[The name of Kountze Brothers, bankers, in Omaha, Denver and New York, is well known throughout the country. There are four brothers living -- Augustus, Herman, Luther and Charles B. They are the sons of Christian Kountze who, when a young man, emigrated from Saxony, a German province in Europe, to the United States. Two years after his arrival in this country he married Margaret Zerbe, a native of Pennsylvania, and located in Osnaburg, a small village in Stark county, Ohio, where he engaged

in mercantile pursuits, and continued in business at the same place until his death, a period of about forty years. Christian and Margaret Kountze raised a family of ten children --- five sons and five daughters. Augustus Kountze was born Nov. 19, 1826, and Herman Kountze was born Aug. 21, 1833. All the sons acquired their business training under their father's care. Augustus entered his father's business house at the age of fifteen and continued until 1854, and was the first to leave the old home, going from there to Muscatine, Iowa, the then far West, where he engaged in the real estate business. In the summer of 1855 Omaha was first brought to his notice as a probable coming city, and he came here and made a few investments. Early in the spring of 1856 he returned and made it his home until February, 1872. Herman Kountze commenced business in his father's store at the age of

ten years and remained there until the fall of 1856, when he left home and came direct to Omaha. The younger brothers followed from time to time until all the sons had taken up their homes either in Nebraska or Colorado. William, the fifth brother, came to Nebraska in 1959 and died the same year at Dakota City. Augustus and Herman, having grown up together, have from boyhood had many interests in common. They have continued the business of buying and selling real estate from the time of coming West until the present. In the early days of Nebraska they bought considerable property in the river towns of the State. They had holdings in Brownville, Nebraska City, Tekamah, and Dakota City, Nebraska, and also in Sioux City, Iowa. None of the Missouri river ventures, however, proved profitable except those in Omaha. They also had large holdings in Iowa and

Minnesota lands, and later on invested heavily in Nebraska lands. At a still later period they bought considerable real estate in other places, principally in Chicago and Denver, and also invested in Texas pine and grazing lands. In the fall of 1857, after the great financial panic, real estate became very unsalable, and some of the local banks at Omaha having failed, Augustus and Herman Kountze commenced the banking business under the firm name of Kountze Brothers, and continued as such until 1864. Meantime they organized the First National Bank of Omaha, which was the first bank organized in Nebraska under the National Banking Law. At the time of its organization the late Mr. Edward Creighton was made president of the bank, in which capacity he continued until his death. Herman Kountze was appointed cashier and filled that position for several years; later on he became vice-president and Augustus Kountze was made cashier. Upon the death of Mr. Creighton, Herman Kountze was elected president of the bank and has since remained in that position. In the fall of 1862, Luther Kountze, a younger brother, went to Denver and was soon followed by Charles B. Kountze, who was the last of the boys to leave the old home. Upon arriving in Denver Luther opened a bank under the name of Kountze Brothers, the senior members being Augustus and Herman. In 1866 they organized the Colorado National Bank, of Denver. They have ever since remained in the control and management of that institution, and are prominently connected with other business interests of that city, particularly in the Holden Smelting and Reduction Works, in which they have invested largely. During 1867 Luther Kountze went to New York, and in 1868 opened a banking house in that city under the firm name of Kountze Brothers, of which Augustus and Herman Kountze are the senior members. In 1872 the New York business had grown to such an extent that it became necessary for another member of the firm to be in that city and, accordingly, Augustus Kountze left Omaha and took up his permanent residence in New York, assuming, in connection with Luther, the management of the business in that city, which is still continued under the old firm name and includes the four brothers. Augustus Kountze was married June 14, 1859, to Miss Catharine Ruth, of Hanoverton, Ohio. Herman Kountze was married May 10, 1864, to Miss Elizabeth Davis, the daughter of Mr. Thomas Davis, one of the pioneers of Omaha and Nebraska, but now a resident of Indianapolis. Augustus and

Texas Railway, running from Sabine Pass to the Neches river in Texas, which road has since been merged into the Texas & New Orleans system of roads; the Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western Railway, now a part of the Fitchburg system of roads, which system includes the famous Hoosac Tunnel, Troy & Greenfield, as well as the Troy & Boston, making a continuous line from Boston, Mass., to Troy, New York. Until their consolidation Augustus was president of the B., H. T. & W., and is now a director in the consolidated company. Augustus Kountze was also treasurer, for a number of years, of the then Territory of Nebraska, and was one of the incorporators of the Union Pacific Railroad, as well as one of its early directors, and later on held the appoint-

ment of a United States Government of said railroad Company, and at the time of its location he was largely instrumental in securing for it the right of way and terminal facilities in Omaha. During his residence in Omaha he was engaged in the banking interests of the firm, including those named, with the branches at Central City, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Kountze Memorial Lutheran church, of Omaha, to which he was a most generous contributor, was named in honor of his father. After Augustus went to New York, Herman took the management of the affairs of the firm in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. The new First National Bank building in Omaha, costing, including realty, $300,000, is another monument of their enterprise, and to Herman Kountze largely belongs the credit for its erection. Mr. Herman Kountze has greatly developed the residence portions of the city, having, during the year 1887, laid out one of the finest additions to the city and known as Kountze

of practical apprenticeship and prudent saving, he made a venture in cattle on his own account, and thus laid the foundation for his subsequent great financial success. In 1874 he left Wyoming and came to Omaha, and has since continuously resided here. He retained his cattle interests in Wyoming, individually, until 1883, when he merged them in the Bay State Live Stock Company, in which he is a stockholder, and whose herds now number 100,000 head. Clear as to the future, Mr. McShane saw what Omaha might become, and with the energy, quick decision and strong determination for which he is noted, he soon became one of Omaha's most prominent and successful business men, always among the foremost to engage in any project for the development of

the city's resources and the promotion of its general welfare. In 1879 the Omaha Nail Works were established, Mr. McShane being a stockholder in the company and a director, and this important manufactory for several years contributed much to the business of Omaha, and gave employment to a large number of workmen. He was one of the promoters of the Union Stock Yards at South Omaha, and was elected president of the company, which office he still holds. This movement has proved to be in important factor in Omaha's prosperity, being the foundation of its great cattle trade and packing business, which are constantly increasing, and are destined in a few years to surpass in volume those of any other western city. In directing attention to Omaha's advantages as a cattle

RESIDENCE OF HON. JOHN A. M'SHANE.

market and packing point, Mr. McShane has been especially active, and he has been instrumental in the removal of a considerable portion of the packing business of Chicago to South Omaha. He was one of the promoters of the South Omaha Land Syndicate, and is a director in the organization. He helped to organize the Union Stock Yards Bank in South Omaha, and is president of the institution; he is also a stockholder and director in the First National Bank of Omaha. Outside of these various enterprises his attention is devoted to the care of his large real estate interests in Omaha. In 1880 Mr. McShane was elected to the lower house of the State Legislature from Omaha for two years. In 1882 he was elected to the State Senate for two years from the Senatorial District of which