Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-25
ROMANCE IN MILLER HOME
Doctor Had Forgotten He Owned Lots
Where He Built.
REMINDED BY HENRY W. YATES
Part of Tract He Bought Years AEO
We hOuEh was Buried-House
warming by Host OF
Good Friends.

Few OF the many friends who thronged
the beautiful new bungalow home OF DR..
and Mrs. George l. Miller Monday night
70 make the house warming" a complete
success knew anything of the pretty little
thread Of romance that wove its way
through the circumstances leading the
father Of Omaha" to build this home at
1S North Thirty-first street.
This home stands on property which the
doctor had forgotten was in his possession;
at least II re had not entirely forgotten Il
he had ceased to think OF 1t.
Many years ago. after Or. Miller had
laid out the city Of omaha and was still
actively engaged in his life work Of "em-
pire building he bought up a large tract
Of land. including the lots on which he
built this residence. Years passed on and
he sold some OF the land and somehow be-
came imbued with the idea that what re-
manned in his possession was so low as to
be undesirable and worth very little money.
Had Not Seen IL for Two Decades.
80 / had not seen the property for
twenty years, 20 said the doctor in relating
the Incident. Il had long ago concluded
that the property was buried under a bur
den Of taxes and titles. Well, when l got
where ! wanted to think Of putting up
another nome Mrs. Miller and 1 came over
in this neighborhood, where we thought
we would like TO build, and visited Mr.. and
Mrs. Henry w. Yates. We strolled about
and | actually found that these lots in
stead of being in a hole, as 1 supposed, oc-
cupied high ground, a commanding position
for a dwelling.
Mr.. Yates said to me: Why, doctor,
you owned some lots right in here Yes
1 replied. l did own some once, but they
are no good for a home
a. a ~ - IL a. NANA hare fIgvv
are tight here. You can ssee how high
they are
And did. found they were elevated
and not depressed-a beautiful eminence
for a home. Mrs. Miller had nor cared
for a home in there, but when this discov-
cry was made l could see she was greatly
pleased and so l held my counsel. At once
l began an investigation to ascertain what
was the legal status of the lots.
well l had five lots left. I redeemed
them. l sold one which 1 didn't want. 1
reserved two for my dwelling, leaving one
on each side of my house for protection
against undesirable encroachment. And
then l sold enc on the south of US to Bishop
Williams, who bought another adjoining,
from the First National bank. And he will
erect a beautiful home there. Now, that
in itself is a nightly fine thing, isn't it?
Yes. indeed, that's fine. oh, it's all mighty
fine"
EventfuI Night for Them.
Monday night was an ~eventful one to
this grand old man" whose life is filled
with events and eveutful TO Mrs. Miller,
too, Friends they love, some OF many,
many years standing and Others Of more
recent acquaintance, poured in upon them
to ada their Fluctuations and incidentally to
celebrate the fifty-fourth university Of DR..
Mfller's arrival in Omaha.
A feature of the evening was a beautiful
church. read by Right Rev. A. L. williams.
bishop of the diocese of Nebraska.
Among the guests was the venerable
General Grenville NJ. Dodge of Council
Bluffs, one Of the doctors Oldest friends.
General Dodge made a little speech in
which he reviewed the pioneer days Of
DR.. Miller, reciting the hardships he en-
countered and the sacrifices he bore in
his great mission OF laying the foundation
stones of Omaha and Nebraska. He pro-
phesied that DR.. Miller. though advanced in
years, would live to see stili greater de-
velopment Of his beloved city and state.
Congressman Hitchcock spoke of DR..
Miller as Omaha's first citizen for many
years and felicltated him on his long and
useful career.
All the guests heartily Congratulated DR..
and Mrs. Miller on their new home and
wished them many years of happiness in
their beautiful new bungalow.
The home was most attraotively decorated
with many beautiful floral gifts which had