Box Butte County, with an area of 1,080 square miles, was organized in 1887. Its population in 1900 was 5,572 and has 49.4 miles of railway. Alliance, the county seat, has a population of 2,535; Hemingford, a population of 133. The surface of Box Butte County embraces about seventy-five per cent of tillable land, about twenty-five being sand hills, much

of which is valuable for pasturage. The soil in the north half of the county is chiefly a black, sandy loam from one to five feet in depth, and in the south half a light, sandy loam from six inches to two feet in depth. The subsoil is a finely broken magnesia limestone, there being clay and sand in some parts. Wells are from twelve to two hundred and fifty feet in depth, and the supply of water is abundant. Stock raising is carried on extensively. The value of land has increased twenty-five per cent during the past five years. There are two flouring and grist mills and five brick-yards are operated. Potatoes, millet, corn and rye are the chief crops raised in the county. Alfalfa is successfully produced. The first settlement in Box Butte County was made by John S. Hughes in 1879 on the Niobrara river. Between the years 1879 and 1884 the county was just one large cattle range, and in 1885 and 1886 settler poured in and nearly every quarter section of available land was taken.

      C. W. BRENNAN was born February 23, 1873 at Bay City, Michigan, where he received his education in the St. James Parochial School. In 1888 he removed with his parents to Lincoln, Nebraska and the next year to Alliance. He took a homestead in Deuel County in 1895 and later began railroading. He is now engaged in the drug business with his brother. Mr. Brennan is a member of the Democratic party and is serving his first term as Treasurer of Box Butte County.

     S. M. SMYSER was born September 1, 1852 in Moultrie County, Illinois. He taught school from 1869 to 1874, read law in an office at Sullivan, Illinois, and was admitted to the bar in 1877, practicing his profession until 1894. He then entered the government land office at Alliance, Nebraska as clerk, remaining there for five and a half years, when he was elected Clerk of Box Butte County. Mr. Smyser has held various other positions.

      D. K. SPACHT is a native of Pennslyavnia, born July 16, 1852 in Berks County. He was educated in an Academy and the Keystone State Normal. He came to Seward County, Nebraska in 1882 and in 1888 located in Box Butte County. He was engaged in clerical work, taught school, was cashier in a bank, was Deputy County Clerk of Box Butte County before he was elected judge. Mr. Spacht was elected on the Independent ticket and is serving his fifth term.

      LEORA RUSTIN was born in Aledo, Illinois, February 6, 1871. Her parents came to Creston, Iowa and then to Omaha, Nebraska when she was yet a child. She was educated in the Omaha High School and the Peru Normal and was married to W. G. Rustin of Omaha. They located at Alliance, but Mr. Rustin died in 1890, leaving her with a family of two daughters. She taught in the Box Butte County schools until elected as a teacher in the Alliance schools. Mrs. Rustin is serving her first term as Superintendent of Box Butte County.

      WILLIAM MITCHELL is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Newport, October 17, 1861, where he graduated from LaFayette College in 1885. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1887 and settled at Alliance in 1888. He is affiliated with the Democratic party and is serving his second term as County Attorney.

      IRA REED was born in Seven Points, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1859. In 1883 he removed to Boone, Iowa. He was educated in the public cshools (sic) and the Academy at Elysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1884 he came to Superior, Nebraska and in 1886 settled in Box Butte County. Mr. Reed is serving his second term as Sheriff of Box Butte County and is a member of the Populist party.

      JOHN P. HAZARD was born in Bone County, Indiana, June 17, 1850 and there became a surveyor and civil engineer. He came to Ainsworth, Nebraska in 1882 and homesteaded in Box Butte County in 1884. He is independent in politics and was justice of the Peace for twelve years. He is now serving his third term as County Surveyor and second term as City Engineer of Alliance. He is also Attorney for the United States Land Office at Alliance.

      A. S. REED was born August 19, 1853 in Chenango County, New York. He was educated in the district schools and New Berlin Academy. He removed to Walworth County, Wisconsin in 1875 and came to Chicosaw County, Iowa the same year. He moved to Sioux City, Iowa in 1882 and in 1885 came to Nebraska. He is Vice President of the First National Bank of Alliance and has been Treasurer of Box Butte County. He was on the first Board of County Commissioners and is the first assessor of Box Butte County.

     J. W. WEHN is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Johnstown, August 21,

1849. He was educated in the public schools of Johnstown and in the Commercial College at Pittsburg, and came to Nebraska in 1867. He established the first Democratic paper south of the Platte and west of the Missouri river towns, in 1874. Mr. Wehn is engaged in banking and was Register of the Land Office at Alliance from 1894 to 1898, having been appointed by President Cleveland. He is one of the County Commissioners.

      GEORGE W. LOER was born in Henry County, Indiana, January 9, 1847. He received his education in the common schools and served for over one year in Company B of the Thirty-third Indiana infantry during the Civil War. From Indiana he went to Iowa and settled in Nebraska in 1887. He was a member of the Board of County Supervisors of Kearney County and has been County Commissioner of Box Butte County for five years. He is a member of the Populist party.

      JAMES KEELER was born August 15, 1869 in Syracuse, New York. In 1887 the family removed to Colorado and before settling at Alliance had lived in Sheridan County, Nebraska and the Black Hills. His father homesteaded in Sheridan County in 1894 and is still living there. Mr. Keeler took a homestead in Sheridan County in 1896. He is a liveryman and is the Deputy Sheriff of Box Butte County.

      L. W. BOWMAN is a native of Indiana. born in Thornton, July 28, 1858 and ten years later his parents moved to eastern Nebraska. Educated at Stanton, Nebraska, he graduated from the medical department of the Iowa State University in 1886. Locating at Hay Springs, Nebraska until 1895, he then came to Alliance. He took a post-graduate course in Chicago in 1900. Mr. Bowman is Mayor of Alliance.

      W. H. BARTZ is a Pennsylvanian, having been born February 29, 1856 in Pittsburg. His parents moved to Mercer County, Pennsylvania in 1861, where he attended the State Normal and Grove City College, receiving the degree of A. B. from both of the institutions. He was married in 1879 to Miss Jennie S. Foy of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, to whom was born one daughter. On account of poor health, Mr. Bartz travelled in Michigan and Missouri. He has been Principal of the Bradshaw, Grafton and Ravenna schools and four years ago was chosen Principal of the Alliance schools. He is now Principal of the Junior State Normal located at Alliance.

      Seventy per cent of the surface of Brown county is untillable, chiefly on account of sand and the rough lands bordering on the creeks. The tillable soil, which is a dark, sandy loam from two to five feet in depth, comprises the remaining thirty per cent of the land surface. The scenery in the northern part of the county is somewhat celebrated. Good drainage is furnished by the Niobrara, and its tributaries, the Long Pine, Sand, Bone and Plum Creeks, and by the Calamus river; there are several lakes in the section, of which Moon lake is the largest. Flowing wells from fifty to one hundred and fifty feet in depth are numerous; other wells are from ten to two hundred feet in depth and there is an inexhaustible supply of water. Small grain and potatoes are the principal farm products, and hardy apples and all kinds of small fruits do well. Cattle and sheep are fed on the range. The value of land has increased fifty per cent since 1897 and sells at from $2.00 to $15.00 per acre. The county was organized in 1883 and has an area of 1,061 square miles. The county seat is Ainsworth and it has a population of 605 inhabitants. Long Pine and Johnstown are the only other towns of any importance. Long Pine has 486 inhabitants and Johnstown has 120. The population of the county numbers 3,470. There are six flouring and grist mills. in the county and it has 28.59 miles of railway.

      JOHN LAMPERT is a native of Black Creek, Wisconsin, born March 27, 1869. In 1885 he came to Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, is a graduate of the Fremont Normal College and engaged in farming in Brown County in 1893, where he has since lived with the exception of two years spent on the coast. In 1894 he married Miss Grace Castleman and they have one daughter. He has been elected Sheriff on the Republican ticket.

     WILLIAM M. ELY was born in Marion, New York, September 21, 1875 and came to Nebraska with his parents when fifteen years old. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, class of 1900, having taken both the Academic and Law Courses. He has been