The Morrills and Reminiscences - C. H. Morrill

as such, I advise you not to meet on the streets, in a mob like this, to discuss your grievances. Go to your homes. Think it over. Be good, law-abiding citizens, and you will be respected, and your rights will be carefully guarded." One speaker, representing the strikers then advised Boyd to go home, and mind his own business, otherwise personal violence might be necessary to convince him that hands-off was the best policy. This exasperated Boyd. He shook his fist at the crowd, and said he was Mayor of Omaha and would enforce the law, no matter who the transgressors might be. So far as his personal safety was concerned, he dared those who threatened him to do their worst. The mob hooted the mayor, but he stood his ground until most of the mob had gone.
     A few days afterwards, Governor Nance, with a committee of citizens, met a committee representing the strikers; they agreed on a compromise, and the strike was settled.
     At the present time there is not one of the state officials living who served during the administration of Governor Albinus Nance. Governor James W. Dawes succeeded Governor Nance. If I am correctly informed, ex-Secretary of State E. P. Roggen is the only state official now living who served during the administration of Governor Dawes.
     Early in 1883¹ I resigned my position as Secretary to the Governor. Making new acquaintances was always a pleasure to me, and those made during my term of

¹ Published in the Nebraska State Journal, Fall of 1915.

office have since been a source of great satisfaction. Among them was Senator Hitchcock, Governor Thayer, Senator Saunders, Judge O. P. Mason, C. H. Gere, John R. Clark, General C. F. Manderson, General C. J. Dillworth, Secretary of State S. J. Alexander, Judge Pound, J. B. Weston, R. S. Morton, ex-Governor Dawes, Judge Amasa Cobb, Edward Rosewater, Dr. Geo. L. Miller, S. H. H. Clark, J. Sterling Morton, Henry Yates, Judge Dundy, William Paxton, Judge Crounse, C. O. Whedon, J. W. Deweese, George W. Holdrege, Thomas J. Majors, J. H. Ager, Albert Watkins, Judge A. M. Post, General Victor Vifquain, G. M. Lambertson, T. M. Marquett, Judge M. B. Reese, H. H. Nicholson, Peter Jensen, E. J. Hainer, and many others from every county in Nebraska.
During the summer of 1883, Governor Nance, J. H. Mickey, and myself, organized the Osceola and Stromsburg banks. Interest rates were high, and the only securities were chattel mortgages, often at the full value of the stock mortgaged. Speaking of interest rates in those days reminds me of the following: A man offered a Seward banker unusual security for a three hundred dollar loan. The banker refused, saying, "You see, sir, we always deduct the interest in advance; our rate is twenty per cent, making sixty dollars interest per year, which in five years would amount to just three hundred dollars. If we made this loan you would be owing us three hundred dollars and would get nothing."
In the seventies I saw my opportunity to make good trades for land and livestock, if I had some ready money. There was no bank in Polk County. As

Columbus was the nearest trading point, I determined to make arrangements for a line of credit there, so I could rely on getting funds when I was sure I could make a good deal. It was midwinter when I went over on horseback. I took a statement showing the number of horses and cattle I had, with a description of the same. I was not acquainted with Leander Gerrard, the banker, and as I lived forty miles away he refused to give me a line of credit. I was referred to a Mr. Smith, who was loaning money on chattels. Smith had a very small office, with a small cannon stove in the center. He was burning corn as fuel. The room was as cold as a refrigerator, and Smith was just hugging the stove to keep from freezing. He wore a Prince Albert coat, and I made up my mind at once that he was a "down-East Yankee" like myself. I told my story and produced the statement, showing the number of cattle and horses I was willing to mortgage, if I found an opportunity to make a deal. After looking over the statement, Smith said, "If the stock is clear of all encumbrance I will loan you up to five hundred dollars." He then inquired, "Do you read the financial news in the paper?" I told him I did not. "Why," said he, "money brought two per cent per day in New York last week. Well, well," he continued, "my conscience would not allow me to charge that rate for money." I asked him at what rate he loaned. He replied that he always received five per cent per month, the interest to be paid in advance, with no deduction if the principal was paid before due.

While Smith was my banker, I made several short-time loans of from fifty to one hundred and fifty dollars. At one time I wanted to borrow five hundred dollars. When I told Smith he looked up surprised and wanted to know if I were going to run away. He asked me to explain what I was going to do with so much money. I told him I could buy a quarter section of land for five hundred dollars spot cash, and I had a customer who would purchase the land for one thousand dollars, provided that he could give a mortgage for the full purchase price. Smith looked over the security I offered and shook his head. I then offered to put in a bunch of hogs, but he refused to take them as they were worth but two dollars per hundred pounds, and if he got them they must be hauled forty miles to market. I then offered to put in six Indian ponies I had just traded for. I explained to Smith that I had a party in Galesburg, Illinois, who would cash the mortgage at its face value on my guarantee. He then drew up a note and mortgage on sixty days' time, and also prepared an affidavit for me to sign, stating that the stock mortgaged was clear of all encumbrance. When he had the papers completed I read them over and said, "Smith, you now have a mortgage on everything I have in this world, except one medium-sized woman, thirty years old, and four kids with dark hair and blue eyes. If you say so, I'll put them in." Smith laughed and said he did not believe the parties he got money from would accept them as collateral.
In less than four weeks I had a draft back from Galesburg. I wanted to keep my credit good, so one


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