Reckless horse racing in the streets of McCook

What was McCook like in 1884? Well about what you would expect from a 2 year old toddler, somewhat wayward, messy and yet intent on becoming a “grown-up” someday. Glowing reports of the growth of the little community didn’t always include some of the items taken from The Tribune on December 11, 1884, that I have included in this week’s article.

“Two young men, Ormbs and Dunbar by name, succeeded admirably in making fools of themselves and endangering the lives and limbs of pedestrians along that thoroughfare, Monday evening , about dusk, by their mad riding through Dennison street. We are advised that it was not the original purpose to have any of the streets of this town converted into a race course and this fast and reckless riding must be stopped.”

“ The recent discharging of two freight conductors on this division by Supt. Campbell clearly indicates the sentiment of the B & M on two questions, namely, drinking and card playing. Young men who engage in either sooner or later are exposed and their discharge is summary. The justice of such a course of action commends itself to all.”

“The pleasant residence recently completed by Geo. P. Weick in the southern part of town, burned to the ground, Monday night, while the most of our citizens slept. The fire was occasioned by a party living in a dug-out immediately west of the house, leaving his quarters and failing to extinguish his candle, which burning low, set the table on fire upon which it was standing, and communicated from the dug-out to Mr. Weick’s residence, which was discovered to be on fire about 11:30. Everything in the house was saved but on account of the lack of water and assistance little or nothing could be done toward extinguishing the flames. Adjoining property was saved by the efforts of those present. The loss, amounting to between $1200 and $1500, is a very severe one to Mr. Weick, who has the sympathy of all in his loss. The house was fortunately insured for $900 in the Phenix. This amount will go far toward making lighter Mr. Weick’s loss.”

“While the material list is hot, we would suggest to our people the urgent necessity that exists for their keeping their premises clear of old buildings and debris. Had it not been for that miserable old dug-out, Monday night’s fire would not, in all probability, have occurred. When one looks around through some localities in our town, and sees the straw, paper, hay and other inflammable materials lying around in the rear of buildings, frequently close to ash piles, he is led to wonder why so few fires occur. See to these things at once. In the absence of a fire department, such precautionary measures may be valuable.”

“The rear ends of some and the entire surface of other lots, within a stone throw of the business center of our town, present the appearance of regular garbage beds.”

Finally, despite having described the worst of conditions, The Tribune placed this article on the very same page: “The census of our town taken last week by Frank Galarneau indicates that the population of our two-year-old ‘Magic City’ is almost 1,200 or in exact figures 1,177. Adults, 472, and under 21 years of age, 705. Few, if any, towns in the State of Nebraska of the age of McCook can boast of such a population. We can, without exhibiting any vanity, claim to have the most phenomenal little city in this part of the west. And McCook moves right along in the van of the procession.”

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