1889 HISTORY OF LINCOLN NEBRASKA

CHAPTER XII

THE GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE -- THE CHANGE OF NAME -- THE EFFECT OF THE LOCATION OF THE CAPITAL -- EARLY BUSINESS HOUSES AND RESIDENCES DAYS OF 167 AND X88.

(147) In 186 Hon. John Gillespie returned from the army, in company with a son of Elder J. M. Young, on a furlough. When the steamer reached Nebraska City Elder Young was on the wharf watching for his son, whom he greeted cordially. He then gave Mr. Gillespie a neighborly reception, and the latter inquired whether the Elder was still living in Nebraska City. Mr. Young replied that he had located at Lancaster, in Lancaster county. Mr. Gillespie had a high opinion of' Elder Young's ability and character, and expressed surprise that he should be incarcerated in the wilderness on Salt creek, and asked what he expected to do there.

"Oh, I am founding a colony out there," said the Elder, "and am building a female seminary. We will soon have the county seat, and will have the capital there some day."

The idea of founding a female seminary on the raw prairie, where there was scarcely a young woman to attend it, and of getting the Territorial capital out in the same nondescript region, struck Mr. Gillespie as visionary, if not actually absurd. But no fiction is so romantic and surprising as real human experience, especially in a new State, where almost anything within reason is possible.

Within about a year from the time that boat touched the Nebraska City wharf; John Gillespie was elected Auditor of the Territory of Nebraska. As auditor he acted as one of three Commissioners, three years after the boat landed, to locate the capital of the State of Nebraska on Elder Young's colonial ground, and in almost precisely three years from the time the Elder made the prophecy, the capital of Nebraska actually was in existence on the ground he had picked out for the site of "Lancaster" in 1863. His "seminary" was not very successful, but that was not very material, for in about five years from the date of his declaration to Mr. Gillespie that he proposed to found (148) a seminary, the contract for the erection of the building for the University of Nebraska was let, and Elder Young lived to see all his dreams more than realized. His death occurred in 1884. Lincoln then was a city of about 20,000 people.

On the afternoon of July 29, 1867, the Commissioners finally met, at the house of Captain W. T. Donovan, to ballot on the location of the capital of Nebraska. The meeting was in the attic of the house. Lancaster had two votes on the first ballot and Ashland one. The one vote was by Mr. Gillespie, who said he feared that Lancaster was short on a water supply for a city of large population. But he was also influenced, doubtless, to vote for Ashland because that place was the favorite for a capital site of the Plattsmouth people, while Yankee Hill was the chosen site of the Nebraska City schemers. Plattsmouth was opposed to almost anything that Nebraska City favored. Mr. Gillespie was really in favor of Lancaster, and on the second ballot voted for it and made the choice unanimous. The citizens of the hamlet were gathered about the house awaiting the result in hopeful but anxious suspense. Presently Governor David Butler and Commissioners T. P. Kennard and John Gillespie came out of the house, and the Governor, standing on the east side to avoid the heat of the sun, formally proclaimed the decision of the Commission in favor of Lancaster. Of course the few settlers present rejoiced exceedingly.

On that historic July day the hamlet of Lancaster did not contain more than six or seven buildings, "shacks," log-houses, stone buildings, and all. The Commissioners then stood in front of Captain Donovan's house, which stood about sixty feet southwest of Opelt's hotel, or near the southwest corner of Ninth and Q streets. This was a small stone and cottonwood frame house. Jacob Dawson's double log cabin of 1864 still stood on the south side of O street, between seventh and Eighth, where the St. Charles Hotel now is. In the front end of this house S. B. Pound had set up a small grocery store in 1866, and it was still in existence when the Capital Commissioners came. Dawson also had the postoffice at that time, and took it "up town" with him when he removed two blocks east, in 1867. Milton Langdon resided in a little log-house near the southwest corner of Eighth and Q streets. Dr. and Rev. John McKesson, for he represented both the Methodist ministry and the medical profession, (149) lived on his claim on the north side; his house was being erected at what is now W and Twelfth streets. The cottonwood grove now there was planted by McKesson, the trees at first being switches. The doctor added McKesson's Addition to Lincoln, and was offered $40,000 for it in the early seventies, but declined to take it. He wanted more. He then went into the manufacture of a harvester he invented, and lost all his money, and now lives a poor man at La Cygne, Kansas. S. B. Galey, who came here is April, 1866, had a small stone building on P street near Tenth, on the site now occupied by John Sheedy's elegant block. Linderman & Hardenbergh, who next to S. B. Pound were the earliest merchants of Lincoln, had opened a small stock of' goods at a point that would now be in Ninth street, near P, possibly partly in both streets. They had sold their shop to Martin and Jacob Pflug, early in 1867, who conducted it in the firm name of Pflug Bros. They kept a small stock of groceries, including a barrel of whisky, some hardware, and a few dry goods. Robert Monteith and his son John had a little shoe shop at what is now 922 P street. They soon after built the little frame building now on that lot and now used by M. Adler for a pawn shop. This is one of' the few structures remaining of that date in the city, and when first built passed for quite a building.

Elder J. M. Young lived in what is now O and Eighteenth street. The sandstone house now on that corner was afterward erected by the Elder. Luke Lavender's log homestead residence was at O and Fourteenth, his eighty acres lying to the south and east. This house has been considered the first residence erected on the plat of Lincoln. If this is true, it must have been placed there before the fall of 1864, for it it is positively known that Jacob Dawson's double log-cabin, on the south side of O street, between Seventh and Eighth streets, was completed before the close of October, 1864, for Judge Dundy held a term of court in that house during the first few days of November, 1864, and T. M. Marquett was in attendance as an attorney. Dawson's and Lavender's houses were, doubtless built in the summer of 1864. Both men came to the county in company with Elder Young's exploring party, in July, 1863. William Guy, Philip Humerick, E. C. Hudson, E. Warnes, and John Giles, had homesteads near the plat of Lancaster, and the farms they then were opening are now all part of the city of Lincoln. The walls of Elder Young's old stone seminary (150) stood on the rear part of the lots on the northeast corner of Ninth and P streets, where the State Journal block now stands. There may have been thirty inhabitants, all told, on the present site of Lincoln in July, 1867. Judging by the vote cast in the following fall election, there may have been five hundred people in the entire county. From thirty souls to fifty thousand inhabitants, in twenty-two years, is a record of rapid growth equaled by few cities of the world; but such has been the progress of Lincoln since 1867.

The Commissioners called the capital "Lincoln," according to the terms of the bill, which provided for the relocation of the seat of government of the State of Nebraska. How the name "Lincoln" came to be selected is told in the chapter on the removal of the capital.

When it became known that the Commissioners had selected Lincoln for the State capital, a number of men squatted on the site, expecting to bid in the ground they were on at the fall lot sales. But there was a good deal of doubt about the outcome of this capital venture. The North Platte people were generally unfriendly to the choice of the Commissioners, and Omaha was disposed to prevent the consummation of the renewal, if such a thing wore possible. The lot sales were not opened until September 17th, and the lack of confidence was so great that the sale on the first day, was a failure. No lots could be disposed of. And the year of 1867 was practically closed before the sales were known to be sufficiently successful to assure the funds necessary to erect a capitol building. Had it not been for the courage of the Commissioners and the enterprise of the Nebraska City men, who were friendly to this as a site for a new capital, it is very doubtful if this removal scheme would have succeeded. Nebraska City considered it good strategy to get the capital out of Omaha, when it was thought that the latter town might be outstripped, and Nebraska City become the metropolis of the Missouri. It seems never to have occurred to the schemers, who were trying to protect themselves from Omaha, that the new capital would spring into such importance in twenty-two years as not only to overshadow Nebraska City, but even to rival Omaha herself. As Lincoln has passed all other towns on the river, she may yet pass Omaha. This is much more reasonable than a prediction of her present importance would have seemed in 1867.

The real business existence, in fact the real existence of Lincoln, (151) dates from 1868. The lot sales had fairly succeeded. Confidence then had a substantial foundation; so that business houses and inhabitants came quite freely during 1868, and Lincoln became a town of about 500 people toward the close of the year.

Even now the records and traditions of 1868 are becoming dim -- especially the traditions. It has taken days of patient inquiry to reproduce the landmarks of that year even with approximate correctness. Old settlers differ radically about various points. Certain buildings are located by some at one place and others feel sure they were somewhere else. But the village was substantially all confined to a space bounded on the west and east by Eighth and Twelfth streets, and on the north and south by R and N streets.

the present site of the St. Charles Hotel, near O and Eighth, and had erected a large square stone and log house back some distance Iron, the southwest corner of O and Tenth. The Sweet Block, on the northeast corner of O and Tenth, was finished early in 1868, by Darwin Peckham, who still is a leading mechanic of the city, and one of very few who did business on this plat in 1868. This building was just half its present size. Where the O street stairway now is there was an outside stairway for entrance to the upper story. The balding was really three buildings erected together, by James Sweet, A. C. Rudolph and Pflug Bros. Sweet and N. C. Brock opened the first bank in the city, in the southwest corner room, on the first floor, in June, 1868. This bank continued until 1871, when it was reorganized as the State Bank of Nebraska, by Samuel G. Owen, (152) James Sweet, and Nelson C. Brock. About the same time that the bank opened, A. C. Rudolph opened a grocery store in the next room, north, and Pflug Bros. a stock of dry goods in the third room from the corner. The upper part was used for offices, and later on, part of the county offices were there, and the State Treasury was practically at the bank in 1869, Mr. Sweet then being State Treasurer. Bain Bros. opened the first clothing house in the city in 1868, on the southeast corner of Tenth and O streets. They had previously had a real estate office fronting Tenth street, to the south of their clothing house. D. B. Cropsey had a real estate office on the southwest corner of O and Tenth, where the State National Bank now is, his father, A. J. Cropsey, being with him. During that year Bohanan Bros. opened their meat

market where it has been ever since, next to Cropsey's office, to the west, and where they have since done an enormous business. Squire Blazier also opened a meat market about where the postoffice now stands, postoffice block then being known as "Market Square." The square was used in those days for a camping ground for immigrants and land seekers, such was generally thronged with machinery, covered wagons, horses, cattle, and men. Here the early land agents found many of their customers. On south Tenth street, about where the Lancaster County Bank now stands, David May opened a small stock of clothing during the year. A little south of the alley R. R. Tingley opened a little drug shop; and a short distance south of this C. F. Damrow set up the first tailoring (153) establishment in the capital. On the north side of this block, about the center, facing "Market Square," was Moll's grocery. S. B. Pound had removed his stock of groceries to what is now 915 O street, where he united with Max Rich, of Rich & Oppenheimer, of Nebraska City, in the grocery business during a few months of 1867 and 1868. The next year he sold his interest to Rich & Oppenheimer, who carried a general stock there for a number of years.

Judge Pound, as a merchant, was noted for his close application to his law studies. He really made his grocery business a sort of subsidiary arrangement to fill up the time while he prepared for the bar.

On the northwest corner of this block a colored man named Moore had a barber shop, and near the southwest corner was the residence of L. A. Scoggin. In the block bounded by O and N and Eighth and Ninth, there was one building, Dunbar's livery stable, located on the northeast corner of the block. It was a long low shed.

In the block bounded by O and P and Eighth and Ninth, there were two or three buildings. On the southeast corner, where the Humphrey Bros.' stately block now is, Dr. H. D. Gilbert, of Nebraska (154) City, had established a mercantile house, carrying the peculiar combination of books, drugs, and hardware. His little house stood beside the store to the north. Humphrey Brothers succeeded Dr. Gilbert soon afterward. Milton Langdon, the first County Treasurer of Lancaster county under the new order of things, lived a little back from the southwest corner of Eighth and Q,. His milk house, which was a little to the southward, became the first city and county jail. When a citizen became too "wild and woolly," they " put him in the milk house." It is a question in dispute whether J. D. Minshall had a small store of dry goods and groceries on P,

between Eighth and Ninth, or not, in 1868. Simon Benadom says he is certain that he did. Charles F. Damrow thinks that he did, also. Others think he never was anywhere but on O street, between Tenth and Eleventh, south side. But he was doubtless there.

In the block bounded by P and Q and Eighth and Ninth, there were two or three houses. H. S. Jennings had put up a stone residence near the northeast corner. It is thought by several pioneers that there were two or three small houses on the south side, facing P, one of which was the Widow Gardner's dance house, which was a famous, or infamous, attraction during the legislative session of 1869. But these are not all fully authenticated. Near the northwest corner (155) of Ninth and Q a story-and-a-half cottonwood frame stood. It was thirty-three feet square, and was partly used for public and partly for private purpose.

In the block bounded by P and Q and Ninth and Tenth, there were six or more structures of various sorts and sizes. At the northwest corner was the Pioneer House, the original hotel in Lincoln, kept by L. A. Scoggin. John Cadman had overcome his disappointment at not getting the capital, and having bought the lots at the southwest corner of the block, on which the walls of the old stone seminary stood, he built up that structure late in 1867, and opened it as the "Cadman House." He only owned it a few months, until he sold it, in 1868, to Nathan Atwood, who built a brick front to it of much larger proportions, and opened the "Atwood House," which was the principal hotel of the town for, several years, but was burned down in 1871. On the northeast corner was the Methodist church, a low white building, erected late in 1867 or early in 1868. It was the largest audience room in town for several years, and was used for church services, political and business meetings, lectures and similar public purposes. Its dimensions were about 25x40 feet.

Seth B. Galey having been appointed County Clerk in April, 1867, and been elected to that office in the fall of 1867, erected a small stone office on P street, where John Sheedy's block now is, in which he transacted the county's business belonging to his department. Next to him on the west was a little building in which S. B. Pound and Seth Robinson opened a law office. At 922 P street was the Monteith shoe shop, heretofore mentioned.

On the block bounded by Q, and R and Eleventh and Twelfth, a short distance north of the southwest corner, was the "stone schoolhouse." This was the first school-house in Lincoln. The stone school-house was the educational center during several subsequent years.

In the block included between O and P and Tenth and Eleventh streets the first saloon was started, by Ans. and George Williams. This was the first building completed on the east side of the Government Square. It stood north of the center of the block, and the upper floor was used for offices. The front room was Thomas H. Hyde's land office, where he transacted the leading land business of the town during 1868 and later. Mr. Hyde was an auctioneer at the State lot (156) sales in 1868. His office was head-quarters for State officers and politicians, Governor Butler often resorting there to transact business. In after years the lower room became a notorious saloon, where more prominent men of the town drank whisky to their detriment than at any other place in the city. It is said that from fifteen to twenty leading men of Lincoln have snuffed out their prospects at that bar. This old cottonwood frame still stands, at 1320 O street, and is used as a second-hand store.

A good story is told on Colonel J. E. Philpott, who arrived in the capital about this time. When he looked around for a law office, he found empty the upper front room of the building in which the Williams boys had their bar. He took possession, and awaited the process of events. After a few days a tall, dignified-looking man came into his office, and said he was looking for a room in which to transact a land business. Colonel Philpott thereupon proceeded to lease the stranger a part of his office, and everything went on swimmingly, until it was developed, later on, that the stranger was the owner of the building, or Mr. Thomas H. Hyde, and Colonel Philpott had leased Mr. Hyde quarters in his own building. Mr. Hyde had been away on a land exploring tour, and finding, Colonel Philpott in his house on returning, played "tenderfoot" to have a little fun.

Dr. D. A. Sherwood had a real estate office near the southeast corner of this block, and a small stock of groceries in the same building.

Behind these shops, to the north and west, was located the first lumber yard in Lincoln. The proprietors of the yard were Monell & Larkley. Soon afterward Valentine brothers opened a lumber yard on the ground fronting on Eleventh, from M to N streets, where Temple Block and the Billingsley Block now are. This firm supplied most of the lumber used in building the old State capitol. During 1868 and 1869 both yards employed teams to bring the lumber from the Missouri river, at a point about six miles above Nebraska City. Farmers and freighters going to the river with loads would return loaded with lumber, and the lumber trains were often long caravans.

A. J. Cropsey built a residence where the south end of the Capital hotel now is. Early in the fall of 1867 W. W. Carder had established the first newspaper of the town, near the middle of the east side of the block bounded by N and O and Tenth and Eleventh streets. This was the Commonwealth, which in the summer of 1868 became the (157) State Journal. A little west of Carder's office was the beer saloon of Joe Hodges, who is said to have dished out the first lager sold in Lincoln. Whisky had been sold for two years or more before this. Over on the southwest corner of this block William Shirley had erected a boarding house, and next to this building, on the north, was Cox's grocery and boarding house. About where Harley's drug store now is at the southeast corner of Eleventh and O, stood William Rowe's Harness shop, who was the pioneer horse furnisher of the town. About three lots east on O street was J. P. Lantz's land office. Mr. Lantz also conducted a real-estate monthly for about seven years, called the Nebraska Intelligencer. Of that he used to print an edition of 10,000 copies at times, and it was the means of inducing many to come to Nebraska. Mr. Lantz is still in the real estate business, on nearly the same spot he occupied in 1868. A couple of lots to the eastward was William Guy's residence. On the southeast corner of Twelfth and O streets was Charles May's bakery, where D. B. Alexander's block is now located. May baked 150 loaves per day in 1868. He also had a homestead. William Allen had a residence nearly opposite, north, near where the Burr Block stands. Leighton & Brown had a small drug store on the southeast corner of O and Eleventh, on the present site of the Richards Block. Seth H. Robinson lived on the northwest corner of Twelfth and P streets, where Mr. H. E. Moore now resides. It is said that Thomas Roberts had the first harness shop in town, near the southwest corner of Eleventh and O; but this is in dispute.

Such was Lincoln in 1868. There may leave been a few small shops and residences in addition to those named, but those described substantially constituted the capital of Nebraska twenty-one years ago.

The ordinary trades were fully represented at this time. The professions were also. S. B. Galey, Seth Robinson, S. B. Pound, Ezra Tullis, Major Strunk, and J. E. Philpott, were the lawyers of this period. The first man admitted to the bar in this county was John S. Gregory who became a disciple of Blackstone under the authority of Judge Dundy in 1866. He and Milton Langdon had practiced in the little legal affairs of Lancaster settlement back in 1864 and 1865, but they did this because they were somewhat more "posted" than the other pioneers of the neighborhood. Robinson was a man of brilliant mind, but not perfectly balanced. He became Attorney General of Nebraska in 1869. He died in California of quinsy a few years (158) ago. S. B. Pound has since held the office of Probate Judge, [1871,] District Judge in 1875, and State Senator. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1875, which framed our present State constitution. He formed a law partnership with L. C. Burr in 1887, having reigned the judgship at that time, owing to the low salary attached to it. Major Strunk was a resonant political orator of the early days, and slipped from the community in an unceremonious halo of social indiscretion. Col. Philpott is in the addition to the Sweet Block, having officed in the original block when some of the county and State officers were doing business there. It was here, in 1869, that the colonel became the unwilling victim of one of his own practical jokes. He was in partnership with Sam Tuttle, with an office at the east end of the block, on the upper floor. H. G. Brown, a good fellow, with a disposition to take things too seriously, was on the same floor, and was Deputy Clerk of both the District and Supreme courts. Plilpott and Tuttle persuaded Brown to go down to the back yard at night to appropriate a little fire-wood for them from a pile belonging to the county. Brown obligingly went down for the wood, and Philpott slipped. out and hid behind some sunflowers that grew further east in the yard. When Brown had filled his arms with wood, Philpott rose up suddenly and began to fire off his revolver, as if he had caught Brown stealing wood, expecting that the latter would drop the wood he had and run precipitately to cover. Then they would enjoy the joke on Brown at their leisure. This was the theory of the joke. But plans of jokers, like those of mice, do not always go the satisfactory way. No sooner had Philpott's gun flashed than Brown dropped his wood and wheeled toward Philpott's hiding place with the savage remark:

And to Col. Philpott's dismay he began to reach for his hip pocket to get out his revolver. Col. Philpott saw that something must be done to ease the situation, and that in a hurry. So he sprang out into Brown's view and threw up his hands, gesticulating wildly while he protested with an intense earnestness he had not experienced for years:

"Don't shoot, Brown, don't shoot ! It's me, Philpott -- just a joke -- that's all!"

Brown was not cooled down at once, and growled that "he'd a notion to shoot Philpott anyway, just on account of his blamed (159) foolishness.'' Then Brown went off indignantly, and refused to be friendly for some time. All this time Tuttle was looking out of the window having all the fun there was in the performance.

In 1868 a drove of 1,000 Texas cattle passed through Lincoln northward bound. In going over the Salt creek bridge, at the foot of O street, the cattle broke the structure down, precipitating a lot of the long-horned bovines of Texas into the stream. The owner of the herd camped just across the creek, and the town trustees, Messrs. H. S. Jennings, S. B. Linderman, Dr. H. D. Gilbert, J. J. Van Dyke, and D. W. Tingley, donned their official dignity and proceeded toward the camp to require the proprietor of the herd to pay for the bridge. Major Bohanan and others of the population who were posted on the science of the Texas steer, followed at a prudent distance to see the fun. The trustees marched up to the steers in solemn state and artless innocence. The animals raised up their heads in audacious amazement, and began to move toward the officials of the city, who found it convenient to commence retracing their steps. This official retreat was at first conducted in good order, but the accelerated movement of the steers, and finally a charge from the animals, turned the retirement of the town officers into a precipitate rout, and they came pell mell back to cover with the steers in full pursuit. Having escaped, they then summoned the posse comitatus, and the owner of the steers was required to pay for the bridge; and their terms were not improved by the bad manners of his wild western cattle.

The doctors were here with the earliest corners. Dr. J. M. McKesson has already been mentioned as one of Elder Young's party, of 1863. Besides him there were in 1868 and 1869 Doctors H. D. Gilbert, George W. French, and J. W. Strickland. When the Lancaster County Medical Society was organized, on the 24th of May, 1869, the following-named resident physicians of the capital were present: D. W. Tingley, F. G. Fuller, J. M. Evans, H. D. Gilbert, L. H. Robbins, and George W. French. In the fall of the same year the following additional names were added to the roster: J. W. Strickland, John W. Northup, George A. Goodrich, and C. C. Radmore.

Politics in a new country never exhibits a character of tameness. Some one, probably Seth P. Galey, had organized the Republican party about 1866. Galey was a natural leader. He stood six feet (160) in his stockings, and was as successful as he was large physically. He was county judge in 1867 and 1868. In 1870 he went to the Legislature, and in 1879 was chosen Mayor of Lincoln. He carried a hod to finish the stone seminary in 1866, and was attorney for the Atchison &, Nebraska railroad in 1871 or 1872. He is now living in Portland, Oregon. There were many Union soldiers here in 1868, only three or four years out of the war, and they were intensely enthusiastic for their old leader, General Grant, in the Grant and Colfax campaign of 1868. So it was easy to stir up a hot discussion, especially with such candidates as Grant and Seymour, the latter's war record being decidedly unsatisfactory to the soldiers.

Some time during September, 1868, Simon P. Benadom, who had been appointed a postmaster in Jones county, Iowa, in 1856, by Buchanan, and was a warm Democrat, called a county convention of the Democratic party of the county. This was rather regarded as a joke by the Republicans. When the day came there were just three Democrats, besides Benadom, present in the old stone school house, two of whom were Irish stone cutters from the State Capitol building. Benadom was chairman and secretary of the convention, and an organization was effected. Benadom was selected for chairman of the county committee, and also of the senatorial committee, places he held for years afterward. It was decided to erect a Seymour and Blair "liberty pole" on Market Square, preparatory to holding a rousing Democratic rally there in October. A committee was selected to procure the pole, but on the appointed day not a man appeared but Benadom. He remembered the old story of the lark and the farmer, and immediately drove his lumber wagon to his woods, near Saltillo. There he found Matt Brackin, now commissary to the city jail, whom he invited to aid in getting the pole. Brackin was then and is yet a Democrat, and readily consented. They loaded three stalwart hickory saplings, and drove to Lincoln. Benadom welded iron rings, and the three poles were spliced together, and made a flag staff probably fifty-five feet high. It took all the Democrats in the town to raise it to a perpendicular position. But they planted it, a little to the southeast of the place where the Government Square artesian well now is. Benadom remembers this zealous work yet as a hot and difficult performance that almost sweat politics out yet him for the time.

(161) About three weeks afterward the Democratic rally took place around that pole. A platform had been erected at its base, and upon it Judge Savage, of Omaha, stood while he made a short and fiery specch to the assembled Democrats. Then A. J. Poppleton addressed the crowd for two hours, and it seemed to the followers of Seymour present that they had never heard a more eloquent speech. It established Poppleton's reputation as an orator of power, from that day to this, among Lancaster Democrats, and also among many Republicans. General Victor Vifquain, now Consul of the United States at Aspinwall, Panama, was present also.

This demonstration of the Democracy around the hickory pole, supposed to be symbolic of "Old Hickory," fired up the Republicans. They had to have a pole also, and to excel the Democrats. They sent to the river yards, (it was at that time told to the Democrats even to Chicago,) for several very fine pine timbers. The base timber was perhaps a foot square, and was left square. The next section was smaller, and was made with eight sides. The next was of less dimensions, and with more faces. The pole finally tapered off in a graceful round staff not larger than a man's wrist. When completed by Mr. Sam McClay, the leading Democrats admitted it to be the most graceful and lofty flag staff they had ever seen. It was so heavy and tall that the Democrats had to assist in planting it. It was, so top heavy and flexible in the wind, that it had to be stayed by ropes. It penetrated the atmosphere to a height of one hundred feet. It cost the Republicans, it was reported at the time to the Democrats, three hundred dollars. This was perhaps a little higher than the facts. It was set up some distance north of the Democratic pole. The Republicans were very proud of the surpassing excellence of their pole, and probably took some pains to exult at the expense of the Democratic staff.

At any rate, toward the close of the campaign it was found one morning to have been broken in three pieces, and two fragments, with the flag, were on the ground. This fired the blood of the Republicans, particularly of the old soldiers. They thought their staff had been broken through political envy, or even malice. They suspected a stage driver named Pool with having committed this flagrant act, and a warrant was immediately procured of County Judge John Cadman for Pool's arrest. Sheriff J. H. Hawke brought Pool back (162) to the city at the close of the day, and he was immediately arraigned before Judge Cadman in a little frame building, used for a saloon by Joe Hodges, on O street, between Tenth and Eleventh, where McConnell's brick block now stands. The room was packed with men, and the ground in front was occupied by an angry crowd of old soldiers and others, who freely declared they would hang Pool if found guilty; and very few who saw the menacing demonstrations doubted that they would carry out their threat.

S. B. Pound and C. H. Gere conducted the prosecution, and J. E. Philpott, H. S. Jennings, and Col. Van Armin, the defense. The trial had hardly opened before the floor broke down, and dropped the court, attorneys, prisoners, and reporters, to the ground, about a foot below. But a small affair like this cut no figure when a man was on trial for his life on a vague suspicion of having cut down a Grant and Colfax flag staff; and the trial went on. It soon developed that there was no evidence against Pool, and he was discharged, and was hustled off into the dark, by the back way. While the Grand Army men did not wish to hang a man who really had njot committed the offense, yet Pool found it convenient to keep out of sight for a good while after this. The pieces of the broken staff had been arranged for a gallows in front of the court room, the rope was adjusted, and the whole aspect of affairs looked so like some one was going to be executed, that no one could blame him for feeling as though it was not conducive to long life to remain in the capital of Nebraska.

At the election following this fiery proceeding there were 460 votes cast in the county, of which the Republicans polled 320, and the Democrats 123.

This was not the only time that a man escaped by a hair's breadth from being taken from a Lincoln court and hung. In 1869 a man named Bill McClain was suspected of horse stealing. He was arraigned before Judge Cadman, and an angry crowd, led by Martin Pflug, the merchant, were actually uncoiling their rope; but the emphatic protestations of Simon Benadom and the size of Judge Cadman induced the mob to cool down and disperse. Judge Cadman was a very powerful man and he told Benadom that he would have pitched out the leaders of the mob faster than they could come into the room where he was, had they attempted the assault.

(163) in 1868, has been prepared for this book. It shows where each house then in existence stood, as remembered by the pioneers now living. There is some difference of opinion about several buildings, and some may be omitted, but this chart is approximately correct. It is accompanied with a key, so that it can be readily understood.

The contract for building the old State capitol having been let, on January 11, 1868, to Joseph Ward, the work had progressed steadily all the season of that year, so that on December 3, 1868, Governor Butler announced by proclamation the removal of the seat of government from Omaha to Lincoln.

The United States land office was removed from Nebraska City to Lincoln in 1868, and Mr. Stewart McConiga, the popular Register, was kept as busy as a bee assisting immigrants to take homesteads. In fact, men stood in rows, awaiting their turn to take a claim.

So 1868 was a successful year for the new capital, and the future was full of hope. On petition of a majority of the citizens of the village, the County Commissioners, on April 7, 1868, ordered "that the town of Lincoln be declared a body incorporate, and that the powers and privileges be granted them as by the Statute in such cases are made and provided." Messrs. L. A. Scoggin, B. F. Cozad, Dr. Potter, W. W. Carder, and A. L. Palmer, were appointed Trustees of the corporation. An election was held on May 18, 1868, at which H. S. Jennings, S. B. Linderman, H. D. Gilbert, J. J. Van Dyke, and D. W. Tingley, were elected Trustees. But sixty votes were cast at this election, and the town government failed to continue the organization during that year.

The corporate existence of Lincoln, therefore, dates from 1869, and the events of that period of almost precisely twenty years, 1869 to 1889, will be the subject of the next chapter.

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