The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-23
William Jennings Bryan
AS q 1iIler of the Soil

Lincoln, Neb, Special Sairview,"
the farm home OF William ]. Bryan,
lies. three miles southeast Of Lincoln
You leave the street car at what is
known as Bryan Station" and then
you see house set on a hill with a
landscape OF corn fields, alfalfa and a
grove around about it. It is the farm
home TO William Jennings Bryan.
The house is built of Clipped brick
with brownstone trimmins and slate
ROOF, which slants In long, graceful
lines from lofty gable to low caves. A
broad porch with brownstone coping
extends partly around the south and
west sides In graceful curve. Steps
lead down to the driveway on one side
and to the lawn on the other.
"A Clipped brick barn stands back of
the house, and back of this hundred
yards down the gentle slope can be
seen two frame barns and: frame
house, the latter the residence Of the
manager, William b. iMillson, organs
nephew. The orchard stands on the
north side of the house with the gar
den and. dollhouse between.
The path through the alfalfa field
leads to the cinder driveway near the
house. A swing, chairs, flower beds
and shade trees give the lawn an ap-
pearance of homeliness and comfort.
Fairview is, indeed, we'll named.
Standing on the. lawn. one can see for
several miles across corn fields and
orchards of prosperous farms and sub,
urban places, to the northwest where
the city lies, and to the south where
beyond fields of corn, broken by the
sinuous line of trees which marks
Salt Creek, stands the large college
of the Adventists.
From the front Of the house walk
ed around the driveway to the rear. A
white bull dog lay On the stone ledge
surrounding the back porch, his head
resting in his paws. He looked like
a dog of stone as he looked unblink-
ingly down. This was Mrs. Bryan's
dog, General" He was purchased a
number of years ago from Fatty
Holman, who keeps a fruit stand and
was local celebrity. The organs
hove one other dog, a Scotch collie
named Bird"
L saw an old man with a one-horse
wagon filling barrel with water from
the hydrant by the barn. ! found him
to be one of Mr.. Bryan's tenants. He
rents sixty of the 157 acres which
comprise the farm. He grinned when
asked him if Mr.. Bryan was a good
landlord.
Sure, an If they was all like Mr.
Bryan, there'd be no complaint to
make. "A nicer, more agreeable man
II nnua- uyoy,lynd
Millson, the manager, was building
4 fence around a fffty-acre pasture
which Bryan recently purchased. A
swarthy young man with a firm jaw
a pleasant smile and hearty laugh
Is William Millson.
The new fence was one to attract
attention on any farm. The posts were
all of iron-coned cement and they were
set at frequent intervals. Upon them
was fastened the wellstretched woven
wire. In the language of the adver
tisement, it appeared to be literally
pig tight. buH strong and horse
high"
"Yes, that's a pretty good fence,
said Millson. after the introduction
Uncle Will bought carload of the
|
put it up, but now it's fenced fol-
good. w. ]. don't go in for any half
way work"
Millston refers to Bryan as "Uncle
Will and CIV. j." Others about the
place call him "Mr. Bryan and 'W. j.
But they all love him.
Does he work." exclaimed Mill
ston, with the accent on the verb
you just ought to see him. He can
beat us in some ways"
wish he'd been here to dig some
OF these post holes for u.s." said Lor
niger, the hired man, with a grin.
ut wouldn't be the first time" said
Millson.
II won't soon forget the time he
rolled off them two loads of alfalfa
after supper that night" continued the
hired man. Millson laughed.
well, he certainly made Us hustle
some then. Yes, he came out after
supper. We had brought in two loads
of alfalfa and they were standing in
the barnyard. Tt looked like rain. w
j hurried us out and we got up in