USA > Nebraska > Nebraska history and record of pioneer days, Vol IV > Part 5
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A little daughter came to this house and the mother en- dured much suffering with bealed breasts. No milk could be secured for the baby who died of starvation. There was no cemetery and the little one was buried on the claim near Har- rison. When an effort was made later to have the remains removed to the cemetery no trace of them could be found. Thus the little body rests beneath the wild flowers awaiting the awakening trump of the resurrection morn. There was no doctor at Harrison at this time. Water was hauled in barrels for family use. A rancher from over twenty miles away saw the house, called for a drink and found the woman in this pitiful condition. He told her he had a brother who was a doctor and he would send him to her. The doctor re- lieved her greatly and a year ago the lady told me she thought Dr. E. B. Graham saved her life at that time.
Having been a Bible class teacher in Michigan I organized a class in Harrison and conducted religious services from time to time in the hall. At the close of one of these services the only cyclone that has ever been known in Harrison seemed to
37
EARLY DAYS IN SIOUX COUNTY
start just west of the town. It consisted of two columns each about as large as a barrel, which moved slowly eastward until it came to Main street, when it turned south and followed the fleeing citizens who were running from it at a right angle from where they first saw it. Afterwards one of the men said: "I glanced back and the thing was just following us." In its path stood a small house made of lumber. It was torn into splinters. The cook stove was carried nearly half a mile and the stove pipe, table and chairs, broken and carried farther. The chickens were killed, their feathers picked off and scattered.
I had just concluded a religious service in the hall which was up stairs at the four corners of the town. There came a little dash of rain with large drops so I waited to see if there was going to be more rain. Everybody else had gone. I stood looking out of the west window when I saw it start and watched it progress and demolish the building above re- ferred to, I said to myself, "The Lord can take care of me here just as well as anywhere." I watched it approach, there was every indication that the building I was in would be wrecked. Then it turned south. I did not experience fear. I seemed to have the assurance that the Lord would take care of me even if the building was razed.
Many exciting incidents occured from time to time while the town was so new, viz .: When savage Indians were re- ported on their way to Harrison. This was a night of terror everybody expecting before morning the horrors of a massacre. The rumor proved false and the tension was re- lieved the following day.
The Sioux tableland is fine. Good people have been at- tracted to Harrison, because of its healthful climate. The better element prevails and now it is a pleasant town with modern homes, good lawns and beautiful flowers.
ANCIENT HOUSE SITES AT MEADOW, NEBRASKA By A. M. Brooking, Curator, Hastings College Museum
On May 9, 1921, in company with J. E. Wallace I arrived at Meadow, Sarpy County, Nebraska. While collecting birds we discovered an ancient house site three quarters of a mile west of "Hickory Lodge," the summer home of Mrs. A. J. Cornish. It was located about half way up the north slope of a ridge somewhat over a half mile long, running north and south. It had evidently been located behind the ridge in order to conceal it from enemies passing up and down the river, as the stream (Platte) was about three quarters of a mile distant.
38
NEBRASKA HISTORY
The depression marking the location of this house site is about twenty feet across from rim to rim, with a depth of about two feet and resembled the "buffalo wallows" commonly found on our western prairies.
Hickory trees were growing about the rim, one of which was seventeen inches in diameter.
In order to assure ourselves of this being a house site we dug a hole, about four feet square, in the center of the de- pression, and at seven feet from the ground level a heavy bed of ashes was encountered; which left no doubt in our minds that it was the fireplace of an ancient habitation.
The following morning we started a trench seven or eight feet long, running east and west, about six feet distant from the fireplace. We found the earth mould, which had accumu- lated since the roof had fallen in, to be very black. I judged it to have been about twenty-five inches thick before we reached the original roof covering. There was no exact way of determining this as it was of black earth resembling the dirt above it, the only difference being that the roof covering had traces of charcoal through it.
We struck the floor level, as we did at the fireplace, about five feet under the surface and found it to be of yellow clay, packed as hard as the day the original inhabitants left it.
On the floor at the east end of our trench a fine double- pointed flint knife was struck by the spade and broken. The layers of the floor seemed to be about four inches thick and bore evidence of having been in use many years.
The only difference that we could note between this and the pre-historic dwellings near South Omaha was the fact that no stones or rocks were found in the fireplace while at Omaha I am told, they are almost always found. Mr. Wallace, who has had considerable experience in excavating there, says that he never found a fireplace there which did not have them. All other material we discovered seemed to be about the same.
By carefully uncovering the floor we soon found evidence of a cache near the east end of our trench and about five feet from the fireplace. It had probably been used as a food cache as we soon began to uncover unio clam shells, and bones of various kinds. We were able to identify buffalo, deer and elk bones, also some large bird bones which we took to be Sand- hill crane. This cache was about eighteen inches across at the top, shaped like a jug, and gradually widened until at the bottom, five feet below the opening, it must have been fully five feet across. We found three sub-caches running out of this main one at an angle of 45 degrees downward, about a foot in depth. A beautiful flint celt was found on the floor of the main cache, pottery fragments were encountered at all
39
ANCIENT HOUSE SITES IN NEBRASKA
levels, some of them as large as saucers, but none of which would lead us to believe that they had been left whole. In this cache we also found six arrowshaft straighteners with well defined grooves, an implement of Dakota sandstone which may be a discoidal, four small flint scrapers, one round scrap- er, three arrow points, six chipped tools which may have been used as scrapers, one piece of red paint stone, showing use; a section of an elkhorn tool, a broken pipe, some rare red pot- tery ,and some bone which bore evidence of having been tem- pered.
At the bottom of one of the lower caches we found a fine digging tool made from the shoulder blade of a buffalo. Measuring the distance to the bottom of these sub-caches we found that they were fully eleven feet from the ground level.
The next day we opened another trench about four feet southeast of our first one, and found the opening to another cache filled with much softer dirt than the first one, which was packed as hard as the floor. Nothing was found in this except one perfect flint knife and some large fragments of a well made pot blackened by fire. We judged the depth of this cache to have been at least six feet from the level of the floor.
Owing to our limited time we were unable to dig further, but some good material might be found by searching out the other caches at the opposite side of the fireplace, as at the point of the hill overlooking the river large numbers of human bones and flint implements have been plowed up at various times by farmers working the land.
The natural supposition is that these are very evidently the same race of people who lived near Omaha, and that their settlement extended further westward than is generally sup- posed, as this is fully twenty miles from the main village. On the first ridge west of "Hickory Lodge" is a depression mark- ing a house site at least sixty-five feet in diameter. We dug down in the center of it but were not able to uncover the fire- place in the limited time at our disposal. We found charcoal scattered through the dirt to a depth of six feet. I am sat- isfied that it is one of the largest house sites known. It is located on the shoulder of the hill overlooking the river, in a cornfield where many bones and flint objects have been found during cultivation, and I am convinced that this would pay to excavate also.
40
NEBRASKA HISTORY
WOMEN EDITORS OF NEBRASKA NEWSPAPERS
In answer to questions regarding women editors of Ne- braska, Miss Martha Turner, of the Historical Society, has compiled this list :
Brock Bulletin, Miss F. E. Warden, editor and publisher.
Crookston Herald, Mrs. J. E. Estle, editor and publisher.
Dixon Journal, Rivola B. Bennette, editor and publisher.
Banner County News, Harrisburg, Ella B. Wilson, editor and publisher.
Hebron Journal, Mrs. Erasmus M. Correll, editor and pub- lisher.
Nebraska State Grange Journal, Kearney, Mrs. George Bischel, editor and State Grange Community, publishers.
Nebraska Legal News, Lincoln, Mrs. D. M. Butler, editor and publisher.
Minden News, Miss Florence E. Reynolds, editor, News Publishing Company, publishers.
Morrill Mail, Mrs. W. E. Alvis, editor.
Norfolk Press, W. H. & Marie Weekes, editors and pub- lishers.
Every Child's Magazine, Omaha, Miss Grace Sorenson.
Tidings, Omaha, Mrs. Mary E. LaRocca, editor, Supreme Forest, publisher.
Pawnee County Schools, Pawnee City, Elsie S. Hammond, editor and publisher.
Rulo Star, F. W. and Mrs. B. J. Beavers, editors and pub- Jishers.
Stromsburg Headlight, Mrs. Chattie Coleman Westenius, editor and publisher.
Upland Eagle, Mrs. J. W. Robinson, editor and publisher.
Verdel (Knox Co.) Outlook, Kate M. Robinson, editor and publisher.
York New Teller, Miss E. G. Moore, editor and publisher.
WORLD WAR RECORDS AND MEMORIALS
From T. S. Walmslay, chairman of the American Legion committee upon World War memorials and records, the His-
41
WORLD WAR RECORDS AND MEMORIALS
torical Society has received a most important and valuable r'e- port made to the American Legion at its meeting in Kansas City this year. The report is packed with definite information and opinion relating to the records, the history and memorials of the World War. These are matters which the State Histor- ical Societies and the American Historical Association are deeply interested in. In this field the American Legion and the Historical Societies find need of cordial cooperation.
A few salient facts in the American Legion committee re- port are given for information of members of the State His- torical Society who may not have access to that document.
Individual records of those in service during the World War are contained in the records of the Adjutant General's office, filling 140,000 feet of floor space and weigh over 2,000 tons.
Selected draft records of the Provost Marshal General's office contain the documents of 4.658 local draft boards and 23,908,576 registrants in draft lists, from which names were drawn those subject to service. These documents weigh over 8,000 tons.
Besides the above records, which relate primarily to the individual soldier and sailor of the World War, there are the national records of all the other departments of military ser- vice and supply, making in the aggregate many more thousand tons. These are scattered in various buildings at Washington.
The Adjutant General's offices in the various states have been supplied with cards from these national records giving the important facts relating to men in the service. Upon com- paring these cards with known sources of information in the service states it is found that about 10% of them contain er- rors. Some states which plan to publish service lists of their own soldiers have postponed such publications until the records are checked and verified.
The American Legion has recommended Congress to ap- propriate money for the erection of a national archives build- ing at Washington in which shall be housed these historical records for the use of state historians and other persons in- terested.
War history commissions in many of the states, composed of representatives of the State Historical Societies, of service men and others, have been formed for the purpose of preserv- ing in each state material relating to the state's part in the World War. From this material volumes of state World War history are to be published.
42
NEBRASKA HISTORY
John Bratt, Nebraska Pioneer and Author. 1864-1918.
TRAILS OF YESTERDAY
John Bratt was born in Staffordshire, England, August 9, 1842. He arrived in America July 9, 1864. After a remark- able experience in Chicago and the South he came to Nebraska in May, 1866 and engaged as bullwhacker at Nebraska City with a freighting outfit bound for Fort Phil Kearny, Wyoming.
For the next four years (1866-1870) Mr. Bratt was on the fighting frontier, employed as courier, ranch caretaker, team- ster, wood and hay contract foreman, contractor's agent and manager. The Union Pacific railway was under construction. Forts were being built. Military were moving. Indian wars were going on. Emigrants were migrating on the great trails.
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TRAILS OF YESTERDAY
Stage lines and pony express riders were traveling night and day. The greatest panorama of human life stretched over the plains and mountains from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean. Mr. Bratt's life at this period was in the midst of dan- gers and important events. He held places of responsibility handling both men and money. For one firm he disbursed nearly two million dollars. He grew in the confidence of his employers and was advanced and finally taken into partnership.
In 1870 the cattle ranching company of John Bratt & Co. was founded with Mr. Bratt as manager. For the next twenty- eight years he was in the plains cattle business, driving herds from Texas, building ranches, filling beef contracts, organiz- ing county governments for protection, fighting Indian and white cattle thieves, constructing irrigation ditches for great meadows, quieting unruly cowboys.
In 1898 Mr. Bratt went out of the ranching business, set- tled in North Platte, was member of the school board, mayor and devoted the remaining years of his life to business inter- ests, support of civic welfare and enjoyment of his friends and family. He died June 15, 1918, after a brief illness.
The manuscript "Trails of Yesterday" was written, as he says :
Sometimes these were written under difficulties in tent, wagon box, ranch, or on the open prairie, if not on my field desk; perhaps on a cracker box, the cooks' bread box, the end gate or seat of a wagon, the skirts of my saddle, or on an ox yoke. These facts are what I have seen and done in years of activity, often at the risk of my life.
He expected to publish the book himself, but left that by will to his wife and daughters who have discharged the duty with fidelity and love.
"Trails of Yesterday" is a real contribution to Nebraska literature as well as Nebraska history. It is the best picture of Nebraska frontier conditions thus far achieved in any book. In simple style the author tells his story. Incidents that stir the blood and fire the imagination follow each other in natural, truthful sequence. And, through it all, the pages disclose the personality of a real man.
Attorney I. D. Bradley of Attica, Kansas, writes a most interesting account of his early Nebraska experiences. In April, 1867, he hauled 3,500 pounds of shelled corn to Denver with four mules. After that he drove up the North Platte river to the old Beauvais Ranch where he had a narrow escape from 400 hostile Sioux. There are only a few still living who were on the plains in the war days of 1864-67.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
JUDGE GASLIN STORIES
George L. Burr, editor of the Register at Aurora, writes : "You ask concerning Judge Gaslin stories. I have one that came under my personal observation. It is not much, but such as it is you shall have it. I was a boy freighter from Smith county, Kansas, to Hastings, and when on the return trip, I stopped over at Hunnell's ranch between Hastings and Red Cloud for dinner. It was an election day and the candi- dates were Gaslin and Dilworth. We had a good dinner, albeit considerably late. While we were eating, a half dozen of us at table, the little daughter of the proprietor, Hunnell, a five or six year-old with long curls that were very beautiful, came to her father's arms, and said: 'They are having 'lection over to the schoolhouse, papa.' 'Is that so,' he replied, 'and did you vote ?' 'Yes, I voted' said she.' 'Who did you vote for?' in- quired the father. 'I voted for Dilworth,' said the little girl. 'I didn't want no old Gaslin in mine.'
"The man eating beside me ducked his head, but said never a word, and after dinner the other freighters told me that it was Judge Gaslin himself and that he was a good judge, but that he was prejudiced against women, he having a wife that had gone wrong, and that he had to watch himself in cases where women were concerned to see that he did no injustice."
Other Gaslin stories :
"At one term of district court the jury released several bad actors that the judge considered hardened criminals. They convicted one young fellow on a first offense. With utmost severity of manner he roared out: 'Stand up and receive your sentence.' The prisoner struggled to his feet expecting to re- ceive the limit and the judge said, 'Prisoner at the bar: For some reason, God only knows what it was, the jury have seen fit to turn loose on this community several bad men, more guilty than you. If they can do this I can turn loose one boy, that I hope will know more than to be ever caught in a scrape like this again. The sentence of this court is that you mount your horse, and be out of town in less than five minutes.'"
"When I lived in Webster county about 1884 they told the following yarn about Gaslin. The Cook murder trial where the man who committed a horrible and unprovoked murder of an employer was concluded and the prisoner ready for sen- tence. It should have been murder in the first degree but a mob had hanged and nearly killed him and he was very pluck- ily rescued by Sheriff Warren at risk of his life and as a re- sult the verdict was for murder in the second degree. The
45
JUDGE GASLIN STORIES
Judge had been greatly exasperated by several supreme court decisions in other cases and spit out : 'I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give this man five years in the penitentiary if he and his attorney will agree that he take his medicine and serve the sentence; or I will give him ten years in the penitentiary and he can appeal to the supreme court and see what they will do for him.' "
"Later at Bloomington, he was holding court, and my father, E. M. Burr, was one of the attorneys at the bar. As court got in motion it became manifest that His Honor was very drunk and not in fit condition to act on the bench. As father was bringing forward his case, the judge made a great effort to appear preternaturally attentive, but he as well as the onlookers realized that he could not conquer his indispo- sition. 'This court sojourned,' thickly enunciated, 'I'm not in condition to try a lawsuit, and I'm not going to do it.' 'To what date, your honor,' said father. 'To the twenty-fifth of Deshember,' said the judge. 'But your honor, that is a legal holiday' was urged. Confusedly he stared at the lawyers and jury. 'Whatsh holiday that comes on the twenty-fifth Deshem- ber?' he inquired aggressively. The great judge who was not- ed for short-cut justice being too drunk to know when Christ- mas came.
"Everybody has heard the story where he walked out, measured the breaking and passed judgment on the work, those points being in controversy in a case on trial before him. When court resumed trial of the case, he ruled out further evidence saying the court had seen the land and knew what the facts were."
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULA- TION, ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS
OF AUGUST 24. 1912,
Of Nebraska History & Record of Pioneer Days published Quarterly at Lincoln, Nebraska, for April 1922.
State of Nebraska, County of Lancaster, ss.
Before me, a Notary Public in and for the State and county afore- said, personally appeared A. E. Sheldon who, having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the Managing Editor of the Nebraska History & Records of Pioneer Days, and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the owner- ship, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in section 443, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to wit:
1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are:
Publisher, Nebraska State Historical Society, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Editor, A. E. Sheldon, Linco'n, Nebraska.
Managing Editor, A. E. Sheldon, Lincoln, Nebraska.
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NEBRASKA HISTORY
Business Managers, A. E. Sheldon, Lincoln, Nebraska.
That the owners are: (Give names and addresses of individual 2 owners, or, if a corporation, give its name and the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of the total amount of stock.) Nebraska State Historical Society.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: None.
A. E. SHELDON, Editor.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 11th day of April 1922. (SEAL) MAX WESTERMAN.
(My commission expires Aug. 4, 1927.)
"What has become" of the old fashioned newspaper custom of printing a "Carrier's Address" to the New Year's edition ? This custom was well nigh universal in the 50's and 60's, it persisted in the 70's and lingered into the 80's. The editor of this magazine has seen no such ad- dress since the 90's. The stimulus for this paragraph is the receipt by the Historical Society from Mis. J. M. Enochs, at the W. C. T. U. National Home, Kansas City, Kansas, of a very excellent copy, well preserved. of the
"New Year's Address" of the Carrier.
Of the Weekly Nebraska News.
To the Patrons.
January 1, 1857."
The address is in verse, which was the universal custom of those good old days. It was the business of the literary talent in each printing office to produce a page of verse-or worse-for this New Year's edition. The lines were supposed to rhyme and to convey some local allusions, some references to news and classic literature, some high hopes and as- pirations for the future. They were also designed to act as a stimulus on the subscriber for prompt renewal of his subscription and a bonus - the word was not then in use as now-to the boy who delivered the paper. So this old document, with its dear memories of the olden days, finds an appropriate place among the newspaper treasures of the Historical So- ciety. Space may be spared for brief quotation only from its contents: I don't suppose you ever knew it, That I the "Devil" am a poet; But when these rhymes do you all read,
A Poet you'll think I am indeed, Remember friends-I know it well, The secret to you, I will tell: "You can no more make yourself a poet, Than a sheep can make itself a GO-AT." * * *
* * On politics I've but little to say Since Democracy has carried the day, We've met the enemy gained the FIGHT And our future prospects are yet bright, And our brave LEADER needs no tear, Still enough his patriot heart to cheer, There is no dimness cast upon his fame And BUCHANAN is still an honored name.
*
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CARRIER'S ADDRESS-1857
I must by no means here forget,
Nebraska City is improving yet,
Buildings have sprung up in splendor,
Churches have increased in number; Arts and science still hold a place Learning still goes on apace;
We have a railroad almost here-
All with me join in a loud cheer. * * *
*
And now my friends and Patrons true, I must ask a favor of you Reward me with the precious dimes,
For my low bow and simple rhymes; And if you choose to give a Quarter, I'll not complain, "you hadn't orter;" "Twill not decrease your wealth or joy. But save from want your CARRIER BOY.
There are twenty-one other stanzas but the above samples will suffice. Fine old humanistic custom! Why did it not survive ?
A Los Angeles letter from Prof. H. W. Caldwell, former secretary of the State Historical Society, says :
"Of course you know that this city is making wonderful growth. In the last 15 months they claim that about 200,000 people have moved in. Thousands of houses have been constructed, and now everywhere in the city great numbers of houses and buildings are under construc- tion. Last evening friends took me with them on an automobile drive in a rather new and hilly section, yet we saw scores of houses under way, most of them very small in size. Great numbers of large buildings also are under way. The city in the last two years has greatly increased its manufacturing. The increase in population has made the rates for house or even room rent very high. I got out fairly well by going out of the central city to a nice district; and by a cousin I succeeded in find- ing a good room for $15 a month. Dr. Howard told me-I went there the moment I came-that in his section rooms were about $20 to $30. As it is I am about 8 miles from them, yet I can go on a street car for five cents.
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