waukee & St. Paul; and new lines projected are the Kearney, Hutchinson & Gulf, an air line to Galveston, 800 miles due south, and the Kearney, Denver & Northeastern, to Lake Superior, only 600 miles distant.
     The above information is largely taken from a recent book published by W. S. Skinner.

REPRESENTATIVE BUSINESS FIRMS AND MEN OF KEARNEY.

     WOOD RIVER IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, Land Department.--In enumerating the various enterprises of this prosperous city it is important not to omit mention of the Wood River Improvement Company eligibly located in the Opera House Block. The facilities they possess for transacting their large business are unusally (sic) complete, whereby they are enabled to offer their numerous customers advantages difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate. They make a specialty of all kinds of townsite property. The company also operate and lease the Kearney & Black Hills Railway, which has been of so much use in developing and opening up this section.

     ALLEN & BARNEY, Abstracters and Title Examiners; Farm Loans and Insurance; Real Estate Agents; Improved and Unimproved Farms and Town Property For Sale; Reference, Kearney National Bank; Office in Opera House Block.--This firm loans money for residents and nonresidents, on city and farm property at prevailing rates of interest, never loaning over forty per cent, of the value of the property offered as security. Any one having money to loan on real estate will find it to their advantage to correspond with them, as they can be relied upon to transact any and all business intrusted to them in a satisfactory manner. They sell real estate, and also make investments in improved and unimproved farms and city property for nonresidents; and the good judgment displayed in investing money for others has given them an enviable reputation and is bringing them in a large and desirable patronage. In the insurance department several reliable companies are represented, as they do nothing but a reliable business and will have nothing to do with snide companies.
     Their principle business is abstracting and examining of titles, and they have given a bond of $10,000 to the State. They own the only complete set of abstract books in the county and are ready on short notice to furnish an abstract of title to any piece of property in Buffalo County. Natural ability and years of experience have placed them among the most reliable abstracters of the State. Homer J. Allen is a native of Erie County, Pennsylvania. He has lived here for twenty years and was for four years county treasurer. He is a Mason. W. W. Barney is a native of Illinois, and was deputy county treasurer six years. He has lived here twelve years and is a Mason.

     HALE BROS., General Agents, Equitable Life Assurance Society, 41 and 42 Opera House Building.--As popular general agents for the widely known Equitable Life Assurance Society, the subject of this sketch, the firm of Hale Bros., natives of Pennsylvania, control a large business in this city and section. No prudent man should fail to leave his family in good circumstances at death, when it can be done by a systematic payment of a small sum to the party who contracts to pay the sum total at his death; offering. as it does the best advantages, the Equitable Life receives the best of patronage. There is no business where the public is more at the mercy of agents, and therefore it is with particular pleasure we note Hale Bros., who have judgment and integrity in a marked degree. They have another office in the Bee Building, Omaha, thus are they enabled to properly work the State. Mr. James Hale, the manager at Kearney, has been in the business seven years in this State. He is keenly alive to every enterprise which should aid this city and holds in a large measure the esteem of its citizens.

     MARSTON & NEVIUS, Attorneys at Law. Office in Kearney National Bank Building.--At the Kearney Bar, we find names ranking with the best in the land. Ira D. Marston is a native of Maine, and was admitted to the bar in Illinois in 1863. He is, at the present time, county attorney. He has practiced here since 1886, and is an A. O. U. W. S. M. Nevius is a

native of Iowa, and studied law here under the late Judge Savidge. He was admitted here in i883 and is a Mason of prominence. In keeping with their extensive practice, they have elegantly appointed offices and a fine law library. They are most diligent in working at their cases, well read in the details of law and it is very safe to place cases in their hands.

     OMER L. GREEN, Attorney; Loans. Abstracts, Collections and Insurance; Real Estate Bought and Sold; Opera House Block.--One of the intelligent young lawyers of Kearney is Omer L. Green. He is a native of Davenport Iowa, when he removed here in 1875, and was in the grain business until 1888. He was admitted to the bar here in 1888. He has been in the insurance business here since 1883, and represents some solid concerns. He is secretary and treasurer of the local board of fire underwriters, Kearney, Nebraska. Mr. Green is a K. P., and aid de camp in the Nebraska National Guards. He is a gentleman of the finest ability and enjoys the esteem and confidence of the entire community.

     DR. C. R. PULLEN. Dentist, Rooms 20-21 Opera House Block,.--Dr. Pullen has been practising his profession upwards of nine years, and graduated in 1888 from the Philadelphia Dental College. Dr. Pullen has made anew departure in dentistry as the following note will testify "After some years devoted to experiment and investigation in the effort to devise a method for painless filling, I succeeded in December. 1890, in discovering an agent which enables me to prepare and fill the most sensitive teeth without pain, with perfect safety to the tooth, and to the absolute satisfaction of the patient. This method I have successfully used for more than a year, and what first had the appearance of an experiment has passed wholly beyond the experimental stage. The effect of this potent auxiliary upon my practice the public needs no assistance to foresee. Ten dental chairs are now operated, with a competent and sufficient force of assistants, and I have probably the most extensive practice of any dentist in this country. This method has been purchased from me by Dr. C. R. Pullen, of Kearney, Neb.--C. E. Hale, D. D. S., St. Paul, Minn."

     E. N. PORTERFIELD, Loans and Investments, Real Estate, Rear Buffalo County National Bank.--The firmly-established concern of Mr. E. N. Porterfield, has been conducted by him nearly three years, and has met with creditable success. The wonderful growth of Kearney has no parallel elsewhere. Mr. Porterfield has on his books descriptions of desirable farms, houses, stores and vacant lots for sale; also lands by the acre adjoining the city limits. He also is an extensive negotiator of farm loans, representing numerous wealthy eastern loan companies. Farm loans for six months, one year, two years, three years, five or seven years with privilege of paying any or all of principal at any time interest is due. In insurance, he represents solid companies. Mr. Porterfield is a native of Illinois and has lived here ten years. He formerly was well-known for six years as surveyor; also as city engineer. Much credit should be attached to his efforts to promote the welfare of the community and with his perfect facilities he is on the threshold of further success in the near future.

     HAASE & SHERER, Grocers, 2006 Central Avenue.--One of the honored business enterprises in its line in this city is that of Haase & Sherer, 2006 Central Avenue. They were founded in September, 1889, and occupy premises 22 x 80 feet in extent, which are admirably arranged and equipped in displaying a large and carefully selected assortment of fancy and staple groceries from every clime, fruits, flour, oil and salt. They are natives of Illinois. They are responsible, wide-awake men, with whom transactions cannot but prove permanently satisfactory.

     HOWARD BAILEY, Architect, Room 19 City National Bank Building, Corner Central Avenue and Twenty-First Street.--In no branch of professional industry has there been a more decided revolution than in the construction and architecture of our public buildings and private dwellings. Among the architects of Kearney Howard Bailey has been established four years. He is known as a practical architect of talent and originality, and has built up a most flourishing business. He is a native of New York and came here from Rochester, N. Y. He is a graduate of the University of