Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-06-18

Edward Rosewater, founder Of The Bee and for
thirtyfive its editor, born in Bukowan a viii
lage about fifty miles south from the historical city of
Prague. in Bohemia, January 2S, 1871, His elemen
tary education acquired in the schools of
a nearby town of Psek, where Bohemian or Czech is
the prevailing language. He also received instruction
German from private tutors At the of eleven he
was sent to academy at Prague in which the
branches taught about the same plane as
those in American high schools.
On Christmas day, 1854, he landed with his par
ents in the city of New York thence Immediately
moved to Cleveland Ohio. Owing to the limited
means of his parents and the fact that he was the
oldest OF family of nine children he was at once
compelled to his livelihood. Having no
knowledge of the English language great diff
ficulty in finding something to do. The first per-
manent employment he was able to secure was in a
wholesale tinware and stove store where his muscles
developed in polishing stoves and in assisting
journeymen timers in manual work. By 1856 he had
acquired sufficient knowledge of English to secure
a position as clerk in retail grocery store at a sal
airy of 81 month and board. At the end of another
year he found clerical position in small dry goods
store at salary of 500 year and board. At the
end Of the first year severed his connection with
mercantile business and took three months course
In commercial college from which he graduated as
alleged accountant and bookkeeper. This was in
the fall OF 1887 of great financial depression
keeper in Wholesale willow and basket estab-
lishment terminated abruptly by the failure of the
concern
Unwilling to resume the drudgery Of a clerk and
unable to secure a position as bookkeeper he
left Cleveland In company with young man who had
been engaged as clerk in employment office and
located in Sandusky, o. where his first
resources made under the title of Rose
water Warren, Intelligence Office" The partner
af1ar i,,at
enough: but failed to employment either for
its patrons itself Warren, the junior partner oil
the firm, telegraph operator, but had temper
arily discarded his profession.
Becomes . Telegraph Operator.
1t was mutually agreed that the two partners
would seek their fortune in the south and although
they had less than IS cash. besdes free transpor-
tation when they landed in Cincinnati in October
1858, they we're not in the least disconnected OF
Respondent. Within "a hours after landing at Gin
cinnah, Warren secured a temporary position as op
orator in the Ohio Mississippi railroad depot and
Rosewater at began his apprenticeship as q
telegrapher.
At the end Of three months he imagined he had
: fully mastered the profession accepted position
at vncennes Ind, but he chagrined when he
found that he must continue to practice before hs
could hope to hold down situation. Returning L
mary education az telegrapher and was finally as
signed to oberlin, o., at salary OF s25 a month
In June. 1859, he accepted position as operator a
- Murfressboro, Tenn, 80 miles south of Nashville
Later he was transferred to Stevenson, Ala at tn,
Junction OF the Nashville & Chattanooga and Mem
phis Charleston railroads. Here he remained unit
Alabama had seeded. In March, 1861 he accepted
position In the commercial office Of the Southwest
ern Telegraph Co.. at Nashville, where he remaine C
until after the capture of Fort Donelson and the oc
cupancy of the city BY the Union army.
Returning to Cleveland. where his parents still
resided, he decided to enter the United States mtar
telegraph corps and mustered into the service
Wheeling w. Va, in April, 1862, and assigned
to accompany Gen. John c. Fremont in the West Vir
ginia campaign. On the first Of July, 'e2, he wa
ordered to report at washington where he was as
signed to the navy yard then under command o
Commodore Dahlgren When Gen. Pope was abou
to enter into his famous ION 70 Richmond" campaign
Rosewater made application TO the War department