An early, exacting (and exasperating) McCook attorney

W.S. Morlan tending his garden in his working clothes.

Webster S. (always referred to as W.S.) Morlan was one of McCook's very early attorneys -- and a very successful one at that. He was born in 1848 in Crawford County, Ohio, and came to Nebraska with his family after the Civil War.

As a youth, Morlan worked on building grades for the railroad, which was gradually pushing west across Nebraska. In 1870, he first began his practice of law in Crete. Later stops on his way to McCook were in Minden, where he served as Clerk of Kearney County, and at Beaver City, where he served as Furnas County Attorney.

In 1892, Morlan arrived in McCook with his wife, the former Mary Elizabeth Evans, of North Platte. He again went to work for the railroad, but this time as an attorney for the CB&Q, a position that commanded great power and respect throughout the McCook Division.

He became an important figure in Southwest Nebraska and was often referred to as one of Nebraska's leading lawyers. The Morlan home, with 13 fireplaces, located where the McCook City Library now stands, was referred to as "The Morlan Mansion."

Soon after Charlotte Nichols Lewis finished business school at age 17, Morlan hired her to be his secretary, to take the place of Ray McCarl (who later became Comptroller of the United States).

She had to be blessed with a strong work ethic (Morlan was a strict taskmaster) and a forgiving nature (he could be cantankerous), for she remained his secretary for many years. Years later, Mrs. Lewis remembered W.S. Morlan in an interview with the Gazette. She referred to him as "the most eminent lawyer in Southwest Nebraska."

She also found him to be "ambitious and determined." He was well read, well spoken, and could be very witty -- and very exasperating. Ms. Lewis said that many times she had quoted Shakespeare (out of Morlan's hearing), "Much learning hath made thee mad -- stark raving mad."

Mr. Morlan was a very progressive, yet conservative businessman, who became wealthy in the boomtown early years of McCook. From his earliest days he bought and sold property, and made loans to individuals and organizations, with the same diligence as a banker might use -- terms were carefully spelled out and strictly enforced. A case in Arapahoe will illustrate this trait in Mr. Morlan's character.

A church in Arapahoe was in need of funds. From his days as Furnas County Attorney, Mr. Morlan knew many individuals in Arapahoe, so entered into an arrangement with the elders of the church.

The church fell behind in its payments. Mr. Morlan encouraged payments on the note for a time. When payments were still not forthcoming, Mr. Morlan foreclosed on the loan and took possession of the church.

Soon after this he visited the church and noticed the weeds around the building and proceeded to pull them up. A couple walked by and asked him if he belonged to that church. "No, madam" he replied, "this church belongs to me!"

Luke Cheney and some of Morlan's other attorney friends found the incident amusing and afterwards took delight in referring to Mr. Morlan as Deacon Morlan. W.S. Morlan was not amused.

Mr. Morlan decided to buy an automobile. There were no dealers in McCook, so with the same diligence he used to prepare a case of law, he wrote to dealers and manufacturers across the country. He finally ordered a car from a factory in Camden, N.J. He did not know how to drive a car, so when it arrived he had it hauled to his home at 802 Main by dray. People came from all over town to see the wonderful contraption.

He finally became quite proficient with his driving, but was careless when starting the machine.

One day he cranked the car while it was in gear. The car shot forward, pinning Mr. Morlan to a tree. His injuries were such that for some weeks his secretary was summoned to his home to take dictation.

At times, Mr. Morlan could be rude and inconsiderate. One Sunday a McCook workman was driving south to visit relatives in Kansas. As he approached Morlan's ranch he saw Mr. Morlan standing at the gate and asked if he might take the shortcut through the Morlan ranch. Mr. Morlan said that it was Sunday and he preferred to not open the gate to let the fellow drive through. Just two weeks later, on a Sunday, the fellow was again driving near the Morlan ranch when he found Mr. Morlan in his auto, stuck in the mud. "Oh, Clarence," Mr. Morlan called out. "Come give me a lift."

Clarence did not stop, but as he passed by he called out, "Sorry, I can't stop. This is Sunday!"

Mr. Morlan could be very clever in turning a phrase. One time Ms. Lewis had a slight cold that settled in her throat, causing her to cough frequently. Morlan became annoyed at the coughing, threw down his papers and exclaimed, "'Twas a cough that carried her off, and 'twas a coffin they carried her off in."

When he received a letter from a relative who wanted to use Morlan to establish her qualifications to become a member of the DAR (Daughters of the Revolution), Morlan quickly replied with a short note, "If any of our relatives fought in the Revolutionary War they did so without my knowledge or consent."

While Morlan's position with the CB&Q and his private practice paid him handsomely, it was his ranch south of McCook that was his real love.

He managed it well. It was a showcase property, and it was a model for the progressive agricultural practices of the day. Using the rails for shipping, he had a standing market for his eggs, meat animals, and fruit with dealers in Denver.

He had several "foremen" -- each fellow in charge of one part of the operation-- the hog foreman, the chicken foreman, the cattle foreman, the farmer foreman, and the orchard foreman.

These foremen reported to Morlan frequently at his office, leaving paying clients to cool their heels in the outer office while he got the latest news of his alfalfa, his chickens, or his hogs.

Of special pride was a huge orchard, one that people came from far and wide to view and buy fruit. One year there was a cold spell just when the cherries were due to blossom. Mr. Morlan ordered "dozens and dozens" of smoke pots in an effort to save that cherry crop. It seemed to Ms. Lewis that Morlan was more concerned about that cherry crop than he was about his paying law clients. "He carried the money he received from his cherries around in a cigar box, and paid the cherry pickers two cents a box."

Mr. Morlan often entertained dignitaries coming to McCook, or officials of the CB& Q at his home. He was never sure if he would be able to tolerate his guests, so he often asked Ms. Lewis to dinners, to act as hostess in case his guests proved to be "dull and stodgy." "Sometimes, he would get up and leave the table, without a word of Goodbye."

Webster Morlan was looked upon with great favor by many in Southwest Nebraska. It was not surprising that he was nominated to run for Congress on the Republican ticket in 1900. He lost the election by 361 votes.

Webster Morlan was an imposing figure in McCook in the years before World War I. He had a distinctive personality, and was eccentric, but uncommonly influential throughout the area. Ray McCarl, John Cordeal, Frank Colfer, Charles Ritchie and a number of other well known attorneys got their start working in the Morlan office. Mr. Moreland died at a Chicago hospital on Oct. 25, 1915. He was 67 years old.

Note: Charlotte Nichols Lewis was married to a railroader. They were the parents of Kay Rauber and the late Madge Whiteman, of McCook, and two sons.

Source: Gazette Centennial, 1882-1982, Gazette Special RW Co. Centennial edition 1973 (From the Gazette Archives)