The Morrills and Reminiscences - C. H. Morrill

It likewise seemed desirable to perpetuate the tribesmen and I began to collect Indian relics of all sorts including beadwork, porcupine quill work, moccasins, belts, trappings, bows, arrows, stone implements, pipes, Indian paintings, and the. like. These have been placed in the Nebraska State Museum. and in the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Dr. Erwin Hinckley Barbour, who had received his degrees of Bachelor of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy at Yale, and had assisted Professor Marsh on the United States Paleontological Survey for six or seven years, and had taught in Iowa College for two years, was called to the University of Nebraska in 1891. At that time the Department of Geology was unequipped and the museum practically empty. With recognized vigor, he proceeded to organize these departments, and within the year the head of the Department of Geology was appointed Curator of the State Museum, and a year later State Geologist. Since this time he has held this triple position without additional cost to the State.
The opportune moment for collecting and preserving the fossils of the state seemed at hand, and I offered substantial encouragement to the work. Though not a scientist, it was my privilege to contribute something to science by giving one thousand a year, for geological and paleontological research, for some fifteen or twenty years. In turn Dr. Barbour gave his time free for some twenty-five summers. He was willing and ready to forego the pleasures of vacations, as well as the profits which could have come to him for professional service.

He even went farther and defrayed some of the costs of these expeditions out of his own purse. These things should be recognized and remembered in connection with the growth of the Nebraska State Museum.
     He took charge of field parties and collected widely, with the result that the Nebraska State Museum is pronounced by many the largest and most varied of any between Chicago and the Pacific coast. These annual expeditions were known as the Morrill Geological Expeditions of the University of Nebraska, and the specimens are credited to me. They are rich in forms from the White River bad lands and from later formations. They are especially rich in fossil elephants and in new types which have been figured and published in the volumes of the Nebraska Geological Survey, University studies, and scientific journals. The credit given to me in these documents makes this seem the most enduring of any accomplishment of my life.
     Each year I made many trips to Sidney, sometimes with freighters, sometimes by stage, and often on horseback. Whenever a horseback trip was to be made, there were several men in the party, for it was dangerous traveling alone, and ten men in a party had a better chance against the Indians and outlaws than a single man. I was so badly frightened on one of these trips that I began to believe that living on a government homestead with grasshoppers and drought thrown in was not as bad as I had thought.
     In the instance to which I refer, there were eleven in the party, and before leaving we selected as our leader a

squaw-man who could speak the Indian language. We left Fort Robinson early in the morning and nothing unusual transpired during the day. Just before dark we heard the clatter of horses' hoofs coming behind us. The country through which we were passing was thickly wooded with pine trees. Our squaw-man leader ordered us to get behind trees and "be ready." A few moments later we saw "Old Man Friday," chief of the Arapahoes, and one other Indian. Friday had always been a friendly Indian, having been educated in St. Louis, later serving in the employ of the Great American Fur Company; but finally, returning to his tribe, he put on blankets and became their chief. Friday told us that there was a plot on foot among the Indians to put our entire party to death before we arrived at the next roadhouse, ten miles distant. We held a council of war, and as it was determined that the attacking party might consist of a hundred or more Indians, and as our own party totaled only thirteen, including Friday and his Indian companion, we decided to separate. Friday took the lead with the others following at intervals of about two hundred feet, the other Indian bringing up the rear. We were ordered to walk our horses in order to make as little noise as possible, and in case of attack each man was to look out for himself. Moving in this way, we did not reach the roadhouse until after midnight. No Indians had appeared, however. In the morning we gave Friday twenty dollars for saving our scalps. Most of our party were of the opinion that the whole thing was

In January, 1880, I was appointed private secretary to Governor Albinus Nance. The Legislature was in session, and as this was my first association with statesmen, what I saw and heard was very interesting. As is usual in such assemblies, most of the members were dreaming new law dreams. They seemed to think that new laws would be easier to obey. Church Howe and General Van Wyck were members of the senate. Outside of the general routine of business I remember only two subjects of special importance that were under consideration. The penitentiary at that time was under the control of Charles Mosher, with Mr. Nobes as State Warden. There were charges and counter-charges of corruption and mismanagement. Committees were appointed to investigate and report. About the time the Legislature was ready to adjourn, these committee reported that nothing irregular had been discovered and that the penitentiary was well and properly managed. The other subject of interest was the proposal to submit to the voters of the state an amendment to the State Constitution prohibiting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. Church


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