Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-06
EDWARDS SUCCEEDS GIBSON
New Secretary Elected forthe Pioneer AssO-
citation Invaded BY Death.
oLO-1lMlRs RtLATE JUICY STORIES
Informal "Reminiscences Take the
place of studied Papers and
prove OF Great Interest
Ia All.

The second regular meeting OF the Pho
neer Association Of Douglas county was
held Thursday afternoon at the Library
binding with about forty members present.
Martin Durham. first vice president OF
the association, presided in the absence Of
President Judge George b. Lake.
The announcement WAS made Of the
death Of Secretary J. S. Gibson, and Jonn-
than. Edwards was elected permanent sec
rotary TO MI the vacancy. Mr.. Edwards
thereupon resigned as member Of the
executive committee and NJ. J. Feenan was
appointed to the executive committee in
his stead.
The chairman appointed committee con-
sisting Of Messrs Swift, Kennedy and
Hasoau to prepare appropriate resolutions
upon the death of the late secretary, J. 5.
Gibson. TO
The report ef the assistant secretary,
Miss OBrien. showed eighty-three names
were enrolled as ,tnehfpers OF the associa-
ton. The qualifications for membership
are. a residence 10 the territory of Ne
brasla prior TO 1861, when the territory
became state, II was decided that the
next. meeting should be held the first
Thursday in May.
HaScnu starts story Telling.
The question OF addillOnal entertainments
during the meetings in the form Of papers
On early pioneer experiences was discussed
but; the general. trend Of opinion was that
part Of the meetings be set aside for
verbal "reminiscences instead of undertake
ing the tedious preparation OF special
papers. In conformity with this sugges-
ton volunteer remarks were called for
Judge Haseal was the first called upon
and he told this one:
"A little piece of side history came under
my observation andyhas never got into the
books and 1 do not think It has ever been
told before. 1t relates to Henry NJ. Stanley,
then a correspondent for Dr. Miller's
Herald, who went down to Lincoln to re-
port the first session of the legislature held
at the new state capital. happened to be
Of the same party, which included besides
Stanley and myself r. B. Taylor and Mr..
Frost, state senators from this section, and
John II. saylor. IT was in 1859 We went
from. Omaha by train to Gilmore. There
we went by sleigh to Plattsmouth and
stayed over night and the next morning
put out for Lincoln in the sleigh. When we
reached the big hollow east of Lincoln the
sleigh tipped over and we had all sorts
Of trouble before we finally got into Lin
coIn.a We stried to put UP at the Atwood
house but there wasn't room there. so we
went to,the Farmers hotel and found quar-
ters At the hotel at the time was repre-
sentative from Cedar county, think II
was, named Evane, He wasn't much used
to hotel fare, even though the bill wasn't
much varied They gave MS hash for sup
per. a hash in which the bones were also
chopped ,up. Evans being hungry, ate con-
siderable OF the hash and a bone go; stalled
i'm HIS throat and he came near dying. The
doctor didn't know what TO do, and It looked
like a funeral for Evans. Finally Stanley
suggested a plan to relieve him. Evans
was laid out on the floor and Stanley told
me to hold Evans up by the feet while he
thumped him on the back and breast.
did 70 and Stanley gave him a good pound
ing. and sure enough out came the bone
and Evans was saved Evans was awful
thankful to us for it,"
Pat MeArdIe spins One.
Pat :MoArdle, was called for and all h'
cared 10 tell about was the first election
ever held in Douglas county or at least IL
McArdle precinct.
THE election was held in August, 1857,
he said. zone Of the judges of the election
was sent down TO Omaha to qualify, anC
when he came back ne swore in the res
Of the election board. The ballot box wal
dade from cigar box. and think abou
a4dozen voted altogether. / was placed IL
charge OF the polls and put In the lonels
day all by myself Finally, when we CLOSED
the polls and counted the ballots we fouuC
twenty-eight votes had been cast. know
IL was an honest election, but we neve
questioned just how 1t happened that 81
many votes got into the box. Mr.. Pryo
was elected surveyor and my brother
James H.. was elected county commits
sioner.
II think it was at that election we vote'
for $4,000 bonds to help build the Blai
road, or part of. the Northwestern. whCl
was never built. But we are paying 70
the bonds yet. have always though
those bonds We're Illegal, from the fact the
were signed by the commissioners in Nev
York and not in Douglas County"
stayed for the Finish.
'sThere was one good thing about Com
missioner McArdle," said Judge Hascal
-and that was he would not surrende
those bonds from his possession until n
saw the whole proceedings regarding thei
delivery and credit had been complied wit
In New York. He went to New York wit
Gus Sountze ana saw that they were proT
eriy delivered"
There was no politics in that election.
continued Mr.. McArdie. Everybody ou
here was OF the democratic faith, becaus
the administration was democratic. Their
were few whige. and the republican, part
was. so young them only year old, that
hadn't begun TO cut any figure. .--.-
soldier Laid 10 Rest.
Funeral services for j. NJ Richards VIII