Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-10-18
NEBRASKA'S NEXT GOVERNOR
characteristics and Personal History Of Hon.
]. H. MacColl.
STILL LIVES ON HIS OLD HOMESTEAD
Has Been Engaged In Farming Prnc-
tically Ever Since Coming TO the
statc-Hnd LOO Acres Under
Irrigation Near Lexington.

| JOuu iid0lllOn MdCOOll, lne republican
candidate for governor of this state. has
been resident OF Nebraska since February
1869, most of that time having been spent
on the place which he homesteaded early
during his residence here. He was born in
Canada in 1912, his father being Scotch
man by birth and his mother Of Scotch par
entage, though a resident of New York at
the time Of her marriage with his father
| When % years of age the doctors informed
| Mr.. MacColl that he could live but short
| time IL he remained In his Canadian home
and he, like many another young man,
| started for the west. He had been raised on
| a farm and was used to hard work and did
| not on arriving in Omaha spend his time In
looking for some soft snap, but took the first
| thing that offered.
| In those days most everybody who came to
| this country and wanted to work applied to
| the Union Pacific and Mr. MacCol followed
the usual custom. He applied to Mr.. S. II.
| II. Clark, now one of the receivers of the
property, who asked him II he thought he
| could pile wood. At that time the Union
| Pacific road used wood cut from the islands
in the Platte on all of its locomotives. Mr.
MacColl was sent to Willow island and soon
afterwards 10 rum creek, nUW LeAlH6 tOu
Here he has resided ever since.
Soon after his arrival at Lexington he con-
cluded to quit working on the railroad and
get home for himself, and in pursuance Of
this idea located on the homestead and bulls
his house on almost the exact place which
his present dwelling occupies. From that
day to this his life has been devoted to
farming and he now owns upwards OF 5000
acres of Dawson county land, most OF which
is under a high state Of cultivation and
large share of this is under irrigation ditch.
He owns one farm OF 1 400 acres adjoining
the town of Lexington, all Of which Is under
ditch and was this year planted in about
equal portions to wheat and corn.
CAREFUL BUSINESS MAN.
Whatever Of success he has met with In
life is due to Ills careful business methods
and has been made out OF his farms and
allied industries. He was at one time
largely interested in sheep and at another
in horses, but abandoned both industries Just
in time. Throughout his life he has been
noted for careful business methods. From
the small beginning OF homesteader ne
carefully kept account OF all his TRANSACTIONS
and always knew just how much he had
made or lost on any given transaction or
crop that was harvested. 1t Is this business
method. combined with untirlng industry,
which is responsible for his success In lie
and the same characteristics render MIN es-
pecially fitted for the once 10 WHICH NC
aspires.
In 1880 Mr. MacColl sent for his sister and
his parents. The father and mother lived
with him until their death. In their later
years both were invalids, but the tenoer
care of brother and sister greatly lightened
the burden of their infirmities. The sister
still lives with him and the two have Kept
up the home at Lexington as 1t was.
When Mr. MacColl first came to Lexington
II was a wild western place and the sur
roundings were like those OF most sucn
places. The law-abiding people had the usual
difficulties with horse and cattle thieves,
rowdies and bad men, who wanted to run
the town and the other usual accompani-
ments of frontier life. In bringing order
and quiet out of this condition OF AFFAIRS,
Mr.. MacColl took a prominent part ana was
always ready to protect his own and to assist
others in doing the same. Personally he has
always been a stranger to fear and in the
turbulent scenes of those early days this was
demonstrated on more than one occasion.
One incident serves to illustrate this. When
he first came to Lexington there were some
soldiers stationed there to protect the set
tiers from the Indians, who were inclined
to be troublesome. The soldiers acquired,
or brought with them, a fondness for the
fruits OF the farm and especially for roast
pig. MacCol's sty suffered in common with
others anu tue StllltIS plolcshSu NiboiouSiS'
none more so than MacColl. A lieutenant
came over to make him apologize for some
thing he had said and to impress MacColl
with an idea of his authority, drew re-
volver. MacColl promptly downed him and
took the weapon away. Another officer came
to his comrades rescue and friend of Mac
Coils entered the game at this stage. The
officers were not making progress in secur-
ing an apology when a number of priyates
Clipped in. MacColl and his friends simply
covered the officers and told them to order
the men to their quarters, which they did.
The officers, somewhat under duress, 1t Is
true then rendered an apology to the two
settlers and promised to see to 1t that the
privates intruded no more on the premises
Of the settlers.
ALWAYS A REPUBLICAN.
In politics Mr.. MacColl has always been
a republican, casting his first vote for that
party and also his many subsequent votes.
His first office was thrust upon him under
protest and without his knowledge until
after II was accomplished. When the county
was first organized the county clerk vas re-
moved by the commissioners and without
asking his consent Mr.. MacColl was ap-
pointed to the position. The office thus
thrust upon him he held for thirteen years.
Both the duties and the income OF the office
were small and the position was really
detriment to a man, but he performed the
duties of the office in the most conscientious
manner. He also served one term In the
legislature and was a delegate to the repub
lican convention which nominated Blaine and
Logan for the presidency and vice pres
idency respectively. In 1890 and again In
1894 he was urged as a candidate for gov
ernor before the republican convention, but
was defeated. This year the same friends
again presented his name to the convention
and he was nominated.
One incident in his life serves TO illustrate
both his determination and his resources In
accomplishing the results aimed at In the
early history Of the county the funds in the
treasury were low and there was pressing
need for money. About the only resource
was claim for taxes against the Union Pa
cinc. which the company refused to pay for
some reason or other. 1t amounted to sew
eral thousand dollars and II it could be Sc
cured would be Of great service to the
county. In this emergency the commits
sioners deputlzed MacColl to collect the
amount, 1t being urged that he could do 1t
II any one could, and he did. He simply
went down to the depot and levied on the
first freight train of the company which
stopped at the station. He chained the train
to the track and another one which came
along soon after was served In the same
manner A United States marshal was sent
out. but his persuasive powers failed and
after the trains had been held for forty-eight
hours the company settled and the strln-
gency In the county treasury was relieved.
His home town Is one OF the most beautl-
full and progressive Of the cities OF the state
and In every move for the identifying OF the
MI for tnaR inar aatA ri al