Good Old Days 01-17-14

COMPILED BY THE SIDNEY Sun-Telegraph Staff

These stories from the past first appeared in The Sidney Telegraph. Original writing is preserved, though some stories were shortened for space reasons.

100 YEARS AGO

'The Southland Jubilee Quartet Next Friday'

January 17, 1914

The Southland Jubilee Quartet of mixed voices, composed of four talented Negro entertainers will appear at The Tobin Opera House in Sidney, Friday evening, January 23rd. The entertainment is given under the auspices of the Women's Club, and their share of the proceeds will be donated to the library fund.

The program will be typical of the south with old plantation melodies and jubilee songs. An evening of solid enjoyment, not a tiresome moment. The interpretation of Dunbar as given by Mr. Drayton is considered by many the very best in America. Fifteen years of study has made Prof. Barbour one of the best musicians and composers of the Negro race. Several of his own compositions are included in the program. The prima donna soprano possesses a remarkably high natural voice while the contralto has a full rich voice that few such singers possess.

No one should miss the opportunity of contributing to the library fund and hearing this concert in the quartets, trios, duets, solos, instrumental numbers and readings.

75 YEARS AGO

'Julius Hulff Held Buffalo Bill's Horse Half Century

Ago; Still Thrilled By Memory of Act'

January 17, 1939

Julius Hulff, a resident of Burbank, California, served as a printer's devil on the old Sidney Democrat in the early days of this city's existence. Recently Mr. Hulff wrote an article for the Philatelist magazine, describing one of the greatest thrills of his life, which occurred during his youth in Sidney. The Telegraph-News has been permitted to reprint this article. It follows:

It was Saturday. On the Washington hand press we had printed the week's edition of the Sidney (Nebraska) Telegraph, and, as usual on Saturday afternoon, it was holiday for everyone connected with the paper except the "P.D."---(meaning Printer's Devil). I was that printer's devil, and as presiding genius of the hell box, broom and lye pot, was busily carrying out my duties in the hope that a little time would be spared me for the baseball game near Fort Sidney that same afternoon.

"Hello! Is this the editor?" boomed a deep, pleasing masculine voice as my fourteen-year-old ink-begrimed face looked up into the handsome countenance of Colonel William Frederick Cody!

Never will I forget that supreme moment of undiluted happiness! My hero! Face to face, and talking to none other than Buffalo Bill!

I realize now that it did not take much explanation to convince my visitor that I was not the editor; I was so awestruck that I was absolutely unable to carry on a coherent conversation. When asked as to the whereabouts of the county sheriff, experience helped me to make the truthful statement that he must be at the corner saloon near the drugstore post office.

What grace and ease when Buffalo Bill mounted his beautiful horse and rode to Doran's saloon! I do not know how fast his mount traveled, but I do know by taking a shortcut and running so fast that you could have shot craps on coat tails. I arrived in front of the saloon first and begged my hero to let me hold his horse until he found the sheriff. Either the sheriff played peek-a-boo with Buffalo Bill, or they both played a game that caused Buffalo Bill to come out of that saloon with bulging pockets; one thing is certain-I held that horse so long that I missed out on our most important ball game of the season. Buffalo Bill had not forgotten me, for he slapped me on the back, said "Hello, editor," put a hand full of silver into his gauntleted gloves and presented them to me as he nodded "good-bye" and was off.

This was in 1885 and I did not see Buffalo Bill again until some years later, when, in Omaha at the head of a block long generously spaced parade he was off on his first annual exhibition of "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and Congress of Rough-Riders of the World." He was driving a stagecoach that had seen active service on the Sidney-Black Hills U. S. mail route, and beside him sat the crack shot of the world, Dr. Carver. Both men were dressed in buckskin suits and led the parade.

A few years later I saw a dusty, crated statute of Buffalo Bill in the North Platte, Nebraska freight depot of the Union Pacific system, which I am told, has since been placed in the parking facing the passenger depot of the railroad which Buffalo Bill, indirectly, helped to make a reality.

When William F. Cody "went West" in 1917 one floral offering on his grave represented the silver dollars that were once given to an "editor" for holding America's greatest scout Indian fighter and showman's horse one afternoon in a little frontier town of Western Nebraska.

50 YEARS AGO

'Teacher From Tanganyika Studying Elementary

School System In Sidney'

January 17, 1964

A 24 year-old East African teacher, Miss Mabel Kabeta, is making an intensive study of the Sidney Public School system, particularly in the field of elementary administration and curriculum.

This friendly, diminutive teacher, who speaks perfect English, is from the country of Tanganyika. Her home is in Mwanza but she teaches in grades three through five at the Nassa School for Girls in Tanganyika. She is working directly with Mrsd. T. R. Tillotson, elementary supervisor, starting this week.

Miss Kabeta came to this country last June and studied under an AAUW scholarship during the summer at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. From there she went to Washington, D.C. and San Diego State College. She will remain here until Feb. 8, going then to Lincoln and Omaha, Atlantic City where she will be introduced at the convention of American School Administrators and then to Washington, D.C. from where she will leave for home on March 7.

She is one of seven exchange teachers in Nebraska under the International Teacher Development Program. There is one other from Tanganyika, while the rest are from Zanzibar, Norway, Fiji Islands, an Indian who teaches in Northern Rhodesia and a teacher from Laos.

Miss Kabeta says there are 120 different tribes in Tanganyika and as many dialects. However, the principal language is Swahili and all tribes can speak that. English is taught as the principal foreign language, beginning in the third grade. She is a member of the largest tribe in the country, the Sukuma, who live not far from the famed tall Watusi.

She is enjoying her visit in this country immensely but it is evident that she will be happy to get back, with her new information, to school in Tanganyika.

25 YEARS AGO

'Sidney Police Go High-Tech In Radio Communications'

January 18, 1989

The expenditure will likely be worth it.

According to Sidney Police Chief Richard T. Willis, installation is nearly complete on a new radio and dispatch console at Sidney Police headquarters, 1100 Jackson.

"This equipment will let us consolidate many elements of our radio equipment into one location convenient for our dispatchers." He pointed out the department formerly had transmitters for four different radio frequencies in separate locations.

The new console was manufactured by Custom Electronics at a cost of $10,145 to the city. The only other bid on the equipment, Willis said, was for about $37,000.

Four radio frequencies-police, fire, ambulance and city utilities-are handled by the new equipment. In addition, the equipment will monitor all other state law enforcement and emergency agencies.

Using the new equipment, the department's dispatchers are also able to facilitate 'inter-frequency communications, that is radio communications between any of the frequencies in the system, the chief reported.

Paging facilities built into the new equipment enable the department to page separately or simultaneously on all four frequencies, as well as simultaneously broadcasting on up to all four of the radio channels, according to Willis.

He noted the equipment may be expanded and is totally compatible with all radio equipment presently in use in the county. It eventually will house all alarm monitors wired to the Sidney Police Department.

"We anticipate that service by radio will be improved and made more efficient by the new equipment," Willis said. He noted dispatchers formerly had to leave their desk in order to answer some alarm calls. They will be able to handle all communications requirements-including answering Emergency 911 calls-from the new communications unit.

10 YEARS AGO

'Dix Site Of Major Union Pacific Train Derailment'

"It's a major derailment," said Union Pacific spokesman, John Bromley of the derailment that occurred in Kimball County. Twenty three of a 103-car Union Pacific train were damaged early Monday after running off the track near Dix while en route to North Platte, Nebraska.

The cars hauling mostly lumber and steel derailed at around 2:22 am. on the track two miles west of the Dix community. UP crews and private contractors with side-boom and front-end loaders from Cheyenne and North Platte, Neb. were called to the scene.

According to Bromley, other trains were being held both east and west of the derailment until crews could clear the wreckage of the right of way to reopen the track. One main track was expected to be reopened late Monday. Once clear passage resumes, crews will return to remove the derailed cars, salvage what they can and clean up the debris.

The cost of such an accident can range up into the millions depending on the derailment. "It all depends. Derailments are different," Bromley said.

No one was hurt and UP officials are investigating into the cause of the derailment.