Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-23
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~ Victor Bosewatsr.

lam Sulzer, the former having been once governor
of Indiana by election as republican, and the lat
ter having been governor OF New York as typi-
cal Tammany democrat OF course nomination
on the prohibition ticket this year, as in other
years, is for advertising purposes only, but it
is supposed to add to the prestige and stimulate
the demand for the man as public speaker.
Governor Hanly is the orator referred to in
my convention "reminiscences not long ago in
connection with his speech putting Fairbanks in,
convention of 1908, when his characteristic ges-
ture of bringing his palms together to emphasize
the point was caught up by the assembled multi
tude for resounding smack throughout the
Coliseum every time he capped his hands, with
disastrous results to his composure and equa-
nimity. Governor Hanly has been out here ehau-
talking, and is an engaging personality. On his
last visit, Frank Gaines had him as his guest at
luncheon, their acquaintance dating back to
when they were boys together in Illinois. / be-
ly's dry record is not a new acquisition.
Not so, however with Governor Sulzer who,
too has been a visitor to Omaha and spoken
here at banquets which were the wettest of the
wet. ! remember one in particular at which he
was the star performer for democratic feast
given at the Paxton hotel, where prediction that
the headliner Of the evening would some day as
pire to be the prohibition standard-bearer would
have created near-riot. / first heard Sulzer
crate when happened to be in New York as a
boy at college, and he was running on the Tam
many ticket for assemblyman for his legislative
district Even then he affected to look like
Henry Clay, whom he outwardly much resembles
If one can Judge by the pictures. The last time
talked to him he had just been elected governor
of New York and he gave me cordial invitation
to stop off at Albany and visit him.
The fact that Nebraska is to vote this year on
prohibition amendment may make our state look
like good campaigning ground for the prohibition
spell-binders, and it will not be surprising If we
have both Hanly and Suzer "in our midst be-
fore It is over.
The iftieth anniversary of the driving of the
golden spike is to be suitably COMMUNICATED
with celebration reaching all the way from
Omaha to San Francisco and centcring at Salt
Lake City, If plans In preparation are carried
through, and the first step has been taken by the
the event. While the driving Of the golden spike
marked the completion Of the first great trans
continental railroad, II was no more important,
in fact less important, than the original breaking
Of the ground which took place in Omaha in De-
cember, 1868, and which should have had a semi
centennial anniversary observance here three
years ago. The pages Of history unfortunately
cannot be turned back, but~I want to record It
here that tried at the time to naugurate move
ment for grand celebration of that ffty-year
date, and outlined program in detail for par
ticipaton by state and city governments and our
local civic and commercial organizations, in which
endeavored to interest the responsible people in
the Union Pacific, naturally the chief beneficiary
Of anything attracting nationwide attention to
that road Gerrit Fort, in charge Of the passenger
department, caught the point at once and seemed
enthusiastic for it, and President Mohler also
promised helping hand, but the interest Of the
Union Pacific soon suffered sudden collapse
which, was told, was due to the cold reception
accorded the suggestion by Chairman Lovett of
the executive board, who was the real boss, with
0t,t yb1sA nrAsa IL L,r4 t..
. go. So the semi-centennial of the ground
breaking, the tangible beginning of this wonder
full achievement in railroad engineering and con-
struction, which has revolutionized transporta-
ton in vast empire, thus opened up to settle
ment, passed by with no special attention except
newspapers that reviewed the epochal occasion
for the information of their readers.
Norman Wait Harris, the big Chicago hnancier
who died few days ago. counted friends all
through this section, with many of whose pioneers
he was closely associated in his numerous actvi-
ties. Although plain spoken and plain living
man, his special study was genealogy, and he was
convinced he was able to trace a direct lineai
descent to Emperor Charlcmagne. I met Mr.
Harris several times and once the conversation
had reference to that subject and find the
facts, as he had gathered them with great re-
search and care set out in his biography. 1t was
| Charlemagne who, starting OUT as king Of the
Franks, captured the title OF Roman emperor as
an additional ornament and claimed to be ruler Of
all humankind, and by his wife, Hildegarde,
founded this dynasty that is still going on and
after translation to America had in Mr.. Harris a
representative in the thirtyninth generation. His
record notes, also, descent in the twenty-sixth
generation from Countess Adelicia, the Fair
Maid of Brabant, daughter Of Godfrey l. who
married Henry |, king of>England, and whose
second husband was William dAlbini, second
earl of Sussex and Arundel; and also descent Of
the seventh generation from Thomas Harris Of
England, who settled in Massachusetts, Bay col
I ony in 1880 The late Mr.. Harris was intensely
tian association, to which he contributed gener-
ously. am not sure that he is on the list of
patrons of our Omaha Young Mems Christian
association, but it is my impression that he helped
this institution out in the early days when P. C.
Hmebaugh was its sponsor.
The Panama Pacific exposition has issued
handsomely gottcn-up book which is called THE
Legacy of the Exposition" and explained as ''the
tage left to mankind by the world celebration at
San Francisco in 1915" 1t is compilation of
epitomized expressions by various distinguished
visitors and guests their testimonials to the fair
and its accompanying congresses and what they
achieved 1t is indeed very suggestive souvenir
and makes one wish that some such volume had
been prepared and published for our Omaha ex-
position, which could easily have spread out
equally as many bouquets and compliments
passed by men and women whose verdicts carry
weight. The legacy of our Omaha exposition
however, was the unexampled record that added
to it's artistic success financial success measured
by the return to the stockholders of ninety per
cent Of their subscriptions-which is legacy
that speaks for itself.