History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 16

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180

USA > Nebraska > Custer County > History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time > Part 16

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About a week afterward Sam Ritchie, of

the firm of Ritchie & Arnold, was returning with his men from Pawnee Creek when they came across the wagon, with the dead body of Bly in it. The oxen had become detached from the wagon in some manner and were afterward found on the Loup river. Some thought that the trapper had been shot. His hat was found a few yards away, with one side badly torn. There were no marks upon the body except a small hole at the butt of the left ear and another at the back of the left heel. Word was sent to North Platte and the sheriff of Lincoln county came out and buried the body, wrapping it up in some tanned elk skins and putting it only about two feet deep in the ground, not wishing to be to any more trouble than actually necessary. The coyotes soon dug the body up, and for many years the bones lay bleaching in the sun.

Twelve years afterward John Finch, while passing through, about twelve miles south- west of Arnold, picked up the skull by the shallow grave where the unfortunate man had been buried. The locality is known to this day as Bly's Flats. David Finch was present when Bly was buried, and knowing that the trapper had received twenty-three dollars for his gun, he searched the clothing, but could not find any money. Mr. Finch noticed that the clothes on the body were not the same as those worn by the trapper the night he had stopped at the ranch. The wagon was then searched and the money found in his old clothes. It was afterward sent to the trapper's widow by Mr. Finch.

A very careful search was made to see if any indications of foul play could be found, and the conclusion was that the man had been struck by lightning. It was remembered that a dark cloud had been seen in the direction the trapper took on the day he left the ranch. The tracks left by the oxen and the marks of the wagon which had been dragged about when the animals were becoming detached from it, indicated that the ground was in a muddy condition at the time. Finally an ex- amination of the skull found by John Finch proved beyond a doubt that the man had not been shot, as no bullet hole was found in it.

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

A FIGHT FOR "DEER LIFE."

Uncle Swain Finch, a pioneer character whom all the early settlers remember, was somewhat of a deer hunter in the early days. The following incident is constructed from his own writing.

One day in 1883 he started out on a deer hunt. He was not feeling very well that day. and was creeping along rather slowly until finally he discovered two deer just around a point of a hill a short distance ahead of him. He crept up to the top of the little hill be- hind which they were standing and blazed away at them. the distance being about 200 yards as he thought, but he afterward found that it was 300 yards.

As soon as he fired they jumped up and ran, followed by another shot from him, which apparently took no effect. A third shot was sent after the one he had picked out. and he thought he could see him stagger, but they ran about three-quarters of a mile, stopped for a few minutes on the top of a hill, and then went off on a lope about a quarter of a mile further. All this time he had been standing on the spot from which he had fired his first shot. After stopping again for a short time. the deer commenced feeding and walking down over the top of the little knoll on which they had been standing, disappearing from his sight. He followed. and when arriving at the place where they had disappeared he again saw them walking and feeding some distance ahead of him. As soon as they saw him one of them ran about 250 yards to his right. but the other was not to be seen. He pro- ceeded on down the hill, saw the other deer about seventy-five or eighty yards ahead of him, near the bottom of the hill. It was a big buck. He gave him a shot and he rolled over on his back. He threw in another cart- ridge, walked down to him, opened his knife, took him by the horns, and placed the knife at his neck to cut his throat.

Before he could do it. however, the buck jumped up as if he had been shot out of a cannon, sent the knife whizzing through the air, and in order to save himself and keep the deer he grabbed hold of the other horn. The

buck doubled himself up and kicked Swain, and jerked him down the hill, and they had it hot and heavy for some time. Sometimes the deer was on top and sometimes Swain, but at every turn the deer gave a vicious kick, and Swain had to keep a death grip on him to save his life. Every little while the deer would stop to get his wind, then go at it again harder than ever. Swain's clothes were lit- erally torn to shreds, about the only whole thing on him being the collar of his shirt.

The situation was serious, and he dared not let go, for the deer would have made a lunge at him, and there did not appear to be any way out of the difficulty except to hang on and worry him out. Ile looked over his shoul- der to see how far they were from the gun, and found that it was not less than twenty- five yards away. The only hope he had was to get the gun before turning the buck loose. In their struggles they worked down the hill. of course, and Swain started in to pull the deer back in the direction of the gun. Whenever he made a lunge he would pull with all his might and move him up a little, every time he lunged getting a little nearer to where the gun was lying. It was a slow and la- borious job. but they were getting there by degrees, and at last Swain had the satisfaction of seeing the gun within six feet of him.

The next question was could he let go of the deer. grab his gun. and shoot hin before he came down on him with his sharp hoofs? It was a dangerous experiment, and the slightest hitch in the operation might cost him his life. At this particular moment he thought, for the first time during the whole adventure. of the Lord, and he is not sure but that he prayed just a litle bit as he suddenly let go of those horns, grabbed his gun, and shot his antagonist dead before it had time to regain its feet.

SAVED ONE BED

The late Captain W. H. Comstock is the authority for this story. He says :

"In company with D. J. Caswell I started from Moingona, Boone county, Iowa, in March, 1874. In due course of time we arrived at

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Loup City, the metropolis of Sherman county, which consisted of a log hotel kept by C. Y. Rossiter, and a general store of which Frank Ingram was the owner and proprietor. About this time Frank had some friends who had come to make him a visit. His family con- sisted of himself, wife, one child, and a hired man and hired girl. The house was small and sleeping rooms scarce. But Frank's mind was active, and he soon had a plan to help himself out of the difficulty and provide sleep- ing apartments for the visitors, without seri- ously inconveniencing the family. He went to the room of the hired man and told him that it would be necessary for him to vacate his bed, as he had company that would have to be taken care of. He then went to the room of the hired girl, woke her up and laid the situation before her. He said either her bed or the hired man's must be given up for the company. He didn't like to make one of them sit up all night, but he thought as the hired man and the hired girl had been keeping company, and intended to get married, any- way, they might just as well get married then and there and thus settle the whole diffi- culty about the beds. This seemed to meet with the approval of the two parties most interested, and Mr. Ingram, being the county judge. immediately issued a license and married them on the spot.

J. D. HASKELL'S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

"In February, 1874, an acquaintance, who had just returned from an excursion trip to Nebraska, told me in glowing colors of that wonderful western country. He wanted me to go to Cozad and handle the butcher business. I was then twenty years old, and being full of a boy's love for adventure and fired by the glowing tales of the west. I did not ask many questions. In March, 1874, I was on my way west, having chartered a car for my one horse, two milch cows, four sows, butcher tools, and a bulldog - every real butcher had to have a bulldog. The freight on the car was $200. The different railroads passed me to Omaha, but there I was obliged to pay twelve dollars and fifty cents for a ticket to

Cozad, a distance of 250 miles. When I reached my destination I was a discouraged lad. My aircastles collapsed like a balloon. There was no depot, and only five buildings in the town. The first question was how to unload my property. I got some planks and the stock slid down them from the car to the ground. We had landed in Nebraska. In a short time things looked fairly prosperous. Excursion trains were coming in every month bringing new settlers, we were getting the spring rains, more houses were being built in the town and country, and the prairie was being plowed up and put in crops. People had to eat, and being the butcher, I commenced business. My business as a butcher lasted about sixty days. In July we had hot winds and grasshoppers, the latter in such number as to shade the sun when passing over the country. Everything was eaten by them. I bought flour to make slop for my pigs, and there being no mowing machine in the country I bought a scythe and cut grass in the sloughs to winter my horse. That winter we had lots of snow, with the mercury thirty degrees below zero. The new settlers were short of fuel, clothing, and provisions. The latter part of that winter the government sent out a lot of army shoes and clothing that was out of date for the soldiers, and flour and beans were . issued to the settlers. No clothing was issued for the women, but you would often see a woman wearing army shoes and a blue army overcoat. We had the grasshoppers and hot winds again the summer of 1875, and times were harder than ever that winter. The spring of 1875 I went to the Ozark mountains of Missouri, and an Ohio boy (Lew Will- iams) met me there. We bought 600 head of sheep, which we trailed across the country to Cozad. We had a good deal of trouble in crossing the numerous streams. At night we slept on the ground or in our wagon, and made a corral out of muslin to pen our sheep in. We sold the sheep soon after reaching Cozad. That same summer we made two trips to eastern Kansas, by wagon, and on each trip brought back milch cows, which we sold to settlers from Ilastings to Cozad. The

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spring of 1876 I went to Ellis, Kansas, on horseback, and when the Texas cattle drive came in I bought 100 yearling heifers for $700. I put my cattle in with a herd that came to the Loup valley. We located about eight miles this side of Callaway. I worked for my board and furnished my own saddle horses and bed. We hauled our supplies from Cozad and Lexington (then Plum Creek). This county was not organized. There were 110 mail routes and we got our mail only when we went to the railroad. That fall I wanted to cast my first vote for president, conse- quently, I made a fifty-mile ride to Cozad and voted for R. B. Hayes. The spring of 1877 I hired out to Gassman and Dufree, ranch- men, for thirty dollars per month. That fall (1877) I took charge of a ranch as foreman. The owners lived in Illinois. I had the whole responsibility of managing the ranch in all its details. I have ridden all night to get to the railroad to send out important mail to the ranch owners. The spring of 1878 I was ap- pointed county commissioner, and I held the office continuously until township organiza- tion went into effect. During 1881 I moved to my present home, in Arnold township. My first house was a log cabin. In 1882 I hauled lumber from Lexington (seventy miles) to build a house. In December of the same year I went back to Ohio, my home state, and was , married. When my wife and I reached Cozad, the sleeping room at the hotel' was a large room containing six beds, no stove. About midnight a drunken man came stumbling in, looking for a bed. The next day we started for our home on the Loup with a span of ponies and a buckboard. It was dead winter and deep snow covered the ground. That night we stopped with a farmer in the Platte valley, fifteen miles from Cozad. The house was not plastered and we could look out through the holes in the roof and see the stars shining. The second day we started bright and early. We had to break our road through the snow. There was no house between our own home and the Platte valley, a distance of thirty-five miles. When we reached home, Grandpa Hughey had supper ready, with some

of his good hot biscuits, coffee, and beefstead. As we had gone without our dinner, we did full justice to that supper, and here we have been ever since, wrestling with the ups and downs of western life."

DOUGLASS FINDS RELICS

J. J. Douglass says : "Relics of unusual in- terest have at different times been found in this country. In the summer of 1880, while riding on the Middle Loup, with others, we came to a bed of charred wood near where the Milburn bridge now crosses that stream. A number of beads were scattered about, and upon closer examination we found among the coals the under jaw of a man, and also a silver medal, two and a half inches in diameter, with a hole in it. On one side was the bust of a man, with the name, 'Pierre Choteau,' under it, while on the other side were the words: 'Upper Missouri Outfit.' Our sup- position was that some. Indian trader had been in that country trading beads and other trink- ets to the Indians for furs, that they had gotten into a quarrel and that the savages had killed and burned the trader."

JESS GANDY JOINS THE ELKS

Once during the summer of 1881, while Jess Gandy still lived near West Union, he and his wife were out gathering wild fruit. Jess was a short distance from the wagon. He heard a shot, and rushing out, found his wife had shot a four-pronged buck. But he proved to be only stunned. What was to be done must be done quickly, as the buck was liable to jump up and get away at a second's notice. The suddenness of the thing rather rattled Jess. He had no more ammunition, and not even a jack knife to cut its throat. He was indeed in a dilemma. A dozen different plans flashed through his mind in a few seconds as to the best way to kill the buck, and he saw with alarm that it showed signs of reviving. Jess was so excited he forgot he could take off his neckyoke and dispatch him, but what he did do was about as funny as Judge Kil- gore is said to have done in the winter of 1880. The judge packed water two miles for

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several weeks through two feet of snow, till some one suggested that snow, when melted, made water. But we left Jess with the buck showing signs of returning life. All at once a bright idea occurred to Mr. Gandy, and quick as a flash he had acted on it, and had dumped Mr. Buck into the wagon and tied him with his halter ropes. Then, sitting astride its head and neck, he yelled, "Let 'em go," and Mrs. Gandy did "let 'em go," for Jarvis Kimes' farm, a distance of half a mile east across the prairie. They had gone but a short distance when the buck came to his senses, and finding Jess astride of him, a struggle for life ensued between the two. It was just about an cqual match, and for some time it was a matter of doubt which would come out on top. The buck had free use of his hind legs and when he brought them down on the sides of the wagon box it looked as if he would soon kick the wagon to pieces. The noise frightened the ponies and away they flew, up hill and down hill, over the rough ground, Mrs. Gandy holding them straight ahead and letting them go. The sharp feet of the deer tore Jess' clothing into ribbons and bruised his body fearfully. He had a veritable white elephant on his hands, and when the ponies dashed up to the door of Mr. Kimes he was about exhausted, panting and gasping for breath, his face flushed and perspiration roll- ing down in big drops. Kimes helped him to let go the buck.

MRS. GANDY ENTERTAINS A STRANGER

In September, 1881, Mr. Gandy was mak- ing hay with a neighbor, Mr. Lyle, three miles west of the river, coming home only on Sat- urday nights, Mrs. Gandy being left at home to look after the cattle. One Saturday eve- ning a man came to the house and got his supper, telling Mrs. Gandy that he had eaten nothing for two days. He was a pitiful-look- ing object. He had a blanket rolled upon his back and carried a pair of shoes in his hand, his feet being so swollen that he could not wear them. After he had eaten his supper he requested of Mrs. Gandy the privilege of stay- ing all night. She told him that she was alone,

and that he would have to seek accommodation elsewhere. As he had come down the river in a boat, and there was a settlement at West Union, two miles further on, he started off and Mrs. Gandy got her pony and proceeded to round up her cattle. She returned, attended to her milking and other duties, and went to the house, it being by this time quite dark. When she entered the house, what was her consternation to discover the stranger sitting upright in bed, with two huge revolvers lying by his side and a number of papers scattered about him. When she came in he remarked to her that he was making himself at home. She replied: "I should think you are," and left the room. As it was Saturday night, she knew that Jess would be home about cleven o'clock, so she took her horse and started for Mr. Lyle's, meeting her husband on the way. When they returned to the house they found the man still sitting up in the bed, groaning with the pain in his swollen limbs. He begged so piteously to be allowed to remain that they had not the heart to turn him out, and he was allowed to remain until morning, although they suspected that he was a criminal. The supposition proved to be correct. as it was af- terward learned that he had robbed a postoffice at Stem's ranch.

JESS GANDY RIDES A BUFFALO

A funny incident is related of the experi- ence of Jess Gandy in trying to ride a buf- falo. He had made his boast that he was going to ride the first buffalo he saw. Short- ly after that, while out hunting one day, he came across four or five of the beasts. He fired at short range and shot an old bull through the lungs, which dropped down on his haunch- es and dropped its head, the blood coming out of its nostrils. Jess thought this would be an excellent opportunity to mount and to make good his boast. He succeeded in getting on the back of the dying buffalo, but soon found that he had mounted a very lively corpse, as the old fellow came to his feet with a bound and started off at a rapid pace. Dave Hick- man, who was an eye witness of the perform- ance, declares that at the second jump of the

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scared buffalo Jess was thrown about fifteen feet into the air. He came down on his feet and lost no time in making for a tree about a hundred yards distant, into which he climbed while the buffalo was flying in the opposite direction.

THE MASONS BURIED HIM

Eber Barber, who came to Custer county a little while before the buffaloes got out of it, has had some experiences that do not fall to the lot of every pioneer. He was here before he was married, and as a cowboy and an all- round utility chap was in much demand on the big ranches. He was here in time to kill a buffalo in the county. In speaking of his experiences he tells the following :

A young Englishman by the name of Dan Todd died at the "White House," down on the South Loup, in the winter of 1882. It was very cold at the time and two feet of snow covered the ground. It was impossible to dig a grave and nobody seemed disposed to take the initiative in the obsequies. Barber says he knew that Todd was a Free Mason and ac- cordingly he resolved to take the body to Lex- ington and turn it over to the Masons there for burial. He loaded the body on to a sled and with a yoke of oxen hauled it down to the head of Wood river, where a man named Marve Henry hitched on his mules in the place of the oxen and accompanied Barber and the dead man the rest of the way. All day long they wallowed through the deep snow with their uncomplaining passenger. It was as gruesome as it was tiresome and hazard- ous. All day they bucked the snow and en- couraged the mules. Early in the morning. as they started out from Henry's place, they had a chance to send word to the Masons in Lexington, by the mail carrier, that they were coming. Along with this announcement went a description of their bill of lading. When within six or eight miles of Lexington, and nearly exhausted. they met two teams with eight men, all Masons, coming to meet them. and help them into town. Barber says, "Jim- miny crackey, but I was glad to see them."

He adds that the Masons took care of Henry and himself while they were in Lexington, gave them every comfort, besides holding funeral services over the remains of Todd and paying the entire bill for Christian burial.

TIIE FIRST GREAT FLAG POLE

In the summer of 1880. as the Fourth of July drew near, the people of Westerville were desirous of celebrating the day. Mr. Wester- velt had a red-cedar log which he said he would give for a liberty pole, but it was not long enough, and Mr. Baker was patriotic enough to go to the cedar canyons and get another. The two were spliced together and raised. so that "Old Glory" waved above the people upon that eventful day. The pole stood in the middle of the main street, which was named Loraine, in honor of Mrs. Westervelt.

For years afterward this pole stood proudly erect, ready to receive the old flag and float it upon the winds in full view of all the sur- rounding country upon the occasion of every natal day or time of every public celebration. The pole is gone now, but other poles have been erected all over the county to take its place, and in these war times the patriotism of Custer county people keeps the flag floating all the time.

THE FIRST COUNTY SENT CONTEST

The first contest over the county seat in Cus- ter county, was over the removal of the county seat and postoffice from Custer, Nebraska, to Broken Bow. This was in 1881. Custer was on Frank Young's ranch, near the mouth of Spring creek.

The far-sighted ranchmen saw that the logi- cal place for the county seat was in the center of the county. Mr. Young and his neighbors were for keeping it at Custer and argued that it might have to be brought back if moved, and that would mean a big bill of expense. This argument prevailed with the board of county commissioners until John E. Myers, then chairman of the board, said if it had to come back he would pay the bill. Then it went through with a whoop.

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A HOSPITABLE ROOF

J. J. Douglass gives the following account of two early settlers, one famous for his hos- pitality and the other equally as famous for his hostility.

"One of the interesting characters of this region at that time was Louis Wambsgan, one of the very earliest settlers, who located near where Oconto now stands. His house was the only stopping place for a number of years be- tween Plum Creek and the South Loup. and there was hardly a night the year around that two or three cowboys could not be found at 'Louie's' as he was familiarly called. He could always furnish sport for the boys in some way, and his annual turkey shoots dur- ing the holidays became famous throughout this region. I have heard many a good story told under Louie's hospitable roof. Wambs- gan was the first county judge. being elected at a special election held July 31, 1877.

A LITTLE SPORT WITH GUNS

"Frederick Schreyer was another interest- ing character. He was the first homesteader on the South Loup between Callaway and Arnokl. He was a very resolute German, about fifty years of age, and as eccentric as he was resolute. He constructed a dugout in which he imagined he would be secure from the depredations of the festive cowboy. As we have said before, there was a natural an- tipathy between the cowboys and the settlers, and the breach became wider and wider as time passed by and the settlers became more numerous. Armed encounters were frequent and bloodshed was often the result. Schreyer often had encounters with the cowboys and at one time was wounded in two places. He thought he was going to die, and had Charles Rockwood draw up his will. He had a ford near his house which he called his ford, and without his consent nobody was allowed to cross the river at that place if he could prevent it. He also surrounded his house with a high sod wall, which he called his fortifications. On the morning of April 1, 1878, J. D. Has- kell and the writer put some tools in a wagon

and went up the river to repair a corral. In going we crossed the river at Schreyer's ford. We saw nothing of him at that time, but dur- ing the day he sent us word that if we at- tempted to cross there in coming back he would shoot us. When we arrived at the ford on the way back. and while watering our horses, we saw Schreyer and his son running toward the house with guns. As soon as we got within range they raised up from behind their fortifications and began firing at us. We were unarmed, and, thinking discretion the better part of valor, put the whip to our team and got out of the way. In our flight we had to pass pretty close to the house, and one of the shots tore the step from the side of the wagon. From that time on there was trouble. Young Schreyer was arrested on the Platte, but escaped and went to Lincoln, where he remained a month. He came back to Kearney. was again arrested and was brought up into Custer county. He and his father were taken, handcuffed, to Custer for preliminary examin- ation, and were bound over to appear before the district court. Not giving bonds, they were lodged in the Lexington jail. In July they were tried and sentenced to serve a term in jail, by Judge Gaslin. They served out their time and got home the next winter.

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History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 16

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180