In addition to the cares and sometimes worries of the past year, we learned that suit had been brought by the U.S. Circuit Court against the B&M Railway lands, involving the early title to our home quarter. There was relief to all when a letter from the Special Land Commissioner at Lincoln informed Father, as of June 10th, that the matter was cleared up and without expense to us.

In January, corn reached an all time low of .06 per bushel. On March 4th, McKinley took office at 53, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and a Methodist. Father believed the new administrations' policy of sound money would bring back a sound prosperity much sooner than the Bryan program would have done. He likened the Democratic platform to the Platte river - it covered a lot territory but lacked depth.

In 1895, the Marks family had bid goodby to Norfolk and to we Lederers, moving to Wisconsin, where for some time we corresponded with them. Now the word was that Ned the elder son had gone to Canada to dredge for gold along the Saskatchewan, later going to Alaska when gold was discovered at Klondike.

Pleasant Valley school notes as of April 5th; we may be forgiven for calling this Lederer Day as we reminisce back to that time. Among the scholars were Lederers Noah - John - Cleo - George and Walter. Visitors Lederer; Mother; sister Ruth and brother Charles. Then there was Father, the organizer, architect and builder Lederer.

The assessor found 4 horses, 4 hogs and some machinery but no wives at the partnership home of the teacher and brother. Father had the appointment of appraiser of school lands.

In September, a family picture was taken by neighbor Campbell. Fathers' blacksmith shop, draped in our Sunday-best linens or quiltings served as photo-gallery. We were all staged as though the curtain was due to go up at any moment. First Father and Mother were seated in attitude denoting his ownership and her guardianship. Next in the order of our seniority according to the storks tally. The teacher, 23, leaning slightly to the windward as though visioning someone nearby; Charles now of age, displaying the beginnings of a dainty mustache; Noah and John runner-ups at 19 and 17; Noah looking toward being 6 after while; John with hand on Bible and in the pose of a Sampson; Cleo 12, already showing in miniature; Walter at 7 seated cross-legged in solemn poetic ease; and Ruth now 3, in her little red rocker waiting the photographers signal breathlessly. The combined ages totaled 92 years.

Teacher for the winter, Miss Jessie Diltz.

Will Rogers was a young man when he first appeared on the stage as a roping, wise-cracking cowboy. Most of us at the farm were later on Roger fans as he developed into a humorist writer of world wide note. A newspaper clipping gives the information that a certain George Lederer, a theatrical manager aided him at the start of his career at the Chicago auditorium in 1897. Checking up on this Lederer, we find he was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania of parents who came to America from Prague, Bohemia. None of our clan can take credit here. Father later loved to quote from the Rogers' fund of philosophic sayings - "I'll take mine in good old mother earth, a feller can have fun fixing a spot for himself and his family and friends to enjoy in this life"

New Zealand adopted the old age pension plan, which idea our own U.S began to talk about and until 40 years later had done naught except to dribble out small assistance to the decrepit.

Hawaii comes into the U.S. family as a territory.

Our sympathies with Cuba de Puerto Rico in their struggles against corrupt Spaniards, together with the millions of American dollars invested commercially in those islands, caused Congress to declare for their independence. On February 15th, the U.S. battleship MAINE was sunk by explosion in Havana harbor. The words "Remember the MAINE" grew into a battle cry and on April 19th, the President was empowered to use force of arms and so carry out the request that Spain retreat for home. Now we had a war on. We at home eagerly read the exciting war news from our weekly paper or learned at closer hand the happenings on our trips to town. The Lederers were as war-minded as any who volunteered but before we would get off our overalls and into a uniform the clouds of ware were cleared by the rainbow of peace.

With Fathers' help and Mothers' supervision the erstwhile teacher, now cook and dishwiper, and brother rented a farm in partnership. The two bachelor farmers were investigating possibilities of finding a mate, the cook by correspondence, his brother by evening visits in the neighborhood of Hadar town. The new teacher, Miss Ethel Davis, was very interesting but would not respond to their inquiring glances.

The old time debating societies were still somewhat in vogue. Alternating between our school and the 5-mile distant Hatch district, we met, read minutes and prepared to settle, at once and for all time, such weighty matters as "Resolved that dishwashing is a more difficult job than chopping wood".

To revive the few backsliders and to widen the religious horizons of the young folks in Pleasant Valley, special meetings were held at the school house. Reverends Bender of the Evangelical and Case of the Friends did the exhorting and coached our singing. Mother and Father too encouraged their good efforts.

Beginning June 1st, the Trans-Mississippi Exposition was held at Omaha. To commemorate the occasion, Postmaster General Gary caused to be issued a special set of stamps, nine in number, 1 cent to $2.00. Father attended and became a stamp collector at 48, the half way point in his life. 48 years later, find securely mounted in his account book, the 1 cent and 2 cent of this issue. An outlay of 3 cents, those now catalogue $1.60. If he or any of us could have envisioned that an investment of only $3.80 for the set would sell for $175.00, forty eight years later, we Lederers might have been in the capitalistic class.

Father was still engaged as a builder in our part of the county whenever his other duties permitted. Hardly a farmstead but what had a least a touch of his planning and erecting with many completely his handiwork. The mechanics of building were almost a hobby of his but it was a near obsession to behold the finished improvement, which was at once an added value to the owner and benefit to the community.

Though we were one by one casting our lines in other places, the home farm was a good place to think about or to come back to, as of Christmas time.

Another notable, educator Frances E. Willard, 59, passed away this year.

Father had always maintained in prophecy and now was a witness to the rapid development of inventions, the leading part in bringing on the machine age. It was no longer good policy for the U.S. to remain isolated from the rest of the mercantile world, once we were the leading manufacturers of most new scientific products. We must surely need foreign market expansion along with our home consumption.

Results of Spain's defeat was our protectorate over Cuba, possession of Puerto Rico as a colony, naval stations at Samoa and Guam, as well as control of the Phillippines.

As always, the period following war was a prosperity boom. Money came out of hiding and in three years many new trusts were formed. Capital and labor too were willing to stick out their necks a bit. A more prosperous year than the last 5 or 6 was being enjoyed by the parents and their junior master farmers. Father as assessor, then as carpenter building an addition to the old home, the boys raising a corn crop at .20 per bushel to pay for the material. Taxes on a $2000 evaluation - $20.36.

The Lederer Bros. partnership, together with the home Lederer staff, combined to made a pool investment in a horse-powered Minneapolis threshing rig. The power plant was so constructed as to allow 5 two horse teams hitched in a circle, one following the other. Equalization of pull was maintained by a series of cross rods also by the driver who was royally mounted on a center platform. Here with a long whip's crack or a stinging business end snap he was master as long as he kept order like and old-fashioned school teacher. He was more impressive if he had the leather lungs of an auctioneer. The driver had to be ever on watch for signals. If something happened to the machine's rear end, the straw stacker motioned to the elevator man who signaled the feeder and he hollered to the pitcher, after spatting out his chaw. Then the pitcher waved his fork at the driver and in due time the entire works came to a halt. Such rest period was a treat to the kids of the crew as they relaxed their band cutting arms. Lederer manned, this noisy circus toured the neighborhood with Father as repair pilot.

Now his obsession for the care and repair of all machinery also applied to his remarkable inventive mind. Many a gadget that would simplify time or labor was hung on or fastened tot he old thresher.

At one time, not long after the first twine, high elevator grain binders came into common use, he made a model of a low elevator type. We are quite certain that if he had been in position to secure patent rights at the time, his idea would have preceded that of the patentee, who shortly after was successful on an identical improvement.

The blacksmith shop at the homestead was an interesting spot, not only for all his sons or daughter but for any neighbor or visitor. Here Father might work at and many times did perfect the things he dreamed he could make. Yes, here he had a hobby that paid him well in peace of mind and pleasure in creative effort.

In corn husking time, the bachelor cook, after piling away his dishes, was seen sneaking out to the field smoking a pipe. After burning his tongue with a trial pinch of cheap tobacco in trying to husk his allotment at the same time, he retreated to take up his mealtime activities. Father was never much of a smoker - occasionally trying out an election cigar only to toss away the major portion. None of his sons ever received encouragement from him anent this habit.

The teacher at 33 was Miss Anna Wantlin.

The Lederers were reading. Besides the Youths Companion should have been called the Family's Companion, there was the Orange Judd Farmer; The Thresherman: two Pierce weeklies and a tri-weekly Chicago paper. Headlines that kept us vied with Father in matters of national importance were:
General MacArthur Military Governor of Phillippines, April 7th
McKinley re-nominated at Philadelphia, June 21st
Bryan nominated at Kansas City, July 5th
Civil Government in Phillippines with Taft, President of the commission.
Population of the U.S. set at 76,303,387

As in most instances, a majority confidence in our President, resulting in a measure of prosperity. Such was the case this year and Father was able to renew the loan on the home place for $1,400, with interest at 7%.

About this time artificial ice came into use but at the farm we were still harnessed to natures common methods - cooling butter in the well and milk and cream on the cellar floor. However, one thing we were up to date on - 49 foot deep, 3 foot wide well, cylindrically dug - just the right depth to supply us with clear, cool water. All that was necessary to refresh us was to hand over hand the rope running through a pulley above with a bucket on each end. As the upper bucket hove into view, we balanced it on the curbs edge, sinking our thirsty lips into the oaken flavored overflow. This was paradise in summer time to be enjoyed to the utmost while forgetting the below zero icy performance such an arrangement when watering the chilling livestock in the dead of winter.

In January, the school board argued the bach-cook into holding down the rostrum for the spring school's finish, owing to the illness of the regular teacher. For 33 days in District 33, the ex-teacher again taught - this time under Superintendent Stevenson at $35 a month. Father was still Director of proceedings.

From the County fusion chiefs' - 50/50 Democrat and Populist - became a summons to the teacher Lederer. They dangled before his eyes the plum of Deputy County Clerk. After due consideration and in consultation with Father, Mother and the family he decided to swallow the bait and what it concealed. Father would forgive the politics if only he would become an efficient public servant. So this time the teacher switch-hits to become the Recorder of Deeds in the office of County Clerk Staley.

In state convention time the deputy is free-passaged to Lincoln and meets Bryan head on. Four Lederers voted for President in Pierce County. Father at 50 again for McKinley, Charles and Noah, 24 and 22, also Republican. The deputy of course had to line up for Bryan for now he ranked as a second rate office holder whose allegiance to party was expected, nay, requested!!

McKinley won 292 to 155. During the campaign, "Teddy" Roosevelt, gunning for Vice President, came to Norfolk to fix political fences that the awful Democrats had torn down.

In the matrimonial race between the partner brothers, the first to receive a parents blessing and the present of an 8-day clock, was Charles M., who was united in marriage on June 19th to Miss Rose Weston. Ceremony performed by Reverend Shick, the Pierce Methodist Episcopal pastor. The Weston family, living near Hadar, were of very worthy American pioneer folk, Mr. Weston born at Lebanon, Vermont while the Mother had crossed the Atlantic at the early age of three months from Hamburg, Germany. They met and married at Red Oak, Iowa, moving to Nebraska in the Spring by covered wagon - 8 day trip. Like the Lederers, they were also a good sized family, eight in number. Father numbered the Westons among his fine neighbors. He and Mother welcomed the new daughter-in-law into the Lederer camp.

In August, the deputy met a Miss Walker at Pierce, who with her folks, had moved from Hay Springs, Nebraska. Here her folks had homesteaded about 6 miles from where Jules Sandoz later squat-righted and could tell as tall stories about old Sandoz as his daughter, Marie, set forth in her book "Old Jules". Later the Walker family had lived in town not far from and at the time of the Indian uprising and battle of Wounded Knee, 1890. With such historical background and a splendid highschooling, Miss Walker became a teacher in Districts #9 and 58, two points in the county which subsequently the deputy sought to acquaint himself with - coincidently the teacher happened to be there at the time.

At home, the teacher was Miss Zoe Quivey, with Lederer pupils Cleo, George, Walter and Ruth.