Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-06

can candidate Tor governor. Remarkably
successful in business, the ethical side Of
his life shows great development. IL don't
believe" said he, that it is all Of life to
make money His interest outside of his
business IS divided among his family, his
church, his charities and his educational
projects. Because of his many acts Of un-
ostentatious charity, his high moral
character, his answering integrity and his
kindly consideration for others, he is loved
in the community wherein he has lived for
the last thirty years. One Of the most
eloquent tributes to his citizenship IN
heres in the fact that he has reared a large
family of children among whom there is not
a black sheep" All are honest and in
dustrious, obeying the biblical injunction to
honor thy father and mother"
BOShood, Youth and soldier Life.
John Hopwood Mickey was born six miles
southwest of Burlington, Ia, September
80, 1915. His father was oliver Perry
Mickey, who located in the state in 1886,
and his mother was Betsy Ann Dawson, a
woman of English extraction. When John
Hopwood was 2 years old the family moved
to Louisa county, Iowa, and there, save
the two years he served in the army, he
lived until 1868.
In 1863 he enlisted in Company d, Eighth
Iowa calvary, and served until August, 1865,
when, at the close of the war, he was
mustered out under general orders. During
the latter part of 1863 his regiment was
in eastern Tennessee, engaged in discourage
ing guerrilla depredatiOns, and in the spring
of 1864 it Joined Sherman at Chattanooga
and thenceforth was in the Sherman cam
paign until after the surrender Of Atlanta.
In the McCook raid near Atlanta 300 of the
Eighth Iowa calvary were taken prisoners
and consigned to Andersonville; the re-
mainder went to Nashville to be remounted
and were in the campaign between Hood and
Thomas from Florence, Tenn. to Nashville
and return.
H.. c. Andrews, president of the City Ma
tional bank of Kearney, who was Mr..
Mlckey's captain, relates this incident of
the McCook raid: The Eighth Iowa was
engaged in returning to the main body of
the brigade, stationed at Atlanta, when We
saw a detachment of rebels laundering
down a road ahead of US and to right
angles of our line of march. Their obvious
purpose was to cut us off. Immediately we
received orders to advance at all possible
speed. Some of the men managed to cross
the road before the rebels reached the
point OF intersection and among these was
-hiNhSg. III was mounted on a DleDaiQ.
leggy roam, being a late addition to the
inc equipment, and he passed some
of the old line horses as though they had
been hobbled. He reached the crossroads lust
in the nick of time and by a saber's length
missed a long siege at Andersonville.
Mickey was a good soldier, prompt and
willing to obey orders and was an ex-
cellent hand with a horse"
Later the Eighth Iowa took part in the
battles of Franklin, Nashville and, in the
spring OF '65, il the Wilson raid. IL was
near Macon, Ga, when the war closed.
MT. Mickey then returned to Louisa
county, where for two years he attended
school at the Wesleyan college, at Mount
Pleasant, and followed this with two years
of school teaching.
September 10, 1867, he was married TO
Miss Morinda McCray of Des Moiaes
county, Iowa. The following year, which
was his last in Iowa, he put in at teaching
and farming.
Came to Nebraska Early.
One year after his marriage he loaded
his effects into a prairie schooner, and set
out for Polk county, Nebraska, where, Sep
TENDER 3, he filed on a homestead On the
banks of the Blue river. Ills was the first
homestead entry made in the Lincoln land
office, and at that time there was only
one family living in Polk county. Other
claims had been taken, but no one Sas liv-
ing on them.
Mr.. Mickey and wife remained on their
Blue river claim four years, and, having
been a soldier, he was allowed the time
of his service to apply on the homestead.
In November, 1872, he removed to Osceola.
1t wasn't much OF a town then, compris-
ing only two buildings, a courthouse and