Omaha daily bee., 1884-03-31

made Florence their headquarters for several
years. They first anne TO Iowa, anS finally,
after looking around for q short time, hey all,
with the exception of some stragglers, crossed
the Missouri during the years 1916 and 1916,
and located q settlement Of over Ii, 900 people
at Florence, which was then called Winter
Quarters, by which name It was known
for seven or eight years afterwards. The In
dams in the neighborhood complained to their
agent that the Mormons were cutting too much
timber, and they were ordered off the land.
Some Of them obeyed the order, and recrossed
the river TO the Iowa side, and temporarily
settled in the ravines among the bluffs. An
expedition consisting of eighty wagons, with
four men to each wagon, was sent westward
to hunt up a permanent location. The ex-
plorers finally reached Salt Lake valley. They
were charmed with the beauties OF the spot,
and were pleased with its remoteness from
their religious prosecutors. Having made a
settlement there they sent back for the re
mainder of the Mormons, the most Of whom
proceeded on their pilgrimage TO the new Je-
rusalem, between the years 1858 and 1860.
Nearly all their trains were started from Flor
ence. A few Mormons still reside at Florence,
but none of them practice polypamy.
During the time that the Mormons made
Florence thtir Quitting point, it was q very
busy place. Many Of the Omaha merchants
established branch stores there, and did q big
business. In 1856, the Florence Town Com.
pany was organized, the banking house Of
Cook, Sargent Il Parker, of Davenport, Iowa,
being heavily interested in it. 1t was expect
ed that the Mississippi & Missouri railroad,
now the Chicago 4 Rock Island, would cross
the Missouri river at Florence, the first survey
having been made down the Pigeon Valley in
1854. Owing to the efforts of Cook, Sargent
& Parker, the town of Florence, which was
chartered as a city in 1856, kept on growing
very rapidly until the fall and winter of 1857
'58, when Cook, Sargent & Parker went down
as did nearly every banking house in the
country, during the general financial crash.
From that time the town began going back
ward"
-"Nebraska is better provided with
school houses-more of them and better build
ings-in proportion to her population than
any state in the union. and we know what we
are talking about" Such was the statement
of two intelligent Philadelphia gentlemen,
who are engaged at present in canvassing Ne.
braska for a county atlas of the state. They
have been in nearly every state of the union
in the pursuit of their work, and are compe-
tent to judge, by comparison, of Nebraska's
school accommodations.
~.
I'LL tell you q secret, IL you won't give
it away" said the owner of a promising road
ster, to the BEES Man About Town, who as
sured him that it would be perfectly safe in his
keeping. "Well, it is this: Chris. Hartman
recently invested some Of his wealth in u fast
horse, which he bought somewhere in the east
and had shipped here on the quiet. He pro-
ppgaa tn mako tha Irst Hv on SbprmaD ava.
nue., when the mud dries up, and take the con-
ceit out of the boys. But he'll nave to beat
some mighty good horses if he does. Don't
give it away-don't say that l told you."
--"You remember Pop Whitaker, the
old sport, who announced the programme of
Buffalo Bills wild West show in Omaha
last year," asked a well-known man the other
day. "Oh, yes; he was quite a celebrated
character, and was known all over the coun-
try was the reply. sold Pop has just had
a piece of good luck" resumed the gentleman.
SIN 1881 he slipped upon a piece of ice on the
Bowery in New York. While he was struggling
to regain his balance he was knocked down by
a freight car belonging to the Harlem Rail-
road company. The car passed over his body,
breaking his arm and several of his ribs. He
was confined for months in the hospital. When
he recovered he began a suit for Sl5, 900 dam
ages. The case was tried last week in the SUI
perior court, and resulted in a verdict in
Pops favor for $40, 900. 1 see that Pop was
master of ceremonies at the great wrestling
match, the other day, between Captain
DAILY, the Irish giant, and Matsada Sorakichi,
the Japanese wonder, in which the Jap laid
the Irishman on his back"
--"Now is the time for a young man to
marry" remarked q reader of The BEE. 81
see the leading dry goods houses are advertise
ing prints at 2 and 3 cents a yard, and many
other goods at equally low prices. When a
calico dress can be purchased for % or 80
cents, a man ought to get married. A man
can now give his wife a new dress every day
in the week and not feel it very much. just
think of it, and 3 cents q yard! AS cheap
as q yard of paper! Why, during the civil
war and forl several years afterwards calico
ranged froma65 to % cents a yard, and the
purchase of o good calico dress would spoil a
ffua. dn1lar bi11fD