Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-26
PIONEERS PICNIC TOGETHER
Hanseom Park is Scene Of Happy
Reunion OF Old Timers.
OLD FRIENDSHIPS RECALLED
"Reminiscences of Early Omaha and
Nebraska Are Exchanged and
History RecOunted Under
the Trees.

Pioneers Of the state % Nebraska and
OF Iowa. too. pioneers in every sense Of
the vord-men who hraved the terrors OF
selVinc into unknown lands ami men who
bearded the Indian on his native heath
back in the Sos and women who en-
Outraged their helpmeets as they struggled
valiautly against the odds Of early western
civiiization-gathered together Saturday at
Hsnscom park.
The occasion OF the jollification was the
annual picnic OF those sturdy pioneers. men
who have made Omaha and Nebraska his
tory. Men there we're who blszed the trail
and followed the narrow footprints of the
willy redskin. Fully 100 Of them braved the
heat with all the vim ana dash that they
dispiayed back fifty and sixty years ago.
Their steps were tottering and their
stamina was not what it once was, when
they cleared the land that afterwards gave
birth TO Omaha. the metropolis of the west.
But the indomitable spirit which urged
them on when they were fighting the red
skins manifested itself in more ways than
one.
Old Friends Meet Again.
Old acquaintances were renewed and
"reminiscences OF the early days were retold.
time and again. Incidents OF years gone by
were recalled with an accuracy that shat
tered the fiction Of history In many In
stances
The dash of the Mormon gang. under the
leadership OF Brigham Young. for the far
western lands; the winter tent on the
ground where now stands Florence; the
annual return Of the Mormon traiS for sup
plies. when necessities were shipped by
boat from st. Louis and hauled across the
plains by OK trains, were repeated and in
teresting incidents related Of that pioneer
dash. The struggles OF the white men with
the Indians were recounted. Then came the
story OF the birth of Omaha. Its beginning
as q small trading town, it's growth. and
how finally It reached Its pre-eminence as
the western metropolis, were pointed to
with pride.
Participants in the picnic ranged from
the old young men to the young old men
and women. Citizens who have been here
for periods ranging from forty to sixty-five
years were there. The honor Of the Oldest
pioneers at the celebration was generously
accorded TO Mr.. and Mrs Elijah Allen. who
despite their allotted three score and ten.
were as clipper as the youngest OF them.
Mr.. Allen, boasting q years. and Mrs.
Allen with two more to her credit. came
all the way from their farm ten miles out
on the Dodge street road TO renew old
acquaintance which they have made dur
ing their fifty years OF welded bliss.
1T was pretty hard work getting here"
said Mr.. Allen, but we just had to come.
Many more such opportunities will not fall
20 our lot. We realize that We cannot be
here always and an occasion like this Is
one that we could not miss. even IL the
sun was beating down with the fury Of ali
possessed.
Over Half . Century I'm Nebraska.
Mr.. and Mrs. Allen came 10 Nebraska in
November. 1859. from Michigan. Another
couple which We'd with Mr.. and Mrs. Allen
! for the longest time here were Mr. and
Mrs. ]. J. Mcmillan He is g years old and
| she n. They came to Omaha IN 1851 and
have been married fifty-tour years
For the last two years Mr.. and Mrs. Nc
MILAN have been living in California, but
they have returned TO. Omaha to pass the
remaining days of their lives. where the
better part of them were spent
David whitney a veteran of the Mexican
war. was conspicuous among the old
settlers. Though 81 years old. he recalls
wildly the battles of the Mexican war.
Mr.. Whitney was one OF Scott's army when
| Mexico City was surrendered. He was a
member of Company F, Of which Quarles
was captain, of Colonel Morgan's regiment.
Mrs.. Jennie l. MAginn Of the 1854 con-
tingent told of the return of the Mormon
trains She was an intimate acquaintance
OF Brigham Young's fsvorite wife and re-
called the early days Of Mormonism. She
had come to Council Bluffs two years be-
| fore.
Iowa Joined hands with the Nebraska
pioneers in making the day q notable one.
Rev. Henry belong and Captain A Over
ton sweiled the crowd. Rev. Mr.. belong
herded cattle where the Union Pacific
building is being erected. He was q mem
Der OF the Mormon band that struck out
from NauvOo. Ill. In 1885 but he got no
further than Omaha
This is the first time in forty years that
have been in this part of the city," said
Mr.. Overton. But I well remember Hans
com park when II was the Hanscom farm. I"
Captain Overton operated q lins of steam
boats between Omaha and Sioux City, bur
quit the business when railroads made II
unprofitable.
Henry T.. Clarke and Mayor Speak.
During the afternoon speeches were
made By Mayor ]. c. Dahiman and Henry
T. Clarke. Mayor Dahlman spoke In glow
ing terms OF the pioneers and told them
that it was through their efforts alone
that Omaha now stands where IL does He
complimented them in many ways. Mr..
Clarke spoke OF the progress OF the coun-
try from the early days.
Uncle Joe Redmond was urged to tell OF
the Indians, but he declared that they