Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-17

braska the percentage. OF illiteracy is
less than in any other state of the
union, and this happy status is re-
Elected in the quality of the inhabi-
tants who comprise the Nebraska
metropolis. Obviously, when omaha
can produce official figures attesting
the fact that Omaha bank clearings are
in many instances of greater volume
than the clearings in cities twice as
large, the percentage of producers
must be remarkably large, and the
percentage of undesirables correspond
ingly small.
Omaha is yet but an infant as to
age, when the years OF It's existence are
matched up alongside of other cities
of equal commercial Importance. The
organization of Omaha as a municipal
ity dates from the spring of 1867, at
which time the first roster of city off,
GERS were elected This roster follows: ),
Mayor, Jesse Lowe; recorder, II. c.
Anderson; assessor, Lyman Richard
son; city marshal, j. A. Miller; board
of aldermen, A. d. Jones' T. G. Good
will, G.. G. Bovey, H. H. Visscher,
Thomas Davis, William U. Wyman,
William N. Byers, c. H. Downs and
Thomas O'Connor.
The first meeting of the cityiAouncil
was held on the afternoon of March 5,
1867. 1t was a crude municipality
~ he, af ~.
officers and aldermen, because obsta-
cles were numerous and resources
were limited. At one time back in the
late sos the city government was
without funds and a system of city
scrip was used. But those hardy pio-
neers, ever guided by that "get-what-
you-go-after" spirit, kept faithfully
pegging away, working for the inter
ests of Omaha as faithfully as though
the municipality we're a private bust
ness enterprise Of their own.
Nebraska was a territory back in
those days, and 1t frequently became
necessary for the city government to
send representatives to the national
capital to appeal to the powers there
for action.
Not Timid in Asking.
Many occasions arose where the terU
ritorial pioneers felt 1t necessary to
call upon the great father" in Wash
ington for action In favor of the future 4
Nebraska metropolis. For example, on =.
March 80, 1859, in the midst of a
money stringency that would have dis
couraged a less resolute lot, DR..
George L. Miller was elected to pro-
coed to Washington for the purpose of
asking congress to reimburse Omaha
as a municipality, for money expended
on the first Nebraska capitol building.
Incidentally, while on the trip, the city
council instructed DR.. Miller to also
ask that the surveyor generals office
be located in Omaha; that Omaha
should be made q military depot for
the Utah war; that an appropriation
be made for the removal of snags from
the Missouri river; that the city -
Omaha should be made a port of en-
try; that the Omaha postoflce should
be made a distributing Office and, by
way of conclusion, just as DR.. Miller
was starting on his mission, the city
fathers slapped him on the shoulder
and, by way of parting injunction,
said ALSO, while you are there, you
might get through any other measures
you may think Of that may be for the
welfare of the city of Omaha" Thus
there is found in history ample evil
dence of that "get-what-you-go-a after"
spirit Sometimes the pioneers fell
short of their aim, but even so, they
were persistent, and by keeping ever
lastingly at 1t they brought to Omaha
many institutions and many things OF
various kinds, all Of which formed a
nucleus around which the Omaha OF
today has grown up.
Those pioneers who initiated the
get-what-you- go-after" spirit have, a
majority of them at least, passed away
into the great beyond. A few still
linger-their work done, they are
merely awaiting the summons. But,
in the place of those who have gone
and those who are on the verge of go
ing. there has come forward younger
generation and instilled into this
newer generation even more deeply
than in the older ones, is the idea that
Omaha must get what it goes after
Therein lies the secret OF the metro
politan supremacy of Omaha, 1910.
------1---~-----