Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-17
HANSCoM IN THE EARLY DAYS
DR.. Miller Recalls Interesting History
i'm which the Territorial Capital
Was Saved to Omaha.

OMAHA, Nov. I6.-To the Editor Of The
Bee: Hon. Andrew J. Hanscom arrived in
Omaha Thursday morning after years Of
absence, from his later home in New York.
In behalf of thousands who remember him
so we'll take this method, on the interest
ing occasion of his present visit TO his old
home, of giving him cordial welcome to
the scenes of his early life and labors in
this public way. ] am prompted to do this
in part by singular coincidence, as fol-
lows:
On Wednesday evening last l was en-
gagged in writing notes of the unwritten
history of Omaha at my home as 1 lived
It, and as saw II. forty-eight, forty-nine,
fifty and flfty-one years ago No such
history could be half complete without
bringing Andrew j. Hanscom into the fore
front of the picture. / had neither thought
nor knowledge of his coming, nor was I
writing for present publication. 1t oc-
CURED to me that 1t would be in proper
order 10 say of him behind his back what
now decide TO say to his face In print
what was writ in private in the way above
stated, without dotting an 1 or crossing a
t. After giving an account of a scheme to
relocate the capital at Bellevue at a pre-
vious session, which was very strong and
dangerous, and in which / was compelled
as a member Of the house to hold the CEN
ter Of the stage. with Mr. Hanscom back
ing me in the lobby, 1 proceeded to say as
follows:
was elected to the council at the third
session and the battle for the removal of
the capital was renewed with great energy
II found Mr.. Hanscom at the head of the
Omaha delegation in the house. There was
a clean majority in both houses for re-
moval, and decided one in the house
Rogers =
ing Omaha in the council. never heard
of a parliamentary contest which dis
played such ability. bulldog tenacity and tact
as that which was fought by Mr. Hanscom
| in the house against large, determined
and angry majority. This one man held
the capital removal bill for weeks and then
did not allow it to pass that body until the
| council was fixed so as to insure its defeat.
one vote was needed for this purpose. The
member of the council from Brownville,
| Nemaha county, and was supposed to favor
the removal, but he cast the vote which
| defeated 1t. In this, the second crisis for
Omaha, which again decided its destiny
| and that of Bellevue Andrew ]. Hanscom,
| beyond any oubtaixhatever. saved Omaha
| from becoming a cornfield. All legislation
| was blocked by him in the house In fight
under rules governing the body which in
volved innumerable motions and holding
the floor by making speeches against time.
4 BY giving way to Mr.. Seeley, his brother
! in-law. the two would talk away the ses-
| sions each day upon every possible sub
\ ject. When called TO order they would
| argue the point on which it was raised for
| hours at time.
| have little to add to this interesting and
! important chapter of the early days and
of the early manhood life of one of the
very strongest men Omaha and the state
! ever knew.
Mr.. Hanscom and the late Andrew ].
| Poppleton, Hanscom the speaker and Pop
pleton on the floor, at the first session,
backing the policy of Governor Cunning and
defending the location of the capital at
Omaha, were a merry pair. In emergen-
| cies MIR. Hanscom sometimes seemed to
forget parliamentary rules as laid down
| by Jefferson's Manual. lie had some ready
| rules of his own. and such was his strength
! of will and force Of character that he
could maintain his own idea of order
when the house was in a roar OF disorder
in a way that astonished the opposition,
and nobody more than his own friends.
That Omaha was largely saved by him at
the first session, that it was absolutely
saved by him at the third session; that he
was, before the railway epoch. and in no
small measure after 1t. one of Omaha s
most powerful founders and foremost
among its men of enterprise for forty
years, no man who knew him and his worl
can ever have so much a shadow OF
doubt. GEORGE L. MILLER.