| Show A PIONEER WILL MILL iU builder ILDER by degrees the he world win will learn the tact fact that men of i trong characters 2 and the sort of enterprise hat lays the foundations of empires were unnumbered among the mormons cormons who were expatriated tor for the sake of their re ligion the Trans mississippian of omaha has the following sketch ac companied companies compa nied by a portrait of the subject of a venerable pioneer who be longed to that community A little more than half a century ago gl a building was put up a few miles north of the present Trans mississippi exposition grounds which was of as much importance to the white settlers 91 that time as the elaborate edifices being constructed are to the present residents of nebraska it was not with any particular reference terence ra to types betit had a peculiar ga traction attraction to the pioneers who often travelled a buti hundred dred miles or more to took on one of its style of construe tua some years before the architect of this structure while living in the black hawk purchase then a part of michigan which was afterwards fitter wards organized into the territory of iowa had constructed ted a building of somewhat the same style again four years yeats atter after the passage of the much debated kansas nebraska bill he reproduced the general plan three or four miles from uni utown on big creek which flows into the kansas river in kansas these flour mills the first that axe are known in their respective states were built by frederick kesler who at the age of 81 years now resides in salt sait lake city and is bishop of the sixteenth ward mr kesler also built mills in pennsylvania ohio illinois missouri mississippi texas and utah in response to an inquiry bishop kesler recently wrote the first flouring floering flou ring mill which I 1 built in iowa was in the year 1835 it was built for levi lev moffet and consisted of one run of four foot burr stones and was situated on skunk river about eight miles from its mouth the first flouring floering flou ring mill which I 1 built in nebraska was in the year 1846 it was built for president brigham young and was situated at winter quarters afterwards called florence about 6 miles above omaha on a small creek which empties into the missouri river the mill was a frame building and consisted of a 22 foot overshot w wheel heel and with one run of four foot french burr stones it was afterwards removed to the north side of the missouri river this was supposed to be the first flouring floering flou ring mill in what is now known as nebraska the first flouring floering flou ring mill which I 1 built in kansas was about miles southwest of kansas city mr kesler has retained the permit contract and acceptance of this MIT mill the permit reads as follows fort leavenworth agency september 19 1850 to the chiefs head men and counselors of the tribe of indians be it known that I 1 hereby authorize frederick kesler who I 1 have contract ed with for the purpose of erecting a corn and flour mill within the boundaries of your country to take from or 0 off ff of any part of your lands unoccupied P led any timber or stone that he may deem necessary toward the completion of said mill free of uny any costs or charges whatever given under my hand the day and year above mentioned LUKE LEA indian agent the acceptance of the mill is complimentary of the excellence of the work and the character of the workman mr realer kesler has been a member of the mormon church since 1840 ile he traveled from nauvoo to mount pisgah upon the exodus of thin Sal salita tits and from there wont went with brigham young to council bluffs arriving june 11 1846 with improvised tools and the help of some of the men mr kesler made a ferry boat from such tre trees ea as could be had upon this he moved the cannon and other pieces of artillery to the other side then kept at work all aji day and night ferrying the hosts of israel with their wagons and all their belongings to a place of safety after arriving in utah he built mills of various kinds one of the great undertakings der was in constructing a number of saw mills large quantities of lumber were sawed and when gen johnston arrived in utah he purchased it for a camp the thousands of dollars which the mormons cormons received enabled them to send east for the machinery needed tor for their various manufactures fac tures the glamour of military triumph which still hangs aro around und william th the conqueror and his followers who been concisely described as I thieves at hastings does not surround peaceful pioneers but those of them certainly are worthy of remembrance who by skill industry and independence shave have made the preparations for the eventual supremacy of the west |
