braska. Two years after its origin a railroad was built through the county. For two years the pioneers were almost overcome by hard times. In 1855 a long drouth occurred, during which the surface was broken by large fissures, some of which were three feet deep and four inches wide. The summer drouth was followed by a winter of storms and deep snow. The settlers depended on Omaha and Council Bluffs for supplies, and since access to these places was for a long time cut off, they almost perished with cold and hunger. A considerable amount of sandstone is found at Tekamah and Decatur. Limestone and clay for brick making are also found in the northern part.

      H. H. BASLER, County Judge, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 14,1867. He came to Nebraska in 1868, his father homesteading in Dodge County. He acquired his education at Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, and took the Sprague Correspondence School law course. Also studied law under McGrary & Brown of Indianola, Iowa. Mr. Basler taught school, was Principal at Palmyra, Iowa, edited and published the Lyons Sun for three years, was manager of the Farmer's Grain & Stock Company at Hooper two years, bookkeeper three years, and has served as chaplain of the Nebraska Division of the Sons of Veterans.

      G. A. IRELAND, Clerk of District Court, was born in Champaign, Illinois, March 11, 1871. W. L. Ireland, his father, came to Nebraska in 1875. The family went to Gosper County, where Mr. Ireland, senior, followed his trade of plasterer, later going to Saunders County. In 1878 the family settled in Burt County where Mr. Ireland was educated and afterwards appointed Postmaster of Craig. He has been elected Clerk of the District Court as the choice of the Republican party.

      EMMETT I. ELLIS, County Treasurer, was born and brought up in Burt County. J. T. Ellis, his father, came to Nebraska in the pioneer days, about 1860. He was a carpenter by trade and built some of the first houses in Omaha. Mr. Ellis was born in 1876 and graduated from the Tekamah High School. Then he went into the First National Bank and became Assistant Cashier. He has been af-

filiated with the Republican party and was appointed Deputy County Treasurer under J. F. Piper in 1896.

      EUGENE BROOKINGS was born in Tekamah, February 10, 1875, son of G. P. Brookings, who was one of the early settlers of Burt County. Mr. Brookings acquired his education in Tekamah, graduating from the High School and later attended the Nebraska Normal and graduated from the University of Nebraska, class of 1902. He is a member of the Republican party and has been elected to a second term as County Superintendent.

      C. G. CLARK, County Clerk, was born in Cadiz, Ohio, July 10, 1860. He came to Craig, Nebraska, in 1882 and has made his residence there ever since. He received his education in Hopedale Normal, Ohio. His eldest son, Harry K. Clark, is Deputy Clerk and his daughter is Assistant Deputy. Mr. Clark's father was a member of the Ohio Legislature in 1861 and 1862. Mr. Clark has been Township Clerk and Justice of the Peace and is a Republican in politics.

      L. D. PHIPPS, Sheriff, was born in Cedar County, Iowa, February 3, 1860. In 1867 he went with his parents to Benton County, Iowa, later to Guthrie County, Iowa and in 1886 to Burt County, Nebraska. He has held the offices of School Treasurer, Road Overseer and Sheriff. His father was a veteran of the Mexican War.

      P. E. TAYLOR, County Attorney, was born in Dry Run, Pennsylvania, January 18, 1871. In 1900 he came to Wisner, Nebraska, and 1902 to Lyons. Mr. Taylor graduated from the Pennsylvania State Normal School, was admitted to the bar in 1895 and practiced before the Supreme Court at Philadelphia. He also served in the Spanish-American war as a member of the Governor's Troop, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, participating in the Porto Rican campaign. In Pennsylvania he served three years as County Solicitor and after a short residence in Burt County, was elected County Attorney.

      W. E. PRATT, who has been County Surveyor for seventeen years without intermission, was born in Wyoming County, New York, May 8, 1859. He came to Nebraska with his parents who located in Burt County, having taken a homestead, in 1856. Mr. Pratt graduated from the Tekamah High School and went into the mercantile business. He was elected to the office of County Surveyor in 1887 and has held it ever since.

      HARRY K. CLARK was born in Harrison County, Ohio, February 4, 1880. In 1882 he removed with his parents to Craig, Nebraska, and grew to manhood and was educated there and in Bellevue College. He is a member of the Republican party. In 1900 he was Census Enumerator and is now serving his second term as Deputy County Clerk.

 

     Butler County was organized in 1868 with a population of two hundred, which, in the last thirty-six years has increased to 15,703. The Mormons were the earliest visitors in the county, and the road they followed, called the "Old Mormon Trail" together with the thoroughfare known as the "Old Government Road" were the only signs of life until 1857. The "Old Mormon Trail" entered the south-eastern part, followed a divide north to the table-land, then around the northern edge to the point where Deer Creek leavs (sic) the hills, and so down another divide to the Platte valley. The first attempts at settlement were made by the Waverly Town Company of Plattsmouth. They stopped on the banks of a creek which they named Skull Creek, from the large number of Pawnee skulls which they found there. The year following the departure of the Waverly Town Co., Solomon Garfield and James Blair, with their families, came to make Butler County their permanent home. They settled on the west bank of Skull Creek just north of the Linwood Mills. The immigrants who gradually entered the county invariably chose the Platte Valley, while the highlands were left unmolested. At the organization in 1869, Savannah was made the first county seat but this honor was soon transferred to David City, which position it still holds. The county seat at present has a population of 1,845. The first public building in Butler was a sod thatched school-house. School was kept up for some time with voluntary subscriptions by the residents of the district. The present census shows 5,802 school children. In 1871 a great snow storm visited this section. Herds of Texan cattle were very troublesome during these first years in dam-