Outside of Columbus are several stations on the line of railroad, which do quite a flourishing business. Humphrey Station is situated twenty-one miles above Columbus, on the Omaha, Niobrara & Black Hills Branch. It contains about a hundred people, its business consisting of two grain elevators, two lumber yards, two general stores, two saloons, one drug store, a blacksmith and wagon shop, a shoe shop and a hotel kept by Herman Tiskutler. Humphrey is situated in the midst of a rich hay country, and has a press in full operation.

Both Humphrey Station and Platte Center do a flourishing business in grain also. This station is located twelve miles from Columbus, on the same branch, and contains about the same number of people. Platte Center contains two grain elevators, a grist-mill operated by Mr. Welch, three groceries, one livery and feed store, one lumber yard, a blacksmith and wagon shop and agricultural depot and one hotel, whose proprietor is Albert Fields. Lost Creek is a station at the junction of the two branches of the Omaha, Niobrara & Black Hills road and is becoming quite a brisk place. It contains about forty people, having a grain elevator, hotel, general store, livery and feed store, blacksmith shop, hay press, church and schoolhouse. Lost Creek has only about fifty people, but it is growing.

Jackson, now called Duncan, was platted by the Union Pacific Railroad Company, in October, 1871 If anything, with the growth of Columbus, the village has retrograded, and now consists of only about fifty people. Two hotels are, however, patronized, one grain elevator, one store and one hay press. One district school is in successful operation.

The above are all the stations in the county outside of Columbus, and the only points of any business importance.

REV. JOHN FLOOD, Catholic priest of Platte Center Parish, Platte County, Neb., was born in New Haven, Conn., in 1849, where he remained until 1874. He attended the Catholic Seminary at Montreal, Can., for three years, beginning in 1874. Was ordained in 1877. Was stationed in Wyoming Territory for one year and a half, and then was sent to Platte Center, Platte Co., Neb., where he has since remained. This parish comprises the northwestern part of Platte County and the county of Boone.

JAMES DAVIS, farmer, Section 8, town 19, Range 1, P. O. Columbus, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1826, living there until 1860, engaged in farming. He was married in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1850, to Miss Hannah Elston Elthorpe. They have five children living--Sarah M. (now the wife of Henry Bowers), Elizabeth (now the wife of O. C. Shannon), Ellen (now the wife of Wesley Divinney), Frederick, George. In 1858, he moved to Wisconsin, where for nine years he was engaged in farming. He then went to Winneshiek County, Iowa, remaining there until he moved to Nebraska in the spring of 1873. His farm consists of 160 acres, of which 120 acres are under cultivation, the balance being pasture and meadow land. His father, Joshua Davis, and his mother, Mary Davis, live with him. The former is eighty-two and the latter seventy-four years of age. Both are still active.

HERMANN G. LUESCHEN, farmer, Section 8, Town 19, Range 1 east, P. O. Columbus, was born in Oldenburg, January 2, 1838; came to America in the summer of 1859, going to Dodge County, Wisconsin. He there enlisted, in 1861, in Company E, Third Wisconsin Infantry, serving until the close of the war; was in the Army of the Potomac; was taken prisoner at the battle of Winchester and wounded at Chancellorsville. With the exception of three months he was in prison, and about the same time in the hospital, he took part in every engagement fought by his command. He was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland and was with Sherman in his march to the sea. He went in as a private, was promoted to Corporal and afterward became a Color Bearer, which position he held until the close of the war. After his discharge he returned to Dodge County, Wis., where he married, December 3, 1865, Miss Bertha Spanhake, who is also a native of Oldenburg. They have seven children--Emma, Mary, Alvina, Alfred, Oscar, Hermann and Alma. He engaged in farming in Dodge County, Wis., until the summer of 1869, when he moved to Nebraska, locating in Platte County. He has a fine farm of 200 acres, ninety acres being under cultivation.

JOHN HENRY WURDEMAN, farmer, Section 10, P. O. Columbus, was born in Oldenburg, February 12, 1838. He came to America in 1860, landing at New York City in May. he went to De Kalb county, Ill., remaining until Christmas. He then went to Ogle County, Ill., where in August, 1861, he enlisted in Company D. Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry, serving until December 21, 1865; was in the Army of the James; was wounded at the battle of Petersburg and at the siege of Richmond; was promoted to Corporal, which position he held until his discharge. He then went to Mayville. Wis., where he was employed as a clerk in a general store until 1869. He then married, February 4, 1866, Miss C. M. Wilke, also a native of Oldenburg. They have six children--Rudolph, Louisa, Charles, Franklin, Edward and Alma. In March, 1869, he moved to Nebraska, locating in Platte County. He now has a large farm of 490 acres, 250 acres in cultivation; thirty acres in pasture under fence.

COL. ROBERT MORAN, retired. Section 34, P. O. Creston, was born in Marion County, W. Va., December 27, 1823. He was raised a farmer. and followed that business until 1853, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Winfield. He became a member of the State Militia when twenty-one years of age. He was elected Captain, and soon after became Colonel of the One Hundredth and Forth-seventh Virginia, State Militia, serving in that position until the breaking-out of the late rebellion. After the State of Virginia seceded, he was a member of the Convention that met at Wheeling in the spring of 1861, and reorganized the State government, appointing F. H. Pierpont, Governor of the State, and making Wheeling the capital. Col. Moran then enlisted in the Union army, being commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the Second West Virginia Infantry. He took his regiment into the field, the Colonel being at the time in the Legislature. He served until the latter part of May, 1862, when he was compelled to resign on account of ill health. He then returned to his home in West Virginia. He was married in Greene County, Penn., in September, 1849, to Miss Sarah Pride. They have nine children living--Samuel, Margaret E., Mary J., Zachariah T., Franklin P., Otho S., Robert C., Edward E. and Adaline. Colonel M., after his return from the war continued to reside in Marion County, W. Va , until 1875. He was there Assessor of Internal Revenue and Commissioner of Lands for Marion County. He has always been a firm and consistent Democrat, and was a stanch supporter of the late Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. In the fall of 1875, he moved to Nebraska, and located at his present residence in Creston Precinct, where he owns an excellent farm of 480 acres well improved with a good house, barn, and other buildings. He is a member of the Masonic Order.

REV. DR. JOHN SCUDDER, Section 35, P. O. Creston, was born in Ceylon, India, October 29, 1835. His father, who was a missionary, represented the American Board of Foreign Missions in India from 1819 to 1855. The subject of this sketch is the youngest of eight brothers and two sisters. He received his education at Rutger College at New Brunswick, N. J., graduating and going through the theological seminary there. He then took a medical course one year in New York City. and one year in Brooklyn, graduating in Long Island and College Hospital in 1860. He was married at Hudson, Ohio, January 1, 1861, to Miss Laura Sophia Weld. who was born in Vermont. They have six children--John, Lewis W., Charles J., Henry J., Walter T. and Ida S. In March, 1861, he went to India as missionary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Reformed (Dutch) Church in America, remaining until 1878. when he returned to Brooklyn. In May, 1880, he came to Nebraska to obtain farms for his children and located at his present residence.

WILLIAM E. WALTON, farmer and breeder of thoroughbred Durham cattle, Section 32, P. O. Genoa, was born in Fallston, Harford Co., Md., April 8, 1851, living there until the close of the civil war, in 1865, when his family removed to Alexandria, Va., where they remained two years. During that time he was at boarding school. He set out for himself in 1867, going to New Brighton, Penn.. where he was employed in a book store until 1869. His health failing him, he started West, stopping to see his family at Genoa, his father being the Government Indian Trader there. Accepting a proposition made by his father, he remained at Genoa. In 1871, he bought out his father in the post tradership. Two years later he sold out, and became instructor of the village Indians in farming, holding that position a few months; he then went to New York City and engaged in the commission business. He was married at Forest Hill, Harford Co., Md., January 1, 1874, to Mrs. Ellen J. Saunders, who was born in Washington City. They have four children--Elizabeth, Henry J., Grace Thornton and Benjamin Ernest. In 1876, he disposed of his business in New York City and again came to Nebraska, locating on his farm called Elm Springs Farm, near Genoa, in 1877. It consists of 240 acres, beautifully located and well improved. It is well watered, and is one of the best farms for raising stock in Nebraska ; it is also well supplied with fruit of all kinds. Mr. Walton is devoting great attention to raising thoroughbred cattle, making a specialty of Durham stock, of which he has a fine herd, in which is some of the finest stock in the United States. He is a stanch Republican, and takes great interest in politics. He has also taken great interest in educational matters; has succeeded with others in organizing a library known as the Loup Valley Library, located at Keatskotoos, in Monroe Precinct. It was organized in January, 1881, with sixty volumes, which were donated by various parties. Its first officers were James O. Tasker, President; George S. Truman, Secretary; William E. Walton, Treasurer; La Fayette Anderson, Librarian, who, with two other members, comprises the Board of Directors. It now consists of 300 volumes of standard works of various kinds.

EDWIN AHRENS, farmer, Section 23, Town 18, Range 1, P. O. Columbus, was born in Oldenburg in 1833; emigrated to Nebraska in 1860, locating at present residence. He has 240 acres in his farm. 120 acres being under cultivation, one of which he puts in corn, the balance being in wheat, oats, etc. He is also a large stock-raiser, dealing in cattle, hogs and horses. He was married in 1864 at Columbus, Neb., to Miss Anna Loseke, who is a native of Oldenburg. They have seven children--Gesina (now the wife of Julius Hembt), John, Mina, Margaretta, Herman, Anna and Bertha. He and his family are members of the Lutheran Church.

WILLIAM GERHOLD, farmer, residence Section 18, Town 17, Range 1, P. O. Columbus, was born in Berks County, Penn., in 1834, living there six years, when his parents moved to Dayton, Ohio. He lived there until 1859, when he went to Terre Haute, Ind. He enlisted at Charleston, Ill., in the First Illinois Cavalry, in the three-months' service. In the fall of 1861, he enlisted in the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, serving two years, when he was discharged on account of disability, having been wounded at Shiloh. While a boy, he drove mules on the Ohio Canal the year previous to the time the late President Garfield was there employed. Mr. G. is one of the Justices of the Peace for Bismarck precinct and is now serving his fifth successive term. He takes great interest in politics and is a prominent leader in the Democratic party. He went to Columbus, Neb., in the spring of 1866, engaging in the business of carpenter and bridge builder, which he followed until 1870, when he went to farming. He was married at Columbus, Neb., in 1868, to Miss Mary Wiss, who is a native of Germany. His farm consists of 240 acres, of which 160 acres are in a good state of cultivation. His chief crop is corn. He is also a large stock-raiser, having on hand 100 head of cattle on hand at all times, sending two car-loads to market per year. He raises a large number of hogs per year.

CHARLES W. GETTS, farmer, Section 29, Town 18, Range 1, P. O. Columbus, was born in Dane County, Wis., in 1852, living there until he was twenty-five years old, with the exception of a few months that he was in the West. He then went to Mahaska County, Iowa, where he was married in 1880, to Miss Emma C. Burns, who was born in Lycoming County, Penn. They have one child, Mabel May. They are members of the Methodist Church. In September, 1880, Mr. G. and his brother-in-law, G. O. Burns, purchased the quarter section where they now live. Mr. G. has sixty acres of his half of the tract in cultivation, and is preparing to engage in stock-raising.

HENRY LUSCHE, farmer, residence Section 23, Town 18, Range 1, P. O. Columbus. He was born in Oldenburg, Germany, in 1823, and emigrated to America in 1852, living in various Eastern States until 1856. In that year, he went to Columbus, Neb., locating at his present residence. He has in his home farm over seven hundred acres, two hundred and fifty acres being in cultivation. He raises a large quantity of corn, wheat and other grains, besides large numbers of cattle, hogs and other stock. His farm is well improved, having good buildings of all kinds. He was married at Columbus, Neb., in 1858, to Miss Katherina Mistedt, who is also a native of Oldenburg. They have eight children--Henry, George; Sophia, now the wife of Mr. Huntman; Mina, John. William, Bertha and David. He and his family are members of the German Lutheran Church.

CARL REINKE, farmer, Section 24, Town 18, Range 1, P. O. Columbus, was born in Prussia in 1828; immigrated to America in 1854, living in Illinois until March, 1856, when he moved to Nebraska, locating at his present residence; he has in his farm 540 acres, of which 150 acres are under cultivation; he raises a large amount of corn and other grains; he has on hand at all times upward of two hundred head of cattle, sending to market four car loads annually, besides a large number of hogs. He was married, September 20, 1861, to Miss Margaret Pilling, who is a native of England; they have four daughters--Annie, Emma, Mary and Margaret. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum.

HERMAN WILKIN, farmer, residence Section 4, Town 18, Range 1, P. O. Columbus, was born in Oldenburg, Germany, in 1839; came to America in 1859, locating in Carbon Co., Penn. He moved to Illinois in the spring of 1861, and, in 1862, he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Fifth Illinois Volunteers, serving three years. He was in the Army of the Cumberland, and was with Gen. Sherman in his march to the sea. After his discharge, he returned to Illinois, living there until January, 1867, when he went to Mayville, Wis., where he was married to Miss Anna Wurdeman, who is also a native of Oldenburg. He moved to Nebraska in October, 1867, locating at his present residence. His farm consists of 320 acres, 160 acres being in cultivation. He raises from fifty to eighty acres of corn per year, the balance of his farm being in wheat and oats. He is a prominent Republican, and has been elected Assessor of Bismarck Precinct ten successive years. He is a member of Wildey Lodge, No. 44, I. O. O. F.