Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 20, 1889, Page 13

{ | STORMY TIMES IN NEBRASKA A Treacherous Chief With a Name That Suited Him. A PIONEER FAMILY BESIEGED' Narrow oO11 Nuckolls County Citizen -Along the Val- ey of The Blue in the Sixties, Escape of Early Adventures, SUPERIOR, Neb., Jan. 15.—[Special to I'ne Beg.]—The visitor to the Little Blue valley, who is & ed with its early history and s is con- stantly reminded of the pioneers who first settled it. [t was along the banks of the littl am for which it is named that the first-comers built their log cabins or rude ‘“‘dug-outs,’ bravely facing the da s of t ps of cruelty and the hardst from civilized the rugged fonndation upon which society, proc: has the mos autiful portions of the g2 the grown one o b prosperous and State 1ks of that haps, excepting turhid str the *Big Muddy,” this viver and valley forms ono of the most interesting portions of Nebraska, The stream has its source in Adams county, near Hustings, and flows ina south- easterly dirvection for a distanc f about sixty miles, where it leaves braska and enters the sister state of Kuansas., 1t is a very picturesque and beautiful little creck, (for it can hardly be calied ariver), and its banksave bordered witi a heavy growth of timber. This, in connection with a broad and fertile val- ley. extending on either side to the steep and broken bluffs, was very nat- urally chosen by the proueers of south- ern Nebr: 5 the territory in which toopen up now homes and found em- bryonic settlements, which in after yeurs were to expand into lavge and prosperous towns and cities. But, this valley with its hunting grounds abundantly supplied with game, and its waters with fish, was also the favorite resort of the numerous tribes of Tndians who oceupied this se tion of country and. naturally unwilling to relinquish their rights to the hated paleface, they stubbornly contested every foot of the land before yielding the coveted prize wnto his hand For it was in the face of much danger that the seitlements were slowly pushed favther and farther out to the front, and much white man’s blood has crimsoned the greensward of this val- ley, and mauy are the innocent women and children who have been dragged from their homes and cruelly murdered by the ved demons of the plains. In each glen and on cach rise of table land, in the ley of the famous Mohawlc has been cnacted some of the bioody tragedies of Indian warfare. But as has been the final result since the earli- est contentions between the white and the red race, the latter hus been obliged to seek new grounds o the westward, and the dearly purchased field was left in the hands of the brave men who bad 80 bravely won it. To the Mormons is given the honor of first having opened up the route along this stream for weral travel, though the “pathfinder,” General John C. Fre- mont, had passed along here with his surveying corps as early as 1842. The trail made by the Mormons in 1858, was the next year chosen by Butterfield as the routs for his pony expr from the Missouri river to Denver, Colo., This scheme not paying as well as was xpected by the originators, was discon- tinued after about one year's existence, It was also along this same route that the great overland stage conches owned and op d by Russell, Majors & ‘Waddell, rattled on over the virgin soil of Nebraska, as they made their trips from Leavenworth, Kan., to the now “Queen City of the west,” and at short intervals were located stations where horses were changed and meals taken by the employes and passenger: One of the most important of these sta- tions was Oak Grove, situated in Nuck- olls county, near the northeastern c ner, on the left hand bank of the cree! This place was named by Fremont, and was 50 given from a large group of goarled oak trees which stood by them- selves a short distance from the river, At the present time but two or three of the ola trees are standing, th rades having met the fate of so many others of their kind, and a small grove of young onks mark the spot where their sturdy ancestors reared their wan- ing branches he mward like mute witnesses to the bloody deeds that had been cnacted almost in their cooling shades, It was at this place that the manent settlement in Nuckolls y was made in 1859 by the two Butier Brothers, of Philadelphia, they having churge of the pony express sta- tion while that was in operation, and after that beeame defunct: the station wis continued for the stage line till 1862 when one of the brothers died and the place was purchased by its present occupant and owver, Mr. George S. Comstock, the gentieman to whom we are indented for the information con- tained in thi ticle. This family consisted of the father, Mr, George Comstock, three daughters and four sons, one of whom was the purchaserof Ouk Grove,und to them may fitly be given the title of the pioneers of Nuckolls county. After the purchase of the place Mr. Comstock continued to conduct the stage station till it was re- moved some miles to the west, when he turned the site intoa ranch and trading post. 4 To listen to the recital of the adven- tures and thrilling experiences of this family, who were acquainted with all the border horoes and desperadoes of that time, of whom “Wild Bill” and ‘‘Buffalo Bill” were the mwost noted, is far more exciting and interesting than a dime novel. Of all the ndventures they had with the Indians, the most thrilling and try- ing occur on the 10th of August, 1364, It will be remembered that this is the year in which occurred the gen- oral uprising of the redskins from the border settlements of Minnesota to Den- ver, Col, Hundreds of homes were de- stroyed, the oceupants butehcred, the entire frontier desolated, and hundreds of familios called upon to mourn for some loved one who had perished in the general massacre, As above stated, on the 10th of Au- gust, 1864, there appeared at Oak Grove & band of about |5xirty—flva Sioux and Cheyenne Indians under a one-eyed chief known as Two Face. The chief had been a caller at the store several times before while leading small par- ties of his tribe on hunting expeditions along the Little Blue and the Republi- can, twenty miles to the south, Noth- ing was mistrusted by the settlers at the Grove, and as the noonday meal wa ready, the, savages weve, as usual, in vited 'to purtake, The lnvitation'was necepted, but upon seating themselves it was noticed that they failed to re- move their hows, quivers and other Wrws, as was their custom when eating, O 0Pt b and not till then aid it Aash upon the minds of the white oocupants that their guests wére upon the war-path, and even then they were obliged % conceal their surprise, fearing that any be- trayal of th discovery would bring on ‘an attack prematurely,and this it was hoped to avoid till at least the red ula be got outside, as they had ntage while in the room and outnumhered the whites seven to one. I'he dinner being finished, each of the were, according to the usual ce of the proprictor, presented with a portion of tobacco or some like pregent, when suddenly rnal was én by the treacherous chief and a volley fived upon the v inmate: the room. Thefight having now o] was returned by the ranchmen, hey were suceeseful in drving the ity from the store. In the mel devils « every ndy vo of the white men were killed out- ht and two seriously wounde 0 of the warriors also their spirits sent to the happy hunting grounds s unerring bullet of the pale-f The names of the young men were Kell ind But y They had been making company a short dis- rove, and stir had stopped for killed. One of the George Hunt, recoverd wont one of the most su killed from return to b and isat p cesstul merchants of De Witt, this ate. The Hon. Tobias Castor, also of » Witt, was present at the battle, and since proven himself a hetter states man than an Indian tighter. To make ffair more serious to the family be- . as the their father had in the morning gone to a neigh- ing settlement, and it was supposed t he would be taken orisoner, and if not murdered outright be put to the many torturcs which none but savage can devise and which they are 80 eager to apply times during the afternoon were made upon the log store : Indians, each time led by the chief mounted on a white pony. gained nothin these attack I times one of their en to topple forward and ground, showing that the v was not in at last withdrew, and for of them appeared in at dark a white horse ving a rvider appeared and rode to- ward the building. Careful aim was taken by one of the Comstocks boys,who thought 1t to be the chief reconnoiter- i tory for another attack. ishing his aim to be sure, he paused second to allow him to approach when one of the sud- membered that her father rode fall fiving of the beseiged par to the vain., Thoy eral hours non sight, when just white horse, and this might be him She accordingly ealled ou wher, that you?” and received an affiemativ 1d this undoubtedly saved the old ntleman’s life, as in brief space of time the bullet that was meant for an [ndian chicf would have imbedded itsoll in his heart, trange to say swer; the old gentleman had seen no signs of Indians, though they must have been concealed on every side of him as h passed along the road home, for it afterwards learned that the; ad mur dered all the families along the valley for a distance of twenty miles in each direction during the day, and Oak Grove was the only place not attacked that held out against them. (Mr. Com- stock thinksnow that he was allowed 1o home unmolested, as he had al- treated the Indians kindly and guarely in all his dealings with them.) Upon his arvival it was decided that the attacking par gone for reinforcements, and the vof the afternoon had would small soon return and ovevpower force at the ranch. reparations were or a departure. to carry them, and having no time to bury them, the two men who had been killed at noon were concealed in a small smoke house at the foot of the bluffs, thinking that perheps this might escape the sight of the savages on their return, and the morning sun of August 11 found the Comstock family with the two wounded men, on their way to Kiowa, a small station thirty-five miles to the southeast, where they Knew a wagon train was on its way up the valley. They had left behind two young men who refused to accompany them. The departure had been made none to soom, for when about fifteen miles away, the fugitives looking back beheld their home with its thousands of dollars worth of property which they were obliged to leave, ascending towards the heavens in smoke. About three hundred Indians had appeared, killed the two men left behind, and after having rifled the place applied the toreh. The family expected to be pursued and perhaps massacred, but from the cause above given of knowing of the wagon train and fearing it was guarded by soldiers, the Indians allowed them to push on to Kiowa, where they met the train, which we believe, learn- ing from them of the outbreak, about faced and put buck with them to Leaven- worth. At Salina, Kas., the wounded man, Ostander, died and buried. in the following year the Indian depre- dations having somewhat subsided, the party returned to their old home to find only the ruinsand the bleaching bones of the unfortunate vic- tims of August 10-11, 1864, In the lat- ter part of the summer of 1865, as nearly all who had been driven from their bomes the previous yoear had re- turned, Oak was rebuilt and a petition was sent to the postoftice department asking that a postoffice bo established here to be known as the Oak Grove oflice, as the settlers were obliged to go to Kiowa, thirty-five miles distant, for their mail. The petition was granted, and thus the first postoffice in Nuckolls county was cslul\]lin)u‘ll at the above named place iu the autumn of 1865, (The oftice now is known simply as Oulk.) In a short time after this the Indiaus again became troublesome and the entire valley was vacated, and once more the homes that had been founded with so much danger and hardship were left to the crafiy savage, and till 1865 they held possession of this section of territory, committing their deeds of violence whenever u chance presented itself, and making frequent raidsou the lements farther cast. In 1868 they were, oxcept some small bands, forced onto the reservations, making it safe again for the whites to return. In the meuantime, also, Two Face, the chief who had been the leader in all the attacks on the settlements, had been hunged av Kearney, having ar- rived there with a capiive white woman, Mrs, Aldevden, who had been taken captive neur Oak Grove, This woman was still retained by the Indians for some reason, and was subsequently killed by @ squaw to prevent hor falling into the hands of the soldiers, when General Carr’s command defeated a band of Sioux under Tali Bull at Sum- mit Springs, on the South Platte. In the full of 1868 the old gentleman, Com- stock, with part of his family returned to the old home of so many bloody scene, and in 1872 was joined by his son, George 5. Comstocl, the owner of the slm'u. and his family. In 1870 the In- ians killed their last vietim in this (Nuckolls) county, a Swede, living on a small tributary ol the Little Blue,being the unfortunate mau. Mr. Comstock is one of Nuckolls county’s wealthiest snd most prominent men: He, with his father and family, resides on the old rauch having a large Having " no way short distauee form where the old structure, destr stood. Others of the family have and nicely cultivated farms near by, and they can behold the reminaers of tho scenes of twenty-four or twenty-five years ago on every side. What a mighty change they have witnessc The war-whoop of the sav- age and the smoke of the settler’s burn- ing cabin as it blazed up anew 1n the autumn breeze, have given way to the sh and the smoking trail of the locomoti where the evening sun looked down upon the pony express rider as he gonded on his weary steed * the heavy stage conches went lum- bering slowly over the road, is now seen the long train of heavily laden froight cars’ slowly bear- ing away the products of a most produc- tive soil: now dashes past with the specd of the wind, the long train of ant passenger conches, filled ith human freight; the Indian trail is and recrossed by the electric vaph, over which is constantly flashing the thoughts and the wants of 1 busy and prosperous people. Where then were hunted the huge herds of buffalo, are now e herds of the luxur- arms with domestic_cattle feeding on innt meadows, and beautiful f fields of waving ain nd neat little farm houses, Large towns and cities, containing huge brick and business houses, churches and nt residences, have sprung up. and theve are behetd nicely fin- ished and furnished hittle school houses, in which the har little urchins, the productions of a’s salubrious atmosphere, are receiving the educu fitting them for her fu- ture leaders and statesmen. Prosperity and progression are all around. . W. Bisnor. IDED. Corps in a State of Deseurud — LIVE CONSU The Diplomatic “Innocuon: Wasnrxeroy, Jan. pecial to Tk Ber,]—President Harrison's secretary of state will have a fine opportunity for the oxer cise of his genius and nis energies in our con- sular flelds. It is expected that there will be a dlean sweep of the American consuls in al parts of the world. There arc several hun- dred men filling the positions of consuls and Ccommercial agents for the United States in the various countries, who have been in the service for periods ranging from ten to twenty vears. A glance at their reports on file in the department of state shows that they have made mno progr They have stood still or have gone backward, and there is little wonder that they have. A man dropped down into a foreign coun- try after a series of his native identity, and his native busin stinets. e gauges his work by those around him, and aftor a while is about as forcign to Américan affuirs as a foreiguer mdeed. The niew blood which is infused into the consular and commercial agencies developed the new ideas and brings about the enlargement of our commercial interests abroad. There is little done by the old men iu the service be cause they have lost their Yankee cuuning. When William M. Evarts. now iu the sen- ate, and who is sometimes mentioned for the secreta 1ip of stute under President Harrison, was av the head of the department of state, a decade and a half ago, he issued a letter to consular, diptomatic and_commer cial agents cverywhere, in which he stated that it was the duty of these officers in every honorable way to cnlarge the com mervial _intercsts of the countrs th were sent abroad to represent. In a few terse sentences he infused into them a sense of duty which resulted in great good. Your corresponden: has just made an examination of some of the most important reports made by consuls after the issuance of Secretury Evarts letter, and the growth of American interest as a result is wonderful. General Adam Badeau, consul general at London, soon made his reports show a very large decrease in American imports, and a relatively large _increase in American exports into the United Kingdom. The in- crease of American products in the foreign markets in every part of the world during the first three or four years after Secretary Evarts’ letter was issued, shows what can be done when there 1s determination on the part of those officers. Instead of their writing free-trade reports, as has been done Dby consuls under this admunistration, and writing “exposes” of American manufac- turers who, for the purpose of introducing their productions in foreign markets, have been compelled to decrease the price below those charged domestic consumers, as was the case with the consul at Ontario, Canada, during the recent campaign the consular and commorcial agents went out into their fields of labor and_actually introduced American products and found markets for them. A study of the fight made by our consuls in Belgium and sections of France against the decrees which barred out of those mark- ets American pork, shows the good work a commercial agent, acting for the government, of the United States, can do when he tries. A fair example of this is shown in the report rendered by Col, John A. Bridgland, of Indiana,who was consul at Havre, France. Colonel Bridgland did more to introduce American pork, originally, in French mark§ ets, than any other man this country has sent abroad. When he went to Havre there was no market for American pork in France. He wrote articles in French publications sud- porting the use of American salt pork for the laboring people, even going so far as to tell how 1t should be cooked with vegetables,and s0 forth, and so on. He finally induced some local merchants to make smali orders, and as the market bggan to grow he increased his energies in behalf of the American pro- ducers, till the shipments of our pork into the port of Havre was one of our greatest in- terests. When the order was issued, in 1881, forbidding the entrance of American pork nto any port of Franc on the grouna that it was unhealthy, Colonel Bridgland, instead of making obscquious salaais to the powers of tha country where he was located, as is customary with many of the flunkies we send abroad, jumped into arms and made a vold and open” fight against the position of France, Iu his reports and in the papers of that country he contended that the American pork was one of the most healthfal articles of diet. He showed how the great Ameri- can forests in the northern and central states had been fellod, and the country im- proved by the strongest and healthiest peo- ple the world ever produced, and _their principal diet was pork and corn bread, He showed, further, that the principal article of diet for' the black people of the southern portion of the United States was pork, and that they were the healthiest people on the face of the earth. He went to Paris and suggested to Minister Noyes that an official be made against the edict against n pork and a stroug fight was made, There was no squeamishness and no rules of society and fashionable etiquette were ob- served, lest some one be offended, as is popu- lar nowadays, Further than this, Colonel Bridgland in- troduced into France American grain for horse food. He even wont to the suables at Havre and showed the hostlers how to grind u, and mix it, and cook it, and feed it most successfully, The people were feeding barley then, and that article was worth twice as much s American corn, while it was not as beneficial to the horses. ke also introduced Americau horses into the F'rench army, which were soon very popular w tho cavalrymen. He openly took ground: favor of retaliation against French wines by the American government, to offset the dis- criminations against pork and other American articles which were ruled out by the French government. He asked that heavy tounage dues should be levied against French vessels until the French gov- ernment was willing to treat American pro- ducts fairly. No such work as this is reported iu any of the consular letters reccived at the state de- partment during the past three or four ars. The consuls do not teli of thelr sue- cess w introducing Awerican products, but they continually berate America turers, aud make stwmp speeches in favor of free trade. e The Oldest Ma Pirrssura, Jan. 19.—Hon. Samuel B, Wil- son, the oldest member of the Beaver county bar, and one of the most prominent demo- cratic politiciaus (in western Pennsylvania, of nervous prostra- was also the oldest died early this mornia, tration. The daceased 1 Masou in the coun'ry, JANUARY CALIFORNLANS FEEL SICK. § Their Wonderful Boom Has Bursted and They Blame Themselves. DENIS KEARNEY ROARING AGAIN He k Newspaper Ixposcs the Base Proprie Alsoa Senator—( Hypocrisy of a Who is litornians Cry Amen, The Decline of Bastern Travel, SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15.—[Special Correspondence Ik Bek]|—Two things have contributed to the sudden of emigrants from the east, ailway fares, and the rise falling off the rise in in the price of land 1n southern Cali- fornin. It seems too stupid to be credi- ble, but it is a faet that when it was ap- parent that Californin wasabout to have a boom the Southern Paci and its allies raised the price of the through fares from $60 to #80. If they had de- sired to check immigration they would have done precisely what they did, but they only wanted to make as much money as possible, Of course the vesti- bule traiu could not be a success in the winter, for the people who fly from cold weather are here already, and have been for the past two months, and they formed the only element desiring the utmost luxury. As for the land qu tion it is notorious that southern Cali- fornia hascooked the goose that laid the golden eggs. They could not in their sober senses expect people to pay the enormous prices that were asked by the rear estate dealers of Los Angeles and San Diego. But they have been intoxicated by their own great expectations, and foolishly imag- ined that the mania would communi- cate itself to all newcomers. I[tisa t that the boom has collapsed, and ¢ many men are rubbing their heads and feeling uncommonly foolish. NEVER COME tion of the Viticulty tate is being held in Irving hall in this city, and is very well attended. Much attention was paid to an address made by Prof. Husmann, who is on- gaged by the agricultural bureau of Washington to collect statistics cou- cerning the grape industries of the Pacific coast. He terrified the entive audience by the asserti that in con- quence of the fearful ravages of certain diseases in the California vines the out- put for 1891 would be less than twelve million gallons, that of 1858 reckoned at sseventeen million lons. There is a mystor- ious, malady which is iniug out the vines of southern counties, and phylloxera is again making havoe with those of the north. In the discus- sion that followed this important an- nouncement, Mr. Wheeler, secretary of the Viticultural state board, des the appearance: of the smitten vines in Los Angeles. The leaves turn yallow and then drgp off, and the immature bunches go whth them, whilst the canes remafn strong and sappy. Various con- {culurns had been made of the cause, but the g:-u("gul opinion seems to be that it was due’ to tho sea fogs, which are notoriously heavy along the C; fornin coast. . member from Anahim, said with” much solemnity, that he believed there was some subtle and mysterious connection between the grape malady and the rapid planting of pepper tress in and around Anaheim for the purpose of ornamentation. There was some incredulous laughter at this which he took very good natur- edly, and then he showed that some trees did exercise an undoubted in- fluence of evil upon the surrounding vegetation. Whether the pepper trees did it or not had to be found out. The fact remained that when there were few pepper trees the vineyards had been the pride of Anaheim and the glory of California. And now Anaheim had thousands of pepper trees and no vineyards. CALIFORNIA DRIED GRAPES, It came out during the session of the convention that many wine-growers be- lieved the limit of consumption had been reached in the United States, and were in favor of drying their wine grapes and exporting them to France to used in making ffetitious wine. It is no secret that the vin ordinaire used by the working people of France is not genuine wine, but is made from many kinds of dried fruits including the Hindu mourra, used locally for distilla- tion into cheap arrack. Dried grapes were also bougnt by French wine- makers from the Levant, and these which are so iuferior to Californian dried grapes that the two cannot be compared, brought 54 cents per pound, at which rate California could supply literally any amount, and reap a large profit. Various members gave their exporiences in drying, and it was shown conclusively that even the most watery grapes vou[’d be dried successfully on the ground, without any drying floor. Zinfandel grapes had beon dried by one experimenter in the shade. The at- tempt to create a market in the eastern states for dried wine grapes in place of currants had proved & failure and had been abandoned. DENNIS KEARNEY SPEAKS AGAIN The Examiner must be held ponsi- ble for having unchained Dennis Kear- ney the red-mouthed roarer of the Sand- lots, He has been ‘speaking aga'n, but on this oceasion it was at Metropoliton hall, and the Ixaminer had men at the doors distributing handbills which set forth their exertions in behalf of labor with the most absurd self-laudation. Dennis Kearney took one of these dod- gers for his text and he preached a ser- mon on it which must have made the editor and proprietor of the paper in uestion Iael“uron,y red about the ears. 1e denounced them as the most double- faced hypocrites in existence. He met them both; in, Washington last mouth when the preprietor, Senator Hearst, told him he was behind the times in thinking that the people of California were not ig favor of the Chinese, and the editor, Mr. McEwen, assented, and said, *“We Californians do need the Chinese, and canuot get on without them. You are ten years behind the times.” Donpis Kearney was pretty warm when he started to speak, but the recollection ofthis conversation so en- raged him that he roared like a bull, and declared that any Califor ronizing such a paper ought to Then he went for C. P. Huntington and strews flowers of choice abuse all over him, His audience was with him tos nan, and passed resolutions de- nouncing the xaminer as an enemy to white labor, and calling on the legisla- ture o take a vote of the state ow the question at the end of its session. Jour- nalists genorally think the Examiner has killed lhuliuy its course which, as shown, was premeditatad, HARQUA HALA LOOMING UP, It was thought. at first that the glow- ing accounts of the gold-béaring ledges in Yuma, Arizona, were either whn‘l\y fictitious or nearly so. Old-timers winked their eyes solemnly at each other, and said that they recognized those statements as old friends, and had been fooled by similar yarus too often e e S —— TIRED OF OMAHA' Terrible Sacrifices! Startling Reductions. LOSS Terrib lp- Next Monday morning, our Closing Out Going Away Sale will be inaugurated. LOSS There s just one way to effect a speedy clearance, and that is to mark the stock away down. We hate to do it, but then we are going:and while we anticipate a terrible loss in this sale, it is our only alternative, These, however, are apt to be misleading. of touches nearly every line Crockery, Notions, Perhaps you a business. Tinware, Glassware. Woodenware, Dry Goods, It would be very easy to give a list of our Gigantic Reductions. re not aware that our stock Hardware’ Toys, Novelties. Vases, Underwear, Hosierv, Brushes, Japanned Ware, Stationery, Yellow Ware, Towels, Cutlery, Handkerchiefs, Napkins, and lots of other things- Rest assured you will not be disapvointed. This is no clap trap sale; we are going sure enouch. The goods will be arranged in sections, commencing at 2c, then 7¢, then 10¢, then 17c, and so on. We do this to save time, and that there may be as little confusion as possible during the great pressure that must of necessity tollow these terrific reductions. 1509 Farnam Street. Store, Just above 15th St. Our store is at Painted Red. The 5¢, 10c and 25¢ Over the door you will read: LS IN & ©0) to believe them. But they have been confirmed, and an expert who has ex- amined the ledges says that their value has not been over estimated. At the first location the ledge is 160 feet wide, lying botween a wallof porphyry, and a wall of bluckish gray lime stone. About seven thousand feet higher up this ledge widens to three-quartcrs of a mile, the lime stone having disappeared and being replaced by quartzite. This is where the rich pockets have been found, and sacks have been filled and are being filled all the time with quartz so full of free gold that the weight of metal is greater than the weight of rock. Besides this free gold there are veius of sand carbonates that average $50 & ton in gold aud silver, whiist ex- ceptional assays run as high as $2,000 a ton. In fact the situation may be summed up by the declaration that not only from this expert, but from all other sources of information, statements are made showing that a new Eldorado has really been struck TiG. EUREe L STATE CONTROL OF BANKS, The Proposed Legislative Bill Briefly Discussed. Several weeks ago the attertion of the public was called to the inadequacy of the state banking laws by the failure of banks supposed to be financially sound. Immedi- ately after, Mr. E. 13. Branch, cashier of the Union Stockyards bank, of South Omaha, wrote a circular letter to a great many bank ers threughout the stute, calling their atten tion tothe matter and asking their opinion as to legislation on the subject. The replics indicated that bankers generally were very much in favor of state banking laws, which would insure greaterprotection to the public and, moreover, w especially desirous that the present lecislature should take some action in the matter. The calling of public attention to the subject nas led to the pre sentation of several bills, or parts of bills, for the considerstion of the legislature, but Mr. Branch, encouraged by the numerous urgent letters from the state bankers, set to work on the preparation of a bill, which is pro nounced «by the best legal talent and by all bankers who have had the opportunity of ireading it, as covering the ground in a most thorough manner. This bill was introduced n the house on Thursday by Mr. Dempster, and is known as house roll, No. 151, The bill is modeled on the national bank act, but is much simpler and is made to conform Nebraska statutes and to apply f the Nebraska banks, It provides for cral articles of association, setting forth name of bank, place located. capital stock, numbor of shaves, amount of cash paid in on stock, names of stockholders and other specified information regarding the proposed banking business—such articles to be forwarded to the auditor of public ac counts of the state, who is by the act, made ox-oficio superintendent of banks. It is made the duty of the auditor to at once ex- amine these arcticles and, if he shall find them in conformity with the act, to tile one copy in his office and o endorse his approval upon the other copy and, upon the filing of said articlos with his ificate in the ofMoe of the county clerk of the county in which the bank is to be established, sald corpora- tion is authorized to tran: 4 banking busi- ness. After enumerating the powers belong- ing to the corporation as organized, the act further provides that in all cases where tho law has not boen complied with the auditor shall refuse his certificate; that the county clerk shall cortify to the filing of the arti of the association-and that said certificate, together with that of the auditor, shall be published in some newspaper in general cir culation in the count; The general nuture of tho business authorized and the power to bold real property is set forth at length. The aet further provides that no bauk shall be organized under this act with a less paid in capital, (u @ city having a population of twenty-five thousaud or o than one hun dred thousand dollars ($100,000); in ecities having a population of fiftecn thousand, and not to exceed twenty-five thousand, seventy five thousand dollars ($75,000); iu cities and towns having & population of five thous, and, wnd not to exceed fiftesn thousand, ffty thousand dollars (850,000) , in cities and towiis of not to exceed five thousand, twenty five thousaud dollars, (#25,000). In cities and towns of less than oue thousand, the auditor of public uuts way, in his dis eretion, authorize the organization of bauk with the to the needs iy with a paid in capital 6f less than twenty- five thousand dollars, (£25,000). but not less than fiftean thonsand dollars (315,000). At least 50 per centum shall be paid in on all | = the subscribed capital stock and the re- mainder shall be paid in mstallments, of at least 10 pe hof the entirc face value of the requently us one in- stallment at the { each succeeding month after the bank has been authorized to do business. Provided, however, that when any bank has paid in'50 per centum on its capital stock, and such 50 per centum ag- gregates one hundred thousand dollars, ($100,000), or over, no’ further payment thereon shall be required, save at the call of the corporation itself. It further provides that the capital stock of each corporation or- ganized under this act shall be divided into shares of one hundred dollars (§100) each Any bank may increase or decrease its capi tal stock by submittiug the proposed amend- ments to its articles to the auditor, as on the original organization of the bank. At all stockholders’ meetings, each share of stock shall represent one vote. It provides for the lection of, at least five and not more than en directors. The president, vice-pres dent and cashier shall be elected by the d rectors, and every president and vice-presi- dent shall also be a director. The stock holders aro made liable, individually, for an amount equal to the stock by them held in addition to and after their stock has been paidup in full. Bvery bank shall haye on hand us a rose in available funds, an amount equal to at ledst 15 per contum of the pgate amount of its deposits and imme- bilities, which reserve shall be 30 per centum in banks located in cities of 5,000 population, or over, and 25 per centum ities of 100,000 population or half of the amount of availablc funds may consist of bulances due from good solvent banks and one-half shall be cash hold in reserve on No dividend shall be declared time which would impair the capital stock or the reserve fund. No bank shall permit liability to it, on the part fany person or corporation, o execeed 1h tum of its capital stovk and profits i i- the unlucky man was immediately sent to the scene. *Squire Wells of this place. The youns man is a son of “DONT" Flatter yonrselt that vou can get along Wwithout an Overcoat th's season and “DON'T, Miss the rare opportunitios which we are now offering fn special bargwns, Nov in 01d styles and shop worn goods, but all of the freshost and the best. undivided. No bank shall be indebted or Liable 10 an umount to exceed thre-fourths of its capital stock, except as spocified by the At least five reports during each yocar exhibiting in - detail the r and liabilities on any past day > auditor spocified. The auditor shall have power to call for special reports from any particular corporation whenever, in his Judement, it may be necessary to inform him of thé condition of the bank, The audi tor shall be informed when dividends are do | N clared, of the amount, ete. A penalty of one hundréd dollars (8100 is fixed for the failure to make the required reports withiu the fled time, It further provides for the ution, in January of year, of all osits which have remaine med for Banks incorporated under the s of this state, prior to the taking effect of this whi Jain wny of the beuefits, iloyos, ete., hereby granted shall become subject to ail the restrictions, labilities and penaltios of, and shall be ned by this act in srence to the amount of capital stock, maling of reports, otc. Such anis way come under the provisions of the new law without making new articles of (ncorpora- tion. The banks shall at all times be open to tho inspection of the auditor or his represon - tatives. No oneshall hercafter carry on the bauking busincss under a name uch as would lead the public t8 believe such bank to be incorporated. 1'he failure of a bank to comply with the provisions of act mukos it the duty of tho attorney general to take such action as may be necessary to compel its compliance or to wind up the business affairs of such bank. T the dissolution of auy banking corporation No bauk shall hercafter be incorporated under the laws of the state in any other manner than that provided by this act, ex- cepting those which conflne themselves strictly to a savings deposit business, A alty is fixed for the making of false re rts Of the affairs of any bank to the aud {tor or Lis ropresentative, or any false entr, with intent to deceive, in’ any book or record of such bank; such penalty to be imprison | wment iv the penitentiary for not loss than one year aud not more than ten years. *The bill goes into caveful ‘detail on all the points mentioned, and on & guod many other less important matters which are not in- cluded 10 this review, for want of space. Lost Cugstox, Ia. Jan Bew.)—Clem Wells, 8 “Q" brakeman ou train No. 17, had @ leg cut off above the kuge ot Villisca while switching. He is sup- posed to have alipped uvon an icy rail. A special train with a doctor and the father of ribed, nct, Powi ton (reo. “Young ¥an Dr Spimney (o OMAHA DISPENSARY. ERVOUS, CIIONIC and PRIVATE DISEASES of MEN aud WoMEN successfully treated, YOUNG MEN ithrul foili Wouki o ., Dosponion Or wny dix of the Gou- iid n sufe and speeay s 0spocinlly Lo the poor. i bl MIDDLE-AGED MEN 0 Are wany troubi ¥ tha bindder. oft n 00 roquent evaos Wl U anging (o-urinary organs 2 cont stawp Friend; or Guide to Wedlook, " ADDRESS FREE T0 ALL. DR. SPINNEY & CO., act further provides for | N. g, o poLary, 10th & Douglas 8ts.; or National Dis. corner 126 aud Mautn, Kansas City, Mo H. B. IREY. TO LOAN, On City and Farm Proverty! GASH ON HAND, st Mortguge Paper Bought. Frenzer Block, opp, P. s- JOSEPH GILLOTTS STEEL PENS GOLD MEDAL PARIS EXPOSITION 1818, Nos. 303~404~-170-604. TUE MOST PERFECT OF PRENS s A s