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NEBRASKA NEWSPAPER WOMAN FOR FIFTY YEARS

Harriet S. MacMurphy Possesses Knowledge of Indian Ways and Mysteries Unsurpassed by any Living White Woman.

HARRIET SHERRILL MACMURPHY may not be the oldest retired newspaper woman in the country, but she has been a newspaper woman more than 50 years

Mrs. MacMurphy was born at Waukesha, Wis., De, 12, 1848, and her father was Charles Rufus Dakin, who ran the general store, She was one of 12 children.

Reading from the oldest on down they include Julia, John Charles, Clara, Harriet, Helen, Mary Ward, Anna, Robert, Charles, Mary Phebe and Talbot. Five are still living.

"Strike Dakin, the devil's in the hemp!" declared the king to the lord who came before Harriet, a lot of years. To be exact it was on October 14, 1066, in merry Old England that the king made this decleration.

This all took place in a hemp field, and the enemy was hiding behind the stacks. The lord, no sooner heard the king ery out that he drew his sword and singing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," took after the enemy, and drove them pell mell out of the hemp, up the broad highway, and well past the white Hart, This battle was called the battle of Hastings.

Charles Rufys Dakin, just a few hundred years later, hitched up the old covered wagon and with his family started for the great open spaces that lay over yonger toward the setting sun.

THEY SETTILE AT DECATUR

Now you must understand that 13 children are a lot of children, and even a covered wagon has its limit, So Harriet drove the buggy, that brought up the rear along with the fine prize stock. She was 11 yesrs old, and pretty.

They spent the winter at Floyd, Ia., and in the spring again took up the journey in the same direction. As father was hailing a ferry on which to cross the trugid Missouri, Harriet sat on the bank and conversed with Mrs. Jules. They names Julesburg, Colo., after Mr Jules, who met a horrible death. Later Mrs. MacMurphy heard the particulars from his wife and wrote graphically about them. It seemed that Jules had some trouble with a man named Slade and had shot himm but had taken him to Denver and put him in a hospital and paid to have him cared for. Years passed an Jules thought it had all been frogotten.

Then one day Slade and his gang got him, carried him to Slade's ranch where they tied him to a great box. Then Slade took his position with a rifle. He shot at Hiles just missing his neck, or his ear or his hand. Then he started hitting him just enought ot draw blood. He kept this up the rest of the day, and then toward night he fired a shot that killed him.

NEBRASKA NEWSPAPER WOMAN FOR FIFTY YEARS

Harriet S. MacMurphy Possesses Knowledge of Indian Ways and Mysteries Unsurpassed by any Living White Woman.