George came up to where the men were working near the top of the sod walls. It was evening and the sod were seemingly very heavy, so heavy that Mills and his assistant had improvised a slide from the wagon to the top of the wall, by using the endgate. George was asked to wait until they finished unloading the sod and they said they would get supper and he could bunk with them for the night.

George then gave them an exhibition of his

prodigious strength. He jumped upon the wagon, and notwithstanding his long wralk that day, and having had no dinner, he picked up the big sod, single handed, and placed it upon the wall.

Joe Smith at the same time selected a tract that later was platted as Tabor. There was later some mixup over the claim, and he relinquished a half of the claim which was taken by A. M. (Mack) Fairfield.

While A. W. Mills was the first to start a house on the north side of the river, Smith was the first to have his finished.

Wellington Clark, George W. Fairfield -- the old surveyor, -- A. B. Purdy, and Joe Smith arrived at the same time from Sidney. They were in Sidney when Mills left that town for the North river country. They arrived at their selected claims about September 10, 1886.

Primed the Pump With Milk

Their first act was to drive down a well point, and attach a pitcher pump. Having no water to prime it, and the pump refusing to act without priming, one of them started for