c c 
 
 cc 
 
 c C 
 
 <C_ CC 
 
 c «C , C 
 
 ceCf ' <X 
 
 _<x c «r c «c c< 
 
 £,: « C ac c c C £t o < 
 ^^ «ES c : «T cc 
 
 $ CC C 
 
 s Sic- <£- 
 
 «- <d CC <£ 
 
 c$£: crc cc 
 
 C <BC cc <T 
 
 • «c cc <r 
 c «r c c «sr 
 
 r, c c <e. 
 
 - CC «SL 
 
 < CCC <d . 
 
 C <7"CC <CT < 
 
 c «s^c*c *rr < 
 
 c -<clcc 4cr 
 
 "C Ccc" 
 <^ <£3 c 
 
 2 ■ «Oe - 
 
 7c, ■ <£j<f ■ 
 
 C C c «gg< 
 
 «L. O C c 
 
 «£T <r c c ' 
 
 «c r c: << 
 
 <C '(' C C < 
 
 <sr < c < c 
 
 <r < <■ . < 
 
 <c. - c < 
 
 *£1 <• c c 
 : c<C£cc c 
 o . < <c; e < c 
 
 c • C«XTl « c 
 
 C t<tl <r c_ 
 
 cc cj«" < cCS C c 
 
 < C < <C r< c <T < C' C 
 
 c C c^^ C C<CC 53 c 
 
 r.c t<rc c c 
 
 ■ , Cj < C 
 <r«c< -*r± 
 
 C"< C C , «- 
 
 c ;g 
 
 c c ^ 
 
 '< c <? ' ' ■ 
 
 ~ f( c 
 VcC ; C 
 
 = cc c 
 
 CC *»T << «> 
 
 - c , «C«c c 
 5^,.^ ^nrzc: c 
 
 d <rc:' c^ c 
 
 CcCCc d<r t 
 
 <: cc. C5.cc 
 
 <C CO 
 
 C v Cc< 
 
 C d< 
 
 c cc< 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 CL « < cc< 
 
 C C CC; 
 
 ^y j££ cccc <r<. 
 £C C3 cccr <tjc^ 
 ^' r l Cc c Co <r< . t~ 
 ■ *CL c«c tco c 
 «<•*. C< ccc< <— cc c" 
 CCC CJ CC& CZcc C 
 ?fCC c ccC C'.- c 
 •i'C* <Z cccc CTcc c 
 C C CJ; 'c ccr CZc cv ■ c 
 - c . c <:; <Tc c<r< <z c c< c 
 ' C c. Ck ccc- CTc Q c 
 
 G' C <C O C « «^^- CC C 
 
 s c cr cc ccc Clcccs c 
 
 ^C dec CTc cc cC 
 
 s ' <"-.<■. <r cc C c cc c 
 
 < «- C c CTc Cc C 
 
 c «: c c ., c - c c c 
 
 C <:_CT:c<^ C C C< C 
 
 ' c< .C < cc c 
 
 s:. <i...c <- c cc c 
 
 C*tC^'C. CCC 
 
 c c c <c< cr 
 «c c c c r. cr_ 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
 C C 
 
 ic;c 
 cc 
 c c c 
 
 'c c C 
 
 :cc 
 c c 
 
 rc-< <A c « ( 
 
 S ^C c c 
 
 c_ c_ CC C c C < 
 
 - < c c;c jcrcr..C 
 
 C C CC CTc C 
 
 ccC c: CC CTc C 
 
 C C CC <7c C 
 
 c c cc cr cc c 
 
 c c cc CTc< C 
 
 C C C CccC 
 
 :c c CL_ cc C cc c 
 
 r c <z c< cr cc c 
 
 • c cl eg cz a c 
 
 c ci cr cc c cc c 
 
 C" cr cc <r cc c 
 
 ' C C cc <c cc <T 
 C Cc CT"CC' <^ 
 
 c c c <r a < 
 
 c c c: cc * 
 
 ^ S> ^cc C 
 
 cl c <r cc <rr 
 
 c; c c cc <r 
 
 jc: c <r cc <c 
 
 CT so C cc cr 
 
 C C C Cc 
 
 Z cc c : crc c 
 
 = Cc c Cc c 
 
 » c ccc 
 
 c c 
 c c 
 i c c <z < <r 
 
 1 c ccc ci 
 s c c: c <c cr 
 
 C C C' ( 
 
 r c c 
 r cc fZ^S 
 cr << ^>c 
 
 CL c < 
 C" « 
 
 cr c 
 c: cc . 
 
 <^ C< C_ CC «^ 
 
 crc. c 
 c l J^ 
 
 cc CL ' — _ 
 
 cc c dc .c: 
 cr c£,r 
 
 r .c c 
 
 c c 
 C3 C « 
 
 C't c «c„. 
 
 C'< C ■ 
 
 cct v c fc 
 
 ^ <f cr- 
 
 Rcc C C' 
 
 c c_ 
 
 ^cc C CTC. 
 
 . c C 
 
 c c- c^, 
 
 c ( 
 
 c c 
 
St? ^ «? ^ > 25^ 
 =<---<%}>--> > ^ ?!>■ ;i» -' '^^-^pcr* 
 
 > 3> :^>v>' 
 
 
 > ^:>3>' > 
 
 ?:>>3Q> -> 
 
 : >»>2> > 
 
 »32> D 
 £>> :> •>> 2> > > 
 
 "> > ^ '^ir^ ~->-~yo i>3>>3 0> - y 
 
 r> >^ l>T>> ~Z5>. -» O S3» > 
 )03 u>,Z>'\~3> a. .-zTs*- > 
 
 > )>) . 
 
 ^> ^ > J> " 
 13 ^>^ O- 
 
 a^ or 
 
 3 ■ <3> _>i^Z> 2>3Ee£3> 
 
 
 
 7> ,o>> 
 
 i 5 r> 
 
 3 ■'■■■> '.3> 
 
 ^e>/r3* 
 
 
 3>> 2 
 
 3> > a V 
 
 E^';x> 
 
 
 2> ?3»> •> >>0 
 •=£> "2» > DSP*-! 1 
 
 s-* rf > A»:^r 
 
 > > > 2> 53>-~3» 
 ? _J»;iO> >.J>:2> ^£31 
 
 ' 5 •'. s > > 3 > "~^» 
 
 '» >;>.a> )> ; 
 
 r> •>,'•> >> ~>2> 
 
 > 
 
 ^\ 
 
 >:3 
 
 yj> i 
 .■? > 2 
 
 > 3> _j 
 
 
 r^6 03 
 
 3> 
 
 3^J. 
 3I> 
 
 >3^ 
 
 
 i ;1> 
 
/ • 
 
, -rr~. -,- 
 
 ASS .SOU TY, NEB 
 
 :ndix fhom tr ::cords and files 
 
 ns* i sociai 
 
 jnty Nebraska.. 
 
 A ». <JH LD. 
 
 
Z j 
 
 
 m 
 mi 
 
 
 - (~\ 
 
 
 
 
 
 1—1 
 
 
 
 
 \J 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 - . 
 
 r ~ 
 
 
 
 r. 
 
 
 * 
 
 *i 
 
 * 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 
 fe 
 
 
 ce 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 5 ~ '~ 
 
 
 
 
 '~ 
 
 > 
 
 l > 
 
 
 > 
 
 DC - ™ 
 
 
 
 ™ 
 
 & 
 
 J 
 
 O ;H 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <! ^ 
 
 
 
 C 
 
 ft. 
 
 « 
 
 ^ — 
 * I - ' 
 
 'o.S ~ 
 
 h 
 
 ;~ 
 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 
 fc s ~ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 £> 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 # 
 
 
 
 
 Eh 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 - H 
 
 
 
 < 
 
 ;_" 
 
 
 -J 
 
 t_; 
 
 
 ~ _ — — 
 
 
 
 y. 
 
 L 
 
 
 S 
 
 <J ° 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 «i 
 
 g 
 
 
 > 
 
 2 » 
 
 c 3 
 
 ^ i 
 
 ■B - J § • 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 w 
 
 
 aj 
 
 < s 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -' ~ Pi 
 
 
 
 p^ 
 
 P-I 
 
 
 - 
 
 Ph 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 S 
 
 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 
 IT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 '- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 tH 
 
 
 i-3 :— 
 
 .- 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 
 s_ 
 
 -- H 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 Ed 
 5Z 
 
 
 
 
 * g 
 
 8 
 
 5 = ^ 
 
 ij) 
 
 
 
 OH 
 
 
 a 
 
 w £ 
 
 'r' 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 w 
 
 
 
 £ 
 
 
 
 
 
 O) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 £ 
 
 ps 
 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^J 
 
 y 
 
 
 / W - — 
 
 
 1 
 
 § 
 
 - U 
 
 2 K 
 
 3 
 * £ 
 
 
 e 1 
 
 
 / K x ' ^ 
 
 
 'I 
 
 > 
 
 5 o 
 
 
 T. 
 
 
 / ^ '"": 
 
 
 S 
 
 ~ 
 
 « 
 
 
 * 
 
 " — 
 
 
 / S3 « 
 
 
 
 S3 
 
 
 
 t> r-^ 
 
 
 / o - 
 / f ~ 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 Oh 
 
 
 
 £ ^ 
 x 
 
 
 
 — £? O 
 
 
 
 C 
 
 C 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 S fc § 
 
 
 
 £ 
 
 £ 
 
 
 C 
 
 P fc 
 
 
 
 o 3 t 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 H i-i 
 
 
 
 
 
 y. 
 
 O 
 
 
 "3 
 
 p, O 
 
 
 
 3 a 5 
 
 
 
 -• 
 
 
 
 W 
 
 
 
 
 -•: ~ 
 
 
 
 ti 
 
 z^ 
 
 
 * 
 
 p^ 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 w 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 i-lM 
 
 sia 
 
 t ! a 
 
 nil 
 
 oi a 
 
CENTENNIAL HISTORY 
 
 -O F- 
 
 I^IjA ttsmo tjth city, 
 
 -AND- 
 
 CASS COUNTY, NEB. 
 
 By Dr. A. L. CHILD. 
 
 fJULY 4 th ) 1876 
 
 PLATTSMOUTH, NEB : 
 
 HERALD BOOK AND JOB PRINTING HOUSE. 
 
 1877 
 

 *>° 
 
 
CENTENNIAL IIISTOKY 
 
 -OF- 
 
 T>L A. TTSMO TITS CITY, 
 
 -AM)- 
 
 CASS COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 
 
 In March, 1876, the U. S. Congress passed a joint resolution recom- 
 mending, throughout the republic, a general observance of this Hundredth 
 Anniversary of our National Independence; and, that, in addition to the 
 usual observances, each county and town cause an Historical Sketch of 
 said county or town, from its foundation to the present day, to be pre- 
 pared, and that a copy of it lie filed in the Clerk's otlice of the county, as 
 also in the office of the Librarian of Congress; to the intent that a com- 
 plete record may thus be obtained of the progress of our institutions 
 during the first Centennial of their existence. 
 
 This resolution was approved by President Grant on March 13th 
 and he issued his proclamation to this effect; further recommending that 
 the Governor of each State and Territory also issue a like proclamation 
 to the people of said State or Territory, that notice might thus be brought 
 directly to the mass of the people. 
 
 In accordance with this recommendation Governor Garber issued his 
 
 PROCLAMATION 
 
 from Lincoln on the 25th of April, 1S76. 
 
4 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 The conception of this idea, with whomsoever it originated, and these 
 acts of our authorities are worthy of all praise. The importance and 
 value of such a photograph of our country "at this peculiar time, which 
 finds the whole community aroused and excited on this subject and on 
 every side pondering upon and pouring forth reminiscences of the past, 
 will be above all price. It is a most happy time for such a purpose. 
 
 On May 10th, 1876, the 
 
 PLATTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL, 
 
 through his Honor the Mayor, Gen. Livingston, proposed to me that I 
 should undertake to prepare a sketch of the History of the City of Platts- 
 mouth, including so much of a history of ( 'ass ( iounty as might be neess- 
 sary to show its connection with and relation to the City. 
 
 THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 
 
 had neglected to undertake any action under the above recommendations 
 for a history of the County, and the City Council, of course, could act 
 officially only for the City. As I felt the great importance of a more ex- 
 tended histoiy of the County than the action of the Council indicated, I 
 
 obtained permission of that body to enlarge and extend the history of 
 the County, and.thus make it a sketch of the 
 
 HISTORY oK CASS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF PLATTSMOUTH.* 
 
 It is needless to say that much very important and interesting mat 
 ter requisite for such a sketch is already lost, or exists in such amutilated 
 and contradictory form that it is not available. While what was written, 
 that still remains, was so imperfectly executed that it conveys but little 
 reliable information. And vet our task in Nebraska as compared with 
 that of the older States is light and easy. We have the histoiy of the 
 youth, but just arrived at the years of manhood (22 years) to record, 
 while they have that of the hoary veteran, of from one to two and a half 
 centuries. 
 
 In the following sketch much care ami labor have been expended in 
 sifting and authenticating the information obtained, and only that record- 
 ed which seemed most reliable, yet with the many conflicting recollections 
 and imperfect records it will be strange indeed if errors are escaped. 
 
 * May in. is?".— The honorable and efficient Mayor and City Council, after nearly a year 
 of intense labor in preparation for the publication nf this history, are, [presume, able tore- 
 port progress backward? That is, they have trotted, in a half bushel till they have hist 
 
 sight of all sides of it, and while they are getting across (possibly in time I'm- the next Centen- 
 nial) I have concluded to publish it myself, as the said honorable and worthy Council, after 
 persistently urging me into a severe and laborious task, refuses to pay a cent for oreven re- 
 fund the cash outlay of its preparation. 
 
HISTORY OK PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. .) 
 
 A TREATY 
 
 between the U. S. Government and Indians, in which the Indians relin- 
 quished their title to the lands bordering on the west bank of the Missouri 
 River, was concluded and ratified on April 17, 1854, and proclamation by 
 President Pierce, of this treaty and the extinguishment of the Indian title 
 was made on the 24th of June following. Previous to this, however, large 
 numbers of people, in expectation of these events, had gathered along 
 the east bank of the river, ready at a moments warning to "jump the 
 river" and drive their stakes for "claims" on the long coveted grounds of 
 Nebraska, The Government having up to this date rigorously blockaded 
 the passage by military posts on both sides of the river, and this blockade 
 seems to have been decidedly more effective than that attempted during 
 the year past around the Black Hills. No person was allowed to settle 
 or remain on Nebraska soil except by special permit of the Secretary of 
 War. 
 
 THE FIRST PERMIT 
 
 of this kind within the bounds of Cass County was obtained by Samuel 
 Martin, to establish a Trading Post on the Missouri River, below the 
 mouth of the Platte. Un ler this permit, Samuel Martin, assisted by 
 James O'Neil and others, early in the Spring of 1853, built the old two 
 story Log House, at the foot of Main Street, on the north side, on 
 lots and 7 block 31, so wellremembered by all our old settlers. It was 
 placed on nearly the same ground now occupied by the brick erected bv 
 Wm. Herold in 18(U, and subsequently used as the printing office of the 
 Nebraska Herald. The 
 
 "old barracks," 
 
 as this was more generally called, was subsequently used for different 
 purposes, stores, offices, post office, ike, till it was removed to make room 
 for the brick, The logs of the "Old Barracks" were from an old house 
 in Iowa, and brought over on the ice before it broke up in the spring of 
 '53. In the fall of '53 James O'Neil also built for the same Samuel Mar- 
 tin, the smaller log house, a little north and west of the first, which, in 
 later days was largely used for County offices, and where many of us in 
 1857 and '58 paid our first tax in Nebraska; which, in consequence of 
 illegality of proceedings in assessment, was subsequently refunded. 
 
6 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 The occupation of this Trading Post in the spring and summer of 
 '53 by him, made 
 
 SAMUEL MARTIN THE FIRST WHITE SETTLER IN CASS COUNTY. 
 
 On the extinguishment of the Indian title. June 24, 1854, a rush was 
 made for the most valuable claims, and hut few days passed before most 
 of the more desirable lands in Cass County, near the Missouri River, were 
 staked and marked with the claimant's names. 
 
 I do not propose to cumber this record with the names of those who 
 came here simply for the purpose of speculating- in "Claims," and who 
 often forced the real pioneer to pay two, three, or half a dozen prices for 
 his Homestead, and then returning to his home in other States, or else 
 passing on to repeat the same process in newer fields, left the pioneers to 
 fight their own battles and endure all the privations and hardships inci- 
 dent to such life. The claims of these two classes to the regard of the 
 later population of Nebraska are widely divers". 
 
 THE SPECULATOR AND CLAIM JUMPER, 
 
 in violation of all right and justice, and almost invariably by perjury, 
 seized upon the just and legal rights of the real settler, and by forcing 
 him to pa_v two or more prices for his land, thus stripped him of his small 
 means which were necessary to enable him successfully to accomplish the 
 task he had undertaken, and to him, living meanwhile in a "dugout" (but 
 little better than a hole in the ground) scantily clothed f and oft'times in 
 need of food he could not obtain, the real pioneer, (whose name let us 
 honor) we owe the Nebraska of 1876. 
 
 Before the legal organization of the Territory of Nebraska, some 2"><i 
 men had penciled their names on claim stakes within what is now Cass 
 County. As this matter of 
 
 "claims" and "club law" 
 
 which attended it, is not as familiar to the later population as it was to the 
 old settler, a few words in explanation may not be amiss. 
 
 a claim 
 
 was any subdivision of a section (a square mile) as, a half, a fourth, or 
 an eighth of a section; the lines conforming to and parallel with the lines 
 of the section, if already surveyed. If not surveyed, the claimant fixed 
 his own boundaries, but after the survey was made by the Government he 
 must adapt his lines to those of the survey. 
 
HISTORY OF PL ATTS MOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. I 
 
 The U. S. laws allowed a claim only of 160, 120, 80, or 4<> acres, un- 
 less it was in ease of a fraction, when the whole fraction might be claimed. 
 The Clubs generally allowed and protected claims of 32Q acres, looking 
 to further legislation by Congress to authorize such entries. 
 
 TO TAKE A CLAIM 
 
 was to stake out any of the above described quantities and write the 
 claimant's name and perhaps a description of the land upon the stakes, 
 then have tins description filed and recorded by the Secretary of the Club, 
 and this constituted a "claim." 
 
 to "jump a claim" 
 was to remove the stakes already set, and put up others with the jumper's 
 name upon them. 
 
 CLUB LAW 
 
 was the personal government of the settlement by the settlers themselves 
 in Club meeting assembled. 
 
 Before the organization of our Territorial Government it was found 
 necessary to have some tribunal for the settlement of disputes, and each 
 settlement defining its own boundaries formed itself into a "Club" for this 
 purpose. A President, Secretary and Treasurer were elected, a Constitu- 
 tion ami Bye Laws adopted, and provision made for regular and special 
 meetings. The Secretary kept a journal of the proceedings of the meet- 
 ings, aiso a ''Claim Record." To make a claim valid it must first conflict 
 with no other member's rights, and then be recorded with the number of 
 section, township and range, also the date. Most of the clubs also required 
 the positive assurance that it was intended for a bona tide settlement. 
 These clubs varied much in character, according todocation. The earlier 
 settlements near the river were largely composed of speculators, who often 
 equaled, if they did not outnumber, the real settlers: while farther back 
 from the river the number of pioneers largely predominated. Of course 
 the different clubs varied in character. On the one extreme self interest 
 ruled largely in most of the proceedings;; while on the other the general 
 interest and welfare of the settlement was the ruling principle. 
 
 An offender against the laws or decisions of the club was generally 
 summarily dealt with. There was no machinery for assessing lines; no 
 jails or prisons; hence little or no attempt was made to grade the punish- 
 ment according to the offence. In the clubs controled by real settlers the 
 offender had a fair trial and was informed what he must do to retain his 
 membership, and the penalty of refusal to conform at once to the judgment 
 
8 niSTORY OF PLATTSM OCTET, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 of the club. The penalty of obstinate and unyielding - disobedience was 
 "Removal from the Territory," or in the language of the day to be "Put 
 over the River," and in extreme cases the word "over" did not reach the 
 other side. Very few had the hardihood to resist the judgment of the 
 club, for it was well known that persistent offenders would be so effectually 
 removed that they could cause no more trouble. 
 
 There was probably but one case in Cass County when it became 
 necessary to resort to 
 
 THIS EXTREME PENALTY. 
 
 The one, but too vividly remembered yet by many citizens of Platts- 
 mouth, when four unhappy men were started on their last journey over the 
 river, but their arrival on the other side has never been reported, nor 
 have they been seen or heard from since. 
 
 Other clubs had hard cases to deal with, but they yielded or left be- 
 fore coming to this last fearful resort. 
 
 Much has been said and published over the country of these clubs. 
 They have been called 
 
 MOPS, LYNCHERS, 
 
 and many other bad names. Some of this talk was probably justified and 
 deserved by wrongful and abusive acts, but in the main it was not. Some 
 of them, in the vicinity of the Missouri River, were largely composed of 
 speculators and outlaws, congregated here and remaining only long- 
 enough to secure claims, perhaps several, raise what they could upon 
 them, and then return to their homes. Devoid of truth, honor or integ- 
 rity they obtained titles to land by perjury. They had no interest in the 
 country except what they carried out of it in their pockets. Sometimes 
 outnumbering the real' settlers in the clubs they overruled its action in 
 their own interest, and thus brought disgrace and scandal upon "club law." 
 But the settlements more remote from the border were less infested by 
 this class, and here club law, although very expensive from the amount 
 of time required of each member in personal attendance, formed the best 
 government, in my judgment, that I ever knew. 
 
 Before seeking Nebraska I had heard much of the lawless crowd con- 
 gregated here, and really expected to find little else than ruffians and 
 blacklegs on my arrival. On the evening after 1 first saw Cass County I 
 learned that a club meeting was to be held near by on the same evening. 
 Full of curiosity, I attended the meeting, expecting to see an assemblage 
 of anything hut men. As they gathered in, to the number of some forty- 
 five or fifty, I watched closely for the cloven hoofs, and scanned the faces 
 
niSTORV OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COI'XTY. 9 
 
 for the features of the outlaw and ruffian. But my search was in vain, T 
 discovered none of the characteristics for which I sought. I was much 
 surprised, and still more so by the tone, order and character of the pro- 
 ceedings — and after some two years' of membership in that club I should 
 to-day have no hesitation in submitting any question in which I had an 
 interest, of whatever importance, even of life or death, to that club, in 
 preference to any legal court I have ever known, either in Nebraska or 
 elsewhere. 
 
 THE SPECULATOR 
 
 has been the curse of Nebraska. Not only did he demoralize our clubs. 
 His object was "claims," and no course, however vile or rascally, was too 
 low if it led to this object. He sneaked around through the settlements 
 talking of his "great desire for a fixed home," of his "wife and children 
 who would lie delighted to come into such a settlement''' thus adding to 
 the society and helping to build up schools, churches, roads, bridges, &c. 
 This, he too well knew, was the very weak side of the pioneer, who, with 
 his wife and children were homesick and lonely. It was impossible with 
 his scanty means to build school houses and support schools, and it was 
 a severe trial to see his children growing up without education, Many 
 were also deeply anxious for the gospel privileges left behind; and bridg- 
 es, an absolute necessity, it was often impossible to supply — and more 
 settlers only could supply these demands, and remove the evils. To ob- 
 tain them and this relief he threw his cabin or "Dug-out" door wide open 
 to strangers, divided his last meal with them, perhaps not knowing where 
 the next could be obtained, gave up his bed and slept upon the floor, if he 
 was so fortunate as to have one, left his work and went out over the prairie 
 to hunt up a claim for the promising stranger; or perhaps showed him 
 the line one he had [licked out and been writing back to the old home 
 urging the relative or friend to come out and occupy — anything and every 
 thing to increase the settlement. 
 
 Well, our wolf in sheep's clothing, hugging himself ami chuckling 
 over his own shrewdness and the greenness of the pioneer, procures four 
 stones, puts them in his pocket, and goes out to take possession of his 
 claim. He drops the stones at the supposed four corners of a house, takes 
 a small stick, splits one end, puts a bit of window glass in the split and 
 sticks it on. one side of the house lor a window; borrows a blanket or two 
 and perhaps a bit of plank from his host and goes out at night to his new 
 home, throws down his plank, places Ins blanket over it and lavs down to 
 sleep Then, with the most positive assurance that in so many days or 
 
10 HISTORY OF PLATTSMODTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 weeks he will be back with his family to settle down for good, he leaves 
 for the land office and solemnly swears that he has taken a claim, so and 
 so, that he has built a dwelling house upon it with glass windows and :i 
 plank floor, that it is for the sole purpose of a home, that lie wishes to 
 enter it, and that it is his home and he has moved into it as such. 
 He gets his duplicate, steps out, and leaves for his home and family, if he 
 has one, congratulating himself on his sharpness as a speculator. Me 
 has entered a fine tract of land at a cost of sixty to eighty cents per :icn\ 
 which he assures himself he will soon sell for $10, $20, or perhaps .$"»(> per 
 acre. 
 
 Some may think this is an exaggeration, or overdrawn sketch. But 
 if you doubt it ask any old pioneer for the facts in the case, and he will 
 duplicate it as many times as you wish. The result of such operations 
 to the pioneer was disheartening and disastrous. Hi' was thus gradually 
 hemmed in and blockaded by speculators' lands, which, by reason of fall- 
 ing prices, remained on their hands unsold and unimproved. He had l>v 
 his own generosity and kindness helped these vampires to isolate himself 
 from neighbors; and he had not only to paddle his own canoe alone, but 
 he was forced by long and severe privation and toil, gradually improving 
 and enhancing the value of his own land, to also paddle the canoe of his 
 adversary, by raising the value of surrounding lands till they could he 
 sold at a satisfactory price. 
 
 And yet this movement did not result in such entire success to the 
 speculator as he had anticipated. He overdid himself. The times were 
 not favorable to the rise of land values; and again, he grabbed so 
 largely and crippled the pioneers and hemmed them in so el isely that they 
 could not open up and improve land enough to increase the values of sur 
 rounding lands to much extent. Hence many were obliged to sell at 
 prices far below the cost of entering, interest, and taxes. And large 
 quantities are held to-day in Cass County by those who have nearly if 
 not quite lost all hope of ever recovering the money expended. 
 
 But for these men there would have been to-day but \\'\\\ if any, 
 acres of unimproved land in ('ass County, and the county would have 
 been millions richer than it now is. For twenty years emigrants have 
 been rolling through our county who would gladly have pitched their 
 tents with us, and often with large capital. But there was no room for 
 them. 
 
 Am I not fully justified in denouncing the land speculator as a curse 
 to our count v? 
 
HISTOKY 01 PLATTSMOUTIT, AND CASS COUNTY. 11 
 
 From my own recollections aided by several kind friends in different 
 parts of the county, I give the names and time of settlement of a few of 
 the pioneers. Many of the first on the ground in several of the precincts 
 were merely speculators, or of a transitory character, selling- out their 
 claims and passing on, [ therefore omit them; many entire precincts and 
 settlements are omitted also, as letters of inquiiy remain unanswered. 
 
 In Martin's Precinct, now Plattsmouth, the following names are 
 found in 18.14, viz.: Samuel Martin, Jacob Adams, Win. H. Shafer, J. W. 
 O'Neil, W. Mickelwait, C. H. Wolcott, Levi Walker, Stephen Wiles, A.J. 
 Todd, and Wm. Gullion. 
 
 Rock Bluffs — N. K. Hobbs, Win. Young, F. M. Young, sen., Win. 
 Gilmour, sen., Abram Towner, Benj. Albin, J. McF. Haygood, 1854. 
 
 Four Mile Crekk — Lorenzo Johnson, 1855; Thomas Thomas, Wm, 
 L Thomas, Samuel Thomas, Peter Leaver. Capt. D. L. Archer, 1856. 
 
 Eight Milk Grove — John Scott. 1855; John Mntz, Geo. S. Ruby, J. 
 P. Ruby, 1N5C. 
 
 Louisville — Adam Ingram, James Ingram, 1850; A. L. Child. 1857; 
 Wm. Snyder. Conrad Ripple. Pat. Blessingtou, Fred. Stohlman, 1858. 
 
 Avoca — John Kanoba, J. G. Hanson, 1850; Amos Teft, sen.. Amos 
 Toft, jr.. Orlando Teft, 1857: Geo. W. Adams, 1859. 
 
 Liberty — Joseph Van Horn, 1854; Samuel Kirkpatrick, 1855; L. 
 Sheldon, J. F. Buck, Stephen Hobson, 1856. 
 
 The dates indicate the time when the pioneer planted his stakes for 
 a home, although his family might have still been left behind; yet then 
 and there he identified his interests with that of the county, as proved by 
 continued residence up to the present time. Some, however, have changed 
 their residence to other parts of the county, and several stood faithfully at 
 their posts till mustered out of service for their final settlement. 
 
 As before said, the Indian title was extinguished in June of 1854, and 
 soon after Francis Burt was appointed Governor of Nebraska Territory, 
 and Thomas B. Cuming, Secretary. On October 10th, 1854, Gov. Burt 
 arrived and made his headquarters at the old Mission House, Bellevue 
 but delayed in his arrival by sickness, lie continued to fail till Oct, 18th, 
 when he died. T. B. Cuming, then acting Governor, immediately set 
 about preparing the machinery of a Territorial Government. He appoint- 
 ed Marshals and ordered an enumeration of the population. The enu- 
 meration to lie commenced Oct. 24th, 1854 and returns to l»e made on or 
 
12 niSTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 before November 1st. His instructions to the Marshals were to be very 
 cautious and careful to include no one in this enumeration but actual ami 
 bona Jirfe settlers, with stringent oaths in case of doubt. 
 
 Under this census Cass County returned inhabitants. On this 
 
 enumeration he apportioned, out of the tweiUv-six representatives allowed 
 for the Territorial Legislature by the Organic act, three members to ('ass 
 County, and one Councilman out of thirteen, and ordered an election to 
 be held for a Legislature on December 12th, 1854. In the proclamation 
 calling this 
 
 FIRST ELECTION, 
 
 Cass County was described as "the County lying between the Platte River 
 on the north and the Weeping Water on the south, and from the Missouri 
 River on the east to the limit of the ceded. lands on the west" (about 100 
 miles.) It was divided into 
 
 TWO VOTING PRECINCTS, 
 
 viz., Martin's precinct, voting at the Old Barracks, with James O'Neil, 
 Thos. G. Palmer, and Stephen Wiles, as Judges; and T. S. Gaskill and. 
 L. G. Todd, Clerks, and the second, "Kanosh" precinct, to vote at the 
 house of Col. Thompson, J. S. Griffith, Thos. B. Ashly and L. Young. 
 Judges; and Benj. B. Thompson and Win. II. Davis, Clerks. At this 
 first election in Cass County on Dec. 12, 1854, I find the poll hooks for 
 Martin's precinct, (now Plattsmouth) and the number of voters 78. The 
 Kanosh p<>U hooks I do not find, hut infer from figures and calculations 
 made about the election, that there were some 60 votes polled there. 
 
 N. P. Giddings was elected as 
 
 Nebraska's first delegate in congri ss. 
 
 Lafayette Nuckolls, Councilman from Cass County, and, J. M. Latham. 
 J. D. N. Thompson and Win. Kempton, Representatives. It is said that 
 this J. M. Latham sold out the interests of his constituents I'm- :i consid- 
 eration, and not long after died drunk in a ditch, in St. Joe. 
 
 Of the voters whose names are recorded at this first election in Mar- 
 tin's precinct, who are still with us or remained with us till the close of 
 their lives, I find, Samuel Martin, who died three days after, viz.. Dec. 
 15 1854. thus being not only the first white settler in the County, but 
 filled the first white settler's grave. He was buried on the the hill where 
 several other graves now are, in Young A- Hayes Addition, west of the 
 High School building. * 
 
 * The bones disturbed a few years since while grading the street east of the Episcopal 
 Church were those of a woman passing through, westward, who died and was buried here in 
 
 1852 or Is,",::. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 1 3 
 
 The other voters were Jacob Adams, Wm. H. Shafer, Broad Cole, 
 Wm. Gullion, James O'Neil, W. Miekelwait, John Watson, Henry Watson, 
 Joshua Murray, A. J. Todd, Samuel Hahn, L. G. Todd, Levi Walker, 
 Stephen Wiles, Joshua Gappen, and 63 others, most of whom had no legal 
 right to a vote but still remained and intended to remain citizens of other 
 States. 
 
 Acting Governor Cumings convened 
 
 THE FIRST LEGISLATURE 
 
 January I<>, 1855, which adopted a large part of the Iowa Civil Code, 
 which gave the Probate Judge a very important part to play in the admin- 
 istration of county affairs. This Legislature also further defined the 
 boundaries of Cass County, as follows, "On the north by the Platte river, 
 east by the Missouri, south by Pierce County, (now Otoe), and extending 
 west twenty-four miles on the south line. Pierce County, the northern 
 line of which now became the southern boundary of Cass, was to com- 
 mence one and a half miles north of the mouth of Weeping Water, ami 
 thence run twenty four miles west. 
 
 The Register of Deeds was required to act as Clerk to the Probate 
 Judge, and the two performed all the present duties of County Commis- 
 sioners, Recorder and County Clerk. On March 30th the Governor ap- 
 pointed 
 
 ABRAM TOWNEU PROBATE JUDGE, 
 
 and Tims. J. Palmer Register of Deeds, as also Thomas B. Ashley, Jus- 
 tire of the-Peace for Kanosh Precinct. On the same day Judge Towner 
 opened his Court and by order divided Cass County into two precincts by 
 the following lines: "Beginning at the mouth of Rock Creek, then up 
 the Creek to the main fork near John Clemmons 7 , thence up the north 
 fork to tiie old emigrant road, and thence westward along the same to the 
 west line of the county." North of this line to be Plattsmouth Precinct, 
 and south of it Rock Bluffs. He also ordered the 
 
 FIRST COUNTY ELECTION 
 
 to be held on April 10th, 1855, and appointed James O'Neil, Elias Gibbs, 
 and Stephen Wiles, as Judges, and Charles Walcott and P. Shannon as 
 Clerks of Plattsmouth Precinct; and Thos. B. Ashley, Frank McCall and 
 Curtis Rakes, Judges, and Wm. H. Davis and John Griffith, Clerks of 
 Rock Bluffs precinct. No returns or poll books are to be found of this 
 election, but I learn from Judge Towner that L. G. Todd and Allen Wat- 
 son were elected as Justices of the Peace for Plattsmouth Precinct; and 
 Thos. B. Ashley and Thos. Thompson for Rock Bluffs; and Bela White 
 Countv Treasurer. 
 
14 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 On May 1st, 1855, Thos. J. Palmer was removed from the office of 
 Register of Deeds, because he was not a resident of the county, and Win. 
 H. Davis appointed in his place. 
 
 June 4th, 1855, A. C. Towner, previously appointed Sheriff by the 
 Governor, was ordered to assess the county. Of this assessment I find 
 no record. The first Legislature (of January 16, to March 1(1, 1855) pro- 
 vided for an annual general election on the first Tuesday in November, 
 for which the Probate Judge was required to appoint Judges and Clerks. 
 
 At this, the second general election, H. 0. Wolph was elected Probate 
 Jud^e, and Wm. Young, County Surveyor. No record is to be found of 
 the members of the Legislature, but there was a tie vote on Sheriff. Allen 
 Watson and Moses Jackson were elected Justices for Plattsniouth Pre- 
 cinct, and Mathew Hughes for Rock Bluffs. A special election was order- 
 ed for a Sheriff, with a second tie as the result; and a third election was 
 ordered. A little skillful maneuvering this time detached a U'w of Mr. 
 Lucas' supporters on a surveying trip, and returned W. R. Ellington as 
 Sheriff. 
 
 On January 7th, 185(5, H. C. Wolph entered upon his duties as Pro- 
 bate Judge. On March 3d he divided Rock Bluffs Precinct into Cass- 
 ville and Kanosha. He also appointed a Gj'and and Petit Jury prepara- 
 tory to the holding of a District Court in the County in April. The 
 names of these jurors are missing. 
 
 Judge Edward Harden presided at this 
 
 FIRST SESSION OF THE DISTRICT COURT 
 
 in Cass County in April of 1856, and A. C. Towner seems to have acted 
 as Sheriff, although W. R. Ellington was elected in November previous. 
 
 On May 5th, 1856, Sheriff Ellington was ordered to assess the 
 County; and on Sept, 10 on petition of several citizens of Clay and Lan- 
 caster Counties, the Probate Judge created the precinct of Chester, and 
 on the same day divided Cass County into three Commissioners Districts 
 named Plattsniouth, Kanosha and Cassville, preparatory to the election 
 of County Commissioners, as the Legislature of 1855'56 had repealed the 
 previously adopted Iowa Code, and provided for a Boaid of County Com- 
 missioners. Hence, with the general election of November 4, 1856, or 
 rather on January 1st 1857, when the newly elected officers entered upon 
 their duties, the large powers of the Probate Court came to an end. 
 
 The choice of lands in 1854 was confined almost entirely to the vicin- 
 ity of the Missouri River; few, if any, were taken at any considerable 
 distance from it. 
 
niSTOKV OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 15 
 
 Id L855 a few settlers reached out to Four Mile Creek, Eight Mile 
 Grove and a short distance up the valley of the Weeping Water. But in 
 1856 there was a more general extension. The several earlier settlements 
 were much enlarged, and in addition, the Weeping Water up to and above 
 the Falls, Cedar, Thompson's Fountain, and Salt Creek, had considerable 
 sell lements. 
 
 / 
 
 THE FRONTIER WAVE 
 
 of settlers has rarely if ever become fixed and made a permanent settle- 
 ment. After a i'rw years, and sometimes only months, for recuperation 
 and rest; it rises again and rolls on toward the West. 
 
 This class of pioneers has held a prominent position in our National 
 History from the earlier settlements on the Atlantic to the present day. 
 A class luil too generally intolerant of the restraints of the law, order, or 
 civilization; and not greatly noted for love of industry, truth, right or 
 justice. Vet including many sturdy, upright, and honest men; who can- 
 not endure the artificial trammels of society, nor the technical quibbles of 
 law, by which honest men so often suffer, and rogues and villains fatten. / 
 
 This class has generally gathered on the western border of the settle- 
 ments, (as there was always room there but not always in anv other 
 direction), and as the hated habits, forms and powers approached they 
 receded from them. Like Cooper's old "Leatherstocking," they could not 
 endure the white man's clearing or his wasteful ways. 
 
 They have moved, moved — and moved again; till the great barrier, 
 the Pacific Ocean, .'5. 0(10 miles from their starting point, has arrested the 
 movements of some but not of all, for some, with a great bound, have 
 reached the Sandwich Islands, and others, with a still greater, have landed 
 in the Russian possessions in northwestern Asia. 
 
 Many of this class, moved by their natural impulse, and others, un- 
 der the excitement of the newly discovered gold fields, left the County 
 from 1858 to '60-'61. But the vacancies were filled, or perhaps overfilled 
 in the two or three following years, by the crowd from the east, hurrying 
 from the "wrath to come" in an expected draft into the army. 
 
 In all new settlements hardship, privation, and severe toil are almost 
 always necessary attendants, and though often talked of, and most acutely 
 felt by the old pioneer, are seldom realized by the inexperienced hearer. 
 Some of these were peculiar to our situation. In 1854, '55, '56 money 
 was plenty and easily obtained by those who had means. But probably 
 here, for the first lime, many realized that money, although the pocket 
 
16 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTFI, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 might be full, would not stop the cravings of hunger nor shield the body 
 from the lieree winter winds and snows. We were not on the frontier of 
 an old productive country, but on a frontier of a frontier. 
 
 A new settlement is usually composed of industrious hardworking 
 men and women, nearly, if not all, bees, and no drones. Our population 
 was at least one half non-producing speculators, drones, who consumed 
 the larger part of what the bees produced or procured. They were here 
 to make mone}', by taking claims and selling them at large profits. To 
 plat cities on paper, sell corner lots, and then perhaps to find a location 
 to drop the plat upon, aud some never found an abiding place on which to 
 rest. While many with a price current for lots, quoted daily, never had 
 a building upon them. And although a legion of them in this county 
 nourished under wonderful acts of incorporation, had splendid and costly 
 lithographs and engravings of them, exhibiting their magnificent parks 
 and public buildings, while many held the location of the State or Terri- 
 torial Capital, none had less than the County Seat and Count} 7 buildings. 
 
 Thousands of dollars were invested in these cities, in which some 
 body surely made money, and just as surely somebody lost, for to-day, 
 with the exception of some half dozen villages, their names and locations 
 are only in the history of the past. 
 
 This large portion of our population with ready means secured a 
 large proportion of the provisions and other necessary articles which 
 could be obtained, and left the pioneer to get what he could, which was 
 often little or nothing. Under these circumstances, with but few real 
 producers, and those necessarily much restricted in their fanning opera 
 tions by the first demand of a shelter for the family, where the'.' was but 
 little if any material to construct one of; and the further task of providing 
 food during at least the first year from outside his farm, and often noth- 
 ing to be obtained at any price within a day's travel; and with the average 
 pioneer but little if any surplus of money to buy with, and you will see 
 he had a hard row to hoe. 
 
 Permit.me to give you a brief history of one pioneer of 1856, who 
 well represents the class except in one point. He brought more money 
 with him than the average pioneer, hence could command assistance and 
 necessaries which many could not. Money enabled him to defend rights 
 which others were obliged to yield to the rapacity of the speculator; and 
 again, he was near a point in the county where such supplies as could be 
 obtained were more easily reached. At some forty live years of age, he 
 had sold his farm in an eastern state, which he had cut out of the solid 
 timber, and this is generally considered equivalent to the life work of a 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOtTTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 17 
 
 man, viz. : to clear up and put in running order a heavy timbered farm. 
 The/man who has done it is rarely worth much, physically, after. 
 
 ^ He crossed the Missouri with a Large family late in the summer of 
 1856 with some $2800 in his pocket. But the speculator was ahead of 
 him. He could find no land unclaimed without going - far out from the 
 river. He therefore yielded his rights to these robbers and gave them. 
 .$305 for the privilege of buying a homestead. That is lie bought a claim 
 of them and then set himself to work to make a home/ A few cotton- 
 wood boards from Clark's saw mill, over near St. Mary's, in Iowa, enabled 
 him to build a shauty 10x15 feet square, a rather roomy place for a family 
 of eight or nine; with household goods, beds, furniture, &c; but he soon 
 found large opportunities to fill up the extra room with travelers, way- 
 farers, and new settlers, who else would have been forced to camp on the 
 open prairie. 
 
 He had brought with him a large load of provisions, but his neigh- 
 bors, less provident or able, had nearly or quite exhausted their stores, 
 and as only chance supplies could be obtained from passing boats, he was 
 obliged to divide out, so that as winter approached his stores were nearly 
 exhausted also. A much traveled road passed his place, and a constant 
 train of new comers, and old settlers from more distant settlements were 
 continually calling for food and often a night's lodging. It was not the 
 habit of the pioneers to pull in the latch string, and the hungry traveler 
 must have las meal, even if it left hut a scanty s upply for the family on 
 the morrow. Further supplies must be had, and his team was sent (not 
 down into Egypt,) hut over to the already badly ravaged land of Iowa. 
 After considerable search, however, they were successful in loading their 
 wagons. But on their return, on reaching the river, they found it impass- 
 able from floating ice. A cold snap since they passed over had filled the 
 river with ice, and our frien 1 Mickelwait, who then as now ran the ferry, 
 a Hat boat at that time, dared not venture in the heavy ice. Well, there 
 was nothing to do but to — wait. Meantime, our pioneers, and many oth- 
 ers, nearing the point of destitution of food, were watching and waiting 
 on the bank of the river for the time when the boat would venture out. 
 At length the time came, after days of delay. The boat ventured out and 
 landed the teams in safety on the Nebraska shore, and the threatened 
 famine was for a time postponed. 
 
 In March of 1857, after much difficulty from high water and peril 
 from floating ice, he succeeded in reaching the Land Office at Omaha, en- 
 tered his land and received his duplicate. But his troubles werv far from 
 
18 niSTora" op plattsmouth, and cass county. 
 
 over yet. A gentleman( ?) speculator, a member of the club, fancied he 
 saw a chance for a speculation. In a club meeting, of which both parties 
 were members, he alleged he had a prior claim to the entered land. A 
 majority of the club were speculators and sympathised with the brother 
 shark. The Record book bearing the evidence of our pioneer's member- 
 ship and rights under club law, very* conveniently disappeared and was 
 not to be found, and, after a one-sided investigation, the club decided that 
 the pioneer was not a member of the club and had no rights which the 
 club were bound to respect, and that he must deed 160 acres of the land 
 to the speculator. He had first paid a heavy price to the speculator for it 
 as a claim, then paid the full price to the Government and held the Land 
 Office Duplicate for the money and now must yield it to the speculator. 
 It was fully proved in the club trial that the speculator held like claims 
 on over 1000 acres, while no club law authorized over 320 acres, and that 
 was double the amount allowed by U. S. law. But this produced no effect, 
 the judgment had been decided upon before the trial took place, and now 
 the deed must be made or the offender would be "put over the river." 
 
 A council was held by the real pioaeers, and it was decided to sub- 
 mit to no further outrage of this character. They were well armed; they 
 saw that their homes, families, and even lives were at stake, and further- 
 more they were of the class who do not scare easily. The club, that 
 is the speculator portion, aide 1 by such others as they could control as 
 they advanced to put their judgment in execution, learned that they were 
 to be received at the muzzles of rifles and revolvers and that some thirty 
 shots were ready to greet them from under a good cover. Further, our 
 speculator friends well knew that the small ban 1 thus entrenched and 
 armed were the very men to offer very decisive arguments in defense of 
 not onl}' their rights but their lives. This information and the situation 
 had a very soothing effect upon the speculator an 1 his allies; they con 
 eluded it was not a good time to try on the "over the river" movement. 
 Rut the judgment of the club — as inflexible as the laws of the Meles and 
 Persians — what could be done with the judgment? An adviser, long since 
 gone to his last rest, suggested further search for the lost record book, 
 which might develope grounds for the removal of the judgment. This 
 kind of a crowd, generally much more ready to creep out of some backdoor 
 than stand up and make a fair fight, readily seized upon the suggestion. 
 The Record was as conveniently found as it had been previously lost, and 
 lo! all was found right and plain; the pioneer was after all a member, his 
 claims were all right, and the judgment was reversed. 
 
HISTORY OF PL ATTS MOUTH, AND CASS COIN TV. 19 
 
 But the speculator, mortified and disgusted by the failure of his 
 scheme, resolved to try it on again, but in a shape less perilous to his own 
 person. He appealed to the Land Olflee and tried to break the entry of 
 the lands. But there, although he succeeded in causing the pioneer an 
 expense of some hundreds of dollars in defending his rights, he again 
 met with a signal defeat, and soon after in great disgust left the settle- 
 ment; and the grief at his departure was not great, even with the wife 
 and children he then and there deserted. 
 
 The general features of this case are the same as those of very many, 
 only that with less or no means they could not defend and maintain their 
 rights, where money was required, and to procure necessaries of life and 
 buildings was more difficult. Unable perhaps to procure any material for 
 building, they resorted to the "dug out"' till they could raise the means 
 of living above ground. The "dug out" was a room excavated generally 
 in the side of a hill, a couple of rails or posts make a door frame, and a 
 wall of square cut prairie turf forms the front and tills up the angles be- 
 tween the front wall and the side hill. A roof, sloping back on to the hill, 
 of rails or poles covered by a thick layer of prairie grass and then with 
 earth, makes a not, uncomfortable shelter for summer or winter. But 
 they arc not particularly nice or clean especially in long or heavy rain 
 storms. 
 
 A prominent feature in our pioneer life from 1854 to '59-'60 was 
 
 THE IXDIAXS. 
 
 The Indians in early days were in the habit of roaming through the 
 settlements from the single individual up to fifteen or twenty in number. 
 I have no knowledge of their ever attempting any personal injury to any 
 settler in our county. Still, with the record of their horrible and savage 
 deeds in most all of the early settlements of our country, handed down 
 and too vividly remembered, they were a source of great terror to women 
 and children, as also to husbands and fathers lest they should attack the 
 family in his absence; and, possibly, many of them were not so totally 
 devoid of personal fear; but then it would never do to own this. 
 
 The Indians xcry much preferred the absence of the men in their 
 visits to the settlers'' houses, as they found that the women when unpro- 
 tected by the men were much more ready to yield to their ever unsatisfied 
 and unlimited demand for food. In a settlement, however large, they 
 would enter every house they could get into, and eat all they could get, 
 repeating this operation from house to house. If they found a door open 
 <)!• unfastened they walked in. asking no leave, and then it was "eat," 
 
20 IIISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 "eat," "eat," or if the} 7 could command a little more English "Me heap 
 hungry." If they were seen in their approach, and the door fastened, 
 they would seek a window through which the family inside could be seen, 
 flatten their noses and faces up against the glass, and there, with the pa- 
 tience only of an Indian, often stand for hours watching the proceedings 
 of the family, till the poor woman, frightened almost to death, would un- 
 fasten the door and feed them in order to get rid of them. 
 
 The Indians cannot well be dismissed without a brief reference to our 
 
 INDIAN SCARES, 
 
 which were generally the result only of panic founded on the morbid Tears 
 and imagination, fostered for a century or more by the barbarities of 
 these cumberers of the ground. The several scenes connected with them 
 made an impression too deep on the memories of the people to be soon 
 forgotten, but the particular dates are much mixed up. As these, how- 
 ever, are not very essential I give some of them as near their time and 
 order as I am able to trace them. 
 
 THE WHITMORE SCARE 
 
 occurred late in the summer or fall of 1S5G. A Mr. Whitmore had built 
 a cabin in the vicinity of the Salt Basin, in Lancaster County, and settled 
 there with wife and children. Mr. Whitmore left for the river on busi- 
 ness, and was soon followed by his wife and children in the night, drag- 
 gled and wearied almost to death by a foot race to escape from the In- 
 dians. She made a fearful report of the atrocities and fearful deeds of 
 the savages in the abuse of herself, destruction of furniture, ripping open 
 feather beds, scattering the feathers in the wind, <fcc, &c. Her tale spread 
 on all sides as she advanced toward the river, supplemented and enlarged 
 by all kinds of variations that fear and imagination could supply; and as 
 it reached the river settlements it was indeed a fearful one. The number 
 of Indians had increased to hundreds and thousands, and not a house was 
 left unburned or a scalp on its original owner's head. Companies were 
 formed in hot haste at Plattsmouth, Rock Bluffs and Nebraska City, and 
 they hastened towards the scene of devastation. Advance scouts, sent out 
 to reconoiter, met the companies and reported the whole thing to be a 
 scare] It is still a matter of dispute whether any damage at all was done 
 by the Indians. We have very positive evidence on one side, that the 
 first parties on the ground,- found Whitmore' s house and goods all sale 
 and unharmed; and that the scare all originated in the usual visit of the 
 Indians for food, but that Mrs. Whitmore, terribly frightened, run for her 
 life. 
 
niSTORV OP PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. '21 
 
 On the other side, we have just as positive testimony that furniture 
 was found broken up, beds ripped open, feathers scattered, &c.,but no one 
 testiiies to personal injury. 
 
 A sequel to this scare, or a transaction following it, was the collision 
 of a small company of settlers in the following February, with about the 
 same number of Indians, between Eight Mile Grove and Mt. Pleasant; in 
 which the whites attacked the Indians, with no other excuse that I can 
 hear of, than that these Indians might have been connected with the pre- 
 vious scare. The whites tired upon the Indians and broke one Indian's 
 arm; took two or three prisoners and some twelve or fifteen ponies. The 
 prisoners were brought to Plattsmouth and the ponies were put where 
 they would perhaps do the most good; or where they would be safe from 
 observation. 
 
 These raiders were soon followed by a company of some one hundred 
 Indians with three chiefs. They took great care, in passing hy houses or 
 settlements to keep the band from offering any injury or wrong; and on ar- 
 rival in Plattsmouth. demanded their men and ponies. After getting an 
 interpreter down from Bellevue, and having a "talk," they were allowed to 
 take the prisoners, and hunt up and take their ponies if they could find 
 them. They camped down in the bend just above Rocky Point for sev- 
 eral days, and succeeded in recovering nearly if not all of their ponies, 
 and then quietly returned. 
 
 I have no great affection for an Indian, but I cannot but think that 
 in this case somebody ought to have suffered some, and that body, not an 
 Indian either. 
 
 During the latter part of the war in '63 and '64, reports were current 
 that the rebels were tampering with the Indians, and exciting them to at- 
 tack our settlements. These reports caused much anxiety and uneasi- 
 ness, especially in the more exposed neighborhoods; and almost every 
 settlement had formed regular organizations for drill, defence, rendez- 
 vous, &c. 
 
 In the fall of '64, word swept through the county with more than the 
 speed of Sir Walter Scott's "Cross of Fir6," that Indians were on Salt 
 ( Ireek in large force,perpetrating their usual atrocities, and sweeping down 
 towards the Missouri, with the purpose of exterminating the white settle- 
 ments. The writer, whom please consider your "War Correspondent" for 
 the hour, hastened to the rendezvous at Louisville, where some forty-live 
 men were soon gathered, all armed and equipped for war. But for the 
 presence of some upstarts who called themselves "Veterans'" from services 
 
22 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTn, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 in the civil war, then near its close, your correspondent might have ob- 
 tained some befitting office in this movement, (a Sutlership at least). 
 
 But with all his merits and qualification over shadowed, he remain- 
 ed in the ranks. 
 
 We were at once placed in position, outposts established, and every- 
 thing made read}' to recieve the savage foe and give them 
 
 Crowds of fugitives were rushing past, some with some household 
 goods, others with none, some with proper clothing and others quite the 
 reverse. But all with an eye over their shoulder, while lashing and 
 punching up the team; urged to stop and help in the coming fight, "No!" 
 u No!" they must take care of the women and children. Well, where were 
 the Indians? "Close behind" — "just in sight!" came from them in the 
 distance as the furious whips played upon the teams. 
 
 With teeth set, muscles strained to almost cracking tension, and in- 
 
 dominitable resolution, we awaited the onset — till we were tired. 
 
 We then sent out a scout of ten men to ascertain where the bloody ras- 
 cals really were; and then we "rested on our arms" (Is that the way to 
 say it?) and — waited still. 
 
 After some eight hours of this lively kind of life (which, as we had 
 counted time, had stretched over as many days,) our scouts returned 
 bringing in ten scalps — on their own heads, and that was all. No Indians 
 had been seen — no houses rilled or burned — no lives lost and nobody hurt. 
 
 The whole scare originated with an Irishman at old Mr. Barnhill's 
 Ranche, a little above Ashland. He had been left alone at the Ranche, 
 and a couple of Indians came along and wanted whiskey. He sold to 
 them till they raised a war dance, when the Irishman incontinently lied ami 
 yelled: "Indians!" "Indians!" 
 
 Meanwhile, while the yell was ringing and echoing over the whole of 
 Cass County, the Indians had got over their "drunk" and gone quietly on 
 their way. 
 
 THE LEGISLATURE OF '55 AND '56 
 
 as before said, repealed the law giving to the Probate Judge such exten 
 sive jurisdiction, and provided for a Board of County Commissioners to 
 transact the county business. At the general election of November 4th, 
 1850, J. Vallery, Jr., R. Palmer and W. D. Gage were elected as our first 
 Board of County Commissioners. They have been succeeded in office as 
 follows: 
 
niSTORV OF PLATTSMODTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 23 
 
 1857— Wm. Young and R. R. Davis. 
 
 1858— Geo. Mayfleld. 
 
 1859— John Mutz. 
 
 1860— L. G. Todd. 
 
 1801— J. Vallery, Jr. 
 
 1862— Wm. L. Thompson. 
 
 1803— Isaac Pollard. 
 
 1861— M. L. White. 
 
 1805—1). Cole. 
 
 1800— A. Carmichael. 
 
 1807— Jas. O'Neil. 
 
 1808— J. B. Moore. 
 
 1809— Benj. Albin. 
 
 1870— J. Vallery, Jr. 
 
 1871— 1,. H. James. 
 
 1872— T. Clark. 
 
 1873— M. L. White. 
 
 1874— W. B. Arnold. 
 
 1875— B. S. Ramsey. 
 
 1870— E. G. Dovey, (to fill vacancy.) 
 
 our county clerks have been as follows :- 
 
 two years: 
 
 -EACH ELECTION BEING FOR 
 
 1857 -J. N. Wise. 
 1859-D. 11. Wheeler. 
 1861-'03 '(")- '07— 15. Spurlock. 
 
 1809— Isaac Pollard, 
 i87i-'73— D. W. McKinnon. 
 1875— C. P. Moore. 
 
 OUR SHERIFFS, ALSO ELECTED FOR TWO YEARS: 
 
 1855— A. C. Towner(appomted.) 
 1855— W. R. Ellington. 
 1857 Vv. 1). McCord. 
 1859— W. 1). McCord. 
 1861— U. H. King. 
 
 1803— P. P. Gass. 
 1805 -A. B. Taylor. 
 l8G7-'09-'7l— J. W. Johnson. 
 1873— M. B. Cutler. 
 1875— M. B. Cutler. 
 
 OUR TREASURERS, ALSO ELECTED FOR TWO YEARS. 
 
 1855— Bela White. 
 185G— Welcher Cardwell. 
 1857-'59 -J. D. Simpson. 
 
 1801 -'03- '05- '07— S. Duke. 
 1869-'71— W. L. Hobbs. 
 1873- '75— J. C. Cummins. 
 
 THE POPULATION, 
 
 by enumeration at different periods shows as follows: 
 
 Sept. 1855—712. 1870-8151. 
 
 1850—1251. 1874—10397. 
 
 18C0— 3369. 1870—10885. 
 
 THE VALUATION OF PROPERTY. 
 
 as assessed for luxation has been as follows: 
 
 1857, $1 ,002,902. 
 
 1850, 1 ,090,074. 
 
 1800 975,450. 
 
 1861 1,013,570. 
 
 1802, 828,019. 
 
 1RG3 3.737,184. 
 
 1864, 1,137,486. 
 
 1865 1,740.829. 
 
 1866, 1,592,678. 
 
 1867 1,729.052. 
 
 1868,. 
 
 1809,. 
 1870,. 
 1871,. 
 1872,. 
 1873,. 
 1874,. 
 1875,. 
 1870.. 
 
 $1,896,432. 
 2,136,835. 
 3,099,856. 
 3,704,874. 
 
 4,010,950. 
 3.7G7.472. 
 4,219,909. 
 3,593,017. 
 2,891,242. 
 
24 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 The items of this assessment for 1874, the latest itemized list obtain - 
 able, is as follows, showing- 313,331 acres at an average value of $7.90 
 per acre: 
 
 Land $2,402,600. Wagons and Carriages, (1601), $ 61,068. 
 
 Town Lots 313,872. Money and Credits, 85,655. 
 
 Merchandise, 104,394. Mortgages, 27,023. 
 
 Manufactures, 39,300. Stocks 51, 170. 
 
 Horses, (5962). 309,943. Furniture, 20,957. 
 
 Mules and Asses, (438), C2,873. Libraries, 1,080. 
 
 Neat Cattle, (15,598), 206,580. Other Property, 94,742. 
 
 Sheep, (659), 1,223. Railroads, 343.897. 
 
 Swine, (25,202), 31,438. Telegraph Lines 950. 
 
 The foregoing list does not embrace ordinary house furniture. Libra- 
 ries under $100, tools of mechanics and artisans, but a small share of the 
 agricultural implements on the farm, or the stores of the produce of the 
 farm still on hand; and when it is considered that property is rarely as- 
 sessed for taxation at more than sixty or seventy -five per cent, of its real 
 value, we may safely add twenty-five per cent, to the foregoing value, 
 which would increase it to over five and one-half millions. In the valua- 
 tions of the property of Cass County, it will be noticed that there are 
 
 GREAT FLUCTUATIONS IN VALUE. 
 
 Probably much of this is owing to the various modes of assessment by 
 the different assessors, ranging all the way from one half up the supposed 
 cash value. But this, even wide as the margin is, will not account for 
 the showing of 1862,- , 63-'64. From 1862 to 1863 it is more than quadru- 
 pled, or increases about four and a half times; and then in the following- 
 year, 1864, falls off to less than one third of 1863. One reason for this 
 extraordinary increase of 1863, is that the assessors in the spring of 1863 
 caught large amounts of property with the crowds coming into the county 
 to escape the draft into the army; and then, as a large portion of this 
 property remained in the County only long enough to he assessed, and 
 then passed on westward, it would in like manner diminish the values 
 of the next year. This movement unquestionably produced considerable 
 change in values; but that it alone worked such changes is hardly credi- 
 ble. The number of acres (313331) assessed in 1874 shows nearly 30,000 
 unentered, or if entered, not yet liable to assessment, as the County em- 
 braces about 339,200 acres. I find no data of the number of acres under 
 cultivation since the U. S. Census of 1870, which gives the numbers as 
 55,520. 
 
 So far as can be ascertained 
 
rnsTouY np plattsmouth, and cass county. z-> 
 
 THE FIRST MARRIAGE 
 
 in the county was that of Elza Martin to Sarah Morris, on November 16, 
 L854, byAbram Towner, and recorded by Joseph Lousignont, Register of 
 Deeds, the first appointment to that office by Governor Cuming. 
 
 THE SECOND MARRIAGE 
 
 that appears on record was Thomas Hammond to Permelia A. Walker, on 
 May 20, 1S55, by L. G. Todd, J. P.; and the third, J. McF. Haygood to 
 Man E. Brown. Any. 28, 1855, by W. D. Gage. 
 
 THE FIRST WHITE CHILD 
 
 bom in this county was Nebraska Stevens, son of Wm. Stevens, in Decem- 
 ber, 1854 or January 1855. 
 
 The second, Levina Todd, daughter of L. < J. Todd, in FebruaiT <>i" 
 1855, now the wife of Thos. J. Thomas. 
 
 [It is stated that Samuel Martin and A. .!. Todd had each a child 
 born previous to the above, such may he the case, hut I can obtain no re- 
 liable evidence of the dates of their births.) 
 
 From the meager statistics to he found on the subject of 
 
 A.GRK ri.Ti ■;;:•: 
 in our county, it seems hardly worth the while to name the subject. Thai 
 < ';rss County is one of the best, if not the best agricultural county hi the 
 State, is, by all conversant with the subject, admitted; hut the statistics 
 to prove this tact are wanting. The early pioneers seem to have taken a 
 deeper interest in th;' matter of Associations ami Fail's than the citizens 
 of later days. Under an act of incorporation by the Legislature of the 
 Territoiy, an association was organized Aug. 30, 1856, with II. C. Wolph, 
 President; Wm. II. Davis, Secretary; Timothy Gaskill, Treasurer: and 
 a membership of fifty- seven names: each of whom, under the require- 
 ments of the Bye-Laws, paid their membership fee of $1. A very inter- 
 esting fair was held at, Rock Bluffs in September, 1856; and again in 1S57, 
 with a membership of fifty-two. After this, notwithstanding the earnest 
 efforts and labors of several individuals, the society languished and died. 
 It has been revived in later days, but it is only by persistenl and contin- 
 uous effort of a few individuals that it yet lives. The mass of the people 
 seem to feel but little interest in the matter. 
 
 Tin: PRODUCTION OF THE COUNT! 
 
 is large, yet at a most unprofitable cost. Land in new counties is plenty 
 and cheap, and especially in prairie countries, easily opened: and an im- 
 mediate return to the pioneer for his investment in land is not only rlesir- 
 
2fi HISTORY OF PEATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 able but often seems necessary: and the great temptation is to bleedthe 
 land to extreme weakness if not to absolute death. That is to open as 
 large an area as he can scratch over, and take what he can get from the 
 land and make no return to it. 
 
 The soil is rich, and even the subsoil full of the elements of vegeta- 
 tion; still there is a limit to the best soil, beyond which this kind of 
 farming becomes a dead loss. The returns will not pay for seed and labor, 
 and farm and money invested in it are sunk- The old Virginia farms 
 long since abandoned as worthless; as also to-day the seemingly inex- 
 haustible valleys of the Miamas' and Seiota, of Ohio, prove this position 
 but too plainly. Nor is it necessary to leave our own County for this 
 proof, as of the farms here for only twenty years in cultivation under this 
 system, but few, if any, produce now more than forty to sixty per cent, of 
 their first crops. But this is no time or place for an agricultural essay. 
 Permit me to give you farmers of < 'ass County a few figures to ponder 
 upon and we will leave the subject. 
 
 First, however, I must make an assertion which, perhaps, y<»u will say 
 is not proof. I admit assertion is not proof, but then I have on record 
 the figures, dates and witnesses to make it: so, if you doubt it; and this 
 assertion is that any average land in Cass County, farmed as ir should he, 
 will produce from 80 to 100 bushels of corn or 25 to 35 bushels of wheat 
 per acre. Let us take 40 acres of our average land to experiment upon. 
 First with average poor farming and its results, and then the same num- 
 ber of acres of good farming; noting, however, that general estimates 
 will not give accurate results for particular tracts of land, as an entire 
 level or table land will wear longer, with less deterioration, than the roil- 
 ing, and the steeper the swells the more rapidly is the soil transferred by 
 washing and cultivation to the low lands; and again, with hill aiid valley 
 or bottom included in the same farm, the bottom will perhaps hold its 
 own at the expense of the hill side. 
 
 FORTY ACKES OF AVERAGE Pool! FARMING. 
 
 Plowing (cut and cover) 2J4 neres per day. 16 days @ $2.50 8 Ki.00 
 
 Laying off and planting, io>; acres per day, 317-21 days (3 $2.50 9.52 
 
 Seed. 11 bushels, @ 50 cents, 500 
 
 Cultivating twice, c, acres per day, \3% days, •■> $2.50 33.33 
 
 Harvesting, team and two men, 70 bushels per day, 22C-7 days,<3 $3.75 per day, 85.72 
 
 Use of land, $3 per acre, continually decreasing in value till worthless 120.00 
 
 Average decrease in value, 25 cts per acre 1 "-"° 
 
 Total cost $304.07 
 
 Receipts. 40 bushels per acres or 1600 bushels, much of it nubbins and chatty, ar 25c:s,. . . 100.00 
 
 Profit on the 40 acres $95.93 
 
 This profit must grow less and less each year, till it turns to loss, as many fields have al- 
 ready fallen to 30, 25 and 20 bushels per acre. 
 
HISTOKY OF cXATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. Z I 
 
 Now LET US LOOK AT THE FORTY ACRES OK GOOD FARMING: 
 
 2i) loads of manure every other year, or 10 loads per acre annually, ton loads, (§ 40c, $160.00 
 
 Plowing Pj acres per day. 10 inches deep, 22 6-7 days. @ $2.50, 57.14 
 
 Laying off and planting, as before n.52 
 
 Seed 5.50 
 
 Cultivating four times, .".acres per day. 32 days, @ 2.50 80.00 
 
 Hand hoeing 30.00 
 
 Harvesting, team and two men, 80 bushels per day. 40 days. (§ §3.75. 80 bus. per acre 150.00 
 
 Use of ground, although yearly increasing in value 120.00 
 
 Total cost $612.16 
 
 ('reiiii by 80 bushels p< r acre, 32<>o bushels, worth 30 cents per bushel $960.00 
 
 Profit, yearly increasing. $347.84 
 
 EDUCATION. 
 
 'i'!i" record of our schools arc probably as deficient and mutilated as 
 the records or' other departments of our history, and what remain have 
 been carried away from the ' lounty Seat, and are thus, without time and 
 labor which could not be spared, inaccessible for the purposes of this 
 sketch. Application for information by letter to the present County Su- 
 perintendent of schools, procured a — promise, nothing more. But were 
 these records accessible find entire, they would not ba likely to serve to 
 much purpose here. 
 
 The rise and progress of school systems, from pioneer efforts in 
 widely scattered settlements, composed of residents also widely scattered 
 and usually of limited means, present much the same features throughout 
 the whole country. The parent is anxious that his children should lie ed- 
 ucated, but they must be fed and clothe:!: hence the school must wait for 
 a time. A record would be interesting and valuable, as it might perpetuate 
 the memory of those who have more earnestly and vigorously labored and 
 developed our present system. The means and progress are little other 
 than a repetition of what has occurred in other places again and again. 
 
 Under the circumstances 1 do not see that 1 can do better than to 
 reproduce a tabulated report, made by Prof. LT. W- Wise, late Superin- 
 tendent of our Public Schools for the County, and kindly furnished tome 
 for this use. The report is as yet unpublished, having been prepared for 
 the State Superintendent at the close of the year 187."). 
 
 Figures are generally dry reading but the reader who has but a 
 slight interest in education will will note much of hope and promise as 
 well as much of actual possession in this report. It embraces a compara- 
 tive showing of progress for four years. It is as follows: . 
 
28 T1TSTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 Number of School Districts, 
 
 " •■ School Houses 
 
 " School Children, 
 
 " Children attending school, 
 Per cent, of children attending school,. . 
 
 Number of Teachers employed 
 
 Aggregate number of days taught by all, 
 Number of visits of Superintendent 
 
 '• " " of District Officers 
 
 District Tax to pay Teachers, 
 
 '• '• to erect School Houses, .... 
 
 " for other purposes, 
 
 Money paid for apparatu;, &ts., 
 
 Paid Male Teachers, 
 
 ['aid Female Teachers, 
 
 1872. 
 
 1S7:;. 
 
 1S74. 
 
 1875, 
 
 7.-, 
 
 79 
 
 7:i 
 
 SI 
 
 4!) 
 
 (50 
 
 70 
 
 S4 
 
 3315 
 
 3329 
 
 wcr, 
 
 :;74f> 
 
 2056 
 
 2380 
 
 ■iw 
 
 2952 
 
 G2 
 
 71 
 
 70 
 
 7s 
 
 114 
 
 133 
 
 136 
 
 12:: 
 
 7/W7 
 
 9006 
 
 9421 
 
 10319 
 
 42 
 
 117 
 
 96 
 
 128 
 
 14!) 
 
 227 
 
 237 
 
 240 
 
 S 394.51 
 
 s 1221.20 
 
 $2488.94 
 
 $ 1957.56 
 
 47:r..L' _ . 
 
 278 ID. io 
 
 7124.2.-. 
 
 1 lsi; i.ji 
 
 103.90 
 
 1110.25 
 
 2134.27 
 
 8246.12 
 
 L'!!.L'". 
 
 141.02 
 
 188.00 
 
 2160.9.) 
 
 6553.18 
 
 9519.00 
 
 8640.00 
 
 1 0433.96 
 
 1533.93 
 
 5303.27 
 
 6573.72 
 
 9307.06 
 
 [Since writing the above 1 have received the following items from <;. B. Crippen, County 
 Superintendent : 
 
 No. of School Houses in Cass County. June. 1876 : Stone, 2 : Brick, Hi ; Frame. 67 : total. 79. 
 No. of School Districts in Cass County. June. 1876, 83. 
 No. of School Children. 1-135. 
 No. of Children attending school, 3342. 
 
 I'llK FIRST SERMON 
 
 preached in the County was in October, 1854, at the house of TIios. I'.. 
 Ashley by Abrani Towner. 
 
 HORSE THIEVES AND LYNCH LAW. 
 
 I think no well informed an 1 dispassionate person will dispute the 
 proposition thai "a community will prospar in all their surroundings only 
 as it choc's an {faithfully execute? go » 1 an 1 wholeso o \ laws." 
 
 Yet it is well known that general laws cannot bs made to lit with 
 exact justice to special cases; as also, thai through the agency of money 
 and subtle lawyers a largo proportion of oar vilest criminals escape the 
 just penalties of their villainous deeds, while many an innocent person is 
 mad;' to suffer cruel and grievous wrong, or is perhaps brought to a horri 
 ble and disgraceful djath. This uncertainty in the administration of 
 criminal law has in luc ■ 1 m my int slligent, an i otherwise law abiding cit- 
 izens to enter upon acts and d sels from which they shrink with aversion 
 and horror; and which, under other circumstances, they would utterly 
 refuse. 
 
 The peculiar cirenmstan • >> attending the stealing of horses, and the 
 facilities fortius escape of the thief on the borders of new settlements, 
 has indicated the class of horse thieves as one demanding sure and 
 speedy extinction. From hasty action under this feeling probably many 
 innocent man havo su Fered; while a much larger number, taken red hand- 
 ed in the act, have speedily been put beyond the reach of further offense. 
 
ITISTOKV OP PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 29 
 
 During several years preceding 1864 a number of citizens of Cass 
 County suffered much loss and hardship from this class of villains. 
 About the first of June of that year, 18(54, (some say 1863) two horses 
 were taken from Capt. Isaac Wiles and one from John Snyder, of this 
 county. Pursuit was immediately made. A quarrel between the thieves 
 about the division of the horses induced one of the three to betray the 
 other two. The informal" was secured, and on the, information given the 
 two were followed and found secreted in a loft at "-Mullen's Ranehe," on 
 the divide south of South Bend. They were secured and the party re- 
 turned with them to Eight Mile Grove. In the trial of the men which 
 followed before the self constituted court, there was not, nor could be any 
 denial of guilt. They were horse thieves taken in the very act. No pos- 
 sible mistake in their identity, design or act. A plea was offered for the 
 one who betrayed the other two. But it was considered that, as no re- 
 pentance or better feeling had induced this action, but only revenue and 
 malice toward his fellow criminals; it gave no shadow of an excuse for 
 sparing him, perhaps to repeat the offence before another day; and with- 
 out a dissenting voice sentence was passed and followed by immediate 
 execution. And death then and there closed the career of three misera- 
 ble men. 
 
 PRECINi TS. 
 
 Previous to 1874, the precincts of Cass County were arranged to ac- 
 commodate the settlements, but in 1874 the County Commissioners re- 
 arranged them, conforming their boundaries to those of the Congressional 
 Townships of the County, except the fractional townships in range 1 1, 
 which were included in the precincts of range 13, as per map. 
 
 PLATTSMOUTH, 
 
 the County Seat of Cass County, will be found described in the "History 
 of the City of Plattsmouth." 
 
 ROCK BLUFFS, 
 
 on the Missouri River, in Rock Bluffs precinct, was settled and laid out 
 about the same time as Plattsmouth, and was for a time a somewhat for- 
 midable rival to Plattsmouth, but it is now in a decline. With a popula- 
 tion of 175 it has two trading houses, mill, smith shop, and Post 
 Office. Joseph Shera, P. M. 
 
 KANOSHA AND LIBERTY, 
 
 on the Missouri, below Rock Bluffs, were towns, in early days, of consid- 
 erable promise. Kanosha with some thirty houses, and Liberty with fif- 
 teen or twenty. They are now deserted. 
 
30 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 CLEVELAND, 
 
 still lower on the river, a town which was to be but never was. 
 
 UNION, OR FOLDENS MILLS, 
 
 hardly a village, but rather a compact settlement gathered about the 
 Mills, on the lower Weeping Water, in Liberty precinct. Has a popula- 
 tion of about sixty, with a Post Office established. 
 
 FACTORYVILLE, 
 
 also on the Weeping Water, a short distance above Union Mills; has a 
 population of some twenty-live. 
 
 WEEPING WATER, 
 
 at the Weeping Water Falls, in Weeping Water precinct, was settled in 
 1857. A mill and a few houses were built, after which, for several years, 
 it had a struggle for existence, till 1869-'70 it was roused up and com- 
 menced a new life. It has now a population of some four hundred, six 
 trading houses, a hotel and livery stable, two well built churches, a high 
 school building, and three mills in the vicinity, and a post office. 
 
 LOUISVILLE, 
 
 at the month of Mill or Thompson's Creek, in Louisville precinct, was 
 laid out in 1856, and one log cabin built, ami thus slept until 1870, when, 
 under control of ( 'apt. J. T. A. Hoover and brother and the 15. & M. R. R. 
 Co., it was re-surveyed and commenced life anew. It has now a popula- 
 tion of some two hundred, four trading houses, a hotel, station house, on 
 the B. & M. R. R., a "rain warehouse, lumber yard, and three smith 
 shops. J. T. A. Hoover. Postmaster. 
 
 SOUTH BEND, ■ 
 
 in South Rem! precinct, also of early date^ slept till the Railroad revived 
 it. It has now a grain warehouse, and trading house, and a population 
 of twenty-live or thirty. 
 
 EIGHT MILE GROVE, 
 
 a close settlement: on the corners of the four precincts of Plattsinouth, 
 Rock Bluffs, Eight Mile Grove, and Mt. Pleasant, has a population of 
 about one hundred, two churches, a school house ami a Post Office, C. H. 
 King, Postmaster. • 
 
 GLENDALE, 
 
 a traveling Post. Office in Eight Mile Grove precinct. After four remov- 
 als expired in 1875. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMODTH, AND CASS COUNTY. .'II 
 
 GREENWOOD, 
 
 on the B. & M. R. R.,in Salt Creek precinct,has a. population of about fifty, 
 three trading houses, two churches, a grain warehouse, a hotel, two smith 
 shops, school house ami Post Office; H. H. Alden, Postmaster. 
 
 POST OFFICES. 
 
 There are twenty-four post offices in Cass ( Ymnty, sixteen in addi- 
 tion to the towns named, viz.: 
 
 Concord and Cedar Creek, in Eight Mile Grove precinct on the 15. & 
 M. R. R. 
 
 Avoca, in Avoca precinct: Amos Teft, Postmaster. 
 
 Belmont. 
 
 Bushberry, on sec. .'!:!. T. 11, R. 10, George M. Cudie, Postmaster. 
 
 ' !enter Valley. 
 
 Eagle, on sec S. T. 10, R. 9; A. S. CoOley, Postmaster. 
 
 Elmwood, on sec. :!'.'>, T. 11. II. L0; Turner Zink, Postmaster. 
 
 Luella, in Elmwood precinct. 
 
 Maineland, on sec. 9, T. 1!. R. !0; A. V. Durell, Postmaster. 
 
 Mt. Pleasant, in Liberty precinct; Lynch, Postmaster. 
 
 Nehawka, on sec. L9, T. L0, R. 13; L. G Pollard. Postmaster. 
 
 Sunlight, on see. 10, T. 10, R. 9; Edward Post, Postmaster. 
 
 Three Groves, in Rock Bluffs precinct. 
 
 Union, on sec. 29, '1'. UK K. II ; Geo. Cross, Postmaster. 
 
 Victoria, in Weeping Water Precinct. 
 
CEXTENNIAL SKETCH 
 
 OF THE HISTOIM 01 
 
 THE CITY OF PLATTSMOUTH 
 
 As Plattsmouth was the starting point from which a large portion of 
 the early settlements and organic proceedings of the county originated 
 and radiated, a history of the County necessarily covers much of the 
 history of the city. The first settler, Samuel Martin, with his two log 
 houses commenced the settlement of both count}- and city, and the details 
 of Martin's precinct are identical with those of the subsequent Platts- 
 mouth City. 
 
 CLUB LAW 
 
 ruled supreme from June, 1S54, to September, 1855, when it weakened 
 
 some from the presence of the two Justices of the Peace, Allen Watson 
 and L. G. Todd, but still exerted a controlling [tower for a year or so 
 later. 
 
 The first movement on record looking toward the "City of Platts 
 mouth,'" was the organization of the "Plattsmouth Town Compan\ r ," Oct. 
 26, 1854. The first members of this company were Samuel Martin, Jas. 
 O'Neil, J. L. Sharp, C. and L. Nuckolls, and Manly Green. Other mem- 
 bers subsequently joined them. In November, 185-4, this company pro- 
 ceeded to lay out and plat the City of Plattsmouth. O. N. Tyson was 
 the surveyor of the company, and surveyed and platted the future city 
 In March, following, the company obtained from the first legislature an 
 act of incorporation of the City of Plattsmouth. This was the official 
 birth of the city on March 16, 1855. The town site was entered January 
 22, 1859. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 66 
 
 Iii the order for a county election issued by Judge Towner for April 
 10, 1S55, he changed the name of the precinct from "Martin's" to Platts- 
 mouth, so that Martin's name now remains only as a name in history. 
 Meantime he had finished his work in the settlement and was laid away 
 with so few attending spectators, that when active search and inquiries 
 were instituted a few years since, by his relatives, for his remains, they 
 failed to find any clue to them. James O'Neil, Esq., stales that on a bit- 
 ter cold winter day he assisted to make a coffin and bury the body on the 
 hill west of the present High School building, on Hays addition to the 
 City of Plattsmouth. The grave is now surrounded by several old time 
 graves. 
 
 At the general election on November 6th, 1855, Allen Watson and 
 Moses R. Jackson wvv^ elected Justices for Plattsmouth precinct, and 
 Win. G-uUion and Martin Klopinger, Constables. Civil law still, however, 
 playing but a second part in die government of the precinct. 
 
 As before said, the two log houses built by, or for, Samuel Martin, in 
 1853, wi'vc the first buildings in the city. They were followed, so far as 
 I can learn, by the third, a log house, built bp T. G. Palmer, on the lot 
 now occupied by Dr. Livingston; the fourth, also of logs, by W. Mickel- 
 wait, on the corner of Main and Sixth streets, on the lot now occupied by 
 White's grocery; and the fifth, of logs, also, by Wm. Garrison, on the 
 present site of Major Wheeler's house. 
 
 THE FIRST FRAME BUILDING 
 
 erected was on the south side of Wain street just above where the Platte 
 Valley House now stands, probably on the lot now occupied by Waterman 
 & Son's lumberyard office. It was built for and used as the 
 
 FIRST HOTEL IX PLATTSMOUTH. 
 
 It. was called the "Farmers' Hotel." The foregoing log houses and tin's 
 hotel were built during the fall of 1854 and spring of 1855. 
 
 Three good frame houses were built in 1850 by W. Mickelwait, viz.: 
 the Nebraska House or City Hotel, (this was built for the Plattsmouth 
 Town Company); the house he occupies now; and the one across the 
 street, north of it, for T. G. Palmer. In the same summer, 1856, Messrs. 
 Slaughter and Worley built the old New York Store. The first brick was 
 probabl}' built by Judge A. L. Sprague in 1858 and '59, now used as the 
 Surveyor General's Office; and the second about the same time or a little 
 later by J. Krouth, now owned by E. G Dovey as a store: and the third 
 in !859-'60 by W. B. Warbritten — on the present site of Fitzgerald's block 
 — used by J. Harper as a store, and later as a public school house. 
 
34 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH AND, (ASS COUNTY. 
 
 In 18G3 two more bricks were erected, viz.: by Win, Herolcl, south of 
 the bridge on Second street; and Tootle & Hanna's store, lately occupied 
 by E. T. Duke <fc Co. as a Hardware store, as also by the First National 
 Bank of Plattsmouth. In 1864 Win. Herold added the lifth, on the site 
 of the old Barracks. Tootle & Hanna's store, the Masonic ' Block, in 
 1865, and John Fitzgerald's block on the corner of Main and Sixth street 
 are structures of which no city need be ashamed. 
 
 The first hotel has already been located. The second was built by 
 Wm. Hyatt in 1856 and named the "Farmer's Home." It is now used by 
 Mr. Gramberg as an office for his lumber yard. The third hotel was the 
 "Platte Valley" by Wm. McCarty, built in the spring and summer of 1857. 
 
 OUE TRADERS AXI) Ml LICHANTS 
 
 have mostly been of a transitory class, soon passing on, and have seldom 
 done much for Plattsmouth. They have been and still arc slaves to the 
 pernicious credit system which prevails to a great extent the world over; 
 and has probably been the cause of as much, if not more pecuniary loss 
 to the country than any other single cause. Credit is sometimes, perhaps, 
 an advantage to honest men. But the inherent evils of the system, leading 
 to careless and reckless contracting of wholly unnecessary debts, and the 
 utter ruin often following are fearful. 
 
 Again, the merchant who sells on credit must exact enough, over and 
 above the value of the article sold, even to the cash dealer and those who 
 do pay, to balance the loss on those who do not pay, or else goto the Avail, 
 Hence the evil reaches all classes, and all sutler by it. 
 
 Let any one curious on this subject examine our court records for the 
 three or four years past and Ik 1 will there find a history of wide spread 
 ruin and distress among our honest meaning but short-sighted, hard 
 working farmers; as also of too many of our other citizens stripped either 
 voluntarily in their anxiety to pay their debts; or by the Sheriff of every 
 thing not exempt by law: and very many, tortured by the constantly ac- 
 cumulating load of debt, mortgaging their teams, tools and implements, 
 farms and homesteads, and that, but too generally, only to delay the hour 
 of being thrown out upon the world homeless and destitute. 
 
 In 1857 I was sued by a Plattsmouth merchant on a credit of four 
 weeks' standing. It was paid the next day with costs ami that was 
 
 TIIK LAST CREDIT 
 
 I have received in Nebraska or elsewhere. I do not speak of this as a 
 boast, fori have been as poor and needy as any working man in ('ass 
 County. My farm team for eighteen months was one small horse, till he 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 35 
 
 died from a snake bite. Then, by exchange of work with neighbors, I 
 struggled along till 1 yoked a two year old steer with a three year old, 
 both calves raised from the same cow. I have suffered privations ex- 
 ceeded by few, if any, but I had sworn that I would never contract a debt 
 again; even to the amount of one cent in any ease whatever, and my oath 
 is as yet unbroken. Could the mass of our citizens have made and ad- 
 hered to the same resolve; or the merchant utterly refused any credit, 
 sharp and severe temporary distress might have ensued, but the ruinous 
 results of to-day, brought to a crisis by the scourge of grasshoppers, hail, 
 tv<\, would have been avoided. This may not be considered a creditable 
 portion of our history, and probably many would advise its suppression. 
 1 view it differently. W it shows an evil it is not peculiar to our city or 
 county, but it is broad spread as the country, and deeply rooted as time 
 and habit can make it. 
 
 Our laws of homestead and exemption reserve all the neeessary 
 means of profitably pursuing their various avocations to our citizens and 
 a liome which, without their own consent cannot be wrested from them. 
 Yet how many of our citizens have within the past year seen the poor 
 debtor searching from house to house and from office to office, to procure 
 the loan of small sums of money with which to pay off his debts(unpaid 
 by reason of evils beyond the control of man) and mortgaging his teams, 
 his homestead and all; thus yielding, and often losing, all the rights se- 
 cured to him and his family by law; because he was too honest to avail 
 himself of them, and thus defraud his creditors; yet too simple to avoid 
 the curse of debt which has thus worked his ruin. Deeply as we may 
 deplore the blindness which caused the debt, we cannot but glory in the 
 honesty that pays it at such a cost. 
 
 We have counted up about thirty linns that have opened and done a 
 trading business in Plattsmout ii, besides a host of smaller dealers, gro- 
 ceries, saloons, &c. 
 
 Samuel Martin headed the list, who was probably alone till he died, 
 December 15th, 1854. Slaughter & Worley succeeded him in the same 
 old Ban*acks, till they had built and finished the old "New York Store'' 
 in the fall of 1856, when they moved into it. 
 
 During the summer of 1856 Garrison, Griffith & Co., erected the store 
 now occupied by Dr. W. E. Donelan as a Drug store, and put in goods in 
 the same fall or early winter. This house has been re-covered and repair- 
 ed, but unlike the long lived jack-knife of several new blades and handles, 
 contains much of the original material. The firm of Garrison, Griffith 
 & Co.. was subsequently changed to Nuckolls. Garrison & Co., and then 
 
36 HISTORY OF PLATTSMODTH AND, I ASS I ODNTY. 
 
 to Garrison & Jones; and I am strongly tempted to add that a more com 
 plete swindling shop never had place in the city. 
 
 Joseph Harper was probably the next in succession. He bought out 
 Mr. Mickelwait's house on the corner of Main and Sixth streets, added 
 a room to it, into which he put goods for sale. 
 
 These men and most of their successors have passed on and disap- 
 peared. The credit system compells this movement. However honest 
 and upright the men hant may be, if he sells on credit, a collection day 
 must come, and the distress attending collections destroys his popularity 
 and business, so that the general course is to sell for a few months, or 
 possibly years; then (dose up, put his accounts in an officer's hands and 
 vanish. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 The first Postmaster in Plattsmouth was Wheatlcv Mickelwait, Esq., 
 and it is said by some of the irreverent that the post office was in the 
 said YVheatly Mickelwait's hat. I think this statement liable to grave 
 doubts, as this said hat, as I recollect it, was so largely ventilated that it 
 was subject at any time or place to a wholesale ami broadcast delivery. 
 But lie was surely appointed Postmaster in the Fall of 1855. But after 
 a while, perhaps from finding the P. O. building not fully reliable, trans- 
 ferred it to Slaughter & Worley's store, with Worley as deputy. 
 
 W. Mickelwait was succeeded by O. F. Johnson, who kept the office 
 in the old Barracks. Mr. Johnson was succeeded by our present P. M., 
 who first kept the office in Dr. G. II. Black's late office, next door below 
 Dovey's store. lie then moved up to the Court House, and from there to 
 Fitzgerald's block, and thence to its present location. Tins, I think, is 
 the only one of our public offices in the city where all the successive offi- 
 cers have remained and still remain today residents of the city. 
 
 THE FIRST MILL. 
 
 A saw mill was erected by C. Heisel early in 1856; an attachment 
 was added by which some Hour was made in the fall of the same year. It 
 was subsequently moved, rebuilt, and by August, 1857, was doing a good 
 business as a Saw and Flouring Mill. Sarin's Flouring Mill was built 
 in the summer of 1862. 
 
 THE FERRY. 
 
 One of the seventy acts of incorporation of our first Legislature was 
 that of "A Ferry across the Missouri at Plattsmouth. 1 ' The parties in- 
 cluded in this act were W. Mickelwait, J. O'Neil, J. L. Sharp, J. G. Pal- 
 mer and L. Nuckolls, and their associates. This charter was dated 
 
HISTORY OF PUATTSMOUTH; AND CASS COUNTY. 37 
 
 March 1st, 1855. Several other parties were more or less interested in 
 this ferry, but for a large part of the time W. Mickelwait seems to have 
 been a kind of '-head center' 1 in it. A flat boat was run up to August, 
 1857, when the "Emma" was put on; followed by the "Survivor" in 1858, 
 the "Paul Wilcox" in the fall of 185!), and later by the present ''Mary 
 McGee. : ' The several disasters befalling these boats I have not suffi- 
 ciently mastered to attempt to describe them. 
 
 PHYSICIANS. 
 
 Iii 1856 Di's. E. A. and YV. E. Donelan opened :in office in Plaits 
 mouth for the practice of medicine. After some years E. A. Donelan left, 
 but W. E. Donelan still remains at his post, the only instance of a profes- 
 sional man who from so early a day upon "roll call" can answer "present." 
 Dr. Livingston came in the fall of 1859; Dr. G. H. Black in the fall of 
 1861; Dr. Schilrlkneet in 1862; and Dr. John Black in the spring of 1863. 
 These constitute our present medical faculty. 
 
 ATTORNEYS. 
 
 ] can count up but twenty who have displayed their shingles lure as 
 "Attorneys at Law." I judge it cannot be a good place for the profession 
 or else that the good lawyers did not come here. D. H. Wheeler can date 
 bank farther than any other member of the Bar who has made a contin- 
 uous residence here; but we can hardly call him a good lawyer, inasmuch 
 as tlic larger part of his time is and has been devoted to other business. 
 As it is more pleasant to talk about good places and good men, than the 
 reverse, we will only add to the subject — good bye. 
 
 There is no interest connected with human life of equal importance 
 or moment to thai of 
 
 EDUCATION, 
 
 both religious and secular; and yet but few are generally met by and 
 treated with as much indifference by the mass of the people. 
 
 Educational movements and progress are almost universally the re- 
 sult of individual persistent effort, gradually leavening the mass and in a 
 manner forcing co-operation. This is a strange characteristic of human- 
 ity, the why and wherefore of which is hard to determine. But the cor- 
 rectness of the statement may by some be doubted or disbelieved. We 
 hear much on every side of education, and there seems to be much gen- 
 eral anxiety on the subject. Advance the proposition that there is no 
 more important subject, ami you can get up no argument; every one 
 agrees with you. Where then is your proof of this indifference? Let us 
 
38 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTI1 .\XI\ (ASS nil'XTV. 
 
 apply the test of works and deeds to the question and note the result. 
 The church is open weekly, at the least, and often daily, U>r religious in- 
 struction; what proportion of the people ever enter the doors for the 
 unmixed purpose of instruction or even of worship? I leave the answer 
 of this question to you. Again, the school house door is ever open for 
 our children, and what proportion of them are voluntarily ever found 
 there? Under the united efforts of school officers and teachers, urging 
 ((instantly the necessity and importance of attendance, as also absolute 
 force by law in many cases, as also many other varied means to induce 
 al tendance, and our school statistics show an average attendance of but 
 little over one half of our children. What would it be if left to volun- 
 tary action alone? 
 
 Now, let the discovery of a new gold field, an election where party 
 spirit runs high, a circus exhibition, or even a saloon light, be announced, 
 and have yon to talk, urge, reason and demonstrate that time and money 
 expended in these directions will be repaid with ample interest? Oh no! 
 Before yon can frame a thought into words, the man is off like a shot for 
 the attractive object; all consideration of cost, returns, &c, utterly ig- 
 nored. Now yet again approach this same people with the announce- 
 ment of the deep and never dying interest of the soul. The intense en- 
 joyment; the ever enduring gratification and benefit, even to the cent per 
 cent, money profits of secular education; and where now is the excite- 
 ment and enthusiasm? Is it any longer a question of doubt? I think 
 not. The result, ha.wwr mortifying, can not be questioned. 
 
 The early history of educational efforts in Plattsmouth are equally 
 obscure with those of the County, and a show of what we have now in 
 possession is about all 1 can reach. I have been kindly assisted by Dr. 
 Livingston, of the City Council, and Thos. Pollock, Clerk of the School 
 Board, to the following synopsis of the present state of our City schools, 
 as also to the "rules and regulations'* adopted by the Council for their 
 government. 
 
 Three Ward school houses each cost $1,000 
 
 One High School building, cost, .$'25,000 
 
 Furnace, furniture, apparatus, &c, cost about $5,000 
 
 Number of school children 081 
 
 Number enrolled 555 
 
 Average attendance, 433 
 
 Number of teachers employed, 8 
 
 All the grades are now taught in the High School building, except the 
 First and Second years of Primaries, winch are taught in the Fourth Ward 
 school house. 
 
HISTORY OF PT.ATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNrY. i\) 
 FOURTH WARD SCIIOOfe. 
 
 Number enrolled TO 
 
 Average attendance no 
 
 The grades taught in the High School building are, First and Second 
 Primaries of all Wards excepting the Fourth; the Third Primary, the First 
 and Second intermediate, and the High School and Grammar Grades. 
 
 FIRST PRIMARY, 
 
 Number enrolled 87 
 
 A verage attendance 64 
 
 SECOND PRIMARY. 
 
 Numher enrolled 50 
 
 Average attendance 42 
 
 THIRD PRIMARY. 
 
 Number enrolled 7!) 
 
 A verage ; ttendance . 07 
 
 nee 
 
 1 
 
 FIRST 
 
 ixti: 
 
 [..MEDIATE. 
 
 lice 
 
 Number enrolled 59 
 
 Average attendance, 
 
 SECOND INTERMEDIA TE. 
 
 Number enrolled, 85 
 
 A verage attendance ... 70 
 
 HIGH SCHOOL AND GRAMMAR GRADES. 
 
 Numher enrolled, 105 
 
 Average attendance 75 
 
 Total number of pupils in High School building, 405 
 
 Average attendance, 373 
 
 Teachers in High School building, 7 
 
 " in Fourth Ward school, 1 
 
 The High School building is seated throughout with the best patent 
 seats. The school is tally equipped with Maps, Charts, and Apparatus, 
 including Ritchie's best set of philosophical apparatus, also Queen's besl 
 Astronomical Telescope and Microscope, two twenty inch Globes, Orrery, 
 Tellurium. Ac; and a full supply of apparatus for Gymnastic exercise.-,. 
 
 In the High School Grade the following studies are pursued, viz. : 
 Algebra, English Composition and Literature. Physiology, German, 
 French, Latin and Greek, Geometry, Geology, Trigonometry. Chemistry, 
 Potany. General and Ancient History, Mental and Moral Science, Astron- 
 omy, Zoology. Science of Government, American Literature, and Roman 
 Antiquities. 
 
4(1 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH AND, (ASS COUNTY. 
 
 The person who has« resided in the vicinity of Public schools and 
 noc heard frequent complaints and talk of abusive and wrongful ads of 
 teachers, as also of remissness or neglect of school boards, and of worth- 
 lessness of schools, has lived where I have not. 
 
 One of the deepest feelings inherent in our nature is that for the en- 
 tire control of our own children; and as the public school system must 
 necessarily transfer that control and authority for a portion of the time 
 to other parties, and these parties teachers, usually sti angers, who, we 
 aic sure, cannot understand am! appreciate the peculiar disposition and 
 character of our children, and arc therefore unlit to have the control of 
 them; and a reproof or punishment, which administered by ourselves, 
 perhaps, with double violence and yet is forgotten in a few moments, if 
 given by the teacher becomes a deep sealed and lasting injury. Even 
 the most reasonable and best balanced mind finds a spirit of jealousy and 
 antagonism developed in himself in spite of all efforts to resist it: and 
 although reason and judgment may compel him to submit to this divided 
 control, it may beat the expense of much private suffering. The minds 
 of less reasoning and more excitable parents, are of course proportionally 
 more deeply moved, and their action less restrained. 
 
 The age is progressive, and the half dozen studies which, when mas- 
 tered, even forty years since, completed and perfected the common school 
 education, have now swelled to some two dozen in our city schools: and, 
 the parents educated under the old system "pish" and "pshaw" at the 
 "flummery," "fanfarade," and nonsense. They were educated under the 
 "good old system." It was "good enough for them," and ••made them 
 what then are," and "what is good enough for the parentis good, enough 
 for the child." 1 confess to a kind of surface emotion of sympathy with 
 this feeling, 
 
 Some twenty years of my earlier life was devoted to the charge of 
 schools, teachers, and general educational interests; and although in the 
 later portion of this life some innovations were made upon the good old 
 course of Spelling, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Grammar and Geogra- 
 phy, (and Latin and Greek were allowable in parties preparing for Col 
 lege), they conflicted too much with the old standard to be cordially wel- 
 comed. I had a deep personal interest in the new studies, but they seem- 
 ed out of place in the school room. It is hard to make new impressions 
 on old fossils. 
 
 To-day under the action of such consideration and reason as I may 
 be able to summon, I would remit no effort for a thorough basis on the 
 elementary studies, nor would I place any limit to any positively demon- 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 41 
 
 strated knowledge; I would as soon deny the use and developement of 
 physical as mental powers. And yet the largely inereased and increas- 
 ing number of studies now before the world are far too extensive to be 
 crowded into the usually alloted school age; hut tfhe pupil well grounded 
 in elementary branches is prepared to continue his studies during at least 
 the remainder of his life. 
 
 So far as 1 may be able to judge of the 
 
 COURSE OF STUDY 
 
 adopted by the City Council for our city schools, in 1S7:>, and now pur- 
 sued; it could not well be improved. It embraces many studies unknown 
 to our old schools, yet, as adapted to the circumstances and situation of 
 the present of equal importance to any of them. No pupil is obliged to 
 undertake or finish them all, but he must be sufficiently versed in what 
 he does undertake, to enable him to go on with the course and extend it 
 according to his ability in afterlife. 
 
 UNDER THE CHARTER OF MARCH 16, IS.")."). 
 
 a city government was organized by an election on December 29th, 18")(>, 
 at which Wheatly Mickelvyait was elected Mayor, and Enos Williams. W. 
 M. Slaughter and Jacob Vallery, Aldermen. This City Council met and 
 proceeded to business .January 'I'), 1857. 
 
 August 5th, 1857, P. L. Wise. J. N. Wise, and W. W. Thomas were 
 appointed by the Council a committee to "prepare rules for the city offi- 
 ces." We will not suppose that the city officers were a particularly un- 
 governable set, or unable to draft their own rules. Possibly the heavy 
 burdens resting on their shoulders in those days made it necessary to call 
 in outside help. 
 
 On December 7th. 1S.">7, the Council voted each member an annual 
 [lay of $100. There were six sessions of the Council held during the 
 year, as shown by the journal, and this paid only the small sum of $16'|- 
 per session. But then this was eked out by special appropriations for 
 extra committee services. 
 
 A SECOXD ELECTION 
 
 on .January 4th, 1858, placed E. A. Donelan in the Mayor's chair, and J. 
 I). Simpson. T. M. Marquctt and .1. Harper in the Aldermen's seats. J. 
 II. Brown was Recorder; B. Spurlock, Treasurer; C. B. Cooper. Marshal; 
 F. Clements, Assessor; and C. M. Lewis, City Engineer. 
 
 On September 16th, 1858, a petition signed by W. M. Slaughter and 
 fourteen others, was presented to the Council, asking that the "Old Bar- 
 
42 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH AND, CASS COUNTY. 
 
 racks' 1 be removed. It was referred to the Committee on Cit^v Improve 
 ments, composed of J. D. Simpson aim J. Harper. The record shows no 
 report from the eommittee as yet. 
 
 On September 18th, »1858, J. Harper resigned his position as Alder- 
 man and J. W. Marshall was appointed in his place. 
 
 At the third annual election, January 7th, 1859, E. A. Donelan was 
 re-elected Mayor; J. D. Simpson, J. W. Marshall, F. Clements, David 
 Sampson. W. PI Donelan, and J. ('. Cummins were elected Aldermen; the 
 amended City Charter allowing live Alderman instead of three, but by 
 mistake the City understood that the number was increased to six and 
 elected six. D. H. Wheeler was elected Recorder. 
 
 On April 6th the error in electing six instead of five Aldermen was 
 discovered, and a new election called; the result of which was YV . 15. 
 Warbritton, John Patterson, F. Clements, David Sampson and T. M. Mar- 
 (piett as Aldermen. 
 
 In May of 1860 the Council, in session, burned $8,650 in scrip, pre 
 viously issued by the city to supply the want of change. 
 
 At the fifth annual election in January, 1861, YV. I». Warbritton was 
 again returned as Mayor, for the second time; Enos Williams, J. Patter- 
 son, W. Pottinger, Lloyd Lucas and J. Vallery, Aldermen ; W. T. Eth- 
 ridge, Recorder; A. II. Townsend, City Attorney; and W E. Donelan, 
 Treasurer. 
 
 After holding eleven sessions and entering into several important 
 contracts, besides doing much general business; it was proved that at the 
 election, John Campbell, fearful that the election was not going off just 
 right, took the quiet hour of dinner to re-arrange the votes in the ballol 
 box. As this way of "fixing" things was not considered legal, the elec- 
 tion was declared null and void, and a second election called. In which 
 in April, 1861, W. E. Donelan was elected Mayor: E. Williams, W. P. Da- 
 vis, W. Pottinger, J. X. Wise and J. II. Buttery, Aldermen; J. II. Brown, 
 Treasurer; A. B. Barr, Marshal; C. Schlater, Assessor. 
 
 April 2(>, 1861, an Ordinance was passed for paving the sidewalks of 
 Main street from Second to Sixth street. 
 
 In April, 1862, an ordinance was passed confirming the contract for 
 the Plattsmouth Cemetery, and S. S. Billings, J. N. Wise, M. L. White, E. 
 F. Donelan, and T. K. Hanna were appointed as a Board of Trustees. 
 
 April Kith 1862, the retiring Council voted to pay each Councilman 
 .$25 for the past year's service. This example seems not to have produced 
 its proper effect upon our national politicians. If it had, much paper 
 and ink might have been spared on the "salary grab." 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMODTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 43 
 
 The old Council Records recall many interesting movements and inci- 
 dents of the past, which, but for such a reminder, would soon pass utterly 
 from recollection; but as other subjects press forward for notice I must 
 with even briefer extracts close this part of our city record. 
 
 The succeeding Mayors, after Dr. W. E. Donelan, were, in order, 
 Thos. K. Hanna, in lSV>-2; W. H. Spratlin, in 1863, till September, when he 
 left the city, and M. L. White was elected for Ids unexpired term, as also 
 for 1864; C. L. Cooper for 1865 and 1866. 
 
 In March, 1866, a "Board of Health 1 '' was created for the city, in 
 view of the threatened approach of the Cholera, The entire medical 
 force of the City was appointed on this "Board,'* viz., Drs. Livingston, G. 
 II. and John Black, and Donelan. A movement of doubtful benefit, if 
 the old adage about the disagreement of Doctors has a good foundation. 
 Yet so far as the record shows they worked with zeal and harmony, and 
 no doubt did much to keep the threatened pestilence at bay. 
 
 In January, 1867, J. X. Wise was elected Mayor to fill the unexpired 
 term of ( !, L. ( 'ooper. 
 
 In April, 1867, as also again in 1868, W. Pottinger was elected 
 Mayor. 
 
 In May, 1868, the Council entered upon the unlucky business of buy- 
 ing the steam ferry boat "Paul Wilcox" for $9,000 in City Bonds. It was 
 wrecked in July following. 
 
 in 1869 I). II. Wheeler was elected Mayor; followed in 1870 by Am- 
 brose Lazenby; in isTl-'T^ by M. L. White; and in 1873- , 74-'75-'7G by 
 Dr. R. R. Livingston. 
 
 RAILROADS. 
 
 The earliest settlers of Plattsmouth, as soon as they became ac- 
 quainted with the topography of the country, saw at once that some town 
 near the south bank of the Platte, and near its junction with the Missouri, 
 
 must eventually become an important railroad point. 
 
 w 
 A railroad must run up the Platte Valley. On the nort side the hills 
 
 and rocky points fairly projected into the Platte, or approached so near 
 
 that a roa 1 bad would bs very difficult and expensive for a long distance. 
 
 While the south side was far more open and level; hence Plattsmouth 
 
 musl be this R. R. point. 
 
 I think there was no R. P. at that time ('."34) operating west of the 
 
 Mississippi that pointed in this direction. But the B. & M. R. R. Co. had 
 
 already been talked up, perhaps organized, and the settlers at Martin's 
 
44 HISTORl OF PLATTSMODTH AND, CASS COUNTY. 
 
 trading post with " Sharp " eyes (no pun intended) saw the point. The 
 Plattsmouth Town Company was organized as previously related, and pro 
 ceeded to secure the site for a town. This, as first entered seems to have 
 been confined to Sec. 18, Town 12, Range 14, a fractional section contain- 
 ing 295 acres. Additions have since been made on every side, but the 
 oast, where the river has operated upon the reverse rule, of subtraction, 
 to considerable extent. On the north White and Townseml, on the west, 
 Young, Hayes and Duke, and on the south Thompson and Styles have 
 each made additions, amounting in all to some 675 acres. 
 
 The city surveyed, platted and incorporated, and it was a poor talker 
 who could not talk " rail road." A number of lots and depot grounds were 1 
 set aside and reserved for R. R. purposes. The first official action on 
 record, other than to watch and guard the R. R. lots, was on Feb. 5th, '59, 
 to vote to Dr. Livingston " six city lots as compensation for services pre- 
 viously rendered to the city, in working up the rail road matters, solely for 
 the city's use, inasmuch as he had no property in the city." And again, 
 Feb. 19th, 1859, the Dr. was appointed on behalf of the citv to go to Bur- 
 lington and see what could be done there in the matter. These move- 
 ments, followed uii by constant agitation, resulted in a special election in 
 Plattsmoufch April 24th. 1869, when $50,000 in Bonds was voted by the 
 city, and donations made by individual citizens of a large number of city 
 lots to the B. & M. R. R. Company on condition that the Company should 
 erect here, and maintain depot, shops, and general fixtures, making and 
 continuing Plattsmouth the headquarters of the Company in Nebraska; 
 putting the load through to the west cud of the county, all in good run- 
 ning order and actual operation, within sixteen months after June 3d, 
 lSli'.l. These conditions were accepted by the Company, and the contracl 
 closed by W. Thielson, the authorized agent of the Company, and the 
 City Council, June 15th, 1869. From this time action instead of talk was 
 the order ort" the day, and early in July, in presence of a large crowd of 
 spectators, John Fitzgerald, as Knight of the Spade, at the foot of Alain 
 street, in Plattsmouth, displayed his strength and skill in "breaking 
 ground" for the R. R. Track. In September. 1869, in a still larger and 
 more excited crowd, the 
 
 FIRST LOCOMOTIVE, 
 
 the "American Eagle," was landed and gave her first scream on Nebraska 
 soil. The long wished, and long listened far whistle was now a matter of 
 unquestionable fact upon the streets of Plattsmouth. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 45 
 
 NEWSPAPERS. 
 
 The first newspaper published in Plattsmouth was the Plattsmouth 
 Jeffersonian, by L. D. Jeffries, assisted by J. D. Ingalls, who finally suc- 
 ceeded Jeffries as publisher. The Jeffersonian was first issued, probably, 
 early in 1857. 
 
 Late in 185S or early in 1859 the Platte Valley Herald was started by 
 Alfred Thompson, who had published the Platte Valley Times at Pacific 
 City, Iowa, but changed the name 'Times to Herald about the time he 
 moved it to Plattsmouth. 
 
 A few months after the establishment of the Herald, E. Giles moved 
 the Cass County Sentinel from Rock Bluffs to Plattsmouth. 
 
 The Sentinel died out or was sold out to Jos. I. Early, who for a 
 short time issued the Democratic Tinges. 
 
 In February, 1865, H. D. Hathaway started the Nebraska Herald 
 and continued it till it passed into the hands of the present publisher, 
 Jno. A. MacMurphy. 
 
 In November, 1870, Fox & Fullilove issued the Cass County Demo- 
 cmt, which was succeeded by the Nebraska Watchman, F. M. Mac- 
 Don agh, editor. 
 
 The Deutsche Wacht was started in the fall of 1875, but after a few 
 months was sold out to Jno. A. MacMurphy. 
 
 For short periods some of these papers have appeared as Dailies, but 
 the support has not justified a long continuance. 
 
 The religious organizations in the city are, 
 
 TIIIC Ml TUOIUST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 
 
 organized June 29th, 1857, with twenty members, by the appointment of 
 L. G. Jeffries, Wm. McCarty and Ezra Bradford as Trustees, and the Rev. 
 Hiram Burch as first Pastor. In Jim* 1 of I860, Bradford and Jeffries 
 having removed, S. Duke and B. Spurlock were elected to fill their places. 
 The successors of Mr. Burch in the Pastorate have served in the ^follow- 
 ing order, viz. : Reverends Philo Gorton, J. Spelman, M. Ambury, J. G. 
 Miller, David Hart, J. B. Maxfield, J. J. Roberts, J. W. Presson, Charles 
 McKelvey, M. Adair and Mr. Orr, the present incumbent. The Trustees 
 and Stewards, since 1860, have been S. Duke, J. Throckmorton, B. Spur- 
 lock. M. L. White, G. H. Black, Joel Parcell, N. Jeans, R. M. Clark, N. R. 
 Sharp, W. K. Montgomery, E. Davis, and others. The membership in 
 1869 was about ninety: the present about eighty. 
 
 THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 
 
 was organized in 1870 with live members and Rev. Frederick Alley, Pas- 
 
16 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH AND, CASS COUNTY. 
 
 tor. A church was erected and finished clear of debt. In 1S7_ Mr. Alley 
 was succeeded by Rev. Ro^well Foster, and in 1873 by Rev. Mr. Manwell. 
 The society was disbanded in 1874, with a total membership of thirty-five. 
 
 THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 
 
 Bishop Talbot visited the city and held the first service here August 
 3d, 18(50. J. A. Hagar, the first clergyman to hold regular service here, 
 commenced June 16th, 18(51, and was succeeded by Rev. Geo. C. Betts, 
 March 19th, 18(55. November 27th, 1864, the Parish organized under the 
 name of "St. Johns"; Wardens and Vestry, John Black, John Pattimer, 
 Win. II. Anderson, I). II. Wheeler and Win. Ford. 
 
 A donation in 1865-'66 from Mrs. Jeptha Young, of St. Luke's 
 Church, in New Jersey, induced the change of the name St. John's to 
 St. Luke's and enabled the Church to erect a Rectory in 1865, and a 
 Church in 1866-'67. The first services held in the Church building were 
 on May 12th, 1867. The church was dedicated by Bishop Clarkson, and 
 assistant clergy, June 16th, 1867. July 15th Rev. Henry Si. George 
 Young was settled as Rector of the Parish. He has been succeeded by 
 Rev. H. C. Shaw, in November, 1871; Rev. A. R Graves, November. 1872; 
 ami II. B. Burgess, the present incumbent, in 1874. One hundred and 
 five communicants had been enrolled up to 1873. 
 
 TIIK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 
 
 Rev. Mr. King, in the summer of 1857, preached the first sermon, and 
 Rev. I). L. Hughes, in early spring of 1858, the second. Mr. Hughes 
 succeeded in an organization of the society in May. 1S58, with sixteen 
 members. He continued his services until 1864. Rev. J. Y. Demorest 
 succeeded him in 1865. In March, 1866, Rev. Mr. Cole commenced his 
 services. He was followed. September, 1867^ by Rev. C. D. Roberts. 
 Rev. D. W. Cameron became first »ettled Rector. He was succeeded in 
 1872 by Rev. W. T. Bartle, and he in May. 1875, by Rev. J. T. Baird, 
 the present incumbent. The present membership is about sixty. 
 
 'I blE CATHUI.IC CHURCH. 
 
 The first church building was erected in 1861, but there was no reg- 
 ular Priest or services until '(>2, when Father Teckachet came and re- 
 mained until '64. lie was succeeded by Father Emanuel until the Spring 
 of '70. Father Hays then had charge till '~'2. He was succeeded, first, 
 by Father Bobal, and then by Father Jennett, until May, '70. Since 
 which time the church has had no regular Priest. In the Fall and Win- 
 ter of '75-'76 the new church building was erected. The total member- 
 ship about 275. The present membership is about 175. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND (ASS COUNTY. 47 
 
 THE BAPTIST CHURCH 
 
 was constituted October 1 7th, L856, with ten members. The Deacons of 
 the Church, elected from time to time, have been Elias Gibbs, Moses R. 
 Jackson, Thomas L. Kirk, and John Jackson. The following named per- 
 sons have successively served the Church as Pastors, Elias Gibbs, 1\. S. 
 Brenton, E. W. Hall, C. A. Miller, P. McLeod, and T.J.Arnold. The 
 society owns a church building, erected in '72 at a cost of $1800. It is 
 at present without a pastor. The membership has varied from ten to 
 forty, the present number being about twenty-five. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 The Church was organized in May, 1859, by Elder T.J. Todd, with 
 fourteen members. It was visited by Elder (diaries Evans. The minis- 
 ters engaged in the Church service have been as follows. Elders J. Con- 
 on .. D. R. Dungnn, P. Vogel, M. Comes, G. B. Mullis, C. Alton, and 8. 
 ]>. Bass, the present incumbent. The church has been visited by Elders 
 O. E. Brown, Win. Tate, Dow Cook, R. C. Barrow, Charles Herd, Geo. R. 
 Hand, Truax, Thomas, Bush, Yearnshaw, Chancellor Benton, Judge Dun- 
 ham, Judd, and Watson. Thos. J. Todd has acted as Elder ever since 
 the first organization of the Church. Elder Samuel Eikenberjr, now de- 
 ceased, M. L. Phillips, and Isaac Wiles, Elders and Trustees; Jonathan 
 Beckner and Thos. Wiles, Deacons; and Thos. Wiles, Clerk. Total mem- 
 bership, one hundred and three; present, forty-six. 
 
 Active members of the different religious organizations have kindly 
 furnished the material from which the foregoing brief items were compiled. 
 
 THE FIRST SESSION QF DISTRICT COURT 
 
 held in this city is alleged by some to have been in the./?/'*/ school house, 
 built in 1856, on the hill in the southwest part of the city, near Judge 
 Gass' residence. It was held in April, 'oG, by Judge Edward Harden; 
 A. C. Towner, Sheriff'; and M. W. Kidder, Clerk. 
 
 It is said that the Grand Jury held their session in the grove adjoin- 
 ing. This, considering the season, looks somewhat doubtful, yet may 
 have been so; but as-the names of the jurors, both Grand and Petit, as 
 well as the proceedings of the Court are missing, we will dismiss the 
 subject. 
 
 THE FIRST SETTLER 
 
 and the first burial in the city have been previously noticed. 
 
 THE FIRST BIRTH IN THE CITY 
 
 was Fred. Mickelwait, on March 9th. L855, and although it seems to have 
 
4S HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH AND, CASS COUNTY. 
 
 been a good time to have been born, judging from the young man's pres 
 ent size and weight, I learn of no other births in the city for some time 
 subsequently. 
 
 There were several marriages in the County in 18;");") on record but 
 no information recorded by which to ascertain whether they were married 
 in the city or not. 
 
 These sketches have already been extended far beyond the original 
 design, yet we cannot close them without a few words upon 
 
 COMPANY "A" OF THE FIRST NEBRASKA. 
 
 Early in the Spring of 1861 the news of the firing upon the "Star of 
 the West," by the Rebels in Charleston harbor, produced such an intense 
 excitement throughout the country that words no longer furnished a suffi- 
 cient escape valve for the indignation of the people. Acts and deeds 
 alone could answer now. And in March, before any call had been made 
 by the Government for troops, Dr. R R. Livingston, of Plattsmouth, is- 
 sued posters, notices, &c, for meetings, speakings, and for volunteer 
 enlistments, leading on the roll with his own name as private. The com- 
 pany was soon made up. and on June 11th, 1861, mustered into the ser- 
 vice of the United States. 
 
 Previously, however, while yet at Plattsmouth, the ladies of the city, 
 many of whom were interested and engaged in the matter, procured ma- 
 terial and made up two beautiful Hags, and through the Rev. Philo Gorton 
 presented them to the company. Dr. Livingston, who had been elected 
 Captain of the Company, received the flags, and in return made a highly 
 lauded and eloquent reply, and caused the entire Company to kneel and 
 swear ever to cherish, follow and protect these flags. 
 
 I regret that I am unable to learn and record the names of all the 
 ladies engaged in this inspiring God-send to the soldiers, but have oh 
 tained only the names of Mrs. J. D. Simpson, Mrs. Moses Dodge, Mrs. (). 
 F. Johnson, Misses Mollie and Sadie Minshall. Sarah Raker. Mrs. 
 Dr. Don elan, and Mrs. Clements. 
 
 I also give the names of the members of this pioneer band in the 
 war for the Union, omitting a few who by misdeeds and desertions dis- 
 graced the company and the flags they had sworn to cherish and protect: 
 
history of plattsmouth, and cass county. 4!> 
 
 officers: 
 Robt. R. Livingston, Capt. J. W. Carruthers, 1st Corporal. 
 
 A. F. McKinney, 1st Lieut. John Hess, -2d " 
 
 N. J. Sharp, 2d Lieut. Ben. Hemple, 3d 
 
 John G. Whiteloek. 1st Sergeant. W.B.Hart, 1th 
 
 Geo. D. Webb, 3d " Win. L. Wells, 6th 
 
 Daniel E. Kidder, 4th " E. L. Reed, 7th 
 
 Win. W. Kennedy, 5th " Frank G. Kendall, 8th 
 
 Robert A. Collins and (). S. Thompson, Musicians. 
 
 ( Jen. Hardwiek, Wagoner. 
 
 privates: 
 
 Aughe James E. Green Calvin C. Pool Win, H. 
 
 Brown Stephen J. Herring Delevan S. Powers Henry C. 
 
 l',aii- J. Wesley Hyatt Alvin Peters Sum. ' 
 
 Boyce James Havgood J. McF. Pratt A. G. 
 
 Berlin Fred Irish Wm. H, Prehn J. J. 
 
 1 In ri is S. B. Johnson Jos. W. Randall Henry C. 
 
 Bates Wm. II. Keeze F. E. Rose Cyrus 
 
 Bates Israel F. Kinneman Richard Smith Laurence 
 
 Bain Wm M. Levi II. L. Smith Hy. F. 
 
 Colvin John W. Lamaster John Shin Asa 
 
 Chalfant Wm. Montgomery Wesley Sharp Jos. G 
 
 Child Everard S. .Mullen Joel R. Thompson Jacob 
 
 Carrnichael Jacob E. MeMakin Andrew. C. Tozier Albert E. 
 
 Donovan Edward Moore Win. ( !. Wister John W. 
 
 DucotaC. C. Monterey Adolphus Wolcott Fred 
 
 Decker Benj. C. Marquett T. M. Williams Ceylon 
 
 Gester Thos. E. Pareell F. G. Wahl John ' 
 
 In honoring the ladies who made and presented the flags, I would 
 add that as there was a sharp rivalry as to which company in the Terri- 
 tory should receive the honor of the name "A," the ladies worked all 
 night to enable our company to obtain this distinction. 
 
 METEOROLOGY. 
 
 As the general welfare of a country depends to so large an extent 
 upon its Meteorological conditions, I am induced to append a summary of 
 the more important features of a record of ten years past. I should pre- 
 fer carrying it hack to an earlier date; but ray earlier record was made in 
 a form which will not compare, without much correction with the later, 
 and then the collections could not he applied so as to be always reliable. 
 
 The Meteorological year commences December 1st, instead of Jan. 
 1st, as this divides the seasons into more natural periods than the common 
 Civil year. The subsequent tables, unless otherwise indicated, are con- 
 structed on this principle, as for instance. Dec. 1, 1866, begins year 1867. 
 
=' 
 
 / : i ? i . -: >: — -r — ~ _-. 
 
 
 >'- 
 
 
 ■" 
 
 M jC 3t -^ ic M t ~ :- :-. 
 
 
 rH 
 
 -.-. - 
 
 s 
 
 
 
 L " o 1-. = 
 
 l~ to i - ~ 
 
 a 
 
 r. 
 
 
 N'OVEMB 
 
 
 - 7J 
 
 a 
 
 
 '-- 
 
 
 1T3 C 71 -.C 7". br-K — : 
 
 i - - . ~. 1 1 — - ~ a x o 
 
 
 — ■"•-- ot-ci-ot-n 
 
 •_ '-. - — ~ ■-. IC .7 £ 3 
 
 X 
 
 y. :-. ■- : i -f ~ ■- — - 
 ■■: .: :: -r --. .-. _-- ;•; N 
 
 - -■-■—. ' -"■ - p - ; ; y 
 
 
 
 lOomoooo — 
 
 .. 
 
 - ?i ..:. r: no 
 
 
 
 r- r- "I . : | _ 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 s 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 C 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 SSi*ssc =,;';-- 
 
 r 
 
 ■s 
 
 «=!-!-= =s-s - -- 
 
 ■ lOoqirooooc-x 
 — " : — : ' " -. — . "". ~K -. '" '■'-. 
 
 '— 7i 71 71 ' ~ " ~ * •.■•! ro 
 
 10 ir i-r o O o o O :7 :7 
 
 -fHICCf-OOMSH 
 
 
 o o o o o o o < 
 
 
 o l7 o .7 <7 ~ ~ ." x 
 i - x :: -i- V - : - '." '7 
 
 «noc _ ■ 
 
 
 5^ 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <D 
 
 si 
 
 
 
 
 
 si 
 
 +3 
 
 OJ 
 
 a 
 
 S3 
 
 
 X 
 
 _ „ _ x x ,, .. .- -,_ 
 
 ° 
 
 x f: x -: -"• ? — .7 :; — 
 
 3 
 
 s-ssaasss?*- 
 
 
 1- 1- V' l'- A f~ 1 - 1 - / 1 - 
 
 
 .- 
 
 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 i7 .- ,- OO OlOOOO 
 1 - -J2 X .— ? 1 — 1 - v- ',7 X 
 
 
 .7: .- 17: c ; : . i z 
 -^;7-::i--x;.' 
 
 i:7 
 
 Hz 
 
 -f NfliH 71 ^ 
 
 
 i -.::>-. r. 7i 71 -f -f x :.- 
 
 c 
 
 ciao roc : 
 
 -C Til" Or-. X 
 
 
 3 
 
 pi 
 
 "- 1 
 
 13 
 •-s 
 
 
 
 
 53 
 
 - ~ .7 7 '7 »7 " ' '7 X 
 
 -.1 -. •- nweoofio 
 
 71 77 1- 3-. >: X O •- M i-7 
 
 :i:i:i.-.i:i:i":i:i 
 
 
 OS (11 
 
 72.33 
 72.03 
 68.70 
 74.20 
 76. GO 
 7::. on 
 75 OS 
 74.31 
 71.20 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 l CO t- CO 7-. C •- ••' :" — '7 
 
 i 5 cc ~ — t — • — i — i — i — c — 
 
 -jr_ x X X X X z z / X 
 
 icor-cooo»-i(Mco-t »-. 
 
 ■ ■_- -c ■- ■- i • i - i - ' - ' - ' - 
 . .: -j. i- -■ I j. ; /. t. s. 
 
HISTORY OK rLATTSMOTJTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 51 
 
 TABLE B. 
 
 In the following table we have the mean temperature of the seasons 
 and years, as also the toial snow ami rainfall, including melted snow. 
 
 Year. 
 
 
 
 Reasons. 
 
 '! en p. 
 of Seasons. 
 
 Temp, 
 of Year. 
 
 Yearly 
 
 Snow. 
 
 Yearly Rain 
 
 and 
 Melted Snow 
 
 
 Winter. 
 
 19 "'! 
 
 
 
 4.10 
 
 inches. 
 
 1866 
 
 Spring. 
 Summei. 
 
 47.03 
 
 47.53 
 
 n.45 ins. 
 
 8 34 
 11.95 
 
 
 
 Fall. 
 
 
 
 
 7.31 
 
 31.70 
 
 
 Winter, 
 
 20.15 
 
 
 
 6.14 
 
 
 18G7 
 
 Spring. 
 Sumiuer. 
 
 39 20 
 74.31 
 
 16.67 
 
 35 . 55 
 
 13.17 
 9.55 
 
 
 
 Fall. 
 
 52.57 
 
 
 
 2.65 
 
 31 51 
 
 
 Winter. 
 
 20.83 
 
 
 
 2.85 
 
 
 1868 
 
 Spring. 
 Summer. 
 
 75.13 
 
 18.84 
 
 27.20 
 
 14.55 
 14.36 
 
 
 
 FaJJj 
 
 47.00 
 
 
 
 6.15 
 
 37.85 
 
 
 Winter. 
 
 21 .61 
 
 
 
 5 . 85 
 
 
 1SG9 
 
 Spring. 
 Summer. 
 
 17.75 
 72.41 
 
 17.42 
 
 39 00 
 
 9.60 
 
 21.55 
 
 
 
 Fall. 
 Winter. 
 
 15 10 
 
 
 
 7.35 
 
 47. a? 
 
 
 22 II 
 
 
 
 4.00 
 
 
 1876 
 
 s;: i. : 
 Summer. 
 
 40.17 
 70 00 
 
 40. i a 
 
 22 00 
 
 9.50 
 9.10 
 
 
 
 Fail. 
 
 47, .1-1 
 
 
 
 8.90 
 
 32.10 
 
 
 Winter. 
 
 
 
 
 2 25 
 
 
 1X71 
 
 Spring. 
 Snninier. 
 
 19.52 
 
 71 .97 
 
 16.82 
 
 ls.no 
 
 1 60 
 19.70 
 
 
 
 Fall, 
 
 " 
 
 
 
 5 Til 
 
 32.25 
 
 
 Winter. 
 
 22 81 
 
 
 
 t . 85 
 
 
 1872 
 
 Spring. 
 Summer. 
 
 37.80 
 
 74.22 
 
 45-09 
 
 12 80 
 
 7.70 
 
 13.no 
 
 
 
 Fall 
 
 17.71 
 
 
 
 8. SO 
 
 31 .:',5 
 
 
 Winter. 
 
 1 , 7.". 
 
 
 
 4.30 
 
 
 1873 
 
 Spring. 
 Summer. 
 
 46.92 
 
 To. 22 
 
 47.58 
 
 10.00 
 
 35.50 
 12.20 
 
 
 
 Fall. 
 Winter. 
 
 n 8£ 
 
 
 
 7 . 15 
 
 49. 15 
 
 
 
 3.80 
 
 
 1874 
 
 Spring. 
 Summer. 
 
 •Is 13 
 78.50 
 
 19.8] 
 
 38 35 
 
 P. 75 
 
 2(1.52 
 
 
 
 Fall. 
 Winter. 
 
 51.13 
 15.06 
 
 
 
 15 el 
 
 49.11 
 
 
 
 2.08 
 
 
 .875 
 
 Spring. 
 Summer. 
 
 45 . 55 
 71.07 
 
 45.09 
 
 2i 1.20 
 
 12.48 
 
 2S.70 
 
 
 
 Fall. 
 
 
 
 
 (1 96 
 
 50 22 
 
 The winter season in the above table includes December, January 
 and February. Spring the next three. &c. 
 
 TABLE "C." 
 
 Gives the date of each day, from 1861 to 1870, inclusive, on which 
 the mercury of the Thermometer has fallen below zero, as also the degree. 
 December being taken as the first month of the succeeding civil year. 
 The usual sign — denoting below zero. 
 

 
 
 tabu: c. 
 
 
 
 
 1861 
 
 1862 
 
 1863 
 
 1864 186.". 1 800 1807 1808 
 
 
 Jan. 20, -20° 
 
 Dec. 23, - 6 
 
 Jan. 16, -10° 
 
 Nov. 27, - 2 j Nov. 22, 2 
 
 Dec. 5. -10 
 
 Dec. 11, - 1 Nov. 29, - V 
 
 
 " 21, -24° 
 
 " 27, - y 
 
 Feb. 2, -10° 
 
 '• 28, - 9 Dec. 7. - 
 
 " 12, - 
 
 Jan. 1, - s Jan. 6,-8 
 
 
 " 2:1. - 3" 
 
 Jan. 9, - 8 
 
 5, - t>' 
 
 " 29. - 4 '• 8, -10 
 
 " 1:;, -20 
 
 '•• 0, - 2 " 7, - 2 
 
 
 " 24, - 6' 
 
 '• 11, - 2 
 
 
 Dec-. 14,-4 1 " 9, - 7 
 
 '• 14,-10 
 
 " 9, - 3 ! " 8, - 6° 
 
 
 " 25, -13° 
 
 " 12,-13 
 
 
 " 30, - 2 1 " *10, -10 
 
 " 15, -15 
 
 " 21, - 3 " 9,-6 
 
 
 " 27, -12 
 
 '• 13, -12 
 
 
 " 31,-24° " 11,-14 
 
 " 10,-10 
 
 " 20. - 4 " 11. - 6" 
 
 
 " 31,- 6" 
 
 " 14.- 7 
 
 
 Jan. 1, -23 
 
 Jan. 22, - 1 
 
 '■ 21, 18 
 
 " 27. -lo " 12, - 4 
 
 
 Feb. 7, - V 
 
 " 15, - s 
 
 
 - -1, -15 
 
 " 24.-10 
 
 •■ 22, -30 
 
 " 29, - 1 '• 15. -19 
 
 
 " 8, - 3° 
 
 '• 17,-17 
 
 
 - 3, - 5 
 
 " 25, -10 
 
 " 28, 8 
 
 Feb. 8, - :t " 10, -2ii 
 
 
 
 '• is. - 2 
 
 
 " 4,-4 
 
 •' 20, -10 
 
 Jan. Hi. 15 
 
 ■' 9,-10 " 17,-25 
 
 
 
 " .30,- 7 
 
 
 " 5. -10 
 
 " 27, - 7 
 
 " 17. 10 
 
 •• 20 - 4 " is, -13 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 0, -15 
 
 " 28. -10 i " 18,-13 
 
 " 21, -lo '• I'd. - s 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 7. -:;- 
 
 Mar. 2, - 5 ' " 19, - s 
 
 '• 23. - 2 •' 21, - 8 
 
 
 
 
 " s, - 
 
 - i, - 6 " 20, -18 
 
 •• 24,- « - 24, - :: 
 
 
 
 
 " 9. s 
 
 " 9. -17 " 21, - 5 
 
 Mar. 12. - 9 " 27, -10 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 " 10. -10 I •• 24. - 
 
 " 13,-2(1 " 29,-15 
 
 
 
 
 Feb. 4, -10 
 
 •' 14, - 9 " 31. - S 
 
 
 
 
 •' 12,-17 
 
 ■• 10. - 1 Feb. 2,- 5 
 
 
 
 
 " 11.-12 
 
 •' 17, - 1 " 0, -12 
 
 
 
 
 '• 15. 32 
 
 " 21, -4" •• S, - 5 
 
 
 
 
 " l(i. - 4 
 
 9, -12 
 
 
 
 
 .Mar. 15, 1 
 
 '• 10. -12 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 " 11.-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 .. 28, -10 
 
 
 December lolli, 180.5, David Jardine froze to death. 
 
 TABLE G. (Continued 
 
 1869 
 
 1S70 
 
 1S71 
 
 1872 
 
 1S75 
 
 1874 
 
 
 is::, 1S7G 
 1 
 
 Dec. 8, - 9° 
 
 Jan. 8, - 7' 
 
 Dec. 21, - 4° 
 
 Nov. 29. - ft" j Nov. 27, - 4 
 
 Dec. 3. 
 
 - 1 Dec. 28, - 3 Nov. 21, - 1 ' 
 
 " 9,-8 = 
 
 " 10, - l 
 
 " 22. -11 
 
 Dec. 3. - 
 
 •' 28. - 1 
 
 •• 20, 
 
 - 7 
 
 " 29, -10 " 29, - 7 
 
 " 10, -14 
 
 " 17, - 7 
 
 " 23. -1G 
 
 " 4,-12 
 
 ' 29. - 5 
 
 Jan. 4, 
 
 
 Jan. 2. - 5 Dec. 17. - 8 
 
 •' 11,-30 
 
 " 18,-13 
 
 " 24, - 9 
 
 " 19,- 1 
 
 Dec. 9. - 3 
 
 •• 14. 
 
 - G 
 
 3. - 1 Jan. la. - 2 
 
 " 23, - 5° 
 
 Feb. 19, - s 
 
 •• 20. - 3 
 
 " 20. 1 
 
 " 10, r 
 
 •' 15. 
 
 -lo 
 
 4. -10 Feb. 1, -12 
 
 " 24, - 8 
 
 " lid. -12 
 
 Jan. 13, - 9 
 
 - 25. - 
 
 •• 20. - r. 
 
 " 23, 
 
 - 9 
 
 " 5. -IS 
 
 
 Jan. 25, - 2 
 
 Mar. 8. - 2 
 
 " 14,-4 
 
 " 20, - 4 
 
 " 2'. -20 
 
 " 24, 
 
 -14 
 
 0, - s 
 
 4, - 3 
 
 Feb. 4, -10° 
 
 " 11. - 5 
 
 " 17, - 4 
 
 Jan. 23, -10 
 
 " 23, -20 
 
 Feb. <). 
 
 - 1 
 
 " S. -19 
 
 Mar. l'ii, - 4 
 
 " 22.- 1° 
 
 " 15,-11 
 
 '■ 18,- 7 
 
 " 24. - 2 
 
 " 24, -1C 
 
 •• 23, 
 
 - 4 
 
 •' 9, -I'l 
 
 
 " 27, - 7' 
 
 
 Feb. y. - 7 
 
 " 25. - 
 
 " 25, - 3 
 
 " 21. 
 
 - 
 
 •• 11). - 9 
 
 
 Mar. 4, - 2 
 
 
 '■ 10. - 2 
 
 " 27. - 5 
 
 •• 20. - S 
 
 
 
 - 12.-11 
 
 
 " 6. - 5 
 
 
 " 12. -10 
 
 •' lis, -11 
 
 " 27, -10 
 
 
 
 " 13, -20 
 
 
 " 15, - 4 
 
 
 - 13,-3 
 
 " 31. 12 
 Fel). 12. - 1 
 
 Jan. .8. - 3 
 9. - 9 
 
 
 
 •' 14,-19 
 " 15.-KI 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 13. - 
 
 " 10. -14 
 
 
 
 " 10, 1 
 
 
 
 
 •' 14. - 5 
 
 " 10, - s 
 " 17.-17 
 
 
 " IS, - 7 
 '• 30. - 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 •• IS, - 7 
 
 
 
 " 31. -10 
 
 
 
 
 
 '• 24. - 7 
 
 
 
 Feb. 2, - 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 '• 27. - s 
 
 
 
 .. 3, -12 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 28, -23 
 
 
 
 4, -21 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■' 29, -14 
 
 
 
 •• 0, - 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Feb. l. -10 
 
 
 
 " 8. - 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 2,-4 
 
 
 
 " 9, - 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 20, - 3 
 
 
 
 " 15, - 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 22, - 4 
 
 
 
 " 17. - 9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 •• 2.3, - 2 
 
 
 
 " 25. - 7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mar. 3, - 4 
 
 
 
 " 27, - 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mar. 3, - 3 
 
 
 In these sixteen years only twice as low as 32 and four times to 30 . 
 
HISTORY OP PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 53 
 
 During the same period of 19 years, embraced in table "C," the mercury 
 has risen to 100° and upwards as follows: 
 
 1857. July 15, 102°, August 5, 100°, August 13, 101°. 
 
 1859. July 14, 101°. 
 
 1860. July 15, 100°, July 20, 104°, July 24, 100°. 
 
 1861. August 3, 100°, August 4, 104°, August 5, 104°. 
 1866. July 23, 100° : August 6, 101°. 
 
 1868. July 18, 100°, 20, 106°, 21, 100°, 28, 101°. 
 
 1873. August 30, 101°. 
 
 1874. July 7, 102°, 8, 105°, 14. 103°, 18, 100°, 23, 104°, 24, 107, 25, 113°, 31, 
 110°, August 9, 100°, 10, 111°, 19, 100°, 21, 102°. 
 
 The excessive heat of these two months, is I think unparalelled on any 
 record ever made in the United Spates. During this period of 19 years, 
 eleven have passed without raising the mercury to 100 degrees. 
 
 The degree of heat indicated by the thermometer will vary much ac- 
 cording to its location and position. In a narrow valley, or a street closely 
 built up, with little or no wind, or sun, the cold air settles, and the ther- 
 mometer will indicate less heat by several degrees than on a level with the 
 surrounding country. And again, with a bright sun, the reflection and 
 radiation from the sides of the valley, or from the buildings and streets 
 may raise it several degrees. Hence the general level of the country is 
 the position to obtain the heat of the general atmosphere. 
 
 Wind however high, has no effect upon the mercury, except as it dis- 
 places the general body of the atmosphere, and introduces one of more or 
 less heat. Yet upon our bodies it produces much effect, by removing the 
 heat generated within. 
 
 With a high thermometer, say from 80 degrees, and not above blood 
 heat (98 degrees), a brisk wind springing up produces a cooling sensation, 
 as though the mercury was falling, while it may lie continuously rising. 
 
 The wind removes the animal heat from our bodies and replaces it 
 with cooler air; till the surrounding air is up to 98 degrees or above, when 
 instead of feeling cool and soothing, it only aggravates our distress, and 
 increases the heat. 
 
 Let us go out early in a clear mid winter's morning — there is no wind, 
 everything is still — stimulated and toned up by the bracing air; we ex- 
 claim what a fine — what a beautiful morning! 
 
 The heat generated in our bodies remains confined in our clothing 
 and around us; and were it not for open and exposed points, as ears, nose 
 and fingers, whispering "Rather cold," we should pronounce it a warm, 
 pleasant morning. 
 
54 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH AND, CASS COUNTY. 
 
 As we go in, we cast an eye at the thermometer, and are astonished to 
 see it indicates extreme cold, perhaps 20 degrees below zero. We can 
 hardly credit the truth of the indication. 
 
 Two or three hours pass, and we go out again; with the rising sun, 
 the wind has risen; it blows fiercely; we shrink from it, with "Oh how 
 bitter — how fearfully cold," and hasten indoors to avoid freezing. Again 
 we look at the thermometer, to see what lower depth it has fallen, and lo, 
 it has risen ten, fifteen, or twenty degrees! The wind now sweeps the heat 
 from on r clothing, and the surface of our bodies, and leaves us exposed to 
 the cold air some 100 degrees colder than our bodies. 
 
 The body is a very unreliable thermometer, unless observed with rea- 
 son and judgment, 
 
 The force or velocity of the wind is now generally rated on a s<*aleof 
 10, as follows: 
 
 1. Indicates a very light breeze of two miles an hour'. 
 
 2. Indicates a very gentle breeze of 4 miles an hour. 
 
 3. Indicates a very fresh breeze of 12 miles an hour. 
 
 4. Indicates a very strong wind of 25 miles an hour. 
 
 5. Indicates a very high wind of 35 miles an hour. 
 G. Indicates a gale of 45 miles an hour. 
 
 7. Indicates a very strong gale of 60 miles an hour. 
 
 8. Indicates a very violent gale of 75 miles an hour. 
 S). Indicates a hurricane of 90 miles an hour. 
 
 10. Indicates a most violent hurricane of 100 miles an hour. 
 
 This velocity is measured and registered by a rather costly instrument 
 named an Anemometer. 
 
 Without an Anemometer, the observer notes the direction from which 
 the wind comes, and estimates its force as 1, 2, 3, and 0. This observa- 
 tion and record is made three times a day — the same as with other meteor- 
 ological instruments. In table "D," I give a summary of these observa- 
 tions for the year 1874. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 55 
 
 TABLE "D." 
 Direction and force of winds for the year 1874: 
 
 
 N. 
 
 NE. 
 
 E. 
 
 SE. 
 
 s. 
 
 SW. 
 
 W. 
 
 NW. 
 
 Total. 
 
 Dee. 1873. 
 
 14 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 22 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 25 
 
 96 
 
 Jan. 1874. 
 
 14 
 
 . 6 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 55 
 
 11 
 
 2 
 
 39 
 
 135 
 
 February. 
 
 21 
 
 7 
 
 5 
 
 19 
 
 17 
 
 10 
 
 7 
 
 19 
 
 105 
 
 March. 
 
 30 
 
 23 
 
 8 
 
 28 
 
 13 
 
 20 
 
 16 
 
 12 
 
 159 
 
 April. 
 
 L3 
 
 30 
 
 6 
 
 58 
 
 23 
 
 8 
 
 11 
 
 19 
 
 168 
 
 May. 
 
 4 
 
 14 
 
 4 
 
 64 
 
 68 
 
 5 
 
 8 
 
 L5 
 
 182 
 
 June. 
 
 
 
 •> 
 
 5 
 
 59 
 
 63 
 
 10 
 
 8 
 
 13 
 
 100 
 
 July. 
 
 8 
 
 6 
 
 27 
 
 26 
 
 74 
 
 15 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 172 
 
 August. 
 
 21 
 
 6 
 
 55 
 
 37 
 
 26 
 
 7 
 
 1 
 
 4 
 
 157 
 
 September. 
 
 14 
 
 5 
 
 16 
 
 28 
 
 17 
 
 25 
 
 9 
 
 20 
 
 134 
 
 October. 
 
 6 
 
 4 
 
 12 
 
 11 
 
 33 
 
 20 
 
 25 
 
 17 
 
 128 
 
 November. 
 
 25 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 43 
 
 22 
 
 7 
 
 31 
 
 141 
 
 Total. 
 
 17d 
 
 ~107 
 
 1 50 
 
 7U9 
 
 454 
 
 765 
 
 Us 
 
 ~220 
 
 1733 
 
 By exchanging the totals of March and April, as also by transferring 
 50 from the total of South. t<> the total of North, and this gives nearly 
 the mean of ten years past. 
 
 ADDENDA. 
 The Probate Judges for Cass County, elected for two years, were 
 Abram Towner, appointed; H. C. Wolph; Charles West; Robert Clark; 
 E. T. Harmon, who died some ten days afterward; D. H. Wheeler, ap- 
 pointed; J. W. Marshall, appointed and then elected; W. D. Gage; A. 
 L. Child; H. E. Ellison; W. H. Newell. 
 
 county surveyors: 
 Win. Young, three terms; A. B. Smith, three terms; Geo. W. Fair- 
 tield. two terms; P. C. Patterson; Win. Younsr, two terms more. 
 
 IN CONCLUSION. 
 
 Many, whose names and deeds have equal claim to notice, and per- 
 haps better than many of those which appear in the foregoing sketches, 
 may feel wronged, and possibly imagine offense intended in their omis- 
 sion. 
 
5G HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 To such let me say, intentionally or knowingly I have wronged no 
 one. Our early records are many of them badly mutilated and others 
 entirely missing. I have made a most thorough search of them and 
 could build only of such material as I could find. In many cases I have 
 believed that individuals were conspicuous actors where no record of 
 their names was left, and wrote to them personally for information. Some 
 promptly furnished the information sought, and thus enabled me to record 
 it. Others made no response whatever. Whose fault is it if their names 
 and acts are omitted? Memory and recollection are unreliable data for 
 transactions of twenty years past; and often very contradictory. Yet in 
 many cases they are the only guide that is left. I have sifted and har- 
 monized as far as possible, }-et sometimes I may have been led by them 
 into error. A. L. C. 
 
AN APPENDIX 
 
 From the Records and Files of the 
 
 PIONEERS" ASSOCIATION OF CASS COUNTY, NEB. 
 
 On November 29th, 1875, in pursuance of a call through the Nebras- 
 ka Herald, for a meeting of the Old Settlers of Cass County, Nebraska, 
 the foil owing- persons met at the Court House, to wit: R. R. Livingston 
 A. L. Child, Thomas Thomas, Wm. S. West, G. H. Black, P. P. Gass, C. 
 P. Moore, J. W. Haines. Miss Julia Child, C. Ripple, E. Donovan, and D. 
 H. Wheeler. 
 
 On motion, A. L. Child was elected Chairman, and 1). H. Wheeler, 
 Secretary. 
 
 After a general interchange of views and opinions, a committee, con- 
 sisting of R. R Livingston, D. H. Wheeler, Thomas Thomas, Win. S. 
 West, and G. H. Black, was appointed to draft a Constitution, By-laws, 
 &c, for an "Old Settlers' Club." 
 
 On December 7th, 1875, a second meeting adopted a ( ^institution and 
 By-laws, which, by subsequent amendments, are as follows, viz.: 
 
 PIONEERS ASSOCIATION OF CASS COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 
 
 t'OXSTITl TIOX. 
 
 Article 1. This association shall be known as the "Pioneers' As- 
 sociation of Cass County. Nebraska." 
 
 Art. ± The leading objects of this association shall be the procur- 
 ing of, and record of Statistics. History, Privations, Incidents and Ad- 
 ventures of the first settlers in Cass County, Nebraska. Thus reviving 
 the recollections and sympathies of the past; strengthening the old bonds 
 of union, and transmitting the record of the hardships of those fast pass- 
 ing away, to future generations. 
 
58 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 Art. 3. The officers of this association shall be a President, two 
 Vice Presidents, a Secretary, Recorder and Treasurer. 
 
 Art. 4. The oldest settler, as shown on the association records, and 
 who has conformed to the requirements for membership, shall be the 
 President of the association during his life time; and in his absence the 
 oldest settler present shall be President pro tem. 
 
 Art. 5. The two Vice Presidents shall be the two members present 
 at any meeting of the association next in age to the President, ranking 
 according to priority of settlement as first and second Vice Presidents. 
 The terms "age," "old" -and "oldest" as applied to any member of this 
 association, should be understood as referring to date of settlement. 
 
 Art. 6. The President shall be assisted in the discharge of his du- 
 ties by the two Vice Presidents, who shall take seats, at each meeting, on 
 his right and left. 
 
 Art. 7. The duties of President and the two Vice Presidents shall 
 be those usually required of such officers in similar associations. 
 
 Art. 8. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive all moneys 
 from the hands of the Secretary, keep a just and regular account of the 
 same, and pa}' the same out only upon the order of the association. 
 
 Art. '.». The Secretary shall keep a full account of all proceedings 
 at any meeting of the association, and shall receive all moneys and pay 
 them over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor. 
 
 The Recorder shall make an Historical Record of all such papers as 
 shall be furnished him by the Revising Committee: and shall be ex-offieio 
 Secretary of the Revising Committee. 
 
 Art. 10. Any person who made an actual settlement in ('ass Coun- 
 ty, or Nebraska, prior to January 1st, 1861; and who has resided in Ne- 
 braska; and is at the time of his application for membership a resident 
 of Cass County, may become a member of this association by furnishing 
 the Secretary with the date of his or her settlement, paying to the Secre- 
 tary an admission fee of fifty cents (50 cts. ) ami subscribing to the Con- 
 stitution and By-laws of this association. 
 
 Prodded, 1st, That no lady shall be called upon to pay a member- 
 ship fee, or to pay annual dues. 2d. The association shall have power, at 
 any regular meeting, to admit any person as an honorary member by a 
 three fourths vote of the members present. Said honorary member be- 
 ing admitted to all the privileges of the association except voting. 
 
 Art. 11. Any person giving to the association a false date as to his 
 or her settlement, with the intention of deceiving the Society, shall be 
 considered dishonored, and shall be held to be unworthy of membership, 
 
HISTORY OF PIATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 59 
 
 and shall be expelled by a majority vote at any meeting of the associa- 
 tion. 
 
 Art. 12. This Constitution may be altered or amended by a two- 
 thirds vote of the members present at any mooting of the association; 
 provided that notice of said proposed change shall have been given at a 
 meeting of the association, at least one week preceding action on said 
 amendment. 
 
 BY-LAWS. 
 
 Art. 1. There shall be two regular meetings of this association 
 each year. 
 
 One annual meeting on the last Tuesday in November of each year; 
 at which the Secretary, Recorder and Treasurer shall he elected; and one 
 semi-annual meeting on the last Tuesday in May. And such called and 
 adjourned meetings as may be found desirable. All such meetings shall 
 be held at the County Sent of the County, and be opened at 1 o'clock p. 
 M., unless otherwise directed by the association. 
 
 Art. :. Auxiliary associations may be formed in each precinct of 
 the County, which auxiliaries shall report to this association at each reg- 
 ular meeting. 
 
 Art. ',). There shall lie two committees appointed at each regular 
 meeting of the association. One. of one member from each precinct in 
 the County, whose duty it shall be to collect, write out, and report to the 
 Revising Committee all such hardships, incidents, adventures, and anec- 
 dotes of early days as will best exhibit the labors, trials, privations and 
 pleasures of the old pioneer. 
 
 The second committee shall consist of three members, and shall be 
 styled the Revising Committee, whose duty shall be to receive all reports 
 and communications from the precinct committees and members of the 
 association, and revise the same, as the best interest and harmony of the 
 association may require; and then tile the same with the Recorder, who 
 shall record them in the Historical Records of the Association. 
 
 Art. 4. The President, of the association shall annually appoint a 
 Finance Committee and an Executive Committee, each of which shall 
 consist of five members, a majority of either of which shall he empower- 
 ed to act. 
 
 The Finance Committee shall audit all accounts against the associa- 
 tion, and no bill shall be ordered paid unless the same shall have been 
 favorably reported upon by said committee. 
 
60 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 The Executive Committee shall have power to call the association 
 together, and shall control any business required to lie transacted when 
 the association is not in session, unless otherwise provided for. All ac- 
 counts against this association shall be presented at a regular, called, or 
 adjourned meeting - of the association, and be referred to the Finance Com- 
 mittee to be audited; when, if audited, the Secretary shall draw an order 
 on the Treasurer therefor, which order shall not be paid unless signed by 
 the President and attested by the Secretary. 
 
 It shall be the duty of the Secretary to call a meeting of the Associ- 
 ation upon the request of the Executive Committee, or any live members 
 of the association. 
 
 Art. ">. An annual contribution of Twenty five cents shall be paid 
 by each male member to defray the expenses of the association; payable 
 at the regular November meeting. Credit on the Secretary's book of 
 such payment shall entitle those so credited to vote at any meeting of the 
 association during the year following. 
 
 Art. 6. Any offensive remarks, reflections or allusions to any mem- 
 ber, by another member, during any meeting of the association, shall be 
 deemeu out of order, and persistent offensive remarks, or violations of 
 the rules of the association, shall subject the offender to exclusion from 
 the association. 
 
 Art. 7. The order of business at each meeting of the association 
 shall be, unless otherwise ordered by the association : 
 
 1. Reading the minutes of the last regular, adjourned and called 
 meetings. 
 
 2. Report by the Secretary of all dues ami membership fees paid bv 
 members since last annual meeting. 
 
 ?>. Reading of record of Revising Committee. 
 
 4. Elections and appointment of Committees, (if any are pending.) 
 
 5. Reports of such experiences as members have in mind, or have 
 been reminded of by reading records and reports of the Revising Com 
 mittee. 
 
 (i. Miscellaneous business. 
 
 Art. 8. These By-laws may be altered or amended bv a two third 
 vote of the members present at any meeting of the association. Provided 
 that notice of said proposed change shall have been given at a meetino- 
 of the association, at least one week preceding action on said amendment. 
 
HISTORY OF PL ATTS MOUTH, VND CASS CnFXTY. 
 
 61 
 
 NAMES OF MEMBERS. 
 
 DATS: ol SETTLEMENT 
 IN STATE & COUNTY. 
 
 P. O. ADDRESS. 
 
 Daniel II. Wheeler 
 
 Charlotte A. Wheeler,. 
 
 Win. L. Wells, 
 
 A. L. Child 
 
 Win. Gilmour 
 
 VVm. S. West 
 
 .John W. Haines. 
 
 M. B. Cutler 
 
 W. H. Schafer 
 
 J. W. Jennings 
 
 F. M. DoiTinirton 
 
 'J'hinnas Thomas 
 
 Wni. Young, 
 
 I'. L. Wise,' 
 
 .!. W. Marshall 
 
 J. G. Haves, 
 
 A. B. Todd, 
 
 E. u. Todd 
 
 B. Albin 
 
 Ben. Hempel 
 
 A. I.. Sprague 
 
 Win. Gilmour, jr 
 
 Jennie K. Wells 
 
 J. < '. ( rilniore 
 
 John A. MaeMurphy, 
 
 J. MeF. Haygood,.. 
 
 J!. Siebold 
 
 T. J. Todd, 
 
 Levi Walker, 
 
 Abrani Hull 
 
 Julia E. Child. 
 
 E. E. Cunningham 
 
 Geo. E Pronger, 
 
 Mrs. Susannah Thomas,. . - 
 
 C. H. Kin- 
 
 L. W. Patterson 
 
 Mary Patterson 
 
 Geo. W. Fairfield 
 
 Thus. Wiles 
 
 Samuel L. Thomas, 
 
 F. D. Lehnhofl 
 
 Bradford Cole 
 
 A. B. Tayior, 
 
 E. s. Sharp, 
 
 Mary E. Todd, 
 
 W. H.Smith, 
 
 V. M. Beaver, 
 
 Henry Fikenberry, 
 
 Joshua Gappen, 
 
 Joshua Murray, 
 
 L. F. Johnson, 
 
 Wm. HeroU 
 
 Mrs. E. C. Straight, 
 
 Mrs. S. A. Thomas, 
 
 Mrs. Eliza Siebold 
 
 Lewis H. Young 
 
 Mrs. Sarah Young, - 
 
 Mrs. E. M. Walker 
 
 Amanda M. Miller, 
 
 Mrs. M. C. Dorrington. ... 
 
 L. C. Johnson, 
 
 Mrs. Lou S. Johnson, 
 
 Mrs. Sarah a. Livingston,. 
 E. J. Craig, 
 
 J i . 15, 1856, iPlatlsinouth. 
 
 July. 21, 1857 | 
 
 Vpril 26, 1857 
 
 10, L857 
 
 1854 
 
 June 19, 1856, 
 
 June. 1857 
 
 August !6, 1-857 
 
 5, 1854 
 
 Nov.'...' - ;. (855 
 
 June 20, !85(i 
 
 Julv. 1856 
 
 ■ 3, 185-1, 
 
 May 1, '■'■>' ••••• 
 
 I 17. 1856 
 
 i. 1857 
 
 5. 1851 
 
 
 
 16, 1858 
 
 Anna Craig 
 
 Mr-. M. M. Richardson,. 
 
 Mrs. Mary Haines 
 
 W. L. Tucker 
 
 i >{) 
 
 rtaj ; . 1858 
 
 Ill Burl Co . April, 1857 
 
 ■ i I ■ : i ' 854 
 
 June 1, 1857 
 
 . 557 
 
 >. 1854 
 
 l. : 
 
 .hi: i 28, 1857 
 
 I • 7 
 
 • li ie 12, 1853 
 
 
 
 June. 1859 
 
 August, 1854, 
 
 Align t, 1854, 
 
 l'9, 1856,.... 
 
 Fall Of 1854 
 
 iibei . 1856 
 
 May IS, 1859, 
 
 Bock Bluffs. 
 Plattsmouth. 
 
 Might Mile Grove 
 ITattsmouth. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 856, 
 
 . !856,... 
 
 er l, 3854 
 
 10, 1856... 
 obe 15, 1855, ■ . 
 Novem ■ 
 Octobei 
 
 ., i iber 15, 1854 
 
 March 7, 1855 
 
 March 7. 1S55 
 
 May IS, 1855 
 
 January 1, 1859, 
 
 .,,■ 10, 1856,.. 
 - 13, 1859 
 
 . i860 
 
 I er. I860, 
 
 356 
 
 
 
 
 
 Boek Bluffs. 
 
 Concord. 
 
 Plattsmoutb. 
 
 Bock Bluffs, 
 l'lattsinouth. 
 
 Three Groves. 
 Plattsmouth. 
 
62 
 
 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 NAMES OF MEMBERS. 
 
 
 DATE of SETTLEMENT 
 IN STATE & COL NT Y. 
 
 Mrs. S. E. Tucker i 44: May 7, 1856 
 
 Mrs. Nancy E. Pattonj? | 23 Marcli 13, 1855 
 
 Mrs. Maria Gappen ! 40' November 6. L856, 
 
 Mrs. Cora W. Child, 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Herold.. 
 
 Ceo. YV. Thomas, 
 
 Geo. D. Amick 
 
 Shadrach Cole, 
 
 Jacob Vallery, sen., 
 
 64 June In. 1857 
 
 35 October, 1854 
 
 20 September. 1856, 
 
 45 October, 185(5, 
 
 58 June 5, 1857, 
 
 .. April 10, 1850, 
 
 The members of the Plattsmouth Brass Band, of which more here- 
 after, in response to their most excellent music on the occasion of a Pio- 
 neers' Re-union on September lGth, 187G, were unanimously received by 
 the Association as honorary members, notwithstanding two of them, L. 
 F. Johnson and S. L. Thomas had been previously received as members 
 under the regular forms. 
 
 THE HON O R A K Y M E M B E R S 
 
 are Lorenzo F. Johnson, Samuel L. Thomas, Geo. W. Thomas, L. D. John- 
 son, L. 0. Johnson, Fred Black, and H. W. Sage, of the Brass Band; and 
 the Rev. H. B. Burgess. 
 
 PRESIDENT. 
 
 By the provisions of the Constitution, W. II. Shafer, the member who 
 made the earliest settlement in Cass County, May 25, 1854, is the Presi 
 dent of the Association. E. S. Sharp made an earlier settlement, March, 
 1854, but so far has not been an active member. Win, Young and Ben]. 
 Albin are Vice Presidents. 
 
 THE ELECTIVE OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. L. Wells was first elected Secretary, and on his resignetion J. 
 A. MacMurphy was elected, and still remains as Secretary. Thomas 
 Thomas was first elected Treasurer, and again re-elected to the same office. 
 A. L. Child elected and still remains Recorder. 
 
 On the occasion of the 
 
 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, 
 
 on July 4th, 187(5, by the citizens of Cass County, the Pioneers' Associa 
 tion was invited to join in the celebration, and assigned a leading position 
 in the procession to the selected grounds. The Association accepted of 
 the invitation, and in order that its members might be distinguished in 
 the crowd, procured 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 03 
 
 BADGES, 
 
 in form and description as follows: 
 
 O 
 
 to 
 
 QO 
 
 PIONEERS' ASSOCIATION. 
 
 JULY, 4, 1870. 
 
 GO 
 
 On arrival upon the ground the Association was conducted to re- 
 served seats upon the stand. 
 
 In response to these honors bestowed upon the Association, that 
 body, at a meeting held on July 8th, unanimously 
 
 "Resolved, That the earnest thanks of the Pioneers' Association of 
 Cass County be tendered to the officers of the Centennial Celebration on 
 July 4th, 1870, for their recognition of the claims of the Association, as 
 also for their kindness and courtesy on that occasion. And that we most 
 thankfully appreciate the kind remarks and allusions of the orators and 
 speakers of the day. The Association also tenders its hearty congratula- 
 tions to the citizens and officers of the day on the entire and unalloyed 
 success of the celebration." 
 
 August 19th, 1867, a meeting was called to consider the question of a 
 
 PIONEERS' RE-UNION OR PICNIC. 
 
 A second meeting followed, at which it was resolved to hold a Re- 
 union on the Centennial grounds, near Plattsmouth, on September 10th. 
 
 To add interest to the affair a few individuals, who in 1856 were 
 members of the first brass band that ever played in the Territory of Ne- 
 braska, volunteered to reorganize the band, and prepare music where- 
 with to regale the Association on that occasion. 
 
 Mr. Thos. Thomas, under the inspiration of the hou .-, produced the 
 following' rallying cvy for the pioneers: 
 
 THE PIONEEIIS. 
 Of Pioneers we are a band. 
 
 Who came in early days ; 
 In search of homes in the Indian land, 
 
 And settled here to stay. 
 On young Nebraska's rolling plains, 
 
 Hardship and toil we've shared ; 
 And here we now have met again, 
 
 To share a feast prepared. 
 Come one come all, old settlers, come. 
 
 In love and liberty : 
 And make this day the special home 
 
 Of joy and pleasure free. 
 Free to think and free to speak, 
 
 Let's all in union join : 
 This social feast we'll seek to make 
 
 Enduring on our minds. 
 
64 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 On September 10th, the Association formed a procession on Main 
 street, and with flags and banners, preceded by the band, marched to the 
 grounds. 
 
 The exercises of the day were opened by prayer by the Rev. H. B. 
 Burgess. Music, speaking, a most bountiful supply of the "creature 
 comforts'", and regular business followed. 
 
 L. F. Johnson, S. L. Johnson, L. D. Johnson, L. C. Johnson, Geo. W. 
 Thomas, Fred. Black and H. W. Sage, members of the brass band, after 
 much labor, drill, and expense for instruments, were well prepared with 
 many pieces of old time music, which with the repeated singing of "The 
 Pioneers' 1 by the whole crowd, to the air of "Auld Lang Sync," added 
 much to the enjoyment of the day. It was altogether a very happy one, 
 and one which we hope may be many times repeated. 
 
 At the various meetings of the Association many communications 
 have been read by the different members, portraying early experience, 
 trials, incidents, anecdotes, &c, from which we select a few. 
 
 SCENES ANT) INCIDENTS OF EARLY LIFE IN NEBRASKA. 
 
 15Y WM. YOUNG. 
 
 On the night of the third of November, 1854, I camped with my 
 family near a spring in the grove where I now live: and next morning 
 cut logs and laid a foundation for a house, and staked out my claim. I 
 then returned to my home, near Glen wood, in Iowa. 
 
 On March 5th, 1855, I moved my family onto my claim, bringing all 
 my stock, even to a few stands of bees, as they were the only living things 
 that could save the honey that for ages had gone to waste on our bound 
 less plains. 
 
 For a few days our home was in a tent, while we were building a 
 cabin, which we covered with clapboards. Soon after we had got into our 
 cabin two Indians came wading through the snow, and came in to warm. 
 They staved all day, and, as it was still snowing hard, wanted to stay all 
 night. They slept by the fire till morning and then traveled on. And 
 now for breaking and fencing our farm. The breaking was done with 
 ox teams; the fencing was a ditch for a year or two, then a hedge around 
 fifty six acres, the farm of the first year. The hedge was subsequently 
 extended around the most of my land, and it has served not only lor a 
 fence, but I have cut cords of wood from it, besides fence posts and poles. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND r.\-:-\ COUNTY. ti'i 
 
 In the Government survey the lines cut my land both ways, and I 
 now eat on one quarter section and sleep on another. The line running 
 through my bedroom. 
 
 When the land came into market, as I had used my pre-emption right 
 in Iowa, five different men entered my land, and I had to buy them out at 
 high figures, paying forty percent, for the money to do so with; and still 
 lost sixteen acres with the hedge around it which 1 had cultivated three 
 years, thus by taking a block out of the corner, leaving my farm in a bad 
 shape. 
 
 Soon after I moved on to my chum a double wedding occurred at 
 John Clemmons] while he lay on his death bed. His two daughters were 
 married at the same time by Abram Towner. The old gentleman died a 
 few days afterward, being the second death of the settlers. (Samuel Mar- 
 fin being the first.) 
 
 In the first county election the writer was elected County Surveyor, 
 and surveyed the first county road, from Plattsmonth to Weeping Water, 
 fourteen miles. The first circuit rider was Elder Gage, and the first camp 
 meeting was in Buck's grove. The first celebration was at Rock Bluffs, 
 where we often met with our guns to drill and talk about Indians. Gen. 
 Thayer met with us sometimes. We took one scout up the Weeping 
 Water, in search of Indians, and camped over night, but saw none. In 
 those times wolves, wild cats, and rattlesnakes were plenty; but by help 
 of dogs and guns the wolves and wild cats were exterminated. We, with 
 the help of a good dog. killed two large buffalo wolves with an axe. 
 
 AN INTRODUCTION TO NEBRASKA. 
 
 BY A. T.. CHILD. 
 
 On April 10th, 1857, in company with :; son of fourteen or fifteen 
 years of age, and a son-in-law, I arrived at Glen wood, Iowa, on my way 
 to Cedar Creek, in Cass County, Nebraska. Learning, at Glenwood, that 
 the Missouri river was veiy high, covering the bottom from bluff to bluff, 
 and that there was no possible crossing for our teams here, we turned 
 northward to Council Bluffs, where there was a steam ferry. 
 
 The road followed the high lands for a while and then descended to 
 the Missouri bottom, where, for long distances, it was covered with water. 
 Toward night the weather turned cold and snow began to fall. We found 
 refuge in an old "dug out,'* probably evacuated by some squatter in the 
 
66 HISTORY OF PI.ATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 rush for Nebraska in 1854. It was large enough to shelter both ourselves 
 and team. Some wood gathered, a roaring lire built, and we very much 
 enjoyed our home comforts. But some water must be had for our supper 
 operations. Surely there was plenty of it, for the river, of some four or 
 five miles in width, reached within a few feet of our shelter; but we had 
 to wade out some twenty or twenty-five rods before we could find depth 
 enough to get what we could call water, and even then it was largely of 
 mud. The snow fell all night and through the following day, and with a 
 fierce northwest wind it became very cold. 
 
 We reached Council Bluffs before noon of the 17th, and there found 
 the little town swarming and overcrowded by emigrants, like us, for 
 Nebraska. They were also blockaded by the river. An old channel be- 
 tween the ferry landing and Council Bluffs was filled and had become a 
 rapid river of some thirty feet in width. No boat or skiff was left to 
 cross teams or even footmen; and till this was crossed we could not reach 
 the ferry boat. It was understood that the ferry company were at work 
 to open communication, and all we had to do was to wait. The river 
 bank was an open, bleak place, the wind was blowing fiercely' and the air 
 filled with blinding snow. Yet hundreds stood and waited there all day, 
 in their impatience to get over. 
 
 Many boxes of matches were sacrificed, ami much persevering effort 
 directed toward raising a fire with the wet and sodden brush in and near 
 the water. An occasional blaze would raise a shout, and a dash of wind 
 and snow would drown every spark, and the shout would then be replaced 
 by very emphatic, and sometimes rather ugly words, (-'hilled through 
 and through by the bitter storm, impatient and tired of waiting, we de- 
 tached a horse from the team, on which my boy mounted, and put him at 
 the stream. The horse with a jump and plunge went out of sight in the 
 water, the boy's head alone remaining visible. The horse rose and struck 
 out for the opposite bank, on reaching which the horse was turned about 
 and started back, but, no longer directed by the reins, turned off down 
 stream. We followed and secured him some distance below. A race of 
 a mile or two over the prairie to restore the almost frozen horse, a thor- 
 ough rubbing down, blankets, ami a distant stable closed that experiment. 
 Meanwhile, the boy was having a cool time, also, trying to shelter himself 
 in his saturated clothes, behind some old tireless cabins, with an oeca 
 sional foot race to restore the almost frozen circulation. At length a skiff 
 was brought from the ferry boat, and the footmen crowded over, and we 
 were soon sheltered in the Douglas Mouse at Omaha, where, that night, it 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMQUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. ()7 
 
 would have puzzled a spectator to have selected from the mass of crowded 
 and mixed limbs, on any floor of that house, the proper ones belonging 
 to any one body. 
 
 The team and son-in-law were left at Council Bluffs till the team 
 could be got over. On the next morning, April 18th, the sun shone out 
 bright and clear, and my son and I started on foot for the Platte. On the 
 level, where undisturbed by the wind, the snow lay about sixteen inches 
 deep, but over the prairies it was drifted and piled in the usual way of 
 such storms. As what tracks and roads had then been made over the 
 prairies were all covered and hid by the snow, we, with regard to only 
 an occasional view of the bluffs and timber on the south of the Platte at 
 Cedar Island, made as straight a line for them as we could. Huge drifts 
 often turned us to right or left, and made a long and hard road to travel. 
 The white and dazzling snow reflected the bright rays of the sun in our 
 eyes and faces till we were sunburned and almost blind. Still we pushed 
 on, reached the Platte, found the ferry, paid $1 a piece for crossing, and 
 just after dark found our way up to Samuel Halm's cabin, near the top of 
 the bluffs; the door stood open, displaying a bright tire upon the hearth. 
 Utterly exhausted and worn out, we waited for no ceremony but, Indian 
 like, walked in without leave or liberty, and demanded food and shelter. 
 Mr. Halm replied that his wife was sick and abed, that he himself was 
 but little better, yet had but just finished a large washing. They had but 
 a trifle of food in the house and knew not when or where the next could 
 be found; and, although he much regretted it, he could not accommodate 
 us. We replied that we equally regretted his difficulties, but, unless re- 
 moved by force greater than our own, we neither could, would or should 
 go one step further that night; rest and sleep, for which the floor would 
 answer all purposes, we must have. Further explanation disarmed him of 
 his first somewhat hostile feelings, caused by our unceremonious entrance. 
 Food and rest and a very pleasant acquaintance followed. On the morn- 
 ing of the 19th, when ready to start, Mr. Halm directed us south, over 
 the unbroken plain of dazzling snow, for about a mile, where a trail from 
 Plattsmouth, westward, passed, which, if found and followed, would lead 
 us to the settlement of old friends on Cedar Creek. 
 
 We wandered over many a mile, through the snow, and found no ves- 
 tige of a road or trail. We then turned in a northwest direction for the 
 high land overlooking the Platte, which, when gained, we followed to the 
 valley of Turkey Creek. We there found a cabin and learned that we 
 were but little over a mile from our destination, which was soon reached. 
 
 We were confined for a day or two with our badly burned faces and 
 
(58 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 eyes, but on the 2 2d got out and selected our claims for a home. On that 
 day, April 22d, I found snow drifts, in ra\nnes, over twenty feet deep, 
 which were not thawed away till late in May. 
 
 Such was my introduction to Nebraska ami Cass County. 
 
 A JUSTICES COURT OF (ASS COUNTY IN 1857. 
 
 BY A. L. CHILL). 
 
 In August, of 1867, a Justice of the Peace, just elected for the first 
 time, who for the present must be nameless, had convened his first court. 
 (Please forget just now the old old story which, by some is attributed to 
 "Our Dan," of the "mighty mean men who could get office here." 
 
 The plaintiff had alleged that the defendant had done and performed 
 aets and deeds in violation of the statute made and provided in such 
 rases. 
 
 A summons, commanding the Constable to bring the offender into 
 court, then and there to answer for his misdeeds, had been issued, as also 
 for a jury of six "true and good men, freeholders of the County," to aid 
 and assist the Court in the punishment of the outlaw. 
 
 Jury and witnesses were very solemnly sworn, and the Court — with a 
 deep sense of the gravity and weight of responsibility resting upon its 
 shoulders as a "Magistrate," and perhaps an occasional thought of 
 the rulings and decisions then and there to be made, as precedents in the 
 future courts of Nebraska — was extracting from the witnesses mainly 
 what they did not know, when a sudden "bow," "wow" "wow" of the 
 attending dogs, who were holding a court of their own in the adjoining 
 brush, and a cry of "wild cat" broke upon the ear. 
 
 An instant delivery of that courtroom followed. Before a second 
 breath could be drawn jury, witnesses, constable, parties and spectators 
 were in the brush in hot pursuit. And the court, in all its dignity, with a 
 question half propounded, sat — alone, and — adjourned. 
 
 The wild cat, as defendant in the other court, that is, the dog court, 
 had but a poor show. It was soon laid upon the door steps. 
 
 The court re-convened and the case proceeded to judgment. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 69 
 
 A PIONEER'S PIE. 
 
 BY A. L. CHILD. 
 
 In early days in Indiana I witnessed a sad failure in an old toper to 
 obtain Ins accustomed stimulus through imagination, when the hard 
 hearted liar tender refused to supply the accustomed material. 
 
 "Well," says the poor fellow, after grave consideration of the whole 
 subject, "if you won't, you wont. But Til go through the motion any- 
 how." And taking up an empty bottle and a i^lass, he carefully tipped the 
 bottle, while holding the glass high between the light and his eye, that 
 he might get the exact quantity, lie turned on till, by close observation 
 and measure, he concluded he had got exactly '-three fingers." Then 
 carefully replacing the bottle, lie turns round with his back against the 
 counter for support, with feet extended and braced, he slowly raised the 
 glass to Ins lips, tipped it up, held his breath and swallowed rapidly; 
 then with repeated "Hems" to clear his throat of the fiery draught, slowly 
 replaces the glass and waits :i moment for the accustomed sensation. 
 
 Pool- fellow! It was a total failure, for with a very emphatic and 
 
 "just as I expected," with drooping head and dejected air he left the room. 
 
 In a somewhat similar manner, but with a different result, in May of 
 1857, I supplied myself with a, dinner. I was alone upon my claim, doing 
 mv own cooking, dishwashing, etc., building a home and fixing up things 
 generally for the soon expected family, which had been left behind. 
 
 On Sunday morning, after a badly relished breakfast of bread and 
 bacon, I found myself strongly craving some kind of a desert. I had 
 been unable to procure fruit of any kind whatever, or anything resem- 
 bling a desert. After some thought I made up my mind also "to go 
 t h rough the motion." 
 
 I went out into my imaginary orchard, upon the creek, and gathered 
 some tender grape vine shoots just shooting out, and some wood sorrel, 
 also young and tender, returned, made up my crust, put in my Nebraska 
 fruit, a little hot water, dredged in some Hour, and sat down to bake my 
 pie. 
 
 My dinner that day was an entire success. My first, second, and 
 last course was grape vine and sorrel pie. I will add. for the benefil of 
 the ladies. I have not yet taken out a patent for my "pioneer pie." 
 
70 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 EARLY DAYS IN NEBRASKA. 
 
 BY Til OS. THOMAS. 
 
 In Jul}', of 1856, I crossed the Missouri river, north of the mouth of 
 
 the Platte, and then crossed the Platte at Carlisle's ferry at Cedar Island, 
 north of which was the main channel of the Platte at that time. ( !arlisle 
 dumped me out of his canoe on the north side of the Island, saying there 
 was little or no water running on the south side, which I reached by 
 scrambling through the brush and briars. I then drew off my boots and 
 waded through, finding the water not over knee deep. I then climbed 
 the rocky bluffs, watching the cliffs and holes of the rocks for snakes, the 
 scent of which was strong and sickening. 
 
 After climbing some eighty feet, I reached the top of a narrow ridge, 
 across which was a traveled path toward the southeast. Across a deep 
 ravine I saw, and made for, a log cabin. On reaching it I was met at the 
 door by a friendly little woman, who said, in answer to my inquiries, that 
 she was not acquainted with the claims taken up near by. Mr. Ilahn, her 
 husband, soon came in and referred me to old Mr. Wm. Craig, one mile to 
 the west. On reaching Mr. Craig's I found a very friendly old couple, 
 under whose hospitable roof I fared sumptuously. Two miles south of 
 this I took a claim, where Nicholas Holmes now lives. But preferring a 
 claim on the ground ot the old Otoe village, one mile east, over which I 
 passed on my way to Plattsmouth,and meeting the claimant on the road, I 
 bought the claim and moved onto it with my wife and family, on the 
 1st of September, IS")!!. That night my wife and I slept in the wagon, 
 and the boys took a larger held bed, with the canopy of Heaven for the 
 curtains. Even this, our first night, did not pass without a visitor, a large 
 black rattlesnake; and several days after a number of hungry Indians. 
 
 Both snakes and Indians were much more plentiful than pleasant. I 
 found several neighboring pioneers almost or quite out of provisions, and 
 divided out to them, till, in turn, I was nearly out too; and in November 
 sent the boys over into Iowa for further supplies. They could not return 
 for some time as the slush ice prevented. Day after day I went down to 
 the river, but there was no crossing: and the meal barrel was almost 
 empty. I then wished for the old comfortable home left in Indiana. At 
 length there was an opening in the ice, the boys with the teams were in 
 sight and waiting on the further bank; and we put out, went over and 
 met them. As we were returning across the river we saw the ice again 
 coming down, and likely to sink or, at best,carry us away with it. "Work, 
 for Cod's sake, work!" cried out Mickelwait, "or we are lost"; and work 
 
TIISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 71 
 
 wo did with a will, and barely escapingthe threatening catastrophe,reach- 
 od Nebraska in safety. This safe return, and our success, relieved many 
 anxious hearts, and thankfulness and joy again returned. 
 
 December 1st, 2d, and 3d, 1856, brought the heaviest snow storm 
 upon us I ever witnessed. My little shanty saved many lives, not only of 
 whites, but Indians, squaws and pappooses. Where my cow shed now 
 stands I had one in 185('» with several tons of hay stacked on it. The 
 snow drifted up and over it, and so hard and solid that a cow walked up 
 over the shed and stack. The drift measured eleven feet in depth. 
 
 In March, 1857, Jackson Todd and I started for Omaha to enter our 
 claims; but the Platte river was full of ice and could not be crossed, so 
 next day Jackson Todd; Capt. Archer, Timothy Gaskill, Ed. Todd and I 
 crossed the Missouri river at Plattsmouth, went up above the mouth of 
 the Platte and then crossed over to Nebraska again. The ferryman with 
 his skiff then loft us and returned. As we went forward we found our- 
 selves inclosed by a bayou, connecting the Platte and Missouri, above us, 
 aad that wo were upon an Island, from which there was no means of es- 
 cape but to strip and wade, if wo could, or swim if the water was too deep 
 to wade. The water was full of Moating ice, and the prospect was neither 
 pleasant nor inviting. Wo stripped, went in, and succeeded in crossing 
 the bayou. We reached Omaha next day, entered our lands and started 
 back for homo. Wo did not care to try the same track back and again 
 swim the bayou, although wo might find a worse crassing elsewhere; so 
 wo made for Cedar Island, in the Platte, where, at the hazard of our lives 
 in the floating ice, we succeeded in crossing all right, and were safe at 
 homo for supper. 
 
 A short time prior to this wo were startled by the appearance of a 
 band of over one hundred Indians approaching our shanty, on the 
 grounds of the old Otoe village. They made a fearful show, but passed 
 on, doing no harm. They were hunting ponies taken from them by the 
 whites. They camped for some three weeks on the Missouri river below 
 Plattsmouth, found their ponies and then quietly left. 
 
 In 1857 claim troubles became fearful. Notice was served upon us 
 that the two boys must deed over eighty acres each to other parties, or 
 "go over or into the Missouri river." We did neither, and hold the same 
 lands yet, although nineteen years have since passed, and I am still left 
 to subscribe the names of myself ami family, viz.; S. L. Thomas, James 
 W. Thomas, Mary E. Todd, Cinderella Carter, Thomas J. and George W. 
 Thomas, and mv wife. Susannah. 
 
(2 HISTORY OT? PLATTSMOUTH, .\X1> CASS COUNTY. 
 
 A DREAM. 
 
 BY A. L. CHILD. 
 
 In the words of the old temperance song, 
 
 "1 dreamed a dream the other night 1 ' 
 whether waking, or sleeping, who knows? 1 cannot tell. Our waking 
 and sleeping thoughts occasionally get so strangely mixed and tangled 
 that we cannot separate them. 
 
 In this dream the future had become thepast. Another hundred 
 years of our national life had been turned over to the pages of history. 
 The Centennial of 1970 was at hand. 
 
 I was wandering over an unknown city. Some few features remind- 
 ed me of Plattsmouth in 1876. A fine and noble building rose before me, 
 into which men, women and children were passing. I followed the crowd, 
 and found myself in a large and beautiful hall. Three or four apparent 
 Secretaries, each with large record hooks before him, wv^^ sitting around 
 a table. A President and two Vice Presidents occupied an adjoining 
 elevated seat, The President was just announcing "the business next in 
 order," and yon may imagine my surprise on hearing "The Historical 
 Secretary will now read the Record of the Pioneers of INTO." 'With ear. 
 eye and soul I listened to the acts, deeds, triads, and hardships of the old, 
 old familiar names and associates. While this reading progressed I could 
 not hut catch the exultant whispers and remarks from different parts of 
 the hall, of "That was 1113 great, great, greal grandfather," "That was 
 my great, great, great grandmother," and so on. A deep and intense in- 
 terest held the audience of thousands. They were living, doing, and 
 act ing in the far, far past. 
 
 The President then announce, 1 the next regular business as the 
 "Geneological Record." "Aha" thought 1, "what now? what new wrinkle 
 is this?" When a second Secretary opened his Record and produced a 
 lot of charts, and, placing them in a conspicuous position on the wall. 
 traced the progress and descent of the posterity of these old Pioneers 
 down to the then present lime, with dates and place of marriage, ami 
 births of children, grandchildren, great, great <fec. I could not hut ob- 
 serve the glow of interest and exultation in the faces of the members 
 present as their geneological lines came down from the "Blood Royal" of 
 the pioneers. 
 
 The thought hashed upon my mind, oh! if we in our old time could 
 have had such charts and such records, how many of the millions of 
 treasure withheld from us. the just ami rightful heirs, we might have 
 
niSTORY OF PLATTSMOCTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 73 
 
 possessed and enjoyed; but failed to obtain for lack of them. And still 
 further, with what interest we should have followed up such charts and 
 lines of descent to see who and what our forefathers were; as also of their 
 acts, deeds, and histories. 
 
 The next order was for "Miscellaneous Business."' Whereupon an 
 elderly member arose and stated that a stranger, from a distant State, had 
 made a claim upon his homestead, alleging that it had originally been en- 
 tered by fraud and perjury, and of course the entry was null and void; 
 but that he had just made a legal entry of it and demanded possession. 
 Something in the look, tone and manner at once aroused in me a deep in- 
 terest, and I felt a chill run over me, in my anxiety for the fate of the 
 poor man, when I recollected my own predictions of old, that the time 
 would come some day when the fraudulent and perjured entries of my day 
 would work ruin and destruction to the innocent holders of a large part 
 of our homesteads. I therefore with deeper interest if possible watched 
 the proceedings in this case. A third Secretary was called upon for in- 
 formation. He responded by opening his ponderous record and read the 
 whole story of the entry and all its circumstances; the subsecpient trans- 
 fers with all the particulars; and I felt much relieved to find that all was 
 right and safe. Yet, hut for this record and proof the poor man would 
 haye lost his all. 
 
 My joy was so great over this triumph of my own great, great grand- 
 son, that I awoke? or fell asleep? Who knows which? 
 
 GENEALOGK AL RECORD. 
 
 BY Til OS. THOMAS. 
 
 As the object of the Pioneers 1 Association is to collect knowledge 
 and information of the past for, not only present use, but for future gen- 
 erations, will not its value to our children be increased as it reaches far- 
 ther into the past? 
 
 With this view, I record a few items that remain to me of times be- 
 fore Nebraska was. 
 
 Some few years past 1 750 three brothers of the name of Thomas 
 left Wales for America. They landed in New Jersey, where one remain- 
 ed, while the other two subsequently passed on; one to Virginia and the 
 other to South Carolina. A son of the one remaining in New Jersey, by 
 name of Titos. Thomas, at the age of fifteen years, entered the Revolu- 
 
74 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 tionary army under Gen. Washington. For a lime he was employed in 
 cutting out the printed sheets of the Continental Currency; after which 
 he was mustered into a Light Horse company, in which he served to the 
 end of the war. 
 
 After the war closed he married Mary Ann Grimes, who was of Irish 
 descent. With a family of two sons and one daughter he subsequently 
 concluded to move west of the Alleghany Mountains. In that day no 
 wagon roads over the mountains existed, and all conveyance was made by 
 packing. One horse was loaded with bed and clothing and the wife (my 
 grandmother) with the infant daughter in her arms. Another horse with 
 camp equipage and food, and a creel or basket on each side. In one 
 basket set my Uncle Benjamin, and in the other my father, Samuel, the 
 elder of the two. My grandfather, with his rifle, led the train, on old 
 Indian trails, up the valley and over the mountains. Bears, wolves, pan- 
 thers, wild cats, deer, A r c, were often seen, from which the old rifle fur- 
 nished ample supplies of meat, Days and weeks passed into months be- 
 fore they reached the valleys of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny 
 rivers, between which they settled, about thirty-five miles from Pittsbuig. 
 
 My mother's father's name was Abram Larue, of French descent, 
 and his wife of Scotch. He also served through the Revolutionary war; 
 and had settled on Big Redstone Creek, fifteen miles from my grand- 
 father Thomas'. My father, Samuel Thomas, married his daughter, Eliz- 
 abeth Larue; and in 1817 he started for still further west. 
 
 With my mother, three sisters, older, and two brothers j'ounger than 
 myself, we got on board of a flat boat at Monongahela City, and floated 
 down past Pittsburg into the Ohio, and down to Bridgeport, on the west 
 bank of the river. There we landed and went by team to Fairview, one 
 mile south of which, in Guernsey County, was our stopping place, which 
 we reached in March, 1817. 
 
 It was there I married Susanna Carruthers, and from whence, on Sep- 
 tember 1st, 1837, I started with my wife and one son, Samuel L., for 
 Grant County, Indiana. We passed through Springfield, Ohio, and then 
 across the Black Swamp county. The deep water and mud and the rough 
 log bridges on to which we had to climb and then jump off from into the 
 mud, slush and water, up to the wagon bed, were rather unlike the Rail 
 Road traveling of to-day. The incidents of this journey made too deep 
 an impression on my mind to be soon erased. Twenty-two days' travel 
 landed us in the thick woods in Washington Township, Grant County, 
 Indiana, five miles east of Marion. We remained there some ten years, 
 and cleared up a heavy timbered farm. 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 75 
 
 Iii 1847, with my wife and six children, one having been laid in the 
 cemetery, I moved to Wabash County, Indiana, and there also cleared up 
 another farm of heavy timber; built a frame house, a large frame barn, 
 and had raised a fine bearing orchard. But in addition to this we had 
 the ague, and more of it than we could stand. Six of us were shaking at 
 once. We had already laid two little girls in the Wabash Cemetery, who 
 died within four days of each other. No, we could endure it no longer. 
 We must find a more healthy country. So in April of 185(5, we started 
 for Dallas County, Texas; but proceeded southward only to Bates County, 
 Missouri, where, from continued ague in nearly the whole family, as also 
 severe sickness of myself, we made a square turn to the north, and on 
 June 22d, 1856, reached Glenwood, Iowa, which we again left in Septem- 
 ber following for Cass County, Nebraska. 
 
 THE WOMEN OF NEBRASKA. 
 
 I'.V A PIONEER. 
 
 We hear much of the adventures, trials, &c, of the Pioneer men of 
 Nebraska, hut, somehow, very little of the women. And yet, in my rec- 
 ollection of the struggles of the day, she kept her end of the yoke gen- 
 erally up even, and in many cases carried it decidedly ahead. True, the 
 circumstances of the situation did not often place her in the foreground, 
 in the prominent position of the man, hut her patient and untiring help- 
 fulness and perseverance often accomplished more than his more noisy 
 labors. And again, in a search for true heroism, while ^we may find man 
 under the sudden approach of peril or danger, or the stimulant of a great 
 or hazardous undertaking, brave courageous and unyielding; is there less 
 of the true ring of the hero in in the persevering and uncomplaining en- 
 durance of privation, hardship, toil and loneliness, unaided by the stimu- 
 lants and excitements so necessary to arouse the man to action? I think 
 not. 
 
 But try the woman in the same field with the man, arouse her by the 
 same stimulant under which he rushes into action, and you may see the 
 hero pale before the heroine. 
 
 I give two or three incidents, hoping they may act as reminders, and 
 bring out others more to the point. 
 
 I might first introduce the "Lady" of the day, who in her intense zeal 
 for the public interest, pulls her dress back till it is scarcely visible in 
 front, and stretches it out behind into the compound hoc and cart of the 
 
7G HISTORY OF PLATTSMODTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 street scavenger, thereby saving the city large bills for removing the offal, 
 filth, and mud. How many men could we, by all the combined means of 
 which we can think, induce to undertake and persist in such herculean 
 and repulsive labors? 
 
 But I have digressed. My plea is for "Woman." 
 
 A wife and mother, well known to us all and more especially to 
 friend Thomas, residing, in 1857, on Four Mile Creek, in the absence of 
 the men of the family and surrounded only by her children, saw six In- 
 dians, on their ponies, approaching the house, armed with the usual bows 
 and arrows and one gun.. The early starting blue grass in the enclosed 
 front yard offered a more tempting feed for the ponies than the dry and 
 burned prairies, and the Indians opened the gate for their ponies to enter 
 and feed. This not being as satisfactory to the woman as to the Indians, 
 she stepped to the door and forbade it; but they persisted in getting the 
 ponies in, when a fiery stripling of a boy with a toy gun raised it against 
 them. The savages, ready to improve the chance for a safe light, patted 
 their bosoms and dared him to fire, and began to handle their arms. The 
 boy, at once seeing his own weakness, ran into the house, but returned in 
 an instant with a more effective revolver, ready to do his best. At the 
 sight of this weapon the arrows were fixed and the bows bent. But the 
 woman was there; she saw that a general massacre was pending the mo- 
 tion of a finger. Seizing the boy, she sternly commanded him to return 
 the revolver to the house. He obeyed. She then as sternly commanded 
 the Indians to "Puckachee," begone. Quelled and disarmed by her bra- 
 very they turned and left. 
 
 Again, on another o '.casion several In bans cam > into the house, one 
 of whom, a large stalwart fellow, was adorns 1 (in his own estimation at 
 least) with a large quantity of beads. The little girls of the family im- 
 portuned the mother to get som3 of thy b>als for them. The mother at 
 length offered a silver ring for a "swap." The Indian examined the ring, 
 and grunted "good," "swap," put the ring upon his linger, and started to 
 leave, ring, beads and all. But with the woman this move was "no good." 
 Seizing a heavy iron rod, she raised it over his head, and with her eye 
 fixed upon his, sternly demanded "ring," or "swap"; at the same time, 
 with the iron still over his head, she seized the ring and stripped it from 
 his finger. To be conquered, and perhaps struck, by a pale face squaw 
 was too much for the "brave." He yielded, and with "good," "good," 
 "swap," pulled off his beads and handed them over, took the ring and 
 left, 
 
HISTOIIY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 77 
 
 One more and I am through. Many present will remember Horace 
 
 Sheldon and his wife, who, in early day's, settled near Cedar Creek in this 
 County. You will also recollect that in size and weight they were quite 
 unequal. Had she put him in her pocket it might have been somewhat 
 overfull, but not much. But, like many small men. he did not lack in big 
 words, or big deeds, either, if you were willing to take his own account 
 of them. 
 
 In 1859 the waters of Cedar Creek were very high, and he attempted 
 to cross it in a wagon with his wife and child. The current overset the 
 wagon and away they all went pell mell down stream some thirty or forty 
 feet and brought up against a pile of drift, from which they soon reached 
 land without much damage. In Sheldon's recital of the fearful perils and 
 wonderful deeds by which he had escaped, one of his hearers interrupted 
 him with, "But, Horace, where was your wife and child all this time?" 
 Stretching himself up, and throwing out one hip, "Where!" and giving 
 his hip a resounding slap, "She was thai'." 
 
 Mrs. Sheldon's account, which was generally received witli much 
 more credit, was, that she dragged Horace out from under the wagon bed, 
 and up onto the drift, and then left him to take care of himself. 
 
 EARLY NEBRASKA. 
 
 BY .TNO. A. MACMTJKPHY. 
 
 This article was read by Mr. MacMurphy from a portion of a history 
 of Burt County, Nebraska, printed in the Omaha Tribune in 1871. Al- 
 though not strictly about Cass County, it is so true a picture of early 
 scenes that were applicable to all portions of the State, that it was very 
 appropriate as a part of the old settlers' records of Nebraska. The land 
 speculations of 1857, the early elections, the "Indian scares," the staking 
 out of town lots, building of the Block House, and history of the "claim 
 clubs" are as true of Cass County as of Burt. 
 
 "The first settlements made in Burt County were in the year 1855. 
 The country was very wild then, in fact, the Indian title to the land had 
 just been extinguished, and the Indians themselves were placed on their 
 reservation during the spring of the next year. The land was not sur. 
 veyed by Government yet, but a number rushed in and took claims, by 
 
78 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTII, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 guess, as to boundaries. Some towns were laid out in this year, but it 
 was not until the succeeding spring, of 1857, when the great rush was 
 made, and then it seemed as if the whole floating population of the 
 United States came up the Missouri river and "located" on its hanks, in 
 either Kansas or Nebraska. This county got its share, and towns and 
 cities sprung up by the magic wands of little stakes, a piece of chain, a 
 compass and a long-legged surveyor, in every nook and cranny of the 
 land. All that was necessary was to arrange a "company" under some 
 tree, — and from one man to a dozen comprised a company — "chalk out" a 
 map, "write up" some certificates of shares, and then "away," to sell our 
 eastern friends a fortune and a home. 
 
 "It was thus that Woodville and Central City, on the river were laid 
 out; and one fellow came on in the winter of 1856, ami froze to a piece of 
 ground which lie called "Hudson, 11 He mapped her down in fine style. 
 and then lit out for New York, where he sold enough to clear .$20,000. it 
 is said. Ail this time he had not a shadow of a title to the land. After 
 it was surveyed he did obtain a title, we believe, hut not until it had be- 
 come a hyeword among the people, "Have you ary a lot in Hudson?" His 
 town site, along with the two others above mentioned, are now in the Mis- 
 souri river or over in Iowa. A single, solitary, long wooden warehouse, 
 half hanging over the hank, long marked the spot where "Woodville" was 
 expected to sprout and grow. 
 
 "During the whole of '57-' 8, squatters moved in, and settlers(?) came 
 from the East; hut the wildest speculation reigned, and real or very last- 
 ing improvements were seldom, if ever, made. Very little ground was 
 broken up, no fencing built, and no small grains of any account sown. 
 Corn was raised in patches; hut trading corner lots, playing euchre, and 
 "filing 11 on claims for speculation, were the principle occupations of the 
 inhabitants, and the line arts languished! 
 
 "Numbers of young men, "baches, 11 they were called, herded together 
 in the towns, but very I'ew men of means, or with families, came into the 
 county during these two years. Then came the crash of hard times, 
 from 1857 to 1860. Ali who had money enough left to get home did so; 
 and the rest, like "lone buffalo," straggled around awhile, and then hunt- 
 ed up some man's daughter of the few that were here, ami made her his 
 wife, or else went cast and got one somehow. When he returned he gen 
 erally settled down to legitimate work, opened up a farm or learned (?) a 
 trade, and from that time the real improvement of the country began, 
 though it was very hard times and rough work with many during all the 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 70 
 
 years up to about 1S(>3, when they seemed to make one gigantic jump to 
 life and vigor, and from that time to this, first class prosperity seems to be 
 thelotof all the inhabitants of Burt County." 
 
 "Some time in 1864, Ben. R. Folsom, well known in Nebraska, con 
 ceived the idea of laying out a town up north, somewhere, and in Decem- 
 ber of the same year the lirst election was held in the Territory of Ne- 
 braska. It being very important that enough members should be elected 
 from the northern counties to carry certain measures, Mr. Folsom and 
 some others went up in two wagons to a spot on Cuming Creek, supposed 
 by them to be in Burt County, and held an election there under a tree. 
 Folsom was returned to the Council, and Mr. Purple, with some one else, 
 as Representatives. 
 
 "It is said thai anoth sr party came down from Sioux City, but not 
 knowing the country very well, th sy got on an island in the Missouri river, 
 opposite the Omaha Reserve, and held their election there. Folsom and 
 his men having been within twelve miles of the county they were supposed 
 to represent, wvvv allowed seats, and during this session, as one of the 
 results of this visit Tekama was hatched and born In March, 18.")."), it, 
 was incorporated as a town, and in July, of 1859 the "site" was bought 
 in by Mr. Folsom, and the title made perfect to all lots, <fec. 
 
 "In IS.").! a straggling hand of young "'Omaha braves" came along, 
 and having nothing else to do, they exercised their horses and lungs ex- 
 tensively about the shanties and huts of the settlers. A huge "scare" 
 followed: men hustled their horses and cattle together, harnessed the one 
 and yoked the other to their wagons, got the women and children in, and 
 their truck aboard, and made tracks for Chiming City, the nearest settle- 
 ment. The Indians, seeing their absurd fright, in mere wantonness pur- 
 sued. Faster flew the wagons, louder groaned the women, harder cursed 
 the men; bedduig, bureaus and tools were heaved overboard to lighten 
 their load, and yet the "scare" grew worse anil worse. At last the In- 
 dians halted, rode back, and gathering up the white settlers' castaway 
 articles, they put them all in a pile, safely, and left to crow over their 
 exploit, 
 
 "The settlers returned, held a town meeting, and "resolved" — not to 
 be scared again ; but for better security, they detremined to build a "block 
 house" of cottonwood logs, and within its ample limits to seek shelter and 
 defence, should ever a "red" again come around.'" 
 
80 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 AN EARLY BLOCK HOUSE. 
 
 Although the "block house" was 1 hi i It in the first, place by the set- 
 tlers as common property, and as a protection against the Indians, after 
 Folsom obtained it, there is scarcely a use that four walls and a roof can 
 serve for, in a new country, that the old house has not been put to. It has 
 been court house, schoolhou.se, jail, church, ball room, bar room, county 
 clerk's office, and in short father and mother, as we may say, to almost all 
 the important transactions of Burt county for ten long years: as many of 
 her laws, much of her mirth, and a great deal of her history was hatched 
 and bred within the walls of the Old Block House. 
 
 What stories those old logs could tell, of friendly greetings, of kind 
 words, of foul blows and men's strong passions. Stories of love and court- 
 ship are garnered under the old bark, and the trust and faith, good humor 
 and endurance, of more than one married pair have been severely tried be- 
 neath its roof. The Moors have echoed to merry feet in the dance, the 
 walls have heard the grave sounds of judicial reproof and warning, the 
 minister's solemn words of faith and hope have been heard there, the wail 
 and wassail of many a riotous crew, and the slow and sorrowful feet of the 
 mourners, as they bore the dead of our love away, have echoed in the nar- 
 row old fashioned hall. 
 
 Little reeks the old house of all this now, but square and strong, and 
 high, she still shows her broadsides to the keen north west wind that 
 comes down from the Rock} 7 mountains with a roar, and shelters many a 
 weary traveler from the blast, for a "hotel" is kept there still, and will be, 
 I suppose, as long as one log shall rest above another, of the old roost. 
 
 PLAYING ''SEVEN UP" FOR HENS. 
 
 During one of the long, lonesome winters, when every kind of busi- 
 ness was suspended, the choice spirits gathered in the old blockhouse, and 
 played "seven up" for hens — no money being in the country. They caught 
 the hens and brought them along — as they knew each other pretty well(?) 
 A hen a "corner" was the rule. The best of the joke was, that but one of 
 the part}' owned many hens, and he was a good player. He would win his 
 hens, get pretty sleepy maybe, take them home without looking at them 
 very particularly, and turn them out. That night the boys would steal 
 them, ami the next day they would play for the hens over again. They 
 kept this up for a long while. 
 
 But the principal addition to the town in the spring of '57 came in one 
 body, and mostly from New York City. R. G. Pierce and some New York 
 men bought out sixty shares of the town site, from the three original pro- 
 
HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND (ASS COUNTT. 81 
 
 prietors, and then induced us beautiful a party of Western green-horns to 
 come out there as ever trod a new prairie. As the writer was one of that 
 party, he will try and tell yon how it looked then. 
 
 Days before we reached there, from the decks of the old steamer '•Oma- 
 ha." we could see the town(?) Bold and grand it lay, glistening in an 
 April sun, and wondrous odd and queer the bluffs looked to our eyes, pil- 
 ed in fantastic shapes around it. Coming from a timbered country, where 
 every variation of the earth's surface is not noticed so distinctly, it always 
 seemed to me as il they were dropped there;, of som ; soft, loose substance 
 originally, which was shaped by the air or other elements, and all at once 
 froze in the position you see them at present. 
 
 Against this warm hill-side were thousands of "sand-hill cranes," 
 they told us, which made it white and shining, like a silver firmament wa- 
 vering and hanging in the distance. Where they have gone to, I know 
 not; but I do know that I saw them there, and that during that summer 
 great numbers used to light on the bottoms below town, and we would 
 creep down there to see them dance, and it is a positive fact that they can 
 make out to "do" a pretty fair Arkansas cotillion. I have laughed till my 
 sides ached, to see long legs and necks in a thousand grotesque attitudes, 
 some almost human in style and vanity, and often wondered if they really 
 knew "what they were doing." I suppose they thought the same of us, 
 as white folks must have been scarce to the eye before our advent, and 
 the cranes don't seem to have liked us overly well, as they have all left the 
 country since our arrival 
 
 We -bachs" continued to sleep in th • Chase mansion, but ate over at 
 Thompson's. Poor Mrs. Thompson, how 1 have pitied her, since I have 
 grown older, and know what must have been her trials, her fears, and her 
 utter loneliness then. 
 
 First the Indians annoyed her; at that time they had not the most re- 
 motest idea of privacy, or the sanctity of a man's own dwelling. All the 
 houses they had seen belonging to white men, were trading posts open to 
 all, and their own wigwams contain from eight to ten families, and all are 
 more or less common property, so by habit and usage they thought they 
 had a right to march plump into any house, and squat down on the floor 
 to smoke if they chose to. 
 
 Then all our ways and habits were a curiosity, they would pick up 
 every cooking utensil, examine her clothes, and if she shut the door, would 
 flatten their noses against the window panes for hours and watch her work. 
 The squaws were the worst for this, and generally kept guard over all of 
 us during meal tunes to see how we ate. 
 
82 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTn, AND CASS COUNTY. 
 
 We eight, big, strong men roamed over the prairies and came home 
 with such appetites as completely overpowered our meek little landlady. 
 Our fare was mostly potatoes and bread; more and more had she cook- 
 ed, and yet we cleaned the platter and looked hungry. 
 
 One day she cried — my heart bleeds for her now, and I believe I helped 
 her cry then — bitter tears over it, and said so dolefully: "If I could only 
 cook potatoes enough for them men once, I would die happy." She is dead 
 now, and I sincerely hope has no more potatoes to boil. 
 
 THE "CLAIM CLUBS." 
 
 The land entered upon by those settlers at this time was yet un sur- 
 veyed, no State or county officers existed, and from tins resulted a curious 
 state of facts. People cannot exist without some form of law, and they 
 soon organized themselves into a sort of "vigilance committee" for protec- 
 tion and other purposes, but as internal troubles grew almost together out 
 of disputes about land boundaries, and rights, they were called "Claim 
 Clubs." 
 
 They chose a "Captain" or Chief, Secretary, and some minor officers, 
 and being grasping of land power, they laid down a rule, that under their 
 law men could hold 320 acres of land, and there was a strong hope in the 
 minds of many that they could induce the General Government to consent 
 to this, and make it legal, when the land came to be surveyed. It was to- 
 tally unjust, illegal, and useless, but was law for the time that had to he 
 obeyed, and many bitter quarrels never healed, and many a life lost was 
 the product of the old "Claim Laws" of Kansas and Nebraska. Men 
 would come in knowing the real law, and jump the squatter's odd 100 
 acres. In such case he was warned away by the - k ( Hub" three several times, 
 and if he did not cease his claim then, the Club were "turned out" under 
 their Captain, and he was forcibly ejected, even if it cost life. They were 
 bound to do this by oath to that effect, as they had a "Constitution, By- 
 Laws" and land offices, with "records," and places and times for "filing 
 on" lands; all arranged Government fashion, except the 320 acre clause. 
 Sometimes rival "Claim Clubs" came in contact on some boundary line, 
 and then the "devil was to pay." The "Club" was once called out to put 
 old man Miller off. He lay behind the logs with a loaded rifle, the muz- 
 zle of which could be seen through the chinks. As he didn't scare worth 
 a cent they finally compromised. 
 
 Perhaps a slight notice of one of the first traders who ever went up 
 the Missouri River may not be amiss to people of Cass County. I allude to 
 
niSTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AND CASS COUNTY. 83 
 
 PETER A. SARPY, 
 
 who died here in 1805. Sarpy kept the first trading post on the Omaha 
 Reserve, built in the fall of '56. The Omaha Indians received a large an- 
 nuity then, payable every spring and fall, and at these times, Mr. Sarpy, 
 his half breed interpreters and Frenchmen, (einploj^ees), would come up 
 there, and for a few days it was just about the liveliest town you ever saw. 
 At that time the Indians u-sually spent all L he money they received in three 
 or four days after "payment." The traders stood up at their rough coun- 
 ters day and night while the trade lasted, and took in thousands of dol- 
 lars of gold. 
 
 When the money was spent and the Indians gorged with fresh beef, 
 blankets, trinket; and coffee, sugar and tobacco, then and not till then did 
 Mr. Trader take a high old spree. Stripped to the buff, often, with a whole 
 bolt of calico for a "breech-cloth," your old fashioned "Indian Trader" 
 promenaded the little village, and woe to the rash Indian or green white 
 man who then and there interfered. The spree like the trade lasted sev- 
 eral days and nights continuously. Then the goods left, if any, were pack- 
 ed in wagons, the gold securely strapped about them or in a safe place, 
 and away went the trailer until another payment. Chief among these was 
 the subject of this sketch. 
 
 CLEMENT LAMBERT. 
 
 The last of the three, was also a St. Louis Creole, of French extrac- 
 tion, a cousin of Sarpy's, and at the earliest period known of, was an In- 
 dian trader, either for himself, Sarpy or "The Company.'' He had all 
 the characteristics of' the old French stock of "Indian men," and was, and 
 is, a "character" as original and curious as any of the abnormal growths 
 of this country; caused by its rapid progress, and constant mixing of dif- 
 ferent nations and elements together. 
 
 Lambert accompanied Fremont, as his Lieutenant, on his first expe- 
 dition to the Rocky Mountains, from whence he obtained the name of the 
 "path-finder" though Lambert thinks had it not been for a few plucky 
 Frenchmen, the path would never have been found, Fremont to the con- 
 trary nevertheless, notwithstanding. He was cotemporary with "Kit Car- 
 son" as a guide and scout, and better known, and of wider fame at the set- 
 ting out of that expedition than even the renowned "Kit" himslf. Lam- 
 bert's fiery temper and French disposition stood in the way of his advance- 
 ment, and the result was, that on the return of the cavalcade to Sarpy's 
 post, Lambert turned "Trader" again and has not been heard of, while 
 
84 HISTORY OF PLATTSMOUTH, AX1> ('ASS COUNTY. 
 
 Carson became a Government "scout" of fame, was made a Colonel in the 
 regular army, and died Governor of New Mexico. 
 
 Lambert's store. 
 
 It was in his store that the early frolics were held, some of the town 
 Councils, and around his doors the "Claim Club" gathered in force, and 
 took a final drink before they marched to dispossess some aspirant for 
 •■]<')()" acres of their (his) land. He claims to have built the second cabin in 
 the town, and well do I remember it. It was of rough Cottonwood logs, 
 about 18x22, with a short counter across one end, and four rough shelves 
 behind it. One half the space in front of the counter, in the spring of '57, 
 was piled to the ceiling with buffalo robes, otter, mink, coon, wolf, beaver, 
 wildcat, swift, and other furs, and tanned elk and deer skins. They smell 
 ed of all the various scents of the different beasts they grew upon. 
 
 The Indians and traders filled the place with smoke, the occupants 
 ate garlic and drank whiskey. It was always crowded, always dark, al- 
 ways smoky, always full of the scent of "kinneykennick," and you could 
 smell the thing as.far as you can hear a locomotive whistle,*if the door stood 
 open. 
 
 High on the top of a bluff, on the banks of the Missouri, above Decntur, 
 a [\>w years ago could be seen the grave of the first white man and pioneer 
 we have any record of in the country. It is 
 
 \\Oo[)\s grave. 
 
 lie was there before "Lewis & Clark's expedition up the Missouri," a 
 trader and a trapper with the Indians. Wood creek is named after him, 
 and its mouth is the initial point of the eastern terminus of the treaty line 
 of the Indian reserve. He was burie 1 here in a fashion, half Indian ami 
 half white man. In his blanket, with his valuable trinkets, gun, etc, by 
 him, sitting up, with his face down the river, that he might see the "Mack- 
 inaws" of the traders, as they came up the river at intervals, and brought 
 him news of the great world he had left so long and so completely. 
 
 1 have said that Sarpy started the first trading post in Nebraska. I 
 think he did. Wood was the first trader however, but his "corral" could 
 hardly be called a post, and his solitary habits did not allow of his beeom 
 ing a large trader like Sarpy. 
 
 S. T. Learning was the first mayor of Decatur, and Frank Welch is 
 Mayor now ( 1871 ). Mr. Welch was also the first City Clerk, somewhere 
 about 1858. 
 
 Ejrratta.— Page 64, 6th line lor S. L. Johnson read S L. Thomas ; page G8. 1st lino of •■.Jus- 
 tice Court" lor 1867 read 1*57 ; page 74. stli line from bottom, lor County read Country. 
 
»,U S>JJ.J> I> ~J> J>?X> 
 
 
 '■>■: 
 
 33 2> 
 
 I>:>3> Z>;Oi> 
 
 3£3> 32>j> -^ i> 
 
 3B*S> J>J»> J^2> J> J> J> 
 
 ZS3S3* 
 
 '»D6> » >.iv> _ 
 
 ■o l3E> > 1 ar 
 
 3 OE» •< 
 
 2> SO 
 
 J -zy> 
 
 
 
 S>ZZ>.J> 
 
 3 ~iO> 
 
 > :^» z> J> - 
 
 y ZZ9^>^ 
 
 1J3>^> U>^ 
 ^^ ^. 
 
 
 
 -, > ;> ^*?i "»- ^ 
 
 > < ^» z>y 3> 
 
 Jr^>;T>; 
 
 TQB>ll» 
 
 3> > 
 
 7> 
 
 Vi5* 
 
 
 ■ >3 2E> ^ 
 
 i» "3 ^ : '^ yZ7»m> >)Z3fo 
 
 3B ^^ 
 
 
 > Z3s>3£> 
 
 
 
 
 <<* .;^ ■:>«> 3kt» >• > 
 
 
 
 
 5> > .'-■■-•> 
 
3 ^ 
 
 3 - 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 .■r '» 3 
 
 3>:33 
 33 >> 3>3 
 
 > y C3»'30 
 
 -i> 3 
 
 >2»-33 3^> 
 
 32> >Z> 3> 
 23> JO 3 
 
 15> > 
 
 _> 33 t> 
 > J>> >3 
 
 2? y7> ^ 
 
 3 y> ^ 
 3> > >„ 
 
 > 3 
 
 3> s> 
 > > : 
 
 -> j> ._ 
 
 3 3 
 -3 > 
 
 >3 
 3 _> 
 
 3 3 
 
 3 : 
 3 
 
 E>- 3 
 
 - > J> 3> 3> 
 
 . > >~Jt>. Z 
 
 i :> >:> : 
 
 i -, 3D • ~, 
 
 z> 3 3> z> y 
 
 3 >3>3 3> p* 
 
 2* 3 : S> >:> 7& _3 * 
 
 33 ;3 >■> >•> • 3- • • 
 
 3>3 13 y? 3> 3 3 
 
 3 % 3 >3 », 3 » 
 
 3 3. 3 >*> > > 
 
 > > z> -> j> > ^> - 
 
 >j> 3> 3 c 
 
 3 3 2JD 3 ■ 
 
 _^> 3 > > 3 1 
 
 >3 
 
 3 
 
 53 3 3 g? _> > 
 
 - £> 3 2S> .33/ 
 
 s J> J> > ^> J> 
 
 » 3 *3 3 3 
 
 > 3 3 3 -.3 3 23 
 
 > > 3 » 3 3» 3 ^ 
 »3>3 3 •> > 
 
 • g ? 3 3 3 3 
 
 > > J3 J> jj> 
 
 33 > 3 3*i£>>3 Z>>1> 3 
 > ^ ^3333 3 >3 r> 
 ^ ' 5^ ^3> >^3 . . 33 3 .3. 
 
 3 2> Z> ^> 3 33 13 
 
 ■< 23> >^3 . 3> >Z3 33 
 
 * 33>3'>- 3- '13 ;^> 
 
 3> -^>3 3> ^ '3 > 
 
 -^> 33 3 3 33 3 
 
 ^> J> 3 3> ^3> ^> 
 
 33 ^^3 33 3>3 
 .» 3 ^^> J3 ^->-3 
 
 ^ »3 
 
 3 -3 ' 
 
 3 ■■■-■> 
 3»>3 
 3 i>3 
 _3>3' 
 3 y r> 
 
 »r5* *» >j33>> - 
 
 3^^33 33g> 
 
 ^»3S> ii">- Zj». >o h 
 
 i»3 3 -9 >-33^ : 3*-^3?> 
 *J> >33a» ;>-3»^ 
 
 ' 3> j> o ~ 
 
 3 3 3 s 
 3**^'i5 fe. > > 
 
 ' : ^ ^ ;> '*^EZ-- 3** '*>"■<» 3sk> '/o 
 
 < ^ S3g 3>c 
 
 > 3 ^ J) V, » -j 
 
 3> 33 3>. ~> ^ ^ 
 > > ' ^> ^> "> 5 * 
 
 J JBJ 2> 3>,> 3TT» "'^B,-, , x 
 
 3 3 
 
 3 3 
 
 > > 3 
 
 >:- >>•" > 
 
 _> J3 :> 
 
 J> 33 3 1> 
 
 > 3 > 
 
 £> :3> 3 
 3 3» r> Z 
 i> _3>> >3>-3 
 
 3 ;zs>> _ 3 3 
 
 »!>> >3>12> >3 >3*raa^> 3» '^i 
 
 » -^^^tSi 3» 
 
 > I 2D 
 
 j 
 
 3 o3 . J 
 3 33-3- 
 
 3 K9L- 
 
 3 33 
 
 "^ 33 3" 
 r> j> ^3 
 
 :r> ~i&3>3> 
 
 'Z> 
 
 
 3° S> ^ 
 
 > ^ ) .^ 
 
 » Z3> ) O 
 
 2> ^ >3» 
 
 :» > ) I 
 
 33 5 3 
 
 3t> ^ 5 3 
 
 3£> ^ > 
 
 j53- > a i 
 
 .» J-.'Dp 3 
 33 3 3 3 
 3> 3 > 
 
 zv> o>3> ;>> 
 
 » 3 3* r» 
 
 23 3 3> :> 
 
 > 3 3* 3 
 3 3 > 3 
 
 2) 3 /3> :3 
 
 ^ 3 e» 3 
 
 3 3> >3>» 3 
 
 > 3 ■■>:■£» 3> 
 » .3 r^> 3 
 
 -> z>y^»'z 
 
 . _3 i£»- 3 
 
 ■ 3> >5~» 3 
 
 3 >33> >'■ 
 
 3 33» 3\ 
 
 3 3> ,»,3» 3 
 -» 313 »3> 3 
 o >3> >>33s> - > ^ 
 
 3 >>38> > 
 » >Z> 3>3S> 5 
 » 3>33 3>.3> .) > 
 » ,>> 3>~>> "> 
 S" ->I> 33 338> ? 
 ^'3C> 0>3> ? 
 » 33 3>Z2£> 3 
 3 >3» • 
 
 > > 3*> -' 
 
 > > 3X» 
 » 33 > * ~> 
 
 • »3^ 3 3 _3S» 
 
 s ^ 3 3 33^ 
 >Z> >3 
 
 > 3 
 
 " 3>'3 
 
 3 3> :: 
 ZZ> 3 3> 
 
 > - I3 : .. Ds^. , 
 
 3 
 
 ■ >3> 3> 
 >3 3» 
 
 3 3 ^^ 
 
 -y >3> • 3> 
 
 '-33113 3 35> 
 
 "33 > 
 > o 
 
 ■ J> > > 
 
 »3 3 
 
 >3 >3 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 !! II I 
 
 I I II 
 
 016 092 298 9 
 
 f-fjPSWS^i