The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-08-25
This. That. and the Other.

On a recent occasion, at services held
in a country school-house, the preacher
said, in substance, that ten years ago,
when he first came to this county, when
he went out to organize Sunday schools,
he saw boys with guns hunting, and with
rods to go hunting, and wagon loads of
people going visiting. Now, all is chang
ed, etc., etc. An old settler whispered to
the one beside him, "What a pity that
maj didn't come here ten years before he
did? My, what would the country have
risen to ifhe had! We had Sunday schools
and meetings twenty-one years ago."
A union Sunday school was organized
on Red Willow in June, 1872, and met in
dug-outs, tents, and under arbors, from
Mr.. Korn's, near where Indianola now is,
as far up the river as Mr.. Prickett's place,
and all the settlers attended. The SOL
diers thought the people must be very
much in earnest, to go so far to meeting
without a preacher.
On the third Lord's-day in July, 1873,
a Christian church was organized in the
house of John Longnecker, and with all
the difficulties met in the changing con-
ditions of frontier life, that church has
held its own, and meets every Lord's-day
in a frame building erected for that
purpose.
And now come some more changes in
history! 1t is said that "those first set
tiers" that sturdy exploring party that
came out here in the fall of 1871, located
a townsite and homesteads and pre-emp-
tons, 'claimed"(?) that they did these
things, but ''snow was on the ground,
and the land Office at Lowell wasn't
opened unti1'-such a time-and' srealIy
MI. @, and Mr.. -, were the first
settlers" Dear, dear, how mistaken we
old settlers were! Records in the Beatrice
land Office speak for themselves-but that
is nothing. The town of Red Willow was
never surveyed and laid out into streets
and avenues and named! The colony
came-because those other folks settled
a mile or two east? Was that it? Or, why
did a few men come a hundred miles be-
yond the regular settling up? And why
were the soldiers stationed at Red Willow,
instead of nea those who "were really
the first settlers?"
In a dug-out on the townsite, in Sept
ember or October, 1872, was born the
first child in the county, as was said at
the time,-Edwin Spaulding Young
named for Captain Spaulding of the sd
cavalry, U. S. A. 1t was proposed to the
mother, by MI. Buck, that the child's
name should be Enterprise, as the first
born in the county, and he should have
a corner lot. The mother thought If the
town amounted to anything, she could
easily change the name from Edwin to
Enterprise, as the initials were the same;;"
but she thought the gift from the Captain
was more sure than the promised one
from the townsite company.
The first burial was of a little child,
Lena Overacher, who died of whooping
cough, and prayer was offered at the
grave by John Longnecker. The little
grave can be seen on the place now own
ed by Ira Miller.
What ever became of the proposition
made by THE TRIBUNE, about a year
ago, for the town and country to become
better acquainted? Isupposed THETR1B-
UNE favored reciprocity, but the plan
proposed did not indicate it. MI. Farmer
was to invite Mr.. Business Man and fam
lily and entertain them with country hos
pitality, but never a suggestion to Mr..
Business Man that he return the comp1i-
ment. Now, we practice reciprocity and
enjoy it so much, should like to see it
extended. There are many pleasant ways
of entertaining town people in the coun-
try, and many off different kind in which
Mr.. Business Man can make it very de-
lightful to the family of Mr.. Farmer,
without mourning any expense. So we
renew the proposition of THE TRIBUNE.
Let the town and country become better
acquainted.
NJ