USA > Nebraska > Seward County > History of Seward County, Nebraska, and reminiscenses of territorial history > Part 2
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We returned to the city to be in readiness for the open- ing of the land office. A great crowd of people from every- where were awaiting to get a first chance. The office had been open for some days to accommodate pre-emptors, but this was the first public sale day. E. A. Desland was the receiver and Andy Hopkins was registrar.
That all might have a fair show, tickets were numbered and placed in a hat and shook up, when one of the agents held the hat up about as high as his head, and the people reached up over and picked a ticket from the hat, and just then it came our turn to get from that hat ticket No. 1, which gave us the privilege of entering the first section of land at a public land sale ever entered in South Nebraska.
We were freely offered a large sum of money for our chance but we had made arrangments with our company that the
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
one receiving the best number should use their number for all our party, so we had to turn down all offers.
In this glad hour we had determined to make Nebraska our home. In the last days of February, 1860, we gathered up what little of the world's goods we had, and with the good wife and one nine months old babe (now Mrs. J. A. Ruby of Seward), we bade adieu to the old home and turned our faces toward Nebraska and on the last day of February, 1860, just as the sun was sinking behind the western hills, Captain Beabout shoved his little steam ferry boat from the Iowa shore amidst the fields of floating ice.
Oh! how we watched with bated breath those ugly cakes of ice crash against our frail craft where all our earthly trea- sures were, and then how lightly and how joyfully we first trod the firm soil of Nebraska. Nebraska then, as now, was "fair to look upon." But how little did we realize what was in store for us, else the heart had fainted!
Two brave young hearts, with two pair of willing hands was our capital. We will now tell you of Nebraska as it proved to be when we became somewhat acquainted with it in 1860. The first legislature of the territory chartered a lot of what is now known as wild cat banks. There were the Platte Valley bank, Western Exchange, Nemaha Valley bank, Florence bank, the DeSoto bank and we don't know how many more. They all issued money and plenty of it. The bills were handsome then. They all bore upon the face these precious promises: First, That they were redeemable in currency and again that the stockholders were personally liable. Now let us illustrate. You hold a hundred dollars of Platte Valley bills, and as you desire to send some money east, you step into the Platte Valley bank and say, "Mr. Nuckols, please, sir, would like to get some money" current with the merchant, "to send east." "Certainly sir," says the bland cashier, and throws out a hundred dollars in new, crisp Nemaha Valley bills. "Yes, yes, that is currency." You
It looks all right; it is handsome as any take it, look at it.
picture, but somehow you are hardly satisfied. So you go twenty miles down to Brownville and ask the bank there to help you out of the trouble. "Oh, yes, we can fix you out," says the smooth fellow. "We can give you in exchange the
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
best money in the world," and throws down one hundred dollars of Platte Valley money. "But hold," you exclaim. "I had that same kind of money and I exchanged it for yours at Nebraska City and now I have walked down here twenty miles to get something I can use."
"Oh, well, then I can accommodate you," and throws down one hundred dollars of Florence money. "That's all right, sir, they have a gold sign." You are at the end of the rope. There is no other kind of money. All good money, gold, silver or good paper, had taken wings. Still money was plenty, such as it was, and speculation ran rampant. Paper cities sprang up here, there, everywhere. Thousands of claims were held by what was known as squatters' rights- by a right known only to themselves. Everybody was work- ing the "get rich quick" game.
Nebraska City contained at the time eight or nine hun- dred people and was a supply depot for incoming immigrants and it had other and greater advantages. It was a trading point for the Mormons as they were journeying to Salt Lake. It was a great outfitting place for the gold seekers going to Colorado, but greater than either or both these, it was the great starting point for the overland freight that was to sup- ply the government forts and to supply the army in Utah during the Mormon war. Majors, Russell and Wadell had a contract with the government to haul thousands of tons of army supplies. Everything about the city was on the boom. It was a time of wild speculation and excitement. Now begins the trouble. In 1857 the great panic started on the eastern seaboard and gradually started westward like a great tidal wave, crushing and carrying everything before it.
It came westward slowly but surely, leaving devastation and ruin in its onward march.
Now appears one of the great men of history, Galusha A. Grow of Pennsylvania, who has been honored by his people with a seat in congress so long that the mind runneth not back to the beginning of his great career.
This great soul as if by inspiration saw the impending storm that was to overtake and overwhelm the western pioneers and with an energy born of desperation he urged, and successfully, the passage of a homestead law. All the
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
people of the great west said amen! and amen! for it meant a free home to the advance guard of civilization on these prairies secure beyond a peradventure.
But alas! it must be recorded to the everlasting shame of President James Buchannan that he vetoed the bill which had become the hope of our brave pioneers.
These people that had the courage to brave all the hard- ships and danger of the wilderness, to plant foundations of a great commonwealth, asked of the president a fish and he gave them a "stone."
Just as the surging waves of that terrible flood of woes had reached this fair land, all interests were paralyzed and destroyed by the panic without previous warning just like a sharp thunder clap from a clear sky. The same heart- less president issued a proclamation putting the lands of Nebraska on the market.
Great God! what a staggering blow to the helpless settlers. The wild cat banks had gone to their holes and had pulled the holes in after them. The people were absolutely without a currency of any kind. The settlers on the lands were helpless and at the mercy of the sharks that came from the east in great numbers as soon as the news of the proclamation was sounded through the land. For a settler to get, by any legitimate means, money, to pay for a quarter of land was impossible. The shark would come to his rescue however, in manner following: Land warrants were worth one dollar per acre or $160 for a quarter of land. The shark would charge two hundred dollars and would also charge forty per cent for the use of it one year.
He would enter the land in his own name and give the settler a bond for a deed upon payment of two hundred and eighty dollars at the end of the year. There was inserted this innocent little phrase "Time is the essence of this con- tract." Many did not understand what it meant but they found out its full meaning one year later.
In 1860 when these contracts became due the people were worse off than ever and thousands gave up in despair.
Had it not been for the dawning of a better day in 1863, when a nobler man occupied the presidential chair, and a blessed homestead law had been given them so that they
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
could settle upon other lands, their lives would have become miserable indeed.
In the spring of 1860, Nebraska City was a bright, promis- ing little city, although business was dull in the extreme and many were leaving, yet it had promise of a bright future, w hen these dark clouds should roll by, but the "hour when we thought not" came upon us on the memorable 12th of May, 1860, a dreadful day in a dreadful year!
With a heavy gale from the south and everything as dry as tinder, the devouring flames came, upon us and it seemed as if in less minutes than it takes to pen this para- graph, the whole business part of the city was enveloped in flames. There was no possible means of combatting the fire monster.
Forty-six of the best business houses were consumed with almost an incalculable amount of merchandise as well as a vast amount of household goods and other property. The post- office, the best hotel, "The Nuckols House," stores, shops and other buildings went up in smoke. The loss was immense, as most of the buildings were costly brick structures and there was but slight insurance. On that frightful day with that hot flame and smoke ascended such a wail of horror as we pray God we may never hear again.
When the fire fiend had spent its force, another flame arouse. This time it was a flame of passion from maddened men. Some slight suspicion had been attached to a poor wretch for having set the fire.
An old lady had seen a fellow leaning up against the building where the fire started, lighting a pipe and some one thought it might have been this man who started the fire. Crazy men rushed upon him with the fury of a cyclone while he was in the hands of the officers. The mob was led by S. F. Nuckols who had lost heavily by the fire. The officers by dint of perseverence got the fellow away from the mob and into the jail (the old block house). For a time it seemed as if the officers would be overpowered, the man torn to pieces and sent up in a chariot of fire. On trial there was not a vestige of evidence against the fellow, only general bad character.
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
The city was virtually destroyed even worse than Chic- ago eleven years later. All interests were paralyzed.
It
Property depreciated until it had no selling value. seemed for a time that hope and energy had gone up in smoke with the property. Scores of men and women fled from the city as if it was a plague spot. Only three months had elapsed when we learned that our cup of bitterness was not yet full.
Hot monsoons from southern shores swept this fair land as if breath from out the mouth of hell had been turned loose upon the world. Sixteen days and nights without a lull these scorching, blighting winds prevailed. Our Kansas neighbors were just a little nearer the gates of hell than we were and got the worst of it, but we were too near for com- fort, or profit.
Our people secured a very little small grain. Wheat straw was not much longer than a pen stock, but the few grains in the little short heads were plump. So far as we heard there were no cases of starvation in Nebraska, but God only know how some of the people managed to live through the terrible ordeal. Those who pine and cry over hard times in these blessed days of plenty know little of what they are talking about, and if they could really know what the people went through in those dark days, just as the war clouds were gathering, they would hide their faces for very shame.
Nebraska City, like all frontier towns, had some hard characters to deal with, and when the courts seemed lax and slow in executing the laws the people were ready and will- ing to lend a helping hand.
In the winter of 1860 and 1861, a couple of worthless fellows were strongly suspected of being horse thieves and with "I guess so" evidence, an angry mob gathered and de- termined to tie the fellows to a post and give each of them forty lashes on the bare back.
The mob was led by one Nick Labou, (a rather tough character himself.) The inferior one of the two was led out first, stripped and tied and received his forty stripes and meek - ly received the warning to take his departure immediately. The second fellow, much the greater rascal without doubt, but was smarter and was plucky to the last, proposed
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
to argue the case. He defied the mob and hurled anathemas and maramathas at them without stint, and he finally awak- ened the sympathy of a man of wealth and standing by the name of Isaac Coe. He undertook to talk to the mob, and at first they hooted him, but Coe was made of stern stuff and he fairly brow beat that angry mob out of countenance. They finally untied the man and sneaked off like whipped curs. In these early years Nebraska City was largely dominated by southern influence. Some of the government appointees were Southern gentlemen, or at least in sympathy with Southern sentiment. This was also the home of several Territorial officers. Among the resident officers was Gov. Samuel Black, a Pennsylvanian. but a pro-slavery democrat, and a most bitter partisan. However, when the supreme hour of trial came, he proved loyal to the old flag and gave his young life in defense of its honor. The governor was a bright ap- pearing young man, with jet black hair and black eyes, nice- ly trimmed beard, tall, slender and straight as an arrow.
It was generally understood that he was rather lax in his morals, but so far as we were able to judge with only partial acquaintance, he was a good officer. Hon. J. Ster- ling Morton was Secretary of the Territory. Mr. Morton was twice called upon during his encumbeney to perform the duties of Governor.
Major Denisten, Indian agent of the Otoe tribe, was the only one in government employ of whom we remember that proved a traitor. He was a traitor and a thief as well. The government had sent money (about fourteen thousand dollars) to pay the Indian annuities, and under some pretense he withheld the money until the Indians became impatient then exasperated. Finally the whole tribe headed by Chief Artaketa came from their reservation in Gage County to the city and demanded of the major their money. The business men of the city were in full sympathy with the Indians, not for their love for the red men, but they were anxious for their trade. Many of the people were anxious that the money should be paid because they feared an Indian outbreak if the Indians should not receive their dues.
The major was obstinate and while he admitted having the money he did not propose to be dictated to by a lot of
ยท
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
red skins. He would not pay out the money till he got a good ready.
The Indians were in no mood to be trifled with. At a critical moment the Indians made a rush for him and bound him with ropes and dragged him through the streets from the east end of the city to his residence in the west end. Wild excitement ruled the hour and the people rushed to the scene of trouble. When we reached the major's house the yard was filled with Indians and white people all in a state of terrible excitement. Many of the Territorial officers were present including Gov. Black. Nearly all the business men of the city were in the crowd.
The cooler heads among the officers and people exerted themselves in allaying the excitement and in some way af- fect a satisfactory compromise.
By the help of an interpreter Chief Artaketa addressed the people setting forth in strong and forceful language the wrongs his people had suffered, how many of them had gone hungry and cold through the dreary winter by the perfidy of the agent when the Great Father had made ample provision for feeding and clothing his red children.
The old chief had the full sympathy of the people. This was our one opportunity to listen to true Indian eloquence. His great soul was all on fire, his tongue was loosened and his every motion was eloquent while we could not understand a word spoken. Yet we stood entranced as his burning words came forth like a stream of fire from a volcano.
Under pressure, the major finally agreed to go over to the agency in a few days and pay over the money, but the Indians would not take his word until Gov. Black pledged his honor as a gentleman and as Governor that the money should be locked up in Ware's bank safe and there re- main until the time set to go over to the reservation and the governor promised that he would go with the major and see that the money was properly paid out. This satisfied the people and the Indians acquiesced.
We believe that the governor acted in good faith and fully intended that the agreement would be carried out to the letter. But it was the major's heart to steal the money and carry it over to the enemy of the country. He succeeded
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
in deceiving his friend, the govenor, and while he was sleep- ing one dark stormy night, the major, with the help of per- sons unknown to us, got hold of the money somehow and started for Dixie's land, and they got there. If the money had been in Ware's safe, the question remains a puzzle, how they got it out. Efforts were made for his capture but they were unavailing and the next we heard of him, he was in South Carolina in the employ of the rebel government.
It may sound strange to the younger readers to hear that Nebraska, in ante-bellum days, was a land of slavery. In 1860 there were a number of slaves at Nebraska City.
Alexander Majors had two or three. S. F. Nuckols had two and there were some others. One government official, Mr. Harden, brought some slaves to the territory. Wheth- er these slaves were brought merely as servants or to serve a political purpose we knew not. But this much we do know that the Northern people looked npon the matter with deep concern, and with a grave suspicion that it was an attempt to fasten slavery with all its hateful consequences on this sacred soil. Slavery however was out of place here, and when a slave desired to go free, it was easy to secure a ticket over the "Underground Rail Road" with safe conduct to Canada.
Nebraska City was one of the stations on the system of which old John Brown was general superintendent. Here were rested, fed and cared for, scores of weary and hungry fugitives.
In a deep ravine just north of the cemetery was a cave which was undoubtedly a resting and hiding place for the poor creatures. This cave was on the property of a Mr. Mayhew whose wife was a sister of Kagie, one of Brown's trusted followers. We visited the cave in the summer of 1860. It was about sixteen feet deep and the entrance was from a deep ravine and well hidden by the brush, so that the casu- al observer would not discover it. A hollow log was used as a ventilator and reached the surface of the ground. The owner always claimed to be a rank democrat, but we could not get him to explain the use of that cave.
It may also sound strange to young Nebraskans that the rebel flag once floated over our Nebraska. Some prominent
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
men of that day are inclined to dispute this episode, but we know of what we write, for we saw the hateful thing with our own .eyes. It will be remembered that South Carolina, the leader in the secession movement, adopted a flag that fairly represented the venom that rankled in the bosom of the deluded people, "The rattle-snake flag." This most hateful emblem of treason embellished with huge and most vicious looking reptile, was found waving over the old block house one bright morning in the winter of 1860 and 1861, but Ne- braska had not seceded neither had she any intentions in that line. Just who was the guilty party was never quite plain, but grave suspicions rested on one Augustas F. Harvey, better known as "Ajax. Mr. Harvey was a strong pro-slavery democrat with secession proclivities. He was a man of marked abilities as a writer and was shortly after this editor of the Nebraska City News and later editor and publisher of a paper in Lincoln. He was a rank partisan and appeared to have no love for the government.
That rattle-snake flag could not long float in the breezes of Nebraska. As soon as the good people of the city had awakened to what was going on that reptile flag came down in a hurry and the Star Spangled banner again waved over the land of free Nebraska.
In the early spring of 1861 when President Lincoln called for troops, a war meeting of the citizens was held. Many prominent citizens were present. We well remember a young lawyer with a large, bushy head of long, raven hair, a man of grit and enthusiasm. This was O. P. Mason, later one of our most distinguished lawyers and once our chief justice.
J. L. Boydston was present and lent all his force in awakening the war spirit and in organizing the Nebraska 1st regiment.
General W. B. Burnett, surveyor general of the Territory, a man that had distinguished himself on many bloody fields in Mexico, made a little speech that thrilled our young heart as never before. He loved the old flag under whose folds he had carried victory on many a hard fought battle-field, and now when recreant hands would trail it in the dust his whole soul rebelled against the thought. He was ready to sink the partisan in the patriot. We will never forget his eloquent
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
peroration wherein he quoted words of pathos, born of love for his country, the immortal words of Drake:
"Flag of the true hearts only hope and home By Angel hands to valor given,
Thy stars hath lit the welkin dome
And all thy hues were born in Heaven."
A most prominent character of that day was Alexander Majors, who was at the head and was general manager of the great freighting establishment of Majors, Russell and Wadell. The business of the concern was of immense pro- portions, employing in a single season four thousand men and thirty thousand oxen with thousands of great prairie schooners that would carry ten thousand pounds of freight each and which required six yoke of strong oxen to haul.
Twenty-six of these great wagons were required to make one train and three hundred and twelve oxen to furnish the motive power. The drivers were known by the euphonias name of "bull whackers." Each train had its wagon master and assistant. These were shrewd wirey frontiersman, who were thoroughly schooled in all matter pertaining to the "wild and wooly west." They were mounted on broncho ponies. Each train was provided with two or three extra drivers. Every man in the train (about thirty) was furnished a pocket bible as a protection against moral contamination, two Colt's revolvers and a huge butcher knife as protection against Indians.
Each man wore a broad brimmed hat which many times bore some strange device. The driver carried a great whip, the snap of which was a terror to the poor brutes under his control. Every wagon would had straped to the gear an extra pole, one or two yokes and an ingenious contrivance for greasing the wagon.
There was a chip sack hung to each wagon box in which dry cow chips were saved and carried to do the cooking and were filled during the day by the drivers. There was scarce- ly any timber along the road this side of the mountain. At night these wagons would be placed in a circle with but one opening through which the cattle could be hurried in times of danger or sudden attack. Vigilant guards were maintained every night. The camp must be continually on a war foot-
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HISTORY OF SEWARD COUNTY, NEBRASKA
ing, as prowling bands of Indians were constantly on the watch for opportunities to plunder, and with all these pre- cautions there were many trains pillaged, the wagons burned and cattle stolen and frequently many brave men perished.
The "bull whackers" were a tough looking crew, but for all that the mass of them were noble men, in disguise. Many of them were finely educated and some of them graduates of eastern colleges and generally their hearts were as large as the hearts of the oxen they drove. They were generous to a fault, but ready to resent an insult at the drop of the hat. They would go all lengths to assist a comrade or other person in distress. While they were schooled to hardships and danger, in caring for the sick of their number they were as gentle and kind as a woman.
Mr. Majors was a most remarkable man. He was illiter- ate so far as school education was concerned, but in a business sense he was wise beyond most men. A man of sterling integrity, of wide experience and a most ardent pro- fessor of the Christian faith, a preacher of the gospel of Christ. Wherever the Sabbath overtook him, in the mount- ain fastesnesses, on plains or at the city, he would gather his men about him and preach the Word of Life to them, and impress upon their minds the necessity of purity of life. of honest purposes, of high aspirations and a remembrance of their mother's teaching at the old home. In his contracts with the men it was required that they should abstain from profanity, and all kinds of immoral conduct. This had a very beneficial effect upon the boys. It was the aim of Mr. Majors to send the boys home to their parents better, rather there worse than when they had left the parential roof. He paid liberal wages for the round trip sick or well unless dis missed for misconduct or neglect of duty,
Many of the boys saved handsome sums or money. Merchants, and especially clothiers, wore broad smiles upon their faces, when they heard of one of the trains approach- ing the city, for it meant a harvest to them. Sometimes as many as thirty suits of clothes were sold over one counter in an evening. After the long tramp to Salt Lake and re- turned, the boys wanted new clothes to wear home. At the outfitting station in the northwestern part of the city were
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