N.D. | Pamphlet
Published "to aid in the sale and settlement of its lands", this pamphlet by the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad introduces special fares for train tickets to Nebraska. "Exploring Tickets" were designed for those who wished to survey the land before committing to a purchase, while "One-Way Settler's Tickets" were targeted to those who had already made a decision to move to Nebraska. The company also offered rebates on the tickets to those who ended up purchasing land.
N.D. | Letter
In this letter, Willard Grant asks George P. Cather numerous questions about life in Nebraska, including the method for constructing a good sod house, the possibility of raising fruit, the availability of water and timber, and the opportunities for additional work as a mason.
1878 | Pamphlet
This 1878 Burlington and Missouri Railroad publicity pamphlet provided information to potential settlers about land in Iowa and Nebraska. It featured information about land agents, land prices, social and cultural oportunities, potential crop yields, and other information to entice settlers to purchase railroad land.
October 5, 1878 | Letter
In a letter dated October 5, 1878, B.F. Noble writes to George P. Cather from Franklin County, Ohio, about the relative quality of the land available in Nebraska. Noble particularly wants land "within 2 or 3 miles of Railroad and Church." He indicates that his interest in Nebraska land was spurred by publications put forth by a railroad company.
October 23, 1878 | Letter
The October 23, 1878 letter from N.T. Waters in Illinois to George P. Cather requests information about available land in Webster County, Nebraska. Waters' primary concern is that the land contains a stream with drinkable water, and asks specifically about sections of land seen on a land map provided by the railroad.
August 24, 1894 | Newspaper
Edward Rosewater, a Republican leader and editor of the Daily Bee, accuses the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad of lavishing free passes as bribes to get Thomas Majors the Republican nomination for governor in 1894.
August 28, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater went on a campaign to discredit Thomas Majors, the Republican nominee for governor in 1894, and to expose railroad influence in the campaign. Rosewater's disgruntled disgust with party fealty to the railroads did not prevent him from attacking the Democratic Party as beholden to trusts and against the interests of workingmen.
August 30, 1894 | Newspaper
Carrying on his crusade against the railroads in politics, Republican editor Edward Rosewater criticizes the appointment of receivers for the Union Pacific and the Oregon Short Line. He argues that the judges are in the service of the Union Pacific and the result will be continued monopoly power over rates and service in the region.
September 8, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater offers to receive and publish the public's comments on the problem of railroad corruption in politics.
September 14, 1894 | Newspaper
Even newspapers editors such as Edward Rosewater who took strong stands against railroad corruption followed the doings of the railroad business. A visit from a "railroad man" to any town was a newsworthy event and a moment for speculation about the state of business affairs and the prospects of the town.
October 7, 1894 | Newspaper
The Republican State Journal ridicules rival Republican editor Edward Rosewater, who was giving speeches around Nebraska in a campaign to eliminate railroad influence in politics and prevent the election of Tom Majors as governor. The State Journal depicts Rosewater as a self-centered buffoon.
October 10, 1894 | Newspaper
Railroads changed the spatial relationship of cities and regions, altering trade routes, access to markets, credit, and information. Despite his campaign against railroad political corruption, the editor of The Omaha Bee celebrates the new Billings route with great enthusiasm for the opportunities it will create.
October 18, 1894 | Speech
This article from the October 18, 1894 edition of the Nebraska State Journal summarizes the first debate between Republican candidate John M. Thurston and Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan during the 1894 Nebraska Senate campaign. The article also presents each man's speech, in full, as well as their rebuttal statements.
October 18, 1894 | Speech
This article from the October 18, 1894 edition of the Omaha World Herald summarizes the first debate between Republican candidate John M. Thurston and Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan during the 1894 Nebraska Senate campaign. The article also presents each man's speech, in full, as well as their rebuttal statements.
October 21, 1894 | Newspaper
Bryan's World Herald publishes information on Bryan's next speeches and appearances, as well as reminds voters that the only way for Bryan to be elected Senator is for Democrats to elect Democratic representatives to the legislature.
October 24, 1894 | Newspaper
Ever vigilant against railroad political power, the Republican Omaha Daily Bee warns against the possibility of voter fraud in the election through the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad employees whom the company is moving back into Nebraska right before the election.
October 28, 1894 | Newspaper
Republican editor Edward Rosewater attacks the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad as the silent moving force behind the conservative Omaha business men's associations and their efforts to persuade voters in smaller towns to support Tom Majors for governor.
October 28, 1894 | Newspaper
Even though the Omaha Daily Bee campaigned against railroad political power, the newspaper celebrates the opening of a new line it expects to reshape the West and enhance the prominence and position of Omaha, Lincoln, and other cities.
November 1, 1894 | Newspaper
In this advertisement in Bryan's World Herald, the State Republican Party of Nebraska presents the case against Bryan and Populism as harmful to the state's interests. Populism "burns up value" in Nebraska's assets, the ad charges, and accuses fellow Republican Edward Rosewater, editor of the Omaha Daily Bee, of perfidy and betrayal. The ad depicts Rosewater, a Jew, as a "Shylock" and "petty" tyrant, emphasizing instead the manliness of the Republican candidates and leaders.
November 1, 1894 | Newspaper
The quality, availability, and cost of railroad service in a local community often became a contentious political issue pitting locals against non-locals and spilling into local political contests. The Omaha Bee, an enemy of railroad power of any sort, emphasizes the local community's "right" to equal service.