Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-06
title Journeys to Kpafaby Towns
NJ BY edward Black Q
BY EDWARD BLACK.

blall, the scat OF washington
county, is a model of the thriving
western town, which has outgrown
provincialism nd yet has not at
tanned metropolitanism. The inter-
tests of Washington county and
Blair are so closely interviewer
that it would not be doing justice
to either to mention one without
the other. When this war Shall have
been concluded, and men and wo-
men have returned to their normal
pursuits of life, liberty and happi.
ness, Washington county will be i'll
the vanguard of those communities
which will put their best foot for
ward in meeting the big problems
of the future. And one of these
problems will be the increase of the
food-production possibilities of the
fertile plains and valleys of the
great west.
Washington county was one Of
eight original counties of Nebraska
when the territorial state govern
ment was organized in 1854, Thomas
Cunning of Iowa being the acting
governor. The original county seat
was Fort Calhoun, later it was at
DeSoto, again at Fort Calhoun
and eventually taken to Blair. This
county, named after the man who
was First in peace, first in war
and first in the hearts of his coun-
trymen," contains 400 square miles
of land. There are nearly 1000 i'm
proved farms in the county, more
than $4,000 population, and an es-
timated farm land valuation of more
than $30,000,000. No farm is more
than five miles from a business CEN
ter or a market. The county has
public school system, valued at
100000, with 3,l39 boys and girls
being taught to be useful and loyal
American citizens.
Blair, the hub of Washington
county, is contradiction Of a more
or less general belief that one
must necessarily go to a metropolis
to experience the better things of
life, the things of cultural value, and
up-to-dateness.
Optimistic Spirit of the Town.
We stepped from an early train
on recent September morn and be-
held the pretty town Of Blair, with
lanes of trees and every indication
of prosperity and thrift. The first
sounds to greet our ears were the
vocal efforts Of workman, who
was etching into a tombstone the
name of some lately lamented citi-
zen. He sang as he worked and that
optimistic spirit seemed to be char
acteristic of the place.
is. Roberts, the mayor. was in
his office at a poultry and commits
sion house near the depot. He
quickly dismissed any preconceived
notion of meeting a rubber-stamp,
easy-chair executive. He averred
that Blair has more than 81 reasons
why it is the best town Of its size
in Nebraska. Canning factory. horse
collar plant, vinegar industry, and a
spark plug plant were among the
industrial assets mentioned. The in
creasing use of the automobile in
Washington county has not caused
neutrality-suspicious. at the horse
colla' plant, but there seems to be
no danger that that industry will be
choked to death by competition.
The town has 5000 Hooper cent
Americans, large college and
publishing house under Danish au-
spices, Carnegie library, municipal
light and power plant, municipal
water system with 100000 gallon
daily capacity, modern court house,
fine city hall with auditorium,
Crowell Home for Old People,
eleven religious denominations,
sewer system, and, last but not
least, Butch" Cook. the champion
horse shoe pitcher of Nebraska.
The town of Blair was incor-
porated in 1869, the personnel of the
first board of trustees being: F. H.
Longley, NJ. D. A. Reed, ]. H. Post,
c. B. Herman and NJ. V. Wilson;
John l. Blair, for whom the town
was named, extended the Sioux City
& Pacific railroad through Washing
ton and Dodge counties to Fremont
in 1868.
Wartime Women Making Records.
Blair is a community of women
who are making records in war &C
Invites as we'll as in everyday af-
fairs which make for better citizen
ship and better living. We went,
into the telephone exchange to meet
Mrs. Mead Of the Red Cross work.
On a wall OF her office was pla-
card, which read: america for
Americans. Speak the language of
America. If you don't know it,
learn it." Mrs. Mead explained that
N. T. Lund, county superintendent
>S .,Loots ard rb,;ro1sa of the