Collection of Nebraska Pioneer ReminiscencesDaughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska
History
Collection of Nebraska Pioneer Reminiscences
Daughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska
Frontier and pioneer life -- Nebraska; Nebraska -- History
Mrs. Wiley was of Holland Dutch descent, and inherited the thrift and
capability of her ancestors. She deserved great credit for her quick
action in saving one victim from the Claim Club. This Claim Club was an
organization of prominent Omaha business men. John Kelly, a nephew of
Mrs. Wiley's sister, had a claim of one hundred sixty acres near Omaha.
There were four wagonloads of men out looking for him to compel him to
give them the papers showing his right to the land. The late Joseph
Redman, of Omaha, lived near Mrs. Wiley, and when he saw the men coming
for John Kelly he went to Mrs. Wiley and requested her to warn young
Kelly, as she could get past the men, but he could not. Mrs. Redman went
to Mrs. Wiley's house and took care of the three months' old baby and
five other children. John Kelly was working at the carpenter's trade in
Omaha, about three miles south of Mrs. Wiley's. All she had to ride was
a stallion, of which she was afraid, and which had never been ridden by
a woman. She rode slowly until out of sight of the wagonloads of men and
then hit the horse every other jump. She made him run all the way,
passing some Indians on the way, who looked at her wonderingly but did
not try to stop her. After going to several places she finally located
John Kelly. He wanted to go to the ferry, but her judgment was better
and she said they would look for him there the first thing, which they
did. She took him on behind her and rode to the home of Jane Beeson, his
aunt, who put him down cellar and then spread a piece of rag carpet over
the trap door. The Claim Club men were there several times that day to
look for him, but did not search the house. After dark he walked to
Bellevue, twelve miles, and the next morning crossed the Missouri river
on the ferry boat and went to Missouri. When his claim papers were
returned from Washington he returned and lived on his land without any
further trouble. He would have been badly beaten and probably killed had
it not been for Mrs. Wiley's nerve and decision in riding a fractious
horse to warn him of his danger.
While Dr. and Mrs. Wiley resided at Omaha the territorial law-makers
disagreed, part of them going to Florence to make laws and part of them
to Omaha, each party feeling it was the rightful law-making body of the
territory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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