The man who saved George Norris from ruin

This column writing is a fun thing to do. Everywhere I turn, it seems, there is a story to tell.

Just the other day, as an example, I heard about a long-ago happening in Beaver City that saved the name -- and therefore the political career -- of George William Norris, the Southwest Nebraska attorney and judge who went on to become one of the greatest legislators in American history.

Here's what happened, according to a letter which still rests in the files of Meredith Williams, the Chief Executive Officer of the First State Bank in Beaver City.

In the 1890s, a furious race for mayor erupted in Beaver City between C.E.V. Smith, who was head of the Bank of Beaver City, and T.N. Hinson, who, as the incumbent mayor, had appointed Norris as city treasurer.

From the start, Norris' appointment sparked controversy because, in addition to being city treasurer, Norris was a director of the Furnas County Bank (which was a competitor to the Bank of Beaver City) and the principal developer of a project called "Norris Block."

Seizing upon this fact, Smith spread the rumor that the city's treasury, which amounted to around $2,000, was either lost or in danger of being lost.

The mud slinging was typical of political campaigns in the 1890s, but the situation became serious when the wife of Norris' bondsman became worried that Norris had indeed lost the money, and that the malfeasance would bring financial ruin to her husband.

Scared and irate, she demanded that Norris appear at an open meeting of the city council and show the entire amount of city money in cash.

Despite the uproar, Mayor Hinson and the rest of the town board was re-elected. Still, the Norris controversy continued and a large crowd gathered for the confirmation of the city treasurer.

To the relief of many and the amazement of most everyone else, Norris came to the meeting and plopped down the entire $2,000 in hard, cold cash.

How did Norris do it? Where did all that money come from?

It was not until half a century later, on Dec. 6, 1948, that the full story was told by A.O. Hinson, a descendant of T.N. Hinson, in a letter to his family and friends.

According to A.O. Hinson's account, the piles of cash were arranged by a good friend of Norris. He was a farmer and his name was George Shafer.

The arrangements took considerable effort. In his younger years, Shafer had worked for a rich banker residing in Falls City. To plead George's cause, Shafer traveled to Falls City and told his wealthy friend that he needed $2,000 in cash to satisfy the demands of the concerned citizenry of Beaver City.

To tell the end of the story, let's turn to the words written by A.O. Hinson in 1948:

"Due to the complete confidence that the banker had in the promise of Mr. Shafer, the money was given to him and he took the first train out for Oxford and drove over to Beaver City in time to get the cash to Norris. After it was counted, this same Shafer drove hurriedly to Oxford, caught the train down the valley and that same day returned the money to the bank in Falls City.

"Thus did a friend prove to be a friend. George W. Norris was saved from ruin and in a comparatively short time was able to make good his financial responsibility and in after years he was honored with election to the United States Senate."

These many years later, it makes me shudder to think what might have happened to Norris if a friend had not come to his aid. Very probably, Norris' reputation would have been tarnished to the point that his public service career would have been sidetracked, and such great accomplishments as the REA, TVA, the Unicameral and the Lame Duck Amendment would never have happened.