Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-11

obtained even after three OF the most
eminent railway engineers of that time
had urged the building OF the bridge at
Bellevue.
Henry Il. CIRrI,e's "Reminiscences.
1t has only been within less than year
and a half" said Mr. Clarke, that sem
tleman high in the legal counsels Of the
Union Pacific company told me that the
Union Pacific would have been SI50,OOO bet-
ter of today had the bridge been built az
Bellevue and had the bridge been built
here Bellevue today would have been
city of 100000 people, with no competing
city within 100 miles up or down the Mis-
Missouri valley. l yet believe in the des-
tiny Of Bellevue, not as great commercial
city, but as a city of suburban homes.
This day is pregnant with old memories
and new hopes l can look back to the
days Of Logan Fontanelle, the great chief
of the Omaha Indians, who had his home
on this very spot He loved and was loved
by the whites He was honest and true
and one of the grandest types of Indian
character l ever knew. can also look
forward with the hope that while our early
dreams of a metropolis must vanish, yet
with the assurance that Bellevue will
awake from it's quietude and become, not
merely a suburban city Of beautiful homes,
but a great educational center as well.
There are no better people in all the world
than the sturdy settlers of old Bellevue,
and their children inherit all their traits OF
integrity, industry and intelligence. From
this very spot / have seen an empire rise
which for the intelligence, industry, wealth
and high morality of its people is UNI
equalled in the world, Though / may be
old in years, yet such hours as these
makes me young again. indeed am not
old; you, my dear old friends and chill
dren of my old friends, neither are you old
today. Man is but as old as he feels, and
It is Just such occasions as these that make
US young again. Here were my children
born and here is where my heart will ever
be, in DEAR old and rejuvenated Bellevue"
Cider and SOciabIllty.
Following the address OF Mr.. Clarke the
visitors were invited to partake of some
excellent cider made from apples grown
in Bellevue. An abundance of apples OF
every variety grown in the Bellevue
orchards was also provided for the visi-
tors. Then came an hour Of more of social
greeting and greetings between old friends
who had not met for years. Among the
noted ones present was Judge James Cow.
a pioneer of 1855, now in his 96th year.
Judge Cow bears his weight of years
with the vigor of a man thirty years his
Junior. He attributes his longevity to the
climate OF Nebraska and all the health
giving influences that surround Bellevue.
Judge Cow was for nine years county
judge of Sarpy county.
The average age Of the old pioneers
present was 70 years, but for the day
they turned back the wheels Of time fifty
one years and were boys and girls again
At 4:9O the visitors babe their old friends
and associates goodby at the church and
started for the special car waiting for
them. More group pictures were taken
at the church, including a group OF the
oldest pioneers there and then came tho
trip homeward. The Bellevue speclap'
had the right of way over the line ana
Omaha was reached at o'clock, after
Just half an hours run.