Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-07-18
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IRON John T. Bell who lie editing weekly
L paper called The Enterprise" way out in New
berg. Ore. have an interesting personal reminds
cence contribution suggested by the Poppleton autobo
graphy recently published in The Bee Mr.. Bell, who
IL we'll remembered by the old-timers here. writes'
II have just read the chapter Of A. ]. Poppietons
autobiography printed In the Bee which reminds me
OF transaction in which contributed To Mr..
Poppleton's wealth. IL when w @. Shrtver and
1 were in the real estate business In Omaha Mr..
Poppleton told me he wanted buy some land near
town for a long time investment for his children.
called his attention TO tract Of ITO acres west OF
town which belonged to Gen, W. w. Lowe. He
looked II The price was $4,000 which Mr.
Poppleton said excessive We finally got II
reduced TO s60O and he said he would take 1t II the
title was all right He set George /. Gilbert to
running down the title That gentleman tackled II
with a microscope. This took some time and Mr..
Poppleton lost his interest in the deal
when all met in the office OF Kennedy
Gilbert to close the matter up, Mr.. Poppeton was
out OF patience with the entire business He was
out OF humor with for urging him TO buy the
property he out Of humor with General Lowe
account OF his being the owner Of the land, and
he out OF humor with Mr. Gilbert on account OF
his falling TO find defects In the title As he signed
his check in payment, he said that's lot OF money
to pay for unproductive property
About year after this deal made he sold
ten OF the land TO John Il McCague for 5000,
and something like year later sold twenty acres Of
the land to the father Of Congressman Iobeck That
left eighty OF land with the original purchase
price all returned to Mr. Poppleton.
I'm the winter Of 1851 he refused an offer Of
$4,000 which presented 10 him behalf of Colonel
Samuel Curtis and his associates and he plated the
land into building lots. He named the tract Pop
pleton Park. II given 10 the firm OF Bell q
McCandlish to SELL and in seventy days sold the
east half for S1250 So that the entire trans
action stood thus: Purchase price, $4,000; total
sales $751; 900. less modest expense OF handling the
property and forty acres Of land left
SALES OF considerable amount were made n
building associations, with partial payments. one
fourth cash remember 1t. and the balance In
w
quarterly perhaps. Collections were made by the
secretaries OF these associations OF whom
the secretary OF Omaha Young Mems Christian
ISOLATION. forget his name. but he faded away
silently, carrying with him about $1,000 cash that
should have been turned to Mr. Poppleton.
or course the loss had TO be made up by the as
ISOLATION. really ought TO remember the chaps
name. for was out $500 In cash by reason OF his
slip in Judgment to what constituted business
integrity"
II Mr.. Bell were 10 come back here now, I know
he would have his opened wide by the presentday
real estate transactions. which have 30 far out
topped the high marks OF the boom days to make
the spectators OF that period wonder at their modesy
There IL this difference. though. that the boom day
transactions In Omaha real estate chiefly
blackboard trading. by which people marked them
selves up every time lot changed hands whereas
almost all OF the buying Is for investment and
business purposes witness the substantial improve
ents actually In progress whichever way looks.
What is probably the shortest business letter on
record is being exhibited by James r. Ludlow local
manager OF the Crane company As precauton against
being caught on the links and charged with loafing
the Job Mr.. Ludlow wrote TO headquarters saying
he would take his vacation 'piecemeal" during the
golf season II the boss had objections For reply
he had the return of his letter which 'the boss
with his pencil had circled the word objections in
the top OF hook ending below with the notation,
None"
with the death OF St Clair McKeiwsy. editor OF
the Brooklyn Eagle. mighty few of the oldtime Amer
lean journalists remain Mr. McKeway was a Mis-
souran by birth. and had the advantage OF a COLLEGE
education. so that he hardly within the deffnl-
ton OF self-made man. but he for a third OF a
century among the forceful leaders of American
thought offhand can think OF only Colonel Henry
Watterson antedatng him. and sti in the harness
DIR. McKelway. for he carried a whole string OF
honorary college degrees. a visitor In OMAHA
about the time OF our exposition and the honor guest
at banquet arranged for him at the Omaha club by
some OF his democratic friends and admirers here
headed by DR.. George L, Miller. II Just happened
that Colonel Watterson In Omaha at the sau,o
moment, and these three old-time newspaper men con
trbuted practically the entire aterdnner entertain
ment, which was both brilliant and memorable.