The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-09-10

Three years he spent at Fremont and
one at West Point. The balance of
the forty.three he has lived in Nor
folk.
And when you speak of long drives
in frontier prairie land, you mean
long ones, indeed. Norfolk, In the
days when DR.. Bear appeared on the
scene, was at the edge of civilization.
on to the west lay the borderland in
an andless expanse of unbroken sod.
Out on that frontier there were little
clusters of homesteaders, and when
these homesteaders were overtaken by
sickness it was to Norfolk that they
came for medical aid. a drive to the
place where Atkinson now stands as a
thrifty little city, a distance of 100
miles. was commonplace. To Verdigre
and Niobrara, on the Missouri river
eighty miles north of Norfolk, down
into Humphrey and other Platte coun.
| ty points on the south, and northeast
into Wayne county, Norfolk medical
services were summoned. The trips
were all made by team, and 1t made
| little difference that the cold north
winds brought driving snow, so far as
the trips were concerned Not infre-
quently one would get lost, though DR..
Bear has never had any narrow es-
capes from death on the plains.
Fatal Storm in 1870.
During the first winter of his resi-
dence in Norfolk, DR.. Bear was sum-
moned to Wayne county by reason OF
terrible storm which had left pretty
nearly all of the old settlers of Wayne
with frozen limbs. Among the victims
of that storm were the Hunters, Min
ors Exlerbens and others still well
known. Five amputations Of hands or
toes were made in that region by DR..
Bear as a result of that blizzard. In
the same storm two Moon brothers
and a man named Mcmahon were
caught out on upper Battle creek. The
two brothers were frozen to death,
while the feet of Mr. Mcmahon were
amputated by DR.. Bear. Mcmahon
lived in Madison county until about
ten years ago.
In June of the year 1875 DR.. Be-r
was called to that part of Holt covuty
where Atkinson stands today BIZ the
accidental shooting of Morgan layes
by himself The journey was ade in
a wagon in company with m. who
; drove to Norfolk from there t.. get the
doctor. 1t was the fifth day after the
accident that the amputati n of one
arm near the shoulder and 'art of one
hand was made by Dr. Bee :, and Nor
gan Hayes recovered. II sons are
still good citizens of atkinson and
that vicinity.
Leader In Demo tracy.
, There were no TELEPHONES or tele'
, graph wires in those d ,ys to assist in
: getting a physician Q ickly, SO many
| pioneers were well gh death before
: medical aid could eN ,r be brought to
: them.
Y DR.. Bear is a blue FLOODED Virginian
l And he is only one Z a large colony OF
< Notwithstanding good citizens, al
: of them-who cap to northern Ne
braska directly aft n the war. Among
e them were F. ]. Hale (now of Atkin
y SOM, Warner Ha'e, Dave Hale, the
( McDonalds of Pie, &c and many others
}, They were from Smith, Withe ant
S Grayson counties in Virginia.
e Indeed, it was with Virginia regi
ment that Dr. Fear went through the
civil war. Enls ing as lieutenant II
Company D, Fourth Virginia infantry
. Dr. Bear was, af+er one year, appoint
h ed surgeon, ana as sucn he continued
q to serve in the &C nfede1 ate army unit
Il the close Of the wSr.
;, The politics Of DR.. Bear? Has 1
" not already been said that he came
4 from Virginia?
| And he has always been leader IL
d Nebraska democracy, too. In 1874 N
l. was elected to the senate from thi
IS district, and in 1875 he was elected t.
q the house of representatives in tn
!. state legislature. In all he has serve'
n three terms in the legislature. In 1877
II DR.. Bear was paid the unusual compli
II ment of being elected regent Of tn
state university by republican legis
X town, Pa, February 4, 1910. His father
d sought and observed in the distric
8. and state.
"a DR.. Bear was elected mayor O
e Norfolk on the democratic ticket apr
g. z, 1896, and served two years. Il
al 1901 he was elected a member OF tn
4. board of education, and was mad
ID president of that organization.
At times DR.. Bear has entertaine
* Hon. William Jennings Bryan, thric
n democratic candidate for the pres
e dency, in his home here. and he wa
ID frequently called upon to make intr'
~ ductory addresses for prominer
I. speakers.
Alexander Bear was born in Warren
Ii ton, Va, February 4, 1S40 His fathe
lie Emanuel Bear, was born in Bavari'
H. Prussia, in 1902, and came to Americ
re with his family in 1888 and settled
le Fauquier county, Va. He later move
to Richmond, where he engaged In tn
n. mercantile business up until his dealt
N in 1887. Alexander Bear attended tn
public schools and high school in h
b" native town. He was prepared for &C
IN lege at the preparatory school OF tt
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