Several brave boys jammed in the doorway and tore out the side of the building, others smashed the windows, carrying the sash away with them. In fact, it is said, that the north side of the building was a wreck, this side being in the direction of Hemingford. I have no doubt that Hall and Tash stood the test all right, but of the rank and file, one party reports at least four of them went down in one pile just outside the building, but they soon recovered their feet, and faded into the moonlight.

What 'Gene Heath Meant

As told in the local historian's chronicle of early events, 'Gene Heath succeeded in having

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

the name of Buchanan changed to Nonpareil. 'Gene, being a democrat could not quite reconcile himself to the constant reminder of a wholly unsatisfactory democratic president of that name, who was the last in the antibellum days. 'Gene also believed in consistency, and Nonpareil was a small place. Nonpareil type is the smallest type known that will do for legal and official printing. To this idea the town was about as small as it could be, and yet be the legal municipal center of the county of Box Butte.

Cattle Rustlers, Holliday and Cochran

Fred Shonquist, the first sheriff of Box Butte county, was a prince of good fellows, but occasionally he undertook to put the distillers out of business, by drinking everything in sight. At such times, instead of being a guardian of the law, he would shatter about all the statutes that had anything to do with good government. The Republicans renominated him, however, in 1890, but the Democrats had the good judgment to place in nomination Eugene A. Hall. Mall was elected and two times reelected, serving six years.