(Photo by Clark, Osceola)
Front Row, Left to Right --L. M. SHAW, Coroner; HUGO FLODMAN, Commissioner; H. A. EYESTONE, Commissioner; J. W. CROZIER. Commissioner: D C. COLE, Superintendent.
Middle Row, Left to Right--F. D. MILLS, Attorney; J. P. HARTMAN, Sheriff; F. H. HALL, Judge; JUD HOLCOMB, Treasurer; C. M GROSVENOR. Deputy Clerk.
Back Row, Left to Right--H. A. MILLS; Wm. CAMPBELL, Clerk District Court; J. W. FILLMAN, Clerk; E. HOLCOMB; A. M. JOHNSON, Assessor.

been a member of the School Board and also served as County Commissioner one term. He has been elected County Judge and is a Populist in politics. Mr. Ball is married and has three sons and one daughter.

      J. W. FILLMAN came to Nebraska in 1881 from Sweden, where he was born October 15, 1871. He was engaged in teaching for six years, having obtained his education at Bryant Normal University at Stromsburg, Nebraska, and at Fremont Normal School. He is now County Clerk and is independent in politics. He has a wife and one child.

      J. D. HARTMAN was born in Schuyler County, Illinois, on February 18, 1857. His father is German and his mother is American. His occupation is farming. In 1882 he came to Nebraska and located at Osceola. He was educated in the Illinois Public Schools. He holds the office of Sheriff of Polk County and is a populist.

      WILLIAM CAMPBELL came from his native country, Ireland, July 15, 1882, and located in Illinois. His birth occurred on June

4, 1842. He came to Nebraska in 1883 and his vocation is farming. He was Treasurer of the School Board for fifteen years. He has also held the positions of justice of the Peace and County Commissioner. At present he is Clerk of the District Court. He lives at Osceola and has six children.

      L. M. SHAW is a practicing physician at Osceola, Nebraska, and at present holds the office of County Coroner. He was born February 4, 1868 in Powesheik County, Iowa. From this state he moved to Illinois in 1873 and at the age of eleven came to Nebraska. He took his M. D. at the Iowa State University. He is affiliated with the Republican party, is married and has four children.

      CHARLES M. GROSVENOR is Deputy Clerk of Polk County, and his residence is at Osceola, Nebraska. He came to Nebraska, Hamilton County, in 1872 from Troy, Iowa, where he was born on February 21, 1871. His father was George W. Grosvenor, a farmer by occupation. Mr. Grosvenor's business is that of a clothing salesman.

 

      The Platte and Loup Rivers form the principal drainage of Platte County, and their valleys average about three miles in width, the Platte valley occupying about one-sixth of the surface. About 95 per cent of the land is tillable. During the last few years the land has increased 55 per cent in value and a great many farms have been sold. The people are engaged in farming, stock raising and dairying. The cereals, alfalfa, timothy and clover are the principal products. Sugar beets occupy about 1,000 acres. One-third of the cheese manufactured on Nebraska farms comes from Platte and Pierce Counties. The county possesses many timber groves and orchards. There are seventeen miles of irrigating ditches and 1,488 acres under this artificial water supply. The soil is a deep vegetable mould. There are seventy-eight school districts, which are supplied with eighty-four buildings, the entire school property being valued at $132,187. There are six graded schools, and the total number of school children is 6,606. The first settlement in Platte was made by the Columbus Town Company, which was organized in Omaha. The principal men of this company were Fred Gottschalk, Jacob Lewis and George Rausch. About the same time Isaac Albertson and E. W. Toncray located on Shell Creek. The Columbus Town Company and the Pawnee City Company consolidated, and under this combined management the town of Columbus was marked out on May 29, 1856. Patrick Murrey and Patrick McDonough, who traveled from Pennsylvania afoot, located in the county in April of 1857. A sort of fanatic, named Train, exerted his utmost energies to make Columbus the national capital. By measurements of maps, he found that this town was within ten miles of the geographical center of the United States, and within one mile of the center of the world map, and therefore he thought it doubly fated to be the capital city. The mail was first carried between Omaha and Columbus by John Rickly, who drove an ox team. Platte County was organized in 1858. The county population numbers 17,747, of which 3,522 people are residents of Columbus, the county seat.

      AUGUST BOETTCHER was born in Germany, March 15, 1850. In 1871 he came to Wisconsin and in 1873 settled at Columbus, where he has since resided. He was educated in the German schools, has been twice married and has eleven children. He has been Councilman of Columbus and is a Democratic Mayor endorsed by the Republicans. Mr. Boettcher has retired from active business, and manages his six fine farms, which comprise twelve hundred acres.

      JOHN GRAF was, born in Germany, September 4, 1850. In 1854 he came with his parents to Wisconsin, later to Chicago, and to Columbus in 1876. He was educated at the Platteville, Wisconsin, Normal School and taught for six years. He married Miss Minnie Bader in 1882 and has three children. He has held various offices, Deputy Clerk from 1884 to 1888, City Assessor in Columbus in 1896 and 1897, Deputy County Clerk since, and is now serving as County Clerk.

     JOHN RATTERMAN was born in Cincinnati, Iowa, April 4, 1853. In 1863 he removed with his parents to Guttenberg, Iowa, later to Warren County, Iowa, and Hartington, Nebraska, where he taught for sixteen years; then