Another postoffice was established at Mitchell, which was then on the south side of the river about two miles west of the south end of the present .Mitchell bridge. Geo. L. Shockley was appointed postmaster.

In thirty-four years of existence Gering has had hut five postmasters. O. W. Gardner was the first. Ed Thornton followed and then Fred A. Wright. With the return of the republicans to national power A. B. Wood was appointed and served the longest of any incumbent, or a total of sixteen years. Will H. Lamm is the present "Nasby" of the growing important city.

Deep Well Tragedies and Near Tragedies

Digging the wells of Scotts Bluff county had its dangers as well as the deep well country of the high divides. Two incidents are here related.

W. B. Cole had dug a well to the depth of sixty feet and was walling it up. He was within sixteen feet of the top and at work when Lizzie, his little five year old daughter fell in at the top. He undertook to catch her but failed and she went to the bottom of the well. Down he went after her as quickly as possible and found her but little the worse for the sixty foot fall. This was little short of miraculous.

In Horseshoe Bend there was another somewhat similar accident. Some newcomers were having a well bored -- using a large augur. They had pulled the augur from the hole preparatory to going into dinner, when a two-year old child ran, fell, and toppled head-long into the hole. The distance was some eighty feet to the bottom of the hole. In the neighborhood there was a boy about eleven years old who was very slim. He consented that they tie a rope to his feet, let him head first into the well, and he would bring out the baby.