Omaha daily bee., 1916-08-13
Stories of Nebraska History :: By A Sheldon

to make at least one strong library
in each county. This movement is
still going on and acts of the leg
iSlature of 1911 are expected to bring
good libraries we'll cared for within
reach of every citizen.
The Women's Clubs-In the period
between 1890 and 1900 the woman's
club movement in Nebraska took an
active form. A number OF clubs had
been organized in earlier years. In
1894 these were brought together in
state federation. new clubs were or
ganlzed and state conventions held
with great interest and enthusiasm.
These women's clubs aim TO inspire
and promote the interests of women
and to bring their influence to bear
for better schools, better books, bet
ter home-making, better government
and a happier and more beautiful
state
Retrospect-Ths story Of Nebras-
ka as a state closes with the year
1912. 1t is l0l years since the Asto-
rians and Manuel Lisa ran their ia
nous boat race for 1000 miles up
the Missouri river past our shores.
1t is fifty-two years since the out
break of the great civil war between
the north and the south, starting from
the contest between slavery and free
dom in the Nebraska country. The
story of our state extends backward
and reaches forward and in either
direction a child of Nebraska finds it
filled with interest and inspiration,
Nebraska Century Ago-Wonder-
full is the story OF the world in these
last 100 years and nowhere more Won
derful than here in Nebraska. A
hundred years ago our state was an
unknown wilderness called desert,
Upon it roamed 10000 Indians and
millions of buffalo, elk and deer. Wild
geese, swans, ducks and other water
fowl made their nests undiSturbed.
The wild grass grew everywhere, the
sod unbroken by the pillow. The waters
rof its streams ran unchecked to the
sea.
The mind and hand of man have
transformed Nebraska in the last fiji
ty years. A million and a quarter
Of white people live in a land which
supported only one-thirtieth as many
Indians. Nearly 100000 domestic
animals find their food where once
were herds of buffalo, elk and deer.
Nebraska Today-lf boy should
spend one day only of his-life in Wis
iting each Nebraska farm he would
/ SG0 ~
fore he had seen them all A thou
sand cities and villages in our own
state are fed from these farms, and
the surplus food which we ship to the
people Of other states and countries
every year would fill 100000 farm
wagons or make railroad train OF
freight cars long enough to reach
from Chicago to Denver.
Nebraska Herds-Our herds OF
horses. cattle, sheep and swine, if
driven as fast as a man can walk
across a bridge over the Platte river,
would make a column 10000 miles
long and be four months in crossing
the bridge without stopping to feed
or water.
Nebraska Crops-Men and women
are still living in Nebraska who have
seen all these changes. They have
seen all the counties, cities. villages
and farms of Nebraska created They
have seen the number of bushels OF
wheat grown in this state increase
from $4,000 in 1889 when we shipped
our first surplus, to 55,000000 in 1910,
and the number of bushels of corn
from about 100000 in 1859 to over
200 100000 in 1910. Nebraska today
could give every man, woman and
child in the United States two bushels
of corn and one-half bushel of wheat
and still have enough for bread and
seed for the people within our state
The Old Way of Travel and the
New--lnstead OF the Indian souaw
leading pony over dim trail across
the sunbakeG plains 100 years ago,
with the poles of her tepee dragging
at the pony's side; instead Of the
slowly crawling freight wagon with