USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > History of the city of Omaha, Nebraska > Part 80
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It was in this campaign when Dr. Coffman, with Surgeon Burke, General Sherman's medical director, entered a field hospital where some old surgeons were operating on a soldier, attempting to remove an arm with a tourniquet applied, the hemorrhage was un- controlled. Dr. Coffman seeing the peril, stepped up, and placing his thumb over the subclarian artery, compressed it, telling the surgeons to remove the tourniquet and pro- ceed with the amputation, which they did. Upon this incident, the medical director at once issued an order assigning him as chief of the operating staff, which honored position he always filled with honor at every succeed- ing engagement during the war. When General Sherman called for volunteers, through the officers of his command, to run
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the batteries at Walnut Hill, the Thirty- fourth Iowa responded, knowing that the passage before the batteries meant almost instant death. Dr. Coffman was consulted, stating he would accompany them on the transport to the bottom of the Yazoo River, where they were all destined to land, fortu- nately the order was rescinded, and the brave soldiers were saved from destruction, as the river was full of torpedoes.
On the 26th of November, 1863, Dr. Coffman was honored by receiving promo- tion to the office of surgeon of the regiment. The duties of regimental surgeon he per- formed faithfully, till he was assigned to duty on the staff of General C. C. Andrews, commanding one of the divisions of the Thirteenth Army Corps, as his chief medi- cal officer. At the siege of Mobile, he was at the operating table, where he worked for forty-eight hours continuously without rest. He was also on duty for a term with General Steel, as his medical officer. Dr. Coffman was always a favorite with his superior officers, never failing to obey an order.
On the 13th of March 1865, was dated his commission, from the President of the United States, as brevet lieutenant colonel, for meritorious services rendered during the Mobile campaign, he having been recom- mended by General C. C. Andrews, with whom he was serving. When not on other duty, the doctor continued with his regi- ment through the different campaigns. IIe was with the fleet which encountered such a fearful storm on the Gulf of Mexico en route to the mouth of the Rio Grande, after which he was with General G. Ransom, who was the commander of the forces on the Texas coast, and of whom he speaks with the greatest praise. At the close of the war he was ordered to proceed north to Daven- port, Iowa, where his regiment was mnstered out of service in 1865. The doctor never had been off duty or on a leave of absence during the war. Upon leaving the army Dr. Coffman went to Philadelphia, obtaining the degree of doctor of medicine from the Jefferson Medical College, thence returning south, he went to Houston, Texas, taking the position of acting surgeon. He was assigned to duty with the Seventeenth In- fantry. Major Lathrop's command, serving with them till the fall of that year, when he returned to New York, entering the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Bellevue
Hospital, spending the winter there, from whence he came to Omaha to visit a sister, and thinking this a good field, decided to locate. Ile arrived in April, 1867, ou a stage coach, with Judge Savage as a fellow passenger.
The history of the Iowa troop, in com- menting on the 34th Iowa Infantry, refers to Surgeon Victor H. Coffman as one of the best and bravest of surgeons, and best of men. Since the close of his army service, he has always been willing to aid the invalid soldiers, and soldiers' widows, to obtain pensions whenever it is in his power. The doctor has continued in general practice since he first located in Omaha. IIe applied the first plaster of paris dressing for spinal curvature in Nebraska, his patient being a little child of Captain Spencer, late of the Confederate navy. The first operation of ovariotomy in Nebraska was performed by Dr. Coffman, in St. Joseph's hospital, since which time he has many times performed the same successfully. One of his recent operations was one of the most brilliant ever performed in this country, being the removal of a tumor of the thyroid gland, an operation never before performed in this country. It was performed in the presence of all the most prominent physicians and surgeons of Omaha, not one of whom believed the patient could survive; yet this (lid not deter Surgeon Coffman. The patient fully recovered and is still a resi- dent of Omaha. This operation is seldom performed even by Billroth, of Vienna, who has only performed it four times and not always with success. Dr. Coffman's opera- tions have always been characterized by conservatism. Whilst partial to operation surgery and bold in its execution, he has a dislike to fractures, preferring to pay the fee to another surgeon to attend cases of this kind, rather than perform the operations himself. His obstetric practice has been very extensive and most successful, but his preference is to treat disease. He has the reputation of being most remarkable in his faculty to diagnose diseases. In disposition he is kind, considerate. and most generous, never losing an opportunity to render assistance to young and less favored men in his profession. He is a descendant of a long line of professional men. among whom have been those devoted to law, medicine, theology and letters. He is a first cousin to
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Rev. Dr. William King of the Methodist Episcopal Church, holding the honored position of president and professor of Greek and Latin of Cornell College for the past twenty years.
Dr. Coffman was married on the 10th of September, 1879, by the Rt. Rev. Daniel Riordan, in the city of Chicago, to Miss Rose Devoto, a young lady of many accom- plishments and rare gifts, a graduate of the famous school, St. Mary's Academy, Notre Dame, Indiana, where she is remembered as one of the brightest students.
Her name is still a household word in her loved alma mater, spoken with affection by tutors and students. She is a native of Ohio, though born of Italian parentage. She inherits a voice of rare sweetness which has received much cultivation. Of this union there have been four children: Weis D. C'off- man, born August 8, 1880; Augusta Marie, born December 6, 1882; Rose Lyle, born July 1, 1886. Thecla lone, born January 11, 1892; died, March 11, 1892.
. Doctor fairly worships his children, They have been baptized in the Catholic Church, and his greatest pride is in their little devo- tions. He believes in educating children in faith and belief and observance of a religion, and an obedience to the laws of God and man. Dr. Coffman is a member of the State Medical Society; also a member of the American Medical Association. He was one of the organizers of the Omaha Medical College and was chosen professor of theory and practice, which position he held for a term of years, during which time he was also elected president, resigning his chair on account of over-work in his profession, he having probably the most extensive practice in the State, during several years past, his book accounts and cash receipts amounting ing to thousands of dollars yearly. His de- votion has been to the practice and not to collections, as his unpaid book accounts at- test. After having been in practice twenty- five years in Omaha, his unpaid accounts amount to over one hundred and fifty thous- and dollars. Hle has always been most kind to the poor, and more considerate to them in his attentions than to the wealthy. IIe keeps pace with his profession; is a keen ob- server, a special diagnostician, and withal a very successful practitioner. Socially he is "a hale fellow well met" with all, is widely known in his profession, from ocean to ocean,
and is recognized by the ablest men as at the head of his profession. He has a great rev- erence for religious belief, and during the earlier part of his life was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
THOMAS B. CUMING .- The subject of this notice was born in Genessee County, New York, December 25, 1828. 1Iis father was Francis H. Cuming, born in Connecti- cut, an Episcopal clergyman, who officiated first in St. Luke's Church, in Rochester, and subsequently in St. Mark's Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. His mother's maiden name was Caroline A. Hulbert, who died when Thomas was a child; and the father again married-the second time to Charlotte llart. The boy became one of the family of Rev. Dr. Penny, a Presbyterian preacher, in Rochester. He afterwards returned to his father (whose home was then in Michi- gan), under whose care he was prepared for college.
In his boyhood, he enjoyed a training of the highest character. Ilis father instilled into his young mind, with all a parent's anxiety and care, those habits of laborious study-of thorough mastery of whatever engaged his attention - which eminently fitted him for an honorable career in life. Especial care was taken as to his religious culture. He entered the first freshman class of the University of Michigan-an insti- tution then just put into operation. The student-life of the young man was a com- mendable one; and, although the youngest of his class when graduated, he received the honors of the faculty, evidenced particularly in the university, by his delivering the Greek oration.
Removing with his father's family to Grand Rapids, he began teaching, following that occupation until the commencement of the Mexican war, when he enlisted, and, after many hardships, reached the scenes of con- fliet, and was soon the recipient, by post, of a lieutenant's commission. Contracting dis- ease, he was compelled to return to his own country from the army. He was afterwards "carried away" with the California gold fever, but he got no farther west on his jour- ney than St. Louis, where he was prevailed upon to accept the position of telegrapher. Although entirely unacquainted with tele- graphing. in three weeks he mastered "the magnetic mysteries of lightning printing,"
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and was subsequently placed in charge of the Peru and Keokuk offices. This brought him finally to the last-named place as a resi- dent-fortunately.
But the occupation of the young man did not wholly engage his mind. He wrote an anonymous article to the Dispatch, a paper published in Keokuk. It arrested attention ; he wrote another-curiosity as to who was its author was excited; another and another appeared, and curiosity increased more and more. One person and another to whom they were first attributed disclaiming their authorship, they were at last traced to the young telegraph operator. The ability which they displayed was not to be lost, and he was immediately placed in charge of the paper. It soon came to be the leading jour- nal in the State-hardly ever did a country newspaper exercise such large influence.
On the 6th of December, 1853, Mr. Cum- ing and Miss Marguerite Carleton Murphy, a most intelligent and beautiful lady, of Keokuk, were married. The wife, a Catho- lic in her religion, is a descendant of some of the first settlers of Maryland and Virginia, of which last mentioned State she is a native; and she is still living in Omaha, highly respected, the sister, it may be said, of Frank Murphy, the well-known capitalist of the city.
It was while in charge of the Dispatch, in 1854, and somewhat in reward for the valu- able services rendered by him to the demo- cracy, that he was appointed Secretary of Nebraska, by President Pierce, under the act of congress organizing the Territory, approved May 30, of that year. The officers appointed were, Samuel Burt, of South Caro- lina, governor; Thomas B. Cuming, of Iowa, secretary; Fenner Ferguson, of Michigan, chief justice; James Bradley, of Indiana, and Edwin R. Hardin, of Georgia, associate justices; Mark W. Izard, of Arkansas, mar- shal; and Experience Estabrook, of Wiscon- sin, attorney. Governor Burt reached Belle- vue, the only village in the Territory worthy of the name of one, on the 7th of October, 1854, and the next day came Secretary Cum- ing and his lady. The governor was soon taken sick, but notwithstanding the fact, took the oath of office on the 16th. Two days later he died.
The vacancy in the executive office caused by Governor Burt's death, was filled by Sec- retary Cuming, who, ex officio, became acting
governor. The first act requiring his signa- ture in an official way, was his transmitting the intelligence of the governor's death to President Pierce, by telegraph and letter.
The acting governor's first official act, which was the first one performed in the Territory by its chief executive, was the issuing of a Thanksgiving proclamation, October 18, 1854.
The second official act of the acting governor was a proclamation, issued in pursuance of the requirements of the organic act, giving notice that there would be an enumeration of the inhabitants of the ter- ritory. It was dated October 21, 1854, and announced that the enumeration would commence in three days thereafter, under officers, instructed to complete the same, if possible, in four weeks. Immediately after the completing of the census (which showed a population of 2,732, including 13 slaves), notices were distributed for the election of a delegate to congress and a territorial legislature. The election was held Decem- ber 12, 1854, resulting in the election of Napoleon B. Gidding, as delegate. Upon the basis of 2,732 inhabitants, Governor Cuming apportioned the number of council- men and representatives among the eight counties of the Territory he had created under the organic acts as follows: Douglas County, four councilmen, eight representa- tives; Pierce County, three councilmen, five representatives; Burt County, one council- man, two representatives; Washington County, one councilman. two representa- tives; Dodge County, one councilman, two representatives; Cass County, one council- man, three representatives; Forney County, one councilman, two representatives; Rich- ardson County, one councilman, two rep- resentatives.
The location of the capital of the Territory was another of the important acts devolving upon Governor Cuming. It was given him by the organic act and he had to determine and fix the time and place when the first session of the legislative assembly should be held. He fixed the date to be January 16, 1855, and the place Omaha City, by a proclamation issued December 20, 1854.
At ten o'clock A. M., on the day fixed by the proclamation just mentioned, the legis- lature of the Territory assembled at "Omaha City," consisting of thirteen councilmen and twenty-six representatives, the number
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designated in the act of congress creating the Territory, and to this body on that day Governor Cuming delivered his message.
It may be mentioned that even before the assembling of the legislature, Omaha was the scene of intense excitement. "Men dis- appointed in their cherished hopes at the failure to secure the location of the capital in their respective' 'towns,' filled the streets, and vowed that the session should not be held." But the decision of the governor was finally sustained without bloodshed.
A successor to Governor Burt in the per- son of Mark W. Izard, of Arkansas, having been appointed by the president, that officer was formally presented to both houses of the territorial legislature by Acting Governor Cuming, on the 30th of February, 1855, and was heartily welcomed. He responded in a neat but very brief speech. On the 23d he took the oath of office and the acting governor at once assumed the duties of secretary only. Governor Izard deliv- ered his first formal message on the 27th.
From the date of Secretary Cuming as- suming again the duties of his office until the resignation, in November, 1857, of Gov- ernor Izard, when he again became acting governor, he discharged them faithfully.
His message as acting governor to the territorial legislature at its fourth session, which began December 8, 1857, and was delivered the next day, recommended an application to Congress for a grant of land to assist and encourage railroad enterprises, especially for a Pacific railroad through the route by the valley of the Platte, arguing that to be the most feasible and natural route. The subject of banking was next men- tioned; he advocated a monthly or at least quarterly inspection of them. He informed the legislature that the United States wagon road from the Platte River, by way of the Omaha reserve, had been constructed to the Running Water, a distance of one hundred and three miles; and that the military road to Fort Kearney was nearly finished. He also mentioned that there had been pre- empted in the Territory, during the year 1857, 402,349 acres of land; that 339,131 acres had been secured on warrants; and that 63,218 acres had been purchased with cash. It was, by odds, the ablest executive paper that had yet made its appearance in Nebraska.
"Peace and good order," said the gov-
ernor, "practical vigor and manly observ- ance of constitutional obligations have char- acterized the conduct of our people. No dangerous agitations or political heresies have been permitted to take root; but the seeds of industry, education and law, planted at the commencement by enterprising and practical men, have yielded the legitimate fruit of safe and efficient self-government. Under such circumstances, and inhabiting a country of such vast extent, natural beauty and productive wealth, . we may well congratulate each other upon our veri- fication of the political truth-' Happy is that people, whose annals are tranquil '."
But " peace and good order" did not long prevail among the members of the legisla- ture. The cause, as already explained in this history, was the attempt to remove the sitting of the legislature from "Omaha City" to Florence; but the firm attitude of the acting governor for the month that he still remained in office, helped in no small degree to thwart the plans of the mal- contents.
The third governor of Nebraska Territory was William A. Richardson, who relieved the acting governor on the 10th of January, 1858, and the latter again resumed his duties as secretary. He was, soon after, paid a merited compliment by one of Omaha's most talented speakers: "The executive energy which in stormy times organized this Territory; the rich, full, nervous rhetoric which captivated the people on more than one occasion; the rare, curious, thorough learning on the ‘ philosophies,' which, a year ago, charmed and astonished this auditory ; the hearty grasp of the hand; the generous warmth of the heart; the decision which even in sickness withstool the Florence recusants ;- all these qualities characterize the man, who seems to me a striking ex- ample of western character."
'This was the tribute paid by James M. Woolworth to the secretary as acting gov- ernor; and time has only made more em- phatic its justice. Mr. Woolworth referred to the sickness of the secretary. It began even before the renewal of his gubernatorial duties and unfortunately did not end with them.
Thomas B. Cuming died on the morning of the twenty-third of March, 1858. As Governor Richardson had been absent from the Territory some weeks, the secretary had
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up to the time of his decease again been, for that period, aeting governor. His funeral was on the twenty-fourth, and his remains were deposited in their final resting-place in Omaha, on that day. They were followed to the grave by many hundreds. Minute guns were fired by the Omaha Light Artillery; and the Council Bluffs Guards, with muffled drums, shrouded colors, trailed arms and heavy hearts, participated in the obsequies.
In stature, the subject of this sketch was rather below the medium height. Ile was compactly built; his complexion swarthy; his hair black as the plumage of the raven; his eye-brows heavy; his eyes deep-set, rest- less, dark and flashing.
Neither the lapse of time, nor thronging events can efface the memory of the gifted and generous Cuming from the minds of those still living, who knew him. No more gifted person has ever lived in Nebraska.
CHARLES H. DEWEY, for twenty-five years was an important factor in the busi- ness interests of Omaha. Locating here in 1865, he bought a small stock of furniture and formed a partnership with Mr. John Trimble, now a resident of San Jose, Cal .. the firm being Dewey & Trimble. The business was conducted at that time in a small frame building on Farnam Street, and the entire stock did not exceed $3,500 in value. The ground upon which the build- ing stood is now a portion of the site occupied by the four story brick structure in which the business of the Dewey & Stone Furni- ture Company is conducted. Certainly no other firm in the city can say their busi- ness has been condueted on the same spot of ground continuously for twenty-eight years. Previous to locating in Omaha, Mr. Dewey's life had been full of adventure and varied experiences. He was born in Kennebec County, Maine, September 28, 1828, his mother, Sallie Williams, being a direct descendant of Roger Williams. When he was two years old the family moved to Amherst, Massachusetts, thence to Binghamp- ton, New York, and from there to Cashoc- ton, Ohio, where all his early associations were centered. There he learned the furni- ture trade with his father. Ex-Governor Stone of Iowa, now assistant United States land commissioner at Washington, lived in the family, and the two boys painted chairs together.
In the spring of 1849, Mr. Dewey crossed the plains to California, walking every step of the way from Independence, Missouri, pursuant to a determination formed upon starting, to make the journey in this way, following the wagon filled with supplies. In those early days the country swarmed with hostile Indians, and the trip was marked with hardships and thrilling adventures. The succeeding seven years were spent in Cali- fornia, a large portion of the time in the mining camps on Feather River, Clear Creek, Trinity River, Yuba Bar and other famous localities. In 1854 he located in Sacramento, and the following year rented a building at the corner of K and Sixth Streets, and established a carriage business with Mr. Andrew J. Simpson, now of Omaha, as a partner. Two years later he returned to the States and engaged in the furniture business, being located at different periods for a short time, in Davenport, Iowa, South Bend, Indiana. Nashville Tennessee, Denver Colorado, and a portion of the time in Kentucky. Mining excitements retained their charms for him, however, and in 1862 he went to Pike's Peak and, later, spent some time in the newly discovered gold fields of Montana and Idaho, returning East with an ox team in 1865. Reaching Omaha, he camped at the corner of Fifteenth and Capitol Avenue, where he found an abund- ance of prairie grass for feed. He was impressed by the prospects of Omaha, in a business way, and concluded to locate here. Ilis career in this city was marked by an unusual degree of financial prosperity and a personal popularity perhaps unequaled by that of any other resident of Omaha. Gen- erous and free-hearted, enterprising and of an unusual business sagacity, he occupied a prominent position in all of the relations of life during his long residence here. He was often urged to accept political office, and on more than one occasion was importuned by the leaders of the Republican party to allow his name to be used for the position of mayor, but he had no taste for politics and always refused these opportunities for poli- tical preferment. In 1884, however, he accepted the nomination for elector-at-large on the Blaine ticket. In 1878 he was ap- pointed by President Hayes commissioner to the Paris Exposition.
During the past twenty years Mr. Dewey spent a considerable portion of his time in
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travel, visiting Europe first in 1870. In 1881 he made a trip around the world, sail- ing from, San Francisco and visiting every divison of the globe-Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, China, Japan and the Sandwich Islands.
In August, 1866, Mr. E. L. Stone became a partner in Mr. Dewey's business which was for sometime conducted under the style of Dewey, Trimble & Co., and upon the retire- ment of Mr. Trimble a few years later the bus- iness was conducted for many years under the firm name of Dewey & Stone. During this period their four-story building on Far- nam Street, Nos. 1115 and 1117, was erected, as was also their five-story structure south of it, fronting on Harney Street. The first four and five story business buildings built in this state. In 1888, the business had grown to such an extent that a stock company was organized, with a limit mem- bership, under the style of The Dewey & Stone Furniture Company, and it is now the oldest and largest establishment of its kind in the West.
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