USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Past and present of Adams County, Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 3
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It may be worth while to note in passing that the air we breathe consists in the main part of two chemicals, oxygen and nitrogen. There is also water vapor and other elements in small amounts. This nitrogen, so abundant in the atmosphere that it forms almost four- fifths by volume, is one of the most important of all land fertilizers. One large class of plants called legumes, of which alfalfa is one, have
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
played a very important part in the formation of a fertile soil. They have by means of the bacteria upon their roots transferred much nitrogen from the air to the soil. But the work of plants is not all destructive so far as the atmosphere is concerned. Plants furnish much oxygen to the air. The crust or covering of the earth is almost one-half oxygen, in the form of compounds with other elements. Water is also in part oxygen. The leaves of the green plants in their physiological processes give off great quantities of oxygen and in this way the oxygen content of the air is maintained.
Another important work of plants in the formation of soil is performed by the roots. The way in which a plant gets its food is somewhat peculiar. The roots secrete and give off in the presence of moisture chemical solutions that will dissolve particles of soil or even rocks. These solutions are then absorbed again by the cells of the plant by a process called osmosis and ascend to the leaves. Here other chemical changes are produced by the action of the green matter of the leaf and the sunlight. These green leaves of the plant are its digestive system. Here the food is prepared for all parts. The roots themselves get their food from the leaves. There are certain kinds of plants that will live upon rocks. Such food as they will need they get by the roots dissolving the rock and from the air. For long periods of time after outflows of lava from volcanoes and in other rocky places the only plant growth will be these mosslike forms which will in time and with the aid of water reduce the solid rock to small particles. Other plants will then obtain a foothold and dissolve the rocks still more, and, mixed with the humus from the dead plants themselves, a fertile soil is gradually built up.
In the geological history of soil formation these two factors are of first importance, running water and the roots of growing plants. Certain kinds of rocks of the limestone and sandstone varieties read- ily dissolve in water into elay and sand. But the granite rocks are much more stable. They are generally considered quite indestruc- tible so far as natural agencies are concerned. There is. however, no rock that these chemical secretions of plant roots will not dissolve, and the erosions of rocks by the agency of water is much aided by the roots of plants in many cases.
Should we wish to begin the history of the soil with the rise of the crust of the earth out of the sea, it will be at first all solid rock. Then by the action of the atmosphere and the rain partially dissolved on the upper surface. This was followed by the appearance of plants and more rock dissolution. also the formation of the humus layer, as mixture of dissolved rocks and decayed vegetation. The final result
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has been the fertile soil which now supports all plant and animal life. But in this process of development plant life has preceded animal life.
The climate of Nebraska presents many peculiar phases. This may be explained in part by the geographical location. The state is close to the mountains on the west. The wide expanse from the west to the east also gives room for a considerable variation in conditions; then there is the important fact of the general movement of storms across the state, and the changes due to topography. The eastern end of the state is not high above the sea level, but the rise is rapid in crossing the state to the west. There is a rise of about seven feet to the mile in Adams County going from the eastern line to the west- ern. The City of Hastings stands at an elevation of about one thou- sand nine hundred and twenty feet. Toward the western end of the state there is a more rapid increase in elevation above the sea.
The climatic conditions of any place will depend largely upon a number of factors. The general elevation above the sea is one. dis- tance from the sea is another. Proximity to mountain ranges, pres- ence of forest trees, and still other factors might be mentioned. The climate of any part of the country is in reality the result of natural agencies. Man himself has little to do with this question. It is quite probable that cutting down the forests has increased the velocity of the wind in these sections once heavily wooded. Cultivating the once prairie and grass covered sections may affect the amount of water which runs off after a rain. There is little reason to doubt that some considerable changes in climate are to be noticed in short periods of time for reasons mentioned above. But passing these rather small factors there remains still the general rule that climatic conditions are fixed and unchanging. The causes which produce all our weather changes are constant and have been since time first began. We shall discuss just briefly what these causes are, but since this work is largely historical we shall compare conditions of the present with those of the past. Half a century back when the pioneers were pre-empting the land they found the soil covered only with hardy kinds of grasses and plants acclimated to semi-arid conditions. This fact tells the whole story of climatic conditions for centuries. There is the proba- bility of periods of wet and of dry years, or of seasons with consid- erable rain during summer and of others with a drouth and crop failures. But in the long expanse of time there could have been little change in the climate of Nebraska.
The causes of climatic changes are to be found in the daily rota- tion of the earth upon its axis, and in the yearly revolution of earth
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
around the sun. Two main causes and then several minor ones which should not be overlooked. This daily rotation of the earth causes the atmosphere which surrounds it to move from the west toward the east. Since the movement of the earth is constant and fixed by astronomical laws, this west to east motion in the atmosphere is also constant. The distance passed over each day varies somewhat but will average from five hundred to seven hundred miles. That is in general-storms in Wyoming today will pass Nebraska tomorrow; they will reach Chicago in another day and New York in a second day after passing here. Some variations are to be expected. Not all storm movements travel so rapidly, others more so. But a regular movement in this direction is always apparent, not only across the United States but also around the world. Our weather changes come to us across the Pacific Ocean and with almost perfect regularity. About every third or fourth day a new atmospheric disturbance arrives on the western coast and moves eastward. Some of these disturbances or changes bring storms, others fair weather. Fre- quently a stormy period is followed by one of fair weather. At other times several storm periods follow in succession and there results a week or more of storms. Then again fair weather condi- tions follow one after another and for a considerable time there will be an absence of rain. This latter condition is more usual, or at least more noticeable in summer when crops are maturing and much financially is at stake. A period of dry weather at any other season than summer will usually pass quite unnoticed. One of the most interesting features in connection with the weather observations is this constant movement of storms towards the east. These take the form of large areas of high or low barometric pressure. The barome- ter is the instrument which measures the weight or pressure of the atmosphere. The weight varies depending on the amount of water vapor present. This water vapor is lighter than air. When much moisture is in the air the weight is less than when the air is dry. The barometer is so constructed mechanically that when the air is light it reads low and when the air is heavy the instrument reads high. Consequently, a low barometer indicates a light atmosphere or one with much moisture, in other words, stormy or cloudy weather. A high barometer indicates fair weather.
Another peculiar feature of these storm areas is the circulation of the winds. In an area of low barometer the winds circulate in a spiral formation and counter-clockwise in direction. In an area where the barometer is high the winds are circulating in the opposite direction or clockwise. The air at the center of a counter-clockwise
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movement is always rising to higher elevations where the moisture condenses into clouds due to lower temperature. For this reason clouds will generally form when the barometer runs low. The air at the center of a clockwise movement of the winds is descending, consequently expanding due to a higher temperature, and clouds will have a tendency to disappear.
The frequent periods of dry weather are caused by mountains to the west. This general movement of the atmosphere from the west toward the east will explain the absence of rain. Any storm approaching from the west crosses the high mountain ranges before reaching Nebraska. At the high elevations moisture is precipitated. This is the result of a fall in temperature in ascending above the land surface of the earth. The average fall in temperature is one degree for about every two-hundred feet of elevation. An ascent of ten thousand feet would mean a fall of fifty degrees in the temperature. The actual figures might vary slightly from these, but they will probably answer for an approximation. When any clouds contain- ing moisture rise to pass over the mountains, this cooling in temperature causes a condensation of the vapor particles and they fall because of their own weight. There is always much snow and rain in mountainous places. Once the clouds cross an elevation and descend, there is a rise in temperature and their capacity for carry- ing moisture increases since the warmer the air the more moisture it will carry. This is a physical law in science. The result of this is that the storms coming in from the Pacific Coast lose all their mois- ture in the high regions to the west and descend the eastern slope of the mountains as dry atmosphere or dry winds which even absorb moisture from the soil at times. At other times some of the moisture is retained by the storm clouds after passing the mountains and some rainfall occurs on the eastern side. But a region of dry climate must necessarily follow for the reasons given. It is true of all desert localities in every country that they are on the side of mountain ranges opposite from the general directions from which the winds blow. The western part of the state is seriously affected by lack of rain. The amount of rainfall increases considerable toward the eastern end. The winds gather much moisture from the soil also from winds which blow from the east and south and soon become saturated again after leaving the mountains.
In writing of the winds mention has been made only of the general kinds which are caused by the rotation of the earth and which are moving across the country from west to east. But there are also what are called local winds, and this kind is very conspicuous
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in Nebraska. They can be recognized at once. These winds come up with the sun in the morning and cease at night. The cause of this class of winds is difference of temperature in various localities over the earth's surface. They may blow from any direction and fre- quently shift about during the day. When these local winds come from the east or south, they usually bring much moisture that may cause clouds or even storms at times. For this reason east and south winds are aften called storm winds. North and west winds are quite likely to be fair weather winds.
A law of meteorological science also helps to explain the wind directions. When storms are approaching from the west, the winds shift to the east. After the storm passes and fair weather is com- ing. they change to the west or northwest. To put it in a single sentence, when storms approach from the west, they come up against the winds, and fair weather comes from the west with the winds. Here in Nebraska a storm frequently comes down from the north- west. In this case, the winds will be southeast, directly opposite the storm. The direction of the winds is the result of all these causes mentioned. The frequent changes are only what might be expected.
There is every probability that climatic conditions in Nebraska have remained unchanged for a long time back. The causes of our weather changes are fixed natural laws which never vary, while the appearance of the soil and vegetation at the beginning of historic time would indicate no change of marked importance since man first has any knowledge of the country. One exception to the above state- ment must be made. The earth is gradually cooling and here in Adams County. where once tropical plants grew, we now have those of the temperate kind. Other conditions have remained unchanged since the mountains to the west arose from the sea.
The great question concerning the future of agriculture in Nebraska is connected with the water supply. This may be solved possibly by the conservation of what now runs to waste through the river courses, or that which sinks into the ground and in this way becomes lost. The surface drainage of Adams County is largely through small branches of the Blue River system. A very small section of. the county is drained by the Platte River. Only a small percentage of the annual rainfall is lost by this surface overflow. The construction of dams and a system of reservoirs wherever pos- sible would be of much benefit to the whole country. A supply of water could easily be saved for irrigation purposes. Then the presence of surface water always tends toward a humid atmosphere. Experiments have shown that air in passing over a water surface
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
soon becomes saturated with humidity. The dry winds of summer are a very serious menace to the farm crops of this state. The con- servation of water in the river beds and other lowlands would do something towards increasing the moisture in the atmosphere and directly benefit all concerned. The large part of this work will necessarily have to be carried on by other portions of the state, since the surface run off in this county is quite small. But even in Adams County something could be done, and no doubt will be in the future to conserve our natural water supply. We have sufficient rainfall for all needs. The trouble has always been in the distribution. It remains for man himself to partially correct this by proper conserva- tion of this water supply for use in times of drouth. We must remember in this connection that agriculture in Nebraska is even yet in a state of infancy so far as time may be considered. The chief object has been to get the most out of the virgin soil with the least expenditure of labor. This method of farming has about come to an end. Two problems now confront the farmer. One of these is the conservation of the fertility of the soil. But another and still more pressing is the question of irrigation. Some ways and means must be devised whereby the lands can be watered when the natural supply fails.
The whole subject of farming in every branch is rapidly becoming a matter of scientific study. The high price of land and the unfavor- able climatic conditions make it imperative that the most skillful means shall be used to bring financial returns, and to overcome the frequent causes of crop failures. That this result shall be the history of the future goes without question. All that we need is the proper conservation of resources to make this county for all time the garden spot of Nebraska.
CHAPTER III
ORGANIZATION
In October, 1871, the inhabitants of the unorganized County of Adams petitioned acting Governor William HI. James, of Nebraska, asking that an election be held in the county, and the following month the governor granted the petition by issuing the following proclama- tion :
PROCLAMATION
Whereas, a large number of the citizens of the unorganized County of Adams have united in a petition asking that an election be held for the purpose of choosing county officers preliminary to the organization of the county,
Therefore, I, William H. James, acting governor of the State of Nebraska, by virtue of the authority in me vested, do hereby order that an election be held at the dwelling house of Titus Babcock, in said county, on the 12th day of December, 1871, for the purpose of choosing three county commissioners, one county clerk, one county treasurer, one sheriff, one probate judge, one county surveyor, one county superintendent of schools, one coroner, three judges of elec- tion and two clerks of election, and I do hereby designate and appoint Simeon Johnston, E. S. Knapp, and Volney Janes as judges: Milton F. Brown and William I. Janes as clerks, to conduct said election in accordance with "an act for the organization of counties," approved June 24, 1867, and the election laws of this state.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and cause to be affixed the great seal of the State of Nebraska, this 7th day of November, A. D. 1871.
[Seal ]
WILLIAM H. JAMES,
By the Acting Governor of the State, W. II. James.
At the election held in accordance with the proclamation twenty- nine votes were cast at the home of Titus Babcock in Juniata and
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
thirteen officials were elected as follows: Commissioners, S. L. Brass, Edwin M. Allen, W. W. Selleck; probate judge, Titus Babcock; county clerk, D. R. Babcock; sheriff, I. W. Stark; justices of the peace, W. W. Selleck and Harmon H. Ballou; treasurer, J. S. Chandler; assessor, W. W. Camp; superintendent of schools, A. H. Bowen; surveyor, George Henderson; coroner, Isaiah Sluyter.
While the election was held on December 12, the real work of the organized county did not begin until January 2, 1872. Upon that date the board of commissioners called a meeting to be held in the office of the county clerk. No quorum assembled, however, and the meeting was adjourned to January 16, and upon that date the first official business of Adams County was transacted.
The first act of the board was to divide the county into three com- missioners' districts. District number 1 comprised township 5 in ranges 9, 10, 11 and 12 and the two southern tiers of sections in town- ship 6. Mr. Selleck represented this district. District number 2 was defined as that portion of the county lying north of district number 1 and west of the line between ranges 10 and 11. This district was represented by Mr. Allen. District number 3 comprised all the ter- ritory of the county lying north of district number 1 and east of the line between ranges 10 and 11. Mr. Brass was the representative of this district.
On the same day the commissioners created seven road districts and appointed the following road supervisors: Eben Wright, Volney Janes. L. G. King, John M. Myer, R. K. Daily, Pliny Allen and James H. Sweeting. Road supervisorship came as an unexpected honor to the greater number of the appointees. Later they were to learn that no inconsiderable part of their work was to be done "with- out expense to the county." The location of the roads with the as- sistance of the county surveyor was the greater part of their duties and also to report to the commissioners where bridges and culverts were needed in their several districts.
Upon the first day of their meeting the commissioners fixed their own salary at $3.00 per day for the time actually employed and legal mileage. The salary of the county clerk was fixed as $150 per year and that of the probate judge at seventy-five dollars. No fixed salary was at first accorded the county superintendent except a compensa- tion of $4.00 per day for the time actually served. This rate of com- pensation was reduced to $3.00 per day by an amended motion before the close of the year. Some two weeks after fixing the original salaries the commissioners amended their action raising the salary of the county clerk to $300 per year.
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Salaries in the county offices have increased with the development of the county. At present the county clerk receives $1,650 per year; the county judge, $1,630; county superintendent, $1,600; county, treasurer, $2,000; clerk of the district court, $1,600; register of deeds, $1,500; county attorney, $1,300; sheriff, $1,800; county as- sessor, $700. The county supervisors are now paid $4.00 per day with the provision that no supervisor shall receive more than $650 in one year.
On the second day of their activities the county commissioners ordered that a building for the county offices be put up within ten days. The dimensions specified were: length, 20 feet; breadth, 16 feet; height between joists, 8 feet, and the rafters to come down to the upper joists. This building they ordered to be constructed of pine lumber; boarded and battened on the outside; shingle roof; four windows; one door; one matched floor and to be ceiled overhead with building paper. The sheriff was ordered to notify the contractors to file their bids for the work "before 3 o'clock this day." At that hour bids were opened and it was found that the bid of Joseph Stuhl, $30.00, was the lowest and he was awarded the contract. The com- missioners furnished the material which they ordered George Hender- son to supply under the direction of Commissioner Brass, who was also the superintendent of construction.
This little building brought thus hurriedly into being was the home of the county offices until about 6 o'clock in the evening of September 27, 1878, when the seat of county government was removed from Juniata to Hastings. The building was paid for by county order, issued when it was completed and accepted and to draw 10 per cent interest until paid. The building was insured for $250 with an additional $500 on the contents.
July 13, 1872, the commissioners levied the first taxes, declaring the total valuation of the taxable property of the county to be $957,153. For county purposes they levied for the general fund in- cluding the support of the poor, 5 mills; road and land fund, $4.00 on each quarter section : bridge fund, 5 mills: poll tax, $2.00 on each poll. The levy for state purposes was 334 mills. At the same time school taxes were levied as follows: on district number one, $905.75; two, $144.00; nine, $300.00; twelve, $870.00: sixteen, $650.00: seven- teen, $175.00. The next year, February 25, 1873, personal property was graded for taxation as follows:
Horses-Extra grade, $150.00; first, $75.00; second, $50.00: third. $30.00.
Mules-First, $100.00; second, $50.00.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF ADAMS COUNTY
Working Cattle, Yoke- First, $100.00; second, $60.00.
Cows-First, $30.00; second, $20.00.
Wagons- First, $75.00; second, $40.00; third, $20.00.
Buggies-First, $50.00; second, $25.00.
Double Harness-First, $30.00; second, $15.00.
It was the duty of the county commissioners to divide the county into such divisions as were authorized by law for the carrying on of the local government. On March 14, 1872, they divided Adams County into two precincts. All the territory north of an east and west line from the southeast corner of section 12, township 6 north, range 9 west, to the northwest corner of section 7, township 6, range 12, was called Precinct 1. Precinct 2 comprised all the territory south of such line. April 2, 1872, the commissioners named Precinct 1, Juniata, and Precinct 2, Little Blue. By this arrangement Little Blue Pre- cinct comprised all of the present townships of Logan, Silver Lake, Zero and Little Blue and the south two-thirds of Cottonwood, Rose- land. Ayr and Hanover. Juniata Precinct contained all the remainder of the county. On the day that the division was made the commission- ers appointed Charles H. Chapman assessor of Juniata Precinct, and Bigger H. Scott assessor of Little Blue.
October 9, 1872, the commissioners carved additional precincts out of Juniata and Little Blue. The territory of Juniata Precinct was subdivided into Kenesaw, Denver and Juniata precincts and Silver Lake was formed out of Little Blue. Kenesaw Precinct as formed at that time comprised all of the territory now Kenesaw and Wanda townships, the west tier of sections of the present Verona and Juniata townships and the north tier of sections of the present Cottonwood.
Denver Precinct as formed in 1872 comprised all of the present Blaine and West Blue townships, the north tier of sections in Han- over. sections 1 and 2 in Ayr and the two eastern tiers of the present Denver and Highland townships. The original Silver Lake Precinct comprised the west half of the present Zero and Ayr townships, ex- cept the north tier of sections in Ayr, all of the present Logan and Silver Lake townships and all of Roseland and Cottonwood except the north tier of sections. The residue in Juniata after the formation of the new precincts was Juniata Precinct and Little Blue was the remainder south of the original dividing line of the county. Cotton- wood was formed out of Silver Lake September 7, 1874. In 1876 Pawnee Precinct was formed out of territory which in 1878 was absorbed by Denver Precinct and abutting divisions. West Blue, though not with the boundaries of the present West Blue township, was also created at this time.
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