines and the yard filled with old-fashioned flowers. The 1915 high school annual was dedicated to Mrs. Collins. E. W. Howe, founder of the Atchison "Globe," and editor of Howe's monthly magazine, the most widely quoted writer in America, lectured in 1915 on "The People in the Audience." He said the following of Mrs. Collins, who was "among those present." "Mrs. Collins has taught for thirty-seven years. This fact is remarkable, but the more remarkable is Mrs. Collins' person- ality. I have never seen a woman of her age equally well preserved; not only as to health, but as to disposition. On her face are written in unmistakable characters, peace, charity, and kindliness. She is a greater woman than Jane Adams. A speaker in the Chautauqua re- ferred to Mrs. Collins, and there was a burst of applause, as the people of Seneca love her. Pictures of saints give them faces that are some- times, usually, I think, ludicrous. The artists try so hard to repre- sent the virtues in oil. There are no people who have "never said an unkind word of anyone"; there are no saints on earth, but the saintliest face I have ever seen belongs to Mrs. Collins, who has taught half the men and women of Seneca, and never whipped any of them."
CHAPTER XXIX.
LODGES AND SOCIETIES.
MASONIC, THE FIRST TO ORGANIZE-ROYAL ARCH MASONS IN 1877- GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC-WOMEN'S RELIEF CORPS-MASONIC -ODD FELLOWS-KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS-KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF SECURITY-MODERN WOODMEN-ROYAL NEIGHBORS-ANCIENT OR- DER OF UNITED WORKMEN-DEGREE OF HONOR-FIRE DEPARTMENT -C. M. B. A .- ORGANIZATIONS AND OFFICERS-CLUBS AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS.
While Nemaha county men and women would not be called "jiners," in that acceptance of the word which indicates going into anything that comes along, there have been, since early days, several solid lodges faithfully and profitably supported in all communities in the county. Seneca, the county seat, naturally organized the first lodge, which was the Masonic, A. F. and A. M., organized in September, 1863. Byron Shelley, A. K. Moore, J. H. Peckham, L. B. Jones and Hiram Johnson were the original officers. The Eastern Star lodge was organized in October, 1878. J. H. Hatch, Mrs. Peckham and Mrs. Brown were orig- inal officers.
The Royal Arch Masons was formed in 1877 with Willis Brown as high priest, and other offices filled by S. B. Murphy, John F. McGowan and J. E. Black. An attempt was made in 1864 to organize a chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but it was not effected until two years later, with Delos Acker and William Histed as officials.
Seneca's present orders, with officials, are as follows :
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.
George Graham Post No. 92-Meets first and third Saturdays at 2 p. m. in G. A. R. hall. George Root, post commander.
WOMEN'S RELIEF CORPS.
The Women's Relief Corps-Meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the G. A. R. hall at 2:30 p. m. Lizzie Wetmore, pres- ident.
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MASONIC.
Seneca Lodge No. 39, A. F. & A. M .- Communications in Masonic hall on first and third Thursdays of each month. H. M. Baldwin, wor- shipful master; W. E. Fuller, secretary.
Nemaha Chapter, No. 32, R. A. M .- Convocations first and third Tuesdays in Masonic hall. Herbert E. Jenkins, high priest; R. M. Emery, Jr., secretary.
Seneca Commandery, No. 41, Knights Templar-Conclaves second and fourth Wednesdays in Masonic hall. Edwin Buehler, exchequer ; W. G. Rucker, recorder.
Iris Chapter No. 357 O. E. S .- Meets every second and fourth Fri- day evenings of each month in the A. O. U. W. hall. Visitors welcome. Mrs. Jane Emery, worshipful master; Dora Adriance, secretary.
ODD FELLOWS.
Nemaha Lodge No. 19, I. O. O. F .- Meets every Monday night in I. O. O. F. hall, Seneca. C. M. Newton, noble grand; J. T. Campbell, secretary.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
Nemaha Lodge No. 99, K. of P .- Meets every Thursday evening in I. O. O. F. hall. Frank Larew, chancellor commander; Clarence Smalley, K. R. S.
KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF SECURITY.
Seneca Council, No. 193, K. & L. S .- Meets the second and fourth Friday each month in I. O. O. F. hall. R. D. McCliman, president ; Mrs. E. M. Collins, secretary.
MODERN WOODMEN.
Seneca Camp No. 644-Meets every second and fourth Tuesdays in each month in I. O. O. F. hall. J. E. White, venerable consul ; Frank Larew, clerk.
ROYAL NEIGHBORS.
Nemaha Valley Camp No. 944-Meets first Friday evening of each month in I. O. O. F. hall. Social meeting every third Friday evening. Mrs. C. A. Japhet, oracle ; Mrs. Florence Wheeler, recorder.
ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN.
Seneca Lodge No. 60-Meets first, third and fifth Tuesdays in each month, in their hall. Charles Carman, most worthy; W. B. Murphy, recorder.
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DEGREE OF HONOR.
Meets in A. O. U. W. hall the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of each month. Mrs. Edna M. Ralph, C. of H .; Mrs. Myrtle Iles, re- corder.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Seneca Fire Department-Meets last Monday in each month. Ira K. Wells, chief ; C. J. Smalley, secretary.
C. M. B. A.
The C. M. B. A., St. Charles Branch No. 21 .- Meets first and third Thursday of each month in the A. O. U. W. hall. Peter P. Stein, presi- dent ; Henry Gudenkauf, recording secretary.
Willis M. Slosson was master, John F. Corwin, senior warden, and J. E. Black, junior warden of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Sabetha Lodge No. 162, at its organization in 1875. Nineteen mem- bers were included in the original roster, of whom D. D. Wickins and H. C. Haines are still members and residents of the town.
Sabetha Lodge, or the Central City Lodge, as it was called, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, No. 125, was organized the same year, with J. E. Moon, noble grand. and W. F. Robbins as secretary.
Twenty-four men organized the Knights of Pythias lodge in 1880 with David D. Wickins and T. K. Masheter as financial reporter, both of whom are still residents of Sabetha. N. S. Smith and Fred Ukele were original members who are now residents of the town.
The Women's Christian Temperance Union was organized in 1878. Mrs. David Wickins and Mrs. Dr. Slosson are now members of the organization, who were charter members.
Masons, Fritz Herrmann, worshipful master; Order of the Eastern Star, Mrs. George A. Allen, Jr., worshipful master; Modern Woodmen of America, A. R. Wittwer, venerable consul; Royal Neighbors, Mrs .. Halla Oylear, oracle; Knights and Ladies of Security, Dr. B. W. Con- rad, president ; Royal Highlanders, A. G. Kemper, secretary-treasurer ; Yeomen ; Mrs. Laura L. Hook, correspondent; North American Union, John H. Judy, secretary ; Central Protective Association, W. C. Schug, president ; Free Department, Fritz Herrmann, president.
Centralia lodges include the Masonic, Eastern Star, Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen, Royal Neighbors, Kansas Fraternal Citizens, Wood- men of the World, Ancient Order of United Workmen and Degree of Honor.
Goff lodges: Royal Neighbors, Mrs. Louise Henry, oracle ; Miss Okeson, recorder; Mrs. D. W. Hunt, chaplain; Mrs. Ed Conover, past
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oracle. Modern Woodmen: T. J. Cox, venerable consul; Nick Jacobs, worthy advisor; Frank Stringer, banker ; W. C. Jesse, escort. Odd Fel- lows: W. E. Coffelt, noble grand; H. E. Hanley, vice grand; A. H. Fitzwater, secretary ; B. A. Johnstone, treasurer. Rebekah lodge: Mrs. F. J. Cox, noble grand; Mrs. Besse Eckard, vice grand; Mrs. E. C. Maher, second vice grand ; Mrs. Nick Henry, treasurer.
The lodges at Corning are the Ancient Order of United Workmen, Odd Fellows, Masons, Modern Woodmen and Knights and Ladies of Security.
Oneida lodges: Knights and Ladies of Security, Raymond Funk- houser, president; Mrs. J. F. McCarty, vice president; Claud Funk- houser, secretary ; Mrs. C. H. Bell, financier. Masonic, S. S. Steven- son, worshipful master; O. L. Coleman, senior deacon; W. H. Moore, junior deacon; Roy Smothers, secretary. Odd Fellows: Claud Ander- son, noble grand; Ernest Moser, vice grand; Harvey Barndt, chaplain ; Roscoe Benedict, warden ; J. J. Russell, secretary ; Henry Wikoff, treas- urer. The Modern Woodmen is another of Oneida's active lodges.
Bern lodges: Ancient Order of United Workmen, Bern Lodge No. 319, J. J. Koehler, most worthy; D. D. Cunningham, secretary. Sunlight Lodge, Knights of Pythias: D. D. Cunningham, C. G .; A. J. Clyman, K. R. and S. Turnverein: Jacob Spring, president; Charles Cassman, secretary.
Wetmore lodges: Wetmore Lodge No. 53, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, A. Philip Lapham, worshipful master; Claude J. Wood, secretary. This lodge was first organized at Granada and known as Granada Lodge No. 53; was then moved to Capioma, where it remained about a year, and was then moved to Wetmore and its name changed. Wetmore Chapter No. 212 Order of Eastern Star. Mrs. Lillie A. Achten, worshipful master; Miss Lorena J. Mell, secre- tary. Wetmore Lodge No. 289, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Charles Cooley, noble grand; Lee Adamson, secretary. Wetmore Re- bekah Lodge No. 326, Mrs. Charles Cooley, noble grand; Mrs. Anna Stolzenberger, secretary. Star of Hope Camp No. 1064 Royal Neigh- bors of America, Mrs. Alice M. Turrentine, oracle; Mrs. M. Maude Stever, secretary. Wetmore Camp No. 1515 Modern Woodmen of America, C. C. Gilbert, vice commander; Robert Rion, clerk. Wet- more Council No. 273 Knights and Ladies of Security, Charles W. Hendershot, president; Mrs. Bessie Ruhlen, secretary.
CLUBS AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS.
Nemaha county is rather remarkable in the number of its clubs that have stayed under a loosely woven scarf of original weaving for over a period of years.
In Seneca was formed a library and literary association, as far back as i864. After a few months' interest, it lagged. Again it was re-
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vived. Periodical backslidings have occurred, but, today, after more or less slips and regaining of foothold, a circulating of library books individually owned, exists in Seneca, the undoubted offspring of the or- iginal library association.
In Seneca, about ten years ago, Mrs. C. C. K. Scoville, notable for her variety and brilliance of achievements, organized a sextet of girl singers called the Mary Lincoln sextet. Mrs. Scoville is the wife of the Seneca banker and mother-in-law of Lieut. Walter de Mumm, whose achievements in the European war have attracted attention during the current year. Mrs. Scoville was named by President Lincoln on the occasion of a speechmaking visit to the town of her nativity. Mrs. Scoville remembers the martyred president. She was born in Gales- burg, Ill. Her father, George I. Bergen, held a Government position. Mrs. Scoville recalls that when she was a little girl, Mr. Lincoln came to Galesburg to deliver a speech. It was the first time he ran for the presidency. George Bergen and Abraham Lincoln were friends. A great procession was arranged in Mr. Lincoln's honor, and the daugh- ter of George Bergen rode in the carriage with Lincoln. As the crowds cheered, the child stood up in the carriage and added her cheers for Lincoln. He was greatly amused and pleased at the little girl's demon- stration and lifted her to his knee, and gave her the name of Mary Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln's maiden name was Mary Todd. She was eni- ployed as a seamstress in the family of George I. Bergen. Mrs. Sco- ville has in her possession letters written her father by Lincoln, Grant and Yates, the war governor of Illinois. The Mary Lincoln sextette of Seneca was named in honor of this event for Mrs. Scoville. It was composed of girls whose fresh young voices were carefully selected and admirably suited. Mrs. Scoville chaperoned them to neighboring towns for concerts until their fame became widespread. The sextette was disorganized by the inroads of matrimony.
Since its earliest day, Nemaha county has been notably musical with many residents who have won laurels in far away places through their music. Among these was the late Will Stevenson who lived in Oneida, midway between Seneca and Sabetha, and was the moving spirit in musical affairs in all three of the communities. Today, years after his death, the beauty of his voice and the superiority of his pro- ductions are so uniformly admired that his compositions are repro- duced in memory of him. Most of Gilbert & Sullivan's popular operas have been produced in Nemaha county by the choral union. One of Mr. Stevenson's great successes was "The Haymakers." It was repro- duced shortly afterward by signed request of most of the citizens of Sabetha as a benefit performance for Billy Williams, a local citizen who had been seriously injured. The play was taken to neighboring towns, and twenty years afterward, was reproduced, some of the parts being played by the children of the original company. The Billie Williams production resulted in a net donation to him of over $70.
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Hiawatha people had come over to see the original production. It was so good that they induced the company to go over there and give the operetta for the benefit of the Hiawatha library. They went and were given a reception in the library rooms, then located over the bank diagonally across from the postoffice. Seneca came after them for a performance at the county seat. A Seneca paper said that the perform- ance demonstrated that people could be fine business men and women and artists at the same time. Among the members of the organization at that time who took part in the opera, were C. L. Sherwood, who was business manager as well as a member of the musical company. E. Holzshue sang the boatswain in "Pinafore." Miss Ida Robbins, now Mrs. Graham of Pomona, Cal., was the prima donna. Miss Bird Riffer was Little Buttercup. Sid West was the fascinating Ralph Rackshaw and Dr. Roberts, the captain. Joe Stevenson was stage manager, and Will Stevenson, Dick Deadeye. Will Storm played the clarionet in the orchestra, and a violinist named Mutter was transported from Leavenworth. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Waller were Hebe and Sir Joseph.
Sabetha gave "Erminie" too with Robert Bressem as the marquis, and Mrs. Hogbin as Erminie. The two robbers, for whom the dicky birds were always calling, were Freel Corwin and Will Storm. Harry Gravatte staged the piece and Will Stevenson directed. This was given by the Congregational Church. Most of the performances at that time were given by the choral union. The fine musical library at the public library is a result of the choral union's efforts and the inter- est which accumulated on their moneys from the time of their disor- ganization.
Within the current year, The Sabetha Amateur Music Club has brought artists of world-wide fame to the town of 2,000 inhabitants, including Madame Maud Powell, the world's greatest woman violinist ; Fabbrini, the great pianist, and Marguerite Dunlap, the singer. The venture was a great success. No other community so small is known to have attempted such a thing solely through a woman's club. The organization has forty-five members, some of whom have more than local fame as musicians, notably Mrs. S. Murdock, Miss Minnie Stalder, Mrs. W. A. Carlyle and Miss Mary Pace.
A society that probably would take a State prize for continuous and uninterrupted fortnightly meetings for pleasure purposes, only, for over a quarter of a century is the Sabetha Evening Whist Club. The venerable whist club has been meeting for thirty years. Members and their children and their children's children are now members of the same organization, and have been for several years. Sweets are saved from the midnight supper served, to take home to grandchildren of charter members. The club was organized when the old-fashioned "drive" whist was the rage. Neither fashion nor pleas of the newer members will push the originators from drive whist of two hands at a
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NEMAHA COUNTY OLD SETTLERS.
and 7, J. E. Taylor and Wife. 2 and 3, Mr. and Mrs. John Sly. 4, Mrs. Fuller. 5 and 6, E. J. Emery and Wife. 3 and 9, J. H. Peckham and Wife. 10, Mrs. Ballard. 11 and 12, Thomas Bronaugh and Wife. 13, J. P. Taylor. 14 and 15, Mr. and Mrs. William Broxtermann. 16 and 17. Dr. D. B. Mckay and Wife. 18, Jacob McGehee. 19, Mrs. Kelley. 20 and 21, Peter McQuaid and Wife. 22 and 23, Mr. and Mrs. James Graney. 24, P. H. Stirk. 25, Marsh Burger. 26, Ed. Caspy. 27, James Gregg. 28, Joshua Sams. 29 and 30, J. P. Cone and wife.
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game, to four, game whist, duplicate, bridge or auction, all of which have been the fashion since the organization of the Sabetha Whist Club.
Seven years, or more, ago appeared the following story of a Whist Club anniversary :
The charter members of the Whist Club surprised Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Sherwood in celebration of their twenty-fifth wedding anniver- sary. Mr. and Mrs. Lon Hook, Dr. and Mrs. W. A. Haynes, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bressem, Mr. and Mrs. George A. Guild, Mr. and Mrs. E. Holtzchue and Dr. Roberts are the charter members, besides Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood. Mrs. Hook and Mrs. Sherwood were president and secretary from the formation of the club twenty years ago until last year. Mrs. Cotton has always been treasurer of the club. There never has been a cent of money in the treasury during the entire twenty years of its existence. A standing joke of the president has been to call for the treasurer's report at every meeting fortnightly for twenty years. Mrs. Charlie Haines and Mrs. Sam Murdock are the present president and secretary. The duties of these officers seem to be no more arduous than those of the treasurer. Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Haines are also char- ter members, but were unable to attend the Sherwood surprise. The club guests at the party presented Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood with a hand- some set of solid silver knives and forks. The "bride and groom" were so genuinely surprised that it almost required restoratives to bring them around. The husbands attend regularly and enjoy it. Are any other thirty year husbands as faithful?
The county gathering of longest standing, most faithful attendance and unvarying success was the annual picnic held for fifty years at Magill's grove near Capioma and Woodlawn in the southwestern corner of the county. Samuel Magill, with his three brothers, who were pioneer settlers of this district, arriving in 1856 and 1857, inaug- urated the picnic in his grove of walnut trees in 1860. Trees were few in those days except along the creek. The walnut grove of Samuel Magill was famous. Its lumber now is made into handsome furniture filling the castles and palaces of England, but still the beauty of the woods seems undisturbed.
In this forest primeval, for nearly fifty years annually, gathered, until the year of his death, Mr. Magill's friends, acquaintances and all folk from surrounding communities who knew Woodlawn or Capioma. The grove itself is historic in that Samuel Magill preempted the land in 1855, and owned it to the time of his death with the parchment deed ·to the land signed by Abraham Lincoln. The grove when the first picnic was held was practically the only timber in the vicinity. There are now fifty-five acres of timberland, from which, in the late years of his life, Mr. Magill shipped thousands of feet of massive walnut trees to England. Mr. Magill retired from active farming, for years prior to his death six years ago, but to the last meeting he attended the annual picnic. When the picnic started in the pioneer days, the picnickers (18)
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numbered but a few early settlers, who had preempted their farms, worked early and late against the odds which assail the pioneer, with this annual celebration their only pleasure. For this day troubles were laid aside, hardships forgotten and homesickness banished in the warm, human communication, with gospel hymns and good eating the sole amusement.
Every year the crowd increased until five neighborhood Sunday schools and at least two towns were represented: Granada, Capioma, Comet, Bethany and Woodlawn, besides all the surrounding country- side and the thriving towns of Wetmore and Sabetha. The crowds frequently numbered several thousand. There was to have been speak- ing before dinner, but, of course, there was none. The speaker never arrives until dinner is spread. The mothers gather on the rough, tem- porary board benches and discuss household affairs while watching the arrivals. The fathers gather near their own rigs in knots of five and six, where they discuss their corn prospects, tell of their fine wheat crop and wonder when Charley Jordan is ever going to get around with the threshing outfit; and why on earth Jack Dyche ever wanted to sell out his fine farm here in God's country, and move away out to Nebraska.
The children hang around and watch closely two embryo financiers, Clyde Buck and Ed Stalcup, put up their ice cream and soda pop stands. Things drag along. Noon arrives and no speaker. Finally the Wood- lawn Sunday school superintendent gets up on the impromptu plat- form, flanked on one side by an American flag, and on the other by the church cabinet organ, and announces that the speaker not having come, the first thing on the program will be dinner. Shouts of applause follow this short speech. Matters begin to move. Fathers get baskets from under the buggy seats, boys bring buckets of water from the spring and mothers begin to squeeze lemons. The children hop around in everyone's way, sneaking bites from anyone's table. The picnic is fairly on. Married children, with their tots, gather at the family table cloth with grandmas and grandpas, together with a dozen intimate friends. Some few who live in far parts of the district make the picnic dinner their annual feasting together. Of course there is a hundred times too much to eat at every table, although everyone eats and eats and eats.
Dinner over and cleared away, another pause comes. The speaker arrived in time to get his share of the food. Little by little, the older ones gather on the benches fronting the platform. Sweethearts saunter off to find a grapevine swing; the children scamper off to wade in the creek; the older boys rush off into Pettit's pasture for the annual baseball struggle between those old enemies, Granada and Capioma. The superintendent of the Sunday school again gets on the platform. He makes a plea for a choir. No one moves. He beseeches our excel- lent singers not to be bashful. He wants representatives from every
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choir present. Still a motionless audience. "Well, well," he says, "I do not want to sing all these hymns as solos." Giggles followed by the rising of the faithful Capioma choir leader, who started the music with a tuning fork some forty odd years ago. This brave man is backed by three brave girls, and the procession to the dozen straight-backed kitchen chairs on the platform begins. Half the singers are then ob- liged to return to their seats on the benches. The program begins with No. 177. The organ wheezes out the little verse all the way through, the last chord dying entirely out as the organist ceases to pump. The original chorister leads off. The voices straggle in one after the other until the chorus is reached, when the audience takes it up. This hymn is followed by another. Then some local elocutionist recites. Another chorus, followed by a second flight of oratory, and so on, heartily applauded by the neighbors and admirers of the reciter. The climax comes when fourteen perspiring, exicited little boys and girls, draped in bright blue tissue paper sashes and crowned by triple pointed, gilded pasteboard crowns, are gathered together, by their faithful trainer, Mrs. Stauffer, and coralled on the platform for the flag drill. They weave in and out and wave their flags and mix up and unmix, forming a final glorious tableau, by kneeling with their flags carefully stuck in each other's eyes. This part of the program is given an encore, and is repeated.
Then, at last, the speaker gets in his work. Mothers sneak off to relieve their children of their drill finery. The speaker shouts patrio- tism at a few fathers for half an hour, and the day's program is fin- ished. Fathers go to hitch up; mothers gather up baskets; older chil- dren hunt up the little ones; the last call for ice cream is made, going at five cents a dish, and Magill's picnic is over. This has been the pro- gram for nearly half a century. Can any other community claim such faithfulness?
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