The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-06-21
?. M,TBARREII ELECTED
NORFOLK MAN STATE PRESIDENT
OF EAGLES.
WAS UNANIMOUSLY CHOSEN


The Nebraska state Aerle Of EaaIes
Unanimously Elected p. M. Barrett
to the Head Of Their Order for the
Coming Year.
Norfolk won honor at the state aerie
of the Fraternal Order of Eagles p.
M. Barrett of this city, worthy vice
president of the state aerie during the
past year, was unanimously elected
worthy president for the ensuing
twelve months. Sugar City aerie No.
357, with Norfolk city, rejoice today in
the compliment paid to Mr.. Barrett
at Lincoln. News of the election was
telegraphed to The News Immediately
by c. II. Groesbeck, one of the delega-
ton of energetic Eagles who flew to
Lincoln from Norfolk for the state
meeting. U.s. ~
]. H. Conley of Norfolk was elected
as deputy in the Third congressional
district. c. H. Groesbeck of this city
made rafting good speech at
smoker. Alliance was chosen as the
| next pldCe IOT meeting.
Among the delegates at Lincoln well
known in Norfolk was l.. j. Jaeger of
Chadron past worthy president, past
worthy treasurer and candidate for the
Office of grand worthy secretary. He
is better known as Billy, the Bear"
He was endorsed at Lincoln for the
Office which he desires and strong
| a 81 4.
to the next national convention at Nor
folk, Va, to boost for him.
Billy, the Bear.
The career of Billy the Bear" has
certainly been varied one. He was
born in Philadelphia fifty-one years
ago and during the half century which
has elapsed since he first saw the light
he has crowded more experience of
real strenuous nature than most men
could encompass in hundreds of years,
were they permitted to live that long.
He has navigated both the Atlantic and
Pacific as master seaman; has serv-
ed as proof reader in San Francisco
printing Offices in early days; was an
actor in Australia and later with Buff
1877, while with Col. Cody, that he &C
CURED his soubriquet, BILLY the Bear"
which has ever since chung to him. The
company was playing THE Red Right
Hand" and Jaeger appeared in the
part of a bear Later he became sec
rotary to Cody and came to North
Platte with him. The life of cowboy
appealed strongly TO him and after
spending some months on the western
Nebraska range, he engaged in trail
ing cattle from Texas to the Niobrara
for Kountz, Yates & Co. He next en-
gagged in staging to the Black Hills for
a time and later went to Texas and
bought a large bunch of horses to
stock ranch which he had acquired.
Before reaching the ranch, however,
he sold the animals and found himself
with $4,000 in his pockets.
He next fell victim to the gold
fever, and while delving into the noun
tains of the Wood river district in
Idaho, he dropped the modest fortune
he had made out of horses. Cow
punching again claimed "Billy's" at
tention, and within a few months he
found himself installed as manager
for the Yellowstone cattle company,
one of the biggest corporations of the
kind operating in Wyoming. 1t was
, while serving in this capacity that
Billy" went through one of the worst
experiences that can fall to the lot of
man, and that he ever came out of it
t alive proves beyond doubt that Jaeger
| was a man of the most unusual nerve,
perseverance and vitality. AS it was,
he lost both of his feet above the
: On January 81, 1883, he left his head
quarters at the Bar NJ ranch, thirty
miles west of Rock creek, to go to the
latter place to take the train for Oma-
4 ha. He went for some distance out of
his road to catch up horse which be-
longed to him and in so doing lost a
, day. This delay was fatal to him.
While still off the trail a blizzard
came up; in fact it had been showing
hard for many hours and was bitterly
cold. Finally the storm became so
l bad that he was compelled to dismount
and lead his horse, the snow being so
binding that he could scarcely see the
= animal. For four days and nights he
= struggled through the awful blizzard,
at times crawling into snow bank for
a little rest and sleep. He became SO
discouraged that he wrote a note to
friends telling them how to dispose OF
:. his horse and what property he pos
sessed, for it seemed impossible that
he could ever pull through alive.
At length the blizzard ceased and
more deal than alive, he came in sight
of the 40 ranch. He drew his revolver
- and fired it into the air, soon bringing
friends to his assistance. He was TAX.
en- in and tenderly cared for, but it
n was soon found that he had been so
9 badly frozen that he would be cripple
for life.
Tho lose ~ hands and foot nnu1d ~ "a