Christian Kobe is a native of Bremen, Germany. At an early age he
heard the call of the sea; those unmistakable voices appealing to
him from cut the distance, inviting him forth to investigate the
hidden secrets beyond the horizon, and to venture into the great
possibilities of a vaster world. The song of the sirens allured him
onto many seas, and across many oceans, providing opportunities of
entering into the secrets of a hitherto unknown world. Commencing at
the age of 14 years he lived the life of the sailor, visiting nearly
every country on the Globe, thus, gaining a wide knowledge in
travel, and passing through wonderful and exciting experiences such
as fall to the lot of but few men.
He could easily enumerate
sufficient stories to make an interesting book, which, commencing
with his first attempt at milking a goat at sea, the meeting of an
Orangoutang when alone on the West coast of Africa, and his lonely
tramps over the western part of this Continent, together with his
pioneer experiences in Nebraska, would make an interesting
autobiography.
After spending several years on the high
seas, he thought it was time to try his fortunes on the land, but
instead of returning to the old country, he went to California,
working for two years around San Francisco. With the incoming of the
Chinese, which was the introduction of cheap labor into the country,
he had to move on, passing through experiences which are worth
recording. We next find him among the Mormons at Salt Lake City. To
make it possible for him to live there at that time he had to pay
the regular 50 cents to have his gentile ship washed away, this
taking place at a spring at the city gates.
He then entered
the city and secured employment with a provision merchant as
delivery man, in this capacity he traveled into the surrounding
country of Utah. It was a great sight to see the crowds of Indians
attending service outside the Morman Tabernacle, (they were never
allowed inside) their services being held immediately after the
regular service.
Mr. Kobe, not being willing to join the
church, he thought it best to seek work elsewhere, and undertook the
arduous task of walking back to California, traveling mostly at
night time and sleeping during the day. During this journey he would
meet with bands of Indians, and would invariably ask for the chief,
they in turn would ask if he was a Morman, replying that he was,
they would ask "How many squaws?" The Indians considered a Morman a
good man, and if he had only one squaw, he was a good Morman. If a
man proved to be a gentile he was considered a bad man, and they
cared nothing for him; they might even take his life. Having secured
the confidence of the Indians (so much for the 50 cents and the
washing) he was received into the tent, allowed to sleep, and the
squaws provided him with food before again starting on his midnight
tramp. He would sometimes manage to get a meal at some ranch, the
charge being invariably $1 for a mess of pork and beans, the beans
would have made better shot for a gun than food for a man.
He was often compelled to drink ditch water, after he had found his
way through the green scum floating on the top. His experiences go
to show how wonderful are the protecting mercies of a kind
providence in spite of the lack of those modern sanitary and
comfortable conditions of life which some persons tell us are
absolutely necessary if a man would live long and remain healthy, be
that as it may, Mr. Kobe lives on, and enjoys good health in spite
of having passed through experiences the conditions of which were a
contradiction to the theories of modern science.
He next
thought he would try his fortune in Nebraska, and with a Mr. John
Frank, he came to Omaha, then back to Lincoln, where they filed for
homesteads, taking up land near the Blue River, in York County, in
1870. He made a dugout which was much like a cave, and in which he
lived for nearly three years. Horses were scarce, so he worked for
long with two yoke of oxen, and did a great deal of breaking for
other settlers at $4 per acre. During those pioneer days he was
often without money, he would have some due to him, but, "it delayed
its coming," then he would seek the kind aid of others, and says he
will never forget the way Dr. Smith would trust him for provisions
during those hard times.
Mr. Kobe was one time making his
way to Nebraska City, a distance of over 80 miles with his ox team
and a load of wheat and potatoes. When near the Middle Creek he saw
a prairie fire coming, and at once thought of burning off the
surrounding grass, he set to work making this protection, but match
after match failed him, and when he had come to his last match the
fire was fast approaching and things looked desperate; when with a
prayer that he might be spared, he struck the last match which had
the desired effect; he had just burned off sufficient to make a fire
break, and had led his team and wagon onto the cleared space when
the fire leaping like something gone mad, surrounded him on every
hand. Had he not been thus providentially saved, he would have been
burnt up in broad daylight. We can well imagine what an experience
like this would mean to Mr. Kobe! I have had the privilege and
pleasure of reading a copy of the original manuscript of "Samuel
Allis' " experiences as a missionary among the Pawnee Indians,
(1834) probably the first missionary to those people, he tells of a
prairie fire, when a hunting party was encamped on the Platte
bottoms, when four Indians and several horses were burnt to death.
Surely friend Kobe accomplished a great deal when he saved his team,
wagon and himself in a singlehanded fight with the fiery monster.
One day he was breaking in a field when he saw three Indians
approaching him and was not inclined to pay any attention to them,
but they persisted in their demands for money and provisions. Having
sent them away unsupplied they made their way to the neighbor's
house a newly married couple the woman was alone in the dugout when
they entered, yelling their exclamation, "Ouh! Ouh!!" much to the
young: woman's alarm. They wanted everything they could see, and
helped themselves to the man's wedding suit which happened to be
hanging near.
After they had gone she sought her husband,
and he in turn sought the help of Mr. Kobe, and each mounting a
horse they chased the Indians to their camp near Beaver Crossing,
demanded the stolen clothing, which the Indians with great laughter
handed back.
Another neighbor named "Joe Cunningham" had
just got married, and his wife was busy with her washing and alone.
Mr. Kobe saw an Indian coming up from the Blue, and judging what
might happen he made occasion to go and return a corn knife he had
borrowed. The Indian had made his way into the house and was
demanding meat and flour, much to the discomfort of the young woman,
when Kobe called out, "Don't be afraid!" and then he called for the
dog, at the mention of which the Indian was glad to make his escape.
Another day he was passing through the timber when an Indian
carrying a rifle made his appearance, the situation was not very
encouraging, Kobe having nothing of a defensive character but a
pocket knife. The Indian asked for tobacco, and Mr. Kobe willingly
shared what he had; offering him half, but the Indian wanted more,
saying "No! No! Me wants bigger, bigger!" That being refused, he
yelled "Ouh! Ouh! You a bad white man, if me had you west, me scalp
you!" Mr. Kobe with his blood rising said: "You go to thunder," and
then tried to get a gun from a neighbor, who on seeing his excited
condition refused to let him have it, the Indian in the mean time
having gone to the river.
Nothing vexed an Indian more than
the reckless way white men killed the Buffalo, and leaving them
lying on the prairie without making any use of them, they having
accomplished their object in the mere sport. This was a shameful
waste to an Indian, who depended on the buffalo for his food,
clothing and tipi covers. No doubt many men lost their lives at the
hands of the Indians as a result of this wasteful habit. This can be
easily understood, when we know that they had very strict rules
among themselves regarding the hunting of buffalo, they had "Buffalo
soldiers" appointed by the chiefs, and if anyone was caught going
near or hunting buffalo without a special order from the chief, they
got a severe whipping. The aggressions of the "pale face" and his
willful destruction of the buffalo seemed to the Indian mind to
demand something more than a severe whipping hence the murders!
When the grasshoppers came, Mr. Kobe was cultivating corn, they
fell so thick and fast that work became impossible, so he left the
cultivator in the field, led the oxen to the stall, and when he
returned his corn was all gone. He suffered the loss of a barley
crop with the "chinch bugs", he had done well the previous year with
his barley, and now looked forward to a small fortune from his 20
acres, but "man proposes and the chinch bug disposes." They came by
the million, and lay six inches deep on the ground, so he set fire
to the field burning both the barley and the bugs.
During
the blizzard he had to feed his cattle with corn through the barn
roof, and had to shovel in some snow, that they might quench their
thirst, this method of feeding cattle lasting for two weeks. During
the storm he was only able to find his way by having a lariat rope
running from the house to the barn.
We may add that Mr.
Kobe, during the days of his sailor life on Lake Michigan, had the
misfortune to lose all his personal property in the Chicago fire,
including all his "Ship discharges," "Citizenship papers" and
"Jewelry." He had to take out his "Citizenship papers" a second
time. After proving up on his claim, he visited the "Fatherland",
after an absence of over twenty years, during that visit he saw the
young girl who afterwards became his partner in life, who now shares
with him the quieter, and more restful days of a very eventful life.
Pioneers of Fillmore and Adjoining Counties
Source: Pioneer Stories of the Pioneers of Fillmore and adjoining Counties, by G. R. McKeith, Press of Fillmore County News, Exeter, Nebraska, 1915
