USA > Nebraska > Sherman County > Loup City > The trail of the Loup; being a history of the Loup River region > Part 19
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
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CHANGES DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS
Our last election was held in November, 1904. On that occasion M. L. Fries, A. E. Bartoo and Arthur Clements were all re-elected by good majorities.
One of the greatest drawbacks in the settlement of a new section of country is a lack of means of easy transportation. The settler on the western plains early found it impractical to stray very far from a railway base. For, after all, he had to depend upon this as a depot to supply him with the necessaries of life, and in return to take his output of grain and livestock. When the Loup valley was settled, its southernmost colony was fifty miles from the nearest railway, and the Loup county colony fully twice that distance. In 1872, and for many years after that time, our fathers had to cart every pound of provisions and every foot of finishing lumber from Grand Island. That this was the direct cause of much hardship, and ma- terially retarded the development of the Loup region, goes without saying. A trip to the "Island" was fraught with all manner of difficulties. There were rivers and creeks to be forded, for bridges were few and far between in those days. The early wagon-roads were mere trails and made hauling heavy loads impracticable. And finally there were the elements, summer storm and winter blast, to be reckoned with. It is therefore not to be won- dered at that the pioneers should rejoice when the Republican Valley (Union Pacific) Railroad commenced building northward from Grand Island. The new road was completed to St. Paul in 1880 and thereby shortened our distance to market by some twenty-five miles.
To the Federal Government's praise it must be said that it has always done what it could to furnish outlying settlements with good mail service. The frontier star routes usually entailed a considerable annual delicit, but in spite of this they have been kept up as an encouragement to settlement. By 1880, mail and stage routes permeated every part of our region; and daily and tri-weekly service was furnished the whole valley. The mail time-card here printed gives some idea of the completeness of this service, such as we knew it in 1882:
MAIL MOVEMENTS. ARRIVES FROM THE EAST.
Arrives from St. Paul, via Scotia and Springdale, daily except Sunday, at 6 p. m.
Arrives from St Paul, via Cotesfield and North Loup, on Tuesday, Thursday and Satur- day, at 6, p m.
Arrives from Dannebrog, via Kelso, Bluffton, Mira Creek, Vinton, and Geranium, every Saturday at noon.
FROM THE WEST.
Arrives from Willow Springs, Fort Hartsuff and Calamus at 5:30 p. m., daily except Sunday.
Arrives from The Forks and Ida on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 6 p. m.
PEPARTS FOR THE WEST.
Leaves for Calamus, Fort Hartsuff and Willow Springs, at 7:00 a. m., daily except Sunday. Leaves for Ida and The Forks at 7:00 a. m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
GOING EAST.
Leaves for Springdale, Scotia and St. Paul at 7 a. m. daily, except Sunday.
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THE TRAIL OF THE LOUP
Leaves for North Loup, Cotesfield and St. Paul at 7 a. m., on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Leaves for Geranium, Vinton, Mira Creek, Bluffton, Kelso and Dannebrog, at 2 p. m. on Saturdays.
Stage leaves North Loup on Tuesday for Mira Creek, Vinton and Arcadia, returning on Wednesday.
Stage leaves for Geranium and other points between Ord and West Union on Friday morning, and returns next morning.
In the spring of 1881, the air was full of persistent railroad rumors. The Union Pacific would extend northward from St. Paul to North Loup and Ord, it was said. Mass meetings were held at both of these places and much enthusiasm was manifested. April 8th, Ord voted the Union Pacitic bonds amounting to $5,000.00, as an inducement to hasten the ex- tension; about the same time North Loup township voted the sum of $4,000.00 for a like purpose. The grade on the extension was at once be gun. Within a year the first train entered North Loup amid general re joicing. But Ord was doomed to wait long years before her cherished hope became reality. Not before midsummer of 1886 was the track completed to Ord, which is yet the terminus of the line.
Great preparations were made to celebrate the event. It was the in- tention to make this a banner day in Loup history. Citizens turned out en- masse to make the necessary arrangements. That preparations were thorough going can be gathered from the minutes of the mass meeting here appended :
THE RAILROAD CELEBRATION MEETING. "Ord, Neb., July 6, 1886.
As per special call of committee previously to arrange for a celebration at Ord on the completion of the railroad the citizens met at the court house. By unanimous vote Judge Laverty was made chairman, and H. A. Walker secretary. The committee reported their doings and were discharged. Up- on motion the chairman appointed the following named nine gentlemen as an executive committee: J. M. Provins, C. B. Coffin, H. C. Wolf, Peter Mortensen, HI. A. Walker, Fred Cleveland, D. N. McCord, George Stover, and E. M. Coffin. I. A. Babcock, A. D. Robinson and D. N. McCord were retained to further correspond with the railroad company in regard to ex- cursion to Ord. The following committees were appointed : on invitation of speakers and special invitations, J. H. Ager, D. B. Jenckes, Geo. A. Percival, and Wm. Haskell: on finance J. L. MeDonongh. J. K. McConnell, E. K. Ilarris, and John Beran ; on program, A. A. Laverty, G. W. Wishard, I. Moore, J. M. Klinker and A. M. Robbins; on shade M. J. Coffin, Wm. Wentworth, John Maresh ; reception, A. M. Robbins, G. W. Milford, W. B. Johnson, E. J. Clements. F. L. Harris, W. D. Ogden, J. M. Provins, C. C. Wolf, W HI. Williams, Geo. O Ferguson, A. H. Schaefer, T. R. Linton, Rev. Dodder, E. A. Russell ; on music, Geo. A. Percival, D. Quackenbush, J. G. Sharp; on printing, editors-in-chief of North Loup Mirror, Arcadia Courier, Ord Democrat, Ord Weekly Quiz, and Valley County Journal ; mar- shal, W. B. Johnson, with A. W. Travis, John Wentworth, Bud Likes,
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CHANGES DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS
Wm. McKenney, Fred Bartlett and Steve Weare assistants ; on ammunition, Chas. Feiger, J. C. Heddle, Ezra McMichael, with request that they secure a cannon from Grand Island, if possible. The executive committee were empowered to appoint any sub-committee advisable. A motion carried inviting citizens, farmers, mechanics, tradesmen, and secret organizations to take part in a general industrial parade, Wm. Wentworth being manager. It was decided we celebrate on or about July 23d, 1886. Meeting adjourned subject to special call of executive committee. H. A. Walker, Sec."
The date of the celebration was later definitely set for the 29th of July. The fete was liberally advertised and every preparation made for a glori- ous ratification. Then at the last moment word came from railway head- quarters stating that it would be impossible for them to furnish the desired
An Early Photograph of the Ord Court House and Square. The Trees Have now Grown so Large as to almost entirely Hide the Building from View.
train by the specified time. The result was a great disappointment and ended by the celebration being definitely called off.
The year 1887 had a surprise in store for the Loup region. It was the unheralded coming of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad. To be sure surveying outfits had been passing through the valley at various times during the spring, but that was not taken very seriously as the Union Pa- citic experience had made most men rather pessimistic on railroad questions. But when one bright day in March, gang after gang of graders commenced filing through Ord on their way up the country, the doubter received a sud- den set-back. By April 1st, grades were beginning to take form all along the route and the whole valley rejoiced. The following appeared in one of the newspapers at that time:
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THE TRAIL OF THE LOUP
"Last Saturday a B. & M. grading outfit came into town without ceremony or forewarning. It consists of 60 mule teams and about 100 men, all pro- vided with abundance of new implements. Monday they pitched their tents at various points up the river as far as Meeks' place. The first camp is on Dane Creek just north of town, and the dirt is flying in grand shape. This move on the part of the B. & M. was the greatest possible surprise to the Ordites and naturally enough they are elated over this good luck and rejoice over the boom that must inevitably come. It has been a question in what direction the B. & M. will connect with their main line, but that is pretty well settled now. The line will run from Central City to Greeley Center and from thence to Ord leaving Scotia out in the cold. In this way Ord will have a direct B. & M. line to Lincoln and a competing line to both Lincoln and Omaha. The object of the B. & M. starting work at Ord first is evidently to cut off all possibility of the U. P. going farther up the stream. It will have the line completed to Ord as soon as the grade above this place will be ready for the ties. It is undoubtedly true that surveyors of the Northwestern railroad are at work headed for Ord. The company has already made a survey to this place and the second visit means some- thing. With the U. P., B. & M. and the Northwestern Ord will be a great railroad center indeed."
The coming of the B. & M. was important in more ways than one. In Greeley county is settled the fate of Scotia so far as being the county seat is concerned. Greeley Center, near the geographical center of the county, lay in the path of the new road. This'settled the county seat controversy in its favor. The B. & M. was the making of Burwell in Garfield county, and as completely the undoing of poor Willow Springs on the opposite side of the river. Loup county, too, was greatly benefited by the railroad for, although it did not tap the county, Taylor and Almeria were brought fully 20 miles nearer railroad communications by its coming.
Arcadia and the Middle Loup had long awaited the building of some railroad. The Union Pacific filed a plat of extension of the O. & R. V. R. R. up the Middle Loup, with the county Clerk October 27, 1886, and Arcadia lived in the happy expectancy of its early advent. The road was built from St. Paul through Dannebrog and Boelus, to Loup City, but that is up to the present time its terminus. For here, too, the Burlington played a lucky hand. From Palmer in Merrick county, it quietly built westward through Saint Paul to Loup City, and then followed the identical route selected by the Union Pacific up the Middle Loup to Arcadia, cutting out the latter at Loup City. Lately the B. & M. has been extended from Arcadia to Sar- gent in Custer county, and may in time be projected further north westward.
The Newspaper and the Valley.
CHAPTER XVIII.
In the United States a constant interest in political or social affairs, complete freedom from censorship or restriction, except that provided by the liberal laws, have given five per cent of the population of the world forty per cent of its newspapers .- Inves- tigator.
T HE PRINTING PRESS was set up at an early date in our Valley, and from the very first has it been one of the most potent factors in our development. The early newspaper became the mouthpiece of the pioneers, calling upon the older settlements to send their quota to re-inforce the small bands upon the frontier. It rallied the settlers when they were discouraged. It held them together and molded sentiment and public opin- ion. In the later day it has this power still. It advertises us abroad and interests the world in our possibilities; at home it chronicles our common history and speaks our sentiments in social and political affairs.
The Valley County Herald was the first newspaper published in the county. It was established at Calamus in the fall of 1875 by W. H. Mit- chell, a lawyer, and was published there for two years, when it was re- moved to Ord. Calamus proved in the days of its boom a very profitable newspaper town, but when the first signs of the early decadence of Fort Hartsuff appeared and the county seat began to take form, Mr. Mitchell de- cided to take time by the forelock and get out while there was yet time. Thus the Herald became an Ord paper. Meanwhile a competitor had en- tered the field. This was the Valley County Courier, established at Vinton early in 1877 by Henry W. Nelson and L. P. Granger, who hoped through the medium of their paper to draw investors to the new townsite. How- ever, after printing the Courier for six long months in a lone dugout on the prairie, the partners despaired of making the venture a success. Mr. Granger sold his interest to Mr. Nelson, who now as sole owner moved to Ord and re-established the Courier there as the first newspaper at the coun- ty seat. In a very short time the Herald was also in the field. But as both papers were republican the picking became mighty slim and Mr. Mitchell was glad to sell the Herald to J. C. Lee, who changed the paper to a Green- back sheet, in accord with the greenback sentiment of the times. But un- fortunately for the new venture, our people did not fancy the Greenback doctrines, accordingly the Herald failed. This was just after election.
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THE TRAIL OF THE LOUP
Later, we are told, the plant was removed to Grand Island where it became the the nucleus of the Grand Island Democrat.
On February 3, 1879, Henry W. Nelson sold the Courier to Joe H.
Capron who changed its name to the Valley County Journal. Mr. Capron had learned the printing trade at Freeport, Illinois, but through the solici- tation of his brother, Lieutenant Capron, became Quartermaster's clerk at Fort Hartsuff. As was natural, however, he was glad to get back to his chosen profession. No sooner had the new paper got into good work- ing order than misfortune overtook it. On the night of March 23, its printing office was burned to the ground, entailing an almost total loss. But the new editor did not despair. A new outfit was immediately ordered from Chicago and arrived after much tedious waiting. For those were times of slow transportation, as the last sixty-five miles of the route were overland. Meanwhile, as there was no other printing office in the Valley where the paper might be published temporarily, the Journal suspended publication till the new office could be put into shape. On May 7, the re- habilitated paper was again in the field, better and brighter than ever. August 5, 1881, Charles C. Wolf associated himself with Mr. Capron in the management of the paper. The Journal was published by the firm of Capron and Wolf till Dec. 31, 1883, when Mr. Wolf retired to become post master of Ord.
On July 14, 1881, another lawyer by the name of C. S. Copp estab- lished the Independent. This paper also was Republican in politics and found the field already pretty well taken up. After less than three months the management of the paper was changed. It now appeared with Winin- ger and Clayton as publishers and R. H. Clayton as editor. The latter was an able newspaper man and in almost any other newspaper field than in that of Republican Valley county would have made a marked success. He made the Independent a fiery opposition sheet and throughout the cam- paign of 1881 and for some months thereafter put up a plucky fight against "Republican corruption." But this paper weakened for want of support. On January 16, 1882, it met its fate and was discontinued.
The Ord Quiz was established April 6, 1882, by W. W. Haskell as a Re- publican paper, and will soon be able to celebrate its quarter centennial anniversary under its original founder. Mr. Haskell has this to say about the founding of the paper: "On the day after election in 1881, I appeared on the scene with an eye to the newspaper business. There seemed to be no room for three papers so I awaited the death of the Independent, which seemed inevitable. The expected occurred and the first Quiz outfit was ordered. This arrived during March, 1882, and April 6, the same year, the first issue appeared." During the twenty four years of the Quiz's pub- lication it has been known as a staunch Republican paper. Through foul report and fair, it has been loyal to its party ; never for an instance has it hesitated in its allegiance to the principles that it represented. And as a reward the Quiz finds itself today the strongest and most popular news- paper in our part of the Loup Valley.
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THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE VALLEY
Meanwhile, the county grew in population and the Democrats came to feel the lack of an organ of their own persuasion. To make amends for this M. Randall and other Democrats circulated a subscription paper to aid in the establishment of such a paper. In the fall of 1884, Evans Brothers arrived from Iowa and started The Standard. After a few months John Evans retired from the firm and his brother Jack pegged away till Feb- ruary, 1885, and then turned the plant over to Provins and McDonoughi. The new management evidently not wishing the public to be left in doubt as to the politics of their paper, re-dubbed it The Ord Democrat. Mr. Provins, taking sick, sold his interest to Byron Griffith, who in turn sold out to J. L McDonough. December 10, 1886, J. R. Clayton, of the defunct Independent, began to edit the Democrat on a salary and got along very
The Elms. Home of J. R. Williams, Ord.
nicely till the paper was sold to the true-blue Jeffersonian Democrat, A. W. Jackson. This was April 16, 1888.
Between 1886 and '88 a remakable pohibition sentiment manifested it- self in Valley county. July 7, 1887, C. C. Wolf bought the Valley County Journal and changed its name to The Pohibition Star. Mr. Wolf unfortunate- ly found the new venture a losing one. Shortly after election The Star was merged with The Quiz. The printing plant was used in the new Willow Springs Gazette, established by Rogers and Haskell at Willow Springs in Garfield county. Less than a month after the appearance of the Star, O. S. Haskell and Rev. B. F. Hilton embarked upon a new prohibition ven- ture called The Blizzard. Rev. Hilton soon tired of the paper and with- drew, leaving O. S. Haskell as sole proprietor. Early in 1890 Mr. Haskell was carried away on the populist tide and changed his politics The Bliz- zard now became a populist organ. O. S. Haskell soon sold out to Dr.
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J. M. Klinker who changed the Blizazrd to The Ord Journal. The latter published the paper till October 16, 1893, and then sold out to B. A. Brew. ster. He, in turn, relinquished his paper to the experienced, old news- paper man, J. L. Claflin, of St. Paul. This was February 13, 1894. Some six weeks after this, March 30, Mr. Claflin also bought the Democrat from A. W. Jackson and merged the two under the name of the Ord Journal. But the pioneer populist newspaper in Valley county was The Independent,
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Street Scene, Burwell.
founded by Leonard Brothers in December, 1890. They barely made ends meet and were glad to dispose of their plant to D. J. Martz, who in turn changed the paper's name to The People's Advocate. But this paper never prospered; and after barely existing for some time, Mr. Martz moved the entire outfit to Oklahoma.
The passing of the Advocate left but two papers in the field, the Quiz
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THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE VALLEY
and The Journal. Of these the Journal was destined to go through still further changes. Thus in October, 1894, and just before election, Mr. Claflin for some reason sold out to A. W. Jackson. But this Simon- pure Democrat did not relish writing populist editorials and again, in Jan- uary 1894, the paper was re-sold to Mr. Claflin. From this time on till January 1890, the Ord Journal remained under his management. Then Mr. Claflin sold out to Charles Smith, expecting to leave the newspaper work
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Public School Building of Burwell.
for a new field of activity. But for various reasons the Journal once more passed into Mr. Claflin's hands. Since that time it has been published variously by Horace M. Davis, Miles Brothers, Davis and Parks, and now, in 1905, again by Horace M. Davis who is making it one of the newsiest and strongest papers in our Valley.
January 27, 1887, L. J. Harris founded the Real Estate Register at Ord.
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It lasted only a few months and then died a peaceful death. In May, 1897, The Valley County Times was founded by Harris and Leggett. But in November of the same year Harris retired from the firm leaving H. D. Leg- gett the sole proprietor. The paper was Republican in politics. It was well edited and enterprising; but there was hardly field enough to support two republican newspapers at the county seat. In November, 1901, Mr.
Leggett therefore sold his paper to the Quiz. As things now stand Ord has but two papers the Quiz and the Journal.
The press was first represented in North Loup by the Mirror. estab- lished by R. S. Buchanan in June, 1882. Mr. Buchanan emphasized that "the Mirror shall be pure in tone, enterprising in business and news. lucid and strong in editorials and staunch in favor of the Republican doctrine."
..
White Towers; Home of A. M. Daniels, Ord.
Judge N. H. Parks soon after this entered the field with The Herald, a Democratic paper of much merit. The Mirror suspended publication and The Herald was succeeded by The Farmers' Advocate, an independent paper. It was first edited by one F. C. Beeman and later by E. E. Chamberlain. It too suspended publication on the approach of the hard years.
The only newspaper in North Loup to show much vitality is The Loy- alist which has quite an interesting history. When the Burwell Bell was burned out and forced to give up the ghost its press, practically all that was saved from the fire, was purchased by E. W. Black, who moved it to North Loup to become the substantial part of the Loyalist plant there. The first issue was printed October 13, 1885. That there should be no mistake about its politics, Mr. Black gave his paper this motto: "For the party that saved the nation and remembered the veteran, the widow, and
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THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE VALLEY
the orphan." Mr. Black who was quite a naturalist and had many and varied interests did not devote much of his time to local affairs. This nat- urally did not suit his subscribers. When the irrigation boom was on at North Loup, the Loyalist was the mouthpiece for those interests. R. R. Thorngate edited the paper for a couple of years as Mr. Black had other irons in the fire. Finally, November 14, 1895, it breathed its last in a very caustic editorial, in which Mr. Black took occasion to charge North Loup and North Loupers with things which would look anything but complimen- tary should they be repeated here. For two years and a half the Loyalist lay dormant. Then, April 15, 1898, it was resurrected by E. S. Eves who published it for six months only. In turn H. L. Rood and Horace Davis took charge of the plant and promised to issue the poor old Loyalist as a "non-partisan" paper. Now the former of the two editors was an ardent Populist while the latter has been a life long Democrat. No wonder then that the Loyalist, in spite of promises to the contrary, came to have certain "demo-pop" proclivities. However, it was a good paper. In May, 1899, Walter G. Rood, the present editor, purchased the plant and re-established it as a Republican paper.
The Arcadia Courier was the first paper established in Arcadia. This was in April, 1886, and its owner and editor was O. D. Craue. The paper, like its successor, The Champion, was Republican in politics. The paper continued publication till late in 1890, when it suspended. At that time Arcadia's future looked anything but bright-the drought had killed the crops and fire had burned out the heart of the business quarter of the town.
No wonder then that the editor got discouraged and quit. For five years Arcadia had to get along as best she could without a newspaper. Then in 1895 the Champion was started by C. L. Day. The first five years it eked out a precarious existence under an ever-changing management. In March, 1900, the present, hustling editor, Harold O. Cooley, got control of the paper and under his management a new future is opening up before it.
The Willow Springs Gazette was the first newspaper in Garfield county. It was estabilshed in 1884 by W. W. Haskell of the Ord Quiz. The paper was Republican in politics and was placed under the management of a Mr. Rogers. When Willow Srings lost the county seat the Gazette was moved to Burwell where it continued publication under the old management till it was sold to Jack Evans and backers in 1887. It now became a Demo- cratic sheet and was rechristened The Lever. But Garfield county was getting more papers than it could well support, accordingly The Lever was suppressed in 1889.
The first newspaper actually established on Burwell townsite was The Burwell Bell, which first appeared Friday, March 6. 1885 with L. M. Hart as editor and publisher. Of the paper's politics the editor had this to say in this first issue; "Some would call us a Republican because we favor a tariff ; others would say we are Greenbacker because we oppose the national banking system; and still others would insist that we are a Democrat." Mr. Hart evidently intended to run an independent paper, a thing pretty
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