Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-12
Omaha Forty Years AGO. or April, 1867


OMAHA, April Ito the Editor Of The
Bee: communication from the pen Of
w. H. Wintersteen, calling in question the
accuracy OF my statement to your reporter
upon April has just arrested my atten-
tom l am sure It is not myself who is
mixed in my dates, but either my critic
is, or has forgotten the facts and condi-
lions of April, 1867. l came from Maine
TO the pastorate of the Main Street Metho-
dist Episcopal church in Dubuque, Ia. in
the month of August, 1865. The following
December the Northwestern railway was
completed to Council Bluffs The follow
ing April the annual conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church met in the
First Methodist Episcopal church In this
city, presided over by Bishop Ames. l
started from Dubuque on the first Monday
OF April 1867, to attend that session Of the
conference, accompanied by Rev c. II
Trusdell Of Clinton, Ia; Rev. F. X. Young
Of Marion, Ia, and B. F. Creary, d. D.,
of St.. Louis. Monday night we were
showed in at Boone. Ia, and could not get
out OF that city until the following Satur-
day morning, when we were able to get
through to Council Bluffs The snow was
so deep and the piles by the side of the
track were so high that do not remember
to have seen a house OF tree from Boone
to Council Bluffs We reached Omaha at
noon, crossing the river from the Bluffs
then tho terminus OF the railway on Sat-
urday, I think on April 7.
The last regular session OF the confer
ence that had convened the previous
Wednesday occurred that afternoon, when
the minutes Of the conference were read
and approved and the conference ad-
journed, with the unusual understanding
that the bishop should preach and ordain
any to be ordained the following Sabbath
morning, which he did. Instead Of a SER
mon he gave a full exposition OF the last
chapter OF the Epstle to the Romans
Though the snow was deeper than l ever
saw Il before or since, Il was a warm day
and, fearing the ice might go out 81 the
river, with the others OF my company
returned 10 Council Bluffs Sabbath morn
ing, and the following day went TO Ne
braska City, where I waited till the follow
ing Friday before we could get down the
river on the first boat that had come up
that year
In my brief interview on April in two
unimportant particulars I was misunder-
stood The conference was not a Baptist
but a Methodist conference. 1t lasted from
Wednesday till Sunday, including the SER
mon and ordination. l was not Baptist.
but Methodist clergyman. think the
old records Of the Methodist Episcopal con-
ference and also Of the Northwestern rail-
way viii oorroborate these statements as
TO dates
was a guest in this city at that time
a Colonel b. +. ChIvington, at that period
a conspicuous character in the country,
The First Methodist Episcopal church
stood, II ] am correctly informed, where
Is now the old Posloffice building. and at
that time owned the entire block. II I
am incorrect In any of these statements
l shall be glad 10 be corrected, but as 70
the date OF April, 1871, and the conditions
here at that time / am sure I am not
mixed. Whether OF not the atmospheric
conditions have really changed or that was
an exceptional year I am not sure.
J. NJ. CALDWELL