Hall County NEGenWeb
Reminiscences & Narratives of Pioneers
THREE YEARS AT SIDNEY

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Transcribed from
the ©1920 "History of Hall County," by Buechler, Barr, and Stough

About 1875, Mr. Anderson and his partner, Johnnie Williams, left the saloon and pool room business in Grand Island and went to Sidney, where they remained for awhile. At that time the Black Hills excitement was on in full blast. They went into a saloon business there. Mr. Anderson was elected coroner, but that proved, as he expressed it, "too tough for me." He adds: "Every few mornings there would be rap on the door and a call would come, 'Mr. Coronor, get up, we've got another stiff for you,' that being the way they put it. That got to be too much for me and I quit before my time was up. I wouldn't be annoyed with so much killing." Those were the days in Sidney when the Texan herds would be brought up to the north country. The Civil War was not so far removed but that the northern fellows would run into the southern hearders and something would start right away. In those times such characters as Ben and Bill Thompson, Texas gambers, killers, and shooters as they called them, came along. Others who would show up were Wyeth, Bat Mathiesen (?), Jim Fien, Grasshopper Sam, Eat-em-up Jake, Rebel George, Levy, and others who could stand around and brag, "I killed my man," "I got my man," "I got another one," as they called, "I've got six to my credit now," "I've got three," and other remarks showing the credit due to their skill in marksmanship and dexterity.

During this time Henry Clarke of Omaha built a toll bridge across the Platte River, at the point known later as Camp Clark, about three to five miles west of the present town of Bridgeport. This bridge opened a short route from Sidney to Deadwood and Dakota points. The danger from Indians was so great the government did not undertake to carry the mail, but permitted Mr. Clarke to do so, for a charge of 10 cents. An envelope stamp of 1876 is illustrated on another page.