davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Republican journal., 1918-02-14
Blessings On 1t.

How dear to this heart is the ker'sene oil
heater
Which keeps the room warm when the
coal has run low,
For grinding out heat there is nothing
can beat 'er,
Though the odor's not all we cou'c wsa
as you know.
Portland Pres.
The Republican journal., 1918-02-14

ADMINISTRATORS NOTICE. The sub
scriber hereby gives notice that she has been
duly appointed Administrative of the estate OF
EDWARD B. BILLINGS, late of Lynn,
Massach usetts, deceased, and given bonds as
the law directs. All persons having demands
against the estate of said deceased are desir-
ed to present the same for settlement, and all
indebted thereto are requested to make pay
ment Immediately to my authorized agent
Fred R Poor, Belfast, Me.
DELPHINE P. N. BILLINGS
Lynn, Mass, January 1Ss. 918I
The Republican journal., 1918-02-14

WALDO SIS. In Court of Probate, held at
Belfast, in vacation, on this 22nd day of Janu-
ary, 1918 Robert F. punton. executor of the
will of Aurilla Baker, late of Belfast, IN said
County, deceased, having presented his second
and final account of administration of said es-
tate for allow ance.
Ordered that notice thereof be given, three
weeks successfully, in The Republican Jour
nal, a newspaper published in Belfast in said
County, that all persons interested may attend
at a Probate Court, to be held at Belfast. on
the 18th day of February next, and show
ccuse. if any they have, why the said account
should not be allowed.
ELLERY BOWDEN, Judge.
A true copy Attest:
CHAs. E. JOHNSON, Register.
The Republican journal., 1918-02-14

WALDO SIS. In Court of Probate, held at
Belfast, in vacation, on the 18th day OF Janu"
airy, 1918, John HI Montgomery, admlnlstra-
tor on the estate of Helen Houston, late OF
Belfast, in said County, deceased. having re
scented his first and final account of admins
tration of said estate for allowance.
Ordered, that notice thereof be given, three
weeks successfully, in The Republican jour
nal, newspaper published in Belfast, IN SAID
County, that all persons interested may attend
at Probate Court to be held at Belfast, On
the 18th day of February next. and snow
cause, if any they nave. why the SAID account
should not be allowed.
ELLERY BOW DEN. Judge.
A true copy. Attest:
CBAS L. JOHNSON. Register
The Republican journal., 1918-02-14


AT Probate Court neu e, Belfast. within and
for the County of aldo, III vacation, on the
loIn Ga! OF January a. u. 1910
JOHN H, MONTGOMERY Of Bucksptr TT. IN
the county of Hancock. administrator OF the
estate Of Helen K. Houston, late OF Belfast, in
said County of Waldo deceased, having pre-
scented petition praying that the actuai mar
ket value Of the prope ~ Of SAID deceasec,
oW IN his hands, subject 20 me payment Oh
the collateral inheritar &c lax. the persons in
terested IN the succession thereto ana 'hS
amount OF the tax thereto may be determined
The Republican journal., 1918-02-14

This bust statue of Elihu Root con-
sidered remarkable likeness of the
former senator from New York, has
been presented to the Pun-American
Union by group of friends, headed
by Charles H. Sheriff. of New York. 1t
IS the work of c. S. Piepro.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10
Decatur

| John A. MacMurphy wrote these
lines of Decatur:
Among the characters who
figured in the early history of Ne
braska, and served to give force
and piquancy to its frontier days,
was one calling himself Stephen De-
catur, and as he claimed to be
nephew of the old original Commo-
dore Decatur, the title of 'commo-
dore' was tackled to his name. As
Commodore Decatur he cut wide
swath at times. He claimed to have
come here from Jackson county,
Missouri, and to have served in the
Mexican war with Donovan's famous
Missouri regiment, and I think this
was true. About the first that was
known Of him here, he was one
OF Sarpy's employees at the old
trading post. and afterwards at
Bellevue. He could speak the Ian
guages of the Omahas, Poncas, Pot
Itawattamies and Sioux.
A story has been told, that while
Decatur was secluding himself in
the Colorado mountains, Horace
Greeley, Vice President Schuyler
Colfax and William Bross, then head
of the Chicago Tribune, were on
continental journey. when Bross ex-
pressed his intentions of endeavor-
ing to locate long-lost brother.
Bross is said to have told his COM
panions that he had traced the
brother several times and that he
believed the brother was hermit.
The meeting between Bross and De-
catur has been recorded as not al
together satisfactory to the former,
but after that occasion the identity
of Decatur was generally accepted
as being Stephen Decatur Bross,
brother of the distinguished man
from Illinois.
Decatur Saved Neil.
Decatur played heroic role on
the occasion of the fatal stabbing
of Tecumseh Fontenelle by his
brother in-law, Louis Neil. who
married Susan Fontenelle. Tecum-
sch and Susan were brother and
sister of Chief Logan Fontenelle.
Neil and his wife at the time were
living on the half-breed reservation
along the Nemaha river, and had
been invited to visit Tecumseh at
the reservation of the Omahas,
north of Decatur. A previous es-
/ arrangement between Tecumseh and
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10

driving, to give it human touch)
and Hindenburg in the back seat
holding the pursuing rebels at bay
with machine gun in each hand.
What a chance
Why, the News fell down some
thing awful!
Also they had the submarine COM
manders for material.
ALLIESaHANG 800
U-BOAT COMMANDERS
Row of Scaffolds p Miles Long
Required for Wholesale
Executions.
The people would have ate that
up no matter whether it came by
United Press or via the Ouija
Board. That story alone would have
sold 10000 extra papers.
And the American troops.
They could have had Pershing
crossing the Rhine just as Washing
ton crossed the Delaware. They
could have captured Metz as minor
detail with one crisp sentence.
They could have put down the boil
sheviki on Monday; made the sui
tan commit suicide on Tuesday;
buried the kaiser, or what was left
of him after that horrible blast, re-
remember?-on Wednesday; brought
him to life again on Thursday by
printing that it wasn't the kaiser at
all on that train but dummy, and
then they could have gone to it for
"a week hunting down and killing the
real kaiser, who was somewhere in
hiding for his life.
No, there is no use arguing; the
News quit cold on its great United
Press-Ouija board scoop"
1t had a great chance and it bum
gled it.
But for what it DID do it is 60
ing to find it pretty much uphill
work to make peace with the public.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10

and the terror and detestation of
others" is quoted reference to this
famous chief. The Omahas gained
their greatest renown and prosper
ity during his chieftaincy. Of him
it might have been written, IF any
body wants to know who is boss
around here, just start something"
Blackbird was the first chief of the
Omahas to enter into treaty nego-
tiations with the government of
Spain. The first treaty between this
chief and the Spanish governor gen.
eral of Louisiana was signed at
New Orleans May II, 1896, the orig
inal document being in the posses
sion of the Nebraska State Histor-
ical society.
One day the Poncas started some
thing and to their sorrow
learned that Blackbird was boss.
Realizing defeat, the Ponca chief
dispatched herald, bearing the cal
umet, the pipe of peace. They did
not write peace notes in those days.
Instead Of accepting the pipe and
smoking it to express a desire for
peace, Blackbird ordered the herald
shot. Another herald met the same
fate. Then the Ponca chief sent
forth his beautiful daughter, ar
rayed in bewitching garments. That
touched the romantic nature of the
stern warrior, who established the
Ponca maiden as his favorite wife.
Buried on Blackbird Hill.
When Blackbird realized that the
end of his earthly journey was near,
he requested his attendants to bury
him on the hill which bears his
name. The Omahas bore his body
from the reservation to Decatur and
with impressive ceremonies buried
him astride of his favorite white
horse. A description of that men,
orable event relates that with the
chief were buried his shield and
culver and tobacco pouch with a
plentiful supply, his flint and steel,
and many scalps he had taken from
his victims. He was in the full dress
of a chief, with eagle plumes and
the banner of his rank. For years
the Indians observed the custom of
placing food and drink at the grave,
that the warrior might have susie
nance ia the happy hunting ground.
Blackbird was succeeded by Big
Elk, who was buried on Elk hill,
the present site Of Bellevue college.
One of the residents of Decatur
is Eugene Fontenelle, nephew of
Chief Logan Fontenelle and son OF
Henry Fontenelle.
Paul DeMilt Local Character.
One of the local characters is A.
Paul DeMilt, who married his sec
ond cousin, Emily, a daughter of
Henry Fontenelle, DeMilt is a
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10

tionists are shooting iron crosses
out of cannons at the fleeing ex-
king of Prussia.
1t would not have been necessary
to state that the former kaiser had
reached any destination. This pre-
caution would leave the way clear
for night extra stating that he had
been killed when his train was
blown to atoms within two and a
half miles of the Switzerland from
tier and safety.
Chance for Winter.
A smart young reporter in the
News office could have done some
splendid descriptive writing on this
feature. The speeding train-the
kaiser standing with the empress
in his arms on the observation
platform-the engineer straining
every nerve-eight fremen CORNER
servants in the palace of Pots
damn shoveling in the coal-the
great columns of black smoke
marching across the sky in the
trains wake-the bursting shells
the frontier in the near distance
with a few ex-barons standing with
outstretched arms waiting to re-
ceive the deposed ruler-and then
the blast!
The News missed chance there
On Saturday it could have shaken
up its Ouija board and taken diff
ferent tack.
7s9 TRUCKS REQUIRED TO
HAUL FIRST INSTALLMENT
OF GERMAN INDEMNITY TO
ALLIED BANKS.
Then they could have told how
far the vast sum would reach if put
into thousand dollar bills and
stretched out, and how many times
larger than the Washington monu-
ment is would be if piled UP in
twenty-dollar gold pieces.
In the afternoon they could have
put it on a ship and for rousing
night extra have sunk the vessel
TREASURE SHIP SUNK!
would have made striking extra
and would have sounded good called
by newsies in the residence section.
What About Hindy?
Also they had the Crown Prince
and Hindenburg and all the rest
of the military autocrats to fall
back on.
Why, just think of it!
They could have hung the Crown
Prince to the statue of Bismarck
in Berlin; thrown Ludendorff into a
deep, dark, smelly, dungeon; staged
a wild automobile race for the Hol-
land frontier with two of the
kaiser's sons in the front seat Zone
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10
little @enrne4s 70 MaaSkA Towns
M BY edward Black 9 Deco+,,r
N BY Edward Black o

Decatur ranks foremost among
Nebraska towns having wealth of
history, and yet it may in truth be
stated that it is one of the least
known hereabouts, probably because
it is not on a railroad line.
Located in the northeast corner
of Burt county, nearly 90 miles up
river from Omaha, it continues to
move and have its being without
rail transportation, although it has
had many rail lines on paper. The
sound of a locomotive whistle has
never been heard in the town, but
that is another story.
This town takes its place in Ne
braska history chiefly on account
Of the burial place of Chief Black
bird, on Blackbird hill; also on &C
count of Commodore Stephen De-
catur, an unique character of the
early days, whose name the COM
munity adopted more than 90 years
ago.
Founded So Years Ago.
Decatur was established in 1855
by the Decatur Town and Ferry
company, among whose members
were Peter A. Sarpy, Ben R. Fol-
som, Stephen Decatur and w. B.
Beck. During 1857 the Porter
house opened its doors as the first
hostelry and in that year Peter
Sarpy, c. Lambert, John Chase, DR..
Homer, DR.. McDougal and Brown
& Co. announced their readiness to
traffic in merchandise or render their
professional services. Sarpy already
had been identified with the business
life of Bellevue. The first birth rec
ord was of marguerite Decatur
Wilson and the first deceased was
John Gardner. Capt. S. 7. Leaning
was the first mayor. Lambert was
associated with Kit Carson, famous
scout who guided the Fremont ex-
ploring expedition.
Could Have Had Railroad.
This town could have had rail-
road if it would have accepted a
stub line AZ years ago, from Teka-
nah. but it has been waiting for an
east and west trunk line from Iowa
and is willing to wait until it gets
what it wants. Business is going
on as usual with steamboats, on the
Missouri and automobile lines be.
tween Tekamah. Sixty years age
Stephen Decatur had survey made
.for. a railroad Gus.-at-a-tims when
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10
America Ending the War,
Writes an English Woman

In a letter to her cousin, Mrs. J.
]. Murphy, 507 North Forty-frst
street, Mrs. Mary Foley of
Cheshire, England, a munition
worker, pays high tribute to the
Americans. This Englishwoman is
an acetylene welder, making the
bodies of aerial bombs. Following
the death of her brother, killed in
action, Mrs. Foley enlisted in the
service of her country. Speaking
of the Americans, she says:
Anyway, it's all true, only we
can never do the Americans enough
justice for what they are doing for
us. l cannot speak too highly of
them. They are surely ending the
war for us, the papers are full of
President Wilson and say he has
Germany in the hollow of his hand.
God bless him, and good luck to
him. l was talking to soldier over
from France and he said if the
Americans had not come in we
would have been driven out of
France, as Our men we're retreating
80 miles a day, leaving everything
behind them. He says that they
have done some good work and he
said such fine chaps. Everyone is
excited today, they say its almost
over. Everyone you meet is too
full for words and bursts out crying
when they try to talk of it. What
would we have done if the Ameri-
cans had not come. God knows!
II have so much faith in t he
Americans; ever since they came I
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10

had the feeling they would soon
end it. Now everyone is praying,
expecting the end, so l pray God
will see justice done and end it
quick. I am glad you got the pic
ture of us at work; | thought the
censor would not let it pass.
my eyes are all right, don't feel
any effect of the work and they
like my work here; if there is any
special job, they get me to do it.
The bombs we make are $50 pounds,
and we made new sort this week.
A sample of II Of these weigh $50
pounds each. There was only the
charge hand on them, being a
sample they got me to help and
welded round eight of the bodies
of the bombs. They stand higher
than myself when finished, have
four wings at one end, Should one
drop on the kaiser He wouldn' t
have any hair left for the soldiers
to get lock of when they reach
him"
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10

this commonwealth had a great and
glorious future, but that line did not
materialize. When the first pas
senger train steamed into Tekamah
on August 80, 1876, Decatur might
have joined in the celebration which
thrilled Burt county. The town has
been heard of more or less during
the last few years in connection
with steamboat traffic being deve1-
oped with the port of Omaha. Ship
ments have been made between De-
catur and Omaha by boat and until
somebody feels inclined to give De-
catur a trunk rail line, water trans
portation and automobiles will suf-
fee. Forty odd years ago railroad
officials went from Omaha to De-
catur to importune the citizens to
vote for an extension, but the east
and-west propagandists waged a
successful campaign against Deca-
tur being made a stub line station.
They wanted a trunk line or moth
ing. They received the latter.
Commodore Stephen Decatur.
The name>of Commodore Stephen
Decatur stands out in bold relief in
Nebraska history. For a time he
had charge of the Sarpy trading post
in Bellevue, where he read a burial
service over the body of Chief
Logan Fontenelle of the Omahas.
His early meanderings in this coun-
try were attended by mystery, but
it was later determined that his
name was Stephen Decatur Bross,
brother. of Lieutenant Governor
Bross of Illinois, who was proprietor
of the Chicago Tribune. Decatur
married the widow of Mr.. Thomp-
son, who had been editor of "The
Bugle," in Council Bluffs. During
the summer of 1857 he took his wife
and her three children to Decatu,
where he settled on "Decatur's
Claim" still known as "Decatur's
Springs" He went to Colorado
during the gold rush in 1859, served
in the civil war, and then published
THE Mirror" in Georgetown, Colo.
He served as commissioner from
Colorado at the Centennial exposi-
ton. Philadelphia, where he was one
of the striking characters, being fol-
lowed by curious crowds wherever
he went. He lived many years
alone in a cabin which he erected
in a wild spot, dying in Colorado
Lin 1880. at the, age of so
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10

wrote that he expected to pass
over Omaha on his flight He re-
Gently made a daylight flight from
Chicago to New York. He de-
scribed the flight in a letter to his
mother, a copy of which was -lnt
to Mr.. Thomas. In the letter he
wrote:
"On the morning of September
10th I went to Grant park to get
ready for my trip. A steady down.
pour of rain, clouds and gloom was
all that welcomed me in the sky,
but my determination to eat sup
per in New York could not be b.
cred with weather condi.: ms, SO at
6:25 a. m. l was New York bound.
Rain and clouds were so dense that
I would lose sight of the ground
at 400 feet of altitude. l headed
across lower Lake Michigan directly
for Gray, Ind, with a head wind of
p miles an hour.
Flies Above Storm.
From there | flew compass
course of 1914 deg ~ees which landed
me at Bryan, Ohio, at 8:45. Took
on SO gallons gas and 9 quarts oil.
Left Bryan at 9:26. Still raining,
heavy haze and fog. Climbed to an
altitude of 1890 feet and flew d.
rect compass course of 90 degrees.
After flying for an hour and 80
minutes in sunshine above the
storm, I came down to get my
bearings and was on the shore of
Lake Erie, directly on my course.
Landed at Cleveland at ll:l6. Had
lunch, took on gas and oil. We
were delayed one hour and 81 min
utes getting filled up with gas. Left
Cleveland at LIP, clouds breaking
and clear weather ahead
Arrives Over New York.
Left Lock Haven at 5:45, clear
sky, and flew compass course of
l04 degrees over mountain ranges
and beautiful levees. Flew two
hours, when dusk set in. Checking
myself on the map, l was directly
over Jersey City, and Rel.lont not
more than 20 minutes on my way.
By this time New York was
lighted up and a most wonderful
sight. New York at my right and
back, Belmont should be close, but
all lights looked alike. By this time
it was s o'clock and pitch dark. My
next thoughts were of Mineola Fly.
ing field.
Il picked a field that looked cleaf
of trees and buildings. Could not
tell condition of field, whether it
was level or stone quarry. ! came
down to a level with the tree tops
started to level, when | felt
crash, my landing gear gone. Bodied
on the ground with fusilage until
over on my back l went at SIP p.
M, with a record run of 7 hours
and 46 minutes, flying time. the only
ship flown through in one day from
Chicago to New York. But l can
say it is an unpleasant place to be,
over New York, unfamiliar with
landing places and pitch dark. But
! felt that all should profit by my
experience. and every hangar and
flying field in the United States
should be equipped with star rock
cts and signal fights for an emer.
gency such as / was in.
"EpWARQ Y. GARQS7ne
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-10

Neil had been settled by the ex-
change of presents, according to the
Indian custom. They drove from
the reservation to Decatur. where
they drank to excess, returning to
their homes in quarrelsome mood
Arriving at the tent of his host, Neil
was attacked by Tecumseh and
probably would have been killed if
Susan had not poured hot grease
from a pan over the back of her
brother. Neil then inflicted a fatal
wound on Tecumseh, was hurried to
Decatur by friends, and was fo..-
lowed by the enraged Omahas. Wise
heads persuaded the Indians to sus-
pend judgement until Decatur could
be summoned. The commodore
saved the situation by promising the
Indians that Neil would be taken to
Omaha, delivered over to the Indian
agent and tried according to the
white mans law.
Decatur adjudicated many dis
putes among the Indians, his con-
nection with Sarpy giving him add
ed prestige. He had a dignfed per-
sonality, a short, commanding fig
ure and flashing eyes deeply set be-
meath unusually long eyebrows. He
affected picturesque manner Of
dress which harmonized with his
physical characteristics.
Blackbird Hill.
The chief point of historical in
terest near Decatur is Blackbird hill,
commanding prominence which
offers a view of many miles along
the river. Upon this hill, Black
bird, chief of the Omahas, watched
for the Spanish and French traders
who came from the south in their
boats laden with wares. He died in
1900, victim of smallpox, and was
buried on this hill, which has been
visited by many prominent men of
the nation. In 1882, Catlin, famed
as traveller and painter, dug into a
gopher hill while visiting this his
toric spot and found the skull of
Blackbird. When he returned to
Washington he placed the skull in
the Smithsonian institute, where
it found a permanent resting place.
Audubon, in l843, visited the hill
and referred to it in his memoirs.
Chief Blackbird is said to have
been the first Nebraska Indian
whose name is known to the whites.
His tribal name was Washinga sab
ba and he has been referred to as a
brave, skillful warrior who welded
an uncanny influence over his peo-
pie. 1t has been said of him that
he was invincible and diabolical,
credited with many exploits in bat
tie and believed by the Indians to
have been possessed of prescience.
The. pride and boast Of his tribe