The Morrills and Reminiscences - C. H. Morrill

our son Arthur was born. It was about March 1, 1873, when I started to Nebraska with my wife and children in two covered wagons. We had at that time one hundred and twenty-five head of cattle and eight head of horses. We were obliged to cross the Missouri River at Omaha in a ferryboat, as no bridge had been constructed up to that time.
As we passed through Omaha I stopped to purchase some supplies at the store of J. J. Brown & Brothers, wholesale and retail grocers. Mr. Brown was standing in the doorway of his store. As I went out he asked if I was the owner of the herd of cattle in the street, and also where I was going. I told him I had taken a homestead on the Big Blue River southwest of Columbus, and that I was on my way there. He then said: "Now young man, with one hundred head of cattle you have such a good start it is not necessary for you to go out into that dry country. I have three hundred and twenty acres of fine land lying less than three miles from where we are standing which I will sell you for nine dollars an acre, and give you all the time you want to pay for the same." I thanked him for his offer, saying that I had already established my home on the Big Blue and that we hoped to be there in less than one week. I then asked Mr. Brown if it would be possible for me to get a one hundred dollar draft cashed. He offered to go with me to the Omaha National Bank, where he introduced me to Mr. J. H. Millard, the president. In conversation with him, he said, "We like to see young men like you coming to

Nebraska. Whenever you come to Omaha, drop in." When, in after years, I embarked in the banking business I became well acquainted with Mr. Millard. No man tried harder than he to assist the small banks and pioneer business men of Nebraska. During the hardest periods he always wore a cheerful smile and said, "Do your best and don't worry; everything will come out all right." In the hard times of the '90's when I became so discouraged I could not bear it any longer, I went to Omaha to talk with Mr. Millard. He always took a cheerful view of the situation, and after talking with him I always went home feeling much better. Every business man in Nebraska owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Millard, who never faltered in the support of the business interests of Nebraska, although at times it seemed very doubtful if Nebraska was destined to become a successful agricultural state.
Just after we passed Fremont, Nebraska, the terrible blizzard of the spring of 1873 struck us. It was impossible to drive cattle facing such a storm, for in spite of our efforts to force them to go on, they turned back, and we had to follow them some distance before we succeeded in turning them into a corral. This storm lasted six days, my cattle and horses had no shelter, and it was impossible to get hay or water to them because of the violent wind. I purchased corn from the owner of the corral, broke it into small pieces, carried it in buckets, and fed it to them from my own hands. In this way I endeavored to feed them one bushel every hour during the day. At night I went


© 2002 for the NEGenWeb Project by Pam Rietsch, Ted & Carole Miller.