I. Accidents
Wagon Accidents
1. Marie Gebbhart, an 11-year-old girl, and her 13-year-old brother,
Fred, were given the responsibility of driving a springboard wagon from
their ranch near Broken Bow to Kearney to buy groceries and an 8" x 8"
timber, 16 feet long, to be used in a hay sweep.
Returning home, they went north from Kearney
to the South Loup River and then northwest up through Pleasant Valley. It
was growing dark and rain had made this faint trail slippery. The wagon
tipped over and broke a wheel.
Fred walked seven miles to the nearest
settler's home to borrow another wagon. A bucket of lard in the groceries
had come open when the wagon tipped. While waiting for her brother, Marie
wiped lard off herself with dried grass and tried to clean up the wreckage.
They eventually arrived home safely.
2. A law suit was brought by a farmer near Odessa against Kearney
Canal and Water supply for failure to maintain a bridge. It gave way
when he was crossing and he, his wife, children and team landed in the
canal. He was asking for $1000 damages.
II. A Follow-up Story
A family in Buffalo county consisted of two grown daughters and three grown
sons. The youngest son was convicted of shooting his father the day
after he signed a will cutting out his wife and all the children except the
youngest daughter.
Now 6 months later this story appeared in the
Kearney Daily Hub –
Something is Wrong in the Make-up of Them.
Everybody knows [the youngest son who] was
sent to the penitentiary last fall for killing his father. Two weeks ago
[one brother] swore out a warrant against [the other] brother, charging that
he feared [this brother] would kill him, do bodily injury, or burn property.
On Friday [The sister who inherited the property] appeared before [the
judge] and swore that [the brother who had gotten the warrant] was striking
his mother when she interceded and [he] struck her in the face.
Something is radically wrong with that family. The old man must have been
all that was claimed of him, and the boys must have inherited all his bad
temper. They should be sat down upon and made to comb their temper before we
have another murder trial. Buffalo County has paid enough costs on account
of th[is] family.
III. Dumping has always been a
problem
--All parties having manure are permitted to haul the same and throw it on
the nearest corner of the Industrial School farm. That is, of course, if it
is not filled with tin cans and other rubbish that would injure a farm. They
are glad to get it on this farm and persons should haul it there as it is as
close as places they usually find. [from the Hub]
IV. The Joke’s On … who?
A Buffalo County resident, while in Kearney,
stopped off at the police court to see friends and swap yarns. The bailiff
was sitting with his legs crossed concentrating on what he was saying. Our
visiting friend slipped up and clamped a ball and chain on the bailiff’s
ankle. Ball and chain were not in use because the key had been lost. They
had to go to a blacksmith to have them cut off. [from the Hub]
V. Odds & Ends
Miller was first called Hancock.
Armada sued the Kearney & Black Hills Rail Road to give them a depot.
One of several boys sent to the Industrial School from New York was released
and a place found for him near Atlanta in Phelps County.
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