Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-29

father in his own mental labor at his own
home The fame of both father and son
is secure in the stirring annals Of the con-
quests of a half of continent to civiliza-
ton. and in the foundings of great states
which have become so powerful in the ma
ton. Augustus c. Dodge was always ac-
tive and energetic in paving the way of
Nebraska and Kansas into the union. He
was a frequent vilstor to Council Bluffs
and Omaha in the early days and was al
ways the guest of his friend, the late Dr.
Enos Lowe on these visits. 1t was but
just to these great men that their honored
names should be borne upon the enduring
annals of our own commonwealth.
N. p. and GrenviIIe M. Dodge.
sylvanus Dodge and his sons, Nathan P.
and Granville NJ. Dodge came TO Omaha
from their native New England in 1S54-55,
Grenville M. Dodge being the actual pioneer
when he was engaged with Peter A. Dey,
of honorable name and memory on the
surveys of the Rick Island railroad under
Durant. once presided at a dinner in
the old Herndon house which was given
to Henry Farnam, in whose honor our
principal street was named, by T. C. Dur
ant, Peter A Dey and Grenville M. Dodge.
for transcontinental railway had not then
been born. but it was in an advanced stage
Of CESSATION in congress. and dreamers
like Durant were dreaming. Samuel r.
Curtis, as chairman of the Pacific railroad
committee in the house, was the father OF
the Pacific railroad bill, and Durant cap
| tured the Union Pacific charter, with Dey
\ and Dodge N the field as his chief lieuten-
| ants. Dey resigned as chief engineer be-
| cause Durant ran out of money and could
not build over the so-called Dey line fol
that sole reason, and because of its enor.
nous cost. and Dodge became, and re-
| manned, chief engineer even during the
| four years OF civil war, in which he
| achieved lasting renown as a soldier The
name and fame Of Grenville NJ Dodge are
| as familiar as household words all over
] our country as a man who can do things
in both peace and war, The Union Pacific
is his enduring monument. My cordial per.
sonal relations TO Grenville NJ. Dodge have
been unbroken since / first met him or
this then wild borderland ffty-two years
ago.
General Dodge prepared the way for his
| father, Sylvanus, and Nathan p. Dodge
by locating claims to land on the Elkhorn
where the family concentrated in 1855. Th'
story Of the trials and fluctuations Of thl!
branch OF the Dodge family of pioneer
need not be recounted here. Driven out b!
Indians, General and N. p. engaged il
business in Council Bluffs. As banke
and business man, as a Christian
| gentleman and citizen, whose character 4
| without stain, Nathan Phillips Dodge hal
been as a pillar Of light and strength 4
| our beautiful sister city for more thar
half a century. II was a great pleasure {,
| the people OF Omaha 10 have this famil!
of the Dodges with US at the celebration
! of its semi-centennial anniversary will
Grenville NJ. Dodge on the platform sid
by side with ]. C. Easement, who laugh
the world how TO lay railroad track at tn
rate OF five or ak miles per day. Littl
did dream that the small, silent. neryou
| young man I met at the Durant-Farnan
diRner at the old Herndon house in ls5
would rise 10 achievements in both wa
and peace that have won for him enduring
fame. GEORGE l. MILLER