USA > Nebraska > Seward County > General history of Seward County, Nebraska > Part 9
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"As time rolled on, it developed that the people had been victimized, and that they had given seventy-five thousand dollars, or at least had agreed by their votes to give that amount to another B. & M. R. R. For a few months only did the A. & N. maintain controle of the road when it pass- ed in its checks and we awoke to find ourselves sold, and with two B. & M. roads on our hands."
Mr. Cox failed to mention the full amount given to the said road and the several times the people had "found them- selves sold." The first one cost one-half the land in the county, the second, one hundred and twenty-five thous- and dollars with ten per cent interest for twenty years and the third, seventy-five thousand dollars with ten per cent interest for twenty years, and they just got one road. Surely the noteriety of Seward county ought to be extensive with a rail road costing that much. But these events were atributes of pioneer days when many homesick lads would have given their last dollar for the old, familiar home like sounds of the locomotive whistle.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Church Conditions of Pioneer Times in Seward County.
We view any endeavor that we could make to delineate the progression of any church or churches under the many different opinions, dogmas and creeds as wholly unsatisfac- tory in its results and altogether out of place in this work. One of the most difficult problems for the solution of the early settlers was that of church organization." The settle- ments were generally composed of those of different denom- inations and unbelievers and to get them interested in church work only along their line of thought was like peforming a miracle. And with this predominating condition the forma- tion of churches dragged along through the pioneer period. Occasionally there would be a movement bordering upon church union and congregations would be formed, but gen- erally proved to be only temporary formations. One of this kind was formed at Beaver Crossing early in the seventies under the name of the Congregational Church, but lost its cognomen shortly after its formation, the members meeting and holding forth the banner of Christianity without a name. This congregation was partially claimed after a short time by the M. E. church, but during the entire time from its for- mation till along in the eighties there was no permanent church organization at Beaver Crossing. The Methodist Episcopal, Protestant Methodist and Congrational churches were generally foremost in pretentions of church organiza- tion, but there were but few church houses and the societies were not permanently located. A Congregational church was organized in Milford in 1869, and also an M. E. church about the same time, both of which became permanent or- ganizations. Rev. C. E. Phinney, a homesteader in L pre-
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cinct, organized a Protestant Methodist church in 1871 and through his efforts a sod church house was erected in 1872, six miles north of Beaver Crossing in L precinct. A Luth- eran church was organized in H precinct in the fall of 1872. Also a church of the same denomination was organized on Lincoln creek in 1873. An M. E. church and also a Bap- tist church was formed in Seward in the early seventies. A Catholic church congregation was formed in the northern part of the county in 1876 and also at Seward about the same time. An Adventist church was organized near where Ruby is located in 1875. An Amish Mennonite church con- gregation was formed west of Milford in 1873. The Oak Groves M. E. church was organized in 1875. While this may not be all it is undoubtedly the greater number of pio- neer churches in Seward county.
There were a few preachers of various denominations, a majority perhaps being of the M. E. faith, traveling and holding meetings in various localities throughout the county, but permanent congregations and church homes were limited until well along in the eighties. One peculiar character who undoubtedly is remembered by many of the early settlers, at least in the south half of the county, was Rev. Goss, a young M. E. minister who made many trips to different localities in what might be termed a pioneer vehicle with a pioneer horse that traveled at a three mile an hour gait, advocating the cause of Methodism. He couldn't preach much, but held meetings in school houses, sod residences and dugouts, get- ting some exhorter to talk for him when he could, and in this way did the church a great deal of good. But there was a lack of able effort in the matter of church work during the first twelve years of Seward county history. There were members of all denominations among the early settlers and it is just as loyal to truth to say that all churches came with the advance guard of settlement as to say that any one of
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them did as there was no organized system followed by any of them.
The foregoing brief mention of church work we believe represents the pioneer period. With the approach of more favorable conditions advancement commenced all along the entire line and was led by such grand christian motives that the cause has advanced in Seward county until it stands to- day upon the highest eminence of modern times. There are representations of the greater number of christian de- nominations of the uneverse in Seward county and the many magnificent and expensive structures erected in nearly every locality of the county and dedicated to christian worship at the present time as compared with the period of seeming in- difference is indicative of the predominating power of christ- anity throughout the enlightened world. In viewing the ad- vancement that has been made in the cause of christianity in Seward county since the beginning of the changed era a person is apt to forget the real conditions of pioneer times. And we are tempted to say that the cleansing power of christian endeavor is much more needed in these later days than it was in the time of the humble sod homes with the pure atmosphere untainted with the fumes of modern cor- ruption. In considering the wildness of the country in its earliest period of settlement many people class the early set- tlers in the wild grade with the country. But experience has taught us that this is erroneous and that the tamer the coun- try is the wilder the people are. And we only have to point to Europe in this enlightened day and age in the wild strug- gle of its people to see which set can make the largest dis- play of inhumanity and murder as proof. And so wild have they become that they would murder any and every chron- icler of their deeds who dares to give a reduced account of their mad acts. The prairies of Seward county in pioneer days teemed with christian spirit, peace and kindness.
CHAPTER XIX.
Past and Present Political Events and Conditions in Seward County.
While this is not a political work and we do not care to hold up the banner of any political party upon its pages we will endeavor to present the political policies of the people of Seward county during the period that has passed into history in as clear and comprehensible a manner as possible in a spirit of unbiased candor. Of course there has been many things connected with and controled by politics that have made the world better, but there has been perhaps just as many influences over people and events controled by party politics that have made the world worse. While the record of the former may be freely dealt with and discussed, that of the latter will bear a well defined system of evasion as too undesirable and corrupt for thought or discussion. We are well aware that there is offensive matter of past politics which some people might consistently expect to see fully treated in this history, but we prefer to avoid contaminating its bright pages with accounts of low systematic, long con- tinued work of spite, abetted by the sway of party politics, trickery and falsehood. The political demagogue, or "dead beat" together with his supporters always drift to their level and become known as unworthy of mention.
In the consideration of pioneer politics we are constantly reminded of two amusing incidents which somewhat illustrate the general "free for all" partisan spirit of those early times.
At a republican caucus in the sod school house on the Norman Casler homestead in the Foster district, L precinct, in 1873 there was a young gentleman present who had the appearance of a recent arrival from the Emerald Isle. He took a great interest in the proceedings, making suggestions,
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motions and nominations. All went along smoothly until the business was finished and the caucus was about to adjourn when this young politician made a very firm objection. He said he was a democrat and had left his work to come there and he was going to see fair play. He had helped the re- publicans nominate a ticket and it was not fair for them to adjourn without nominating a democrat ticket. He display- ed so much earnestness and determination in his attitude and manner that it seemed as though the republicans were "in for a scrap" with a lone democrat. But George Hurl- burt got up and made a little speech in which he told the young gentleman that as he was the only democrat there and nobody present knew enough other democrats to fill a ticket it would be impossible to nominate a democratic ticket at that time, advising him to announce a democrat caucus when the republicans would turn out and help them nominate a ticket. Pat made the announcement and the republicans were permitted to depart in peace.
The old style of voting was the only way in those early times, each party furnishing its own tickets printed upon slips of paper, the party name being displayed at the top and the candidates' names with the office for which each one was running printed along down the slip. And it was deem- ed a part of safety for the tickets to have one or more party members remain at the voting places to guard the party tickets from trickery and see that voters were supplied with the genuine and unadulterated article. At a presidential election, we believe it was in 1876, in the T. J. Foster school house in L precinct, the writer was a member of the election board. There was a generally conspicuous figure at all elections present during a greater part of the day. He was an old comrade soldier and an uncompromising republican. Along toward the middle of the afternoon there was a lull in the voting and hangerson had about all left, seeming as if
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all had voted. We noticed this conspicuous character quite busy around the room but did not discover what he was do- ing and he finally disappeared. Just before time to close the poles three democrats came in to vote and there was not a democratic ticket in the house. They undertook to write their tickets, but it was slow work and they could not remem- ber the names of the candidates and finally gave it up and went away without voting. Those two occurences not only illustrate pioneer conditions but also the difference in the old manner of nominating candidates and system of voting as compared to those of the present time.
From the time the county was organized the republican party has been the dominant or majority party. However there has been a marked degree of independent voting in county and state elections, and in so far as the democratic party has placed able and good men in nomination for of- ficial positions it has been comparatively successful. This indicates a universal disregard among intelligent voters of partisan rule which, many times, effected an advanced con- dition along political lines. It is a matter worthy of note that the minority party seldom elected an incompetent man, not because it had no poor ones, but because upon the sterl- ing character and worth of the man alone stood his chance for election. And while the minority party seldom elected any but able and strong men it has been demonstrated in Seward county politics that the majority party has occas- ionally elected a very incompetent and weak one. As an illustration of these facts we refer to Hon. Thomas Graham, a democrat and a minority party man who was elected once county superintendent, five times county clerk, once state senator and once mayor of Sewrrd. His election was based upon the grand and honorable character of the man and not upon the strength of party politics. On the other hand we refer to Martin W. Dimery who was once elected state sen-
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ator as a republican and majority party man wholly upon the strength of party. And the contrast as displayed in a comparison of the two, the way they were elected, the number of times each was elected and the character of the two men solves the problem of the varying politics in Seward county. In St. Matthew xxv, 14-30 a parable of the talents is mentioned of which we are reminded in considering the elections of those two gentlemen. While Mr. Graham ad- ded to his talents until he had received eight elections upon the strength of his honorable character the other gentleman burried his so deep in personalities that he could not have received one such election. The many honors bestowed up- on Hon. Thomas Graham by his fellow citizens were not results of party favoritism, political boss schemes nor spend- ing his entire official time of the first position he was honored with in working up an unbounded system of spite at some one who dared to think and refuse to support him. Had he did so his "talent" would have been buried too deep for res- erection. Thomas Gruham's life was spent from his earliest manhood in Seward county and he sleeps in death beneath its sod, not a demagogue politician, but one of God's grand, honorable and noble men. And there were many others of Seward county's grand characters who were always found upon the side of right regardless of party or selfish noteriety.
Although the republican party has been the dominant party the conditions as shown have made a fair division of official positions between the parties. Six democrats and six republicans have represented the nineteenth senatorial dis- trict, composed of Seward and Butler counties, in the state senate from 1876 to 1916.
Eight democrats, five populists and twenty-seven repub- licans have represented Seward county in the state legisla- lature from 1865 to 1916. Prior to 1878 the county had but one representative and since that date it has had two.
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Five democrats and seven republicans have served as county judges for Seward county from 1865 to 1916.
Eleven republicans, two democrats and one populst have served as county treasurer from 1865 to 1916.
Eight democrats, four republicans and one greenbacker have served as county clerk from 1865 to 1916.
Nine republicans, five democrats and one populist have served as sheriff from 1865 to 1916.
Four democrats, seven republicans and one populist have served as count superintendent of public schools from 1867 to 1916.
The office of clerk of the district court was established in Seward county in March 1879 and was supplied by appoint- ment the first four years when George A. Merriam, a repub- lican, was elected to the position and by re-elections, served sixteen years. He was succeded by James Calder, a demo- crat, who was followed by Don C. Gwartney, a republican, who died in office, J. F. Gereke, a democrat being his suc- cessor, is still serving.
The office of surveyor has been in the hands of the re- publicans all but about for years, and the office of coroner has been about equally divided between the republicans and democrats.
There has been four state officials elected from Seward county. Hon. E. C. Carnes was twice elected and served as lieutenant governor, Hon. T. L. Norval served two terms as supreme judge, Hon. Wm. Leese served two terms as at- torney general, and Hon. Wm. H. Smith is now serving as state auditor. The first three being republicans and the lat- ter a democrat. All of them were residents of Seward.
CHAPTER XX.
Criminality-The Nathan Clough, George L. Monroe and Other Murders Committed in Seward County.
Of all the undesirable topics to engage the attention of either writer or reader, murder stands foremost. But with all of its ghastly horrors it is an unavoidable subject for con- sideration in the past events of Seward county. However the earliest settlers of the county cannot be classed as crim- inals nor abetors of crime. The first settlers were a law abiding, industerous and honest class of homeseekers and it is a matter worthy of note that no terrible crime was placed upon the court records of Seward county for upwards of twenty years after its first settlement. And those convicted of crime later on were invariably more recent arrivals in the community.
MURDER OF NATHAN CLOUGH.
In regard to this tragedy we are partially at a loss to give exact conditions, having nothing but our memory for a great portion of the details as a guide. There were two brothers, Nathan and Warren Clough residing in the city of Seward. Warren Clough was engaged in keeping a hotel and his brother, Nathan, was a horse breeder and made his home at his brother's hotel, keeping his horses in the hotel barn. The hotel keeper was a married man while his brother was single and it was reported that jealousy existed between the two brothers. One bright spring morning, in the month of May, 1874, Nathan Clough was found dead in the hotel barn, having been slain sometime during the night or morning with an axe. This created a great excitement and people's tongues ran wild. Everybody laid the blame for the bloody deed upon Warren Clough and like everything
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else that becomes matter of fact by continual wordy specu- lation the coroner's jury brought in a verdict charging War- ren Clough with the murder of his brother. The prejudice against the accused had been worked up to such a pitch in the city of Seward that a change of venue was granted and the trial took place in the neighboring city of York -- not very greatly removed from the scenes of the crime nor the exciting prejudice it had created. And outside of this prejudice which seemed to be based upon opinion more than proof, there was none but circumstantial evidence against the man and the strongest of this evidence was reported to have consisted in the conduct and actions of the accused. But he was con- victed of murder in the first degree, was sentenced to be hung and all preparations were made for executing the sen- tence. On the evening before the execution was to take place Governor Garber commuted the sentence to life im- prisonment. After serving fifteen years of his sentenance he was pardoned by Governor Thayer. Whether Warren Clough was or was not guilty no one but himself knew, and if innocent no one but himself and the guilty one knew. Jack . Trent, a notorious character who was afterwards convicted of burglary at Seward and sentenced to serve three years in the penitentiary, died before his sentence had expired and was reported to have made a statement on his death bed that he killed Nathan Clough, but the confession received no attention or credit, although it was possibly true.
MURDER OF GEORGE L. MONROE.
Orlando J. Casler was a criminaloid. His father served in the New York state penitentiary for manslaughter having killed a man in a quarrel, with a fence stake. Before Orlan- do came to Nebraska he served a part of a sentence in the Wisconsin state penetentiary for stealing a team of horses, but was pardoned by the governor of that state before the expiration of his sentence. Having a brother, Norman Cas-
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY. NEBRASKA.
ler, a homesteader residing in -L- precinct, Seward county, Nebraska, and a sister, Mrs. T. H. Tisdale, of Beaver Cross- ing, when he was released from prison in Wisconsin, in 1874 Orlando came with his family to this county. He made his home for a short time alternately with his brother and sister. Gilbert White, a young, unmarried man had homesteaded the east half of the north-west quarter of section 34, -L- precinct and had made a dugout on the claim and as Orlando Casler wanted a place to live White permite i him to move into his dugout. Shortly afterwards young White sold his home- stead to B. F. Salnave, but could not give any title other than relinquish his claim and Casler, hearing of the deal, slipped in ahead of Salnave and homesteaded the land. The writer owned the quarter adjoining the said eighty on the east and was intimately acquainted with Casler. He was a soldier in the war of the rebellion, had been severly wounded in the right shoulder and was drawing a pension of fourteen dollars a month which togother with the rent from the improved land on the White-Salnave homestead provided him with a fair support as compared to other homesteaders, but the all prevailing mania for horses was still with him as it had been in Wisconsin. In the early part of July, 1878, a stranger, a comrade soldier by the name of George L. Monroe, of Missouri, came into the neighborhood driving a plug team of horses hitched to an old style, wide track wagon, the whole outfit perhaps not worth over a hundred dollars. He wanted to sell his team and unfortunately fell into the com- pany of Orlando J. Casler who took him in as an old army comrade. He remained at Casler's dugout two or three days and was seen by several of the neighbors. Fiually Casler proposed to buy his comrade's team, but said they would be
obliged to go to Seward to get the money. (This was taken from a statement made at the house of the writer by Mrs. Orlando J. Casler after the murder.) This proposition was
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accepted by Monroe and on the morning of July 7th the two men got up early and hitching up the team drove to Seward where Monroe was to receive the money for his outfit and . go on his way rejoicing and Casler was to take the team. But unfortunately Casler could not get the money in Seward therefore he induced his companion to return home with him. The next link in the chain of Casler's "cussedness" was to get Monroe to camp for the night in the timber on the North Blue river bottom, just outside the city limits of Seward on the road to Beaver Crossing. After they had got settled for the night some other parties came and camped near to them which disturbed Casler and he again induced his companion and they moved farther up the river. This was the last act of George L. Monroe and the last time any- body except Orlando Casler saw him alive. In the morning Casler had some difficulty in catching the horses as they had got loose and while looking for them was met by parties on the street of the city with his clothing all wet. He stated that he had got his clothes wet while running after the horses through the wet grass. But he got the animals and hitched up and drove them home, telling everybody he saw that he had bought the team and that Mr. Monroe had gone on to California. Two or three days later some boys were fishing near the bridge below the two comrades' camping ground and saw the body of a man lodged in some drift wood. They went up to town and reported what they had seen and the officials went and got the body. The man had been shot in the heart, the ball having passed entirely through the body, and a terrible wound had been inflicted upon the side of the forehead, apparently by a blow with a revolver, the cock of it striking and cutting a frightful gash. T. J. Fos- ter, an L precinct citizen and neighbor, happened to be in Seward that day and saw the body which he recognized as that of the man who had been in company with Casler.
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
About three o'clock the next morning we were awakened by a terriffic pounding upon our dugout door and when we ask- ed who was there, were both surprised and somewhat fright- ened at the reply that it was the sheriff of Seward county. Well, we didn't believe him and told him so. We also told him that the sheriff of Seward county had no business com- ing around our house in such a way at that time of night. He said there had been a murder committed and we were only one of several persons he wanted to see before daylight. We told him there was no murderer in that part of the coun- try, and he said that he guessed there was. He said he only wanted to subpena us as a witness before a coroner's jury. We then opened the door and he came in and served his subpena and told us to be ready to go at daylight, that there were several teams going and we could ride with some one of them. We got a "rushed" breakfast just in time to climb into the wagon with Roland Reed and sons, Charley and Horatio. Our dugout at that time was about forty rods west of Casler's and the witnesses who had been notified to go were requested to tarry a little until the sheriff and his deputy had got Casler started on the road so we waited a few minutes and saw Casler drive out towards Seward. The sheriff had schemed to keep Casler in ignorance as to what he was wanted in Seward for and permitted him to drive his recently acquired team and take his wife with him. But the sheriff and deputy were very careful to ride in their buggy just behind and close up to Casler's team while the string of witnesses followed along in the rear. While Casler in the leading conveyance sat as if in deep meditation the en- tire journey to Seward, the attitude of the two men in the buggy displaying a feeling of reverence, and the escort of neighbors with solemn and blanched faces following as stat- : ed we were constantly impressed with thoughts of a funeral. And such it seemed to amount to so far as Casler was con-
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