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GENfEALOGY  COLLECTIOM 


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HISTORY  OF  WICHITA 

AND 

SEDGWICK    COUNTY 


KANSAS 


PAST  AND  PRESENT 

INCLUDING   AN   ACCOUNT   OF  THE  CITIES,  TOWNS 
AND  VILLAGES  OF  THE  COUNTY 


EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

HON.   O.   H.   BENTLEY 


Vol.   I 


Illustrated 


1910 

C.  F.  COOPER  &  CO. 

CHICAGO 


THE  HISTORY  OF 
SEDGWICK  COUNTY.  KANSAS 

To  the  hardy  pioneers  of  a  great  county,  whose  early  hard- 
ships, fortitude  and  patience  has  made  the  desert  to  blossom  like 
the  rose  and  whose  enterprise  and  faith  has  builded  in  the  great 
American  desert  a  peerless  city  and  converted  the  erstwhile 
favorite  feeding-ground  of  the  buffalo  into  fruitful  farms,  with 
grateful  acknowledgments  to  the  gifted  contributors,  whose 
facile  pens  have  so  much  embellished  these  pages,  and  especially 
to  the  press  of  Sedgwick  county,  which  has  proven  a  fund  of 
reliable  information;  and  more  especially  to  that  noble  woman, 
Mrs.  J.  R.  Mead,  and  that  eminent  lawyer  and  savant,  Kos 
Harris,  this  History  of  Sedgwick  County  is  affectionately 
inscribed,  by 

ORSEMUS  H.  BENTLEY, 
The  Editor-in-Chief. 


INTRODUCTION 

Few  counties  of  the  United  States  possess  the  stirring  and 
romantic  history  that  attaches  to  Sedgwick  county.  None  has 
within  such  a  short  period  of  time  achieved  the  fame  and  acquired 
the  commanding  commercial  importance  as  the  City  of  Wichita. 
Within  the  span  of  two  generations,  within  the  memory  of  men 
who  are  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  the  wilderness  has  been  trans- 
formed and  a  rich  and  thriving  community  has  taken  the  place 
where  once  the  Indians  roamed  at  will  and  hunted  the  wild  game, 
with  which  the  prairies  were  so  plentifully  stocked.  Nature 
provided  the  ideal  site  for  the  creation  of  such  a  city.  But  it 
was  the  work  of  man  to  build  it,  and  few  of  those  who  now 
enjoy  the  benefits  of  their  work  have  any  adequate  conception 
of  the  difSeulties  and  hardships  that  the  pioneers  of  Sedgwick 
county  had  to  surmount.  The  builders  of  Wichita  were  men  of 
indomitable  perseverance.  They  were  men  who  were  endowed 
with  prophetic  vision.  Unless  they  had  been  possessed  of  all 
these  traits  of  character  the  city  of  Wichita  would  never  have 
come  into  existence.  They  were  able  to  forecast  the  future  with 
a  certainty  that  can  only  be  characterized  as  marvelous,  in  view 
of  the  fulfilment  of  their  predictions.  They  were  laughed  at  as 
dreamers  of  dreams;  they  were  scoffed  at  as  visionaries.  They 
were  held  up  to  ridicule,  but  the  sturdiness  and  virility  of  these 
pioneers  at  last  won  the  day  for  their  cause,  and  the  scoffers 
in  time  became  the  zealous  converts  and  the  active  co-workers  of 
the  men  they  had  ridiculed.  JL3900S0 

To  adequately  write  the  history  of  Sedgwick  county  has  been 
a  work  encompassed  with  tremendous  difficulties.  It  has  necessi- 
tated laborious  investigation  and  research,  and  the  cooperation 
of  many  of  the  oldest  citizens.  Of  the  history  of  the  city  itself, 
there  is  ample  material  to  be  obtained  from  the  pioneers  of  the 
sixties  and  seventies.  Many  of  these  have  long  since  passed  to 
the  other  side,  but  they  have  left  that  record  of  their  time. 
Still  others  are  yet  living,  ripe  in  years  and  experience,  but 
with  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  early  days  of  the  city's  building 


iv  IXTEODUCTIOxV 

and  a  keen  interest  in  relating  the  experiences  of  those  epochal 
days.  The  stories  of  these  pioneers  form  an  indispensable  and 
one  of  the  most  interesting  parts  of  the  present  work.  They 
possess  also  the  additional  value  of  authenticity.  There  is 
nothing  of  legend  or  tradition  about  their  narratives.  They  are 
the  plain,  unvarnished  tales  of  men  and  women,  who  bore  the 
heat  and  burden  of  those  days  of  trying  endeavor,  who  endured 
almost  incredible  hardships,  who  never  lost  faith  in  the  future 
greatness  of  their  city  and  county,  and  many  of  whom  still  live 
to  exult  in  its  beauty  and  progress  and  to  prophesy  that  the 
astounding  development  of  today  is  but  the  forerunner  of  still 
greater  things  to  come. 

■  And  who  shall  venture  to  assert  that  they  are  not  right  and 
justified  in  these  predictions?  Marvelous  as  have  been  the  devel- 
opments of  the  past,  what  finite  mind  will  set  the  barrier  at  which 
progress  shall  cease?  The  commerce  which  has  made  Wichita 
the  greatest  shipping  point  in  the  Southwest  will  not  dwindle 
as  the  years  pass.  The  wealth  of  the  inconceivable  I'ichness  of 
the  soil  in  Kansas,  and  Sedgwick  county  in  particular,  will  con- 
tinue, for  ages  to  come,  to  pour  a  flood  of  riches  through  this 
natural  gateway.  The  thousands  of  acres  of  the  choicest  farm- 
ing lands  in  the  world  which  the  county  possesses  will  in  time 
form  the  homes  of  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people,  all 
of  whom  will  contribute  their  moiety  to  the  progress  of  the 
city  of  Wichita.  The  great  Southwest  will,  year  by  year,  send 
an  ever  increasing  stream  of  its  varied  products  to  the  city,  there 
to  be  distributed  to  the  markets  of  the  world.  The  flood  of 
commerce  between  the  Orient  and  the  East  which  will  grow 
by  leaps  and  bounds  in  the  future,  will  always  seek  the  city, 
because  of  its  unrivalled  transportation  facilities.  The  unparal- 
leled advantages  which  the  city  has  to  offer  for  manufacturing 
will  in  time  make  it  one  of  the  great  industrial  communities  of 
the  West.  Here  are  all  the  essential  conditions  for  the  building 
of  a  great  city,  and  with  them  nothing  can  stop  its  future  growth 
and  progress. 

When  Wichita  sprang  into  being  forty  years  ago,  it  was  the 
only  settlement  in  Sedgwick  county.  Today  there  are  a  score 
of  more  of  villages  within  a  radius  of  twenty-five  miles  of  the 
city,  and  this  development  of  the  county  is  no  less  marvelous 
than  that  of  the  city.  These  cities  are  a  part  of  the  exploitation 
of  the  agricultural  resources  of  the  county,  but  they  are  not 


INTKODUCTIOX  v 

mere  camps.  They  are  built  to  stay.  They  are  cities  in  every 
sense  of  the  word.  Their  schools  and  churches  are  equal  to 
those  of  any  city  of  the  land.  Their  public  buildings,  residences 
and  streets  are  metropolitan  iu  character.  They  enjoy  all  the 
luxuries  and  refinements  of  life,  with  a  climate  that  is  ideal  in 
character.  These  cities  are  progressive,  alert,  gifted  with  a  fine 
sense  of  civic  pride,  and  steadily  forging  ahead  to  a  greater 
development.  In  time  they  will  become  the  commercial  centers 
of  the  great  and  rich  agricultural  country  and  productive  farms. 
The  supremacy  which  Sedgwick  coimty  now  enjoys,  of  being  the 
richest  county,  agriculturally,  of  the  state,  is  solely  because  of 
the  unequaled  richness  of  its  soil  for  agricultural  purposes. 

The  publishers  of  the  history  desire  to  acknowledge  the 
cordial  and  valuable  assistance  which  has  been  accorded  them 
in  its  coBipilation  by  many  citizens  of  Wichita  and  Sedgwick 
county.  It  has  been  a  help  deeply  appreciated,  and  deserves 
due  recognition.  Among  those  to  whom  thanks  are  due  are  the 
Eagle  and  the  Beacon,  whose  store  of  valuable  historical  collec- 
tions have  been  freely  drawn  upon,  as  well  as  the  many 
eonrtibutors  whose  names  head  their  contributions. 


NOTE 

All  the  biographical  sketches  published  in  this  history  were 
submitted  to  their  respective  subjects,  or  to  the  subscribers  from 
whom  the  facts  were  primarily  obtained,  for  their  approval  or 
correction  before  going  to  press,  and  a  reasonable  time  was 
allowed  in  each  case  for  the  return  of  the  typewritten  copies. 
Most  of  them  were  returned  to  us  within  the  time  allotted,  or 
before  the  work  was  printed,  after  being  corrected  or  revised, 
and  these  may  therefore  be  regarded  as  reasonably  accurate. 

A  few,  however,  were  not  returned  to  us,  and,  as  we  have 
no  means  of  knowing  whether  they  contain  errors  or  not,  we 
'  can  not  vouch  for  their  accuracy.  In  justice  to  our  readers, 
and  to  render  this  work  more  valuable  for  reference  purposes, 
we  have  indicated  these  uncorrected  sketches  by  a  small  asterisk 
(*),  placed  immediately  after  the  name  of  the  subject. 

C.  P.  COOPER  &  CO. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTEE  I.     The  City  of  Wichita 1 

Favorably  Located.  The  Second  City  in  the  State.  The  Sur- 
rounding Country  of  Unsurpassed  Fertility.  A  Wholesale  and 
Jobbing  Center  of  Vast  Importance.  Two  Hundred  and  Thirty 
Manufacturing  Concerns.  Bank  Deposits  and  Clearing.  The 
Union  Stock  Yards.  The  Grain  and  Milling  Business.  Street 
Eailway  System.  Public  Buildings.  School  Buildings.  Natural 
Gas.  Hospital.  Sewer  System  and  Drainage  Canal.  500 
"Knights  of  the  Grip."     Substantial  Growth  of  the  City. 

CHAPTER  II.     Eakly  History  op  Wichita 6 

Origin  of  Name.  Town  Platted  and  Surveyed  by  Chartered  Com- 
pany in  1868.  The  Old  Time  Business  Center.  "Durfees 
Ranch. ' '  Wichita 's  Early  Merchants.  Some  Noted  Characters  of 
the  Pioneer  Days.  The  First  Lecture  Course  in  Wichita.  Some 
Pioneer  Women  of  Wichita.  The  First  White  Child  Bom  in  the 
County.  First  Religious  Services.  The  First  Church  Edifice.  In- 
corporated in  1870.  First  Town  Officers.  In  1872  Made  a  City 
of  the  Second  Class.  The  Big  Toll  Bridge.  The  Cattle  Drive 
from  the  Texas  Plains.  The  Spirit  of  '72.  Will  Somebody  Start 
SometMng.  First  City  Officers  of  Wichita,  1872.  First^  County 
Officers  of  Sedgwick  County.  Thirteen  Mayors  in  Thirty-nine 
Years. 

CHAPTER    III.     Wichita    as    a    Commercial    and    Manufacturing 

Center    16 

The  "Peerless  Princess  of  the  Southwest."  Some  Items  of  Some 
Interest.  A  Summary  of  What  Wichita  Has  Done  and  is  Doing 
Now.  The  Outlook.  Commercial  and  Industrial  Interests  in  Order 
of  Importance.  Wholesale  and  Jobbing.  Live  Stock  and  Meat  Pack- 
ing. Grain  and  Milling.  Selling  Broom  Corn  and  Manufacturing 
Brooms  and  Miscellaneous  Manufacturing.  Wichita  as  a  Home  Town 
and  Some  Reasons  Why.  Wichita 's  Flour  Production.  Wichita  Job- 
bing Business  Totals  Forty  Millions  a  Year.  Lumber  Trade  of 
Wichita.  List  of  Manufacturing  Establishments.  Wichita  Has 
These.  A  World  Market  for  Broomcorn.  A  Few  of  the  Many 
Big  Things  That  Wichita  is  Doing  Now.  Contractors  and 
Craftsmen  Help  Make  a  Greater  Wichita.  Wichita  Bank  Taxes 
in  1910.  The  Why  of  Wichita's  Greatness  as  a  Railway  and  Job- 
bing Center.  A  Few  Big  Things  Wichita  Has.  Property  Values 
in  Wichita.  Interesting  Facts  Concerning  Wichita.  January, 
1910,  in  Wichita,  Kansas.  February,  1910,  in  Wichita,  Kansas. 
The  Wichita  Grain  Market.  A  Great  Motor  Car  Center.  The 
Wichita  Railroad  &  Light  Company.  Lumber  and  Building 
Materials.  The  Sash  afld  Door  Industry  in  Wichita.  Wichita: 
Some  Idea  of  the  Importance  of  the  City.  Roster  of  City  Officers 
of  Wichita,  Kansas,  1910.     Wichita  Fire  Department. 

vii 


viii  CONTEXTS 

CHAPTER  IV.     The  Wichita  Chamber  op  Commerce 

Was  Organized  in  1901.  First  Officers  and  What  They  Accom- 
plished. Later  Achievements.  Social  Features.  Number  of  ilem- 
bers  and  Directors.  A  Business-Social  Center  and  the  Civic 
Center  of  Wichita.     The  New  Location  in  the  Beacon  Block. 

CHAPTER  V.     Board  of  Trade  and  How  it  Grew 

The  Trade  Getters.  Personnel  of  Officers  and  Members  and  the 
Firms  They  Represent.  Something  About  the  Importance  of 
Wichita  Grain  Trade. 

CHAPTER  VI.     The  Commercial  Club  and  Commercial  League 

Date  of  Organization.  The  Successes  of  the  Coronado  Club.  The 
Promoters,  Directors,  First  Officers.  Some  of  the  Big  Things  They 
Have  Accomplished.  The  New  Home  of  the  Club.  Some  of 
the  Live  Wires  Past  and  Present.  The  Present  Board  of 
Directors.  The  West  Wichita  Commercial  League.  The  Young- 
est Commercial  Body,  but  One  of  the  Most  Active.  Have  Accom- 
plished Much  in  a  Short  Time  and  are  Planning  iluch  for  the 
Future.  Something  About  West  Wichita  of  Interest  to  the  Man- 
ufacturer and  Home  Builder.  The  Men  Who  are  Making  the 
League  Go. 

CHAPTER  VII.     The  Wichita  Water  Company 

An  Unique  and  Efficient  System.  The  Water  Pure  and  Inex- 
haustible. A  Modern  Plant  and  Accessories.  Analysis  of  the 
Water. 

CHAPTER   VIIL     The  Wichita  Land   Office 

Its  Early  History.  Its  Officers,  Clerks  and  Attorneys.  Discrip- 
tion  and  Classification  of  Lands.  Name  of  Land  District.  A 
Roster  of  Registere  and  Receivers  of  Wichita  Land  Office.  Editor 's 
Note. 

CHAPTER  IX.     The  Banks  of  Wichita 

The  Arkansas  Valley  Bank.  The  Wichita  Bank.  The  Wichita 
Savings  Bank.  The  Kansas  National  Bank.  The  Kansas  State 
Bank.  The  Citizens'  Bank.  The  Bank  of  Commerce.  Editor's 
Note.  The  West  Side  National  Bank.  The  American  State 
Bank.  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce.  The  Commercial  Bank. 
The  State  Savings  Bank.  The  Citizens'  State  Bank.  The  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Wichita.  The  Gold  Savings  State  Bank.  The 
Stock  Yards  State  Bank.  The  Merchants'  State  Bank.  The 
Wichita  State  Bank.  The  Union  Stock  Yards  National  Bank. 
Tvrelve  Million  Dollars  in  Wichita  Banks.  The  Country  Banks 
of  Sedgwick  County.  The  Growth  and  General  Prosperity.  The 
Farmers'  State  Bank  of  Sedgwick.  The  Sedgwick  State  Bank. 
Valley  Center  State  Bank.  State  Bank  of  Kechi.  Farmers' 
State  Bank  of  Mulvane.  Mulvane  State  Bank.  Home  State 
Bank  of  Clearwater.  The  State  Bank  of  Clearwater.  Viola 
State  Bank.  Cheney  State  Bank.  Citizens'  State  Bank  of  Cheney. 
State  Bank  of  Garden-Plain.  Goddard  State  Bank.  Farmers' 
State  Bank  of  Mt.  Hope.  First  National  Bank  of  Mt.  Hope. 
Andale  State  Bank.  State  Bank  of  Colwick.  The  State  Bank 
of    Bentley. 

CHAPTER  X.     Wichita  Postoffice 

Two  Hundred  and  Fifteen  Persons  Required  to  Give  Us  'MaO. 
Rapid  Increase  in  Postoffice  Business ;  0  Thorough  Organization 
and  Office  Force.  Records  Showing  Growth.  The  Rural  Delivery. 
Thirty-six  Rural  Routes.  Nine  of  Them  from  Wichita.  Post 
Master  and  Employes  of  Wichita  Postoffice.  Railway  Mail 
Service. 


CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER  XI.    Meaning  or  the  Word  ' '  Wichita  " Ill 

A  Controversy  Between  Local  Historians  and  an  Irishman.  The 
Question  is  Now  Regarded  as  Settled. 

CHAPTER  XII.    The  Drill  Hole  at  Wichita 113 

The  Log  of  the  Well. 

CHAPTER  XIII.     Wichita's  Industrial  History — In  the  Beginning      115 
In   1835.     Some  Pioneer  Traders.     The  Arrival  of  the  Wichita 
Traders'  Merchandise.     Credit  to  the  Eedmen.     Traders'   Credit 
Unlimited.     Walnut  Grove.     The  Law  of  the  Plains.     At   Cow- 
skin  Grove. 

CHAPTER  XIV.     The  Little  Arkansas 121 

From  1859  to  1862.  Some  Word  Painting  of  the  Beauties  of  the 
Valley.  The  Santa  Fe  Trail.  The  Great  Osage  Trail.  The  Great 
Herds  of  Buffalo.  Their  Summer  Home.  The  First  Attempt  at 
Settlement.  The  Indian  Settlers  of  1863.  Jesse  Chisholm.  The 
Treaty  of  the  Little  Arkansas.  Kit  Carson.  Indian  War  Rumors. 
The  Cholera  Plague  of  1867.  Sheridan's  Campaign  of  1868. 
Some  Good  Tndians  and  Some  Bad  White  Men. 

CHAPTER.  XV.    A  Lawyer's  Reveries  of  the  Times  When  Wichita 

WAS  IN  the  Gristle 132 

Prefatory.  A  Biography  of  the  Brain.  Some  Early  Scenes  and 
Incidents.  A  Cherished  Hope.  An  Early  Survey  of  the  Legal 
Profession  in  Wichita.  Reminiscences  of  the  Bar  and  Other  Bars 
of  Wichita.  Duglas  Avenue  and  North  Main  Street.  A  Few  of 
the  Noted  Men  of  the  Early  Days  of  Wichita.  One  Thrifty 
Lawyer.  The  First  Duel  in  Wichita.  Jupiter  vs.  the  Bull.  The 
Arrest  and  Trial  and  Escape  of  Jesse  James.  An  Aesthetic 
Drunk.     The  Migrating  Christy  Asphodel  of  the  Bar. 

CHAPTER  XVI.    Baron  Jags  in  Wichita 164 

How  He  Produced  ' '  Our  American  Cousin ' '  with  Local  Talent 
—By  One  of  the  "Talent."  "Through  Tattered  Clothes  Small 
Vices  Appear."  The  Star  and  the  Best  of  the  Cast.  "The 
American  Cousin. "  "  Earl  of  Jim  Jams. "  "  Height  of  a 
Diamond  to  the  Depth  of  a  Pawn  Ticket." 

CHAPTER  XVII.     Wichita  Presbyteeianism  and  its  Amenities  ....       172 
As  seen  by  a  Local  Goat.     First  Acquaintance  with  the  Faith. 
Description    of    First    Meeting    Places.      The   Rev.    Mr.    Harsen. 
Early    Membership.      Some    Wrap    Holders.      Some   Recollections 
and  Annals  of  the  Church. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.     The  Board  or  Trade  of  Wichita  AND  Herein 180 

Some  of  the  Early  Trades  and  Why  They  Were  Made.  Greiffen- 
stein  vs.  the  North  End.  Some  Events  and  Who  Caused  Them. 
Wichita  Gets  Railroads  and  Other  Things.  The  Boom  is  Started. 
More  Railroads.     Poker  and  Pap. 

CHAPTER  XIX.     The  Street  Railway— A.  D.  1883 194 

Jim  Steele 's  Last  Work  for  Wichita.  First  Officers  and  General 
Make-up.     A  Money  Maker  From  the  Start. 

CHAPTER  XX.     Chronicles 196 

Some  Railroad  History  of  1885.  Jay  Gould  Comes  on  the 
Scene.  The  Wichita  and  Colorado  Railroad.  Reorganized  Board 
of  Trade.  The  Burton  Car  Works.  "Don't  Issue  Bonds;  Draw 
on  Us  for  Amount  Required — Wichita  Board  of  Trade."  The 
Dold  Packing  House.  Much  Oratory  and  Many  Subscriptions. 
General  Insolvency.  Wichita  Egotism.  The  Oklahoma  Boom. 
Recapitulation.  Retrospection  and  Prognostication.  Hindsight 
and   Foresight.     A.   D.   1910. 


X  COXTENTS 

CHAPTEE  XXI.     Eeview  of  City 230 

Some  Deductions  and  Suggestions.  Wichita  First  Euled  by  a 
Board  of  Trustees.  The  First  Three  Ordinances.  Jim  Hope's 
Administration.  George  Harris'  Administration.  Greiffenstein 's 
Administration  and  a  Pen  Portrait  of  that  Illustrious  Dutchman. 
Joe  Allen 's  Administration.  George  W.  Clement 's  Administration. 
John  B.  Carrey's  Administration.  J.  M.  Cox,  the  Seventh  Mayor. 
Finley  Eoss;  the  Park  Administration.  Ben  McLean's  Adminis- 
tration. Ben  Aldrich  of  Boom  Times.  Some  of  the  Occur- 
rences of  This  Time.     The  Bock  Island  Depot. 

CHAPTEE  XXII.     Eeminiscencks  op  a  Briefless  Barrister 249 

Some  Eeeollections  and  Confessions.  Don  Carlos  Jaundaro.  A 
Stern  Prosecutor  and  My  Destiny. 

CHAPTEE  XXIII.    Historical  Address  by  Attorney  Kos  Harris, 

December  9,  1903 256 

An  Exordium  to  be  Eemembered. 

CHAPTER    XXIV.     Old    New    York    Block — Schweiter    Corner — 

A  Narrative  op  Early  Wichita r. 264 

The  Halcyon  Days  of  Wichita.  Wichita's  First  Circus.  Keno 
Eoom  Described.  .Jim  Steele  as  a  Fire  Hero.  A  Case  Where 
Justice  and  Liberty  Interfered  with  Trade  and  Commerce.  A 
Prophetic  Quotation  from  "Dutch  Bill."  Old  Time  Law  Firms. 
Some  of  the  Belles  of  this  Period.  A  Gorgeous  Law  Office. 
Bequeathing  an  Office. 

CHAPTER  XXV.     The  Legend  op  John  Farmer 273 

An  Incident  of  Pioneer  Justice  Wherein  a  Friendless  Irish  Boy 
Encountered    the    Gray    Wolves. 

CHAPTER   XXVI.     William    Mathewson— Buppalo   Bill— Last   of 

THE  Old  Scouts 276 

The  Last  of  the  Old  Scouts.  A  Vivid  Description  of  Buffalo  Bill 
from  the  Beacon.  His  Ancestry,  Birth  and  Some  of  His  Early 
Adventures.  In  1849  with  the  Northwestern  Fur  Co.  In  1852  with 
the  Bent-St.  Varin  Co.  He  Conquers  Satana  "  Sinpah  Zilbah." 
The  Terrible  Winter  of  1860-1861.  Saving  the  Settlers'  Lives 
and  Earning  His  Title.  Incidents  of  1864.  His  Personal  Bravery 
Saves  a  Wagon  Train  from  Destruction.  A  Military  Blunder 
and  the  Consequences.  Mathewson  Selected  as  a  Sacrifice.  He 
Makes  Peace  with  the  Warring  Kiowa.  He  Rescues  Women  and 
Children  from  the  Indians.  A  Pleasant  Surprise  at  Leavenworth. 
Preempted  His  Homestead  in  1868,  Now  the  Heart  of  Wichita. 

CHAPTEE  XXVII.     Some  Well-Known  People 295 

Wichita's  Mayor.  Wichita  Hay  Man  Has  Become  "Hay  King  of 
Kansas."  Yank  Owen.  William  Greiffenstein,  "The  Father  of 
Wichita."  A  Sketch  of  His  Life.  Abram  Burnett,  His  Father- 
in-law.  Doc  Warrall.  The  Pioneer  Eural  Mail  Carrier,  W.  L. 
Appling.  Remembrances  of  His  First  Trip.  The  Oldest  Mail 
Carrier  in  Wichita  is  George  Chouteau.  E.  B.  Walden.  Oremus 
Hills  Bentley,  the  Editor-in-chief  of  this  Work.  W.  R.  Stubbs, 
Governor.     Mrs.  L.  S.  Carter. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.     Some  Prominent  Buildings  in  Wichita 309 

New  Buildings  Worth  Two  Millions  in  the  First  Four  Months  of 
1910.  The  figures  for  the  first  four  months  of  the  year.  "The 
Mathewson."  Mrs.  Grant  Bradshaw  Hatfield.  The  Interesting 
Romance  of  Wichita's  First  Skyscraper.  The  New  Beacon  Build- 
ing. Brief  History  of  Beacon  Block.  The  Schweiter  Block. 
Wichita  's  Forum.  The  Address  of  Governor  W.  R.  Stubbs  at  the 
Laying  of  the  Corner-stone  of  the  Beacon  Building. 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  XXIX.    Wichita  an  Important  Educational  Center. 325 

Wichita  Public  Schools.  The  Public  Schools  of  Sedgwick  County. 
The  Superintendent's  Report.  Rural  Schools  are  Growing.  The 
Cheney  High  School  and  the  Clearwater  High  School.  Fifteen 
Thousand  Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-five  School  Kids  in  Sedgwick 
County.  The  Wichita  City  Schools.  First  School  in  1871.  Mrs. 
James  Black,  Teacher.  Personnel  of  Wichita's  School  Boards. 
Wichita's  High  School.  In  1874  Prof.  B.  C.  Ward  Organized 
the  First  High  School.  The  Departments  and  Training.  Grade 
Schools.  School  Property.  The  Board  of  Education.  Enrollment 
in  the  Ward  Schools.     Razing  of  Webster  School  Building. 

CHAPTER  XXX.    Colleges  and  Universities 340 

Friends  University.  History  of  Fairmount  College.  Mount 
Carmel  Academy. 

CHAPTER  XXXI.     The  Pioneer  Churches  op  Wichita,  Kan 361 

Episcopal  Church.  First  Presbyterian.  The  M.  E.  Church.  The 
First  Baptist.  Monuments  to  the  Past.  Wichita's  First  Church. 
The  Rev.  J.  P.  Hilton,  the  First  Pastor.  The  Exterior  and  In- 
terior of  the  Church.  The  Vestrymen.  An  Incident  Showing 
Their  Character.  Wichita's  Churches  of  Today.  The  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  Board  of  Directors.  Officers.  The 
Salvation  Army  Barracks. 

CHAPTER  XXXII.     City  Federation  op  Clubs 385 

Hypatia  Club.  Twentieth  Century  Club.  Fairmount  Library 
Club.  The  South  Side  Delvers.  Wichita  Musical  Club.  Eunice 
Sterling  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII.     Fraternal  Orders 390 

York  Rite  Masonry.  Wichita  Lodge,  No.  99,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
Sunflower  Lodge,  No.  86,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Albert  Pike  Lodge,  No. 
303,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Ivy  Leaf  Chapter,  Order  Eastern  Star. 
Wichita  Chapter,  No.  33,  Royal  Arch  Masons.  Capitular  Masonry, 
Wichita  Chapter.  The  Scottish  Rite  in  Wichita.  Review  of 
Wichita  Bodies.  Mount  Olivet  Commandery,  No.  12.  Scottish 
Rite  Masonry.  The  Mystic  Shrine.  Kansas  Masonic  Home  and 
Chapel.  Jeremiah  Giles  Smith.  Other  Fraternal  Orders.  Trades 
and  Labor  Organizations  in  Wichita.  Brotherhood  of  Railway 
Trainmen,  Wichita  Lodge,  No.  356.  Ladies'  Auxiliary,  Peerless 
Prince  Lodge,  No.  349,  B.  of  R.  T.  Order  of  Railway  Con- 
ductors, Wichita  Division  No.  338.  Peerless  Princess  Division, 
No.  221,  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  O.  R.  C. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.     The  Medical  Profession  in  Wichita 415 

Wichita  Hospital. 

CHAPTER  XXXV.    Scraps  op  Local  History 41S 

Park  City  and  Wichita  and  their  Astonishing  Contest.  An  Awful 
Election.  The  Countess.  A  Tragedy  and  a  Romance  of  Park  City. 
The  Pioneer  Real  Estate  Dealers.  Circus  Day  in  Sedgwick 
County.  The  Northwest  Corner.  The  Arkansas  River.  The 
Struggles  of  the  Early  Business  Men.  A  Little  Reminiscence  of 
the  Days  When  Wichita  Was  Young — Inspired  by  Looking  at  the 
Beacon  Building.  Thoughts  of  Helping  Wichita.  The  Main 
North  and  South  Street  of  Wichita.  The  Old  Munger  House,  the 
First  House  in  Wichita.  A  Frontier  Incident.  Local  Conditions. 
The  Population  of  Wichita,  Sedgwick  County,  and  the  State  of 
Kansas.  Tags.  First  Impressions  were  Lasting.  Wichita's  First 
Daily  Newspaper.  The  Stage  Coach  Period  of  Wichita.  The 
Story  of  the  Peerless  Princess.     An  Old  Landmark.     The  Heart 


xii  CONTEXTS 

of  Wichita.  The  Little  Arkansas  Eiver.  The  Wichita  Boom. 
The  McKnight  Land.  The  Drainage  Canal.  The  House  in  the 
Park.  Wichita  Sees  Her  Vision  and  Smiles.  Versatile  Preacher 
of  Pioneer  Days.  The  Charity  of  Wichita  Citizens.  Theaters 
in  Wichita.  The  New  Auditorium.  Crawford  Theater.  Elite 
Theater.  Marple  Theater.  The  Novelty  Theater.  Orpheum  Theater 
(vaudeville).  The  Princess  Theater  (vaudeville).  Yale  Theater. 
"Ida  May"  a  Victim  of  Cowboy  Sport.  The  Fuel  Problem  Per- 
plexed Pioneers.  Farmers  Brought  Wheat  Many  Miles  to  Wichita. 
Sedgwick  Home  Lumber  Hauled  from  Emporia.  The  Trend 
of  Business.  Sedgwick  County  Pays  its  Full  Share  of  Taxes.  The 
Benefactions  of   Tom  Shaw.     Kos   Harris. 

CHAPTER  XXXVI.     An  Early  Incident  of  Wichita 

Judge  S.  M.  Tucker  Subdues  Hurricane  Bill.  Mathewson's 
Pasture. 

CHAPTER  XXXVII.     The  Press 

The  Founding  of  the  Beacon.  Introducing  Mr.  D.  G.  MDlison.  His 
Narrative.  He  and  His  Good  Wife  Entertain  a  Distinguished 
Journalist.  Mr.  Millison  Visits  Wichita  and  His  Former  Guest 
Reciprocates.  Is  Royally  Entertained.  But  Does  Not  Buy. 
Has  a  Parting  Feast  with  His  Host.  And  Meets  F.  A.  Sowers. 
Result  the  Beacon  was  Born  Oct.  ISth,  1872.  The  Beacon  is 
Thirty-eight.  How  the  Beacon  was  Named.  Subsequent  History. 
History  of  the  ' '  Wichita  Eagle, ' '  Is  the  History  of  Wichita. 
Is  Thirty-nine  Years  Old.  Naming  the  ' '  Eagle. ' '  Colonel  Mur- 
dock  's  Joke.  The  First  Subscriber.  The  Policy  of  the  ' '  Eagle ' ' 
Has  Always  Been  Agriculture,  Commerce  and  Industry.  Becomes 
a  Daily  in  1884.  Always  Broad,  Liberal  and  Clean.  The  New 
Home  of  the  ' '  Eagle. ' '  Mrs.  Victoria  Murdock  sole  owner. 
Circulation  Over  35,000.  Other  PubUeations  from  the  "Eagle" 
Office.  The  ' '  Wichita  Weekly  Eagle ' '  and  ' '  Arkansas  Valley 
Farmer. ' '  Biography  of  Col.  Marshall  M.  Murdock.  Editor 's 
Note.  The  Early  Contributors  to  the  Press.  Wichita's  News- 
papers of  Today.  Agricultural  Southwest.  Catholic  Advance. 
Daily  Livestock  Journal.  The  Democrat.  Kansas  Commoner. 
Kansas  Farmer  Star.  Kansas  Magazine.  Missionary  Messenger. 
Price  Current.  Primitive  Christianity.  Southwestern  Grain  and 
Flour  Journal.  Wichita  Daily  Beacon.  Wichita  Daily  Pointer. 
Wichita  Eagle.     Wichita  Herald.     Wichita  Searchlight. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII.     Sedgwick  Countt 

Origin  of  the  County 's  Name.  First  Set  of  Officers.  Elected 
in  1870.  First  Trading  Post  in  1863.  Sedgwick  County  in  Class 
A.  Soil,  Products,  Climate  and  People.  Sedgwick  County,  Its 
Organization.  First  Court  House.  Meeting  of  County  Com- 
missioners, April  27,  1870.  A  Night  Herd  Law  Enforced.  A 
Saloon  License  Granted.  Ordered  that  a  Bond  Issue  be  Voted 
on.  The  Tax  Rolls  of  Sedgwick  County  for  1909.  Taxable 
Property  Shows  Large  Increase.  The  Investment  of  Sedgwick 
County  Capital.  The  Population  of  a  Great  County.  Roster  of 
County  Officers,  Sedgwick  County.  Population  of  the  Townships. 
Toljal  Property  Values.  Live  Stock  en  Hand.  Last  Indian  Scare 
in   Sedgwick   County.      The   Kingman   Trail. 

CHAPTER  XXXIX.     Bench  and  Bar 

The  Sedgwick  County  Bar  in  the  Early  '80s.  Early  Incident  of 
the  Bench  of  Sedgwick  County.  The  District  Judges  of  Sedg- 
wick County.  Sessions  of  the  U.  S.  Court  are  Convened  in 
Wichita.  The  Courts  of  Sedgwick  County,  Kansas.  District 
Court.  Probate  Court.  Juvenile  Court.  City  Court.  United 
States  District  and  Circuit  Courts.  The  Sedgwick  County  Court 
House.     Odds  and  Ends  of  County  and  City  News. 


CONTENTS  xiii 

CHAPTEE  XL.    A  Dying  Eivee 522 

The  Arkansas  the  Largest  Eiver  in  the  State.  A  Navigable  Eiver 
Prior  to  1880.  The  Great  Flood  of  1867.  The  Change  Has  Been 
Brought  About  by  Jlodern  Civilization. 

CHAPTEE  XLI.     The  Indians  in  Kansas 525 

Struggles  of  Various  Tribes  on  the  Plains.  The  Story  of  War 
and  Peace  Among  Indians  First  and  Later  Between  the  Indians 
and  the  Whites.  The  Osages.  Increase  of  Tribes.  Land  Valued 
at  Seven  Cents  Per  Acre.  The  Santa  Fe  Trail.  The  Eeservation 
Indians.  Indian  Names.  The  Wichitas.  Eeal  Barbarians.  The 
Grass  Houses.  The  Big  Chief.  The  Head  Trading  Post.  Visited 
by  Wild  Tribes.  Left  Their  Names.  In  War  Times.  Loyal  to 
the  Union.  The  Trouble  of  '67.  Eavages  of  Cholera.  Then  it 
SnoTved.    Again  Scattered.    Life  of  James  E.  Mead. 

CHAPTEE  XLIL     The  G.  A.  E.  in  Kans.\s 539 

The  Veterans  of  Sedgwick  County.  Woman's  Belief  Corps,  No. 
40.  Eggleston  Post,  No.  244.  Anson  Skinner  Camp,  No.  49, 
Sons  of  Veterans. 

CHAPTEE  XLIII.    The  Colored  Soldiek  of  Sedgwick  County  in  the 

Spanish-American    War 543 

CHAPTEE  XLIV.    Claim  that  Kansas  JIan  is  Original  "Buffalo 

Bill"    550 

Friends  of  Eetieent  Eesident  of  Wichita  Say  He  Was  Known  by 
Appellation  Years  Before  William  F.  Cody  Succeeded  to  Title — 
Fed  Starving  Plainsmen  with  Spoils  of  the  Chase — Was  Indian 
Fighter  of  Benown,  Saving  a  Train  of  Immigrants  Who  Were 
Attacked  on  the  Santa  Fe  Trail.     Trading  Post  on  the  Arkansas. 

CHAPTEE  XLV.    P.iTNE's  Dream  Came  True 554 

A  Short  Sketch  of  Capt.  David  L.  Payne.  The  Oklahoma  Boomer. 
The  New  Country  South  of  Us.     The  Cherokee  Strip. 

CHAPTEE  XLVI.    Eailroads  of  Sedgwick  County 558 

Boosters  Brought  in  the  Eailroads.  Making  Eailroads  in  the 
Early  Days.  First  Train  on  the  Santa  Fe.  The  Santa  Fe  Bail- 
road.  Early  Eailroads  Had  to  Struggle  for  an  Existence.  Santa 
Fe  Tonnage.  The  Santa  Fe  in  Wichita.  The  Missouri  Pacific. 
A  Million  and  a  Half  in  Terminals.  The  Missouri  Pacific  Begins 
Bebuilding  of  All  Its  Lines.  The  Wichita  &  Colorado  Eailway. 
The  St.  Louis,  Fort  Scott  &  Wichita  Eailroad.  The  Wichita, 
Anthony  &  Salt  Plains  Eailroad.  The  Wichita  &  Western  Bail- 
way.  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco.  Personnel  of  the  Frisco  in 
Wichita.  The  St.  Louis,  Wichita  &  Western  Eailway.  The 
Orient  Eailway  Company.  Orient  Brings  in  Trains  of  Stock. 
Arthur  E.  Stillwell,  President  Kansas  City,  Mexico  &  Orient 
Eailway  Company.  The  Eock  Island  Eailway.  The  Kansas  Mid- 
land Eailway.  A  Crying  Need.  Surveying  a  New  Boute  to 
Wichita.  Proposed  Eailway  Lines.  Wichita  Is  First  as  Eailway 
Center.     Central  Point  for  Eailroads. 

CHAPTEE  XLVIL     The  United  States  Weather  Bureau .594 

Local  Forecaster,  Weather  Bureau,  Wichita,  Kan.  Institution  and 
Expansion  of  the  Service.  Establishment  of  a  First-Class  Observ- 
ing Station  at  Wichita,  in  the  Heart  of  Sedgwick  County.  Climate 
of  Wichita  and  Sedgwick  County.  Accepted  Scientific  Views 
Eegarding  Change  of  Climate.  Scope  of  the  National  Weather 
Service.  Forecasts.  Spurious  Forecasts.  Practical  Uses  of  the 
Forecasts.  Eesearch  Obser^'atory.  Climatology  of  Wichita  and 
Sedgwick  County.    Location  and  Equipment  of  Station.     Climatic 


xiv  CONTENTS 

Data.  So-Called  Change  of  Climate.  Eelative  Stability  of 
Climate.  Superiority  of  Scientific  Eeeords  Over  Memory  in  Mat- 
ters of  Climate.  Insignificance  of  Man  's  Influence  Upon  Climate. 
Quantity  of  Moisture.     Temperature.     Conclusion. 

CHAPTER  XL VIII.     Towns  and  Villages  op  Sedgwick  County 

The  Ninnescah  Valley.  The  Big  Four.  The  Township  of  Afton. 
Andale.  Anness.  Bayneville.  The  Town  of  Bentley.  Cheney, 
a  Good  Town  in  a  Good  Locality,  With  Fine  Homes  and  Good 
Farms.  An  Early  Incident  of  Cheney.  Clearwater.  Colwich. 
Davidson.  Derby.  Furley.  Garden  Plain.  Goddard.  Green- 
wich. The  Town  of  Hatfield.  Huckle.  Jamesburg.  Kechi. 
Maize.  The  Town  of  Marshall.  Mount  Hope.  Mulvane,  Kan. 
Farmer  Doolittle  Is  Inspired  Over  Mulvane.  Oatville.  Peck. 
Schulte.  Sedgwick.  St.  Mark.  Sunnydale.  Valley  Center. 
Viola.     Waco.     Wichita  Heights.     Western  Sedgwick  County. 

CHAPTER  XLIX.    Agriculture  in  Sedgwick  County 

The  Evolution  of  the  Farm.  Kafiir  Corn.  Alfalfa.  The  Raising 
of  Alfalfa.  Alfalfa  an  Imperial  Forage  Plant.  Is  This  a  Fruit 
Country  ? 

CHAPTER  L.     Fruit  Raising  in  Sedgwick  County 

Irrigating  Small  Fruits  Will  Pay.  How  to  Improve  Apple 
Orchards.  Grape  Culture  in  Southern  Kansas.  Fruit  and  Truck 
Farming  Will  Pay.  Sedgwick  Has  an  Entomology  Station.  Urges 
Growing  of  Onions  Here.  The  Frost  Meter  in  Sedgwick  County. 
Kansas  Crop  Figures.  A  Report  Recently  Issued  by  F.  D. 
Coburn,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  Regarding  the 
Products  of  Kansas  During  the  Past  Twenty  Years.  Yields  in 
Bushels  for  Twenty  Years.  This  Table  Gives  the  Aggregate 
Values  for  the  Past  Twenty  Years. 

CHAPTER  LI.    Native  Forest  Trees  of  the  State  op  Kansas 

CHAPTER  LII.  The  Live  Stock  Interests  op  the  Interior  West.  . 
Largest  Receipts  of  Stock  in  One  Year.  Total  Receipts  of  Stock 
for  Seven  Years.  Total  Shipments  of  Stock  for  Seven  Years. 
Valuation  of   Stock   Handled  at   These   Yards  in   Twenty  Years. 

CHAPTER  LIII.    History  op  the  Wichita  Union  Stock  Yards 

Largest  Receipts  in  One  Day.  Largest  Receipts  in  One  Week. 
Largest  Receipts  in  One  Month.  Largest  Receipts  in  One  Year. 
Record  Growth  in  Live  Stock  Business.  Yearly  Shipments  by  the 
Railroads.  Wichita's  Prominence  as  a  Stock  and  Feeder  Market. 
Stock  Market  That  Satisfies.     Development  of  Packing  Industry. 

CHAPTER  LIV.    Biography 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS,  VOL.  I 

Davidson,  C.  L 44 

Fairmount  College 326 

First  House  in  Wichita Frontispiece 

Friends  University 350 

Kimball,  E.  D 100 

Main  Street,  Wichita 182 

Mathewson,  William 280 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS,  VOL.  II 

Bentley,  0.  H 498 

First  Episcopal  Church 548 

Friends  University 648 

Hatfield,   Rodolph    748 

Russell  Hall ■ 698 

Sedgwick  County  Courthouse Frontispiece 

University  Avenue 598 


HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  CITY  OF  WICHITA. 

By 
0.  H.  BENTLEY. 

The  ardent  friends  of  Wichita  are  those  who  live  within  its 
borders;  those  who  sojourn  away  from  it  long  to  return.  It  is 
always  eulogized  by  its  absent  friends.  Favorably  located  at  the 
junction  of  two  rivers,  it  aptly  illustrates  the  saying  that  large 
streams  always  flow  past  great  cities.  That  Wichita  is  the  city 
of  destiny,  was  a  belief  always  fondly  cherished  by  its  founders. 
Wichita  today  is  the  most  prosperous  and  rapidly  growing  city 
in  the  state  of  Kansas.  It  is  the  second  city  in  size  in  the  state 
and  most  favorably  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansas  river, 
in  one  of  the  most  fertile  and  productive  valleys  in  America. 

The  population  of  Wichita  is  cosmopolitan  in  nature  and 
energetic  in  spirit ;  is  enterprising  and  public  spirited.  The  city, 
being  built  upon  the  plains,  had  no  special  advantages 
geographically  over  any  other  part  of  the  state.  It  so  happened, 
however,  that  an  aggregation  of  men  constituted  its  first  inhab- 
itants who  were  wide  awake  to  every  opportunity  that  offered, 
and  embraced  them  with  a  full  knowledge  of  their  value  and 
importance.  Around  this  nucleus  of  pioneer  heroes  came  later 
on  other  and  younger  men  of  the  same  character,  who  promptly 
joined  hands  with  those  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the  city,  and 
together,  and  in  harmonious  accord,  pushed  the  city  to  the  front 
and  held  it  there.  Whenever  a  united  effort  was  required  to 
accomplish  a  given  object  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  city,  not  a 
laggard  or  a  "kicker"  was  found  within  its  ranks.     Thus,  by 


2  fflSTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

reason  of  a  remarkable  unity  of  action  and  purpose  on  the  part 
of  all,  a  city  has  been  builded  of  which  its  architects  are  justly 
proud. 

Looking  at  the  city  as  a  whole,  it  possesses  that  rotundity  not 
often  found  in  cities  of  rapid  growth. 

Its  foundation  is  laid  upon  the  character  and  extent  of  the 
soil  and  climate  of  the  surrounding  territory.  No  country  is 
blessed  with  a  greater  expanse  of  productive  soil  than  that 
surrounding  Wichita  for  hundreds  of  miles,  which,  as  agricultural 
possibilities  are  developed,  will  always  insure  a  most  substantial 
trade  for  its  merchants  and  consequent  increase  in  the  city's 
importance  as  a  commercial  center. 

Within  a  radius  of  one  hundred  miles  of  the  city  there  is 
already  being  produced  annually  50,000,000  bushels  of  wheat, 
twice  that  many  bushels  of  corn,  and  other  cereals  in  proportion, 
together  with  a  live  stock  production  not  exceeded  in  any  section 
of  the  country  of  the  same  area.  The  jobbing  trade  of  Wichita 
for  the  year  1909  reached  the  handsome  aggregate  of  $30,000,000. 
Wichita  is  now  making  rapid  strides  as  a  jobbing  center.  There 
are  four  large  wholesale  grocery  houses,  two  large  and  rapidly 
extending  packing  plants,  with  others  in  prospect,  two  wholesale 
dry  goods  houses,  two  wholesale  hardware  establishments,  one 
being  one  of  the  largest  in  the  interior  West,  one  wholesale 
millinery  house,  one  wholesale  hat  house,  several  farm  imple- 
ment houses,  besides  a  large  number  of  smaller  plants  covering 
every  possible  line  of  trade. 

Wichita's  wholesale  territory  covers  southern  and  western 
Kansas,  reaching  as  far  east  as  Fall  River,  and  a  large  part  of 
Oklahoma  and  a  portion  of  western  Texas.  This  territory  is 
being  rapidly  extended. 

During  the  year  1908  the  wholesale  lumber  dealers  of 
Wichita  handled  12,000  cars  of  lumber,  valued  at  $4,000,000, 
while  that  manufactured  into  house  furnishings  by  its 
five  sash  and  door  factories  amounts  to  many  thousands 
more.  The  city's  manufactured  products  for  1909  sold  on  the 
markets  for  $9,000,000.  Wichita  is  rapidly  forging  to  the  front 
as  a  grain  and  milling  center.  The  number  of  ears  of  grain 
handled  by  members  of  its  Board  of  Trade  in  1908  was  22,600 
and  in  1909  approximately  25,000.  Its  milling  capacity  is  at 
present  4,000  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  The  four  splendid  floiu-ing 
mills  now  in  operation  have  handled  during  1909  the  immense 


THE  CITY  OP  WICHITA  3 

amount  of  9,500  cars  of  graiu  and  its  products,  the  largest  in 
the  history  of  the  city.  This  amount  will  be  largely  increased 
during  the  coming  year.  It  is  estimated  that  the  wheat  tributary 
to  Wichita  will  aggregate  50,000,000  bushels  annually,  and  by 
reason  of  favorable  conditions  now  under  consideration  by  the 
various  systems  of  railroads  serving  this  market  may  soon  be 
increased  to  a  greater  sum.  Wichita's  bank  deposits  for  the 
week  closing  with  February,  1910,  were  .$12,000,000,  which  is  an 
average  month.  This  volume  of  business  is  transacted  by  eleven 
banks,  whose  clearing  house  reports  show  an  average  weekly 
transaction  of  business  amounting  to  one  and  a  half  million 
dollars.  The  volume  of  merchandise  of  all  descriptions  consumed 
in  Wichita  and  shipped  through  its  jobbing  houses  to  its  legiti- 
mate country  trade,  when  measured  in  bulk,  reaches  the  enormous 
sum  of  50,000  carloads,  not  counting  grain  shipments,  which  have 
been  given  in  a  separate  item.  The  Union  Stock  Yards  handled  in 
1909  756,560  hogs,  184,659  cattle,  22,796  sheep  and  3,645  horses 
and  mules,  or  over  14,083  cars  of  stock.  Much  of  this  was  con- 
verted into  packing  house  products  by  the  two  packing  houses, 
whose  daily  capacity  is  10,000  hogs,  5,000  cattle  and  2,500  sheep. 
Nine  hundred  men  are  employed  by  these  two  institutions  alone, 
while  their  combined  products  amount  to  50,000,000  pounds 
annually.  According  to  the  latest  enumeration  Wichita  has  230 
manufacturing  concerns  of  all  descriptions,  whose  aggregate 
output  runs  into  many  millions  of  dollars.  The  farm  implement 
trade  in  Wichita  has  within  the  last  few  years  assumed  flattering 
proportions.  There  are  now  located  here  fifty  houses  and  agencies 
handling  farm  implements,  many  of  these  being  branch  houses, 
while  others  are  transfer  agencies  only. 

The  street  railway  system  of  the  city  consists  of  thirty-five 
miles  of  splendidly  equipped  road,  laid  with  heavy  T  rails,  and 
a  large  share  of  it  paved,  two  miles  being  laid  in  1907  to  the 
.new  Wonderland  Park  and  the  new  fair  grounds,  with  an  added 
equipment  of  ten  new  cars.  Forty  passenger  trains  daily  serve 
the  city,  running  over  fourteen  diverging  lines  of  road,  and 
operated  by  five  great  systems.  The  public  buildings  are  excep- 
tionally fine  for  a  young  western  town.  They  comprise  the  city 
hall,  built  of  stone,  cost  $300,000 ;  federal  building,  of  stone,  cost 
$300,000:  Kansas  Sanitarium,  of  brick,  cost  $50,000;  Masonic 
Temple,  stone,  cost  $250,000;  county  court  house,  of  stone,  cost 
$250,000;  new  fire  stations,  of  stone  and  brick,  built  i)i  1907  at 


4  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

a  cost  of  $31,000 ;  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  of  brick,  built  in  1907  at 
a  cost  of  $110,000.  Wichita  has  fifteen  public  school  buildings, 
twenty-nine  churches,  .fifteen  news  journals  (two  daily),  five 
hospitals,  two  homes  for  orphans  and  indigents,  water  works,  gas 
and  electric  light,  two  telephone  systems,  libraries,  and  a  parking 
system  comprising  in  the  aggregate  300  acres  of  lawns  and  flower 
beds,  forests  and  ponds.  Fairmount  College,  Friends'  University, 
Mount  Carmel  Academy  and  Lewis  Academy  merit  special  men- 
tion, because  of  their  vigorous  growth,  large  attendance  and  wide 
influence,  and  consequent  results  in  advancing  the  educational 
interests  of  the  Southwest. 

Natural  gas  conditions  in  1908  show  a  very  great  improve- 
ment. Mains  and  service  pipes  to  the  extent  of  150  miles  are 
laid  to  every  part  of  the  city  and  manufacturers  are  being  sup- 
plied with  gas  at  a  cost  of  10  to  I21/2  cents  per  thousand  feet. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  350  manufacturing  plants  and  5,000  homes 
are  at  present  supplied  with  gas.  The  Edison  Light  and  Power 
Company  expended  $385,000  during  1907  in  its  new  plant  and 
appurtenances  and  has  the  most  modern  electi-ic  light  and  power 
system  in  the  United  States  today ;  electricity  costing  40  per  cent 
less  in  1907  than  in  1906.  Wichita's  hospitals,  also,  the  Wichita 
Hospital  and  St.  Francis  Hospital,  deserve  the  admiration  of  the 
citzens  for  the  relief  afi'orded  by  them  to  suffering  humanity. 
In  these  two  institutions  are  treated  patients  from  all  parts  of 
Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  even  Texas  and  New  Mexico.  The  city 
spent  in  1907  $100,000  for  the  storm  water  sewer  now  in  course 
of  construction,  which  when  completed  will  cost  $297,000. 
Drainage  canal  and  concrete  bridge  crossing  the  same,  $120,000. 
Paving  in  1907,  12  miles,  20  miles  in  1909  and  50  miles  in  1910. 

A  knowledge  of  the  growth  of  the  city  may  be  gained  from 
the  summary  given  below:  The  total  cost  of  business  houses 
constructed  during  1908  was  $800,000 ;  public  buildings,  $200,000 ; 
dwellings,  $1,000,000 ;  thus  making  a  total  expenditure  in  business 
and  residence  construction  of  $2,000,000.  Of  these  gratifying 
results  the  Wichita  commercial  bodies  are  not  only  very  proud, 
but  feel  a  deep  and  lasting  interest  because  of  efforts  in  bringing 
them  about.  By  united  efforts  in  placing  the  advantages  of  the 
city  before  the  world,  inquiries  are  constantly  coming  from  all 
states  in  the  Union  for  further  details  regarding  special  lines  in 
which  the  inquirer  may  happen  to  be  personally  interested.  The 
greatest  factor,  however,  in  keeping  Wichita  in  the  public  eye 


THE  CITY  OF  WICHITA  5 

is  till!  unswerving  loyalty  of  its  general  citizenship  at  home  and 
abroad.  The  500  "Knights  of  the  Grip"  having  their  headquar- 
ters and  residences  in  Wichita  never  tire  of  singing  the  virtues 
of  their  chosen  city,  and  to  them  is  due  much  of  the  credit  for  its 
success,  and  they  are  still  on  their  way.  For  the  past  two  or 
three  years  another  impoi-tant  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  Wichita 
has  been  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  composed  of  some  of  the 
best  business  men  of  Wichita.  This  is  the  second  commercial 
body  of  the  city,  and  without  jealousy,  in  connection  with  the 
Commercial  Club,  works  incessantly  for  the  general  good  of  the 
city.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  already  secured  new  and 
most  commodious  rooms  on  the  tenth  floor  of  the  new  Beacon 
block,  and  when  located  in  its  new  quarters  will  greatly  add  to 
its  numerical  strength  and  numerical  importance.  The  Commer- 
cial Club,  the  senior  commercial  body  of  the  city,  is  now  erecting 
a  magnificent  structure  six  stories  in  height  at  the  corner  of 
Market  and  First.  These  commercial  bodies  are  a  tower  of 
strength  to  the  city  and  are  its  pride,  and  their  endorsement 
usually  carries  any  fair  proposition  with  the  taxpayers.  The 
present  outlook  for  the  city,  in  every  direction,  far  exceeds  that 
of  any  previous  year,  and  that  Wichita  will  attain  a  population 
of  100,000  in  1915  seems  more  than  probable  to  its  people.  The 
Polk-McAvoy  directory  people,  who  have  just  completed  the 
annual  directory  of  the  city,  place  its  population  at  this  time  at 
60,000.  Commercial  men  report  a  large  increase  this  year  over 
last,  and  all  lines  of  trade  are  especially  prosperous.  The  outlook 
for  the  future  of  Wichita  as  a  large  and  commanding  city  in  the 
interior  West  is  superb. 


CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY  HISTORY  OP  WICHITA. 

By 
FRED  A.  SOWERS. 

Wichita  was  named  after  the  band  of  Indians  called  the 
Wichitas.  They  came  into  this  valley  in  1864  and  settled  along 
the  Little  Arkansas  river,  between  the  junction  and  the  old  fair 
grounds.  Some  of  their  tepees  were  still  standing  on  the  land 
formerly  owned  by  William  Greiffenstein,  north  of  town,  as  late 
as  1871.  A  chartered  company  was  formed  at  Topeka,  in  the 
summer  of  1868,  comprised  of  ex-Governor  Crawford,  J.  R. 
Mead,  W.  W.  Lawrence,  E.  P.  Bancroft  (of  Emporia),  A.  P. 
Horner  and  D.  S.  Hunger,  the  latter  arriving  here  during  the 
same  year,  when  the  survey  and  plat  of  the  original  toAvn  were 
made  by  Mr.  Pinn.  William  Greiffenstein  soon  afterwards  bought 
Lank  Moore's  claim.  It  now  comprises  Greiffenstein 's  original 
addition,  on  which  the  main  portion  of  Wichita  now  stands. 

At  that  time  the  business  and  prospects  were  away  north  of 
the  present  business  center.  Henry  Vigus  ran  the  "Buckhorn 
Tavern,"  where  every  class  of  frontiersman  as  well  as  border 
terror  had  a  home.  A  music  box  was  one  of  the  features  of  the 
hotel,  which  was  in  itself  most  enlivening,  often  engaging  the 
motley  assemblies  into  a  dirt  floor  dance.  On  one  occasion  it 
provoked  the  ire  of  Jack  Ledford.  While  the  Buckhorns  were 
engaged  at  the  evening  repast  he  jerked  a  "Navy"  from  his 
belt  and  silenced  it  forever.  Several  of  Wichita's  citizens  still 
here  left  the  table  precipitately  to  get  fresh  air  outside. 

"Durfee's  Ranch"  was  the  headquarters;  Milo  B.  Kellogg 
was  postmaster,  clerk  and  bookkeeper,  assisted  by  Charlie  Hunter. 
Henry  Vigus  was  doing  the  saddlery  job  work ;  Charley  Garrison 
was  mail  rider,  afterwards  starting  the  first  regular  saddlery 
shop  here.     A  long  adobe  south  of  Durfee's  Ranch  was  Jack 


EARLY  HISTORY  OP  WICHITA  7 

Peyton's  saddle  shop  and  "Dutch  Tobe's"  shoe  repair.  John 
Gifford  kept  a  saloon  and  refreshment  stand  in  the  log  house, 
afterwards  used  as  a  stable  by  W.  C.  Woodman;  he  was  the 
first  man  who  died  a  natural  death  among  the  whites.  A  great 
many  of  the  Wichita  Indians  died  here  during  the  cholera  epi- 
demic of  1866  and  '67.  As  late  as  1870  many  skulls  and  curiosi- 
ties Avere  to  be  found  on  the  prairie  north  of  town,  many  of 
which  Henry  Vigus  labeled  with  outlandish  names  and  sent  to 
the  Smithsonian  Institution,  at  Washington,  D.  C.  At  that  early 
day  there  was  no  lack  of  amusement,  as  the  soldiers  stationed 
here  had  formed  a  negro  minstrel  troupe  out  of  their  numbers, 
spoken  of  to  this  day  as  being  equal  to  the  best  shows  on  the 
kerosene  circuit.  Their  music  also  furnished  the  prime  feature 
of  frequent  "adobe  dances,"  with  no  sleep  until  morning,  while 
"chasing  the  hours  with  flying  feet." 

Then  D.  S.  Hunger  kept  a  hotel  at  which  H.  C.  Sluss  was  a 
productive  boarder.  It  has  since  been  converted  into  a  residence 
by  W.  C.  Woodman.  D.  S.  Hunger  was  likewise  postmaster  and 
carried  the  mail  in  his  hat.  He  used  to  empty  the  mail  pouches 
on  a  bed  and  sort  'em  over,  putting  enough  in  his  hat  for  imme- 
diate delivery.  He  would  then  place  one  knee  on  the  prairie  and 
look  them  over ;  if  he  met  the  owner  of  one  he  would  often  call 
out  to  Hollie  when  his  memory  failed  or  a  letter  was  floating 
around  the  hoiise,  or  paper  gone,  if  "she  knew  where  Dan  or 
Sam  Hoover's  or  Doc  Fabriques's  paper  was?"  Whatever  the 
response,  he  would  look  knowing,  spit  out  some  tobacco,  readjust 
his  cud,  re-hat  the  mail,  clinch  it  with  his  large  red  handkerchief, 
and  lay  plans  for  the  future  metropolis.  He  is  gone,  God  bless 
him,  to  greater  rest  than  he  found  here ;  but  not  without  having 
lived  to  see  Wichita  a  thriving  city  and  he  its  police  magistrate. 

Doc.  Lewellen  kept  the  first  grocery  in  the  log  house  just 
north  of  Woodman's  after  Durfee's  retirement,  afterwards  at 
the  extreme  north  end  of  Hain  street.  His  old,  two-story  frame 
was  afterwards  the  adjunct  to  one  of  our  elevators.  Lewellen 's 
hall  was  over  the  grocery,  and  it  was  in  this  stately  edifice  (then) 
that  the  court  was  held  after  its  removal  from  the  sunflower 
roofed  abode  of  Jack  Peyton  and  Dutch  Tobe.  It  was  in  this 
hall  that  Uncle  Jack  Peyton  delivered  his  celebrated  lecture  on 
"Theology  and  Theocracy."  Uncle  Jack  was  a  character  as 
well  as  a  saddler.  Nature  or  an  accident  had  shortened  one  of 
his  limbs,  otherwise  he  would  have  stood  six  feet  and  was  built 


8  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

in  proportion.  But  as  he  was  he  would  oscillate  six  feet  or  four 
feet  and  would  rise  and  faU  at  his  wQl.  He  had  a  most  stentorian 
gift  of  voice  and  could  out-swear  a  native  Arizonian.  He  was 
pedantic  and  at  times  given  heavily  to  grog.  To  these  grog 
periods  were  we  indebted  for  the  first  lecture  course  that  ever 
attracted  a  Wichita  audience.  The  subject,  as  above,  was  given 
to  the  public  in  a  small  wood  type  hand  bill  printed  at  the 
"Vidette"  oflBce,  then  boasting  of  only  one  wood  font.  The  hall 
was  brilliantly  illuminated  with  six  tallow  candles  held  in  their 
own  grease,  a  store  box  the  stand,  and  boards  laid  on  nail  kegs 
the  seats.  Quite  a  crowd  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  present; 
all  kinds,  and  all  expectant.  Jim  Vigus  was  present  near  the 
speaker's  stand.  Jim  was  an  uproarious  b\it  always  repentant 
bummer,  always  "full,"  and  always  ready  to  cry  because  of  the 
lamentable  fact,  "cheeky,"  loud  and  shrill  voiced,  a  Ughtning 
talker  himself,  but  a  poor  listener. 

After  some  delay  Uncle  Jack  got  up,  sis  feet  high,  standing 
on  one  pin,  announced  his  subject  in  a  way  down  voice,  started 
out  deep  and  clear,  but  drunk  and  misty  in  ideas.  He  said: 
"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  theology  is  religion  as  taught  to  the 
ministerial  profession,  theocracy  is  the — is  the — well,  anyhow 
(getting  down  to  four  feet),  she  defies  the  moral  world."  At 
this  point  up  jumps  Jim  Vigus  and  rattled  on  like  a  buzzard 
clock:  "Boys,  old  Jack  Peyton  don't  know  what  he  is  talking 
about.  I  want  to  tell  you  the  cause  of  getting  drunk."  Here 
Uncle  Jack  would  rattle  the  windows  with  "Set  down!  Who 
paid  for  these  candles,  who  rented  this  haU  ? ' ' 

In  this  strain  for  nearly  an  hour  the  lecture  continued  until 
nothing  but  shrieks  of  laughter  and  the  occasional  popping  of  a 
revolver  through  one  of  the  open  windows  could  be  heard.  In 
the  midst  of  it  all  the  lecture  closed.  Uncle  Jack  went  to  his 
shop  and  bottle,  after  a  promise  of  what  he  would  do  in  the 
same  line  "  't  show  'em  soon."  Shortly  after  he  and  Jim  both 
disappeared.  But  what  they  left  behind  them  on  this  occasion 
will  be  remembered  to  the  death  hour  of  those  who  were  fortunate 
enough  to  be  present.  Many  other  amusing  incidents  occurred 
that  limited  space  wiU  not  admit  of  repeating.  So  we  will 
narrow  down  to  succinct  history. 

William  Mathewson  was  here  at  an  early  date,  freighting 
thjough  Wichita  as  early  as  1860.  His  wife  was  the  first  white 
woman  that  crossed  the  Arkansas  river  at  this  point  (so  far  as 


EAELY  HISTORY  OP  WICHITA  9 

known),  date  1865.  The  first  sermon  was  preached  in  Durfrees 
Ranch  in  1868  by  Rev.  IVIr.  Saxley,  a  Baptist,  and  the  only  hymn 
the  boys  knew  was  "Old  John  Brown."  Mrs.  Vigus  was  the  first 
white  woman  that  made  Wichita  her  home,  a  most  estimable  and 
gentle  natured  lady  who  died  in  1871.  Mrs.  D.  S.  Munger.  who 
died  in  1893,  was  the  hostess  of  the  Munger  house.  Mrs.  Water- 
man, Mrs.  N.  A.  English,  Mrs.  Everts,  Mrs.  Sayles,  Mrs.  Hunter, 
Mrs.  Hall,  Mrs.  J.  P.  Allen,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Allen,  Mrs.  Abraham 
Smith  and  Mrs.  Meagher  were  among  the  earlier  settlers  and  all 
possessed  of  qualities  that  so  distinguishes  the  unselfish  sacrifices 
of  the  true  pioneer  women  over  all  others.  The  first  child  born 
in  the  county,  so  far  as  known,  was  Sam  Hoover's  son,  Sedgwick, 
born  December  25,  1869,  and  named  after  his  native  county.  The 
first  child  born  in  Wichita  village  was  Frank  H..  son  of  Joseph 
P.  Allen,  druggist,  July  3,  1870,  surviving  only  about  two  months. 
Maud  Teeter  was  born  a  few  months  prior,  March  8th,  but  in  the 
country  iidjacent  to  Wichita.  The  first  marriage  wa^  that  of 
Perry  Eaton  in  the  winter  of  1869.  Reuben  Riggs  opened  the 
first  la^v■  ofiice  during  the  winter  of  1869,  and  H.  C.  Sluss  in  the 
spring.  Steele,  Bright  &  Roe  the  first  real  estate  otfice,  north  of 
the  Ida  May  house  on  Main  street.  Joe  Alien  opened  the  first 
drug  store  on  Korth  Main  street ;  Aldrich  &  Simmons  still  further 
north  and  near  the  corner  of  Main  and  Pine  streets.  John  Dickey, 
now  of  Newton,  was  postmaster  then,  and  the  oSice  was  in 
Aldrich  &  Simmons'  drug  store.  Jack  Ledford  traded  Hubbard 
out  of  his  interest  with  Matsill  in  the  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness, getting  also  the  Grand  Hotel,  then  being  built  (afterwards 
the  rear  part  of  the  Tremont).  The  store  stood  in  an  old  two- 
story  frame  on  the  corner  of  Third  and  Main  streets,  where  the 
first  niunbers  of  the  "Eagle"  were  printed  in  1872.  Jack  Led- 
ford named  the  hotel  the  "Harris"  House,  to  honor  the  maiden 
name  of  his  wife.  The  hotel  was  not  run  by  him  over  a  month 
before  he  was  killed  in  a  street  fight,  almost  in  front  of  his  hotel, 
late  in  February,  1871,  by  a  company  of  United  States  soldiers 
and  a  band  of  government  scouts  who  sought  to  arrest  him  for 
one  of  his  past  pleasantries  (robbing  a  government  train  of  fifty 
wagons  and  running  oft'  the  stock,  besides  killing  several  of  the 
drivers). 

Edward  W.  Smith  had  a  grocery  and  general  outfitting  store 
in  a  frame  building  on  ilain  street,  afterwards  owned  by  W.  C. 
Woodman  and  next  door  south  of  his  bank.    J.  H.  Black  and  Lee 


10  mSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Nixon  were  his  clerks.  J.  M.  Johnson  opened  the  first  exclusive 
grocery  stock  on  North  Main  street,  Arthur  Allen,  clerk.  Arthur 
has  since  died.  Bailey's  was  the  first  hardware  store,  kept  in  a 
little  frame  building  located  about  where  J.  A.  Black's  diamond 
front  grocery  was.  Mike  Zimmerly  started  a  hardware  store  and 
tin  shop  nearly  opposite,  and  Schattner  &  Short  kept  a  saloon 
in  a  frame  building  that  stood  upon  the  lot  owned  by  Deacon 
Smith.  H.  H.  Allen,  Arthur's  father,  ran  the  first  boarding  house 
(a  story  and  half)  on  the  corner  opposite  Ford's  grocery  on 
upper  Main  street.  John  Martin  ran  a  restaurant  north  of 
Steele's  office,  then  north  of  Pine  street,  and  just  opposite  was 
the  Bismark  saloon.  "Doc."  Oatley  had  a  story  and  half  resi- 
dence where  the  Occidental  now  stands,  and  just  north  E.  H. 
Nugent  started  the  first  bakery  in  a  one-story  frame,  and  sunk 
the  first  drive  well  on  the  premises  ever  operated  in  "Wichita. 
Hills  &  Kramer  opened  the  first  regular  dry-goods  store  on  the 
corner  just  south  of  the  Occidental  Hotel.  Although  Mr.  Hughes 
kept  a  small  stock  of  dry  goods  and  clothing  prior  in  the  building 
still  standing  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street  between  Second 
and  Third.  The  "Vidette"  building  stood  a  few  blocks  further 
north.  The  "Vidette"  was  the  first  newspaper  printed  in  the 
Arkansas  valley  for  its  entire  length,  and  was  founded  by  Fred 
A.  Sowers. 

Charley  Hill  opened  a  drug  store  in  a  small  frame  building 
near  what  was  then  Kimmerle  &  Adams'  tombstone  shop,  after- 
wards building  a  few  doors  further  south.  In  the  meantime  Sol. 
Kohn  came  down  from  Hays  and  rented  a  frame  storeroom 
south  of  the  Lynch  building  on  upper  Main  street,  due  south  of 
the  Occidental,  now  called  the  Baltimore  Hotel,  where  he  opened 
out  in  drygoods,  groceries,  clothing,  boots  and  shoes,  etc.  He 
soon  built  lower  down  and  next  door  north  to  Charley  Hill,  both 
then  north  of  the  old  court  house.  The  first  church  edifice  was 
an  adobe  with  a  dirt  roof  that  stood  a  half  block  north  of  Third 
street  on  the  east  side  of  Main  street.  It  was  built  by  the 
Episcopalians,  under  guidance  of  the  then  pastor.  Rev.  J.  P. 
Hilton.  It  was  unique,  to  say  the  least,  as  we  recall  it  now.  A 
rude  board  cross  was  nailed  up  in  front  of  the  entrance;  the 
light  was  admitted  through  two  small  apertures  cut  up  high 
in  the  mud  and  secured  by  wooden  shutters;  the  roof  waved 
in  summer  with  highly  colored  prairie  flowers  and  a  luxuriant 
growth  of  tall  grass,  and  rattled  in  winter  time  with  the  wind 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  WICHITA  11 

whistling  through  the  naked  sunflower  stalks  that  grew  up  there 
also.  The  church  was  officered  by  such  eminent  moralists  as 
Bill  Hutchinson  and  Charley  Schattner,  who  ran  the  Bon-ton 
saloon;  George  Richards,  a  traveling  printer;  Bill  Dow  (Rattle- 
snake Bill"),  a  Cincinnati  gambler,  and  John  Edward  Martin, 
whose  chief  anxiety  in  life  was  to  get  somewhere  where  he  could 
not  be  found  by  the  citizens  of  the  place  he  last  emigrated  from. 
The  above  named  were  vestrymen.  They  sang  in  the  choir, 
assisted  in  the  sacrament,  all  wearing  the  robes  of  the  church. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  J.  R.  Mead,  who  had  donated  the 
church  its  ground,  proposed  to  swap  for  another  site  further 
away,  and  some  of  the  officers  thought  it  an  inferior  location. 
The  result  was  a  Sunday  after-service  meeting,  with  all  present, 
when  the  matter  was  fully  discussed,  and  upon  which  occasion, 
as  it  waxed  warm,  "William  Bloomfield  Hutchinson,  a  fully  in- 
ducted vestryman,  arose  radiant  in  his  vestry  clothes  and 
remarked  in  his  usual  smooth,  bland  and  childlike  manner,  that 
"he  didn't  care  a  cuss  what  the  other  officers  of  the  church 
done,  but  he  was  in  emphatic  opposition  to  seeing  any  citizen 
cheat  Jesus  Christ  out  of  a  foot  of  ground  so  long  as  he  had 
power  to  interpose."  The  rest  sedately  fell  into  "Hutch's" 
opinion,  so  the  matter  quietly  dropped  and  church  was  out  for 
another  holy  Sabbath  day. 

In  July,  1870,  Wichita  was  incorporated  as  a  town,  with  the 
following  officers:  C.  A.  Stafford  and  Chris  T.  Pierce,  who  kept 
a  small  grocery  at  the  north  end  of  town,  Edward  Smith,  John 
Peyton  (Uncle  Jack)  and  Morgan  Cox  (afterwards  landlord 
of  the  Avenue  House)  were  the  trustees;  W.  E.  Van  Trees,  police 
magistrate;  Ike  Walker,  marshal.  April,  1871,  the  town  was 
merged  into  a  city  of  the  third  class,  with  Dr.  E.  B.  Allen,  mayor. 
Councilmen :  W.  B.  Hutchinson,  S.  C.  Johnson,  Charles  Schattner, 
Dr.  Fabrique,  George  Schlichiter  and  George  Vantileburgh.  D. 
C.  Haekett  was  appointed  city  attorney,  H.  E.  Van  Trees  police 
judge  and  Mike  Meagher  harshal.  W.  C.  Woodman  &  Son  opened 
the  first  moneyed  institution  in  1871,  as  a  loaning  office,  after- 
wards merged  into  the  Arkansas  Valley  Bank.  The  Wichita 
Bank  was  opened  in  1871,  with  C.  Fraker,  president ;  J.  R.  Mead, 
vice  president,  and  A.  H.  Gossard,  cashier.  It  started  as  a 
national  bank  and  was  closed  shortly  after  the  closing  up  of  a 
cattle  drive  here  in  1875.  The  Wichita  Savings  Bank  was  organ- 
ized in  1872,  with  M.  E.  Clark,  of  Leavenworth,  president;  Sol. 


12  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

H.  Kolm,  vice  president,  and  A.  A.  Hyde,  formerly  of  Leaven- 
worth, cashier.  It  was  incorporated  in  the  fall  of  1882  as  a 
national  bank. 

In  1872  Wichita,  through  the  efforts  of  our  representatives 
at  Topeka,  was  made  a  city  of  the  second  class,  and  out  of  a 
total  vote  of  479  elected  E.  B.  Allen  mayor  for  a  second  time; 
Mike  Meagher,  marshal ;  William  Baldwin,  city  attorney ;  Charles 
A.  Phillip,  treasurer,  and  J.  M.  Atwood,  police  judge.  During 
this  year  the  big  bridge  spanning  the  Arkansas  river,  at  the  west 
end  of  Douglas  avenue,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $27,000.  The 
bridge  was  built  by  W.  J.  Hobson,  contractor,  and  paid  for  by  a 
joint  stock  company  organized  for  that  purpose.  It  nearly  paid 
for  itself  in  tolls  the  first  year  and  would  have  made  the  company 
rich  had  it  not  been  for  the  pluck  of  Lank  Moore,  Hills  &  Kramer, 
J.  C.  Fraker  and  other  "  north-enders, "  who  forced  it  to  be  sold 
by  starting  a  free  bridge  near  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers, 
where  the  park  now  is.  The  county  then  bought  it  and  abolished 
tolls.  The  "drive"  came  in  hot  about  this  period  in  1872. 
Wichita  was  the  thriftiest  and  most  uproarious  town  between  the 
two  seas.  Large  sign  boards  were  posted  up  at  the  four  con- 
spicuous entrances  into  town  (James  G.  Hope  was  then  mayor), 
bearing  the  strange  device:  "Everything  goes  in  Wichita;  leave 
your  revolvers  at  police  headquarters  and  get  a  check ;  carrying 
concealed  weapons  strictly  forbidden."  Everything  did  go  in 
Wichita;  there  was  not  a  gambling  device  known  to  the  world 
that  was  not  in  full  operation  openly.  A  variety  theater  nightly 
gave  exhibitions  in  the  old  building  then  south  of  what  was 
called  the  Hills  &  Kramer  corner  on  Main  street.  It  was,  in 
fact,  more  of  a  free  and  easy  than  a  theater.  Then  the  streets 
just  clanged  with  the  noisy  spurs  of  Texas  cowboys  and  Mexican 
ranchmen,  while  the  crowds  that  pushed  along  the  resounding 
board  sidewalks  were  as  motley  as  one  could  expect  if  siiddenly 
transported  where  there  was  a  delegation  from  every  nationality, 
hastily  brought  together,  at  a  vanity  fair  to  vie  in  oddity  with 
each  other.  Whimsical  and  eccentric  were  our  citizens  of  '72, 
with  a  constant  nervous  suppressed  something  in  their  expression 
that  you  never  could  quite  fathom  until  there  was  a  chance  for 
a  fight  or  a  foot  race.  Then  you  would  see  the  glad  change 
sweep  over  their  brow,  dispelling  the  somber  shadows,  and 
lending  a  glad  sparkle  to  the  eye,  as  they  went  for  the  belt  that 
held  up  their  jeans  and  two  navies  and  began  to  toy  with  the 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  WICHITA  13 

triggers,  while  a  sweet,  expectant  smile  lit  their  sad  looking 
countenances.  Texas  sombreros  and  leather  leggins,  the  brigand- 
ish looking  jackets  with  bright  buttons  close  together  of  the 
Mexicans,  the  buckskin  outfit  of  the  frontiersman  and  the  highly- 
colored  blanket  representatives  from  a  half  dozen  different  tribes 
of  "Poor  Lo,"  all  alike  fantastic,  but  all  fantastically  different, 
mingled  with  noisy  shouting,  was  a  familiar  street  scene  of  early 
72  at  Wichita.  Then  add  to  this  a  brass  band  brought  down 
from  Kansas  City  by  the  gamblers,  on  a  year's  engagement,  that 
played  from  morning  until  far  into  the  night,  on  a  two-story 
platform  raised  over  the  sidewalk  against  a  large  frame  building 
that  stood  where  the  Kansas  National  Bank  now  is. 

Steele  &  Smith's  real  estate  office,  a  one-story  frame  with  a 
wooden  porch,  occupied  the  New  York  store  corner,  and  in  the 
rear  of  it  was  pitched  throughout  the  entire  season  of  the  drive  a 
large  tent,  in  which  was  given  the  exhibtion  of  Prof.  Gessley, 
the  armless  wonder.  The  street  blew  white  with  his  progressive 
poem,  "writ  by  hisself."  It  went  on  to  say:  "With  the  reigns 
between  his  toes,  he  loads,  primes,  puts  on  a  cap  and  fires  off  a 
gun,  and  often  goes  to  shoot  wild  game  for  want  of  better  fun. 
He  handles  the  pen  with  the  ease  of  any  in  the  land;  in  fact,  his 
foot  is  turned  into  a  hand."  Connected  therewith  under  one 
pavilion  (in  show  parlance)  was  also  the  child  wonder,  born 
alive  (but  awfully  dead  at  the  time),  with  two  heads,  four  arms, 
two  feet  and  one  perfect  body;  also  a  pig  with  two  bodies  and 
eight  legs,  to  attract  the  crowd.  A  hand  organ  filled  with  doleful 
and  disjointed  tunes  ground  unceasingly,  while  at  ten-minute 
interludes,  all  day  long,  would  ring  out  the  sharp  report  of  the 
gun  the  professor  fired  with  his  toes,  followed  by  the  deep 
Pennsylvania  Dutch  accent  of  the  professor,  yelling  in  his  hilarity 
until  it  could  be  heard  above  the  organ  and  band  over  the  way, 
"Dere  she  goes  agin;  kick  like  a  mool!" 

Mix  this  all  with  the  motley  caravan  that  thronged  the 
streets,  the  fighting,  yelling,  swearing,  and  too  often  the  ring 
of  the  revolver  that  carried  death  with  it,  the  night  scenes  of 
dance  houses,  painted  courtesans  and  drunken  brawls,  and  you 
have  the  Wichita  of  1871-72  and  '73. 

So  Wichita  began,  a  town  at  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers, 
the  early  gathering  point  of  the  Osages,  their  favorite  camping 
ground;  all  of  the  surrounding  country  abounded  in  game;  the 
home  of  the  buffalo,  and  their  favorite  feeding  ground ;  abundant 


14  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

waters,  succulent  grasses,  delightful  climate.  A  border  town,  a 
frontier  trading  post,  a  good  town  from  the  very  first,  full  of 
traditions,  full  of  history,  full  of  energy  and  push,  the  future 
is  full  and  promising  for  Wichita,  and  her  destiny  is  to  make  a 
great  city.  That  she  will  fill  the  promise  of  her  founders,  no 
one  can  doubt. 

FIRST  CITY  OFFICERS  OF  WICHITA. 

1872. 

Mayor— E.  B.  Allen. 

Police  Judge — J.  M.  Atwood. 

City  Treasurer — Charles  A.  Phillip. 

Marshal — M.  Meagher. 

City  Attorney — M.  Baldwin. 

City  Clerk — George  S.  Henry. 

Justices  of  the  Peace — William  H.  Roarke,  H.  E.  Van  Trees. 

Constables — S.  K.  Ohmert,  George  De  Amour. 

Council — First  ward.  Dr.  Owens,  Charles  Shattner;  second 
ward,  James  A.  Stevenson,  C.  A.  Bayley;  third  ward,  J.  M. 
Martin,  A.  J.  Langsdorf;  fourth  ward,  J.  C.  Fraker,  William 
Smith. 

Board  of  Education — First  ward,  N.  A.  English,  Nelson 
McClees;  second  ward,  E.  P.  Waterman,  W.  C.  Woodman;  third 
ward,  G.  W.  Reeves,  R.  S.  West;  fourth  ward,  A.  H.  Fabrique, 
Fred  A.  Sowers. 

FIRST  COUNTY  OFFICERS  OF  SEDGWICK. 
1872. 

Judge  Thirteenth  District— W.  P.  Campbell. 
Board  of  County  Commissioners — H.  C.  Ramlow,  R.  N.  Neeley, 
Sol.  H.  Kohn,  chairman. 

County  Treasurer — S.  S.  Johnson. 

County  Clerk — Fred  Sehattner. 

Sheriff — John  Meagher. 

Clerk  District  Court — John  Mclvor. 

Probate  Judge — ^William  Baldwin. 

Superintendent  Public  Instruction — ^W.  C.  Little. 

Register  of  Deeds— John  Mclvor. 

County  Attorney — H.  C.  Sluss. 

County  Surveyor — John  A.  Sroufe. 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  WICPIITA  15 

THIRTEEN  MAYORS  IN  THIRTY-NINE  YEARS. 

During  its  thirty -nine  years'  existence  as  a  city,  "Wichita  has 
had  thirteen  mayors.  Of  this  number  seven  are  dead  and  the 
other  six  reside  here.  Following  is  a  list  of  the  mayors  in  suc- 
cession from  first  to  last:  E.  B.  Allen,  1871-72;  James  G.  Hope, 
1873-74  and  1876-77;  George  E.  Harris,  1875;  William  Greiffen- 
stein,  1878  and  part  of  1879,  1880-84 ;  Sol.  H.  Kohn,  1879 ;  B.  W. 
Aldrich,  1885-86;  J.  P.  Allen,  1887-88;  George  W.  Clement, 
1889-90;  John  B.  Carey,  1891-92;  L.  M.  Cox,  1893-96;  Finlay 
Ross,  1897-1900  and  1905-6;  B.  F.  McLean,  1901-4;  John  H. 
Graham,  1907-8;  Charles  L.  Davidson,  1909-10. 

William  Greiffenstein  occupied  the  major's  chair  in  Wichita 
longer  than  any  other  man,  having  held  the  position  about  six 
years  and  a  half.  James  G.  Hope  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
mayor  four  times,  but  that  was  when  mayors  were  elected  every 
year.  Next  to  Greiffenstein,  Finlay  Ross,  who  was  elected  three 
times  and  served  six  full  years,  has  held  the  office  longest.  L.  M. 
Cox  was  twice  elected  to  the  office  and  so  was  J.  K.  McLean, 
both  of  whom  served  four  years. 

The  five  living  ex-mayors  of  Wichita  are  George  E.  Harris, 
of  224  South  Lawrence  avenue ;  Finlay  Ross,  of  821  North  Waco 
avenue;  L.  M.  Cox,  of  529  North  Waco  avenue;  B.  F.  McLean, 
of  313  North  Seneca  street,  and  John  H.  Graham,  of  825  Wiley 
avenue. 


CHAPTER  III. 

WICHITA    AS    A    COMMERCIAL    AND    MANUFACTURING 
CENTER. 

By 

EUGENE  FAHL. 

The  truth  about  Wichita  is  good  enough.  The  figures  given  in 
the  following  article  are  as  nearly  accurate  as  it  was  possible 
to  obtain.  They  were  obtained  from  the  most  authoritative 
sources.  Came  a  day  in  early  spring,  just  forty  years  ago,  when 
a  sturdy  pioneer  merchant  jerked  a  paper  bag  from  a  pile  of 
miscellaneous  packages  on  the  end  of  his  rude  counter,  not  to 
fill  it  with  sugar  or  beans  for  a  waiting  customer,  but  to  rip  it 
open  and  draw  thereon  in  his  crude  way  the  plat  of  the  original 
city  of  Wichita.  This  document  was  filed  for  record  on  March 
25,  1870.  It  is  now  in  the  recorder's  office  at  the  Sedgwick  county 
court  house,  a  beautiful  building  costing  a  quarter  of  a  million 
dollars,  in  the  substantial,  fast  growing  city  which  the  early  day 
German  trader  was  so  largely  instrumental  in  founding.  Later, 
another  pioneer  of  a  different  type,  Colonel  M.  M.  Murdock, 
founder  and  editor  of  the  Wichita  "Eagle"  and  one  of  the  most 
talented  and  powerful  personalities  of  the  virile  West,  nicknamed 
the  young  city  at  the  ' '  meeting  of  the  waters ' '  of  the  Big  Arkan- 
sas and  Little  Arkansas  rivers,  the  "Peerless  Princess  of  the 
Southwest,"  and  this  has  been  her  nickname  since  that  day. 
There  were  many  lean  years  in  the  West  between  1870  and 
1900 — many  lean  years.  The  Princess  at  times  became  haggard 
and  careworn.  Her  enemies  encompassed  her  about.  Her  trials 
and  tribulations  were  many.  They  were  the  trials  and  tribula- 
tions of  a  royal  pioneer.  But  today  she  is  fair,  fat  and  forty; 
she  is  no  longer  a  princess  but  has  become  a  queen — the  Queen 
City  of  the  Greater  Southwest,  her  star  is  in  the  ascendant  and 
her  sturdy  sons  and  daughters  who  stood  by  her  through  the 
dark  days  are  now  reaping  the  reward  of  their  faithfulness. 
16 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  17 

Great  mills,  manufacturing  establishments  and  mercantile  houses, 
beautiful,  well  paved  streets,  splendid  homes,  churches  and 
public  buildings  and  excellent  schools  and  collages  are  their 
portion.  The  domain  of  her  subjects  has  become  so  rich  in 
production  that  when  the  harvest  time  draws  near  the  great 
wheat  markets  ask:  "What  is  the  outlook  in  Kansas?"  and  the 
answer  affects  the  price  of  bread  in  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
And  therein  lies  her  greatness,  for  her  prosperity  is  founded  upon 
the  production  of  the  necessities  of  life. 

Today  the  population  of  Wichita  is  estimated  by  the  com- 
pilers of  the  latest  city  directory  at  60,000.  Other  estimates  run 
as  low  as  55,000.  Area,  18%  square  miles,  with  375  miles  of 
streets,  about  30  miles  of  which  are  paved ;  water  mains,  65  miles ; 
capacity  of  pumping  plant,  15,000,000  gallons  per  day;  number 
of  miles  of  public  sewer,  75 ;  assessed  valuation,  $44,444,451 ;  area 
public  parks,  325  acres;  altitude,  1,300  feet;  average  tempera- 
ture for  21  years,  56  degrees ;  average  rain  fall  for  21  years,  29% 
inches.  Five  railroad  systems,  as  follows:  Santa  Fe,  Rock 
Island,  Frisco,  Missouri  Pacific,  Orient,  with  44  daily  passenger 
trains.  Electric  street  railway,  30  miles ;  natural  gas  mains,  100 
miles :  number  of  telephones  in  use  in  city,  6,500.  Daily  papers : 
The  Wichita  "Daily  Eagle,"  the  morning  paper,  and  the  Wichita 
"Daily  Beacon,"  the  evening  paper.  Public  schools,  17  (three 
more  will  be  ready  for  next  term);  academies  (Catholic),  3; 
colleges,  2;  business  colleges,  2;  colleges  of  music,  3;  churches, 
31 ;  enrollment  in  public  schools,  7,623.  Public  and  semi-public 
buildings  and  their  cost:  Federal  building,  $150,000;  city  hall, 
$150,000;  Sedgwick  county  court  house,  $250,000;  Masonic  Tem- 
ple, $250,000;  Masonic  Home  and  grounds,  $250,000;  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  building,  $110,000;  St.  Francis  Hospital,  including  grounds 
and  equipment,  $200,000;  construction  begun  on  Convention 
Hall,  $150,000;  Kansas  Sanitarium,  $50,000.  Number  of  banks, 
11;  total  capital  and  surplus,  $1,013,000;  deposits  January  1, 
1910,  over  $11,000,000;  bank  clearings,  1909,  $128,399,860.  Num- 
ber of  real  estate  sales  in  1909,  5,331,  amounting  to  $9,612,580; 
postoffice  receipts,  $232,326.61;  building  permits,  approximately, 
$4,000,000;  city  revenue.  $835,000.  Number  of  jobbing  and 
wholesale  firms,  138,  doing  an  annual  business  in  1909  of  over 
$40,000,000;  packing  houses,  2,  with  an  annual  production  of 
60,000,000  pounds;  flouring  mills,  5,  with  a  daily  capacity  of 
4,100  barrels;  lumber  business,  $10,000,000  in  1909.     Wichita  is 


18  HISTOEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

the  largest  broom  corn  market  in  the  world,  handling  about  40,000 
tons  annually,  has  the  largest  broom  factory,  with  a  daily 
capacity  of  2,000  dozen  brooms.  The  value  of  automobiles  distrib- 
uted by  Wichita  dealers  in  1909,  $1,250,000.  Number  of  cars  of 
grain  bought  and  sold  by  the  Board  of  Trade,  24,000.  The  Union 
Stock  Yards  handled  in  1909  756,560  hogs,  184,659  cattle,  22,796 
sheep  and  3,645  horses  and  mules,  or  over  14,000  cars  of  stock. 

GROWTH  OF  WICHITA. 

It  is  difficult  to  show  the  important  things  concerning  the 
growth  of  a  city,  in  figures.  The  growth  in  population,  in  postal 
receipts,  in  bank  deposits  and  bank  clearings,  etc.,  can  all  be 
given  in  figures.  But  the  bustling  activity,  always  apparent  in  a 
prosperous  city,  the  expansion  of  the  many  mercantile  and  manu- 
facturing establishments,  many  of  them  enlarged  to  double  their 
former  capacity,  the  atmosphere  of  general  push  and  progressive- 
ness,  are  hard  to  portray  in  figures.  To  the  business  man,  how- 
ever, who  speaks  the  language  of  figures  and  is  accustomed  to  it, 
the  following  comparative  statistics  regarding  the  city  of  Wichita 
will  speak  in  no  uncertain  tones,  for  established  cities  do  not 
grow  at  such  a  rate  without  cause.  The  cause  in  this  instance 
is  the  rapid  development  of  the  greater  Southwest,  Oklahoma, 
Texas  and  New  Mexico,  which  is  just  naturally  Wichita's  trade 
territory  by  right  of  location: 

Population  in  1900,  24,571 ;  in  1910,  60,780,  a  growth  of  nearly 
150  per  cent  in  ten  years.  Bank  clearings  for  1906,  $58,062,985 ; 
for  1909,  $128,399,860,  a  gain  of  over  $70,000,000,  or  121  per 
cent,  in  three  years.     Bank  clearings  for  1908,  $72,948,070;  for 

1909,  $128,399,860,  a  gain  in  one  year  of  $55,000,000,  or  76  per 
cent.     Bank   deposits   January   1,    1900,   $1,281,671;  January   1 

1910,  $11,000,000,  an  increase  of  almost  1,000  per  cent  in  ten 
years.  Building  permits  for  1908,  $1,563,200 ;  for  1909,  $3,968,350, 
an  increase  in  one  year  of  154  per  cent.  Postofifice  receipts  in 
1900,  $73,934;  in  1910,  $232,326.61,  an  increase  in  ten  years  of 
212  per  cent. 

THE  OUTLOOK. 

It  has  been  said  recently  by  a  man  well  informed  in  matters 
pertaining  to  the  city  that  there  are  800  buildings  of  various 
kinds  in  the  course  of  construction  in  Wichita  today.     A  ride 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  19 

through  the  different  sections  of  the  city  would  lead  one  to  believe 
that  this  statement  was  too  low  rather  than  too  high,  there  being 
scarcely  a  block  in  the  city  without  building  improvements  of 
some  kind  in  progress.  Wichita  will  be  a  city  of  100,000  popula- 
tion in  less  than  five  years.  Some  of  the  larger  projects  now 
building  or  in  immediate  prospect  (1910)  are  the  following:  A 
convention  hall  with  a  seating  capacity  of  5,000,  to  cost  $150,000, 
for  which  the  contract  has  been  let.  New  high  school  building 
to  accommodate  1,200  students  and  costing  $150,000.  Ten-story 
office  building  costing  $350,000,  now  well  under  way.  Ten-story 
office  building  to  cost  approximately  the  same  as  above.  Plans 
are  drawn  and  construction  will  begin  soon.  Six-story  office 
building  and  store  costing  $55,000,  nearly  finished.  Commercial 
Club  building,  $85,000,  well  under  way.  Pine  theater  to  cost 
$75,000.  Immense  agricultural  implement  branch  house,  to  be 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  West.  Large  wholesale  grocery  building, 
now  under  construction;  a  new  firm  in  the  city.  Four-story 
building  for  a  branch  house  of  the  largest  dealers  and  manufac- 
turers of  plumbers'  supplies  in  the  world.  Fifty  miles  of  paving 
to  cost  over  $2,000,000.  An  electric  interurban  line,  with  sixty 
miles  of  track,  connecting  Wichita  with  a  number  of  towns  north 
and  west  of  the  city.  Cost  $1,000,000;  now  under  construction. 
Terminal  Railroad  Association  will  make  extensive  improvements, 
costing  $100,000.  Orient  railroad  shops,  to  cost  $300,000,  and 
employing  about  300  men.  Elevated  railroad  tracks  and  union 
passenger  station,  requiring  an  expenditure  of  about  $400,000. 
Paper  and  strawboard  manufacturing  plant,  to  cost  $500,000. 
Immense  additions  to  one  of  the  packing  houses,  $300,000.  Two 
new  churches,  one  costing  $200,000  the  other  $100,000.  Wichita 
Natural  Gas  Company  improvements  costing  $400,000.  The 
Street  Railway  Company  will  expend  $700,000  in  improvements. 
Building  permits  for  the  first  three  months  of  1910  are  just 
'about  equal  to  the  total  of  the  j^ear  of  1908.  The  indications  are 
that  building  operations  in  1910  will  exceed  $6,000,000. 

COMMERCIAL  AND  INDUSTRIAL. 

The  industrial  and  commercial  interests  of  the  city  of  Wichita 
in  the  order  of  their  importance  are  as  follows :  First,  wholesale 
and  jobbing;  second,  handling  live  stock  and  packing  meats; 
third,  handling  grain  and  milling  flour  and  feed ;  fourth,  handling 


20  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

broom    corn    and    manufacturing    brooms ;    fifth,    miscellaneous 
manufacturing. 

No  other  city  in  the  United  States  of  equal  size  does  so  large 
an  annual  jobbing  business.  The  principal  lines  are  dry  goods, 
groceries,  notions,  drugs,  hardware,  hats,  shoes,  furniture,  agri- 
cultural implements  and  lumber.  There  are  two  large  wholesale 
dry  goods  houses,  five  grocery  houses,  three  drug  houses,  one 
hardware  house,  one  wholesale  hat  house,  one  shoe  house,  one 
furniture  house,  one  notion  house,  many  implement  houses,  and 
the  lumber  jobbers,  commission  dealers  and  mill  agents  number 
over  thirty.  The  traveling  representatives  of  these  houses  are 
to  be  found  in  all  parts  of  the  fast  developing  territory  of  western 
Oklahoma,  northern  Texas  and  New  Mexico,  as  well  as  in  Kansas, 
and  they  sent  in  $31,000,000  worth  of  business  in  1909.  Lumber 
companies  whose  general  offices  are  in  "Wichita  own  and  operate 
more  than  250  lumber  yards  in  Kansas,  Oklahoma,  Texas  and  New 
Mexico.  Their  annual  business  has  reached  the  $8,000,000  mark. 
One  firm,  the  Boyle  Commission  Company,  buys  and  sells  over 
2,000  carloads  of  potatoes  per  year,  their  record  sales  being  63 
cars  in  one  day  and  530  cars  in  one  month.  A  large  four-story 
building  is  being  built,  to  be  occupied  by  an  addition  to  the 
city's  wholesale  grocery  business,  the  new  firm  coming  to  Wichita 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  better  railroad  facilities,  while  one  of 
the  wholesale  grocery  firms,  Jett  &  Wood,  established  some  years 
ago,  more  than  doubled  the  size  of  its  building  the  past  season, 
so  that  the  increase  in  the  wholesale  grocery  business  is  apparently 
keeping  pace  with  the  other  lines  of  jobbing.  A  $50,000-building 
is  to  be  built  immediately  for  the  Wichita  Wholesale  Furniture 
Company,  which  has  outgrown  its  present  quarters.  The  capital 
of  this  firm  will  be  doubled  at  once.  The  McArthur-Kiler  Mer- 
cantile Company,  a  wholesale  notion  house,  increased  its  business 
100  per  cent  in  1909.  Prom  these  few  instances  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  wholesale  business  in  Wichita  is  not  exactly  a  losing 
proposition. 

LIVE  STOCK. 

Second  only  in  importance  and  annual  business  to  the  jobbing 
interests  are  the  Wichita  Union  Stock  Yards  and  their  allied 
interests,  the  packing  houses.  Fourteen  thousand  and  eighty-four 
cars  of  live  stock  were  handled  by  this  rapidly  expanding  market 
in  1909.     These  would  make  a  train  about  120  miles  in  length. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  21 

These  cars  contained  756,560  hogs,  184,659  cattle  and  22,796 
sheep.  About  60,000,000  pounds  of  the  finished  product  of  pork, 
beef  and  mutton  were  cured  and  packed  by  the  local  packing 
plants.  With  the  by-products  their  business  in  1909  amounted  to 
about  $9,000,000. 

The  new  live  stock  exchange  building  is  one  of  which  any 
city  might  well  be  proud.  Walls,  floors  and  stau-ways  are  of 
molded  cement  construction,  making  the  building  absolutely  fire- 
proof. The  interior  finish  is  of  oak.  Large,  well  lighted  ofSce 
rooms  opening  on  a  wide,  roomy  corridor  make  it  an  ideal  office 
building. 

GRAIN. 

The  Board  of  Trade  is  the  great  nerve  center  of  the  grain 
business  in  the  Southwest.  These  men  bought,  sold  and  shipped 
in  1909  nearly  24,000  cars  of  grain.  Not  nearly  all  of  this  amount 
was  handled  in  Wichita,  as  a  large  amount  of  it  was  shipped 
directly  from  originating  point  to  the  buyer.  The  five  large  flour 
mills  of  the  city  used  a  great  amount  of  wheat,  as  their  daily 
capacity  of  over  4,000  barrels  of  flour  would  indicate.  Kansas 
wheat  and  Kansas  flour  are  known  and  recognized  the  world 
over,  wherever  flour  is  bouglit  and  sold,  as  a  distinct  grade  of 
very  high  quality.  Within  a  radius  of  100  miles  of  Wichita  are 
raised  annually  50,000,000  bushels  of  this  justly  celebrated  hard 
winter  wheat.  As  a  milling  wheat  it  has  no  superior.  Kansas 
leads  all  the  states  of  the  Union  in  the  production  of  wheat  by  a 
wide  margin,  the  production  in  1909  being  76,808,000  bushels, 
her  record  crop  being  91,000,000  bushels. 

The  milling  and  mixing  of  alfalfa-grain  stock  foods  is  one  of 
the  industries  in  which  Wichita  leads  the  world.  Three  large 
mills  and  a  number  of  smaller  ones  have  an  annual  output  of 
many  thousands  of  tons,  one  mill  alone  having  a  capacity  of 
sixty  tons  per  day.  Alfalfa  stock  food  is  a  mixture  of  ground 
alfalfa  hay  and  grains  in  such  proportion  as  to  furnish  a  balanced 
ration  for  all  live  stock.  The  territory  tributary  to  Wichita  is 
the  greatest  alfalfa  producing  section  of  the  earth,  Kansas  being 
so  far  ahead  of  all  other  states  that  there  is  hardly  a  chance  for 
comparison.  While  Kansas  leads  all  other  states  in  the  pro- 
duction of  wheat  and  alfalfa,  yet  her  largest  crop  is  corn,  pro- 
ducing 150,640,000  bushels  of  this  grain  in  1909.  It  will  be  seen 
from  this  that  there  is  no  lack  of  raw  material  for  the  great  floui- 


22  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

and  feed  mills  of  the  city,  nor  would  there  be  if  their  capacity- 
was  twice  as  large  as  at  present.  The  American  Alfalfa  Food 
Company  has  one  of  the  largest  mills  in  the  world  devoted  to  the 
milling  of  alfalfa  food.  Mr.  Otto  Weiss,  of  Wichita,  who  is  still 
in  the  alfalfa  stock  food  business  here,  is  the  originator  of  the 
balanced  ration  food  for  stock. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MANUFACTURERS. 

In  the  matter  of  miscellaneous  manufacturers  Wichita  is  well 
represented.  The  Mentholatum  Company,  the  Hydro-Carbon 
Company  and  the  Brooks  Tire  Machine  Company  occupy  factory 
buildings  that  are  positively  the  last  word  in  factory  construction, 
and  would  be  considered  a  credit  to  any  city,  eastern  or  western. 
When  talking  over  the  matter  of  manufactures  and  factories  in 
Wichita  with  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  the  city  the 
writer  was  told  the  following  significant  fact:  "There  is  not  a 
manufacturing  establishment  in  Wichita  that  is  not  making 
money.  If  there  is  I  do  not  know  of  it."  The  manufacturer  of 
staple  products  has  no  monopoly  of  the  profitable  business.  While 
the  great  flour  and  feed  mills,  the  planing  mills  and  sash  and 
door  factories,  etc.,  are  turning  out  products  that  are  just  as 
staple  as  the  coin  of  the  realm,  and  making  good  profits  too,  the 
manufacturer  of  special  articles,  such  as  those  mentioned  above, 
is  getting  his  share  of  the  business  and  the  trade  territory  of  these 
firms  is  not  confined  to  Kansas  nor  the  western  country,  but  is 
world-wide.  Wichita  makes  a  strong  bid  for  more  manufacturers 
of  specialties  as  well  as  miscellaneous  staple  articles.  Cheap 
building  sites  and  natural  gas  for  power  at  121/2  cents  per  thou- 
sand, together  with  splendid  railroad  facilities,  are  some  of  the 
inducements  held  out  to  the  manufacturing  firm  that  is  dissatisfied 
with  its  present  location. 

FINANCIAL. 

As  in  every  prosperous,  growing  city,  real  estate  transactions 
are  given  a  great  deal  of  attention  and  at  the  present  prices 
of  property  offer  the  most  attractive  investment  propositions  in 
the  state  of  Kansas,  and  perhaps  in  the  entire  West.  However, 
Wichita  is  not  booming.  The  growth  of  the  city  is  natural  and 
healthy,  and  for  this  reason  property  values  are  very  low  com- 
pared to  those  of  many  cities  that  are  doing  less  in  the  way  of 
actual  growth.    Rents  are  reasonable,  being  little  more  than  half 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  23 

as  much,  for  the  same  location,  as  in  many  other  western  cities 
which  are  no  larger  than  Wichita,  and  in  which  the  amount  of 
annual  business  transacted  is  much  less  per  capita.  On  account 
of  this  fact,  real  estate  values  will  continue  to  increase  steadily 
and  Wichita  property  will  continue  to  be  a  first-class  investment. 
Bank  deposits  increased  $1,174,000  in  the  fifty-five  days  from 
February  2,  1910,  to  March  29,  1910. 

WICHITA  AS  A  HOME. 

Wichita  is  noted  for  its  beautiful  streets,  splendid  shade  trees 
and  fine  residences.  University  avenue,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  is  one  of  the  stateliest  residence  avenues  in  the  United 
States.  With  its  three  rows  of  large  maples  on  either  side  and  the 
Friends  University  building,  in  all  its  massiveness,  directly  in 
line  with  the  western  end,  closing  the  view  in  that  direction,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  streets  to  be  found  in  any  city  in 
the  country.  All  the  principal  residence  streets  are  lined  with 
shade  trees  of  extraordinary  size.  Trees  four  feet  in  diameter 
and  eighty  feet  in  height  have  been  removed  recently  to  make 
room  for  the  wide  sidewalks  in  front  of  new  business  buildings. 
There  are  seventeen  public  school  buildings  in  the  city,  counting 
the  high  school.  A  new  high  school  and  three  new  wai'd  schools 
are  to  be  built  at  once.  The  population  of  the  city  is  increasing 
so  rapidly  that  it  is  difficult  to  keep  the  number  of  school  rooms 
up  to  the  required  capacity.  Both  of  Wichita 's  colleges  are  fully 
accredited  educational  institutions.  Friends  University,  situated 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  almost  at  the  extreme  western 
limits  of  the  city,  occupies  one  of  the  largest  school  buildings  in 
the  world.  It  is  said  to  have  ample  accommodations,  assembly 
rooms  included,  for  2,000  students.  Its  main  chapel  room,  when, 
fully  completed,  will  seat  1,500  comfortably.  Fairmount  College 
is  a  Congregational  college.  It  is  situated  on  the  hill  in  the 
extreme  eastern  part  of  the  city.  It  has  splendid  buildings  and 
■  an  ideal  location.  The  Carnegie  library  is  located  on  the  campus 
of  this  college. 

The  churches  of  Wichita  number  thirty-one.  Some  of  them 
are  especially  fine  buildings.  The  First  Baptist,  St.  Paul's  M.  E. 
and  Trinity  M.  E.,  the  last  named  situated  on  the  west  side,  are 
among  the  finest  of  them.  The  congregations  which  will  erect 
new  buildings  this  year  are  the  First  M.  E.,  the  First  Presbyterian, 
each  to  build  a  $100,000  edifice.     The  Catholic  Cathedral  will 


24  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

also  be  pushed  to  completion  this  year  and  next  and  will  cost 
$200,000. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  occupies  a  fine  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  First  and  Emporia.  It  has  a  well  equipped 
gymnasium  for  the  physical  culture  department,  which  is  under 
the  direction  of  a  physical  director  who  has  achieved  some 
remarkable  results  in  the  year  in  which  he  has  been  employed 
in  that  capacity.  Evening  educational  classes  are  conducted  dur- 
ing the  winter  months.  Mr.  A.  A.  Hyde  is  president  and  Mr. 
Clifford  Pierce  secretary  of  this  splendid  institution,  which  is 
doing  so  much  for  the  younger  generation  of  Wichita's  male  citi- 
zens, spirit,  mind  and  body. 

Wichita  has  three  commercial  organizations — the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  the  Commercial  Club  and  the  West  Wichita  Com- 
mercial League.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Commercial 
Club  are  divided  on  the  question  of  social  features  only.  In 
matters  concerning  the  welfare  of  the  city  and  its  citizens  they 
work  unitedly.  The  west  side  league  is  composed  of  the  busi- 
ness men  of  the  district  west  of  the  river.  They  have  no  social 
features.  The  Commercial  Club  is  building  an  eighty-five-thou- 
sand-dollar club  house  on  the  corner  of  First  and  Market,  which 
will  be  strictly  fireproof  and  a  credit  to  the  city.  The  Chamber 
of  Commerce  is  located  on  the  tenth  floor  of  the  Beacon  Building 
on  South  Main  street,  where  they  have  elegant  quarters. 

The  Riverside  Club  has  just  completed  a  splendid  club  house 
in  Riverside  at  a  cost  of  $35,000.  They  will  have  tennis,  boating 
and  bathing  for  outdoor  features,  while  the  building  is  equipped 
with  bowling  alleys,  billiard  room  and  the  usual  country  club 
equipment.    Their  cuisine  is  unsurpassed  in  the  West. 

The  Wichita  Country  Club  makes  a  specialty  of  the  games  of 
golf  and  tennis.  They  will  build  a  new  club  house  at  once,  to 
cost,  when  completed  and  equipped  $50,000. 

WICHITA'S  FLOUR  PRODUCTION. 

As  a  milling  center,  Wichita  has  established  an  enviable  repu- 
tation and  is  now  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  the 
Southwest.  Not  only  is  the  city  and  large  sections  of  the  southern 
part  of  Kansas  and  northern  Oklahoma  supplied  with  the  prod- 
ucts of  its  mills,  but  large  quantities  of  flour  are  shipped  to  nearly 
all  the  states  of  the  Union,  and  large  shipments  are  made  to 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  25 

Cuba,  Europe  and  Oriental  countries.  The  quality  of  the  flour 
made  in  Wichita  is  not  excelled  by  any  in  the  world.  Not  even 
the  famed  mills  of  Minnesota  are  able  to  produce  better.  Kansas 
hard  winter  wheat  has  become  noted  for  its  excellent  milling 
qualities,  and  nothing  but  this  grade  of  wheat  is  used  by  the 
mills  of  Wichita. 

There  are  five  of  these  mills,  with  a  combined  capacity  of 
3,750  barrels  of  flour  a  day.  Much  of  the  time  they  are  all  operated 
to  their  full  capacity.  These  are  the  Howard  Mills  Company, 
with  a  capacity  of  300  barrels  a  day ;  the  Imboden  Milling  Com- 
pany, with  a  capacity  of  350  barrels;  the  Kansas  Milling  Com- 
pany, 1,500  barrels ;  the  Watson  Mill  Company,  1,000  barrels,  and 
the  Red  Star  Milling  Company,  600  barrels. 

LUMBER  TRADE  OF  WICHITA. 

No  industry  in  the  Southwest  has  developed  more  rapidly  than 
the  lumber  industry,  which  of  necessity  has  been  compelled  to 
grow  to  keep  pace  with  the  improvement  and  development  of  the 
country.  In  this  particular  Wichita  is  credited  with  being  one 
of  the  most  prominent  lumber-dealing  towns  west  of  Chicago,  and 
among  the  best  in  the  United  States  outside  of  milling  centers. 
In  addition  to  the  twenty-two  local  yards,  the  lumber  for  250 
yards  in  Kansas,  Oklahoma,  Texas  and  New  Mexico  is  bought 
and  paid  for  in  Wichita,  which  is  the  headquarters  of  most  of 
the  companies  having  line  yards  throughout  the  Southwest.  Last 
year  the  lumber  business  of  Wichita  aggregated  $10,000,000. 

Nearly  all  the  large  mills  of  the  West  and  South  have  repre- 
sentatives who  make  headquarters  here,  and  in  addition  to  these 
there  are  several  wholesale  lumber  dealers.  There  are  more  than 
twenty  of  these  lumber  jobbers  and  agents,  from  whom  most  of 
the  supplies  for  the  yards  in  the  Southwest  are  procured. 

WICHITA  JOBBING  BUSINESS  TOTALS  FORTY  MILLIONS 
A  YEAR. 

Wichita's  jobbing  business  during  the  year  1909  approximated 
$40,000,000,  and  it  promises  to  show  a  decided  increase  in  1910. 
Wichita's  jobbing  business  in  1909  was  not  only  greater  than  that 
of  any  other  town  in  Kansas,  but  it  was  greater  than  that  of  all 
the  towns  of  Kansas  combined.  Wichita's  jobbing  business  is 
greater  than  that  of  any  other  city  of  its  size  in  the  world.    When 


26  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

the  men  who  came  to  "Wichita  many  years  ago  opened  small  whole- 
sale houses  for  the  distribution  of  goods  to  meet  the  needs  of 
the  retailers  throughout  the  then  undeveloped  sections  of  the 
Southwest,  they  laid  the  foundation  for  a  business  infinitely 
greater  than  any  of  them  dared  to  dream  of.  The  principal  reason 
for  this  lies  in  the  fact  that,  sanguine  as  they  were,  they  had  no 
conception  of  the  possibilities  of  the  Southwest.  Towns  that  are 
now  supplied  from  the  enormous  stocks  of  goods  handled  by  the 
wholesalers  of  Wichita  were  not  in  existence  then,  and  cities  with 
thousands  of  inhabitants  were  mere  trading  points  where  the 
entire  business  of  the  community  was  transacted  beneath  a  single 
roof. 

The  progress  of  Empire  has  done  much  for  Wichita.  It  has 
brought  into  cultivation  countless  thousands  of  acres  of  rich  soil, 
reared  cities  and  developed  the  natural  resources  of  the  country 
contiguous  to  this  metropolis  until  almost  before  its  own  residents 
are  aware  of  it,  it  has  become  the  great  trade  center  of  one  of  the 
largest  and  richest  sections  in  Ameuica.  All  this  has  been  accom- 
plished in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  larger  and  more  powerful 
competing  towns,  and  much  of  the  time  in  the  face  of  railroad 
discrimination  that  to  any  one  but  a  Kansan  would  be  discour- 
aging. Wichita  has  little  reason  to  thank  the  outside  world  for 
what  it  has  become,  but,  rather,  it  may  properly  congratulate 
itself  upon  possessing  a  citizenship  that  is  always  hopeful  and 
undaunted  and  a  constituency  throughout  the  Southwest  that  has 
always  been  loyal.  Wichita  has  as  many  wholesale  dry  goods 
houses  as  Kansas  City.  The  combined  business  of  these  institu- 
tions during  1909  was  over  four  and  a  half  million  dollars.  Every 
one  of  these  concerns  has  enjoyed  a  splendid  increase  in  business 
since  they  were  opened,  and  the  prospect  for  a  still  greater  growth 
is  exceptionally  bright. 

Wichita  has  five  large  wholesale  grocerj^  houses,  with  an  aggre- 
gate annual  business  of  more  than  four  and  a  half  million  dollars. 
One  of  these  is  just  starting,  but  the  others  have  been  here  many 
years,  and  they  report  a  constantly  growing  business  throughout 
the  Southwest.  Some  of  these  institutions  put  up  several  lines 
of  goods  under  their  own  label,  which  is  a  guaranty  of  their 
excellence.  Wichita  has  the  largest  wholesale  hardAvare  house 
west  of  St.  Louis,  and  its  wares  are  a  household  word  throughout 
the  United  States.  There  is  not  a  town  in  the  Southwest  where 
they  are  not  sold.    The  wholesale  drug  business  of  Wichita  aggre- 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  27 

gates  three  millions  of  dollars.  It  has  three  jobbing  houses  that 
handle  everything  essential  in  the  way  of  drugs  and  druggists' 
supplies,  and  that  ship  goods  to  five  states  of  the  Southwest. 

As  a  distributing  center  for  machinery,  no  city  in  the  world 
can  compare  with  Wichita,  size  considered,  and  few  of  them  can 
show  as  large  a  volume  of  business,  no  matter  what  their  size. 
Practically  all  the  implements,  harvesting  machinery  and  thresh- 
ing machines  used  in  the  Southwest  are  distributed  from  Wichita. 

It  would  not  be  practicable  to  go  into  detail  regarding  all  the 
lines  of  business  jobbed  in  Wichita,  though  nearly  every  article 
used  in  the  homes,  on  the  farms  or  in  the  banks,  stores  and  offices 
of  the  country  may  be  had  here.  There  are,  in  addition  to  the 
lines  already  named,  houses  where  may  be  procured  everything 
necessary  in  the  line  of  art  goods,  automobiles,  barber  supplies, 
boots  and  shoes,  brooms  and  broomcorn,  caps  and  hats,  cash  reg- 
isters, chili  supplies,  cigars,  coal,  confectionery,  cutlery,  dental 
supplies,  electric  and  telephone  goods,  fruits,  furniture,  harness, 
hay,  jewelry,  leather,  lumber,  millinery,  music,  notions,  oils, 
paints,  paper,  photographic  supplies,  produce,  poultry,  plumbers' 
supplies,  sand,  trunks  and  other  articles  that  can  be  found  only 
in  an  up-to-date  jobbing  center. 

There  are,  all  told,  one  hundred  and  ninety  wholesale  and  job- 
bing houses  here.  These  statements,  bombastic  as  they  may  seem 
to  be,  are  truth  and  reliable,  as  any  man  may  learn  for  himself 
who  will  take  the  trouble  to  investigate  them.  It  is  because 
Wichita  can  meet  the  demands  of  the  great  Southwest  for  every- 
thing needful  for  its  sustenance,  comfort  and  luxury  that  the 
business  men  of  this  city  have  inaugurated  the  plan  of  making 
annual  tours  into  the  territory  so  easily  accessible  to  it.  They 
know  what  they  have  to  offer  and  they  are  willing  to  meet  all  hon- 
orable competition;  they  know  what  Wichita  can  do,  and  they 
propose  to  do  all  they  can  to  convey  this  knowledge  to  the  people, 
who  should  be  mutually  interested  in  the  further  development  of 
the  jobbing  interests  of  the  town. 

THE  JOHNSTON  &  LARIMER  DRY  GOODS  COMPANY, 
WICHITA,  KANSAS. 

The  above  rapidly  growing  house  is  one  oE  the  oldest  jobbing 
institutions  in  the  Southwest.  Commencing  in  a  modest  way 
twenty-five  years  ago,  it  has  each  year  since  made  rapid  gains. 


28  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Today  it  is  considered  by  the  merchants  of  the  Great  Southwest  to 
he  one  of  the  most  dependable  houses  to  do  business  with.  Some 
years  ago  the  business  demanded  a  large  and  modern  building  in 
order  that  it  might  be  handled  with  the  utmost  dispatch  and  "hat 
the  merchandise  carried  might  be  displayed  to  the  best  advantage 
and  every  facility  afforded  the  customer  to  quickly  and  thor- 
oughly inspect  the  classes  of  merchandise  desired.  To  meet  tl;is 
need,  five  years  ago,  the  company  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
adjoining  the  Santa  Fe  depot.  On  this  they  erected  one  of  the 
most  modern  buildings  owned  by  any  dry  goods  house  in  the 
country.  It  has  five  floors  and  a  spacious  basement.  Each  floor 
is  fitted  in  the  most  intelligent  manner  for  the  best  method  of  han- 
dling its  particular  class  of  goods  carried,  and  is  connected  by 
elevators  and  telephone  service,  both  local  and  long-distance;  a 
customer  can,  therefore,  talk  to  any  department  or  person  direct. 
On  the  fifth  floor  is  located  the  Famous  Jayanell  Factory,  where 
is  manufactured  the  brand  of  overalls,  work  shirts,  etc.,  known 
all  over  the  Southwest  for  superiority  of  workmanship  and  dura- 
bility. It  is  the  only  factory  of  its  kind  west  of  the  Missouri 
river  owned  and  operated  by  a  wholesale  dry  goods  concern  under 
its  own  roof. 

On  the  second  floor  the  notion  and  hosiery  departments  are 
located.  Mr.  J.  E.  Osborne,  manager  and  buyer,  has  been  con- 
nected with  this  house  sixteen  years  as  department  salesman,  trav- 
eling salesman  and,  for  the  past  three  years,  manager  and  buyer. 
On  the  third  floor  the  factory  or  furnishing  goods  department  is 
found.  Mr.  W.  K.  Jones,  manager  and  buyer,  served  his  first 
business  experience  with  Mr.  Johnston,  some  twenty  years  ago, 
and  has  been  with  the  house  ever  since  as  department  salesman 
and  buyer.  The  whole  of  the  fifth  floor  is  devoted  to  the  manu- 
facture of  the  famous  Jayanell  brand  of  overalls,  shirts,  trousers, 
duck  coats,  etc.,  etc.,  and  is  under  the  able  supervision  of  J.  Q. 
Adams,  who  in  turn  is  assisted  by  several  lady  superintendents. 
In  this  department  particularly  is  evidenced  tlie  "temper"  of  this 
Square  Deal  House.  Here  most  of  the  employes  have  been  engaged 
since  the  factory  was  opened,  some  four  years  ago,  and  from  time 
to  time,  as  new  machines  were  added,  the  most  competent  help 
was  procured  to  operate  them.  They  in  turn  appear  glad  to 
remain  with  this  house,  for  square  dealing  and  fair  treatment 
seems  to  be  its  policy  at  home  with  its  own  employes  as  well  as 
abroad  with  customers.     The  management  is  now  and  has  been 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  29 

for  some  time  considering  how  best  to  add  to  their  building  in 
order  to  keep  up  with  the  rapid  growth  of  their  business,  and 
shortly  several  more  stories  will  be  added,  for  the  ground  all 
around  has  been  secured  by  other  business  concerns  who  realize 
too  well  the  splendid  value  of  its  position  to  dispose  of  it  at  any 
price  at  all,  so  there  is  only  one  way  to  build  aud  that  is — 
skywards. 

The  personnel  of  the  company  is  as  follows:  John  L.  Powell, 
president;  W.  E.  Jett,  vice  president;  Charles  A.  Magill,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer;  G.  A.  Deakman,  manager  piece  goods  depart- 
ment; J.  E.  Osborne,  manager  notion  and  hosiery  departments; 
W.  K.  Jones,  manager  furnishing  goods  department;  W.  M.  G. 
HoAvse,  manager  sales  department;  J.  Q.  Adams,  superintendent 
"Jayanell"  factory. 

Fifteen  salesmen  represent  this  enterprisiug  house  in  the  tei-- 
ritory  contiguous  to  Wichita,  assisted  at  season  times  by  special 
salesmen  from  the  departments.  The  management  proposes  to 
extend  this  territory  at  the  close  of  1910  by  adding  two  or  three 
further  representatives.     The  salesmen  and  their  territories  are: 

George  L.  Elston,  central  Kansas ;  headquarters,  Wichita.  C.  R. 
Dixon,  central  Kansas;  headquarters,  Wichita.  J.  M.  Crossfield, 
southwestern  Kansas;  headquarters,  Wichita.  H.  S.  McCann, 
southwestern  Kansas ;  headquarters,  Wichita.  H.  C.  Neely,  south 
eastern  Kansas;  headquarters,  Wichita.  W.  M.  Neely,  centra' 
Oklahoma,  northern  part;  headquarters,  Enid,  Okla.  W.  Love 
land,  northeastern  Oklahoma ;  headquarters,  Guthrie.  E.  S 
Wykert,  southeastern  Oklahoma;  headquarters,  Oklahoma  City 
B.  D.  Herloeker,  southwestern  Oklahoma ;  headquarters,  Lawton, 
V.  D.  Wessel,  western  Oklahoma;  headquarters,  Kingman,  Kan, 
W.  S.  Judkins,  Texas  and  New  Mexico;  headquarters,  Amarillo, 
M.  W.  Hellar,  southern  Colorado,  Texas  and  western  Oklahoma; 
headquarters,  Alva,  Okla.  C.  R.  Thompson,  western  Kansas  and 
Colorado;  headquarters,  Great  Bend,  Kan.  F.  0.  Shoemaker, 
notion  salesman ;  headquarters,  Wichita.  G.  Sinniger,  piece  goods 
salesman ;  headquarters,  Wichita.  W.  H.  Saxe,  factory  salesman ; 
headquarters,  Wichita.  Claude  Zirkle,  house  salesman,  piece 
goods  department.  Hugh  McCormick,  house  salesman,  piece 
goods  department.  Charles  A.  Coleman,  house  salesman,  notion 
department.  Lester  Edwards,  house  salesman,  notion  depart- 
ment. Charles  Schell,  house  salesman,  furnishing  goods  depart- 
ment. Elmer  Lyons,  house  salesman,  furnishing  goods  department. 


30  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

It  is  an  achievement  in  which  they  take  very  much  pride  that 
every  salesman  who  had  represented  the  house  so  ably  during 
1909  started  out  to  represent  them  again  in  1910,  and  at  the  annual 
banquet  much  was  made  of  this  fact  by  the  men  themselves  enthu- 
siastically declaring  their  loyalty  to  the  house  and  their  increased 
confidence  in  their  line. 


WICHITA  AS  THE  MANUFACTURING  CITY  OF  THE  GREAT 
SOUTHWEST. 

"Wichita  is  logically  a  manufacturing  city,  and  as  such  it 
affords  a  splendid  field  for  the  investment  of  capital,  energy  and 
brains.  Already  it  is  giving  employment  to  thousands  of  men 
and  women  who  are  engaged  in  its  factories  and  who  are  making 
a  prosperous  living  by  their  industry.  In  this  way  it  is  adding  to 
its  population  as  well  as  to  its  material  prosperity.  Only  one  other 
city  in  the  state  has  more  money  invested  in  manufacturing  indus- 
tries or  which  employs  more  men  or  turns  out  more  goods  in  the 
aggregate,  and  that  is  Kansas  City.  This  is  according  to  the 
statement  of  the  State  Labor  Commissioner.  Although  but  a 
comparatively  short  distance  from  the  manufacturing  cities  of 
the  East,  Wichita  still  finds  a  ready  sale  for  all  its  products.  The 
great  West  and  Southwest  are  open  fields  for  its  endeavor  in  this 
direction.  Near  at  hand  is  to  be  obtained  much  of  the  raw  mate- 
rial which,  manufactured  into  serviceable  articles  or  wares,  finds 
ready  sale  wherever  introduced.  Few  persons  realize  the  extent 
of  the  manufacturing  business  in  Wichita.  Almost  everything  in 
common  use  is  made,  and  many  of  the  factories  are  operated  on 
an  extensive  scale.  A  list  of  the  factories,  together  with  the  arti- 
cles manufactured,  is  given  herewith : 

Art  Glass- — Western  Art  Glass  Works. 

Alfalfa  Mills — American  Alfalfa  Food  Company,  Otto  Weiss 
Alfalfa  Stock  Food  Company,  Wichita  Alfalfa  Stock  Food  Com- 
pany. 

Boilers — Western  Iron  and  Foundry  Company. 

Bricks — Jackson-A¥alker  Coal  and  Material  Company,  Wichita 
Hydraulic  Stone  Company. 

Bridges — Wichita  Construction  Company. 

Brooms  —  Southwestern  Broom  and  Warehouse  Company, 
Wichita  Broom  and  Brush  Company,  J.  A.  Graves,  H.  F.  Ealston. 

Building  Steel — Wichita  Stove  and  Iron  Works. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  31 

Candy — McCoy-Bryan  Candy  Company,  "Western  Biscuit  Com- 
pany, E.  E.  Newhold,  Thomas  Pasparis. 

Cannery — Wichita  Canning  Company. 

Carriages — W.  H.  Gaiser,  E.  0.  Harrison,  E.  J.  Koons,  Mrs. 
M.  A.  McKenzie,  J.  E.  Richmond. 

Caskets — Wichita  Casket  Company. 

Cast  Iron  Foundries — G.  C.  Christopher  &  Sons,  Western  Iron 
and  Foundry  Company,  Wichita  Stove  and  Iron  Works. 

Cement  Block  Machines — Western  Iron  and  Foundry  Com- 
pany. 

Cement  Block  Makers — G.  E.  Bartholomew,  J.  V.  Brown,  S.  G. 
Butler,  Cornelison  Bros.,  Torrington  Jordan,  F.  J.  Schwartz,  R.  L. 
Wentz,  Wichita  Hydraulic  Stone  and  Brick  Company,  Winfrey 
Cement  Stone  Works,  Jackson  Walker  Coal  and  Material  Com- 
pany, R.  F.  Kirkpatrick,  Cement  Stone  and  Supply  Company. 

Cigars — Boyd  Cigar  Company,  N.  E.  Burrus,  Earhart  &  Law- 
less, George  Herberger,  John  Herberger. 

Cooper — William  Bank. 

Cornice  Makers  —  American  Cornice  Works,  Globe  Cornice 
Works,  W.  M.  Hartzell. 

Crackers — Western  Biscuit  Company. 

Creamer  ie  s — Southwestern  Creamery  Company  Wichita 
Creamery  Company. 

Cultivators — Reschke  Machine  Works. 

Distilled  Water — Distilled  and  Aerated  Water  Company. 
'  Electrical  Supplies — United  Electric  Company,  Midland  Light 
Company,  Wichita  Electrical  Construction  Company. 

Elevators — Landis  Electric  Company. 

Extracts — Murray  &  Co. 

Fencing — Arkansas  Valley  Fence  Company. 

Fire  Escapes — G.  C.  Christopher  &  Son,  Western  Iron  and 
Foundry  Company. 

•  Flour  Mills — Howard  Mills  Company,  Watson  Milling  Com- 
pany, Kansas  Milling  Company,  Imboden  Milling  Company,  Red 
Star  Milling  Company. 

Furniture — Western  Furniture  and  Manufacturing  Company. 

Gas  Mantles — Incandescent  Light  and  Supply  Company. 

Gates — A.  F.  Diggs. 

Grain  Bins — Kansas  Metal  Granary  Company. 

Grain  Tanks — Wichita  Construction  Company,  Kansas  Metal 
Granary  Company,  Western  Iron  and  Foundry  Company. 


32  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Harness  and  Saddles — L.  Hays  Saddlery  and  Leather  Com- 
pany, MeComb  Bros.,  J.  W.  Gibson,  E.  Haskin,  C.  L.  Pearson, 
C.  0.  Pollock,  T.  M.  Powell. 

Jap-a-Jap  Salve — Jap-a-Jap  Company. 

Jewelry  Makers — E.  G.  Gallant,  Varney  Jewelry  Company. 

Ice  Cream — Arctic  lee  Company,  Steffen-Bretch  Ice  and  Ice 
Cream  Company,  Bissantz  lee  Cream  Company,  Wichita  Creamery 
Company  Bon  Ton  Bakery. 

Ice  —  Arctic  Ice  Company,  Crystal  Ice  Company,  Steffen- 
Bretch  Ice  Company,  Midland  lee  Company,  Wichita  lee  and 
Cold  Storage  Company. 

Joist  Hangers — Western  Iron  and  Foundry  Company,  Wichita 
Stove  and  Iron  Works. 

Lithographers,  Engravers  and  Designers — Capper  Engraving 
Company,  Near  Lithograph  Company,  Western  Lithograph  Com- 
pany, Wheeler  Lithograph  Company,  Wichita  Engraving  Com- 
pany. 

Mattresses — George  Weterhold,  G.  T.  NoUey. 

Mentholatum — Mentholatum  Company. 

Metal  Goods — Martin  Metal  Manufacturing  Company. 

Model  Makers — Union  Model  and  Machine  Company,  Wichita 
Pattern  and  Model  Works,  Arkansas  Valley  Fence  Company. 

Newspaper  Ready  Prints — Western  Newspaper  Union. 

Novelties — ^Wichita  Novelty  Works. 

Overalls,  Etc. — Cox-Blodgett  Dry  Goods  Company,  Johnston  & 
Larimer  Dry  Goods  Company. 

Packers  of  Meats — Cudahy  Packing  Company,  Jacob  Dold 
Packing  Company. 

Paint  Makers — Hockaday  Paint  Company. 

Paper  Boxes — N.  E.  Owens. 

Planing  Mills — Eagle  Planing  Mill,  Kansas  Planing  Mill,  North 
End  Planing  Mill,  Peerless  Planing  Mill,  H.  B.  Taylor,  Van  Tuyl 
&  Irwin.  Western  Planing  Mill,  Wichita  Sash  and  Door  Company, 
Wichman  Bros. 

Pop — Cox  Bottling  Works,  Allen  Bottling  Works. 

Refrigerators — E.  J.  Drake. 

Rug  Makers — Wichita  Rug  and  Carpet  Company. 

Sash  and  Doors — United  Sash  and  Door  Company,  Wichita 
Sash  and  Door  Company. 

Sash  Weights — G.  C.  Christopher  &  Son,  Western  Iron  and 
Foundry  Company,  Wichita  Stove  and  Iron  Works. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  33 

Shirt  Makers — ^Pioneer  Shirt  Company. 

Stock  and  Poultry  Foods — Otto  "Weiss,  American  Alfalfa  Food 
Company,  Wichita  Alfalfa  Food  Company. 

Stoves — Wichita  Stove  and  Iron  Works. 

Suspenders — Wichita  Suspender  Manufacturing  Company. 

Tents  and  Awnings — W.  C.  Langdon,  Ponca  Tent  and  Awning 
Company,  Wichita  Tent  and  Awning  Company. 

Tire-Setting  Machines — Brooks  Tire  Machine  Company. 

Toilet  Preparations — Jap-a-Jap  Company,  Mexican  Manufac- 
turing Company,  Zona  Toilet  Company. 

Trunks — MeComb  Bros.,  Wichita  Trunk  Company. 

Underwear — Steiert  &  Co.,  Pioneer  Shirt  Company,  Walker 
Bros. 

Vinegar — Wichita  Vinegar  Works. 

Yeast — Fleischman  Yeast  Company. 

Zinc  Etchings  and  Half-Tones — Wichita  Engraving  Company, 
Capper  Engraving  Company. 

WICHITA  HAS— 

Wichita  has  an  armory. 
Wichita  has  one  tannery. 
Wichita  has  eleven  parks. 
Wichita  has  ten  theaters. 
Wichita  has  five  railroads. 
Wichita  has  four  ice  plants. 
Wichita  has  six  sanitariums. 
Wichita  has  five  flour  mills. 
Wichita  has  six  planing  mills. 
Wichita  has  a  fair  association. 
Wichita  has  three  creameries. 
Wichita  has  four  box  factories. 
Wichita  has  one  paint  factory. 
Wichita  has  six  iron  foundries. 
Wichita  has  one  school  of  art. 
Wichita  has  a  Deaconess'  home. 
Wichita  has  one  casket  factory. 
Wichita  has  twenty-four  hotels. 
Wichita  has  four  alfalfa  mills. 
Wichita  has  two  glove  factories. 
Wichita  has  six  steam  laundries. 


mSTOKY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Wichita  has  forty-five  churches. 
Wichita  has  an  automobile  club. 
Wichita  has  a  mattress  factory. 
Wichita  has  six  broom  factories. 
Wichita  has  four  cigar  factories. 
Wichita  has    four  bottling  works. 
Wichita  has  one  canning  factory. 
Wichita  has  two  daily  newspapers. 
Wichita  has  an  interurban  railway. 
Wichita  has  sixty-four  freight  trains  daily. 
Wichita  has  two  furniture  factories. 
Wichita  has  one  monthly  magazine. 
Wichita  has  one  hundred  attorneys. 
Wichita  has  nineteen  public  schools. 
Wichita  has  nine  weekly  newspapers. 
Wichita  has  four  express  companies. 
Wichita  has  552  streets  and  avenues. 
Wichita  has  the  State  Masonic  Home. 
Wichita  has  seventy  miles  of  paving. 
Wichita  has  one  shirt  manufacturer. 
Wichita  has  fifteen  machine  shops. 
Wichita  has  two  wholesale  jewelers. 
Wichita  has  one  telephone  company. 
Wichita  has  ten  wholesale  coal  dealers. 
Wichita  has  eight  typewriter  agencies. 
Wichita  has  604  registered  automobiles. 
Wichita  has    thirty  labor  organizations. 
Wichita  has  500  "Knights  of  the  Grip." 
Wichita  has  one  wholesale  furniture  house. 
Wichita  has  two  engraving  companies. 
Wichita  has  three  large  overall  factories. 
Wichita  has  thirty-five  miles  of  trolley  wires. 
Wichita  has  an  excellent  public  library. 
Wichita  has  two  trunk  and  grip  factories. 
Wichita  has  forty-six  daily  passenger  trains. 
Wichita  has  four  large  department  stores. 
Wichita  has  seventy-two  secret  societies. 
Wichita  has  two  wholesale  hardware  houses. 
Wichita  has  two  hide  and  wool  houses. 
Wichita  has  five  wholesale  grocery  houses. 
Wichita  has  five  sporting  goods  houses. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER 

"VVieliita  has  sixteen  publishing  houses. 
Wichita  has  three  wholesale  drug  houses. 
Wichita  has  two  wholesale  paper  houses. 
Wichita  has  three  manufactiu-ers  of  cornice. 
Wichita  has  a  large  art  glass  manufactory. 
Wichita  has  three  saddle  and  harness  factories. 
Wichita  has  six  wholesale  fruit  dealers.      ^  OO/lAork 
Wichita  has  three  wholesale  hay  dealers.   -LOo'lJ'i/^t/ 
Wichita  has  three  wholesale  meat  dealers. 
Wichita  has  three  manufacturing  jewelers. 
Wichita  is  to  have  a  new  $50,000  children's  home. 
Wichita  is  to  build  two  $100,000  churches  this  year. 
Wichita  has  the  commission  form  of  city  government. 
Wichita  has  a  $150,000  auditorium  under  construction. 
Wichita  will  build  a  $150,000  high  school  this  year. 
Wichita  has  150  miles  of  natural  gas  pipe. 
Wichita  has  eleven  state  and  national  banks. 
Wichita  has  more  than  100  general  contracting  firms. 
Wichita  has  three  commercial  organizations. 
Wichita  has  two  special  trade  organizations. 
Wichita  has  two  building  and  loan  associations. 
Wichita  has  a  population  of  over  55,000  boosters. 
Wichita  has  five  wholesale  dry  goods  houses. 
Wichita  has  fourteen  manufacturers  of  medicines. 
Wichita  has  fifty  implement  houses  and  agencies. 
Wichita  has  twenty  private  schools  and  colleges. 
Wichita  has  three  wholesale  barber  supply  houses. 
Wichita  has  forty-six  wholesale  lumber  dealers. 
Wichita  has  three  concrete  machine  manufactories. 
Wichita  has  a  milling  capacity  of  3,800  barrels  a  day. 
Wichita  has  a  central  fire  station  that  cost  $31,000. 
Wichita  has  thirty-two  wholesale  grain  companies. 
Wichita  has  the  two  youngest  firemen  in  the  world. 
Wichita  has  seven  benevolent  and  charitable  homes. 
Wichita  has  two  of  the  finest  country  clubs  in  the  state. 
Wichita  has  three  of  the  handsomest  parks  in  the  state. 
Wichita  has  a  Melon  Arch  bridge  that  cost  $100,000. 
Wichita  is  the  largest  broomcorn  center  in  the  world. 
Wichita  has  a  steel  fence  post  and  stock  feeder  factory. 
Wichita  has  two  electric  and  telephone  supply  houses. 
Wichita  has  two  posts  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


36  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Wichita  has  two  hospitals — the  Wichita  and  the  St.  Francis. 

Wichita  is  the  acknowledged  musical  center  of  the  Southwest. 

Wichita  has  a  new  live  stock  exchange  costing  $50,000. 

Wichita  has  the  Peerless  Prophets  Carnival  Association. 

Wichita  has  a  library  of  city  directories  from  150  cities. 

Wichita  has  four  manufacturing  and  wholesaling  confec- 
tioners. 

Wichita  has  a  stamp  club  that  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
state. 

Wichita  has  a  wholesale  publishing  house  of  souvenir  post 
cards. 

Wichita  has  one  of  the  largest  broom  factories  in  the  United 
States. 

Wichita  has  a  right  to  the  title  "The  Peerless  Princess  of  the 
West." 

Wichita  has  a  drainage  canal  and  concrete  bridges  which  cost 
$120,000. 

Wichita  has  a  score  of  artificial  stone  plants  and  one  large 
brick  plant. 

Wichita  has  the  home  office  of  one  life  and  two  fire  insurance 
companies. 

Wichita  is  building  a  strawboard  mill  costing  one-half  million 
dollars. 

Wichita  has  two  packing  houses  that  consume  a  carload  of  salt 
every  day. 

Wichita  has  golf  and  tennis  players  that  range  among  the 
champions  of  the  West. 

Wichita  has  a  large  wholesale  optical  house  that  does  a  gen- 
eral optical  business. 

Wichita  has  twenty  motor  car  houses  that  hold  agencies  for 
fifty  different  cars. 

Wichita  has  the  biggest  bank  clearings  of  any  city  of  its  size 
in  five  states. 

Wichita  has  just  completed  a  mammoth  storm  water  sewer  that 
has  cost  $297,000. 

Wichita  has  four  large  floral  greenhouses  covered  by  100,000 
square  feet  of  glass. 

Wichita  has  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  building  that 
cost  $100,000. 

Wichita  has  builded  500  new  buildings  in  the  first  four  months 
of  1910.    These  buildings  represent  an  outlay  of  $2,000,000. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  37 

Wichita  has  bright  prospects  for  a  $4,000,000  union  depot  and 
track  elevation. 

Wichita  erected  new  homes  and  business  blocks  costing  $4,000,- 
000  last  year. 

Wichita  has  thirty-five  miles  of  street  railway  and  more  being 
constantly  installed. 

Wichita  has  the  finest  Masonic  building,  devoted  exclusively  to 
Masonry,  in  the  world. 

Wichita  has  now  building  the  Orient  railway  shops  that  will 
cost  $1,000,000  and  will  employ  1,000  men. 

Wichita  has  a  retail  credit  directory  with  names  of  11,000 
buyers,  published  by  the  Merchants'  Credit  Bureau. 

Wichita  has  army  and  navy  recruiting  stations  for  the  United 
States  and  a  United  States  weather  bureau. 

Wichita  has  under  construction  two  ten-story  office  buildings — 
the  Beacon  Building  and  the  Schweiter  Block. 

Wichita  has  the  largest  exclusive  gasoline  light  factory  in  the 
United  States.    It  is  called  the  Hydro-Carbon  Light  Company. 

Wichita  has  sixty-seven  street  cars,  thirty-one  of  which  are  in 
operation  at  all  times.  This  includes  four  of  the  finest  trailer  ears 
in  the  West. 

Wichita  has  within  its  vicinity  an  annual  production  of  wheat 
amounting  to  50,000,000  bushels,  twice  that  many  bushels  of  corn, 
and  other  cereals  in  proportion. 

Wichita  has  Union  Stock  Yards  and  two  packing  houses.  The 
packing  houses  employ  3,000  men  and  their  combined  products 
amount  to  50,000,000  pounds  annually. 

Wichita  has  nine  of  the  finest  buildings  devoted  to  business 
interests  in  the  state — the  Boston  Store,  six  stories;  the  Smyth 
Building,  six  stories ;  the  Caldwell-Miirdock  Building,  seven  sto- 
ries ;  the  Beacon  Block,  ten  stories ;  the  Butts  Buildings,  six  sto- 
ries; Michigan  Building,  seven  stories;  Commercial  Club  Home, 
five  stories;  and  Schweiter  Building  (imder  construction),  ten 
stories. 

A  WORLD  MARKET  FOR  BROOMCORN. 

The  story  of  Wichita's  wonderful  growth  as  a  broomcorn  cen- 
ter is  old  to  members  of  that  line  of  business — the  men  who  make 
that  market,  who  own  the  big  warehouses,  or  who  come  here  from 
the  East,  the  North,  the  South  and  the  West  to  get  their  supplies 
— but  it  still  is  new  to  many  who  have  not  yet  heard  that  Wichita 


38  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

is,  in  truth,  the  greatest  brooincorn  center  in  the  whole  world. 
Wichita  sprang  into  prominence  in  the  broomeorn  world  within 
a  few  short  months.  So  rapidly  did  it  become  the  big  center  of 
that  important  industry  that  the  people  here  at  home,  though  they 
realized  and  appreciated  the  city's  other  advantages,  did  not 
know  that  it  was  a  broomeorn  market  until  it  had  been  leading 
all  others  in  volume  of  business  for  a  year  or  more.  That  was 
due,  perhaps,  to  the  well-known  fact  that  broomeorn  men  are 
modest  about  their  business  affairs.  They  tell  no  one  what  they 
are  doing,  and  make  no  boasts  of  prosperity  nor  complaints  of 
adversity.  They  take  things  as  they  come,  boost  their  city  as  pri- 
vate citizens,  and  add  their  considerable  to  its  bank  clearings 
without  asking  anything  in  return. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1904  that  the  American  Warehouse  Com- 
pany was  organized  in  Sterling,  Kan.,  with  the  intention  of  mak- 
ing Wichita  its  headquarters.  It  was  the  first  of  the  many  broom- 
corn  dealers  now  here  to  establish  an  office  in  this  city.  Late 
that  year  H.  K.  Lindsay,  now  president  of  that  corporation,  came 
to  Wichita  and  opened  an  office  in  the  Sim  Building,  at  the  corner 
of  Douglas  and  North  Emporia  avenues.  That  was  the  entering 
wedge.  Associated  with  Mr.  Lindsay  were  the  late  Robert  Find- 
lay,  one  of  the  oldest  dealers  in  the  state,  and  half  a  dozen  or 
more  men  equally  prominent  in  the  business  in  this  and  other 
states.  Arrangements  were  made  for  storage,  and  ultimately  the 
company  purchased  what  formerly  was  known  as  the  Burton  Car 
Works,  north  of  the  city,  converting  the  big  buildings  into  ware- 
houses, and  changing  the  name  of  the  place  to  "Amwaeo,"  a 
name  derived  from  the  abbreviation  of  the  corporate  title  of  the 
company. 

Other  dealers  followed  the  American  into  Wichita,  until  within 
a  very  few  months  this  city  became  known  as  the  Areola  of  the 
West,  and  by  another  season  it  was  leading  even  the  Illinois  mar- 
kets as  a  distributing  center.  Today  there  is  hardly  a  manufac- 
turer in  the  country — none  who  uses  Western  brush — who  does 
not  make  from  one  to  half  a  dozen  trips  to  Wichita  every  year. 
They  come  not  only  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  but  also 
from  Cuba,  Mexico  and  elsewhere. 

Throughout  the  Wichita  market,  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  New 
Mexico  brush  is  distributed  among  the  manufacturers  everywhere. 
Among  broomeorn  dealers,  growers  and  users,  the  Wichita  mar- 
ket is  looked  upon  as  standing  in  a  class  by  itself,  far  above  those 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  39 

in  the  Illinois  field,  which  held  supremacy  for  so  long.  Its  loca- 
tion near  the  big  "Western  field,  as  well  as  its  railroad  facilities 
and  the  class  of  dealers  found  here,  has  made  it. 

Following  its  establishment  on  a  firm  basis  came  the  big 
Southwestern  Broom  Company,  which  built  at  Wichita  one  of 
its  largest  plants,  as  well  as  its  most  complete.  In  1909  it  com- 
pleted its  buildings  in  the  north  part  of  the  city,  and  commenced 
turning  out  gross  after  gross,  and  carload  after  carload  of 
brooms,  from  an  equipment  that  cannot  be  surpassed  and  that  is 
capable  of  completing  1,000  dozens  of  brooms  of  all  grades  every 
day  in  the  year. 

A  FEW  OF  THE  MANY  BIG  THINGS  THAT  WICHITA  IS 
DOING  NOW. 

Wichita's  wholesale  and  jobbing  business  already  amounts  to 
about  $40,000,000  annually,  and  each  week's  growth  is  marvel- 
ous. Within  a  radius  of  100  miles  of  Wichita  there  is  produced 
annually  50,000,000  bushels  of  wheat  and  100,000,000  bushels  of 
corn.  Wichita  sold  products  which  it  manufactured  in  1909  to 
the  value  of  nearly  $10,000,000.  Wichita's  live  stock  market  han- 
dled nearly  100,000  more  cattle  in  1909  than  in  1908,  and  between 
10,000  and  20,000  more  hogs.  Wichita's  Board  of  Trade  handled 
30,000  cars  of  grain  during  the  year  1909.  Wichita's  eleven 
banks  are  each  holding  on  deposit  an  average  of  over  $1,000,000, 
or  a  total  deposit  of  $12,000,000.  Wichita  contracted  for  505 
new  business  and  residence  buildings,  valued  at  $2,000,000,  in 
the  months  of  January,  February,  March  and  April,  1910.  Wich- 
ita, through  its  Union  Stock  Yards,  in  1909,  handled  about  800,- 
000  hogs,  nearly  200,000  cattle,  25,000  sheep,  4,000  horses  and 
mules.  The  total  number  of  cars  of  live  stock  handled  was  about 
15,000. 

WICHITA  BANK  TAXES  IN  1910. 

Wichita  banks  will  pay  taxes  in  1910  on  a  total  valuation  of 
$1,063,530.  This  is  a  total  increase  for  the  eleven  institutions 
included  in  the  list  of  $132,210  over  their  total,  in  1909,  $931,320. 
In  reality  the  increase  is  $3,300  more  than  that,  as  the  Commer- 
cial Bank  in  1909  paid  on  that  much  real  estate,  which  since  that 
time  has  been  transferred.  While  its  valuation  on  this  account 
shows  a  decrease  in  1910,  in  reality  it  has  increased,  as  its  per- 


40  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

sonal  property  valuation  in  1909  was  $13,200,  as  compared  with 
$13,500  for  1910. 

The  new  bank  at  the  stock  yards  is  not  included  in  the  list, 
for  the  reason  that  it  was  not  organized  until  after  April  1,  1910. 

Banks  are  assessed  for  personal  taxes  on  their  capital  stock, 
surplus  and  undivided  profits,  less  their  real  estate  where  they 
own  any.  The  figures  here  given  include  the  real  estate  where 
any  is  given : 

1909.  1910.  Increase. 

American  State $  75,000        $    110,000         $  35,000 

Fourth  National 300,000  330,000  30,000 

Kansas  National 200,000  220,000  20,000 

National  Bank  of  Commerce..  200,000  220,000  20,000 

State  Savings 25,000  25,000  

Gold  Savings 11,320  26,000  14,680 

Citizens'  State 15,000  23,000  8,000 

Stock  Yards  State 11,000  12,390  1,390 

Commercial 16,500  13,500  *300 

Merchants'  State 51,000  52,640  1,640 

Wichita  State 26,500  31,000  4,500 

Totals $931,320        $1,063,530        $135,510 

The  country  banks,  of  which  there  is  at  least  one  in  nearly 
every  town  in  the  county,  show  similar  increases  as  a  rule.  It 
is  probable  that  their  valuations  would  run  the  total  property  on 
which  Sedgwick  county  banks  pay  taxes  up  to  the  neighborhood 
of  one  and  one-half  millions. 

CONTRACTORS  AND  CRAFTSMEN  HELP  MAKE  A 
GREATER  WICHITA. 

The  growth  and  development  of  Wichita  has  made  this  city 
the  home  of  the  greatest  construction  companies  and  material 
supply  concerns  doing  business  in  the  Southwest.  These  con- 
cerns are  not  only  carrying  on  enormous  building  operations  in 
the  city,  but  are  reaching  out  over  all  the  territory  and  making 
successful  bids  on  practically  all  of  the  important  construction 
work  that  is  being  done  in  this  part  of  Kansas  and  the  territory 


♦Real  estate  1909  not  included  1910,  $3,300. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  41 

south  of  it.  Wichita  is  the  Mecca,  too,  of  artisans  of  every  class. 
Carpenters,  bricklayers,  stone  masons,  cement  workers,  electri- 
cians, and  representatives  of  all  the  other  building  crafts  are  here 
in  greater  numbers  than  they  can  be  found  in  any  other  city 
in  Kansas  or  in  the  Southwest,  and  their  number  is  constantly 
increasing  with  the  increasing  demand  for  workmen  in  the  build- 
ing trades. 

The  reputation  of  Wichita  as  the  city  which  has  the  most 
massive  and  modern  buildings  to  be  found  in  the  State  of  Kansas 
has  spread  all  over  the  Middle  West,  and  it  is  this  reputation 
that  has  attracted  here  some  of  the  best  equipped  construction 
companies  in  the  country. 

These  are  employing  their  capital,  their  equipment  and  their 
men  in  the  construction  of  the  finest  and  largest  office  and  busi- 
ness buildings  ever  erected  in  Kansas.  All  over  the  business  dis- 
trict of  Wichita  the  massive  steel  and  concrete  frames  of  uncom- 
pleted buildings  give  evidence  of  the  greater  Wichita  which  is 
coming,  and  coming  soon. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  also  that  nearly  two  thousand  new  resi- 
dences were  erected  in  Wichita  in  1909.  The  number  to  be  built 
in  1910  may  even  pass  the  two-thousand  mark,  and  each  succeed- 
ing year  is  certain  to  pass  all  former  records  in  this  line. 

These  building  operations  also  explain  the  presence  of  the 
numerous  local  concerns  that  handle  large  quantities  of  building 
materials  of  every  description.  No  other  city  in  Kansas  has  so 
many  thriving  dealers.  No  other  city  in  the  state  handles  so 
many  planing-mill  products  as  Wichita.  There  is  no  other  city 
where  so  many  brick  and  so  much  cement  are  used.  Every  class 
of  building  material  has  a  ready  market  here,  and  in  some 
lines  the  materials  cannot  be  produced  fast  enough  to  meet  the 
demands. 

The  material  and  construction  companies  are  coming  to  con- 
stitute one  of  the  important  commercial  interests  of  the  city,  and 
with  such  a  flattering  prospect  of  a  rapid  growth  to  a  city  of 
100,000  people,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  these  interests 
will  be  enlarged  and  extended  from  year  to  year. 

The  pay  roll  created  by  these  building  operations  is  another 
thing  that  is  promoting  the  Greater  Wichita.  Thousands  of  fami- 
lies here  are  supported  by  the  work  of  builders,  and  Wichitas 
artisan  element  is  as  prosperous  as  that  of  any  city  in  the  United 
States. 


42  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

THE  WHY  OF  WICHITA'S  GREATNESS  AS  A  RAILWAY 
AND  JOBBING  CENTER. 

Annual  pay  roll,  $1,500,000.  Annual  passenger  receipts  are 
$1,000,000.  Railways  employ  2,000  persons  in  Wichita.  Annual 
freight  receipts,  all  lines,  are  $6,000,000.  Anijual  freight  tonnage 
in  and  out,  3,000,000  tons.  Wichita  has  sixty-four  freight  trains 
that  handle  1,500  ears  of  freight  daily.  Brought  to  the  live  stock 
market  15,000  cars  of  stock  and  took  out  5,000  cars.  Wichita 
railways  handled  jobbing  business  totaling  .$40,000,000  in  1909. 
Wichita  mills  produce  over  800  carloads  of  flour  and  other  mill- 
stuffs  every  month.  Wichita  is  the  largest  broomcorn  market  in 
the  world,  handling  40,000  tons  annually.  The  railways  hauled 
out  60,000,000  pounds  of  packing-house  products,  worth  $10,000,- 
000.  Five  railway  systems  handled  into  and  out  of  Wichita  mar- 
ket 24,000  cars  of  grain  in  1909.  Wichita  has  forty-six  passenger 
trains  every  day,  which  handle  3,000  passengers  in  and  out  of  the 
city.  Passenger  earnings  for  July  of  1910  were  35  per  cent 
greater  than  July  of  1909,  which  was  the  banner  month  for  all 
railways. 

WICHITA  DOES  THINGS— HENCE  ITS  PROGRESS. 

Here  are  some  of  the  things  Wichita  is  doing,  as  all  may  learn 
upon  investigation:  Protecting  its  park  system  and  residence 
section  by  the  construction  of  a  costly  concrete  dam  and  river 
embankments.  Extending  its  boulevard  system  along  the  banks 
of  the  rivers.  Assisting  in  the  making  of  excellent  wagon  roads 
leading  into  the  city  from  every  direction  and  making  sand  roads 
disappear.  Spending  a  million  dollars  a  year  in  paving  and  street 
improvements.  Putting  nearly  half  a  million  dollars  into  drain- 
age and  sanitary  sewers.  Erecting  $6,000,000  worth  of  build- 
ings. Building  the  greatest  convention  hall  in  the  state.  Build- 
ing the  finest  high  school  building  in  the  state.  Building  $525,- 
000  worth  of  church  edifices.  Increasing  its  bank  clearings  mil- 
lions of  dollars  annually.  Increasing  its  building  permits  $2,000.- 
000  a  year.  Gaining  in  bank  deposits  $1,000,000  a  year.  Gaining 
in  population  at  the  rate  of  5,000  a  year.  Building  an  extensive 
Interurban  Railway  system.  Building  the  finest  modern  ear  shops 
in  the  West.  Building  a  paper  mill  at  the  cost  of  $500,000. 
Erecting  two  ten-story  office  buildings,  the  first  in  the  state,  one 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  43 

of  which  is  the  new  home  of  "The  Beacon,"  in  the  heart  of 
Wichita. 

A  PEW  BIG  THINGS  WICHITA  HAS. 

Wichita  has  an  area  of  twenty  square  miles.  Wichita  has  400 
miles  of  streets.  Wichita  has  500  miles  of  cement  walks.  Wich- 
ita has  110  miles  of  sanitary  sewers.  Wichita  has  forty  miles  of 
storm  sewers.  Wichita  has  thirty-five  miles  of  paved  streets. 
Cost  of  sanitary  sewers  constructed,  $450,000.  Cost  of  storm 
sewer  constructed,  $325,000.  Sanitary  sewers  under  contract, 
forty  miles.  Cost  of  sanitary  sewer  under  contract,  $225,000. 
Cost  of  pavement  constructed,  $1,250,000.  Pavement  under  con- 
tract, ten  miles.  Cost  of  pavement  under  contract,  $500,000. 
Wichita  has  200  acres  of  public  parks,  worth  $725,600.  Other 
city  property  worth  $477,000. 


PROPERTY  VALUES  IN  WICHITA. 

The  final  figures,  recapitulations  and  estimates  for  the  reports 
for  1910  from  the  County  Assessor's  office  were  furnished  by  the 
staff  in  Major  Bristow's  office: 

Number  of  acres  of  taxable  land  under  cultivation 451,797 

Number  of  acres  of  taxable  land  not  under  cultivation. . .   163,464 
Total  number  of  acres  of  land  taxable 615,261 


Average  value  per  acre  with  improvements $  48.36 

Aggregate  value  of  all  lands  taxable 29,757,936.00 

Number  of  improved  town  lots 2,089 

Number  of  unimproved  town  lots 27,581 

Total  number  of  town  lots 29,670 

Average  value  of  town  lots. $  71.62 

Total  value  of  all  real  estate 31,883,036.00 

Aggregate  value  of  all  town  lots 2,125,100.00 

Total  value  personal  property,  City  of  Wichita. . . .   13,700,600.00 

GEO.  W.  BRISTOW,  County  Assessor. 


44  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

INTERESTING  FACTS  CONCERNING  WICHITA. 

By 

C.  L.  DAVIDSON. 

The  next  issue  of  "The  Book  of  American  Municipalities  will 
contain  some  interesting  information  concerning  Wichita.  The 
data  has  just  been  compiled  by  Mayor  Davidson's  secretary,  at 
the  request  of  the  Municipal  Information  Bureau  of  Chicago. 
Among  other  things,  the  book  will  show:  Wichita  has  an  area 
of  18.75  square  miles.  The  assessed  valuation  for  the  year  1909  is 
.$44,444,451.  Revenue  from  all  sources,  $468,088.04.  Revenue 
from  licenses,  $12,000.  Revenue  from  police  court,  $11,000. 
Bonded  indebtedness,  $1,108,697.02.  Special  benefit  indebtedness, 
$755,323.93.  The  City  of  Wichita  has  never  defaulted  payment  of 
a  debt.  Wichita  has  eighteen  grade  schools  and  one  high  school. 
The  average  school  attendance  is  6,643  daily.  One  hundred  and 
forty-five  teachers  are  employed  in  the  public  schools  of  Wichita. 
Wichita  has  ten  colleges  and  technical  schools.  Wichita  uses 
5,000,000  gallons  of  water  daily.  Two  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
arc  lights,  costing  $66  each,  and  418  vapor  lights,  costing  $27 
each,  are  kept  burning  to  light  Wichita's  streets.  There  are 
130.66  miles  of  sewer  in  Wichita  now  and  thirteen  and  one-half 
miles  are  under  construction.  There  are  349%  miles  of  unim- 
proved streets  in  Wichita  and  251/2  miles  of  improved  streets. 
Sixteen  and  two-tenths  miles  of  streets  have  been  improved  the 
past  year,  at  a  cost  of  $898,012.58.  There  are  8,000  telephones  in 
use  in  Wichita.  There  are  100  miles  of  gas  mains  in  Wichita. 
In  1908  the  expenditures  for  public  improvements  were  as  fol- 
lows: Storm  water  sewer,  $400,000;  paving,  $100,000;  concrete 
bridge,  $300,000;  fire  station,  $25,000.  Proposed  improvements 
to  be  made  at  once :  Auditorium,  $150,000 ;  high  school  building, 
$135,000 ;  new  sewer  and  paving,  $500,000. 

ONE  MONTH  ONLY— JANUARY,  1910— IN  WICHITA, 
KANSAS. 

In  spite  of  the  winter  weather,  the  month  of  January  broke 
all  records  for  building  permits  in  Wichita.  The  total  was  nearly 
three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars — in  exact  figures,  $735,075.    Of 


6,/^. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  45 

this  amount,  $625,400  was  for  business  buildings,  $107,500  for 
dwellings,  and  the  remainder  for  various  small  structures. 

It  may  be  noted  here  that  four  and  one-half  million  dollars 
were  spent  for  new  buildings  in  Wichita  in  1909.  From  all  indi- 
cations, the  present  year  will  greatly  exceed  this  record. 

The  street  railway  company  announces  that  it  will  spend 
$700,000  this  year  for  new  power  house,  new  car  barn  aiid  other 
improvements. 

The  Union  Stock  Yards  Company,  having  just  completed  a 
large  and  costly  exchange  building,  states  that  $50,000  more  will 
be  spent  this  year  to  take  care  of  the  rapidly  growing  live-stock 
interests. 

The  street  railway  company  completes  its  loop  in  the  down- 
town district  to  relieve  the  congestion  of  the  busiest  streets. 

The  City  Commissioner's  let  contracts  in  January  for  ten  miles 
of  paving. 

Wichita's  postofifice  is  made  distributing  station  for  postal 
supplies  in  the  Southwest.  The  postmaster  also  finds  that  the 
average  daily  business  of  the  postoffice  has  doubled  in  four  years. 

Second  annual  Pure  Food  Show  is  held — a  big  success. 

Three  new  buildings  are  started  for  new  motor  car  companies. 

Beautiful  library  building  at  Fairmount  College  is  dedicated. 

Plans  are  accepted  for  $150,000  high  school  building  to  be 
built  this  year. 

International  Harvester  Company  will  have  new  four-story 
home  built. 

Wichita  is  healthy.  Report  of  Health  Department  shows  twice 
as  many  births  as  deaths  in  the  city  in  1909. 

Two  thousand  birds  are  exhibited  at  the  State  Poultry  Show. 

Deposits  in  Wichita  banks  amount  to  eleven  million  dollars 
and  are  constantly  increasing. 

Construction  work  started  on  ten-story  "Beacon"  Block. 

Highly  successful  automobile  show  is  held. 

The  First  Methodist  Church  decides  to  erect  new  building,  to 
cost  about  $100,000. 

A  $300,000  hotel  is  -one  of  the  good  things  of  which  Wichita 
has  received  the  promise  the  past  month. 

Plans  are  adopted  for  the  $125,000  Auditorium  which  the  city 
is  to  build  this  year. 

The  Terminal  Association,  organized  to  systematically  handle 
the  freight-SAvitching  problems  of  the  milling,  packing  and  stock- 


46  HISTORT  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

yards  district,  has  planned  extensive  improvements  and  additions 
to  the  track  facilities  of  that  section. 

Contract  is  let  for  the  Catholic  Cathedral,  which  will  be  an 
imposing  structure  of  Bedford  stone.  It  will  cost,  when  ready  for 
use,  about  $200,000. 

Foundation  is  put  in  for  the  five-story  Commercial  Club  Build- 
ing, to  be  occupied  exclusively  by  that  organization. 

Wichita  is  the  most  rapidly  growing  city  in  the  Southwest. 
It  is  situated  in  a  rich  and  productive  agricultural  district  and 
its  large  wholesale  and  manufacturing  interests  are  placed  in 
close  touch  with  a  profitable  market  by  means  of  seven  railway 
lines  operated  by  five  railway  systems.  Surveys  are  being  made 
to  connect  the  city  with  its  most  important  neighbors  by  electric 
lines  and  it  is  expected  to  be  only  a  few  months  until  an  extensive 
interurban  system  is  in  operation.  The  city  has  plenty  of  good 
water.  It  has  natural  gas  for  domestic  and  factory  use.  It  has 
many  splendid  churches  and  excellent  schools.  It  has  many  miles 
of  paved  streets,  fine  parks  and  driveways,  a  forest  of  shade  trees 
in  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  a  mild  climate  unexcelled  by  any  inte- 
rior city.  Wichita  has  three  live  commercial  organizations,  and 
an  inquiry  addressed  to  either  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
Commercial  Qub  or  the  West  Side  Business  League  will  bring 
such  information  as  vou  may  wish. 


ONE  MONTH  ONLY— FEBEUARY,  1910— IN  WICHITA, 
KANSAS. 

The  most  interesting  news  of  the  month  to  Wichita  was  the 
statement  given  out  by  the  general  manager  of  the  Kansas  City, 
Mexico  &  Orient  Railway  that  the  contract  had  been  let  for  the 
road's  repair  shops  to  be  built  in  Wichita.  The  first  unit  of  the 
shops  will  be  built  this  year,  and  will  furnish  employment  to  200 
men  at  the  start.  The  amount  to  be  expended  on  this  work  is 
about  .$3.50.000. 

Three  miles  of  additional  paving  is  ordered  by  the  city. 

Five  new  business  houses  are  to  be  erected  in  one  block  on 
North  Main  street. 

The  postmaster  finds  that  Wichita's  postoffiee  did  30  per  cent 
more  business  in  January.  1910,  than  it  did  in  January,  1909. 

A  new  wholesale  firm  is  organized  to  handle  supplies  for 
bakers,  and  will  begin  business  March  1. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  47 

The  Crane  Supplj-  Company,  wholesale  steam  fittings  and 
plumbers'  supplies,  announces  that  it  will  begin  immediately  the 
erection  of  a  six-story  building  to  accommodate  its  growing 
busiaess. 

The  AYichita  Natural  Gas  Company  announces  the  expenditure 
of  $400,000  to  increase  the  capacity  of  their  plant  and  lines  to 
keep  up  with  the  increasing  demand  for  gas. 

The  Farmers"  and  Bankers'  Life  Insurance  Company  is  organ- 
ized in  "Wichita,  with  $250,000  capital  stock,  and  a  large  surplus. 
Local  capitali.sts  are  at  the  head  of  the  company,  and  stock  is 
being  rapidly  subscribed. 

The  beautiful  new  building  of  the  Riverside  Country  Club  is 
completed. 

A  new  photo-engraving  plant  starts  business,  making  two 
engraving  companies  in  the  city. 

A  wholesale  bakery  company  will  build  a  three-story  home 
for  its  business,  commencing, work  on  it  immediately. 

A  new  theater,  costing  $75,000,  and  having  a  seating  capacity 
of  1,600,  will  be  built  this  summer.  It  is  intended  to  make  it 
the  finest  in  the  state,  and  to  have  it  ready  for  use  by  September 
1,  1910. 

Stock  is  being  sold  by  a  company  which  proposes  to  build  an 
interurban  line  connecting  "Wichita  with  Chester,  Neb. 

Buildings  and  improvements  to  cost  $300,000  are  to  be  added 
to  the  "Wichita  plant  of  the  Cudahy  Packing  Company,  as  an- 
nounced by  the  officers  of  the  company.  This  company  completed 
recently  additions  which  greatly  enlarged  their  plant,  and  the 
additions  now  ordered  will  call  for  the  employment  of  over  300 
more  workmen  when  the  new  equipment  is  ready  for  ojperation, 
which  is  expected  to  be  not  later  than  next  September. 

Fifty  new  cattle  pens  at  the  stock  yards  and  a  new  hotel  to 
accommodate  shippers  are  two  improvements  ordered  by  the 
•  directors  of  the  Stock  Yards  Company. 

The  most  valuable  corner  in  Kansas,  at  Main  and  Douglas, 
will  be  cleared  this  spring  for  the  erection  of  a  ten-story  store 
and  office  building.  The  plans  were  originally  made  for  an  eight- 
story  structure,  but  the  great  demand  for  office  rooms  caused  the 
change  to  a  larger  building. 

A  half-million-bushel  grain  elevator,  which  will  be  a  bonded 
warehouse,  is  one  of  the  good  things  of  which  February  brought 
the  promise.     The  project  will  give  great  impetus  to  the  grain 


48  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

business  of  Wichita,  which  is  now  one  of  the  principal  factors  of 
the  city's  growth,  and  is  a  step  toward  making  her  the  grain 
market  of  the  West. 

The  total  cost  of  public  and  private  buildings  and  improve- 
ments now  under  construction  and  planned  for  construction  this 
year  in  Wichita  is  nearly  eight  million  dollars. 

Wichita  is  increasing  in  population  at  the  rate  of  about  20 
per  cent  a  year,  while  the  business  interests  of  the  city  are  advan- 
cing by  leaps  and  bounds,  and  nearly  every  wholesale  and  manu- 
facturing company  is  enlarging  or  planning  to  enlarge  its  facili- 
ties. Every  day  marks  the  addition  of  a  new  business  establish- 
ment in  the  city.  The  building  of  new  railroads  and  interurban 
lines,  which  are  assured,  will  open  up  an  immense  territory 
hitherto  scarcely  touched  by  the  local  companies.  Wichita  is  a 
clean,  beautiful,  energetic  city,  and  offers  advantages  to  home- 
builders  and  business-builders  unsurpassed  by  any  city  in  the 
Middle  West.  The  city's  growth  is  conspicuously  free  from  any 
"boom"  movement  or  wild  speculation. 

THE  WICHITA  GRAIN  MARKET. 

By 

W.  F.  McCULLOUGH, 
President  Wichita  Board  of  Trade. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  studies  in  connection  with  the 
growth  of  a  city  is  the  tracing  of  the  birth  and  development  of 
the  various  lines  of  industry  and  trade  that  go  to  make  up  the 
busy  whole.  Very  good  advice  it  is,  that  we  cultivate  the  habit 
of  looking  forward ;  yet  there  can  be  no  denying  the  fact  that  a 
sober  and  conservative  estimate  of  the  future  can  only  be  arrived 
at  by  studying  the  events  that  have  already  transpired.  Prophecy 
of  the  future  growth  of  the  city,  state  or  nation  is  only  well 
informed  when  the  events  and  accomplishments  of  the  past  war- 
rant us  in  believing  in  great  possibilities  for  the  future. 

With  this  in  mind,  a  consideration  of  Wichita  as  a  central 
grain  market  cannot  be  complete  without  going  back  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  city  and  following  the  development  step  by  step. 
We  find  the  young  city's  first  shipping  fame  is  founded  on  great 
cattle  shipments ;  that  the  product  of  the  ranges  for  hundreds  of 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  49 

miles  were  driven  here  to  finish  by  rail  the  remainder  of  the  trip 
to  market.  That  this  should  come  first  was  but  natural,  for  the 
country  had  not  as  yet  settled  down  to  soil  cultivation.  This 
stage  was,  however,  soon  past,  for  a  country  so  rich  in  soil  could 
not  remain  a  cattle  range. 

Year  by  year,  thousands  of  acres  of  the  virgin  soil  were 
broken  out  and  the  staple  and  principal  crop  was,  from  the 
first,  winter  wheat.  The  soil  and  climatic  conditions  were  found 
to  be  peculiarly  adapted  to  this  cereal,  and  then  was  founded  the 
great  empire  of  wheat,  the  crop  that  has  made  Kansas  famous, 
the  crop  of  which  she  produces  annually  more  than  any  other 
state  in  the  Union,  and  which  has  made  the  farmers  of  central  and 
western  Kansas  the  most  well-to-do  of  any  similar  body  of  men 
in  any  section  of  the  country. 

This,  however,  is  anticipating,  for  at  the  time  of  which  we 
write  the  steam  gang  plow  and  the  grain  header  were  unknown, 
and  even  the  self-binder  had  hardly  come  into  use.  Wheat  rais- 
ing was  not  the  "bonanza  farming"  that  it  has  since  become,  yet 
so  prolific  was  the  soil,  so  earnest  were  the  tilers,  and  such  great 
distances  was  it  hauled  that  Wichita  became  the  greatest  wagon 
wheat  market  in  the  United  States.  It  came  from  far  and  near, 
from  every  direction,  and  in  such  quantities  that  unloading  and 
shipping  facilities  were  overtaxed.  Grain  elevators  ran  day  and 
night  and  were  still  unable  to  care  for  the  streams  of  wheat 
poured  in  from  the  surrounding  country.  There  were  no  rail- 
roads west  and  south  of  Wichita  at  that  time,  and  grain  was 
hauled  to  this  market  distances  of  fifty  and  sixty  miles  or  more, 
and  old  residents  remember  the  time  when  lines  of  wheat  wagons 
extended  from  the  Douglas  avenue  bridge  to  the  Santa  Fe  tracks, 
waiting  their  turn  to  unload.  Many  of  these  had  to  wait  until 
the  next  day  "before  they  could  be  relieved  and  start  on  the  home- 
ward trip. 

This  situation  was  entirely  changed  by  the  building  of  rail- 
roads into  the  section  of  the  state  west  and  south  of  us.  On 
these  railroads  numerous  small  towns  and  shipping  points  sprang 
up,  and  while  the  growth  and  settlement  of  the  country  contrib- 
uted to  Wichita's  growth  in  many  ways,  it  put  an  end  to  her 
distinction  as  a  wagon  wheat  market. 

During  this  time,  however,  Wichita  was  but  undergoing  a 
transition  period  from  a  country  shipping  point  of  grain  to  a 
wholesale  grain  market — the  same  transition  period  that  is  neces- 


50  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

sary  in  this  and  any  other  city  in  changing  from  a  local  trading 
point,  dependent  upon  the  trade  of  such  territory  as  can  reach  it 
by  country  roads,  to  a  wholesale  market,  commanding  the  trade 
of  states.  Where  the  establishment  of  these  new  shipping  points 
cost  us  the  wagon  trade  of  the  territory  in  which  they  were 
located,  we  now  handle  the  grain  shipped  from  those  points  and 
from  many  others — in  all  a  territory  many  times  larger  than  we 
originally  controlled.  Where  it  was  formerly  handled  in  wagon 
loads,  now  it  changes  hands  in  carloads,  and  where  formerly 
Wichita  shipped  wheat  to  other  markets,  it  is  now  the  market 
itself  for  the  wheat  from  a  great  portion  of  Kansas  and  parts  of 
Oklahoma  and  Nebraska. 

This  new  condition  of  affairs  began  to  be  in  evidence  about 
the  year  1901,  although  it  was  of  small  moment  until  two  years 
later. 

In  1903  the  Wiehita  Board  of  Trade  was  organized.  There  had 
formerly  been  a  commercial  organization  known  by  the  same 
name,  which  had  been  very  effective  in  building  up  and  pro- 
moting the  growth  of  the  city.  The  new  Board  of  Trade  was 
formulated,  however,  strictly  as  an  organization  of  the  grain 
dealers,  and  for  the  grain  trade,  along  the  lines  of  similar  organ- 
izations in  other  cities.  It  was  not  noted  for  its  strength  at 
that  time,  every  member  realizing  that  to  build  a  grain  market 
required  a  long,  hard  effort.  The  charter  membership  at  organ- 
ization was  fourteen,  and  several  of  these  were  not  actively 
engaged  in  the  grain  business,  but  loaned  their  influence  and 
membership  to  the  new  concern  for  its  assistance.  The  value  of 
memberships  at  organization  was  $25  each,  and  the  question  may 
well  have  entered  into  the  minds  of  the  members,  whether  they 
were  worth  that  amount. 

However,  it  is  necessary  for  everything  to  have  a  beginning, 
and  this  was  the  beginning  of  the  grain  organization  of  Wichita. 
From  this  time  forward  its  growth  has  been  steady.  It  has  been 
necessary  to  overcome  the  competition  of  older  established  mar- 
kets, coupled  in  many  cases  with  freight  rate  adjustments,  which 
rendered  it  well-nigh  impossible  to  compete,  with  them.  Also 
was  it  necessary  before  material  growth  could  be  made  that  these 
discriminating  rates  be  overcome  and  that  we  impress  upon  the 
railroads  the  necessity  for  our  recognition  as  a  market.  Year 
by  year,  and  one  at  a  time,  the  various  drawbacks  have  been 
overcome  and  reduced,  materially  assisted  in  some  cases  by  the 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMiMERCIAL  CENTER  51 

interstate  commerce  commission,  until  now,  although  many  ad- 
justments are  still  necessary,  we  are  in  a  position  to  hold  our  own 
and  more  than  this,  to  grow. 

The  membership  of  the  trade  is  limited  to  fifty  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  and  Ihese  are  all  sold,  and  practically  all  in  the  hands 
of  active  grain  merchants.  None  of  them  can  be  bought  today 
for  less  than  $800,  which  by  comparison  with  the  price  of  $25 
at  the  time  of  organization  tells  better  than  anything  else  the 
growth  of  the  business. 

During  the  crop  year  of  1909  there  were  handled  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Wichita  Board  of  Trade  24,326  ears  of  grain,  three- 
fourths  of  this  being  wheat,  as  befits  a  market  located  in  the 
wheat  belt  of  the  state  which  raises  a  greater  amount  of  wheat 
than  any  other.  The  season  of  1910  will,  no  doubt,  surpass  this, 
as  the  receipts  during  July  and  August,  the  two  heaviest  months, 
were  in  excess  of  the  same  months  last  year. 

Look  at  the  map  and  fix  the  wheat  belt  of  Kansas  and  Okla- 
homa, and  find,  if  you  can,  a  more  favorable  location  for  a  great 
grain  market  and  milling  center.  Why  should  we  not  grow? 
A  review  of  present  conditions  and  a  comparison  with  a  short 
time  ago  is  the  best  encouragement,  and  fully  justifies  the  faith 
of  our  people. 

We  have  six  tei-minal  elevators,  with  a  total  storage  capacity 
of  a  million  and  a  quarter  bushels,  and  a  handling  capacity  of 
125  cars  of  grain  daily.  We  have  five  flouring  mills,  with  a 
daily  capacity  of  4,100  barrels  of  flour,  requiring  15,000  bushels 
of  wheat  per  day  to  satisfy  their  needs  alone.  All  of  this  built 
up  in  six  years  from  practically  nothing.  With  anything  like 
the  growth  in  the  future  that  we  have  enjoyed  in  the  past,  Wich- 
ita will  before  many  years  take  her  place  among  the  great  pri- 
mary grain  markets  of  the  country. 

A  GREAT  MOTOR  CAR  CENTER. 

Wichita  is  not  only  the  greatest  city  in  the  Southwest,  but 
the  greatest  motor  car  center  in  the  West.  That's  what  Wichita 
stands  for  in  the  motor  world.  With  her  twenty  or  more  garages 
and  agencies,  which  sell  on  the  weekly  average  $20,000  worth 
of  motor  cars,  she  ranks  well  up  with  the  large  motor  car  dis- 
tributing point  of  the  United  States. 

More  cars  were  sold  in  1910  from  the  Wichita  motor  car 


52  fflSTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

houses  than  were  sold  from  the  agencies  in  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
"Wichita  agents  supply  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  Texas  with  motor 
cars — the  greatest  motor  car  country  in  the  world. 

Fifty  or  more  of  the  leading  motor  car  factories  are  repre- 
sented in  Wichita,  and  no  matter  how  fastidious  the  purchaser 
may  be  he  can  find  the  latest  motor  car  invention  or  accessory, 
for  the  Wichita  agents  keep  right  up  to  the  dot. 

At  one  time  this  year  there  were  forty-five  cars  filled  with 
motor  cars  on  the  tracks  in  Wichita.  Wichita  is  the  greatest 
distributing  point  for  the  Reo,  Ford  and  Auburn  motor  cars  west 
of  the  Mississippi.  Collectively  the  motor  car  dealers  are  not 
only  great  hustlers  and  active  business  men,  but  are  town  boost- 
ers as  well.  A  car  very  seldom  goes  out  of  Wichita  on  a  long 
trip  unless  it  bears  a  "Wichita  Win"  banner.  The  dealers  not 
only  find  pleasure  in  disposing  of  their  cars,  but  enjoy  the 
prestige  the  sales  give  Wichita. 

For  fine  garages  and  up-to-date  machine  plants  for  sick  mo- 
tor cars  Wichita  is  equipped  with  the  best.  Several  of  the  ga- 
rages are  two  stories  in  height  and  have  unusual  storage  room. 
Most  of  the  fine  garages  have  been  built  during  the  past  two 
years. 

The  very  latest  models  in  motor  cars  are  received  in  Wichita 
because  the  demand  for  the  latest  motor  cars  come  in  from  this 
section.  The  motor  car  owners  of  this  section  of  the  country 
cannot  enjoy  motoring  unless  they  have  the  very  latest  product 
from  the  factory.  For  this  reason  every  year  sees  the  habitual 
motorist  with  a  new  model  car. 

Wichita  has  been  a  motor  car  city  for  just  about  a  decade. 
To  speak  of  driving  over  the  streets  of  Wichita  in  a  motor  driven 
vehicle  ten  years  ago  would  have  indicated  real  "battyness." 
Every  one  thought  the  Schollenberger  boys  near  the  dead  line 
of  sanity  nine  years  ago  when  they  startled  the  horses  with  the 
snorts  of  their  noisy  little  motor  car.  There  was  much  talk  a 
little  later  when  A.  S.  Parks  ambled  down  to  his  sash  and  door 
plant  on  Rock  Island  avenue  in  a  Locomobile.  But  when  other 
men  began  to  take  up  the  idea  of  the  motor  car  every  one  had 
to  admit  that  there  was  something  destined  for  the  vehicle. 

Since  then  Wichita  has  been  adding  motor  cars  until  now 
it  has  more  private  motor  cars  on  the  city  tax  rolls  than  any 
other  city  in  the  state.     Eight  hundred  motor  cars  are  owned 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  53 

in  Wichita  and  new  names  are  showing  up  in  the  city  clerk's 
office  every  week. 

Motor  car  interest  in  Wichita  does  not  need  urging.  Every 
man  that  can  scrape  together  the  spare  simoleons  hies  himself 
to  the  motor  car  store  and  invests  in  a  gasoline  barouche.  The 
Wichita  Automobile  Club  has  been  an  important  factor  in  mak- 
ing Wichita  a  large  place  on  the  motor  car  map.  It  has  logged 
the  principal  roads  out  of  Wichita  and  has  mapped  several  runs, 
which  are  followed  by  the  most  enthusiastic  motorists. 

The  era  of  good  roads  which  is  dawning  in  Sedgwick  county 
can  be  traced  to  the  appearance  of  the  motor  car.  When  the 
motorist  began  to  travel  over  the  country  roads  he  found  that 
they  were  mighty  poor.  Agitation  for  better  roads  commenced 
immediately  and  its  fruition  has  come  in  the  thirty-six  miles  of 
new  sand  and  clay  rOads,  which  will  soon  make  Sedgwick  county 
the  county  of  the  best  roads.  The  Wichita  Automobile  Club 
contributed  $2,000  towards  the  building  of  these  new  roads. 

Plans  are  being  made  for  the  reorganization  of  the  Automo- 
bile Club  and  plans  for  sociability  runs  will  be  considered.  A 
big  motor  car  show  has  been  planned,  at  which  all  models  of  the 
best  motor  cars  known  to  the  motor  world  will  be  exhibited  and 
demonstrated. 


THE  WICHITA  RAILROAD  &  LIGHT  COMPANY. 

The  Wichita  Railroad  &  Light  Company  was  organized  in 
1900  and  have  charge  of  all  operation  of  thirty  miles  of  street 
railway  track  in  the  city  of  Wichita.  The  passenger  business 
has  doubled  in  the  last  two  years,  and  the  character  of  the  service 
and  size  of  cars  have  been  greatly  increased. 

The  passenger  car  equipment  consists  of  sixteen  large  double 
truck  pay-as-you-enter  cars,  and  twenty-seven  single  truck  closed 
winter  bodies,  twelve  single  truck  open  cars  and  eight  large 
double  truck,  baseball  trailers.  The  regular  service  varies  from 
eight-minute  headway  to  twenty-minute  headway,  according  to 
the  amount  of  business  done  on  the  line.  The  most  important 
line  is  the  stock  yards  line,  operating  to  the  north  end  oi  the 
city,  and  passes  the  courthouse,  several  large  flour  mills,  the 
Cudahy  and  Dold  Packing  companies,  Union  Stock  yards  and 
Missouri  Pacific  shops  and  the  roundhouse.  The  second  line  in 
importance  is  the  Topeka  avenue,   operating  past  the  Masonic 


54  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Temple,  Elks  Club,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  St.  Francis  Hospital,  the 
Kansas  Milling  Company  and  terminating  at  the  Watson  Mill- 
ing Company  at  Seventeenth  and  St.  Francis.  The  third  line, 
the  west  side,  operates  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  past  the 
Missouri  Pacific  depot,  the  Wichita  Hospital,  Masonic  Home  and 
out  towards  Friends  University.  The  passengers  on  this  line 
also  reach  Mt.  Carmel,  Battle  Creek  Sanitarium  and  the  new 
Orient  shops.  The  South  Main  line  operates  south,  passing  the 
city  building,  Hamilton  Hotel  and  reaches  the  League  baseball 
park,  two  miles  out.  The  Emporia  avenue  line  goes  south  on 
Emporia  avenue  through  the  residence  district. 

The  College  Hill  line  operates  straight  east  two  and  one-half 
miles,  passing  all  depots  entering  the  city  and  reaches  the  Wich- 
ita Country  Club.  The  Pairmount  line  operates  north  two  miles 
from  the  College  Hill,  passing  the  cemeteries  of  the  city,  and 
ends  at  Fairmount  College.  The  Pattie  avenue  line  operates 
south  and  east  of  the  railroad  in  residence  district,  and  serves  one 
of  Wichita's  prettiest  parks,  known  as  Linwood.  The  Cleveland 
avenue  line  operates  east  of  the  railroads  through  the  residence 
district  and  serves  McKinley  Park.  Waco  avenue  line  operates 
northwest  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  tracks,  through  residence  dis- 
trict, and  serves  the  territory  west  of  the  Little  River  at  Eight- 
eenth street.  The  Riverside  Park  line  operates  west  from  the 
courthouse  through  the  largest  and  prettiest  park  in  the  city. 
It  also  passes  the  water  works  and  reaches  the  Riverside  Park 
Club.  Passengers  will  take  Riverside  car  to  see  Riverside  zoo, 
which  contains*  as  many  animals  as  many  of  the  cities  of  ten 
times  Wichita's  population.  The  Wonderland  Park  line  oper- 
ates west  of  Douglas  to  Wonderland  Park,  the  largest  amuse- 
ment park  west  of  Kansas  City,  located  on  Wonderland  Island. 
This  line  also  serves  the  Sedgwick  county  fair  grounds. 

The  company  is  spending  large  sums  of  money  in  improve- 
ments in  cars,  tracks,  pavement,  shops  and  improved  power 
plant. 

THE  SASH  AND  DOOR  INDUSTRY  IN  WICHITA. 

Wichita  is  one  of  the  most  important  planing  mill  and  sash 
and  door  centers  in  the  West.  More  sash  and  doors  are  shipped 
out  of  Wichita  in  a  year  than  from  any  other  city  in  the  South- 
west.   This  is  due  partially  to  the  great  number  of  yards  of  the 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  55 

<3ity,  which  are  supplied  with  sash  and  similar  products  by  the 
local  mills  and  factories  and  also  to  the  location  of  Wichita.  In 
the  early  days  Wichita  was  a  supply  station  and  it  has  continued 
to  be  such  ever  since.  The  sash  and  door  companies  ship  on  an 
average  of  two  cars  of  sash,  doors,  etc.,  every  week. 

One  of  the  largest  factories  in  Wichita  is  the  United  Sash 
and  Door  Company.  It  has  three  warehouses  on  South  Rock 
Island  avenue.  Its  mill  is  the  Western  Planing  Mill,  which  has 
recently  been  remodeled,  a  new  dry  kiln  installed  and  more 
machinery  put  in. 

This  factory  does  a  wholesale  sash,  door,  glazing,  paint  and 
varnish  business.  Acres  of  glass  are  stored  in  the  basement  of 
the  large  warehouse  and  this  can  be  glazed  by  expert  glass  men 
into  almost  any  design  and  shape  desired.  All  the  doors  of  the 
common  variety  are  glazed  at  the  plant. 

Sash  and  doors  are  made  at  the  factory.  The  forms  are  cut 
at  the  planing  mill  and  assembled  in  the  factory.  Two  huge 
door  presses  which  press  the  door  frames  together  are  kept  busy 
all  the  time.  There  are  numerous  sandpaper  machines,  which 
give  the  doors  and  sash  a  smooth,  even  finish. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  men  are  employed  in  the  sash  and 
door  plant.  During  the  winter  months  night  work  is  done.  All 
the  local  deliveries  are  made  by  a  motor  truck  recently 
purchased. 

The  United  Sash  and  Door  plant  has  more  than  150,000  square 
feet  of  floor  space  and  every  foot  of  it  is  used.  It  has  its  own 
lighting  and  generating  plant  and  is  a  modern  sash  and  door 
factory  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 

The  Western  Planing  mill  is  an  adjunct  of  the  United  Sash 
and  Door  Company,  which  is  well  known  over  the  Southwest. 
This  mill  has  every  modern  woodworking  machine  known  to 
woodworkers  and  all  the  work  is  under  the  supervision  of  a 
skilled  foreman.    Every  man  employed  in  the  mill  is  an  expert. 

The  largest  dry  kiln  in  the  state  is  a  feature  of  the  planing 
mill.  There  green  lumber  from  Louisiana,  Canada,  and,  in  fact, 
every  part  of  the  globe,  is  dried  and  prepared  for  use.  The  turn- 
ing department  does  unusually  fine  work,  as  does  the  stair  de- 
partment. All  sorts  of  saws  can  be  seen  there,  but  in  spite  of 
the  many  maiming  instruments  very  few  accidents  occur. 

The  Rock  Island  Sash  and  Door  Company  is  two  years  old 
in  Wichita,  but  very  much  older  outside  the  state.     The  ware- 


56  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

house  is  on  North  Mosley  avenue.  No  macliinery  is  kept  and 
nothing  is  worl^ed  up,  all  the  material  being  shipped  to  "Wichita 
from  the  head  factory.  A  large  stock  of  sash,  doors  and  blinds 
is  kept  on  hand  and  a  very  extensive  business  is  done. 

There  is  another  sash  and  door  house  in  "Wichita  that  bears 
the  title  of  the  "Wichita  Sash  and  Door  Company.  This  is  located 
on  North  Water  street.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  sash  and  door 
houses  in  the  city  and  does  an  extensive  business  in  sash  and 
doors.    It  has  its  own  modern  planing  mill. 

The  quality  of  the  product  sent  out  by  these  Wichita  factories 
has  had  no  little  effect  in  giving  Wichita  a  good  reputation.  The 
traveling  representatives  of  these  houses  cover  a  territory  com- 
prised by  several  states  and  the  Wichita  goods  are  shipped  into 
the  districts  where  sash  and  door  factories  are  common.  All  the 
Wichita  factories  are  up  to  the  minute  in  every  particular  and 
are  helping  materially  to  make  Wichita  win. 

LUMBER  AND  BUILDING  MATERIALS. 

By 

0.  A.  LEASURE. 

Prominent  among  the  contributors  to  Wichita's  commercial 
prosperity  and  eminence  are  her  lumber  and  building  material 
interests.  That  more  materials  of  this  character  are  marketed  in 
and  through  Wichita  than  in  any  city  of  like  size  in  the  entire 
United  States  is  the  statement  of  wholesalers,  whose  experience 
and  business  connections  enable  them  to  speak  with  authority. 
Of  course  this  will  not  pass  without  certain  caviling  exceptions 
being  raised  by  some  of  Wichita's  urban  rivals  in  the  South- 
west, but  the  clincher  to  this  statement  is  the  fact  that  the  vol- 
ume of  such  business  transacted  here  not  only  represents  the 
local  consumption  of  lumber  and  building  materials,  but  also 
the  stocks  and  supplies  for  284  retail  lumber  yards,  whose  gen- 
eral management  and  purchasing  agencies  are  located  in  this 
city.  The  retail  businesses  so  represented  are  located  through- 
out the  states  of  Kansas  and  Oklahoma,  the  Panhandle  of  Texas, 
eastern  New  Mexico  and  eastern  Colorado.  The  total  number  of 
cars  of  lumber  marketed  in  the  Wichita  wholesale  market  dur- 
ing the  last  twelve  months  amounts  well  into  the  ten  thousands, 
while  during  the  previous  year  the  volume  was  even  larger. 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  57 

In  a  wholesale  way  every  prominent  manufacturer  of  yellow 
pine  and  cypress  lumber  in  the  Louisiana,  Texas,  Arkansas  and 
Mississippi  district  is  represented  in  this  city  either  by  a  per- 
sonal representative  or  through  the  numerous  commission  and 
brokerage  houses.  In  like  manner  the  manufacturers  of  what 
is  known  in  trade  parlance  as  Pacific  coast  products,  such  as 
cedar,  fir,  spruce,  white  pine  and  redwood,  are  represented  in 
the  Wichita  market,  together  with  the  hardwood  products,  such 
as  oak,  birch,  maple  and  the  like.  In  such  manner  is  Wichita 
the  chief  jobbing  center  of  lumber  in  the  Southwest. 

In  the  line  of  manufactured  sash,  doors  and  interior  orna- 
mental woodwork  Wichita  is  not  only  a  jobbing,  but  a  manufac- 
turing center.  Located  here  and  representing  a  capitalization 
and  investment  mounting  well  toward  the  half  million  mark  is 
the  United  Sash  and  Door  Company,  whose  plant  and  equipment 
are  unexcelled  west  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Other  manufac- 
turers and  jobbers  in  this  line  are  the  Western  Planing  Mill 
Company,  an  adjunct  of  the  United ;  the  Wichita  Sash  and  Door 
Company,  the  Rock  Island  Sash  and  Door  Company,  and  numer- 
ous other  smaller  planing  mills  operated  by  retail  lumber  yards 
as  an  adjunct  to  local  business.  These  interests  employ  a  corps 
of  traveling  salesmen,  whose  territory  is  bounded  by  the  Rock 
mountains,  the  Gulf  and  the  Missouri  river. 

Closely  allied  to  the  lumber  interests  are  the  brick,  cement 
and  plaster  interests.  These  lines  are  all  well  represented  in  the 
Wichita  wholesale  market.  All  the  manufacturers  of  Portland 
cement,  the  lola,  the  United  Kansas,  the  Monarch,  the  Fredonia, 
the  Ash  Grove  and  the  Western  States,  maintain  city  sales  forces, 
and  from  here  the  traveling  sales  force  canvasses  the  southwest 
territory.  The  local  consumption  of  cement,  owing  to  the  ex- 
tensive street  paving  work  of  the  last  twelve  months  and  the 
erection  of  large  public  buildings,  such  as  the  Schweiter  and 
Beacon  buildings,  the  Catholic  cathedral,  the  Commercial  Club 
'and  the  high  school,  has  been  a  record  breaker,  being  estimated 
at  between  200,000  and  250,000  barrels.  Brick  and  plaster  are 
lines  represented  in  the  Wichita  market  largely  through  jobbers. 
The  Lumbermen's  Supply  Company,  the  Jackson-Walker  Coal 
and  Material  Company  and  J.  H.  Turner  being  representative 
concerns  in  this  trade.  The  Wichita  Silex  Brick  Company  manu- 
factures and  distributes  here  a  brick  unique  to  the  trade,  pure 


58  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

white  pressed  brick,  suitable  for  both  exterior  and  interior  use 
and  for  ornamental  purposes. 

Allied  to  this  branch  of  the  building  material  trade  is  the 
cement  stone  business,  of  which  there  are  some  twenty  extensive 
manufacturers.  The  cheapening  of  cement,  incident  to  the  dis- 
covery in  Kansas,  Missouri  and  Iowa,  of  a  shale  having  ingredi- 
ents necessary  for  a  practical  cement  product,  is  entirely  respon- 
sible for  the  establishing  of  this  industry.  An  idea  of  the  extent 
of  this  business  is  best  obtained  from  the  fact  that  fully  ninety 
out  of  every  hundred  domestic  buildings  erected  in  this  city 
within  the  last  three  years  have  used  this  material  for  founda- 
tion purposes  in  preference  to  brick  or  stone,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  many  business  buildings  which  have  been  erected  in  the  recent 
past  exclusively  of  this  material. 

In  a  retail  way  twenty-four  lumber  yards  cater  to  the  de- 
mands of  the  Wichita  builder.  Prominent  among  these  are  the 
J.  W.  Metz  Lumber  Company,  the  Long-Bell  Lumber  Company; 
the  Rock  Island  Lumber  Company,  the  Hill-Engstrom  Lumber 
Company,  the  Schwartz  Lumber  Company,  the  Davidson-Case 
Lumber  Company,  the  Pond-Comley  Lumber  Company 
the  Pratt  Lumber  Company,  the  Graham  Lumber  Com 
pany,  the  Caldwell-Hoffman  Lumber  Company,  the  Chas- 
tain-Cathey  Lumber  Company  the  Ketcham  Lumber  Com 
pany,  the  King  Lumber  Company,  the  Orient  Lumber  Company 
the  Zimmerman  Lumber  Company,  the  United  Lumber  Company 
the  South  Side  Lumber  Company,  the  Shearer-Titus  Lumber 
Company,  and  others.  As  shown  by  the  records  of  building 
permits  issued  to  Wichita  builders,  the  aggregate  of  building 
operations  in  the  city  for  the  last  twelve  months  is  approximately 
$6,000,000,  in  which  total  these  institutions  have  shared  for 
lumber  and  like  materials  used. 

Headquarters,  offices  and  purchasing  agencies  for  yards  lo- 
cated in  Kansas,  Oklahoma,  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  eastern  Colo- 
rado, located  in  Wichita  are  the  J.  W.  Metz  Lumber  Company, 
the  Davidson-Case  Lumber  Company,  the  Rock  Island  Lumber 
and  Coal  Company,  the  Big  Jo  Lumber  Company,  the 
Kirkwood  Lumber  Company,  the  Hill-Engstrom  Lumber 
Company,  the  Amsden  Lumber  Company,  the  Pond-Com- 
ley Lumber  Company,  the  Stewart  Lumber  Company,  and  others. 
Prom  these  offices  are  managed  and  supplies  purchased  for  284 
country  retail  yards,  while  several  of  the  concerns  mentioned 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  59 

maintain  hardware  and  implement  stocks  in  connection  with 
their  regular  lumber  and  building  material  business  in  many  of 
their  country  points.  The  capital  investment  represented  in 
these  interests  is  expressed  well  up  in  the  seven  figures. 

The  Wichita  College  of  Music  was  organized  and  established 

four  years  ago  by  its'  present  president  and  founder,  Theodore 
Lindberg,  the  well-known  violin  artist.  The  building  at  No.  351 
North  Topeka  avenue,  which  is  the  home  of  Mr.  Lindberg,  was 
used  as  a  college  building  the  first  year,  where  all  departments 
of  the  school  were  cpnducted.  The  second  year  the  college  moved 
into  its  splendid  building  especially  erected  and  planned  for  a 
school  of  music  at  Nos.  217  and  219  North  Lawrence  avenue,  right 
in  the  heart  of  the  city.  This  building  contains  music  studios, 
reading-room,  office,  and  the  beautiful  Philharmonic  Hall,  seating 
700,  with  all  modern  appliances,  stage  settings,  pipe  organ,  etc., 
and  within  the  past  year  this  enterprising  school  has  completed 
its  ladies'  hall,  "The  Lindon,"  at  No.  315  East  Third  street,  used 
as  a  boarding  department  for  young  ladies  who  attend  the 
Wichita  College  of  Music.  This  is  a  four-story,  fireproof  brick 
building,  perfectly  modern  in  every  detail.  The  aggregate  value 
of  real  estate  and  buildings  now  owned  and  under  the  direct 
supervision  of  the  management  of  the  College  of  Music  amounts 
to  more  than  $75,000.  During  the  season  of  1909  more  than  300 
students  attended  the  College  of  Music.  The  policy  of  the  man- 
agement has  always  been  to  employ  only  first-class  teachers.  It 
does  not  believe  in  employing  assistant  teachers.  The  success  of 
the  graduates  from  the  College  of  Music  has  been  exceptional, 
many  of  them  holding  responsible  positions  with  schools  and 
colleges  with  salaries  ranging  from  $1,000  to  $2,000  per  year. 
The  Arctic  Ice  and  Refrigerating  Company,  of  Wichita,  Kan., 
is  one  of  the  prominent  industries  of  the  city.  Its  plant,  which 
was  established  at  Rock  Island  avenue  in  1907,  extends  from 
Rock  Island  avenue  to  the  tracks  of  the  Rock  Island  railroad,  and 
has  a  frontage  of  254  feet.  The  plant  has  a  capacity  for  manu- 
facturing 120  tons  of  ice  daily,  and  its  cold  storage  capacity  is 
500  cars  of  perishable  goods  at  one  time.  Through  a  pipe  line 
system  it  is  also  enabled  to  furnish  refrigerating  service  about  the 
city.  This  fui-nishes  space  and  power  for  the  Arctic  Ice  Cream 
Company,  which  produces  500  gallons  of  ice  cream  per  day,  which 
is  shipped  throughout  the  Southwest.    In  addition,  the  National 


60  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Bakers'  Egg  Company  rents  space,  electric  power  aud  storage 
room  in  the  plant.  The  officers  of  the  Arctic  Ice  Company  are: 
W.  J.  Trousdale,  president ;  J.  Elmer  Reese,  vice-president ;  W.  H. 
Phillips,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

The  Shelley  Drug  Company,  located  at  118  East  Douglas,  is 
considered  to  be  the  peer  of  any  drug  store  in  the  Southwest. 
The  interior  fittings  of  the  store  are  among  the  finest  and  most 
expensive  in  the  United  States,  the  fixtures  being  made  of  solid 
Honduras  mahogany,  trimmed  in  metal  dipped  in  gold;  the 
shelving  all  enclosed  with  heavy  plate  glass  doors,  while  the  top 
of  the  fixtures  are  studded  with  electric  lights,  giving  a  very 
handsome  effect. 

The  soda  fountain  is  of  the  same  material,  and  is  twenty-two 
feet  long,  with  twenty-one  tables,  twelve  stools  and  four  buffets 
which  will  accommodate  a  party  of  six  people  each,  making  the 
seating  capacity  for  the  soda  business  of  120  people.  Hot  lunches 
are  also  served  as  well  as  the  latest  in  cold  drinks,  and  delicacies 
are  served  the  year  through. 

On  the  outside  of  the  store  is  one  of  the  finest  soda  signs  ever 
manufactured,  representing  a  stream  of  soda  flowing  from  a 
draught  arm  and  filling  the  glass  below.  This  sign  is  twenty-two 
feet  in  height  and  takes  396  Tungsten  lamps  to  produce  this  effect. 

The  Shelley  Drug  Company  bought  the  defunct  Sharp-Vincent 
stock  on  May  30,  1909,  closing  it  up  for  a  week  for  decoration  and 
repairs,  and  opening  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Chester  D. 
Shelley,  conducting  the  business  at  126  North  Main  until  Feb- 
ruary 4,  1910,  moving  at  that  time  to  118  East  Douglas  avenue, 
one  of  the  first  drug  locations  in  Wichita,  George  Matthews 
having  opened  at  that  location  from  1876  to  1879,  he  then  selling 
to  M.  P.  Barnes  and  0.  D.  Barnes,  the  style  of  the  firm  being 
known  as  M.  P.  Barnes  &  Son  until  1888,  when  the  stock  was  sold 
and  moved  to  other  quarters,  there  being  several  different  kinds 
of  business  in  the  building  up  to  the  time  of  the  Shelley  Drug 
Company  occupancy. 

Mr.  0.  D.  Barnes,  of  the  old  firm  of  M.  P.  Barnes  &  Son,  is 
now  the  principal  owner  of  the  Shelley  Drug  Company,  but  on 
account  of  his  large  property  holdings  does  not  take  an  active 
interest  in  the  management  of  the  drug  store,  leaving  the  entire 
management  to  Mr.  Shelley,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm. 

Mr.  Shelley  started  in  the  drug  business  with  his  father  at 
Hutchinson,  Kan.,  about  eighteen  years  ago,  afterward  coming  to 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  61 

Wichita  witli  Wells  W.  Miller,  at  248  North  Main,  for  two  or 
three  years  and  after  that  with  W.  A.  Stanford,  at  102  East 
Douglas;  C.  H.  Hutbell,  at  McPherson,  Kan.,  and  the  Westhall 
Drug  Company,  at  Oklahoma  City. 

After  leaving  Westhall 's,  Mr.  Shelley  was  engaged  in  contract- 
ing in  the  oil  fields  of  eastern  Kansas  and  Oklahoma  for  three 
years,  but  when  the  oil  business  dropped  went  back  to  the  drug 
business  with  H.  B.  Allen  at  102  East  Douglas,  Wichita. 

Mr.  Shelley  was  married  in  March,  1908,  to  Miss  Winnie 
Barnes,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  0.  D.  Barnes,  moving  to  Okla- 
homa City,  where  he  was  connected  with  the  Roach  &  Veazey 
Drug  Company  until  he  became  interested  in  the  present  firm. 

The  Higginson  Drag  Company,  of  Wichita,  Kan.,  corner  of 
Douglas  and  Topeka  avenues,  is  one  of  the  oldest  established 
retail  drug  houses  in  the  city.  It  was  organized  and  began  busi- 
ness a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  the  first  proprietors  being  Kerster 
&  Romig.  The  style  of  the  firm  shortly  changed  to  that  of  Kerster 
&  Wallace,  and  later  George  Gehring  and  H.  D.  Higginson  became 
proprietors.  Prom  1904  to  1905  it  was  known  as  the  Higginson 
Drug  Company,  H.  D.  Higginson  proprietor.  The  company  later 
became  incorporated,  and  has  since  occupied  its  present  location. 
The  company  has  a  trade  that  branches  out  to  other  states,  from 
which  orders  are  received  daily.  It  has  always  borne  the  dis- 
tinction of  living  up  to  the  letter  of  the  law,  and  its  reputation 
in  this  respect  is  far-reaching.  Henry  D.  Higginson,  at  the  retire- 
ment of  Mr.  George  Gehring,  in  1905,  reorganized  the  business 
under  the  name  of  the  Higginson  Drug  Company  in  the  fall  of 
1905,  and  continued  as  the  proprietor  until  May  11,  1910,  when 
Frank  J.  Garrety  became  the  proprietor,  continuing  the  well- 
known  name  of  the  Higginson  Drug  Company.  Mr.  Garrety  was 
born  in  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  on  April  19,  1885.  He  is  a  son  of  John  J. 
and  Lulu  J.  Garrety,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to 
.Wichita  in  1886,  where  the  elder  Garrety  has  since  been  engaged 
in  the  contracting  business.  Frank  J.  Garrety  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Wichita,  and  began  his  business  career  by 
selling  newspapers  and  shining  shoes.  He  afterward  obtained  a 
clerkship  with  H.  D.  Cottman  and  worked  for  him  for  twelve 
years,  when  he  opened  the  first  moving  picture  show  in  the  city 
at  410  East  Douglas.  From  this  he  branched  out  until  he  had  six 
show  places,  and  sold  out  in  April,  1910,  and  May  10, 1910,  became 
the  proprietor  of  the  Higginson  Drug  Company.     He  is  vice- 


62  HISTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

president  of  the  T.  M.  A.  and  treasurer  of  the  local  Order  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus.  Mr.  Garrety  was  married  on  April  5,  1910, 
to  Miss  Sylvia  Cone,  daughter  of  Rufus  Cone,  of  Wichita.  Mr. 
Garrety  is  also  interested  as  a  stockholder  in  the  American  Paper 
Manufacturing  Company,  of  Wichita.  He  is  the  financial  repre- 
sentative of  the  Mount  Carmel  Academy,  of  Wichita,  and  is  quite 
an  extensive  holder  of  improved  real  estate  in  the  city. 

The  Wichita  Trunk  Company,  a  prosperous  and  promising 
manufacturing  enterprise  of  Wichita,  Kan.,  was  reorganized  in 
1909  with  Mr.  Frank  S.  Rose,  president;  Mr.  T.  P.  Kelso,  vice- 
president,  and  Mr.  Albert  J.  Errickson,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
It  occupies  7,000  square  feet  of  floor  space  on  the  second  and 
third  floors  of  the  building  at  No.  119-121  South  Lawrence  avenue, 
and  with  its  thorough  equipment  and  experienced  force  turns  out 
a  fine  and  full  line  of  high-grade  trunks  and  valises,  and  in  fact 
everything  pertaining  to  that  line  of  trade.  The  men  at  the  head 
of  this  enterprise  are  trained  to  their  work  and  under  their  prac- 
tical management,  the  business  must  soon  outgrow  the  limits  of 
retailing  and  take  on  the  wider  scope  of  wholesaling  as  well. 

Mr.  Rose  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1872,  to  Frank  and 
Mary  (Bullock)  Rose,  who,  in  1882  moved  to  Atchison,  Kan., 
where  the  father  organized  the  Rose  Trunk  Company.  After 
leaving  school  our  subject  entered  his  father's  establishment  and 
acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business,  spending  ten 
years  as  traveling  salesman  and  a  longer  period  as  active  man- 
ager of  the  factory  and  business.  He  is  a  member  of  B.  P.  0.  Elks, 
K.  of  P.,  I.  0.  0.  F.  and  a  32d  degree  Mason. 

In  1907  Mr.  Rose  married  Miss  Lillian  Elenore,  daughter  of 
Isaiah  Brown  and  Julia  Turpin  Harris,  of  St.  Louis  county, 
Missouri. 

Mr.  Errickson  is  a  native  of  Greenwood  county,  Kansas,  and 
was  born  in  1871.  He  acquired  a  common  school  and  academic 
education  in  his  native  place  and  later  was  graduated  from  the 
Southwestern  Business  College,  at  Wichita.  In  1897  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Dold  Packing  Company,  at  Wichita,  Kan.,  and 
continued  with  that  concern,  serving  in  different  capacities  till 
1909,  when  he  assumed  his  duties  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  Wichita  Trunk  Company.  In  1901  Mr.  Errickson  married 
Miss  Minnie  Howard,  of  Eureka,  Kan.,  and  they  have  one  child, 
named  Charles  Abner. 

Mr.  Errickson  is  active  in  fraternal  orders,  being  a  Mason,  a 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  63 

Knight  Templar,  a  Shriner  and  an  Odd  Fellow.  He  also  holds 
membership  in  the  Riverside  Club  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
of  Wichita. 

The  Southwestern  Mantel  and  Tile  Company,  J.  E.  McEvoy 
and  James  H.  Murphy,  proprietors,  Wichita,  Kan.  This  company 
was  established  on  April  15,  1908,  its  specialties  being  interior 
marble,  wall,  ceiling,  floor  and  fireplace  tile,  mantels,  grates  and 
furnishings.  Its  office  is  at  No.  215  North  Market  street,  Sedgwick 
Annex,  Wichita.  Mr.  McEvoy  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  where  he  was 
born  on  October  4,  1851.  He  moved  with  his  parents  to  Illinois, 
where  he  spent  his  early  life  in  Grundy  county,  removing  to 
LaSalle  county,  same  state,  in  1888.  He  obtained  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  Illinois,  and  early  learned  the  iron 
molder's  trade.  In  1878  he  began  work  at  his  trade,  which  he 
followed  for  eighteen  years,  when  he  entered  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  Marseilles,  111.,  later  removing  to  Chicago,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for  two  yeare.  In  1908  Mr. 
McEvoy  moved  to  Wichita,  Kan.,  having  spent  one  year  prior  to 
this  at  Coffeyville,  Kan.,  where  he  was  employed  in  a  woodwork- 
ing plant.  Since  the  establishment  of  the  mantel  and  tile  business 
in  Wichita  several  buildings  have  received  adornment  from  this 
house,  among  them  being  the  Princess  Theater,  Marple  Theater, 
and  also  the  Court  Houses  at  Eldorado  and  Anthony,  Kan.  Mr. 
McEvoy  is  a  Past  Chancellor  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  the  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles.  He  was  married  in  1882  to  Miss  Julia  Wood,  a 
native  of  Illinois.  Four  children  have  been  born  of  this  union, 
viz. :  Stephen  E.,  Margaret  A.,  wife  of  Thomas  Slattery,  of  Morris, 
111.,  and  Mary  E.  and  Julia. 

James  H.  Murphy  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  where  he  was  born  in 
Chicago  thirty-two  years  ago.  He  learned  the  mantel  and  tile 
trade  in  Chicago  with  George  Reese  in  1894,  and  has  since  fol- 
lowed it,  being  a  practical  man  in  every  department  of  the  work, 
especially  as  a  tile  setter.  Mr.  Murphy  was  for  a  time  located  at 
Tulsa,  Okla.,  prior  to  his  moving  to  Wichita  and  forming  a  part- 
nership with  Mr.  McEvoy  in  1908. 

The  Morton-Simmons  Hardware  Company  is  one  of  the  big 
concerns  of  Wichita  that  is  making  the  city  known  all  over  the 
country  as  a  jobbing  center.  It  is  a  concern  that  every  citizen 
points  out  to  strangers  and  travelers  as  being  the  representative 
business  institution.    The  company  is  one  of  the  five  local  houses 


64  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

of  the  Simmons  Hardware  Company,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
Wichita  takes  it  as  a  compliment  that  when  Mr.  E.  C.  Simmons, 
founder  of  the  Simmons  Hardware  Company,  was  locating  the 
local  houses  he  selected  the  city  as  the  logical  and  geographical 
center  to  which  the  merchants  of  this  great  Southwestern  country 
would  come  for  their  goods.  That  his  judgment  was  sound  is 
proven  by  the  fact  that  their  business  in  this  territory  has  been 
doubled  since  they  located  in  Wichita.  Their  present  building, 
fronting  on  East  First  street  and  extending  from  Mosley  avenue 
to  Rock  Island  avenue,  was  erected  five  years  ago  and  contains 
more  floor  area  than  any  other  wholesale  house  in  this  locality. 
This  building  is  150  feet  square,  four  stories  in  height,  and  back 
of  it  are  the  steam  heating  plant,  axe  handling  department  and 
loaded  shell  room.  In  addition  to  these  are  two  warehouses  on 
South  Rock  Island  avenue,  giving  a  total  floor  area  of  108,888 
square  feet,  or  about  two  and  one-half  acres.  The  main  building 
is  thoroughly  modern  and  up-to-date.  It  is  protected  from  fire  by 
an  automatic  sprinkler  system,  has  messenger  call  boxes,  inter- 
communicating house  telephones  and  electric  elevators.  One 
hundred  and  fifteen  men  and  women  are  required  to  carry  on  the 
business.  The  arrangement  of  the  general  offices  is  unique,  being 
150  feet  long  and  but  seventeen  feet  wide,  and  they  occupy  the 
entire  south  side  of  the  second  and  main  floors.  This  arrangement 
gives  abundance  of  light  to  all  desks.  The  city  sales  office  is 
located  on  the  first  floor,  for  the  convenience  of  the  city  trade. 
Adjoining  and  connected  with  the  general  office  is  a  sample  room 
in  which  there  is  an  attractive  display  of  samples  of  the  most 
complete  line  of  tools  ever  assembled  under  one  brand — the  cele- 
brated Keen  Kutter — which  was  established  by  ilr.  E.  C.  Sim- 
mons fifty  years  ago.  There  is  also  a  rest  room  for  employes  and 
customers,  where  comfortable  chairs,  reading  material — books, 
current  magazines  and  periodicals — are  placed  at  their  disposal. 
The  Wichita  Abstract  and  Land  Company  was  organized  in 
1894  and  has  a  continued  existence  since,  increasing  its  books 
with  the  growth  of  the  city  and  county.  Mr.  J.  E.  Farrow,  the 
present  owner  of  the  company  and  its  president,  came  to  Sedge- 
wick  county  with  his  parents,  James  and  Charlotte  Farrow,  in 
1876.  when  six  years  of  age.  They  settled  in  Grant  township  on 
a  farm.  The  father  died  in  Texas  in  1900.  The  mother  lives  in 
Wichita.  He  attended  the  schools  in  Grant  township  and  came 
to  Wichita  and  took  a  business  course  in  the  Wichita  Commercial 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  65 

College  and  on  graduating  was  connected  with  the  school  as  a 
teacher  for  a  year  and  a  quarter.  He  was  then  appointed  Deputy 
Register  of  Deeds,  where  he  served  for  nine  years  and  then  for 
one  year  in  the  oifiee  of  County  Clerk.  In  1910  he  purchased  the 
control  of  the  Wichita  Abstract  and  Land  Company,  to  which  he 
now  devotes  his  whole  time.  He  was  married  in  1894  to  Miss 
Nellie  I.  Horts,  daughter  of  S.  H.  Horts,  of  Grant  township.  They 
have  three  children — Clarice,  Geraldine  and  Pauline. 


WICHITA. 

Some  idea  of  the  importance  of  the  city  and  the  opportu- 
nities it  aif ords  may  here  be  obtained.    In  Wichita  ycu  will  find : 

The  greatest  broomcorn  market  in  the  world. 

The  best  grain  and  stock  market  in  Kansas. 

The  second  largest  distributing  point  for  threshing  machines 
in  the  world. 

The  second  largest  distributing  point  for  agricultural  imple- 
ments in  the  United  States. 

The  home  of  more  dry  goods  jobbing  houses  than  any  town  in 
the  state. 

The  center  of  the  richest  and  largest  agricultural  section  in 
the  country. 

The  meat  packing  center  of  the  great  Southwest. 

As  fine  a  climate  as  is  to  be  found  anywhere  in  this  latitude. 

A  larger  percentage  of  home  owners  than  can  be  found  in  any 
city  of  its  size  iij  the  country. 

The  center  of  the  best  apple  growing  section  in  the  West. 

The  finest  concrete  arch  bridge  in  the  state  of  Kansas. 

The  tallest  business  blocks  in  Kansas. 

The  largest  single  college  building  west  of  the  Mississippi 
river. 

The  most  extensive  and  beautiful  public  parks  in  the  state. 

Commodious  city,  county  and  federal  buildings. 

The  most  extensive  distributing  point  in  the  West  for  motor 
cars. 

An  excellent  sanitary  and  storm  water  sewer  system,  insuring 
good  health  to  its  residents. 

The  most  popular  convention  city  in  the  state. 

City  water  that  is  as  pure  as  can  be  found  anywhere,  by 
actual  test. 


66  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Five  big  flour  mills  with  a  capacity  of  4,300  barrels  of  flour 
a  day. 

The  home  of  190  jobbing  houses  that  handle  more  goods  than 
are  sold  by  all  the  jobbing  houses  of  the  state. 

Headquarters  for  lumber  dealers  of  the  Southwest,  where 
$10,000,000  worth  of  lumber  is  bought  and  sold  yearly. 

One  of  the  finest  distributing  houses  of  the  largest  wholesale 
hardware  company  in  the  world. 

ROSTER  OF  CITY  OFFICERS  OF  WICHITA,  KANSAS,  1910. 

Election  held  first  Tuesday  after  first  Monday  in  April. 

Election  Commissioner — Murry  Myers. 

Mayor — C.  L.  Davidson. 

Clerk — "William  Sence. 

Auditor — Finlay  Ross. 

Treasurer — E.  A.  Dorsey. 

Attorney — A.  S.  Buzzi. 

Engineer— B.  C.  Wells. 

Assessor — G.  W.  Bristow. 

Marshal— F.  S.  Burt. 

Police  Judge — Jesse  D.  Wall. 

Physician — Dr.  F.  H.  Slayton. 

Weighmasters — George  Majors,  A.  W.  Wallace,  R.  P.  Dodds. 

WICHITA  FIRE  DEPARTMENT. 

For  efficiency  there  is  no  fire  department  in  America  that 
surpasses  Wichita's  fire  fighting  force.  That  is  a  broad  state- 
ment, but  figures  of  fire  losses  in  American  cities  will  show  that 
the  protection  against  fire  in  Wichita  is  second  to  none.  Wichita 
never  has  had  a  really  severe  confiagration.  Yet,  but  for  the 
rapid  and  efi'ective  work  of  the  fire  laddies,  there  would  have 
been  many  a  disastrous  fire.  It  is  the  fighting  spirit  of  Wichita's 
firemen  that  has  saved  the  city  thousands  from  fire  losses.  For 
iustance,  not  long  ago  fire  broke  out  in  a  small  barn  which  was 
almost  consumed  when  the  department  arrived.  Six  other  build- 
ings in  the  immediate  vicinity  were  saved  through  the  rapid 
work  of  the  firemen. 

For  twenty-four  years  the  Wichita  department  has  been 
headed  by  A.  G.  Walden  as  fire  marshal.  It  has  been  largely 
through  the  leadership  of  Chief  Walden  that  the  Wichita  fire  de- 


WICHITA  AS  A  COMMERCIAL  CENTER  67 

partment  has  been  builded  to  such  efHcieney.  Chief  Walden  has 
grown  gray  in  the  service  of  the  city,  yet  in  all  his  twenty-four 
years'  fire  fighting  he  has  never  failed  to  be  in  the  thickest  of  the 
battle  for  the  preservation  of  property.  Chief  Walden  is  ably  as- 
sisted by  A.  S.  Brownewell,  assistant  chief  of  the  department.  Mr. 
Brownewell  has  been  in  the  service  many  years  and  for  a  period  of 
two  years  he  headed  the  department.  In  any  absence  of  Chief  Wal- 
den Assistant  Brownewell  manages  the  department  affairs  care- 
fully and  well.  The  Wichita  fire  department  consists  of  five  sta- 
tions in  various  parts  of  the  city.  The  central  station  receives 
all  alarms  and  directs  the  actions  of  the  outlying  stations.  The 
substations  are  located  at  College  Hill,  North  End,  South  End 
and  the  west  side.  Each  station  carries  equipment  sufficient  to 
control  any  ordinary  blaze  within  its  territory.  Always,  how- 
ever, the  central  station  sends  assistance.  It  is  rarely  that  the 
entire  department  is  called  out  for  any  one  fire.  There  are  forty 
men  in  the  Wichita  fire  department.  Every  man  is  a  fighter  of 
tried  character.  Many  are  old  in  the  service  and  each  may  be 
depended  upon  in  a  crisis.  A  fire  crisis  comes  rarely,  but  when 
one  does  arrive  there  is  need  for  men  who  can  meet  it.  Such  men 
belong  to  the  Wichita  fire  department. 

Recently  Chief  Walden  has  begun  the  reorganization  of  the 
department's  equipment  on  the  motor  car  basis.  The  city's  first 
motor  driven  chemical  engine  was  purchased  in  1909.  In  a  few 
months  it  has  so  thoroughly  proven  its  superiority  over  horse- 
drawn  apparatus  that  more  motor  driven  equipment  is  inevitable. 
Chief  Walden  recently  offered  the  opinion  that  in  ten  years 
Wichita  would  have  no  horses  at  any  of  the  stations.  For  twenty- 
four  years  Chief  Walden  has  been  attending  the  annual  conven- 
tions of  the  American  fire  engineers.  In  that  time  he  has  become 
recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost  fire  fighters  in  the  country. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  association  he  was  invited  to  sit  for 
a  photograph  with  department  chiefs  from  New  York  city,  Kan- 
sas City,  Cleveland,  Denver  and  Chicago. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  WICHITA  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE. 

By 

EUGENE  FAHL,  SECRETARY. 

Cities  are  made  for  commerce.  Some  cities  boast  of  their 
wealth ;  others  of  their  splendid  buildings  and  beautiful  streets ; 
others  of  the  culture  and  refinement  of  their  citizens,  but  the 
primary  cause  of  all  these  congested  knots  of  humanity,  caUed 
cities,  scattered  everywhere  over  the  face  of  the  earth  is 
commerce. 

In  every  city  of  any  considerable  size  this  commerce  in  its 
various  phases  produces  problems  so  large  and  numerous  and 
varied  that  nothing  short  of  a  well  organized  body  of  business 
men  can  hope  to  successfully  cope  with  them.  Then,  too,  cities 
must  be  watched  from  a  civic  viewpoint  as  well  as  from  the 
commercial  side.  The  civic  affairs  of  a  city  are  better  adminis- 
tered if  the  mayor  and  city  commissioners  or  city  council  are 
conscious  of  being  constantly  under  the  watchful  eye  of  an  in- 
fluential organization  which  has  at  all  times  a  thumb  on  the 
public  pulse,  and  which  in  itself  constitutes  a  large  part  of  that 
pulse.  The  growth  of  a  city  is  also  a  matter  of  much  importance. 
Every  city  wants  to  grow.  Every  city  should  grow.  In  the  mat- 
ter of  bringing  new  industries  to  a  city  there  is  an  absolute 
necessity  for  the  well  directed  efforts  of  an  organization  of  the 
resident  business  men  of  that  city. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  city  of  "Wichita  was  or- 
ganized in  1901  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  commercial 
and  civic  welfare  of  "Wichita  citizens  and  for  the  further  purpose 
of  making  known  to  the  world  the  exceptional  advantages  of 
that  city  as  a  commercial  and  industrial  center  and  as  a  home 
city.  Several  different  men  lay  claim  to  the  distinction  of  start- 
ing the  organization  of  this  splendid  body  of  business  and  pro- 


WICHITA  CHAMBER  OF  COAIMERCE  69 

fessional  men.  Mr.  J.  M.  Knapp  was  the  first  one  to  start  out 
M'ith  a  siibscription  list,  however,  and  seems  to  be  entitled  to 
whatever  credit  may  be  due  for  starting  the  organization.  The 
first  president  of  the  club  was  C.  L.  Davidson,  who  served  for 
three  years  in  that  capacity;  J.  H.  Stewart  was  the  first  vice- 
president  ;  James  Allison,  second  vice-president ;  L.  S.  Naftszger, 
treasurer,  and  M.  W.  Levy,  secretary.  Offices  were  opened  in 
one  of  the  basement  rooms  of  the  City  building,  which  continued 
to  be  the  headquarters  of  the  club  until  early  in  the  spring  of 
1906.  George  "W.  Smith  succeeded  Mr.  Levy  as  secretary  after 
the  first  year.  He  prepared  a  booklet  which  gave,  in  a  concise 
way,  many  interesting  facts  regarding  Wichita  and  containing 
a  number  of  illustrations  of  the  public  buildings,  colleges,  park 
and  street  scenes,  hotels,  residences,  etc.  Fifty  thousand  of  these 
booklets  were  printed  and  widely  distributed. 

The  second  man  to  serve  as  president  of  this  club  was  J.  E. 
Howard,  who  was  followed  by  I.  N.  Hockaday,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  George  M.  Dickson,  whose  last  term  expired  January 
1,  1910.  0.  A.  Boyle  was  elected  president  for  the  year  1910, 
which  brings  us  down  to  the  date  of  this  writing. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1906  the  headquarters  of  the  club  were 
moved  to  the  building  at  133  North  Market  street,  and  a  dining 
room  and  many  social  features  were  added.  Drinking  and  card 
playing  have  never  been  allowed  in  the  clubrooms,  however,  and 
this  is  a  settled  policy  of  the  club,  as  the  membership  is  largely 
made  up  of  Christian  gentlemen  who  will  not  countenance  any- 
thing of  that  character.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  board  of 
directors  in  the  month  of  April,  1910,  it  was  decided  to  lease 
new  quarters  on  the  tenth  floor  of  the  new  Beacon  building  on 
South  Main  street,  which  will  give  them  quarters  not  excelled 
by  those  of  any  commercial  body  in  the  West. 

Since  its  inception  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  had  at  its 
head,  both  as  officers  and  directors,  men  of  the  very  highest  char- 
acter and  ability,  who  have  worked  unitedly  for  the  building  up 
of  their  city  and  for  the  successful  solving  of  its  many  and 
perplexing  problems.  In  the  assembly  rooms  of  its  present  quar- 
ters many  important  questions  touching  the  civic  life  of  Wichita 
have  been  threshed  over  and  definite  working  plans  arrived  at. 
Many  enterprises,  involviag  the  expenditure  of  hundi'eds  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars,  have  been  promoted  there.  Its  rooms  have  at 
all  times  been  freely  opened  to  any  organization,  of  whatever 


70  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

character,  which  was  working  for  the  advancement  of  the  inter- 
ests of  Wichita  and  her  citizens.  Among  the  things  which  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  has  done  or  aided  in  doing  may  be 
mentioned  the  following: 

Bringing  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  to  Wichita  to 
investigate  the  matter  of  unjust  freight  rates  and  discrimina- 
tion in  favor  of  other  cities.  This  was  largely  due  to  the  efforts 
of  Mr.  Davidson  as  president  of  the  club  and  was  the  beginning 
of  the  fight  for  equitable  freight  rates,  which  is  still  going  on  at 
the  present  date.  The  Southwestern  Fair  Association  was  started 
by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  for  some  time  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  fair  were  in  the  clubrooms.  This  annual  exposition 
of  farm  products  has  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  de- 
velopment of  Sedgwick  county  agriculture,  and  it  has  also  been 
an  occasion  of  profitable  and  much-needed  recreation. 

Largely  through  the  efforts  of  this  club,  natural  gas  for  fuel 
and  light  was  piped  from  the  gas  belt  farther  east.  This  cheap 
fuel  gas  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  the  matter  of  securing  new 
industrial  enterprises  for  Wichita  and  the  Chamber  has  seen 
to  it  that  the  manufacturing  world  was  made  aware  of  this  great 
convenience.  Probably  no  other  one  thing  has  done  so  much  for  the 
industrial  side  of  Wichita. 

The  Beacon  building  enterprise,  although  a  private  one,  was 
started  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  by  Chamber  of  Commerce 
men.  This  "tallest  building  in  Kansas"  is  strictly  a  home  en- 
terprise and  was  built  by  home  capital.  Mr.  Henry  J.  Ellen,  edi- 
tor of  the  Beacon  and  prime  mover  in  the  enterpi-ise,  was  vice- 
president  at  the  time  he  started  the  building  company. 

The  Arkansas  Valley  Interurban  Railway,  organized  and  man- 
aged by  0.  A.  Boyle  while  president  of  the  club,  is  another  in- 
stance of  the  really  great  and  beneficial  enterprises  having  their 
inception  in  the  minds  of  Chamber  of  Commerce  men,  and  being 
fashioned  from  the  first  crude  idea  into  a  splendid  realization  by 
them.  The  few  instances  given  will  show  the  character  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  its  work  for  Wichita.  They  will  also 
serve  to  show  the  great  value  to  any  city  of  an  organization  of 
this  kind  as  a  clearing  house  of  civic  and  commercial  ideas. 

Nothing  is  too  large  and  nothing  is  too  small  to  elicit  the  in- 
terest of  the  Wichita  Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  fact,  it  is  a 
most  democratic  body,  whose  sole  object  is  to  be  of  the  great- 
est use  possible  to  the  largest  number  of  Wichita  citizens.    In  a 


WICHITA  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE  71 

nutshell,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  an  institution  that  is  ready 
to  espouse  the  cause  of  any  person  or  any  company  or  any  insti- 
tution when  their  interests  are  identical  with  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  Wichita.  "Watch  Wichita  win"  is  the  motto  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  no  institution  in  the  city  is  do- 
ing more  to  "help  Wichita  win." 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  composed  of  350  members,  who 
are  mostly  engaged  in  the  retail  business  establishments.  How- 
ever, there  are  many  bankers,  lawyers,  physicians  and  manu- 
facturers numbered  among  the  membership.  The  clubrooms 
at  133  North  Market  street  form  a  most  popular  meeting  place 
for  business  men,  for  committees,  small  business  gatherings, 
luncheons  and  banquets.  It  will  move  into  the  new  Beacon  build- 
ing in  the  fall.  Ten  years  ago  the  Wichita  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce was  a  rather  small  and  insignificant  institution.  At  times 
it  did  efficient  work  in  securing  freight  rate  adjustments,  but  it 
was  not  a  very  lively  factor  in  Wichita  commercial  life.  But 
this  apathy  was  thrown  off  and  the  club  began  to  spread  out,  to 
gather  in  new,  vigorous  members  and  to  liven  up  the  city.  The 
gloomy  quarters  in  the  basement  of  the  city  hall  were  given  up 
and  roomy  club  parlors  secured  in  North  Market  street.  The 
lunch  and  game  room  features  were  added,  while  the  membership 
immediately  swelled.  Not  only  that,  but  the  scope  of  the  organ- 
ization was  enlarged  and  much  was  done  for  the  good  of  the  city. 

Popular  open  meetings  are  held  for  the  club  membership  from 
time  to  time  during  the  winter  months.  At  these  meetings  sub- 
jects of  general  interest  to  the  city  are  discussed.  Recently  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  took  the  initiative  step  to  find  out  the 
physical  valuation  of  the  city  water  plant.  When  there  was  a 
campaign  to  vote  bonds  for  a  new  auditorium  and  a  new  high 
school  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  championed  the  causes  val- 
iantly. Many  new  factories  and  other  industries  have  come  to 
.Wichita  from  other  places  during  the  past  few  years  through  the 
influence  and  assistance  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Much 
literature  and  thousands  of  letters,  telling  of  the  city's  advan- 
tages, are  mailed  out  every  year  by  the  club  secretary.  At  the 
head  of  this  live  commercial  organization  is  0.  A.  Boyle,  one  of 
the  foremost  boosters  of  the  city.  Mr.  Boyle  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  club  at  the  beginning  of  this  year.  During  the  last 
half  of  1909  Mr.  Boyle  was  secretary  of  the  Chamber. 

John  L.  Stingley,  secretary  of  the  club,  is  another  "live  wire." 


72  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Mr.  Stingley  is  working  all  the  time  and  in  four  months  of  his 
incumbency  he  has  accomplished  many  important  tasks.  The 
other  officers  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  are:  Paul  Brown, 
vice-president,  and  V.  H.  Branch,  treasurer.  The  board  of  direct- 
ors meets  regularly  every  month  for  the  consideration  of  all  sorts 
of  business.  Frequently  there  are  called  meetings  to  meet  an 
emergency.  The  directors  are:  E.  T.  Battin,  R.  E.  Bird,  0.  A. 
Boyle,  V.  H.  Branch,  Paul  Brown,  R.  B.  Campbell,  H.  W.  Darling, 
T.  M.  Deal,  G.  M.  Dickson,  J.  H.  Graham,  C.  H.  Matson,  J.  N. 
Haymaker,  R.  L.  Holmes,  John  Kelley,  Henry  Lassen,  M.  A.  Me- 
Clellan,  M.  M.  Murdock,  Dr.  E.  M.  Palmer,  0.  A.  Rorabaugh,  H. 
J.  Roetzel,  W.  T.  Rouse,  W.  E.  Stanley,  J.  L.  Stingley,  A.  Van 
Zandt  and  Otto  Weiss.  The  executive  committee  is  composed  of 
the  following  men:  G.  M.  Dickson,  W.  F.  McCullough,  John  L. 
Stingley,  M.  M.  Murdock  and  R.  L.  Holmes. 

CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE. 

By 

J.  N.  HAYMAKER. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  one  of  the  newer  institutions  of 
Wichita,  of  which  its  members  and  the  city  at  large  are  justly 
proud. 

It  was  organized  in  the  year  1901  and  was  the  outgrowth  of 
a  party  of  men  who  had  at  heart  both  the  material  and  moral 
good  of  the  city.  They  desired  not  only  a  greater  Wichita,  but 
a  better  Wichita.  Not  only  a  greater  and  better  Wichita,  but 
a  closer  bond  of  companionship  and  fellowship  among  those  who 
were  striving  to  make  it  greater  and  better.  With  these  ends  in 
view  commodious  and  accessible  quarters  were  procured  at  the 
city  building  and  afterward  at  No.  133  North  Market  street. 
The  rooms  are  furnished  in  a  neat  and  attractive  manner  at  an 
expense  of  several  thousand  dollars ;  a  good  cafe  was  established ; 
the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  organization  was  made  known  to 
the  public,  and  the  enterprise  was  launched  under  favorable 
auspices.  The  response  was  immediate.  Within  one  month  from 
its  opening  it  had  250  members.  Its  presidents  have  been  suc- 
cessively, C.  L.  Davidson,  J.  H.  Stewart,  J.  E.  Howard,  I.  N. 
Hockaday,  George  M.  Dickson  and  0.  A.  Boyle.    Its  prime  object 


WICHITA  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE  73 

as  indicated  by  its  name  is  the  promotion  of  the  commerce,  growth 
and  advancement  of  the  city.  To  this  end  its  committees  have 
been  organized  and  its  energies  in  a  large  measure  directed. 
Many  and  notable  have  been  the  efforts  made  by  this  body  for 
the  securing  of  new  enterprises  for  Wichita,  the  extension  of  its 
trade  through  tributary  territory,  the  securing  of  advantages  to 
business  already  established  in  the  way  of  more  favorable  freight 
rates,  and  others  of  like  kind,  and  many  have  been  the  successes 
achieved.  Not  a  forward  step  has  been  taken  by  our  city  along 
the  line  of  business  growth  and  development  without  its  help, 
encouragement  and  good  will,  but,  as  before  indicated,  its  aims 
and  purposes  have  not  been  material  and  mercenary  only;  they 
have  been  moral  and  social  as  well. 

Ever  since  its  organization  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  has 
been  the  business-social  center,  or  the  social-business  center  of 
the  city.  Scarcely  a  week  has  passed  without  a  banquet  of  some 
kind  within  its  hospitable  walls.  Business  organizations  of  vari- 
ous kinds  looking  toward  the  advancement  and  promotion  of 
business  interests;  public  organizations  of  various  kinds  looking 
toward  municipal  growth  and  improvement;  civic  organizations 
of  various  sorts  looking  toward  the  general  good  of  our  people, 
city  and  state,  all  have  been  welcomed  here  and  all  have  availed 
themselves  of  its  generous  hospitality,  excellent  cuisine,  sympa- 
thetic atmosphere  and  friendly  help.  It  has  been  the  civic  center 
from  which  has  radiated  good  influences  in  every  direction. 

The  spirit  and  genius  of  the  organization  is  truly  democratic. 
While  it  numbers  among  its  members  many  of  the  most  substan- 
tial business  men  of  the  city,  yet  the  young  man  of  character 
and  aspiration  is  just  as  welcome  to  its  membership  as  the  wealth- 
iest man  in  the  city,  and  receives  the  same  consideration.  It 
recognizes  the  truth  that,  "The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
a  man's  a  man  for  a'  that."  While  liquors  have  always  been 
strictly  barred  from  its  portals  and  liquid  conviviality  is  un- 
known, yet  innocent  games  are  encouraged,  such  as  chess,  check- 
ers, pool  and  billiards,  and  a  feeling  of  comradarie  and  good  fel- 
lowship characterizes  its  members  from  the  oldest  to  the  young- 
est, from  the  richest  to  the  poorest.  0.  A.  Boyle,  one  of  the  most 
progressive  and  successful  of  Wichita's  young  business  men,  is 
its  efficient  president  and  John  Stingley  its  popular  secretary. 

Its  present  condition  is  most  flourishing.  It  is  out  of  debt, 
has  money  in  the  treasury  and  has  taken  in  about  seventy-five 


74  mSTOEY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

new  members  during  the  present  year.  The  outlook  for  the  fu- 
ture is  most  encouraging.  On  October  1  it  will  move  to  its  new 
location,  on  the  tenth  floor  of  the  Beacon  building,  and  a  more 
beautiful,  more  sightly,  better  arranged  and  more  appropriate 
location  could  scarcely  be  obtained  or  desired.  Its  aims  for  the 
future  are  in  keeping  with  its  high  and  beautiful  location:  to 
make  Wichita  ever  a  bigger  and  better  city  and  its  members  big- 
ger, better  and  happier  men. 

About  October  1,  1910,  the  Wichita  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
the  junior  commercial  body  of  Wichita,  moved  to  their  splendid 
new  quarters  in  the  Beacon  block  on  South  Main  street.  This 
club  has  accomplished  great  good  for  the  town  since  the  organ- 
ization of  the  same,  and  has  promoted  and  assisted  many  of  the 
best  enterprises  of  the  town.  The  Wichita  Chamber  of  Commerce 
has  rented  large  and  very  spacious  quarters  on  the  tenth  floor 
of  the  new  Beacon  block  and  their  lease  runs  for  a  term  of  years. 

On  the  eveniag  of  September  23  they  had  their  last  rally  in 
the  old  quarters.  A  delightful  banquet  was  served  to  about  200 
men.  A  splendid  spirit  of  harmony  prevailed,  an  all-around  talk- 
fest  was  indulged  in,  and  the  underlying  euiTent  was  that  the 
town  was  "safe  and  sane."  The  future  was  discussed  and  the 
past  was  reviewed.  The  ways  and  means  committee  reported 
that  it  would  take  in  the  neighborhood  of  $1,600  to  move  the 
club  to  the  new  quarters  and  start  all  matters  off  right.  This 
amount  was  raised  at  this  meeting  in  half  an  hoiu-,  a  large  num- 
ber of  those  present  subscribing  $25  each.  The  speeches  made 
and  the  spirit  of  the  club  as  manifested  showed  a  most  hopeful 
outlook  for  the  future  of  Wichita. — Editor. 


CHAPTER  V. 
BOARD  OF  TRADE  AND  HOW  IT  GREW. 

Wichita  has  not  achieved  many  things  greater  than  her  pres- 
ent board  of  trade  in  her  thirty  years'  struggle  for  municipal 
recognition.  With  a  grain  market  that  is  known  as  one  of  the 
•  best  in  the  Southwest  and  a  board  of  trade  made  up  of  live,  hus- 
tling business  men  who  get  what  they  go  after,  it  is  not  at  all 
surprising  that  Wichita  is  a  blacker  speck  on  the  grain  map  than 
many  cities  larger  than  she.  The  board  of  trade  is  one  of  the 
livest  business  organizations  in  Wichita  today.  In  the  line  of 
city  pushing  and  advertising  it  has  done  its  share  in  giving  Wich- 
ita the  reputation  of  the  coming  city  of  the  great  Southwest. 

The  president  of  the  board  is  W.  F.  McCullough,  of  the  Mc- 
Cullough  Grain  Company.  This  is  Mr.  McCullough 's  second  term 
in  this  capacity,  his  first  term  being  so  satisfactory  to  the  board 
that  the  members  demanded  his  appearance  in  the  dictatorial 
chair  for  the  second  time.  Mr.  McCullough  occupies  about  the 
same  place  among  Kansas  grain  dealers  that  Browning  did  among 
the  poets  of  the  English  tongue — the  highest.  If  there  is  any- 
thing that  the  board  of  trade  needs  for  the  betterment  of  the 
grain  business,  Mr.  McCullough  is  up  night  and  day  seeing  that 
this  is  brought  to  pass.  That's  the  sort  of  a  man  that  is  at  the 
head  of  the  Wichita  board  of  trade,  a  dynamic,  high-tension  per- 
sonality who  always  lands  with  both  feet  fair  and  square.  The 
vice-presidency  is  filled  by  C.  M.  Jackman,  of  the  Kansas  Mill- 
ing Company,  the  largest  mill  and  elevator  company  in  the  South- 
■  west.  He  is  an  able  abettor  in  every  good  movement  for  the  grain 
industry  and  loves  his  "profession." 

The  "Old  Ironsides"  of  the  official  group  is  J.  S.  McCaulay. 
Always  noted  for  his  reticence — unless  it  is  a  rate  discussion, 
then,  say,  you  ought  to  see  him  declaim — he  is  lowering  his  rec- 
ord every  year  for  saying  less  and  is  learning  more  about  the 
rate  question.  Of  course,  every  one  will  grant  that  there  are 
numerous  experts  in  Wichita  who  take  special  delight  in  learn- 
75 


76  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

ing  everything  they  can  about  certain  lines,  but  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  such  an  expert  in  the  rate  business  as  Mr.  McCaulay  never 
vs^alked  across  the  new  creosote  pavement  around  the  Sedgwick 
block.  Whether  it  is  his  position  of  secretary,  which  he  has  had 
for  several  terms,  that  gives  him  this  prying  rate  mind  it  cannot 
be  authoritatively  stated,  but  such  is  the  fact.  Mr.  McCaulay 
is  one  of  the  first  fourteen  charter  members  and  has  been  in  the 
grain  business  in  Wichita  for  more  than  twenty  years. 

The  directors  of  the  organization  are  C.  K.  Nevling,  W.  R. 
Watson,  F.  C.  Dymock,  C.  R.  Howard,  A.  R.  Clark,  J.  W.  Craig 
and  W.  L.  Scott.  The  board  is  full  on  membership  now.  All 
of  the  fifty  memberships  have  been  disposed  of,  the  last  charter 
membership  being  sold  a  little  over  a  year  ago.  If  a  person  de- 
sires a  membership  he  has  to  buy  it  directly  from  the  owner  and 
consequently  the  price  of  these  little  privileges  to  do  business 
with  the  Wichita  grain  men  are  costing  a  deal  more  than  they 
used  to.  A  membership  now  costs  a  person  $1,000.  Seven  years 
ago  when  the  board  of  trade  thrust  its  puny  little  self  into  the 
grain  business  in  a  half-hearted  attempt  to  grow,  memberships 
had  difficulty  in  selling  at  $25.  These  memberships  have  become 
things  of  really  great  commercial  value  now  and  buying  and  sell- 
iag  them  is  a  lucrative  business.  The  habitat  of  the  grain  men 
and  the  lair  of  the  board  of  trade  is  the  Sedgwick  block.  This 
historic  pile  has  gained  fadeless  laurels  by  being  the  home  of  so 
many  bulls  and  bears.  On  the  first  floor  everything  is  right  and 
proper  and  one  would  naturally  suppose  that  it  is  an  ordinary 
office  building,  but  hist !  the  second  floor  is  a  complete  giveaway. 
From  the  moment  you  set  foot  on  the  seconci  floor  landing  and 
hear  the  sound  of  manly  voices  shouting,  you  know  that  you  have 
struck  some  sort  of  a  combination.  The  second  floor  of  the  struc- 
ture is  nothing  but  grain  offices,  with  the  exception  of  one  or 
two  insurance  offices,  which  manage  to  exist  in  some  unexplain- 
able  way  through  the  turmoil.  It  is  the  same  way  on  the  third 
floor.  On  you  go  to  the  fourth  storj'^  and  yet  you  find  offices,  yet 
not  quite  so  many.  When  the  fifth  story  is  reached  you  strike 
the  limit  of  the  grain  offices  and  also  the  limit  of  the  building's 
height.  It  is  one  vast  honeycomb  of  live,  busy  grain  men  who 
think  the  grain  business,  next  to  baseball,  is  the  greatest  thing  in 
the  world. 

The  firms  who  have  offices  in  this  building  and  are  members 
of  the  board  of  trade  are :  Anderson-Koch  Grain  Company,  Henry 


BOAKD  OF  TRADE  AND  HOW  IT  GROWS     77 

Probst  Commission  Company,  David  Heenan  and  Company,  Da- 
zey-Moore  Grain  Company,  Stevens-Scott,  Hall  Baker,  Roth  Grain 
Company,  A.  R.  Clark  Grain  Company,  MeCuUough  Grain  Com- 
pany, G.  S.  Barnes  Jr.  Grain  Company,  W.  T.  McCaulay  Grain 
Company,  Kolp  Grain  Company,  Independent  Grain  Company, 
Western  Grain  Company,  Kaufman-Boyle  Grain  Company,  J.  R. 
Williams,  James  Dobbs,  Hastings  Grain  Company,  Kelly  Bros. 
Grain  Company,  Alvin  Harbour  Grain  Company,  H.  C.  Thomp- 
son Grain  Company,  Empire  Grain  Company,  Woodside  Smith 
Grain  Company,  United  Grain  &  Commission  Company,  Tri-State 
Grain  Company,  Nevling  Grain  &  Elevator  Company,  Arkansas 
Valley  Grain  Company,  Norris  and  Company,  Millers  Grain  Com- 
pany, Kemper  Grain  Company,  B.  C.  Christopher  Grain  Company, 
B.  M.  Elkins  Grain  Company,  J.  R.  Harold  Grain  Company,  Gor- 
vin  Grain  Company  and  the  Brooking  Company.  The  following 
milling  and  elevator  companies  are  members  of  the  Wichita  board 
of  trade :  Kansas  Milling  Company,  Red  Star  Milling  &  Elevator 
Company,  Howard  Milling  Company,  Imboden  Milling  Company, 
Watson  Milling  Company. 

The  Wichita  board  of  trade  is  responsible  for  the  great  im- 
provement in  Wichita  as  a  grain  center.  Prior  to  1900  Wichita 
as  a  grain  center  did  not  cut  a  very  big  figure.  In  1906,  two 
years  after  the  board  had  been  organized,  10,875  cars  of  grain 
were  handled  by  members  of  the  board  of  trade;  in  1907,  16,575 
cars;  in  1908,  24,326  cars.  The  number  of  cars  handled  during 
1909  is  estimated  at  26,758.  This  is  more  than  doubling  the  car- 
load receipts  in  four  years.  This  is  certainly  going  some,  but 
it  is  the  normal  gait  of  the  Wichita  board  of  trade.  One-third 
of  these  receipts  was  wheat.  This  shows  clearly  enough  that  the 
Wichita  market  is  securing  a  great  deal  of  wheat  from  this,  the 
richest  wheat  growing  section  in  the  world. 

Wichita  always  has  been  a  grain  market.  Even  during  the 
time  of  the  Indian  it  was  the  camping  spot  for  him  and  the  feeds 
were  made  here.  Later  on  when  the  trading  post  was  started 
up  on  Chisholm  creek  it  was  the  halting  place  for  the  prairie 
schooners  as  they  crawled  westward  over  the  dreary  plain  lands. 
With  the  advent  of  the  Santa  Fe  trail  and  its  tributary  trail  from 
Texas,  through  Wichita  northward,  Wichita  became  a  market. 
In  a  few  years,  by  reason  of  the  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  wagon 
trains  which  made  this  city  the  terminus  of  their  trip,  it  became 
known  as  the  greatest  wagon  market  in  the  world.     When  the 


78  mSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Santa  Fe  railroad  was  put  in,  wagon  loads  of  grain  were  hauled 
from  points  sixty  miles  distant  from  Wichita.  The  grain  was 
ground,  loaded  and  shipped  to  the  North.  By  reason  of  this 
Wichita  secured  a  very  wide  reputation  as  a  center  of  some  im- 
portance. Later  when  the  Frisco  system  came,  the  ground  grain 
was  loaded  and  shipped  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Old-timers  can  easily 
recall  the  long  rows  of  grain  wagons  which  came  lumbering  to 
Wichita  from  every  direction,  piled  high  with  grain.  At  this 
time  when  a  few  of  the  citizens  of  the  then  rather  dmiinutive 
town  had  aspirations  for  a  New  York  on  the  Western  plains,  a 
bunch  of  them  got  together  and  founded  what  was  called  the 
Wichita  board  of  trade.  Now  this  wasn't  any  more  of  a  board 
of  trade  than  a  quartette  is  an  orchestra,  yet  it  did  good  work 
for  the  town.  It  was  more  of  a  commercial  club  than  anything 
else  and  did  good  work  while  it  lasted,  but  after  a  brief  existence 
— kersmash  it  went. 

The  grain  business  continued  to  pick  up,  new  firms  came  in, 
new  capital  came  in,  and  a  new  tone  was  given  to  the  market. 
Along  at  the  close  of  the  90 's  men  in  the  grain  business  knew 
that  the  point  to  either  put  up  a  fight  for  the  grain  center  of  the 
Southwest  or  to  lose  out  entirely  had  been  reached.  There  was 
nothing  of  the  coward  in  these  early  men  and  the  matter  of  the 
grain  organization  was  talked  of  seriously.  The  twentieth  cen- 
tury dawned,  yet  no  definite  arrangements  had  been  made,  al- 
though favor  for  this  new  project  had  grown.  The  promoters 
of  this  new  commercial  entity  met  in  1902  and  made  plans  for 
the  arranging  of  shares  and  operation  of  an  organization  known 
as  the  Wichita  board  of  trade.  In  1903  the  first  fourteen  shares 
of  the  fifty  shares  of  stock  were  sold  for  $25  per  share. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB. 

By 
CHARLES  H.  SMYTH. 

The  Wichita  Commercial  Club  had  its  origin  in  the  Coronado 
Club  in  1897.  A  few  Wichita  business  men  met  at  the  home  of 
J.  H.  Black,  to  talk  over  the  need  for  a  commercial  organization. 
There  were  present  at  that  meeting  Charles  Aylesbury,  Charles 
G.  Cohn,  Mr.  Wright  and  several  others.  They  discussed  the  uct 
cessity  of  a  commercial  club  for  the  purpose  of  working  unitedly 
and  intelligently  for  the  good  of  the  town.  These  gentlemen 
arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  a  meeting  of  business  men  of  the 
city  should  be  called  and  invitations  were  issued  to  meet  at  the 
Coronado  clubrooms,  which  at  this  time  was  a  social  organization 
with  clubrooms  in  the  old  Levy  home,  corner  of  Second  and  To- 
peka.  The  meeting  proved  to  be  one  of  the  best  attended  and 
enthusiastic  ever  held  in  Wichita,  and  an  organization  was  per- 
fected. Directors  were  elected  who  at  their  first  meeting  elected 
as  their  president  Charles  G.  Cohn,  and  the  Coronado  Club  went 
out  of  existence  and  merged  with  the  Commercial  Club.  Mr. 
Cohn  served  as  president  ten  years;  his  successors  in  office  were 
0.  P.  Taylor  for  one  year,  Frank  C.  Wood  for  two  years,  and 
Charles  H.  Smyth,  the  present  incumbent,  for  two  years.  His 
term  of  office  expires  January,  1911.  His  assistants  are  H.  E 
.Case,  vice-president;  V.  H.  Branch,  treasurer;  John  MeGinnis 
secretary.  What  has  the  Commercial  Club  done  for  Wichita' 
Very  much.  One  of  the  first  things  after  organization  that  de- 
manded their  attention  was  the  grain  and  milling  business.  A  Mr 
Caldwell,  with  whom  was  associated  Mr.  Stevens  now  in  the  city 
was  invited  to  come  to  Wichita  from  Louisville,  Ky.  In  a  short 
time  $100,000  was  subscribed  by  the  adjacent  towns  and  city 
Political  and  financial  conditions  in  the  country  at  that  time  elim 
79 


80  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

inated  Mr.  Caldwell  from  the  movement,  nevertheless  this  was 
the  beginning  of  our  enormous  elevator  and  milling  interests. 
The  Watson  Milling  Company  and  the  Kansas  Milling  Company 
were  both  brought  to  Wichita  by  the  Commercial  Club. 

The  directors  about  this  time  found  that  something  must  be 
done  to  encourage  the  packing  industry  and  it  brought  about  the 
opening  of  the  old  Whitaker  plant,  that  had  lain  idle  a  long  time, 
by  John  Cudahy.  The  Dold  packing  plant  was  burned  out  and 
had  not  the  Commercial  Club  gotten  busy  with  encouragement 
the  plant  would  never  have  been  rebuilt.  Necessarily,  the  club 
to  a  wonderful  degree  is  responsible  and  proud  of  the  present 
day  packing  industries  and  stock  yards.  The  Orient  railway 
came  knocking  at  our  doors.  The  Commercial  Club  immediately 
interested  itself,  raised  money  and  assisted  Mr.  Stillwell  in  every 
possible  manner.  Through  appeals  and  assistance  financially,  the 
great  shops  now  under  construction,  to  eventually  cost  $1,250,000 
and  employ  2,700  men,  were  made  possible.  The  present  build- 
ing when  completed  will  cost  $400,000  and  employ  five  to  eight 
hundred  mechanics  and  laborers.  About  February  1,  1911,  the 
shops  will  be  opened  for  work.  Among  many  other  things  done 
by  the  club,  it  has  encouraged  and  helped  the  interurban  and 
the  proposed  extension  of  the  Midland  Valley  railway  from  Ar- 
kansas City  to  McPherson,  Kan.,  to  a  connection  with  the  great 
Union  Pacific.  It  has  pushed  the  Peerless  Prophets  jubilee  that 
brings  so  many  persons  to  Wichita  once  a  year ;  it  has  organized 
the  Trade  Trip  organization  that  does  so  much  to  advertise  Wich- 
ita. It  originated  the  transportation  bureau  that  has  done  so 
much  in  the  way  of  reduced  rates  to  and  from  Wichita  and  im- 
proved train  service,  and  has  brought  many  minor  manufactur- 
ing concerns  that  have  located  with  us.  You  will  find  af  the 
head  of  all  these  strong  business  men  and  city  builders,  and  every 
one  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Club. 

The  latest  and  crowning  accomplishment  will  be  the  com- 
pletion of  a  hundred  thousand  dollar  clubhouse  at  the  corner  of 
Market  and  First  streets.  In  July,  1908,  the  directors  had  a 
meeting  to  determine  what  should  be  done  in  relation  to  new 
clubhouse  quarters,  as  their  lease  with  the  National  Bank  of 
Commerce  on  the  present  clubrooms  had  expired.  Mr.  Sim  made 
a  proposal  to  fit  up  rooms  in  his  new  building.  While  discuss- 
ing this  proposal  Judge  Dale  asked,  "Why  not  build  a  new 
club  and  get  a  home  of  our  own?"     The  suggestion  of  a  nev[ 


THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB  81 

clubhouse  was  all  that  was  needed.  It  was  known  that  the  old 
Baptist  church  property  was  for  sale  and  on  instructions  from 
the  directors  to  purchase  the  same  H.  J.  Hagny  in  less  than  thirty 
minutes  returned  from  the  Kansas  National  Bank  and  advised 
the  gentlemen  he  had  purchased  the  property  through  Mr.  Chand- 
ler, a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  board.  The  building  is  150x 
140  feet,  five  stories  and  basement.  On  the  first  floor  are  the 
ladies'  reception  and  dining  rooms,  lounging  room,  living  room 
and  offices.  On  the  second  floor  are  the  dining  rooms  and  kitchen. 
On  the  third  floor,  billiards  and  games.  On  the  fourth  and  fifth 
floors  are  sleeping  rooms.  On  the  roster  of  the  Commercial  Club 
are  the  names  of  a  good  many  men  who  have  done  and  are  do- 
ing things  for  Wichita.  Among  them  are  Charles  Aylesbury,  P. 
A.  Amsden,  0.  A.  Boyle,  J.  H.  Black,  C.  H.  Brooks,  V.  H.  Branch, 
Tom  Blodgett,  C.  M.  Beachy,  H.  E.  Case,  Charles  G.  Cohn,  L.  W. 
Clapp,  Henry  Comley,  D.  M.  Dale,  C.  L.  Davidson,  J.  0.  David- 
son, W.  C.  Edwards,  T.  G.  Fitch,  Dean  Gordon,  P.  V.  Heally, 
J.  D.  Houston,  Dr.  J.  Z.  Hoffman,  R.  L.  Holmes,  H.  J.  Hagny,  Ben 
Eaton,  W.  P.  Innes,  E.  B.  Jewett,  Thomas  P.  Kelso,  Henry  Las- 
sen, M.  M.  Murdock,  R.  L.  Millison,  B.  P.  McLean,  L.  S.  Naftz- 
ger,  John  L.  Powell,  George  L.  Pratt,  Charles  H.  Smyth,  J.  H. 
Stewart,  C.  "W.  Southward,  Henry  Wallenstein,  H.  V.  Wheeler, 
n.  J.  Allen  and  others. 


HOME  OF  THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB. 

No  city  ever  grew  largely  without  the  aid  of  a  strong  com- 
mercial organization.  The  modern  city  that  outstrips  her  neigh- 
bors is  not  always  the  one  of  favored  location  and  rich  surround- 
ing territory.  Wichita  prizes  its  commercial  club.  It  is  the  boost- 
ers within  a  city  that  makes  it  great.  It  is  the  aggressive,  never- 
give-up  spirit  of  the  merchants,  the  jobbers  and  the  manufac- 
tiu-ers  which  brings  a  city  into  the  limelight  before  the  eyes  of 
the  world.  Prom  the  beginning  Wichita  had  some  sort  of  a  com- 
mercial organization.  There  were  not  always  handsome  parlors, 
equipped  with  tables  for  games  and  easy  chairs  for  reading.  The 
early  day  commercial  organizations  held  their  meetings  in  wooden 
shacks,  where  the  members  sat  on  nail  kegs  and  cracker  boxes. 
But  the  spirit  of  acquisition  was  there  in  the  tiny  wooden  quar- 
ters just  as  it  now  permeates  the  atmosphere  about  the  clubrooms 
of  any  of  the  three  Wichita  commercial  organizations  today.    It 


82  HISTOEY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

is  the  same  spirit  that  is  now  prompting  the  business  men  of  the 
city  to  reach  out  for  new  trade  by  means  of  a  trade  extension 
excursion.  Forty  years  ago  Wichita  was  nothing.  Today  it  is  a 
city  of  about  60,000  inhabitants,  growing  at  the  rate  of  5,000  to 
10,000  persons  each  year.  New  industries  of  all  sorts,  brought 
in  through  the  influence  and  assistance  of  the  commercial  or- 
ganizations, are  largely  responsible  for  this  rapid  increase  in 
population. 

Foremost  among  the  Wichita  commercial  organizations  is  the 
Wichita  Commercial  Club.  It  is  an  institution  builded  of  big 
men,  who  play  for  big  stakes  and  usually  win.  There  was  never 
a  really  big  job  tackled  by  the  city  of  Wichita  in  which  the  Com- 
mercial Club  failed  to  take  an  active  part.  It  was  twenty-one 
years  ago  that  the  old  Coronado  Club  was  organized.  It  was  not 
prompted  by  any  commercial  instinct.  In  fact,  it  was  to  be  a 
purely  social  club,  where  the  "big  boom"  sufferers  might  while 
away  a  few  hours  of  idle  time  each  day.  But  no  true  Wichitan 
ever  had  time  to  waste  in  the  comfortable  luxury  of  a  social  club- 
house. There  were  some  who  were  not  completely  winded  by 
the  hard  jolt  landed  by  the  bursting  of  the  boom.  And  these, 
after  a  few  years  of  listless  existence,  began  to  awaken  and  to 
regain  something  of  the  old-time  spirit,  which  went  after  things 
at  the  drop  of  the  hat,  and  brought  them  home  on  broad,  tri- 
umphant shoulders. 

The  Wichita  Commercial  Club  was  the  result  of  this  unrest. 
In  1896  the  Coronado  Club  went  out  of  existence  and  a  live, 
hustling  commercial  organization  was  formed.  Years  passed  and 
the  club  grew,  taking  the  city  along  with  it.  In  1904  the  old 
Levy  home  at  the  corner  of  First  street  and  Topeka  avenue  be- 
came too  small  for  the  organization.  At  that  time  the  National 
Bank  of  Commerce  was  planning  to  build  a  new  home,  so  the 
Commercial  Club  engaged  the  two  upper  floors  of  the  new  build- 
ing. When  the  club  entered  this  new  home  six  years  ago  it  had 
less  than  200  members.  The  new  quarters  were  considered  com- 
modious and  beautiful.  But  the  city  began  to  grow  faster  than 
in  any  previous  period  of  her  history  and  the  membership  of 
the  club  increased  by  large  bounds.  A  new  modern  club  build- 
ing was  being  talked  of  before  the  organization  had  worn  the 
new  off  its  present  quarters.  A  year  ago  plans  for  the  new 
clubhouse  were  commenced.  A  fine  location  was  secured  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  First  and  Market  streets.     On  that  site  is 


THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB  83 

being  builded  a  five-story,  fireproof  building,  whicli,  when  fully 
equipped,  will  be  the  finest  clubhouse  in  the  state. 

Within  this  year  the  Commercial  Club  will  occupy  its  new 
home.  As  it  steps  out  of  the  old  shell  into  new  raiment  it  will 
likewise  broaden  and  lengthen  to  fill  a  greater  need.  For  there 
was  never  a  time  in  the  history  of  the  city  when  the  sinew  and 
courage  of  a  strong  commercial  club  was  needed  more  than  at 
this  time.  The  membership  of  the  club  now  approaches  400.  The 
officers  and  directors  are  strong,  vigorous  business  men  who  have 
succeeded  in  spite  of  adversity  and  builded  a  city  that  is  the  pride 
of  Kansas  and  the  metropolis  of  the  Southwest.  These  men  are: 
Charles  H.  Smyth,  president ;  Howard  E.  Case,  vice-president ; 
y.  H.  Branch,  treasurer;  John  McGinnis,  secretary. 

The  directors  are :  Prank  C.  Wood,  L.  W.  Clapp,  H.  J.  Hagny, 
W.  P.  Innes,  C.  L.  Davidson,  F.  A.  Amsden,  V.  H.  Branch,  J.  0. 
Davidson,  Henry  Lassen,  C.  W.  Southward,  C.  H.  Brooks,  H.  C. 
Case,  Charles  G.  Cohn,  T.  G.  Fitch  and  Charles  H.  Smyth. 

THE  WEST  WICHITA  COMMERCIAL  LEAGUE. 

By 
J.  B.  COVAULT,  SECRETARY. 

The  youngster  among  the  Wichita  commercial  organizations 
is  the  West  Wichita  Commercial  League.  It  is  an  infant  in  age, 
but  a  good  husky  fellow  in  strength  and  size.  It  is  distinctly 
a  west  side  institution,  but  has  never  yet  refused  to  come  over 
the  river  to  help  boost  Greater  Wichita.  The  West  Wichita  Com- 
mercial League  is  less  than  two  years  old.  In  one  year  it  reached 
a  membership  of  130.  Noav  there  are  160  names  on  the  club's 
roster.  Roomy  club  quarters  are  maintained  at  1005  West  Doug- 
las avenue.  Enthusiastic  meetings  of  the  members  are  held  here 
^very  month.  Things  of  vital  interest  to  the  west  side  are  the 
chief  business  of  the  club,  but  nothing  of  city-wide  importance 
is  overlooked  by  the  league's  active  membership. 

To  the  West  Wichita  Commercial  League  goes  the  credit  for 
landing  the  largest  manufacturing  institution  coming  to  Wichita 
in  a  good  many  years.  This  factory,  secured  only  two  months 
ago,  is  the  American  Paper  Manufacturing  Company.  This  con- 
cern has  secured  ground  in  the  northwestern  section  of  the  west 
side  and  will  erect  a  half-million-dollar  strawboard  plant  during 


84  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

the  coming  twelvemonth.  The  league's  committee  on  new  in- 
dustries worked  long  hours  and  burned  the  midnight  oil  many- 
nights  in  landing  this  big  institution.  Public-spirited  men  of  the 
league  donated  their  services  and  finally,  when  a  suitable  site 
could  not  be  found  at  a  reasonable  price  three  men  donated 
eighteen  acres  of  their  own  land  to  make  sure  of  the  mill.  Since 
its  organization  in  June  of  1908  the  "West  Wichita  Commercial 
League  has  done  much  to  enliven  the  civic  pride  of  that  section. 
Streets  are  cleaner  and  better  kept;  yards  are  neater  and  more 
attractive;  interest  in  making  the  west  side  a  cleaner  and  more 
beautiful  place  in  which  to  live  has  increased  tenfold  through  the 
efforts  of  the  league.  Aside  from  the  big  paper  mill  the  club  has 
landed  several  other  business  institutions  for  the  west  side  during 
the  past  year.  The  officers  are  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  op- 
portunities and  few  get  by  them.  At  recent  meetings  there  was 
much  interest  shown  in  the  Orient  bond  election  and  every  mem- 
ber of  the  club  worked  hard  for  the  passage  of  these  and  the  Ar- 
kansas Valley  Interurban  bonds. 

"More  car  lines,  more  pavement  and  more  factories"  is  the 
slogan  of  the  league  for  the  coming  year.  West  Wichita  has 
grown  marvelously  during  the  past  five  years  and  the  facilities 
of  a  few  years  ago  have  been  outgrown.  Several  miles  of  new 
paving  have  already  been  contracted  for  and  two  car  line  exten- 
sions are  in  prospect  for  the  next  few  months.  With  the  com- 
pletion of  the  $100,000  concrete  bridge  across  the  Arkansas  river, 
giving  West  Wichita  better  connection  with  the  east  side;  with 
the  extension  of  the  street  railway  from  Seneca  on  West  Doug- 
las to  the  city  limits  on  the  west ;  with  her  half  score  of  churches, 
her  high  elevation  and  general  lay  of  the  land  on  which  she 
stands,  West  Wichita  is  destined  to  be  the  attractive  place  to  the 
future  homeseeker  in  Greater  Wichita.  West  Wichita  has  in- 
stalled a  sewerage  system  which  will  add  greatly  to  its  sanitary 
condition.  There  are  many  other  things  of  interest  concerning 
West  Wichita  about  which  we  would  like  to  speak,  but  it  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  do  so  at  this  time.  We  would  suggest  that  you 
write  the  secretary  of  the  West  Wichita  Commercial  League, 
telling  him  what  you  want  and  he  will  put  you  in  touch  with  the 
proper  committee  that  will  give  you  the  desired  information. 
Will  say,  however,  if  you  are  looking  for  a  location  to  engage  in 
the  manufacture  of  an  article  of  some  kind,  or  if  you  are  looking 
for  a  place  for  a  home  where  you  can  spend  the  remainder  of 


THE  COMMERCIAL  CLUB  85 

your  days  in  peace  and  ease,  come  to  Wichita  and  you  will  find 
just  what  you  want  in  West  Wichita,  the  garden  spot  of  the 
Queen  City  of  the  Southwest. 

The  officers  of  the  league,  who  are  giving  their  time  and  ener- 
gies to  make  the  city  grow  at  capacity  speed,  are :  W.  S.  Hadley, 
president ;  William  McKnight,  vice-president ;  J.  N.  Covault, 
secretary;  G.  T.  Riley,  treasurer.  A  strong  board  of  directors 
stands  behind  these  officers  ready  to  lend  its  assistance  when  nec- 
essary. The  directors  are:  John  Harts,  James  Murray,  Fred 
Farmer,  Wallace  C.  Kemp,  Jesse  L.  Leland,  George  Cole,  W.  E. 
Davis,  Charles  T.  Lindsay,  0.  Martinson,  L.  F.  Means,  H.  Shap- 
cott  and  H.  D.  Cottman. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  WICHITA  WATER  COMPANY. 

The  people  of  Wichita  may  be  assured  that  when  the  present 
improvements  are  completed  that  they  will  have  one  of  the  most 
up-to-date  water  systems  in  the  country,  and  not  only  will  they 
be  guaranteed  the  purest  water  for  drinking  and  domestic  pur- 
poses, but  an  ample  supply  for  fire  protection.  During  the  past 
year  the  American  Water  Works  and  Guarantee  Company,  own- 
ers of  the  Wichita  plant,  have  expended  an  enormous  sum  of 
money,  the  greatest  in  the  history  of  the  company,  on  extensions, 
reinforcing  lines  and  other  improvements.  An  entire  new  sta- 
tion has  been  built.  A  new  100-foot  brick  stack  has  been  added, 
in  addition  to  two  250-horsepower  boilers.  Two  new  5,000,000- 
gallon  pumping  engines  have  been  installed,  bringing  the  pres- 
ent pumping  capacity  of  the  plant  up  to  20,000,000  gallons  per 
day.  The  present  well  system  is  also  being  thoroughly  over- 
hauled and  many  new  wells  are  being  added. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  more  than  twenty-five  miles  of 
cast  iron  mains,  the  greater  part  of  which  will  be  reinforcing 
lines  of  large  diameter,  have  been  authorized  and  are  being  laid. 
A  new  twelve-inch  reinforcing  line  is  being  laid  north  of  the 
pumping  station  into  the  Riverside  district.  Pipe  is  on  the 
ground  for  reinforcing  line  up  Waco  avenue  to  the  stock  yards 
and  packing  houses.  Probably  the  most  important  reinforcing 
line  that  is  to  be  put  in  will  be  an  additional  sixteen-inch  main 
from  the  station  direct  to  the  heart  of  the  business  district ;  this 
in  addition  to  many  miles  of  smaller  lines  which  will  be  put  in 
to  reach  the  residences  in  outlying  districts,  all  of  which  will  be 
properly  reinforced.  As  a  result  of  the  foregoing  mentioned  im- 
provements the  city  of  Wichita  may  boast  of  having  one  of  the 
most  complete  water  works  systems  in  the  western  country,  and 
this  opinion  is  supported  by  the  statement  of  several  expert 
water  works  engineers,  who  recently  visited  the  plant  and  who 
have  no  interests  in  it  whatever.    They  pronounced  it  one  of  the 


THE  WICHITA  WATER  COMPANY  87 

most  up-to-date  systems  in  the  world,  and  one  that  is  now  be- 
ing adopted  by  different  water  companies  who  are  desirous  of 
supplying  their  patrons  with  a  pure  supply  of  water.  The  water 
itself  comes  from  a  series  of  large  cylinders  which  are  sunk  be- 
neath the  bed  of  the  Big  Arkansas  river  to  a  depth  of  from  forty 
to  forty-five  feet.  By  means  of  steam  pressure  all  the  sand  is 
forced  out  of  these  cylinders  and  the  water  is  permitted  to  flow 
through  the  deep  body  of  gravel  which  remains,  thus  affording 
one  of  the  purest  water  supplies  to  be  found  anywhere. 

The  water  from  these  cylinders  is  syphoned  by  vacuum  pumps 
into  a  large  cement  receiving  reservoir,  where  the  water  is  thor- 
oughly aerated  before  passing  into  the  mains  of  the  city.  This 
is  in  addition  to  the  company  taking  every  known  precaution  to 
guard  against  contamination  of  the  city  water  supply,  as  it  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  many  of  the  most  malignant  germs  cannot 
exist  in  water  thoroughly  aerated.  The  cement  receiving  reser- 
voir, constructed  for  this  purpose,  is  one  of  the  most  important 
of  the  company's  recent  improvements.  It  is  thirty-three  feet 
deep  and  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter  and  is  built  of  brick,  laid 
in  cement.  The  walls  of  this  reservoir  are  three  feet  thick  at  the 
base  and  about  two  feet  thick  at  the  top  and  are  cemented  thor- 
oughly to  prevent  any  surface  water  getting  into  it.  By  means 
of  vacuum  pumps  the  water  from  the  cylinders  or  wells  is  emptied 
into  this  reservoir,  where  it  is  kept  at  just  the  water  level  in  the 
ground.  Prom  this  receiving  reservoir  the  large  pumps  force 
the  water  through  the  mains  to  all  parts  of  the  city.  So  care- 
fully adjusted  is  this  system  that  not  a  ripple  disturbs  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  in  the  reservoir,  though  thousands  of  gallons  of 
water  are  discharged  into  and  pumped  out  of  it  every  minute. 
Some  idea  may  be  had  of  the  purity  of  this  water  when  one  is 
given  a  chance  to  look  down  into  it.  Although  it  stands  twenty 
feet  deep  in  the  reservoir,  it  does  not  look  to  be  more  than  three 
feet  deep,  and  one  could  easily  see  a  nickel  on  the  cement  bot- 
tom, so  clear  is  the  water.  No  sediment  or  filth  of  any  kind  can 
find  its  way  into  this  reservoir.  This  differs  from  the  reservoirs 
in  some  cities  where  the  water  is  retained  in  great  receptacles  to 
settle  before  it  is  pumped  into  the  mains  and  where  masses  of 
green  scum  and  moss  cover  the  top  of  the  water,  thus  forming  a 
breeding  place  for  all  kinds  of  disease  germs.  As  the  source 
from  which  the  water  is  drawn,  namely,  the  underflow  of  the  Ar- 
valley,  is  six  or  eight  miles  wide  and  hundreds  of  miles  in 


88  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

length,  it  is  plain  to  see  that  it  is  inexhaustible,  and  in  ease  more 
water  is  needed  at  any  time  all  the  company  would  need  to  do 
would  be  to  sink  more  cylinders  by  which  to  draw  from  the  under- 
flow. Another  evidence  of  the  great  care  exercised  by  the  water 
company  to  guard  against  any  possible  filth  or  contamination  to 
the  water  used  is  that  it  owns  the  entire  island  on  which  the 
pumping  station  is  situated.  Originally  there  were  two  channels 
of  the  river,  but  now  there  is  only  one  in  which  the  water  runs, 
but  the  water  company's  holding  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  the 
island.  The  strip  of  ground  is  forty  rods  or  more  in  width  and 
about  a  mile  long  and  no  stock  or  offal  of  any  kind  is  allowed 
upon  it.  Thus  every  possible  safeguard  has  been  provided  against 
any  impurities  in  the  water  which  is  offered  to  the  people  of 
Wichita  for  their  use.  This  water  is  frequently  analyzed  and  has 
always  been  found  to  be  of  excellent  quality. 

The  last  analysis  made  by  W.  E.  Bunker,  an  expert  bacteri- 
ologist, assisted  by  Dr.  P.  H.  Slayton,  city  physician,  shows  the 
water  absolutely  pure  and  safe  for  drinking  purposes.  It  cer- 
tainly ought  to  be  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  the  people  of 
Wichita,  as  it  is  to  the  water  works  company,  that  they  have  a 
system  so  well  equipped  and  a  supply  of  water  so  pure.  There 
are  two  requisites  for  an  ideal  water  supply  that  are  always  to 
be  sought.  The  first  is  absolutely  pure  water  as  a  reasonable 
guarantee  of  health  and  an  abundant  supply  to  insure  protection 
against  fires.  No  city  can  boast  of  anything  more  desirable  for 
the  upbuildiag  and  advertisement  of  its  advantages  than  an  ade- 
quate and  pure  water  supply  and  no  citizen  can  afford  to  dis- 
parage such  an  advantage  for  political  or  other  purposes.  A 
town  may  have  mills  and  other  great  industries,  but  if  they  are 
at  the  mercy  of  the  flames  and  the  workmen  who  are  employed 
in  them  are  compelled  to  use  impure  water  it  is  a  dangerous  place 
to  live.  Give  the  people  plenty  of  pure  water,  such  as  they  are 
assured  here  in  Wichita,  and  the  saving  in  doctor's  bills  and 
undertaker's  charges  alone  would  be  an  argument  in  its  favor. 
The  Wichita  Water  Company  has  nothing  to  cover  up.  It  in- 
vites the  most  rigid  and  critical  examination  of  its  system  and 
water  supply,  and  the  public  is  especially  invited  to  visit  the 
station,  where  the  engineer  in  charge  will  take  pleasure  in  show- 
ing visitors  over  the  plant  and  explaining  everything  in  detail. 
Every  detail  of  the  water  system  is  now  and  has  been  for  twenty 
years  under  the  personal  supervision  of  Mr.  Fred  D.  Aley,  the 


THE  WICHITA  WATER  COMPANY  89 

superintendent.  Having  lived  in  Wichita  from  his  boyhood,  Mr. 
Aley  knows  what  his  city  needs,  and  as  a  resident  and  a  large 
taxpayer  he  feels  that  he  has  a  personal  interest  in  the  matter 
aside  from  any  pecuniary  interest  as  superintendent.  This  has 
given  him  a  sense  of  pride  in  trying  to  make  the  Wichita  water 
system  the  best  in  the  West,  and  the  company  reposing  the  utmost 
confidence  in  his  judgment  and  having  faith  in  the  future  of  the 
city  has  anticipated  the  city's  needs  by  the  present  extensive 
improvements. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  WICHITA  LAND  OFFICE. 

ITS  EARLY  HISTORY— ITS  OFFICERS,   CLERKS  AND 
ATTORNEYS. 

By 

JUDGE  JAMES  L.  DYER. 

The  local  land  ofSce  of  the  United  States  at  Wichita,  Kan., 
embraced  all  the  tract  of  land  bounded  on  the  north  by  the 
fourth  standard  parallel  south,  on  the  east  by  guide  meridian 
east  of  the  sixth  principal  meridian,  on  the  west  by  the  boundary 
line  between  Colorado  and  Kansas,  on  the  south  by  the  south 
boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Kansas. 

The  lands  in  this  boundary  were  of  three  classes:  First,  a 
narrow  strip  of  land  known  as  the  Cherokee  Strip,  varying  from 
three  and  one-half  miles  on  the  east  to  one-half  mile  in  width 
on  the  west,  situated  at  the  extreme  south  of  the  state. 

Second — A  fifty-mile  strip  known  as  the  Osage  Trust  and  Di- 
minished Reserve  lands,  lying  directly  north  of  the  Cherokee 
Strip  and  extending  from  the  east  boundary  of  said  land  district 
to  the  100°  west  longitude;  and 

Third — The  remainder  of  said  land  district  was  unoffered 
lands  subject  to  pre-emption  settlement.  Homestead  and  timber 
culture  acts  under  the  laws  governing  the  public  lands  of  the 
United  States. 

The  lands  in  the  Cherokee  Strip  were  subject  to  sale  to  actual 
settlers,  without  regard  to  time  the  settler  occupied  said  land,  in 
quantities  in  compact  form  not  exceeding  160  acres  to  one  actual 
settler  at  $1.25  per  acre. 

The  Osage  Trust  and  Diminished  Reserve  lands  were  subject 
to  sale  to  actual  settlers  for  the  sum  of  $1.25  per  acre  in  tracts 
not  exceeding  160  acres  in  compact  form  under  the  act  of  July  1, 
1870. 


THE  WICHITA  LAND  OFFICE  91 

The  land  office  at  Wichita  was  known  as  the  Arkansas  Land 
District,  and  was  first  located  at  Augusta,  Kan.,  but  as  immigra- 
tion pushed  west,  the  settlers  driving  before  them  the  buffalo  and 
coyote,  it  became  necessary  for  the  accommodation  of  the  large 
body  of  people  to  change  the  location,  and  hence  in  March, 
1872,  the  land  office  was  removed  from  Augusta  to  Wichita,  and 
from  that  time  it  took  the  name  of  the  Wichita  Land  Office  of  the 
United  States,  retaining  the  same  boundary  until  1874,  when  it 
was  subdivided  and  other  land  offices  established  west  of  range 
ten  west  of  the  6°  principal  meridian. 

On  May  9,  1872,  congress  passed  an  act  (see  2283  R.  S.)  re- 
quiring that  the  Osage  Trust  and  Diminished  Reserve  lands  in  the 
state  of  Kansas,  excepting  the  sixteenth  and  thirty-sixth  sections 
in  each  township,  be  subject  to  disposal  for  cash  only  to  actual 
settlers  in  quantities  not  exceeding  160  acres  in  compact  form,  in 
accordance  with  the  general  principles  of  the  pre-emption  laws 
under  the  direction  of  the  commissioner  of  the  General  Land 
Office,  but  that  settlers  must  make  proof  of  settlement,  occupancy 
and  cultivation  within  one  year  from  date  of  settlement.  The 
moneys  derived  from  the  sale  of  these  lands  were  to  be  held  in 
trust  for  the  Osage  nation  after  deducting  the  actual  expenses 
of  sale  of  said  lands.  The  Osage  Indians  realized  from  the  sale 
of  these  lands  in  the  Wichita  district  over  $4,000,000. 

The  officers  of  a  local  land  office  consist  of  a  registrar  and 
receiver,  appointed  by  the  President,  holding  their  offices  for  four 
years  but  subject  to  removel  at  the  wish  of  the  President. 

The  registrar  receives  all  applications  and  jointly  with  the  re- 
ceiver passes  upon  the  legality  of  all  applications  and  all  proofs 
presented  to  the  local  office,  and  determines  the  rights  of  adverse 
claimants  to  the  same  tract  of  land.  In  case  of  disagreement  be- 
tween registrar  and  receiver  the  case  is  referred  to  the  honorable 
commissioner  of  the  General  Land  Office. 

The  receiver  in  addition  to  the  foregoing  duties  must  receive 
all  moneys  paid  to  the  local  office  and  must  deposit  the  same  in 
some  United  States  depository  under  direction  of  the  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury. 

The  first  registrar  of  the  Wichita  land  district  was  A.  C. 
Aken,  who  was  appointed  while  the  office  was  at  Augusta,  and  the 
first  receiver  was  W.  A.  Shannon.  Both  came  to  Wichita  with 
the  office  in  March,  1872.    Mr.  Aken  was  succeeded  as  registrar 


92  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

by  W.  T.  Jenkins,  and  Mr.  Shannon  was  succeeded  as  receiver  by 
J.  C.  Redfield,  formerly  of  Humboldt,  Kan.,  now  dead. 

The  offices  of  registrar  and  receiver  in  those  days  grew  high 
up  on  the  political  tree,  and  the  one  having  the  longest  and 
strongest  pole  got  the  persimmon.  Although  appointed  for  four 
years,  yet  if  the  officers  happened  to  be  for  the  wrong  man  for 
congress  or  for  the  United  States  senate  his  resignation  was  soon 
demanded  and  a  favorite  was  selected  to  succeed  him,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  old  Jacksonian  policy,  "To  the  victor  belongs  the 
spoils."  And  thus  Mr.  Jenkins,  registrar,  was  not  permitted  to 
hold  out  his  full  term,  but  in  1875  had  to  give  way  to  the  Hon. 
H.  L.  Taylor.  J.  C.  Redfield  was  permitted  to  hold  his  full  four 
years'  term,  having  so  trimmed  his  sails,  politically,  and  having 
been  such  an  efficient  officer  that  no  one  was  able  to  oust  him  from 
his  office. 

H.  L.  Taylor  was  forced  to  give  way  before  the  expiration  o^ 
his  term  of  office  to  the  Hon.  Richard  L.  Walker  in  1879.  Colonel 
Taylor  was  lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Sixty-eighth  Illinois  In- 
fantry and  was  provost  marshal  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  where  the 
regiment  was  encamped  in  the  summer  of  1862.  He  remained 
in  Wichita  and  held  other  offices  of  trust  and  died  an  honored 
citizen  in  the  summer  of  1906  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 

J.  C.  Redfield  lived  in  Wichita  after  retiring  from  the  office 
of  receiver  and  was  manager  of  the  G.  G.  Smith  dry  goods  store 
at  this  place.  He  was  also  county  commissioner  for  several  years. 
He  died  in  1904  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  All  who  knew 
Mr.  Redfield  loved  him  for  his  sterling  worth. 

Mr.  Redfield  was  succeeded  in  December,  1876,  by  James  L. 
Dyer  as  receiver,  who  held  the  position  of  receiver  of  this  office 
until  November,  1885. 

Richard  L.  Walker,  who  succeeded  H.  L.  Taylor  as  registrar, 
was  prior  to  that  time  sheritf  of  Cowly  county,  Kansas,  and  held 
the  office  of  registrar  one  full  term,  and  was  reappointed  for  a 
second  term.  Then  he  had  to  fall  by  the  wayside  on  account  of 
Cleveland's  election.  He  was  captain  of  Company  A,  Nineteenth 
Ohio  Infantry,  and  had  a  splendid  record  as  a  soldier.  He  re- 
moved from  here  and  afterwards  was  United  States  marshal  for 
the  district  of  Kansas.  He  was  a  jolly  good  fellow  and  counted 
a  great  politician,  but  has  been  gathered  to  his  fathers  many 
years  ago  in  the  prime  of  his  vigorous  life  and  manhood. 


THE  WICHITA  LAND  OFFICE  93 

James  L.  Dyer,  who  came  here  in  April,  1872,  is  at  present 
judge  of  the  city  court  of  "Wichita. 

Walker  was  succeeded  as  registrar  by  the  Hon.  Prank  Dale, 
who  held  the  office  as  long  as  the  pie  tasted  good,  but  when  it  got 
too  poor  he  resigned,  moved  to  Guthrie,  Okla.,  where  he  mad^ 
money  at  the  practice  of  the  law,  and  was  afterwards  honored  by 
President  Cleveland  and  made  chief  justice  of  the  territory  of 
Oklahoma.  He  is  now  a  private  citizen,  enjoying  the  luxuries  of 
a  well-earned  fortune  at  Guthrie,  Okla.,  and  a  leading  lawyer  of 
the  new  state. 

J.  G.  McCoy  succeeded  Mr.  Dale  as  registrar  and  held  the 
office  until  it  was  abolished  and  absorbed  by  the  offices  at  Topeka 
and  Port  Dodge. 

Samuel  Gilbert  succeeded  James  L.  Dyer  as  receiver  in  No- 
vember, 1885,  and  performed  the  duties  of  the  office  as  long  as 
there  was  any  pay.  Then  he  quit  and  now  lives  in  California. 
J.  G.  McCoy  is  now  a  resident  of  Wichita  and  enjoys  the  many 
friends  in  his  declining  years  of  an  active  life. 

Connected  with  the  local  office  were  clerks  and  attorneys,  some 
of  whom  will  long  be  remembered  in  this  community.  W.  B. 
Mead  came  here  a  clerk  of  the  office  from  Augusta  and  was  clerk 
for  a  long  time  afterward.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age.  C.  A. 
Walker  came  with  Mr.  Redfield  from  Humboldt  and  was  clerk 
during  the  whole  of  Mr.  Redfield 's  term.  He  was  a  very  pro- 
ficient clerk  and  afterwards  was  cashier  of  the  Wichita  National 
Bank  until  it  suspended  business.  He  now  lives  in  Kansas  City, 
Mo.  Robert  E.  Guthrie  held  the  position  of  clerk  longer  than 
any  other  person  during  the  existence  of  the  office  at  this  place. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  efficient  clerks  that  ever  held  a  position 
in  the  United  States  Land  Office.  He  has  been  clerk  in  several 
United  States  land  offices  since  that  time,  and  is  now  a  clerk  in 
the  treasury  department  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Avery  Ains- 
jvorth  was  a  genial  and  efficient  clerk,  but  went  to  Larned,  Kan., 
and  was  clerk  in  the  LTnited  States  Land  Office  at  that  place  for 
many  years.  Harry  St.  John,  son  of  ex-Governor  John  P.  St. 
John,  was  clerk  for  many  years.  He  died  several  years  ago  in 
Oklahoma.  J.  Clifford  Bentley  was  a  most  efficient  clerk  for 
two  years.  He  is  now  practicing  law  in  Kingman,  Kan.  John  M. 
Lean  was  also  a  clerk  for  several  years.  His  whereabouts  is  now 
unknown  to  us.    J.  P.  Horton  was  a  very  efficient  clerk  for  two 


94  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

years.  He  went  from  here  to  Anthony,  Kan.,  and  died  a  few 
years  ago.    He  was  an  old  bachelor. 

D.  B.  Emmert,  formerly  receiver  at  Humboldt,  Kan.,  served 
as  clerk  under  Mr.  Walker,  registrar.  Dr.  E.  B.  Allen,  the  first 
mayor  of  Wichita,  was  clerk  under  W.  T.  Jenkins. 

Hon.  J.  F.  Lanck  was  one  of  the  very  best  land  ofSce  attorneys 
in  the  country.  He  practiced  before  the  Wichita  ofSce  during 
its  whole  existence.  He  was  at  one  time  chancellor  in  Tennessee, 
after  the  war.  He  was  a  Union  soldier.  He  died  a  few  years  ago. 
0.  D.  Kirk  and  W.  W.  Thomas  were  two  excellent  attorneys  and 
practiced  before  the  ofSee  many  years.  Thomas  was  afterwards 
probate  judge  of  Sedgwick  county.  He  now  lives  in  California. 
0.  D.  Kirk  is  now  probate  judge  of  Sedgwick  county,  Kan.,  and 
an  honored  citizen  of  Wichita. 

But  few  connected  with  the  land  office  at  an  early  day  now 
live,  and  their  names  are  almost  forgotten  by  the  public  at  large. 
And  the  fact  that  there  was  once  a  United  States  land  office  at 
Wichita  is  almost  a  dream.  Once  it  was  the  busiest  place  in  the 
whole  district,  and  thousands  came  to  Wichita  from  the  vast  terri- 
tory it  embraced,  coming  with  teams  and  remaining  here  for 
days  at  a  time,  and  when  one  did  a  great  business  in  those  days  it 
was  said  of  him,  "He  does  a  land  office  business." 

There  were  many  other  features  connected  with  the  land 
office  which  would  interest  early  settlers,  but  the  foregoing  is  a 
mere  biographical  sketch  of  its  officers,  clerks  and  attorneys  and 
of  the  vast  business  transacted  here. 

Note. — Judge  James  L.  Dyer  was  for  many  years  receiver  of 
the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Wichita.  No  man  living  is  so 
competent  to  write  its  history  as  Judge  Dyer.  The  location  of  the 
Government  Land  Office  at  Wichita  gave  the  town  its  first  im- 
petus as  a  trading  point. — Editor. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  BANKS  OF  WICHITA. 

By 

L.  S.  NAFTZGER. 

An  authenticated  history  of  the  banks  of  "Wichita  since  the 
founding  of  that  city  as  a  mere  hamlet  to  a  now  thriving  com- 
munity, known  and  called  the  Metropolis  of  the  Southwest,  is  not 
only  important  but  in  a  commercial  sense  exceedingly  advisable 
and  almost  indispensable. 

Therefore,  we  have  taken  pains  by  use  of  records  and  by 
careful  inquiry  among  the  older  business  men  living  here  since 
1870,  who  have  had  business  with  the  earlier  banks,  to  establish 
beyond  cavil  an  undisputed  history  of  the  banks  of  Wichita. 

The  Arkansas  Valley  Bank  is  often  credited  with  being  the 
first  bank  organized  in  Wichita,  but  this  is  not  substantiated  by 
the  facts  based  upon  authentic  information,  and,  further,  the 
records  at  the  court  house  show  that  W.  C.  Woodman  did  not 
arrive  in  Wichita  until  the  spring  of  1871,  when  he  bought  out 
George  Smith's  general  store,  located  midway  on  the  west  side 
of  the  first  block  on  North  Main  street,  where  he  erected  a  frame 
addition  on  the  rear  of  the  storeroom,  where  his  family  resided. 

Mr.  Woodman  converted  the  northeast  corner  of  his  store  with 
a  desk  behind  the  counter  into  a  loan  office,  where  money  was 
advanced  to  settlers  for  the  purpose  of  proving  up  on  their  claims 
at  the  rate  of  5  per  cent  interest  per  month,  secured  by  mortgage 
on  the  land,  and  many  settlers  lost  their  claims  through  this 
severe  exaction  of  interest  rate. 

After  several  years  of  loaning  the  institution  grew  into  the 
Arkansas  Valley  Bank,  and  failed  some  time  in  the  nineties. 

The  Wichita  Bank  was  really  the  first  legitimate  bank  estab- 
lished and  was  opened  for  business  in  the  spring  of  1872  by 
J.  C.  Praker,  president;  J.  R.  Mead,  vice-president,  and  A.  H. 
Gossard,  cashier,  and  was  located  in  the  most  credible  frame 
building  in  the  town  at  that  time. 
95 


96  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

The  building  was  a  handsomely  built  frame  with  store  front 
erected  midway  on  the  west  side  in  the  third  block  on  North 
Main  street  and  did  an  excellent  business  from  the  start,  and 
remained  in  that  location  until  the  spring  of  1873,  when  it  was 
chartered  as  the  First  National  Bank  of  Wichita,  at  that  time 
building  a  splendid  bank  structure,  still  standing  as  an  ornament 
to  the  city,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Main  and  First  streets. 

The  county  made  it  a  depository,  and  when  it  failed  obtained 
title  to  the  building  and  ground  in  lieu  of  the  losses  sustained. 

The  Wichita  Savings  Bank  was  next  in  order  and  was  incor- 
porated July  1,  1872,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  one-third  being 
paid  up,  and  the  first  officers  being  A.  W.  Clark,  of  Leavenworth, 
Kan.,  president ;  Sol.  H.  Kohn,  vice-president,  and  A.  A.  Hyde, 
formerly  with  Mr.  Clark's  bank  at  Leavenworth,  cashier,  and 
commenced  business  in  August  of  the  same  year. 

The  first  board  of  directors  was  completed  with  A.  M.  Clark, 
Sol.  H.  Kohn,  W.  A.  Thomas,  William  Griffenstein,  S.  C.  Johnson, 
H.  J.  Hills,  N.  A.  English,  Emil  Werner  and  A.  A.  Hyde. 

On  October  27,  1875,  M.  W.  Levy  was  elected  vice-president, 
Mr.  Clark  retiring  March  1,  1879,  and  the  bank  was  merged  into 
the  Wichita  Bank  of  Kohn  Brothers  &  Co.  on  January  1,  1883. 

The  institution  began  business  as  the  Wichita  National  Bank 
with  Sol.  Kohn,  then  of  this  city,  president ;  A.  W.  Oliver,  vice- 
president;  W.  M.  Levy,  cashier;  C.  A.  Walker,  assistant  cashier. 
Capital.  $250,000,  and  in  1882  deposits  were  $350,000 ;  loans  and 
discounts,  $150,000;  cash  and  sight  exchange,  $200,000. 

This  bank  did  a  very  successful  business  for  several  years, 
but  owing  to  the  disasters  and  shrinkages  incident  to  the  boom 
of  the  years  1900  and  1901  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Major 
Ewing  as  receiver;  finally,  however,  paying  out  its  depositors  in 
full. 

The  Kansas  National  Bank  opened  for  business  originally  as 
the  Farmers'  &  Merchants'  Bank,  and  was  established  November 
1,  1876,  by  H.  W.  Lewis  as  a  private  institution,  and  on  Septem- 
ber 1,  1882,  was  organized  under  the  state  banking  law  with  a 
capital  of  $25,000,  the  directors  and  officers  being  H.  W.  Lewis, 
president ;  A.  A.  Hyde,  cashier,  S.  Houek,  W.  S.  Corbett  and  T.  H. 
Lynch,  and  subsequently  nationalized  as  the  Kansas  National 
Bank. 

The  deposits  during  the  first  year  were  $20,000,  and  in  1882 
amounted  to  $100,000,  with  discounts  of  $60,000. 


THE  BANKS  OF  WICHITA  97 

The  organization  of  the  national  bank  iinder  its  present  name, 
the  Kansas  National  Bank,  was  made  on  November  1,  1882,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $50,000,  with  board  of  directors  as  follows: 
H.  W.  Lewis,  J.  L.  Dyer,  R.  H.  Roys,  R.  E.  Lawrence  and  A.  A. 
Hyde. 

The  ownership  of  this  bank  has  entirely  changed,  but  is  still 
doing  a  large  and  profitable  business  in  its  own  building  located 
at  the  corner  of  Main  street  and  Douglas  avenue  under  the  able 
and  efficient  management  of  C.  Q.  Chandler,  president ;  E.  E.  Mas- 
oerman,  vice-president;  J.  W.  Berryman,  second  vice-president; 
Elsberry  Martin,  cashier,  and  Charles  Testard,  assistant  cashier. 

It  has  a  capital  of  $100,000 ;  surplus  and  undivided  profits 
amounting  to  $140,000,  and  has  come  safely  through  the  financial 
storm  incident  to  the  boom,  and  is  still  one  of  the  most  solid,  sub- 
stantial and  conservative  financial  institutions  in  the  state. 

The  Kansas  State  Bank  was  organized  December  16,  1880, 
with  a  paid  up  capital  of  $52,000,  its  officers  being  B.  Lombard, 
Jr.,  president;  James  L.  Lombard,  vice-president;  L.  D.  Skinner, 
cashier,  and  George  E.  Spalton,  assistant  cashier. 

After  a  year's  business  the  bank  was  nationalized,  but  subse- 
quently failed  in  1894.  Of  the  roster  of  officers  of  this  bank  only 
George  E.  Spalton  remains  as  a  resident  of  Wichita. 

The  Citizens'  Bajik  was  incorporated  December  20,  1882,  with 
a  capital  of  $100,000  by  J.  0.  Davidson,  S.  L.  Davidson,  C.  L. 
Davidson,  W.  E.  Stanley,  R.  S.  Gates,  A.  Drum  and  John  Carpen- 
ter, and  officered  as  follows:  J.  0.  Davidson,  president;  S.  L. 
Davidson,  vice-president;  C.  L.  Davidson,  secretary,  and  John 
Derst,  cashier. 

The  bank  was  opened  for  business  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Douglas,  where  the  Kansas  National  Bank  now  operates,  it  hav- 
ing built  and  owned  the  building,  and  was  finally  merged  into  the 
Kansas  National  Bank. 

The  Bank  of  Commerce,  a  private  banking  institution,  was 
established  by  Rodolph  Hatfield  and  John  W.  Hartley  in  Janu- 
ary, 1883,  with  a  capital  of  $25,000,  to  be  increased  as  business 
demanded,  and  was  afterwards  purchased  by  George  C.  Strong 
and  in  1887  reorganized  as  the  Fourth  National  Bank  of  Wichita. 

In  1892  a  controlling  interest  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  L.  S. 
Naftzger  and  J.  M.  Moore,  and  has  at  the  present  time  a  capital 
of  $200,000,  with  surplus  and  profits  of  $200,000. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Moore  severed  his  active  connection  with  the  bank 


98  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

in  the  fall  of  1908,  present  officers  being  L.  S.  Naftzger,  president ; 
"W.  R.  Tucker  and  C.  W.  Brown,  vice-presidents;  V.  H.  Branch, 
cashier;  George  M.  Whitney  and  M.  C.  Naftzger,  assistant 
cashiers. 

The  bank  is  located  in  its  own  building,  the  handsome  four- 
story  brick  structure  at  the  corner  of  Market  street  and  East 
Douglas  avenue,  and  is  credited  with  having  gone  through  the 
entire  boom  and  various  financial  depressions  and  remaining  con- 
tinually in  business  since  its  establishment  in  1887  without  ever 
dishonoring  a  check  or  losing  an  hour's  business  time. 

The  bank  has  been  managed  under  a  broad  and  exceedingly 
safe  and  conservative  policy,  and  has  always  been  regarded  as 
one  of  the  most  safe  and  solid  financial  institutions  in  Wichita  or 
the  state  of  Kansas. 

Note. — Since  the  writing  of  the  above  article  Mr.  Naftzger  has 
retired  from  the  presidency  of  the  Fourth  National  Bank  of 
Wichita.  He  is  succeeded  by  Mr.  Ben  F.  McLean,  so  long  con- 
nected with  the  directorate  of  that  bank  and  formerly  mayor  of 
Wichita.— Editor-in-Chief. 

The  West  Side  National  Bank  was  established  in  1887  by  Rob- 
ert E.  Lawrence  and  associates,  but  after  two  years'  business  went 
into  voluntary  liquidation,  paying  its  depositors  in  full. 

The  American  State  Bank,  located  at  the  corner  of  Topeka  and 
Douglas  avenues,  was  organized  in  1890  with  a  capital  of  $50,- 
000,  subsequently  increased  to  $100,000,  and  has  at  the  present 
time,  in  addition  to  the  $100,000  capital,  a  surplus  and  profit 
account  amounting  to  $20,000.  The  present  officers  are  C.  E. 
Denton,  president ;  M.  J.  Lloyd,  vice-president,  and  J.  N.  Richard- 
son, cashier. 

This  bank  has  had  a  very  remarkable  and  substantial  growth, 
and  is  a  popular  depository  and  enjoys  the  confidence  of  the  busi- 
ness community. 

The  National  Bank  of  Commerce  was  established  in  1899  and 
now  has  a  capital  of  $100,000  and  surplus  of  $100,000,  is  under  the 
excellent  management  of  C.  W.  Carey,  president;  J.  H.  Stewart 
and  J.  H.  Black,  vice-presidents,  and  F.  A.  Russell,  cashier. 

This  bank  is  one  of  the  leading  popular  and  successful  banks 
of  Wichita  and  was  founded  by  A.  C.  Jobes,  now  vice-president  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  C.  W.  Carey 
and   enjoys  the  implicit   confidence   of  the   community,   having 


THE  BANKS  OP  WICHITA  99 

made  a  remarkably  strong  growth  and  building  up  its  business 
upon  extreme  conservatism  and  excellent  business  judgment. 

The  Commercial  Bank,  located  at  143  North  Main  street,  is  a 
private  bank  having  a  capital  of  $100,000,  and  is  owned  and  op- 
erated by  its  president,  J.  A.  Davison,  with  the  assistance  of  E.  L. 
Davison,  cashier. 

This  bank  is  a  very  conservative  private  institution,  with 
many  friends  and  depositors. 

The  State  Savings  Bank,  located  at  No.  115  East  Douglas 
avenue,  was  organized  by  W.  M.  Levy  and  H.  W.  Lewis,  who 
subsequently  sold  their  controlling  interest  to  Mr.  J.  S.  Corley, 
now  managing  the  bank  as  president  Avith  the  assistance  of  "Will- 
iam C.  Little,  vice-president ;  M.  V.  Corley,  cashier,  and  H.  U.  P. 
Gehring,  assistant  cashier.  Its  present  capital  is  $25,000,  and  the 
bank  is  a  well-established,  painstaking  institution  with  a  growing 
business. 

The  Citizens'  State  Bank,  located  across  the  river  at  No.  915 
West  Douglas  avenue,  was  organized  in  1902,  and  has  for  its 
present  officers  W.  S.  Hadley,  president ;  G.  E.  Outland,  vice-presi- 
dent; W.  C.  Kemp,  cashier,  and  H.  C.  Outland,  assistant  cashier. 

This  institution  has  always  enjoyed  the  entire  respect  and 
confidence  of  the  citizens  of  Wichita  in  general  and  the  West 
Side  in  particular,  to  which  location  it  has  largely  confined  its 
growing  business,  constantly  increasing,  and  building  up  a  very 
large  and  successful  business,  particularly  for  a  bank  with  so 
limited  a  capital,  and  this  growing  business  has  recently  made  it 
necessary  to  increase  the  capital  from  $10,000  to  $25,000. 

The  National  Bank  of  Wichita  was  organized  by  C.  T.  Granger, 
of  Waukon,  Iowa,  and  his  associates,  date  of  organization  certifi- 
cate being  May  10,  1902,  but  the  bank  was  not  opened  for  busi- 
ness until  in  November  following,  owing  to  delay  in  completion 
of  the  building. 

First  officers  were  C.  T.  Granger,  president ;  R.  S.  Granger, 
vice-president ;  George  W.  Robinson,  cashier. 

Later  and  in  July,  1903,  R.  G.  Granger  resigned  as  vice-presi- 
dent, being  succeeded  by  V.  H.  Branch,  and  on  the  following 
January  Mr.  C.  W.  Brown  was  elected  president  in  place  of  C.  T. 
Granger,  resigned;  George  W.  Robinson  remaining  as  its  cashier 
until  he  resigned  on  August  26,  1905,  being  succeeded  by  V.  H. 
Branch,  Mr.  F.  C.  Sheldon,  of  Kansas  City,  being  elected  vice- 
president. 


100  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

The  business  of  the  bank  continued  under  the  excellent  man- 
agement of  C.  W.  Brown,  president ;  F.  C.  Sheldon,  vice-president, 
and  V.  H.  Branch,  cashier,  vintil  July  3,  1908,  when  the  business 
was  consolidated  with  the  Fourth  National  Bank  of  Wichita,  Mr. 
Brown  and  Mr.  Branch  going  to  the  Fourth  National  Bank,  the 
former  as  vice-president  and  the  latter  as  its  cashier. 

The  National  Bank  of  Wichita  enjoyed  a  successful  business, 
and  at  the  time  of  the  above  mentioned  consolidation  carried  a 
deposit  of  $600,000. 

The  Gold  Savings  State  Bank,  occupying  the  new  Anchor 
Trust  building,  corner  North  Market  and  First  streets,  was  or- 
ganized in  1906  with  a  capital  of  $25,000,  and  now  has  surplus 
and  profits  amounting  to  $1,500. 

This  institution  is  under  the  management  of  H.  W.  Lewis, 
president ;  P.  K.  Lewis,  vice-president,  and  Charles  Frank,  cashier. 

This  bank  is  doing  a  general  banking  and  deposit  business 
and  is  meeting  with  a  steady  and  substantial  growth. 

The  Stock  Yards  State  Bank,  situated  at  1857  North  Lawrence 
avenue,  was  organized  in  1907  by  W.  W.  Brown  and  his  associates, 
F.  C.  Sheldon  and  V.  H.  Branch,  having  a  capital  of  $10,000. 

Messrs.  Sheldon  and  Branch  subsequently  sold  their  interests 
in  the  bank  to  Mr.  Brown  and  associates,  and  same  is  now  under 
the  active  and  conservative  management  of  Garrison  Scott,  Presi- 
dent ;  George  T.  Cubbon,  vice-president,  and  W.  W.  Brown, 
cashier. 

This  institution  is  located  in  a  territory  by  itself,  having  a 
fine  neighborhood  in  the  center  of  the  growing  industries  on 
North  Lawrence  avenue,  including  the  packing  house  district, 
and  is  doing  a  thriving  and  successful  business. 

The  Merchants  State  Bank,  located  at  the  corner  of  Emporia 
and  Douglas  avenues,  was  opened  for  business  on  December  10, 
1906,  with  George  W.  Robinson,  president ;  D.  Heaton,  vice-presi- 
dent, and  J.  A.  Murphy,  cashier,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000. 

The  bank  is  at  the  present  time  under  the  management  of 
Charles  H.  Lewis,  president;  George  Veail,  vice-president,  and 
J.  W.  Dice,  cashier. 

Mr.  Robinson,  who  was  the  organizer  of  the  bank,  resigned 
on  October  1,  1909. 

Present  deposits  of  the  bank  are  $315,000,  and  is  one  of  the 
successful  financial  institutions  of  the  city  of  Wichita. 

The  Wichita  State  Bank  was  organized  on  August  2,  1908,  as 


THE  BANKS  OF  WICHITA  101 

a  sayings  bank  only  with  a  capital  of  $25,000  and  surplus  of  $5,- 
000,  present  officers  being  H.  V.  Wheeler,  president;  H.  J.  Hag- 
ney,  vice-president;  J.  C.  Kelly,  cashier,  and  H.  H.  Dewey,  secre- 
tary. 

This  bank  does  exclusively  a  savings  bank  business,  and  as 
such  is  rapidly  growing  in  popular  favor,  and  holds  the  faith  and 
confidence  of  its  customers. 

The  Union  Stock  Yards  National  Bank  was  organized  in  May, 
1910,  and  opened  for  business  in  the  stock  yards  district  north  of 
Twenty-first  street  and  just  outside  the  city  limits  of  Wichita  by 
Charles  H.  Brooks  and  his  associates,  and  has  a  capital  of  $50,- 
000,  with  the  following  officers:  Charles  H.  Brooks,  president; 
George  Theis,  Jr.,  vice-president;  F.  F.  Ransom,  cashier,  and 
John  D.  McCluer,  assistant  cashier. 

The  bank  occupies  a  fine  banking  room  in  the  Live  Stock  Ex- 
change building,  and  will  undoubtedly  enjoy  a  successful  busi- 
ness under  its  present  efficient  management. 

We  have  endeavored  in  this  resume  of  the  banks  of  Wichita 
to  show  no  partiality  and  to  name  them  all  in  existence  at  the 
present  writing,  June,  1910,  though  we  are  informed  there  are 
several  banks  in  contemplation,  all  of  which,  of  course,  cannot  be 
included  in  this  recital  no  more  than  we  could  undertake  to  de- 
scribe the  thousand  or  more  new  organizations  and  industries 
that  the  coming  years  will  unfold,  these  forming  material  for  a 
subsequent  history. 

It  might  be  well  to  state  in  conclusion  that  during  the  boom 
of  1887  the  deposits  of  the  Wichita  banks  increased  to  about  $4,- 
000,000,  but  later  on  and  at  the  close  of  the  boom  and  some  few 
years  subsequent  thereto  finally  shrunk  to  the  low  level  of  $437,- 
000,  and  at  about  that  time  seven  of  the  nine  Wichita  banks  then 
in  existence  either  failed  or  liquidated  as  a  result  of  the  boom, 
leaving  the  two  banks,  the  Fourth  National  Bank  and  the  Kansas 
.National  Bank,  as  the  only  solvent  financial  institutions  of  the 
city. 

Subsequently,  however,  and  in  the  last  years  of  the  century 
just  passed,  the  deposits  of  the  Wichita  banks  commenced  to  in- 
crease at  a  substantial  rate,  and  later  on  increased  very  rapidly, 
until  at  the  present  time  deposits  of  all  the  Wichita  banks  have 
reached  the  high  figure  of  over  $12,000,000,  showing  a  financial 
growth  seldom  recorded  in  a  city  the  size  of  Wichita,  and  is  a 
striking  tribute  to  the  wonderful  resources  of  the  territory  sur- 


102  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

rounding  Wichita  and  the  care,  thrift  and  business  sagacity  of 
the  various  gentlemen  now  managing  the  twelve  Wichita 


$12,000,000  IN  WICHITA  BANKS. 

According  to  the  last  official  report  of  the  condition  of  the 
eleven  banks  of  Wichita,  there  was  on  deposit  at  that  time  about 
$12,000,000,  or  more  than  an  average  of  a  million  dollars  each. 
The  bank  clearings  of  Wichita  during  the  past  year  have  in- 
creased in  a  greater  ratio  than  those  of  any  other  city  in  the 
United  States.  This  increase  has  at  times  run  as  high  as  62  per 
cent  over  last  year,  as  shown  by  the  weekly  reports  sent  out  by 
the  government.  Of  these  eleven  banking  institutions  of  Wich- 
ita, three  are  national  banks  and  eight  are  under  state  super- 
vision. They  are  all  conducted  in  a  businesslike  and  conserva- 
tive manner,  and  no  legitimate  banking  institution  in  Wichita  has 
failed  in  many  years. 

The  three  national  banks,  which  have  deposits  aggregating 
nearly  $8,000,000,  are  the  Fourth  National,  the  Kansas  National 
and  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce.  The  state  banks,  with  an 
aggregate  in  deposits  of  $4,000,000  are  the  American  State,  the 
Wichita  State,  the  State  Savings,  the  Stock  Yards  State,  the  Gold 
Savings  State,  the  Citizens'  State,  the  Merchants'  State  and  the 
Commercial.  A  new  national  bank  has  just  been  organized  and 
will  be  ready  for  business  soon.  It  will  be  known  as  the  Union 
Stock  Yards  National  Bank. 


THE  COUNTRY  BANKS  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY. 

By 
THE  EDITOR. 

As  Sedgwick  county  has  grown  and  expanded,  there  has  grad- 
ually arisen  a  need  of  banking  facilities  in  the  various  trading 
and  shipping  points  in  the  county.  This  want  has  called  into 
existence  a  niunber  of  very  reliable  banking  institutions,  located 
in  the  various  towns  of  Sedgwick  county.  These  banks  are  pat- 
ronized extensively  by  the  business  men  of  the  various  commu- 
nities and  very  generally  by  the  farmers  in  the  localities  named. 

Sedgwick  City,  upon  the  northern  border  of  Sedgwick  county, 


THE  BANKS  OF  WICHITA  103 

has  two  banks — namely,  the  Farmers'  State  Bank,  organized  in 
1906,  with  William  Nightser  as  president,  J.  C.  Crawford  as  vice- 
president  and  Charles  B.  Harling  as  cashier;  this  bank  has  a 
paid-up  capital  of  $10,000,  and  carries  a  good  line  of  deposits; 
the  Sedgwick  State  Bank,  which  was  organized  in  1894,  of  which 
C.  A.  Seaman  is  president  and  J.  H.  Hume  is  cashier;  the  capital 
stock  of  this  bank  is  also  $10,000,  fully  paid  up. 

At  Valley  Center  is  one  bank,  the  Valley  Center  State  Bank, 
with  a  paid-up  capital  of  $10,000.  W.  D.  Goodrich  is  the  presi- 
dent, S.  B.  Amidon  is  the  vice-president  and  J.  B.  Gardiner  is  the 
cashier.    This  bank  was  organized  in  1901. 

Kechi  has  the  State  Bank  of  Kechi,  with  L.  H.  Watson  as 
president,  S.  B.  Amidon  as  vice-president  and  E.  S.  Basore  as 
cashier.  This  bank  has  a  paid-up  capital  of  $10,000,  and  was 
organized  in  1909. 

Payne,  Minneha  and  Gypsum  townships  have  no  banks,  but 
Rockford  township  has  a  bank  at  Derby,  called  the  Farmers'  and 
Merchants'  State  Bank,  which  was  organized  in  1907,  with  a 
paid-up  capital  of  $10,000.  This  bank  is  officered  by  S.  T.  Towns- 
din  as  president,  R.  R.  Goodin  as  vice-president  and  S.  T.  Towns- 
din  as  cashier. 

Mulvane,  on  the  southern  border  of  Sedgwick  county,  has 
two  banks.  The  Farmers'  State  Bank  was  formed  in  1906,  with 
a  paid-up  capital  of  $10,000.  George  Miller  is  president,  J.  W. 
Dice  is  vice-president  and  0.  W.  Good  is  cashier.  Also  the  Mul- 
vane State  Bank,  organized  in  1886,  with  a  paid-up  capital  stock 
of  $20,000.  Of  this  bank  W.  C.  Robinson  is  president  and  C.  F. 
Hough  is  cashier. 

Clearwater  has  two  banks.  The  Home  State  Bank  was  organ- 
ized in  1905,  with  a  paid-up  capital  stock  of  $10,000.  A.  W.  Wise 
is  president  and  S.  M.  Broomfield  vice-president  and  cashier. 
The  State  Bank  of  Clearwater  was  organized  in  1899  and  has  a 
capital  stock  of  $10,000.  Z.  H.  Stevens  is  the  president,  H.  M.  Har- 
rington is  the  vice-president  and  J.  W.  Dale  is  the  cashier. 

Viola  has  one  bank,  to-wit,  the  Viola  State  Bank,  organized  in 
1903.  This  bank  has  a  capital  of  $10,000,  fully  paid  up,  and 
Joseph  Longe  is  its  president,  Charles  Dalbom  its  vice-president 
and  J.  E.  Mathes  its  cashier. 

Cheney  has  two  banks,  the  Cheney  State  Bank,  with  John  T. 
Hessel  as  its  president,  J.  W.  Weatherd  as  vice-president  and  F. 
Zimmerman  its  cashier.     This  bank  was  organized  in  1889  and 


104  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

has  a  cash  capital  of  $10,000,  fully  paid  up.  Also  the  Citizens' 
State  Bank,  organized  in  1884,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $15,000, 
fully  paid  up.  Of  this  bank  A.  W.  Sweet  is  the  president,  Odin 
Northeutt  the  vice-president  and  E.  M.  Carr  the  cashier. 

Garden  Plain  has  one  bank  called  the  State  Bank  of  Garden 
Plain.  This  bank  was  organized  in  1901,  with  H.  F.  G.  Wulf  as 
president  at  this  time,  William  H.  Taylor,  Jr.,  as  vice-president 
and  G.  A.  Tayer  as  cashier.  This  bank  also  has  a  paid-up  capital 
of  $10,000. 

Goddard  has  one  bank,  the  Goddard  State  Bank,  with  a  paid- 
up  capital  of  $10,000.  This  bank  was  organized  in  1907.  S.  L. 
Nolan  is  its  president,  S.  L.  Hutchinson  its  vice-president  and 
V.  A.  Reece  its  cashier. 

Mt.  Hope  has  two  banks — namely,  the  Farmers'  State  Bank, 
organized  in  1909,  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  $12,000.  E.  W.  Jewell 
is  president,  E.  C.  Gortner  is  vice-president  and  H.  M.  Washing- 
ton is  cashier.  Also  the  First  National  Bank  of  Mt.  Hope,  organ- 
ized in  1885,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000,  fully  paid  up.  Of 
this  bank  J.  R.  Fisher  is  president,  S.  B.  Amidon  is  vice-president 
and  Henry  Jorgenson  is  the  cashier. 

Andale  has  one  bank,  denominated  the  Andale  State  Bank, 
organized  in  1900,  with  a  fully  paid-up  capital  of  $10,000.  L.  A. 
Townsend  is  the  president,  A.  M.  Richenberger  is  vice-president 
and  E.  0.  Lamon  is  the  cashier. 

Colwieh  has  one  bank,  the  State  Bank  of  Colwich,  organized  in 
1885,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $10,000,  fully  paid  up.  W.  H. 
Burks  is  president  of  this  bank,  H.  H.  Hansen  its  vice-president 
and  A.  C.  Lambe  its  cashier. 

Bentley  has  one  bank,  organized  in  1901,  known  as  the  State 
Bank  of  Bentley.  This  bank  has  a  paid-up  capital  of  $10,000. 
H.  H.  Hansen  is  its  president,  T.  J.  Smith  is  its  vice-president, 
C.  L.  Baird  its  cashier  and  Avis  Baird  its  assistant  cashier. 

The  country  banks  of  Sedgwick  county  are  regarded  as  uni- 
formly safe  and  conservative.  Their  business  interests  are  in 
the  hands  of  careful  and  conservative  men — men  who  have  an 
intimate  personal  acquaintance  with  the  patrons  of  the  various 
banks.  Bank  failures  are  unknown  in  the  country  banks  of 
Sedgwick  county.  This  situation  is  due  to  two  causes — first,  the 
uniform  prosperity  of  the  county,  and  second,  the  care  and 
fidelity  of  those  intrusted  with  the  management  of  the  various 
institutions. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WICHITA  POSTOFFICE. 

TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTEEN  PERSONS  REQUIRED  TO 
GIVE  US  MAIL. 

Streams  of  people  going  through  the  entrance  to  the  big 
federal  building,  crowds  working  their  way  out  through  the 
exits — that  is  all  the  passerby  sees  of  the  enormous  postal  busi- 
ness that  is  conducted  in  "Wichita  every  day.  A  patron  who  takes 
his  place  in  line  in  front  of  the  stamp  window,  spends  a  quarter 
for  postage  and  drops  several  neatly  sealed  epistles  into  the 
opening  marked,  "Other  States,"  thinks  little  of  the  regiment 
of  specialists  that  Uncle  Sam  maintains  behind  the  lobby  enclosure 
to  serve  the  thousands  of  residents  of  the  community.  But  the 
specialists  are  there,  a  little  army  of  them,  each  with  a  depart- 
ment of  his  own,  handling  letters,  newspapers,  magazines  and 
mail  packages  of  every  description.  Two  hundred  and  fifteen 
people  are  employed  in  the  Wichita  postofSce  every  day  and  they 
are  kept  busy  from  morning  until  night  handling  and  accounting 
for  the  tons  of  mail  matter  that  come  in  and  go  out  from  the 
federal  building  during  the  course  of  a  day.  Their  aggregate 
salary  allowance  from  Uncle  Sam  amounts  to  over  $200,000  a 
year. 

Included  in  this  euormous  postal  force  are  the  assistant  post- 
master, the  cashier,  clerks,  city  carriers,  railroad  postal  clerks, 
janitors,  drivers,  special  delivery  messengers,  and  rural  carriers, 
with  Postmaster  W.  C.  Edwards  at  the  head  of  the  entire  organi- 
.zation.  It  is  no  small  undertaking  to  organize  as  large  a  work- 
ing force  as  that  employed  at  the  Wichita  postoffice.  It  is  still 
another  matter  to  keep  a  large  force  well  organized  while  many 
additions  are  being  made  in  every  department  and  the  character 
of  the  work  to  be  done  is  constantly  growing  more  complex. 
That  is  what  has  had  to  be  done  in  Wichita.  During  the  past 
five  years  the  postal  force  has  been  almost  doubled  in  numbers 
and  the  mail  requirements  here  are  almost  as  difficult  to  meet  as 
lOS 


106  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

those  in  any  city  in  the  country.  No  department  can  be  closed, 
even  temporarily,  at  the  postoffice.  No  matter  who  is  ill  or  absent, 
no  matter  what  happens ;  every  department  must  be  kept  going, 
for  every  department  is  a  cog  in  the  great  machine  and  its  work 
is  necessary  for  an  efficient  service.  The  postal  force  must  per- 
form the  task  completely  without  a  hitch,  and  the  way  the  service 
is  handled  in  Wichita  is  a  splendid  testimonial  to  the  mental 
capacity  and  faithfulness  of  the  scores  of  men  wlio  occupy  posi- 
tions in  the  department  here.  The  business  of  the  Wichita  post- 
office  for  the  year  ending  March  31,  1910,  aggregated  nearly  a 
quarter  million  dollars.  This  year  it  will  pass  the  quarter  million 
mark.  The  growing  population,  the  enlargement  of  business 
enterprises  here,  the  numerous  institutions  that  are  springing  up 
anew  in  every  part  of  the  city  are  having  a  remarkable  effect 
upon  the  postal  business  here.  What  is  more,  the  process  of 
development  is  only  well  begun.  Although  the  Wichita  postoffice 
now  handles  more  mail  matter  than  originates  at  any  other  post- 
office  in  the  State  of  Kansas,  provision  for  as  much  more  will  have 
to  be  made  during  the  next  few  years  while  Wichita  is  growing 
into  a  city  of  100,000  people.  In  any  event,  Uncle  Sam  may  be 
depended  upon  to  keep  up  with  the  procession.  A  splendid  build- 
ing, has  been  erected  for  the  accommodation  of  the  government 
institutions  here,  the  postal  employes  are  trained  in  their  respect- 
ive lines,  and  the  force  is  capable  of  making  the  enlargement  that 
the  increasing  business  of  the  city  will  demand  from  year  to  year. 

POSTOFFICE  RECORDS  PROOF  OF  GROWTH. 

Three  new  families  are  moving  into  Wichita  every  day.  This 
is  the  very  moderate  rate  placed  upon  the  city's  growth  by  the 
"new  family"  officials  of  the  postoffice.  This  statement  is  backed 
up  by  figures  prepared  by  this  department  of  the  postoffice. 

This  is  the  rate  at  which  families  are  moving  in  at  this  time 
of  the  year,  the  slackest  time  of  the  year  in  the  moving  line. 
When  the  winter  rush  commences,  families  will  come  in  at  the 
rate  of  six  or  seven  every  day.    This  was  the  rate  last  year. 

The  way  the  postoffice  officials  get  tab  on  the  new  families  is 
by  the  carriers.  A  carrier  is  supposed  to  be  sort  of  a  directory 
all  of  the  time,  and  it  is  his  business  to  keep  track  of  and  report 
all  families  which  move  in  and  out.  These  are  recorded.  A  new 
system  of  recording  new  families  and  removals  is  followed  at  the 


WICHITA  POSTOFPICB  107 

postotBce  now.  The  card  system  was  formerly  used,  but  did  not 
give  satisfaction.  The  book  system  is  the  one  now  in  use.  A 
two-column  edition  of  the  Wichita  directory  is  kept  on  hand,  and 
between  each  sheet  there  are  two  blank  leaves.  The  new  families 
are  recorded  there. 

FARMERS  GET  MAIL  DAILY  OVER  NINE  RURAL 
ROUTES. 

The  rural  free  delivery  department  of  the  Wichita  postoffiee 
and  Sedgwick  county  is  one  of  the  best  conveniences  that  a  repub- 
lican form  of  government  is  supposed  to  have  for  its  people.  This 
is  not  placing  the  Wichita  and  Sedgwick  county  departments 
away  above  other  delivery  departments,  but  it  is  saying  that 
the  rural  free  department  in  this  county,  which  every  day  out 
of  the  year,  with  the  exception  of  Sundays  and  holidays,  gets 
mail  to  every  farmer  in  the  county,  is  as  good  as  the  best.  Be- 
cause this  department  is  several  years  younger  than  the  other 
departments  in  the  local  postoffiee,  it  is  not  one  whit  behind  the 
other  departments  in  efficiency.  Thirty-six  carriers  take  charge 
of  delivering  mail  to  the  farmers  in  Sedgwick  county.  Every  car- 
rier on  an  average  covers  twenty-nine  miles  per  day.  This  num- 
ber of  carriers  means  that  once  each  day  mail  is  delivered  on 
every  section  line  in  the  county.  Nine  carriers  take  care  of  the 
rural  work  outside  of  Wichita.  This  means  there  are  nine  routes, 
each  averaging  twenty-nine  miles.  These  carriers  deliver  mail  to 
4,640  persons.  Each  carrier  starts  from  the  local  postoffiee  at  8 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  reports  back  at  4  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. No  matter  what  the  condition  of  the  weather,  he  must 
make  his  trip  every  day.  The  rural  carriers  out  of  Wichita  are 
very  reliable  men,  and  it  is  seldom  that  one  of  them  uses  a  sub- 
stitute. Whom  do  you  suppose  his  substitute  is?  Generally  his 
wife.  Strange,  but  true;  most  of  the  carriers'  wives  learn  the 
route  so  thoroughly  that  it  isn't  any  trouble  for  them  to  cover  it 
when  their  husbands  are  unable  to.  They  are  said  to  make  fewer 
mistakes  than  their  husbands.  The  first  routes  in  Sedgwick 
county  were  routes  Nos.  1  and  2,  leading  out  of  Wichita.  Each 
went  north  of  the  city.  When  it  was  first  made  public  that 
Wichita  was  to  have  a  rural  free  delivery,  there  was  great  agita- 
tion. Some  advocated  it  as  the  proper  thing  for  the  government 
to  do.     Others  thought  they  saw  a  nigger  in  the  woodpile,  and 


108  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

said  it  was  a  scheme  to  get  more  money.  The  common  report 
then  was  that  it  was  a  Republican  scheme  to  get  more  taxes  out 
of  the  farmers. 

Some  of  the  residents  on  the  rural  lines  believed  this  so  sin- 
cerely that  they  refused  to  take  their  mail  for  fear  their  taxes 
would  be  doubled.  All  of  this  happened  in  1900.  The  first  route 
was  put  in  October  1,  1900.  The  first  two  rural  carriers  in  the 
state  were  J.  R.  Moore  and  W.  L.  Appling.  They  agreed  to  cover 
the  twenty-nine  miles  on  each  of  their  routes  once  a  day  for  $500 
per  year.  Carriers  now  receive  -$900  per  year.  It  is  said  that 
they  are  trying  to  get  their  wages  increased  to  $1,000  per  year. 
In  1902  routes  3  and  4  were  added ;  later  route  5  came  in.  M.  M. 
Murdock  was  postmaster  at  that  time  and  was  an  ardent  advo- 
cate of  this  system.  In  1905  the  county  service  was  established. 
This  gave  Sedgwick  county  the  distinction  of  having  the  second 
complete  service  in  the  state.  There  has  been  no  change  in  the 
service  since  that  time.  The  carriers  who  go  out  of  "Wichita 
every  morning  are :  Route  No.  1,  Charles  C.  Snyder ;  route  No.  2, 
Benjamin  F.  Smith ;  route  No.  3,  A.  J.  Parker ;  route  No.  4, 
Thomas  A.  Bowles ;  route  No.  5,  James  C.  Smith ;  route  No.  6, 
Arthur  Bell ;  route  No.  7,  J.  W.  Baughman ;  route  No.  8,  J.  W. 
Snyder;   route  No.  9,  J.  T.  Woodford. 

POSTOFFICE. 

Postoffice — Market,  northwest  corner  William. 

Postmaster — W.  C.  Edwards. 

Assistant  Postmaster — J.  F.  McCoy. 

Cashier — J.  H.  McPherson. 

Money  Order  Department — Frank  Fisher,  Ida  W.  Decatur, 
Henrietta  Menz. 

Register  Clerk — G.  A.  Nachtrieb. 

Stamp  Clerk — Francis  M.  Cruse. 

Night  Service— C.  E.  Smith. 

Chief  Mailing  Department — J.  E.  Higgins. 

Mailing  Clerks— E.  W.  Berdine,  W.  C.  Ludlum,  J.  J.  Smith, 
C.  W.  Berrman,  J.  E.  Bishop,  Otis  Broadus,  L.  0.  Julian. 

Distributing  Clerks— J.  W.  Belcher,  C.  R.  Hibarger,  H.  S. 
Bird,  Henry  Kernohan.  F.  L.  Bell,  B.  M.  Farrar,  H.  H.  Hatfield, 
J.  H.  Miller. 


WICHITA  POSTOFPICE  109 

General  Delivery  Clerks— G.  H.  Winn,  W.  H.  Plant,  J.  J. 
McDermott,  F.  H.  Towner. 

Forwarding  Clerk — Mrs.  Martha  MeCabe. 

Superintendent  of  Carriers — E.  B.  Walden. 

Carriers— Oscar  Ward,  G.  T.  Chouteau,  V.  M.  Briggle,  J.  H. 
Smith,  J.  T.  McDonald,  C.  H.  Bracken,  P.  S.  DeMaree,  C.  G.  Lilly, 
T.  H.  Mayberry,  M.  J.  Sweet,  H.  A.  Pinaire,  W.  E.  Barlow,  I.  R. 
Moore,  J.  A.  Simon,  W.  C.  Webber,  Louis  Bulkley,  F.  W.  MeClin- 
tock,  A.  V.  Taggart,  A.  B.  Fortner,  H.  L.  Dewing,  F.  H.  Obrist, 
J.  F.  A.  Nitehske,  J.  H.  South,  C.  H.  Baker,  A.  E.  Johnson,  R.  H. 
Moore,  D.  P.  Young,  R.  F.  Washburn,  E.  W.  Knowles,  L.  V. 
Koch,  C.  V.  Poole,  E.  B.  Smith,  A.  0.  Bradford,  E.  J.  Burns,  B.  0. 
Chick,  J.  J.  Branson,  Jr.,  J.  C.  McDonald. 

Substitute  Carriers — Harry  Bertholf,  J.  S.  Benn,  A.  L.  Feeler, 
Lee  A.  Pennock,  Ralph  Wentworth,  W.  G.  Wertz. 

Special  Delivery  Messengers — Res  E.  Boyer,  Robert  Smith. 

Rural  Delivery  Carriers — No.  1,  J.  R.  Moore;  No.  2,  B.  F. 
Smith ;  No.  3,  W.  C.  Rodgers ;  No.  4,  T.  A.  Boyles ;  No.  5,  J.  C. 
Smith ;  No.  6,  Arthur  Bell ;  No.  7,  J.  W.  Baughman ;  No.  8,  John 
Snyder ;  No.  9,  J.  T.  Woodford.    Substitute,  C.  C.  Snyder. 

Custodian — W.  C.  Edwards. 

Engineers — R.  W.  Williams,  Andrew  Carmichael. 

Janitors — Henry  Schad,  Henry  W.  James,  John  Simmonds. 

Postal  Stations — Station  A,  1101  West  Douglas  avenue ;  clerk, 
G.  T.  Riley.  Station  2,  726  North  Main ;  clerk,  Dunn  Mercantile 
Company.  Station  3,  Boston  Store ;  clerk,  Charles  G.  Cohn ;  Sta- 
tion 4,  George  Junes  Dry  Goods  Company ;  clerk,  W.  P.  Innes. 

RAILWAY  MAIL  SERVICE. 

Offices,  second  floor  Federal  Building;  chief  clerk,  D.  E. 
Barnes. 

HOW  POSTAL  RECEIPTS  IN  WICHITA  HAVE  GROWN. 

The  receipts  of  the  postal  department  of  the  government  in 
Wichita  were  $66,344.01  in  1900.  Since  that  time  they  have 
increased  fourfold,  the  year  ending  March  31,  1910,  making  the 
enormous  aggregate  of  $4,232,326.61.  Following  are  the  postal 
receipts  here  for  each  of  the  past  six  years,  during  which  time  the 
annual  collections  for  postal  privileges  have  doubled : 


110  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

1904 $116,316.03 

1905 129,939.42 

1906 147,927.16 

1907 167,554.74 

1908 •. 196,431.88 

1909 232,326.61 

1910,  estimated 275,000.00 

(The  period  covered  for  each  year  begins  April  1  of  that  year 
and  ends  March  31  of  the  succeeding  year.) 


CHAPTER  XI. 
MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  "WICHITA." 

By 
J.  R.  MEAD. 

For  a  week  or  more  the  literal  English  meaning  of  the  word 
"Wichita"  has  been  in  controversy.  Some  stranger  came  here 
from  the  East  and  asked  a  hotel  man  what  the  word  meant.  Hotel 
men  in  Wichita  are  a  little  too  busy  to  give  any  time  to  the 
origin  and  meaning  of  the  Indian  words,  and  if  he  did  not  tell 
his  guest  that  much,  he  indicated  it  by  his  actions.  It  made  the 
Eastern  man  indignant  to  see  such  indifference  to  one  of  the 
prettiest  town  names  in  the  gazetteer,  and  he  began  telephoning 
all  over  town — to  editors,  college  professors,  school  teachers,  city 
statesmen,  and  everybody  else  who,  he  thought,  ought  to  know 
the  meaning  of  the  word.  Not  one  of  them  knew,  until  the  great- 
est of  all  authorities  on  subjects  concerning  this  valley — James 
R.  Mead,  pioneer  and  historian — was  reached.  It  was  on  the  end 
of  his  tongue — "Scattered  Lodges." 

For  fully  two  days  this  authority  was  accepted,  until  an 
Irishman  came  along  and  asserted  to  the  "Eagle"  that  the  word 
"Wichita"  meant  "Tattooed  Faces."  We  hated  to  hear  the  deci- 
sion of  Mr.  Mead  disputed — especially  by  a  foreigner — and  we 
called  up  William  Mathewson,  a  man  who  was  here  before  the 
Askansas  river  was  dug,  and  asked  him  about  it.  He  dissented 
very  strongly  from  the  Irishman's  opinion  and  stood  loyally  by 
his  pioneer  friend,  J.  R.  Mead.  He  informed  us  also  that  the  word 
•"Wichita"  is  not  a  Wichita  word  at  all,  but  an  Osage  word,  and 
it  was  from  the  Osages  themselves,  many  years  ago,  that  he 
learned  that  the  word  meant  "Scattered  Lodges"  or  "Scattered 
Villages,"  which  means  the  same  thing. 

Now  comes  the  Irishman,  who  cites  as  his  authority  no  less 
a  person  than  J.  W.  Powell,  director  of  the  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology.     We  have  examined  Mr.  Powell's  references  to  the 


112  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

matter  in  the  Seventeenth  Annual  Report  of  his  bureau,  and  a 
casual  reading  of  it  would  indicate  that  the  Irishman  was  a  little 
more  than  a  match  for  the  two  famous  Kansas  pioneers.  A  more 
attentive  reading,  however,  reveals  the  fact  that  "Tattooed 
Faces"  comes  from  a  Kiowa  word  which  was  applied  to  the 
Wichita,  Waco,  Tawakoni  and  Kichai  Indians  on  account  of  their 
habit  of  tattooing  their  faces  and  mouths.  The  word  in  ques- 
tion is  "Doguat,"  which  evidently  means  "Wichita,"  for  we  find 
the  Wichita  mountains  in  Oklahoma  called  "Doguat  kop"  by  the 
Kiowas  even  unto  this  day. 

The  question  now  is  whether  the  Osages  knew  more  about  the 
Wichitas  than  the  Kiowas  did.  We  doubt  it,  but  for  all  that,  the 
name  "Wichita"  has  been  recognized  by  the  government  for  a 
great  many  years,  and  no  one  would  be  willing  to  give  it  up  for 
such  an  ugly  word  as  "Doguat." 

It  is  settled,  therefore,  that  "Wichita"  means  "Scattered 
Lodges,"  and  not  "Tattooed  Faces,"  and  the  superintendent  of 
education  ought  to  have  it  at  once  proclaimed  in  the  school 
houses,  so  that  when  the  next  inquiring  Easterner  comes  along 
and  asks  the  question,  all  may  be  able  to  answer  him. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  DRILL  HOLE  AT  WICHITA. 

By 

J.  R.  MEAD. 

(Read  before  the  Academy,  Wichita,  Kan.,  January  3,  1896.) 

In  the  year  1895,  the  city  of  Wichita  voted  $10,000  in  bonds 
to  drill  one  or  more  holes  to  ascertain  what  of  value  might  be 
found  beneath  the  city.  Coal,  salt,  oil  and  gas  were  among  the 
possibilities. 

A  sample  of  each  five  feet  in  depth  has  been  preserved  in  glass 
jars,  properly  nximbered.  The  hole  is  within  the  city  limits,  in 
the  valley  of  the  Arkansas,  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  river, 
and  within  fifty  feet  of  the  track  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad. 
Work  commenced  October  20,  1895. 

The  first  twelve  feet  was  through  surface  soil  and  clay.  Strata 
of  quicksand  and  gravel  filled  with  water  were  then  reached. 
This  constituted  the  underflow,  or  "subterranean  river,"  as  it 
was  called  in  the  newspapers.  Great  difficulty  was  experienced 
in  securing  a  curbing  through  this  sand  and  water,  which  caused 
a  delay  of  several  weeks.  First,  a  round  wooden  pipe,  sixteen 
inches  in  diameter,  strongly  made  of  two-inch  pine,  and  wrapped 
with  sheet  iron,  was  placed  in  the  hole  and  gradually  sunk  by 
pumping  the  sand  from  the  inside.  As  depth  was  gained,  the 
pipe  constantly  bent  to  the  southeast,  indicating  a  pressure  in 
■  that  direction.  Trains  passing  imparted  a  quivering  motion  to 
the  sand  and  water.  The  wooden  pipe  was  abandoned,  as  it 
could  not  be  kept  vertical.  A  heavy  wrought-iron  tube  fourteen 
inches  in  diameter  was  substituted,  which  proved  a  success. 

Following  is  the  log  of  the  well,  which  at  this  writing  has 
reached  the  first  hard  rock,  black  flint  or  chert,  at  a  depth  of 
642  feet: 

113 


114  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 


!?■ 

i! 

27 

15 

42 

15 

80 

38 

90 

10 

265 

15 

270 

5 

275 

5 

285 

10 

295 

10 

300 

5 

325 

25 

350 

25 

375 

25 

385 

10 

390 

5 

400 

10 

440 

40 

455 

15 

480 

25 

490 

10 

550 

60 

5fi0 

10 

563 

3 

572 

9 

575 

8 

585 

10 

590 

5 

600 

10 

610 

10 

615 

5 

630 

15 

637 

7 

642 

5 

LOG  OF  THE  WELl,. 


Surface  soil  and  clay.  ■ 

Quicksand  and  water. 

Coarse  sand  and  gravel,  full  of  water. 

Tenacious  blue  clay. 

Gj'psuni  crystals  (selenite).  Between  80  and  90  feet  a  pocket 
of  smooth  water-worn  pebbles,  consisting  of  white  quartz, 
quartzite,  granite,  jasper,  etc.,  broke  into  the  well  from  the 
side. 

Alternating  layers  of  clay,  gypsum  and  clay  shales. 

Massive  gypsum,  gray  and  black. 

Blue  shale. 

Gypsum. 

Light  and  dark  shale. 

Soft  clay  shale. 

Clay  and  gypsum. 

Gypsum. 

Blue  shale. 

Black  shale. 

Blue  shale. 

Dark  shale. 

Blue  shale. 

Black  shale. 

Blue  shale. 

White  and  gray  gypsum. 

Shale,  strongly  charged  with  petroleum. 

Dark  shale. 

Light  gray  shale. 

Gray  limestone. 

Pine  sand  full  of  very  strong  brine,  which  rose  300  feet  in  the 
drill  hole,  and  would  perhaps  have  risen  to  the  surface  had 
it  not  been  stopped  by  the  insertion  of  tubing. 

Gray  limestone  and  clay. 

Clay  shale. 

Black  shale. 

Blue  clay. 

Soapstone  and  clay  or  shale. 

Light  gray  limestone. 

Dark  soapstone. 

Dark  shale. 

Grav  limestone. 

Black  flint  (chert). 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

WICHITA'S  INDUSTRIAL  HISTORY— IN  THE  BEGINNING. 

Wichita's  industrial  history  may  be  said,  with  subsequent 
explanations,  to  have  begun  as  long  ago  as  forty  years.  That 
many  years  ago,  on  what  later  became  a  portion  of  Wichita,  as 
the  Alamo  addition,  then  an  ideal  camping  place,  a  trading  post, 
established  by  J.  R.  Mead,  stood.  This  is  believed  to  have  been 
the  first  stationary  place  of  business  set  up  on  what  was  to  become 
Wichita.  The  hand-to-hand  trading  between  men,  white  and 
Indian,  and  Indian  and  Indian,  runs  back  before  the  records  of 
civilization,  but  J.  R.  Mead,  who  still  retains  a  wonderful  power 
of  recollection,  recalls  events  in  the  Arkansas  valley  three  score 
and  ten  years  old.  In  the  following,  he  gives  the  beginning  of 
industrial  life  at  the  confluence  of  the  Little  and  Big  Arkansas 
rivers. 

By 

J.  R.  MEAD. 

You  ask  me  to  write  something  of  the  first  industrial  and 
mercantile  enterprises  of  this  locality.  I  have  had  some  experi- 
ence with  the  present  race  and  generation,  also  with  a  different 
people,  who  occupied  the  country  before  its  present  inhabitants. 
Of  the  former  times,  I  will  write.  There  are  others  to  write  of 
the  country  since  its  occupancy  by  its  present  inhabitants. 

The  Little  Arkansas  for  five  or  six  miles  above  its  mouth 
always  had  been  a  favorite  location  on  account  of  its  abundant 
timber  and  pure  water.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  country  full  of 
game,  so  here  was  a  natiiral  gathering  place  for  Indians,  traders 
and  hunters. 

The  present  inhabitants  of  the  valley  fondly  imagine  that 

before  their  arrival  there  was  nothing  here  but  earth,  sky  and 

river.    In  this  they  are  in  error.    It  is  fair  to  assume  that  while 

Joseph  was  laying  up  grain  in  Egypt  against  years  of  famine, 

115 


116  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

there  were  people  here  laying  up  stores  of  provisions  for  winter 
use  and  for  traffic  with  their  neighbors. 

It  was  the  good  fortune  of  the  writer  to  have  spent  some 
years  in  this  valley  before  the  coming  of  its  present  people,  on 
one  occasion  occupying  what  is  now  Sedgwick  county  for  three- 
weeks  Avith  no  other  inhabitants  but  two  men,  but  there  were 
camps,  villages  and  townsites  where  people  lived  when  it  suited 
their  convenience — unnumbered  leagues  of  country  was  theirs  to 
occupy  when  and  where  they  pleased — and  there  were  more  cat- 
tle in  the  country  then  than  now,  and  had  been  for  some  thou- 
sands of  years. 

Of  a  few  things  of  which  the  writer  learned  or  saw  a  part,  I 
will  briefly  narrate. 

IN  1835. 

The  first  commercial  enterprise  that  I  have  knowledge  of  was 
in  1835,  when  Jesse  Chisholm  guided  a  party  from  Arkansas  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Little  river,  equipped  with  a  small  trading 
outfit,  but  in  search  of  a  gold  mine  or  buried  gold — the  same,  per- 
haps which  parties  dug  in  search  of  for  two  years  recently  in 
Charley  Payne's  park  on  the  West  Side.  These  enterprising 
Arkansas  gentlemen  spent  some  time  here,  but  failed  to  find  what 
they  sought. 

SOME  PIONEER  TRADERS. 

Of  what  occurred  here  for  some  years  after  that,  I  have  no 
knowledge,  but  in  1858  "Moxley  and  Mosely"  were  doing  a  mer- 
cantile business  in  a  log  house  on  the  Little  river  at  the  Osage 
crossing,  and  did  a  thriving  business  for  a  while,  until  Moxley 
was  drowned  while  fording  the  river  at  Lawrence.  Moseley,  after 
an  eventful  life,  was  killed  by  Indians  at  his  hunting  ranch  on 
the  Medicine  river.  Mosely  was  a  jolly,  ideal  frontiersman,  as 
fine  a  "looking  man  as  I  ever  saw.  I  named  a  street  of  our  city  for 
him.  About  the  same  time  Jake  Carey  and  Bob  De  Racken  had 
a  trading  ranch  where  the  Jewett  farm  (old  Park  City)  was  since 
located,  and  expected  to  make  a  fortune  catching  buffalo  calves 
for  market.  Then,  in  1860,  came  William  Ross  with  his  family, 
who  built  a  cabin  on  the  Big  river.  He  was  killed  that  fall,  and 
his  family  returned  East. 


WICHITA'S  INDUSTRIAL  HISTORY  117 

THE  WIOHITAS'  ARRIVAL. 

Then,  in  1863,  came  the  Wichitas,  who  located  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Little  river,  and  with  whom  the  writer  and  others  engaged 
in  mercantile  traffic,  as  also  with  the  Osages,  who  made  this  val- 
ley their  hunting  ground.  Their  camps  or  villages  were  four  or 
five  miles  up  the  Little  river.  At  about  the  same  time  came 
bands  of  Shawnees,  Delawares,  Kickapoos  and  others,  who  set- 
tled on  neighboring  streams,  and  added  to  the  population  and 
business  of  the  country. 

We  frequentlj'  took  a  wagon  load  of  goods  to  one  of  these 
camps  and  made  a  camp  of  our  own  from  which  to  trade,  or 
moved  into  an  Indian  lodge,  made  ourselves  at  home,  set  up  our 
stock  of  goods  and  stayed  until  we  were  traded  out,  when  we 
would  load  up  our  robes  and  furs,  call  for  our  horses,  which  the 
Indians  herded  for  us  somewhere  in  the  vicinity,  and  pull  out 
for  home,  which,  in  the  writer's  case,  was  at  his  headquarters 
ranch  at  Towanda,  where  there  was  an  Indian  agency,  postoffice, 
general  store,  etc. 

ARTICLES  OF  MERCHANDISE. 

Our  staple  articles  of  trade  were  flour,  coffee,  sugar,  tobacco, 
Mackinac  blankets,  two  and  three  point,  bolts  of  imported  save 
,list  Btrouding  and  broadcloth,  costing  from  $2.50  to  $5  a  yard 
wholesale,  calico,  Chinese  vermilion,  knives,  small  axes,  hair 
pipe,  a  bead  two  to  six  inches  long  and  pearly  white,  made  from 
the  lip  of  a  conch  shell  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  Iroquois  and  aba- 
lone  shells  from  the  Pacific  ocean,  beads  from  Germany,  and 
many  minor  articles  of  use,  adornment  or  fancy. 

CREDIT  TO  THE  REDMEN. 

I  frequently  went  on  these  trips  alone,  sometimes  leaving  the 
remainder  of  my  goods  with  an  Indian  to  trade  while  I  was  away. 
To  some  of  them  we  sold  goods  on  credit,  and  had  no  occasion  to 
regret  it.  Our  trafSc  was  mostly  in  buffalo  robes  and  furs,  which 
were  as  good  as  gold.  Our  usual  market  was  Leavenworth,  where 
we  sold  our  robes  and  also  bought  or  received  our  goods  from 
the  East,  they  being  shipped  up  the  Missouri  river  by  boat. 
Sometimes  the  Indians  had  money  from  the  sale  of  half-wild 


118  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

cattle  whose  owners  had  fled  the  country,  which  they  gathered 
down  about  their  old  homes  in  the  territory  and  sold  to  parties 
that  they  met  along  the  border,  who  took  the  chances  of  smug- 
gling them  to  a  market,  as  at  that  time  they  were  contraband  of 
war.  Not  all  Indians  knew  the  value  of  money.  During  the 
Civil  War  the  Cheyennes  captured  a  paymaster's  train  on  the 
Platte,  and  in  the  plunder  they  found  a  chest  of  greenbacks, 
something  new  to  them.  As  they  were  pretty,  they  took  them 
along  for  the  children  to  play  with  at  home,  and  for  cigarette 
papers.  Before  they  were  used  up,  Colonel  Bent,  a  famous  trader, 
happened  in  their  camp,  and  gathered  in  the  remainder  for  about 
the  price  of  waste  paper.  This  was  the  story  told  to  "Dutch 
Bill"  (Griffenstein),  who  unfortunately  arrived  in  their  camp 
too  late  to  get  his  share.  Our  people  along  the  Little  river  knew 
the  value  of  a  dollar  in  paper  or  gold. 

CREDIT  UNLIMITED. 

Occasionally  we  took  a  trip  to  Philadelphia  or  New  York  to 
purchase  goods  in  quantity.  A  frontier  trader  who  had  proven 
himself  capable  and  reliable  could  command  almost  unlimited 
money  or  credit  in  any  of  the  great  cities.  I  once  drove  one 
wagon  loaded  with  furs  and  robes  from  this  vicinity  to  Leaven- 
worth, which  sold  for  a  sum  equal  to  thirteen  carloads  of  wheat, 
estimating  the  average  price  and  capacity  of  cars  for  the  past 
ten  years.  I  have  on  numbers  of  occasions  sold  as  much  as 
$3,000  worth  of  goods  in  one  day,  before  the  present  race  of 
people  came  to  this  country. 

There  were  others  in  trade — "Stine  and  Dunlap, "  "Lewellen 
and  Davis,"  Spooner,  now  of  Anadarko. 

On  one  occasion,  Jesse  Chisholm,  a  half-blood  Indian  and 
Scotchman,  going  south  to  Washita,  bought  of  me  $3,000  worth 
of  goods,  saying  he  would  pay  me  on  his  return,  whenever  that 
might  be.  The  next  spring  he  returned,  camped  by  my  place 
with  his  train.  I  took  supper  with  him,  and  he  said,  "I  am 
owing  you.  I  have  no  money,  but  have  buffalo  robes,  wolf  skins, 
beaver,  buckskins,  and  you  can  take  your  pay  from  any  of 
them."  I  chose  coyote  skins,  which  were  legal  tender  for  a  dol- 
lar, and  he  counted  out  three  thousand.  We  also  sent  wagon 
trains  of  goods  to  the  camps  of  wild  Indians,  200  miles  southwest. 


WICHITA'S  INDUSTRIAL  HISTORY  119 

WALNUT  GROVE. 

On  another  occasion  he  returned  from  the  South,  which 
included  some  Indian  families  and  Mexicans  whom  he  had  bought 
from  the  Comanehes  when  children,  and  trained  to  be  expert 
teamsters,  herders  and  campmen.  He  camped  at  the  ""Walnut 
Grove,"  a  beautiful  and  favorite  camping  place  between  the 
rivers.  Here  he  was  met  by  two  traders,  Charley  Rath  and 
Louie  Booth,  who  bought  all  of  his  furs  before  I  arrived.  How- 
ever, there  was  a  big  pile  of  buffalo  robes  under  a  walnut  tree, 
which  Chisholm  asked  me  to  buy.  I  looked  them  over  and  made 
an  offer  of  $1,600  for  the  lot,  which  he  accepted.  None  of  us 
then  knew  the  market  value  of  such  robes.  On  getting  them  to 
market,  I  found  they  were  worth  double  cost. 

Chisholm  built  some  cabins,  a  trading  house  and  a  strong 
corral  at  "Walnut  Grove,"  about  100  yards  in  front  of  the 
house  later  built  by  Sand  Hill  Davis,  a  farm  now  owned  by 
Judge  Wall,  I  believe.  Close  to  Alamo  Addition,  between  the 
rivers,  and  up  the  river  on  the  east  side  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  at 
a  fine  crossing,  "Don  Carlos,"  a  young  man  Avith  an  Indian 
wife,  built  a  cabin  and  sold  goods  in  a  small  way.  On  one  occa- 
sion Chisholm  brought  up  400  head  of  cattle  from  his  home  place 
on  the  Canadian  river.  I  bought  them,  paying  .$16  a  head,  and 
held  them  at  the  Walnut  Grove,  using  the  corral  and  buildings 
he  had  turned  over  to  me. 

THE  LAW  OP  THE  PLAINS. 

The  cattle  ranged  between  the  rivers  that  summer  among  the 
Indians,  with  one  man  to  look  after  them.  Here  I  might  remark 
with  enlightenment  to  many  that  during  these  years  in  which  I 
personally  was  in  business  in  the  valley,  there  was  no  law  but 
the  law  of  the  plains,  "Do  as  you  would  be  done  by,"  no  courts, 
no  officers ;  yet  life  and  property  were  as  safe  as  they  are  today. 
A  man  could  ride  all  over  the  country  alone  with  thousands  of 
dollars  of  money  in  his  pocket,  among  Indians,  whites,  classed  as 
outlaws,  half-breeds,  anybody,  camping  alone  at  night  with  a 
load  of  valuable  goods,  as  I  have  done  many  a  time,  without  the 
slightest  apprehension  of  danger.  During  these  years  no  intox- 
icating liquors  were  sold  or  used.  But  one  crime  was  committed 
to  my  knowledge  in  that  time,  and  that  by  a  renegade  white  man. 
It  was  not  until  after  the  country  was  surveyed,  in  1867,  and 


120  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

opened  to  settlement,  that  there  came  the  saturnalia  of  crime, 
debauchery,  craft  and  graft. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  came  John  Stevens  with  men,  teams 
and  goods,  and,  with  Chisholm's  assistance,  employed  Indians 
(mostly  Caddoes)  to  gather  and  drive  up  cattle  from  the  ter- 
ritory, paying  for  them  in  goods.  In  the  course  of  a  summer 
they  had  collected  a  herd  of  over  3,000  head,  which  they  held 
on  the  "West  Side,  the  Indians  herding  them  over  several  miles 
of  country  between  the  rivers  and  the  Cowskin.  Their  camp 
was  about  where  the  watch  factory  was  built  on  the  West  Side. 
These  cattle  were  first  driven  east,  where  Stevens  was  drowned, 
crossing  a  river,  and  then  driven  to  New  Mexico  on  a  government 
contract,  as  originally  intended. 

AT  COWSKIN  GROVE. 

About  this  time  I  had  a  stock  of  goods  at  an  Indian  village 
at  Cowskin  Grove,  in  charge  of  Davis  Ballou,  a  Cherokee  Indian. 
During  June  and  July  he  collected  for  me  1,500  buffalo  hides,  but 
the  Big  Arkansas  was  such  a  great  river  that  summer  we  could 
not  cross,  except  by  swimming  on  horseback,  which  we  often 
did.  Soon  the  moths  commenced  eating  the  hides.  We  moved 
them,  beat  them,  put  them  on  platforms  with  a  big  smoke  under- 
neath, yet  still  the  moths  ate  them.  Finally,  towards  the  last 
of  August,  we  got  the  running  gear  of  a  wagon  across  by  men 
riding  the  horses  and  standing  on  the  axles.  We  made  a  rack 
and  hauled  the  hides  to  the  bank  of  the  river.  Still  it  was  im- 
passable, and  they  lay  on  the  banks  for  two  weeks,  waiting  for 
the  river  to  fall,  which  it  failed  to  do.  At  last  a  party  of  thirty- 
five  Kaw  Indians  came  along,  to  whom  I  told  my  woes.  They 
kindly  offered  to  swim  them  over,  so  we  built  rafts  of  dry  cotton- 
wood  logs,  on  which  they  would  pile  a  lot  of  hides.  Then  one  or 
two  would  swim  ahead  with  a  rope  to  a  possible  standing  place 
and  pull  while  others  swam  and  pushed,  sometimes  landing  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  below.  They  got  them  across  finally,  losing  but 
a  few  hides.  The  great  impassable  river  cost  me  in  this  instance 
$1,500,  for  on  taking  the  hides  to  the  market  they  were  docked 
one  dollar  each  for  being  moth-eaten. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  many  facts  and  incidents  I  might  write 
of  trade  and  traffic  here  before  the  white  man  came.  I  look  back 
to  those  days  of  absolute  freedom  as  among  the  happiest  of  my 
life. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  LITTLE  ARKANSAS. 

By 

J.  R.  MEAD. 

The  central  third  of  Kansas  was  bountifully  provided  by 
nature  with  rivers  and  streams  of  pure  running  water,  bordered 
by  lines  of  stately  trees.  No  more  beautiful  or  diversified  pas- 
toral landscape  could  be  found  on  the  North  American  continent. 

There  was  no  monotony.  At  short  intervals  the  traveler 
would  find  a  convenient  camping  place  in  the  shelter  of  tall  trees, 
beside  a  running  stream  or  spring  coming  out  of  a  cliff.  He 
could  usually  supply  his  larder  with  fish,  turkey,  venison  or  buf- 
falo within  a  few  minutes'  walk  of  camp,  while  his  horses  were 
grazing  in  the  sweet  grasses  and  many-colored  flowers  which 
covered  valley,  hill  and  prairie  alike.  As  he  proceeded  on  his 
way,  he  might  observe  the  many  forms  of  animal  life  grazing  on 
the  abundant  herbage  or  basking  in  the  warm  sunshine.  Occa- 
sionally would  be  seen  the  stately  elk,  with  his  head-dress  of 
immense  horns,  from  two  or  three  old  bachelors  to  bands  of 
several  hundred.  To  vary  the  landscape  were  occasional  hills 
of  the  red  Dakota  sandstone,  or  strata  of  white  magnesian  lime- 
stone cropping  out  of  the  river  bluffs,  broken  blocks  covering  the 
slopes,  quarried  ready  for  use.  In  another  locality  would  be  seen 
cedar  hills  crowned  with  heavy  formations  of  gypsum,  which 
sometimes  formed  cliffs  along  the  water  courses,  while  at  con- 
■  venieut  distances  were  salt  streams,  springs  or  marshes  to  supply 
the  needs  of  the  animal  life,  suggesting  the  sea  of  rock  salt 
which  underlies  much  of  this  portion  of  the  state.  What  more 
could  nature  or  art  do  to  improve  upon  this  natural  park? 

I  write  of  the  country  as  I  saw  and  explored  it  in  1859  and 

later  years  as  it  then  was  and  had  been  for  untold  ages  in  the 

past.     All  of  these  streams  were  tributaries  of  our  two  great 

rivers,  the  Kansas  and  the  Arkansas — appropriate  names  for  the 

121 


122  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

rivers  of  Kansas.  All  of  these  rivers  and  nearly  all  of  the 
streams  flowed  eastward  or  southeastward  towards  the  morn- 
ing sun. 

These  streams  had  some  interesting  history  before  civilized 
man  came  upon  the  scene,  and  many  of  them  much  interesting 
history  since.  There  should  be  a  local  historical  society  in  each 
county  to  gather  and  preserve  the  tragedies,  comedies  and  ro- 
mance of  the  early  days. 

When  the  writer  roamed  over  the  hills  and  valleys  of  the 
Solomon,  Saline  and  Smoky  Hill,  from  1859  to  1862,  he  imagined 
that  the  most  beautiful  country  on  earth.  Then  his  red  brethren 
warned  him  of  impending  wrath  soon  to  come,  and  thinking  of 
his  loved  companion  and  baby  boy,  he  wisely  decided  to  seek  a 
new  field  of  activity  toward  the  sunny  South.  Here  he  discov- 
ered that  the  "raging  Walnut,"  as  it  was  called,  and  the  Little 
Arkansas  were  just  as  beautiful  and  interesting  as  the  country 
to  the  north,  and  in  later  years  has  found  that  all  of  Kansas  is 
very  good.  The  Flint  Hills,  which  were  once  considered  utterly 
worthless,  are  now  the  choice  natural  grazing  grounds  of  the 
state.  « 

The  Little  Arkansas  was  a  gem ;  a  ribbon  of  stately  trees 
winding  down  to  the  parent  river  through  a  broad,  level  valley  of 
green,  as  I  first  saw  it,  dotted  over  with  the  black  bodies  of  fat, 
sleek  buffalo  and  an  occasional  group  of  antelope  or  straggling 
elk,  and  not  a  living  human  soul  in  all  the  country  now  known 
as  Sedgwick  county.  Such  was  the  Little  Arkansas  as  the  writer 
first  saw  it  from  the  highlands  to  the  east,  overlooking  the  valley, 
on  a  sunny  afternoon  in  June,  1863. 

From  whom  or  when  the  Little  Arkansas  obtained  its  name, 
or  why,  of  all  the  many  tributaries  of  the  big  river,  it  should 
have  been  given  its  diminutive,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn. 
The  earliest  explorer  of  whom  I  have  knowledge  called  it  by  that 
name.  The  river  was  the  western  hunting  ground  of  the  Osage 
Indians  when  the  first  explorers  visited  them  on  the  Osage  river. 
At  that  time  they  had  a  name  which  signified  it  was  the  young  or 
offspring  of  the  big  river.  The  Arkansas  was  "Ne  Shutsa"  (red 
water)  ;  the  Little  Arkansas  river,  "Ne  Shutsa  Shinka"  (the 
young  or  little  red  water),  associating  the  two  rivers  as  parent 
and  child.  Or  perhaps  some  early  explorers  or  trappers,  coming 
down  from  the  mountains,  following  the  almost  treeless  Arkansas 
(all  trails  on  Kansas  rivers  were  on  the  north  side),  came  to  the 


THE  LITTLE  ARKANSAS  123 

beginning  of  the  continuous  body  of  timber  on  the  big  river,  ten 
miles  above  the  junction,  and  a  short  distance  to  the  east  saw 
another  heavily  timbered  river,  with  a  V-shaped  valley  between, 
and  considered  the  two  equally  entitled  to  the  name. 

The  Santa  Fe  trail  crossed  the  head  of  the  Little  Arkansas 
near  its  source,  where  it  was  a  small  stream,  and  there  it  was 
known  by  the  same  name.  The  writer's  description  is  intended 
for  the  lower  portion  of  the  river,  in  Sedgwick  county.  The 
Little  Arkansas  was  the  dividing  line  between  the  plains  proper, 
the  range  of  the  wild  Indians,  and  the  country  to  the  east,  the 
home  of  the  reservation  Indians,  and  was  near  the  eastern  limit 
of  the  main  range  of  the  buffalo  at  the  time  of  which  I  write. 
It  was  the  dividing  line  between  the  limestone  formations,  with 
their  black,  heavy,  waxy  soil,  and  the  sandy,  loamy  soil  to  the 
west.  It  was  the  western  limit  of  the  oak  in  this  part  of  the 
state,  some  fine  oak  timber  growing  in  the  wooded  bends  near 
its  mouth,  and  was  the  last  heavily  timbered  stream  in  Kansas 
as  the  traveler  proceeded  directly  west,  and  south  of  the  big 
river. 

In  Sedgwick  county  it  Jies  under  the  sixth  principal  meridian, 
which  divides  the  State  of  Kansas.  Commencing  at  this  meridian, 
the  ranges  are  Nos.  1  to  25  to  the  eastern  boundary,  and  Nos.  1 
to  43  to  the  western  boundary.  It  is  about  the  eastern  limit  of 
the  cretaceous  formation. 

Its  pure  waters  were  fed  by  springs  issuing  from  the  sheet  of 
sand  and  gravel  underlying  the  valley,  and  abounded  in  fish  and 
molusks.  Of  the  latter,  Unio  purpuratus  grew  to  maximum  size 
and  beauty,  while  Unio  arkensensis  was  first  found  here  and 
named  from  the  stream.  Beavers  made  their  home  in  its  banks 
as  late  as  1878. 

About  six  miles  above  the  junction  was  the  western  terminus 
of  the  great  Osage  trail  from  the  Neosho  and  Verdegris  to  the 
Little  Arkansas,  evidently  long  in  use,  from  the  deep  gullies 
washed  in  the  trails  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills.  Hunters  and 
traders  followed  the  trail  and  came  to  the  little  river  at  the  same 
gravel  ford. 

The  country  beyond  to  the  south  and  southwest  was  almost 
unknown,  and  none  ventured  very  far  in  that  direction,  both 
hunters  and  Osages  being  in  fear  of  the  wild  Indians,  referred  to 
by  the  Osages  as  "Paducas,"  who,  they  said,  were  as  plenty  as 
the  grass,  somewhere  to  the  west.     No  one  on  the  Southwestern 


124  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

frontier  knew  of  such  a  river  as  Medicine  Lodge  or  Salt  Fork, 
or  of  there  being  timber  in  that  direction. 

Of  the  history  of  the  Little  Arkansas  prior  to  1860,  but  little 
is  known.  In  Du  Pratz's  map  of  Louisiana,  published  in  1757,  in 
which  the  course  of  the  Arkansas  is  properly  laid  down,  at  the 
junction  of  the  two  rivers  is  marked  "A  Gold  Mine."  In  1836 
Jesse  Chisholm  guided  a  party  from  Arkansas,  in  search  of  this 
mine  or  of  bm-ied  treasure,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Arkansas. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  long  ago  a  party  from  New  Mexico, 
descending  the  river  in  boats,  were  surrounded  by  Indians  in 
the  night  at  this  point,  and  after  a  siege  of  several  days  were  all 
killed  but  one,  who  escaped,  after  he  had  buried  their  gold  and 
silver.  Recently  parties  dug  for  two  years  in  search  of  this 
treasure.  Whether  found  or  not,  this  valley  has  proven  to  be 
a  gold  mine  to  the  industrious  agriculturist. 

This  was  the  favorite  hunting  ground  of  the  Little  Osages, 
who  usually  came  out  in  June  and  again  in  September,  under 
their  chief,  Mint-sho-shin-ka  (Little  Bear),  and  No-po-wal-la, 
second  chief.  They  camped  along  the  Little  Arkansas  in  the  tim- 
ber and  made  their  lodges  of  rows  of  green  poles  set  in  the 
ground  about  eight  feet  apart,  bent  over  and  tied  together,  form- 
ing an  arch  about  sis  feet  high ;  other  poles  would  be  lashed  to 
the  sides  with  willow  withes,  and  all  covered  with  dry  buffalo 
skins,  forming  very  comfortable  houses,  ten,  twenty  or  more 
feet  in  length. 

Buffaloes  were  here  in  endless  numbers,  except  in  the  winter 
months,  when  they,  along  with  the  other  countless  herds  from 
the  North,  moved  off'  southwest  to  their  vast  winter  home,  west- 
ern Oklahoma  and  Texas,  the  Pecos  river  and  the  Gulf,  which 
Ihey  had  abandoned  in  the  summer  for  the  cooler  uplands  of  the 
North,  leaving  the  grass  to  grow  undisturbed  for  use  on  their 
return.  Some  wintered  in  the  broken  hills  of  Medicine  Lodge 
and  along  the  Salt  Fork,  as  they  did  in  the  hills  of  the  Solomon 
and  the  Saline.  The  last  buffalo  seen  on  the  Gulf  were  two  bulls 
killed  on  a  peninsula  below  Corpus  Christi,  in  the  winter  of  1868. 

The  Osage  (Wa  Sashes),  Wichita  and  plains  Indians  used  the 
bow  and  arrow  in  killing  buffalo.  I  have  witnessed  a  run  which 
left  the  prairie  strewn  with  dead  cows  for  ten  miles,  and  it  was 
pitiful  to  see  the  little  red  calves  gather  on  the  slight  elevations, 
looking  for  their  mothers  to  come  back  to  them. 

Of  the  first  attempts  to  settle  on  the  little  river,  I  have  learned 


THE  LITTLE  AEKANSAS  125 

that  in  1857  a  party  of  men  came  from  Coffey  county,  Kansas, 
for  the  purpose  of  hunting  and  trading.  Of  these,  Moxley  and 
Ed.  Moseley  built  a  trading  house  at  the  Osage  crossing  and 
engaged  in  trading  with  the  Osages.  C.  C.  Arnold,  Bob  Juracken 
and  others  went  up  the  big  river  a  few  miles  and  built  a  cabin, 
and,  it  is  said,  broke  up  some  ground  and  undertook  to  make  a 
fortune  catching  buffalo  calves  for  the  Eastern  market.  Moxley 
was  drowned  not  long  afterward,  fording  the  river  at  Lawrence. 
Moseley  returned  to  Humboldt,  and  their  trading  house  was 
burned.  •  Arnold  and  his  associates  left  for  Butler  county,  and 
soon  no  trace  of  their  occupation  remained.  These  parties  were 
hunters  and  traders  and  could  hardly  be  classed  as  settlers.  But 
in  1860  came  John  Ross,  with  his  wife  and  two  children  and  a 
hired  man,  equipped  with  tools  and  utensils  for  farming  and 
housekeeping.  He  built  a  comfortable  cabin,  stables,  etc.,  about 
three  miles  beyond  the  Osage  crossing,  on  a  high  bank  of  the  big 
river,  broke  up  some  ground  and  planted  a  crop.  All  went  well 
with  him  until,  in  the  fall,  he,  with  his  man  and  team,  went  for 
a  load  of  meat  a  few  miles  across  the  river  in  the  direction  of 
Cowskin  Grove.  They  did  not  return.  A  party  of  horsemen  from 
the  Walnut  came  out,  and  after  a  long  search  found  Ross'  body, 
nothing  more.  How  he  came  to  his  death  is  not  known — probably 
killed  by  Indians.  His  man  and  horses  were  never  found.  The 
body  was  buried  on  the  bank  of  the  river  and  a  mound  of  stones 
placed  over  it.  His  fate  was  that  of  many  of  the  pioneers,  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  His  family  returned  East,  and  the 
two  Arkansas  rivers  reverted  to  their  original  solitude. 

When,  in  June,  1863,  the  writer,  with  two  men,  visited  this 
valley  on  a  three  weeks'  hunting  and  exploring  trip,  and  camped 
in  the  Ross  cabin  the  first  night,  there  was  not  another  human 
being  in  what  is  now  Sedgwick  county,  nor  another  vestige  of 
human  habitation,  as  we  learned  by  driving  all  over  it.  But  of 
.  animal  life  there  was  plenty.  Close  by  the  Ross  cabin  the  writer 
killed  sixteen  buffaloes  and  a  big  horned  elk  within  an  hour. 
Yet  some  time  in  the  dim  ages  of  the  past  a  people  had  lived 
here,  for  the  floodtide  of  the  Arkansas,  in  cutting  into  the  natural 
strata  of  the  valley,  disclosed  a  pottery  vessel  of  good  workman- 
ship, five  feet  below  the  surface,  made,  perhaps,  by  the  Lansing 
man's  wife.    The  valley  here  was  above  high  water. 

In  the  fall  of  1863  came  the  affiliated  bands  comprising  the 
Wichita  Indians.     They  made  their  village  on  the  little  river, 


126  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

near  its  junction,  in  the  timber,  some  1,500  of  them.  They  flour- 
ished on  buffalo  meat  and  the  fine  gardens  of  corn,  beans,  squash 
and  melons  they  raised  the  next  summer.  They  built  cone-shaped 
houses  of  poles,  thatched  with  grass,  ten  to  twenty-five  feet  in 
diameter,  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high,  very  comfortable  and  dura- 
ble. They  were  a  kind,  gentle,  honest  people.  At  the  same  time 
there  came  from  the  South  camps  of  Kickapoos,  Shawnees,  Dela- 
wares  and  others,  who  settled  on  the  Walnut  and  White  Water. 
These  Indians  were  the  friends  of  all  the  wild  Indians  of  the 
plains,  and  so  long  as  they  remained  the  Southwestern  .frontier 
was  safe  from  hostile  attack.  With  these  Indians  as  guides,  we 
traveled  all  the  plains  in  safety,  and  visited  the  wild  tribes  and 
thoroughly  explored  the  country  of  the  Cimarron,  Canadian  and 
Washita,  the  winter  home  of  the  wild  tribes.  These  rivers  some 
years  later  were  stated  by  military  men  to  be  an  unknown  coun- 
try, when  the  fact  was  that  some  of  us  knew  that  country  well 
as  early  as  1864,  and  visited  the  wild  tribes  in  their  winter  camps 
with  teams  and  wagons  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  and  came  and 
went  at  all  times,  winter  or  summer,  without  difficulty,  loss  or 
hardship. 

There  were  pretty  lively  times  along  the  Little  Arkansas 
after  the  Wichitas  came.  The  Osages  were  here  part  of  the  time. 
Parties  of  Kaw  Indians  occasionally  came.  The  plains  Indians 
came  here  visiting  their  friends,  the  Wichitas.  The  writer  met 
here  Black  Kettle,  the  Cheyenne  chief  who  was  killed  at  the 
Washita  fight;  Satanta,  the  great  war  chief  of  the  Comanches, 
and  Heap  of  Bears,  the  great  medicine  man  and  warrior  of  the 
Arapahoes.  Col.  J.  H.  Leavenworth  was  sent  to  this  point  by 
the  government  to  arrange  with  the  wild  Indians  for  a  treaty  of 
peace,  as  we  could  communicate  with  them  at  all  times,  and  to 
him  in  a  large  measure  should  be  given  the  credit  for  the  success 
of  the  treaty  of  1865. 

The  most  influential  man  among  these  Indians  was  Jesse 
Chisholm,  a  Cherokee,  who  was  beloved  of  all  the  Indians.  He 
in  his  younger  days  had  bought  captive  Mexican  children  from 
the  Comanches  and  raised  them  as  members  of  his  family.  They 
were  entirely  devoted  to  him,  became  expert  in  all  the  lore  of  the 
plains,  and  were  excellent  guides  and  interpreters,  as  they  could 
speak  or  understand  all  languages  of  the  plains,  including  the 
sign  language  which  was  in  universal  use.  Of  these  most  faith- 
ful and  devoted  men,  I  remember  the  names  of  Jackson,  Caboon 


THE  LITTLE  ARKANSAS  127 

and  Yonitob.  They  were  very  handy  to  have  along  when  we 
ran  into  a  war  party  of  Indians,  strangers  to  us,  as  happened 
the  writer  a  number  of  times.  Chisholm  laid  out  the  trail  bear- 
ing his  name,  from  the  Little  Arkansas  south  to  the  north  fork 
of  the  Canadian,  and  the  stream  running  through  Wichita  was 
named  for  him,  as  he  was  the  first  person  to  build  a  house  on  it. 

The  Treaty  of  the  Little  Arkansas  was  held  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  Little  Arkansas,  about  six  miles  above  its  mouth,  in  the 
middle  of  October,  1865.  The  commissioners  on  the  part  of  the 
United  States  were  William  S.  Harney,  Kit  Carson,  John  B.  San- 
born, William  W.  Bent,  Jesse  H.  Leavenworth,  Thomas  Murphy, 
and  James  Steel.  The  Indians  were  represented  by  Moke-ta- 
ve-to  (Black  Kettle),  Oh-to-ah-ne-so-to-wheo  (Seven  Bulls),  Oh- 
has-tee  (Little  Raven),  Oh-hah-mah-hah  (Storm),  and  other  chiefs 
and  head  men  on  the  part  of  the  Indians. 

The  Indians,  several  hundred  in  number,  camped  along  the 
river,  on  either  side,  as  did  the  one  or  two  companies  of  soldiers 
who  were  present.  The  Wichita,  Waco,  Caddo,  loneye,  Towa- 
kony,  Kechi,  and  other  Indians,  some  1,500  in  number,  were  liv- 
ing here  at  the  time,  and  were  scattered  along  down  the  river  to 
the  junction.  They  had  cultivated  extensive  gardens,  and  had 
scaffolds  covered  with  sliced  pumpkins,  beans  and  corn,  drying 
for  winter  use,  with  plenty  of  melons  in  their  gardens,  which 
were  a  feast  to  visiting  brethren. 

Kit  Carson  came  down  the  Arkansas  river  from  New  Mexico 
with  an  officer's  ambulance  and  army  wagons,  with  teamsters, 
took  and  an  escort  of  six  soldiers,  and  was  well  equipped  with 
tents,  provisions,  etc.  Colonel  Bent  came  down  from  his  fort 
on  the  big  river,  up  towards  the  mountains.  General  Harney  and 
Kit  Carson  were  the  most  noted  persons  present.  The  former,  a 
noted  Indian  fighter  and  athlete,  was  as  slim  as  our  former 
senior  senator,  six  foot  four  in  his  moccasins,  his  luxuriant  hair 
as  white  as  snow.  He  was  a  famous  story  teller.  Kit  Carson  was 
his  opposite  in  everything  but  fighting  qualities.  He  was  short- 
legged,  standing,  I  should  think,  about  five  feet  five  or  six,  stoutly 
built,  short,  arms,  round  body,  ruddy  face,  red  eyes  with  rays 
rnnning  from  the  pupils  like  the  spokes  in  a  wheel,  his  silky 
flaxen  hair  reaching  almost  to  his  shoulders.  He  was  a  man  of 
fierce,  determined  countenance.  With  a  kind,  reticent  and  unas- 
suming disposition,  he  combined  the  courage  and  tenacity  of  a 
bulldog.    His  prominent  characteristic  seemed  to  be  instant  deci- 


128  HISTORY  OP  SEDGAVICK  COUNTY 

siou  and  action.  Carson  and  Bent  were  much  together.  The 
latter  was  a  famous  Indian  trader,  dark,  almost,  as  an  Indian, 
with  jet-black  hair  and  eyes.  By  invitation,  I  camped  with  Car- 
son while  the  treaty  was  in  progress  and  heard  from  his  lips 
some  of  his  adventures  on  the  plains  and  moiintains. 

Carson  died  at  Fort  Lyon;  Colonel  Bent,  at  Westport,  Mo., 
I  believe,  and  General  Harney  in  Louisiana.  Black  Kettle  was 
killed  by  Custer 's  men  in  the  battle  of  the  Washita,  and  most  of 
the  other  participants  in  the  treaty,  both  white  and  Indian,  have 
long  since  gone  to  their  long  home. 

All  kinds  of  rumors  were  floating  about  during  the  progress 
of  the  treaty,  and  there  was  considerable  uncertainty  and  anxiety 
as  to  its  success.  The  Indians  were  friendly,  but  very  independ- 
ent and  indifferent,  and  reluctant  to  relinquish  their  rights  to  all 
of  their  country  north  of  the  Arkansas  and  much  of  that  to  the 
southwest.  They  justified  their  depredations  and  cruelties  by  the 
wanton  slaughter  of  their  women  and  children  by  white  men  at 
Sand  creek  a  year  before. 

While  the  treaty  was  in  progress,  a  rumor  came  that  a  party 
of  Indians  coming  down  from  the  North  to  the  treaty  had  been 
attacked  by  soldiers  on  the  Santa  Pe  trail,  and  thirteen  of  them 
killed.  At  once  the  camp  was  in  an  uproar.  A  runner  came  into 
the  tent  where  I  was  sitting  with  Carson  and  Charley  Rath,  and 
told  of  the  riunor.  Instantly  Carson  said,  emphatically:  "I  don't 
believe  a  word  of  it;  those  Indians  could  not  possibly  have  been 
there  at  that  time,"  and,  turning  to  me,  said:  "If  that  rumor 
is  true,  the  treaty  is  gone  to  hell.  I  had  six  soldiers  coming 
down,  and  would  need  a  hundred  going  back." 

I  asked  him  about  some  of  his  adventures  of  former  years, 
of  which  I  had  read  in  the  papers.  He  replied:  "Some  of  these 
newspaper  fellows  know  a  damn  sight  more  about  my  affairs  than 
I  do."  The  origin  of  one  story  he  told  as  follows:  "When  I 
was  a  young  man  I  was  going  out  to  Santa  Pe  with  a  pack-train 
of  mules.  We  camped  at  Pawnee  Rock  and  were  all  asleep  in 
our  blankets  in  the  grass,  when  a  party  of  Indians  rode  over 
us  in  the  dark,  yelling  to  stampede  our  stock.  I  jumped  up  and 
fired  my  rifle  in  the  direction  they  had  gone,  and  shot  one  of  my 
best  mules  through  the  heart." 

About  rattlesnake  bites  on  man  or  animals,  he  said:  "I  cut 
the  bite  open  and  flash  powder  in  it  three  times,  and  it  is  all 
right.     One  of  my  men  was  once  bitten  on  the  hand  by  a  big 


THE  LITTLE  ARKANSAS  129 

rattler.  I  cut  it  open,  flashed  powder  in  it  three  times,  and  that 
afternoon  he  killed  and  scalped  two  Injuns." 

The  next  year — 1866 — Grierson  and  Custer,  with  the  famous 
Seventh  Cavalry,  were  stationed  at  the  Santa  Fe  crossing  on  the 
Little  Arkansas,  where  there  was  a  stone  corral,  and  built  a  log 
stockade.  The  crossing  M^as  a  noted  place  on  the  trail,  as  run- 
ning water  was  always  present  and  timber  for  fuel  abundant, 
as  well  as  fine  grass  for  grazing.  In  1867  a  detachment  of  the 
Fifth  United  States  Infantry,  under  command  of  Col.  Thomas 
F.  Barr,  was  stationed  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  by  the  Indian 
village,  where  Wichita  now  stands.  These  troops  brought  the 
cholera  with  them,  and  many  Indians  and  about  a  dozen  settlers 
of  Butler  county  died,  including  one  of  the  writer's  household. 

The  cholera  spread  all  over  the  plains.  As  the  Wichita  In- 
dians were  returning  to  their  former  homes  on  the  Washita,  in 
the  fall  of  1867,  so  many  of  them  died  that  at  one  creek  they 
M^ere  unable  to  bury  their  dead,  and  we  gave  the  name  of  Skele- 
ton creek  to  that  stream. 

In  the  summer  of  1867  the  Indians  were  said  to  be  on  the 
war  path,  but  we  traveled  over  the  plains  as  usual,  unmolested. 

Why  a  company  of  infantry  should  be  sent  to  this  point,  we 
were  never  able  to  learn.  In  the  previous  years  we  had  been 
coming  and  going  over  these  plains  with  no  protection  whatever, 
and  all  had  been  peace  and  quiet  in  this  part  of  the  state.  A 
company  of  infantry  would  not  have  been  effective  beyond  a 
half-mile  of  their  camp.  None  but  well  mounted  horsemen, 
trained  to  plains  life,  could  have  protected  an  extended  frontier. 

General  Sheridan  came  out  and  organized  a  winter  campaign 
in  October,  1868.  The  Nineteenth  Kansas  Cavalry  was  ordered 
to  proceed  across  the  country  to  the  junction  of  Beaver  creek  and 
the  North  Fork  of  the  Canadian,  via  Camp  Beecher,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Little  Arkansas.  The  writer,  by  chance,  met  the  command 
going  into  camp  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Cottonwood — a  splen- 
did body  of  men  and  horses,  under  an  able  and  honored  com- 
mander, whom  I  well  knew,  and  was  invited  into  his  tent.  On 
asking  the  colonel  where  he  was  going,  he  replied  that  he  was 
not  allowed  to  say,  but  from  inquiries  he  made  as  to  the  country 
beyond,  I  soon  learned  his  destination.  I  then  said:  "Colonel, 
you  cannot  get  through  that  country  at  this  season  of  the  year 
unless  you  know  just  where  to  go ;  it  is  exceedingly  broken  and 
difficult."     I  asked  to  see  his  guides.     He  sent  an  orderly  out, 


130  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

who  brought  in  two  young  men,  neither  of  whom  I  had  seen 
before.  I  knew  they  were  never  in  that  part  of  the  country,  or 
I  should  have  known  them.  They  were  absolutely  ignorant  of 
the  country  they  were  attempting  to  guide  a  regiment  through. 
One  of  them  was  Jack  Stillwell,  who  knew  the  country  north  of 
the  Arkansas  well  enough.  They  soon  went  out.  "When  I  told 
the  colonel  that  he  never  would  get  through  with  those  men  as 
guides,  and  oifered  to  furnish  him  guides  who  knew  the  country, 
as  for  several  years  we  had  sent  teams  over  the  same  route  in 
winter  and  summer,  trading  with  the  Comanches,  who  wintered 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  destination,  our  outfits  always  returning 
safely,  the  colonel  replied,  in  language  too  forcible  to  repeat,  that 
Sheridan  had  furnished  him  these  guides,  and  they  had  to  take 
him  through ;  that  he  had  no  authority  or  money  to  employ  other 
guides. 

The  command  reached  Camp  Beecher,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Arkansas,  on  the  12th  of  November.  From  there  to  Camp 
Supply,  their  destination,  was  about  160  miles  by  our  route. 
For  ninety  miles,  to  the  junction  of  Medicine  Lodge  and  Salt 
Fork,  there  was  a  plain  trail  over  a  level  country ;  Camp  Supply 
was  three  days'  march  beyond,  over  a  good  route  if  one  knew 
where  to  go.  It  was  a  six-day  trip  from  the  Little  Arkansas  to 
Camp  Supply ;  a  good  horseman  could  ride  it  in  three  days,  with 
ease.  The  command  left  Camp  Beecher  November  14  and  reached 
Camp  Supply  November  28.  It  should  have  made  the  trip  in  six 
days  and  arrived  safely  at  the  destination  two  days  before  the 
terrible  snow  storm  of  the  afternoon  of  the  22d,  which  came  near 
destroying  the  command  and  caused  untold  suffering  and  loss. 
My  only  apology  for  writing  of  this  stupendous  blunder  is  that 
it  is  properly  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  Little  Arkansas. 

The  writer  is  not  one  of  those  who  believe  that  only  dead 
Indians  are  good  Indians.  During  the  five  years'  residence  of 
the  Wichita  Indians  on  the  Little  Arkansas,  I  knew  of  but  one 
crime  committed  in  the  country.  Jack  Lawton,  in  charge  of  my 
trading  post  between  the  rivers,  was  killed  by  a  renegade  white 
man.  In  the  first  five  or  six  years  after  the  Indians  had  left,  and 
the  country  was  open  for  settlement,  I  have  a  record  of  some 
twenty  men  who  came  to  a  sudden  and  violent  death.  Most  of 
these  were  no  special  loss  to  the  country. 

In  the  summer  and  fall  of  1867  white  horse  thieves  were  en- 
gaged in  running  off  the  Indians'  horses,  going  in  the  direction 


THE  LITTLE  ARKANSAS  131 

of  Fall  river  and  the  Cottonwood.  In  retaliation,  just  before 
their  departure,  the  Wichitas  took  some  horses  from  those  rivers. 

With  the  survey  of  the  country  in  1867,  and  its  opening  to 
settlement,  there  drifted  into  the  country  some  of  the  most 
vicious  and  lawless  characters  to  be  found  in  the  West.  Very 
soon  we  found  it  was  necessary  to  lock  our  doors  at  night  and 
take  indoors  any  loose  property  we  might  have — something  we 
were  unaccustomed  to  do  during  the  Indian  occupation.  Prohibi- 
tion prevailed,  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name,  on  the  Little  Arkansas 
until  the  white  man  came. 

Briefly,  I  have  written  something  of  the  freedom,  beauty  and 
chivalrj'  of  the  country  as  it  was,  and  the  fascination  of  those 
times  and  scenes  lingers  in  my  mind  like  the  memory  of  pleasant 
dreams ;  but  gone  are  the  Indians,  the  bison,  and  the  beaver,  and 
in  their  haunts  along  the  little  river  are  the  gardens,  fields, 
orchards,  homes,  cities,  and  villages  of  thousands  of  prosperous 
people. 

It  is  my  prayer  that  in  the  happy  hunting  grounds  of  the 
Great  Spirit  I  may  again  meet  some  of  my  faithful  friends  of 
those  early  days,  both  red  and  white. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  OF  THE  TIMES  WHEN  WICHITA 
WAS  IN  THE  GRISTLE. 

By 
KOS  HARRIS. 

In  the  attic  of  memory,  long  disused,  almost  forgot,  crum- 
bling to  decay,  I  ran  afoul  some  old  yarns,  which  it  hath  pleased 
me  to  weave  into  a  patchwork  fabric  of  mine  own  fancy  for 
amusement. 

PREFATORY. 

The  past  is  a  rose-covered  walk  as  we  travel  in  recollection; 
invested  with  a  hazy,  dim  outline  that  gives  to  retrospect  a  view 
of  pleasurable  facts,  shading  the  bitter  past  until  it,  like  a  ship 
at  sea,  recedes  gradually  from  sight  till  lost  from  view,  and  all 
becomes  waste — the  future  a  hope,  the  past  a  dream,  the  present 
only  filled  with  gloomy  forebodings,  doubts,  apprehensions  and 
fears.  Each  year  the  past  has  a  new  charm,  a  richer  coloring, 
not  noted  nor  recalled  before,  that  lends  additional  interest  to 
the  mind-painting,  even  as  "Robinson  county  twenty-year-old" 
jugs  take  on  added  strength,  beauty  and  aroma  with  the  flight 
of  time,  proving  that  age,  covered  with  dust  and  cobwebs,  yet 
can  conjure  bright  fantasies  that  the  "still"  of  the  present  ne'er 
can  rival. 

The  labor  of  the  receding  vision,  like  a  prairie  sunset,  seems 
to  give  its  softest  picture  as  the  golden  ball  sinks  low  in  the 
horizon ;  seems  a  delightful  playground  whereon  merry  boys  and 
girls  were  wont  to  play;  the  labor  of  the  present  is  simply 
drudgery,  and  hateful.  Our  past,  as  we  dream  it  over,  is  as  the 
first  circus,  our  present  an  unpaid  packing-house  subscription. 
When  Senator  Ingalls  was  first  elected;  when  "Subsidy"  Pome- 
roy  was  under  a  cloud,  which  as  yet  has  never  rolled  away ;  when 
the  fraudulent  bond  issue  of  Harper,  Barber  and  Kingman  was 
132 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  133 

disclosed ;  when  the  "Wiuner  and  McNutt  cremation  on  North 
Main  street  was  fresh;  when  the  Harvey  county  bond  fight  was 
ripe ;  when  the  batch  of  horse  thieves  were  hanged  at  Douglas ; 
when  Texas  cattlemen  were  legitimate  prey  of  all  classes,  from 
the  highest  to  the  lowest,  and  cattle  were  commerce ;  when  the 
United  States  land  office  was  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Second 
streets;  when  Madame  Sage  ran  a  billiard  parlor  opposite  the 
Occidental ;  when  it  was  a  mile,  almost,  from  civilization,  through 
a  forest  of  sunflowers,  to  the  home  of  the  "Eagle";  when  the 
Eagle  Block  and  the  old  State  National  Bank  Building  (now  the 
National  Bank  of  Commerce  corner)  were  the  cynosures  of  Doug- 
las avenue;  when  Steele  &  Levy  had  an  office  where  Sam  Houck's 
store  now  is,  and  a  circus  pitched  its  tent  where  the  "Eagle" 
office  now  is ;  when  the  dance  houses  across  on  the  West  Side 
were  in  the  zenith  of  immoral  splendor,  and  one  of  the  presiding 
goddesses  excused  herself  the  night  her  husband  was  shot,  with 
a  hope  that  the  guests  would  not  think  her  absence  from  the 
room,  on  such  a  trying  occasion,  a  breach  of  etiquette;  when  the 
saloons  were  not  only  gorgeous  but  magnificent,  not  only  fash- 
ionable but  quasi-respectable ;  when  at  midnight,  throughout  the 
summer,  the  gentle  winds  carried  the  familiar  tones  o'er  the 
silent  town,  of  49,  85,  76,  32,  91  and  74,  "Keno !"  from  the  second 
floor  of  an  old  frame  building  then  situated  where  the  Citizens' 
Bank  Building  now  stands;  when  the  old  "Tremont,"  then  the 
"Empire,"  Hotel  stood  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Central — when 
all  these  things  were  fresh,  and  many  other  things  of  less  and 
greater  note  were  living  facts,  'twas  then  the  writer  hereof 
became  a  Kansan,  a  citizen  of  the  city  of  Wichita,  and  a  member 
of  that  body  of  whom  the  poet  hath  said,  "War  is  its  jest,"  and 
which  body  some  carrion-minded  wretch  hath  derided  by  saying 
that  the  law  of  "self-defense  is  understood  because  no  lawyer 
had  any  hand  in  making  it." 

The  people  of  Wichita,  at  that  date,  did  not  send  away  for 
'counsel  to  try  cases,  as  some  other  counties  did,  when  matters  of 
mighty  and  deep  import  were  on  hand.  The  bar  of  Wichita  has 
ever  had  the  confidence  of  the  people,  notwithstanding  that  a  few 
sturdy  "blackbucks"  have  got  into  the  legal  flock.  Law,  religion, 
education,  journalism,  physic  and  politics  were  ably  represented, 
but  other  pens  may  do  justice  to  other  vocations,  and  my  humble 
task,  and  pleasure,  is  to  collect  the  withered  roses  that  have  fallen 
in  my  path  in  the  days  that  are  no  more,  and  to  recall  in  retro- 


134  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

spect  some  of  the  deeds  of  the  happy  days  of  the  years  that 
have  sped,  as  seen  from  a  law  office,  the  interior  of  which  was 
plain  even  to  poverty,  and  the  patrons  of  which,  "in  the  old 
days,"  were  not  much  given  to  style. 

I  am  not  writing  histoi-y,  for  history  must  exist  before  it  is 
written.  It  is  the  biography  of  the  active  brain  of  a  place,  local- 
ity or  country,  and  though  that  brain  is  here,  a  recognized  un- 
known entity,  it  so  far  has  not,  in  science  or  profession,  legisla- 
tive hall  or  pulpit,  made  the  world's  noisy  tongue  proclaim  to 
the  gaping  thousands  our  greatness.  That  we  have  in  our  midst 
some  great  unrecognized  "purring"  brain  that  will  carry  the 
name  "Wichita"  to  the  portals  of  far-off  time,  there  is  no  reason- 
able doubt. 

History  teaches  us  that  we  are  dependent  on  great  vice  or 
virtue  to  be  long  remembered ;  hamlets  that  would  ere  this  have 
been  lost  to  history  are  preserved  to  us,  until  there  is  a  romantic 
halo  thrown  round  their  very  pigsties,  and  we  are  as  familiar 
with  their  history  as  if  it  was  today  instead  of  the  yesterday  of 
piled-up  and  moss-grown  centuries — aye,  even  villages  whose  his- 
tory comes  to  us  thundering  adown  the  highways,  aisles  and 
boulevards  of  the  misty,  dusty,  past  have  withstood  the  ebb  and 
flow  of  the  waters  of  oblivion,  either  by  reason  of  some  mighty 
virtuous  intellect  whose  pen  as  burnished  gold  shines  on  the  world 
tlirough  the  lapse  of  ages;  some  warrior  whose  Damascus  blade 
has  blazed  a  track  through  the  forests  of  mythical  lore,  patri- 
archal legend,  ancient,  medieval  and  modern  history,  yet  is  today 
bright  and  shining  as  the  disk  of  the  moon  in  full-orbed  splendor ; 
or  some  one  matriculated  in  the  very  genius  of  infamy,  some 
savant  in  crime's  belles  lettres,  whose  sin-stained  and  blackened 
hand  has  left  the  print  on  history's  page,  and  the  foul  blot  seems 
to  be  a  fresh-struck  coin  from  the  historical  mint,  rather  than 
an  abrased  coin  of  a  time  that  runs  almost  beyond  the  grasp  of 
intellect,  almost  baffling  the  research  of  the  historian  as  he  gropes 
in  agony  to  find  a  virtuous  act  worthy  of  record,  and  turns  in 
disgust  and  immortalizes  a  town  by  the  record  of  a  crime. 

Thus,  if  Wichita  thwarts  the  ravages  of  Time's  gnawing  rav- 
enous and  destructive  touch,  it  must  be  through  amarinthine 
infamy  or  unperishable  virtue. 

"What  shall  the  harvest  be?"  I  but  feebly  recall  visions  of 
swift  flown  hours;  endeavor  but  to  rescue  from  quick  oblivion 
a  few  withered  wild  flowers  strewn  along  the  river's  brim,  give 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  135 

unto  them  the  counterfeit  of  life,  pluck  a  nosegay  and  bind  them 
together  with  memory's  slender  thread  to  preserve  them  a  little 
longer  from  the  ocean  of  "time,  whose  waves  are  years,"  which 
hath  swallowed  the  archives  of  centuries  and  blurred,  erased  and 
obliterated  the  records  of  those  whose  monumental  shafts,  reared 
against  "the  tooth  of  time  and  razure  of  oblivion,'"  are  but  as 
the  ashes  of  the  things  they  were  vainly  intended  to  commemo- 
rate. I  string  a  string  of  colored  beads  to  amuse,  not  instruct,  the 
grown-up  babies  of  Wichita. 

That  W^ichita  shall  be  saved  the  humiliation  of  being  buried 
underneath  the  dust  which  will  eventually  hide  most  towns  in 
Kansas,  there  is  no  doubt,  and  there  is  just  as  little  doubt  that 
we  have  in  our  midst,  though  unknown,  a  Webster,  a  Lincoln, 
a  Grant,  a  Bentham,  a  Mansfield,  a  Beecher,  an  Edison,  and  that 
some  unborn  chronicler  of  events  will,  when  we  are  all  dust  or 
ashes,  embalm  in  never-dying  prose  or  poesy  the  memory  of 
some  Wichitan,  even  as  Gray  immortalized,  in  verse : 

Some  village  Hampden  that,  with  daimtless  breast. 

The  little  tyrant  of  his  fields  withstood ; 
Some  mute,  inglorious  Milton  here  may  rest ; 

Some  Cromwell,  guiltless  of  his  country's  blood. 


CHAPTER  I. 

At  the  time  of  my  advent  in  Wichita,  the  legal  profession  was 
not  as  well  dressed,  well  booked,  or  finely  officed  as  at  present. 
There  was  a  "Tog-haired"  commonness  in  the  dress,  conduct 
and  tout  ensemble  of  the  profession,  which  did  not  comport  with 
the  assumed  dignity  of  some  of  the  modern  Hortensiuses  of  Wich- 
ita. To  the  new  immigrant  it  seemed  as  if  the  profession  had 
adopted  the  ways  of  the  country,  "homesteaded"  or  "pre-empted" 
"all  the  clients,  and  regarded  the  new  man  as  a  "claim-jumper." 
In  fact,  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  was  extended  in  such  manner 
that  you  felt  as  though  a  "wet-elm  club"  was  handy — i.  e.,  the 
cordiality  was  about  such  a  welcome  as  you  give  a  fellow  who 
called  at  your  girl's  home  after  you  had  pre-empted  the  "parlor" 
and  were  getting  down  to  business. 

To  a  legal  tenderfoot  with  eighteen  dollars  in  money — two  dol- 
lars of  which  went  for  a  copy  of  the  Statutes  of  Kansas,  five  dol- 


136  HISTOKY  OF  SEDGAVICK  COUNTY 

lars  for  a  copy  of  Swan  and  Plumb's  (Senator  Plumb's)  "Justice 
Practices,"  and  four  dollars  for  a  row  of  wet-pine  shelves,  the 
outlook  was  promising — in  fact,  it  was — 

Eating  the  air,  on  promise  of  supply, 
Flattering  himself  in  project  of  power. 

Though  there  was  no  fear  of  becoming  dry, 

There  was  not  provender  to  last  a  fleeting  hour. 

I  can  truly  say  to  those  who  came  after  me : 

If  sorrow  can  admit  of  society, 
Tell  o  'er  your  sorrows  by  viewing  mine ; 
If  ancient  sorrow  be  most  revered, 
Give  mine  the  benefit  of  seniory. 

Judge  William  P.  Campbell  (our  own  sweet  William)  was  then 
Lord  Chancellor,  Master  of  the  Rolls,  Chief  Baron,  Chief  Justice 
Archon,  Mafti,  Kadi,  Rhadamanthus,  over  Sedgwick,  Sumner, 
Cowley,  Butler,  Greenwood  and  Howard  (Elk  and  Chautauqua) 
counties.    Campbell  was  a  fearless  judge. 

Edward  B.  Jewett  (our  own  former  postmaster)  was  justice 
of  the  peace  and  police  judge,  and,  as  McCarthy  says  of  the 
"House  of  Hanover,"  having  the  gift  of  inheritance,  Edward 
seemeth  to  be  possessed  of  the  gift  of  continuous  office  tenure. 

William  C.  Little  (our  own  North  Lawrence  Avenue  Presby- 
terian deacon)  was  probate  judge. 

Judge  Henry  C.  Sluss  was  county  attorney,  and  at  the  head  of 
the  legal  profession.  Since  which  Henri  has  drawn  a  salary  as 
judge  on  ilexican  claims. 

Judge  McCollough  was  elected  city  attorney  in  the  spring  of 
A.  D.  1874,  to  succeed  Judge  William  Baldwin.  McCollough  was 
a  spendthrift,  and  owned  a  building  rented  for  saloon  purposes  at 
$1,000  per  year,  and,  it  was  said,  never  drew  a  cent  of  rent.  He 
was  presented  with  a  silk  hat  the  night  he  was  elected  city  attor- 
ney, and  he  paid  a  fifty-dollar  bar  bill  ere 

"The  breezy  call  of  incense-breathing  morn" 

roused  the  slumbering  town  from  repose.  McCullough  had  not 
died  if  Keeley  had  proclaimed  his  famous  cure  in  the  year  A.  D. 
1874.  He  was  a  jolly  Scotchman,  a  liberal-hearted  man,  free  from 
guile,  and  as  easily  imposed  on  as  a  child.  He  once  loaned  the 
author  five  dollars,  without  chattel  mortgage  security,  and,  in 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  137 

fact,  it  was  a  great  business  disadvantage  and  personal  injury  to 
me  when  Jim  McCullough  died. 

It  could  not  be  said  of  McCullough,  as  it  M^as  said  of  another 
member  of  the  bar  (now  gone  to  a  better  land — i.  e.,  Indian  Ter- 
ritory), that  if  he  had  known  a  little  law  he  would  have  known 
something  of  everything.  McCullough  was  a  brevet  lawyer  and 
eared  nothing  for  law,  save  as  it  entitled  him  to  respect  and  stand- 
ing. He  was,  at  that  date,  too  rich  to  become  a  lawyer.  He  was 
one  of  the  men  David  Dudley  Field  had  in  mind  when  he  said, 
"It  was  as  hard  for  a  rich  man  to  become  a  lawyer  as  it  was  for 
a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle."  There  is  a  legend 
that  when  Jim  McCullough  died  he  bequeathed  the  unexpired 
term  of  his  office  to  the  gentleman  who  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  This  may  have  been  in  Jim's  Scotch  education,  and  he 
may  have  thought  it  was  his  office,  and  not  the  public 's,  but  those 
who  wanted  the  place,  then  as  now,  spent  their  time  "cussing" 
the  "power"  who  made  the  appointment.  It  is  observable  that 
the  position  of  city  attorney  in  Wichita  has  been  filled  by  able 
counselors  from  the  beginning.  It  has  been  sought  by  lawyers 
and  has  grown  in  favor  as  a  position,  while  that  of  police  judge 
has  tended  to  drawf  and  injiu-e  rather  than  elevate  men.  This, 
in  a  less  degree,  seems  to  be  the  fate  of  the  probate  judge 's  office, 
but  the  opinions  of  men  differ  concerning  these  things. 

But,  returning  to  our  muttons.  I  wormed  myself  into  M.  W. 
Levy's  good  graces,  metaphorically  speaking,  at  the  side  of  Mc- 
Cullough's  deathbed,  in  a  room  on  the  second  floor  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  Douglas  avenue  and  Main  street,  torn  down  by 
Henry  Schweiter  in  May,  A.  D.  1910,  and  was  thereby  enabled  to 
replace  the  loss  of  McCullough  by  inaugurating  a  business  of 
rediscounting  small  personal  law  library  chattel  mortgage  paper 
with  Levy.  Levy  at  that  date  was  a  political  Machiavelli,  and 
tradition  saith  he  gave  Zach  Chandler  et  al.  pointers  on  counting 
out  at  elections.  He  was  secretary  of  the  senatorial  convention  in 
■  1874  (composed  of  all  that  part  of  Kansas  lying  west  of  Newton, 
running  west  to  Sundown  and  south  to  the  Red  river),  when  it 
was  hinted  that  Henry  Booth,  of  Lamed,  was  the  real  nominee 
of  the  convention.  No  one  ever  believed  the  report,  but,  like 
Henry  Ward  Beecher's  "damned  hot  day"  remark,  it,  like  the 
"scent  of  the  rose,"  still  lingers. 

Levy  was  from  Denver,  had  formerly  been  on  the  pay  roll  of 
the  "Rocky  Mountain  News,"  and  was  considered  a  litterateur. 


138  HISTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Levy  is  now  iu  New  City,  connected  with  the  insurance  busi- 
ness. He  was  a  member  of  the  bar,  was  authority  on  "land  titles," 
and  if  he  had  been  forced  to  labor  for  a  livelihood  might  have 
been  a  commercial  lawyer  and  rendered  valuable  opinions  of  real- 
estate  titles,  but  money  came  to  him  without  effort,  and  his 
subsequent  position  as  banker  was  the  result  of  "natural 
gravitation. ' ' 

In  1874  the  Indians  took  the  Southwest.  Tip  McClure,  of 
Medicine  Lodge,  got  one  scalp,  brought  it  to  Wichita,  and  con- 
vulsed the  country.  Governor  Osborn  came  to  Wichita,  and  he 
and  Levy  "swung  round  the  circle,"  and  couriers  sent  after  the 
governor  struck  a  hot  trail  of  "cough-syrup  bottles"  along  the 
road,  followed  it  up,  and  caught  the  majesty  of  the  state.  To 
those  who  knew  Levy  in  the  early  day,  he  is  the  same  individual. 
Though  contact  with  yaller  gold  was  said  to  harden  and  steel  and 
steal  the  soul,  its  effect  on  Levy  has  been  molecular.  Levy  was 
for  years  president  of  the  school  board  and  the  Wichita  National 
Bank,  and  his  administrations  were  marked  by  prudence,  economy 
and  good  schools.  (If  these  two  last  sentences  did  not  entitle  me 
to  a  "line  of  credit"  at  Levy's  bank,  I  shall  rewrite  them  under 
the  head  of  "errata,"  with  corrections  as  to  facts,  not  fancy — 

' '  And  send  him  down  the  alley  of  fame, 
Damned  to  everlasting  shame.") 

Levy's  bank  failed  in  1894,  and  subsequently  paid  out  in  full. 
Levy  and  Colonel  Lewis  subsequently  organized  the  State  Savings 
Bank. 

Levy,  in  early  days,  was  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Steele  &  Levy,  who  were  agents  for  the  sale  of  the  land  grant 
lands  of  the  A.,  T.  &  S.  F.  R.  R.  Co.,  and  doing  an  abstract  busi- 
ness where  Sam  Houck's  hardware  store  now  is.  I  remember 
one  morning  starting  around  to  Levy's  office  to  renew  a  note,  and, 
to  my  surprise,  the  office  was  non  est,  it  having  been  moved  that 
morning  before  breakfast,  across  the  street  to  the  site  subse- 
quently occupied  by  Tucker's  restaurant,  and  now  by  the  State 
Savings  Bank. 

That  old  office  was  to  Wichita's  political  circles  the  "Hoffman 
House"  of  New  York.  National,  state  and  county  politics  were 
discussed,  local  politics  of  the  city  were  made  there,  and  all  things 
pertaining  to  the  weal  or  woe  of  Douglas  avenue  were  talked  over. 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  139 

Greiffenstein,  Sol  Kohn  and  "Brother  Maurice,"  N.  A.  English, 
Jim  Steel  and  A.  W.  Oliver  composed  the  cabinet  that  battled  for 
Douglas  avenue.  The  Occidental  crowd  was  composed  of  Lank 
Moore,  C.  M.  Garrison,  Al  Thomas,  Hees  and  Getto,  Hill  and 
Kramer ;  Munger,  J.  R.  Mead,  J.  C.  Fraker,  and  some  lesser  lights, 
with  a  strong  second  on  Alain  street,  between  Douglas  and  First, 
in  Commodore  Woodman  and  Sam,  father  of  Adrian  Houek,  and 
Amos  Houck. 

The  United  States  land  office  was  at  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Second  streets;  J.  C.  Redfield,  afterward  justice  of  the  peace, 
was  receiver;  C.  A.  Walker,  afterward  cashier  of  the  Wichita 
National  Bank,  was  chief  clerk. 

The  land  office  was  moved  to  the  building  where  Henry  Schad's 
harness  shop  was,  on  West  Douglas  avenue,  now  the  American 
Express  office,  and  great  was  the  rejoicing  among  the  Douglas 
avenue  crowd. 

The  postofifice  was  on  Douglas  avenue,  where  Jesse  MeClees' 
hardware  store  now  is,  and  the  Occidental  crowd  secured  its 
removal  to  the  Occidental  Hotel,  and  one  morning  Douglas  ave- 
nue awoke  to  the  fact  that  it  had  lost  the  postoffice.  Great  jollifi- 
cation at  the  north  end.  Douglas  avenue  assembled  its  chiefs  at 
Steele  &  Levy's  office  and  proclaimed  war — war  even  to  death. 
The  air  was  pregnant  with  trouble.  Gloom  sat  high-throned  on 
■each  forehead.  Vengeance  was  the  only  thought,  and,  meta- 
phorically, each  man  exclaimed : 

"Blood  shall  manure  the  ground, 
And  future  ages  groan  for  this  foul  act. ' ' 

Soon  afterwards  the  postmaster  was  removed  and  M.  M.  Mur- 
dock  was  appointed.  He  was  editor  of  the  "Eagle,"  and  officed 
in  the  Eagle  Block,  over  Wallenstein  &  Cohn's  store,  now  Boston 
Store,  and  all  Douglas  avenue  went  wild  over  the  appointment. 
'Tears  of  joy  chased  each  other  down  the  cheek,  froze  ere  they 
reached  the  ground,  because  it  was  discovered  that  the  postmaster 
was  neutral  and  intended  to  "split  the  difference"  and  settle  at 
a  half-way  point  on  Main  street,  where  Sam  Tanner's  book  store 
now  is.  Murdoek  "kept  the  Avord  of  promise  to  our  ear,  but 
broke  it  to  our  hope." 

Among  the  first  men  to  discover  that  Douglas  avenue  was  the 
maintrunk  highway,  and  that  all  else  was  tributary,  was  old  Doc 


140  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Thayer,  the  proprietor  of  the  "Gold  Rooms,"  a  bon-ton  place  to 
play  faro  and  poker.  Then  Al  Thomas  bought  the  Bitting  corner 
lot  and  moved  to  it  the  old  building  now  on  the  corner  east  of 
Greenfield's  clothing  palace.  Next  Houek  Bros,  and  J.  P.  Allen 
abandoned  Main  street ;  then  the  Douglas  avenue  toll  bridge 
over  the  river  was  made  free,  and  for  a  brief  season  North  Main 
street  threw  up  the  sponge.  There  was  many  a  scrimmage,  first 
blood  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other.  Commodore  Woodman  ral- 
lied his  clans  and  succeeded  in  building  a  bridge  across  the  river 
at  the  east  end  of  Central  avenue,  and  this  affront  was  not  wiped 
out  until  Douglas  avenue  elected  Jim  Steele  county  commissioner, 
regardless  of  party  ties,  religious  bias  or  personal  likes  or  dislikes. 
Jim,  pursuant  to  his  implied  promises,  proceeded  to  tear  down 
the  Central  avenue  bridge  "eye-sore"  and  distribute  it  to  the 
various  townships  in  the  county,  thereby  restoring  to  Douglas 
avenue  its  natural  trade  and  offsetting  the  rage  of  the  north  end 
by  the  solidification  of  the  agricultural  classes  who  obtained 
bridges  without  higher  taxes.  Jim  practically  paraphrased  the 
great  poet,  and  acted  on  the  motto : 

Let  all  the  ends  thou  aim  'st  to  be 
Douglas  avenue's,  they  God's  and  Truth's. 

It  may  not  be  inappropriate  to  state  that  much  chicanery  is 
enveloped  in  the  husk  of  "low  taxes,"  even  as  "naked  villainy  is 
clothed  with  old  odd  ends  stolen  from  holy  writ." 

I  recall  to  memory  some  particularly  sulphurous  hours,  when 
the  stars  put  out  their  fires  and  gloom  o'er  the  avenue  seemed  to 
glower;  when  the  opening  flower  of  prosperity  was  frost-bitten 
in  May;  when  all  rage  before  exhibited  by  the  Rob  Roys  of  the 
south  end  was  as  a  whistle  in  an  autumn  hailstorm  compared  to 
the  blast  that  echoed  from  the  bridge  on  the  west  to  the  Santa 
Pe  on  the  east.  Douglas  avenue  had  donated  the  court  room  and 
county  offices  to  the  county  (the  second  floor  over  the  old  Eagle 
Block,  now  Boston  Store).  One  morning  the  avenue  "awoke  and 
found  it  a  joke,  as  the  offices  were  still  a 'fleeting,"  and  were 
located  in  the  south  room  of  the  ground  floor  of  the  Occidental. 
"The  sweet  milk  of  concorcf  was  poured  into  hell,"  and  the  infant 
Cottonwood  boughs  breathed  a  deep-mouthed  refrain : 

Over  the  land,  scatter  white  sand. 

To  drink  up  the  blood  which  shall  presently  flow. 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  141 

But  the  First  National  Bank  failed,  owing  the  county  a  big 
deposit,  and  the  county  got  the  building  at  the  corner  of  First 
and  Main  streets,  and  used  same  for  court  house  many  years. 
The  star  of  empire  again  tended  southward,  and  seeming  peace 
reigned  once  more  in  the  future  city  of  the  great  Southwest.  It 
is  the  opinion  of  the  writer  that  if  Sol  Kohn,  "Brother  Maurice," 
Jim  Steele  and  "Dutch  Bill"  had  still  resided  in  "Wichita  and 
continued  in  close  business  relations,  and  had  assembled  their 
cohorts,  the  present  court  house  would  not  be  where  it  now  stands. 
Douglas  avenue  has  not  yet  forgiven  "Dutch  Bill"  for  moving 
north  of  the  avenue,  and  when  Greiffenstein  abandoned  Douglas 
avenue  it  was  as  if  a  modern  Coriolanus,  in  a  fit  of  pique,  had 
determined  to  scatter  the  ashes  of  his  former  triumphs  and  over- 
throw the  temples  which  his  genius  had  builded. 

Prior  to  his  going  north,  ' '  Greiffenstein  stock, ' '  like  gold,  dur- 
ing the  war,  was  285;  subsequently  it  was  as  Confederate  cur- 
rency after  the  "silent  man  on  horseback"  had  received  the  sword 
of  the  mirror  of  Southern  chivalry  under  the  ' '  famous  apple  tree. ' ' 

The  men  who  builded  Douglas  avenue  may  forgive  this  move 
north,  but  they  will  never  forget  it  or  restore  Greiffenstein  to  the 
pedestal  in  their  esteem  from  which  he  fell  when  he  crossed  the 
Wichita  rubicon  and  linked  his  future  to  the  north  end  of  the 
town.  The  names  Greiffenstein,  Douglas  avenue  and  Wichita 
will  ever  be  linked  together. 

For  fear  that  the  writer  may  be  thought  too  partial  to  "Dutch 
Bill,"  let  it  be  chronicled  that  William  rented  me  an  ofSce  when  I 
had  no  money,  and  I  would  not  be  thought  ungrateful.  (See 
Twelfth  Night,  iii  and  iv.) 


CHAPTER  II. 

As  I  recall  the  bar  when  I  came  to  Wichita — i.  e.,  the  massive 
brow,  the  heavy  jaw  and  capacious  maw  that  lived  by  the  law — 
it  was  composed  of  Henry  Clay  Sluss  and  James  L.  Dyer,  who 
ofificed  on  the  second  floor  front  in  a  building  on  the  corner  of 
Main  and  First  streets,  which  afterwards  was  "foreclosed"  on  by 
Sol  H.  Kohn  and  torn  down  and  rebuilt  on  Douglas  avenue,  two 
doors  east  of  the  old  "Eagle"  ofiSee,  and  then  occupied  by  Steele 
&  Levy  as  an  office,  now  owned  by  Governor  Stanley.  Charles 
Hatton  was  then  Sluss'  assistant.     Dyer  was  ill  and  not  in  his 


142  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

office  very  much.  On  the  north  of  the  building,  near  the  Main 
street  corner,  was  a  painted  sign,  three  by  four  feet,  and  on  a 
white  field  in  large  black,  black  letters,  appeared : 


BALDWIN  &  STANLEY, 
Attorneys  at  Law, 

My  recollection  is  that  Stanley  occupied  the  first  room  to  the 
left  on  entering  the  hall  overlooking  Main  street.  The  first  time 
I  remember  meeting  Oak  Davidson  was  at  Stanley's  office  on  the 
last  day  of  March,  1874,  and  he  and  Stanley  were  putting  up  an 
April  fool  joke  on  Mrs.  A.  H.  Gossard,  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  who 
was  then  Alice  Davidson,  and  a  sister  of  Oak's. 

In  Sluss  &  Dyer's  office  I  first  met  Judge  Campbell,  then  a  resi- 
dent of  El  Dorado,  and  he  was  preparing  an  order  for  a  special 
term  of  court,  at  which  the  great  murder  trial  of  Winner  and 
McNutt  was  tried.  Judge  William  Baldwin  had  an  office,  but  I 
never  knew  where  it  was,  unless  it  was  adjoining  the  police 
judge's  office,  under  the  room  afterward  occupied  by  L.  W.  Clapp, 
and  now  by  the  Postal  Telegraph  Company,  on  First  street.  Albert 
Emerson  was  another  legal  mind.  E.  B.  Jewett  was  probate  judge 
and  justice  of  the  peace.  Jacob  M.  Balderson  was  on  Main  street, 
second  floor  front  of  a  two-story  frame  building,  on  the  site  of 
which  is  now  standing  the  north  of  Walker  Bros.'  store.  Old 
Bully  Parsons  was  on  the  curbstone,  and  W.  R.  Kirkpatrick  was 
over  Houck  Bros.'  hardware  store,  in  the  building  now  occupied 
by  Mueller,  florist,  on  Main  street.  Judge  S.  W.  Tucker  and 
B.  H.  Fisher  had  an  office  on  North  Main  street,  second  floor 
front,  and  I  think  the  old  Heller  Building  and  230  North  Main 
street  are  on  the  same  lot. 

Moses  Sampson  Adams,  of  whom,  even  in  the  early  days,  Noble 
Prentis  once  said  in  Wichita,  "What!  'Mose'  Adams,  of  Leaven- 
worth? He  has  been  in  Kansas  a  thousand  years."  Moses  had 
an  office  on  North  Main  street,  near  the  corner  of  Second  street,  in 
a  building  on  the  lot  now  covered  by  the  Getto  building  or  Clement 
Block,  owned  by  Ed  Vail.  Adams  was  a  gentleman,  of  fair  abil- 
ity, warm  friendship,  politically  ambitious,  and  had  some  weak- 
ness which  caused  his  fall;  but  to  a  young  man,  poor,  green, 
friendless  and  obscure,  he  was  "an  oasis  in  a  desert."  He  will 
ever  be  remembered  by  the  writer  as  a  kind-hearted  gentleman 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  143 

who  made  him  feel  that  patience  and  industry  would  bring  fees 
and  be  crowned  with  final  success. 

George  Salisbury,  Albert  Emerson  and  John  Stanard  were  also 
here,  and  George  Salisbury  will  have  a  more  extended  notice. 
M.  W.  Levy  and  James  McCullough  officed  in  Steele  &  Levy's 
ofTices,  where  Houek's  hardware  store  is.  Subsequently  came 
Howett  and  Brewer,  H.  G.  Ruggles,  George  H.  English  and  H.  C. 
Higginbotham.  After  this  the  deluge,  whose  names  are  legion, 
and  space  forbids  naming  all  of  them. 

HENRY  0.  SLUSS. 

Few  men  in  the  West  have  had  the  strong  pull  on  public  con- 
fidence enjoyed  by  Sluss  since  the  date  of  his  residence  in  Wichita 
to  the  present  time. 

His  enemies  have  given  him  credit  for  his  integrity,  real  ability 
and  personal  power;  yet  without  that  magnetism  which  always 
attends  the  footsteps  and  Avaits  upon  the  fortunes  of  the  tribunes 
of  the  many-headed  multitude.  He  has  been  spoken  of  as  one 
whose  rind  of  austerity,  when  punctured,  discloses  that  he  has 
but  little  dignity,  but  his  husk  is  not  broken  save  to  his  personal 
friends  and  intimates.  From  the  beginning  of  that  time  to  which 
southwestern  Kansas'  memory  runneth  not  to  the  contrary,  Sluss 
has  been  the  one  man  of  the  Southwestern  empire  whose  fame 
has  filled  the  mouths  of  the  people.  To  what  this  is  attributable, 
is  a  problem  with  two  or  three  unknown  quantities,  and  is  not 
within  the  province  of  this  reminiscence  to  solve.  We  state  the 
simple  fact.  There  are  those  who  believe,  others  who  affect  to 
believe,  that  popularity  is  but  evanescent ;  yet  the  fact  remains 
that  no  other  man  has  had  such  recognition  of  forty  years  of 
even  such  evanescent  power  among  a  people,  and  whether  this 
power  is  real  or  fancied,  cuts  no  figure  on  results.  Like  counter- 
feit greenbacks  in  Texas  after  the  war,  they  passed  readily  and 
without  discount  because  all  men  had  'em.  (The  public  can  have 
no  interest  in  knowing  what  compensation  I  am  to  have  from  Sluss 
for  this  sketch,  yet  "I  do  expect  return  of  three  times  the  value 
of  this  bond.") 

Tradition  has  it  that  Henry  Clay  Sluss  came  to  Wichita  by 
wagon,  and  at  sunset  reached  College  Hill,  o'erlooking  the  coming 
giant,  then  in  its  swaddling  clothes,  and  was  so  impressed  with 
the  sight  that  the  gift  of  divination,  by  Hydromancy,  was  con- 


144  HISTOEY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

ferred  on  him,  and  it  is  said  that  he  removed  his  dusty  hat,  wiped 
his  "Bismarckian"  brow,  and  exclaimed:  "Thou  art  the  realiza- 
tion of  my  sleeping  fantasies,  the  extravaganza  of  my  dreaming 
brains,  rarest  vintage,  'Nature  and  Fortune,'  miraculous,  peerless 
gem,  have  united  in  one  homogeneous  crystal  to  make  thee  great." 
He  then  turned  to  the  teamster,  with  whom  he  was  temporarily 
associating,  his  face  pale  as  alabaster,  the  royal  blood  having  in 
the  momentary  excitement  abandoned  his  "graven  front,"  and 
thus  prophesied:  "This  royal  infant,  yet  in  its  cradle,  contains 
for  Kansas  a  thousand  blessings,  which  time  shall  bring  to  ripe- 
ness." In  one  hour  more  he  had  reached  the  "Buckhorn"  Hotel, 
kept  by  Henry  Vigus,  near  the  banks  of  the  Little  river,  at  once 
announced  himself  a  resident  of  Wichita,  and  in  three  days  was  an 
old  settler. 

Soon  after,  Sluss  and  M.  M.  Murdock  formed  the  "David  and 
Jonathan  joint-stock  company"  which  continued  until  Colonel 
Murdock  was  followed  to  his  narrow,  final  home  on  the  hillside 
overlooking  the  scenes  of  his  mature  manhood's  ambitious  strug- 
gles and  labor,  the  situs  of  years  of  success  and  failure,  triumphs 
and  humiliations,  and  paid  the  last  tribute  that  humanity  can  pay 
to  a  friend  departed  forever. 

Sluss,  in  the  Douglas  avenue  fights,  was  in  a  peculiar  posi- 
tion, as  he  was  the  personal  friend  and  attorney  of  the  leaders  of 
the  north  and  south  ends,  but  his  conduct  was  satifaetory  to  both 
sides,  and  he  lost  no  friends  by  it. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  these  remarks  to  estimate  any  live  or 
dead  man,  or  to  criticize  character,  but,  as  it  may  add  a  keener 
pang  to  Sluss  in  the  hour  of  death  to  know  that  if  I  outlive  him, 
an  estimate  of  him  will  be  published,  and,  like  Cromwell's  por- 
trait, I  will  "love  the  warts  and  wrinkles,"  as  well  as  the  noble 
forehead  and  lustrous  eye.  It  is  not  the  intention  to  write  up  the 
present  or  living  men,  but  as  Sluss  had  gone  into  a  "cave"  for 
five  years  when  this  was  penned,  he  was  made  an  exception. 


CHAPTER  III. 

James  L.  Dyer,  Sluss'  partner,  now  judge  of  the  City  Court, 
when  I  first  knew  him,  was  supposed  to  be  within  a  few  months 
of  death,  but  he  was  appointed  receiver  of  the  United  States  land 
ofifice,  and  immediately  gained  a  fair  degree  of  health.    Dyer,  in 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  145 

the  early  day,  was  considered  a  metaphysical,  technical,  pro- 
foundly scholastic,  keen  lawyer;  an  authority  on  all  legal  ques- 
tions, and  pre-eminently  gifted  in  the  knowledge  of  what  did  not 
constitute  "usury."  On  the  trial  of  a  case  one  hot  summer  day, 
Dyer  was  once  more  confronted  with  the  "irrepressible  statutes" 
on  usury.  Judge  Campbell,  (afterward  Dyer's  partner),  the  nat- 
ural foe  to  "money-lenders,"  was  on  the  bench,  and  he  rode 
"Jim"  for  two  hours,  even  as  the  fairy  tales  relate  how  witches 
ride  brooms.  Dyer's  feeble  physical  condition  at  last  succumbed 
in  the  struggle,  and  he  was  carried  home.  The  action  was  con- 
tinued and  later  compromised.  The  real  estate  in  controversy  was 
the  land  known  as  Orme  &  Phillips'  addition  to  Wichita.  The 
debt  sued  for  was  $2,000,  and  the  land  is  now  worth  $350,000. 

Old  "Bully  Parsons"  was  a  character  Dickens  would  have 
delighted  in.  He  could,  in  him,  have  embalmed  for  future  ages  a 
phase  of  attorneyship  that  is  not  recorded  in  history.  Old  Bully 
was  suave — i.  e.,  suaviter  in  modo.  He  was  an  embodiment  of 
tranquilized,  philosophical  imperturbation.  If  possessed  of  emo- 
tions, he  rarely  disclosed  them.  The  facts  of  the  case  (not  the 
law)  were  his  aim.  If  he  had  a  case,  and  the  papers  were  lost,  no 
inqiiiry  arose  as  to  their  whereabouts ;  a  motion  for  substitution 
of  papers  was  the  remedy.  He  was  distinguished  by  the  outdoor 
practice  of  the  law,  and  directed  his  mighty  energies  to  the  free 
instruction  of  witnesses  in  the  art  of  how  to  state  "a  fact"  so  as 
to  have  the  greatest  weight.  Sad  as  it  may  seem,  he  and  Judge 
Campbell  never  won  each  other's  respect,  and  on  one  occasion  the 
judge  offered  to  receive  "Bully's"  resignation  as  a  member  of  the 
Wichita  bar.  Soon  after  this  he  left  Wichita.  He  was  indifferent 
concerning  money  matters,  and  was  remembered  after  he  left  by 
many  whom  he  had  honored  with  his  custom.  He  was  about 
sixty-five  years  old,  a  splendid  specimen  of  preserved  humanity, 
white-headed,  smooth  face,  blue  eyes,  frank  in  manner,  and  pos- 
sessed of  a  smile  as  childlike  and  bland  as  the  heathen  Chinee 
embalmed  in  immortal  verse  by  Bret  Harte.  The  only  oratorical 
effort  I  ever  heard  of  in  connection  with  Bully  was  on  one  Fourth 
of  July,  during  the  cattle  trade.  He  made  the  address  to  the 
American  Eagle,  and  commenced : 

"Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  and  Texas  Men." 
Whether  this  was  a  mere  "break,"  a  sarcasm,  or  a  compliment, 
will  never  be  known. 


HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Among  the  attorneys  who  herded  with  the  contemporary  pau- 
pers of  A.  D.  1874,  yet  was  not  of  them,  was  one  George  Salisbury, 
who  was  descended  from  one  Sylvester  Salisbury,  a  soldier  who 
died  in  1680 — whether  B.  C.  or  A.  D.,  we  do  not  know.  At  any 
rate,  George  reflected  credit  on  his  ancestor,  and,  had  he  remained 
in  Wichita,  he  would  be  recognized  not  only  as  a  lawyer,  but  also 
as  an  orator,  if  not  as  a  private  banker,  as  he  was  one  to  whom 
money  came  easy  and  stuck  long.  His  dollars  bred  nickles  as 
easily  as  a  dead  dog  in  August  sun  brings  forth  corruption.  In 
his  day  he  was  the  czar  money-maker  of  the  Arkansas  valley.  He 
was  the  realization  of  the  "  early-bird  "-catching-the-worm  theory. 
Gifted  with  untiring  industry  and  a  strong  physical  constitution, 
he  was  an  engine  that  only  needed  a  governor  to  keep  it  at  its  best 
work  and  on  the  track.  He  owned  a  two-story  frame  building  situ- 
ated on  the  lot  where  Paul  Eaton  was,  north  of  the  corner  of  Main 
and  Douglas;  received  $900  per  year  from  the  lower  floor,  had 
his  oiBce  on  the  second  floor,  and  lived  in  the  back  part. 

Each  day  George  arose  with  larks  and  bent  his  energies  to  earn 
money  in  the  legal  vineyard ;  each  night  when  the  sun  sank  to 
rest  "like  a  ball  of  fire  in  the  west,"  he  was  richer.  It  was  said 
of  him,  though  no  doubt  the  allegation  was  the  machination  of 
his  jealous  competitors,  that  he  never  asked  a  client  for  money 
until  one  hour,  or  at  the  longest  half  a  day,  before  a  case  was 
called  for  trial.  This  course  caused  the  client  to  "hump  himself" 
for  money,  when  George  whispered  to  him  :  "No  money,  no  trial." 
li  is  said  on  one  occasion  a  demand  was  made  on  a  client,  and  the 
client,  instead  of  getting  money,  got  the  ear  of  the  court.  Judge 
Campbell,  and  Campbell  commanded  George  to  go  to  the  trial 
without  a  fee.  George  was  formerly  of  the  Lynchburg  (Virginia) 
bar,  a  contemporary  of  John  W.  Daniel,  author  of  "Daniel  on 
Negotiable  Instruments,"  and  George  always  said  "John's  father 
wrote  the  book"  and  gave  the  name  of  it  to  "Jack"  to  help  him 
along.  George,  in  many  well-contested  cases,  had  wiped  the  earth 
with  the  said  John  W.  Daniel. 

George  had  learned  in  his  youth,  and  had  memorized,  the  old 
adage,  "A  timid  man  has  no  business  in  court";  hence  he  was  a 
lion  in  his  claims.     The  first  time  the  writer  called  on  George 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  147 

Salisbury  in  his  office,  he  was  sorting  dictionaries.  He  had  about 
fifty  unabridged  ones  and  one  hundred  or  more  school  diction- 
aries, and  stated  that  he  got  thein  as  a  fee  from  a  book  peddler. 
When  he  went  away  from  home  on  business  or  pleasure,  he  ex- 
pected to  do,  and  usually  did  do,  enough  extra  business  to  pay 
expenses.  On  one  occasion  the  writer  was  in  Kansas  City,  and, 
hearing  a  voice  enough  like  George  to  be  a  twin,  stopped  and 
ascertained  that  it  was  George.  It  seemed  he  went  to  Kansas 
City  and,  being  delayed,  attended  police  court  and  "plucked  a 
goose"  for  expense  money. 

George  had,  for  about  one  year,  when  pressed  to  trial,  con- 
tinued his  cases  on  the  plea  that  his  wife  "was  in  the  way  women 
are  who  love  their  lords."  Common  humanity  permitted  the 
ease  to  go  over,  but  after  about  one  year  had  passed,  S.  M.  Tucker 
called  for  an  investigation  by  the  medical  profession.  Tucker  was 
a  parent  and  had  experience,  and  in  the  interest  of  science  he 
desired  an  examination  and  report  to  the  court. 

George  had  for  a  tenant  vmder  his  office  a  grocer.  He  also 
was  possessed  of  a  brother-in-law,  who  was  about  twenty-five 
years  old,  and  a  dependent  on  George  for  support.  This  creature 
was  an  habitual  loafer  at  the  grocery  and  an  omniverous  gour- 
mandizer.  He  was  not,  however,  like  an  ostrich,  willing  to  tackle 
everything,  but  confined  himself  to  fruits,  nuts  and  candies,  and 
was  dead  gone  on  gumdrops,  and  helped  himself  without  stint  on 
account  of  his  relationship  to  the  landlord.  The  grocer,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  protection,  obtained  some  croton  oil  at  a  drug  store  and 
dosed  a  layer  or  two  of  gumdrops  in  the  brother-in-law's  usual 
candy  jar.  The  loafer  soon  came  in,  took  out  some  drops,  and 
by  chance  went  upstairs  and  generously  divided  his  candy  with  his 
sister,  Mrs.  Salisbury.  If  any  member  of  the  Salisbury  family  at 
that  time  was  in  need  of  physic,  relief  was  at  hand.  The  first 
thought  was  that  the  family  was  poisoned,  but  soon  the  facts  were 
.known,  and  the  military  figure  of  George,  with  a  double-barreled 
shotgun  was  seen  prowling  up  and  down  Main  street  looking  for 
a  grocer. 

George's  description,  next  day,  of  the  agony  of  his  family, 
after  eating  gumdrops,  would  have  caused  the  "round-heads"  to 
break  ranks  and  lie  down  and  roll  over.  The  gumdrop  fiend  soon 
left  the  city.  George  removed  to  Colorado,  became  a  cattle- 
raiser,  was  a  candidate  for  supreme  .judge  on  the  Greenback 
ticket,  and  in  1887  sold  his  lot,  twenty  by  forty-five,  on  Main 


148  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

street,  for  $20,000,  and  said  to  the  writer  hereof  that  he  cleared 
$17,000  on  the  property. 

George's  lungs  were  unimpaired.  Though  it  was  said  on  one 
occasion  that  he  had  his  lungs  tested  after  orating  for  four  and 
one-half  hours  on  a  nineteen-dollar  law  suit,  he  was  leather- 
lunged — equal,  in  fact,  to  a  blacksmith's  bellows;  ponderous  in 
"logick, "  fertile  in  imagination,  and  his  exuberant  fancy  sup- 
plied all  lapse  in  proof,  and  to  all  this  were  united  an  untiring 
industry  and  a  capacity  for  "shekel-gathering"  the  like  of  which 
hath  not  been  seen  in  Wichita  since  George's  shadow  ceased  to 
fall  on  Main  street. 

George's  greatest  forensic  effort  was  in  behalf  of  the  liberty 
of  the  late  Judge  Balderston.  In  fact,  this  effort  was  not  only 
his  greatest  effort,  but  it  was  the  nonpareil  effort  of  southwestern 
Kansas,  and  for  vigor,  lung  power,  length,  and  deafening  ap- 
plause, all  of  which  were  crowned  with  success,  has  never  been 
surpassed. 

Main  street  was  electrified  one  day  by  the  news  that  Judge 
Balderston  was  about  to  shoot  Commodore  Woodman.  The  judge 
was  arrested  and  the  prosecution  was  in  the  hands  of  Stanley  and 
private  counsel,  Sluss  and  Dyer.  The  remaining  members  of  the 
bar  were  for  the  defense.  A  council  of  war  was  held  in  H.  G. 
Ruggles'  office,  in  the  basement  of  the  old  county  building,  corner 
Main  and  First  street.  Before  the  examination  commenced,  it 
was  demonstrated  that  the  justice's  office  was  not  large  enough 
for  even  the  defendant  and  his  multitudinous  counsel,  and  an 
adjournment  was  had  to  the  old  Eagle  Hall.  The  house  was 
crammed  full;  examination  occupied  all  day,  and  the  "genius 
licks" — i.  e.,  oratory — was  concluded  after  supper.  Salisbury 
had  argued  something  over  two  and  a  half  hours,  on  a  motion, 
and  was  awarded  the  main  speech  in  argument.  The  effort  lasted 
not  less  than  five  or  more  than  seven  hours.  It  was  said  the 
classical  quotations  and  recitations  from  poetry  consumed  at  least 
two  hours,  but  the  mob,  the  populace,  the  city  was  with  him.  He 
was  cheered  enough  to  breathe  inspiration  into  a  corpse,  but  he 
needed  no  inspiration.  Dyer  closed  the  argument,  but  the  mob 
had  already  recorded  a  verdict  of  "not  guilty,"  and  the  justice 
bowed  not  to  the  submission  to  the  decree  of  the  people,  and  the 
illustrious  defendant  was  bound  over  and  then  discharged.  The 
eff'ort  of  George's  was  for  years  the  standard  of  comparison  on 
the  questions  of  length,  breadth  and  thickness. 


A  LAWYEB'S  REVERIES  149 

During  this  examination  an  assertion  was  made  that  Judge 
Balderston  was  a  dangerous,  bold,  bad  man,  too  vitriolic  to  run 
at  large  in  a  community,  with  so  many  sky-aspiring  church  spires 
and  other  inspiring.  Christianizing  "inflooenees."  George  met 
the  thrust  thusly: 

"Does  your  honor,  on  naked  assertion,  without  proof — mere 
declamation,  without  argument — believe  these  charges?  I  have 
heard  your  honor  called  'a  stinker'  an  hundred  times — aye,  a 
thousand  times.  Men  have  openly  and  boldly  charged  your  honor 
with  being  as  corrupt  as  hell  is  hot,  as  base  as  angels  are  pure ; 
in  fact,  as  your  honor  knows,  there  is  no  epithet  in  language  indi- 
cating human  depravity,  no  term  painting  reproach,  no  lingual 
picture  of  vileness,  that  has  not,  at  some  time  or  other,  been 
applied  to  your  honor,  and  the  sentiment  has  been  cheered  to 
the  echo — and  only  your  honor  knows  whether  it  is  true  or  false. 
And  yet,  if  these  mere  statements  are  to  gain  credence  in  our 
minds,  we  are  bound  to  believe  that  your  honor  is  the  vilest  of 
the  vile;  but  I  confidently  assert  that  statements  cannot  change 
Judge  Balderston 's  character,  nor  your  honor's." 

'Twas  in  this  case  that  George  grew  restive  under  continued 
interruptions,  during  four  hours  of  unwearied  lung  devotion  to 
his  client,  and,  tiu-ning  on  the  opposing  counsel,  exclaimed: 
"Great  God!  If  in  my  beginning  you  wiggle,  squirm  and  squeal, 
what  will  you  do  at  my  close  tomorrow?" 

George's  defense  of  a  "nigger"  charged  with  chicken  steal- 
ing, based  on  the  "custom  and  usage"  of  niggers  to  thus  own 
chickens,  and  on  their  prescriptive  right  to  so  obtain  them, 
backed  up  by  the  constitutional  provision  guaranteeing  life,  lib- 
erty and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  was  a  great  constitutional 
argument,  but  though  rewarded  with  a  verdict  of  "not  guilty," 
it  is  hardly  worthy  of  mention  in  connection  with  his  greatest 
forensic  effort  in  the  case  nominally  presented  by  the  "State  of 
Kansas,"  but  which  was  in  reality  W.  C.  "Woodman  versus  J.  ]\I. 
'  Balderston. 

THE  FIRST  DUEL  IN  WICHITA. 

Soon  after  George  Salisbury  had  made  his  legal  "debut,"  and 
was  engaged  in  his  first  case,  against  Judge  S.  M.  Tucker, 
who  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  heard  the  florid  style  lately 
imported  from  Lynchburg,  Va.,  and  was  astonished  thereat.     In 


150  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

reply  he  used  the  "mountain  howitzer  jackass  yarn"  for  an  illus- 
tration. George  acted  the  part  of  the  "jackass"  in  Tucker's  pan- 
tomime, to  his  great  disgust  and  to  the  amusement  of  the  crowd. 
George  was  as  full  of  rage  as  a  sodapop  bottle  is  of  fizz,  and  he 
went  down  upon  the  street  and  foamed  like  a  dog  with  the  rabies. 
His  wrath  grew  with  age,  and  on  the  morrow  it  filled  his  soul  to 
overflowing,  and  sprang  full-orbed  into  a  consuming  fire — even 
unto  a  "rage  whose  heat  hath  this  condition,  that  nothing  could 
allay  it  but  blood ! ' ' — warm,  hot,  human  blood. 

George  sought  out  some  of  his  new  acquaintances,  and  to 
them  he  "did  a  tale  unfold"  of  the  insult  heaped  upon  him,  and 
stated  that  if  he  was  in  Virginia  he  could  solve  the  difficulty  and 
wipe  out  the  insult  under  a  "code  of  honor"  that  yet  obtained 
among  the  remnants  of  knighted  chivalry  in  that  civilized  and 
enlightened  country,  formerly  called  "the  mother  of  presidents." 
The  boys  said:  "Challenge  'Tuck'  to  fight  a  duel,  eh?"  George 
said,  "Yes."  Here  was  a  chance  for  fun,  too  rare  to  be  neg- 
lected. George  was  at  once  informed  that,  notwithstanding  the 
crude  civilization  of  Kansas  and  the  lack  of  refinement,  there 
were  some  old  and  highly  honored  customs  which,  by  mere  acci- 
dent, had  crossed  the  Missouri  river  and  found  lodgment  in  the 
hearts  of  many,  and  among  them  was  the  "code  of  honor,"  dear 
to  the  hot  blood  of  the  South,  longed  for  by  George,  and  revered 
by  the  early  settlers  of  the  Osage  Indian  diminished  reserve  land, 
in  which  Wichita  was  situate. 

The  advice  was  given  that  dueling  was  the  only  way  in  which 
a  man  who  had  the  discernment  to  know  when  he  was  insulted, 
spirit  enough  to  resent  it,  and  courage  sufficient  to  demand  satis- 
faction, could  avenge  himself  on  an  aggressor,  and  that  he  should 
at  once  personally  see  Tucker  and  demand  an  apology  or  satisfac- 
tion under  the  "code  of  honor."  The  information  was  furnished 
that  Tucker  was  a  bombastic  Orlanda  Furioso,  a  veritable  Fal- 
staff,  and  that  on  being  confronted  with  a  master  would  fawn  as 
a  whipped  spaniel  and  cower  in  a  corner  like  a  well  drubbed 
slave. 

George,  conscious  of  his  insult,  clothed  in  the  armor  of  right, 
and  full  well  knowing  the  craven  he  would  humiliate  in  the  dust 
ere  another  moon  shone  o'er  the  town,  sought  Tucker  in  his 
office,  and  thus  the  bloody  dialogue  ran : 

George — Judge  Tucker,  you  insulted  me  on  yester  e'en,  and 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  151 

I  my  bed  have  not  sought  nor  wooed  slumber  to  mine  eyelids.  I 
have  come,  sir,  to  demand  an  apology. 

Tucker — ^And  if  I  do  not,  sweet  sir,  apologize,  what  then? 

George — I  then  demand  of  your  knightly  hand  that  satisfac- 
tion and  reparation  which  are  due  from  one  gentleman  to 
another. 

Tucker — Do  I  understand  that  you  challenge  me  to  fight  a 
duel? 

George — Aye !   to  mortal  combat ! 

Prom  proud  Virginia's  moss-grown  tombs, 

O'er  which  said  tombs  indigenous  creepers  have  for 

centuries  bloomed. 
My  ancestors'  bones,  in  chivalric  rage. 
Doth  right  briskly  rattle,  pressing  me  to  engage 

You  to  mortal  combat !    Deny  me  not ! 
Said  ancestral  bones  aforesaid  demand 
That  you  apologize,  or  die  by  my  hand; 
Ample  time  shall  unto  you  be  given 
To  prepare  to  meet  your  God  in  heaven ; 
The  said  bones  urge  that  I  by  chastisement 
Prove  my  birthright  ere  the  day  be  spent ; 
I  "wired"  said  bones  that,  ere  another  sun  be  risen, 
Mine  foe  should  quaff  my  blood,  or  I'd  drink  his'n. 

Lay  on,  McDuff,  etc. 

Tucker — By  your  code  of  honor,  I  have  the  choice  of  weapons, 
do  I  not  ? 

George — Yes,  sir ;  our  seconds  will  fix  the  time  and  place. 

Tucker — I  will  select  cowhide  boots,  do  away  with  seconds, 
and  commence  right  now  and  kick  you  downstairs. 

"Whereupon  Tucker  arose  and  started  for  George,  who  fled 
down  stairs  amidst  cheers  and  jeers,  and  thus  the  "code  of 
honor"  was  derided  and  trampled  under  foot  by  one  whose  finer 
senses  had  been  blunted  by  residence  in  the  North,  and  who  made 
mockery  out  of  things  revered  and  sacred  in  the  eyes  of  ALL  gen- 
tlemen.   This  was  the  only  duel  ever  fought  in  "Wichita. 

Hearing,  from  obscure,  as  well  as  conspicuous,  sources,  that 
these  reminiscences  were  historically  incorrect,  were  overdrawn, 
contained  personalities  not  in  "good  form"  (see,  however,  "Ward 
McAllister's  book,  volume  I,  page  9,  footnote  3,  left-hand  column, 


152  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

bottom  of  page,  for  justification),  that  this  was  simply  rinsings  of 
sM'inish  ablutions,  I  deem  it  a  pleasurable  duty  to  explain  my 
position,  not  censoriously,  but  with  humility,  but  reference  to  a 
gray-haired  mythological  legend,  which  runs  in  my  mind  about 
as  follows,  to-wit: 

JUPITER  VS.  THE  BULL. 

Once  upon  a  time,  while  Jupiter  was  resting,  and  his  daughter 
Minerva  was  practicing  on  some  stringed  instrument,  the  front 
door  bell  was  pulled  violently,  and  presently  a  card  was  brought 
in  by  Mars  (Mars,  by  the  way,  was  the  putative  son  of  his  uncle 
and  aunt),  who  said  that  one  of  the  neighboring  bulls  was  await- 
ing an  audience  on  some  matter  of  mighty  and  deep  import; 
whereupon  Jupiter  ordered  him  admitted,  and  the  Balaam's  ass, 
bovine  quadruped,  stated,  as  a  grievance,  that  one  of  the  archi- 
tects had  builded  a  house  contrary  to  the  Romanesque  style — in 
fact,  was  using  the  Doric.  On  hearing  this,  Jupiter,  who  was 
leaning  carelessly  against  one  of  the  columns  supporting  the 
temple,  spat  on  the  antique  floor  and,  deftly  wiping  it  up  with 
his  left  sandal,  remarked,  in  that  oratund  accent  noticeable  in 
the  plays  of  "Cffisar,"  "Virginius"  and  "Coriolanus":  "Thou 
quadruped,  when  thou  hast  builded  in  any  style  of  architecture, 
then  thou  mayest  criticize  the  builder  who,  having  worn  out 
his  own  ideas,  resorts  to  ancient  Greece.  Get  thee  hence !  Be- 
take thee  at  once  to  thy  cow  harem,  or,  by  Helios,  I'll  hamstring 
thee!" 


CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  ARREST,  TRIAL  AND  ESCAPE  OF  JESSE  JAMES. 

Practical  jokes,  keen,  rough  and  ludicrous,  are  essentially  on 
the  frontier  order  of  civilization.  Frontier  towns  are  boys ;  civ- 
ilized cities  are  men.  The  young  lawyer  has  ever  been  the  sub- 
ject of  practical  jokes,  and  the  following  yarn  illustrates  the 
degree  to  which  a  joke  can  be  carried  before  the  "jokee"  is 
aware  of  it. 

It  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  state  that  0.  C.  Daisy  was  one 
of  the  jokers,  and  that  he  performed  his  part  perfectly.  It  is 
not  intended  to  give  the  entire  cast  of  characters  that  took  part 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  153 

in  the  burlesque  legal-tragi-eomedy,  but  only  the  star  and  prin- 
cipal support. 

A  young  lawyer  from  New  York  City,  a  graduate  of  Columbia 
Law  School,  fine  presence,  good  address,  arrived  one  day,  pro- 
ceeded to  make  an  inventory  of  the  law  shops  of  the  town,  and 
presented  his  card  with  his  name.  My  recollection  is,  the  card 
was  as  follows,  but  I  may  be  in  error: 


Alphonse  Ddtcher,   Tourist. 

Alma  Mater,  Columbia  Law  School. 

Mati-imilatod  March   IS,  1878. 

A.  B.,  A.  A.  S..  A.  A.  S.  S. 

Dutcher  was  a  lawyer,  and  aware  of  it.  It  was  not  egotism, 
but  simply  that  calm  self-consciousness  that  buoyed  Lincoln  and 
Grant  during  the  war,  when  others  doubted — the  serenity  of  an 
able  lawyer  who  has  a  hard  legal  fight  on  hand,  and  yet  feels 
his  education  has  enabled  him  to  triumph.  The  boys  admired 
his  self-assertiveness,  yet  pitied  his  ignorance.  But  the  dog  pities 
and  plays  with  the  rat  ere  he  kills  it.  The  chance  for  fun — 
rich,  racy  and  rare — was  too  good  to  be  forborne,  and  a  scheme 
was  incubated  in  the  front  room  over  Hyde  &  Humble 's  old 
store,  where  the  Hub  clothing  store  is.  The  principal  charac- 
ters were  0.  C.  Daisy  (our  own  Daisy),  J.  Herbert  Wright  (a 
lawyer  reminding  one  of  Sam  Howe,  of  Howe  &  Mastin),  who 
subsequently  married  a  Canuck  fortune  and  is  now  a  milk 
farmer;  Robert  Lundy,  a  young  lawyer  from  Springfield,  over 
in  Missouri ;  Major  Yank  Owens,  who  was  a  Kansas  reminiscence 
since  1854  to  death ;  Frank  Todd,  the  sheriff,  now  dead ;  Jimmie 
Mohen,  a  policeman,  now  deceased;  and  the  selected  populace 
who  were  to  be  witnesses  and  jury. 

The  plan  was  to  have  0.  C.  Daisy  arrested  as  Jesse  James, 
placed  in  jail,  and  have  him  send  for  Alphonse  Dutcher  on 
account  of  his  legal  attainments,  and  place  his  defense  in  his 
hands.  Daisy  was  arrested  and  apparently  incarcerated.  J.  Her- 
bert Wright  was  the  commonwealth's  counsel;  Major  Owens  was 
the  court ;  Lundy  was  a  young  lawyer  who,  being  employed  by 
"Jesse,"  was  to  hunt  able  counsel  to  assist  him,  and  he  employed 
Dutcher.  The  warrant  alleged  every  crime  in  the  decalogue, 
and  ended  with  the  grave  charge  that  "Jesse  James"  was  "Jesse 


154  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

James."  Dutcher  obtained  the  warrant  and  immediately  de- 
manded a  continuance,  which  was  refused.  The  hearing  was 
set  for  that  night,  and  took  place  over  the  storeroom  now  occu- 
pied by  Mueller,  the  florist,  on  North  Main  street.  Jesse  informed 
Dutcher  that  if  he  was  acquitted  he  would  pay  $5,000;  if  con- 
victed, Dutcher  should  die;  and  a  check  for  $5,000  was  given 
Lundy  to  deliver  on  acquittal. 

At  the  hour  appointed,  the  room  was  filled,  and  some  of  the 
crowd  was  "full."  Judge  Owens  was  the  ideal  frontier  court — 
dignified,  yet  brusque.  The  illustrious  malefactor  was  brought 
in,  heavily  ironed  and  securely  manacled,  and  was  seated  by 
his  counsel,  while  a  cordon  of  bailiffs  surrounded  him  to  prevent 
his  escape.  The  scene  was  a  most  impressive  and  solemn  bur- 
lesque. Dutcher  felt  the  dignity,  gravity  and  responsibility  of 
his  position.  Entrusted  with  the  liberty,  perhaps  the  life,  of  the 
greatest  criminal  in  the  West,  he  nerved  himself  to  make  a  fight 
which  would  free  his  client,  and  by  his  success — 

Send  Dutcher 's  name 
"Down  the  aisles  of  fame," 
Through  cycles  of  time. 
In  syllables  sublime. 

The  court,  being  the  natural  enemy  of  disorder,  license  and 
crime,  bore  down  with  a  heavy  cast-iron  hand  on  the  counsel  for 
the  defense,  abused  Dutcher,  called  him  the  Columbian  Duke, 
and  fined  him  for  contempt  for  referring  to  the  constitution  of 
Kansas,  which  the  court  knew  by  heart,  or  any  other  legal  author- 
ity not  printed  in  Kansas.  Dutcher  sarcastically  referred  to 
Jeffreys  and  Sci'uggs  as  the  court's  guide.  The  court  imme- 
diately claimed  relationship  to  one  of  them  by  blood  and  the 
other  by  marriage.  Dutcher  at  last  forgot  the  respect  due  to 
the  court,  and  roasted  him.  Judge  Owens  again  imposed  a  fine, 
and  ordered  the  lawyer's  imprisonment,  but,  at  the  request  of 
the  commonwealth's  counsel,  delayed  the  punishment.  The  court 
fined  Wright  $10,  who,  to  make  it  appear  bona  fide,  paid  it  to 
the  court.  The  court  kept  this  money,  and  Wright  consented  to 
pay  for  the  beer  for  the  crowd,  as  the  court  would  not  disgorge 
on  any  other  consideration. 

The  major  was  at  his  best.  At  last  he  seemed  to  weary  of  the 
lengthened  sweetness  long  drawn  out,  became  irritated  at  the 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  155 

nonsensical  cross-examination,  the  purpose  of  which  seemed  to 
be  to  discredit  the  witnesses  for  the  prosecution,  and,  rapping  on 
the  table  with  a  revolver  at  least  a  foot  long,  delivered  himself 
about  as  follows:  "Mr.  Dutcher,  unless  you  have  witnesses  to 
establish  the  defendant's  innocence,  you  may  subside — simmer, 
as  it  were."  Dutcher  here  referred  again  to  the  constitution  as 
guaranteeing  life,  liberty,  fair,  impartial  trial,  etc.,  and  to  the 
fact  that  the  presumption  was  innocence,  not  guilt.  The  refer- 
ence to  the  constitution  seemed  to  act  on  the  court  as  a  red  rag 
in  front  of  a  bob-tailed  bull,  and  the  judge  maintained  that 
THIS  has  no  reference  to  non-resident  defendants,  but  to  Kansas 
defendants. 

Here  the  major  stood  up,  cocked  his  revolver,  and,  addressing 
himself  to  Jesse,  said:  "If  you  are  guilty,  of  which  I  have  but 
little  doubt,  and  have  good  and  sufficient  reason  to  believe,  I'll 
be  *  *  *  if  you  slip  through  these  hands  by  technicalities  or 
quibble.  Of  all  men,  you  are  the  one  I  am  desirous  of  trying  my 
hand  on.  It  is  my  intention  that  no  man  shall  be  robbed  or  killed 
without  the  consent  of  this  court,  first  had  and  obtained  and  pro- 
vision made  for  its  perquisites.  Prisoner  at  the  bar,  stand  up! 
What  have  you  to  say  why  you  should  not  stretch  hemp  in  the 
moonlight  in  one  hour?  God  is  merciful  and  just;  this  court  is 
just ;  but  in  one  hour  from  now  prepare  to  meet  your  victims  in 
purgatory.    Justice  shall  reign ! 

"  'Order  shall  reign  in  Warsaw!' 

' '  You  have  been  the  destiny  of  many  men ! 

' '  Gaze  now  on  your  Waterloo  ! ' ' 

During  this  homily,  Dutcher 's  face  was  a  study.  Impotent 
rage,  abortive  malice,  chagrin,  disappointment,  indignation  and 
astonishment — all  were  there,  each  striving  for  supremacy.  He 
felt  that  he  was  undone,  disgraced,  whipped ;  yet  he  bore  up  with 
it  as  though  it  was  but  the  fate  of  legal  war,  instead  of  the  mur- 
der of  his  first-born.  Jesse  asked  for  a  conference  with  his  coun- 
sel, and  asked  him  what  he  thought  the  chances  were.  Dutcher 
told  him,  none;  informed  him  that  immediate  death  was  now 
upon  him ;  that  the  interposition  of  the  Almighty  alone  would  save 
him.  "What!"  said  Jesse,  "must  I  die — be  hurled  into  Pluto's 
dread  domain,  with  all  my  sins  clinging  to  my  trousers?  Oh,  ye 
gods,  this  is  'tough';  in  fact,  it  is  simply  *  *  *_  j  ^^m  never 
be  hung.  I  will  fight  to  death.  I'll  kill  the  court  and  Wright, 
and  escape  or  die." 


156  fflSTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

The  court  ended  the  tete-a-tete  of  Jesse  and  his  counsel,  and 
the  argument  was  had.  Dutcher  made  a  thrilling,  eloquent,  log- 
ical argument,  broken  into  fragments  by  the  continual  cross-fired 
interruptions  of  the  court  and  state's  attorney,  and  closed  with 
an  assertion  that  if  this  man  was  hanged  in  disregard  of  law,  that 
the  court  would  be  a  murderer  and  the  state's  attorney  an  acces- 
sory to  the  crime.  He  denounced  the  proceedings  as  more  damna- 
ble than  the  trial  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh ;  more  disgraceful  than 
any  trial  chronicled  in  the  annals  of  legal  butchery  since  the 
dawn  of  civilization.  Through  it  all,  Dutcher  was  unconscious 
of  the  part  he  was  playing  in  a  burlesque.  He  believed  it  was 
simply  frontier  law  practice.  When  he  quit,  every  man  pitied 
and  respected  him,  yet  the  roaring  farce  went  on  to  its  tragic 
and  calculated  conclusion.  The  grand  tableau  was  yet  to  come, 
and  even  to  those  in  the  secret  it  was  a  blood-curdling  surprise. 

Jesse,  manacled,  sat  with  bowed  head,  as  if  lost  in  deep  ab- 
straction, "wrapped  in  the  solitude  of  his  own  original  turpi- 
tude," friendless  and  powerless,  apparently,  to  free  himself  from 
the  meshes  of  the  law.  Dutcher  alone  knew  that  Jesse  was  a 
baited  lion  surrounded  by  hungry  hounds,  contemplating  murder 
ere  he  surrendered  to  death.  The  conduct  of  the  court  left  no 
room  for  hope,  no  avenue  for  escape.  Death's  chasm  seemed 
almost  to  open  to  joyously  embrace  the  heroic  and  nonpareil 
felon  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Dutcher  was  pale  as  washed 
snow;  beads  of  sweat  fell  from  his  graven  forehead.  There  was 
a  stillness  in  the  room — that  momentary  calmness  that  pervades 
space  ere  the  tempest  breaks  in  all  its  fury. 

All  at  once  "Jesse"  sprang  to  his  feet.  A  miracle  had  been 
wrought.  His  manacles  had  been  loosened,  his  fetters  had  fallen. 
In  his  hands  were  revolvers,  in  his  eye  vengeance,  fury,  rage  and 
defiance.  He  proclaimed  that  he  was  Jesse  James;  that  he  was 
once  more  an  uncaged  lion.  "Woe  to  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
men !  Woe  to  all  when  I  roam  again !"  that  the  insults  of  the  day 
were  to  be  wiped  out  and  credited  in  full  at  once.  Tears  were 
for  babes;  bloody  revenge  only  for  men.  He  hurled  "chunks" 
of  carefully  accented,  well  rounded  and  emphatic  profanity  at 
the  court. 

In  a  moment  all  was  confusion. 

Mischief  was  afoot. 

The  lamps  went  out,  tables  were  overturned,  chairs  tipped 
over,  all  as  if  by  a  magician.    Jesse  shot  Wright,  who  fell  upon 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  157 

Dutcher;  Mohen  was  shot,  and  fell  on  both  of  them.  The  court 
shouted:  "My  God,  my  God,  I  am  killed!"  In  the  darkness  all 
were  niggers.  Jesse  shouted  to  his  imaginary  rescuers  "to  kill, 
rob,  burn."  Shots  were  fired  as  if  by  battalion.  Oaths,  groans, 
yells  and  agonizing  shrieks  commingled  with  dread,  and  the  deaf- 
ening roar  of  the  infant  artillery,  and  above  all  was  heard  the  voice 
of  Jesse  James,  urging  his  men  to  do  their  bloody  duty  with  honor 
to  themselves  and  families.  At  last  the  door  was  opened,  and  the 
living,  who  expected  in  death  to  shortly  lie,  reached  the  stairway, 
shouting:  "Jesse  James  has  escaped!  Jesse  James  has  killed 
the  court,  his  guard  and  the  state's  attorney!  Run  for  your 
lives!" 

Jesse's  counsel  found  the  door  and  stairway  and  landed  at 
the  bottom  on  some  one's  back,  bareheaded  and  breathless.  He 
ran  across  the  street,  exulting  in  the  prowess  of  his  client,  and 
yet  fearful  that  he  might  be  shot  by  accident  or  hanged  by  a 
mob  seeking  to  find  some  object  on  which  to  rest  its  resentment 
and  discharge  its  fury.  He  reached  his  boarding-house,  bathed 
in  perspiration,  weak  from  fear  and  excitement,  and  to  the 
inmates  thereof  he  did  ' '  a  tale  unfold ' '  which,  ordinarily,  would 
have  made  "each  particular  hair  stand  on  end"  like  the  quills 
of  a  fretful  porcupine.  In  truth,  a  devil  unchained  was  roaming 
o'er  the  town,  seeking  not  to  escape,  but  to  destroy. 

From  his  report,  delivered  in  unction  and  in  fragments,  be- 
tween gasps,  one  would  have  supposed  that  the  Plutonian  realm 
had  vomited  forth  its  crowned  inmates  to  revel  on  earth  a  spell ; 
that  the  cabinet  of  hell,  including  the  prime  minister  thereof, 
attended  by  Rhadamanthus,  its  dread  judge,  and  all  under  the 
escort  of  Cerberus,  the  three-headed  hell  hound,  had  arrived  in 
Wichita  on  a  business  tour  to  close  the  equity  of  soul  mortgage 
redemption  and  obtain  some  fuel  from  flesh  to  inspire  the  then 
flame-fed,  fattened,  famished  fires. 

Butcher's  eyes,  protruding  'neath  his  alabaster  forehead, 
seemed  as  the  ghastly  light  emitted  from  some  tongueless,  cav- 
ernous skull,  when  lighted  upon  ' '  hallowe  'en ' '  by  the  stolen  can- 
dle filched  from  some  thrifty  housewife's  kitchen.  Jesse  James 
to  him  seemed  an  army,  awfully  arrayed  and  armed,  boldly 
besieging  Wichita,  creating  consternation,  dealing  death  and 
destruction  and  devastation  in  its  bloody  track.  Almost  in  his 
recital  you  could  hear : 


158  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

"The  roar  of  cannons,  whose  deadly  peals, 
In  repeating  echoes,  through  the  valley  ring, 
Starting  and  affrighting  Jlidnight  on  her  throne. 
Feel  the  jar  of  bursting  booms  and  falling  beams ; 
Hear  the  dying  groan,  agonizing  shriek  and  the  shout 
Of  maddened  men,  inebriate  with  rage." 

At  last,  pale,  exhausted  and  worn  out,  Dutcher  sought  his 
couch,  and  dreamed,  no  doubt,  that  he  was  "hair-hung  and 
breeze-shaken"  over  the  Calvinistic  resort  of  sinners,  and  that 
"Jesse  James"  was  tickling  his  toes  to  make  him  snap  the  slen- 
der thread  that  separated  him  from  immortality. 

When  the  morrow's  sun  had  peeped  o'er  College  Hill,  Dutcher 
arose  and  went  to  town  to  hear  the  denouncement  of  the 
bloody  scene,  but  some  one  took  him  aside  and  brutally  broke 
the  enchantment  that  bound  him.  His  heart  was  broken.  He 
fled  to  his  room  and  a  few  hours  later  the  north-bound  Santa  Fe 
had  one  passenger,  at  least. 

Dutcher  reached  New  York  by  the  limited  express,  subse- 
quently removed  to  California,  and  was,  in  1887,  an  attorney  in 
San  Francisco,  with  a  good  practice.  To  prove  that  he  had  ability 
and  only  needed  to  have  the  sap  dried  in  him,  Mr.  H.  C.  Gager, 
one  of  our  retired  "boomers,"  now  in  Galveston,  was  in  San 
Francisco  in  1887,  and  at  a  hotel  was  in  the  act  of  turning  away 
from  the  register,  when  a  fine-looking  man  spoke  to  him  and 
asked  him  if  he  was  from  Wichita.  Gager  replied  that  he  was, 
whereupon  the  gentleman  said:  "Do  you  know  0.  C.  Daisy?" 

"Who  in  Wichita  doesn't  know  Daisy?" 

The  gentleman  then  related  this  arrest,  trial  and  escape,  his 
humiliation  and  flight,  and  ended  by  saying:  "Daisy  ran  me  out 
of  the  State  of  Kansas.  I  owe  him  a  debt  of  gratitude  I  can  never 
repay.  He  cut  my  eye  teeth  and  made  me  rich.  Daisy  can  get 
rich  playing  Jesse  James  in  New  York  City.  You  tell  him  that 
if  he  ever  comes  out  here,  to  come  and  see  me,  and  I  will  'put  up' 
his  hotel  bill  for  a  year.  I  have  seen  a  good  deal  of  'plays'  in  the 
East  and  West,  but  of  all  of  'em,  I  remember  this  Jesse  James 
act  best.  The  court  was  bluif,  rough  and  tough,  and  though  after 
I  left  Wichita,  and  before  I  settled  in  San  Francisco,  I  witnessed 
some  frontier  justice  proceedings,  all  were  but  a  feeble  copy  of 
the  presiding  justice  in  the  'Jesse  James'  tragic  comedy,  wherein 
I  played  as  an  unconscious  sucker  to  a  full  house." 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  159 

Recollections  of  those  days  in  the  early  seventies  crowd  upon 
my  memory.  George  Reeves,  at  that  date  clerk  of  the  district 
court,  was  an  autocrat  in  his  own  right,  and  at  times  felt  that 
he  was  first  assistant  to  the  judge,  and  invested  with  judicial  dis- 
cretion, as  well  as  ministerial  functions,  as  witness  the  occasion 
when,  while  somewhat  in  "budge,"  he  continued  court,  and  the 
other  occasion,  M^hen  an  injunction  was  wanted,  he  had  chartered 
the  card  room  of  a  saloon  where  the  Hub  clothing  store  is,  and 
refused  to  grant  any  writ  of  injunction  until  9  a.  m.  of  the  next 
day,  and  the  judge  had  to  help  the  litigant  out  by  issuing  an 
order. 

A  writ  of  injunction,  in  so  far  as  the  speed  is  concerned,  is 
somewhat  like  the  speed  required  of  a  doctor  on  interesting  occa- 
sions in  the  home  of  a  married  man,  or,  like  a  pistol  desire  in 
Texas,  it  is  needed  at  once  or  never. 

During  a  session  of  court,  when  the  present  ofSce  of  the  Occi- 
dental Hotel  was  the  court  room,  some  of  the  foreign  element 
desired  to  be  naturalized,  and  appeared  in  the  court  room,  where 
George  was  engrossed  with  business  and  worn  down  with 
"budge,"  and  being  somewhat  annoyed  at  the  intrusion,  was  not 
as  amiable  as  might  be  desired.  After  George  had  made  out  the 
oath  and  had  it  signed,  one  of  the  new-born  Americans  expressed 
a  desire  to  know  what  George  wanted  him  to  do  next,  and  George 
gratified  him,  to  the  amazement  of  the  voter  and  merriment  of 
the  court  room,  by  saying : 

"Hold  up  your  right  hand,  keep  your  mouth  shut  and  stand 
still.     *   *  *." 

During  the  year  1875,  a  long,  lank,  lean,  cadaverous,  sallow- 
complexioned,  and  jaundiced  in  disposition,  heavy-jawed,  her- 
ring-gutted, web-footed,  sad-eyed  and  melancholy  "Patience  on  a 
monument,  smiling  at  grief"  kind  of  human  proved  to  be  the 
most  litigious  eiiss  in  the  realm.  His  general  appearance  brought 
to  mind  the  "roundhead  cavaliers,"  and  had  he  lived  in  Crom- 
well's day,  he  would  have  had  a  command.  He  was  an  involun- 
tary "false  pretense,"  as  no  one  could  be  as  sorrowful  as  he 
looked.  He  was  a  hybrid  'twixt  an  Arkansian  and  a  Missourian, 
and  he  dressed  in  the  garb  of  the  Ozark  mountains,  and  "chawed" 
the  dog-leg  of  the  Bald  Knob  region.  He  commenced  law  suits 
by  the  dozen  and  score,  gave  no  bond  for  costs,  and  his  signature 
was  sufficient  on  a  poverty  affidavit,  without  the  formality  of  an 
oath.     He  infested  the  clerk's  office,  and  on  divers  and  sundry 


160  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

occasions  had  been  adjudged  to  pay  the  costs,  but  failed  to 
respond  to  any  and  all  demands. 

One  sultry  August  day  he  entered  the  clerk's  office,  a  room 
23x100,  on  North  Main  street,  with  a  handful  of  pleadings,  and 
George,  seeing  in  the  dim  vista  more  work  and  no  fees,  his  natu- 
rally imperious  spirit  took  fire.  He,  however,  pleasantly  enough, 
said:  "Going  to  commence  another  suit,  Mr. ?"  and  the  sad- 
eyed  transmigrated  soul  of  the  cavalier  said,  "Yes."  George 
bade  him  be  seated,  and  went  and  locked  the  front  door,  and 
then  surrounded  the  remnant  of  better  days,  with  a  coal  hatchet 
in  his  hand,  and  but  for  Bill  Rouse,  he  would  have  "slew"  the 
unhappy  litigator. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  name  this  general  attorney,  as  the 
old  members  of  the  bar  remember  well  a  "law  office"  that  drew 
the  loose  driftwood  of  society  to  it  as  a  magnet  draws  iron  filings, 
or  a  molasses  barrel,  flies.  There  was  a  "oneness"  of  idea,  a 
commingling  of  soul's  deepest  thought,  a  meeting  of  a  unities,  a 
homologj^,  as  it  were,  an  intersocial  cognition  and  relevancy  of 
purpose,  design  and  act,  "  'twixt"  that  office  and  a  debtor  who 
could  not  pay  his  costs.  No  "war  boss"  ever  snuffed  the  carnage 
afar,  or  sleuth-hound  scented  him  with  the  celerity,  directness  and 
relentless  ruth  with  which  that  "office"  tracked  the  debtor  to  his 
lair  and  demanded  his  business  for  "business'  sake,"  and  after- 
ward posed  as  the  friend  of  the  down-trodden  and  oppressed. 

On  another  occasion,  one  balmy  day  in  the  early  month  of 
May,  when  green  buds  were  swelling,  when  all  nature  seemed  in 
tune,  and  each  flower  to  vie  to  surpass  its  rival  in  freshness  and 
beauty,  and  everj^thing  was  in  harmony,  the  blue  overhead  and 
the  green  underfoot,  the  tall  cottonwoods  on  the  river  banks  filled 
with  bluejays,  and  their  branches  gracefully  waving  benisons 
over  the  town,  their  leaves  whispering  "peace  on  earth" — just 
such  a  day  as  Bret  Harte  sketched  when  he  said,  "It  seemed  as 
though  the  voice  of  God  pervaded  the  earth  and  spoke  to  man  as 
'in  the  old  days'  ";  just  such  a  day  as  brings  to  mind  a  Sunday 
long  ago,  when  we  put  our  earnings  into  four  hours  of  livery  team, 
and,  seated  beside  a  vision  of  white  swiss  and  blue  ribbon,  "wi' 
eyes  o'  heaven's  own  blue,"  and  a  voice  soft  and  low,  sweet  and 
tremulous  as  a  lute,  and  as  thrilling  as  the  dying  cadence  of  a 
whip-poor-will's  notes  at  midnight  on  the  banks  of  a  dark  wooded 
stream,  and  we  felt  a  desire  to  be  good,  not  for  our  sake  or  God's 
sake,  but  for  "white  swiss'  sake" — 'twas  on  just  such  a  day  as 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  161 

this,  we  say,  that  George,  in  regal  splendor,  appeared  on  Main 
street  with  a  milky-white  team  and  silver-painted  buggy,  bring- 
ing to  mind  the  story  of  Phoebus  careering  across  the  heavens. 
He  was  dressed  with  taste  and  doting  care.  Of  course  he  was  at 
once  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes,  the  envy  and  admiration  of  all 
beholders,  and  he  was  drunk  enough  to  prove  that  there  is  a 
fine  art  in  getting  drunk  as  well  as  iu  other  habits,  combining  at 
once,  and  artlessly,  the  suavity  of  the  late  Mr.  "Woodman,  the 
taste  of  a  Beau  Brummel  and  the  elegance  of  Chesterfield  with  the 
prodigality  of  Jim  Piske  and  the  regularity  of  Coal  Oil  Johnny. 

George  wore  a  soft  drab  crush  hat  at  an  Emerald  Isle  angle, 
with  pantaloons,  gloves  and  shoes  to  match,  a  Marseilles  vest  with 
creamy  glass  buttons,  and  an  immaculate  and  faultless  shirt 
bosom  and  cufi's  as  pure  as  bleached  snow,  and  he  proceeded  "to 
do  the  town,"  regaling  himself  at  every  saloon,  and  at  last  wind- 
ing up  at  Al  Thomas'  grocery,  at  the  Occidental  Hotel,  where, 
after  some  negotiation,  he  became  the  owner  in  fee  of  a  full  tub 
of  eggs,  which  he  immediately  scrambled  with  his  drab  shoes,  by 
dancing  a  jig  in  the  tub  until  the  egg  was  spattered  all  over  him- 
self, the  floor  and  store,  egg  galore,  then  a  marigold  in  liquor, 
a  buttercup  complete,  a  jumping  daisy  from  head  to  foot,  he 
jumped  into  the  buggy  and  finished  his  ride,  but  he  "cussed" 
some  of  the  boys  because  he  asked  them  to  ride  and  they  "egg- 
seused"  themselves. 

George's  penchant  for  variation  of  the  common  and  accepted 
manner  of  executing  a  ' '  drunk ' '  was  simply  high  art,  which  blun- 
dering mediocrity  should  not  essay. 

Copies  do  not  succeed,  and  the  originality  of  the  Reeves  drunk 
robbed  it  of  half  its  degradation  and  disgrace.  Failing  to  be 
renominated  for  clerk,  he  shook  us,  and  we  understand  he  is  now 
a  "  Missoiu-ian. " 

Lucifer  fell  from  the  battlements  of  heaven  to  hell,  and  Reeves 
.left  Kansas  for  Missouri. 

Among  the  attorneys  of  the  time  was  one  Robert  Jerome 
Christy,  formerly  of  Pittsburg,  formerly  of  Peabody,  then  to 
Wichita,  from  here  to  San  Francisco,  and  from  there  direct  to  the 
bosom  of  Abraham.  (He  is  dead  and  the  view  taken  is  charitable. 
It  is  not  pretended  that  any  advices  have  been  received  or  that 
any  bill  of  lading  was  made  out  with  the  consignment.) 

Robert  J.  Christy  was  a  dandy  in  the  superlative  and  galore 
sense.     He  was  not  only  an  educated  lawyer,  but  a  graduated 


162  fflSTOEY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

spendthrift.  If  there  be  anything  ia  the  genus  of  spendthriftism 
which  may  be  designated  the  belles  lettres  of  prodigality,  bold, 
imprudent,  plausible  and  without  any  finish  except  the  natural 
grain,  Robert  J.  was  the  personification  living  embodiment  of  the 
ideal  creation.  He  bought  everything  and  paid  for  nothing,  and 
stood  ofif  a  monthly  ornithorynchus  with  a  charming  naivete  and 
careless  abandon,  a  princely  insouciance  that  disarmed  suspicion 
and  brought  apologies  for  the  seemingly  unwarranted  intrusion. 

There  was  no  asperity  ia  his  tete-a-tete  with  a  bill  fiend,  no 
hauteur  of  voice  or  manner,  no  "unsettled  account  to  be  ad- 
justed" or  "credits  not  given,"  no  "call  tomorrow."  The  liquid 
diphthong  "call  again"  seemed  to  melt  as  it  fell  from  his  ca- 
deneed  and  well  modulated  tongue,  as  the  door  closed  on  the 
retreating  and  abashed  form  of  the  creditor.  He  boarded  his 
family  at  the  Occidental,  occupied  the  second  floor  of  the  Henry 
Schweiter  corner,  just  torn  down,  for  a  suite  of  rooms,  kept  a  car- 
riage and  buggy  and  sulky,  boarded  three  horses  at  livery,  smoked 
twenty-cent  cigars,  and  sported  a  massive  chattel  mortgage  on  his 
library. 

Robert  J.  did  not  succeed  as  a  lawyer.  Having  become  matric- 
ulated in  the  law  in  the  bankrupt  courts  of  Philadelphia,  where 
the  debtor  expected  nothing  but  a  receipt,  creditors  hoped  for 
nothing,  and  officials  and  attorneys  divided  the  assets,  Robert  J. 
was  annoyed  at  the  grasping  characteristics  of  litigants  who  de- 
sired to  know  the  value  of  legal  services  before  they  contracted 
for  them,  therebj'^  placing  "brain"  on  a  par  with  "bull  beef, 
sugar,  lard,  salt  and  nails. ' ' 

His  creditors  at  last  descended  on  him,  e'en  as  the  "Assyrian 
came  down  like  a  wolf  of  the  fold,"  and  seized  his  personal 
belongings  in  lieu  of  silver  and  gold. 

Sluss  sold  his  library  for  a  law  book  company,  and  the  boys 
gathered  at  the  feast,  thus  providentially  prepared,  like  ghouls 
at  a  graveyard,  vultures  over  a  carcass,  and  flies  at  a  "  'lasses" 
barrel,  and  greatly  rejoiced  thereat,  saying  one  unto  another 
exceedingly:  "111  bloweth  the  wind  that  profits  nobody." 

Christy  had  nice  discernment  in  the  selection  of  books,  and 
introduced  Pomeroy's  Remedial  Rights,  Daniel's  Negotiable  In- 
struments, Freeman  on  Judgments,  and  other  text  work  to  the 
Wichita  bar. 

Christy's  proud,  imperious  spirit  was  wounded.  The  iron 
entered  his  soul.    His  nonchalance  was  pricked.    He  pronounced 


A  LAWYER'S  REVERIES  163 

a  eui'se  on  the  community  and  left  us,  aye,  forever.  He  was  the 
natural  ancestor  of  that  large  school  of  princely  paupers  which, 
like  mushrooms,  grew  to  maturity  in  a  night  in  1886. 

No  great  recognized  business  incapacity  whose  shadow  fell  on 
Main  street  during  that  epochal  milestone  in  our  path  called  the 
"boom"  approached  Robert  in  gorgeousness  of  apparel,  varied 
idiosyncrasies  of  purchases,  or  entire  lack  of  display  of  common 
sense.  He  was  the  original  of  dazzling  borrowed  splendor,  com- 
pared to  which  those  who  came  after  and  battled  with  each  other 
to  wear  his  fallen  mantle  were  as  neophytes,  notwithstanding 
some  have  high  claims  to  distinction. 

In  my  poverty,  I  was  dazzled  by  this  princely,  insouciant,  epi- 
curean, nonpareil  pauper — by  his  utter  indifference  to  all  things 
that  bothered  me,  his  carelessness  about  debt,  his  disregard  of 
creditors,  his  seeming  sublime  trust  in  Providence,  and  "suffi- 
cient unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof"  way  of  treating  all  omi- 
nous forebodings.  Often  during  the  "boom,"  when  diamonds 
grew  on  shirt  fronts  that  ne'er  before  had  worn  a  pearl  button, 
Robert's  form  before  mine  eyes  seemed  from  the  earth  to  rise. 
Yet  mine  eyes  ne'er  beheld  his  equal,  but  for  this  we  have  good 
reason,  for,  as  was  said  after  Napoleon :  ' '  Copies  never  succeed. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

BARON  JAGS  IN  WICHITA. 

HOW  HE  PRODUCED  "OUR  AMERICAN  COUSIN"  WITH 
LOCAL  TALENT— BY  ONE  OF  THE  "TALENT." 

By 

KOS  HARRIS. 

(Reminiscential  o"  the  days  when  Wichita  was  in  th'  gristle.) 

' '  Gather  roses  while  ye  may ; 
Old  Time  is  still  a-flying ; 
The  fairest  rosebud  of  today 
Tomorrow  may  be  dying." 

To  recall  the  pleasurable  past  is  to  double  our  lives. 

The  preservation  of  the  commonplace  affairs  of  a  town  may 
be  a  waste  of  time,  but  time  is  wasted  without  effort.  This  humble 
preservative  town  history  may  be  of  no  use  to  anyone,  except  as 
copy  for  a  printer,  yet  this  may  be  an  amusement,  a  gratification, 
to  those  who  follow  after  the  present  generation,  and  in  the 
grandeur  of  the  brick  and  marble  Wichita  yet  to  come,  will  curi- 
ously search  out  and  trace  its  humble  beginning,  to  adorn  an 
ambitious  illustration  or  point  a  moral.  My  office  is  not  to 
instruct,  but  amuse,  the  present  and  those  who  in  years  to  come 
will  vote  bonds  on  Wichita,  hold  its  offices,  give  away  its  fran- 
chises, squander  its  revenues,  swamp  its  taxpayers,  and  attend  to 
business ;  those  who  will  assist  in  keeping  up  our  pro  rata  in  the 
beneficent  public  institutions  at  Leavenworth.  Lansing,  Hutchin- 
son, Winfield,  Topeka  and  Osawatomie;  those  who  will  succeed 
the  present  generation  and  follow  its  noble  example,  its  strong 
"lead"  in  annually  lying  about  its  personal  property  assessments 
and  settling  with  its  flexible,  Goodyear-patent  conscience  by  a 
plea  of  "hard  times."  This  manuscript,  written  some  years  since, 
164 


BARON  JAGS  IN  WICHITA  165 

hath  been  dragged  to  light  to  help  make  one  "BLAZE,"  and  as 
years  come  and  go  it  and  its  companion  pieces  may  be  read  with 
curiosity  . 

When  the  grown  boys  and  girls  of  today, 
Like  weed  and  flow'r,  ha'  withered  away. 
As  ripened  grain,  to  seed  have  gone. 
Unheeded  by  the  coming  throng. 


In  thus  preserving  "Our  American  Cousin," 
I  cut  this  tale  a  monument, 
Recalling  how  the  past  was  spent. 
When  Wichita  was  young  and  need. 
And  life  was  bright  as  sparkling  deed. 

History  is  the  record  of  the  acts  deemed  worthy  of  preserva- 
tion by  the  recorder  of  the  acts.  The  history  of  a  community  by 
a  theologian,  statesman,  biographer,  gambler,  washerman,  scav- 
enger or  pawnbroker  would  be  seven  places  or  seven  views  of  one 
place.  This  idea  of  history  has  been  impressed  on  me  by  the  several 
distinct  and  contradictory  accounts  of  battles,  all  written  by  eye- 
witnesses; also  I  have  noticed  that  a  description  of  a  dog  fight 
by  nine  men — all  pious  men — impress  one  with  the  truth  of  the 
words  of  the  Psalmist :  ' '  That  all  men  and  a  percentage  of  women 
are  liars. ' '  Hence,  if  I  am  not  thought  absolutely  correct,  I  will 
forgive  anyone  reflecting  on  my  character,  and  try  to  forget  that 
he,  she  or  it  hath  me  a  liar  denominated.  We  are  delighted  when 
we  pick  up  Macaulay's  England,  and  read  of  little,  common,  ordi- 
nary acts  of  those  entombed  before  America  was  discovered. 
When  we  read  that  King  James  said,  "He  was  a  bold  man  who 
ate  the  first  oyster,"  we  know  that  oyster-eating  was  a  new 
thing  at  that  date  in  England ;  otherwise  the  remark  would  not 
have  been  made.  It  is  the  preserved  "tittle-tattle"  of  royalty 
that  enables  us  to  know  that  the  "Elizabethan  ruff"  worn  in 
society  was  adopted  to  hide  a  scrofulous  royal  neck ;  that  the  dis- 
ease "king's  evil"  was  common  scrofula ;  that  the  touch  of  royalty 
alleviated,  if  it  did  not  cure  it ;  and  that  old  Sam  Johnson  sought 
the  king  to  cure  his  ailment.  To  the  good  miller  all  grain  is 
grist,  and  common  things  of  yesterday,  today  and  tomorrow,  in 
the  years  to  come,  may  give  pleasure  to  the  many-headed  multi- 


166  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

tude  who  shall  walk  the  streets  we  have  trod,  when  we  shall  have 
put  on  the  robe  of  immortality  and  twang  our  harps  ia  the  New 
Jerusalem. 

'Tis  a  pleasure  to  me  to  know  that  Lincoln,  at  the  little  town 
of  Elwood,  Kan.,  made  a  speech  on  December  1,  1859.  Some  day 
that  humble  place  will  be  rescued  from  obscurity  by  a  monument 
commemorating  the  first  speech  of  Lincoln  in  Kansas,  even  as 
Stratford-on-Avon  is  now  made  historic  and  amaranthine  in  the 
mind  of  mankind.  The  Elwood  speech  of  Lincoln  was  the  speech 
subsequently  delivered  at  Cooper  Institute,  New  York,  and  was 
the  keystone  of  the  campaign  of  1860. 

When  the  preservative  generation  comes  to  Kansas,  Elwood 
will  be  renowned,  and  a  monument  will  be  built  on  which  will  be 
cut  in  marble : 

"Thy  name  shall  live  while  time  endures. 
And  men  shall  say  of  thee : 
'He  saved  his  country  from  its  foes. 
And  bade  the  slave  be  free.'  " 

When  a  true  life  of  Phil  Sheridan  is  written,  it  will  not  be 
complete  without  the  record  of  Sheridan  and  Bill  Greiffenstein's 
meeting  at  the  Occidental  Hotel  in  Wichita,  and  the  story  of 
Sheridan's  proclamation  of  one  thousand  dollars  for  "Dutch 
Bill's"  head. 

Wichita  as  yet  has  not  evolved  a  man  with  a  destiny — a  man 
marked  for  earthly  immortality.  Of  course  he  may  be  here, 
incog,  as  it  were.  He  may  flash  yet  on  us  as  an  arc  light,  and  soar 
from  oblivion's  cruel,  relentless  billows;  but  the  knowledge  of 
these  things  has  led  me,  in  an  humble  way,  to  record  the  produc- 
tion of  the  "American  Cousin"  in  Wichita,  by  local  talent. 

I  am  aware  that  nothing  herein  is  instructive,  but  it  is  in  a 
measure  illustrative  of  a  phase  of  Western  civilization,  commend- 
able in  the  fact  that  people  from  every  nation,  clustered  on  "buf- 
falo grass"  and  surrounded  by  "sunflowers,"  deprived  of  better 
things,  forget  for  a  day  the  business  of  "bread  and  butter,"  and, 
for  amusement — 

"Strut  and  fret  one  hour  upon  the  stage." 

One  day  Charley  Stanley  came  into  my  office.    I  think  it  was 


BAEON  JAGS  IN  WICHITA  167 

"in  the  early  month  o'  May,  1881,  when  green  buds  were  a-swell- 
in'."  He  had  for  his  personal  baggage  a  thin,  stoop-shouldered 
cadaver,  blase  in  tout  ensemble,  "short"  on  hair,  "long"  on 
imperial  mustache  and  Napoleonic  goatee.  He  was  "a  actor," 
had  played  at  Covent  Garden,  Old  Drury,  and  Madison  Square; 
was  en  roate  to  "Frisco";  had  stopped  oflt"  at  Wichita  to  witness 
the  bold  stride  of  the  cosmopolite  clustered  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Arkansas,  ere  he  wended  his  way  to  the  Pacific  sea.  To  incul- 
cate in  the  mind  of  Wichita  a  taste  for  histrionic  science,  he  was 
willing  to  put  before  the  public  the  play  of 


THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN. 

He  to  be  the  main  planet,  the  cynosure  and  the  star  around  and 
about  whom  some  of  Wichita's  humble  souls  might  mildly 
twinkle.  He  was  going  to  "star"  for  cash — we  of  Wichita,  for 
glory.  He  was  our  idea  of  Lord  Dundreary,  and  at  rehearsal 
Charley  always  addressed  him  as  "me  Lud."  He  (Dundreary) 
presumably  had  parents — for  aught  we  knew,  a  father  and  a 
mother,  and  also  a  grandam,  too.  His  real  name  we  knew  not, 
and  cared  less.  He  could,  at  that  ambitious  day  in  Wichita,  have 
passed  himself  off  as 

BAEON  JAG,  EARL  OP  JIM  JAMS, 

From  Deliriumshire, 

In  the  County  of  Tremens, 

Hengland. 

Of  couse  the  manikin  lived,  but  where,  no  one  inquired.  He 
also  drank.  This  usually  took  place  at  the  old  Turner  Hall  Opera 
House,  at  rehearsal.  The  evidences  of  this  bibulous  habit  were 
found  in  his  dressing-room  in  the  shape  of  forty  empty  half-pint 
bottles  of  "Old  Crow."  His  clothes  were  a  misfit,  as  if  he  had 
broken  into  Dr.  Jekyll's  and  Mr.  Hyde's  wardrobe  and  tucked 
himself  out  with  the  clothes  of  both  men.  He  was  a  living  exem- 
plification of  the  old  saw : 

"Through  tattered  clothes,  small  vices  appear." 


168  HISTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

His  hat  was  a  sawed-off  plug  of  1871  and  1872;  his  coat 
was  a  double-breasted  Prince  Albert,  big  enough  for  Fritz  von 
Schnitzler.  His  pants — pantaloons — breeches — (now  I  have  it) 
trousers — were  in  and  of  themselves  a  speaking  tale  of  splendor 
and  glory,  pawnshops  and  jags,  recalling  the  pauper's  tale  of 


"FROM  THE  HEIGHT  OF  A  DIAMOND  TO  THE  DEPTH  OF 
A  PAWN  TICKET." 

Charley  and  I  pitied  the  poor  devil,  promised  our  assistance  to 
him,  went  in  the  back  room  and  "rolled  over."  Charley  had  an 
inspiration  (he  was  often  inspired,  and  made  the  sad  old  world 
laugh  at  his  original  and  genuine  witticism),  and  suggested  that 
we  have  him  recite  to  us,  so  we  could  be  sure  we  were  to  have  the 
guidance  of  a  true  compeer  of  McCready,  Booth  and  Garriek.  He 
recited;  we  simply  "died." 

Charley  was  to  attend  to  the  securing  of  talent,  to  assist  and 
arrange  the  caste  of  characters  and  the  meeting  of  the  troupe. 
After  some  preliminary  work,  Charley  notified  me  that  the  great 
combination  was  to  have  its  first  "sitting"  and  distribute  the 
parts  to  the  actors  and  actresses. 

We  met.  The  gkls  viewed  the  "GRATE  ACTOR"  with  curi- 
osity, if  not  disdain,  some  surprise,  and  a  little  disgust.  He  (the 
great  aetor)  was  loaded  to  the  guards  with  "tonic,"  aromatic 
spices  and  loud  perfume,  that,  like  the  historic  snore,  "filled  the 
room  from  ceiling  to  floor."  We  debated,  deliberated  and  dal- 
lied, and  at  last  incubated,  budded,  flowered  and  fruited  the  fol- 
lowing caste  of  characters,  and  adjourned : 

Lord  Dundreary Baron  Jag  and  Earl  of  Jim  Jams 

Sir  Edward  Trenchord Col.  H.  W.  Lewis 

Harry  Vernon Judge  W.  P.  Campbell 

Captain  De  Boots A.  F.  Stanley 

John  Wickens. . ., Kos  Harris 

Florence  Trenchord Ella  Fuller,  Mrs.  Finlay  Ross 

Mary Rilla  Keller,  Mrs.  Elmer  Beach 

Georgina Libbie  Israel,  Mrs.  Jake  HoUinger 

The  caste  of  characters  is  from  vague  recollection. 


BARON  JAGS  IN  WICHITA  169^ 

It  will  be  noted  that  in  the  above  caste  Stanley  and  Harris 
had  to  earn  their  living  "by  the  sweat  of  their  face,  and  could 
not  always  be  on  hand  at  early  lamplight  for  rehearsal.  One 
night  "Baron  Jag"  roasted  us  for  being  late,  and  Charley  said 
unto  him,  in  a  comical,  lago-like  voice:  "Sir,  we  had  to  dine 
after  our  day's  work  was  o'er.  If  we  had  only  to  drink  a  half 
pint  of  liquor,  we  had  long  since  been  here." 


TABLEAUX. 

(Note. — In  the  language  of  "Little  Britches,"  when  Charley 
and  I  meet  and  "loaf  around  the  throne,"  I  expect  to  laugh  o'er 
Baron  Jag  and  Earl  of  Jim  Jams.") 

The  rehearsals  were  had,  and  the  play  came  on.  In  one  scene 
the  "hevy  villun"  was  to  throw  the  hero  down  and  "they  wuz" 
to  apparently  fight,  even  as  tho '  unto  cold,  clammy  death — worm- 
banqueting  death.  The  villain  and  hero,  it  will  be  noted,  were 
about  the  same  physical  proportions,  and  the  villain  agreed  with 
Charley  and  me  to  make  the  hero  "win  his  spurs"  on  the  event- 
ful night  by  holding  him  to  the  sword.  When  the  moment  came 
which  was  to  witness  the  struggle  'twixt  heroism  and  villainy, 
the  tragic  scene  in  which  virtue  was  to  triumph  o'er  vice,  Charles 
and  I  hid  in  a  wing  to  see  the  fun,  and  see  how  hard  virtue  would 
have  to  struggle  ere  it  overcame  vice.  The  audience,  which  was 
made  up  of  complimentary  ticket-holders,  beheld  the  struggle,  but 
knew  not  how  near  rampant  vice  was  to  victory.  Charley  and  I 
concluded  vice  triumphant  would  be  "fatal  variance"  from  the 
usual  denouement,  but  it  would  be  fun.  We  thought  the  hero 
would  be  in  a  quandary  as  how  to  end  the  play,  when  vanquished. 
We  had  rehearsed  for  fun,  and  wanted  to  break  the  record  on 
.heroism,  but  the  swelling  cords  on  the  hero's  neck,  and  his  loud 
whispers  to  the  villain  to  "let  up,"  aroused  the  audience,  and  at 
last  the  villain  permitted  virtue  to  rise,  amidst  cheers,  to  the  dis- 
gust of  Charles  and  the  writer. 

"In  great  beads  on  the  hero's  face  the  sweat  did  stand." 


170  HISTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Lord  Dundreary  was  so  overcome  with  the  size  of  the  audi- 
ence that  he  bade  us  good-night  in  glee,  and  when  the  morn  stole 
upon  the  night  he  went  to  Charley's  ofiSce  to  receive  his  douceur, 
pourboire,  backsheesh,  honorarium,  and,  whilst  waiting,  suggested 
a  second  night's  play.  The  box  receipts  were  not  enough  to  pay 
expenses.  Charley  and  I  had  prevented  an  empty  house  by  issu- 
ing at  least  one  hundred  complimentary  tickets.  The  rage  of 
Baron  Jag  and  Earl  of  Jim  Jams  was  awful  to  contemplate,  fear- 
ful to  behold.  In  fact,  we  feared  his  consuming  rage  might  his 
existence  dissolve  and  send  him  unshrined  to  a  bar  where  "Old 
Crow"  was  not  handled.  The  rage  of  Alecta  and  Tisiphone  in 
mythology  was  as  sweet  milk  to  carbolic  acid  compared  with  the 
rabid  frothings  of  "Mi  Lud."  A  she  tiger  robbed  of  her  whelps 
could  not  have  roared  in  greater  anger  and  distress  than  did 
Baron  Jag  on  the  denouement  of  his  first  and  last  appearance 
on  the  "boards."  As  he  left  us,  Charley  asked  him  about  the 
second  night,  and — 


He  turned  and  blew  a  bugle-blast, 

A  lion's  detonating  roar; 
His  rage  was  foaming  at  the  crest- 


We  feared  wi'  us  he'd  mop  the  floor. 

Though  we  had  courage,  we  also  had  wisdom,  sagacity,  pru- 
dence and  common  sense,  and  remembering  that  "speech  is  sil- 
ver and  silence  is  gold,"  we  immediately  adopted  the  gold  stand- 
ard and  left  him  alone  in  his  glory,  and  went  out  in  the  back  room 
and  from  thence  into  the  card  room  of  Tom  Jewell's  place,  where 
Jim  Steele  was  playing  rounce.  At  our  suggestion,  Jim  stopped 
the  game  long  enough  to  go  into  the  office  and  order  "Baron 
Jag"  to  slope,  decamp,  skedaddle,  absquatulate,  abjure  the 
realm,  flee  the  bailiwick.  When  Charles  and  I  returned,  the 
"Baron"  was  "nit."  The  place  so  shortly  before  redolent  with 
baronial  fumes  and  flavor  "knew  him  no  more  forever." 

The  Baron's  tout  ensemble  was  in  such  a  wretched  state  of 
general  as  well  as  particular  decadence  at  our  first  acquaintance 
that  Charley's  guarantee  procured  him  some  apparel,  which  ap- 
peared as  follows: 


BARON  JAGS  IN  WICHITA  171 

May,  1881. 
"Baron  Jag,"  per  guaranty  A.  F.  S. 

In  account  with 

GOLDEN  EAGLE  CLOTHING  STORE. 

To  1     shirt $2.00 

"  1     pair  hose 50 

"  Yo  doz.  cuffs  and  collars 1.50 

"  1     tie   75 

"  1/3  doz.  handkerchiefs 1.00     $5.75 

After  the  show,  the  melodrama,  Charley  prevailed  on  the 
opera-house  manager  to  declare  a  dividend  in  our  favor  for  the 
amount  of  the  above  bill. 

Charley  at  that  date  was  at  work  for  Jim  Steele,  in  the  room 
under  Governor  Stanley's  present  law  office,  on  Douglas  avenue. 

Thus  endeth  the  history  of  the  production  of  "Our  American 
Cousin ' '  in  Wichita,  in  the  ambitious  days  'twixt  the  grasshopper 
and  the  "boom." 

The  preservation  of  this  memorabilia  may  be  amusing  in  after 
years,  when  some  human  question  box — i.  e.,  some  "little  tot" — • 
says:  "Grandma  or  grandpa,  did  you  ever  play  on  the  stage  in 
Wichita,  and  was  Lord  Dundreary  drunk?"  To  those  grand- 
parents who  may  be  asked,  and  desire  to  be  exactly  truthful, 
"nothing  extenuating  and  naught  set  down  in  malice,"  the  writer 
hereof  saith  that  they  are  at  liberty  to  say,  "Baron  Jag"  was 
* '  fuller ' '  than  a ' '  guse,  drunker  than  a  biled  owl, ' '  slept  that  night 
on  the  floor  in  a  real-estate  office,  and  when  the  moon  had  paled 
and  the  rosy  hue  of  dawn  o  'erspread  the  eastern  sky,  the  atmos- 
phere of  that  room  was  simply  diabolical,  proving  to  all  mankind 
possessed  of  noses  that  'twas  not  the  smell  of  posies,  aromatic 
perfumes  or  roses. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
WICHITA  PRESBYTERIANISM  AND  ITS  AMENITIES. 

By 

KOS  HARRIS. 

Memory  is  the  mind's  storehouse;  some  use  a  closed  vault, 
others  a  well-ordered  room,  and  treasure  away  things  valuable. 
The  generality  of  mankind  use  an  attic  in  which  "things"  are 
pushed  in  heterogeneously,  and,  when  called  for,  the  valuable  and 
the  worthless  are  so  mixed  as  to  be  almost  inseparable. 

Properly  speaking,  this  tale  should  be  entitled  "Wichita 
Presbyterianism,  as  Seen  by  a  Local  Goat  in  1874-1875." 

Though  it  was  "foreordained"  that  I  should  write  this  piece, 
it  was  not  made  known  to  me  until  Thanksgiving  Day,  1898.  Hav- 
ing received  the  information,  I  now  proceed  to  evolve  the  facts, 
unravel  the  ball  of  memory.  Germane  to  this  piece  is  the  inter- 
esting fact  that  Presbyterianism  and  grasshoppers  landed  in  Kan- 
sas as  twins  on  July  19,  1820,  according  to  my  Kansas  history. 
Presbyterianism  stuck;  grasshoppers,  like  "ager,"  have  been 
intermittent,  but  are  well  remembered. 

When  I  first  became  acquainted  with  Presbyterianism  in  Wich- 
ita, services  were  held  in  Old  Eagle  Hall.  The  memories  of  that 
festooned  Eagle  Hall  are  multifarious  and  intensely  cosmopolitan 
in  their  nature.  As  a  church,  convention  hall,  reception  room, 
theater,  opera,  spelling  school,  board  of  trade  room,  court  room, 
council  chamber,  church  festival  and  fair  room,  political  speaking 
place,  it  filled  the  bill  on  all  occasions.  This  hall  was  on  the  second 
floor  at  the  left  of  the  stairway  over  the  Boston  Store.  The  room 
was  about  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet.  At  the  top  of  the  stairway 
there  was  a  box  office  three  feet  square.  At  the  south  end  there 
was  a  stage  three  feet  high  and  adorned  on  the  front  with  a 
dozen  dirty,  dingy,  smoky,  murky  old  coal-oil  lamps,  that  kept 
the  audience  in  hot  water  at  any  evening  show  for  fear  that  the 
old  drop-curtain  would  catch  on  fire  or  knock  over  a  lamp.  This 
172 


WICHITA  PRESBYTERIANISM  173 

fact  alone  kept  an  audience  awake,  no  matter  how  dull  was  the 
play.  There  was  no  life  insurance  agent  residing  here  then,  and 
people  were  more  careful  of  their  lives  than  since  the  "boom." 
The  pulpit  was  on  a  movable  platform,  and  was  as  handy  as  a 
pocket  in  a  shirt.  The  Rev.  John  P.  Harsen  was  the  Presbyterian 
minister.  Mr.  Harsen  was  a  pioneer  man.  He  was  fitted  to  deal 
with  all  classes.  He  antagonized  no  one,  and  was  a  friend  to  all — 
black,  white,  copper-colored  or  tan,  Jew  or  Gentile,  rich,  poor, 
good,  bad,  moral  or  viciaus.  He  was  a  student,  a  pastor,  but  he 
was  not  a  pulpit  orator.  His  every-day  life  was  a  sermon.  Mr. 
Harsen  always  reminded  me  of  the  following  lines  of  Goldsmith : 

"Truth  from  his  lips  prevailed  with  double  sway. 
And  fools  who  came  to  scoff,  remained  to  pray. ' ' 

"He  tried  each  art,  reproved  each  dull  delay, 
Allur'd  to  brighter  worlds,  and  led  the  way." 

The  church,  as  a  body,  approved  the  forced  resignation  of 
Mr:  Harsen,  but  the  people  of  Wichita  condemned  the  abdication, 
and  another  generation  shall  pass  away  ere  Harsen  will  be  for- 
gotten and  the  church  ceases  to  be  criticized  for  his  removal. 
(Note. — This  is  a  pure  goat  view  or  guess.)  There  was  no  day 
or  night  too  hot  or  cold  to  prevent  his  leaving  his  fireside  or  home 
to  give  solace  to  the  wretched  or  dying  or  perform  the  last  sad 
rites  over  the  body  of  the  sinful  and  almost  abandoned  dead.  His 
spiritual  make-up  was  of  Him  who  said:  "Neither  do  I  condemn 
thee ;  go,  and  sin  no  more." 

Mr.  Harsen  did  not,  perhaps,  possess  those  ministerial  charac- 
teristics required  to  hold  a  large  and  wealthy  church  together; 
but  he  was  possessed  of  a  faculty  to  gather  under  one  roof  the 
sheep  of  his  fold  and  the  morally  inclined  goats,  and  form  the 
constituent  elements  of  a  future  church.  He  perhaps  belonged 
to  a  pioneer  civilization,  where  one-story  wooden  houses  are  fash- 
ionable, where  poverty  is  only  an  inconvenience,  and  by  reason 
of  its  universality  is  robbed  of  its  humiliation,  general  condemna- 
tion and  consequent  degradation.  Mr.  Harsen  owned  160  acres 
of  land  east  of  Wichita,  afterward  sold  to  Harry  Hill,  the  "Okla- 
homa Boomer,"  and  manager  of  a  Wild  West  Show  that  broke 
every  man  connected  with  it,  and  had  the  proud  distinction  of 
being  attached  by  creditors  a  greater  number  of  times  than  any 


174  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

other  show  that  ever  existed.  It  is  said  that  the  route  of  this 
Wild  West  Show  can  be  traced  from  county  to  county  and  from 
state  to  state  by  examination  of  the  court  and  chattel  mortgage 
records,  without  any  other  data  to  go  by. 

Unless  I  am  at  fault  in  my  recollection,  the  music  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  1874  and  1875  was  under  the  charge  of  Mrs. 
Catherine  Russell,  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Simmons,  Mrs.  Theodore  Par- 
ham,  C.  S.  Caldwell,  W.  B.  Mead,  Mrs.  Mead  and  Miss  May  Wil- 
lard.    Mrs.  Simmons  was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Floy  Gallant. 

As  I  remember,  the  regular  attendants  at  the  church  in  those 
years  were  A.  A.  Hyde  and  wife,  the  Misses  Brown,  J.  H.  Todd 
and  family,  Pattie  Todd,  wife  of  George  C.  Strong,  Robert  E. 
Lawrence  and  wife,  Henry  W.  Lawrence  and  family,  W.  S.  Cor- 
bett  and  wife,  J.  H.  Black  and  wife,  George  E.  Harris  and  wife, 
D.  A.  Mitchell  and  wife,  A.  J.  Cook  and  family,  Robert  Cook, 
I.  D.  Fonts  and  family,  C.  S.  Caldwell  and  family,  Mrs.  Hunter 
(Mrs.  J.  H.  Black's  mother),  W.  B.  Mead  and  family,  W.  G. 
Hacker  and  wife,  Fred  Martsolf,  Mrs.  Harry  Lindsey,  George  E. 
Kirkpatrick  and  family,  D.  A.  McCandless  and  family,  J.  G.  Rode 
and  family,  Will  Reese  and  wife,  John  Reese  and  wife,  Mrs.  Ap- 
pleby, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Throckmorton,  Mrs.  Charley  Davidson,  Ralph 
Stevens,  Mrs.  Carl  Graham,  May  Willard,  Emma  Markham,  Mrs. 
S.  G.  Butler,  J.  M.  Steele,  W.  C.  Little,  John  G.  Dunscomb,  John 
Lawrie  and  family,  Lee  Nixon,  Mrs.  Amy  Sayles,  A.  H.  Gossard, 
William  West  and  wife,  Mrs.  R.  H.  Roys,  Mrs.  L.  B.  Bunnell. 

The  young  men  seen  there  often,  occasionally,  monthly,  quar- 
terly and  semi-annually  were  Harry  Arrowsmith,  Will  Hillis,  Wal- 
ter DuBois,  Jim  McCuUough,  Prank  Todd,  Fred  Dutton,  John  I. 
Stewart,  Kos  Harris,  J.  T.  McMillan,  G.  H.  Herrington,  John  M. 
Allen,  Amos  L.  Houek,  Joseph  Askew,  E.  B.  Jewett  and  W.  R. 
Kirkpatrick. 

As  one  looks  over  the  present  church,  indulges  in  retrospec- 
tion, unrolls  the  scroll  of  the  past,  he  realizes  the  ravages  of  the 
gnawing  tooth  of  time  on  matron  and  maid,  and  him  who  came 
in  the  pride,  strength  and  glory  of  ambitious  manhood  to  do 
honor  unto  Him  who  walked  upon  the  sea,  who  died  upon  Calvary 
ages  before  civilization  penetrated  the  American  desert  and 
builded  homes  and  fashioned  a  city  at  the  junction  of  the  St. 
Peter  and  St.  Paul  (Big  and  Little  Arkansas  rivers),  where 
Coronado  bivouacked  his  Spanish  buccaneers  in  his  march  to  find 
and  conquer  the  kingdom  of  Quivira,  plunder,  ravish  and  sack  the 


WICHITA  PRESBYTERIANISM  175 

"Seven  Cities,"  and  float  the  banner  of  Castile  and  Aragon  on 
the  heights  of  Cibola. 

The  then  older  men,  the  patriarchs  of  this  church,  ha'  gone 
where  pre-emption  and  homestead  contests  are  unrecognized, 
where  town  building  is  a  lost  art,  and  the  local  rivalry  locating 
a  county  seat,  of  finding  a  site  for  a  mill,  a  depot  or  postoiBee 
is  a  dead  science;  where  toll-bridges  are  not  required.  On  the 
eastern  hill,  from  whose  crown  our  own  Henry  Clay  Sluss  first 
beheld  the  "Happy  Valley"  and  pronounced  his  prophetic  apos- 
trophe on  the  royal  infant  at  his  feet,  these  pioneer  patriarchs 
sleep.  There  were  plainness,  bluntness,  directness  and  honesty 
in  their  every-day  life  that  commanded  reverence,  even  in  a  gen- 
eration where  "Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother"  is  a  repealed 
statute. 

"If  death  unto  the  noble  dead 

Is  sweet  as  life  to  them  that  live. 
Why  mourn  for  those  who  worms  ha'  fed. 
Or  salt  the  earth  wi'  bitter  tears?" 

If  Christianity  is  true,  the  dead  patriarch  is  the  happy  patri- 
arch, and  is  now  in  attendance  at  an  eternal  and  universal  world's 
fair  compared  to  which  the  Chicago  exposition  was  as  feeble, 
meager,  vapid  and  trashy  a  copy  as  the  tin  crowns  of  the  king 
of  a  one-night-stand  show  in  a  cove  oyster  town  is  compared  with 
the  coronet  of  the  Dutchwoman  who  rules  Great  Britain. 

Of  others  in  this  church,  one  may  say : 

"They  are  fast  achieving  the  silver  livery  of  age,  and  though 
not  clean  past  youth,  yet  have  some  smack  of  age  in  them." 

When  one  realizes  that  the  babes  christened  in  this  church 
have  grown  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  even  since  Dr.  Hewitt's 
time,  we  realize  that  the  whirligig  of  time  is  still  a-spinnin'.  One 
young  married  woman  had  only  one  regret  on  her  wedding  day, 
•viz. :  that  she  could  not  be  married  by  the  Presbyterian  pastor. 
Dr.  Hewitt,  who  had  baptized  her  when  she  was  three  months  old. 

This  life-growth  affection  by  children  for  a  pastor  is  the  out- 
growth of  the  system  of  the  selection  of  pastors.  To  our  mind, 
the  "circuit-rider"  system  is  not  conducive  to  the  building  up 
of  bonds  'twixt  pastor  and  church. 

"With  tendrils  strong  as  flesh  and  blood, 
Round  which  our  past-time  and  happiness  grow. ' ' 


176  HISTOEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

I  have  read  in  history  of  family  doctors  and  family  lawyers 
who,  from  sire  to  son,  three  generations  or  more,  have  been  in  one 
place.  The  pastor  in  a  church  should  be  as  fixed  as  the  pulpit, 
metaphorically  speaking. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  church  was  laid  on  July  4, 
1876.  My  recollection  is  that  the  day  was  the  hot,  hotter,  hottest, 
dusty,  dustier,  dustiest,  torrid,  torrider,  torridest  day  in  Kansas. 
In  fact,  it  was  a  catoose,  serifacious,  sevaguous  day.  These  last 
three  words  express  the  positive,  comparative  and  superlative 
degree  in  anything  as  to  fineness,  quality,  length,  breadth,  thick- 
ness, good,  vile,  gorgeous,  etc.,  etc.  Any  one  needing  an  adjective 
to  express  any  differentiation  of  a  word  can  use  these  instead  of 
hackneyed  and  commonplace  terms  which  are  worn  thin  by  the 
abrasion  of  millions  of  tongues  for  ages. 

The  corner-stone  contains  the  ordinary  things  put  in  corner- 
stones since  the  day  Hiram  of  Tyre  consigned  his  rafts  of  cedar 
and  cypress  to  Solomon  and  drew  a  sight  draft  for  corn  and  oil 
to  liquidate  the  balance  of  trade,  thereby  establishing  amicable 
trade  relations  between  them.  (Blaine,  no  doubt,  was  aware  of 
this  when  he  flew  reciprocity's  eagle  some  years  ago.)  In  addi- 
tion to  the  "staple  articles"  put  in  the  corner-stone  hereinbefore 
mentioned  and  heretofore  referred  to,  there  were  the  following 
"new  goods,"  to-wit: 

1  letter  to  posterity. 

1  letter  to  local  editor  Wichita  "Eagle." 

1  letter  to  money  order  clerk,  postoffice,  Wichita. 

1  letter  to  registry  clerk,  postoffice,  Wichita. 

1  letter  to  descendants  of  Frank  Yike  and  Mary  Carpenter. 

1  letter  to  descendants  of  J.  P.  Harsen  and  wife. 

1  letter  to  descendants  of  W.  J.  Hobson. 

1  letter  addressed  "To  any  white  man  having  the  name  of 
Murdock,  at  Wichita,  Kansas.  If  none  at  Wichita,  then  to  any 
man  in  Kansas  of  that  name." 

]\r.  W.  Levy  deposited  two  silver  half-dollars. 

All  of  the  above  are  to  be  opened  in  A.  D.  1976. 

Frank  Yike  and  wife  lived  on  the  West  Side.  W.  J.  Hobson 
was  a  bridge  builder  and  clothing  store  man.  He  and  Morgan 
Cox,  partners  as  Hobson  &  Cox,  bought  out  Hays  Bros.'  clothing 
store,  then  known  as  "Oak  Hall,"  at  103  West  Douglas  avenue, 
in  the  fall  of  1874  or  1875. 

Mr.  Harsen  received  a  salary  of  $800  per  year,  which  pre- 


WICHITA  PRESBYTERIANISM  177 

vented  his  wasting  his  substance  in  riotous  living.  He  received 
$3,600  for  his  claim,  afterwards  sold  to  Harry  Hill.  Many  of  his 
friends  regretted  that  he  did  not  hold  his  claim  until  the  "boom" 
and  lay  it  out  in  town  lots  (and  then  go  "busted"?). 

This  church  was  organized  March  13,  1870,  on  Waco  avenue, 
above  Oak,  at  the  Hunger  House.  The  charter  members  were: 
John  M.  Steele  (Jim  Steele),  E.  A.  Peck,  William  Finn,  W.  H. 
Gill,  William  Smith,  R.  M.  Bowes,  B.  S.  Dunbar,  Lucy  Greenway 
(wife  of  D.  R.  B.  X.  I.  Y.  Greenleaf),  Ella  Boggs,  Margaret,  Mary 
and  Anna  Peck  and  Mrs.  Amy  Sayles  (wife  of  M.  A.  Sayles  and 
daughter  of  A.  J.  Cook).  William  Finn  now  lives  at  Sedgwick 
City. 

In  1870  this  church  held  services  in  a  livery  stable,  and  the 
flies — the  big  blue-bottle  flies,  the  pestiverous  gadflies,  the  ram- 
pant "hoss-flies, "  the  blue-tail  flies,  blue-green  flies,  flesh,  black, 
cheese,  forest,  bee,  spider,  wine,  bat,  Hessian,  onion  and  stable 
flies,  and  "all  and  singular"  the  multiform,  the  gregarious  and 
annoying  insects  of  every  "name  and  nature  and  kind  whatso- 
ever" that  bother  man,  woman  and  beast,  that  infest  the  fauna 
and  flora  of  stables,  that  live,  move  and  have  their  being,  that  are 
born,  baptized,  educated,  married  and  rear  progeny,  in,  under, 
around,  about  a  stable,  and  die  and  go  to  the  fleld  Elysian  of 
"Flydom" — all  made  it  their  particular  business  on  Sunday  to  get 
up  early  and  wash  and  dress  their  "kids"  so  as  to  be  sure  of  a 
parquet  or  dress-circle  seat  on  a  large,  glassy  bald-head,  at  eleven 
a.  m.  and  then  hold  the  fort  from  the  solo  or  voluntary  to  the 
common  singing,  on  through  "preachin',"  on  and  on  to  the  col- 
lection, aye,  verily  even  unto  the  doxology. 

And  when  the  services  were  o'er. 
And  the  flies,  the  said  flies,  galore. 

Emerged  in  a  body  from  the  door. 
And  in  the  air  did  soar. 

The  weary  passer-by  wont  to  exclaim. 
That  a  hive  of  bees  had  swarmed. 

Editor's  Note. — This  livery  stable  incident  is  not  based  on 
any  well  authenticated  historical  sketch,  preserved  in  the  archives 
of  the  church,  or  in  any  musty  tome,  enveloped  in  Kansas 
"Loam,"  but  is  reasoned  out  from  cause  to  effect,  just  as  the 


178  HISTOEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

scientist,  from  a  bone,  constructeth  an  animal;  and  gives  it  char- 
acteristics and  habits. 

Later,  afterward,  subsequently,  according  to  the  chronology 
of  the  church,  the  church  caused  to  be  builded  a  tabernacle  on 
the  corner  of  Wichita  and  Second  streets,  at  the  place  where  the 
Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  Company  now  stops  its  passenger  trains. 
The  said  tabernacle  was  a  well  built  building  and  in  keeping  with 
the  size,  wealth  and  social  position  of  the  congregation.  This 
church  was  not  a  small,  insignifiicant,  "dinky"  affair,  as  many 
suppose.  It  is  not  the  building  now  used  by  the  Missouri  Pacific 
railway  as  a  place  to  sell  tickets  and  store  baggage  at  Wichita 
and  Seconds  streets,  as  people  generally  believe.  A  person  of 
even  limited  observation  would,  on  viewing  the  said  place,  reach 
the  conclusion,  at  sight,  that  a  respectable  church  body,  cor- 
poration or  association  would  not  have  build  such  a  "wood-shed" 
affair  for  church  purposes,  even  in  the  early  cottonwood-lumber, 
saw-mill  days,  when  "'wet-pine"  was  a  luxury  and  seasoned 
hardwoods  were  as  far  beyond  the  dream  of  the  dwellers  in  the 
"Happy  Valley"  as  alabaster  and  onyx  are  now  barred  in  the 
nocturnal  visions  of  a  "busted  boomer"  who  was  on  the  bullish 
side  of  the  market  in  from  1886  to  1888. 

Later  on  the  tabernacle  was  conveyed  to  the  Catholic  church 
and  was  its  church  building  for  some  years  and  until  the  same 
was  transferred  unto  the  colored  people,  and  it  is  now  the  Cen- 
tropolis  hotel  on  Main  street,  between  Elm  and  Pine  streets. 
Many  memories  cling  'round  this  building.  Children  who  were 
christened  in  it  have  grown  to  man  and  womanhood  and  have 
been  united  in  it  until  death  us  do  part;  from  it,  the  tenement 
of  clay  hath  been  borne  to  the  silent  city  on  the  eastern  hill ;  in 
it  many  have  turned  their  backs  on  the  world,  flesh  and  devil  and 
pushed  forward,  onward,  upward,  to  a  nobler  life,  in  happy,  sober 
earnestness.  From  the  day  it  was  builded  until  the  present  time, 
a  change,  a  transformation  hath  taken  place,  which  the  most 
sanguine  never  imagined;  since  its  construction  a  single  lot  has 
sold  for  more  money  than  the  entire  townsite  at  that  date  would 
have  brought  in  cash.  Three  of  the  elders  of  this  Presbyterian 
church  are  of  legal  age  as  elders,  viz. : 

Robert  E.  Lawrence,  January  8,  1871. 

C.  S.  Caldwell,  October  13,  1872. 

D.  A.  Mitchell,  December  13,  1874  (since  deceased). 


WICHITA  PRESBYTERIANISM  179 

I  am  very  proud  to  be  a  "goat"  where  elders  "hold  their 
job"  from  generation  to  generation,  since  t^lie  Australian  ballot 
has  become  a  law,  and  the  congregation,  without  fear,  favor  or 
espionage,  can  vote  its  individual  sentiment. 

The  history  of  this  church  since  1876  1  leave  to  others.  I 
long  since  determined  to  preserve  a  short  sketch  of  this  church, 
for  the  generation  to  come  after  us. 

Note. — I  acknowledge  indebtedness  to  Judge  D.  A.  Mitchell 
for  historical  data.  He  furnished  the  "wool"  but  the  carding,  as 
well  as  the  "shoddy"  are  from  mine  own  factory  and  loom.  Much 
good  wool  hath  been  ruined  by  poor  dye  and  bad  looms,  and 
forced  on  the  "trade"  by  the  loud  pattern  and  glib  salesman. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
THE  BOAED  OF  TRADE  OF  WICHITA  AND  HEREIN. 

By 

KOS  HARRIS. 

"Of  many  M'orthy  things  which  I  fain  would  rescue  from 
quick  oblivion." 

Long  since  I  resolved  to  preserve  a  sketch  of  the  board  of 
trade.  Many  facts  are  now  in  the  realm  of  legend.  In  this  zone 
men  differ ;  I  give  only  my  own  views,  subject  to  criticism,  carp- 
ing and  contradiction. 

To  destroy  wild  beauty,  toil,  fret  and  die. 
The  pioneer  came,  with  strong  arm  and  brain ; 

The  vision  that  runs  to  the  western  sky, 
Forever  was  o'er  on  the  wind-swept  plain. 

Our  sympathies  control  judgment ;  opinions  are  formed  by 
association;  facts  take  on  the  hue  of  wishes;  fancy  and  imagina- 
tion supply  lapses — in  the  chain  of  a  narrative — until,  as  Shake- 
speare hath  it: 

"Made  such  a  sinner  of  his  memory,  to  credit  his  own  lie." 

When  this  last  stage  of  the  disease  is  reached,  we  are  qualified 
as  a  witness — and  ready  to  swear  to  all  we  relate. 

By  question  and  association,  the  things  I  recite  were  unto 
me  divulged.  When  I  landed  at  Wichita,  Uncle  Jake  Pittinger 
took  me  to  Will  Reese's  carpenter  shop  on  North  Market  street 
and  I  negotiated  for  seven  wet  pine  planks,  one  inch  thick  and 
twelve  feet  long,  and  the  same  were  put  on  the  walls  of  a  room 
nine  feet  wide,  twenty-four  feet  long  and  twelve  feet  high.  (I 
could  have  arranged  the  square  feet  of  this  room  better  by  laying 
it  on  its  side.)  If  I  had  placed  these  shelves  on  North  Main  street. 
I  would  have  had  a  different  destiny.  ' '  The  lottery  of  my  destiny 
barred  the  liberty  of  choosing"  where  I  would  place  those  shelves. 
180 


BOAED  OF  TRADE  OF  WICHITA  181 

Greiffenstein  rented  rooms  on  credit;  North  Main  street  demanded 
cash.  Thirty  days  on  Douglas  avenue  colored  all  my  views  of 
Wichita  to  such  a  pitch  that  three  North  Main  street  men  together 
on  Douglas  avenue  was  in  itself  a  suspicious  circumstance,  de- 
manding explanation. 

There  was  no  "Board  of  Trade"  then;  there  were  two  cliques 
striving  for  the  mastery  of  a  street.  We  talked,  then,  not  of  build- 
a  city,  but  of  building  a  street. 

To  my  mind  there  was  one  main  figure  in  Wichita,  and  that 
was  Greiffenstein;  others  had  an  avocation,  "Dutch  Bill"  played 
"rounce, ■'  "the  devil  among  the  tailors'"  and  smoked  an  admix- 
ture of  tobacco  and  perique — and  deliberated.  Douglas  avenue 
was  his  business.  It  was  his  ' '  first  born, ' '  the  ' '  apple  of  his  eye, ' ' 
and  all  the  ends  at  which  he  aimed  were  Douglas  avenue.  The 
Iron-gray  German  was  a  wizard,  who  rubbed  his  "snow-blind 
eyes"  touched  his  enchanted  meerschaum-wand,  and  in  the  dis- 
solving circling  clouds  of  ascending  smoke,  beheld  visions  of  a 
future  Douglas  avenue,  akin  to  the  streets  that  the  genii  of 
Aladdin's  lamp  created  at  his  call.  He  was  not  a  talker,  but  a 
thinker.    In  fact  he  was  a 

"Sworn  enemy  to  long  speeches. 
And  never  given  to  repartee ; 
His  deliberation  was  long, 
His  conclusion  sure  and  strong." 

Monticello,  The  Hermitage,  and  Greystone  have  each  had 
their  pilgrims,  but  Greiffenstein 's  old  home  on  South  Water  street, 
now  Forum,  was  to  the  Douglas  avenue  men  "Strawberry  Hill," 
and  thither  on  Sunday  afternoon  the  cavaliers  of  the  avenue  went 
to  plan  the  week's  campaign. 

On  the,  then,  wide-open  porch,  surrounded  by  Jim  Steele, 
N.  A.  English,  Jim  McCullough,  C.  F.  Gilbert,  Colonel  McClure. 
Fred  Daily,  Charley  Thompson,  M.  W.  Levy,  Sol  Kohn  and  Bro. 
Morris,  the  chieftain  sat  and  blew  the  "clouds"  heavenward  and 
listened,  and  on  the  morrow  gave  his  deductions. 

Greiffenstein,  in  the  pre-grasshopper  day,  was  always  in  evi- 
dence when  the  tocsin  sounded  to  summon  Douglas  avenue  to 
battle  for  the  supremacy  of  the  "half  section  line,  Douglas  avenue 
over  Central  avenue  and  North  Main  street :  then  his  step  was 
quicker,  and  the  smoke  rolled  high — 


182  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

There  was  glory  on  his  forehead 
There  was  luster  in  his  eye. 
How  many  times  since, 

' '  Those  halcyon  days, 

When  flowers  bloom  'd  in  all  our  ways ' ' 

has  the  image  of  this  generous,  faithful  man  come  before  me  in 
"Board  of  Trade"  councils.  The  absence  of  some  men  create  a 
feeling  that  power  has  departed.  To  my  mind,  in  after  years,  the 
absence  of  the  reviled  "Big  Four"  from  "Board"  meetings 
created  this  feeling.  (This  may  be,  however,  the  lingering  Doug- 
las avenue  bias.)  Douglas  avenue  men  had  brains,  ideas,  courage, 
but  on  one  occasion  "Dutch  Bill's"  absence  on  account  of  a  sore 
throat,  "milled,"  stampeded  Douglas  avenue  men,  in  A.  D.  1874, 
like  Texas  steers  crossing  the  Big  river  below  the  bridge. 

Greiffenstein  was  the  Henry  of  Navarre;  his  meerschaum 
plume,  as  the  banner,  was  followed  trustingly  and  blindly.  Some 
men  are  a  battalion;  Greinfifenstein  was  a  brigade.  His  calm, 
silent  presence  was  the  presage  of  triumph. 

"One  blast  upon  his  bugle  horn. 
Were  worth  a  thousand  men." 

Greifl'enstein  was  a  statesman.  The  placing  of  the  toll-bridge 
stock  in  the  hands  of  H.  C.  Day,  N.  McClees,  et  al.,  "North 
enders, "  deprived  Main  street  of  voices,  which,  for  "dividends 
hoped  for, ' '  would  have  made  them  as  enemies  to  Douglas  avenue. 
'Twas  their  interest  to  draw  interest.  The  building  of  Eagle  block 
and  the  location  of  the  postoffiee,  the  Eagle  office,  county  offices, 
court  house,  in  it,  was  sagacity;  the  removal  of  the  land  office 
to  Douglas  avenue  was  the  storming  of  the  heights  of  El-Caney. 

Charles  Gilbert  and  James  R.  Mead,  with  large  interests  both 
north  and  south,  were  neutralized. 

The  north  end  was  W.  C.  Woodman,  Lank  Moore,  Al.  Thomas 
and  J.  C.  Fraker,  leading  a  brigade  of  neutrals  and  close  students 
in  private  economy  with  a  Yankee  bias. 

The  north  end,  with  Central  avenue  as  the  main  artery  east 
and  west,  with  capital  in  hand  could  have  placed  the  Santa  Fe 
depot  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Central,  the  big  bridge  across  the 
river  at  Central  avenue,  and  forever  "shut"  Douglas  avenue  out 
on  the  first  heat.    The  south  end  had  less  cash  but  more  faith  and 


BOAED  OF  TRADE  OF  WICHITA  183 

courage.  Its  friends  were  a  unit,  and  this  unity  characterized  the 
"Board  of  Trade"  in  after  years,  and  a  study  of  men  shows  that 
the  "Board  of  Trade"  was  ever  dominated  by  Douglas  avenue 
men.  Though  it  was  concealed  generally,  the  "Board  of  Trade" 
was  selected  on  Douglas  avenue  before  the  annual  meeting.  This 
was  not  chance  but  design.  Greiffenstein  was  a  statesman;  he 
was  not  a  politician.  He  read  the  future  and  felt  that  only  in- 
creasing labor  could  conquer  the  natural  advantages  of  the  north 
end.  The  location  of  the  Oliver-Imboden  mill  on  Douglas  avenue 
was  a  fixed  fact  before  Woodman  and  Lank  Moore  knew  the  mill 
was  on  foot. 

Greiffenstein,  Sol  Kohn,  Morris  Kohu,  M.  W.  Levy,  N.  A.  Eng- 
lish, A.  W.  Oliver,  Jim  Steele,  Billy  McClure,  Colonel  McClure, 
Jim  McCuUough  and  a  host  of  "small  fry"  made  the  Douglas 
avenue  crowd.  In  after  years  Douglas  avenue  was  "a  power," 
and  through  it  all  the  same  spirit  dominated  the  selection  of  men 
and  characterized  the  measures  adopted.  'Twas  Douglas  avenue 
that  located  the  Missouri  Pacific  depot  (only  it  stopped  at  Second 
street  instead  of  the  avenue)  ;  it  located  the  city  building  and  the 
postofSce.  Douglas  avenue  debated  three  days  as  to  whether  or 
not  it  would  fight  the  court  house  bonds.  It  is  a  matter  of  deep 
regret  that  the  court  house  bonds  were  not  defeated  and  a  location 
selected  having  some  regard  to  the  convenience  of  business  men. 
Time  was  when  court  twice  a  year  resembled  a  "general  muster," 
but  the  court  house  of  Sedgwick  is  a  place  of  business,  even  as  a 
bank  or  a  store. 

There  is  a  legend  that  "Dutch  Bill"  and  N.  A.  English  drove 
"Old  Ben"  from  Wichita  to  Emporia  to  catch  Tom  Peters,  of  the 
Santa  Fe  road,  and  seciu-e  the  Santa  Fe  to  Wichita.  This  drive 
was  made  in  a  single  buggy  and  made  with  three  stops.  The  trip 
was  successful,  and  N.  A.  English  received  from  Tom  Peters  a 
guaranty  for  a  "life  pass."  In  18. .  the  railroad  company  repudi- 
ated the  "pass."  English  sued  the  road  and  recovered.  (See  38 
Kansas,  110.)  There  were  many  who  claimed  that  English  had 
no  more  to  do  with  it  than  many  others.  The  depot  was  put  on 
Mead's  land,  but  English  had  a  "life  pass."  English  either  had 
much  to  do  with  the  location  or  he  "hoodooed"  Tom  Peters. 
Mead's  land  was  so  situated  as  to  give  him  such  a  double  pull  that 
the  north  end  lost  a  good  fighter  on  north  location.  In  other 
words,  he  had  a  "lead-pipe  cinch,"  and  did  not  worry  on  loca- 
tion.   When  the  depot  was  first  located  it  was  a  "heap  way"  from 


184  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

depot  to  the  Douglas  Avenue  and  Occidental  hotels,  and  the  "old 
Daily  House"  (corner  of  First  and  Water)  and  Southern  Hotel 
(old  Missouri  Pacific  ticket  office  on  Main  street),  now  Hub  Cloth- 
ing Store.  The  business  men  demanded  a  sidewalk  to  the  depot. 
One  was  built  from  Lawrence  avenue  to  Fifth  avenue,  fronting 
English's  land.  After  some  tax  sale  proceedings  and  an  injunc- 
tion suit  the  city  presented  English  with  a  receipt  in  full.  It 
seemed  that  the  council  neglected  to  do  everything  in  regard  to 
the  "business"  except  to  build  the  sidewalk.  As  there  were  no 
city  taxes  levied  in  those  days,  the  income  from  various  divers 
and  sundry  "places"  (now  abolished)  paying  all  expenses,  the 
loss  was  not  mourned  over. 

(Note — In  this  connection  it  may  be  remembered  that  in  those 
halcyon  days,  ere  the  tempestuous  storm  burst  in  fury  o'er,  our 
defenseless  head,  it  was  our  proud  boast  to  the  incoming  "sucker" 
that  "there  were  no  city  taxes.") 

To  return  to  our  mutton:  In  1877  to  1879  "things"  moved 
slow,  *  *  *  slow.  Acres  of  lots  had  been  sold  for  taxes;  no 
one  wanted  any.  The  foreclosure  of  mortgages  on  the  Occidental 
Hotel,  the  prior  failure  of  the  First  National  Bank,  the  tendency 
to  move  toward  and  on  Douglas  avenue,  the  freeing  of  the  toll 
bridge,  and  other  lesser  things  paralyzed  North  Main  street,  and 
for  a  season  Main  street  was  ' '  Goldsmith 's  deserted  village. ' '  The 
fortunes  of  Main  street  have  been  as  the  waves  of  the  sea — at 
highest  and  lowest  tide.  The  depression  on  Douglas  avenue  has 
been  great,  but  if  it  had  equaled  Main  street's  depression.  Main 
street  would  have  been  annihilated. 

In  1879  the  Frisco  railway  pointed  Wichitaward,  but  had  Win- 
field  and  Wellington  in  view.  A  business  men's  league  was  called 
and  every  human  in  the  county  was  for  the  bonds.  The  vote 
supposedly  was  for  a  railroad  from  St.  Louis  to  Wichita  and  one 
fork  to  Viola  township  and  one  to  Mount  Hope.  The  railroad 
got  as  far  as  Wichita  and  stopped.  It  then  appeared  that  the 
railroad  intended  to  "  go  on. ' '  The  vote  was  inseparable ;  Wichita 
stood  "pat"  on  three  lines  or  no  bonds;  and  the  result  was  "no 
bonds."  Two  men  of  all  others  claimed  the  crown  for  the  Frisco 
road— C.  Wood  Davis  and  Colonel  Joeelyn— but  Col.  M.  M.  Mur- 
dock,  Jim  Steele,  A.  W.  Oliver,  M.  W.  Levy,  Col.  Milton  Stewart, 
N.  A.  English  et  al.  were  found  about  that  time  and  did  some 
work.  There  is  a  legend  that  after  the  road  was  built  and  the 
usual  excursion  to  the  business  men  who  did  nothing  toward 


BOAED  OF  TRADE  OF  WICHITA  185 

securing  the  railroad  was  had  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  at  St. 
Louis  gave  a  banquet,  aud  one-half  of  the  said  business  men 
drank  out  of  the  "finger-bowls,"  under  the  belief  that  it  was 
"pineapple  sop,"  and  one  man  swore  that  it  was  the  flattest 
champagne  he  ever  tasted. 

' '  Mind  you,  now,  I  wasn  't  there — 
I  only  solemnly  state 
What  Ed  Jewett  did  relate, 
But  I  forget  when  or  where. 

The  opening  of  the  Frisco  was  manna  to  the  children  in  the 
desert.  It  was  the  "restoration."  In  the  language  of  Colonel 
Murdock,  in  Palingenesis,  who  said : 

"Yet  anon,  in  brighter  strains  of  destiny, 

The  Star  of  Empire  beckons  on  a  happy  throng, 
Kansas '  Palingenesis. ' ' 

Twas  in  this  hour  of  hope  that  the  "Old  Board  of  Trade" 
was  placed  on  a  foundation.  The  raven  of  doubt  was  banished; 
the  croaker  was  an  unclean  thing;  on  double  "Eagle"  wings  we 
soared  to  heights  sublhne.  We  adopted  the  German  proverb, 
"There  is  no  fish  so  small  but  it  expects  to  become  a  whale."  The 
man  with  money,  time,  brain,  voice  was  expected  to  devote  a  por- 
tion to  the  advancement  and  upbuilding  of  Wichita.  He  who 
hung  back  and  held  his  purse  was  voted  as  a  Wichita  curse.  The 
stingy  man  was  a  marked  man,  and  was  pointed  out  as  a  negative 
lesson  to  every  newcomer. 

Colonel  Milton  Stewart  was  president  of  the  "Board  of  Trade" 
at  the  first  meeting  the  writer  attended.  At  this  meeting  Judge 
Thomas  B.  Wall  and  the  writer  paid  $10  and  became  members  of 
the  board. 

The  glucose  factory  was  tackled.  It  had  no  capital,  and  was 
frowned  upon.  Subsequently,  in  1881,  the  "creamery  craze" 
struck  Kansas.  It  had  a  representative  here,  and  he  worked  the 
town  to  the  "ragged  fringe  of  a  frazzle,"  and  the  "boys"  first 
learned  the  meaning  of  a  double-liability  on  corporate  stock.  The 
creamery  Avas  built,  mortgaged,  foreclosed  to  Dr.  Hoffman's 
father.    It  afterward  was  burned. 


186  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Subsequently,  Jim  Jones,  who  worked  on  a  farm  at  $15  per 
month,  got  a  new  suit  of  clothes  and  went  off  on  a  visit  and 
returned  as  a  graduate  in  the  art  of  building  waterworks.  He 
got  a  franchise  and  sold  out  to  Colonel  Lewis  and  built  the 
hoiise  where  the  widow  of  Mr.  Roach  now  lives,  sold  out  for 
$25,000  and  went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  "worked"  that  town. 
As  a  bold  schemer,  Jones  was  quartered  oak,  hand-rubbed,  done 
in  oil  and  waxed.  He  filled  his  contract  with  the  city,  but  he 
made  a  contract  that  was  a  jewel,  and  this  was  learned  as  the 
days  and  months  went  speeding  by,  when  wooden  mains  were 
rotting  and  bursting.  "Thus  we  learn  that  they  who  ha'  na' 
sense,  but  money  to  burn,"  will  find  some  one  to  help  burn  it. 

Wichita  was  now  at  the  incoming  of  the  tide,  and  on  the  crest 
o'  swelling  wave  we  gleefully  did  ride. 

About  this  time  Kansas  "took  a  header"  and  voted  for  the 
"prohibition  amendment."  IMen  differ  as  to  the  effect  on. Wich- 
ita's fortunes  by  reason  of  this  change,  but,  in  my  judgment,  a 
change  in  "theory"  without  a  change  in  "practice"  deprives  us 
of  the  premise  from  which  to  argue.  John  Peter  St.  John  (on 
whose  bosom  most  prohibitionists  expected  to  finally  rest,  prior 
to  Grover's  election  in  1884)  said:  "You  people  (Wichita's) 
have  carried  on  the  most  successful  rebellion  against  the  consti- 
tution in  the  history  of  our  government."  Conceding  that  St. 
John  was  correct,  we  cannot  say  what  the  real  effect  has  been 
on  the  financial  condition  of  Wichita  by  the  liquor  law. 

This  brings  me,  according  to  my  chronology,  to  the  shore  of 
the  "flood"  and  in  sight  of  the  "white  caps"  so  soon  to  roll 
over  Wichita  and  engulf  it;  to  the  wild  billows  whose  spray 
dampened  and  refreshed  everything  within  an  hundred  miles,  and 
attracted  the  greedy  frotn  the  Atlantic  coast,  challenged  the 
admiration  of  all  beholders  and  at  the  same  time  made  our  rivals 
"as  full  of  envy  at  Wichita's  greatness  as  Cerberus  was  at  Proser- 
pina's beauty."  So  many  things  crowd  for  space  that  this  sketch 
is  too  long  for  one  paper,  and  will  be  finished  at  a  futiu"e  time. 

I  think  it  is  a  truth  that  until  1883  the  local  organizations 
were  mere  cliques,  building  with  a  selfish  pecuniary  direct  and 
immediate  end,  and  that  the  upbuilding  of  Wichita  as  a  com- 
mercial city,  a  railroad  center,  a  large  distributing  point,  did 
not  enter  into  the  mind  of  but  one  man.  viz. :  Col.  M.  M.  Murdock. 
Colonel  Murdock  stood  between  the  two  furious  factions,  and 
was  appointed  postmaster  as  the  only  man  that  both  ends  would 


BOARD  OF  TRADE  OF  WICHITA        187 

trust.  There  was  less  polities  and  more  real  business  in  his 
appointment  than  ever  since  displayed.  He  placed  the  postoffiee 
Avhere  Tanner's  store  is,  on  Main  street,  and  the  factions 
shook  hands  and  went  home  to  whet  butcher  knives  for  the  next 
engagement. 

In  the  second  paper  on  this  subject  will  be  given  the  unity 
of  Wichita  under  the  banner  of  "Harmony,  Unity,  Strength, 
Success. ' ' 

December  3,  1898. 

CHRONICLE  II. 

"Local  history  is  a  chain,  the  links  o'  which  are  the  united 
memories  of  many  minds." 

In  the  fall  of  1882,  when  Wichita  was  on  the  commercial 
"teeter-board" — no  one  knowing  what  our  destiny  was  to  be — 
there  was  "talk"  of  the  "Fifth  Parallel  Railroad,"  i.  e.,  the  road 
supposed  to  be  hunting  location  and  subsidies  (principally  sub- 
sidies) running  from  Fort  Scott  toward  Wichita.  It  was  char- 
tered from  Fort  Scott  as  the  St.  Louis,  Fort  Scott  &  Wichita 
Railroad  (but  names  do  not  afPect  locations),  and  our  people 
naturally  were  anxious.  Frank  Tiernan,  then  its  president,  came 
to  Wichita  and  convinced  our  people  that  if  we  obtained  this 
road  it  would  cost  money,  though  natural  advantages  would 
count ;  bonus,  subsidies,  largesses  would  also  weigh.  Frank  went 
to  Newton,  drove  from  Newton  to  El  Dorado,  practically  over 
the  present  route  of  the  Ellsworth,  Newton  &  Southeastern  Rail- 
way (the  railway  from  El  Dorado  to  Newton).  We  learned  that 
there  were  at  least  three  factors  in  getting  this  road,  viz. :  Loca- 
tion, bonds  and  Tiernan,  and  all  seemed  to  be  equally  urgent. 
There  were  no  social  advantages  at  Newton.  Our  saloons  were 
open  and  Frank  "played  poker."  This  gave  us  an  advantage 
which  was  not  counted  by  our  people,  but  Frank  looked  on  the 
foaming  beer  in  the  schooner  at  Tom  Jewell's  place,  under  Gov- 
ernor Stanley's  law  office,  and  made  promises  in  writing  that  led 
him  to  assert  that  Wichita  was  to  have  the  road,  and  the  Newton 
committee  went  home  discouraged.  The  bonds  were  voted,  and 
the  road  to  be  completed  by  July  1,  1883.  Mr.  Jay  Gould  was 
believed  to  be  behind  this  road,  but  he  denied  it  until  the  railway 
was  built  to  El  Dorado.  (A  law  suit  with  IMoran  developed  the 
scheme.)  Soon  as  it  was  known  that  it  was  the  Missouri  Pacific, 


188  mSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

"things"  at  Wichita  brightened  up,  and  lots  had  a  value,  lands 
stiffened,  but  all  the  sales  were  local  (even  as  the  story  of  rats 
penned  up,  we  simply  were  slowly  consuming  ourselves) . 

One  day  old  man  Morse,  of  Connecticut,  and  a  man  named 
Ives  came  to  Wichita.  They  looked  around  for  a  while,  and 
priced  a  great  many  pieces  of  Douglas  avenue  and  Main  street 
lots.    They  purchased  the  following  properties : 

Southeast  corner  Main  and  Second  streets. 

Southeast  corner  Main  and  First  streets. 

The  old  building  and  lots  where  Dunbar's  undertaking  estab- 
lishment is,  and  the  propei-ty  on  East  Douglas  avenue  where 
Paige's  store  is.  Pinlay  Ross  sold  them  the  First  street  corner 
and  immediately  purchased  the  lots  where  Rorabaugh's  store 
now  is. 

Finlay  bought  out  Emil  Werner.  Whether  he  got  the  old 
organ  that  ran  from  month  to  month  and  year  to  year,  without 
a  break,  when  Emil  was  a  "wet  goods  merchant,"  I  don't  know, 
but  that  organ,  with  its  solemn,  melancholy,  diabolical,  weird, 
spirit-exasperating  and  soul-destroying  strains,  was  hushed  for- 
ever, and  everybody  chanted  Te  Deum,  Non  Nobis  Domine,  and 
sang  the  hallelujah,  etc.  The  truth  is  that  said  organ,  that  inani- 
mate, howling  parody  on  musical  inventions,  caused  more  blood- 
shed than  figures  can  tabulate.  Two  men  on  a  hot  day  could  not 
argue  on  Main  street  without  fighting.  The  doleful  sounds  emit- 
ted from  the  bowels  of  that  *  *  *  organ  would  cause  an  excited 
man  to  whip  his  mother,  a  banker  to  reduce  his  interest  to  3  per 
cent  a  month,  and  an  officeholder  to  resign  his  office. 

Note. — My  honest  belief  is  that  the  organ  aforesaid  would 
produce  pandemonium  in  Paradise  in  one  hour  from  its  first  lugu- 
brious howl.  In  fact,  it  was  a  wooden  hypochondriac  proclaiming 
its  desolation  and  misery  to  all  mankind. 

The  above  lot  sales  to  a  total  stranger  acted  on  the  corporeal 
system  of  the  dwellers  in  the  Happy  Valley  like  electricity  to  the 
frog's  leg.  The  dead  were  alive ;  the  alive  were  quickened.  The 
"Board  of  Trade"  (then,  as  afterward)  claimed  all  the  credit. 
Men  invoiced  themselves  and  marked  their  "stuff"  up  daily,  like 
merchants  during  the  "Rebellion."  Each  week  justified  the  last 
invoice,  and  we  commenced  to  get  the  "magnus  caput." 

Note. — Joe  Morse  went  home,  felt  dissatisfied  with  his  pur- 
chases, came  back  at  once  to  Wichita,  and  stopped  at  the  Occi- 
dental.    Early  the  next  morning  he  strolled  down  Main  street. 


BOARD  OF  TRADE  OP  WICHITA  189 

No  one  was  on  the  street;  the  silent  hamlet  slept.  In  front  of 
Dunbar's  he  stopped.  Old  man  Grantham  came  along  and  Joe 
accosted  him. 

Morse — What  town  is  this? 

Grantham — Wichita. 

Morse — What  population  ? 

Grantham — According  to  census,  5,000;  according  to  facts, 
2,500. 

Morse — Any  property  selling? 

Grantham — No. 

Morse — Ain't  you  mistaken? 

Grantham — No,  I  ain't. 

Morse — I  am  told  that  several  large  sales  of  business  property 
have  been  made. 

Grantham — Well,  there  were  two  *  *  *  old  idiots  from  Con- 
necticut came  out  here,  and  the  boys  unloaded  on  'em,  but  that  is 
the  extent  of  the  sales. 

Tableau ! 

Morse  went  to  the  hotel,  attempted  to  eat  breakfast,  went  at 
once  to  Jim  Steele's  house  and  was,  in  fact,  "stampeded."  Steele 
laughed  at  him  and  found  him  an  "optioner"  who  wanted  the 
Paige  lot  at  an  advanced  price,  but  advised  Morse  to  reject  it. 
Before  supper  (dinner)  Steele  had  convinced  Morse  that  he  was 
a  shrewd  buyer.  Morse  walked  the  street.  Men  who  did  not 
know  him  told  him  a  hundred  times  of  his  own  purchases.  Before 
he  left,  Morse  made  other  purchases. 

Morse  was  the  original  Wichita  boomer.  He  kindled  a  fire 
that  he  could  not  stop,  and  at  last,  after  making  a  fortune,  was 
consumed  by  the  original  fire  which  he  had  kindled. 

' '  Behold  how  great  a  matter  a  little  fire  kindleth ! ' ' — James 
III,  5. 

Prom  the  Morse-Ives  purchases  dated  the  milestone  called  the 
"boom."  A  hundred  land-owners  withdrew  their  land  from 
sale ;  two  hundred  placed  theirs  on  sale.  Jim  Steele,  in  Pebruary, 
1883,  had  his  office  on  the  second  floor  of  the  building  east  of  the 
"Eagle"  office,  and  one  day  booked  over  fifty  tracts  of  land. 
"Jim"  sold  his  home  here  for  $40,000,  to  Al  Thomas  and  Amos 
Houek.  "Jim"  had  no  part  in  the  "boom."  He  Avent  to  Tacoraa, 
invested  his  money  in  timber  lands,  and  "backed"  the  Grant 
boys,  of  Wichita  (who  lived  where  Will  McNaughten  now  lives, 
on  Topeka   avenue),  who  went  to  Tacoma  and  first  used  and 


190  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

tried  to  patent  the  method  of  raising  sunken  ships  that  Hobson 
(the  naval  kisser)  wanted  to  use  on  the  Spanish  ships. 

Note. — Jim  Steele  died,  almost  a  pauper,  in  Tacoma.  He  was 
a  man  who  possessed  natural  magnetism,  and  was  one  of  the 
306  immortals  who  voted  for  Grant  at  Chicago,  when  Grant 
succumbed  to  the  cry  of  "Csesarism, "  "Imperialism"  and 
"Dynasty."  At  a  future  time  I  may  give  space  to  Steele' as  he 
deserves. 

J.  M.  Steele  had  as  much  to  do  with  getting  the  Missouri 
Pacific  Railway  as  any  other  one  man.  He  was  one  of  the  men 
who  possessed  power,  as  Garfield  expresses  it,  in  a  twofold  way, 
viz. :  Strength  and  force ;  strength,  as  typified  by  the  oak,  and 
force,  as  in  the  thunderbolt.  Steele  was  a  leader  and  in  the  "long 
ago"  was  made  "of  blood  and  iron."  Wichita  owes  him  much. 
The  young  never  knew  him.  The  generation  gliding  swiftly  to 
"nothingness  and  decay"  still  recall  his  majestic  presence;  the 
old  heads  remember  his  power ;   the  poor,  his  generosity. 

"Many  long  summers  th'  grass  shall  grow  green. 
Blossom  and  fade,  our  faces  'atween. 
Ere  we  shall  behold  a  figure  so  bold. 
Or  in  councils  hear  the  voice  of  his  peer. ' ' 

The  Missouri  Pacific  was  assured.  The  depot  was  not  selected. 
The  railway  company,  not  being  particular,  asked  for  a  right  of 
way  on  one  of  the  following  streets:  Waco,  Wichita,  Mead,  Mos- 
ley,  Washington  and  Kellogg.  The  town  rose  in  arms ;  the  city 
council  was  threatened.  Judge  Balderston  was  city  attorney. 
After  wrangling  from  Tuesday  until  Friday,  the  ordinance  was 
passed.  The  "roar"  grew  louder.  Captain  Smythe,  a  member 
of  the  council,  got  out  a  petition  and  had  the  council  convened 
on  Saturday  at  3  o'clock.  Judge  Sluss  represented  the  "many- 
headed  multitude,"  and  was  permitted  to  speak  in  favor  of  the 
resolution  to  repeal  the  ordinance.  Sluss  was  hired  to  make  that 
speech  as  a  lawyer,  and  he  earned  every  dollar  he  charged  for  it. 
He  had  an  audience  that  was  with  him.  The  room,  the  hallway 
and  the  stairway  were  crowded  and  the  crowd  cheered  him  to 
the  echo.  The  council,  like  willows,  waved  to  and  fro.  Mike 
Zimmerly,  the  president  of  the  council,  was  the  railway  company's 
"Gibraltar."    He  was  "a  rock  in  a  weary  land,"  in  the  shadow 


BOARD  OF  TRADE  OF  WICHITA  191 

of  which  the  railroad  company's  attorney  and  its  friends  sat 
trembling.  On  him  all  our  hopes  reposed.  The  railroad  com- 
pany's attorney  represented  that  the  railway  officials  were  all 
in  Fort  Scott  and  that  any  action  in  their  absence  was  unfair  and 
unjust.  Mike  Zimmerly  moved  that  the  meeting  adjourn  until 
Tuesday  afternoon  to  give  the  company  officials  an  opportunity 
to  be  present.    The  motion  carried. 

In  one-half  hour  a  telegram  was  sent  to  Frank  Tiernan  at 
Fort  Scott,  which,  divested  of  all  surplusage  and  the  marrow 
extracted,  was,  to  use  the  classic  language  of  Isaiah,  about  as  fol- 
lows :  ' '  Hell  from  beneath  is  moved  for  thee,  to  meet  thee  at  thy 
coming." 

Ere  vespers,  long  before  Erebus  spread  his  sable  mantle  o'er 
the  carpet  of  sun-brown  buffalo  grass,  a  telegram  was  received 
that  Tiernan,  president;  Chanault,  treasurer,  and  Woods,  engi- 
neer, would  arrive  here  Sunday,  if  possible  on  the  construction 
train.  The  railroad  was  new,  track  out  of  line,  culverts  were 
temporary,  made  of  ties,  bridges  half  constructed,  and  all  was 
being  crowded  to  earn  bonds — i.  e.,  get  the  subsidies  and  build  the 
road  permanently  afterward.  On  Sunday  word  came  that  they 
(Tiernan  et  al.)  were  coming,  and  to  have  teams  at  the  west  end 
of  the  track  at  once. 

The  warm  friends  of  the  road  were  excited,  but  were  reas- 
sured when  the  "wire"  came:  "Port  Scott.  —  All  aboard. — 
Tiernan. ' ' 

Coming  to  head  off  "the  repeal," 

Carried  by  an  engine  fleet; 
Whizzing  on  the  bands  of  steel 

Through  the  fields  of  yellow  wheat ; 
Rumbling  on  the  trembling  bridges. 
And  between  the  "walls  of  corn," 
Along  the  Flint  hills'  ridges — 
To  save  a  hope  forlorn. 

Banking  on  the  ordinance,  $20,000  had  been  expended  on  West 
Douglas  and  Wichita  streets. 

On  Sunday  twenty  teams  from  the  end  of  the  railroad  reached 
Chisholm  creek,  with  ties  and  iron  to  make  a  "showin'."  On 
Monday  morning  an  acceptance  of  the  ordinance  was  served  on 
the  city  officials,  in  "deshabille"  and  "decollete."    And  the  engi- 


192  fflSTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

neer  corps  entered  on  Wichita  street  at  Park  street.  The  depot 
was  commenced,  the  ties  and  iron  strung  along  the  street;  the 
railroad  officials  and  attorneys  went  to  bed,  saved  by  a  "vested 
right."  Waco  street  not  being  selected.  Captain  Smythe  was 
appeased,  and  the  council  did  not  act  on  the  motion  to  repeal 
the  ordinance. 

Germane  to  this  railroad  history  there  were  many  amusing 
things,  three  of  which  are  worth  space : 

After  the  ordinance  was  accepted,  and  the  officials  were  going 
to  the  Occidental  Hotel,  Tiernan  said:  "Boys,  this  is  equal  to  the 
excitement  of  a  poker  game  in  room  12. ' ' 

Speaking  of  Frank's  penchant  for  poker:  In  June,  1883,  an 
injunction  was  issued  to  prevent  crossing  the  land  at  Twenty-fifth 
street  and  Hydraulic  avenue.  It  was  agreed  to  hold  the  same 
twenty-four  hours,  imtil  $800  could  be  sent  here  for  settlement. 
The  treasurer  of  the  road  wired  that  Tiernan  had  a  draft  for  the 
amount.  Tiernan  was  in  room  12,  aforesaid,  in  the  Occidental, 
but  he  was  like  the  man  from  Jericho.  M.  W,  Levy  sent  for  the 
road's  attorney  and  showed  him  the  draft,  indorsed  by  Tiernan  to 
Dick  Walker.  No  further  explanation  was  given  or  requested. 
The  general  impression  was  circulated  that  Tiernan  was  unable  to 
settle  for  $800,  and  another  draft  for  same  amount  was  sent. 

On  the  day  (or  night)  that  the  ordinance  was  passed,  Mike 
Zimmerly  was  the  last  name  called  on  the  roll.  Mike  had  been 
promised  a  guaranty  that  the  road  would  not  go  down  Kellogg 
street,  and  he  did  not  intend  to  vote  until  he  got  it.  When  his 
name  was  called  he  arose  and  left  the  room,  followed  by  Tiernan. 
When  he  came  back  and  voted  "Aye,"  Captain  Smythe  arose 
and  demanded  to  know  the  nature  of  the  conversation  between 
Zimmerly  and  Tiernan.  Mike  arose  and  said  the  gentleman  from 
the  Second  ward  could  go  to  Pandemonium,  Abaddon,  Domdaniel, 
Purgatory,  Gehenna,  Hades,  Tartarus,  Styx,  Plutonian  shades, 
Tophet,  and  other  words  germane  to  the  above,  closely  allied 
therewith,  from  the  same  Greek  and  Latin  rot.  And  thus  were 
dull  hours  of  council  meeting  interspersed  with  pleasantries  to 
lighten  the  burden  of  weighty  matters  fraught  with  deep  solici- 
tude to  the  city. 

The  completion  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  was  to  Wichita  as — 

"Wine  that  maketh  glad  the  heart  of  man." — ^Psalms  iv,  15. 

It  was  the  first  railroad  to  give  promise  of  competition.    The 


BOARD  OF  TRADE  OF  WICHITA        193 

Frisco  was  really  in  the  hands  of  the  Santa  Fe,  so  we  only  had 
one  road. 

To  prevent  Tiernan  going  to  Kingman,  the  Santa  Fe  and 
Frisco  built  a  joint  line  to  Kingman,  and  rejoiced  all  "Wichita 
because  Tiernan  was  "headed  for  Anthony,  and  both  roads  were 
building  at  once,  and  then  to  Hutchinson. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
THE  STREET  RAILWAY— A.  D.  1883. 

By 

KOS  HARRIS. 

Among  the  last  acts  of  Jim  Steele  was  to  interest  himself  in 
the  street  railway.  Col.  John  "W.  Hartzell,  of  Topeka,  came  here 
and  met  with  no  encouragement.  At  last  Steele  took  the  same 
in  hand;  a  charter  was  obtained  and  corporation  organized,  as 
follows:  President,  Hartzell;  vice-president,  Steele;  treasurer, 
L.  D.  Skinner ;  secretary,  Frank  Hartzell ;  attorney,  Kos  Harris. 
The  road  issued  bonds,  $15,000,  sold  them  at  par  to  S.  W.  Wheel- 
ock,  of  Moline,  111.,  and  built  from  Fifth  avenue  to  Main  street 
on  Douglas,  and  then  north  on  Main  street;  thence  from  Oak 
street  to  the  Santa  Fe  depot. 

During  this  year  (1883)  people  commenced  to  come  to  Wich- 
ita— at  least  2,500  "newcomers."  The  street  railway  paid  from 
the  start.  The  "corn  train"  to  Cincinnati,  0.,  was  shipped  on 
the  first  Sunday  after  street  cars  were  started,  and  the  receipts 
for  that  day  were  $250. 

Hartzell  was  a  pioneer  and,  like  Alexander  the  Great,  wanted 
to  conquer  more  worlds,  and  then  determined  to  go  to  Carthage, 
and  then  determined  to  go  to  San  Francisco.  He  sold  his  lines 
at  Wichita  to  Col.  E.  R.  Powell  for  $25,000.  Powell  sold  one-half 
to  Col.  B.  H.  Campbell  for  $25,000,  and  subsequently  sold  the 
other  half  to  J.  0.  Davidson,  Colonel  Campbell,  George  L.  Rouse, 
R.  E.  Lawrence  and  0.  Martinson  et  al.  for  $100,000. 

Note.— On  July  4.  1883,  Colonel  Campbell  made  a  bet  that 
the  street  cars  would  be  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver  in  six  months. 
Judge  Edwin  Hill  was  stakeholder.  Inside  of  one  year  Campbell 
paid  $25,000  for  half  interest,  thus  proving  that — 

For  the  almighty  dollar,  common  clay  man 
Will  "tack  his  course"  and  change  his  plan; 
"Eat  his  words,"  lose  his  bet,  for  any  scheme, 
"Wlieu  a  change  comes  o'er  the  spirit  of  his  dream." 
194 


THE  STREET  RAILWAY— A.  D.  1883  195 

In  other  words :  "A  A^ase  man  adapts  himself  to  cu'cumstances, 
even  as  water  shapes  itself  to  the  jug  that  contains  it." 

Verily,  verily,  on  rolling  waves  the  ship  "Wichita"  was  scud- 
ding, chased  by  a  tempest  soon — too  soon — to  overtake  it  and 
sweep  from  the  deck  every  man  not  lashed  to  the  timbers.  The 
ravens  were  many,  but  the  albatross  in  our  natures  moved  us  to 
seek  the  "trade-winds,"  court  the  commercial  billows,  to  defy 
the  tempest,  and  become  as  deaf  as  adders.  We  drowned  the 
fierce  cries  of  the  croaking  raven,  and  onward  we  went,  pro- 
claiming to  the  dwellers  of  the  Happy  Valley: 

There's  money  in  the  town,  boys, 

If  you  will  only  by  it  stand ; 
There's  millions  in  th'  deal,  boys, 

If  you  will  lend  a  helping  hand. 
Let  us  join  hearts  and  hands  together, 

And  put  our  rivals  down ; 
'Twill  be  glory  after  while 

To  know  we  built  a  town. 

And  yet,  up  to  this  date  (1884)  in  our  history,  the  "Board  of 
Trade ' '  was  but  little  known  and  was  less  appreciated.  There  were 
not  to  exceed  twelve  men  (same  number  as  a  petit  jury,  same  as 
the  apostles)  who  were  crying  in  the  wilderness.  The  majority 
of  our  people  were  "sawing  wood"  at  their  own  woodpile,  and 
paying  no  heed  to  the  swelling  storm  soon  to  burst  o'er  us.  To 
raise  $100  for  a  railroad  committee  was  simply  worse  than  pay- 
ing campaign  expenses  after  election,  or  raising  a  church  moi-t- 
gage.  Some  men  said  they  would  not  give  anything,  because  they 
were  never  on  committee.  The  truth  is,  few  men  were  fitted  in 
brain  to  head  a  committee.  The  real  railroad  committee — no 
matter  who  was  appointed — were  Murdoch,  Levy,  Niederlander 
"and  Oliver.  One  reason  for  this  was,  they  were  personally 
acquainted  with  Gould,  Hayes,  Hoxie,  Clarke  and  other  Missouri 
Pacific  officials. 

Great  and  efficient  work  was  done  by  J.  0.  Davidson,  H.  W. 
Lewis  et  al.,  but  this  will  come  hereafter. 

This  brings  me  to  the  year  1885,  one  year  prior  to  the  organ- 
ization of  the  "Board  of  Trade"  on  a  new  basis  and  the  cam- 
paigns under  the  motto  of  Harmony,  Unity,  Strength,  Success. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
CHRONICLES. 

By 

KOS  HARRIS. 

CHRONICLE  ni. 

' '  To  write  local  history ;  to  be  exact ;  to  wound  no  one ;  to 
give  all  actors  their  due,  is  to  be  a  god." 

In  the  spring  of  1885, 
The  budding  city  was  all  alive ; 
There  was  business,  thrift  and  money ; 
Kansas  was  tli '  land  o '  milk  and  honey. 

In  the  year  of  '85,  farm  land  sold  then  ' '  sightunseen ' '  on  gen- 
eral reputation.  The  trouble  was  to  keep  the  ' '  stuff. ' '  Raw  lands, 
ten  to  fifteen  miles  from  Wichita,  sold  at  from  $2,000  to  $4,000  per 
quarter. 

Late  in  the  spring  of  1885,  Jay  Gould,  General  Solicitor  Brown, 
General  Manager  Hoxie,  George  Gould  et  al.,  officers  of  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  Railway  Company,  arrived  in  Wichita  one  morning 
and  invited  Colonel  Murdock,  Levy,  Niederlander  and  Oliver  and 
the  local  attorney  to  go  with  them  to  Anthony.  On  the  ride  back, 
the  Wichita  &  Colorado  Railroad  was  born,  the  route  being  then 
from  Wichita  to  Mt.  Hope,  thence  to  Stafford,  St.  John  and 
Larned.  Procrastination,  however,  let  the  Santa  Fe  build  from 
Hutchinson  to  St.  John  before  we  got  started.  The  relationship 
of  a  Hutchinson  lady  to  the  wife  of  an  official  of  the  Missouri 
Pacific  forced  the  line  to  Hutchinson.  Verily,  verily,  woman,  weak 
woman,  round  among  "pots  and  kettles,'"  using  man,  strong  man, 
for  "skittles":  woman,  frail  woman,  with  a  duster  in  hand,  scat- 
tering microbes  and  other  death-dealing  animalcular  infusoria 
from  times  beginning,  hath  had  a  large  part  in  the  world's 
chronicles. 


CHRONICLES  197 

' '  Talk  of  woman 's  sphere  as  if  it  had  a  limit : 
There's  not  a  place  in  earth  or  heaven; 
There's  not  a  task  to  mankind  given, 
That  hath  a  feather 's  weight  o '  worth, 
Without  a  woman  in  it." 

Helen  of  Troy,  Cleopatra,  Dido,  Garah  of  Marlborough, 
Eugenie,  the  Duchess  of  Portsmouth,  Agnes  Tarei,  Pompadour, 
Maintenon,  Mrs.  Lincoln,  Madame  Recamier,  Madame  de  Stael, 
Countess  of  Pembroke  and  other  ladies  of  character,  reputation 
and  wit,  and  thousands  of  unknown  yet  strong-brained  women, 
have  made  and  unfrocked  men,  created  generals,  colonels,  nobles 
and  judges,  as  well  as  wars ;  changed  forms  of  government ;  and 
man,  strong,  brainy  man,  has  charged  the  same  to  "destiny," 
instead  of  petticoats;    cursed  his  divining  star;    his  horoscope — 

Little  think — never  dreaming. 

That  some  lovely  woman's  ways, 
Li  affectionate  scheming. 

Has  changed  a  year 's  work  in  a  day. 

The  local  directory  of  the  Wichita  &  Colorado  Railway  went 
to  bed  hearing  the  "braky"  call  out:  "All  aboard  to  Mt.  Hope, 
Stafford,  St.  John  and  Larned!"  and  awoke  with  a  telegram 
from  New  York:  "The  road  will  go  to  Hutchinson.  Pull  instruc- 
tions to  Harding  by  mail." 

Afterward  we  learned — 

That  the  eloquence  of  man. 
All  statistics,  map,  and  plan, 
Were  brushed  aside  by  woman's  wit, 
And  that  was  the  end  of  it. 

Hutchinson  claimed  the  "first  blood,"  and  we  then  all  claimed 
that  we  always  intended  to  go  to  Hutchinson.  Before  we  "laid 
down,"  however,  we  appealed  to  Mr.  Gould.  He  dismissed  the 
appeal  and  affirmed  the  judgment  of  the  lawyer  official.  In  a 
little  time  we  found  tjiat  the  D.  M.  &  A.  Railroad,  Jay  Gould  and 
S.  H.  Mallory,  and  the  line  from  Geneseo  to  Pueblo  had  formed 
a  "trust,"  and  that  the  Wichita  &  Colorado  Railway  would 
end    at    Hutchinson;     that    all    dreams,    schemes,    plans,    hopes 


198  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

and  ambitions  of  the  "Wichita  crowd"  as  "railway  projectors" 
and  "town  builders,"  "bond  voters,"  "subsidy-getters,"  were  at 
an  end,  and  forever ;  and  instead  of  a  main  line  to  Pueblo,  Colo., 
from  Wichita,  we  were  tied  to  the  main  line  as  a  branch  at 
Geneseo.  Instead  of  being  the  "trunk"  we  we-re  only  one  of 
many  branches. 

Pate  hath  so  far  made  Wichita  a  branch-line  town  in  name,  but 
we  are  the  only  "branch-line  town"  that  "time  tables"  are  made 
to  accommodate.  The  only  one  where  twelve  commercial  trav- 
elers for  a  wholesale  house  might  make  Marion,  Newton,  Burton, 
Lyons,  Kingman,  Harper,  Medicine  Lodge,  Anthony,  Caldwell, 
Arkansas  City,  Neodesha  and  El  Dorado,  and  get  home  the  same 
day.  Wichita  as  a  town  paid  for  all  it  has ;  no  legislative  larceny 
hath  added  a  dollar  to  the  millions  of  taxable  assets  of  Wichita. 
The  sums  paid  to  the  state  treasurer  give  us  a  right  to  demand 
some  public  enterprise,  enable  us  to  criticize  appropriations  made 
to  towns  whose  existence  depends  on  biennial  legislative  plunder. 
Note. — The  writer  hereof,  speaking  only  for  himself,  hopes 
we  will  continue  this  policy  until  all  the  lunatic  asylums,  state 
prisons  and  normal  schools  are  located.  Though  home  industry 
is  a  good  thing,  it  is  better  to  ship  lunatics  and  convicts  out  and 
thrifty  people  in.  So  far  as  a  normal  school  is  concerned,  it  will 
add  nothing,  be  nothing ;  'twill  only  take  luster  from  and  dwarf 
our  present  splendid  educational  institutions.  Another  great 
reason  is  that  we  are  now  at  liberty  to  examine  into  and  criticize 
all  appropriations  not  just  or  demanded.  The  location  of  a  pub- 
lic institution  forces  us  to  let  all  "steals"  go  through  to  save  our 
own  particular  larceny  of  public  money.  Wichita  is  the  resultant 
of  local  pride,  brain,  labor  and  push.  Situate  on  buffalo  grass; 
surrounded  by  sunflowers;  hundreds  of  miles  from  commerce; 
the  political  and  commercial  Ishmaelite  of  Kansas;  without  nat- 
ural advantages  save  land  (the  supreme  mother  of  all  fortune) 
and — 

With  no  powerful  "friend  at  court," 

Of  every  bantling  town  the  sport; 

The  ribald  jest  and  envious  sneer 

Were  daily  ours  from  year  to  year. 

The  years  came  and  went,  yet  slowly,  surely,  we  were  upward 
climbing.  High  was  the  mark  at  which  our  archers  shot.  We 
aimed  at  the  capital,  and  struck  the  column  above  the  base.    Our 


CHRONICLES  199 

rivals  became  our  helpers  and  by  hatred  "pricked  the  sides  of 
our  intent,"  goaded  us  to  shoot  at  the  unattainable  and  lose  a 
thousand  arrows.  We  learned  to  shoot  high.  And  from  the-  peak 
of  our  efforts  we  beheld  our  rivals  groveling  in  the  dust  beneath 
us,  scrambling  for  the  crumbs  of  the  Wichita  banquet. 

The  shafts  of  envy,  spite,  rancor  and  malice  were  hurled  at 
Wichita  from  every  point  of  the  compass.  Our  success  only 
created  a  larger  band  of  "howlers"  and  our  misfortunes  were 
heralded  abroad  as  if  our  misery,  desolation  and  woe  were  mat- 
ters to  be  proud  of.  In  fact,  the  "Kansas  fight"  on  the  only  town 
having  spirit  or  independence  reminds  one  of  the  exultation  of 
a  family  over  the  ruin  of  a  sister,  because  it  gave  a  chance  to  get 
into  print.    Before  we  succeeded,  columns  were  printed  by 

"Lean-faced  envy  from  its  loathsome  cave" 
and  scattered  as  autumn  leaves.    Poison  was  shed  on  the  evening 
air  like  the  deadly  upas,  to  inoculate  all  within  its  zone. 

"With  rival  hating  envy"  our  good  offices  were  spurned;  our 
friendship  was  a  badge  of  disloyalty  to  the  coyote  hamlets,  which, 
aft  last,  stood  afar  oft',  contemplating  the  dying  lion,  waiting  for 
the  hour  for  to  "hold  a  wake"  and  gnaw  the  carcass.  In  1886  we 
felt  we  had  succeeded,  despite  the  many  handicaps  put  on  our 
steed  by  the  jealous  rivals  in  the  race.  In  fact,  we  may  truth- 
fully say : 

On  prairies  level,  bare  and  brown, 

Wliich  seem  'd  to  reach  from  sky  to  sky. 
United  brain  built  up  a  town 

Which  envy  said  would  surely  die ; 
Dwellers  therein  all  move  away; 
Soon  it  would  crumble  and  decay, 
As  many  another  had  done. 
And,  save  ruin'd  brick  and  stone, 

Naught  remain  to  recall,  some  day, 

The  dreamers  on  the  Arkansas 

Wlio  founded  what  was  "Wichita." 

But  these  calumnies,  base  as  hell,  blacker  than  the  hue  of 
dungeons,  as  rancorous  as  the  tongue  of  a  "turncoat,"  only  made 
our  fires  burn  brighter  and  spur  the  town  to  carry  a  heavier 
load,  and  break  every  colt  to  work  in  "lead,  swing  or  wheel,"  and 
push  on  the  hilltop.     Yes,  in  1886,  we  had  triumphed,  and  yet 


200  fflSTOEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

we  felt  that  until  we  achieved  the  mountain's  top,  the  regal  peaks, 
and  stood  upon  the  lofty  crest,  o'ertoppling  the  naked  beetling 
rocks  that  frowned  on  the  valley  below,  far  above  the  timber-line, 
beyond  the  ragged  pine  and  the  flower  that  buds  amidst  the  snow, 
beyond  the  clouds,  above  the  glare,  where,  wrapped  in  the  ever- 
lasting shroud  of  frosted  ice,  the  frozen  sentinels  guard  the  rocky 
pass  in  solitude  and  grandeur,  we  should  neither  pause  nor  rest. 
Our  ambition  was  not  baseborn,  but  high,  sublime  and  lofty.  Old 
age  would  be  in  comfort ;  the  generations  unborn  would  lisp  our 
names,  and  build  monuments  when  we  were  dust  of  ashes. 

"Our  high-blown  pride  at  length  broke,"  and  there  "were 
none  so  poor  to  do  us  reverence."  We  fell,  and  oh,  what  a  fall! 
"Aye,  verily,  as  Lucifer  from  the  battlements  of  heaven";  and 
what  royal  company — Kansas  City,  Omaha,  Los  Angeles,  Denver, 
Galveston,  Tacoma,  Sioux  City — and  the  small  fry.  Railroads 
went  into  receivers'  hands.  The  shock  that  cleared  our  decks, 
tore  away  the  mast,  flooded  the  hold  and  tore  from  our  sides  the 
lifeboats  and  left  us  "to  the  mercy  of  a  rude  stream,"  was  felt 
from  Marblehead  to  the  Golden  Gate;  from  the  Lakes,  north,  to 
the  Gulf,  south.  ' 

Our  bold  temerity  dwarfed  the  past  and  made  us  a  monument 
— a  milestone  in  the  highway  of  the  historian — and  we  will  not 
be  forgotten. 

Note. — Ere  we  say  to  this  farewell,  I  desire  to  give  a  few 
facts  as  to  the  Wichita  &  Colorado  Railway.  Colwich  was  made 
as  the  name  from  the  first  syllable  of  Colorado  and  Wichita ;  An- 
Dale  (this  is  the  proper  spelling,  as  fixed  in  the  charter  of  the 
An-Dale  Town  company)  was  formed  from  the  name  of  George 
Anderson  and  Will  Dale  (Judge  Dale's  brother),  the  first  syllable 
of  Anderson  and  the  name  of  "Dale." 

REORGANIZED  BOARD  OP  TRADE. 

In  the  winter  of  1886  the  new  blood  was  striving  for  place,  for 
recognition.  The  old  Board  of  Trade  was  dictatorial.  It  was  the 
pioneer,  and,  like  "old  politicians,"  hated  to  surrender  to  the 
young  men.  The  new  men  were  impatient  and  aggressive,  and 
had  some  cause  for  it.  They  wanted  a  place  on  the  Board  of 
Trade.  No  one  would  give  way.  The  Board  of  Trade  held  its 
meetings  and  heeded  not  the  brewing  storm.  Some  of  the  mem- 
bers felt  that  the  new  men  were  not  treated  fairly,  but  the  "man- 


CHRONICLES  201 

agement"  just  "sawed  wood,"  heard  not  the  "rabble."  The 
"rabble"  aforesaid  was  composed  of  men  that  had  themselves 
held  power  ere  they  to  Kansas  came — men  that  had  brains,  influ- 
ence, "and,  by  jingo,  had  the  money,  too,"  belonged  to  the  new 
crowd,  and  in  their  veins  "blood  ran  warmer  than  wine." 

They,  too,  had  read  Rob  Roy,  and  learned — 
"The  good  old  rule,  the  simple  plan. 
That  he  shall  take  who  has  the  power. 
And  he  shall  keep,  who  can." 

Acting  on  this  humanitarian  impulse,  which  has  been  the  rule 
amongst  the  civilized  and  uncivilized  heathen  since  the  days  of 
one  Julius,  surnamed  Caesar,  the  new  blood  circulated  a  call 
around  town  for  a  business  men's  meeting  at  Garfield  Hall  on  that 
evening.  The  old  Board  of  Trade  held  off,  but  many  of  the  silent 
members  attended. 

(Up  to  this  date  the  Board  of  Trade  had  no  funds,  save  the 
dues,  which  were  small;  no  funds  were  in  the  treasury.  Collec- 
tions around  town  were  made  to  raise  money  for  any  committee 
work.) 

On  the  night  above  set  out,  at  least  five  hundred  men  met  at 
Garfield  Hall,  as  agreed  in  the  call,  and  a  more  enthusiastic  band 
never  before  or  since  had  business  in  hand.  George  W.  Clement 
(afterward  mayor)  was  made  chairman  and  Alexander  Steele  was 
secretary. 

Among  the  then  prominent  men  present  were:  George  M. 
Dickson,  Colonel  Bean,  "W.  K.  Carlisle,  Attorney  Paey,  Ed  Foster, 
Mr.  Hess,  George  Blackwelder,  George  L.  Rouse,  Mose  Hinman, 
R.  A.  Haste,  Sam  Howe,  George  Hasten,  W.  R.  Dulaney,  Elmer 
DeVore,  George  C.  Strong,  Talmage  (of  Todd  &  Talmage),  George 
G.  Mathews,  Arthur  Parks,  W.  P.  Green,  C.  E.  Ferguson,  W.  P. 
•  McNair,  C.  H.  Peckham,  Gardner  Work,  W.  M.  Bond,  Colonel 
Topler,  George  W.  Walker,  J.  S.  P.  Gordon,  Frank  Dale,  Jim 
Mercer,  J.  J.  Parks,  Judge  Museller,  Bruce  Keenan,  Wesley  Mor- 
ris, Aaron  Katz,  Lee  Hays,  Sam  Goldstein,  Robert  and  M.  Jacks, 
Murray  Myers,  Hank  Heiserman,  and  hundreds  more  I  cannot 
at  this  date  recall. 

On  that  night  George  Clement  "won  his  spurs,"  demonstrated 
his  power  to  talk,  and  his  right  to  be  ruler. 

Alexander  Steele  that  night  proved  he  could  think  and  act. 


202  HISTOKY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

' '  Things ' '  moved  along,  with  suggestions,  until  Pacy  arose  and 
said: 

"Time  was  money;  money  was  power;  power  was  what  we 
needed;  that  a  corporation  with  such  purposes  as  we  were  at- 
tempting needed  cash ;  that  an  empty  treasury  could  do  noth- 
ing— was  as  nothing.  He  therefore  moved  that  100  men  donate 
$10  apiece,  to  be  called  membership  fee ;  that  each  new  member 
donate  $100  apiece,  and  that  this  money  be  used  to  defray  the 
expenses  to  be  incurred  in  securing  industries  for  Wichita. ' ' 

Pacy  sat  down,  and  fifty  men  seconded  the  motion.  The  roll 
was  called,  and  Clements  announced  over  $5,000  donated  in 
twenty  minutes.  The  crowd  went  wild,  to  draw  it  mild.  Every- 
body smiled.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  draw  a  charter  for 
The  Wichita  Chamber  of  Commerce ;  a  committee  for  rules  and 
by-laws;  a  committee  for  soliciting  members.  All  committees  to 
report  next  night  at  same  place. 

Meeting  adjourned. 

The  old  Board  of  Trade  had  its  ears  to  the  ground.  It  had 
heard  the  rumbling  sound.  A  detail  was  sent  out  to  recall  the 
wandering  sheep  from  its  fold  and  learn  what  was  on  foot.  The 
aforesaid  sheep  were  called  together  by  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce bell.  Dire  destruction's  desolating  discrimination  had  cut 
the  old  "board"  in  twain.  The  silent  members  were  free  and 
were  glad  that  they  were  free.  They  exclaimed,  when  accosted  by 
the  detail  sent  after  them  by  the  old  board : 

"Let  the  galled  jade  wince ;  our  withers  are  unwrung. " 

The  imperious  temper  of  the  "old  board"  was  cheeked.  There 
was  naught  to  do  but  "stoop  to  conquer."  Delay  was  dangerous. 
The  new  charter  must  be  left  unwritten.  Concession,  compromise, 
capitulation  on  honorable  terms  were  all  that  was  left.  The  old 
board  saw  that  dissension  was  death ;  that  in  harmony  only  was 
success  to  Wichita.  The  board  met  in  the  room  where  C.  V. 
Ferguson's  law  office  was  later,  and  sent  a  committee  to  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  sent  a  com- 
mittee, composed  of  Clement,  Steele,  Dickson,  and  two  men  who 
were  members  of  the  old  board,  and  who  had  linked  themselves 
to  the  new.  After  deliberation,  it  was  agreed  that  the  board  be 
increased  to  twenty-three ;  that  the  old  board  have  thirteen ;  new 
men,  twelve ;  that  A.  W.  Oliver  be  president ;  George  L.  Rouse, 
vice-president ;  George  W.  Clement,  secretary ;  M.  W.  Levy, 
treasurer ;  that  the  subscription  made  be  turned  to  the  old  board ; 


CHEONICLES  203 

that  a  meeting  be  held  in  the  court  room  at  First  street ;  that  the 
new  directory  be  elected,  new  officers  chosen,  the  subscriptions  be 
paid.  With  some  modifications,  the  program  was  carried  out,  and 
as  the  meeting  adjourned,  some  one  (probably  from  Kentucky) 
sang  out: 

"United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall." 
Some  one  answered: 

"In  harmony  triumph,  in  unity  fall, 
Be  the  banner  sheltering  all." 

This  was  the  ' '  starter ' '  of  the  motto : 

Harmony, 

Unity, 
Strength, 


The  new  Board  of  Trade  soon  had  in  its  treasury  .$12,000.  The 
old  board  had  surrendered,  but  by  a  strategic  act  it  regained  all 
it  lost.  The  board  was  too  large  to  handle  anything.  The  per- 
sonnel of  the  directory,  for  brain,  labor,  power,  "result-getters," 
was  never  surpassed  by  any  town,  but  the  board  was  too  big  to 
act.  Therefore  an  executive  committee !  President,  vice-presi- 
dent, secretary-treasurer,  and  Colonel  Murdock.  The  old  board 
lost  the  "deal"  and  won  by  taking  "the  last  trick." 

The  personal  aggregate  wealth  of  this  board  ran  into  millions 
— millions  based  on  tangible  wealth.  And  yet  the  "slump,"  the 
subsequent  decline,  has  left  them  as  ruined  gamesters  of  rou- 
lette, faro  and  the  "Derby."  Of  that  glorious,  gallant,  generous 
band,  few  remain ;  many  are  dead.  Some  died  almost  as  paupers. 
The  monument  that  marks  their  resting  place  cost  more  money 
than  the  estate  they  left  was  worth  at  final  settlement.  Some  are 
almost  outcasts ;  some  are  working  by  the  day  to  earn  bread  for 
their  respective  families.  Many  of  these  men  subscribed  and  paid 
donated  subscriptions  that  today  would  make  their  family  above 
want,  if  not  in  comfortable  circumstances. 

And  yet,  even  at  this  short  day,  their  names,  deeds,  lives,  are 
almost  forgotten.  Verily,  verily,  you  stick  your  finger  in  a  glass 
of  water,  beer,  brandy  or  other  liquid,  and  when  you  pull  it  out 
no  trace  of  said  finger  remains ;   so  with  man. 


204  HISTOKY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

"The  evil  men  do  lives  after  them; 
Men's  evil  manners  live  in  brass, 
Their  virtues  we  write  in  water." 

Monuments  in  brick  and  stone,  in  railroads,  colleges  and  pack- 
ing houses  attest  their  liberality  and  labor ;  yet  all,  all  is  wiped 
out  by  the  remembrance  of  what  they  failed  to  do. 

' '  All  honor  to  him  who  wins  the  prize ! 

This  world  has  cried,  for  a  thousand  years ; 
To  him  who  tries,  who  fails  and  dies, 
There's  naught  but  pitiful  tears." 

In  our  little  world,  naught  is  left  but  curses  for  many  who 
have  fallen,  and  every  noble  act  is  effaced,  obliterated  by  the 
remembrance  of  a  debt  unpaid,  an  obligation  uncanceled ;  and  yet 
he  who  thinks,  realizes  that  but  for  this  army  of  workers,  who  in 
unselfishness  worked  for  all,  there  would  be  but  little  here,  and 
that  little  would  have  but  a  nominal  value. 

Those  who  are  here,  who  know  the  sacrifice,  who  beheld  them 
in  health,  ambition  and  pride,  cannot  but  feel  a  pang  that  they 
were  only  to  "behold  the  promised  land,  and  were  never  to  enter 
therein. ' '  To  name  these  men  now  will  wound  the  living — wound 
many  of  them,  yet  living,  afar  off. 

Some  day,  when  the  historians  write  of  Wichita,  they  will,  "in 
letters  of  gold,  on  leaves  of  silver,"  inscribe  the  names  of  our 
"heroes,"  and  the  generation  yet  to  follow  us  will  do  them  the 
honor  which  this  generation  withholds.  The  pioneer  since  the 
world  began  has  never  reaped  the  harvest ;  he  that  plants  a  tree 
seldom  eats  the  fruit  thereof.  The  pioneers  of  Wichita  are  no 
exception  to  the  rule.  Of  the  pioneer  of  the  West,  of  southwest 
Kansas,  it  may  be  said: 

There's  now  a  city,  a  thousand  homes, 
On  land  he  broke  for  his  first  sod-corn ; 

He,  a  stranger,  now  aimlessly  roams 

Where  his  wife  died  and  his  babes  were  born. 

The  fusion  of  the  new  blood  and  the  old  blood  was  a  guarantee 
of  success. 

George  Clement  afterward  became  president  of  the  board; 


CHRONICLES  205 

then  mayor  of  Wichita.  His  sun  went  down  in  a  cloud,  never  to 
rise  again.  He  was  a  man,  proud,  ambitious,  noble,  generous, 
undaunted,  and  his  friends  yet  believe  that  had  he  lived  and 
kept  his  health,  he  would  have  cut  his  name  in  the  Kansas  tree 
deep  enough  to  have  it  remain  until  our  archives  became  as  "dust 
of  ashes." 

Clement  was,  in  many  respects,  an  orator.  He  was  clear-cut, 
forcible  and  argumentative.  He  stumped  Kansas  for  Charles  Rob- 
inson for  governor,  and  made  friends  wherever  he  went.  His 
speecli  at  Galveston  was  the  one  speech  made  by  a  Kansas  man. 
The  Texans  who  attended  that  meeting  all  recall  Clement  of 
Wichita. 

The  writer  hereof  and  Clement  were  never  warm  friends.  I 
do  not,  in  his  praise,  disparage  others ;  recalling  the  Roman  say- 
ing, "Let  nothing  save  good  be  said  of  the  dead." 

I  do  but  call  to  mind  his  worth,  his  noble  attributes.  In  the 
hundreds  that  belonged  to  the  Board  of  Trade,  Clement  "dared 
to  lead  where  any  dared  to  follow."  His  friends  were  proud  of 
him  and  his  enemies  respected  him.  He  was  a  good  hater,  and  a 
warm  friend.  "And  the  elements  so  mixed  in  him,  that  nature 
might  stand  up  and  say  to  all  the  world,  'This  was  a  man.'  " 

The  amalgamated  forces  of  Wichita  were,  in  their  day  and 
generation,  invincible.    The  new  Board  of  Trade 

"Had  an  eye  as  keen, 
A  brain  as  clear. 
An  arm  as  strong, 
A  purse  as  long, ' ' 

as  any  rival  they  had  to  grapple  with. 

Association  with  these  men  was  a  liberal  education.  It  was 
a  school  where  matured  men  learned  the  power,  worth  and  genius 
.  of  each  other;  where  opinions  were  weighed  by  enemies  and 
deliberately  adopted  as  the  course  of  wisdom  and  business  sagac- 
ity.   The  majority  ruled  and  the  minority  submitted. 

This  paper  has  reached  its  length.  In  number  four  (when 
written),  the  Burton  Car  Works,  Dold  Packing  House,  Whittaker 
Packing  House,  Rock  Island  Railroad,  and  minor  things,  will  be 
treated;  and  then — "and  then  the  Deluge." 


206  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

CHRONICLE  V. 

' '  Examples,  not  precepts,  govern  the  world. ' ' 

On  July  4,  1887,  as  the  writer  was  going  to  town,  he  saw 
an  excited  crowd  in  front  of  Levy 's  bank ;  I  think  there  were  at 
least  fifty  men.  A.  W.  Oliver  was  talking,  and  i^  a  moment  it 
was  learned  that  J.  0.  Davidson  had  sent  a  telegram  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  secured  the  location  of  the  Burton  Stock  Car  Works, 
on  terms  that  he  was  sure  Wichita  would  accept.  The  John 
Bright  University,  located  somewhere  in  the  vast  terra  incognita 
lying  southwest  of  Wichita  some  miles,  was  for  the  time  being 
forgotten;  the  Baptist  College,  down  south  (since  dedicated  to 
humbler  uses  by  Henry  Schnitzler  by  hauling  part  of  same  away 
and  building  with  the  remainder),  was  overlooked;  the  Reformed 
Church  College  and  Fairmount  w.ere  laid  away  in  the  shade ;  Gar- 
field College  was  no  longer  a  theme;  the  talk  concerning  the 
location  for  the  government  building  was  suspended;  city  hall 
and  county  court  house  locations  no  longer  engrossed  attention; 
the  Gould  car  shop  in  the  "Y"  across  the  river  no  longer  inter- 
ested any  one.  These  things  were  sure  and  certain,  and  the  Bur- 
ton Stock  Car  Company  was  a  "bread  winner."  It  was  to  be 
the  initiative  of  the  dreamed-of  "tin  bucket  brigade"  that  would 
draw  others  similar  to  it.  Aye,  verily,  as  a  magnet  attracts  iron 
filings ;  as  Sunday  schools  do  boys  who  love  girls ;  as  Christmas 
doings  at  a  church  or  picnics  in  May  draw  the  one-gallused  "kids" 
from  swimming  holes  and  fishing  places  for  a  day. 

The  excitement  July  4,  1898,  was  loud,  noisy,  and  went  off  in 
explosion ;  the  feeling  July  4,  1887,  was  deep,  exultant  and  trium- 
phant. Of  course  no  one  knew  what  the  things  were  to  cost,  nor 
how  it  was  to  be  paid.  No  one  cared.  A  stranger,  coming  to 
Wichita,  as  he  met  each  individiaal  unit  that  made  up  Wichita, 
would  have  at  once  exclaimed : 

"There  is  either  liquor  in  his  pate  or  money  in  his  purse. 
When  he  looks  so  merrily. ' ' 

Up  to  this  hour  we  were  on  smooth  seas,  under  benign  skies, 
and  unconscious  that  the  rapids  were  but  a  little  way  below  us. 
We  had  never  known  defeat,  and  had  the  hot  blood  of  past  suc- 
cess in  our  veins.    We  could  well  exclaim : 

' '  This  is  the  period  of  our  ambition ; 
0  this  blessed  hour!" 


CHRONICLES  207 

The  cautious  individuals  who  hinted  that  this  "thing"  might 
cost  more  than  it  was  worth,  hunted  niches  in  the  walls  and  as 
mummies  sat  like  their  "grandsires  cut  in  alabaster."  To  have 
faith  in  things  hoped  for  was  a  part  of  our  creed,  and  he  that 
dallied  was  a  dastard,  and  he  that  doubted  we  already  damned 
by  an  almost  unanimous  vote,  and  if  the  "boomers"  could  have 
fixed  the  penalty,  like  a  Missouri  jury,  each  ominous  croaking 
raven  would  have  left  the  town  or  climbed  a  telegraph  pole. 

"VVe  admitted  no  doubts ;  had  no  patience  with  the  man  whose 
caution  bade  him  hold  his  purse-strings ;  and  urged  each  other  on, 
so  that  the  entire  seething  mass  of  humanity  resembled  a  mob, 
which,  moved  by  one  impulse,  rushed  to  the  hanging,  and  each 
unit,  when  alone,  was  afraid  of  his  own  shadow.  Collectively  we 
were — 

"All  too  confident  to  give  admittance  to  a  doubt." 

On  that  day  we  were  so  purse-proud  and  pecuniarily  plethoric 
that  if  the  secretary  of  the  United  States  treasury  had  requested 
a  guaranty  on  an  issue  of  government  bonds,  we  would  probably 
have  wired  him  as  follows : 

Wichita,  Kan.,  July  4,  1887. 
"Your  wire  received.    Don't  issue  bonds;   draw  on  us  for  the 
amount  required. — Wichita  Board  of  Trade." 

At  this  ambitious  day  we  felt  no  misgivings  as  to  the  future. 
We  all  felt  like  Al  Thomas,  who  dropped  a  $20  gold  piece  and 
hesitated  as  to  whether  or  not  to  stop  and  pick  it  up,  for  fear  he 
would  lose  $40  worth  of  time.  If  on  the  evening  of  that  day  an 
absolutely  true  and  correct  horoscope  of  Wichita  ten  years  hence 
could  have  been  shown  us,  the  drug  stores  would  have  run  short 
on  arsenic,  prussie  acid,  antimony,  strychnine,  hemlock,  hellebore, 
nightshade,  belladonna,  aconite,  laudanum  and  all  kindred  poi- 
sons. We  would  have  become  students  in  toxicology.  The  fumes 
from  hundreds  of  unlighted  gas  .jets  would  have  told  of  escaping 
gas;  the  town  would  have  been  a  charnel  house;  grave  diggers 
would  have  rivaled  plumbers  in  per  cent  per  hour;  undertakers 
would  have  astonished  the  coffin  manufacturers  of  the  United 
States  in  their  telegraphic  demands  for  coffins ;   we  would  in  ten 


208  HISTOEY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

days  have  drawn  the  line  on  metallic  caskets  and  "bulled'  the 
market  on  poplar  and  "yaller  pine." 

The  Creator  brings  us  to  bear  our  ills  by  gradual  stages  and 
by  easy  and  slow  descent. 

The  misery,  want,  woe  and  desolating  scenes  we  have  wit- 
nessed since  July  4,  1887,  can  never  be  told  to  a  stranger  without 
risk  of  being  informed  that  the  grand  lodge  of  the  Ananias  Club, 
with  a  Sapphira  (Eastern  Star,  Rebecca  or  Woman's  Relief 
Corps)  annex  to  the  same,  evidently  has  its  annual  meetings  in 
Wichita.  Who  can  believe  that  bankers  are  outcasts,  speculators 
tramps,  merchants  day  laborers,  lawyers  section  hands  and  society 
people  reduced  to  penury,  beggary  and  brought  face  to  face  with 
absolute  want ;  diamonds  pawned  for  food ;  and  watches  with 
monograms  on  "  'em"  sold  for  one-fifth  of  their  cost;  furniture 
mortgaged  to  friends  and  shipped  on  Sunday  to  avoid  attach- 
ments; thousands  of  deeds  and  mortgages  made  and  dated  back 
a  year,  to  save  something  as  salvage  from  the  greatest  financial 
and  local  storm  that  the  United  States  ever  beheld  since  old  Noah 
loaded  his  ark  and  steered  for  dry  land  on  the  highlands  of 
Armenia;  the  uplands  overlooking  the  second  bottom  of  the 
waters  that  surrounded  the  plateau  of  Araxes,  cycles  of  time 
before  Jim  Mead,  Dutch  Bill  and  the  original  Buffalo  William 
swapped  beads  for  buffalo  hides  at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul,  and  founded  the  town  of  Wichita.    . 

Note. — Some  may  say  I  should  not  get  down  to  ' '  brass  tacks ' ' 
on  these  reminiscences;  but  "Grover"  some  years  ago  (and 
"Grover"  is  one  of  my  tutelary  gods  and  patron  saints)  said, 
"Tell  the  truth,"  and  I  have  resigned  my  membership  in  the 
Ananias  "outfit,"  quit  shaking  plum  trees,  put  on  my  belt,  and 
stuck  my  George  Washington  hatchet  in  it,  and  dare  not  lie — 
"I'd  like  to,  but  I  dassent." 

To  return  to  the  cold  mutton,  the  Board  of  Trade  was  con- 
vened, the  Burton  Stock  Car  man  and  the  inebriate  he  had  with 
him  for  an  attorney  arrived.  After  several  meetings,  a  contract 
with  no  marrow  in  it  was  drawn  up.  The  same  was  read  over  in 
the  parlor  of  the  Manhattan  Hotel,  and  rejected;  another  was 
drawn  and  approved  by  the  inebriate  aforesaid.  Old  man  "Per- 
kins" read  it  over,  and  he  saw  that  he  needed  a  lawyer,  and  he 
got  one. 

The  next  morning  a  new  contract  was  submitted,  and  it  was 
a  "jug-handled  contract,"  had  two  handles,  and  both  of  them 


CHRONICLES  209 

ou  one  side — and  Perkins  had  hold  of  both  handles — and  it  was  a 
glazed  jug,  and  there  was  no  place  for  Wichita  to  get  a  hold  on 
at  all.  "Things  hung  fii-e."  We  knew  that  to  sign  this  up  was 
simply  wilful  and  deliberate  suicide.  Colonel  Lewis  was  the  only 
man  who  denounced  the  contract.  Some  of  the  others  wanted  to 
say  something,  but  all  were  mum,  until  Lewis  spoke.  We  could 
not  get  the  boys  to  take  $200,000  of  the  stock  of  the  company. 

We  wanted  "ear  works,"  but  we  wanted  'em  on  the  homeo- 
pathic plan.  This  dose  was  an  alopathic  dose,  by  an  old-fashioned 
regular,  who  was  brought  up  on  blue  mass  and  calomel,  and  who 
bled  patients  as  Dolds  bleed  hog.  Hence,  we  went  slow,  cautious, 
just  as  if  we  were  hunting  a  match,  after  attending  a  "Bobby 
Burns"  banquet,  and  wanted  to  get  to  bed  without  falling  over  a 
sewing  machine  or  cradle.  At  last  Oak  Davidson  said  if  the 
Board  of  Trade  would  make  him  a  giiaranty  of  $50,000  he  would 
subscribe  $200,000  stock. 

Oak's  nerve  secured  the  Burton  Car  Works. 

That  night  the  Board  of  Trade  sent  out  a  note  to  the  "tops" 
of  the  board,  just  as  a  "feeder"  selects  a  carload  of  best  steers 
to  send  to  market,  and  the  "tops"  aforesaid  met  in  the  room 
where  Ferguson's  oiBce  is.  At  9  o'clock  that  night,  the  guaranty 
was  duly  signed  and  delivered.  The  guarantors  wanted  to  "cover 
their  bet,"  and  it  was  agreed  that  nothing  should  be  said  about 
the  guaranty,  but  the  board  should  announce  that  instead  of  tak- 
ing $200,000  stock,  we  were  to  raise  in  cash,  by  subscription,  the 
sum  of  $50,000  instead  of  stock. 

The  board  issued  a  call  to  the  entire  membership  to  meet  at 
the  board  rooms  the  next  morning  at  9  o'clock.  At  the  hour 
named,  fifty  men  were  on  hand.  Some  were  almost  ill,  but  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  Ligarius,  who  said,  when  Brutus  sent  for  him : 
"I  am  not  sick  if  Brutus  have  in  hand  any  exploit  worthy  of  the 
name  of  honor." 

The  war  was  on ! 

The  campaign  was  planned. 

The  town  was  cut  into  twelve  parts.  The  country  adjacent  to 
town  was  cut  into  four  parts ;  sixteen  committees,  each  of  three 
men,  were  appointed,  and  their  district  was  given  them.  A  gen- 
eral committee  was  appointed  to  oversee  the  work  of  the  other 
committees.  A  special  committee  was  appointed  to  correspond 
with  nonresident  land-owners  and  absent  members  of  the  board. 
Each  committee  was  to  report  at  6  o'clock  in  the  evening,  deliver 


210  fflSTOKY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

the  subscriptions  taken,  and  receive  instructions  for  the  morrow. 
At  evening,  weary  men  and  jaded  horses  occupied  the  street  at 
Levy's  bank,  now  Boston  Store.  The  tirst  $40,000  was  raised 
without  great  labor.  The  last  $10,000  was  like  pulling  jaw  teeth. 
The  last  $3,000  was  harder  work  than  the  $47,000.  The  lists  were 
overhauled,  revised,  to  see  that  "no  guilty  man  escaped."  Then 
came  the  increasing  of  the  subscriptions  already  made.  At  last 
the  executive  committee  announced  that  the  committees  might 
disband. 

The  victory  was  ours ! 

As  to  whether  or  no  Kansas  City  at  any  time  wanted  the 
Burton  Car  Works,  no  one  ever  knew.  Whether  this  was  a  pure 
bluff  to  "rib  us  up,"  no  one  ever  learned. 

When  this  business  was  all  finished,  90  per  cent  of  the  board 
had  some  doubts  as  to  the  success  of  the  Burton  Car  Works,  but 
loyalty  forbade  any  comment  or  carping  criticism. 

The  members  had  faith  in  the  general  directors.  The  town 
had  faith  in  the  board. 

The  "Eagle"  proclaimed  our  victory;  yet  "things"  were  tak- 
ing on  a  darker  hue.  There  were  clouds  in  the  sky,  but  we  dared 
not  own  up  to  each  other  the  thoughts  that  we  "thunk."  Full 
well  we  knew  that  the  carrier  pigeons  of  spite  and  malice  were 
being  sent  out  daily  proclaiming  our  downfall.  The  old  proverb 
applied  to  us:  "For  a  bird  of  the  air  shall  carry  the  voice,  and 
that  which  hath  wings,  shall  tell  the  matter. ' ' 

It  was  no  profit  to  tell  our  people  that  "He  that  observeth  the 
winds  shall  not  sow;  and  he  that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not 
reap. ' ' 

We  had  finished  sowing,  and  knew  that  unless  we  reaped 
quickly  the  "stuff"  would  rust,  burn  and  mildew. 

Our  only  hope  was  in  the  patriotism  of  our  own  people.  The 
simon-pure  speculator  was  gone.  We  were  as  a  man  who  had  built 
a  house  and  no  cash  with  which  to  furnish  it.  We  had  all  the  ele- 
ments that  go  to  make  up  a  city  save  manufactories.  Something 
must  be  done,  and  in  the  language  of  ]\Irs.  Macbeth:  "If  it  were 
done  when  'tis  done,  then  'twere  well  it  were  done  quickly. ' ' 

The  Bin-ton  Car  Works  would  not,  directly,  consume  cattle, 
hogs  or  sheep,  corn,  wheat  or  oats.  These  things  were  germane  to 
our  soil,  and  we  reasoned  as  follows :  that  to  ship  out  all  this  in  a 
raw  state,  and  pay  two  or  three  profits  and  two  freight  bills,  to 


CHRONICLES  211 

get  a  part  of  the  same  back,  was  nonsense.    Hence  our  needs  were 
industries. 

Ten  thousand  "Eagles,"  on  double  wings,  announcing  our 
triumph,  bore  our  hopes  to  every  point  of  the  compass,  to  impede 
if  not  arrest  the  brewing  hurricane.     Coming  events  before  them 
shadows  cast.     And  the  stoutest  held  his  breath.     We  knew  we 
were  drooping,  paling,  falling,  fading,  sinking,  and  almost  ready- 
to  flounder.    As  small  boys  going  by  a  graveyard,  we  shouted  and 
whistled  to  "skeer"  away  the  ghosts.    Among  our  intimates,  we 
closed  the  doors,  stopped  the  keyholes,  peeped  in  the  closets  and 
spoke  in  loud  whispers  or  grave,  low,  funereal  tones.    Metaphor- 
ically, we  unto  each  other  said : 
Note  the  values  sinking  daily  wi'  th'  sun ! 
Unless  relief  be  furnished,  our  sands  of  life  shall  run. 
Faster  and  lower,  observe  the  values  go. 
As  the  crawling  river  melts  the  mountain  snow. 
Soon  the  storm  will  burst  in  fury  o'er  our  defenseless  head. 
And  the  Princess  of  the  Plains  will  be  numbered  'mongst  the  dead. 

The  Board  of  Trade  resolved  that  we  must  for  a  time  forget 
everything  save  cementing  the  foundation  on  which  the  town 
rested.    "We  resolved  we  must  have  solid  underpinning,  viz. : 

Packing  houses. 

Elevators. 

Glucose  and  starch  factories. 

Straw  board  factories. 

Canning  factories. 

All  in  the  order  above  named.  We  interviewed  Armour,  Swift, 
Nels  Morris,  Fowler,  and  from  each  of  them  received  the  informa- 
tion that  packing  west  of  the  Missouri  river  was  nonsense.  The 
elevator  et  al.  things  were  dropped.  We  were  fishing  for  whale 
,and  wanted  no  small  fish  (not  even  a  hundred-pound  mudcat). 
We  then  had  men  whose  private  business  was  not  only  neglected 
but  ruined  in  trying  to  ward  off  the  blows  that  fell  on  Wichita; 
men  who  forgot  their  own  affairs  to  hold  up  the  town.  There 
were  men  who  lived  at  the  Board  of  Trade  rooms ;  who  could  be 
found  there  daily,  and  among  these  men  were  N.  A.  English, 
George  H.  Blackwelder,  George  L.  Rouse,  Pat  Healy,  N.  F.  Nieder- 
lander,  A.  W.  Oliver.  Others  worked,  spent  time,  money,  answered 
every  call  by  the  board,  but  attended  to  their  own  business.    These 


212  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

six  men  were  invoiced  at  a  million  dollars.  They  and  their  fel- 
lows at  many  millions,  and  if  the  establishment  of  packing  houses, 
the  founding  of  schools,  and  the  securement  of  the  C,  R.  I.  & 
P.  R.  R.  and  other  things  can  be  estimated  in  money,  these  men 
were  worth  to  \Yichita  all  these  things  by  their  dollars;  but  bj' 
their  example  not  only  at  that  time,  but  for  all  time. 
.  On  that  date  there  were  many  Elijahs — the  Elishas  who  shall 
catch  and  wear  their  fallen  mantles  are  yet  incog.  Of  the  men  who 
labored  for  AVichita,  there  are  many  whose  names  deserve  to  be 
printed  in  capitals,  whenever  used.  Yet  it  would  be  unjust  to 
these  loyal  and  unselfish  men  not  to  state  that  there  were  men  at 
that  date  whose  names  in  long  primer  would  be  a  decoration,  and 
whose  real  size  is  small  pica  or  great  primer. 

Wichita,  at  that  date,  or  shortly  after,  resembled  a  callow 
youth,  brought  up  on  small  beers,  who  had  reached  the  brandy 
and  champagne  stage,  suddenly  brought  to  face  with  native  wine, 
diluted  with  water ;  being  unable  to  sacrifiee  his  passion  for  liquor, 
he  at  least  wanted  the  aroma. 

We  died  hard,  and  among  the  bolder  souls  was  the  determina- 
tion to  "bet  the  last  dollar,"  and  "let  the  tail  go  with  the  hide." 
Like  the  thrifty  housewife,  with  a  lean  larder,  we  put  on  a  bold 
fi-ontage  and  kept  up  appearances. 

The  paving  of  streets,  building  a  court  house  and  a  city  build- 
ing has  its  prototype  in  the  family  who  eats  thin  soup  to  keep  a 
carriage. 

Governor  Stanley  and  others  thought  that  $25,000  invested  in 
small  concerns  would  grow  to  large  ones ;  but  this  was  unheeded 
in  the  harpooning  of  the  Dold  and  Wliittaker  whales,  and  when 
we  landed  the  whales  we  were,  as  a  Board  of  Trade,  hopelessly 
insolvent,  and  a  large  majority  of  the  membership  of  the  Board 
of  Trade  were  beggars. 

Note. — Ottumwa,  la.,  with  half  of  Wichita's  population,  fur- 
nishes Kansas,  Oklahoma  et  al.  states  Silver  Gloss  starch;  six 
towns  in  Kansas  whose  population  is  less  than  Wichita 's  sell  Wich- 
ita canned  goods.  Ask  your  grocer  about  this.  Herein  is  a  pointer 
for  the  coming  Elishas,  Lishas  and  Liges  on  whose  shoulders  rest 
the  future  growth  of  AVichita. 

While  Dold  was  here,  one  hundred  men,  who  subscribed  liber- 
ally, attended  a  meeting,  at  which  Dold  was  the  "star  actor,"  and 
not  one  of  them  were  offered  an  introduction.  This  incident  and 
others  similar,  first  cousin,  half  brother,  or  at  least  blood  kin  to  it, 


CHRONICLES  213 

caused  that  feeliug  that  hastened  the  general  disrespect  for  a 
body  of  men  who,  though  loyal  to  the  core  to  Wichita,  permitted 
their  "Paleruian  wines"  and  ciuail  on  toast  to  puti'  them  up  so  that 
the  smaller  men,  the  lesser  units,  the  dray  horses  who  pulled  the 
load  from  the  ditch,  at  last  exclaimed:  "Upon  what  meat  doth 
this  our  Cffisar  feed,  that  he  is  grown  so  great  ? ' ' 

In  criticizing  these  men,  I  criticize  my  friends.  That  they  had 
faults  is  admitted,  but  their  faults  were  but  spots  on  the  sun,  and 
in  striking  a  balance  there  is  much  to  their  ci-edit.  These  leaders 
are  gone,  fallen,  and  their  places  as  organizers  have  not  been 
filled. 

' '  And  yet,  despite  the  snub — the  wrong — 

The  dray  horses  ne'er  failed  to  carry  on 
The  work  so  hard  they  had  begun. 

But  pulled  the  weary  load  along." 

Few  men  forget  snubs,  and  it  took  talk,  earnest  solicitations, 
frequent  allusions  to  "harmony,  unity,  strength,  success,"  to  hold 
the  crowd  and  make  it  see  that  prudence  dictated  that  we  get 
Dold's  packing  house  first  and  wipe  out  the  insults  subsequently. 
The  ' '  snub ' '  was  obvious. 

Mr.  Dold  asked  $150,000.  It  was  annihilation  to  delay  the 
thing.  We  debated,  and,  like  Dona  Julia,  "vowing  we'd  ne'er 
consent,  consented."  Once  again  we  rang  the  bells,  called  out  the 
town  to  the  old  court  room  on  First  street,  and  when  the  hour 
came  we  "sold  standing  room."  There  was  not  a  candidate  for 
office  that  dared  absent  himself  from  this  boiling  mass  of  human- 
ity. Many  wanted  to  be  away,  but,  like  ' '  Gene ' '  Field 's  poem, ' '  If 
I  dared  to,  but  I  darsent,"  they  came.  The  boys  knew  that  it 
would  not  do  to  have  a  "fall-down."  This  "play"  had  to  have 
more  than  a  ' '  one-night  stand  " ;  it  was  a  ' '  season-ticket ' '  affair ; 
and  if  it  was  damned  the  "first  night"  by  "bad  acting,"  our  name 
would  be  "Dennis,"  "Pants,"  and  we  would  be  "Nit."  We  did 
not  intend  to  embark  in  the  "Nit"  business;  hence  there  was 
music  in  the  air,  eloquence  on  the  platform,  elackers  in  the  gal- 
lery, family  circle  and  pit.  Nothing  that  would  stimulate  man  or 
produce  enthusiasm  was  omitted.  Naught  that  would  rouse  man 
or  open  pocket-books  was  neglected. 

Sluss  was  there  to  deliver  an  extemporaneous  address,  on 
which  he  had  spent  some  hours  or  days  in  preparation.  He  was 
the  field  artillery,  the  heavy  ordnance,  to  be  followed  by  the 


214  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

small  arms,  viz.:  the  Minie,  Enfields,  Springfields,  the  Sni- 
ders,  the  Martini-IIeni-y  and  ehassepots,  carbines,  blunderbusses, 
smooth-bores,  small-bores  and  old  muzzle-loaders,  as  well  as  the 
air-guns.  The  program  was  Sluss,  and  then  the  ten  two-thousand- 
dollar  subscriptions;  then  more  shot  and  shell,  followed  by  the 
twenty  pledged  one-thousand-dollar  men;  more  shot  and  shell, 
and  then  an  invitation  to  the  mourners'  bench."  It  was  intended 
to  raise  $50,000  at  this  meeting  and  adjourn  without  any  sub- 
scriptions less  than  $1,000.  Sluss,  as  per  prior  arrangement,  was 
called  out  by  men  who  knew  not  the  program.  Sluss  was  at  his 
best.  He  started  as  a  broad  and  placid  river,  running  through 
green  fields,  skirted  by  rich  pastures  and  fringed  by  foliage  and 
ended  as  a  cataract;  a  winding  mountain  stream,  seeking  an 
egress,  almost  lost  to  view,  suddenly  emerging  and  dashing  over 
a  precipice,  astonishing  and  bewildering  all  beholders.  At  one 
moment,  his  vision  comprehended  our  future  hopes;  at  another, 
he  beheld  us  prostrate  and  ruined  by  failure;  triumphant  and 
grave.  He  played  on  every  string  in  his  harp ;  pictured  compe- 
tence, wealth  and  glory  to  the  present,  and  "riches  beyond  the 
dreams  of  avarice"  to  succeeding  generations,  on  the  one  hand; 
dissolution,  beggary  and  woe,  tombstones,  neglected  graves  and 
the  potter's  field,  on  the  other.  As  a  prepared  speech  it  was  a 
masterpiece;  as  an  extemporaneous  effort,  his  sentences  were 
burning  words,  jewels  from  the  alphabet  which  on  Time's  fore- 
finger will  sparkle  while  memory  lasts.  His  exordium,  in  which 
he  painted  our  future  conditions,  if  we  failed  in  this  game,  and 
last  the  Dold  packing  house  seemed,  stretched  by  oratorical 
license,  beyond  the  possibilities  of  failure.  And  yet  his  prophecy 
as  to  what  would  come  to  pass,  if  we  failed,  lacked  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  nineteen  and  one-eighth  per  cent  of  equaling 
our  insolvent  condition  after  we  seeiu-ed  two  packing  houses. 

Note. — In  the  hind-sight  of  the  past,  I  feel  at  liberty  to  state 
that  Sluss  "sold  as  short"  on  the  future  condition,  compared  to 
the  real  thing,  as  the  Fourth  of  July  firecracker  rivals  a  modern 
Krupp. 

That  Dold  meeting  was  a  success.  The  Creator  only  knows 
what  our  condition  would  have  been  if  we  had  failed.  ]\Iany  say 
worse,  some  say  better,  but  90  per  cent  of  those  who  say  worse 
held  their  purse-strings  and  made  the  load  heavier  to  the  men 
who  leaped  the  ditches  and  stormed  the  breastworks.  No  man 
who   was   not   on   committee   knoAvs   the   pulling,    hauling,    cajo- 


CHKONICLES  215 

ling,  threats,  promises,  and  general  all-round  abuse  received  and 
bestowed  in  that  Dold  campaigns.  Only  the  committees  know  how 
long  and  hard  the  "pull"  was. 

Of  the  $150,000  subscribed,  $25,000  was  worthless  before  called 
for.  We  knew  not  our  condition.  Men  who  gave  $2,000  left 
Wichita  as  paupers  before  the  house  was  built ;  men  were  called 
upon  to  raise  their  donations,  to  advance  their  payments  before 
due.  The  board  anticipated  the  future  and  borrowed  money,  and 
the  members  had  to  indorse  the  notes.  Hess,  Corbett,  Oliver,  J.  M. 
Allen  et  al.  became  surety  for  Wichita,  and  paid  out  thousands 
where  they  had  no  interest  other  than  Wichita  citizenship. 

Some  men,  who  now  exist  here,  beat,  on  technical  grounds, 
their  subscriptions,  let  others  carry  their  "load,"  and  yet  pray 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  four  blocks.  Aye,  verily,  verily,  their 
voices  are  heard  above  the  cyclone  when  it  cometh. 

Memory  brings  these  men  to  mind. 

When  in  its  paths  I  travel ; 
In  beloved  Wichita  I  find 

Some  men  are  as  mean  as  the  d 1. 

The  Dold  house  was  secured,  and,  like  Alexander,  we  meditated 
and  hunted  for  more  "hog,"  and  at  St.  Louis  we  found  him.  And 
as  the  days  go  by,  I  will  tell  o'  that  campaign  and  the  heroic 
struggle  to  "win  out." 

January  8,  1899. 

CHRONICLE  VI. 

"Men  there  have  been  in  our  time,  as  in  all  time,  shorn  of 
personal  magnetism,  who  possessed  the  genius  of  putting  their 
fellows  in  motion  to  do  a  work,  which  their  minds  comprehended, 
.but  which  they  were  unable  to  perform." 

In  straying  around,  I  ran  afoul  of  the  above  idea  in  an  old 
book. 

The  sentiment  fits  the  "Wichita"  of  1887.  It  expresses  the 
difference  'twixt  the  inventor  and  mechanic;  the  architect  and 
builder ;  the  man  who  plans  and  the  one  who  executes.  Wichita 
had  architects  in  the  superstructure  "Wichita"  who  were  so 
"grained"  that  they  could  not  dig,  or  lay  brick,  carry  mortar, 
or  ' '  groin  the  aisles, ' '  yet  their  vision  beheld  the  completed  work, 


216  HISTOKY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

even  as  the  painter  or  sculptor  sees  the  finished  art  ere  a  touch  of 
the  brush  or  a  stroke  of  the  chisel.  These  Wichita  architects  were 
followed  by  builders,  vmable  to  plan  anything,  but  who  were  gifted 
with  the  power  of  convincing  men  who  had  money  that  "the  half 
was  greater  than  the  whole" ;  that  there  was  "a  giving  that  made 
man  rich,  a  withholding  that  made  men  poor."  The  best  donation 
beggar  in  Wichita  was  George  H.  Blackwelder.  Al  Thomas  was  a 
graduate,  but  George  had  a  "knack"  of  convincing  men  that  they 
themselves  were  good  beggars,  but  before  they  started  out  to  beg 
their  own  subscription  was  needed.  He  obtained  a  donation  and 
new  recruit.  George's  theory  was  that  no  man  ought  to  ask 
another  to  subscribe  until  he  had  made  his  own  subscription.  In 
other  words,  he  said,  "Come  along,"  not  "Go  along." 

Suggestive  of  begging  which  may  come  to  pass  after  the  com- 
ing "Elishas"  take  up  the  work,  "Wichita." 

An  illustration  of  ' '  Come  along  or  go  along "  as  a  policy  may 
be  in  place : 

A  captain  in  the  rebellion  used  to  tell  how,  in  1861,  he  was 
making  a  speech,  urging  everybody  to  go  to  war.  He  had,  then, 
no  idea  of  being  the  subject  of  "Johnnies'  target  practice."  As 
he  closed  his  speech,  an  old  lady  in  the  audience  arose  and  said : 

' '  Bill,  you  've  told  the  other  boys  what  to  do ;  now  what  are 
you  going  to  do?" 

The  future  captain  said:  "Realizing  that  the  meeting  was 
depending  on  me  for  success,  I  said,  'I  am  going  to  war.'  " 

The  Wichita  secret  was  "come  along,"  not  go  along. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1888  the  city  of  Hutchinson  got  hold  of 
Lord  &  Thomas,  of  Chicago,  and  through  them  were  endeavoring 
to  get  some  industries.  Our  boys  got  wind  of  the  "thing,"  and 
sent  for  Lord  &  Thomas,  and  though  no  one  ever  at  any  time 
owned  up  to  the  truth,  our  "Board  of  Trade,"  as  a  body,  were 
guilty  of  the  vice,  if  not  crime,  of  trying  to  steal  the  Hutchinson 
industries.  No  one  had  courage  enough  to  denounce  the  scheme. 
We  sent  a  committee  of  ten  to  Chicago,  made  a  contract,  put  up 
$10,000,  and,  so  far  as  the  town  was  concerned,  lost  the  money, 
as  well  as  our  own  self-respect.  No  good  ever  came  out  of  the 
matter,  and  the  deep  damnation  of  our  conduct  will  remain  to 
disturb  our  dreams  to  the  end  of  our  time. 

The  Whittaker  Packing  Company  was  now  ' '  on  string. ' '  The 
committee  of  ten,  representing  the  picked  men  of  the  board,  were 
then  in  Chicago.    All  knew  that  Dold  had  "set  the  hair"  on  the 


CHRONICLES  217 

price ;  that  Wliittaker  would  not  permit  himself  to  accept  less ; 
but  we,  at  that  date,  did  not  know  that  Whittaker  was  on  the 
"ragged  edge";  that  he  needed  our  money  to  carry  over  the 
approaching  "Whittaker  falls,"  which  were  only  a  little  way  off. 
Whittaker  was  a  "plunger"  in  his  own  right.  Our  gift  simply 
went  to  pay  a  part  of  his  debts  (part  of  which  were  "wheat-deal" 
losses,  as  we  were  subsequently  informed). 

Whittaker  posed  as  the  head  of  a  house  which  was  started 
in  1848;  sold  ham  for  the  officers  and  "sow-belly"  for  the  sol- 
diers diu-ing  the  war;  hence  he  was  the  real  "thing,"  and  we 
were  led  to  believe  that  he  was  of  greater  value  than  Dold.  There- 
fore in  getting  him  at  the  same  price  was  just  like  buying  "Gen- 
eral Arthurs"  and  "Tom  Moores"  at  a  nickel  apiece.  Of  course, 
a  closer  investigation  of  Whittaker  would  have  resulted  in  throw- 
ing him  overboard.  But  we  are  better  off  now  than  if  we  had 
"investigated,"  for  the  reason:  packing  houses,  like  car  shops 
and  railroads,  when  built,  eventually  get  under  the  wing  of  some 
one  able  to  run  them,  at  a  figure  that  gives  a  profit.  True,  they 
for  a  spell  may  be  dormant,  but  dormancy  is  not  annihilation. 
Every  dollar  put  in  these  things  will  prove  to  be  worth  it  to 
those  who  "hang  on."  Every  dollar  put  in  these  things  by 
"boomers"  would  have  gone  in  some  other  "rathole."  That 
Cudahy  is  better  than  Whittaker,  no  one  has  any  doubt. 

Providence,  destiny,  nature,  fate,  chance,  or  what  you  may 
name  it,  so  arranged  "things"  that  the  impending  ruin  over- 
hanging us  was  not  to  be  avoided.  So  preordained  were  results 
that  the  then  present  crowd  of  "boomers"  should  be  thrashed 
to  straw ;  ground  'twixt  the  upper  and  nether  milestones ;  beaten 
flat  as  hammered  gold,  and  torn  by  rude  winds  and  creditors  to 
a  ragged  and  frazzled  fringe,  beyond  recognition  and  identity. 

The  writer  of  this  is  of  the  opinion  that  as  the  "boomer" 
talked  of  great  benefit  to  succeeding  generations  by  his  labor 
and  money,  he  may  be  gratified  by  the  good  to  come  out  of  the 
Burton  Car,  Presbyterian  outlook,  as  well  as  a  philosophical  view 
of  looking  at  things ;  hence  we  adopt  this  view. 

To  retvu"n  to  the  sheep :  Some  work  had  been  done  looking  to 
the  donation  to  Whittaker.  The  outlook  was  not  encouraging. 
There  was  no  cash  in  sight.  Notes  in  bank  represented  at  least 
$50,000  of  the  sums  subscribed  to  the  Burton  Car  Works  and 
Dold.  The  banks  had  pro-rated  loans  (to  their  customers)  to 
raise  this  $50,000.     These  loans  were,  in  a  great  part,  renewed. 


218  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Hence  cash  to  any  new  scheme  was  not  to  be  considered.  Yet 
no  one  thought  we  could  not,  in  some  undefined,  unknown  way, 
raise  the  subsidy. 

One  rainy  afternoon,  when  the  whole  earth  looked  dismal  and 
gloomy,  and  the  writer  was  at  home  with  quinzy,  George  C. 
Strong  and  George  L.  Douglas  came  after  him  in  a  hack  to  attend 
a  meeting  and  discuss  the  situation.  At  this  meeting  Scott  Cor- 
bett  was  sent  for;  then  Colonel  Lewis.  At  5  o'clock  a  meeting 
was  held  in  Judge  Sluss'  office,  and  some  rude  drafts  of  dona- 
tions, in  three  or  four  forms,  were  submitted  to  Sluss  and  recast 
by  him. 

These  memoranda  were  reduced  to  four  sets  or  forms : 

First — Subscriptions  outright  to  the  general  subsidy  fund,  to 
be  used  to  procure  any  needed  industry. 

Second — Deeds,  with  and  without  any  conditions. 
Third — Mortgages,  with  and  without  conditions. 
Fourth — Conditional  location  subscriptions. 

All  this  was  rushed  to  a  printing  office,  to  be  ready  next 
evening. 

The  amount  of  money  to  be  raised  for  the  general  fund  to  be 
used  by  trustees  "for  an.y  needed  industry"  was  at  least  $300,- 
000.  We  said  to  ourselves :  Cash,  50  cents ;  land,  $1 ;  take  your 
choice. 

At  that  date  we  did  not — could  not — realize  that  lands  and 
lots  appraised  by  fair  men  at  near  a  half  million  dollars  would 
eventually  be  a  drug  at  twenty-five  cents  on  the  dollar.  We  now 
know  that  if  we  had  not  caught  a  "sucker"  we  could  not  have 
sold  the  stuff  at  twelve  and  one-half  cent  on  the  dollar. 

"Allah  be  praised  for  such  suckers!" 

In  fact,  a  great  deal  of  this  so-called  property  would  have 
caused  a  law  suit  some  years  later  if  a  grantor,  by  stealth,  had 
caused  some  of  it  to  be  put  in  a  deed  unbeknownst  to  the  grantee. 
But  at  that  date  it  had  a  value,  based  on  the  "tail  end  of  the 
boom." 

We  in  our  minds  figured  that  a  half  million  dollars  of  prop- 
erty sold  at  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar  would  leave  at  least  $200,000, 
after  allowing  for  shrinkage  in  handling,  exchange,  transporta- 
tion, counting,  abrasion  and  short  weight.  This  $200,000  would 
buy  Whittaker  and  get  some  small  industries.    The  small-industry 


CHRONICLES  219 

crank  was  always  making  profert  of  himself  and  urging  the  board 
to  put  out  $50,000  to  assist  "infant  industries,"  but  the  board 
was  as  deaf  as  an  adder  to  these  cranks.  Having  embarked  on 
the  sea  to  catch  packing-house  whales,  we  did  not  intend  to  be 
diverted  from  our  "catch." 

In  this  campaign  we  forgot  the  Board  of  Trade  and  enlisted 
every  man  (and  some  women)  in  "Wichita.  This  general  subsidy 
was  a  citizens'  subsidy,  and  was  not  put  on  foot  as  a  Board  of 
Trade  scheme.  The  board  subsequently  managed,  controlled, 
mortgaged  and  pledged  the  same,  but  this  was  no  part  of  the 
original  scheme.  The  scheme,  when  born,  had  as  many  god- 
fathers as  a  Mormon  kid  has  stepmothers,  but  so  far  as  the  writer 
knows,  George  Strong  and  George  Douglas  were  wet-nurses  at 
accouchement ;  Sluss  was  the  boss  Aesculapius,  with  L.  D.  Skin- 
ner, Scott  Corbett  and  Colonel  Lewis  and  others  as  "bottle  hold- 
ers" and  "spongers." 

Unlike  the  Dold  campaign,  this  drama  was  a  Chinese  play, 
and  ran  all  day  as  well  as  at  night. 

Some  men  were  becoming  hollow-eyed,  sleepless,  restive.  The 
question  was,  Shall  we  stop  or  bet  a  half  million  assets  on  the 
general  result?  The  majority  said,  bet.  The  next  move  was  to 
rouse  everybody  and  turn  the  town  into  a  Methodist  revival  at 
the  Board  of  Trade  rooms. 

"Enthusiasm  imparts  itself  magnetically  and  fuses  all  within 
its  zone  into  one  happy  and  harmonious  unity  of  feeling  and  senti- 
ment." The  above  sentiment  is  good  as  far  as  it  reaches.  In 
Wichita,  after  the  boom  burst,  bankruptcy ;  and  all  our  boomers 
had  only  a  cake  of  soap  with  which  to  wash  themselves  to  the 
shore  of  the  financial  flood,  the  above  definition  of  enthusiasm 
was  as  much  out  of  place  as  knickerbockers  on  a  fifteen-year-old 
kid.  Though  no  philological  society  formally  revamped  the  defi- 
nition, we  gradually  adopted  the  idea  that  the  true  meaning  of 
.  enthusiasm  was  about  as  follows,  viz. : 

Enthusiasm  is  the  temporary  idiocy  of  a  man  who,  on  ordinary 
occasions,  has  common  horse  sense. 

After  we  located  Dold,  Wichita  suspended  all  rules  relating 
to  business  principles,  and  took  a  day  off  that  lasted  a  spell. 
And  in  that  day  we  conducted  business  as  sober  men  generally 
conduct  themselves  at  a  "Bobby  Burns  banquet"  or  New  Year 
calls.  We  were  rich,  and  we  did  not  attempt  to  conceal  it.  A 
man  who  was  not  connected  with  corporations  or  town-lot  addi- 


220  fflSTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

tions  was  a  miserable  manikin.  He  was  a  "feather-top,"  bereft 
of  friends,  and  was  shunned  by  all,  even  as  much  as  an  American 
citizen  from  Honolulu  would  be  who  should  appear  on  Douglas 
avenue  with  jaundice.  He  might  make  oath  he  was  not  a  leper, 
but  we'd  know  from  his  looks  that  he  was  a  leper,  walking  around 
to  save  funeral  expenses. 

The  "Eagle,"  next  day  after  the  meeting  at  Sluss'  office,  had 
some  calls  to  "Wichita  to  go  to  the  Board  of  Trade  rooms.  At  9 
o'clock  there  were  at  least  500  men,  everybody  talking  at  once. 
A  meeting  at  night  was  arranged.    Governor  Stanley  said : 

"We  want  a  band,  music,  songs,  etc.,  so  everybody  will  feel 
good ;  have  some  music ;  then  speech,  more  music ;  more  speech ; 
then  music;  then  donations;  then  music,  etc." 

The  speakers  were  Lewis,  Stanley,  H.  Windslow  Albert  and 
some  exhorters.  The  result  of  this  meeting  was  a  fall-down  as 
to  assets.  The  next  day  the  crowd  was  on  hand  and  better  in 
the  matter  of  attendance.  The  next  day  was  spent  in  making  out 
names  and  assessing  men  as  to  what  they  should  do.  This  plan  of 
assessment  was  not  very  popular.  That  night  was  to  be  the 
grand  effort.  It  was  to  be  "Wichita  day  at  the  fair."  A  detail 
was  sent  after  Dr.  John  D.  Hewitt,  the  pastor  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church. 

Hewitt  was  an  all-around  man.  As  a  young  man  fresh  from 
college,  he  was  launched  in  life  at  Helena,  Mont.,  as  a  pioneer 
preacher.  He  saw,  in  Montana,  man  in  all  his  phases  as  God 
turned  man  out  of  the  machine  as  a  product ;  he  realized  that 
"environment"  had  much  to  do  with  a  man's  impulses.  He 
learned  that  men  who  possess  vices  had  honesty,  benevolence  and 
charity ;  that  men  who  had  no  observable  vices  might  be  dis- 
honest, selfish  and  bereft  of  charity;  that  men  who  belonged  to 
his  flock  might — 

"Compound  for  sins  they  were  inclined  to 
By  damning  those  they  had  no  mind  to ! " 

Hewitt  was  of  that  genus  ecclesiastic  that  in  an  earlier  civiliza- 
tion would  have  been  a  Rowland  Hill,  a  Peter  Cartwright,  or  a 
Lorenzo  Dow.  He  was  practical  to  intensity  and  was  identified 
with  Wichita  from  the  date  he  came  until  he  went  away  with 
many  things  not  ecclesiastic,  philanthropic  or  eleemosynary ;  many 
things  that  tended  to  inoculate  simon-pure  worldly  money  (root 


CHEONICLES  221 

of  evil)  getting  lessons.  Hewitt  was  a  ' ' stayer, "  a  " fighter. ' '  He 
knew  a  king  from  a  jack;  he  could  put  "gaffs"  on  a  chicken;  he 
knew  a  thoroughbred  ' '  hoss  " ;  he  knew  the  mainspring  that  gov- 
erned men  in  ordinary  life.  He  not  only  had  a  strong  hold  on  the 
sheep  and  goats  of  his  flock,  but  he  commanded  the  respect  of 
"Wichita,  as  a  man,  by  reason  of  his  strong,  forceful,  energetic 
methods.  His  enthusiastic  nature  was  Methodistic,  from  early 
training.  He  was  a  strong  Presbyterian  with  a  strain  of  Meth- 
odist alloy.  He  was  the  church  militant.  He  might  have  been 
one  of  Hudibras '  preachers,  of  whom  he  said : 

For  his  religion  it  was  fit 
To  match  his  learning  and  his  wit ; 
'Twas  Presbyterian,  true  blue ; 
He  was  of  that  ecclesiastic  crew 

Whom  all  men  grant 

To  be  the  church  militant. 

Who  build  faith  upon 

The  text  of  pike  and  gun. 
And  prove  their  doctrine  orthodox 
By  apostolic  blows  and  knocks. 

Therefore,  in  enlisting  Hewitt,  we  were  getting  a  hold  on  his 
flock,  securing  an  earnest  speaker,  who  believed  what  he  said;  a 
good  practical  reasoner,  who  saw  in  the  growth  of  Wichita  the 
upbuilding  of  many  churches.  Hewitt  was  once  criticized  for 
accepting  money  from  a  saloon-keeper.  He  replied  that  he  would 
always  accept  the  devil's  money  to  fight  him  with. 

Day  after  day,  night  after  night,  we  pounded,  begged,  argued, 
promised,  threatened,  persuaded.  My  recollection  is.  Governor 
Stanley  made  many  speeches.  He  and  others  spoke  until  their 
voice  was  gone  and  their  argument ' '  thinner ' '  than  ' '  hot  Scotch ' ' 
at  3  a.  m.,  after  a  Burns  banquet. 

The  subsidy  raised  was  to  be  conveyed  to  five  trustees.  These 
men  had  to  have  the  confidence  of  the  people.  One  drizzling  night 
a  boy  came  to  the  writer's  home  with  a  note  to  get  Colonel  Mur- 
dock  and  N.  F.  Niederlander  and  go  to  the  board  rooms.  In  those 
days,  to  be  notified  was  to  go.  We  arrived  at  the  rooms.  There 
were  perhaps  200  men  present.  It  had  been  decided  to  select  the 
five  trustees  to  hold  the  so-called  "half  million"  of  assets.  As 
usual,  there  were  factions — the  old  crowd,  the  new  crowd  and 


222  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

the  men  who  had  no  ax  to  grind.  After  calling  tlie  crowd  to  order 
and  stating  the  object  of  the  meeting,  the  chairman  seated  him- 
self, and  tM^euty  men  were  on  the  floor  at  once,  shouting  "Mr. 
Chairman!" 

Things  looked  mixed.  By  accident,  George  Matthews  was  rec- 
ognized, and  he  nominated  Sluss  as  one  of  the  trustees.  This  was 
seconded.  Then  there  was  a  roar.  One  man,  who  was  hounded 
into  giving  anything,  kicked  on  Sluss  like  a  "Texas  steer." 
Demands  were  made  for  adjournment;  voted  down;  jnotion  for 
electing  by  ballot;  voted  down;  motion  to  elect  by  voting  a 
ticket  with  five  names ;  voted  down.  Some  one  moved  to  vote  on 
each  name  proposed  and  seconded,  until  we  had  five  selected; 
carried. 

"Then  many  were  called,  but  few  chosen." 

Scott  Corbett  was  named  and  elected;  a  half  dozen  names 
proposed  and  rejected;  Albert  A.  Hyde  named  and  elected;  Rob- 
ert E.  Lawrence  named  and  elected;  then  a  brigade  named  and 
voted  down;  then  John  M.  (J.  M.  "Johnnie")  Allen  was  named 
and  elected;  and  we  adjourned. 

Note. — Four  of  the  trustees  selected  were  Presbyterians ;  Sluss 
was  a  Methodist.  The  meeting  was  a  general,  promiscuous  crowd. 
Two-thirds  of  the  crowd  believed  in  Christianity,  but  did  not 
believe  in  any  particular  scheme  of  final  redemption  after  fore- 
closure, but  by  accident  picked  out  five  churchmen  to  handle  the 
cash. 

George  Matthews  evidently  in  his  young  days  went  to  see 
a  Methodist  girl  and  attended  revivals.  One  night  George  got 
the  floor  and  moved  that  every  man  who  was  a  subscriber  to 
the  fund  go  to  the  west  side  of  the  room  and  all  non-subscribers 
go  to  the  east  side.  The  subscribers  fllled  the  west  wall  as 
"statoos,"  and  soon  the  other  crowd  began  to  hunt  holes.  Little 
Pierce  locked  the  east  door  and  south  door,  so  that  "the  way 
out"  was  through  the  west  door,  and  the  crowd  of  subscribers. 
The  scheme  was  a  regialar  evangelistic  trick,  but  it  worked  in 
business  just  as  it  works  in  religion.  Some  weak  men  sur- 
rendered; some  able-bodied  ones  got  mad  and  "cussed."  As 
a  scheme  it  was  a  success ;  as  a  policy  is  was  damnable. 

One  night  a  boomer  who  owned  twenty  acres  of  land,  that 

cost  him  $1,000  and  which  was  platted  as addition, 

into  as  many  lots  as  it  would  make,  got  up  on  the  floor  and  made 
a  speech  as  to  our  general,  particular  and  specific  duty  in  the 


CHRONICLES  223 

premises;  spoke  of  his  purchase;  his  addition;  its  value  at  $200 
per  lot,  running  into  many  thousands,  and  everybody  supposed 
he  vsras  going  to  donate  at  least  half  of  the  addition ;  but  he  didn't ; 
he  gave  two  lots.  The  groan  was  such  that  he  left  the  hall,  and 
never  made  a  deed. 

As  I  remember.  Oak  Davidson's  donation,  it  was  three  times  as 
large  as  any  other  donation. 

The  donations  being  all  made,  the  gathering  in  of  the  assets  took 
as  much  labor  as  the  bookkeeping  of  a  receiver  of  a  busted  bank. 
At  least  ten  per  cent  was  so  tangled  as  to  be  worthless.  A  large 
per  cent  was  mortgaged.  When  appraised,  the  second  time,  for 
the  Peel  syndicate,  the  assets  dwindled  half.  The  amount  of  stuff 
that  went  into  the  Peel  syndicate  left  but  little  available  assets. 
Not  enough  was  left  to  secure  the  indorsers  on  the  notes  in  bank, 
to  pay  the  borrowed  money  of  the  board. 

The  men  who  skinned  the  Board  of  Trade  on  the  sale  of  land, 
for  locations,  themselves  got  skinned  at  the  final  "round-up." 

The  Peel  syndicate  was  "peeled."  One  Greenwood  in  St. 
Louis  and  one  A.  K.  Florida,  who  had  connections  in  "Hengland" 
formed  the  Peel  syndicate  and  floated  the  concern.  They  paid 
Wichita  $150,000  and  it  is  said  received  twice  that  sum  for  doing 
it.    Florida  killed  himself. 

Old  Abe  Hewitt,  the  Democratic  mayor,  who  would  not  let  any 
flag  but  "old  glory"  float  on  the  New  York  city  hall,  was  a  heavy 
subscriber  to  the  Peel  fund,  and  now  has  a  lot  of  lots  for  sale,  at 
low  prices.  See  "King-George"  for  list,  at  corner  of  Douglas  and 
Lawrence  avenue,  second  floor  front. 

Note:  George  is  to  give  me  a  "rake-off"  for  this  notice. 
Anyone  buying  after  this  date  please  notify  me  at  111 
South  Main  street,  room  1,  second  floor. — George  is  Geo. 
Spencer. 

GENERAL  INSOLVENCY. 

A  great  many  men  claim  their  subscription  to  these  industries 
"broke"  them.  This  may  be  true  in  some  instances,  but  in  three, 
personally  known  to  me,  it  is  untrue,  as  follows : 

No.  1.  There  is  a  duodecimo  biped  here  who  tells  that  the 
Dold  and  Whittaker  "business"  broke  him.  He  paid  Dold  by 
material  at  25  per  cent  profit,  i.  e.,  he  paid  $500  in  $400  worth  of 
"stuff."    He  beat  his  subscription  to  Whittaker  on  a  technicality. 


224  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

No.  2.  Another  animaleulae-souled  stands  frequently  at  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Douglass  and  "cusses"  the  Board  of  Trade 
generally,  and  Dold  and  Whittaker  specially,  for  shortcomings  on 
their  contracts.    He  never  paid  a  nickel  on  either  contract. 

No.  3.  There  is  a  bald-headed  cadaver  who  uses  profanity  as 
semi-colons  and  periods  in  his  ordinary  conversation  for  greater 
emphasis.  He  cannot  express  himself  on  the  ''Eagle,"  Dold 
packing  house,  Whittaker  plant.  Burton  car  works,  Garfield  col- 
lege and  other  ' '  things ' '  without  having  a  spasm ;  almost  an  epi- 
leptic fit;  linguistic  jim-jams.  When  he  goes  to  "eussin"  he  gets 
choked  up.  His  eyes  roll  like  a  "cullered  pusson"  drunk  on 
"  'lection"  day.  He  heaves  like  "hoss"  with  heaves;  has  blind 
staggers ;  froths  like  an  insane  canine ;  grunts  like  a  hog  with 
cholera ;  squirts  his  poison  like  a  tree-toad.  This  ' ' critter"  robbed 
a  dead  man;  "boomed"  on  land  way  out  of  town,  and  so  far  as 
known  made  no  donation. 

When  the  board  was  raising  money  for  Burton  car  works  he 
refused  to  give  a  cent.  One  day  nine  men  agreed  to  work  on  him 
in  three  squads.  Squad  one  was  to  go  at  10  a.  m.  and  stay  till 
noon;  squad  two,  from  2  to  4;  squad  three,  from  4  to  6.  Squad 
one  was  W.  P.  Carey,  A.  L.  Houck  and  the  writer;  squad  two 
had  Al  Thomas,  as  for  chairman;  squad  three  was  headed  by 
Corbett.  The  three  squads  spent  the  day  with  this  man.  He  swore 
six  (6)  hours  without  a  break.  The  next  day  he  was  informed 
that  the  scheme  was  a  put  up  job  by  Al  Thomas  to  let  him  have 
a  continuous  "swear,"  and  that  no  one  supposed  he  would  give 
a  cent.  He  was  so  mad  he  swallowed  a  "cigar  stub,"  as  reported 
by  Al  Thomas  to  the  board. 

These  incidents  are  given  to  show  how  men  lie  as  to  what 
caused  their  general  insolvent  condition. 

Wichita's  boom  was,  in  fact,  "busted"  prior  to  securing  either 
Burton,  Dold  or  Whittaker,  but  we  didn't  know  it.  We  hadn't 
heard  it. 

This  was  the  condition  of  Wichita.  Months  and  years  rolled 
away  after  the  boom  busted  before  we  heard  of  it. 

'Twas  the  sheriflf's  rude  voice, 

With  a  writ  in  his  hand. 

That  roused  the  "boomer"   frae  his  slumber. 

'Twas  the  stopping  of  renewals  on  notes;  the  demand  for 
currency,  legal  tender,   circulating  medium,   specie,   coin,   hard 


CHRONICLES  225 

cash,  pence,  shillings,  pounds,  rhino,  blunt  dust,  mopus,  tin  salt, 
chink,  "yaller  daddies,"  that  caused  us  to  study  numismatics  in 
all  its  varied  forms  and  phases. 

'Twas  the  voice  of  the  court:  "That  the  plaintiff:  have  and 
recover  of  and  from  said  defendant  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars," etc.,  that  forced  upon  us  the  fact  that  the  full-blown  blad- 
der of  our  pride  was  losing  air;  that  our  El  Dorado  was  "nit;" 
Pactolus,  gone,  Golconda  vanished.  We  were  no  longer  Nabob, 
Midas,  Croesus,  Gould,  Astorbilt  or  Vanderfellow.  We  rode  no 
longer.  We  walked,  and  were  simply  plain  people.  As  Lon  Hod- 
ings  says:     " Gildersleeve  was  Gildersleeve  once  more." 


WICHITA  EGOTISM. 

Our  egotism  prompts  us  to  claim  all  our  successes  as  the  re- 
sult of  our  great,  throbbing,  purring  brain,  working  like  a  Corliss 
engine ;  but  our  pride  charges  all  ill  success  to  the  machinations  of 
some  unknown  astrological  devil.  We  don't  consult  soothsayers, 
as  in  the  days  ' '  when  Caesar  in  the  senate  fell,  and  the  sun,  in  re- 
sentment of  his  slaughter,  looked  pale  and  hid  his  face  a  year 
after,"  but  we  still  ha'  some  lingering  superstitions  in  us  and 
trace  our  misfortunes  to  some  cause  as  idiotic  as  the  augury  of  the 
sun-dried  entrails  of  a  white  chicken,  hatched  by  a  "yaller"  hen, 
on  the  anniversary  of  Caesar's  birth.  This,  and  all  this,  we  do, 
rather  than  "fess"  our  vaulting  ambition  o'er  leaped  itself  "and 
left  us  in  the  ditch." 

THE  OKLAHOMA  BOOM. 

One  day  Senator  Plumb  wrote  a  letter  to  Wichita  that  the 
Oklahoma  opening  band  wagon  was  enroute,  and  that  notwith- 
standing the  personal  feelings  of  Wichita  and  the  Southwest,  as 
to  the  effect  on  Kansas  by  this  Indian  Territory  being  thrown 
open  to  settlement,  the  only  thing  to  do  was  to  get  into  the  band 
wagon  and  all  take  a  ride.  We  "got"  immediately.  We  had  a 
meeting  at  once.  We  had  Crocker  and  others  here  at  once,  and 
called  a  meeting  at  the  Crawford  Grand  that  was  a  "James 
Dandie." 

Weaver,  once  a  candidate  for  president,  was  here. 
Charles  Mansur,  congressman  from  Missouri,  w^s  here. 


226  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  CDUNTY 

Old  (Illinois)  Bill  Springer,  afterward  judge  in  the  territory, 
was  here.  We  played  our  hand  for  every  cent  that  was  in  it. 
We  were  the  home  of  David  L.  Payne,  the  original  "Oklahoma 
Boomer,"  beginning  in  1874.  Bill  Couch  was  one  of  our  "things." 
Bill  was  the  "Elislia"  who  caught  Dave  Payne's  falling  mantle 
ere  it  struck  the  dust  in  Sumner  county.  Wichita,  by  right  of 
ownership,  was  the  place  to  have  the  monster  Oklahoma  meeting. 
This  meeting  was  a  grand-stand  play,  and  played  to  standing 
room  only.  Congress  was  absolutely  paralyzed  by  our  demon- 
stration, and  passed  the  bill  as  soon  as  it  could  after  our  meeting. 

This  proved  to  us  that  Oklahoma  as  a  buyer  of  goods,  wares 
and  merchandise,  was  to  be  our  commercial  solution.  It  has  so 
proved.  It  is  the  customer  that  will  never  fail  us.  We  will  be 
its  Kansas  City.    It  will  be  to  us  in  trade,  "Kansas  expansion." 

When  Oklahoma  has  two  million  people  Wichita  will  be  forced 
to  add  millions  of  capital  to  do  business.  The  peopling  of  Okla- 
homa, is  Wichita's  greatest  source  of  prosperity. 

Long  live  Oklahoma! 

RECAPITULATION. 

So  much  for  the  past ;  the  happy  past ;  the  red,  red  past,  when 
it  was  a  mile  and  a  half  through  sunflowers  from  the  "avenue" 
to  the  Eagle's  home;  when  on  "  'lection"  day  the  First  ward  ran 
to  the  Red  river;  when,  at  night,  o'er  the  drowsy  town  was  heard 
the  old  familiar  sound:  76,  42,  98,  21,  39,  64,  57,  22,  Keno! 

Adieu  to  the  past,  the  diabolical  and  fiendish  past;  the  pro- 
tested past;  the  past  of  foreclosures,  fraudulent  deeds  and  mort- 
gages, writs  of  assistance,  proceedings  in  aid  of  execution,  notices 
to  quit  and  the  multiform  actions  of  relentless  creditors  to  rob 
debtors. 

Welcome !  thrice  welcome  !  the  past  of  1885  to  1888,  when  glad- 
ness shone  in  every  face,  hope  beamed  from  every  eye  and  the 
happiness  and  buoyancy  crowded,  packed  and  jammed  into  thirty- 
six  square  miles  on  the  Big  and  Little  Arkansas,  never  has 
been  equalled. 

Let  natural  Wichita  pick  up  the  burden  that  broke  the  back 
of  the  youthful  Wichita,  and  under  the  pennant 

In  harmony,  triumph;  in  unity,  fall, 
Be  the  banner  sheltering  all. 

achieve  victory. 


CHRONICLES 


RETROSPECTION  AND  PROGNOSTICATION. 

(Hindsight  and  Foresight.) 

"Wichita,  commercially,  in  1887,  was  a  nude  hope,  based  on  a 
sight-draft  drawn  on  A.  D.  1899.  The  draft  wa.s  protested,  but 
we  did  not  get  notice  of  the  "protest,"  and  still  worked  "puts 
and  calls,"  "blinds"  and  "straddles,"  "margined,"  "bullied" 
and  sold  ' '  short. ' '    We  knew  we  were  all  right. 

But  one  summer  day. 

We  were  "short"  on  cash. 

The  devil  was  to  pay 
And  we  went  to  smash. 

The  above  beautiful  sentiment  is  "cribbed"  from  Homer, 
Virgil,  Chaucer,  Dryden,  Horace,  Ovid,  Terence,  Ben  Johnson  or 
Sam  Butler,  I  forget  which,  but  I  know  that  some  ancient  pen 
propeller  dipped  his  quill  into  a  solution  of  nut  galls  and  logwood 
and  "writ  them  air"  four  lines. 

A.  D.  1910. 

The  Wichita  of  1910  is  a  grown  man,  a  strong,  healthy,  able- 
bodied  man,  subject  to  a  draft  in  a  case  of  war.  An  entity  of 
flesh,  blood  and  iron,  who  in  any  commercial  joust  or  tourney 
can  sit  firm  in  his  saddle,  give  the  horse  his  head,  poise  his  bull- 
hide  buckler  and  withstand  the  shock  of  any  knight  that  dates 
to  fight  in  open  field  under  the  rules  of  Charles  th'  Great,  Mai-tel 
and  Ethelbert;  the  regulations  of  Donnybrook,  the  progressive 
and  higher  civilization  of  Rugby  football,  or,  the  rules  of  the 
Marquis  of  Queensberry,  as  amended  by  Congressman  John  Mor- 
Tissy  of  New  York  and  used  by  Pitzsimmons,  Jeffries  and  Jolmson. 

The  year  1874  was  grasshopper  milestone:  1886  was  a  boom 
milestone;  1889  was  the  milestone  of  depression,  insolvency  and 
bankruptcy.    But  the  year  1910  is  the  renaissance  of  commerce. 

"The  Kansas"  palengenegis. 

'Tis  a  promise,  a  hope  based  on  the  enterprises  that  have  grown 
up  since  the  boom  waned,  sickened  and  died. 

Without  departing  from  our  plan,  glance  for  a  moment  at — • 

Burton  Car  Works,  to  be  operated. 


228  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Dold,  a  success  from  beginning. 

Whittaker,  to  be  operated  soon. 

Fairmount,  a  success. 

Garfield  (now  Friends'  University). 

Lewis  Academy,  a  success. 

Rock  Island  railroad. 

Midland  railroad— Frisco,  operator. 

City  building  and  County  Court  House.    Forum. 

Miles  of  paving. 

United  States  Court  House. 

Two  thousand  feet  of  brick  frontage  and  ten-story  buildings. 

Hundreds  of  fine  homes. 

The  finest  city  park  in  Kansas. 

Water  woi-ks  unequaled. 

Wholesale  trade  in  many  lines,  all  prosperous. 

Four  hundred  commercial  travelers. 

Half  million  people  in  Oklahoma,  with  Wichita  as  nearest  com- 
mercial capital. 

Twenty  to  thirty  prosperous  manufacturing  concerns. 

At  least  $4,000,000  of  new  assets  that  are  safe,  permanent  and 
secure  more  than  we  had  in  IS^T,  when  we  said  we  were  a  city. 

Now,  consider  the  water  squeezed  out  of  all  values,  and  present 
values  as  the  base  to  build  on.  Is  it  egotistic  for  Wichita  to  feel 
that 

"Every  prospect  pleases  and  only  man  (some  other  man)  is 
vile?" 

The  rainbow  in  our  sky  is  bright.  Every  color  is  visible  save 
blue.  In  1889  to  1898  blue  was  the  predominant  hue.  In  truth 
we  may  say  that 

A  rosy  red  o'ercasts  our  sky; 

Many  happy  faces  illuming; 
A  hope  there  is  in  every  eye. 

As  just  before  the  "booming." 

Mankind  is  up  and  down.  We've  been  down;  we  are  rising. 
In  all  things  we  have  the  dark  and  the  light,  good  and  bad,  the 
beautiful  and  the  ugly,  the  sweet  and  sour,  the  false  and  true. 
In  other  phrase,  existence  is 

Hope  and  despair;  pleasure  and  pain. 
Darkness  and  light ;  sunshine  and  rain. 


CHRONICLES  229 

Thro'  the  web  of  life  are  the  shining  threads  and  sombre 
ones. 

Let  us  remember  the  past  with  its  sorrowful  lesson,  yet  give 
credit  to  the  things  of  value;  forget  the  bitterness.  He  without 
hope  may  well  exclaim : 

"They  have  tied  me  to  a  stake; 

I  cannot  iiy, 

But  bear-like,  I  must  fight  my  course." 

As  Whittier  says : 

"Alas  for  him  who  never  sees 
The  stars  shine  through  the  trees." 

"Without  hope,  faith  is  a  corpse.  Hope  spreads  its  golden  wings 
and  lures  us  mortals  on  thro'  burn  and  briar,  fen  and  forest; 
through  wind  and  storm,  hail  and  rain.  We  forget  all  save  the 
promise  in  the  future.  Hope  is  our  anchor  in  business,  as  faith 
is  the  anchor  of  the  Christian.  Destroy  hope  and  annihilate  faith 
and  we  are  but  as  wolves  preying  on  each  other. 

Let  every  business  man  in  Wichita  proclaim  that  never  before 
did  the  sun  shine  as  bright,  luring  men  to  chase  the  butterfly. 

Let  the  pessimist  howl,  and  then  outhowl  him. 

Let  the  "New  Wichita"  and  the  robust  fragments  of  the  "Old 
Wichita"  with  united  brain  and  arm  pull  altogether.  Bach  period 
of  time  produces  its  own  leaders,  in  war  and  peace,  literature, 
progressive  civilization  and  commerce.  The  new  men  of  Wichita, 
from  necessity,  must  lift  up  and  carry  the  load.  The  old  bottles 
won't  hold  the  new  wine. 

Let  new  Wichita  under  the  banner :  Harmony,  Unity, 
Strength,  Success,  march  to  success  and  make  Wichita  in  fact, 
what  it  was  to  our  fancy  in  1887,  ere  we,  by  industries  and  solid 
buildings,  buttressed  its  foundations  to  ward  off  and  break  the 
storm  that  shook  Wichita  as  an  earthquake,  and  when  the  sky 
was  cleared  beheld  our  ruined  fortunes,  and  yet  realized  the 
wisdom  "that  builded  wiser  than  it  knew."  And  at  this  date 
realize  that  our  present  worth  and  real  valuable  acquisitions  are 
the  things  that  we  secured  and  builded  when  our  property  ceased 
to  have  a  market  value. 

This  closes  the  scheme  of  these  chronicles.  Though  written  for 
amusement,  they  may  contain  a  lesson.    Adieu. 

May,  1910. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

REVIEW  OF  CITY 

By 
KOS  HARRIS. 

"Gather  rose-buds  while  vre  may; 
Old  time  is  still  flying; 
The  fairest  rose-hud  of  today, 
Tomorrow  may  he  dying." 

To  the  Editor  of  the  "Eagle:" 

When  Wichita  is  moss  grown,  when  it  reaches  the  second  or 
third  generation  of  the  "lean  and  slippered  pantaloon;"  when 
some  local  chronicler  prowls  around  to  substantiate  some  myth; 
verify  some  legend,  or  preserve  some  fading  fact,  then  interesting 
to  our  grandchildren  even  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation; 
when  the  preservative  feature  in  town  history  overtakes  us,  then 
Wichita  will  eventually  regret  that  nothing  was  done  to  call  back 
the  receding  past.  In  an  humble  way,  in  by-gone  days,  the  writer 
has  written  some  pieces,  publi.shed  in  the  ' '  Eagle, "  "  Mirror ' '  and 
"Beacon,"  which  may  contain  a  few  grains  of  wheat,  amongst 
its  chaff,  to  put  in  a  bound  volume  by  some  historical  society. 
Wichita,  so  far,  as  a  town,  has  taken  no  step  to  preserve  any  fact 
in  its  history.  This  paper  is  not  broadcasted  for  pelf,  nor  the 
laudation  of  self,  but  simply  to  remind  the  people  of  Wichita  and 
call  their  attention  to  the  duty  of  the  present  to  adopt  some 
method  to  embalm  the  past,  for  the  amusement  and  instruction 
of  the  future,  when  the  present  Wichita  is  counted  and  numbered 
in  the  census  to  be  taken  from  year  to  year  from  the  ghostly  stones 
in  the  silent  city  on  the  eastern  hill,  that  overlooks  the  city,  which 
stones  admonish  the  passengers  on  the  Frisco  train  daily,  that  in 
the  midst  of  life  we  are  liable  soon  to  be  dead;  dead  as  Adam, 
Rameses  or  a  desiccated  political  hack.  Simply  to  write  a  dry  fact 
and  file  it  away  for  the  use  of  the  historical  artist  to  come  after 
us,  who  will  adorn  it  and  preserve  it,  is  neither  labor  nor  waste  of 
230 


EBVIBW  OF  CITY  231 

time ;  to  write  the  future  in  detail,  so  as  to  be  worthy  of  adoption 
by  the  future  chronicler  as  a  fact  to  be  credited  to  the  real  author, 
will  please  your  grandchildren,  when  ye  are  dust  of  ashes. 

Many  things  have  impelled  me  to  write  this  piece,  but  the 
"motor"  that  caused  me  to  work  at  the  present  moment  was  a 
letter  written  from  Iowa,  asking  me  to  give  my  recollection  as 
to  the  location  of  an  old  wooden  building  in  the  town  in  which  I 
was  born,  in  which  my  father  had  an  office  in  July,  1861.  It 
struck  me  that  an  appeal  to  the  recollection  of  a  nine  years '-old- 
boy,  proved  that  facts  are  fleeting,  even  amongst  the  denizens  of  a 
town  in  the  whirl-i-gig  of  time.  Wichita  on  some  former  occasions 
has  adopted  suggestions  by  the  writer  and  his  associates  and  in 
connection  with  this  piece  and  its  legends.  I  believe  the  sug- 
gestions made  herein  are  worthy  of  attention.  One  infirmity  of 
the  human  mind  that  has  come  under  my  notice,  is  the  old  resi- 
dential liar,  who  recalls  facts  that  no  contemporary  ever  heard 
of ;  another  is  the  fact  that  some  men  remember  absolutely  noth- 
ing; and  lastly,  is  the  fact  that  some  men  remember  vaguely, 
but  conversation  enables  them  to  recollect  facts.  I  received  a  let- 
ter last  week  from  an  old  friend  in  an  adjoining  county,  who  an- 
swered a  letter  to  me  as  to  what  took  place  in  a  land  sale  in  A.  D. 
1875,  where  Frazier's  drug  store  now  is  situated,  and  the  answer 
of  my  correspondent,  a  succinct  statement  covering  one  page  of 
typewritten  matter,  is  as  clear  cut  as  a  stamp  on  "  a  dollar  of  our 
daddies"  just  stuck  from  the  United  States  mint.  This  and  all 
this  has  moved  me  to  call  a  meeting  of  myself  and  appoint  a  com- 
mittee to  take  hold  of  this  matter  and  organize  "The  Wichita 
Historical  Society,"  of  which  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  Wichita 
shall  and  his  successors  until  time  shall  be  no  more,  shall  be  the 
chairman;  the  city  council  to  furnish  the  store-house  for  all  the 
wares  that  are  brought  to  the  store-house,  which  are  worthy  of 
preservation,  until  that  future  day  arrives  when  the  city  shall 
•  chronicle  the  past  and  monument  it  for  the  delight,  amusement 
and  pastime  of  the  future  people  of  Wichita  forever.  This  society 
once  formed,  will  endure  and  when  Wichita,  as  Chicago,  com- 
memorates its  hundredth  year,  our  hours  of  saving  facts  will  be 
appreciated.  The  society  can  meet  annually  and  elect  its  trustees 
and  it  recommended  that  for  the  first  trustees,  the  following 
named  persons  be  chosen:  Chairman.  Mayor  B.  F.  McLean; 
Secretary,  M.  M.  Murdock;  Custodian,  John  Davidson;  Trustees, 
Doctor  Fabrique,  Ben  Aldrich,  M.  W.  Levy,  Robert  B.  Lawrence, 


232  fflSTORT  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

William  C.  Little,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Aley,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Black,  Mrs.  H.  J. 
Hillis,  Mrs.  N.  A.  English. 

These  trustees  to  be  elected  annually,  five  men  and  four  women, 
or  if  you  want  to  be  esthetic,  five  gentlemen  and  four  ladies,  or,  if 
rough,  five  males  and  four  females,  as  follows :  Three,  one  year ; 
three,  two  years ;  three,  three  years.  However,  this  is  a  matter  of 
detail  and  to  be  governed  by  the  wishes  of  the  trustees.  It  might 
be  a  nice  thing  to  elect  three  of  these  trustees  for  life,  as  in  some 
New  England  towns.  It  would  be  a  tribute  to  three  pioneers,  and 
pleasing  to  them  as  to  the  days  of  "sans  teeth,  san  eyes  and  sans 
taste, ' '  approach  and  they  shall  live  in  the  autumn  haze  of 
recollections,  indulging  in  the  pleasant  memories  of  the  days  that 
are  dead.  Every  city  administration  should  be  a  mile  post  to  re- 
member as  the  days  go  speeding  by,  recall  the  past,  the  rallying 
cry  of  former  days  and  deeds  of  former  years. 

Wichita  was  organized  under  three  trustees,  C.  A.  Stafford, 
who  lived  on  the  land  where  Abe  Wright  and  Al  Bitting  now 
live;  Ike  Elder,  who  lives  in  Harvey  county;  6.  H.  Smith,  also 
called  Little  Smith,  who  owned  the  land  from  Eleventh  street  to 
St.  Paul's  church  on  Lawrence  avenue,  who  was  at  one  time 
John  Steele's  partner  and  who  went  into  partnership  with  Uncle 
Jake  Pittinger  and  then  stole  all  the  assets  and  ran  away  and  from 
that  hour  even  unto  the  present  day,  he  hath  not  been  seen  or 
heard  of  by  any  man  that  dwells  in  Wichita. 

The  first  mayor  was  Dr.  E.  B.  Allen,  and  the  first  council  was 
S.  E.  Johnson,  Charles  Schattner,  George  Schlichter,  W.  B.  Hutch- 
inson, Dr.  Fabrique  and  George  Van  Tilburg.  Harry  Van  Trees 
was  police  judge  and  Bill  Smith  the  first  city  marshal.  Of  these 
men  columns  can  be  written,  which  will  redound  to  the  credit  of 
some  and  to  the  dishonor  of  others,  in  their  conduct  as  men,  citi- 
zens and  officials.  This  administration  may  well  be  called  the 
beginning  of  civilization  in  the  Arkansas  valley  and  through  this 
administration  was  builded  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  from  Newton 
to  Wichita.    This  was  the  pioneer  civilization  administration. 

The  first  three  ordinances  passed  by  this  council  were  amplify- 
ing, reaching  out,  "pioneer  spreaders"  and  annexed  to  the  city 
of  Wichita,  all  that  part  of  the  present  city  lying  on  the  south 
side  of  Douglas  avenue,  from  Water  street  to  the  Santa  Fe  depot 
and  also  from  Lawrence  avenue  to  the  Santa  Fe  depot  on  the  north 
side  and  also  from  the  corner  of  Murdock  avenue  and  Lawrence 
avenue  to  Ninth  street  on  the  east  side  of  Lawrence  avenue,  b 


EEVIEW  OF  CITY  233 

strip  of  ground  150  feet  wide  and  1,200  feet  long.  This  was  done 
eight  days  after  the  council  met  and  was  for  revenue  purposes 
only,  taxable  purposes  and  is  recommended  to  the  present  admin- 
istration for  the  benefit  of  those  people  who  have  sneaked  their 
stuff  outside  the  city  limits  to  avoid  taxes  and  yet  at  the  same 
time  have  all  the  benefits  and  comforts  of  a  city  of  30,000  people. 

Jim  Hope's  Administration  will  live  as  the  "cattle  trade" 
administration.  The  character  of  Jim  Hope  and  his  attributes 
demand  a  strong  artist  for  their  delineation  and  for  the  present, 
any  attempt  will  be  omitted. 

Geo.  Harris'  Administration.  George  Harris'  administration 
(present  city  treasurer)  was  the  first  great  wheat  year  after  the 
"grasshopper"  and  it  was  the  year  that  old  Eagle  Hall  was 
adorned,  decorated  and  festooned  with  the  fruitage  of  the  "happy 
valley,"  as  named  by  Commodore  Woodman.  The  people  at  that 
time  brought  forth  the  first  fruit,  even  as  Cain  did  his  sacrifice,  to 
be  offered  up  for  the  glorification  of  the  Arkansas  valley.  At  this 
gathering  200  editors  from  New  York  and  Missouri  called  upon 
Wichita  and  100  of  them  got  full,  fuller  than  geese  and  five  "of 
'em"  got  left  and  missed  the  train.  "Wichita,  from  that  visit,  got 
about  three  hundred  columns  of  free  write-up  and  in  that  pri- 
mordial stage  of  evolution  from  savage  ways  to  modern  civili- 
zation; in  that  primeval  way,  Wichita  established  its  reputation 
for  hospitality  and  self-abnegation  by  the  surrender  of  the  keys  of 
the  gates  of  the  town  to  the  visiting  stranger.  This  freedom  to 
all  who  visit  us  is  known  wherever  the  commercial  traveler  makes 
his  way,  wherever  the  newspaper  circulates  and  wherever  people 
whose  blood  runs  warm  as  wine,  congregate,  smoke,  talk  and 
swap  yarns.  Some  years  ago  a  Boston  man  said  to  me,  "Once  I 
traveled  out  of  Boston  and  stopped  at  many  places  and  for  some 
months  I  was  completely  a  foreigner.  One  Sunday  morning  I 
reached  Wichita  and  stayed  there  three  days.  The  day  I  left 
■Wichita  was  a  regret.  Some  twenty  years  have  rolled  away  since 
that  trip  and  all  that  I  now  recall  is  that  once  out  west  I  spent 
three  days  in  Wichita  and  had  the  'time  of  my  life.'  I  cannot 
recall,  at  this  time  to  mind,  the  name  of  a  solitary  indi^ddual  I 
met,  but  if  lease  of  life  should  be  granted  to  me  for  more  than 
969  years,  I  shall  always  remember  the  three  days  I  spent  in 
Wichita,  in  the  year  A.  D.  1876,  in  the  '  early  month  of  May,  when 
green  buds  were  a-swellin'." 


234  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Greiffenstein's  Administration.  During  Greifif enstein 's  time 
from  1878  to  1885,  were  glorious,  great  and  triumphant  years. 
The  Frisco  railroad  and  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad  were  built; 
the  Santa  Fe  went  west  to  Kingman  and  south  to  Wellington ;  the 
Gas  Company 's  franchise  was  granted ;  the  water  works  franchise 
and  the  opera  house,  old  Turner  Hall  at  the  corner  of  First  and 
Market  streets  was  builded  by  a  syndicate  and  bonds  were  is- 
sued on  five  years'  time  at  five  per  cent  interest  and  stood  to  the 
patriotic  citizens  of  Wichita  to  enable  the  Germans  to  build  the 
old  Turner  Hall.  These  years  were  busy  years,  full  of  joy  and 
profit  and  a  modicum  of  tears.  During  the  year  A.  D.  1879,  1,000 
town  lots  were  sold  at  a  judicial  tax  sale  for  the  average  of 
$10.00,  and  at  the  present  date  there  are  $100,000  worth  of  real 
estate  in  Wichita  held  under  that  judicial  tax  sale.  Pat  Healy 
bought  the  lot  where  Gehring's  drug  store  now  stands  for 
$100.00;  a  lawyer  got  the  corner  of  Main  and  William  streets 
for  $100.00.  A  portion  of  Governor  Stanley's  home  on  Topeka 
avenue  was  in  this  same  sale.  Oak  Davidson's  old  home  at  the 
corner  of  Murdock  and  Lawrence  avenue  was  in  this  sale. 

These  years  were  formative  years,  were  guiding  stars,  and 
their  influence  governed  succeeding  years.  These  years  were  the 
Douglas  avenue  years,  when  the  Greifl'enstein-Steele  dynasty 
planned,  directed  and  executed  the  things  which  were  undertaken. 
This  was  when  the  war  'twixt  Main  street  and  Douglas  avenue 
raged  furiously.  When  a  Main  street  man  prowling  on  Douglas 
avenue  was  an  ominous  portent;  when  the  rear  room  in  Tow 
Jewell's  saloon  on  Douglas  avenue,  where  George  McNeal's  bar- 
ber shop  is  now  situated,  was  the  actual  board  of  trade  rooms 
for  Douglas  avenue.  In  this  room  it  is  said,  Frank  Tierman 
heated  with  "booze,"  agreed  for  $1.00,  love  and  affection  to 
build  to  Wichita  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad  and  place  the  depot 
on  the  corner  of  First  and  Second  streets  on  Wichita  street 
and  this  was  done  one  year  before  the  location  was  made  pub- 
lic. During  these  years,  land  was  bought,  that  when  sold,  made 
enough  money  to  keep  the  "wolf  from  the  door,"  if  men  had  been 
satisfied,  but  the  blood  was  hot,  the  ambition  was  fired.  The 
desire  to  obtain  millions,  and  then  came  on  the  "boom;"  then 
the  deluge  and  then  assets  melted  as  "snow  under  an  August  sun." 
The  result  was  insolvency,  expatriation,  misery,  humiliation,  deg- 
radation and  death  to  many;  proud  homes  were  abandoned; 
ruin  ate  fortunes,  thicker  than  fallen  leaves,  in  Wichita,  in  each 


REVIEW  OF  CITY  235 

succeeding  year,  were  witnessed  on  every  hand;  noble,  generous, 
liberal  men  walked  the  streets  of  Wichita  in  agony ;  women  of 
culture  and  refinement  surrendered  the  jewels  of  prosperity  to 
buy  bread  of  necessity  and  adversity.  Wedding  gifts  were  bar- 
tered, sold  and  pawned  to  pay  rent.  Costly  furniture  was  sold 
at  second-hand  stores  to  raise  money  with  which  to  get  out  of 
town;  and,  in  one  ease,  known  to  the  writer,  after  the  fore- 
closure of  a  mortgage,  the  owner  one  Sunday  took  a  carpenter 
and  plasterer  to  the  house,  then  situated  north  of  Third  street 
and  west  of  Waco,  and  removed  therefrom  two  mantels,  one  oak 
and  one  mahogany,  which  Avere  then  put  in  a  piano  box  and 
shipped  to  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  sold  for  $220,  and  the  money 
was  used  to  help  establish  a  small  business  on  Ninth  street  in 
Kansas  City,  that  earned  a  portion  of  a  livelihood  for  the  family 
which  in  Wichita,  in  1887,  gave  a  reception  that  cost  $500,  includ- 
ing a  dance  at  Garfield  Hall,  in  honor  of  a  daughter.  Ye,  who 
things  recall,  put  on  your  thinking  caps  and  tell  who  this  was. 
The  writer  was  not  in  at  that  dance,  but  was  named  as  the 
consignor  about  that  time  for  a  piano  which  was  shipped  to  Kan- 
sas City.  There  is  in  all  of  us,  as  a  writer  says,  "a  streak  of 
yaller."  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is  a  germ  of  toadyism,  syco- 
phancy, in  most  of  us;  a  reverence  for  men  who  are  (published) 
great ;  a  bowing  down  before  some  shrine,  either  financial,  social, 
spiritual  or  politic.  The  -m-iter  does  not  think  he  is  filled  with 
this  toadyism  qualitj-  above  mankind,  nor  that  he  is  a  hero  wor- 
shipper to  any  great  extent.  But  whenever  the  subject  of  the 
building  of  Wichita  comes  up,  there  arises  before  his  mind's  eye 
the  figure,  acts  and  speech  of  Greiifenstein.  The  writer  does  not 
believe  that  Wichita  has  dealt  generously  or  kindly  with  Greif- 
fenstein  or  with  his  family.  It  is  said  that  republics  are  ungrate- 
ful. Towns,  also,  forget  the  sacrifices  made  by  pioneers.  The 
following  lines  are  applicable  all  over  Kansas  to  the  pioneers  who 
,  builded  not  for  self  alone,  but  from  ambitious  pride  to  leave 
behind  a  mark  more  lasting  than  brass  or  marble,  in  wide  streets 
and  avenues: 

"There  is  now  a  city,  a  thousand  sweet  homes. 
On  the  land  he  plowed  for  his  first  sod-corn. 
And  he,  a  stranger,  aimlessly  roams 

Where  his  wife  died  and  his  babes  were  born." 


236  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Douglas  avenue  is  Greiff enstein 's  creation.  It  was  his  dream 
to  behold  it  from  the  bridge  to  the  Santa  Fe  depot  lined  with 
business,  and  the  broadest,  busiest,  wealthiest  thoroughfare  in 
all  Kansas.  He  was  not  bereft  of  hate,  and  wanted  the  north 
end  humbled,  but  it  was  the  hatred  of  rivalry — not  personal  feel- 
ing toward  anybody.  It  was  the  feeling  expressed  by  a  gentle- 
man of  the  English  nation:  "Individually,  you  fellows  are  all 
right,  but  collectively,  I  would  like  to  see  you  all  hung."  With 
Greiffenstein  it  was  simply  a  pride  to  build  a  town,  defeat  his 
rivals.  He  gloried  in  the  building  and  the  opening  of  the  old  toll 
bridge  on  the  west  end  to  free  travel  and  in  the  location  of  the 
Santa  Fe  depot  at  the  east  end.  He  almost  broke  the  back  of 
the  north  end  when  he  seduced  the  north-end  capitalists  to  take 
stock  in  the  toll  bridge  and  thereby  make  their  selfishness  earn 
dividends  for  Douglas  avenue.  He  was  almost  alone  in  hi.s 
labors.  The  wealth  and  power  of  Wichita  was  against  him,  but 
it  was  extremely  prudent  wealth  and  unsacrifieing  power.  In 
the  beginning,  Greiffenstein,  with  Jim  Steele  and  N.  A.  English, 
were  arrayed  on  the  south  side,  with  land,  pluck  and  determina- 
tion, but  without  money.  On  the  north  end  were  Woodman,  Joe 
Allen,  Al  Thomas,  Lank  Moore,  Minger,  Wilder,  Horner,  Houck, 
MeClees,  Davidson  and  Fi-aker.  James  R.  Meade,  vice-president 
of  the  First  National  Bank,  interested  in  North  Main  street,  also 
owned  land  on  Douglas  avenue,  so  that  his  efforts  were  neutral- 
ized, and  neither  side  got  full  benefit  of  his  labors.  In  the  street, 
Sol  and  Kohn  were  north-enders,  but  Kohn  went  with  Greiffen- 
stein. Eagle  block  was  built  and  a  dry  goods  store  was  built  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Douglas.  The  county  offices  were  placed 
in  Eagle  Block,  also  the  postoffiee.  The  Wichita  Savings  Bank 
was  located  on  Douglas  avenue,  and  Douglas  avenue  commenced 
to  win.  The  United  States  land  office  was  the  only  thing  left  on 
Main  street  that  drew  business,  except  the  First  National  Bank 
and  Woodman's  Bank.  Greiffenstein  went  after  the  United  States 
land  office,  and  gave  to  the  government  free  rent  on  the  second 
floor  of  the  building  now  occupied  by  Dr.  Dorsey  and  the  street 
railway  company  and  Jackson's  barber  shop.  The  land  office  was 
moved  and  Main  street  gave  a  howl.  Then  the  postoffiee  was 
moved  by  malign  influence  to  the  Baltimore  Hotel,  then  the  Occi- 
dental, and  a  bridge  was  built  across  the  big  river  at  Central 
avenue.  Main  street  rested  from  its  labors,  but  Greiffenstein 
redoubled  his  efforts  and  went  to  work  to  remove  the  postmaster 


REVIEAY  OF  CITY  237 

and  get  a  Douglas  avenue  man  appointed  in  his  stead  and  inci- 
dentally destroyed  the  Central  avenue  bridge  by  the  election  of 
Jim  Steele  as  county  commissioner. 

Politics  did  not  count  much  on  the  south  side  of  town  in  these 
days.  The  question  asked  was  whether  or  not  a  man  was  abso- 
lutely loyal  to  Douglas  avenue.  If  so,  then  stand  by  him ;  and  if 
not,  then  the  Irish  motto  at  the  Donnybrook  fair,  "When  you  see 
a  head,  hit  it,"  was  adopted.  N.  A.  English  was  considered  some 
of  a  Democrat.  Greiffenstein  was  counted  and  elected  to  the 
legislature  as  a  Democrat ;  yet  to  establish  and  maintain  the 
supremacy  of  Douglas  avenue  was  more  than  politics;  it  was  a 
religious  faith,  and  its  promises  to  its  votaries  were  not  of  any 
spiritual  condition  or  location  after  death,  but  it  was  victory  over 
the  north  end  and  high  prices  for  Douglas  avenue  lots  when  the 
battle  was  over. 

The  north  end  could  have  vanquished  Greiffenstein  in  sixty 
days  if  it  had  loosened  its  purse-strings,  but  the  men  at  the  north 
end  were  "not  built  that  way."  They  were  built  on  prudent, 
cautious  lines,  and  some  of  them  were  like  the  Methodist  who 
boasted  that  he  had  belonged  to  the  church  for  forty  years  and 
it  had  never  cost  him  a  cent.  Many  north-enders  sympathized 
with  and  belonged  to  the  north  end,  but  would  not  pay  sub- 
scriptions to  build  up  the  north  end.  As  proof  of  this.  Woodman 
at  one  time  agreed  to  furnish  the  buildings  where  Tanner's  book 
store  now  is  on  Main  street  and  give  the  United  States  govern- 
ment free  postoffice  rent  if  the  business  men  of  Main  street  would 
pay  him  a  portion  of  the  value  of  the  rental  per  annum.  The 
building  was  furnished  as  Woodman  agreed  and  the  postoffice 
was  placed  therein  by  Colonel  Murdock  and  for  seasons  the  north- 
end  business  man  paid  rent,  but  Douglas  avenue  forged  ahead. 
Main  street  lost  some  business  and  some  prominent  men  and  the 
rental  was  not  paid  to  Woodman,  and  he  then  brought  action  for 
.the  balance  due  on  rent,  against  the  north-end  men,  who  would 
not  pay.  And  these  north-enders  defeated  Woodman  on  the 
ground  that  it  was  illegal  and  contrary  to  public  policy  to  agree 
to  pay  rent  on  a  postoffice.  This  case  went  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  any  one  real  curious  to  know  who  did  not  pay  his  rent  for  the 
postoffice  while  on  North  Main  street  can  find  out  by  consulting 
any  lawyer  in  Wichita,  as  this  case  decided  a  principle  which  had 
not  been  decided  very  often. 

This  spirit  dominated  the  north  end  from  the  beginning  to  the 


238  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

death  of  Woodman.  Woodman  was  a  foe  that  was  a  good  fighter, 
that  spent  money,  but  being  practically  abandoned  by  his  people, 
he  quit  the  fight.  Al  Thomas  moved  his  grocery  from  the  Occi- 
dental, now  Baltimore,  to  the  building  on  the  corner  of  Market 
and  Douglas.  Allen  &  Tucker  moved  their  place  from  Main 
street  to  the  present  location  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce. 
Hess  &  Getto  moved  from  the  corner  of  Main  to  Greenfield's. 
Deter  &  Kaiser  moved  their  barber  shop.  Joe  Allen  moved  from 
First  and  Main  to  Roy  Allen's  present  location.  George  Mathews 
moved  to  the  room  now  used  by  the  Tornado  Store.  Charles  Hill 
moved  to  the  brick  store  now  occupied  by  Stanford's  drug  store. 
Sam  Houck  moved  from  North  Main  to  the  present  Houck  hard- 
ware store.  Tow  Jewel  moved  to  Tom  Johnson's  barber  shop. 
Sluss,  Hatton,  Stanley,  Wall,  Balderson,  Adams,  English,  all  attor- 
neys, moved  to  Douglas  avenue.  Allen,  Fabrique,  Furley  and 
McAdams,  all  doctors,  moved  to  Douglas  avenue.  During  these 
years  the  First  National  Bank  failed,  and  as  a  consequence  there- 
of, the  officers  were  indicted  by  the  United  States  grand  jury. 
They  were  technically  guilty  of  violation  of  the  national  banking 
act  and  were  found  guilty,  but  were  thereafter  pardoned.  They 
returned  to  Wichita,  but  their  influence  as  men  was  over.  No 
one  particularly  blamed  them  for  the  failure  of  the  bank.  The 
paper  they  had  taken  in  became  worthless  by  reason  of  the  panic 
of  1873,  caused  by  J.  Cook  and  Henry  Villard's  failure.  But 
when  all  these  things  came  to  pass,  the  backbone  of  Main  street 
was  broken.  Its  dream  of  being  the  business  street  of  Wichita 
was  over,  and  it  is  now  considered  on  all  sides  that  the  dream  of 
Main  street  as  the  business  street  of  Wichita  was  over  forcA^er. 
In  this  connection  it  might  be  remarked  that  the  first  law  office 
on  Douglas  avenue  was  Harris  &  Harris,  over  the  street  car  office, 
at  193  West  Douglas  avenue,  unless  Bully  Parsons  is  counted, 
who  had  no  books  and  stayed  in  the  card-room  of  Lew  Dittman's 
saloon  in  the  old  building  that  has  been  replaced  by  the  Royal 
on  West  Douglas  avenue.  Bully  played  "rounce"  and  the  "devil" 
among  the  tailors  with  Greiffenstein,  Colonel  McClure,  Jim  Steele 
and  James  McCulloch  and  others  if  business  was  dull,  and  some- 
times when  business  Avas  not  dull. 

This  may  seem  a  digression  from  Wichita's  history  to  a  purely 
Douglas  avenue  write-up,  but  these  days  were  so  imtued  in  my 
mind,  being  a  young  and  impressionable  boy,  that  the  Clan  Doug- 
las Avenue  won  me  over  and  I  was  loyal  to  Douglas  avenue  unto 


REVIEW  OP  CITY  239 

this  day.  The  ends  aimed  at  in  these  days  were  success  and  the 
glorification  of  Douglas  avenue ;  hence  my  views  of  Wichita  are 
full  of  Douglas  avenue  prejudice  and  bias.  Greiffenstein  loved 
his  friends,  and,  though  he  was  not  a  demonstrative  man,  he 
hated  his  enemies.  Dr.  Johnson  said  unless  a  man  was  a  good 
hater,  he  was  not  worthy  of  confidence.  Tested  by  this  rule, 
Greiffenstein  was  worthy  of  absolute  confidence,  if  he  believed  a 
man  had  purposely  given  him  an  insult  or  done  him  an  injury 
Greiffenstein  was  a  Socialist  in  Germany.  He  left  college  as  a 
refugee  in  1848,  some  time  about  the  time  that  Charles  Schurz 
and  Joseph  Pulitzer  (New  York  "World"  man)  left  the  old 
country.  Greiffenstein  believed  in  liberty  under  law  and  also 
some  liberty  in  defiance  of  law.  His  views  of  the  prohibitory 
liquor  law  were  so  pronounced  and  are  so  well  known  that  no 
comment  is  necessary.  He  came  here  on  the  prairie,  established 
a  trading  post,  lived  in  the  open,  helped  to  found  tlie  town,  and 
the  idea  that  a  lot  of  puritanical  pharisees  should  move  in  and 
control  the  town  founded  by  him,  and  prohibit  the  use  of  beer, 
was  as  abhorrent  to  his  feelings  as  a  law,  today,  would  be  pro- 
hibiting the  use  of  coffee  and  tobacco.  Greiffenstein  was  not  a 
snob  nor  an  aristocrat.  He  was  plain,  simple  and  honest  in  all  his 
dealings.  I  have  no  recollection  of  his  ever  wearing  a  collar  or 
having  his  vest  buttoned  up.  I  do  not  say  he  never  did,  but  I 
say  that  in  daily  association  with  him  for  years,  I  never  observed 
that  fact.  He  was  not  as  old  a  man  as  he  looked,  with  his  gray 
hair  and  whiskers.  He  said  to  me  one  day,  ' '  Call  me  Bill ;  I  do 
not  like  to  be  called  Mister."  Greiffenstein  was  Bill  to  his  friends, 
always  William  to  his  wife,  and  he  was  Old  Bill,  "Sore-Eyed 
Bill,"  Dutch  Bill  and  the  "Douglas  Avenue  Dutchman"  to  the 
north  end.  He  always  rubbed  and  blinked  his  snow-blinded  eyes, 
having  been  struck  snow-blind  in  1867  or  1868,  wandering  over 
the  prairies,  when  he  lost  his  bearings.  He  smoked  cigars,  but 
he  loved  his  pipe,  and  with  that  pipe  in  his  hand,  held  by  its 
long  stem,  he  smoked  and  the  curling  smoke  ascended  to  the 
clouds,  and  after  a  time  he  gave  an  opinion.  He  was  an  oracle  to 
his  followers.  He  was  Bismarck  in  the  Douglas  avenue  fight; 
Jim  Steele  was  Von  Moltke.  N.  A.  English  was  the  crown  prince 
and  everything  from  the  north  line  of  Douglas  avenue  to  the 
big  river  on  the  south  were  trained  armies  to  do  his  bidding. 
He  was  an  iron-gray  town-building  wizard.  It  may  be  that  des- 
tiny located  Wichita,  and  Colonel  Murdock  has  often  said,  but 


240  HISTOEY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

it  was  Greiffenstein  that  made  Douglas  avenue.  There  are  those 
that  belittle  his  life  and  deeds,  but  the  fact  remains  that  he  built 
Eagle  Block  on  the  bare  prairie  and  afterwards  built  Douglas 
Avenue  Hotel,  and  that,  except  English  and  Steele,  all  the  popu- 
lation of  Wichita  was  north  of  Douglas  avenue.  The  north  end 
bought  his  lots  and  moved  on  the  avenue,  after  a  most  deter- 
mined effort  to  locate  the  depot  somewhere  north  of  Douglas 
avenue  on  Santa  Fe  avenue.  Some  near  or  distant  day,  Greiffen- 
stein  will  have  a  monument  in  Wichita,  and,  in  my  judgment,  of 
the  pioneers  of  Wichita,  he  will  be  the  only  one,  because  he  is  the 
only  man  who  has  impressed  his  individuality  upon  the  minds  of 
Wichita.  Others  may  have  some  claims,  but  they  must  continu- 
ally prove  them.  Douglas  avenue  is  Wichita,  and  Douglas  avenue 
is  Greiffenstein  on  both  sides  from  Lawrence  avenue  to  the  bridge, 
except  McLean's  lumber  yard  and  the  Missouri  Pacific  depot. 

Greiffenstein  was  not  an  uneducated  man,  as  charged  by  many. 
He  was  unknown  generally  to  the  people  of  Wichita,  as  a  man, 
citizen,  reader,  husband,  neighbor,  friend  or  parent.  As  a  young 
man,  I  spent  many  pleasant  days  at  the  Greiffenstein  homestead 
on  South  Water  street.  It  was  a  home  in  the  strictest  sense  of 
the  word,  and  more  luxuriantly  furnished  than  any  private  house 
I  had  ever  visited  prior  to  1874.  Before  this  house  was  remod- 
eled, the  hall  ran  through  the  center.  On  the  north  side  was  the 
parlor  and  dining-room  and  library.  In  1874  a  Miss  Sallie  Barker, 
of  Paris,  111.,  came  to  Wichita  and  lived  at  Greiffenstein 's  and 
gave  Mrs.  Greiffenstein  lessons  on  the  piano.  So  far  as  I  know, 
her  piano,  Mrs.  Charles  Hatton's  and  Mrs.  W.  D.  Russell's  were 
the  only  ones  south  of  Douglas  avenue.  I  did  not  visit  much  on 
the  north  end,  except  on  North  Water  street.  There  was  an  organ 
on  North  Topeka  avenue,  above  Third  street,  that  did  not  have 
as  much  music  in  it  as  the  one  Emil  Warner  had  on  Main  street, 
where  Rohrabaugh's  store  is  now  situated,  that  used  to  grind 
out  doleful  sounds  on  Sunday  evenings,  as  if  it  had  a  bad  cold 
or  consumption.  Harry  Arrowsmith,  who  was  here  in  those  days, 
mailed  a  receipt  to  the  house  once  for  a  severe  cough  and  recom- 
mended the  organ  have  a  tablespoonful  every  hour  until  relief 
was  given.  The  boys  thought  this  a  good  joke,  but  the  house 
voted  it  an  insult.  But  to  return  to  the  mutton:  Greiffenstein 
was  a  great  entertainer  of  his  friends,  and  especially  his  "Injun" 
friends.  He  used  to  entertain  them  in  the  pasture  running  from 
English  street  to  Kellogg  on  the  west  side  of  Water  street.    Prom 


EEVIEW  OF  CITY  241 

1874  until  the  Indians  quit  visiting  Wichita,  at  least  200  Indians 
who  came  to  Wichita  from  the  territory  were  bivouacked  in  the 
pasture.  One  old  buck  was  an  acquaintance  of  Greiffenstein's  of 
twenty-five  years'  standing,  and  he  and  his  tribe  put  their  tents 
in  the  pasture  and  killed  and  cooked  beeves  according  to  Indian 
gastronomy,  without  frills.  Greiffenstein  had  outgrown  his  Indian 
customs,  but  his  generosity  led  him  to  put  up  with  his  visitors  as 
long  as  they  called  on  him.  In  1878,  when  Colonel  Boon  came  to 
Wichita  with  his  Indians  that  he  was  taking  to  the  territory, 
Greiffenstein  gave  them  a  beef  to  kill  and  eat  in  the  pasture,  and 
about  all  Wichita  called  on  them  in  the  pasture.  My  judgement 
is  that  Greiffenstein's  annual  expenses  were  greater  for  those  who 
lived  upon,  around  and  with  him  than  his  own  family  expenses. 
I  remember  on  one  Sunday  afternoon  a  north-end  man,  who  was 
off  his  beat  and  was  down  on  South  Water  street,  passed  Greif- 
fenstein's home  and  saw  so  many  men  on  the  front  porch  that 
he  went  to  Woodman's  house  and  told  him  that  the  Douglas  ave- 
nue gang  was  all  down  at  Greiffenstein's  and  some  devilment  was 
on  foot.  The  fact  was,  this  was  the  usual  thing  for  the  Douglas 
avenue  men  to  be  on  the  front  porch,  as  Douglas  avenue  was 
always  planning  something  to  the  detriment  of  Main  street  and 
the  glorification  of  Douglas  avenue. 

Joe  Allen's  administration  will  always  be  known  as  the  sewer 
administration,  and  it  was  marked  by  economy  and  prudence,  so 
far  as  the  mayor  had  any  voice  in  the  expenditure  of  money. 

George  W.  Clement's  Administration. — This  administration 
marked  the  advent  of  the  new  blood,  the  retirement  of  the  pio- 
neer sentiment  in  city  elections,  and  was  the  first  administration 
after  the  boom  was  over  and  the  bladder  had  burst.  Clement 
realized  that  something  must  be  done ;  that  money  must  be  paid 
on  improvements  to  save  our  falling  fortunes;  that  something 
permanent  must  be  built,  and  though  he  was  abused  and  cursed 
.by  some  and  supported  by  others,  he  resolutely  pushed  forward 
the  asphalt  pavement  and  the  City  Building,  both  of  which  are 
monuments  to  his  zeal  and  courage. 

John  B.  Carey's  Administration. — This  administration  was  one 
that  had  blame  attached  to  it  by  reason  of  the  insolvent  condi- 
tion. Contracts  had  been  made  to  pave  the  streets  and  erect 
the  City  Building.  The  contract  for  the  jasperite  pavement  was 
procured  by  doubtful  means.  Captain  Carey  set  his  shoulder  to 
the  wheel  to  run  the  city  as  he  ran  his  business;  to  run  the  city 


242  fflSTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

on  as  little  money  as  law  permitted,  pay  all  honest  bills,  pay  no 
money  the  law  did  not  authorize,  put  his  name  to  no  ordinance 
that  the  law  condemned,  defeat  the  jasperite  contract  for  pave- 
ment and  pave  Douglas  avenue  with  asphalt.  Carey  failed  of 
re-election  by  reason  of  the  determination  of  what  was  known 
as  the  new  blood  or  new  element  to  be  recognized  in  the  city  of 
Wichita,  and,  when  "boiled  down,"  the  real  fight  on  Carey  was 
that  the  administration  was  too  economical  and  would  not  wink 
at  appropriations  that  the  law  would  not  authorize.  Hence  the 
new  blood  upheld  Cox.  Carey  was  an  honest,  fearless  man,  and 
his  defeat  was  a  rebuke  to  economy  and  the  running  of  the  city 
upon  an  open,  legal  basis,  in  which  the  business  so  far  as  the 
mayor  was  concerned  was  open  to  the  world  for  inspection. 

L.  M.  Cox's  Administration. — This  administration  was  the 
"funding  administration."  Money  was  due  on  maturing  con- 
tracts, and  the  treasury  was  about  empty.  Money  collected  was 
used  on  current  bills.  The  "sinking  fund"  was  drawn  against. 
Old  bonds  were  paid  by  new  ones,  which  were  sold  or  exchanged. 
During  this  time  the  city  lost  money  through  Doran,  county  treas- 
urer, so  that  the  expenses  were  greater  than  receipts.  This  admin- 
istration, by  reason  of  its  magnificent  funding  operations,  came 
in  for  general  cursing  on  all  sides,  before  it  was  over,  but  the 
general  condition  of  the  city  had  much  to  do  with  this,  as  the 
August  special  session  of  congress,  1893,  followed  by  the  failure 
of  two  national  banks,  involving  many  depositors,  the  city  felt 
feverish.  Money  was  close  and  hard  to  get,  and  creditors  pushed 
hard.  The  blame  of  being  too  free  in  the  use  of  money  attached 
to  Cox's  administration  made  the  pendulum  rebound  and  the 
demand  was  made  for  an  economic  administration  by  the  leaders 
of  all  parties,  and  L.  M.  Cox,  who  defeated  Carey,  because  he 
was  too  economic,  was  set  aside  for  Finlay  Ross,  because  Cox  was 
too  extravagant.    Such  are  the  vagaries  of  politics. 

Finlay  Ross'  Administration. — This  administration  will  be  re- 
membered as  the  "park  administration."  To  Ross'  efi'orts  Wich- 
ita owns  the  finest  city  parks  in  the  state.  It  will  be  as  a  monu- 
ment, when  he  is  wearing  a  robe  and  twanging  a  harp  in  the  New 
Jerusalem.  This  administration  was  one  that  brought  the  old 
street  car  line  to  the  final  end,  but  the  administration  had  noth- 
ing to  do  with  getting  the  present  street  car  company.  This  credit 
is  due  to  Coler  L.  Sim.  This  administration  commenced  the  fight 
on  the  M.,  K.  &  T.  Telephone  Company  and  granted  the  fran- 


REVIEW  OP  CITY  243 

chise  to  the  present  Independent  Company.  Whether  rightly  or 
wrongly,  Ross  is  accused  of  having  had  in  mind  the  formation  of 
the  Independent  Company  when  he  commenced  the  fight  on  the 
old  company.  Ross'  friends  do  not  believe  that  he  was  in  any 
wise  connected  with  the  new  company  nntil  after  his  time  as 
mayor  of  the  city  had  expired.  Whether  it  is  an  error  or  not, 
there  is  in  Wichita  amongst  all  classes  a  deep-seated  opinion  that 
Finlay  Ross,  as  mayor,  honestly,  earnestly  and  faithfully  per- 
formed his  duty  and  that  he  demanded  a  system  of  bookkeeping 
to  be  inaugurated  so  that  the  city  could  know  what  it  owned  and 
when  it  was  due.  It  has  been  said  that  up  to  the  time  when  Ross 
became  connected  with  the  city  administration  that  the  books  in 
the  city  office  were  not  kept  in  such  a  way  that  the  city  knew 
either  what  its  bills  payable  or  bills  receivable  were. 

Ben  McLean's  Administration.  There  is  now  on  and  is  not 
yet  history,  and  hence  will  not  be  written  about,  except  inci- 
dentally, to  say  that  the  west  side  is  being  cared  for  as  it  never 
has  been  helped  before.  Every  good  citizen  is  aware  that  the  west 
side  has  the  mayor,  as  heretofore  it  has  been  neglected.  The  west 
side  surrendered  its  rights  as  an  independent  town  and  sank  into 
the  insignificant  condition  of  being  a  ward.  The  building  of  a 
double  bridge  on  the  river,  carrying  gas  and  water  pipes  and 
having  good  foot  walks  across,  with  double  driveway,  will  bring 
the  west  side  close  to  Douglas  avenue,  and  the  present  adminis- 
tration is  recommended  to  do  two  things  before  it  closes  and  goes 
into  history:  First — Organize  a  Historical  Society.  Second — 
Build  a  double  bridge  on  Douglas  avenue,  so  that  the  future  col- 
lector of  events,  when  he  proceeds  to  gather  his  facts,  will  embalm 
in  the  history  of  Wichita  that  the  McLean  administration  paved 
the  west  side,  built  the  double  bridge  and  organized  a  Historical 
Society. 

The  Boom  Administration. — Ben  Aldrich  was  mayor  of  the 
city  from  1885  to  1887.  This  might  be  properly  named  the  "boom 
administration."  During  this  administration  was  the  awakening 
of  the  people  of  Wichita  to  the  fact  that  Wichita  was  being  no- 
ticed by  people  from  the  Eastern  states,  by  men  with  money ;  by 
simon-pure,  unadulterated,  square-sawed  oak,  beeswax-rubbed  and 
unpolitical  speculators ;  the  man  who  hunts  a  place  where  values 
are  rising  and  who  keeps  tab  on  every  place  where  money  can  be 
quickly  made  and  harvested.  The  population  of  Wichita  from 
1885  to  1887  increased  about  20,000  people.    The  west  side,  also 


244  HISTOEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

called  Delano  or  West  Wichita,  had  a  population  sufficient  to 
organize  as  a  city  of  the  second  class.  At  that  time  William  Pitt 
Campbell,  also  known  as  "Tiger  Bill,'"  was  the  city  attorney. 
The  things  accomplished  under  this  administration,  which  were 
pure  city  acts,  were  the  building  of  the  Rock  Island  Railway; 
the  Midland  Railroad  (now  part  of  the  Frisco  system) ;  the  Wich- 
ita &  Colorado  Railroad  to  Hutchinson :  the  extension  of  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  Railroad  from  Anthony  to  Kiowa,  to  get  this  terri- 
tory of  a  tributary  to  Wichita,  and  also  a  road  called  the  Leroy  & 
Western,  which  was  built  from  Mulvane,  through  the  southern 
part  of  the  county,  west  to  Clearwater,  Norwich  and  thereafter 
to  Coldwater,  all  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  this  territory  into 
Wichita  as  tributary  territory. 

West  Wichita  was  induced  to  become  part  of  the  city,  and 
Robert  Lawrence  was  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  this  undertak- 
ing. Wichita  at  this  time  passed  from  a  second  to  a  first  class 
city.  This  was  purely  the  work  of  William  Pitt  Campbell,  as 
90  per  cent  of  the  citizens  of  Wichita  did  not  desire  that  Wichita 
should  go  from  a  second  to  a  first  class  city,  because  of  the  addi- 
tional burdens  and  expenses,  which  were  necessarily  incident  to 
such  a  change.  During  this  time  the  United  States  Government 
Building  was  got  under  way.  Incidentally,  this  cost  the  men  that 
located  the  buildings  .$1,200  for  the  location.  The  Biu-ton  Car 
Works  were  got  under  way.  During  this  time  these  were  com- 
menced, but  nothing  was  done  until  after  Allen's  administration 
had  closed;  also  the  county  court  house  was  commenced.  From 
1885  to  1887  were  record-breakers,  world-defeaters.  Millions  were 
spent  in  public  and  private  and  quasi-public  improvements.  Thou- 
sands of  acres  of  land  were  added  to  the  taxable  values  of  the  city. 
The  Valley  Center  motor  line,  that  is  now  but  a  legend,  was.  built 
and  operated  at  the  cost  of  thousands  in  the  building  and  a  loss 
of  thousands  at  the  final  end.  During  this  time  George  Strong 
built  his  two  lines  of  street  railway,  one  of  which  ran  up  Fourth 
avenue  and  is  now  a  myth ;  the  other  which  went  up  Water  street 
north  to  Fifteenth  street  and  east  to  Fairmount  College.  This  was 
an  electric  line  and  the  lots  cost  over  $100,000,  and  some  of  the 
bonds  are  still  afloat.  During  this  time  J.  O.  Davidson  got  his 
first  electric  railroad,  called  the  Riverside  line,  up  Market  street, 
Avest  on  Pine  street  to  across  the  little  river  to  Riverside  addition. 
Historically  speaking,  this  was  the  first  operated  electric  railroad 
in  the  United  States. 


REVIEW  OP  CITY  245 

Henry  Schweiter  built  his  line  down  Emporia  avenue  and  out 
to  Linwood  Park.  The  West  Douglas  Avenue  Street  Railway- 
Company  was  organized  by  promotors  of  the  Wichita  &  Colorado 
Railroad,  and  Capt.  F.  G.  Smyth,  who  was  one  of  the  prime  movers 
in  what  was  called  Junction  Town  Company  addition.  The  old 
street  ear  company  had  agreed  with  the  Junction  Town  Company 
addition  that  as  soon  as  their  addition  was  platted  it  would  extend 
its  line  from  the  corner  of  Main  and  Douglas  avenue  across  the 
bridge  and  at  least  one  mile  in  length,  but  it  took  its  time  to  per- 
form its  promise.  The  west  side  was  demanding  that  the  street 
car  line  be  extended  across  the  river.  One  Sunday  morning  Cap- 
tain Smyth  called  a  meeting  of  the  Junction  Town  Company  and 
stated  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  moving  of  the 
Junction  Town  Company  property  on  the  west  side  that  this  street 
car  line  be  built.  Thereupon  a  charter  was  drawn  up.  On  Mon- 
day morning  it  was  forwarded  to  Topeka.  A  wire  was  sent  from 
Topeka  that  the  charter  had  been  filed  and  a  copy  mailed  to 
Wichita.  On  that  afternoon  the  city  council  were  seen,  a  special 
meeting  of  the  council  was  held,  the  franchise  was  granted  to  the 
West  Douglas  Avenue  Street  Car  Company,  and  on  the  morning 
thereafter  Captain  Smyth  left  for  St.  Louis  to  buy  two  cars  to 
put  on  this  line.  The  most  of  the  work  was  kept  secret.  The 
first  that  the  old  street  car  company  knew  of  the  progress  made 
by  the  West  Douglas  avenue  company  was  when  its  officers  beheld 
the  street  cars  sitting  on  the  Frisco  sidetrack,  ready  to  be  un- 
loaded. In  twenty-four  hours  the  old  street  car  company  had 
gathered  its  company  and  called  a  meeting  of  the  Junction  Town 
Company  with  its  managers  and  assumed  the  obligations  of  the 
West  Douglas  avenue  company,  paid  for  the  new  cars  and  track 
and  commenced  to  operate  the  road  as  soon  as  it  could  be  gotten 
under  way.. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  loss  in  the  building  of  the  street  cars  in 
the  city  of  Wichita,  from  the  organization  of  the  first  street  car 
line  in  1883  down  to  the  time  that  the  present  street  railway  sys- 
tem purchased  the  electric  line  three  years  ago,  amounts  to  about 
$700,000.  In  this  connection,  it  might  be  said  that  the  first  street 
ear  line  was  organized  in  1883,  by  Col.  John  W.  Hartzell,  then  of 
Topeka,  Kan. ;  J.  M.  Steele,  Kos  Harris,  L.  D.  Skinner  and  Frank 
Hartzell.  This  street  railway  line  ran  from  the  Santa  Fe  depot  up  to 
Main  street  on  Douglas  avenue,  and  thence  north  to  Oak  street, 
now  Murdock  avenue,  and  thence  east  to  Fifth  avenue,  and  thence 


246  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

north  to  the  old  Santa  Fe  depot.  The  present  city  street  railway 
rails  weigh  over  100  pounds  to  the  yard.  The  Wichita  street  rail- 
way, when  built  in  1883,  used  iron,  which  weighed  but  fourteen 
pounds  to  the  yard,  so  that  one  can  readily  see  the  difference 
between  building  a  mule  car  line  and  an  electric  car  line.  The 
Wichita  Street  Railway  Company,  organized  in  1883,  issued  its 
bonds  to  the  amount  of  $14,000,  payable  to  S.  W.  Wheelock,  of 
Rock  Island,  111.,  and  after  this  line  was  built,  cars  purchased  as 
well  as  mules,  the  company  had  about  $8,000  in  addition  to  the 
$14,000  furnished  by  Wheelock.  The  earnings  the  first  year  were 
127  per  cent  on  the  amount  of  capital  stock.  Subsequently  this 
road  was  sold  to  Colonel  Powell  for  $25,000,  and  thereafter  Colonel 
Powell  sold  one-half  interest  for  $25,000,  and  thereafter  he  sold 
his  other  half  interest  for  $100,000,  which  was  paid  in  notes  and 
mortgages  taken  by  him  in  part  payment,  and  he  lost  over  $35,000. 
During  this  time  the  Garfield  University  was  started  by  the  Chris- 
tian church;  also  Fairmount  College,  the  German  Reform  Col- 
lege, now  used  by  the  Catholic  church,  south  of  the  golf  grounds. 
During  this  time  John  Bright 's  University  was  started.  There  is 
perhaps  one  person  in  five  hundred  in  the  city  of  Wichita  who 
remembers  where  John  Bright 's  University  was  located.  This 
administration  was  the  one  that  gave  to  Wichita  the  celebrity 
and  it  is  a  period  of  high  values.  The  apex  of  its  prosperity  and 
this  administration  passed  into  history  before  Wichita  realized 
that  it  was  insolvent  or  dreamed  of  what  would  follow. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  city  of  Wichita  was  in  the  condition 
of  a  n^an  who  goes  home  and  finds  some  of  his  family  is  ill.  While 
he  is  shocked  to  some  extent,  the  member  of  the  family  lies  sick 
for  one  month,  two  months  or  three  months.  The  doctor  tells 
them  that  there  is  doubt  of  the  recovery  of  the  sick  person.  By 
the  time  the  person  dies,  the  family  have  become  accustomed  and 
reconciled  to  the  condition,  and  the  death  is  not  as  much  of  a 
shock  as  the  original  information  of  the  illness.  Where  a  person 
goes  home  and  finds  a  member  of  the  family  has  been  suddenly 
killed,  the  shock  is  terrible.  Wichita  was  a  sick  man.  It  did  not 
know  whether  it  would  recover  or  not  as  the  days,  months  and 
years  went  by,  and  had  become  reconciled  to  the  condition.  If 
on  some  morning  in  1888  all  of  the  misery,  desolation  and  bank- 
ruptcy had  suddenly  come  to  Wichita  in  the  night,  the  shock 
would  have  been  so  great  that  the  undertakers  of  this  city  would 
have  had  to  telegraph  to  Eastern  cofSn  manufacturers  to  order 


REVIEW  OF  CITY  247 

boxes  with  which  to  bury  the  suicides.  My  judgment  is  that  all 
the  strychnine,  arsenic,  prussie  acid  and  laudanum  in  the  town 
would  have  been  used  in  forty-eight  hours  if  one-half  of  the  mis- 
ery and  desolation  had  struck  us  suddenly  instead  of  being  long 
drawn  out. 

During  this  time  Linwood  Park  was  laid  out,  which  was  the 
first  real  park  of  the  city.  The  Christmas  of  1886  was  the  wildest 
and  noisiest  day  in  speculation  that  Wichita  ever  beheld.  Real 
estate  trades  that  amounted  to  millions  of  dollars  were  made  in 
that  day.  There  was  indebtedness  enough  created  on  that  day  to 
bankrupt  at  least  fifty  families.  On  that  day  the  writer  was  a 
member  of  a  syndicate  and  put  up  his  portion  of  $30,000  in  a 
piece  of  property  which  was  thereafter  carried  ten  years  and  then 
sold  for  about  the  same  amount  of  taxes  that  had  been  paid  out 
on  the  property  from  1886  to  the  day  of  the  sale,  a  period  of  about 
ten  years.  On  that  day  every  hotel  of  the  city  was  full  and  run- 
ning over.  Business  men  had  abandoned  their  stores  and  became 
real  estate  speculators.  Stocks  of  goods  were  sold  and  boxed  up 
and  the  stores  were  rented  for  business  houses.  One  business  house 
on  North  Main  street  rented  for  $125  per  month,  was  used  as  a 
real  estate  office,  and  sublet  for  desk  room,  so  that  the  original 
lessee  of  the  room  received  a  profit  of  $250  per  month  for  the 
room. 

During  this  time  the  Rock  Island  Railway  made  a  contract  with 
a  local  syndicate  to  locate  its  depot  at  its  present  site  and  the 
ground,  which  in  1885  was  worth  perhaps  $20,000,  was  bulled  until 
the  owner  saw  fit  to  ask  $60,000  for  100  feet  of  ground  facing  on 
Douglas  avenue.  The  railroad  company  was  determined  not  to 
pay  this  money  or  to  make  this  location.  It  was  agreed  between 
this  syndicate  and  the  railroad  company  that  the  company  would 
pay  $20,000  toward  the  purchase  of  this  ground  and  the  syndicate 
should  pay  the  other  $40,000,  and  the  railroad  company  was  to 
give  the  syndicate  company  reasonable  time  in  which  to  purchase 
the  ground  with  which  to  requite  itself  of  the  amount  paid  for  the 
depot  site.  This  syndicate  made  its  first  purchase  of  the  ground 
now  known  as  Rock  Island  addition,  which  runs  from  the  Rock 
Island  depot  across  Rock  Island  avenue  to  the  Frisco  depot,  east 
and  west,  and  runs  to  Division  street,  north  and  south,  being 
located  140  feet  south  of  Douglas  avenue.  Fifty  thousand  dollars ' 
worth  of  other  property  was  purchased  on  Douglas  avenue,  and 
Rock   Island   addition  was   laid  out.    Rock   Island   avenue   was 


248  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

thrown  open,  but  to  get  to  Douglas  avenue  with  Rock  Island  ave- 
nue it  was  necessary  to  purchase  two  lots  on  Douglas  avenue  and 
dedicate  them  for  a  street,  and  these  two  lots  were  purchased  for 
$12,000,  and  afterwards  dedicated  to  the  public  for  a  street.  The 
syndicate  that  purchased  this  addition  and  furnished  the  depot 
to  the  Rock  Island  Company,  made  a  profit  over  and  above 
expenditures  which  amounted  in  the  aggregate  to  over  $60,000 
or  $74,000  in  six  months  from  the  date  that  the  addition  was 
platted.  So  in  truth  and  in  fact,  Ben  Aldrich's  administration 
should  be  put  down  in  history  as  the  "boom  administration." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
REMINISCENCES  OF  A  BRIEFLESS  BARRISTER. 

By 

KOS  HARRIS. 

When  one  falls  into  a  reminiscent  mood,  'tis  said  to  be  decay 
— dry-rot — softening  of  that  part  of  man  which  passeth  for  brain ; 
yet  Daniel  "Webster,  the  tutelary  god  of  American  authors  and 
embryonic  constitutional  expounders,  hath  said:  "  'Tis  pleasant 
to  indulge  in  recollections  of  the  past";  hence  I  will  indulge  in 
recollections.  I  state,  as  a  preface,  that  I  belong  to  the  prehistoric, 
second-grasshopper  period  of  Kansas.  My  information  is  that 
there  was  a  grasshopper  raid  during  the  war,  ere  what  we  call 
civilization  penetrated  southwestern  Kansas.  I  may  say  that  dur- 
ing the  year  A.  D.  1874  I  did  not  live,  but  simply  existed.  My 
office  was  nine  feet  wide,  twenty  feet  long  and  eleven  feet  high. 
Could  I  have  had  the  arrangement  of  the  square  feet  of  the  office, 
I  might  have  shaped  it  better,  but  as  I  did  not  pay  any  rent,  or 
any  part  thereof,  during  the  year  1874  I  had  a  delicacy  about 
"kicking"  on  the  inconvenience  of  the  office,  or  the  leaky  condi- 
tion of  the  roof.  I  only  remember  one  rain  that  year,  so  that  I 
was  not  damaged.  I  had  hoped  for  a  soaking  rain  that  might 
bring  in  a  bill  for  damages  on  my  library,  but  was  deprived  of 
the  privilege  through  the  benign  goodness  of  Him  who  watcheth 
over  the  fledglings. 

Having  nothing  to  do,  in  A.  D.  1874,  I  grew  dissipated,  and 
regularly  took  one  glass  of  beer  per  diem  at  a  saloon  called  the 
"Texas  Saloon,"  usually  the  resort  of  cowboys  and  Mexicans. 
This  saloon  was  the  last  resort  on  the  west  end  of  the  street,  and 
there,  unnoticed,  unmolested  and  friendless,  I  went  to  get  one 
glass  of  beer  to  submerge  my  sorrows  and  engulf  my  grief.  This 
saloon  was  under  the  guardianship  of  a  descendant  of  some  al- 
leged old  Spanish  hidalgo  whom  I  will  call  Don  Carlos  Juandaro. 
I  could  not  for  my  life  help  admiring,  yet  hating  and  despising. 


250  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Don  Carlos.  The  first  time  I  beheld  him  was  in  March,  1874, 
standing  behind  the  bar  with  a  revolver  pointed  at  a  desperado 
and  influencing  him  to  pay  one  dollar  for  thirty  cents'  worth  of 
the  meanest  beer  a  mortal  ever  tasted.  He  was  a  beau  ideal  Span- 
ish guerrilero.  I  usually  passed  by  if  he  was  at  the  bar,  being 
in  no  condition  to  pay  over  five  cents  for  five  cents'  worth  of 
beer,  and  did  not  intend  to  take  any  chances  on  it.  The  long,  hot 
and  windy  summer  days  came  and  found  me  in  my  dingy  office, 
contemplating  cold,  clammy,  worm-eaten  physical  dissolution, 
temporal  annihilation,  permanent  absence  from  earth,  commonly 
known  and  denominated  as  death.  Of  course  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  death,  but  as  common  people  will  understand  me  better 
when  I  say  death,  I  will  thei-efore  call  it  "death."  I  did  not  feel 
too  young  to  die,  to  be  dissolved,  annihilated,  permanently  re- 
moved, but  I  felt  too  bad  to  die;  therefore  I  existed,  not  from 
love  of  life,  but  from  fear  of  hell.  Had  I  been  better  fitted  to  be  a 
male  angel,  no  doubt  this  would  never  have  been  written;  no 
doubt  the  hand  that  writes  this  would  long  since  have  been  part 
and  parcel  of  a  compost  heap  o'er  which  little  buttercups,  wild 
cacti  and  bluestem  would  long  since  have  budded,  blossomed, 
withered,  decayed  and  dissolved.  Perhaps  the  cottonwood  would, 
ere  this,  have  "sent  his  roots  abroad  to  pierce  my  mould,  etc." 
Who  can  say  that  the  undertakers  of  Wichita  would  not  have 
had  a  quarrel  over  my  fleshless  skeleton ;  that  some  future  Ham- 
let might  not  have  used  my  skull  as  an  apostrophe  on  the  fleeting 
condition  of  mankind  in  general  and  me  in  particular?  Yet  all 
this  has  been  happily  avoided  by  my  cowardice  or  want  of  spir- 
ituality. Save  the  footfall  of  a  creditor,  no  sound  reverberated  in 
my  stairway,  nor  disturbed  the  quietude  of  my  lonely  den,  save 
my  own,  till  one  day  a  step  on  the  stairway  gave  me  palpitation 
of  the  heart,  vertigo,  sent  shooting  pains  through  my  bloodless 
frame,  as  if  stung  simultaneously  by  a  thousand  nettles,  each  net- 
tle provided  with  as  many  prongs  as  the  countless  tongues  of  the 
Mohammedan  chanticleer — viz.,  male  cock — of  the  Koran,  with 
which  all  mankind  is  familiar.  To  paraphrase  Burns'  lines,  I 
could  say  at  that  time  "The  fear  of  a  creditor's  whip  is  hell." 
All  boomers,  to  the  manner  born,  will  echo  this  sentiment. 

At  that  time  there  was  an  old  attorney  here,  formerly  a  judge 
advocate  in  the  army,  ' '  lofty  and  sour  to  those  who  loved  him  not, 
but  to  those  that  sought  him,  sweet  as  summer. ' '  The  legal  kids 
respected  him  for  his  legal  knowledge,  yet  feared  him  for  his 


EEMINISCENCES  OP  A  BARRISTER  251 

acid  accent  and  his  seeming  roughness  and  brutality  in  his  prac- 
tice. He  will  be  known  as  "Surly  Bill."  In  September,  1874, 
after  the  "grasshopper"  had  swept  the  verdure  of  the  Arkansas 
valley,  even  as  Bismarck's  "iron  dice  of  destiny"  had  mowed  the 
vineyards  of  France,  I  was  in  my  office,  aimlessly  "sitting  like 
Patience  on  a  monument,"  not,  however,  "smiling  at  grief,"  and 
heard  a  sound  on  the  stairway.  Every  creditor  had  previously 
paid  his  respects,  and  I  was  wondering  if  one  of  these  fiends  in 
human  garb  was  returning  to  drive  me  mad  (the  word  mad  is 
herein  used  in  the  idiotic,  insane  sense,  not  as  denoting  anger), 
when  Surely  Bill  came  in.  He  had  ne'er  before  opened  my  door, 
nor  walked  across  the  floor,  and  I  expected  naught  save  a  dun,  a 
suit,  a  judgment,  disgrace,  humiliation,  commercial  dishonor  and 
insolvency.  Bill  seated  himself — without  invitation,  by  the  way 
— and  remarked:  "I  suppose  you  have  not  seen  a  dollar  for  so 
long  that  you  can't  tell  the  difference  between  a  good  or  bad 
one."  This  was  humiliating,  yet  almost  true;  insulting,  yet  I 
bore  it  all — in  fact,  separated  as  I  am  from  that  day  by  years, 
I  may  be  pardoned  for  saying  that  it  was  Christian  meekness  that 
nerved  me  to  bear  it  without  at  once  whipping  him  soundly,  even 
though  at  that  date  the  contrast  as  to  size  was  about  the  same 
between  Bill  and  myself  as  between  Judge  Reed  and  Judge  Wall. 
Bill,  mollified  by  my  forbearance,  continued,  after  a  pause: 
"I  have  a  little  case,  a  proceeding  in  aid  of  execution.  I  wish  to 
have  some  depositions  taken,  and  I  will  have  you  appointed  to 
take  testimony  if  you  desire.  I  want  to  examine  the  debtor  as  to 
a  conveyance  made  to  his  father-in-law."  Visions  of  wealth  came 
before  me,  and  I  eagerly  assented  and  thanked  the  judge.  He 
left,  had  the  appointment  made,  gave  me  the  names  of  witnesses ; 
I  made  out  the  subpoena  and  gave  it  to  Mike  Meagher  to  serve. 
(Mike  was  afterward  killed  at  Caldwell,  Kan.,  by  some  cowboys.) 
Mike  served  the  subpcena  and  returned  it  to  me  with  a  "grin." 
•  This  nettled  me,  as  I  supposed  I  had  made  "some  break"  that  he 
was  "on  to,"  and  I  asked  him  what  he  meant.  "Old  Bill  is 
going  to  let  you  try  this,  is  he?"  said  he.  "Yes;  why?"  I 
replied.  "Oh,  nothing — only  two  or  three  of  the  boys  have  com- 
menced on  the  case  and  quit.  Juandaro  won't  answer,  and  you'll 
have  to  send  him  to  jail.  I  don't  think  he  is  dangerous,  but  I'll 
come  round  when  you  examine  him."  I  now  realized  that  I  had 
been  caught  because  I  was  green,  obscure,  and  had  never  heard 
of  this  matter,  which  no  doubt  all  the  other  attorneys  had  full 


252  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

knowledge  of.  My  proud,  imperious  spirit  sank.  The  next  two 
days  were  simply  a  prelude  of  the  everlasting  Calvinistie  torment 
to  come  to  man  after  death — i.  e.,  dissolution — and  before  the 
day  of  trial  arrived  I  contemplated  leaving  town,  skipping ;  yet 
had  no  money  to  skip  with.  I  dreamed  of  being  shot,  of  dying. 
I  beheld  my  lifeless  form  in  a  coiSn,  pale,  sad,  melancholy  even  in 
death,  and  yet  how  relieved  I  was  I  had  died,  but  not  by  my  own 
hand!  I  thought  the  agony  of  the  interval  between  the  date  of 
serving  that  accursed  subpoena  and  my  death  had  so  purified  my 
unclean  and  aching  heart  that  my  poverty,  utter  loneliness  and 
abject  vsTetchedness  would  appeal  to  the  good  God,  that  he  would 
permit  me  to  at  least  enter  the  back  yard  of  paradise ;  perhaps 
grant  me  admission  to  the  stables  of  the  King  of  Hosts  and  give 
me  a  pass  to  the  hay  mow  for  a  bed.  Time,  that  is  so  fleeting; 
time,  that  matures  a  five-year  note  in  one  year;  time,  that  has 
buried  the  archives  of  centuries;  time,  that  has  obliterated  the 
glorious  records  of  deeds  of  generations  of  Turiennes,  Charles 
XII 's,  Cromwells,  Hannibals,  Marlboroughs,  Napoleons,  Grants, 
Shermans  and  Von  Moltkes;  time,  that  in  its  hurried  flight 
reckons  not  days,  years  or  decades,  was  for  me  too  slow.  It 
dragged  along  at  a  crippled  snail's  pace ;  hours  were  as  days,  and 
a  day  was  a  month.  I  was  in  a  fever  heat.  I  wanted  to  examine 
Juandaro,  hear  him  refuse  to  answer,  commit  him  to  jail,  be  shot, 
die  and  be  dead,  dead  forever  and  forever.  In  fact,  none  save 
God  knew  "the  fatness  of  my  full-rounded  misery." 

All  things  temporal  end,  however.  The  day,  the  hour,  came ; 
and  as  I  sat  awaiting,  a  heavy  foot  was  heard  on  the  stairway, 
bounding  up  two  steps  at  a  time,  and  in  an  instant  Carlos  Juan- 
daro stood  before  me,  and  then  for  the  first  time  I  knew  who  was 
the  witness.  As  I  remember  him,  he  was  a  man  of  about  five  feet 
eight  inches  high,  well  knit,  an  iron-built  frame,  swarthy  com- 
plexion; long,  snaky  black  hair  hung  round  his  shoulders;  eyes 
as  black  as  a  raven  and  piercing  and  relentless  as  a  rattlesnake 's ; 
a  frown  on  his  brow  as  ominous  as  inky  sky  in  summer;  a  mus- 
tache heavy  and  long  as  the  "jack  of  spades"  of  the  American 
army ;  a  mouth  that  half  opened  like  that  of  a  snarling  cur,  dis- 
closing two  rows  of  teeth  white  as  pearl.  He  wore  a  white  som- 
brero, with  wide  rim  and  tall  crown  covered  over  and  over  with 
silvery  binding  and  rosettes,  that  shone  like  a  helmet  in  the  sun ; 
a  pale-blue  shirt  and  no  coat  or  vest;  purple  velvet  trousers 
tucked  in  a  pair  of  high-heeled  boots,  set  in  yellow  stars.    Round 


EEMINISCENCES  OF  A  BARRISTER  253 

his  waist  was  a  belt  filled  with  cartridges  and  over  this  a  heavy 
crimson-red  sash  which,  wound  round  and  round  his  body,  formed 
a  fold,  the  rich  tassels  hanging  down  at  each  side,  and  peeping 
from  the  folds  of  this  belt  appeared  the  ivory  handle  of  a  revolver. 
He  was  the  ideal  creation  of  an  artist,  a  poem  on  legs — his  tout 
ensemble  astonished,  fascinated  and  bewildered  me.  Scientists 
say  snakes  don't  charm  animals,  but  that  animals  become  en- 
tranced and  charm  themselves  by  being  unable  to  remove  their 
eyes  from  the  snake  after  once  gazing  on  it.  In  the  same  way  I 
was  hypnotized,  became  dumb.  My  heart  ceased,  almost,  to  beat. 
I  was  tired,  weary,  sleepy,  limp,  when  I  was  suddenly  roused  from 

my  lethargy  by  a  loud  voice  saying,  "What  in do  you  want 

with  me, you ? ' ' 

I  rallied,  grew  talkative,  explained  as  best  I  could  my  position 
in  the  matter,  begged  his  pardon,  expressed  the  hope  that  it  was 
all  right,  and  thus  in  the  presence  of  impending  death  was  as 
cheerful  as  I  fancy  "Praise  God  Barebones"  (Cromwell's  assist- 
ant) would  have  been  at  a  dance  at  the  time  when  the  Long  Par- 
liament was  prorogued,  and  the  only  real  amusement  a  Round- 
head had  was  singing  psalms  through  his  nose  as  a  vocation  and 
spearing  Cavaliers  for  recreation.  That  interview,  however,  came 
to  an  end,  and  I  was  permitted  to  live.  The  day  of  trial  arrived. 
The  judge;  G.  H.  E.,  Carlos  Juandaro's  attorney,  and  Juandaro 
entered  the  court  room.  The  preliminaries  were  soon  over;  the 
witness  was  sworn ;  the  first  question  asked  and  answered  about " 
as  follows:  "State  your  name,  age,  residence,  occupation."  "It's 
none  of  your  business  as  to  my  age,  residence  or  occupation,  and 
as  to  my  name,  unless  I  am  the  man  for  whom  the  subpoena  was 
issued,  I  have  no  business  here.  If  I  am  the  man,  you  know  my 
name."  The  next  few  questions  were  answered  because  they  did 
not  tend  to  elicit  any  information.  At  last  a  question  was  put  by 
Surly  Bill,  and  to  the  end  of  it,  by  way  of  parenthesis,  he  added : 
."You  can  now  perjure  yourself  if  you  want  to,  or  surprise  me  by 
telling  the  truth."  This  addenda  to  the  question  produced  a  clap 
of  Mexican  thunder  in  a  cloudless  Kansas  sky.  Juandaro  raged 
and  swore  and  foamed  at  the  mouth  like  a  mad  dog.  He  almost 
burst  a  blood  vessel  and  his  gall  bladder.  He  swelled  up  in  the 
neck  like  the  picture  of  a  cobra  filling  his  hood  preparatory  to 
ejecting  the  poison  gathering  under  his  tongue,  and  his  eyes  were 
as  changeable  as  a  tiger-eye  jewel.  When  he  paused  to  recover 
breath,  Surly  Bill  remarked  in  a  dry  voice  that  he  was  a  born 


254  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

actor  and  ought  to  be  on  the  stage  instead  of  selling  whisky  and 
conveying  away  his  land  to  defraud  his  creditors.  This  brought 
on  another  scene.  During  the  oration  Juandaro's  right  hand 
nervously  clutched  the  ivory  handle  of  his  revolver,  and  when  he 
sat  down  it  M'as  the  general  understanding  that  he  was  not  going 
to  answer  that  question.  The  tableau  was  stirring — four  men  sit- 
ting looking  at  each  other — deep  breathing,  long  silence. 

Surly  Bill  at  length  said :  ' '  Mr.  Notary,  do  your  duty. ' '  Juan- 
daro's  attorney  here  mildly  remarked  that  he  did  not  suppose  the 
notary  would  take  the  responsibility  and  perhaps  get  sued  for 
false  imprisonment,  etc.  Surly  Bill  arose,  even  as  Ulysses  arose 
in  the  old  poem : 

As  if  in  thought  profound. 

His  modest  eye  fixed  upon  the  ground, 

and,  after  an  expressive  pause,  proceeded : 

"The  witness  is  now  at  the  end  of  his  rope.  Justice  will  be 
done.  The  law  will  be  vindicated,  the  culprit  punished.  Others 
have  permitted  this  witness  to  defy  the  strong  arm  of  the  law, 
but,  thank  God,  we  have  now  a  notary  who  in  his  duty  is  as  fear- 
less as  the  lion,  bold  to  do  right,  timid  only  in  wrong.  I  know 
that  I  am  not,  in  the  discharge  of  my  duty  to  my  client,  appealing 
to  a  coward,  but  to  one  who,  knowing  the  law,  is  courageous 
enough  to  enforce  it.  Mr.  Notary,  I  demand  an  answer  to  my 
question,  or  a  commitment."  During  the  address  I  was  the  per- 
sonification of  abject  misery.  I  had  a  chill.  I  grew  dizzy,  blind 
— in  fact,  I  felt  as  the  poet  when  he  said: 

What  a  tide  of  woes  came  rushing 
0  'er  my  wretched  soul  at  once. 

Surly  Bill,  seeing  my  condition,  sat  down  at  my  table,  wrote 
out  the  commitment,  showed  me  where  to  sign  it,  put  the  seal 
on  it,  went  to  the  window,  called  Mike  Meagher,  and  in  five  min- 
utes Juandaro  was  in  the  hall  on  his  back,  senseless.  I  went  home, 
went  to  bed,  stayed  there  three  days.  On  the  evening  of  the  third 
day.  Surly  Bill  came  down  to  inquire  after  my  health,  gave  me 
five  dollars,  thanked  me  for  my  courage,  and  stated  that  Juandaro 
had  offered  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar  as  a  compromise  the  morning 
after  his  commitment,  and  that  the  matter  was  settled. 


EEMINISCENCES  OF  A  BAKRISTER  255 

Juandaro  left  Kansas  and  is  now  in  Arizona ;  his  attorney  is 
in  Kansas  City,  Surly  Bill  in  Ohio,  Juandaro 's  father-in-law  in 
"Wichita.  The  real  estate  which  was  in  controversy  is  at  present- 
covered  with  a  brick  building  on  East  Douglas  avenue.  "Pro- 
ceedings in  aid  of  execution"  always  bring  to  mind  my  first  depo- 
sitions in  Kansas,  with  Juandaro  as  a  witness. 

"Amaranthine  that  day  in  my  memory  lives." 

"GRASSHOPPER." 

February  26,  1892. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

HISTORICAL  ADDRESS. 

By 
KOS  HARRIS. 

DECEMBER  9,  1903. 

Kos  V.  Harris,  who  delivered  the  formal  address  of  welcome 
at  the  convention  of  implement  dealers  late  yesterday  afternoon, 
electrified  his  auditors.  His  language  was  eloquent,  and  the 
address  was  pronounced  one  of  the  best  efforts,  oratorieally  and 
otherwise,  heard  at  any  similar  gathering  in  Wichita. 

Following  is  the  address  in  full : 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen :  The  committee  having 
charge  of  this  gathering  have  selected  me  to  deliver  an  address 
of  welcome  to  you.  I  was  selected  because  I  was  entirely  igno- 
rant, and  therefore  presumed  to  be  absolutely  without  bias  and 
prejudice  on  this  subject.  On  behalf  of  the  local  committee,  the 
local  implement  dealers  of  Wichita  and  the  city  of  Wichita,  I  bid 
you  welcome.  Glanciag  backward  almost  thirty  years,  when 
Smith  &  Keating  and  F.  G.  Smyth  &  Sons,  at  the  corners  of  Law- 
rence and  Douglas  avenues,  were  engaged  in  the  implement  busi- 
ness, with  one  railroad  in  this  city ;  when  looking  westward,  mil- 
lions of  cultivatable  lands  were  cattle  pastures,  and  from  the 
state  line  to  the  Red  river,  other  cultivatable  millions  were  cut  off 
from  trade,  commerce  and  cultivation  by  an  arbitrary  edict  and 
law,  and  from  then  down  until  the  present  day  of  this  harmonious 
gathering,  in  generous  rivalry  of  men  engaged  in  the  sale  of 
agricultural  implements,  must  be  to  every  man  here  a  revelation, 
a  surprise  and  a  continual  source  of  wonder. 

To  him  who  comes  here  for  the  first  time  today,  the  past,  as 

related  by  the  pioneer,  almost  staggers  belief.    To  him  who  has 

witnessed  it  all,  the  past  is  almost  an  Arabian  Nights  tale;   the 

present  a  glorious  triumph ;  the  future  full  of  rich  promises.    To 

2S6 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  257 

those  who  have  witnessed  the  A,  B,  C  of  agricultural  civilization 
in  the  Ai'kansas  valley  and  the  adjacent  and  tributary  territory; 
to  those  who  have  beheld  the  sun  of  hope  arise,  watched  it  in  the 
meridian  and  beheld  it  decline  in  the  days  of  financial  distress  and 
adversity,  this  is  a  joyous  occasion,  and  they  may  exclaim  as  the 
Psalmist :  ' '  The  lines  are  fallen  unto  me  in  pleasant  places ;  yea, 
I  have  a  goodly  heritage!"  A  meeting  of  men  engaged  in  busi- 
ness rivalry,  in  meetings  of  this  character,  is  not  only  a  liberal 
education,  but  builds  up  confidence  in,  respect  and  esteem  for  each 
other.  Practically  speaking,  it  is  a  new  era  in  trade  and  com- 
merce when  men  engaged  in  the  same  lines  meet  together  to  dis- 
cuss their  business  and  mutually  encourage  each  other.  Behold 
how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together 
in  unity.  Competition,  notwithstanding  trusts  and  combines,  still 
exists  among  dealers  and  manufacturers.  From  east  to  west, 
north  to  south,  men  are  employed  in  the  empire  of  agricultural 
machinery  for  their  industry,  honesty,  fidelity  and  alertness ;  and 
in  no  biisiness  throughout  the  West  is  there  any  greater  number 
of  capable  men  employed  than  in  the  business  controlled  and 
directed  by  this  meeting.  In  fact,  a  man  who  is  engaged  in  your 
business,  and  sails  his  boat  successfully,  can  engage  in  any  busi- 
ness— except  medicine  and  the  ministry. 

The  banker,  the  lawyer  and  the  newspaper  man  are  your 
debtors.  Your  calling  has  to  do  with  all  of  them,  and  your  opin- 
ion given  from  time  to  time  has  in  many  cases  become  the  deliber- 
ate judgment  on  values,  results  and  the  public  pulse,  by  men 
engaged  in  other  lines.  The  grain  and  stock  markets  of  the  world 
are  measurably  affected  year  by  year  by  the  reports  to  your 
houses  from  your  respective  agencies.  Your  business  compre- 
hends grain  and  stock  to  such  an  extent  that  you  are  the  barom- 
eter of  the  condition  of  the  crops  of  the  country  from  year  to 
year. 

But,  gentlemen,  notwithstanding  the  past  and  the  present,  I 
beg  to  state  that  "Wichita  has  for  thirty  years  planned  for  gath- 
erings of  this  sort.  Millions  in  bonds  have  been  voted  and  sub- 
sidies given  in  the  Arkansas  valley,  trusting  to  time  to  redeem  the 
promises  made  to  the  voter  and  the  giver.  The  land  was  here, 
the  men  were  here ;  and  they  believed  as  firmly  as  they  believed 
in  existence  that  this  valley  was  not  only  the  granary  of  Kansas, 
but  that  this  Southwestern  territory  was  the  superior  in  yielding 
power  of  equal  acreage  anywhere  in  the  known  world.    The  val- 


258  HISTOEY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

ley  of  the  Nile  has  heen  proclaimed  for  centuries  as  the  greatest 
field  of  production ;  and  yet  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas,  the  Nile 
of  America,  contains  a  yielding  power  in  wheat  compared  to 
which  no  other  section  of  the  world  is  equal,  and  the  figures  of 
which,  when  sent  abroad,  are  not  only  not  believed,  but  are  dis- 
credited. Our  people  believed  that  to  everybody — and  especially 
the  agricultural  implement  dealers — this  valley  would  prove  to 
be  the  gold-winner  and  world-beater  of  the  West.  Kansas  and 
Oklahoma  business  men  have  given  great  hostages  to  fortune,  and 
their  faith  in  the  future;  and  the  lines  that  you  represent  have 
taken  greater  risks,  perhaps,  on  the  future  development  of  this 
country  than  any  other  business. 

With  no  disparagement  to  Oklahoma,  its  wondrous  growth, 
its  glorious  future,  Wichita  has  faith  in  the  broad  and  fertile 
acres  that  lie  at  its  gates,  in  its  banking  facilities,  its  railway 
connections,  to  finally  bring  to  it  the  reward  to  which  its  people 
are  entitled  for  planting,  nursing  and  bringing  to  young  and 
ambitious  manhood  this  commercial  infant,  that  has  demonstrated 
its  right  to  lift  its  head  and  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  great 
commercial  factors  west  of  Kansas  City,  south  of  Omaha,  east 
of  Denver,  and  north  of  Texas.  The  first  great  gathering  of  men 
of  national  renown  to  push  the  claims  of  Oklahoma  was  in  Wich- 
ita. At  that  meeting  General  Weaver,  Congressmen  Springer 
and  Manser,  Colonel  Crocker,  and  men  from  other  states  were 
present,  and  at  that  time  Wichita  placed  herself  in  the  front  rank 
and  worked  for  the  success  of  that  meeting,  as  much  as  if  she 
was  trying  to  build  a  railroad  or  establish  a  packing  house.  And 
when  that  great  meeting  adjourned,  the  rustling  "blue  stem"  of 
Oklahoma  breathed  a  song  which  was  borne  by  eager,  willing 
winds  along  to  the  oleanders  of  Texas,  the  holly  of  Arkansas,  the 
long-leafed  pine  of  Georgia,  the  magnolia  of  Florida,  the  palmetto 
of  South  Carolina,  the  craggy  pines  and  singing  rills  of  Colo- 
rado's snow-capped  hills  to  the  northern  lakes,  which  song  was 
divined  and  caught  up  by  the  homeless  and  landless  yet  ambitious 
manhood  of  our  common  country,  and  fifty  thoiisand  tongues  were 
singing : 

"Come  along,  come  along,  make  no  delay; 
Come  from  every  nation,  come  from  every  way; 
Come  along,  come  along,  don't  you  be  alarmed — 
Uncle  Sam  is  rich  enough  to  give  us  all  a  farm." 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  259 

Never  siuee  the  date  that  Adam  and  Eve  "hoinesteaded"  the 
Garden  of  Eden  was  a  fairer  prospect  ever  given  over  to  ciliviza- 
tion.  History  fails  to  record  another  such  a  peaceful,  cosmopolitan 
settlement  that  transformed  a  melancholy  and  voiceless  plain  into 
a  human  beehive,  containing  all  the  necessary  elements  in  popula- 
tion, intellect  and  wealth  Avhich  go  to  make  up  a  state  between 
the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun.  And  at  nightfall  of  that  event- 
ful day,  long,  long  to  be  remembered  and  recalled  in  story  and 
legend  and  song,  when  the  sun,  like  a  ball  of  fire,  sank  into  the 
Pacific  sea,  "the  foxes  had  holes,  the  birds  of  the  air  had  nests, 
but  the  Son  of  Man  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head." 

"The  night  winds  swept  across  tlie  plain — the  voiceless  plain  no 
more  to  be; 
The  glowing  sun  arose  again,  and  smiled  upon  a  human  sea." 

The  sun  looked  down  and  smiled  upon  a  happy,  ambitious  peo- 
ple ;  a  future  commonwealth  that  provoked  the  envy  and  greed 
of  speculators  and  the  admiration  of  statesmen ;  a  new-born  civ- 
ilization, proving  that  Americans  (born  or  naturalized)  were  capa- 
ble of  government  twenty-four  hours  after  residence ;  looked 
down  upon  the  united  "blue  and  gray,"  and  consecrated  the  mar- 
riage of  Kansas  and  Texas,  Nebraska  and  Tennessee,  Indiana  and 
Arkansas.  Men  of  Oklahoma,  the  homogeneous  and  happy,  peace- 
ful and  prosperous  home  of  the  warring  enemies  that  met  at  Get- 
tysburg and  Donelson,  Appomattox  and  Frederickstown,  Atlanta 
and  Chancellorsville — 

"You  have  turned  your  swords  into  plowshares. 
Your  spears  into  pruning-hooks. " 

Wichita  welcomes  you  as  the  keystone  of  the  government 
arch,  a  jewel  fit  to  be  set  in  the  con.stellation  of  stars  that  the 
rising  sun  gilds  with  its  morning  rays  and  kisses  with  its  last 
beam  ere  it  sinks  to  rest.  Your  settlement  and  progress  is  a 
standing  criticism  to  all  prior  efi'orts  at  civilization,  and  but  for 
the  fact  that  the  day  of  the  pioneer  is  over,  would  be  a  lesson  to 
mankind  forever. 

Gentlemen,  in  the  unconfined,  boundless  and  ambitious  West, 


260  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

where  men  are  free,  tireless,  and  labor  with  zest,  the  agricultural 
implement  business  is  not  only  prosperous,  but  it  is  the,  best. 

"It  is  your  refuge  and  your  hope ; 
It  is  the  shadow  of  a  rock  in  a  weary  land. ' ' 

The  pioneer  is  gone  forever: 

"Never  again;   no,  never  again 

Shall  the  eye  of  the  traveler  behold 
The  naked,  boundless,  treeless  plain. 

The  charming  vision  of  the  pioneer  behold. 
"Now  teeming  fields  of  golden  grain 
By  the  eye  of  the  tourist  is  seen, 
"Where  once  a  free,  unpeopled  plain, 
Now  appears  a  waving  sea  of  green." 

Gentlemen,  this  agricultural  empire  belongs  to  you  and  your 
"children  even  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generations."  All  that 
we  ask  is  that  you  treat  our  farmers  fairly  and  put  the  carload 
lots  at  Wichita,  to  be  "localed"  out  and  distributed  throughout 
Kansas  and  Oklahoma  from  Wichita,  instead  of  Eastern  points. 
If  we  furnish  millions  in  trade,  the  freight  rates  should  be  as  low 
as  possible,  and  from  a  basing  point  as  near  the  grain  as  it  can 
be  put,  and  in  our  judgment  this  should  be  at  Wichita,  until 
another  star  arises  in  the  firmament,  makes  its  way  to  the  zenith 
and  demands  recognition — some  bright  star,  yet  unknown  and 
undiscovered  by  the  town-building  astronomer,  that  may  yet 
rival  us  in  our  boasted  possessions  and  contest  with  us  the  right 
to  wear  the  belt  of  commercial  supremacy  in  the  great  Southwest. 
The  development  of  these  lands  and  the  opening  up  of  that  ter- 
ritory gave  to  the  agricultural  implement  dealers  a  domain  almost 
equal  to  Kansas,  the  profits  from  which  will  last  until  the  end 
of  time ;  and  these  profits,  present  and  prospective,  should  entitle 
this  people  to  have  your  goods  in  bulk  placed  as  near  the  point 
of  demand  as  it  is  possible  to  do.  Wichita,  situate  225  miles  from 
Kansas  City,  600  miles  from  Denver  and  150  miles  to  Oklahoma 
City,  with  its  radiating  railroad  lines,  welcomes  you  here  as 
heirs  and  joint  heirs  of  the  prosperity  that  will  surely  flow  to  this 
valley  before  another  decade  shall  pass  away.  God  Almighty 
seldom  sends  a  man  into  the  world  with  an  ambition  to  accom- 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  261 

plish  something,  without  endowing  him  with  the  capacity  to  per- 
form his  work,  and  we  of  the  Arkansas  valley  feel  that  we  have 
both  the  ambition  and  capacity  to  be  the  commercial  center  for 
this  Southwestern  territory. 

To  the  manufacturer,  we  say  come  among  us;  be  one  of  us 
and  reap  the  harvest  to  come.  Your  houses  can  fix  the  rates  on 
tonnage  to  Wichita  if  you  so  will  it.  A  joint  demand  from  the 
immense  tonnage  represented  by  you  will  make  the  basing  line 
225  miles  southwest  of  Kansas  City.  Kansas  City  was  made  the 
"basing  point"  when  its  population  and  railroads  were  less  than 
Wichita's.  Less  than  one-half  a  million  Kansans  made  Kansas 
City,  and  the  million  of  people  now  directly  tributary  to  Wichita 
will  make  it.  Your  acts  may  retard,  may  hinder  and  delay  the 
fruition  of  the  hopes  of  the  Arkansas  valley,  but  as  sure  as  there 
is  a  God  in  Israel,  the  day  will  come  when  every  manufacturer 
in  your  lines  will  be  here  with  a  place  for  his  goods,  or  regret 
that  he  had  not  faith  in  this  locality,  situation  and  fertile  lands 
to  get  in  the  Arkansas  valley  team  and  "work  in  lead,  swing  or 
wheel,"  to  people  the  Arkansas  valley  and  the  adjacent  lands 
and  double  and  triple  the  "output"  per  annum. 

But,  gentlemen,  to  your  business,  "this  royal  infant,  yet  in 
its  cradle,  contains  a  thousand  blessings,  which  time  shall  bring 
to  ripeness."  The  wild  Indian  rose  at  the  south,  and  the  carpet 
of  grass  to  the  west,  has  but  been  scratched  by  the  plow  or 
touched  by  the  reaper  and  the  traction  engine.  You,  gentlemen, 
can  push  or  retard  the  growth  of  your  own  business.  You  can 
settle  this  great  field  and  enjoy  your  profits,  or  watch  the  gradual 
growth  from  year  to  year.  You  can  be  pioneers  of  agriculture 
instead  of  followers,  "trolleys  in  place  of  trailers;  engine,  not 
caboose."  Your  advertisement  of  southwestern  Kansas  and 
Oklahoma  will  send  to  those  fields  thousands  of  farmers,  to 
whom  your  goods  will  go,  and,  in  building  up  the  prairie,  enrich 
yourselves. 

•  The  men  of  Wichita  have  been  thirty  years  building  up  this 
city — building  it  up  in  the  faith  that  the  time  would  come  when 
it  would  be  the  depot  of  not  only  your  wares,  but  the  headquar- 
ters and  "basing  point  of  Southwestern  trade  and  commerce; 
building  it  up  to  welcome  you — to  welcome  you  today. ' ' 

We  feel  "that  we  are  citizens  of  no  mean  city,"  and  that  we 
are  especially  and  distinctively  the  city  of  Kansas,  dependent  on 


262  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

none  and  independent  of  all.  We  have  made  a  city  fit  to  entertain 
any  gathering,  and,  from  our  beginning,  the  stranger  has  been 
made  welcome  at  our  gates. 

Charlemagne,  at  Hamburg,  about  A.  D.  800,  on  the  bank  of 
the  Elbe,  made  it  a  free  city;  "Dutch  Bill"  the  Great  established 
and  intended  it  as  a  free  city.  To  this  free  city  we  welcome  you 
and  invite  you  to  bring  your  wares  and  enable  us  to  make  it  big- 
ger, to  the  end  that  your  trade  will  help  to  put  millions  of  souls 
in  Oklahoma  and  Kansas  to  buy  your  implements  and  move  the 
depots  of  machinery  to  a  basing  point  west  of  Missouri,  to  break 
its  bulk  and  be  distributed  throughout  southwest  Kansas  and 
Oklahoma.  You  are  here  to  extend  your  trade  and  increase  your 
profits ;  your  ambition  is  to  excel  your  rivals.  This  meeting  will 
result  in  good  to  all  and  broaden  your  views. 

Your  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  when  your  eyes  look 
to  the  west  beyond  Kansas  City,  there  is  but  one  place  upon 
which  they  can  tranquilly  rest  as  a  depot  for  your  goods,  and 
that  place  is  Wichita.  It  has  cost  millions  to  make  this  town  and 
develop  this  country,  but  some  near  or  distant  day  Wichita  will 
be  to  southwestern  Kansas  and  Oklalioma  what  Kansas  City  was 
to  Kansas  in  an  early  day;  and  when  that  day  arrives,  he  who 
waits  to  see  the  outcome  wilf  regret  that  he  did  not  get  on  the 
ground  floor.  In  every  honest  calling  there's  a  prize  for  him 
who  stands  his  ground ;  and  for  every  man  who  regulates  his 
conduct  by  the  golden  rule,  there  is  a  crown  which  will  make  his 
declining  days  contented,  peaceful  and  happy,  and  will  be  the 
most  glorious  legacy  he  can  bequeath  to  his  children. 

All  Wichita  rejoices  at  this  meeting  and  bids  you  welcome, 
and  if  good  will  and  good  wishes  have  any  weight,  we  hope  you 
will  continue  to  contend  for  the  prize  in  generous  rivalry,  a  free 
fight  and  a  fair  open  field,  and  when  the  end  comes,  that  you 
may  receive  a  prize  as  your  reward,  and  a  crown  as  an  heritage 
to  leave  to  your  children.  He  who  fails,  can  read  the  story  of 
his  failure  and  his  rival's  success  in  sorrowful  retrospection. 
Prom  unlucky  men,  as  from  a  pestilence,  people  fly,  while  success 
is  borne  on  eagle 's  wings  from  sky  to  sky. 

"All  hail  to  him  who  wins  the  prize! 

This  world  has  cried  for  a  thousand  years ; 
But  for  him  who  fails,  who  fails  and  dies, 
There's  naught  but  pitiful  tears." 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS  263 

Go  on  in  your  labor,  gentlemen;  adopt  the  "Old  Wichita 
Board  of  Trade"  motto:  "Harmony,  Unity,  Strength,  Success." 
Welcome,  thrice  welcome  to  the  "Hamburg  to  Kansas,"  and, 
hoping  that  your  meeting  may  be  successful ;  that  you  may  leave 
us  with  regret,  after  passing  a  resolution  that  you  and  your 
descendants  and  successors  will  meet  in  Wichita  annually,  until 
time  shall  be  no  more,  I  bid  you  glad  welcome,  and  I  bid  you 
adieu. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

OLD  NEW  YORK  BLOCK— SCHWEITER  CORNER— A  NAR- 
RATIVE OF  EARLY  WICHITA. 

By 

KOS  HARRIS. 

Somewhat  is  saved  from  the  tooth  of  time  by  the  recordation 
of  fragmentary,  confused  facts,  which  afterward  are  sorted  by  a 
ragman  into  some  sort  of  order,  strung  together  like  buttons  on  a 
memory -string  and  denominated  "history."  Some  are  better 
sorters  and  stringers  than  others.  That  which  follows  is  one 
memory-string  concerning  the  old  Schweiter  corner  and  things 
brought  to  mind  in  connection  therewith. 

' '  One  generation  passeth  away  and  another  one  eometh. ' ' 

THE  SCHWEITER  CORNER. 

A  man  whom  I  have  known  for  over  a  generation  said  to  me : 
"Why  don't  you  write  up  the  Schweite^r  corner  as  it  was  in  the 
days  of  long  ago?"  This  suggestion  moved  me  to  put  a  saddle 
on  the  cow  pony,  sit  firm  in  the  saddle,  give  the  pony  its  head  and 
a  free  rein,  and  ride  wherever  he  goes,  nipping  at  blue-stem  and 
buffalo  grass,  as  he  moves  ambling  and  shambling  along.  In  the 
former  generation,  when  "grandads"  were  few  and  far  between ;- 
when  white  Swiss,  blue  ribbons  and  pigtails  on  youthful  feminin- 
ity were  rare;  when  there  were  three  or  four  boys  to  every  girl 
iu  town  and  you  could  count  the  girls;  when  old  Eagle  Block 
(commonly  called  old  Eagle  Hall),  where  the  Boston  Store  now 
stands,  was  a  more  magnificent  and  grander  "publick"  edifice 
than  the  new  Coliseum,  Hippodrome,  Flavian  Amphitheater  or 
Architectural  Fabrication  or  Forum,  now  in  its  genesis,  at  the 
corner  of  Water  and  English  streets,  or  any  other  future  build- 
ing, will  be  to  Wichita,  the  "Old  New  York  corner,"  now  yclept 
"Schweiter  corner,"  was  the  center  of  business,  and  drew  the 
264 


OLD  NEW  YORK  BLOCK  265 

loafers  around  it  even  as  a  barrel  of  molasses  draweth  flies  or  a 
magnet  draws  iron  filings. 

The  golden  days,  whereof  I  write,  were  halcyon  days  to  those 
who  called  Wichita  "home."  A  few  people  were  called  "Mis- 
ter," but  they  could  be  counted  on  your  fingers  and  thumbs. 
Nearly  everybody  was  young — at  least  not  over  middle  age — 
and  the  gray-headed  man  was  almost  alone.  The  wrinkled  fore- 
head, the  gray  head,  the  lack-luster  eye,  the  bent  form  and  the 
"lean  and  slippered  pantaloon"  were  rarely  observed.  'Twas 
the  era  of  ambitious,  buoyant,  fearless  youth,  "when  blood  ran 
warmer  than  water."  Wichita  was  happy,  hopeful,  hospitable, 
harmonious,  ambitious,  and  so  contented  that  "if  the  Creator 
had  made  us  another  world  of  one  entire  and  perfect  chrysolite," 
we  would  not  have  exchanged  Wichita  for  it.  We  were  "It,"  and 
we  knew  it.  When  these  torn-down  buildings  were  built,  Judge 
Sluss,  Governor  Stanley,  Greiffenstein,  Kohn  Brothei's,  Steele, 
Hope,  Gilbert,  Murdock,  Schatners,  Hays  Brothers,  Judge  Jew- 
ett  and  Balderston,  Fisher,  Tucker,  Adams  &  Levy,  Oliver,  David- 
son, McClees,  Allen,  Fabrique,  McCullough,  W.  A.  Thomas,  Black, 
Corbett,  Parsons,  Block,  Hess,  Getto,  Hatton,  following  the  above 
order,  were  Henry,  Gene,  Bill,  Morris,  Sol,  J.  M.,  Jim,  Jake  or 
"Tripe,"  Uncle  Ben,  Seth,  Mose,  M.  W.,  A.  W.,  J.  0.,  Nels,  Joe, 
Fab,  Jim,  Al,  Jimmie,  Scott,  "Bully,"  Mike,  Albert,  Peter  and 
"Caig." 

As  my  cow  pony  wanders  west  on  Douglas  avenue  and  across 
the  yards  of  the  Pond  Lumber  Company,  the  Schwartz  Liunber 
and  Coal  Company  and  the  Union  Mills,  to  the  ford  below  the 
old  toll  bridge,  I  dig  in  the  attic  of  my  memory  for  things  long 
unrecalled  and  almost  forgotten. 

Scenes  vanished,  unbidden  rise 
From  the  ground  before  my  eyes ; 

Years  of  toil,  hopes  and  fears. 

Freighted  with  joy,  watered  in  tears. 

I  hunt  amongst  the  "jetsam  and  flotsam"  of  the  past  genera- 
tion and  recall  the  buoyant  young  men,  as  they  are  now  remem- 
bered, when  Wichita  was  a  Texas  cattle  town,  a  straggling  town 
in  swaddling  clothes,  but  "hitching  its  wagon  to  a  star,"  and  the 
past  has  such  a  roseate  hue  that  now  it  almost  seems  that  in  that 
golden  ambitious  past,  "the  morning  stars  sang  together  and  the 


266  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy."  In  the  days  of  old,  the  days  of 
blue-stem  and  buffalo  grass,  keno,  faro  and  all  the  things  implied 
thereby,  men  were  venturesome,  brave  and  bold. 

The  sun  shone  clear,  the  world  was  new, 
And  Life  was  bright  as  sparkling  dew. 

South  of  the  Schweiter  corner  stood  old  Eagle  Block,  or  hall, 
and  in  the  second  story  was  the  "Eagle"  office,  the  county  offices, 
the  court  room  and  a  temporary  jail.  The  ground  floor  on  the 
corner  was  occupied  by  the  Wichita  Savings  Bank,  the  Presby- 
terian minister's  study  in  the  rear.  Caldwell  &  Titsworth's 
queensware  and  grocery  store,  the  postoffice,  G.  H.  Herrington's 
book  store  and  Karatophasky's  dry  goods  and  notion  palace  occu- 
pied the  ground  floor  east.  ("Karatoph"  was  the  fee  owner  of 
a  new  and  young  second  wife  and  one  son,  aged  about  fifteen 
years.  Said  wife  and  son  were  not  congenial,  and  what  spare 
time  "Karatoph"  had  away  from  the  store  and  the  new  bride 
•  he  spent  mauling  said  youth  in  the  rear  of  the  store,  on  the  back 
end  of  a  vacant  lot,  where  the  Beacon  Building  now  stands.  This 
is  a  digression,  but  it  is  true.) 

WICHITA'S  FIRST  CIRCUS. 

East  of  Eagle  Hall  was  a  vacant  space  to  Market  street.  The 
first  circus  that  the  scribe  hereof  attended  in  Wichita  was  on  said 
vacant  land.  The  circus  tent  was  short  on  the  top  covers,  and 
R.  P.  Murdock,  John  T.  Stewart,  Jim  McCuUough,  Tommie 
Holmes,  Gene  Schatner  and  one  other  got  on  the  roof  of  the  Eagle 
Block  and  viewed  the  circus  without  paying  the  ordinary  honora- 
rium usually  demanded  by  the  door-keeper,  the  rule  of  circuses 
then  being  the  same  as  now,  that  you  can  pay  without  going  in, 
but  you  can't  go  in  without  paying.  To  the  west  of  the  New 
York  corner,  where  the  Kansas  National  Bank  now  stands,  was 
the  Progressive  saloon,  Jim  Dagner's  wholesale  and  retail  liquor 
house,  Pearce  &  Cogdell's  cigar  house,  a  barber  shop,  a  Lone 
Star  deadfall  saloon,  and  overhead  was  a  keno  room,  connected 
with  other  rooms,  where  there  were  a  few  games  of  chance,  such 
as  roulette,  faro,  gift  enterprise,  chuck-a-luck,  poker  (straight, 
bluff  and  stud),  horse-head.  On  the  theory  of  old  Herodotus,  the 
mention  of  the  thing  will  be  noted  that  one  of  the  games  of 


OLD  NEW  YORK  BLOCK  267 

chance  above  set  forth  is  horse-head.  On  the  theory  of  old  Herod- 
otus, the  mention  of  the  thing  at  a  time,  presupposes  that  the 
thing  must  have  existed.  No  one  in  Wichita  can  tell  what  kind 
of  a  game  horse-head  was,  but  it  evidently  was  a  very  pernicious 
gambling  game,  otherwise  the  city  council  of  Wichita,  good  men 
and  true,  would  not  have  prohibited  the  playing  thereof.  Over 
the  sidewalk  of  this  building,  reached  from  the  second  floor  by 
a  door  and  from  the  sidewalk  by  a  narrow  stairway,  was  a  bal- 
cony where,  on  the  long  summer  nights,  the  band  played  and 
when  the  music  died  away  there  was  a  cheerful  refrain  that 
floated  out  upon  the  air  and  startled  the  night,  the  which,  if  I 
remember  correctly,  was  about  as  follows : 

"24,  38,  56,  21,  19,  33,  11,  17,  Keno." 

Usually  these  sounds  were  followed  by  language  not  permissi- 
ble in  good  society  and  never  heard  in  Sunday  school  or  church. 

^       KENO  ROOM  DESCRIBED. 

For  the  edification  of  those  who  never  matriculated  in  keno, 
it  is  herein  stated  that  this  keno  room  was  about  45x70  feet,  and 
had  six  or  eight  long  tables  running  from  east  to  west.  There 
was  a  chair  about  every  two  feet  around  this  table,  and  these 
chairs  were  usually  occupied.  At  midnight  there  was  served  a 
lunch,  and  those  who  were  thirsty  did  drink,  and  those  that  were 
hungry  did  eat. 

North  of  the  New  York  corner,  where  the  Hub  clothing  store 
now  is,  stood  the  Southern  Hotel,  which  burned  one  night.  A 
large  lady  appeared  at  the  window  and  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
saved.  Jim  Steele,  who  weighed  something  over  twenty  stone, 
told  her  to  jump,  and  he  her  saviour  would  be.  The  offer  was 
immediately  accepted.  In  about  three  seconds,  at  least  600  pounds 
of  humanity  was  rolling  around  in  the  alley,  as  if  it  were  a  two- 
headed  phenomenon.  On  the  Main  street  front  of  this  corner 
was  Jim  Hope's  wholesale  and  retail  liquor  house,  on  the  alley 
corner.  Immediately  north  of  this  was  the  Oyster  Bay  Restau- 
rant, conducted  by  Andy  Wilt,  and  south  on  the  corner  was 
Steele  &  Smith's  old  land  office.  Between  Hope  and  the  land 
office  was  a  theater.  The  first  block  on  Main  street,  north,  was 
the  real  business  section  of  the  city  at  that  time.  Douglas  avenue, 
east  from  the  corner,  had  no  business  except  in  the  old  Eagle 


268  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Block.  George  Salisbury,  barrister  at  law,  was  an  occupant  of 
the  Paul  Eaton  stand  overhead.  He  had  a  law  office  in  front  and 
residence  on  the  second  floor  back. 

George  was  a  "shekel"  gatherer  who  had  no  superior.  It  is 
doubted  if  he  had  an  equal.  His  library  was  imposing,  until 
examined  with  a  critic's  eye.  Once  upon  a  time  he  defended  a 
traveling  book  peddler,  who  had  a  consignment  of  Webster's 
dictionaries.  Said  peddler  was  short  on  cash,  but  was  long  on 
dictionaries.  George  took  100  Webster's  dictionaries  and  put 
them  on  his  shelf  as  fillers.  George,  for  lung  power,  had  no 
human  equal  in  the  law.  His  equal,  if  any,  was  a  Spanish  jack, 
and  a  reference  to  the  jack  by  Judge  S.  M.  Tucker  in  connection 
with  George's  lung  power  almost  produced  a  duel,  but  this  is 
another  story.  George  left  Wichita  for  Pueblo,  thence  to  Cripple 
Creek,  now  unknown,  but  wherever  he  is  and  whatsoever  he  is 
doing,  the  sinking  sun  shows  that  George  has  more  cash  in  his 
purse  than  he  had  when  the  sun  rose.  George,  as  a  speaker,  had 
no  equal  in  Wichita.  Others  were  more  eloquent,  more  logical, 
some  closer  reasoners.  Some,  at  times,  were  louder,  but  taking 
it  all  in  all,  George's  speeches,  for  length,  breadth  and  thickness, 
have  never  been  surpassed  since  the  days  when  old  Bill  Allen,  of 
Ohio,  put  a  foghorn  out  of  commission  on  the  Ohio  river  in  the 
Hard  Cider  campaign  of  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too,  and  little 
Van  is  a  used-up  man. ' '  At  one  time  there  was  an  auction  store 
in  the  Paul  Eaton  stand,  conducted  by  "Four  Eyes"  Fred  Han- 
num  and  Tom  Conklin.  "Four  Eyes,"  if  he  had  been  a  lawyer, 
could  have  paid  entrance  fees  and  entered  for  the  nine-hour  test 
against  Salisbury.  On  one  occasion  "Four  Eyes"  was  selling  a 
mule  on  Main  street  while  George  was  in  justice  court  across  the 
street,  defending  a'  "coon"  for  stealing  a  watch.  The  united 
voices  of  these  two  orators  paralyzed  Main  street  and  stopped 
the  noise  of  Emil  Werner's  organ  next  door.  Both  orators  ap- 
pealed to  the  police  court  for  protection  from  the  other,  one  in 
the  interest  of  justice  and  liberty,  the  other  on  the  ground  of 
interference  with  trade  and  commerce. 

There  was  a  mighty  strife  betwixt  Douglas  avenue  and  Main 
street.  The  Santa  Fe  depot  on  the  east  and  the  toll  bridge  on 
the  west,  naturally  made  Douglas  avenue  the  main  business 
artery  of  the  great  metropolis.  AVhen  this  mighty  business  was 
done,  and  Main  street  was  downcast,  disheartened  and  hiunbled, 
Greiffenstein,  commonly  called  "Dutch  Bill,"  without  a  collar 


OLD  NEW  YORK  BLOCK  269 

and  with  his  vest  unbuttoned  and  a  heavy  gold  watch  chain 
hanging  down  at  the  left  side,  rubbing  his  snow-blind  eyes  and 
sending  upward  wreaths  of  smoke  from  blended  tobacco  and 
perique,  waved  his  pipe  as  a  magic  wand,  and  prophesied  the 
future  of  Douglas  avenue,  about  as  follows:  "This  royal  infant, 
yet  in  its  cradle,  contains  for  its  people  a  thousand  blessings, 
which  time  will  bring  to  ripeness. ' ' 

NOT  EXACT  QUOTATION. 

Now,  this  is  not  exactly  what  William  said  on  that  occasion, 
but  that  is  what  he  meant.  His  dream  is  not  yet  fulfilled.  The 
crowd  then  adjourned  and  went  over  to  Tom  Jewel's  place  to 
play  a  game  of  "devil  among  the  tailors,"  which  was  one  of 
William's  favorite  games. 

The  bridge  and  depot  were  the  beginning  of  the  demolition 
of  Main  street.  Lank  Moore,  Joe  Allen,  Sam  Houck,  Al  Thomas, 
Hess  and  Getto,  fled  from  North  Main  street,  as  rats  from  a  sink- 
ing ship ;  that  is,  all  fled  to  Douglas  avenue,  except  Lank  Moore, 
who  was  so  disgusted  that  he  went  to  Arizona.  These  men  were 
all  stout  North  Main  street  adherents,  but  they  could  not  abide 
to  see  the  trade  going  away  from  them,  and  they  built  on  Douglas 
avenue,  between  Main  and  Market.  Sol  Kohn  tore  down  a  two- 
story  brick  building,  formerly  occupied  as  a  wholesale  house  by 
Todd  &  Royal,  at  the  corner  of  First  and  Main,  and  rebuilt  the 
same  on  Douglas  avenue,  where  the  State  Savings  Bank  and  Gov- 
ernor Stanley 's  office  are  now  situated,  and  the  supremacy  of  the 
New  York  corner  was  fixed  for  a  generation,  if  not  for  all  time. 

The  lawyers  also  moved  down  from  North  Main  street.  Gov- 
ernor Stanley,  also  McClees  and  H.  C.  Day,  loan  agents,  moved 
over  the  building  where  Vail's  jewelry  store  was.  Sluss  and 
Hatton  moved  over  the  old  Wichita  Savings  Bank;  Balderston 
over  the  second  story  of  the  present  site  of  the  Shelley  drug  store. 

R.  S.  Timmons,  from  Baltimore,  also  was  on  the  second  floor  of 
this  building.  One  John  Stanard  also  hibernated  in  a  room  on 
the  second  floor.  Adams,  English,  Ruggles  and  Yank  Owens  were 
over  Richard  &  Rogers'  store  in  this  same  New  York  block.  This 
last  firm  had  a  sign,  two  and  one-half  feet  wide  and  eighteen  feet 
long,  on  which  was  printed  in  large  goldleaf  letters,  "Adams, 
English  &  Ruggles,  Lawyers."    George  Reeves  denominated  this 


270  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

"the  brass  front  firm,"  and  it  went  by  the  name  of  the  "brass 
front"  until  the  end. 

OLD-TIME  LAW  FIRMS. 

Then  the  firm  of|  Adams  &  Dale,  succeeded  by  Dale  &  Dale, 
and  then  by  Dale  &  Reed,  were  over  the  second  floor  on  the  corner 
west  of  Houek's  store;  also,  Stanley  &  Wall  occupied  rooms  at 
Stanley's  old  office.  Stanley  &  Hatton  and  H.  C.  Higgenbotham 
were  also  there.  Dr.  Furley  had  an  ofSce  over  the  old  Charlie 
Lawrence  drug  store  on  the  second  lot  east  of  the  corner.  The 
doctor  had  a  "writ  of  assistance"  served  on  him  one  night  by 
Charlie  Hill,  his  landlord.  "Doc"  had  been  up  the  street,  calling 
on  a  young  lady,  and  when  he  returned  he  found  his  carpet, 
chairs,  stove  and  desks  all  piled  up  on  the  sidewalk  and  in  the 
gutter.  This  at  that  time  was,  and  as  far  as  I  know,  ever  since 
has  been  the  most  rapid  forcible-entry-and-detention  law  suit 
that  ever  took  place  in  Wichita.  Charlie  was  not  only  plaintiff, 
but  he  was  the  justice  of  the  peace  and  constable.  With  him,  to 
think  was  to  act.  It  is  said  that  the  doctor  and  Charlie  Hill  were 
never  friends  after  this  occasion,  but  of  this  I  do  not  know.  Dr. 
McAdams  moved  in  the  next  day. 

Robert  S.  Timmons,  above  spoken  of,  was  a  lawyer  from  Bal- 
timore. He  used  tobacco  in  all  forms,  and  whittled  pine  sticks. 
He  went  to  Quannah,  Texas,  where  afterward  he  became  wealthy, 
and  there  died. 

D.  B.  Butcher,  a  jeweler,  called  "Butch,"  was  on  the  first 
floor.  M.  L.  Garver  and  L.  B.  Bunnell  and  R.  H.  Roys  had  offices 
in  the  building  torn  down. 

R.  H.  Roys,  attorney  at  law,  was  a  careful,  methodical  and 
painstaking,  regular,  perennial,  non-union  chess  player.  Law 
and  money-making  was  a  side  issue  with  him.  He  at  one  time 
tried  to  get  up  a  chess  club,  to  be  called  "Calumet,"  or  calamus 
root,  or  something  of  that  sort.  Probably  Roys  is  this  minute 
sitting  with  a  chess  board  in  front,  working  on  the  problem, 
"white  to  move  and  checkmate  in  five  moves." 

HE  HAD  NO  PRACTICE. 

John  Stanard,  as  a  lawyer,  attended  court  regularly,  looked 
after  the  call  of  the  docket,  but  did  not  have  any  practice. 

John  came  from  Pennsylvania,  but  where  he  went  to  no  one 


OLD  NEW  YORK  BLOCK  271 

knowetli.  It  was  currently  reported  that  John  received  an  an- 
nuity, which  was  paid  every  ninety  days,  and  which  boarded  and 
clothed  him  and  allowed  him  to  dress  in  black  broadcloth  and 
appear  dignified.  John  Stanard  had  naturally  at  all  times  as 
much  dignity  as  Judge  Reed  used  to  have  in  the  morning,  after 
attending  an  installation  at  the  Consistory,  and  desired  to  appear 
as  Perfect  Master  or  Knight  of  the  Brazen  Serpent. 

The  young  ladies  of  the  town,  when  the  old  building  was  new, 
as  I  recall  them,  were  Laura,  Emma,  Jose  and  Lou,  Matie,  Julia, 
Cora  and  Sue.    There  were  Emmas  three  and  Lauras  two. 

The  trade  of  the  town  then  was  between  Main  and  Market 
streets.  Stanley,  as  county  attorney,  a  few  years  afterward,  sold 
at  judicial  tax  sale  over  one  thousand  lots  for  delinquent  taxes. 
He  did  not  get  enough  money  to  pay  the  taxes.  The  costs  ran  up 
in  thousands  of  dollars.  Three  particular  lots  now  called  to 
mind,  which  were  in  this  judicial  tax  sale,  sold  for  $100  each, 
and  they  are  now,  on  present  Wichita  values,  worth  about  $40,000. 

The  land  office  moved  from  Second  and  Main  streets  to  103 
West  Douglas  avenue.  The  first  mortgage  on  the  Occidental 
Hotel,  now  called  the  Baltimore,  was  foreclosed  and  the  hotel 
shut  up.  A  fire  at  the  corner  of  Second  and  Main  streets,  destroy- 
ing a  two-story  building,  left  a  vacant  spot  where  the  Northern 
Building  now  stands.  The  burning  of  two  buildings  on  the  left 
side  of  Main  street,  between  Second  and  Third  streets,  where 
Winner  and  McNutt,  to  get  some  insurance  money,  burned  the 
body  of  a  man  named  Seiver,  otherwise  called  "Tex."  All  of 
these  things,  taken  together,  gave  Main  street  a  "raggedy" 
appearance. 

In  this  New  York  block,  as  it  was  then  called,  Kohn  Brothers 
had  the  corner,  just  torn  down.  Charlie  Hill  occupied  the  drug 
store  at  102  East  Douglas  avenue,  afterward  sold  to  Charlie  Law- 
rence, Richards  &  Rogers,  Allen  &  Tucker,  grocers,  and  the  J.  P. 
Allen  drug  store  and  Murphy  &  Riley,  filled  this  corner  to  the 
alley  west  of  Houck's  hardware  store. 

A  GORGEOUS  LAW  OFFICE. 

At  that  time  the  most  gorgeous  law  office  in  Wichita  was  on 
the  New  York  corner,  over  the  second  floor  of  this  building.  It 
was  occupied  by  Robert  J.  Christy,  formerly  of  Peabody,  Kan.; 
formerly  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  lastly  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Christy 
bought  $1,000  or  $1,500  worth  of  books  and  had  carpets,  chairs 


272  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

and  desks  which  made  the  ordinary  Wichita  attorney's  mouth 
water.  My  recollection  now  is  that  Sluss  sold  all  these  books 
under  chattel  mortgage  and  thereby  distributed  a  good  many 
good  law  books  around  town,  amongst  the  attorneys,  which,  per- 
haps, but  for  Robert  J.  Christy,  would  not  have  been  on  any  law 
book  shelf  in  Wichita  for  manay  years.  Sale  under  this  chattel 
mortgage  caused  the  iron  to  enter  into  the  soul  of  Robert  J. 
Christy,  and  he  pronounced  a  curse  and  doom  upon  the  town 
and  abandoned  it  forever. 

In  the  front  room  in  this  corner  building,  just  torn  down, 
Jim  McCullough,  a  whole-souled  Scotchman,  who  had  plenty  of 
money  and  simply  had  a  law  office  as  a  matter  of  introduction 
into  good  society,  died.  At  that  time  Jim  was  city  attorney.  He 
made  an  oral  will  and  bequeathed  the  ofiice  of  city  attorney  to 
Judge  Balderston.  While  there  was  no  provision  of  law  that  per- 
mitted an  officer,  when  dying,  to  bequeath  his  office  to  any  succes- 
sor, Jim  Hope,  who  was  mayor  at  the  time,  to  carry  out  the  wishes 
of  the  testator,  accordingly  appointed  Judge  Balderston  as  city 
attorney. 

In  front  of  this  old  corner  building,  Mike  Meagher  shot  Sill 
Powell  one  night.  Judge  Jewett  was  a  witness  to  the  act.  Noth- 
ing was  ever  done  with  Mike  Meagher.  The  shot  was  heard 
around  the  corner  and  across  the  street  and  emptied  old  Eagle 
Hall  of  the  theater-going  public.  At  that  time  Simon  Show  was 
in  progress  in  old  Eagle  Hall.  Simon  at  Ihat  date  was  the  star 
attraction  in  southwestern  Kansas  on  the  eoal-oil  circuit. 

Whether  or  not  Jim  McCullough  would  have  been  a  good  law- 
yer, had  he  lived,  no  one  can  tell.  Jim  was  too  rich,  with  his 
income  of  $200  a  month  in  Wichita  in  1874,  to  go  through  the 
drudgery  of  the  ordinary  law  office.  An  old  lawyer  used  to  say 
that  the  quotation  in  the  Bible,  "It  is  harder  for  a  rich  man  to 
enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  than  for  a  camel  to  go  through 
the  eye  of  a  needle,"  was  a  mis-translation,  and  that  it  should 
have  said,  "It  is  harder  for  a  rich  man  to  become  a  lawyer  than 
for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle." 

McCullough  used  to  throw  bones  to  the  writer  which  were 
snapped  up  like  a  stray  dog  at  the  back  end  of  a  butcher  shop 
in  the  long,  hot,  dry  summer  of  1874,  about  the  time  the  grass- 
hoppers swept  the  verdure  of  the  fields  of  Kansas,  even  as  the 
gardens  and  vineyards  of  France  were  swept,  in  the  Franco- 
Prussian  war,  by  Bismarck's  Iron  Dice  of  Destiny. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  LEGEND  OF  JOHN  FARMER. 

By 
KOS  HARRIS. 

Many  moons  ago  a  tale  to  the  writer  was  told,  the  which  he 
will  now  unfold,  concerning  an  old  Wichita  resident  and  citizen. 
The  same  was  verified  by  him  some  years  after  the  occurrence. 
There  is  now  on  the  west  side  a  real  estate  dealer  and  broker  of 
the  same  name.  It  may  be  the  same  man ;  anyone  who  is  curious 
can  ask  him. 

The  John  Farmer  who  is  the  hero  of  this  legend  came  to 
"Wichita  in  its  raw  days,  when  bricks  were  unknown,  when  stone 
was  as  scarce  as  diamonds,  lumber  was  higher  in  proportion  than 
the  present  prices  quoted  by  any  "lumber  trust"  compared  to  the 
price  before  there  was  any  trust.  The  assumption  that  there 
doth  exist  a  lumber  trust  is  founded  on  observation,  conditions 
and  a  lack  of  real  genuine,  all  wool,  yard  wide  competition.  But 
in  the  days  whereof  I  write,  lumber  was  high — higher  than  gold 
on  "Black  Friday,"  higher  than  "horse-liver"  and  "cat-chops" 
in  Paris  in  January,  A.  D.  1871.  Tliere  was  a  saw  mill  at  the 
junction  of  Chisholm  creek  and  the  Arkansas  that  sawed  cotton- 
wood,  and  the  small  area  of  cottonwood  fit  to  cut  was  watched  as 
closely  as  a  hen  watches  her  chicks  when  a  marauding  hawk  iS 
overhead.  John  Farmer  had  a  claim,  whereon  there  was  some 
small  timber,  and  naturally  desired  to  be  among  the  pioneer  tim- 
•ber  dealers  and  reap  the  benefit  of  his  foresight  in  getting  a  pre- 
emption that  had  timber  on  it.  The  majority  of  the  would-be 
purchasers  were  "short"  on  cash,  but  long  on  promise,  and  as 
John  had  timber  and  the  buyer  had  no  cash,  the  trade,  the  nego- 
tiation, the  commerce,  was  as  at  a  standstill.  All  negotiations 
were  broken  ofl",  and  therein  lies  the  deep,  dark,  despicable  vil- 
lainy that  proved  John's  disastrous  undoing. 

At  this  time,  in  our  peaceful  hamlet,  when  buffalo  hides  were 
273 


274  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

legal  tender,  buflPalo  rump  was  steak  and  roasts,  there  was  one 
Harry  Van  Trees,  a  duly  elected  and  qualified  "justice  of  th' 
peace,''  as  full  of  tricks  as  a  dog  of  fleas,  hungry  as  a  hound,  out 
at  the  toes  and  also  the  knees,  who  had  been  living  on  beer, 
crackers  and  cheese,  and  who  was  growing  tired  of  these  and 
was  ripe  for  stratagem  and  spoils.  The  timber  buyers  or  thieves 
had  recourse  to  the  cunning  and  judicial  wisdom  of  Judge  Van 
Trees,  who  evolved  a  scheme  as  follows:  One  lovely  morning, 
just  about  the  break  of  day,  John  Farmer  heard  a  crash  like  that 
made  by  falling  timber.  He  got  on  some  clothing  right  away 
and  found  that  during  his  stunts  the  thieves  were  ' '  making  hay. ' ' 

He  scared  them  off  with  a  gun,  and  put  them  on  the  run. 

And  deemed  the  victory  won. 

But  did  not  reckon  on  the  hours  till  the  setting  of  the  sun. 

John  recognized  several  of  the  malefactors,  and  under  the 
advice  of  some  neighbors,  he  sought  the  fount  of  justice  of  Judge 
Van  Trees,  on  North  Main  street.  He  found  the  place  by  a  sign 
as  thereafter  set  out. 

I  am  informed  that  the  blind  goddess  at  this  date  occupied  a 
one-story  edifice,  twelve  by  fourteen,  at  least  ten  feet  high,  made 
of  Cottonwood  lumber,  with  a  square  front  so  as  to  be  as  pre- 
tentious as  possible.  John  explained  the  nature  of  the  crime  com- 
mitted, and  demanded  that  a  warrant  be  issued.  Judge  Van 
Trees  inquired  into  the  matter,  consulted  the  old  statutes  of 
1868,  and  Spaulding's  Treatise,  and  Swan,  and  Plumb.  These 
books  at  that  date  were  a  law  library  in  the  law  offices  in  the 
great  terra  incognita  south  and  west  of  Emporia,  at  which  time 
Emporia  was  the  end  of  wisdom  and  beginning  of  ignorance  in 
law  and  religion,  politics,  commerce  and  real  business.  The 
judge,  as  he  looked  John  over,  unto  himself  softly  said : 

Here  is  a  chunk  of  raw  Irish  clay 
Which  Providence  hath  put  in  our  way 
To  furnish  food  for  a  rainy  day ; 
Therefore,  let  us  be  thankful  and  "prey." 

The  judge  saw  that  John  knew  nothing  of  procedure,  nothing 
of  his  legal  rights;  and,  contrary  to  the  statutes  in  such  eases 
made  and  provided,  he  demanded  a  deposit  of  costs  to  the  extent 


THE  LEGEND  OF  JOHN  FARMER        275 

of  $5,  which  John  "put  up,''  and  the  law  commenced  to  grind. 
The  celerity  of  the  officer  who  served  the  warrant  was  a  surprise 
to  John.  The  ofiScer  was  Mike  or  John  Maher,  Jim  Cairns  or  Ike 
Walker.  The  criminals  seemed  to  have  courted  arrest,  as  they 
were  all  in  court  in  one  hour,  demanding  separate  trial,  which 
was  granted.  All  defendants  were  out  on  bail.  After  dinner  one 
case  was  called  and  trial  commenced.  After  all  testimony  was 
in  and  the  case  argued,  the  court  discharged  the  defendant  and 
made  a  finding  that  the  prosecution  was  malicious,  and  held  the 
prosecuting  witness  for  all  costs,  taxed  at  $50.  This  was  a  de- 
nouement not  anticipated.  There  was  no  compassion,  no  relent- 
ing ruth,  for  the  Irish  youth  who  had  told  the  truth;  who  was 
as  green  as  his  own  Emerald  Isle,  even  causing  his  tormentors 
to  smile  at  his  lack  of  guile,  as  they  all  the  while  were  preparing 
to  divide  up  his  hard-earned  money ;  yea,  verily,  even  as  Joseph 's 
brethren  divided  up  his  price  when  he  was  sold  into  Gilead  for 
twenty  shekels.  John  was  encompassed  round  and  about  by  his 
enemies.  In  all  the  land  there  was  no  protecting  hand  to  assuage 
his  grief  or  grant  unto  him  relief,  for  as  much  as  the  judge,  of 
all  the  timber  thieves,  was  the  chief ;  though  it  passeth  all  belief 
that  such  "things"  could  be,  yet  such  "things"  were. 

The  judge  at  last  grew  merciful,  and,  as  John  had  no  shekels, 
rhino,  mapus,  chink,  argumentiun  ad  crumenam  at  hand,  the  court 
took  his  note  for  $50,  due  in  ninety  days,  and  immediately  took 
the  same  to  Sol  Kohn  and  got  the  money  on  it.  He  discharged 
ye  prisoner,  who,  thankful  to  "get  off  with  his  skin,"  hurried 
home,  and  then  the  deep  damnation  of  the  plot  broke  out  on  John 
even  as  ehickenpox  on  a  healthy  child.  All  the  cut  timber  was 
gone ;  the  timber  thieves  out  on  bond  had,  during  the  trial  of  the 
malefactor  placed  on  trial,  gone  to  the  land  and,  unmolested  by 
any  one,  had  leisurely  taken  all  they  had  cut  in  the  morning,  and 
John  was  left  lamenting. 

Note. — Mr.  Harris  is  without  a  doubt  the  most  prolific  writer 
in  Wichita  outside  of  the  newspaper  profession.  His  writings 
cover  a  great  variety  of  subjects,  and  his  style  is  terse  and  vigor- 
ous. He  possesses  a  great  fund  of  humor,  unlimited  information, 
and  a  large  good  fellowship.  His  productions  are  always  eagerly 
read  by  the  people  of  Sedgwick  county.  Kos  Harris  is  the  Mark 
Twain  of  southern  Kansas. — Editor. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

WILLIAM  LIATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL— LAST  OF  THE 
OLD  SCOUTS. 

By 

DALE  RESING. 

I  went  to  get  the  histoi-y  of  a  city,  and  came  back  with  the 
annals  of  an  empire  tucked  away  in  ray  notebook.  I  had  sought 
only  for  a  few  facts  relative  to  the  founding  of  a  city,  but  when 
I  had  finished  seeking  there  was  enough  material  in  my  possession 
to  build  a  reliable  chronicle  of  the  early  days  of  Kansas  and  then 
leave  plenty  to  write  a  fair-sized  biography  of  the  Last  of  the 
Old  Scouts.  The  Last  of  the  Old  Scouts !  The  final  shoot  of  that 
old  stock  of  hardy  frontiersmen  which  blazed  the  way  from  the 
Alleghanies  to  the  Rockies  for  the  thousands  who  later  harked  to 
the  call  of  "Westward  Ho!"  Much  has  been  written  of  Daniel 
Boone,  the  founder  of  the  nineteenth-century  school  of  frontiers- 
raanship.  Every  youngster  in  the  land  knows  how  he  went  into 
the  wilds  of  Kentucky  in  1769,  and  there,  fighting  and  treating 
with  the  Indians,  paved  the  way  for  the  future  settlement  of  that 
country.  Not  a  lad  but  knows  of  the  wonderful  exploits  of  David 
Crockett,  who  passed  Boone's  last  settlement  in  Missouri  and 
placed  the  outposts  of  civilization  a  little  farther  to  the  west,  and 
then  died  at  the  hand  of  the  bloody  butcher,  Santa  Anna,  in  the 
Alamo.  And  the  intrepid  courage,  skill  and  endurance  of  Kit 
Carson  are  subjects  for  many  a  thrilling  tale  in  all  future  genera- 
tions. But  of  the  last  of  this  illustrious  line  of  daring  explorers, 
hunters,  Indian  scouts  and  fighters  little  has  ever  been  \witten. 
History  says  practically  nothing  of  his  life  and  deeds;  and  yet 
none  of  his  famous  predecessors  of  the  same  school  did  more  to 
prepare  the  pathway  for  Western  emigration  and  settlement. 
None  saved  more  lives  than  this  Last  of  the  Old  Scouts,  who  in 
his  time  rescued  fifty-four  women  and  children  from  camps  of 
savage  Indians,  and  prevented  the  massacre  of  hundreds  of  others. 
276 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  277 

No  frontiersman  fought  the  wild  hordes  of  redskins  with  more 
courage  and  valor ;  and  yet  none  was  more  respected,  more  feared 
and  more  beloved  by  the  Indians  than  this  last  of  the  old-time 
pioneers.  William  Mathewson  is  his  name.  William  Mathewson, 
of  Wichita,  heir  in  direct  line  to  the  prowess  of  Daniel  Boone, 
1735  to  1822;  David  Crockett,  1786  to  1836;  and  Kit  Carson, 
1809  to  1868.  William  Mathewson,  1830  and  still  living— living 
and  pining,  in  his  comfortable,  modern  home,  for  those  old-time 
hardships  and  comrades  of  forty  years  ago,  when  men  were  men 
on  the  plains  of  Kansas,  and  lived  only  when  they  were  men.  So, 
it  was  to  William  Mathewson  that  I  went  for  information  regard- 
ing the  foundation  of  the  city  of  Wichita.  And  from  him  I  went 
away  with  more  appreciation  of  the  danger  and  hardship  of  a 
pioneer  life  than  I  had  ever  gleaned  from  a  dozen  books. 

He  eyed  me  stolidly  as  I  entered  his  cozy  little  parlor  on  the 
chill  October  evening,  and  backed  up  to  the  cheerful  blaze  of  the 
grate  fire.  And  I  as  frankly  scanned  his  battle-scarred  counte- 
nance. It  was  a  noble  brow  that  I  saw — high,  broad  and  fringed 
with  snowy  hair,  combed  backward.  Beneath  shaggy  eyebrows 
two  gray-blue  eyes  gleamed  steady  and  stern.  The  mouth  was 
thin,  straight  and  firm.  A  square,  lean  jaw  and  sinewy  neck 
based  the  noble  proportions  of  the  head.  A  deep  scar  in  the  chin 
was  half  hidden  by  the  scraggly  gray  hairs  of  the  beard.  But 
striking  beyond  other  features  was  the  huge,  hooked  nose,  like  the 
beak  of  an  eagle.  "What's  the  use  of  my  talking  of  these  things 
to  you?"  he  had  said  when  I  queried  him  regarding  his  connec- 
tion with  the  early  history  of  Kansas.  "Why  should  I  speak  of 
them  to  anybody  ?  You  can 't  understand ;  you  don 't  know  what 
they  mean.  Nobody  knows  or  can  know,  except  those  who  were 
here  in  those  early  days.  I  could  tell  you  of  the  hardships,  the 
drouths,  the  famines,  the  terrible  massacres,  but  even  then  you 
couldn't  understand."  The  words  were  spoken  half  reprovingly, 
"half  sadly.  As  they  fell  from  the  lips  of  William  Mathewson,  the 
Last  of  the  Old  Scouts,  I  scanned  the  stern,  battle-scarred  face  of 
the  old  Indian  warrior  with  a  keen  interest.  Yes ;  he  was  right. 
There  was  no  possibility  of  any  one  of  the  present  generation 
realizing  half  the  horror,  half  the  privation,  the  danger  through 
which  passed  the  pioneers  of  the  great  Middle  West.  Those  sears 
on  that  austere  countenance  were  too  deep  to  fathom  ;  those  lines 
and  furrows  carried  by  too  stern  a  hardship  to  understand. 

The   eyes   of  William   Mathewson   closed.     His   head  rested 


278  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

wearily  in  his  hand,  while  I,  the  visitor,  sat  silent  and  full  of 
inspired  admiration.  I  had  heard  of  Indian  fighters,  read  of  them 
in  books ;  but  never  in  my  life  had  I  beheld  one  belonging  to  the 
old  school.  And  now  that  it  was  one  of  the  greatest  of  them  who 
was  before  me,  I  was  dumb  with  mingled  sensations.  « 

I  tried  to  grasp  the  trend  of  the  old  scout's  thought.  But  it 
ran  too  fast  for  me.  On  and  on  it  raced,  touching  here  and  there 
on  the  greatest  deeds  of  a  life  full  of  adventure,  till  sixty  years 
were  covered,  and  "William  Mathewson,  with  a  few  sturdy  com- 
rades, was  seen  crossing  the  vast  prairies  west  of  the  Mississippi 
in  the  year  of  1849.  For  tlu-ee  hours  I  listened  to  the  incidents 
and  experiences  of  this  man 's  life.  And  when  it  was  over  I  went 
out  of  the  cozy  little  parlor  half  fearing  that  instead  of  seeing  the 
well  lighted  street  of  the  city  I  should  find  a  wide,  moon-lighted 
prairie,  dotted  here  and  there  with  the  camp  fires  of  Indian 
lodges.  Thus  vivid  were  the  tales  of  adventure  told  by  the  Last 
of  the  Old  Scouts.  When  we  had  sat  for  a  long  time  silent,  he 
spoke  again.  Staring  with  half-shut  eyes  into  the  cheerful  grate 
fire,  his  thoughts  doubtless  wandering  over  some  half-forgotten 
trail  of  the  prairie  trod  half  a  century  ago,  I  hungrily  waiting  for 
him  to  pick  up  the  thread  and  lead  me  with  him  through  some  of 
those  vast,  strange  wildernesses.  My  nostrils  dilated  as  did 
those  of  my  host  to  sense  the  smell  of  camp-fire  smoke.  In  my 
veins  raced  something  of  that  flame  called  "wanderlust."  "You 
have  never  tasted  buffalo  meat,  young  man,"  said  the  old  scout, 
abruptly,  "and  you  don't  know  what  real  eating  is.  I  wish  I 
had  a  big  juicy  steak  out  of  a  young  buffalo  cow  to  give  you. 
It's  the  finest  meat  in  the  world — just  as  much  superior  to  the 
best  of  corn-fed  beef  as  the  beef  is  superior  to  mule  meat.  I  know, 
for  I've  eaten  all  of  them.  Many's  the  time  I've  lived  on  buffalo 
meat  alone.  And  it  was  good  living,  too.  There  is  more  nutrition 
in  a  buffalo  steak  than  in  any  meat  a  man  ever  ate." 

So,  piecemeal,  I  drew  out  the  life  story  of  William  Mathewson, 
known  to  early  settlers  from  the  Missouri  river  to  the  Rockies  as 
"Buffalo  Bill"  between  the  years  of  1860  to  1880.  There  was  no 
connected  recital  of  events.  William  Mathewson  is  a  man  of 
eighty  years.  His  mind  was  filled  with  the  thoughts  of  his  Indian 
fighting  and  scouting  days  on  the  plains  of  Kansas;  but  as  the 
separate  incidents  came  back  to  him  they  were  sadly  out  of  their 
historical  place,  but  none  the  less  interesting. 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  279 

WILLIAM  MATHEWSON. 

By 
MRS.  J.  R.  MEAD. 

The  Last  of  the  Old  Scouts !  The  final  shoot  of  that  old  stock 
of  hardy  frontiersman,  which  blazed  the  way  from  the  AUe- 
ghenies  to  the  Rockies  for  the  thousands  who  later  harked  to  the 
call  of  "Westward  Ho." 

Much  has  been  written  of  Daniel  Boone,  the  foimder  of  the 
nineteenth  century  school  of  frontiersmanship.  Every  youngster 
in  the  land  knows  how  he  went  into  the  wilds  of  Kentucky  in 
1769  and  there  fighting  and  treating  with  the  Indians  paved  the 
way  for  the  future  settlement  of  that  country.  Not  a  lad  but 
knows  of  the  wonderful  exploits  of  David  Crockett,  and  the 
intrepid  courage,  skill  and  endurance  of  Kit  Carson.  But  of  the 
last  of  this  illustrious  line  of  daring  explorers,  hunters,  Indian 
scouts  and  fighters  little  has  ever  been  written,  and  yet  none  of 
his  famous  predecessors  of  the  same  school  did  more  to  prepare 
the  pathway  for  western  immigration  and  settlement.  None  saved 
more  lives;  no  frontiersman  fought  the  wild  hordes  of  red  skins 
with  more  courage  and  valor,  and  yet  none  was  more  respected, 
more  feared  and  more  beloved  by  the  Indians  than  this  last  of  the 
old  time  pioneers. 

William  Mathewson  is  his  name.  William  Mathewson  of  Wich- 
ita, heir  in  direct  line  to  the  prowess  of  Daniel  Boone,  1735  to 
1822;  David  Crockett,  1786  to  1836,  and  Kit  Carson,  1809  to  1868. 
William  Mathewson,  the  original  "Buffalo  Bill,"  is  a  native  of 
Broome  county,  New  York,  his  birth  place  being  located  in  the 
town  of  Triangle.  He  went  west  when  young  and  earned  his  name 
after  passing  through  wild  adventures  among  the  Indians  and 
killing  buffaloes. 

•  In  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  three  brothers, 
heads  of  the  Mathewson  family  in  America,  emigrated  from  Scot- 
land. One  of  them,  William  Mathewson,  great  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  biography,  settled  in  Connecticut,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  his  death,  having  been  a  soldier  of  the 
French  war.  His  son,  William  Mathewson,  was  born  in  Con- 
necticut in  1743 ;  was  a  farmer  all  his  life,  and  during  the  Revolu- 
tion participated  in  the  campaigns  in  New  England  until  the  close 
of  the  war.    In  1806  he  removed  to  and  settled  in  Broome  county, 


280  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

New  York,  when  the  country  was  wild  and  very  thinly  settled; 
clearing  his  land  of  timber  he  engaged  in  farming  there  until  his 
death,  in  1835,  aged  92  years.  His  son,  Joseph  Mathewson,  was 
born  in  Connecticut  in  1790,  removing  with  his  parents  to  New 
York.  He  engaged  in  hunting  and  trapping  until  the  incoming 
settlers  drove  the  game  from  the  country,  when  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock  raising  until  his  death,  in  1835,  aged  45  years. 

His  son,  William,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
Broome  county.  New  York,  January  1,  1830,  being  the  seventh  of 
eight  children.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Eliza  Stickney, 
who  moved  with  her  parents  from  New  Hampshire  to  a  farm  on 
Page  Brook  in  the  town  of  Triangle,  adjoining  the  farm  owned  by 
Joseph  Mathewson. 

When  but  a  child,  his  inclinations  were  for  the  wild,  roving 
life  of  a  hunter.  He  inherited  the  intrepid  daring  of  his  High- 
land Scottish  ancestry  and  longed  for  the  adventurous  life  of  a 
frontiersman.  Remaining  at  home  after  his  father's  death  and 
his  mother's  second  marriage  to  Charles  Mathewson  from  Ver- 
mont, a  soldier  of  1812,  he  attended  the  country  schools  until  he 
was  ten  years  old.  He  then  went  to  live  with  an  older  brother, 
where  he  stayed  three  years.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  went  into 
the  lumber  regions  of  Steuben  county,  New  York,  and  there  and 
in  western  Pennsylvania,  was  employed  in  the  lumber  and  mill 
business  a  part  of  each  year  until  he  was  eighteen  years  old!; 
In  the  fall  of  the  year  he  would  set  out  with  other  hunters  on  a 
long  hunting  expedition,  and  would  go  to  Pennsylvania,  Michigan, 
and  Canada,  returning  home  from  these  trips  towards  spring. 
He  was  a  part  of  the  time  engaged  in  looking  up  pine  lands  in 
Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  and  at  one  time  acted  as  a  guide  to  a 
party  of  land  buyers  through  the  unknown  West. 

When  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  New  York  state  was  too 
small  for  him.  He  had  hunted  and  trapped  in  its  every  nook 
and  corner ;  explored  its  mountains  and  streams.  He  yearned  for 
the  great  West  of  vast  prairies  and  towering  mountains,  where 
game  was  big  and  plentiful,  and  every  hour  was  full  of  adventure. 
Like  Alexander  the  Great,  he  wanted  new  worlds  to  conquer. 
In  1849,  he  embraced  the  opportunity  offered  him  by  the  North- 
western Fur  Company,  with  headquarters  at  Ft.  Benton,  Montana, 
and  went  West  with  a  party  of  men.  Through  Montana,  the 
Dakotas,  Nebraska,  and  Wyoming,  passed  this  party,  trading 
with  the  Indians  where  they  found  the  redmen  friendly,  fighting 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  281 

them  when  the  war  dance  reigned  instead  of  the  peace  pipe,  but 
ever  pushing  farther  into  the  wilderness.  It  was  in  this  expedi- 
tion that  MatheAvson  acquired  his  first  knowledge  of  Indian  war- 
fare. Their  hunting  grounds  were  in  the  territory  of  the  Black- 
feet,  a  hostile  and  warlike  tribe,  and  the  intrepid  hunters  kept 
their  position  only  by  their  courage  and  the  accuracy  of  their 
marksmanship.  At  one  time  they  were  surrounded  by  a  war 
party  of  the  Blackfeet  and  did  not  dare  to  leave  their  stockade 
to  give  them  battle.  After  very  severe  fighting,  however,  the 
Blackfeet  were  driven  off.  During  their  continuance  in  that  coun- 
try, they  were  exposed  to  continual  danger  and  Avere  compelled 
to  be  ever  on  the  alert  and  to  carefully  study  the  character  of 
the  people  in  whose  country  they  were  employed. 

After  remaming  nearly  two  years  in  the  employ  of  the  B^ir 
Company,  Mr.  Mathewson  joined  that  famous  party  under  the 
leadership  of  the  world  renowned  Kit  Carson,  consisting  of  the 
two  Maxwells,  James  and  John  Baker,  and  Charles  and  John 
Atterby.  They  came  south  to  the  head  of  the  Arkansas  river  in 
Colorado,  traversing  the  foot-hills  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  cross- 
ing the  head  waters  of  the  Big  Horn — where  General  Custer  was 
subsequently  killed — the  north  and  south  forks  of  the  Platte, 
down  through  the  country  where  Denver  now  stands,  when  there 
was  no  sign  of  habitation,  and  elk,  deer,  antelope  and  other  game, 
were  abundant.  Mathewson  Avent  with  Kit  Carson  to  get  the 
Indians  together  and  prevent  them  from  raiding  into  Mexico. 

In  1852  he  entered  the  eraploj'  of  the  Bent-St.  Vrain  trading 
post  at  the  foot  of  the  Rockies.  This  post  furnished  supplies  for 
all  of  the  spare  settlements  in  Eastern  Colorado,  Western  Ne- 
braska and  Kansas  and  even  on  back  to  the  central  part  of  the 
latter  state.  Often  young  Mathewson  Avondered  at  this  condition 
of  affairs.  He  saw  no  use  in  the  freighting  of  provisions  across 
Kansas,  and  then  sending  them  back  three  hundred  miles  into  the 
.territory,  through  which  they  had  just  come.  Asking  the  rea- 
son for  this,  his  curt  ansAver  was  "Indians." 

A  year  with  the  Bent-St.  Vrain  trading  post  gave  William 
Mathewson  a  new  insight  into  the  affairs  of  the  West.  He  had 
traversed  the  entire  unsettled  region  betAveen  the  Missouri  river 
and  the  Rocky  mountains  and  his  keen  brain  saAV  readily  that 
when  emigration  burst  through  the  Llissouri  river  boundary,  the 
settlement  of  Eastern  and  Central  Kansas  would  be  rapid.  With 
this  in  mind  he  determined  to  establish  a  trading  post  someAvhere 


282  fflSTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

near  the  center  of  Kansas  on  the  old  Santa  Fe  trail.  The  an- 
nouncement of  this  determination  brought  down  on  the  head  of 
Mathewson  a  storm  of  ridicule.  Seasoned  frontiersmen  said  that 
no  trading  post  could  stand  a  week  on  the  prairies  of  Ksknsas 
where  the  Indians  were  as  thick  as  buffalo.  No  man  had  yet 
dared  such  a  thing  so  far  away  from  military  protection.  But 
just  here  the  indomitable  courage  and  determination  of  the  man 
cropped  out.  He  listened  to  the  ridicule  of  the  older  and  more 
experienced  men.  He  heard  their  importunities  with  stolid  in- 
difference; his  mind  was  made  up,  and  in  1853,  four  years  after 
he  had  joined  the  Northwestern  Fur  Company,  Mr.  Mathewson 
opened  up  his  trading  post  at  a  point  known  throughout  the 
west  as  the  Great  Bend  of  the  Arkansas  river  on  the  old  Santa 
Fe  trail.  This  post  Mr.  Mathewson  maintained  for  ten  years 
and  it  was  while  living  here  that  the  most  remarkable  deeds  of  his 
career  were  accomplished. 

Here  in  1861,  Mr.  Mathewson  had  a  personal  encounter  with 
Satanta  (White  Bear) ,  who  in  his  time  was  the  boldest  and  most 
powerful  of  the  Kiowa  Indian  chieftans.  Satanta,  with  a  small 
band  of  warriors  entered  the  post  and  announced  his  intention  of 
taking  the  life  of  Mr.  Mathewson  for  the  death  of  one  of  his 
braves,  killed  while  stealing  a  horse  from  the  post.  In  a  flash  Mr. 
Mathewson  floored  the  Kiowa  chieftain  and  gave  him  a  severe 
beating.  The  followers  of  Satanta,  whom  Mr.  Mathewson  had 
driven  from  the  house  at  the  point  of  a  revolver,  were  then  forced 
to  carry  their  defeated  leader  back  to  camp.  For  this  humilating 
defeat,  Satanta  swore  revenge.  Hearing  of  this  and  deeming  it 
best  to  settle  the  matter  once  for  all,  Mr.  Mathewson  rode  out 
alone  on  the  prairie  in  search  of  his  enemJ^  Satanta,  learning  of 
the  pursuit,  and  deeming  discretion  the  better  part  of  valor,  fled 
and  did  not  return  for  more  than  a  year.  When  he  did  return, 
he  acknowledged  Mr.  Mathewson  as  his  master  and  entered  into 
a  treaty  with  him,  giving  as  a  token  of  his  subservience,  a  num- 
ber of  his  best  Indian  horses.  From  that  time  on  Mr.  Mathew- 
son was  known  in  every  Indian  camp  of  the  plains  as  "Sinpah 
Zilbah,"  the  "Long-bearded  Dangerous  White  Man." 

The  thing  for  which  Mr.  Mathewson  was  most  revered  and 
most  renowned  in  Kansas  pioneer  days  was  that  which  obtained 
for  him  that  famous  sobriquet  of  "Buffalo  Bill."  The  winter  of 
1860  and  1861  was  a  hard  one  for  the  early  settlers  of  the  Sun- 
flower state.     Hot,  scorching  winds  of  the  summer  had  burned 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  283 

up  the  crops,  and  all  over  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  they  were 
literally  starving.  Finally  good  news  reached  them.  A  man 
returning  from  the  west  over  the  Santa  Fe  trail  brought  with  him 
a  wagon  load  of  buffalo  meat.  Meeting  some  of  the  famishing 
settlers  headed  westward  the  man  was  beseeched  to  know  where 
he  secured  such  a  bountiful  supply  of  meat. 

"Out  to  Bill's,"  he  replied. 

"Bill  who?"  eagerly  asked  the  hungry  settlers  as  they  cast 
longing  glances  at  the  buifalo  meat.  "Oh,  just  Bill,  the  buffalo 
killer  out  at  Big  Bend;  that's  all  I  know." 

So  the  fame  of  Bill,  the  buffalo  killer  spreacT.  By  late  in  Sep- 
tember dozens  of  settlers  were  coming  to  the  Mathewson  ranch 
each  week  with  empty  wagons  that  went  away  creaking  with  the 
weight  of  buffalo  meat.  By  the  last  of  October  as  many  were 
coming  each  day  with  pleadings  for  meat  for  the  famishing 
settlers.  And  none  were  turned  away  empty  handed.  Day  after 
day  "William  Mathewson  followed  the  magnificent  herds  of  the 
prairie,  selecting  with  unerring  skill  the  fat  young  cows  and 
bringing  them  down  with  one  shot  each.  With  tears  in  their 
eyes  the  hungry  settlers  thanked  Bill,  the  buffalo  killer.  Some 
offered  pay  and  others  promised  it  when  they  had  anything  to 
pay  with.  All  were  grateful  and  ever  retained  memories  of  the 
man  who  saved  them  from  starvation  in  that  terrible  winter  of 
1860  and  1861.  Till  February,  William  Mathewson  remained  on 
the  buffalo  range,  some  days  killing  and  sending  eastward  as 
many  as  eighty  carcasses  of  fat  cows.  Each  day  brought  its 
quota  of  gaunt,  penniless  settlers,  and  each  day,  no  matter  what 
the  weather,  Mathewson  shouldered  his  rifle  and  with  a  few  hours 
of  tramping  sent  his  guests  rejoicing  homeward  with  all  the 
choicest  buffalo  roasts  and  steaks  they  could  carry. 

Thus  William  Mathewson  earned  his  title  of  "Buffalo  Bill." 
To  this  day  there  is  many  a  family,  living  in  the  first  cities  of 
Kansas  and  Nebraska,  who  remember  and  cherish  the  name  of 
"Buffalo  Bill."  In  one  of  these  homes  during  recent  years  Mr. 
Mathewson  was  introduced  to  the  children  as  the  man  who  saved 
the  lives  of  their  parents  through  his  skill  and  fame  as  a  hunter 
of  buffalo.  And  it  is  this  title  of  Buffalo  Bill,  so  nobly  earned, 
that  William  Mathewson  himself  cherishes  most  of  all  his  pos- 
sessions. 

An  an  Indian  fighter  of  skill  and  daring,  William  Mathewson 's 
fame  was  wide  spread  throughout  the  frontier  in  the  early  sixties. 


284  fflSTOEY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

But  his  fame  following  a  deed  of  unusual  intrepidity  near  his 
Cow  Creek  ranch  where  he  was  located  after  selling  the  Great 
Bend  post  in  1863.  reached  the  officials  of  the  war  department  in 
"Washington  and  brought  to  the  brave  man  a  fitting  reward. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1864  when  the  Indians  took  the  war 
path  and  were  terrorizing  the  settlers  in  the  most  extreme  set- 
tlements of  Kansas.  Satanta.  the  war  chief  of  the  Kiowas.  after 
his  treaty  with  ""Siapah  Zilbah"  was  the  fast  friend  of  William 
ilathewsou.  He  warned  the  latter  of  the  uprising  three  weeks  in 
advance,  and  entreating  him  to  leave,  stating  that  in  revenge  for 
having  been  fired  on  by  a  regiment  of  soldiers,  the  Indians  were 
not  going  to  leave  a  white  man.  woman  or  child  west  of  the 
Missouri,  and  insisted  that  Mr.  Mathewson  leave  at  once,  but 
instead  of  fleeing,  Mr.  Mathewson  sent  all  of  the  settlers  to 
places  of  safety,  and  then  settled  down  with  a  few  brave  men 
to  hold  his  trading  post.  All  of  his  men  had  the  choice  of  going  or 
remaining.  Five  remained,  but  these  were  armed  with  the  first 
breech-loading  rifles  that  had  ever  been  used  on  the  plains  of 


On  the  morning  of  July  20  a  band  of  fifteen  hundred  Indians, 
gaudy  in  war  paint  and  feathers,  surrounded  the  Mathewson  post. 
There  was  no  delay  in  the  first  attack,  but  less  in  the  retreat.  The 
new  fangled  guns  in  the  hands  of  skilled  marksmen  dealt  out 
death  to  Indians  and  Indian  horses.  For  three  days  the  red  war- 
riors skulked  about  the  post,  attacking,  reconnoitering  and  spy- 
ing. But  always  they  were  forced  to  retreat  quickly,  upon  com- 
ing within  range  of  the  deadly  certain  fire  of  the  breech-loading 
rifles.  Long  after  the  fight  was  history  and  peace  reigned  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  Sinpah  Zilbah,  the  warrior  chieftans  tried 
to  learn  from  Mr.  Mathewson  how  many  men  he  had  within  the 
post  during  the  terrible  vigil.  Mr.  Mathewson  smiled  and  replied 
that  he  had  had  plenty.  So  the  redskins  never  knew  how  easy 
it  would  have  been  to  have  captured  the  post  with  one  grand 
onslaught.  In  reality  they  had  thought  the  place  swarmed  with 
men  because  of  the  rapid  firing  of  the  breech-loading  guns.  As 
it  was.  the  Indians  lost  160  horses,  and  a  score  or  more  of  their 
kinsmen  upon  the  prairie. 

When  Mr.  Mathewson  was  first  warned  of  the  Indian  uprising, 
among  the  first  things  he  did  was  to  write  to  the  Overland  Trans- 
portation Company,  and  to  Bryant.  Banard  &  Company,  telling 
them  of  the  uprising  and  not  to  send  any  wagons  out.  in  reply  to 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  285 

which  he  got  a  letter  from  the  Bryant,  Banard  &  Company  tell- 
ing him  they  had  already  started  a  train  before  his  letter  was 
received,  and  that  the  train  was  loaded  with  modem  rifles,  and 
ending  with  the  appeal,  "For  God's  sake  save  this  train  as  it  is 
loaded  with  arms  and  ammimition. "  And  it  was  on  the  fourth 
day  of  the  siege  that  this  great  overland  train  of  147  wagons, 
loaded  with  supplies  for  the  government  posts  of  New  Mexico,  in 
charge  of  155  men,  appeared  upon  the  scene.  Ignorant  of  the 
Indian  uprising,  the  train  had  come  within  three  miles  of  the  post. 
"When  dawn  broke  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  battle,  Mr.  JMathewson 
discovered  that  he  and  his  comrades  had  been  deserted  by  the 
Indians.  In  sudden  apprehension  he  mounted  the  highest  build- 
ing of  the  post.  One  glance  through  his  field  glass  told  the  story, 
even  in  the  dim  half  light  of  the  morning.  There  to  the  eastward 
three  miles  was  the  government  train,  drawTi  up  in  the  usual 
camp  half  circle,  and  the  whole  surroimded  by  Indians.  The 
horror  of  the  situation  was  staggering  to  William  Mathewson. 
He  had  received  government  advice  of  the  train  and  knew  that 
there  were  no  experienced  Indian  fighters  among  the  men  in 
charge,  nor  were  any  of  them  well  armed.  They  were  ignorant 
of  the  contents  of  the  wagons,  the  contents  being  disguised.  What 
a  massacre  there  would  be  unless  something  could  be  done  quickly. 
Not  only  would  the  train  be  destroyed,  but  the  Indians  equipped 
with  the  rifles  and  ammunition  from  the  government  wagons 
stood  in  condition  to  make  good  their  threat  to  kill  every  white 
man,  woman  and  child  west  of  the  Missouri.  For  a  few  minutes 
Mr.  Mathewson  studied  the  situation.  He  saw  the  ever  diminish- 
ing circle  of  the  mounted  red-skins;  saw  them  stealthily  closing 
in  on  the  train.  Quick  thoughts  passed  through  the  brain  of 
the  grim  watcher.  In  his  mind's  eye  he  saw  the  slaughter  of  the 
wagon  men,  the  looting  of  the  rifles  and  provisions,  and  then, 
most  horrible  of  all,  the  carnage  of  the  eastern  settlement  at  the 
hands  of  these  savages  armed  with  the  improved  guns.  For  a 
long  time,  as  time  is  reckoned  in  such  cases,  William  Mathewson 
scanned  the  scene  to  the  east  of  the  post.  His  thoughts  ran 
smoothly  and  rapidly  over  one  plan  and  another.  Occasionally 
he  saw  puffs  of  smoke  that  brought  to  earth  a  horse  or  a  red-skin, 
but  the  circle  narrowed.  He  watched  a  little  group  of  the  horse- 
men gather  on  either  side  of  the  one  gap  in  the  circle  of  wagons. 
He  knew  they  were  planning  the  rush  which  would  take  them 
inside  the  circle  for  a  hand-to-hand  conflict  in  which  there  would 


286  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

be  no  doubt  as  to  the  result.  Turning  to  his  most  trusty  com- 
panion, he  inquired  if  he  could  hold  the  stockade  in  his  absence. 
Being  answered  that  he  could,  he  ordered  his  horse  saddled,  and 
was  ready  himself,  with  his  Sharp's  rifle  and  six  Colt's  revolvers, 
when  the  mare  was  led  out  of  the  stable.  She  was  a  tine 
beast,  this  mare  Bess,  of  Hamiltonian  breed.  Far  famed  on  the 
prairies  was  she  for  speed  and  endurance ;  often  had  she  outrun 
an  antelope. 

As  William  Mathewson  moimted  his  men  gathered  around  him 
astonished.  Surely  he  could  not  be  so  foolhardy  as  to  attempt  to 
reach  the  wagon  train  through  that  cordon  of  savages.  The  at- 
tempt meant  certain  death  and  nothing  accomplished.  But  there 
was  no  sign  of  relenting  from  his  purpose  in  the  stern  countenance 
of  the  horseman.  Brave  men  wept  at  the.  thought  of  their  leader 
riding  out  to  his  death  but  all  was  unavailing.  After  a  hearty 
handshake  with  each  of  the  little  band  and  a  cheery  good-bye, 
William  Mathewson  touched  the  spurs  to  the  sensitive  flank  of  the 
mare,  and  the  two  shot  out  of  the  stockade  gate  like  a  whirlwind. 
Valiantly  the  good  steed  sped  over  the  prairie  toward  the  In- 
dians and  the  wagons.  With  heavy  hearts  the  little  baud  moimted 
the  stockade  building  and  took  turns  at  the  glass,  watching  with 
fascination  the  ever  diminishing  cloud  of  dust  in  which  they 
knew  their  leader  to  be  enveloped.  At  times  their  hearts  beat 
high  in  hope;  and  again  almost  stifled  them  with  throbs  of  despair. 

Before  starting  on  this  perilous  mission,  William  Mathewson 
had  weighed  his  chances  coolly.  He  knew  Indian  nature  well  and 
trusted  much  to  the  belief  that  all  would  be  too  deeply  engrossed 
with  the  attack  to  see  him  till  it  was  too  late.  Then  he  allowed 
for  the  possibility  of  the  men  within  the  wagon  circle,  holding  oif 
the  enemy  till  he  arrived.  But  the  chief  trust  of  the  undertaking, 
he  placed  in  the  strength,  speed  and  endurance  of  his  magnificent 
steed.  If  she  held  out,  the  chances  were  good..  If  not — well,  a 
man  has  to  die  sometime,  and  this  was  a  worthy  cause. 

But  there  was  no  faltering  of  steps  on  the  part  of  the  mare :  no 
stumbling  in  prairie  dog-holes,  no  slacking  of  the  splendid  stride 
taken  at  the  beginning.  Straight  and  sure  went  the  horse  and 
rider  toward  the  loophole  in  the  wagon  circle,  across  which  log 
chains  were  strung  to  keep  in  the  horses  at  night. 

On  the  stockade  roof  the  five  men  saw  the  little  cloud  of 
dust  draw  near  to  the  tiny  lane  formed  by  the  rows  of  Indians  on 
either  side  of  the  gap  in  the  wagon  circle.    With  bated  breath. 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  287 

they  saw  that  there  was  no  stopping  to  reconnoiter,  to  study  the 
situation  or  weigh  the  chances.  But  they  know  William  Mathew- 
son  and  realized  that  all  this  had  been  done  beforehand. 

Suddenly  the  man  with  the  glass  noted  a  commotion  among 
the  Indians  forming  the  lane  out  from  the  gap.  A  cloud  of  dust 
shot  between  the  two  lines  and  dashed  on  toward  the  wagons. 
As  it  passed  the  Indians  closed  in  behind  him  and  a  tremor  of 
terror  passed  over  the  body  of  the  eager  watchers.  Was  all  lost  ? 
Or  all  saved?  The  next  few  minutes  were  tense  with  excitement 
for  the  five  men  on  the  stockade.  There  was  an  unquestionable 
commotion  among  the  Indians,  and  the  uncertainty  gave  them 
hope.  Minutes  passed  like  hours,  and  the  Indians  circled  wildly 
about.  Then  suddenly  they  scattered  pell-mell  and  left  the  wagon 
train  clear. 

It  was  true ;  William  Mathewson  had  burst  into  the  little 
camp  like  a  cannon  ball.  Shot  after  shot  whizzed  past  his  ears 
as  he  dashed  through  the  two  lines  of  startled  Indians.  But  so 
sudden  was  it  all  that  none  had  time  or  thought  to  take  aim.  A 
second  later,  landing  in  the  midst  of  the  startled  camp,  William 
Mathewson  was  off  his  horse  and  calling  lustily  for  an  axe.  He 
quickly  mounted  one  of  the  wagons,  split  open  the  boxes  and 
handed  out  rifles  and  ammvinition  to  the  men.  Many  of  them  were 
acquainted  with  him  and  all  had  heard  of  him.  Cheer  after  cheer 
went  up  when  they  recognized  who  their  rescuer  was.  In  a 
moment  a  well  directed  fire  was  turned  on  the  now  astonished 
and  bewildered  Indians.  After  continuing  the  fight  for  a  short 
time,  having  many  of  their  number  killed  and  wounded,  the  In- 
dians beat  a  hasty  retreat.  Not  yet  being  satisfied  with  the 
victory,  Mr.  Mathewson  organized  and  mounted  the  teamsters 
at  once,  and  giving  chase,  drove  the  Indians  miles  away.  After 
taking  needed  rest,  burying  their  dead,  and  repairing  the  ravages 
of  the  fight,  the  train  moved  on  to  its  destination. 

In  1864,  our  subject  joined  Blunt 's  expedition  as  a  scout,  and 
it  was  through  his  exertions  that  comparative  quiet  was  restored. 

The  great  Indian  War  of  1864  and  1865  and  the  great  Civil 
War  between  the  North  and  the  South  was  nearly  at  its  turning 
point,  and  Uncle  Sam  needed  all  the  soldiers  he  could  get.  There 
was  one  regiment  on  the  plains  in  western  Kansas  and  Colorado 
which  was  ordered  into  the  states  for  active  service.  When  that 
order  reached  the  Colonel,  he  ordered  two  or  three  battalion  of 


288  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

his  regiments  to  march  to  the  Indian  camps  and  fire  on  them, 
which  they  did,  and  caused  the  Indians  to  go  on  the  war  path. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  in  the  States,  the  Govern- 
ment commenced  sending  troops  out  to  subdue  the  Indians.  In 
the  meantime,  the  officials'  at  headquarters  commenced  to  look 
into  the  report  as  to  the  cause  of  this  Indian  outbreak,  and 
orders  came  to  the  commander  of  the  western  department  not  to 
send  any  expedition  against  the  Indians,  but  try  and  get  some 
one  to  go  to  the  wild  Indians  and  see  if  they  could  get  them  to 
come  into  council  with  the  Commissioners  that  the  President 
would  send  out  to  meet  them,  but  the  man  or  men  could  not  be 
found  that  would  go.  They  tried  to  get  the  other  Indians  to 
take  messages  from  the  Great  Father  at  Washington  to  the  wild 
Indians,  but  all  was  of  no  avail ;  nobody  would  go. 

After  a  conference  with  the  commanding  officers,  superinten- 
dent of  Indian  affairs,  and  the  agents  for  the  different  tribes  of 
Indians,  it  was  decided  that  William  Mathewson  should  be  sacri- 
ficed to  appease  the  wrath  of  the  Indians;  he  said  he  would  go 
providing  he  could  get  orders  from  the  President  of  the  United 
States  with  the  seal  of  the  United  States  on  the  document ;  also  an 
order  from  the  Secretary  of  War  and  from  the  Commissioner  of 
Indian  Affairs;  he  also  got  a  commission  from  General  Sanborn. 

Mathewson  started  from  Larned,  Kansas,  going  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Little  Arkansas  river  to  get  below  the  picket  line  of  the 
Indians,  who  were  watching  the  soldiers;  traveling  under  cover 
of  the  darkness  and  secreting  himself  during  the  day;  the  fourth 
day  after  leaving  the  Arkansas  he  came  in  sight  of  the  camp, 
and  lay  in  hiding  all  that  day.  That  evening  in  wandering  around 
and  debating  with  himself  as  to  the  best  method  of  approach, 
he  accidentally  met  the  daughter  of  the  head  chief  of  the  Kiowa 
tribe,  whom  he  knew  personally.  She  was  badly  frightened  at 
sight  of  him,  but  he  spoke  to  her  in  her  own  language  and  told 
her  to  get  him  to  her  father's  tepee  as  fast  as  possible,  which  she 
did.  The  tepee  was  filled  with  the  head  men  of  the  tribe,  who 
was  much  startled  at  sight  of  Mathewson  in  their  midst.  He  told 
them  that  he  had  a  message  from  the  great  Father  to  read  to 
them,  and  on  showing  them  the  big  seal  of  the  Government,  they 
assured  him  protection.  The  Kiowa  tribe  was  divided  into  two 
parts;  one  was  hostile  and  the  other  peaceable  and  they  warred 
among  themselves  all  night  over  the  possession  of  Mathewson, 
but  the  peaceable  ones  were  finally  successful  in  driving  away  the 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  289 

hostile  tribe,  but  next  day  the  chiefs  of  the  hostile  tribes  came 
back  imarmed,  and  agreed  to  listen  to  the  message  brought  by 
Mathewson  from  the  Great  Father;  they  all  consented  to  come 
in,  provided  the  chiefs  of  the  other  tribes  would  also  come,  so 
they  sent  runners  out  to  bring  in  the  chiefs  of  the  other  tribes  to 
the  Kiowa  camp  so  they  could  all  consult  together,  and  they 
went  with  him  to  meet  the  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  and 
other  officials  to  make  arrangements  for  a  future  council.  The 
council  was  held  between  the  Big  and  Little  Arkansas  rivers. 
The  Commissioners  appointed  by  the  President  to  treat  with  the 
Indians  were  four  Generals  of  the  United  States  army,  one  sena- 
tor and  two  congressmen,  Kit  Carson  and  Col.  A.  G.  Boone, 
nephew  of  Daniel  Boone.  After  the  council  treaty  was  agreed 
to,  and  made  to  satisfy  all,  the  documents  being  signed  by  all 
parties. 

The  Indians  told  the  Commissioners  there  was  another  treaty 
they  wanted  to  make  the  next  day,  so  on  the  following  morning 
at  nine  o'clock,  they  again  met  in  council;  the  Commissioners 
asked  them  their  wishes,  and  they  replied  they  wanted  to  make 
a  treaty  with  "Sinpah  Zilbah,"  and  they  didn't  want  him  to 
join  with  the  soldiers  any  more,  against  them.  They  told  the 
commissioners  if  they  would  take  him  away  from  the  soldiers, 
they  could  kill  all  the  soldiers  with  clubs  that  they  could  bring 
into  the  country ;  they  both  feared  and  respected  him  and  wanted 
him  to  stay  in  the  country  and  trade  with  them  and  they  would 
see  that  he  or  his  men  were  not  molested  in  any  way  by  the 
Indians.    That  treaty  was  also  confirmed  by  all. 

In  1867  the  Indians  were  again  on  the  war  path,  the  result  of 
being  fired  upon  by  a  regiment  of  soldiers.  Mr.  Mathewson  at 
that  time  was  to  the  South  trading  with  the  Indians,  and  did  not 
get  back  for  three  weeks ;  when  he  came  back  he  went  to  Junction 
City  and  telegraphed  to  Washington,  asking  the  recall  of  General 
Hancock  and  that  he  (Mr.  Mathewson),  would  take  care  of  the 
Indians.  They  telegraphed  General  Hancock,  in  care  of  Mr. 
Mathewson,  to  return,  and  Mr.  Mathewson  overtook  him  just  as  he 
was  about  to  cross  the  river  where  Dodge  City  now  is,  and  deliv- 
ered the  message,  and  then  Mr.  Mathewson  got  the  Indians  to- 
gether for  another  treaty,  known  as  Medicine  Lodge  treaty, 
after  which  they  ceded  all  their  rights  and  title  to  lands  in 
Kansas  and  Colorado  to  the  Government,  and  the  Indians  went 
back  to  their  reservations,  and  William  Mathewson  went  with 


290  HISTOKY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

them;  lived  and  traded  with  them  for  seven  years,  preventing 
outbreaks  of  the  1865  and  1867  type,  settling  internal  quarrels, 
and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  make  the  red  skins  satisfied  with 
their  lots. 

During  the  years  between  1865  and  1873,  William  Mathew- 
son  saved  54  women  and  children  from  deaths  at  the  hands  of  the 
savage  tribes,  or  from  a  life  of  unspeakable  slavery  and  drudgery! 

One  of  these  was  a  young  woman  who  had  been  captured  in 
Texas  by  the  Kiowas  and  brought  North  into  Kansas  where  she 
escaped.  It  was  by  his  knowledge  of  the  sign  language  that 
he  was  able  to  rescue  her.  Approaching  by  stealth,  he  learned  of 
her  escape  from  the  recital  by  Kiowas  to  Apaches,  to  which  latter 
tribe  the  Kiowas  offered  a  reward  of  horses  if  they  would  assist 
in  her  recapture.  Mr.  Mathewson  immediately  determined  to  save 
the  girl  from  being  taken  by  the  Indians. 

He  saddled  and  mounted  his  favorite  mare,  Bess,  which  could 
outrim  anything  else  in  the  country,  and  had  figured  prom- 
inently in  other  rescues,  and  with  a  horse  which  he  led,  set  out 
in  the  face  of  a  driving  storm,  figuring  that  as  the  wind  was  from 
the  Northwest,  she  would  be  driven  somewhat  to  the  East,  and 
adopting  this  line  of  search,  spent  two  days  of  endless  trials  and 
hardships.  On  his  way  he  met  a  party  of  Indians  to  whom  he  said 
he  was  going  in  search  of  meat;  they  offered  him  a  supply  from 
theirs,  but  he  told  them  it  was  iasufficient  and  proceeded  in  his 
search.  Finally  he  struck  the  trial  of  the  girl's  Indian  pony, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  he  found  her  more  dead 
than  alive,  aback  the  gaunt,  starved  horse  that  staggered  about 
in  the  storm,  but  thinking  it  was  an  Indian  she  tried  to  escape. 
He  took  her  to  a  ranch,  where  they  got  her  dinner  and  allowed 
her  to  sleep,  to  bathe  and  refresh  herself.  From  there  they  went 
on  to  Council  Grove,  where  his  friend  Mr.  Simcox  had  a  store. 
Mrs.  Simcox  took  charge  of  her.  He  had  left  word  at  the  ranch 
for  the  Indians  that  he  had  the  girl  and  they  could  not  have  her, 
as  he  would  shoot  the  first  one  who  attempted.  They  did  not 
follow.  She  remained  with  Mrs.  Simcox  and  a  few  years  later 
married,  and  still  lives  there. 

Mr.  Mathewson  also  arranged  with  the  Chief  of  the  Kiowas  for 
the  release  of  two  little  girls  held  captive  by  them,  whose  names 
were  Helen  and  Louise  Fitzpatrick,  aged  six  and  four  years. 
Their  parents  were  killed  by  the  Indians.  The  eldest  child  re- 
membered the  massacre.    Mr.  Mathewson  intended  to  raise  these 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  291 

children,  and  the  Government  appropriated  money  for  their  edu- 
cation and  promised  to  return  them  to  Mr.  Mathewson,  but  did 
not  do  so.  Their  names  were  changed  from  Fitzpatrick  to  Helen 
and  Louise  Lincoln.  The  Government  took  them  to  Washington 
and  kept  them  there. 

In  the  spring  of  1866,  about  the  1st  of  May,  Mr.  Mathewson 
went  to  Leavenworth  to  dispose  of  a  train  load  of  furs  that  he 
had  collected  during  the  winter.  At  that  time  there  was  a  large 
wholesale  firm  that  handled  exclusively  Indian  goods  to  supply 
Indian  traders.  This  firm  was  knoAvn  as  Peck,  Durfee  &  Company. 
This  firm  bought  furs,  and  would  assist  Indians  traders  in  ship- 
ping their  furs  to  Eastern  markets. 

The  next  day  after  Mathewson 's  arrival  in  Leavenworth,  Mr. 
Durfee  told  him  that  the  leading  citizens  were  going  to  have  a 
banquet  at  his  house  the  next  night,  and  make  a  special  request 
that  he  should  attend.  Mr.  Mathewson  thanked  him  for  the  invi- 
tation, but  told  him  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  attend. 
The  next  day  Mrs.  Durfee  and  Mrs.  Peck  came  down  to  Mr.  Dur- 
fee's  store  and  insisted  on  Mr.  Mathewson 's  coming,  and  told  him 
they  would  not  take  no  for  answer,  and  he  was  finally  induced  to 
go.  After  refreshments,  Mr.  Durfee  called  the  house  to  order, 
and  a  motion  to  elect  Mr.  Mathewson  speaker  of  the  house  was 
unanimously  carried,  and  he  was  informed  that  as  speaker  he  was 
expected  to  relate  some  of  his  experiences,  and  more  especially 
his  experiences  in  releasing  women  and  children  from  captivity 
among  the  Indians,  after  which  excusing  himself  he  put  on  his 
overcoat  preparatory  to  departing  when  Mr.  Durfee  ask  him  to 
take  the  key  which  he  gave  him  and  unlock  a  rose-wood  case 
which  he  had  brought  from  another  room  and  display  its  con- 
tents to  the  ladies.  As  the  case  was  opened,  there  was  displayed 
to  view  a  most  beautiful  pair  of  six  shooters  which  had  carved 
ivory  handles  and  were  silver  mounted  and  inlaid  with  gold.  Mr. 
Mathewson  jokingly  said  he  knew  of  no  one  better  qualified  to 
use  those  than  he,  upon  which  Mr.  Durfee  begun  the  presentation 
speech,  the  sentiment  of  which  was  that  they  were  presented  to 
him  by  The  Overland  Transportation  Company  in  recognition  of 
his  saving  155  men  and  147  wagons  of  government  supplies.  Gen- 
eral Curtis  in  speaking  said:  "Nothing  in  the  annals  of  history 
compares  with  the  feats  of  bravery  done  by  you."  In  speaking 
of  the  affair  afterwards,  Mr.  Mathewson  said:  "You  could  have 
knocked  me  down  with  a  feather  when  they  gave  me  those  guns, 


292  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

with  my  uame  carved  on  them.  I  have  been  in  tight  places  in 
my  time,  passed  through  many  a  danger,  but  nothing  ever  took 
my  nerve  away  so  completely  as  the  presentation  of  those  guns. 
I  was  speechless,  but  finally  stammered  some  sort  of  appreciation 
and  rode  away  over  the  starlit  prairie  that  night,  the  proudest 
man  on  the  frontier." 

During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1854-55,  and  in  March  of  the 
latter  year,  Mr.  Mathewson,  with  a  small  party  of  hunters,  were  in 
the  mountains  of  Colorado.  While  on  the  Colorado  river,  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  then  territory,  they  undertook  to  cross  over 
the  Santa  Christa  range  to  the  St.  Louis  valley.  Thirteen  men 
besides  himself,  formed  the  party,  comprising  what  is  known  in 
frontier  parlance  as  two  outfits.  They  were  iu  that  region  for  the 
purpose  of  hunting,  trapping  and  prospecting  for  gold.  The  party 
had  gone  thither  in  the  fall,  and  for  mutiial  protection  kept  to- 
gether. The  game  at  that  time  of  the  year  on  the  high  mountains 
was  very  scarce,  and  heavy  snowstorms  having  prevailed  for  -a 
long  time,  they  were  caught  in  the  wild  fastnesses  of  the  moun- 
tains and  soon  ran  short  of  food.  They  were  on  very  short  rations 
about  two  weeks,  and  after  that  prolonged  fast  there  were  four 
days  that  they  had  nothing  to  east,  and  no  water  but  snow. 
Eleven  of  the  men  became  nearly  wild  from  hunger  and  thirst, 
and  were  in  danger  of  killing  one  another  for  food.  Two  of  Mr. 
Mathewson 's  associates  he  could  rely  upon,  and  with  these  he 
disarmed  the  eleven,  and  kept  them  under  guard.  It  was  at  this, 
time  that  probably  the  highest  test  of  his  courage,  bravery  and 
fortitude  was  exhibited.  He  was  also  in  a  weak  and  famished 
condition,  yet  determined  that  he  would  force  the  party  to  abide 
by  his  decision,  and  not  do  each  other  injury,  declaring  to  them 
that  even  at  that  critical  moment,  if  they  would  be  guided  by  his 
counsel,  he  would  yet  bring  them  out  in  safety.  After  getting 
them  in  camp  on  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day,  though  himself 
hardly  able  to  walk,  he  informed  them  that  he  would  go  out  and 
search  for  game.  Ha-ving  proceeded  a  short  distance  from  the 
camp,  and  nearly  exhausted  from  the  effort,  he  sat  down  on  the 
brow  of  a  canyon,  and  after  watching  for  some  time  he  saw  no 
game,  and  rose  to  return  to  camp.  Seating  himself  again,  how- 
ever, and  soon  after  looking  across  to  an  adjacent  canyon,  a  little 
over  100  yards  away,  his  heart  was  gladdened  by  seeing  a  large 
black-tailed  deer  walk  out  from  behind  the  jutting  crags.  With 
promptness  he  shot  it,  and  the  sharp  crack  of  his  rifle  was  heard 


WILLIAM  MATHEWSON— BUFFALO  BILL  293 

by  his  distressed  companions  in  camp.  So  wild  with  delight  was 
Mathewson,  that  mounting  an  adjacent  eminence  and  swinging  his 
"sombrero"  around  his  head,  his  clarion  voice  sounded  the  glad 
tidings  to  the  despairing  men.  In  a  few  minutes  he  was  joined 
by  them,  and  from  that  time  the  question  of  their  being  saved 
was  solved. 

In  1868  Mr.  Mathewson  pre-empted  a  homestead  at  a  spot  near 
the  Arkansas  river  which  is  now  iu  the  heart  of  the  city  of  Wich- 
ita. Here  he  built  the  first  house  in  Wichita  of  logs,  which  was 
torn  down  in  the  fortieth  year  after  its  erection.  Prom  some 
shingles  and  other  wood  from  it  has  been  made  a  fine  violin. 

Mr.  Mathewson  has  been  a  permanent  resident  of  Wichita 
since  1876,  and  has  carried  on  agriculture  on  a  large  scale  on  his 
farms  of  several  hundred  acres.  He  has  been  a  live  stock  and 
real  estate  dealer  and  in  1887  organized  a  bank  in  Wichita,  of 
which  he  was  president.  He  had  an  interest  in  three  street  rail- 
way lines  in  that  city  and  stock  in  two  national  banks.  In  1878, 
he  established  a  brick  plant,  south  of  the  city,  for  tlie  manufacture 
of  dry-pressed  brick.  For  many  years  past,  until  he  sold  his 
farms,  he  devoted  himself  mostly  to  agriculture,  and  obtained 
a  gold  medal  for  the  best  exhibit  of  corn  at  the  Omaha  Exposition. 

Mr.  Mathewson  spent  thirty  years  among  the  Indians,  trap- 
ping, hunting  buffalo,  and  trading.  The  territory  covered  by 
him  is  now  occupied  by  the  Dakotas,  Nebraska,  Montana,  Kansas, 
and  Indian  Territory. 

While  living  at  Walnut  Creek  ranch,  many  noted  men  were 
their  guests,  of  whom  Gens.  Sherman,  Hancock  and  Canby  may  be 
mentioned,  and  Henry  M.  Stanley,  the  African  explorer,  and  on 
his  second  trip  to  Africa,  tried  to  induce  Mr.  Mathewson 
to  go  with  him.  Col.  J.  H.  Leavenworth,  the  noted  Indian  agent, 
made  his  home  at  their  house,  and  by  the  influence  and  assistance 
of  Mr.  Mathewson  was  enabled  to  reach  and  negotiate  treaties 
with  the  hostile  tribes. 

Mr.  Mathewson  has  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife,  to 
whom  he  was  married.  August  28, 1864,  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Inman, 
who  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1842,  and  immigrated 
with  her  parents  to  this  country  in  1850.  She  became  an  expert 
in  the  use  of  the  rifle  and  revolver,  and  was  her  husband's  com- 
panion among  the  Indians,  passing  through  many  scenes  of 
border  life.  She  was  possessed  of  undaunted  courage,  and  was 
the  first  white  woman  who  ever  crossed  the  Arkansas  river  and 


294  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

went  thi'ough  the  Indian  Territorj^  and  on  more  than  one  occa- 
sion she  stood  by  her  husband's  side  and  help  beat  back  the 
savage  foe  who  attacked  their  home  and  camp.  It  was  from  her 
that  Henry  M.  Stanley  obtained  much  of  the  information  he 
furnished  Eastern  papers  concerning  savage  life  on  the  plains. 
At  Walnut  ranch  she  became  a  successful  and  favorite  trader  with 
the  Indians,  M'ho  called  her  "Marrwissa"  (Golden  Hair).  She 
died  October  1,  1885,  leaving  two  children,  Lucy  E.  and  William 
A.  Mathewson,  who  are  now  of  full  age. 

Mr.  Mathewson 's  second  marriage  which  occurred  May  13, 
1886,  was  to  Mrs.  Tarlton,  a  most  estimable  lady  of  Louisville, 
Ky.,  whose  maiden  name  was  Henshaw.  Socially  he  is  a  Mason, 
an  Odd  Fellow,  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  Improved  Order  of 
Red  Men.  He  was  for  three  years  Grand  Instructor  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows of  the  State. 

Mr.  Mathewson  is  of  tall  and  commanding  figure,  six  feet  and 
a  half  inch  in  height;  noted  for  his  great  strength  and  wonderful 
power  of  endurance ;  forehead  broad  and  of  medium  height ;  fea- 
tures distinctly  marked  without  angularity;  blue  eyes  and  for- 
merly dark  hair  and  complexion ;  modest  in  his  demeanor,  he  ab- 
stains from  all  boasting;  retiring  in  his  disposition,  he  avoids 
publicity,  preferring  the  quiet  and  seclusion  of  private  life.  Posi- 
tive in  his  character,  calm  and  self  possessed  in  the  moment  of 
danger,  energetic  and  persevering,  he  is  a  bright  example  of  that 
class  of  men  who  opened  the  country  to  the  demands  of  civili- 
zation. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

SOME  WELL-KNOWN  PEOPLE. 

WICHITA'S  MAYOR. 

Upon  the  mayor  of  the  city,  as  head  of  the  municipal  govern- 
ment, devolves  the  duty  of  looking  after  the  department  of  public 
safety,  which  includes  the  police  and  fire  departments.  Members 
of  both  these  departments  are  subject  to  civil-service  rules,  with 
the  exception  of  the  department  heads.  The  reason  for  this  is 
that  the  work  of  the  police  and  firemen  is  of  a  character  that 
requires  trained  men,  and  when  such  men  are  once  obtained,  they 
should  not  be  subject  to  dismissal  at  the  whim  of  any  one.  There 
are  thirty-nine  men  in  the  Wichita  fire  department,  with  A.  G. 
Walden  at  the  head  and  A.  L.  Brownewell  as  assistant.  Wichita 
has  five  fire  stations,  known  as  Central  and  Numbers  3,  4,  5  and  6. 
There  are  nineteen  men  in  the  Central  station,  eight  in  No.  3,  and 
four  each  in  the  others.  In  the  police  department  there  are  thirty- 
six  persons,  including  J.  H.  McPherson,  chief;  W.  H.  Boston, 
assistant,  and  Helena  S.  Mason,  police  matron.  The  executive 
department,  of  which  the  mayor  is  head,  includes  the  city  clerk, 
the  city  attorney  and  assistant,  the  police  judge  and  the  election 
commissioner,  though  the  latter  is  an  appointee  of  the  governor. 

Charles  L.  Davidson,  mayor  of  Wichita,  was  born  near  the  lit- 
tle town  of  Cuba,  N.  Y.,  November  22,  1857.  He  came  to  Wichita 
in  1872,  when  a  mere  boy,  and  when  the  town  was  in  its  infancy, 
and  it  has  been  his  home  since.  The  first  song  he  ever  heard  in 
•  Wichita  was  the  night  he  arrived  here,  and  on  his  way  up  town 
he  passed  near  where  a  band  of  cowboys  were  singing  their  herd 
to  sleep.  He  has  lived  to  see  the  place  where  that  herd  lay  at 
rest  that  night  covered  with  great  brick  and  stone  business  houses, 
and  the  broad  prairies  from  which  this  herd  came  transformed 
into  wheat  and  cotton  and  alfalfa  fields.  The  song  of  the  cowboy 
is  forever  hushed  in  Wichita,  but  the  hum  of  a  hundred  factories 
and  the  stir  of  business  make  a  music  just  as  sweet  if  not  as  weird. 


296  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Mayor  Davidson  obtained  a  common-school  education  here  in 
"Wichita,  after  which  he  spent  four  years  in  the  Kansas  State 
University  at  Lawrence.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
loan  and  insm-ance  business  for  several  years.  Mr.  Davidson  was 
nearly  six  years  a  member  of  the  city  council,  ten  years  he  was 
city  park  commissioner,  and  he  served  one  term  in  the  Kansas 
legislature.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the  "Wichita  Chamber 
of  Commerce  and  has  done  more  than  any  other  man  to  procure 
for  "Wichita  equitable  freight  rates. 

Mayor  Davidson  is  the  original  insurgent  in  Kansas,  for  he  is 
the  man  who  started  the  "square  deal"  movement  a  few  years 
ago  that  resulted  in  a  declaration  of  independence  from  the 
domination  of  all  combines  in  Kansas.  His  life  as  mayor  has  been 
a  very  busy  one  and  he  has  advocated  some  of  the  biggest  things 
for  "Wichita  that  have  yet  been  undertaken.  Among  these  has 
been  the  purchase  of  the  water  works  system,  elevated  tracks, 
and  a  union  depot  for  the  railroad  district. 

WICHITA  HAY  MAN  HAS  BECOME  "HAY  KING  OF 
KANSAS." 

Speaking  of  noted  Kansans,  it  will  be  in  order  to  remark  that 
"Wichita  has  a  modest  young  man,  now  thirty-three  years  of  age, 
who  is  undoubtedly  the  hay  king  of  the  Sunflower  State,  and  this 
is  about  the  second  time  his  name  has  ever  been  printed  except 
in  advertisements. 

J.  H.  Turner.  For  the  year  ending  the  first  of  last  January 
he  bought  and  sold  over  2,500  cars  of  hay,  about  5  per  cent  of 
which  was  alfalfa.  Mr.  Turner  came  to  this  country  from  Eng- 
land sixteen  years  ago  when  he  was  seventeen  years  old.  He 
went  to  the  English  colony  at  Runnymeade  and  came  from  there 
to  "Wichita  four  years  later.  He  thought  America  was  a  pretty 
good  place  and  that  Kansas  must  be  the  best  place  for  a  poor 
man.  He  managed  to  get  a  couple  of  teams  and  a  hay  press,  and 
started  in  business  on  his  own  hook.  He  would  buy  hay  of  the 
farmers  in  the  country  and  press  it,  haul  it  to  the  city  with  his 
teams  and  sell  to  the  retailers.  Turner  was  between  two  fires,  as 
it  were.  The  dealers  in  the  city  would  tell  the  young  hay  dealer 
that  they  could  buy  hay  cheaper  from  the  farmers  than  he  was 
asking,  and  the  farmers  would  tell  him  that  they  could  get  more 
money  for  their  hay  in  "Wichita.    He  was  compelled  to  do  business 


SOME  WELL-KNOWN  PEOPLE  297 

on  a  small  margin.  He  worked  hard  and  his  labor  counted  for 
something  when  he  came  in  competition  with  other  dealers.  Ten 
years  ago  the  low  lands  on  West  Douglas  avenue  just  west  of 
the  big  bridge  were  not  very  valuable.  The  young  hay  dealer 
rented  a  room  there  and  commenced  to  retail  his  hay  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  city.  Nobody  ever  got  a  "plugged"  bale  of  hay  from 
J.  H.  Turner.  He  soon  built  up  a  large  retail  business.  He 
bought  the  house  and  lot  he  had  rented. 

Sir.  Turner  prospered  in  his  retail  business.  He  would  buy 
the  grass  on  seven  or  eight  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  country. 
He  would  take  his  teams,  harvest  the  hay,  press  and  haul  it  to  the 
city  to  supply  his  retail  establishment.  Finally  he  closed  the 
retail  house  and  went  into  the  wholesaling  of  hay.  He  added 
coal  and  building  material  to  his  hay  business,  and  now  he  owns 
six  lots  on  the  fine  paved  street  where  he  first  started  in  business, 
besides  a  long  stretch  of  track  property  along  the  Missouri  Pa- 
cific road.  The  hay  king  said  yesterday  that  his  business  this 
year,  of  course,  would  depend  on  the  size  of  the  hay  crop,  but  that 
indications  are  good  for  a  big  crop  of  hay  and  he  expects  his 
business  this  year  to  largely  increase  over  last  year, -as  it  has 
grown  every  year  since  he  started.  Come  on  with  your  hay 
kings,  not  the  commission  men  who  handle  hay  for  other  people, 
but  the  men  who  own  and  sell  the  valuable  stuff. 


YANK  OWEN. 

By 
THE  EDITOR. 

In  the  early  days  of  W^ichita,  "Yank"'  Owen  was  a  char- 
acter. His  real  name  was  A.  T.  Owen;  by  courtesy  the  lawyers 
called  him  Major.  He  was  always  attached  to  some  law  office, 
and  usually  slept  in  this  office  and  was  a  notary  and  all-around 
man  in  the  office  where  he  made  his  headquarters.  In  the 
early  frontier  days  of  Kansas,  Yank  had  been  clerk  of  the 
district  court  at  Junction  City.  His  acquaintance  with  old-time 
lawyers  in  Kansas  was  most  extensive.  Leaving  Junction  City 
when  the  town  became  too  quiet  for  him,  Yank  came  to  Wichita 
and  for  many  years  was  a  most  familiar  figure  upon  the  princi- 
pal streets  of  the  town.    He  was  wont  to  discourse  and  orate  on 


298  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Napoleonic  history,  and  declaimed  in  stentorian  tones  from  the 
speeches  of  Napoleon  the  First.  He  was  well  read  on  French  his- 
tory, and  something  of  a  reader  on  general  topics.  He  acted 
often  in  the  capacity  of  conveyancer,  and  his  angular,  long  hand- 
writing will  be  long  remembered  by  the  older  members  of  the 
Sedgwick  county  bar.  He  usually  wore  a  loose-fitting  frock  coat 
and  a  flaring  blue  cap.  A  grizzly  mustache  gave  him  a  somewhat 
fierce  and  warlike  appearance.  He  took  a  lively  interest  in  all 
court  matters,  and  upon  the  slightest  provocation  would  swear 
like  the  army  in  Flanders.  His  excessive  loyalty  to  Sedgwick 
county  was  a  matter  of  general  remark.  On  a  bright  spring  day 
Yank  was  missed  from  his  accustomed  haunts.  He  had  taken 
the  train  for  the  Pacific  coast.  He  never  returned.  Later  on,  it 
Cwas  reported  that  he  had  died  in  San  Francisco,  Calif. 


WILLIAM  GREIFFENSTEIN,  "THE  FATHER  OF  WICHITA." 

By 

THE  EDITOR. 

William  Greiffenstein,  who  was  a  mayor  of  the  city  and  who 
was  honored  by  election  to  the  state  legislature,  had  an  interest- 
ing career.  To  the  early  fur  traders  he  was  known  as  "Dutch 
Bill."  He  was  born  at  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  in  Germany,  July 
28,  1829.  For  three  years  he  attended  college  at  Darmstadt  and 
was  later  employed  in  a  commission  house  at  Mentz,  first  coming 
to  America  in  1848.  First  he  located  at  Hermann,  Mo.,  later  going 
to  St.  Louis  and  then  to  Westport.  In  1850  he'began  trading  with 
the  Indians  on  the  Shawnee  reservation,  then  located  six  miles 
below  what  is  now  the  city  of  Lawrence.  He  took  a  claim  at 
Topeka  in  1855,  and  in  1859  opened  another  trading  post  in  west- 
ern Kansas,  bartering  with  the  Cheyennes,  Arapahoes,  Kiowas, 
Comanches  and  Apaches.  This  post  was  on  Walnut  creek.  Later 
he  opened  one  on  the  Cowskin,  about  ten  miles  west  of  Wichita. 

In  1867  he  removed  his  trading  post  to  the  Kiowa  and  Co- 
manche agency  near  Washita,  below  Fort  Cobb.  He  married,  in 
1869,  at  Topeka,  Miss  Catherine  Burnett,  who  was  the  daughter 
of  Abram  Burnett  and  Mary  Knoffloeh,  a  native  of  Germany. 
Abram  Burnett  was  chief  of  the  Pottawatomie  Indians  and  a 
highly  interesting  man.     The  Indian  chief  weighed  465  pounds 


SOME  WELL-KNOWN  PEOPLE  299 

and  gloried  in  his  great  strength.  Near  him,  at  Topeka,  also  lived 
another  heavyweight,  named  Young,  who  weighed  about  400 
pounds.  The  two  big  fellows  called  one  another  "Bud"  and 
"Bub."  Mrs.  Greiff enstein 's  father  was  Bub.  One  Sunday,  it  is 
told,  the  two  giants  got  into  a  dispute  as  to  which  was  the 
stronger.  Burnett  challenged  Young  to  lift  the  largest  rock  he 
could,  and  it  is  said  that  when  he  had  lifted  the  biggest  flagstone 
he  could  find  the  chief  of  the  Pottawatomies  then  asked  him  to 
sit  upon  it  and  the  465-pounder  lifted  both  rock  and  the  400- 
pounder  together. 

Abram  Burnett  was  educated  at  the  Carlisle  Indian  school  at 
Carlisle,  Pa.,  and  was  a  close  friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  There 
are  many  persons  living  in  and  near  Wichita  who  have  knowl- 
edge of  the  early  history  of  Wichita  which  should  be  preserved 
for  future  reference.  Mrs.  Greiffenstein  is  now  living  at  Burnett, 
Okla. ;  her  brother,  Christopher  T.  Pearce,  is  at  Noble,  Okla. ;  her 
son,  Charles,  is  in  business  at  Greenwich,  Kan.,  and  her  son  Will- 
iam is  in  business  at  Enid,  Okla.  Otto  Weiss,  who  contributed 
much  to  the  information  for  this  story,  is  a  well  known  manu- 
facturer of  Wichita.  J.  T.  Holmes,  who  worked  at  the  Greiffen- 
stein ranch  on  the  Washita,  is  in  Wichita,  and  Phil  Clark,  who 
worked  for  "The  Father  of  Wichita,"  on  the  Cowskin,  is  now 
in  Oklahoma. 

William  Greiffenstein  was  a  warm-hearted,  generous  man,  and 
in  Sedgwick  county  his  freinds  are  legion.  Time  will  do  his 
memory  justice,  and  posterity  will  perpetuate  his  many  virtues. 

DOC  WORRALL. 

By 

THE  EDITOR. 

In  the  early  eighties,  when  W.  G.  Hobbs  was  a  justice  of  the 
peace  and  held  court  in  Old  Eagle  Hall,  where  the  Boston  store 
now  is.  Doc  Worrall  was  his  constable.  Doc  regarded  himself  as 
an  amateur  detective.  He  posed  as  a  "bad  man  from  Bitter 
creek."  He  was  especially  handy  as  a  boxer,  quick  as  a  cat, 
supple  as  a  circus  tumbler,  and  filled  with  frontier  energy.  Doc 
was  a  character,  and  his  appearance  was  a  circus.  He  weighed 
about  115  pounds,  wore  his  hair  long  and  flowing  upon  his  collar, 
usually  wore  a  red  or  blue  flannel  shirt  with  a  wide  collar  open 


300  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

at  the  neck,  and  seldom  wore  suspenders,  as  he  regarded  them 
as  a  badge  of  an  effete  eastern  civilization.  His  shirt  was  laced 
lip  in  front,  and  he  wore  his  pants  in  his  boots.  And  such  boots ; 
they  were  of  the  red  top,  lace  top,  narrow  heel  A'ariety,  usually 
affected  by  the  cowboys.  He  usually  wore  a  broad  belt  with  a 
.44  and  cartridges.  Surmounting  this  all,  was  a  jaunty,  bell- 
crowned,  broad-brimmed  hat,  and  a  rakish  mustache,  and  you 
have  an  ink  portrait  of  Doc  Worrall,  in  the  frontier  days  of 
Wichita.  Doc  was  a  good  officer,  and  posed  as  a  lightweight 
pugilist  until  Denver  Ed  Smith  came  along  and  dislocated  his 
false  front  teeth,  over  at  the  old  rink  on  West  First  street.  Doe  is 
now  an  honest  farmer  on  a  farm  just  west  of  Mulvane,  Kansas. 

THE  PIONEER  RURAL  MAIL  CARRIER. 

W.  L.  Appling,  of  the  Horton  &  Appling  Real  Estate  Com- 
pany, 520  East  Douglas  avenue,  was  one  of  the  first  rural  mail 
carriers  to  carry  mail  from  the  Wichita  postoffice.  He  was  the 
first  carrier  to  go  over  the  thirty-one  miles  of  route  number  1, 
which  included  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  When  Mr. 
Appling  rode  behind  his  span  of  young  mules  on  that  first  day 
of  October,  1900,  he  unknowingly  was  beginning  a  strenuous  life- 
Here  is  his  story  as  told  to  a  reporter  for  "The  Beacon": 

"Remember  my  first  trip?  Well,  I  guess  I  do.  I  shall  never 
forget  it,  I  know.  I  had  experiences  on  that  day  enough  to  last 
me  the  remainder  of  my  lifetime.  I  felt  rather  smart  when  I 
crawled  in  behind  my  span  of  young  mules,  which  I  thought  were 
the  best  in  the  country,  for  I  was  doing  a  government  job  which 
had  never  before  been  done  in  the  state.  It  was  a  muddy  day. 
In  some  places  the  roads  were  so  deep  in  mud  that  even  my 
trusty  mules  could  hardly  pull  the  buggy  through.  I  started  at 
8  o'clock  and  thought  I  would  be  through  by  noon,  for  I  had 
very  little  mail  to  carry.  But  there 's  where  I  got  left.  At  every 
farmhouse  I  stopped  the  farmer  would  have  to  have  a  full  ex- 
planation of  the  new  system  of  the  mail.  Some  of  them  couldn't 
see  how  the  government  was  going  to  deliver  mail  free  of  charge 
without  mcreasing  the  taxes.  The  idea  of  Uncle  Sam  sending 
them  their  mail  without  a  cent  of  charge  looked  to  some  of  them 
preposterous  on  the  face  of  it.  I  remember  the  actions  of  one 
farmer  for  whom  I  had  mail. 

"His  house  was  a  short  distance  from  the  school,  and  as  I 


SOME  WELL-KNOWN  PEOPLE  301 

was  going  past  there  at  the  noon  dismissal  I  gave  the  letter  to 
one  of  his  children,  whom  I  saw  coming  out  of  the  school.  The 
farmer  saw  me  do  it  and  nearly  broke  down  a  barb  wire  fence  in 
getting  to  my  buggy.  'Hey,  there,  Appling,'  he  cried,  angrily, 
'don't  you  give  that  mail  to  any  boy  of  mine.  I  won't  take  it.' 
I  tried  to  quiet  him  and  told  him  the  old  story  of  Uncle  Sam's 
goodness,  but  he  would  have  none  of  it.  He  kept  on  insisting 
that  the  government  couldn't  possibly  do  such  an  unheard  of 
thing  without  going  into  bankruptcy.  He  declared  up  and  down 
that  it  was  a  political  scheme  of  the  Republicans  to  get  more 
taxes  from  the  people.  He  was  a  Democrat,  by  the  way,  and 
in  spite  of  all  the  figures  and  statements  made  by  the  postoffice 
officials,  I  couldn't  make  him  believe  that  there  was  anything 
fair  in  the  deal.  He  didn't  take  his  mail,  either.  He  went  to  the 
postmaster  later,  I  was  told,  and  told  him  that  he  didn't  want 
his  mail  sent  out  by  a  rural  carrier.  I  never  delivered  any  more 
mail  to  him." 

Note. — Gen.  W.  L.  Appling  is  now  the  quartermaster  general 
of  the  Department  of  Kansas,  and  very  deservedly  prominent  in 
political  and  Grand  Army  circles. — Editor. 

THE  OLDEST  MAIL  CARRIER  IN  WICHITA. 

The  oldest  carrier  in  the  service  of  the  Wichita  postoffice  de- 
partment is  George  Chouteau,  who  lives  at  316  North  Emporia 
avenue.  For  twenty-five  years  he  has  been  blowing  a  whistle, 
handing  out  an  anticipated  letter  and  making  everyone  feel  bet- 
ter. During  this  bi-decade  and  a  half  the  days  he  has  missed 
handing  out  a  message  could  be  counted  on  both  hands.  He  is 
well  up  in  years  now,  but  manages  to  cover  his  route  as  easily  as 
the  younger  men.  He  became  a  city  mail  carrier  October  18, 
1885.  When  he  started  out  on  his  run  through  the  south  part 
of  town  George  Chouteau  didn't  find  pavements,  street  cars,  or 
motor  cars.  He  rode  a  "nag."  Delivering  mail  in  the  South 
End  then  was  like  going  on  a  day's  journey.  He  took  all  day  to 
it.  Leaving  the  Garfield  Hall  on  West  First  street,  where  the 
postoffice  then  was,  early  in  the  morning,  he  sometimes  would 
not  get  in  until  the  roosters  began  to  welcome  midnight.  He 
says  that  carrying  mail  now  is  something  of  a  snap  to  what  it  was 
twenty-five  years  ago. 

Another  old-timer,  and  one  of  the  originals,  is  E.  B.  Walden. 


302  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

He  isn.'t  a  carrier  now,  being  superintendent  of  them,  but  lie 
made  his  debut  in  Uncle  Sam's  ranks  as  a  carrier.  Mr.  Walden 
rode  a  horse,  also.  He  had  a  part  of  the  South  End  of  Wichita 
and  a  part  of  the  North  End.  In  speaking  of  those  times,  he  said, 
the  other  day:  "Conditions  then  were  very  different  from  what 
they  are  now.  For  one  thing,  the  houses  didn't  have  any  num- 
bers. We  didn't  mind  this,  for  we  soon  learned  the  names  of 
the  people  who  lived  in  houses  and  we  picked  out  the  owners 
of  the  letters  by  the  house,  instead  of  the  number  on  the  house. 
Then,  too,  there  were  plenty  of  streets,  in  fact,  too  many,  but 
there  were  no  names  on  them.  It  is  diii'icult  enough  to  deliver 
mail  when  you  have  the  street  and  the  street  number,  but  you 
can  imagine  what  it  was  like  to  deliver  mail — and  lots  of  it — 
when  you  didn't  know  the  address  of  the  party.  Many  a  time 
I  have  had  to  read  the  addresses  on  an  envelope  by  the  light  of 
a  blinker.  In  those  days  a  blinker  was  a  great  thing  for  Wichita, 
and  there  was  sort  of  a  novelty  in  doing  this.  All  of  us  were 
detectives.  We  had  to  run  down  the  people.  Even  the  people 
didn't  know  their  whereabouts,  and  after  the  list  of  names  was 
made  out  I  found  that  several  thought  they  were  living  on  Meade 
avenue,  when  they  really  lived  on  Washington.  In  the  South 
End  it  was  sparsely  settled.  When  I  first  went  out  with  my  sad- 
dle bags  filled  with  mail  and  a  loud  whistle,  people  didn't  know 
what  to  make  of  me.  I  didn't  think  I  looked  formidable,  but  this 
little  incident,  which  I  remember  very  well,  will  show  that  I  did, 
at  least  to  some  persons. 

"Late  one  Saturday  afternoon  I  came  to  a  street  away  doAvn 
in  the  South  End.  I  can't  recall  the  name  of  it  now,  but  it  had 
very  few  houses  on  it.  I  had  a  letter  addressed  to  a  woman  whose 
house  I  knew.  As  I  rode  up  I  saw  her  sitting  in  the  window.  I 
waved  a  letter  so  she  could  see  it  and  expected  her  to  come  out  to 
the  curb  to  receive  it.  But,  do  you  know,  she  didn't  budge?  I 
whistled  as  loudly  as  I  could,  but  still  she  didn't  move.  It  was. 
against  our  orders  to  take  the  mail  to  the  door,  so  I  rode  away 
carrying  the  letter.  Next  day  I  went  by  there  and  whistled.  You 
ought  to  have  seen  her  rush  out  and  take  that  letter.  Residents, 
in  that  section  afterwards  told  me  that  she  thought  I  was  a  police- 
man when  I  drove  up  the  first  time,  and  she  was  afraid  to  go  out. 
That  may  seem  funny  to  you,  but  the  other  fellows  on  the  line  had 
the  same  trouble.  I  am  sure  we  were  as  placid-appearing  a  bunch 
of  men  as  could  be  found  in  the  city,  and  to  think  we  were  taken 


fc;0:\LE  WELL-KNOWN  PEOPLE  303 

for  desperadoes,  when  we  were  working  for  the  government !  This 
was  a  standing  joke  among  us  for  several  months." 

Orsemus  Hills  Bentley,  the  editor-in-chief  of  this  work,  is  a 
native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  having  been  raised  upon  a  farm 
in  Wyoming  county,  of  the  Empire  State.  He  is  the  son  of 
Gideon  Bentley  and  Emma  Hickox  McClenthen,  both  natives  of 
Onondaga  county,  in  central  New  York.  At  an  early  age  the 
parents  of  Mr.  Bentley  went  West,  as  it  was  called  in  those  days, 
and  settled  upon  a  farm  at  Arcade,  near  the  city  of  Buffalo. 
Here  Mr.  Bentley  spent  his  boyhood  and  was  a  student  of  Arcade 
Academy,  one  of  the  best  schools  in  that  portion  of  New  York 
state.  At  eighteen,  Mr.  Bentley  began  teaching  school,  which 
avocation  he  followed  for  two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  period 
he  took  up  the  study  of  law  in  Arcade,  Buffalo  and  Cleveland, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  was  married 
to  Flora  X.  Harris,  in  Cleveland,  and  soon  after,  and  in  the  year 
1880,  he  settled  in  Wichita.  For  more  than  thirty  years  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  Sedgwick  county.  While  devoting  his  time 
principally  to  the  law,  his  activities  have  gone  into  other  lines. 
Railroad  building,  farming,  ranching,  the  raising  of  Hereford 
cattle,  and  Poland-China  hogs  have  engaged  his  attention.  He 
owns  a  fine  ranch  in  Kingman  county  at  this  time,  which  is  well 
stocked  with  pure-blood  cattle.  He  was  the  promoter  and  princi- 
pal builder  of  the  Kansas  Midland  Railway,  from  Wichita  to 
Ellsworth,  and  has  assisted  in  promoting  other  railway  enter- 
prises. He  has  figured  in  many  notable  law  suits  in  Kansas, 
among  others,  the  Fairchild  murder  case,  in  Harper  county;  the 
Nutting  murder  case  in  Sumner  county,  and  the  Carter-Lane  case 
in  Sedgwick  county.  Mr.  Bentley  served  in  three  sessions  of  the 
Kansas  legislature  as  state  senator  from  the  J9th  senatorial  dis- 
trict. He  is  one  of  the  best  Spanish  scholars  in  this  portion  of 
Kansas,  reading,  writing  and  speaking  this  language  like  a  native. 
Senator  Bentley  has  a  distinct  literary  turn,  is  a  great  reader, 
having  literary  taste  of  a  high  order.  He  has  written  much, 
worked  on  newspapers,  and  is  a  ready  public  speaker,  being  in 
great  demand  in  political  campaigns.  During  his  residence  in 
Kansas  Senator  Bentley  has  taken  an  active  part  in  all  of  the  state 
and  local  campaigns  for  the  Republican  ticket.  His  acquaintance 
is  state  wide. 

In  his  business  he  has  acquired  a  competency,  and  he  has  just 
sold  the  tenth  house  which  he  has  built  in  Wichita.    He  has  been 


304  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

at  the  head  of  the  following  well  known  law  firms  in  Wichita: 
0.  H.  and  J.  C.  Bentley ;  Bentley,  Hatfield  &  Bentley,  and  Bentley 
&  Hatfield.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has  been 
associated  in  business  with  the  Hon.  Rodolph  Hatfield,  one  of  the 
distinguished  lawyers  of  Sedgwick  county.  Senator  Bentley  is 
a  thirty-third  degree  Mason,  and  has  traveled  extensively  in  this 
country,  and  has  lately  taken  a  long  trip  to  Panama  and  South 
America. 

Senator  Bentley 's  energy,  literary  taste,  social  and  business 
standing,  his  wonderful  acquaintance  and  familiarity  with  Sedg- 
wick county  and  Kansas  is  amply  reflected  in  this  history  of 
Sedgwick  county. — By  a  Lawyer  Friend. 

W.  R.  Stubbs,  governor,  was  born  JNovember  7,  1858,  at  Rich- 
mond, lud.  While  an  infant,  he  was  taken  to  Iowa,  and  remained 
there  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age.  He  then  came  to  Hesper, 
Kansas,  with  his  parents,  and  began  work  for  Samuel  Davis  at 
50  cents  a  day.  He  went  to  school  in  the  winter  and  got  a  lim- 
ited education,  which  he  improved  later  on  when  his  circumstances 
became  better  by  going  for  a  year  or  two  to  the  university. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  bought  a  span  of  mules  and  went 
to  work  on  the  grade  of  a  railroad  then  building,  and  remained 
in  that  work  until  about  1903,  when  he  had  as  high  as  5,000  men 
working  for  him. 

About  that  time  his  neighbors  drafted  him  for  the  legislature. 
He  was  then  forty-six  years  of  age,  and  had  never  been  into  a 
township  or  county  caucus  or  convention.  Since  entering  public 
life  a  few  years  ago  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  legislature, 
speaker  of  the  house,  state  chairman  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
is  now  governor.    This  is  his  history  in  brief. 

Note. — In  a  county  history  so  complete  as  this  we  have  thought 
proper  to  give  a  place  to  the  chief  executive  of  this  great  state, 
who  has  always  been  a  consistent  friend  of  Sedgwick  county  and 
whose  relatives  largely  reside  upon  our  southern  border.  The 
sketch  of  the  governor  was  prepared  by  his  secretary,  David  D. 
Leahey,  one  of  the  best  newspaper  men  of  Kansas. — Editor. 


SOME  WELL-KNOWN  PEOPLE  305 

THE  BENEFACTIONS  OF  TOM  SHAW. 

Tom  Shaw  runs  a  music  store  on  North  Main  street  in  Wichita. 
He  is  a  modest  man,  little  given  to  show.  Some  years  ago,  he 
inaugurated  the  plan  of  serving  a  Thanksgiving  Newsboy's  din- 
ner in  this  city.  He  does  this  all  by  himself  and  never  makes  any 
fuss  about  it.  Each  Thanksgiving  day  he  gathers  up  about  100 
newsboys  in  this  city,  and  marches  them  to  some  good  eating 
house,  where  he  proceeds  to  fill  them  up  with  a  good  turkey  din- 
ner. He  makes  no  distinction  between  the  blacks  and  the  whites, 
it  matters  not  how  poor  they  are,  how  ragged  or  unkempt,  he 
marshals  the  line  and  marches  along  Douglas  avenue,  and  reach- 
ing the  dining  hall  they  do  the  rest. 

Tom  Shaw  has  no  imitators  and  no  one  envies  him  the  place 
he  holds  in  the  affections  of  hundreds  of  men,  who  were  for- 
merly newsboys  and  the  recipients  of  his  boimty. 

His  methods  are  unique,  and  he  does  things  in  his  own  way; 
no  fulsome  advertising,  no  fuss  or  feathers,  he  simply  marches 
with  the  boys  and  feeds  them  with  a  lavish  hand.  In  his  simple 
benefaction  his  neighbors  respect  him,  and  the  boys  love  him. 
Their  parents  swear  by  him,  and  the  world  is  better  off  for  such 
men  whose  gifts  are  so  modest  and  unobstrusive. — Editor. 

MRS.  L.  S.  CARTER. 

By 

ELBERT  HUBBARD. 

I've  been  out  to  Wichita  giving  a  lecture  for  Mrs.  Carter,  and 
again  I  stand  with  hat  in  hand,  out  of  admiration  for  a  beautiful 
life  well  lived.  My  awe  is  not  alone  for  a  woman  who  can  make 
money  out  of  one  of  my  amusing  lectures,  but  it  is  out  of  respect 
for  certain  sterling  qualities  which  some  day  will  become  universal 
and  cease  to  be  the  exception. 

Mrs.  Carter  turned  her  eightieth  birthday  some  years  ago, 
and  has  asked  her  friends  to  forget  it.  She  is  well,  happy,  active 
and  takes  a  highly  intelligent  interest  in  the  world's  events. 
She  is  going  to  school.  She  believes  in  manual  training,  crema- 
tion, deep  breathing,  and  hold  that  President  Roosevelt  is  only 
in  process — that  he  is  not  yet  completed — otherwise  he  would 
not  be  tepid  on  equal  suffrage  and  violent  in  all  else.     Mrs. 


306  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Carter  says  she  expects  to  see  grammar  kiboslied  in  every  public 
school.  She  wants  children  taught  to  draw,  model  in  clay,  paint, 
sing,  and  says  they  ought  to  get  acquainted  with  bees,  birds, 
butterflies  and  know  all  the  flowers  and  trees  by  name. 

Mrs.  Carter  wore  a  new  white  satin  gown  that  she  had 
bought  in  honor  of  my  coming.  She  looks  like  Mary  Baker  Eddy, 
and  probably  knew  it.  She  had  arranged  the  stage-setting  as  a 
library  scene — looking  after  every  detail,  even  to  a  bunch  of 
"White  Hyacinths  on  the  table,  and  a  spray  of  the  same  for  the 
lapel  of  my  Prince  Albert. 

Mrs.  Carter  has  not  a  living  kinsman  nearer  than  a  second 
cousin  in  the  world,  therefore  she  chooses  her  friends.  Cer- 
tainly she  has  cause  for  gratitude.  All  of  Wichita  is  her  family. 
The  woolsack  and  the  ermine  do  not  overawe  her,  much  less 
"the  cloth,"  which  she  declares  is  for  the  most  part  shoddy. 
She  says  that  in  order  to  be  poor  in  Kansas,  you  have  to  waste 
an  awful  lot  of  time  and  money.  Mrs.  Carter  holds  that  a 
woman  is  as  good  as  a  man,  if  not  better,  and  yet  she  does  not 
urge  that  woman  should  make  all  the  laws  for  man  nor  at- 
tribute the  world's  damnation  to  him,  beside.  She  keeps  a 
woman  stenographer  and  a  man-of-all-work.  She  makes  at 
least  five  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  gives  most  of  it  away  in 
educating  girls  to  lives  of  usefulness. 

In  twenty  years  Mrs.  Carter  has  sold  over  half  a  million 
dollars'  worth  of  books  to  Kansas  and  mostly  full  sets  of  finely 
bound  books,  too.  She  showed  me  a  letter  from  Houghton,  MifBin 
&  Company,  wherein  they  said  that  hers  was  the  first  order  lor 
a  full  set  of  Emerson  that  came  to  them  from  Kansas. 

Her  own  library  cost  her  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  she  has 
given  it  to  Fairmont  College  at  Wichita,  a  school  for  girls,  eon- 
ducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Congregational  Church.  And 
lookee,  neighbor,  this  library  contains  full  sets  of  Tom  Paine, 
Voltaire  and  Ingersoll.  Wichita  does  not  fieteherize  the  lint 
when  a  good  thing  is  offered. 

So  here  is  a  woman,  born  in  Vermont,  transported  to  the 
prairies,  reaching  out  for  the  last  lap  of  the  century  run,  whose 
mind  is  vigorous,  alert,  active,  appreciative,  and  who  is  never  ill, 
but  works  ten  hours  or  more  a  day,  who  delights  in  New  Thought 
and  Free  Thought,  and  has  no  quarrel  either  with  God  or  His 
children.    Isn't  it  beautiful? 


SOME  WELL-KNOWN  PEOPLE  307 

MRS  CARTER'S  BIRTHDAY. 

Today  is  Mrs.  L.  S.  Carter's  birthday.  She  is  82  years  old, 
or  to  be  more  explicit,  82  years  young,  as  any  one  who  knows 
her  would  testify.  Friday  was  Mr.  Fred  Smyth's  52nd  birth- 
day, and  Junior  Smyth  is  19  years  old  today.  The  three  of  them 
celebrated  their  birthdays  together  and  had  a  regular  birthday 
feast  at  the  Smyth  home  on  North  Topeka  avenue. 

Mrs.  Carter  has  completed  another  year  of  usefulness.  She  is 
as  energetic  as  ever  and  doesn't  even  consider  that  she  needs  a 
vacation  this  warm  weather.  In  the  summer  time  she  always 
wears  white  to  please  her  friends,  she  says,  as  they  absolutely  in- 
sist upon  it.  While  in  her  heart  she  would  rather  wear  something 
just  a  little  bit  darker,  as  laundry  bills  take  a  lot  of  money  that 
could  be  used  where  Mrs.  Carter  thinks  it  is  needed  more.  The 
only  ornament  that  she  ever  wears  is  her  Daughters  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution  pin. 

Mrs.  Carter  resides  in  the  Ferrell  flats  on  East  Second  street. 
She  has  four  rooms  and  a  bath,  but  she  has  decided  that  four 
rooms  are  too  many  for  her  so  she  is  going  to  rent  two  of  the 
rooms.  Her  ofSce  is  in  the  Michigan  building  and  is  one  of  the 
prettiest  in  the  city.  It  is  finished  in  buff,  has  awnings  at  the 
windows,  a  marble  wash  stand,  an  electric  fan  and  other  con- 
veniences. Mr.  0.  D.  Barnes,  who  is  the  owner  of  the  building, 
has  given  the  room  to  Mrs.  Carter  for  the  rest  of  her  life.  Since 
1904  her  office  has  been  in  the  Winne  building.  When  the  new 
Barnes  building  was  completed  Mr.  Barnes  told  Mrs.  Carter  that 
she  was  to  have  a  room  in  it  for  life.  Mrs.  Carter  thought  he 
was  joking  and  didn't  accept,  although  he  repeated  the  offer 
several  times.  When  the  new  Michigan  building  was  completed 
Mr.  Barnes  simply  wouldn't  take  "No"  for  an  answer  and  Mrs. 
Carter  was  installed  in  a  room  that  was  many  times  an  improve- 
ment on  her  old  one.  She  is  quite  enthusiastic  about  Mr.  Barnes, 
and  says  that  every  one  should  take  off  their  hat  to  him. 

Since  her  last  birthday  she  has  put  eleven  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five dollars  worth  of  steel  furniture  in  the  new  Carnegie 
library.  Tear  before  last  she  donated  her  own  library,  which  is 
valued  at  $8,000  to  the  college.  This  year  she  gave  to  the  Y.  W. 
C.  A.  25  volumes  of  a  de  luxe  edition  of  Walter  Scott;  40  volumes 
of  little  classics ;  6  volumes  of  Victor  Hugo,  five  yearly  subscrip- 
tions to  magazines,  and  enough  other  books  to  fill  a  bookcase. 


308  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

The  Fairmount  "down  town"  studio  was  furnished  recently 
by  Mrs.  Carter.  Fairmount  is  not  the  only  thing  that  is  benefited 
by  the  generosity  of  Mrs.  Carter.  She  helps  lots  of  other  things 
and  persons  that  are  never  heard  of.  She  received  lots  of  pres- 
ents today — among  them  a  case  of  mineral  water  that  had  no 
name  signed. 

One  thousand  two  hundred  dollars  to  the  Children's  Home, 
put  in  three  metal  drinking  fountains,  two  for  horses,  one  for 
men. — Daily  Beacon,  July  11,  1910. 

KOS  HARRIS. 

Kos  Harris,  whose  writings  adorn  many  pages  of  the  history 
of  Sedgwick  county,  is  a  xmique  character  of  "Wichita  and  a 
versatile  and  well  known  writer  in  Kansas.  He  is  a  distinguished 
lawyer  of  Wichita,  where  he  has  practiced  since  the  early  70 's. 
Kos  has  acquired  a  competency,  and  as  he  says  himself,  he  can 
now  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door.  He  is  a  tovm  booster  and  a 
town  builder.  He  has  been  active  iu  railway  and  other  building. 
He  has  been  a  most  successful  practicing  lawyer  at  the  bar  of 
Sedgwick  county  and  he  possesses  so  much  good  humor  that  it 
is  a  delight  to  do  business  with  him.  At  one  time,  when  Kos 
Harris  was  building  his  present  office  building  on  South  Main 
street  in  Wichita,  he  received  a  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Kozarris. 
This  name  amused  him  so  that  he  at  once  named  his  building 
the  Kozarris  building,  putting  that  name  on  the  front  iu  bold  let- 
■ters,  and  since  that  time  this  building  has  been  known  as  the 
Kozarris  building,  and  so  it  will  remain  to  the  end  of  the  chap- 
ter. This  incident  is  characteristic  of  the  man  whose  whole  life 
has  an  undercurrent  of  quiet  humor.  Kos  enjoys  life  to  the  limit 
and  while  a  careful,  painstaking  lawyer,  and  a  dangerous  antag- 
onist in  a  law-suit,  after  the  battle  is  over  he  is  a  friend  of  all 
parties^  and  his  good  nature  and  good  humor  smoothes  away  all 
of  the  rough  edges  and  animosities  of  the  litigation.  I  wish  that 
there  were  more  men  in  Wichita  like  Kos  Harris,  light-hearted, 
witty  and  entertaining;  loyal  to  his  friends,  and  forgiving  to  his 
enemies. — Editor. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
SOME  PROMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA. 

The  city  and  the  public  utility-corporations  are  going  to  make 
extensive  improvements  during  the  present  year,  but  they  will 
not  be  far  ahead  of  the  individuals  and  private  corporations  of 
the  city.  The  indications  are  this  will  be  the  biggest  year  in  the 
private  building  line  in  the  history  of  Wichita.  No  less  than 
$2,000,000  is  to  be  spent  in  buildings,  aside  from  those  which  ' '  The 
Beacon"  mentioned  earlier  this  week.  This  is  assured  at  the 
present  time,  though  the  year  is  but  little  more  than  one  month 
old.  It  will  not  be  surprising  if  this  amount  is  more  than  doubled 
before  the  end  of  the  year. 

Following  is  a  list  of  most  of  the  business  buildings  for  which 
contracts  have  been  let  or  upon  which  work  has  been  commenced 
since  the  first  of  January,  1910 : 

Beacon  building.  South  Main  street,  75x140,  ten  stories  and 
basement,  cost  $350,000 ;  Schweiter  building,  corner  Douglas  and 
Main,  70x136,  eight  stories  and  basement,  cost  $275,000;  Butts 
building,  100x140,  corner  First  and  Lawrence,  six  stories  and 
basement,  cost  $125,000;  Commercial  Club  building.  First  and 
Market,  50x140,  five  stories,  cost  $62,000 ;  J.  F.  Hollieke,  motor  car 
building.  North  Topeka,  50x140,  three  stories,  cost  $35,000 ;  Catho- 
lic cathedral,  cost  $200,000 ;  First  Methodist  church,  cost  $100,000 ; 
First  Presbyterian  church,  cost  $100,000;  Grace  Presbyterian 
church,  cost  $20,000;  0.  C.  Daisy,  South  Topeka  avenue,  50x160, 
three  stories,  cost  $30,000;  L.  F.  Means,  West  Douglas,  50x130, 
t\Vo  stories,  cost  $12,000 ;  Roy  Reeves,  West  Douglas,  25x100,  two 
stories,  cost  $8,000;  John  Wentzel,  corner  Pine  and  Main,  two- 
story  brick,  cost  $8,000;  W.  H.  Fitch,  Nortli  Main,  three-story 
brick,  cost  $8,000;  Jott  &  Wood,  addition,  Santa  Fe  tracks,  cost 
$25,000;  A.  S.  Parks,  building  for  International  Harvester  Com- 
pany, cost  $100,000 ;  Western  Planing  Mill,  St.  Francis,  30x62,  two 
stories,  cost  $7,000 ;  J.  F.  Hollieke,  1219  East  Douglas,  25x72,  two- 
story,  cost  $6,500 ;  Stewart  &  Burns,  garage,  North  Lawrence,  95x 


310  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

140,  cost  $12,000 ;  W.  H.  Gaiser,  St.  Francis,  42x125,  two  stories, 
cost  $10,000;  H.  D.  Cottman,  East  Douglas,  25x100,  two-story, 
cost  $8,000;  Mrs.  Emma  Cox,  South  Market,  25x140,  two  stories, 
cost  $12,000;  Metz  Lumber  Company,  North  Main,  40x140,  two 
stories,  cost  $20,000 ;  Carey  Hotel  addition,  $50,000 ;  L.  W.  Clapp, 
25x100,  two  stories,  $5,000 ;  W.  S.  Brown,  two-story,  25x140,  cost 
$12,000;  People's  Ice  Company,  Fifteenth  and  Santa  Fe,  30x150, 
two  stories,  cost  $35,000 ;  C.  A.  Preston,  North  Market,  two-story 
flat.  50x140,  cost  $16,000 ;  W.  0.  Truesdale,  addition  North  Rock 
Island,  cost  $15,000;  Mrs.  Mary  Dotson,  Main  and  Lewis,  two- 
story  flat,  cost  $20,000.  The  total  cost  of  these  buildings  is 
$1,682,500. 

Last  year  there  were  1,400  dwellings  built  in  Wichita,  and  it 
is  safe  to  predict  at  least  1,500  will  be  built  this  year.  At  the 
average  cost  of  $2,000,  which  is  very  conservative,  these  dwell- 
ings would  aggregate  $300,000.  This  amount,  added  to  the  sum 
that  will  be  paid  for  the  business  buildings  already  contracted 
for,  makes  certain  the  expenditure  of,  approximately,  $2,000,000, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  buildings  which  may  hereafter  be  contracted 
for  during  the  year.  The  new  high  school  will  cost  $150,000,  and 
"The  Beacon"  neglected  to  include  it  in  the  list  of  public  build- 
ings published  a  few  days  ago.  After  leaving  it  out,  the  im- 
provements of  a  public  nature,  by  the  city  itself  and  the  public 
utility  corporations,  amounted  to  over  $5,000,000.  A  million  of 
this  vast  sum  to  be  expended  in  1910  will  be  spent  for  paving. 
The  public  and  private  improvements  during  the  present  year  will 
total  more  than  $7,000,000. 

NEW  BUILDINGS  WORTH  TWO  MILLIONS  IN  THE  FIRST 
POUR  MONTHS  OF  1910. 

The  building  of  large  cities  was  ever  attended  by  romance. 
The  hero  of  this  modern  age  is  he  who  dares  to  build  something 
larger,  broader,  grander,  than  anything  of  the  sort  of  a  previous 
age  or  period.  Man's  mission  in  the  world  is  to  create,  to  con- 
struct. Every  man  of  consequence  has  a  longing  to  do  something 
bigger  and  better  than  any  other  man  has  done  it.  And  that  is 
the  way  of  Wichita  in  her  building.  Her  citizens  are  filled  with 
ideals  of  a  larger,  more  beautiful,  more  firmly  grounded  city. 
The  working  out  of  these  ideals  forms  the  romance  of  building 


PROMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA  311 

the  greatest  city  of  the  greatest  state  in  the  Union — Wichita,  of 


Perfection  in  anything  is  rare.  The  struggle  for  perfection 
is  one  of  man's  rarest  virtues.  The  struggle  for  civic  perfection 
is  more  rare  and  more  worthy  of  large  reward.  In  the  building 
of  a  city  there  is  more  than  the  mere  shaping  of  materials  into 
buildings  of  four,  six,  or  ten  stories  height.  There  are  beauty 
and  symmetry  and  safety  to  be  considered.  In  Wichita  all  are 
taken  into  consideration.  The  time  for  throwing  up  flimsy  struc- 
tures for  the  service  of  a  few  years  has  passed.  The  builders  of 
modern  Wichita  are  grounding  their  foundations  deeply,  rein- 
forcing their  superstructures  solidly  and  finishing  interiors  and 
exteriors  simply  and  beautifully.  Not  only  beautifully  and  solidly 
does  Wichita  build,  but  rapidly.  Once  determined  upon  building 
a  Wichitan  goes  about  his  task  with  alacrity.  Hundred^  are  con- 
stantly imbued  with  the  spirit,  and  they,  with  their  unending 
activities,  have  made  the  city  famous  as  the  fastest  growing  urban 
community  in  the  state. 

The  year  1910  will  go  down  in  history  as  a  wonderful  twelve- 
month of  building.  The  chronicle  will  read  like  a  romantic  tale 
of  twelve  chapters,  each  filled  with  the  vigorous  interest  of  human 
achievement  as  applied  to  architecture.  In  the  year  1909  over 
four  millions  of  dollars  were  expended  for  new  homes  and  new 
business  blocks  in  this  city.  That  was  a  remarkable  record,  and  it 
was  .heralded  to  the  four  winds.  Yet  still  greater  things  are  hap- 
pening in  this  year  of  1910.  Specifically,  the  1909  building  rec- 
ord was  $2,658,760  for  the  erection  of  new  homes,  more  than  a 
thousand  of  which  were  builded.  For  business  structures,  $1,414,- 
900  was  expended.  For  public  buildings,  additions  and  barns 
more  than  $400,000  was  spent. 

At  the  opening  of  the  present  year  building  operations  started 
off  with  a  bound.  In  one  day  the  fire  marshal's  office  issued  per- 
mits for  the  construction  of  more  than  half  a  million  dollars' 
worth  of  business  blocks.  At  the  end  of  the  first  month  the  total 
was  close  to  three-quarters  of  a  million.  February  was  a  short 
month,  filled  with  bad  weather.  Building  operations  were  light 
for  that  reason.  At  that,  however,  buildings  to  cost  more  than 
$100,000  were  commenced.  March  made  for  itself  a  record  that 
probably  will  stand  for  some  years.  In  all,  183  buildings  of  all 
sorts  were  started.    In  the  fire  marshal's  permit  book  they  were 


312  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

scheduled  to  cost  $670,000.    April  came  forward  with  152  permits, 
for  a  total  of  $460,000. 

The  figures  for  the  first  four  months  of  the  year  are: 

Month.                                                             No.  Permits.  Cost. 

January    91  $    735,075 

February    79  100,570 

March   183  669,280 

April  152  457,551 

Total  505  $1,962,476 

These  permits  and  amounts  were  classified  as  follows:  Resi- 
dences, 400  permits  for  $756,951 ;  business  houses,  46  permits  for 
$1,080,950 ;  churches,  one  permit  for  $100,000 ;  barns  and  additions, 
58  permits  for  $25,575.  Some  idea  of  the  speed  with  which 
Wichita  is  growing  may  be  gained  from  a  comparison  of  figures. 
In  April  of  1908,  41  permits  were  issued  for  buildings  to  cost 
$73,500.  During  the  following  April  the  number  of  permits 
leaped  to  162  and  the  amount  to  $309,000.  April,  of  1910,  estab- 
lished a  new  record  of  184  permits  for  a  total  of  $457,551.  Fore- 
most among  the  new  buildings  of  this  year  stands  the  new  Beacon 
block.  This  huge  monolith  of  concrete  and  steel  will  be  the  first 
ten-story  building  in  the  city.  Construction  work  was  started 
in  February,  and  at  the  present  time  the  ninth  floor  is  being  com- 
pleted. In  nine  months  from  the  date  of  beginning  the  building 
will  be  completed  and  occupied  by  The  Beacon  Publishing  Com- 
pany.   The  structure  is  costing  $300,000. 

The  second  sky-scraper  to  be  erected  in  this  city  wiU  be 
started  June  1.  The  site  at  the  corner  of  ]\Iain  street  and  Douglas 
avenue  is  now  being  cleared  for  this  new  Schweiter  block. 
Another  $300,000  is  being  invested  in  this  modern  ofiSce  structure. 
Other  substantial  buildings  in  the  business  district  are:  Butts 
building,  six  stories  high;  the  Michigan  building,  seven  stories; 
Commercial  Club  home,  of  five  stories ;  new  theater,  to  cost  $100,- 
000;  new  auditorium,  to  cost  $150,000,  and  scores  of  smaller 
structures.  At  the  stock  yards  $500,000  is  being  expended  for 
the  enlargement  of  the  packing  plants  and  the  yard  facilities. 
A  new  $50,000  exchange  building  has  just  been  completed.  In 
the  wholesale  district  several  substantial  structures  have  been 
started   or   completed.     Among  these   are   two   large   wholesale 


PROMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA  313 

grocery   houses   and   a   six-story   warehouse   for    a   steamfitting 
supply  house. 

"THE  MATHEWSON." 

Mrs.  Grant  Bradshaw  Hatfield  has  sent  "The  Beacon"  a  very 
interesting  communication,  in  which  she  urges  the  adoption  of 
"The  Mathewson"  as  an  appropriate  name  for  the  new  audi- 
torium. Some  of  the  points  coA^ered  by  Mrs.  Hatfield's  letter  are 
given  below: 

"I  desire  to  propose  the  name,  'The  Mathewson,'  for  the  new 
"Wichita  auditorium  which  is  now  being  built. 

"The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  Father,  Founder,  Scout, 
Frontiersman  and  only  original  'Buffalo  Bill.'  Mr.  Mathewson 's 
prophetic  eyes  were  the  first  to  see  the  possibilities  of  building 
a  great  city  here.  He  came  to  the  site  of  Wichita  when  there  was 
nothing  here  but  barren  prairie.  He  remained,  to  suffer  all  the 
hardships  of  frontier  life,  and  is  still  active  in  supporting  the 
progressive  policy  of  the  city. 

"I  think  it  would  be  an  appropriate  acknowledgment  of  his 
service  to  the  city  if  the  mayor  and  city  commissioners  should 
decide  to  use  Mr.  Mathewson 's  name  for  the  auditorium,  which  is 
to  be  the  most  imposing  building  of  its  kind  in  the  Southwest. 
Mr.  Mathewson  has  personal  knowledge  of  more  Wichita  history 
than  any  other  living  man.  As  an  agent  of  the  general  govern- 
ment he  arranged  the  first  treaty  ever  made  with  the  Indians  in 
this  particular  territory.  That  was  in  1867,  and  for  many  years 
thereafter  he  remained  the  friend  and  protector  of  every  white 
resident  of  the  territory. 

"The  title  of  'Buffalo  Bill'  did  not  come  to  him  merely  because 
of  his  skill  as  hunter,  but  was  given  him  by  a  grateful  people  who 
were  indebted  to  him  for  their  lives.  During  the  early  history 
the  colony  here  was  prevented  from  securing  food  by  the  savages, 
who  continually  guarded  the  camp.  William  Mathewson  braved 
the  dangers  of  a  venture  upon  the  plains,  killed  scores  of  buffalo 
from  the  grazing  herds,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  few  other  mem- 
bers of  the  colony  managed  to  transport  the  animals  to  the  starv- 
ing people  at  the  camp  and  the  surrounding  country.  Another 
evidence  of  his  bravery  and  service  to  the  early  settlers  was  his 
rescue  of  two  little  girls,  who  were  the  only  survivors  of  a  family 
raided  by  a  band  of  Kiowa  Indians.  These  girls  were  taken  to 
Washington  and  a  congressional  appropriation  secured  for  their 


314  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

education.  Through  all  the  struggles  incident  to  pioneer  life, 
Mr.  Mathewson  never  was  known  to. withhold  a  helping  hand 
from  a  needy  iadividual  who  was  worthy,  and  for  fifty  years  he 
has  worked  and  talked  and  sacrificed  to  help  make  Wichita  a 
great  city.  I  hope  all  the  friends  of  Mr.  Mathewson  in  the  city 
will  urge  the  mayor  and  the  city  commissioners  to  name  the  new 
auditorium  'The  Mathewson.'  " 

SKETCH  OP  MR.  MATHEWSON. 

Mr.  Mathewson  is  of  tall  and  commanding  figure :  six  feet  and 
one-half  inches  in  height ;  noted  for  his  great  strength  and  won- 
derful power  of  endurance;  forehead  broad  and  of  medium 
height ;  features  distinctly  marked,  without  angularity ;  blue  eyes 
and  formerly  dark  hair  and  complexion ;  modest  in  his  demeanor, 
he  abstains  from  all  boasting;  retiring  in  his  disposition,  he 
avoids  publicity,  preferring  the  quiet  and  seclusion  of  private 
life.  Positive  in  his  character,  calm  and  self-possessed  in  the 
moment  of  danger;  energetic  and  persevering.  He  is  a  bright 
example  of  that  class  of  men  who  opened  the  country  to  the  de- 
mands of  civilization. 

The  same  patriotic  blood  trinkles  the  veins  of  every  Ameri- 
can. Then,  citizens  of  Wichita,  why  not  execute  your  loyalty 
by  placing  some  token  of  appreciation  in  memory  of  this  brave 
living  frontiersman,  who  so  nobly  withstood  all  privation  of  such 
life  and  which  now  stands  as  the  result  of  our  Peerless  Princess, 
of  which  we  are  each  and  everyone  so  proud,  and  christen  the 
spacious  assembly  hall  or  auditorium  now  under  discussion  "The 
Mathewson,"  as  a  reminder  to  our  progeny  and  a  tribute  of  our 
appreciation. 

Note. — William  Mathewson  was  the  original  "Buffalo  Bill," 
and  was  employed  for  a  long  time  in  furnishing  buffalo  meat  to 
General  Sheridan's  army.  Wichita  was  for  years  General  Sheri- 
dan's headquarters. — Editor. 

THE  INTERESTING  ROMANCE  OF  WICHITA'S  FIRST 
SKYSCRAPER. 

The  new  Beacon  building,  which  has  excited  widespread  com- 
ment as  the  first  skyscraper  ever  erected  in  Kansas,  will  house 
1,000  people  daily.  The  work  which  will  engage  these  people 
will  cover  nearly  every  field  of  human  labor.    In  the  first  place, 


PROMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA  315 

the  building  requires  its  own  corps  of  servants,  twenty  in  all.  At 
the  head  of  these  is  the  manager,  John  H.  Graham,  who  has  in 
charge  the  complex  machinery  of  the  little  city.  In  addition  to 
the  manager,  an  engineer,  an  electrician,  a  house  carpenter,  five 
elevator  men  and  twelve  janitors  and  scrub  women  will  help  to 
oil  the  wheels  each  day.  One  hundred  stenographers  will  remove 
their  hats,  tenderly  finger  their  "puffs"  and  powder  their  noses 
in  this  building  every  morning.  And  a  vast  crowd  of  professional 
men,  business  men,  sightseers  and  agents  will  keep  the  four  ele- 
vators working  constantly.  It  is  estimated  that  10,000  persons 
will  visit  the  building  on  business  every  day.  During  the  lunch 
hour  from  150  to  200  business  men  will  lunch  on  the  tenth  floor  in 
the  restaurant  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  an  organization  com- 
prised of  400  of  the  foremost  of  Wichita  business  men.  The  view 
from  the  roof  of  a  skyscraper  is  like  a  glimpse  into  wonderland 
itself.  Thirty-five  miles  in  any  direction  on  a  clear  day  is  a  view 
worth  climbing  a  mountain  to  see,  though  even  here  the  tall 
building  offers  a  superior  inducement  by  carrying  us  up  in  an 
elevator.  Looking  down  at  the  street  one  marvels  at  the  little 
street  cars  crawling  along  the  narrow  pavements.  The  diminu- 
tive horses  drawing  toy  wagons,  and  the  pigmy  men  and  women 
threading  their  way  between  the  traffic.  Away  to  the  south  flows 
the  Arkansas  river,  partially  veiled  in  the  smoke  of  a  Septem- 
ber haze.  If  your  eyesight  is  good  you  can  count  ten  bridges 
spanning  it.  Just  this  side  of  the  river  lies  a  broad  field  of 
brightest  green,  plentifully  streaked  with  yellow.  Golden  rod 
or  field  daisies  growing  on  some  golf  course  probably.  There  is 
Friends  University  ofi'  in  the  west,  and  just  this  side  of  it,  in  our 
panorama,  the  Orient  shops.  That  white  croquet  wicket  is  the 
entrance  to  Wonderland  Park.  There  is  the  race  track  in  plain 
view.  A  person  armed  with  binoculars  could  easily  follow  the 
races  from  here.  Another  point  in  favor  of  our  skyscraper.  A 
grandstand  on  the  roof  from  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  model 
city  can  watch  any  race  or  ball  game  within  a  radius  of  five 
miles.  So  we  follow  the  parapet  around  its  four  sides,  viewing  in 
turn  the  Little  Arkansas,  the  packing  houses  in  the  north.  River- 
side Park  and  Fairmount  College,  all  walled  in  and  partially 
buried  by  trees.  Trees !  The  eye  grows  dizzy  trying  to  separate 
and  count  them,  a  forest  of  green  lightly  brushed  over  with 
autumn  red. 

Part  of  the  eleventh  floor  is  given  over  to  the  machinery  of  the 


316  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

foui'  automatic  elevators.  A  110-volt  motor  operates  a  10-volt 
generator,  while  the  public  rides.  The  elevators  run  from  7  in 
the  morning  till  7  at  night.  Two  of  them  are  worked  for  two 
hours  longer  and  one  runs  all  night  and  furnishes  service  on 
Sundays.  Almost  the  entire  tenth  floor  has  been  designed  for  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  There  is  a  game  room,  which  can  be 
closed  off,  a  main  reception  hall,  a  main  dining  room,  a  private 
reception  hall  and  dining  room,  a  serving  room  and  kitchen.  The 
kitchen  is  on  the  eleventh  floor  and  two  dumb  waiters  will  carry 
food  and  dishes  between  it  and  the  serving  room.  The  rest  of 
the  tenth  floor  will  be  devoted  to  the  Boyle  Commission  Company 
and  the  Interurban  offices.  An  interesting  feature  of  the  eighth 
floor  is  the  office  of  the  Paper  Mills.  The  mills  are  being  erected 
now  in  West  Wichita,  and  will  be  directed  from  the  Beacon 
building.  The  Natural  Gas  Company  will  have  its  offices  on  the 
seventh  floor,  while  on  the  second,  a  cigar  store  wiU  be  estab- 
lished. A  bank  and  a  drug  store,  for  which  quarters  will  be  pro- 
vided on  the  first  floor,  will  complete  the  industry  list  of  the  two- 
acre  city,  with  the  exception,  of  course,  of  its  daily  paper. 

The  editorial  offices  and  composing  room  of  the  Wichita  Daily 
Beacon  will  occupy  the  front  half  of  the  second  story.  Two 
Associated  Press  cables  which  are  being  installed  will  carry  the 
news  of  the  world  into  the  building.  The  counting  room  is  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  main  floor,  with  the  pressroom  back  of  it, 
where  the  new  sextuple  press,  which  is  to  strike  oft'  the  first  copies 
of  ' '  The  Beacon"  printed  in  its  new  home,  is  being  installed.  When 
the  freshly  printed  papers  come  off  the  press  they  go  through 
a  chute  into  the  basement,  where  they  are  received  on  tables  pre- 
pared for  them  and  distributed  to  the  newsboys  and  mailing 
agents.  In  the  basement  are  two  boilers  of  100-horsepower  each, 
which  will  heat  the  entire  building.  Another  smaller  boiler  will 
provide  warm  water  for  the  lavatories.  Two  vacuum  cleaners 
have  been  installed,  which  will  clean  every  office  every  night. 
Vacuum  cleaners  are  worked  by  means  of  compressed  air.  The 
compressing  of  the  air  leaves  a  vacuum  in  the  tubes,  which  creates 
a  suction.  So  the  dust  is  drawn  into  the  tubes  and  falls  into  dust 
boxes  prepared  for  it.  Another  clever  invention  which  is  being 
installed  is  the  "air  washer,"  designed  to  ventilate  the  basement 
and  other  rooms  having  no  outside  ventilation.  The  outdoor  air 
is  received  into  the  basement,  where  it  is  purified  by  passing 
through  a  miniature  rainstorm.     It  is  then  fanned  into  the  un- 


PROMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA  317 

"ventilated  rooms  by  means  of  revolving  fans.  Not  less  than  12,000 
cubic  feet  of  air  per  minute  must  flow  through  the  water  to  keep 
the  air  in  these  rooms  pure.  An  electric  switchboard,  20  feet  long 
and  10  feet  high,  controls  the  lighting. 

The  Beacon  building  was  erected  by  a  stock  company  at  a  cost 
of  $350,000.  Shares  of  this  stock,  which  sell  for  $50.00,  have  been 
bought  in  amounts  varying  from  $50  to  $10,000.  Several  children 
have  bought  one  share  apiece.  At  the  present  time  only  about 
$30,000  worth  remains  unsold.  The  first  actual  money  received 
for  Beacon  building  stock  was  a  check  for  $1,000,  received  from 
Charles  Watersehied. 

BRIGHT  LIGHTS  AND  MARBLE. 

Some  interesting  facts  about  this  skyscraper  are  that  it  takes 
1,500  incandescent  bulbs  to  light  it,  that  the  Italian  marble  wains- 
cotings  with  Kentucky  marble  bases  costs  $20,000,  and  that  there 
are  75,000  square  feet,  or  a  little  less  than  two  acres  of  floor  space 
in  the  building.  The  structure  contains  600  windows,  which  the 
Beacon  Building  Company  have  provided  with  Holland  shades 
at  a  cost  of  over  $500.  The  half-acre  of  glass  in  these  windows 
was  furnished  by  the  Mississippi  Glass  Company.  In  addition  to 
the  other  conveniences  of  the  model  city,  any  member  of  it  may 
drop  a  letter  in  one  of  the  boxes  to  be  found  on  each  floor,  and  it 
will  be  carried  to  the  mailing  department  in  the  basement.  The 
consent  of  the  government  is  to  be  obtained  to  widen  to  a  40-foot 
street  the  alley  east  of  the  building,  which  adjoins  the  postoffiee. 
The  telegraph  poles  will  be  taken  down,  the  wires  put  under 
ground  and  the  street  paved  with  asphalt.  Richards,  McCarty  & 
Bulford,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  are  the  architects  of  the  Beacon 
building.  The  building  contract  was  let  to  Selden  &  Breck,  of 
St.  Louis,  on  the  29th  of  last  December.  Actual  work  commenced 
the  first  week  in  January,  and  since  that  time  200  laborers  have 
been  given  steady  employment,  while  at  times  as  many  as  300 
men  have  been  at  work.  Perhaps  nothing  in  connection  with  the 
new  building  suggests  so  vividly  the  growth  of  the  "Wichita 
Beacon"  from  a  country  weekly  to  a  great  city  daily  as  the  story 
of  the  man  who  is  writing  the  signs  for  the  new  building.  Thirty- 
four  years  ago  this  man,  R.  D.  Bordeaux,  painted  the  first  sign 
"The  Beacon"  ever  had.  He  took  the  design,  a  beacon-lighted 
tower,  from  an  old  geography,  and  received  his  pay  for  the  work 


318  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

in  weekly  papers.  Today  Mr.  Bordeaux,  now  an  older  man,  has 
the  very  considerable  contract  for  writing  all  the  door  signs  to 
be  used  in  the  new  building,  while  the  beacon  tower — his  work 
of  thirty-four  years  ago,  is  to  be  commemorated  in  a  stone  tower 
60  feet  high,  bearing  a  revolving  searchlight,  which  will  flash  for 
miles  across  the  surrounding  country.  What  would  you  think  of 
a  village  of  a  thousand  people,  containing  as  residents  twenty-five 
doctors,  fifteen  lawyers,  ten  real  estate  agents,  fifteen  wholesale 
lumber  dealers,  fifteen  life  insurance  agents  and  ten  fire  insur- 
ance agents,  three  wholesale  jewelers  and  ten  or  fifteen  first-class 
dentists,  besides  the  employes  of  a  bank,  a  drug  store  and  a  daily 
newspaper  with  a  circulation  of  over  twenty-one  thousand  papers? 


BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  BEACON  BLOCK. 

By 
HENRY  J.  ALLEN. 

A  painless  dentist,  whose  name  shall  be  unknown,  started  the 
magnificent  $380,000  building  to  which  "The^  Beacon"  is  just 
moving.  This  dentist  was  from  Kansas  City,  and  he  came  to  ' '  The 
Beacon"  one  day  to  make  an  advertising  contract,  so  that  he 
might  pull  many  teeth  without  pain  in  this  beautiful  city.  After 
making  his  contract,  of  some  considerable  dollars,  he  said  he'd 
go  out  and  engage  his  rooms  and  be  back  soon.  He  came  back 
three  hours  later  and  said  he  couldn't  get  an  office  in  town  and 
would  therefore  have  to  stay  away,  as  he  couldn't  extract  teeth 
without  pain  in  the  open  streets. 

A  great  financier  once  said  that  the  way  to  make  money  was 
to  discover  some  human  need  which  had  not  been  supplied,  and 
supply  it  at  so  much  per.  The  Beacon  building  Avas  erected  to 
supply  a  human  need.  The  statement  that  a  man  couldn't  rent  a 
suite  of  offices  in  Wichita  was  given  grave  consideration.  Investi- 
gation developed  the  fact  that  at  all  the  office  buildings  there  was 
a  waiting  list  and  that  the  business  growth  of  the  city  was  being 
retarded  by  a  lack  of  suitable  offices  for  new  firms.  Nothing^ 
is  so  important  to  the  development  of  a  city  into  a  great  busi- 
ness center  as  that  it  shall  have  suitably  equipped  office  buildings. 
The  enterprising  people  of  this  city  realized  this  fact.  "The 
Beacon"  bought  a  year  ago  last  May  for  $39,000  the  lots  where 


PROMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA  319 

The  Beacon  building  now  stands,  and  began  the  organization  of 
a  stock  company  of  $350,000  to  put  up  a  ten-story  building.  Ac- 
tual work  on  the  building  was  started  January  6,  by  the  Selden- 
Breck  Construction  Company,  of  St.  Louis.  The  progress  of  the 
work,  under  the  splendid  management  of  Mr.  McDonald,  the  resi- 
dent superintendent  of  this  firm,  has  broken  all  building  records 
in  Kansas.  The  building  has  practically  been  completed  in  nine 
months.  The  cost  of  the  building  and  grounds  will  be  about 
$380,000.  The  original  estimate  was  $350,000,  but  the  directors 
decided  to  add  several  expensive  equipments,  not  originally  fig- 
ured, such  as  marble  wainscoting,  wardrobes  in  each  suite  of 
rooms,  vacuum  cleaning,  artificial  ventilation,  a  refrigerating. 
plant  for  the  delivery  of  drinking  water  in  the  corridors,  and 
other  items  to  make  the  building  absolutely  modern. 

The  architects  of  the  building,  Richards,  McCarty  &  Bulford, 
of  Columbus,  Ohio,  had  just  finished  the  splendid  newspaper 
building  for  the  Columbus  "Dispatch,"  so  that  "The  Beacon" 
was  fortunate  in  receiving  the  benefit  of  many  special  investiga- 
tions made  for  the  "Dispatch."  The  Beacon  building  is  J^^re 
proof,  made  of  steel  and  concrete,  with  a  brick  and  terra  cotta 
exterior.  Its  wood  trim  is  quarter-sawed  oak,  with  the  exception 
of  the  first  floor,  which  is  finished  in  real  mahogany.  The  cor- 
ridors are  all  finished  in  Italian  marble  and  tile.  The  elevator 
equipment  is  the  best  contained  in  any  building  of  equal  size  in 
the  Middle  West.  Pour  rapid  electric  traction  elevators  supply 
the  passenger  service.  These  are  the  latest  type  made  by  the 
Otis  Elevator  Company  and  cost  $6,000  each.  They  run  at  the 
rate  of  350  feet  per  minute,  and  each  of  the  four  elevators  is 
operated  by  a  separate  50-horsepower  motor,  so  that  the  disabling 
of  one  machine  would  not  affect  the  other  elevators.  When  fully 
occupied  The  Beacon  building  will  have  practically  1,000  tenants. 
This  means  that  1,000  business  men,  lawyers,  doctors,  stenog- 
paphers,  clerks  and  bookkeepers  will  hang  up  their  hats  and  go 
to  work  in  the  building  every  week  day  morning.  In  addition 
to  this,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  will  have  several  hundred  vis- 
itors a  day  to  their  beautiful  club  rooms  on  the  tenth  floor.  The 
only  element  of  uncertainty  in  the  success  of  an  office  building 
is  in  this  speculation:  "Can  it  be  rented?"  This  problem  was 
solved  early  in  the  case  of  The  Beacon  building.  There  are 
signed  up  leases  at  this  time  sufficient  to  occupy  over  65  per 
cent  of  all  the  rental  space.     This  is  a  remarkable  record  with 


320  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

which  to  open  a  building,  and  doubtless  means  that  by  January 
1,  at  the  very  longest,  every  office  in  the  building  will  be  leased. 
This  building  when  fully  leased  will  bring  over  $74,000  per 
annum;  the  cost  of  maintenance  will  be  $25,000,  leaving  a  net 
earning  of  $49,000  on  $380,000. 


THE  SCHWEITER  BLOCK. 

On  the  corner  of  Main  and  Douglas  avenue,  in  the  city  of 
Wichita,  the  best  business  corner  in  Wichita,  and  the  best  in 
Kansas,  Henry  Schweiter,  an  old  resident  of  this  great  county  of 
Sedgwick,  single-handed  and  alone,  is  erecting  a  magnificent  ten- 
story  building,  a  credit  to  the  city  and  a  monument  to  the  sagac- 
ity, thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner,  who  is  one  of  the  best 
known  and  much  respected  citizens  of  Wichita.  Coming  to  W  ich- 
ita  comparatively  poor,  in  an  early  day  in  the  history  of  the  city 
and  county,  Mr.  Schweiter  bore  with  patience  and  fortitude  all 
of  the  ills  and  hardships  of  the  early  pioneers.  By  his  toil  and 
ctreful  attention  to  business,  he,  with  his  good  wife,  who  always 
toiled  by  his  side,  amassed  a  fortune.  Reared  in  a  sturdy  mold, 
schooled  in  honesty  from  his  youth,  Henry  Schweiter  now  sees  the 
fruition  of  his  hopes  in  the  magnificent  building  which  is  going 
rapidly  skyward.  Long  after  the  readers  of  this  volume  and  the 
enterprising  builder  of  the  Schweiter  Block  shall  have  crumbled 
to  the  dust,  this  magnificent  building,  in  the  very  business  heart 
of  Wichita,  shall  stand  as  a  proud  monument  to  the  sagacity  and 
business  ability  of  Henry  Schweiter.  Many  a  younger  man  in 
Wichita  would  hesitate  a  long  time  before  hazarding  his  entire 
fortune  in  so  large  an  enterprise.  Not  so  with  Henry  Schweiter; 
with  a  courage  that  never  falters,  and  a  faith  in  Wichita  and  its 
magnificent  county  which  has  characterized  all  of  his  life,  he 
moves  forward  in  this  great  building.  The  building  is  a  great 
mass  of  concrete,  steel,  brick  and  terra  cotta.  It  augurs  well  for 
the  future ;  it  is  the  culmination  of  a  careful,  sane,  safe  judgment 
which  has  always  guided  this  man. 

"His  head  is  silvered  o'er  with  age. 
And  long  experience  makes  him  sage." 


PEOMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA  321 

WICHITA'S  FORUM. 

Wichita's  splendid  Forum,  the  largest  public  assembly  build- 
ing in  Kansas,  is  fast  nearing  completion.  The  outer  side  walls 
are  all  completed,  and  work  is  progressing  rapidly  on  the  roof. 
It  is  no  idle  boast  when  it  is  said  that  this  building  will  be  the 
finest  and  most  up-to-date  convention  building  in  Kansas.  Some 
idea  of  the  size  of  this  magnificent  building  may  be  gained  from 
the  following  figures,  taken  from  the  plans:  It  is  260  feet  long. 
It  is  160  feet  wide.  The  front  will  be  55  feet  high.  The  rear  will 
be  80  feet  high.  The  arena  will  be  150  feet  long.  It  will  be  80 
feet  wide.  Combined  seating  capacity,  8,000.  It  will  have  a  stage 
60  feet  long,  fully  equipped  with  scenery.  It  will  be  fireproof, 
everything  about  it  being  brick,  steel  and  cement.  It  can  be  used 
for  motor  car  or  horse  shows.  It  will  be  suitable  for  lectures  and 
concerts.  It  was  designed  by  Richards,  McCarty  &  Bulford,  of 
Columbus,  0.  Constructed  by  Dieter  &  Wenzel,  of  Wichita.  The 
building,  exclusive  of  stage  fittings,  will  cost  $150,000.  It  is  being 
built  by  the  city  of  Wichita,  for  the  people  of  Kansas  and  Okla- 
homa. This  beautiful  structure  will  be  completed  about  the  last 
of  January,  at  which  time  a  benefit  concert  of  the  highest  order, 
given  by  one  of  the  greatest  singers  of  the  world,  will  be  given 
for  the  purpose  of  paying  for  the  stage  fittings.  Everybody  will 
want  to  be  at  the  opening  of  this  building,  and  Mayor  Davidson 
and  Sam  F.  Stewart,  commissioner  of  public  buildings,  hope  to 
make  the  occasion  one  long  to  be  remembered. 

GOVERNOR  OF  KANSAS  PRAISES  GROWING  WICHITA. 

The  address  of  Governor  W.  R.  Stubbs  at  the  laying  of  the 
corner-stone  of  the  Beacon  Building  during  the  meeting  of  the 
Kansas  Editorial  Association,  March  8:  "We  are  today  laying  a 
foundation  that  is  full  of  significance  and  meaning.  We  are  put- 
ting in  the  corner-stone  of  a  monument  to  the  private  enterprise 
of  Mr.  Allen  as  well  as  to  the  public  spirit  and  patriotism  of  the 
people  of  Wichita,  whose  enterprise  and  energy  are  the  pride  and 
the  inspiration  of  Kansas.  In  all  quarters  and  sections  of  our 
state  it  is  conceded  that  Wichita  represents  the  highest  type  of 
commercial  enterprise  and  development  within  our  borders.  The 
story  of  Wichita  reads  like  a  romance.  I  am  still  a  young  man, 
but  I  was  twelve  years  of  age  when  this  'Peerless  Princess  of  the 
Plains'  was  born.    Forty  years  ago  the  buffalo  roamed  at  will  up 


322  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

and  down  this  magnificent  valley  upon  which  now  stands  your 
great  establishments  of  commerce  and  industry.  Here  at  the  junc- 
tion of  these  rivers  was  located  an  Indian  village,  and  who  knows 
but  what  on  this  very  spot  some  mighty  warrior  of  the  tribe 
whose  name  you  bear  had  his  wigwam,  where  councils  of  war  and 
peace  decided  the  fate  of  unprotected  frontier  settlements?  You 
are  indeed  fortunate  in  having  among  you  men  who  saw  this  vil- 
lage townsite  without  an  inhabitant  of  our  race  or  of  our  civiliza- 
tion or  of  that  religion  that  makes  America  greater  than  any  other 
nation  on  earth  today.  From  what  I  know  of  the  frontier  plains- 
man, I  shall  not  be  surprised  to  see  William  Mathewson,  the  orig- 
inal 'Buffalo  Bill,'  with  you  when  you  celebrate  that  great  jubi- 
lee a  few  years  hence,  when  the  census  emnnerators  for  the  first 
time  will  have  counted  100,000  inhabitants  in  Wichita. 

"The  Wichita  you  see  here  today  is  not  so  much  the  product 
of  tireless  energy  and  endless  toil  as  it  is  the  result  of  a  great 
faith  and  a  greater  loyalty.  Wichita  has  had  its  dark  days  of  trial 
and  almost  despair,  but  the  indomitable  spirits  of  its  citizens 
enabled  it  to  stand  the  shock  of  panics  and  survive  those  erratic 
changes  of  the  elements  which  would  have  discouraged  a  less 
determined  people.  The  race  that  has  made  Kansas  so  great 
came  from  a  stock  that  can  change  even  the  elements  when  they 
are  unfavorable.  This  is  no  figure  of  speech,  but  a  scientific  fact 
that  can  be  easily  demonstrated.  Cities,  like  individuals,  have 
sown  wild  oats,  and  Wichita  is  no  exception,  and  I  am  gratified 
immensely  today  to  hear  upon  every  hand  that  she  is  standing  up 
for  righteousness  in  a  way  that  touches  the  pride  of  every  decent, 
law-abiding  person  of  Kansas.  No  city  in  this  broad  West  has 
any  better  schools  and  churches  and  colleges  and  academies,  and 
I  am  informed  that  the  spirit  of  moral  uplift  and  civic  virtue  is 
the  predominating  influence  that  controls  your  community.  This,> 
with  your  marvelous  commercial  business  and  industrial  opportu- 
nities, are  winning  favor  for  you  everywhere  and  constitute  the 
strongest  and  most  attractive  appeal  to  people  of  ambition,  energy 
and  character  throughout  the  land.  But  I  want  to  say  to  you,  my 
friends,  that  you  have  only  just  commenced  your  career  of  for- 
tune. Within  this  generation  you  will  have  100,000  inhabitants, 
and  in  twenty  years  you  will  be  laying  foundations  of  other  build- 
ings that  will  make  this  one  which  we  are  eulogizing  here  today 
look  insignificant.  No  man  of  understanding  can  reflect  on  the 
vastness  and  richness  of  this  valley  and  territory,  or  estimate  its 


PROMINENT  BUILDINGS  IN  WICHITA  323 

development,  without  seeing  in  the  distance  a  city  of  a  quarter 
of  a  million  people.  Your  pioneer  fathers  were  considered  the 
wildest  sort  of  dreamers  when  they  saw  in  the  far-away  future  a 
city  of  50,000  inhabitants.  You  have  more  than  that  now,  and 
you  will  have  doubled  it  within  the  near  future,  or  I  am  no 
prophet.  It  is  especially  gratifying  to  me  to  know  that  the  first 
ten-story  building  in  Kansas  is  to  be  the  home  of  a  newspaper. 
Modern  civilization  is  largely  influenced  by  the  public  press. 
Cities  can  dispense  with  almost  any  other  civic  factor  and 
succeed,  but  they  cannot  make  satisfactory  progress  without 
newspapers. 

"Now,  I  am  sure  you  will  all  agree  with  me  that  at  the  head 
of  the  newspaper  which  is  to  make  this  building  its  permanent 
home  is  a  writer  and  business  man  who  has  few,  if  any,  superiors 
in  the  Mississippi  valley.  I  have  known  Henry  Allen  for  some 
years,  and  am  well  aware  of  his  faculty  to  make  himself  heard  in 
the  world,  and  in  making  himself  heard  he  will  make  all  Kansas 
and  all  of  the  United  States  hear  of  you  and  your  city.  With  the ' 
added  prestige  of  his  great  achievement  of  financing  this  build- 
ing, he  has  an  extraordinary  opportunity  before  him  to  not  only 
increase  his  fame  and  fortune,  but  to  be  of  signal  usefulness  to  his 
city,  his  state  and  his  country.  I  feel  sure  he  will  improve  this 
opportunity  at  every  point,  and  hence  my  allusion  to  the  meaning 
and  significance  of  the  occasion.  The  newspapers  of  our  state 
have  never  had  such  a  harvest  of  opportunity  as  they  enjoy  today, 
and  as  many  of  that  profession  are  with  us,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
giving  expression  to  some  of  the  ideas  of  a  layman.  I  have  some 
right  to  do  this,  for  in  my  brief  public  career  I  have  contributed 
indirectly  to  an  increase  in  your  powers  in  the  state.  I  have 
taken  a  humble  part  in  making  government  in  this  state  respon- 
sive to  public  opinion.  This  came  from  my  faith  in  the  people, 
and  I  hope  I  shall  never  have  any  reason  to  regret  it.  I  partici- 
pated in  the  movement  that  gave  to  every  man  in  Kansas  a  free 
voice  in  the  nomination  of  men  for  public  office.  I  call  this  matter 
to  your  attention  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  say  that  the  day 
the  primary  election  law  became  effective  the  newspapers  were 
clothed  with  not  only  greater  power  but  also  with  greater  respon- 
sibility. The  public  press  in  a  large  measure  moulds  public  opin- 
ion, and  under  the  primary  election  law  public  opinion  makes  or 
unmakes  public  ofBcers.  If  I  did  not  have  an  abiding  faith  in  the 
patriotism  of  the  editorial  profession,  I  am  frank  to  state  that  I 


324  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

would  not  have  voted  for  a  law  that  places  in  your  hands  such 
tremendous  power  to  shape  the  destiny  of  this  state. 

"I  would  suggest  also  that  you  get  into  closer  touch  not  only 
with  your  publishers,  but  with  your  editors  and  reporters.  I 
regard  the  men  who  gather  the  news  for  newspapers  among  my 
best  friends,  and  in  every  way  worthy  of  my  confidence.  They 
do  not  always  agree  with  me,  but  I  have  yet  to  know  one  of  them 
who  has  not  been  true  to  his  relations  with  myself  and  my  office. 
The  newspaper  man  is  a  good  companion  because  he  is  intelligent 
and  knows  a  great  deal  about  public  affairs  and  public  opinion. 
It  is  a  serious  mistake  to  suppose  that  a  newspaper  is  a  party 
organ  or  a  political  institution.  In  this  day  and  age  of  the  world 
it  is  as  much  of  a  business  institution  as  a  bank  or  general  store, 
or  a  factory,  and  if  it  is  successful  it  must  pursue  the  same  busi- 
ness methods  of  sterling  honesty  and  render  the  same  kind  of 
service  to  its  customers.  In  Kansas,  I  am  told  by  good  profes- 
sional authority,  we  have  the  best  newspapers  in  the  United  States, 
taking  into  consideration  the  size  of  the  cities  where  they  are  pub- 
lished. I  read  in  a  magazine  a  few  days  ago  that  we  have  more 
editors  who  have  national  reputations  than  any  other  state  of  a 
similar  size  in  the  Union.  Stand  by  the  newspapers.  Work  in 
harmony  with  them  and  give  them  your  moral  and  financial  en- 
couragement, and  you  will  have  a  better  business,  a  better  com- 
munity and  a  more  healthy  and  wholesome  moral  and  political 
atmosphere. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
WICHITA  AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER. 

The  growth  of  Wichita  in  the  past  twenty  years  from  a  village 
to  a  modern  city  of  55,000  people  has  been  a  source  of  surprise 
and  wonder  to  those  who  have  watched  the  development  of  the 
great  Southwest,  but  nothing  in  the  city's  history  has  been  more 
remarkable  than  the  rise  of  her  educational  institutions.  Wichita 
is  proud  of  her  universities  and  her  colleges.  They  have  risen  to 
splendid  proportions  during  the  past  few  years  and  are  rapidly 
taking  positions  of  high  rank  among  the  educational  institutions 
of  the  country.  Each  succeeding  school  year  brings  an  increased 
number  of  college  students  to  Wichita.  They  come  from  all  over 
Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  neighboring  states.  They  are  attracted 
here  by  the  unusual  advantages  that  are  offered  by  the  universi- 
ties and  colleges  of  Wichita  and  by  the  high  educational  stand- 
ards that  are  consistently  maintained  by  these  schools.  The  uni- 
versities and  colleges  of  Wichita  owe  much  of  their  remarkable 
success  to  their  efficient  management.  The  executive  heads  of 
these  growing  schools  have  been  able  to  organize  their  institu- 
tions to  take  care  of  the  increased  enrollments  and  extended 
courses.  They  have  managed  to  acquire  larger  facilities  and  to 
offer  better  things  to  their  hundreds  of  students  every  year.  They 
have  been  progressive.  The  favorable  location  also  has  helped 
with  the  work  and  a  prosperous  city  has  done  its  part  in  support- 
ing the  institutions  in  the  way  that  schools  of  their  class  deserve 
to  be  supported. 

The  sum  of  all  these  efforts  has  made  Wichita  the  educational 
center  as  well  as  the  commercial  center  of  the  great  Southwest. 

FAIRMOUNT  COLLEGE. 

Fairmount  College  has  grown  into  a  splendid,  thriving  institu- 
tion within  the  fifteen  years  that  it  has  been  organized  for  college 
work.    With  a  net  enrollment  of  341  students,  the  college  is  rap- 
idly enlarging  its  facilities  for  taking  care  of  a  larger  student 
325  I 


326  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

body.  In  a  short  time  another  large  dormitory  will  be  erected 
for  the  young  women  of  the  college.  It  will  be  similar  to  Fiske 
Hall  which  is  now  used  for  dormitory  purposes  by  the  college  men 
and  the  new  building  will  need  to  be  quite  as  large  as  Fiske  Hall. 
The  main  hall  of  the  college  is  a  roomy  and  attractive  building. 
The  founders  of  the  college  laid  their  plans  for  a  large  school 
when  the  building  was  erected  and  it  will  furnish  classroom  ac- 
commodations for  several  hundred  students.  One  of  the  other 
principal  buildings  on  the  campus  is  the  fine  library  building  for 
which  a  substantial  gift  from  Andrew  Carnegie  is  largely  respon- 
sible. The  new  building  now  houses  a  library  of  over  30,000  vol- 
umes, which  is  open  to  the  students  and  to  the  public.  Fairmount 
has  a  faculty  of  twenty-five  scholar^  people,  who  are  laboring 
earnestly  and  industriously  for  the  intellectual  development  of  the 
college  men  and  women.  Dr.  Henry  B.  Thayer,  the  president, 
has  shown  marked  ability  as  an  executive  officer,  and  those  asso- 
ciated with  him  on  the  faculty  are  specialists  in  their  respective 
lines. 

Fairmount  deserves  the  reputation  it  has  as  one  of  the  best 
colleges  in  Kansas  for  liberal  arts  work,  and  its  conservatory  of 
music  is  rapidly  rising  in  importance  among  the  departments  of 
the  college.  Fairmount  also  maintains  a  preparatory  school  for 
those  who  are  unable  to  meet  the  entrance  requirements. 

FRIENDS  UNIVERSITY. 

Friends  University  was  established  twelve  years  ago.  About 
400  young  men  and  women  are  taking  training  there  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  and  the  enrollment  in  the  college  of  liberal  arts  has 
increased  about  fifty  this  year.  Under  the  administration  of 
President  Edmund  Stanley,  the  university  has  made  a  healthy 
growth  and  a  prosperous  epoch  has  opened  for  the  institution. 
The  university  has  one  of  the  largest  college  buildings  in  the 
West.  Not  all  of  the  interior  is  yet  finished  for  use,  but  about 
$12,000  has  been  spent  this  year  finishing  additional  rooms  in 
the  building,  and  splendid  accommodations  are  now  provided  for 
all  the  class  work.  The  building  is  well  equipped,  and  dormitories 
are  provided  for  the  students.  Coiu-ses  are  offered  at  Friends'  in 
liberal  arts  and  sciences,  theology,  education,  music,  fine  arts, 
commercial  work,  physical  culture  and  preparatory  work.    Spe- 


FAIRMOUNT   COLLEGE. 


AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER     327 

cial  prominence  is  given  in  the  curriculum  to  liberal  arts  work 
and  music  and  the  institution  is  acquiring  a  wide  reputation  for 
the  work  it  is  doing  in  these  departments. 

Friends'  has  a  faculty  of  finished  scholars,  and  they  are  mak- 
ing the  university  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  most  thorough 
schools  in  the  state. 

MOUNT  CARMEL  ACADEMY. 

Mount  Carmel  Academy  is  another  school  that  is  prominent 
among  the  institutions  of  learning  in  this  section.  Mount  Carmel 
was  established  in  1887,  but  its  greatest  growth  has  been  made 
during  the  past  few  years.  It  is  a  boarding  school  for  young 
women  and  is  under  the  management  and  control  of  the  Sisters  of 
Charity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  Owing  to  the  ever-increasing 
number  of  students,  new  constructions  have  been  added  to  the 
original  building,  until  the  present  academy  is  of  magnificent 
proportions,  with  a  frontage  of  300  feet,  and  accommodations 
for  over  250  students.  The  teaching  staff  of  the  institution  has 
been  greatly  enlarged  during  the  past  two  or  three  years,  and 
the  Sisters  of  Charity,  who  are  in  charge  of  the  school,  devote 
their  entire  attention  to  the  refinement  and  education  of  the 
young  women  in  their  charge.  The  academy  is  favorably  located 
two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  the  city.  Students  of  all  religious 
denominations  are  admitted.  Courses  in  academic,  preparatory 
and  primary  departments  are  maintained. 

WICHITA  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

The  children  and  young  men  and  women  who  are  now  enrolled 
in  the  public  schools  of  Wichita  now  number  8,556,  an  increase  of 
1,236  over  the  corresponding  period  of  last  year.  The  high  school 
has  an  enrollment  of  832,  an  increase  of  seventy-six  over  last  year. 

Seventeen  buildings  in  the  city  are  now  being  used  by  the 
grade  schools  and  three  more  large  ones  are  under  course  of  con- 
struction. The  new  buildings  will  be  ready  for  use  at  the  opening 
of  the  next  school  year.  In  addition  to  the  new  buildings  for  the 
grades,  a  contract  will  be  let  during  the  next  two  weeks  for  the 
erection  of  a  new  high  school  building  on  Emporia  avenue,  be- 
tween Second  and  Third  streets.  The  new  building  wiU  cost  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars,  and  will  be  completed  in  about  twelve 


328  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

months.  Over  175  teachers  are  employed  in  the  city  schools.  The 
salaries  of  these  teachers  amount  to  about  $13,000  a  month.  The 
officers  and  employes  draw  $300  a  month  more,  and  janitors  are 
paid  about  $1,000  a  month,  making  the  pay  roll  of  the  public- 
school  system  in  the  neighborhood  of  $15,000  a  month. 

BUSINESS  SCHOOLS. 

In  addition  to  all  these  splendid  institutions  of  higher  learning 
and  the  extensive  system  of  public  instruction  which  the  city 
maintains,  there  are  many  thriving  schools  of  business  training, 
music,  languages  and  other  special  lines  of  learning  and  culture. 

Wichita  is  a  great  school  city.  Her  power  and  influence  in 
educational  matters  are  increasing  with  the  march  of  years  and 
her  enlarging  facilities  for  the  training  of  young  men  and  women 
are  rapidly  making  her  the  Athens  of  the  great  Southwest. — From 
the  "Daily  Beacon." 

THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY. 

There  are  no  better  schools  in  Kansas  than  the  public  schools 
of  Wichita  and  Sedgwick  county.  The  residents  of  the  county 
point  with  no  small  degree  of  pride  to  the  county  schools.  There 
is  a  uniform  system  of  school  books,  and  the  country  schools  in 
Sedgwick  county,  as  in  all  counties  of  Kansas,  are  carefully 
graded.  The  schools  of  the  county  are  now  under  the  efficient 
management  of  Prof.  J.  W.  Swaney,  a  most  experienced  educator. 

THE  SUPERINTENDENT'S  REPORT. 

That  Sedgwick  county  is  one  of  the  greatest  school  counties  in 
the  state,  is  shown  by  the  12,000  and  more  pupils  who  are  attend- 
ing the  schools  this  year.  The  school  census  for  the  county  showed 
that  there  were  17,914  persons  between  the  ages  of  five  and 
twenty-one  years.  This  means  that  almost  61  per  cent  of  them 
attend  school.  This  fact  was  learned  from  the  annual  report  of 
J.  W.  Swaney,  county  school  superintendent.  It  is  learned  from 
this  report  that  to  educate  the  children  of  Sedgwick  county  last 
year  took  the  tidy  little  sum  of  $378,186.90.  The  monthly  pay  roll 
of  teachers  in  the  schools,  outside  of  Wichita,  amounts  to  $11,525 


AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER     329 

every  month.  The  monthly  pay  roll  of  teachers  in  the  city  schools 
amounts  to  $15,000  per  month.  It  costs  $2.54  per  month  to  educate 
the  pupil  in  a  one-teacher  school,  and  $3.23  to  educate  one  in  the 
two  or  more  teacher  school.  The  monthly  cost  of  instructing  a 
pupil  in  the  Barnes  high  schools  is  $5.81. 

The  salaries  paid  in  the  county  schools  are  no  jokes.  When 
it  is  realized  that  the  average  monthly  salary  of  women  teachers 
in  the  schools  amounts  to  $51  per  month,  it  is  easily  understood 
why  there  is  a  desertion  from  the  dry  goods  counters.  The  men 
receive  an  average  monthly  salary  of  $57,  but  the  men  are  scarce. 
The  lowest  salary  paid  in  the  rural  schools  is  $40,  the  highest  $111. 
There  is  nothing  the  matter  with  the  attendance  of  the  pupils. 
The  average  enrollment  in  the  one-teacher  schools  is  23,  and  the 
average  attendance  is  17.  In  the  two-teacher-or-more  schools  the 
average  enrollment  is  31  and  the  average  attendance  is  28. 

RURAL  SCHOOLS  ARE  GROWING. 

The  rural  schools  of  the  county  are  growing.  There  are  at 
least  200  more  pupils  enrolled  in  the  schools  this  year  than  there 
were  last.  The  number  of  teachers  in  the  country  schools  is  four- 
teen more  than  were  on  duty  last  year.  Sixteen  thousand  dollars 
were  spent  in  building  new  schools  last  season,  and  several  thou- 
sand will  be  expended  this  year.  The  enrollment  in  the  high 
schools  is  100  better  this  season  than  it  was  last.  The  high  school 
is  becoming  one  of  the  most  attractive  features  of  the  Kansas 
plan  of  education.  Under  the  Barnes  law,  any  town  that  can 
show  one  year's  work  on  high  school  work,  done  thoroughly,  is 
given  aid  from  the  Barnes  fund  the  next  year.  Several  strong 
schools  have  been  built  under  this  plan.  Two  of  the  strongest  high 
schools  in  the  county  are  the  Cheney  high  school  and  the  Clear- 
water high  school.  Each  of  these  schools  has  a  complete  four 
years'  fully  accredited  course  and  is  turning  out  some  strong 
men.  Superintendent  Swaney  says  that  the  county  high  school 
makes  it  possible  for  every  boy  to  have  the  same  chance.  Last 
year  226  were  graduated  from  the  county  schools.  A  majority  of 
them  entered  the  high  schools  and  academies  of  the  state.  The 
education  of  the  farmer  boy  doesn't  stop  now  at  the  sixth,  eighth 
grades  or  senior  year  of  high  school.  You  will  find  him  in  the  uni- 
versities and  colleges.     In  the  common  country  school  he  comes 


330  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

in  contact  with  broad-minded  teachers — this  is-  especially  so  in 
Sedgwick  county — who  show  him  the  value  of  an  education. 

Mr.  Swaney  says  that  this  report  is  one  of  the  best  he  has  ever 
received  from  the  county  schools  and  that  he  expects  greater 
things  next  year. 

The  various  district  school  buildings  of  the  county  were  the 
very  best  buildings  in  the  district  when  built.  The  last  decade 
has  seen  a  most  agreeable  change  for  the  better  in  the  school 
buildings ;  the  old  house  has  been  added  to,  or  has  given  place  to 
a  larger  and  more  commodious  structure;  the  buildings  in  this 
day  are  painted,  and  present  a  neat  and  attractive  appearance. 
In  many  instances  convenient  stables  have  been  erected  upon  the 
school  lots  where  the  horses  of  the  pupils  are  cared  for,  those  at 
a  distance  now  attending  school,  and  driving  in  conveyances.  This 
method  was  unheard  of  in  the  olden  days.  Better  teachers  are  the 
rule,  those  holding  normal  school  certificates  being  preferred,  and 
the  pupils  wear  better  clothing  than  in  the  past. 

15,225  SCHOOL  KIDS  IN  SEDGWICK  COUNTY. 

Superintendent  J.  W.  Swaney,  of  the  county  educational  sys- 
tem, is  busy  preparing  the  apportionment  of  the  state  and  county 
funds  for  school  purposes,  pro  rata  for  all  children  of  school  age. 
The  aggregate  will  be  the  largest  in  a  long  while,  and  far  in 
excess  of  last  year.  Prof.  Swaney  gives  it  out  that  there  are 
in  all  15,225  children  in  the  county  of  school  age,  and  that  means 
between  the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years.  The  first  appor- 
tionment of  the  superintendent  will  be  the  first  dividend  on  the 
semi-annual  school  fund  divided  among  all  pupils.  Of  the  total 
number  of  scholars  above  given,  Wichita's  portion  is  9,353,  and 
the  rest  of  the  county  5,872.  The  state  fund  wiU  be  about  49 
cents  per  student  available,  and  from  the  county,  such  as  fines, 
forfeited  bonds  from  the  district  court,  about  10  cents  more,  mak- 
ing in  all  about  60  cents  per  capita.  For  the  first  dividend  last 
year,  in  February,  it  was  but  45  cents,  and  for  August  last  it  was 
50  cents.  There  are  167  organized  districts  in  the  county,  and 
nearly  all  are  in  the  finest  of  condition,  all  view-points  considered, 
such  as  high  tone  of  scholastic  work  done,  punctuality,  standard  of 
teachers,  and  numbers  attending  out  of  the  school  population. 


AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER  331 

THE  WICHITA  CITY  SCHOOLS. 

By 

RODOLPH  HATFIELD. 

As  the  public  schools  of  an  American  community  constitute  a 
reliable  index  to  its  intellectual,  moral  and  industrial  rank,  the 
history  of  such  an  important  feature  of  Wichita's  growth  must 
prove  interesting  and  worthy  of  conservation  in  its  annals.  This 
is  especially  true,  as  the  men  who  have  composed  its  directorates 
and  boards  have  been  animated  by  no  spirit  of  selfish  gain  nor 
motives  of  ambitious  preferment,  but  rather  by  a  sense  of  duty 
to  serve  their  day  and  generation  for  the  common  good,  with- 
out hope  or  expectation  of  monetary  benefit,  or,  indeed,  of  being 
the  recipients  even  of  any  considerable  amount  of  unanimous  pub- 
lic gratitude.  No  other  branch  of  public  service  demands  and 
receives  such  time  and  attention,  unremunerated  by  the  public 
treasury.  Such  service  is  the  most  conspicuous  exception  to  the 
truth  and  rule,  "The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire." 

Forty  years  ago,  or  in  1870,  Wichita  was  a  newly  founded 
frontier  village,  with  a  population  of  fifty  souls,  all  told.  The 
spirit  of  free  schools,  a  cardinal  principle  of  American  civilization, 
found  earlj'  expression  in  infantile  Wichita,  and  resulted  in  the 
organization  of  its  first  public  school,  in  the  spring  of  1871,  hold- 
ing its  sessions  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  corner  of  Wichita 
and  Third  streets,  with  Miss  Jessie  Hunter  (now  Mrs.  James  H. 
Black)  as  teacher,  during  a  portion  of  the  summer.  The  enroll- 
ment was  twenty-five  pupils,  and  the  munificent  salary  of  $40 
per  month  was  paid  the  said  teacher.  Mrs.  Black  may  congratu- 
late herself  in  having  so  successfully  started  public  instruction 
in  Wichita  as  to  require  now  nearly  200  teachers,  after  forty 
,  years,  to  conduct  it  properly.  The  city  should  fittingly  recognize 
the  services  of  its  first  school  teacher. 

The  members  of  that  first  directorate  were :  John  M.  Martin, 
director ;  Dr.  Lewellen,  secretary,  and  Dr.  Oatley;  treasurer.  The 
first-named  gentleman  has  continued  an  honored  resident  of  the 
city  through  all  the  intervening  years  of  frontier  vicissitudes,  and 
has  repeatedly  served  the  people  well  as  a  member  of  the  '. 
of  Education,  as  well  as  a  member  of  the  city  council.    Mr. 


332  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

tin  may  be  justly  termed  the  "official  founder  or  father"  of  the 
"Wichita  city  schools. 

The  first  public  school  building  in  "Wichita  was  a  small  two- 
room  frame,  erected  on  the  site  of  the  late  "Webster,  corner  of 
Emporia  and  Third,  which  latter,  in  turn,  has  been  razed  recently 
to  make  room  for  the  new  high  school  now  in  course  of  con- 
struction. 

In  the  winter  and  spring  of  1872,  according  to  the  very  meager 
records  of  that  time.  Prof.  Snover  and  Miss  Lizzie  Higday  taught 
a  short  term  of  school,  but  there  remain  no  details  of  the  first  work 
in  the  new  building. 

During  the  summer  of  1872,  the  first  school  building  was  en- 
larged and  that  fall  Mr.  John  Tucker  was  chosen  first  superintend- 
ent, and,  with  Mrs.  Lizza  Tucker,  Mrs.  Helen  Fees  and  Miss  Lizzie 
Higday  as  teachers,  constituted  the  corps  of  instructors  for  the 
school  year  of  1872-73.  Mr.  Tucker  was  paid  a  salary  of  $80  per 
month  as  superintendent,  and  several  years  later  served  Sedgwick 
county  as  treasurer  for  two  terms.  The  first  building,  as  enlarged, 
burned  December  21,  1879. 

In  the  spring  of  1873  "Wichita's  public  school  system  assumed 
more  metropolitan  proportions  and  rank,  by  forming  its  first 
Board  of  Education,  with  a  membership  of  six,  as  follows:    Dr. 

A.  H.  Fabrique,  C.  M.  Garrison,  H.  J.  Hills,  N.  McClees,  M.  R. 
Moser  and  R.  L.  "West.  The  first  board  was  organized  with  Mr. 
R.  L.  "West  as  its  president,  Mr.  (now  ex-6ov.)  "W.  E.  Stanley  as 
secretary,  and  Rev.  J.  P.  Harsen  as  treasurer.  In  that  early  and 
far-away  day,  it  may  be  noted  that  the  official  microbe  was  mani- 
festing itself  in  the  political  system  of  our  genial  and  distinguished 
ex-governor. 

The  first  school  enumeration  in  "^'^ichita  was  officially  taken 
in  1873,  and  showed  449  children  of  school  age.  It  was  during 
this  same  summer,  too,  that  the  school  board  instituted  the  first 
step  in  municipal  finance  by  submitting  a  proposition  to  the  peo- 
ple to  vote  and  issue  $3,000  of  bonds,  but  the  voice  of  the  people 
was  not  the  voice  of  the  board,  and  the  proposed  bond  issue  was 
defeated  by  a  majority  of  145  votes. 

In  the  ensuing  two  school  years  of  1873-74  and  1874-75,  Prof. 

B.  C.  Ward  was  elected  superintendent,  at  $120  per  month,  with 
Mrs.  Helen  L.  Fees,  Miss  Lizzie  M.  Foote,  Miss  Mattie  J.  Nichols 
and  Mrs.  M.  H.  West  as  teachers. 

Including  the  present  incumbents,  eleven  different  individuals 


AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER     333 

have  acted  as  superintendents,  twenty-two  as  presidents,  nine  as 
secretaries  and  six  as  treasurers  of  the  Board  of  Education.  Super- 
intendent R.  P.  Knight  has  served  in  that  capacity  more  years 
than  any  of  his  predecessors,  being  no-w  in  his  tenth  consecutive 
term.  Keeping  out  of  partisan  politics  has  kept  him  in  his  place 
and  given  the  city  the  most  satisfactory  and  efficient  superin- 
tendence of  its  schools. 

Of  the  presidents,  the  records  show  M.  W.  Levy  as  serving 
the  greatest  number  of  years  as  such  officer,  but  Rodolph  Hatfield 
as  second  in  term  of  service  in  that  capacity,  and  first  in  number 
of  consecutive  terms  as  a  member  of  the  board.  Of  the  secretaries, 
the  present  efficient  incumbent,  C.  S.  Caldwell,  now  in  his  four- 
teenth consecutive  term,  leads  all  in  length  of  service.  Mrs.  E.  C. 
Furley  exceeds  all  others  in  time  of  service  as  treasurer,  having 
held  the  position  for  seven  years. 

Of  the  many  principals  who  have  served  our  people  well  in  the 
grammar  schools,  and  so  materially  contributed  to  the  successful 
administrations  of  superintendents,  placing  our  city  school  system 
among  the  foremost  of  the  country,  we  can  only  mention  a  few 
of  those  whose  names  and  work,  in  many  years  of  commendable 
identification  with  Wichita  schools,  if  omitted,  would  leave  these 
annals  incomplete  of  main  features  and  facts.  Many  hundreds  of 
young  people,  now  engaged  in  life's  activities,  trace  their  inspira- 
tion for  learning  to  Principals  Mrs.  M.  N.  Neihardt,  (nee  Dickin- 
son), Miss  Addie  J.  Brook,  Miss  Jennie  Daugherty,  Mrs.  Rodolph 
Hatfield  (nee  Morehead),  Miss  Minnie  Stuckey,  Miss  Emma 
McGee,  Mrs.  George  S.  Freeman  (nee  Mulvey),  Miss  Amy  Burd, 
Miss  Mary  Shaw,  Prof.  D.  S.  Pense  and  Prof.  J.  S.  Carson  and 
others  of  lesser  years'  service,  but  of  equally  efficient  work. 

HIGH  SCHOOL. 

In  1874  Prof.  B.  C.  Ward  organized  the  first  high  school,  and 
its  sessions  were  held  in  the  old  frame  building  on  the  site  of  the 
new  high  school  building.  There  it  was  conducted,  without  any 
record  separation  from  the  grade  school,  or  distinct  teachers,  for 
ten  years,  or  till  the  first  high  school  building  was  erected,  in 
1884,  and  which  has  been  continuously  in  use,  on  North  Emporia, 
as  a  high  school,  with  its  many  additions,  since  then,  and  will  so 
continue  till  the  new  building  is  opened  in  the  fall  of  1911.  Wich- 
ita, prior  to  1886,  and  the  growth  of  the  "boom,"  was  only  a 


334  HISTORY  OF  SEDGAVICK  COUNTY 

healthy  country  village,  and  contented  with  village  methods  and 
school  equipment.  There  is  no  record  as  tO  who  constituted  the 
first  corps  of  high  school  teachers,  but  it  is  known  that  for  the 
ten  years  after  its  organization,  or  until  the  high  school  building 
was  erected,  there  was  no  principal  elected,  but  the  superintendent 
was  principal  ex  officio,  and  performed  the  duties  of  that  officer. 
We  find  mention,  however,  not  as  the  first,  but  among  the  early 
high  school  teachers  were  Dora  Wadsworth,  Mary  Neely,  Josie 
Reynolds,  and  one  or  two  others. 

For  the  year  1874-75,  Prof.  Ward  reported  forty-eight  pupils 
in  the  high  school  department.  The  first  class  graduated  from  the 
Wichita  high  school  was  in  1879,  and  was  composed  of  three  girls 
and  one  boy,  viz. :  Clemmie  Davidson,  Grace  Pope,  May  L.  Throck- 
morton (now  the  wife  of  Mayor  C.  L.  Davidson),  and  W.  B. 
Throckmorton. 

The  first  principal  elected  was  John  G.  Steffee,  in  1884. 
Many  earnest  and  efficient  men  have  held  the  principalship  since 
then,  of  whom  not  the  least  is  the  present  incumbent,  Prof.  I.  N. 
Allen,  with  twenty-five  teachers  and  about  800  pupils.  With  com- 
pletion of  the  new  high  school  building,  the  enrollment  will  easily 
reach  and  pass  1,000.  In  the  present  corps  of  instructors  is  an 
early  graduate  of  the  school  and  a  very  faithful  and  capable 
member.  Miss  Leida  H.  Mills,  whose  long  and  acceptable  service, 
particularly  in  the  Latin  department,  entitles  her  to  special  and 
honorable  mention. 

The  music  department,  with  Miss  Jessie  Clark  for  many  years 
its  efficient  director,  and  the  art  department,  under  the  acceptable 
supervision  of  Miss  Ann  Mason,  were  established  in  order  as  the 
schools  grew  many  years  ago,  and  each  of  said  departments  ranks 
in  the  foremost  of  their  respective  kinds. 

Manual  training  and  domestic  science  departments  were  duly 
installed  in  the  old  Webster  building,  October  1,  1903,  with  Clar- 
ence J.  Smith  and  Miss  Olivia  M.  Staatz,  respectively,  as  instruct- 
ors. These  departments  have  grown  steadily  and  are  now  reeog-. 
nized  as  of  great  value  to  the  young  men  and  women  entering 
them,  as  they  specifically  equip  them  for  self-maintenance. 

A  commercial  department  was  also  added  to  the  high  school 
curriculum  in  1907,  and  is  steadily  affording  the  best  of  instruc- 
tion to  pupils  in  it,  and  is  only  one  of  the  various  departments 
which  compose  the  curriculum  of  a  modern  high  school. 


AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER     335 
PROPERTY. 

There  are  now,  including  the  new  high  school,  nineteen  build- 
ings, which,  with  grounds  and  equipment,  are  estimated  of  the 
value  of  from  $700,000  to  $750,000,  and  every  year  the  board  is 
adding  rooms  to  these,  yet  the  schools  remain  continuously 
crowded. 

Thus  have  the  public  schools  of  Wichita,  in  forty  years,  grown 
from  a  first  enrollment  of  twenty-five,  with  one  teacher,  to  an 
enrollment  of  some  8,000,  with  nearly  200  teachers,  and  from  one 
small  two-room  building  of  frame  to  nineteen  splendidly  con- 
structed and  equipped  brick  and  stone  structures,  and  now  rank, 
as  a  well  organized  system  of  public  instruction,  among  the  very 
best  in  this  land  of  superior  public  schools. 

GRADE  SCHOOLS. 

The  public  school  system  of  Wichita  is  the  largest  business 
enterprise  in  the  city,  and  is  growing  so  rapidly  that  the  Board 
of  Education  is  kept  busy  advertising  for  bids  for  new  school 
houses.  The  total  valuation  of  the  schools  of  Wichita  is  close  to 
$2,000,000.  There  are  nineteen  school  buildings,  which  are  sup- 
plied with  190  teachers.  The  school  enrollraeut  on  the  first  day 
of  this  year  was  more  than  7,000,  and  it  is  expected  by  the  end  of 
the  year  to  amount  to  almost  9,000.  The  phenomenal  growth  in 
the  number  of  students  in  the  Wichita  schools  has  been  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  things  in  the  progress  of  Wichita.  The  increase 
in  pupils  from  1909  to  1910  was  more  than  the  combined  growth 
of  the  schools  of  Kansas  City  and  St.  Louis.  The  schools  of  Wich- 
ita offer  every  branch  that  can  be  taught  in  the  public  schools. 
Every  convenience  that  can  be  given  the  pupil  is  given  to  the  stu- 
dents in  the  Wichita  schools.  The  board  always  has  been  willing 
•to  put  in  new  departments  as  the  time  demanded  them.  The 
schools  are  managed  on  a  very  democratic  basis  and  the  pupil's 
advancement  is  in  proportion  to  his  ability  to  work  and  learn. 

The  primary  object  of  the  Wichita  schools  is  not  to  make  the 
pupil  a  shining  light  of  erudition,  one  who  can  master  every  phase 
of  arithmetic  and  decipher  involved  sentences  like  a  Harvey.  Its 
object  is  to  give  him  tools  with  which  he  can  hew  out  the  most 
successful  life.  It  doesn't  try  to  make  a  success  of  him;  it  gives 
him  the  means  of  making  a  success  of  himself.    Wichita  has  made 


336  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

investinents  the  increased  values  of  which  seemed  almost  unbeliev- 
able, but  its  greatest  investment  has  been  in  its  school  system.  The 
first  school  building  put  up  in  Wichita  was  a  small  one-room  frame 
building  which  stood  at  the  corner  of  North  Emporia  avenue  and 
Third  street,  the  site  of  the  $250,000  high  school  building  now 
being  erected.  It  was  built  in  1871.  So  anxious  were  the  students 
to  go  to  school  that  school  was  held  on  the  day  following  the  com- 
pletion of  the  building.  The  hub  of  school  life  in  Wichita  is  the 
high  school.  A  complete  four-year  eoiu-se  of  study  is  offered  at 
this  institution,  which  is  fully  accredited  at  all  of  the  state  uni- 
versities. After  completing  the  eight  years  of  work  in  the  gram- 
mar schools,  the  student  is  admitted  into  the  high  school.  At 
present  the  handsome  new  high  school  building  is  under  construc- 
tion, and  will  be  finished  next  summer.  When  completed,  this  will 
be  one  of  the  finest  high  school  buildings  in  the  state.  All  work 
in  the  public  schools  is  superintended  by  R.  F.  Knight,  who  is  one 
of  the  well-known  educational  men  of  Kansas.  The  management 
of  the  schools  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Board  of  Education,  the  mem- 
bers of  which  are:  B.  B.  Messerve,  president;  C.  H.  Andrews, 
J.  F.  McCoy,  Robert  Campbell,  C.  R.  Howard,  W.  H.  Kelchner, 
H.  W.  Collier,  H.  M.  Grafton,  E.  Stanley,  W.  R.  Nessly,  L.  B. 
Price,  H.  F.  Miltner.    C.  S.  Caldwell  is  clerk. 

ENROLLMENT  IN  THE  WARD  SCHOOLS. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Wichita  there  were  enrolled  the  first 
week  in  October,  1910,  nearly  8,000  pupils.  The  enrollment  in 
the  several  schools  is  as  follows:  Carleton,  390;  College  Hill, 
304 ;  Emerson,  442 ;  Fairmount,  96 ;  Franklin,  604 ;  Harry,  396 ; 
Ingalls,  580 ;  Irving,  654 ;  Kellogg,  618 ;  Lincoln,  577 ;  Linwood, 
249 ;  McCormick,  267 ;  Martinson,  204 ;  Park,  295 ;  Riverside,  87 ; 
Waco,  474 ;  Woodland,  105 ;  Washington,  480 ;  high  school,  800. 
Total  enrollment  is  7,822. 

WICHITA  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Wichita  high  school  was  organized  thirty-two  years  ago.  A 
comparison  of  the  high  school  then  with  that  of  today  would  indi- 
cate clearly  the  rapid  growth  of  the  city.  Then  there  was  one 
teacher,  one  room,  eight  pupils,  four  branches  of  study  taught 
and  a  three  years '  course  offered.  Today  there  are  thirty  teachers, 
800  pupils,  twenty-five  studies  taught,  a  four  years'  course,  and 


AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER     337 

100  graduates  per  year.  The  growth  of  the  American  high  school 
has  been  phenomenal,  and  the  growth  of  the  Wichita  high  school 
has  been  typical.  From  the  first  graduating  class  of  Wichita  high 
school,  four  in  number,  are  numbered  some  of  our  leading  citizens 
of  today.  Since  that  time,  the  number  has  increased  from  year 
to  year,  so  that  among  her  alumni  are  found  leading  lawyers,  doe- 
tors,  merchants,  bankers,  business  and  professional  men.  Prom 
the  one-room  high  school  is  traced  the  successive  periods  of  growth 
of  two  rooms,  four  rooms,  eight  rooms  and  twelve  rooms.  Tnis 
last  state  has  been  inadequate  for  over  five  years,  and  the  only 
way  the  large  high  school  population  could  be  housed  was  by 
dividing  the  school  into  two  sections,  taking  half  in  the  forenoon 
and  half  in  the  afternoon,  thus  converting  the  twelve-room  build- 
ing into  a  twenty-four-room  building.  Probably  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  no  city  in  the  United  States  has  had  a  harder  problem  of 
handling  her  high  school  population  for  the  last  five  years  than 
has  this  city.  Yet  this  has  been  done,  and  the  school  has  held  her 
own  with  the  other  large  high  schools  of  the  country.  During  the 
last  three  years  fully  accredited  relationships  have  been  estab- 
lished with  the  leading  women's  colleges  of  the  country — Welles- 
ley,  Smith  and  Vassar — while  the  boys  of  the  high  school  enter 
the  leading  colleges  of  the  Middle  West  without  examination  or 
condition. 

The  present  crowded  condition,  however,  is  soon  to  be  relieved, 
when  a  magnificent  $200,000  high  school  building  will  shortly  be 
ready  for  occupancy.  In  this  fifty-room  building  v,ill  be  installed 
an  equipment  equal  to  that  in  the  best  high  schools.  A  faculty  of 
forty  or  more  trained  teachers  will  offer  instruction  to  more  than 
a  thousand  pupils.  All  departments  will  be  expanded.  Manual 
training  will  include  woodwork,  metal  work,  forge  and  machine 
shops.  Domestic  science  will  offer  the  girls  cooking,  sewing 
and  I  household  economics.  The  commercial  department  will  be 
■  equipped  so  as  to  offer  in  modern  office  and  business  practice.  Jhe 
academic  department  will  be  correspondingly  increased  and  im- 
proved so  that  the  Wichita  high  school  will  be  surpassed  by  none 
in  the  Southwest. — I.  M.  Allen.  Principal  High  School. 

RAZING  OF  WEBSTER  SCHOOL  BUILDING. 

Razing  of  the  old  Webster  school  building  at  Emporia  avenue 
and  Third  street,  to  make  way  for  the  new  $125,000  high  school 


338  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

building,  brings  to  a  host  of  citizens  memories  of  their  early  years. 
The  material  in  the  building  was  taken  out  under  supervision  of 
A.  Wilday,  a  pioneer  contractor  and  builder,  who,  in  the  interest 
of  the  school  board,  saved  it  for  use  in  constructing  a  warehouse 
for  school  supplies.  Mr.  Wilday  is  to  many  buildings  in  Wichita 
somewhat  like  the  old  family  doctor.  He  came  to  this  city  in 
1873,  and  has  been  associated  with  many  other  contractors  in 
building  countless  structures.  Like  an  old  family  doctor  of  build- 
ings, he  has  officiated  at  their  beginning,  has  repaired  them  in 
their  illnesses,  and  still  administers  at  their  final  passing  from  the 
world.  Of  present  public  school  structures,  the  Webster,  or,  as  it 
was  known  in  former  days,  ' '  the  old  Fourth  Ward, ' '  is  among  the 
oldest.  It  was  built  in  1880,  at  the  same  time  as  the  Emerson 
school.    The  Carleton  school  had  been  put  up  in  1879. 

This  trio  was  sufficient  for  the  school  population  until  1885, 
when  the  Park  and  Lincoln  schools  met  the  demands  of  boom 
days,  followed  by  the  Franklin  in  1886  and  the  Irving  in  1887. 
Two  years  later  were  built  the  Washington,  McCormick  and  Kel- 
logg, College  Hill  in  1890,  Fairmount  (public)  in  1895.  Lately 
have  come  the  mere  youngsters  of  school  structures — the  River- 
side, Martinson  and  Linwood.  The  first  public  school  was  held  in 
a  Presbyterian  church  at  the  site  now  known  as  Wichita  and  Third 
streets,  and  there  Miss  Jessie  Hunter  (now  Mrs.  James  H.  Black) 
was  the  first  teacher.  That  was  in  1871,  when  twenty-five  pupils 
attended.  The  site  which  is  now  being  erased  for  the  new  high 
school  was  first  used  for  a  school  that  same  year,  when  a  two-room 
frame  building  was  put  up  in  November  and  December.  That 
predecessor  of  the  old  Webster  school  was  destroyed  by  fire  De- 
cember 21,  1879.  Then  began  the  history  of  the  building  which 
is  now  passing  away.  The  "Eagle"  reported  on  May  6,  1880: 
"About  $8,000  of  the  $15,000  voted  last  spring  are  still  held  by 
the  board  waiting  for  the  plans  of  the  new  buildings.  E.  T.  Carr, 
the  state  architect,  who  was  employed  by  the  board,  was  here 
last  week  looking  at  the  ground  for  the  foundation,  the  classes 
of  building  material,  and  so  forth." 

The  contract  was  awarded  to  H.  F.  Butler  on  June  21,  1880, 
at  the  lowest  bid  of  $16,600,  to  put  up  a  six-room  brick  and  a 
four-room  brick,  these  structures  being  the  beginnings  of  the 
Emerson  and  the  Webster  schools.  With  its  additions,  the  Web- 
ster school  cost  $11,000.  By  the  contract  terms,  the  building  was 
to  be  completed  September  21,  1880.     At  that  time  when  the 


AN  IMPORTANT  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER     339 

building  became  endeared  to  the  first  instalment  of  its  alumni, 
Wichita  was  the  fifth  city  in  Kansas,  with  a  population  of  5,482. 
The  total  assessed  value  of  all  real  estate  in  the  city  was  $314,- 
581,  and  the  total  taxable  personal  property  was  $341,064.  In 
that  year  the  editor  of  the  Caldwell  "Commercial"  made  this 
comment,  after  visiting  Wichita:  "The  majority  of  the  people 
have  the  same  old  faith  in  the  future  of  the  place,  and  are  man- 
fully working  to  make  the  place  one  of  the  big  cities  of  the 
West."  When  the  Webster  school  was  built,  M.  W.  Levy,  now 
of  New  York  City,  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Education,  and 
on  the  board  H.  C.  Mann  and  D.  W.  Smith  represented  the 
Fourth  Ward.  Prof.  L.  G.  A.  Copley  was  superintendent  of 
schools. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY. 

FRIENDS  UNIVERSITY. 

By 
PRESIDENT  EDMUND  STANLEY. 

Friends  University  occupies  a  commanding  view  as  one  looks 
westv^ard  along  University  avenue,  the  most  beautiful  boulevard 
in  the  city  of  Wichita.  The  graceful  elms  and  stately  maples, 
with  now  and  then  an  ash  or  sycamore,  with  boughs  almost  over- 
lapping above  the  smooth  asphalt  pavement,  the  cement  walks 
and  broad  parking — all  help  to  make  the  approach  to  the  uni- 
versity an  attractive  thoroughfare  for  the  residents  as  well  as 
the  visitors  in  the  city.  Few  educational  institutions  are  so 
favorably  situated,  and  none  have  buildings  more  imposing  in 
structure  or  more  beautiful  in  architecture.  The  history  of  the 
main  building,  the  plan  of  its  construction  and  the  difficulties 
encountered  in  the  progress  of  the  work  have  been  so  graph- 
ically described  by  Mr.  R.  J.  Kirk,  in  an  issue  of  the  "Kansas 
Magazine,"  that,  by  permission,  it  is  here  reproduced: 

Almost  like  a  romance  reads  the  history  of  Friends  University 
(then  Garfield  University),  Wichita's  boom  educational  institu- 
tion. Conceived  diiring  the  time  of  the  wildest  building  activity, 
it  was  to  be  the  crowning  feature  of  them  all.  And  it  was.  No- 
where in  the  world  was  there  a  school  building  containing  as 
much  floor  space  under  one  roof.  It  was  Wichita's  pride,  and 
the  enthusiastic  citizens  pointed  to  the  massive  pile  of  stone  and 
mortar  and  poured  into  the  ear  of  the  astonished  Easterner  the 
work  of  Kansas  in  the  educational  line,  as  well  as  in  other  indus- 
tries. The  gigantic  university  building,  costing  more  than  a 
quarter  million  dollars,  grew,  blossomed  and  then  faded  away  in 
its  infancy.  The  story  of  the  university  on  the  western  outskirts 
of  Wichita  is  the  story  of  many  other  institutions  and  industries 
340 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  341 

founded  and  fondled  during  those  momentous  times.  Many  of 
them  died,  were  buried  and  then  forgotten.  Others  lived,  died 
and  then  arose  from  the  ashes  of  abandonment  to  serve  even  a 
greater  purpose  than  originally  planned.  In  this  latter  class 
belongs  the  chronicles  of  the  foundation  now  occupied  by  Friends 
University. 

The  promoters  of  Wichita  early  determined  that  that  city 
should  be  the  gateway  to  all  the  Southwest.  Many  of  them 
looked  at  the  proposition  from  a  cold-blooded  business  standpoint 
only.  But  while  Wichita  was  building  railroads,  factories  and 
office  blocks,  some  asked  why  it  should  not  be  equally  practicable 
to  make  the  "Peerless  Princess  of  the  Plains"  the  educational  as 
well  as  the  commercial  center.  In  1886,  while  the  memory  of  the 
late  lamented  James  A.  Garfield  was  yet  fresh  in  the  minds  of 
all  Americans,  W.  B.  Hendryx  conceived  the  dedication  of  a 
great  university  in  the  West,  even  as  great  as  the  universities  in 
the  East,  to  the  memory  of  the  departed  president. 

Mr.  Hendryx  at  that  time  was  pastor  of  the  Central  Christian 
Church  in  Wichita.  He  was  the  leading  spirit  in  building  the 
structure,  and  was  later  made  its  first  president.  Mr.  Hendryx 
was  formerly  pastor  in  President  Garfield's  church,  at  Mentor, 
Ohio,  and,  being  a  personal  friend  of  the  executive,  was  a  great 
admirer  of  his  virtues.  At  the  Rev.  Hendryx 's  suggestion,  the 
university  was  given  its  name.  It  was  originally  intended  that 
the  school  should  belong  to  the  Christian  denomination,  and 
the  Wichita  church  was  one  of  the  backers  in  the  enterprise, 
but  the  principal  support  came  from  the  citizens,  irrespective  of 
church  affiliation.  After  lying  idle,  forsaken  and  forlorn,  a 
home  for  pigeons  and  wayfaring  tramps,  from  1892  until  1898, 
the  building  came  into  the  hands  of  the  Friends  church,  and  since 
that  time  has  gone  under  its  present  name. 

Elaborateness  was  the  watchword  with  the  founders  of  Gar- 
, field  University.  Cost  was  not  considered  when  the  plans  were 
drawn,  and  the  sole  aim  was  to  make  the  best  possible  building 
that  money  could  erect,  and  to  place  in  it  the  highest  perfection 
of  the  architect's  and  craftsman's  skill.  As  a  result  of  this  policy, 
the  building  is  a  model  of  the  stonemason's  art  and,  architectur- 
ally, it  remains  today  the  peer  of  any  building  in  Kansas.  In 
the  basement  alone  $27,000  were  spent,  and  the  foundation  was 
laid  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  endure  for  centuries.  The 
highest  quality  of  brick  was  placed  in  the  upperstrueture,  and 


342  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

the  trimmings,  finely  carved  and  sculptured,  were  brought  from 
the  famous  quarries  at  Bedford,  Ind.  The  work  on  the  building 
progressed  rapidly,  and  by  the  time  the  boom  bubble  was  punc- 
tured the  north  wing  of  the  building  was  completed  and  ready 
for  occupancy.  The  remainder  of  the  building,  however,  was 
unfinished,  and  the  greater  portion  of  it  stood  without  a  roof  for 
several  months.  With  the  exception  of  the  north  wing,  the  build- 
ing was  nothing  but  a  shell  until  the  occupancy  of  the  Friends 
in  1898.  Since  that  time  much  of  the  other  portions  have  been 
completed. 

The  property  soon  after  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Edgar 
Harding,  a  capitalist  of  Boston,  who  had  advanced  money  to 
the  amount  of  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the  prose- 
cution of  the  work  in  the  construction  of  the  buildings.  The 
school  disbanded  in  1892  and  the  buildings  remained  closed  and 
without  occupants  for  the  following  six  years.  In  1898  a  full- 
page  advertisement  appeared  in  a  St.  Louis  paper,  describing  the 
university  property,  and  announcing  that  it  was  for  sale. 

James  M.  Davis,  a  wealthy  investor  of  St.  Louis,  saw  this 
advertisement,  and,  as  he  was  contemplating  some  work  of  this 
kind  in  connection  with  the  Friends  in  Kansas,  he  became  inter- 
ested at  once.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  history  of  Friends 
University.  Mr.  Davis  came  to  Wichita  and  made  a  careful 
inspection  of  the  property.  The  building,  though  vacant  and 
dust  covered  within,  presented  many  attractions  to  the  keen 
eye  of  a  practical  business  man.  The  massive  walls  of  the  founda- 
tion, the  high  grade  material  used  in  the  construction,  the  beauti- 
ful designs  of  architecture,  and  the  large  and  commodious  halls 
and  lecture  rooms  appealed  to  him  forcefully,  and  he  set  about 
at  once  a  movement  for  the  reopening  of  the  property  for  the 
original  purposes  contemplated  in  its  construction. 

Mr.  James  Allison,  of  Wichita,  was  at  the  time  custodian  of 
the  property,  and  as  a  citizen  he  had  long  been  interested  in  the 
property  and  its  purposes.  He  at  once  took  up  the  matter  of  the 
sale  of  the  property,  having  the  assurance  that  if  Mr.  Davis  pui*- 
chased  it  the  building  would  very  soon  be  reopened  for  college 
purposes,  and  the  work  of  finishing  the  great  structure  would  be 
pushed  as  rapidly  as  the  needs  of  the  institution  should  demand. 
The  citizens  of  Wichita  offered  to  give  to  the  institution  300 
additional  city  lots  in  the  territory  adjacent  to  the  university  if 
the  purchase  was  made  and  the  property  again  occupied  for  col- 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  34o 

lege  purposes.  The  transfer  of  the  property  was  consummated  in 
March,  1898.  It  consisted  of  the  university  building  and  campus, 
the  two  dormitories  and  nearly  300  city  lots  of  the  original  prop- 
erty. Mr.  Davis  soon  after  made  an  offer  of  the  property  to 
Kansas  Friends  on  condition  that  they  raise  a  fund  of  $50,000 
for  the  beginning  of  a  permanent  endowment  of  the  institution. 
This  offer  was  accepted  by  the  permanent  board  of  the  church 
and  later  ratified  by  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Friends,  including 
the  congregations  of  Kansas  and  Oklahoma.  In  the  September 
following  the  college  was  opened,  with  fifty  pupils.  The  pro- 
posed endowment  was  speedily  raised  and  the  title  to  the  prop- 
erty was  transferred  to  the  church  in  1903,  one  year  earlier  than 
the  contract  stipulated.  Since  its  organization  the  university 
has  had  a  steady  growth  and  its  equipment  has  been  as  steadily 
enlarged.  Four  hundred  students  have  enrolled  for  work  during 
the  past  year,  $12,000  have  been  expanded  for  the  enlargement 
of  its  facilities,  and  much  of  the  unoccupied  room  in  the  building 
has  been  finished  and  brought  into  use. 

The  great  building  is  fast  approaching  completion,  the  campus 
is  being  set  to  trees  and  grass,  walks  and  drives  constructed,  and 
one  can  now  get  a  glimpse  of  the  founders'  ideal,  as  no  doubt 
he  saw  the  scene  as  he  made  plans  for  a  future  great  university. 

The  university  has  at  the  present  time  a  faculty  of  about 
twenty  professors,  assistant  professors  and  instructors,  most  of 
whom  are  specialists  in  their  departments  of  work.  It  is  building 
up  an  excellent  library,  equipping  laboratories,  has  the  nucleus  of 
a  fine  museum,  has  increased  its  endowment  to  $135,000,  and  is 
planning  to  materially  increase  this  amount  in  the  near  future. 
In  a  word,  the  past  history  of  the  institution,  the  work  that  has 
been  accomplished,  the  patronage  it  is  receiving  and  the  confi- 
dence it  has  inspired  through  careful  and  businesslike  manage- 
ment and  thorough  and  practical  work,  give  promise  of  a  success- 
ful future  and  a  place  of  high  rank  for  Friends  University 
among  the  educational  institutions  of  the  growing  and  prosperous 
Middle  West. 

The  Friends  University  has  a  most  promising  field  for  opera- 
tion. Its  support  is  drawn  largely  from  the  two  states,  Kansas 
and  Oklahoma,  but  there  are  students  in  attendance  from  many 
other  states.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  board  to  make  the  institution 
strongly  and  positively  Christian  in  its  instruction  and  social  life, 
but  to  guard  against  anything  of  a  sectarian  bias.     Emphasis  is 


344  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

put  upon  those  things  that  tend  to  build  character  and  develop 
real  Christian  manhood  and  womanhood,  leaving  in  the  back- 
ground the  shades  of  differences  that  have  so  long  maintained 
the  barriers  among  the  churches  of  Christendom.  Its  door  are 
open  to  young  men  and  young  women  alike,  and  honors  and  pre- 
ferment are  equally  accessible  to  all  who  enter  for  the  work  of 
its  classes.  A  number  of  different  churches  are  represented  in 
its  faculty,  and  among  its  students  are  found  young  men  and 
young  women  of  almost  every  church  fellowship  of  our  country. 
Its  Biblical  and  Theological  Department,  which  is  the  most  com- 
plete in  its  organization  and  most  comprehensive  in  its  instruc- 
tion in  the  state,  is  patronized  by  young  people  from  many  differ- 
ent churches  studying  side  by  side  and  striving  for  that  prepara- 
tion that  is  needful  for  the  work  of  world-evangelization  of  the 
twentieth  century.  Such  was  the  purpose  of  the  founders  of  the 
institution,  and  such  is  the  policy  of  the  management,  as  shown 
by  the  inner  working  and  spirit  of  the  university. 

The  student  in  search  of  opportunities  for  obtaining  a  liberal 
education  can  find  ample  courses  of  instruction  open  to  him  and 
from  which  he  can  select  to  suit  his  taste  or  prospective  needs  if 
he  wishes  to  fit  himself  for  specialization  later.  In  addition  to 
the  large  number  of  college  courses  offered,  there  are  courses  for 
teachers  leading  to  state  certificates,  and  which  are  recognized 
by  the  State  Board  of  Education;  also  commercial  and  academy 
courses  are  maintained.  The  university  has  a  strong  apd  exceed- 
ingly popular  conservatory  of  music,  with  instructors  of  marked 
ability  and  thorough  preparation.  In  a  word,  the  great  structure 
so  magnificently  planned  has  within  its  walls  abundant  room  for 
many  and  varied  lines  of  work,  and  it  is  the  purpose  to  occupy 
and  utilize  as  rapidly  as  means  will  justify  and  the  increase  of 
students  demand. 

The  great  Southwest  should  have  at  its  door  all  the  facilities 
for  the  thorough  education  of  its  children,  and  if  the  business 
enterprise  and  sound  judgment  prevail  in  this,  as  in  most  other 
interests,  our  people  will  not  long  withhold  their  means  from  the 
institutions  in  their  midst  that  promise  such  valuable  returns  for 
investments.  There  are  many  reasons  in  favor  of  educating  our 
young  men  and  young  women  at  or  near  the  home  and  home  influ- 
ences, besides  the  question  of  financial  cost,  and  as  the  community 
comes  to  a  fuller  realization  of  these  advantages,  institutions  of 
learning  in  our  midst  will  receive  better  patronage,   stronger 


COLLEGES  AxND  UNIVERSITY  345 

financial  support  and  more  hearty  appreciation.  Our  young  men 
and  young  women  are  our  most  valuable  assets  in  business,  and 
their  proper  education  and  equipment  for  life  will  yield  the  great- 
est returns  for  our  financial  investments.  Indeed,  the  investment 
that  men  put  into  the  lives  and  minds  and  hearts  of  those  they 
help  and  influence  is  the  only  permanent  and  enduring  invest- 
ment that  they  can  make.    All  others  perish. 

FACULTY  FRIENDS  UNIVERSITY, 
1909-10—1910-11. 

Edmund  Stanley,  A.  M.,  Penn  College,  1892 ;  President ;  Pro- 
fessor of  History  and  Political  Science. 

William  P.  Trueblood,  B.  S.,  Earlham,  1875;  Vice-President; 
Professor  of  History  and  Philosophy. 

Benjamin  W.  Truesdell,  A.  B.,  Friends  University,  1902; 
Graduate  Student  University  of  Chicago,  1902  and  1904;  Pro- 
fessor of  Education  and  Chemistry. 

Anson  B.  Harvey,  B.  S.,  1894,  A.  M.,  1895,  Haverford ;  Gradu- 
ate Student  University  of  Pennsylvania,  1895-97 ;  Professor  of 
Biology  and  Psychology. 

John  J.  Wheeler,  A.  B.,  Indiana  University,  1904;  Professor 
of  Mathematics  and  Astronomy. 

Edith  Furnas,  Ph.  B.,  Earlham,  1897 ;  Graduate  Student  Bryn 
Mawr,  1898-99 ;  University  of  Berlin,  1903-05 ;  Student  The  Sor- 
bonne,  Paris,  1908-09 ;  Professor  of  German  and  French  Lan- 
guages. 

Charles  E.  Cosand,  A.  B.,  Earlham,  1896;  Graduate  Student 
University  of  Chicago,  1899-1900;  Summer,  1908;  Professor  of 
English  Language  and  Literature. 

William  L.  Pearson,  A.  B.,  Earlham,  1875;  A.  M.,  Princeton 
University,  1880;  Graduate  and  Fellow  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary,  1881 ;  Student  University  of  Berlin,  1881-83 ;  Ph.  D., 
University  of  Leipzig,  1885;  Principal  of  Biblical  School  and 
Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  and  Exegesis. 

Arthur  W.  Jones,  A.  B.,  1885,  A.  M.,  1890,  Haverford ;  Gradu- 
ate Student  University  of  Chicago,  1894-95;  Professor  of  Greek 
and  Latin  Languages. 

Edgar  H.  Stranahan,  A.  B.,  Earlham,  1898;  A.  M.,  Earlham, 
1906;  Professor  of  Church  History  and  Christian  Doctrine. 


34G  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Verne  F.  Swaim,  B.  S.,  Earlham,  1909;  Assistant  in  Mathe- 
matics and  Director  in  Athletics. 

Elsie  McCoy,  A.  B.,  Wilmington,  1906 ;  A.  B.,  Ohio  State  Uni- 
versity, 1909 ;  Assistant  in  Latin  and  English. 

Lucy  Francisco,  A.  B.,  1895,  A.  M.,  1898,  Earlham  College; 
Graduate  Student,  Bryn  Mawr,  1895-97 ;  University  of  Chicago, 
Summer  1901 ;  University  of  Wisconsin,  1902 ;  Student  in  Con- 
servatory of  Music,  Berlin,  1903-04,  and  Winter  1908-09 ;  Director 
of  the  School  of  Music  and  Instructor  in  Piano  and  Voice, 
1910-11. 

Nellie  May  Benton,  A.  B.,  Friends  University,  1907;  Gradu- 
ate School  of  Music  Friends  University  1907 ;  Student  in  New 
England  Conservatory,  Boston,  1908-09 ;  Instructor  in  Piano. 

Gabriella  Knight,  Graduate  Judson  College  and  Conservatory 
of  Music;  Two  Years  Student  in  Berlin,  Germany;  Instructor 
in  Violin,  1909-10. 

M.  Frederic  Cahoon,  Graduate  of  Dallas  and  Nashville  Con- 
servatories of  Music ;  Student  of  Max  Bendix,  New  York ;  Violin 
Instructor  in  Orchestral  Instruments ;  on  leave  of  absence  1909-10. 

Gretchen  Cox,  Student  of  Max  Bendix,  S.  Jacobsohn  and 
Theodore  Spiering;  Instructor  in  Violin,  1909-10. 

Lillian  Crandall,  Principal  of  the  Commercial  School. 

Charlotte  Whitney  Barrett,  Instructor  in  Elocution  and 
Oratory. 

Mabel  Beck,  Teacher  in  Training  School. 

Wm.  P.  Trueblood,  Registrar. 

C.  E.  Cosand,  Librarian. 

E.  H.  Stranahan,  Principal  of  Preparatory  School. 

Anson  13.  Harvey,  Curator  of  Museum. 

Verne  F.  Swaim,  Director  of  Gymnasium. 

Charlotte  Whitney  Barrett,  Assistant  in  Gymnasium. 


FRIENDS  UNIVERSITY  A  GREAT  INSTITUTION. 

By 

PARMER  DOOLITTLE. 

Since  Friends  University  has  become  a  great  educational 
institution,  people  are  beginning  to  realize  the  great  work  of 
Prof.  Edmund  Stanley,  who  has  been  a  teacher  ever  since  he  was 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  oV, 

seventeen  years  of  age.  This  magnificent  building  was  a  sort 
of  an  elephant  drawn  by  Wichita  in  the  days  of  her  real  estate 
boom.  It  was  built  away  out  on  the  prairie,  beyond  Robert 
Lawrence's  farm,  to  boom  an  addition.  It  was  given  to  the 
Christian  church,  which  did  not  consider  itself  able  to  buy  hay 
for  the  elephant.  It  was  called  Garfield  University  then,  and 
Wichita  soon  realized  that  she  still  had  one  elephant  on  her 
hands.  An  effort  was  made  to  give  it  to  the  state  of  Kansas. 
The  government  lived  in  the  northeastern  section  of  the  state, 
and  it  did  not  want  any  educational  institutions  in  Wichita. 
Garfield  University  was  a  magnificent  pile  of  red  bricks,  but  that 
did  not  prevent  its  being  an  elephant  on  the  hands  of  Wichita. 
The  men  whom  the  Christian  church  put  in  charge  of  the  univer- 
sity tried  hard  to  establish  a  school,  but  when  they  conceded 
their  failure  there  was  a  big  mortgage  on  the  property.  This 
mortgage  put  the  university  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Harding,  of 
Boston,  who  sold  it  to  James  M.  Davis,  of  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Davis  actually  bought  the  elephant,  and  just  to  show  his 
magnanimous  nature  he  gave  it  to  the  Friends  church  of  Kansas 
and  Oklahoma,  and  in  1898  Edward  Stanley  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  university.  He  came  to  Wichita  at  once  and  opened 
the  school.  He  had  $250  in  cash  and  an  endowment  of  $2,000. 
That  appeared  like  a  huge  burlesque  on  universities,  but  some 
of  the  old-timers  said:  "Wait  and  see.  This  man  Stanley  is 
a  James  G.  Blaine  style  of  man,  and  the  Friends  are  a  common 
sensed  people.  There  is  no  foolishness  about  them;  they  may 
succeed."  Well,  when  Prof.  Stanley  opened  his  school  in  Sep- 
tember, 1898,  he  had  forty-two  students.  He  closed  the  term 
this  year  with  400  students,  and  some  friends  of  the  institution 
predict  that  when  the  next  term  opens  in  September  500  stu- 
dents will  be  enrolled.  The  university  now  has  an  endowment 
of  $130,000  and  it  closed  its  twelfth  year  with  not  a  dollar  of 
.  debt  against  the  institution. 

One  hundred  and  twenty  students  have  been  graduated,  and 
it  means  something  to  be  a  graduate  of  Friends  University.  The 
work  in  this  great  school  is  recognized  by  the  state  university 
on  a  par  with  its  own,  admitting  its  students  for  post-graduate 
work  on  a  record  of  work  in  Friends  University.  The  state 
university  each  year  awards  to  Friends  a  fellowship  valued  at 
$280,  given  to  a  graduate  to  pursue  post-graduate  work  in  the 
state  university.     Friends  University  is  a  religious  school,  but 


348  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

non-sectarian.  It  has  among  its  students  Protestants,  Catholics 
and  Jews.  This  thing  that  Wichita  regarded  as  an  elephant  that 
nobody  wanted  through  the  untiring  industry  of  a  President 
Stanley  and  the  wise  liberality  of  the  Friends  church  has  become 
one  of  the  great  educational  institutions  of  the  West. 

President  Stanley  had  received  a  training  before  coming  to 
W^ichita  that  fitted  him  for  his  great  work.  He  became  a  teacher 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  in  the  public  schools  in  Hendricks 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  was  born,  and  in  this  was  earned  the 
money  to  pay  his  way  through  the  academy  at  Lafayette,  Ind. 
He  desired  to  see  the  South,  and  after  the  war  he  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  teacher  under  the  Freedmen's  Bureau,  and  opened  a  school 
at  Curthage,  Tenn.,  in  1867.  He  now  has  in  his  possession 
a  Ku-Klux  letter  warning  him  to  leave  the  place.  He  refused  to 
leave,  and  his  schoolhouse  was  burned  down.  He  repudiates  the 
idea  that  the  ex-slaveholders  and  better  class  of  people  recog- 
nized the  methods  of  the  Ku-Klux.  He  rented  a  warehouse  of  a 
rich  ex-slaveholder  and  reopened  his  school  in  it,  and  when  there 
were  threats  to  lynch  him  some  of  the  ex-slaveholders  armed 
their  negroes  and  secreted  them  in  nearby  buildings  to  open  fire 
on  the  mob  if  an  attempt  was  made  to  molest  the  young  school 
teacher.  That  kind  of  service  was  not  pleasant  to  Prof.  Stanley, 
and  he  gave  up  his  job  with  the  Freedmen's  Bureau.  He  came 
to  Lavirence,  Kan.,  in  1868,  and  became  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools.  In  1871  he  married  Miss  Martha  E.  Davis,  of  that  place, 
who  was  a  Southern  girl. 

While  in  Lawrence  he  took  up  a  line  of  studies  in  the  state 
university.  He  was  for  four  years  principal  of  a  ward  school  and 
assistant  in  the  high  school.  He  was  for  fifteen  years  superin- 
tendent of  the  LavvTcnce  schools,  and  was  elected  state  superin- 
tendent in  1894.  The  growth  of  this  great  school  under  President 
Stanley  is  very  pleasing  to  the  people  of  this  city.  When  Prof. 
Stanley  assumed  control  the  huge  building  was  not  one-fourth 
completed,  but  now  two-thirds  of  the  sixty-six  rooms  and  halls 
are  finished  without  creating  a  debt,  and  Friends  University  is 
today  the  finest  school  building  in  the  state  of  Kansas.  The  men 
who  work  in  the  cause  of  humanity  never  get  rich  and  some  of 
Prof.  Stanley's  friends  say  that  he  never  could  have  succeeded 
so  well  if  he  had  not  had  means  outside  of  his  salary  to  support 
his  family.  There  now  seems  to  be  no  legitimate  reasons  why 
Friends  University  shall  not  continue  to  grow  until  its  influence 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  349 

shall  be  as  wide  as  the  nation.  It  is  even  now  a  great  institution, 
and  in  the  years  to  come  its  patron  saints  will  be  Edmund  Stanley 
and  James  M.  Davis. 


FRIENDS  UNIVERSITY. 

A  little  more  than  twelve  years  ago  the  largest  and  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  buildings  in  the  city  of  Wichita  was  the  home  of 
bats,  pigeons  and  sparrows.  In  September  of  1898  the  bats, 
sparrows  and  pigeons  were  crowded  out.  Where  thousands  of 
them  had  roosted  for  years  there  was  started  Friends  University. 
The  magnificent  building  now  occupied  by  the  prosperous  Quaker 
college  was  erected  during  the  boom  days.  Its  original  cost  was 
$265,000.  It  was  built  as  the  Garfield  University  and  for  a  few 
years  a  school  by  that  name  was  conducted.  The  college  was 
closed  at  the  bursting  of  the  boom  some  twenty  years  ago.  For 
about  fifteen  years  the  magnificent  structure  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture was  unoccupied  except  for  the  birds  and  vermin.  Vandals 
broke  out  windows  here  and  there,  destroyed  furniture  and  car- 
ried away  whatever  pleased  them.  But  the  building  itself 
remained  intact.  Then  came  James  M.  Davis,  a  wealthy  St.  Louis 
stereopticon  view  manufacturer,  who  was  raised  in  Kansas  of 
Quaker  parents.  Mr.  Davis  saw  and  admired  the  old  and 
deserted  Garfield  University.  He  strolled  about  the  unkept 
campus  of  virgin  prairie ;  he  entered  the  building  and  prowled 
about  among  the  cobwebs;  he  frightened  away  hundreds  of  spar- 
rows and  pigeons  from  their  nesting  places  among  the  rafters  of 
unfinished  wings.  Then  he  went  out  of  the  musty  corridors  into 
the  clean  pure  air  and  dreamed  a  dream. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  dream  James  M.  Davis  saw  a  young 
man  of  his  own  likeness  struggling  in  poverty  and  privation  for 
an  education.  He  followed  that  young  man  through  a  number 
of  years  until  he  became  a  wealthy  manufacturer  in  a  city  on 
the  Mississippi.  Then  the  scene  shifted  and  the  dream  changed 
to  a  vision  of  the  future.  Mr.  Davis  saw  the  wild  grasses  of  the 
campus  transformed  into  a  beautiful  lawn  of  blue  grass.  Broad 
walks  appeared  on  all  sides  leading  to  the  main  building.  The 
nailed  and  cleated  doors  swung  open  and  streams  of  happy  faced 
students  marched  past  him  into  the  class  room.  The  dream  and 
the  vision  pleased  James  M.  Davis.  He  smiled  and  went  away  to 
his  home  in  the  eastern  city.     In  time  he  became  the  owner  of 


3.50  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

the  building  that  had  given  him  his  dream.  And  he  was  proud  of 
the  ownership,  for  within  his  mind  there  was  a  deep  pui-pose. 
Not  long  after  the  purchase  of  the  building  Mr.  Davis  appeared 
before  the  Kansas  yearly  meeting  of  the  Friends  church  and 
offered  to  its  members  the  building  of  his  dreams  for  a  college. 
With  his  gift  he  imposed  certain  restrictions  as  to  the  main- 
tenance of  a  university  and  its  endowment  fund.  The  Friends 
of  Kansas  were  elated  with  the  gift  of  Mr.  Davis.  They  imme- 
diately began  the  preparation  of  the  building  for  the  opening  of 
the  first  Quaker  college  in  the  middle  West.  In  September  of 
1898  school  was  opened. 

From  that  time  on  the  growth  of  the  university  has  been  rapid 
and  permanent.  The  first  year  there  were  scarcely  a  hundred 
students  and  a  half  dozen  professors.  Next  year  there  were  twice 
as  many  students  and  a  number  of  new  faces  in  the  faculty.  The 
Quakers  of  Kansas  came  to  the  support  of  the  new  institution 
with  money  and  students. 

It  was  not  many  years  till  every  Quaker  academy  in  Kansas, 
Oklahoma  and  Texas  was  sending  an  annual  delegation  to 
Friends  University  for  higher  education.  Frequently  students 
have  come  from  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Missouri,  Indiana  and  other 
states  further  away.  They  were  drawn  to  Wichita  by  the  fact 
that  the  big  Friends  school  here  is  one  of  the  finest  and  best 
equipped  institutions  maintained  by  the  Friends  in  America.  As 
a  college.  Friends  quickly  made  a  place  for  itself  in  the  state  of 
Kansas.  At  the  present  time  the  courses  maintained  at  the 
university  by  a  student  at  Friends  are  accepted  for  their  face 
value  in  any  other  college  of  the  middle  West  in  the  event  a 
student  desires  to  transfer.  Kansas  University,  which  sets  the 
standard  for  Kansas  scholarship,  has  given  the  Quaker  college  in 
this  city  full  recognition.  The  Friends  Biblical  School  is  one  of 
the  few  first  class  institutions  of  the  sort  in  the  West.  Pro- 
fessors of  long  and  careful  preparation  head  this  department. 
During  the  current  term  there  are  three  pastors  of  Wichita 
churches  taking  advanced  Biblical  work  at  the  university.  A 
number  of  the  foremost  Quaker  preachers  and  missionaries  of  the 
present  generation  are  graduates  of  the  Friends  Biblical  depart- 
ment. In  athletics  the  Quakers  stepped  into  the  first  rank  of 
Kansas  colleges  within  four  years  after  the  school  was  estab- 
lished. From  1903  to  1907  the  Quakers  sent  onto  the  football 
fields  some  of  the  best  football  men  who  ever  wore  moleskins  in 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  :]■>'. 

this  state.  Three  years  ago  football  was  officially  wiped  off  the 
cui-riculum  of  Friends  University.  Instead  of  football  the 
Quakers  are  now  introducing  soccer.  The  first  soccer  ball  game 
ever  played  in  Kansas  occurred  last  fall  between  the  Quakers 
and  a  state  normal  team.  This  year  the  game  is  spreading  and 
half  a  dozen  contests  will  be  played  by  the  local  team.  In  base- 
ball and  basketball  the  Quakers  rank  with  the  best  teams  of 
Kansas  and  Oklahoma.  In  the  past  ten  years  there  have  grad- 
uated from  the  college  courses  of  the  university  something  like 
two  hundred  students.  A  large  number  of  these  have  continued 
their  studies  in  the  East.  Many  specialized  and  are  now  engaged 
in  professions  of  all  sorts  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States. 
In  the  past  five  years  a  dozen  graduates  of  Friends  have  taken 
their  diplomas  of  medicine,  dental  surgery  or  law  from  the  best 
universities  of  the  country.  Two  scholarships  are  given  annually 
to  the  graduates  of  Friends  University.  One  of  these  is  offered 
by  Haverford  College,  of  Philadelphia,  to  the  young  man  making 
the  best  record  for  four  years  at  Friends.  The  other  goes  to  the 
young  woman  with  the  best  four  years'  record.  It  is  given  by 
Earlham  College,  of  Richmond,  Ind.  The  opening  enrollment  of 
the  university  this  year  was  close  to  350.  This  shows  a  healthy 
increase  over  the  enrollment  for  the  first  semester  of  last  year. 
The  faculty  consists  of  fifteen  capable  professors,  each  a  special- 
ist in  his  line.  In  the  training  school  department  there  ate  five 
instructors. 

HISTORY  OF  FAIRMOUNT  COLLEGE. 

By 

ANDREW  P.  SOLANDT. 

The  men  who  founded  Wichita  had  great  visions,  intending  to 
■make  the  city  a  great  commercial  center.  But  even  that  did  not 
satisfy  them;  they  laid  tremendous  plans  for  making  it  also  an 
intellectual  center,  so  that  in  1871  the  first  small  schoolhouse  was 
built,  which,  in  1887,  had  grown  to  a  high  school  building  and 
nine  large  public  school  buildings.  Higher  education  was  pro- 
vided for  in  the  following  list:  Garfield  University,  built  at  a 
cost  of  $200,000,  the  building  now  being  used  by  the  Friends 
University  on  the  West  Side.  It  comprised  a  college  of  law, 
college  of  medicine,  a  college  of  arts,  a  college  of  theology  and 


352  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

a  college  of  commerce.  It  opened  its  door  to  students  and  sur- 
vived for  a  few  years.  The  Wichita  University  of  the  Reformed 
Church  of  America,  built  on  College  Hill,  the  fine  building  now 
owned  by  Catholic  Sisters.  It  also  opened  its  door  to  students 
for  a  few  years.  Judson  University,  under  the  care  of  the  Bap- 
tists, was  projected  with  the  following  departments :  University, 
academy,  college  of  liberal  arts,  school  of  theology,  college  of 
music  and  college  of  fine  arts.  They  claimed  assets  of  $400,000, 
but  I  cannot  find  that  they  ever  enrolled  any  students. 

John  Bright  University,  under  the  Society  of  Friends,  claimed 
$300,000  in  money  and  lands  to  establish  an  institution  here.  The 
Presbyterian  College,  it  was  claimed,  had  $200,000  to  begin  work 
with. 

Other  institutions  were :  Lewis  Academy,  Brothers  Academy, 
Southwestern  Business  College  and  the  Kansas  Military  Institute. 

In  1886  Rev.  J.  H.  Parker,  pastor  of  Plymouth  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Wichita,  not  wishing  his  denomination  to  be 
outdone  by  the  churches  represented  in  the  foregoing  list,  pro- 
posed founding  in  the  city  a  ladies'  college,  that  was  to  be  the 
Vassar  of  the  West.  Interesting  a  few  friends  in  his  plan,  they 
advertised  for  bids  of  money  and  lands.  Several  being  sent  in, 
they  chose  the  spot  where  Faii-mount  College  building  now 
stands^,  on  account  of  its  high  elevation  and  the  large  amount  of 
money  and  land  given  by  the  friends  of  that  vicinity.  The 
growth  of  his  plans  was  so  rapid  that  the  next  year  he  decided 
to  enlarge  the  board  of  trustees  from  five  to  fifteen  and  change 
the  name  to  Fairmouut  College,  under  which  a  state  charter  was 
obtained.  Rev.  J.  H.  Parker  was  elected  president  of  the  board 
of  trustees,  other  members  being :  H.  A.  Clifford,  W.  J.  Corner, 
H.  H.  Richards  and  F.  G.  Stark.  The  institution  was  to  be  under 
the  care  of  the  Evangelical  Congregational  churches. 

Hon.  J.  J.  Ingalls  and  G.  C.  Strong  served  on  the  board  of 
trustees  when  the  board  membership  was  increased  to  fifteen. 
Bids  were  called  for,  plans  adopted,  and  the  present  college  main 
building  erected.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  search  for  and 
engage  a  president  at  a  salary  not  to  exceed  $3,000  a  year,  and 
Rev.  S.  S.  Mathews,  of  Boston,  was  called. 

Financial  troubles  began,  the  trustees  appealed  to.  the  citizens 
of  Wichita  with  small  result,  and  after  spending  $40,000  on  the 
building  the  property  was  sold  to  satisfy  claims,  passing  into  the 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  353 

hands  of  D.  B.  Wesson.  Therefore  the  first  corporation  known 
as  Pairmount  College  never  opened  its  door  to  students. 

Before  the  commercial  panic  all  the  educational  institutions 
of  a  high  grade  fell  into  ruins,  Fairmount  College  alone  rising 
later  into  vigorous  life.  The  population  of  Wichita  decreased 
ten  thousand  in  two  years,  much  property  was  deserted  and  many 
houses  were  moved  from  Fairmount  and  vicinity  or  sold  for  a 
trifle  of  their  cost.  With  the  slow  return  of  better  conditions 
Pairmount  Institute  was  organized  as  a  legal  corporation,  to 
which  D.  B.  Wesson  conveyed  what  is  now  Fairmount  College 
main  building  and  some  surrounding  land,  the  corporation  agree- 
ing to  pay  off  the  mortgage  still  hanging  over  the  property.  This 
action  was  taken  March  7,  1892,  the  institute  applying  for  the 
endorsement  of  the  state  association  of  Congregational  churches. 
The  first  and  only  prospectus  issued  by  the  Pairmount  Institute  is 
dated  June  15,  1892.  It  gives  the  board  of  trustees  with  Rev. 
R.  M.  Tunnel  as  president  of  the  board,  also  principal  of  the 
institute.  Nine  other  clergymen  were  on  the  board,  as  well  as 
W.  J.  Corner  and  H.  A.  Clifford,  of  the  original  Fairmount  Col- 
lege board.  H.  T.  Cramer  was  treasurer,  and  last,  but  most 
important  of  all,  we  find  the  names  of  J.  M.  Knapp  and  R.  L. 
Holmes,  who  ever  since  have  faithfully  served  on  the  board. 
Besides  Mr.  Tunnel  the  faculty  consisted  of  Miss  Delia  M.  Smoke, 
Miss  Marie  Mathis  and  Dr.  E.  W.  Hoss. 

The  founders  of  the  institute  declared  it  to  be  their  intention 
to  establish  a  school  that  shall  rank  as  high  for  classical  scholar- 
ship as  the  far-famed  Phillips  academies,  at  Andover,  Mass.,  and 
Exeter,  N.  H.,  and  in  addition  the  institute  shall  be  co-educational 
and  practical. 

The  Bible  shall  be  thoroughly  studied,  also  English,  mathe- 
matics and  the  ancient  and  modern  languages.  Any  person  not 
less  than  twelve  years  of  age  and  having  a  moderate  education 
may  enter.  September  15,  1892,  Pairmount  Institute  opened  its 
doors  to  students.  The  number  enrolling  the  first  year  cannot 
be  found.  The  institute  obtained  the  recognition  of  the  Con- 
gregational Educational  Society  of  Boston,  and  in  the  session 
of  1894-95  enrolled  seventy-eight  students.  The  next  year  the 
institute  took  on  new  life  by  the  coming  of  forty  students  and 
several  teachers  from  Garfield  University,  which  had  been  forced 
to  close  its  doors. 

June  22,  1894,  the  trustees  voted  to  develop  the  institute  as 


351  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

rapidly  as  possible  into  a  college,  Mr.  J.  M.  Knapp  making  the 
motion,  seconded  by  Mr.  Graves.  This  was  done  after  a  long  and 
heated  discussion.  Principal  Tunnel  immediately  resigned,  as 
well  as  many  of  the  trustees.  Mr.  Tunnel,  however,  agreed  to 
remain  principal  until  other  arrangements  could  be  made.  The 
courses  in  the  institute  were  considerably  expanded. 

August  4,  1894,  Mr.  W.  H.  Isely  was  elected  member  of  the 
faculty.  Born  in  Brown  county,  Kansas,  of  Swiss-French  parent- 
age, educated  at  Ottawa  and  Harvard  universities,  he  came  with 
youth,  energy  and  a  fine  education  to  begin  his  long  and  splen- 
did career  at  Fairmount  as  professor  and  dean. 

The  institute  felt  the  power  of  his  leading  mind,  and  rapid 
development  ensued,  leading  to  the  calling  of  Dr.  N.  J.  Morrison 
to  be  president,  June  11,  1895.  Dr.  Morrison  came  indorsed  by 
the  Educational  Society  of  Boston  and  invited  by  them  and  the 
trustees  to  take  charge  of  the  school  and  develop  it  as  rapidly  as 
seemed  best  into  a  first  class  college.  Mr.  Morrison  brought  with 
him  Prof.  Paul  Roulet,  of  Springfield,  Mo.,  who  had  been  asso- 
ciated with  him  for  fourteen  years  in  Drury  College. 

March  30,  1896,  the  trustees  of  Fairmount  Institute  voted  to 
give  up  their  charter  and  reorganize  as  Fairmount  College.  The 
April  following  the  state  of  Kansas  issued  a  new  charter  grant- 
ing full  college  and  university  rights  and  privileges  to  Fairmount 
College  of  Wichita,  and  the  Congregational  Educational  Society 
of  Boston  approved  of  their  action.  The  charter  declares  that  it 
is  the  intention  of  the  trustees  to  establish  on  a  broad  and  perma- 
nent foundation  a  college  of  the  first  rank,  this  school  to  be 
positively,  aggressively  and  wholly  Christian  in  the  evangelical 
sense,  but  in  no  wise  sectarian ;  to  fashion  young  men  and  women 
in  knowledge  and  in  character  for  the  best  citizenship  in  a  Chris- 
tian state  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  July,  1896,  Miss  Flora 
Clough  was  elected  dean  of  women  and  professor  of  English 
literature,  which  positions  she  still  fills  with  gracious  efficiency. 

The  following  September  the  college  opened  with  a  faculty  of 
thirteen,  all  finely  equipped  mentally  and  determined  to  work 
harmoniously  together  to  build  up  a  strong  and  efficient  Christian 
college.  Prof.  Paul  Roulet,  besides  being  professor  of  mathe- 
matics and  French,  at  once  began  to  build  up  a  library,  thus 
laying  the  foundation  of  our  splendid  collection  of  books. 

The  building  now  known  as  Holyoke  Cottage  was  purchased 
and  refitted  as  a  ladies'  dormitory,  which  purpose  it  has  filled 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  355 

since.  The  college  year  was  divided  into  three  terms — fall,  win- 
ter and  spring ;  and  three  degrees  were  given — B.  A.,  at  the  close 
of  the  classical  course ;  B.  S.,  at  the  close  of  the  scientific  course, 
and  B.  L.,  at  the  close  of  the  literary  course.  At  the  end  of  the 
year,  June,  1897,  there  were  154  students.  Fifty-one  of  these 
were  in  the  college  department,  which  consisted  of  three  classes — 
Junior,  Sophomore  and  Freshman. 

June,  1898,  the  college  graduated  its  first  class — a  class  of 
nine— and  had  an  enrollment  of  179,  and  a  spirit  of  strong  hope- 
fulness cheered  everyone. 

The  next  years  were  marked  by  steady  advance  in  the  num- 
ber of  students,  in  the  size  of  the  faculty,  in  improvement  in  the 
main  building,  by  fitting  up  additional  rooms,  and  by  many  hard- 
ships regarding  street  car  connection  with  the  city.  At  one  time 
it  was  even  necessary  to  run  a  hack  line  between  Fairmount  and 
the  corner  of  Hillside  and  Douglas,  but  finally  the  old  mule  cars 
gave  way  to  the  splendid  and  efficient  electric  service  of  the 
present  time.  Through  these  pioneer  years  the  faculty  were 
loyal  and  self-sacrificing  to  an  extent  little  known  by  the  general 
public,  and  there  began  to  develop  the  Fairmount  spirit  among 
them  and  the  students  that  has  characterized  the  institution  ever 
since. 

Theodore  H.  Morrison,  a  son  of  President  Morrison,  was 
appointed  assistant  librarian  June  24,  1898,  and  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  library  ever  since,  much  of  its  splendid  efficiency 
being  due  to  him.  In  January,  1900,  D.  K.  Pearsons,  the  million- 
aire college  builder  of  Chicago,  offered  $50,000  if  the  friends  of 
the  college  would  raise  $150,000.  The  attempt  to  raise  this 
amount  failed  in  part,  but  sufficient  was  collected  to  induce  Dr. 
Pearsons  to  give  $25,000.  Rugby  Hall,  the  two-story  brick  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  a  grocery  store  on  Vassar  avenue,  was  sold 
after  having  been  used  for  several  years  as  a  boys'  residence. 
.  April  8,  1903,  Prof.  Roulet  died.  He  was  a  native  of  French 
Switzerland,  coming  to  Fairmount  with  Dr.  Morrison.  His  long 
and  successful  experience  as  a  teacher  and  his  training  as  a  busi- 
ness man  greatly  helped  in  building  up  Fairmount,  and  especially 
the  library,  of  which  he  was  the  first  librarian.  His  picture 
hangs  in  the  main  hall  of  the  Fairmount  College  library.  Prof. 
A.  P.  Solandt  succeeded  him  the  same  year. 

In  order  to  bring  the  college  and  its  claims  before  the  people 
of  Wichita  and  vicinity,  E.  M.  Leach  was  appointed  field  secre- 


356  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

tary,  in  1904.  Through  his  energy  the  college  was  widely  adver- 
tised, especially  through  the  Arkansas  Valley  Interscholastic 
Meet,  of  which  he  was  the  founder.  To  this  gathering  all  high 
schools  for  miles  around  are  invited  annually  to  send  their  best 
athletes,  orators  and  readers,  Fairmount  College  being  host,  its 
students  not  competing,  but  helping  in  every  way  to  make  the 
gathering  a  success.  It  meets  annually  in  May  and  the  attend- 
ance several  times  has  been  two  thousand. 

The  Fiske  family  of  Boston  for  years  had  been  firm  friends 
and  supporters  of  Faii-mount.  In  1904  Mrs.  Fiske  gave  $2,500 
to  start  a  fund  to  build  a  boys'  dormitory.  Other  friends  con- 
tributed and  the  trustees  erected  the  present  splendid  building, 
said  to  be  the  finest  dormitory  in  the  state.  Two  years  after- 
wards it  was  completed  and  opened  for  use,  and  very  appro- 
priately named  Fiske  Hall. 

This  same  year  the  trustees  applied  to  Andrew  Carnegie,  of 
New  York,  for  money  with  which  to  build  a  library  building. 
After  due  consideration  and  arrangement  of  terms  he  granted 
$40,000  with  which  to  erect  the  beautiful  building  now  standing 
on  the  college  grounds. 

Several  years  of  steady  progress  followed  until  1907.  In 
April  of  that  year,  after  a  short  illness.  President  N.  J.  Morrison 
died.  As  a  college  builder  he  will  long  be  remembered  as  one  of 
the  founders  of  Olivet  College,  in  Michigan.  After  leaving  there, 
in  1873,  he  founded  Drury  College,  at  Springfield,  Mo.,  of  which 
he  was  for  fourteen  years  president,  leaving  it  with  many  splen- 
did buildings  and  a  large  endowment.  Later  he  was  professor 
of  philosophy  in  Marietta  College,  in  Ohio.  From  there  he  came 
to  Fairmount,  where  he  worked  with  devotion  and  success  until 
his  death. 

In  August  of  the  same  year  Fairmount  suifered  another 
serious  loss  in  the  death  of  its  dean,  W.  H.  Isely,  called  away  in 
the  prime  of  life.  He  left  a  record  of  self-sacrificing  industry 
not  easily  surpassed.  As  a  teacher,  member  of  the  city  govern- 
ment of  Wichita,  official  in  the  Wichita  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  the  Kansas  National  Guard,  his  loss  was  widely  and  keenly 
felt. 

After  careful  consideration  and  extensive  correspondence  the 
trustees  invited  Rev.  Henry  E.  Thayer,  D.  D.,  of  Topeka,  Kan., 
to  become  president.     He  accepted,  and  at  once  entered  upon 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  357 

his  duties  with  energy  and  success,  bringing  to  bear  on  every 
question  the  ability  of  a  man  of  wide  vision  and  long  experience 
in  public  affairs. 

January,  1910,  the  new  library  was  formally  dedicated  and 
opened  to  use.  Tlie  furniture,  through  the  generosity  of  Mrs. 
L.  S.  Carter,  was  all  in  place  and  the  main  floor  presented  a  beau- 
tiful and  appropriate  appearance.  This  floor  contains  reading 
rooms  and  office  and  delivery  desk.  On  the  second  floor  are 
found  the  Carter  memorial  room,  all  within  it  being  furnished 
by  Mrs.  L.  S.  Carter,  and  contains,  besides  the  splendid  library 
furniture,  a  large  number  of  sumptuously  bound  books;  the 
Library  Club  room,  the  meeting  place  of  the  Fairmount  Ladies' 
Library  Club,  which  for  many  years  had  worked  faithfully  and 
successfully  in  forwarding  the  interests  of  the  library;  another 
room  is  occupied  by  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
and  now  contains  many  articles  illustrating  the  early  history 
of  the  country.  Still  another  room  contains  the  beginnings  of  a 
college  museum.  At  present  it  is  mainly  occupied  by  a  large 
number  of  articles  from  Palestine  illustrating  the  life  and  cus- 
toms of  the  people  of  that  country.  Dr.  Selah  Merrill,  a  friend 
of  the  late  President  Morrison,  made  the  collection  while  United 
States  minister  at  Jerusalem. 

The  college  gymnasium,  a  modest  but  commodious  building, 
was  erected  recently  on  the  campus  througli  the  efforts  of  the 
student  body,  and  serves  as  headquarters  for  the  athletic  interests 
of  the  college.  For  a  number  of  years  Fairmount  has  had  a  regu- 
lar coach,  and  their  teams  in  football,  basketball,  track  and 
baseball  have  been  conspicuously  successful  in  standing  for  clean 
athletics  and  winning  many  honors,  considering  the  size  of  the 
college. 

Efficient  and  prosperous  literary  societies  are  maintained  by 
the  students,  doing  much  to  advance  the  interest  in  public  speak- 
ing and  sociability.  Among  the  ladies  are  Sorosis  and  Alpha 
Tau  Sigma  for  the  college  girls,  and  Philomathean  for  those  of  the 
academy,  and  among  the  men  Webster  and  the  Counsel  societies. 

Such  is  the  story,  in  part,  of  these  years  of  sacrifice,  struggle 
and  achievement,  and  the  college  is  proud  to  think  that  with  each 
succeeding  year  it  is  sending  an  increasing  band  of  young  people 
into  the  world,  who  bring  to  all  the  duties  of  life,  the  ability  of  a 
trained  mind  and  the  devotion  of  a  Christian  conscience. 


358  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Proud  on  thy  mountain,  sunlight   gleaming  from  fhy  tower, 
Pure  Wisdom's  fountain,  truth  and  honors  bower. 
While  our  boundless  prairies  yield  their  fruits  from  year  to  year. 
May  thy  thousands  ever  hold  thy  name  more  dear. 
Fairmount  forever;  here  we  raise  a  song  of  praise, 
Pairmount,  blest  Fairmount,  to  eternal  days. 

FAIRMOUNT  COLLEGE. 

One  of  the  strongest  Congregational  schools  in  the  West  is 
Pairmount  College.  It  commenced  the  school  year  of  1910-11 
with  an  enrollment  of  more  than  300  students.  It  is  noted  for 
its  broad  democratic  tone  and  character  building  environment. 
The  college  buildings  are  located  on  Fairmount  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  city.  A  college  building  erected  at  a  cost  of  $60,000, 
a  librarj^  building  costing  $25,000,  a  men's  dormitory  costing 
$15,000,  a  gymnasium  and  other  buildings  compose  the  college. 
Pairmount  is  one  of  the  highly  accredited  colleges  of  the  state 
and  has  always  enjoyed  a  good  reputation. 

The  president  of  Fairmount  College  is  H.  E.  Thayer,  one  of 
the  broadminded  college  presidents  of  the  West.  He  is  a 
thorough  scholar  and  is  full  of  rugged  western  progressive  ideas. 
He  took  the  school  at  the  death  of  Dr.  Morrison,  one  of  the 
most  beloved  college  presidents  in  the  state  and  the  father  of 
Pairmount  academy  and  college.  The  dean  of  the  college  of 
liberal  arts  is  S.  S.  Kingsbury,  a  professor  of  broad  culture  and 
much  executive  ability.  A  complete  college  training  is  given  in 
Pairmount.  The  science  faculty  is  unusually  well  equipped  with 
strong  men.  The  laboratories  are  complete  and  up  to  the  minute. 
A  classical  element  pervades  the  school  and  strong  philosophy 
courses  can  be  given.  Considerable  special  work  is  done  in  the 
college.  Prowess  in  athletics  has  always  been  a  characteristic 
of  Pairmount  College.  The  gymnasium  is  well  equipped  to  take 
care  of  the  training  of  the  men  and  all  athletics  is  under  the 
supervision  of  a  competent  coach.  All  students  entering  Pair- 
mount  are  compelled  to  take  a  certain  amount  of  exercise  and 
their  development  is  noted  carefully.  A  rule  was  adopted  last 
year  compelling  all  those  who  desired  to  enter  the  more  violent 
form  of  athletics,  such  as  football  and  basketball,  to  pass  a 
heart  examination.  The  faculty  did  this  in  order  that  no  student 
should  be  seriously  injured  in  these  games  because  of  physical 


COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITY  359 

unfitness.  That  is  the  way  the  Pairmount  officials  look  after 
the  students ;  they  are  always  on  the  alert  to  help  them  or  advise. 
A  feature  of  Fairmount  College,  which  is  almost  as  famous 
as  Wichita  itself,  is  the  Paii-mount  library.  This  is  one  of  the 
largest  college  libraries  in  the  state.  The  new  Carnegie  library 
building  was  first  occupied  in  1909.  The  library  comprises  3,100 
bound  volumes  and  50,000  pamphlets  and  papers.  The  library 
is  in  charge  of  a  skillful  librarian  and  assistants  and  the  books 
are  carefully  catalogued.  The  library  is  used  not  only  by  the 
students  of  the  college  but  is  open  to  the  residents  of  Wichita. 
The  history  of  Pairmount  College  is  one  of  disappointment  and 
discouragement  and  yet  one  of  great  achievement  as  well.  The 
academy  was  opened  in  1892.  In  1895  the  idea  of  a  college, 
advanced  in  the  previous  year,  took  root,  and  the  college  was 
established.  In  1899  the  first  degrees  from  the  college  of  liberal 
arts  were  given.  Ever  since  its  genesis  Fairmount  seems  to  have 
had  debt  sliadowing  and  hindering  it  on  every  side.  But  in  spite 
of  it  remarkable  progress  has  been  made.  Through  endowments 
from  friends  of  the  college  in  the  East  the  indebtedness  has 
been  cut  down  and  now  Pairmount  sees  a  dawn  of  new  things. 
A  great  future  is  in  store  for  the  college  and  all  the  troubles 
and  worries  of  the  strong,  zealous,  early  day  men,  Dr.  Morrison, 
Prof.  Isley  and  others,  will  be  recompensed  when  Fairmount 
stands  free  and  clear — a  democratic  school  where  young  men 
and  young  women  are  taught  that  education  should  be  means 
to  a  good  end. 

MOUNT  CARMEL  ACADEMY. 

Mount  Carmel  Academy,  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
popular  institutions  in  the  Southwest,  is  situated  two  and  one- 
half  miles  west  of  Wichita,  in  a  campus  covering  fifty  or  sixty 
acres.  The  buildings  are  elegant  and  commodious  and  equipped 
with  everything  that  lends  itself  to  the  cultivation  of  taste  and 
refinement.  The  academy  has  an  interesting  history.  It  was 
opened  in  1887  by  five  Sisters  of  Charity,  who  came  from  their 
mother  house  in  Dubuque,  la.,  at  the  invitation  of  the  Rev.  Father 
Casey.  The  ability  of  these  sisters  to  conduct  a  successful  school 
soon  made  itself  felt,  and  the  best  citizens  of  Wichita,  irrespect- 
ive of  religious  convictions,  sent  their  daughters  to  the  academy. 
It  must  be  said  that  the  people  of  Wichita  have  always  shown  the 


360  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

keenest  appreciation  of  the  work  done  at  the  academy.  They 
have  encouraged  its  growth  in  every  possible  way  and  are  justly 
proud  of  its  present  high  standing.  In  1900  an  addition  to  the 
original  "All  Hallows"  became  necessary  and  the  south  wing 
was  put  up  at  a  cost  of  about  $60,000.  In  this  addition  are  the 
chapel,  the  auditorium,  the  music  studios,  the  reception  rooms 
and  the  dining  halls. 

So  great  prosperity  did  the  academy  enjoy  at  that  period 
that  it  was  necessary  to  build  again  in  1906.  This  latest  and 
chief  addition  is  in  perfect  architectural  harmony  with  the  former 
wing  and  no  expense  was  spared  in  the  furnishing  of  the  various 
apartments.  These  comprise  the  study  halls,  dormitories,  recrea- 
tion parlors,  art  studios,  private  rooms  and  observatory.  On 
every  floor  of  the  building  are  bathing  apartments  supplied  with 
hot  and  cold  water.  The  building  is  heated  with  hot  water  and 
perfect  ventilation  is  secured  by  a  system  installed  in  the  con- 
struction. Every  room  is  so  situated  as  to  admit  an  abundance 
of  air  and  sunshine.  No  history  of  Mount  Carmel,  however  brief, 
would  be  complete  without  the  name  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  Hen- 
nessy,  who  since  his  advent  to  the  city  has  watched  over  the 
academy  with  fostering  care.  Notwithstanding  the  numerous 
demands  on  his  attention  as  bishop  of  a  large  and  prosperous 
diocese,  he  has  given  the  interests  of  Mount  Carmel  his  personal 
attention,  has  often  sacrificed  his  time  and  comfort  for  its  benefit, 
and  many  of  the  most  beautiful  ornaments  in  and  around  the 
building  are  the  effects  of  his  princely  generosity. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  WICHITA,  KAN. 

By 
C.  S.  CALDWELL. 

I  have  been  asked  to  prepare  a  short  article  giving  the  date 
of  organization,  the  early  history  and  experience  of  the  pioneer 
churches  of  Wichita.  This  may  seem  at  first  thought  to  be  an 
easy  problem,  but  when  we  consider  that  there  are  more  than 
forty  churches  in  the  city  and  twenty-five  in  the  other  towns 
and  outlying  districts  of  Sedgwick  county,  all  of  which  are,  in 
a  sense,  pioneer  churches,  the  problem  grows. 

Another  difficulty  confronts  the  historian :  The  shifting  popu- 
lation, the  push  and  hurry  incident  to  the  opening  of  a  new 
country,  and  building  new  cities  produces  an  atmosphere  that 
is  not  very  favorable  to  the  organization  of  churches  and  religious 
institutions,  and  many  of  them  have  failed  to  make  and  preserve 
a  permanent  record  of  their  birth  and  early  life,  and  before  they 
are  aware  of  it  the  early  members  and  promoters  have  passed 
away,  and  their  whole  history  becomes  largely  a  matter  of 
tradition  only. 

While  the  early  history  of  these  sixty-five  churches  would  be 
very  interesting,  and  would  be  in  a  permanent  form  for  ref- 
erence in  years  to  come,  it  would  not  only  extend  this  article 
beyond  a  reasonable  limit,  but  would  involve  more  time  and  labor 
.  than  the  writer  has  at  his  disposal,  so  this  article  will  cover  only 
the  genesis  of  four  or  five  parent  churches  of  Wichita,  whose 
organization  dates  prior  to  1873. 

When  the  vrriter  saw  Wichita  for  the  first  time,  October  1, 
1871,  it  was  a  very  small  Western  cattle  town,  with  Newton, 
the  nearest  railroad  station,  thirty  miles  away. 

The  few  people  that  were  here  were  chiefly  young,  unmarried 
men,  or  men  who  had  left  their  families  in  the  East  and  had 
361 


363  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

come  West  to  take  claims  aud  prepare  homes  for  those  who  were 
to  follow. 

We  found  that  some  settlement  had  been  made  as  early  as 
1868.  The  city  was  platted  in  1870,  but  it  was  still  the  uttermost 
ends  of  the  earth — a  hundred  miles  or  more  to  the  nearest 
railroad. 

Devoted  missionaries  to  the  Indians  and  to  the  hardy  pioneer 
settler  had  found  their  way  to  Wichita,  and  religious  services 
were  held  as  early  as  1868,  but  no  record  can  be  found  of  any 
effort  toward  the  organization  of  churches  until  1870.  Late  in 
1871  we  f.ound  two  organized  churches — St.  John's  Episcopal  and 
the  First  Presbyterian.  These  had  been  holding  services  more 
or  less  regularly  for  a  year  or  more.  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
and  the  Baptists  had  held  religious  services  at  irregular  periods 
during  this  time,  but  had  done  much  toward  gathering  up  those 
who  were  the  "lost  sheep"'  of  their  house  of  Israel,  and  were 
favorably  inclined  toward  these  churches. 

So  far  as  is  now  known  the  first  sermon  preached  in  Wichita 
was  by  a  Baptist  minister  by  the  name  of  Saxby,  in  the  fall  of 
1868,  at  Durfee's  ranch,  on  North  Waco  avenue,  a  short  distance 
north  of  ]\Iurdock  avenue.  It  was  listened  to  with  respectful 
attention  by  the  motley  little  company  that  had  come  together 
to  hear  it,  as  many  of  them  had  not  attended  a  religious  service 
or  heard  a  sermon  for  many  years.  As  hymn  books  were  exceed- 
ingly scarce  in  those  days,  the  minister,  at  the  close  of  the  sermon, 
asked  some  one  to  start  a  familiar  hymn.  Some  one  started 
"John  Brown's  Body  Lies  a-Mouldering  in  the  Grave."  The 
hymn  was  sung  lustily  throughout  and  closed  the  services. 

EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

An  Episcopal  clergyman  by  the  name  of  John  P.  Hilton 
came  some  time  in  the  fall  of  1869  and  filed  upon  a  claim,  now 
in  the  central  part  of  the  city,  and  began  at  once  to  gather 
material  for  the  organization  of  a  church,  which  was  accom- 
plished some  time  in  the  early  spring  of  1870;  the  exact  date 
the  writer  has  been  unable  to  learn.  The  first  services  were  held 
in  the  Munger  Hotel,  which  subsequently  became  the  home  of 
Com.  W.  C.  Woodman,  and  now  the  property  of  Mr.  P.  J. 
Conklin,  on  North  Waco  avenue,  one  block  north  of  Murdoek 
avenue. 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  VriCHlTA  363 

In  a  short  time,  however,  a  rude  chapel  was  constructed  of 
cotton-wood  logs,  split  and  set  in  the  ground  after  the  fashion 
of  a  stockade  and  covered  with  logs  and  earth.  This  chapel  was 
located  on  Market  street,  near  where  the  courthouse  now  stands, 
and  served  as  a  place  of  worship  for  about  two  years.  Photo- 
graphs of  this  rude  chapel  may  be  seen  today  in  many  of  the 
homes  of  the  city.  Fromthis  humble  beginning  St.  John's  Epis- 
copal church  has  grovs^n  to  a  large  and  influential  parish,  occupy- 
ing a  fine  stone  church  on  the  corner  of  Topeka  and  Third  streets, 
and  has  organized  several  missions  and  churches  in  other  parts 
of  the  city.  Dr.  P.  J.  Fenn  is  the  present  popular  and  efficient 
pastor. 

FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN. 

In  October,  1869,  W.  K.  Boggs,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  ap- 
peared upon  the  field  and  preached  his  first  sermon  in  a  dugout 
on  North  Waco  avenue,  near  where  Finlay  Ross  now  resides. 
Services  were  held  quite  regularly  all  winter,  and  on  the  13th 
of  March,  1870,  a  church  was  organized  with  thirteen  members, 
none  of  whom  reside  here  now;  most  of  them  have  passed  away. 
Two  or  three  are  living  somewhere  in  Oklahoma. 

Robert  E.  Lawrence,  residing  on  North  Topeka  avenue, 
attended  a  midweek  prayer  meeting  in  this  dugout  in  the  early 
spring  of  1870.  He  was  driving  through  this  country  in  a 
carriage  and  had  encamped  for  the  night  on  the  banks  of  the 
Little  Arkansas  river.  He  heard  singing  not  far  away,  and,  fol- 
lowing the  sound,  soon  found  the  little  church,  and  spent  a 
pleasant  evening  with  them. 

In  the  summer  of  1870  the  little  band  hauled  green  cotton- 
wood  lumber  from  Emporia  and  erected  a  neat  little  frame  chapel 
on  the  corner  of  Second  and  Wichita  streets,  which  was  a  com- 
fortable little  church  home  for  two  years. 

Dr.  Boggs  remained  in  charge  of  the  work  until  late  in  the 
autumn  of  1871,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  P.  Harsen 
as  its  first  pastor.  In  the  fall  of  1872  this  little  chapel  was  sold 
to  the  Catholic  church  and  moved  to  the  corner  of  St.  Francis 
and  Second  streets  and  used  by  them  for  chapel  and  school  pur- 
poses for  several  years,  when  it  was  sold  and  moved  to  the  sixth 
block  on  North  Main  street,  where  it  now  stands. 

After  selling  their  church  the  Presbyterians  rented  old  Eagle 
Hall,  and  services  were  held  there  until  1877,  when  a  small  brick 


364  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

church  was  completed  and  occupied,  at  the  corner  of  First  street 
and  Lawrence  avenue.  This  building  was  enlarged  in  1883,  and 
served  as  their  church  home  for  more  than  thirty  years,  Mr. 
Harsen  remaining  its  pastor  until  1879,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  John  D.  Hewett. 

This  church  has  also  prospered  and  taken  a  prominent  posi- 
tion among  the  churches  of  Kansas,  and  has  been  instrumental 
in  establishing  and  maturing  to  self  support  five  other  Presby- 
terian churches  in  the  city,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  erection  of 
a  fine  church  building  on  the  corner  of  Lawrence  avenue  and 
Elm  street. 

THE  M.  E.  CHURCH. 

The  M.  E.  church  had  occasional  services  during  1871  by 
visiting  clergymen.  A  class  was  formed  and  preparation  made 
for  the  organization  of  a  church  as  soon  as  the  way  would  be 
open.  This,  however,  was  not  accomplished  until  the  early  spring 
of  1872,  when  Rev.  John  F.  Nessly  became  their  first  pastor.  A 
Sunday  school  was  organized  and  ex-Gov.  W.  E.  Stanley  was 
chosen  as  its  first  superintendent.  A  small  church  building  was 
erected  at  once  on  the  ground  where  the  first  church  now  stands, 
and  until  it  was  ready  for  occupancy  their  services  were  held  in  a 
frame  schoolhouse,  on  the  corner  of  Emporia  avenue  and  Third 
street,  where  the  new  high  school  building  is  now  being  erected. 
Mr.  Stanley  remained  at  the  head  of  this  school  for  a  score  of 
years,  and  placed  it  among  the  largest  Sunday  schools  of  the 
state.  With  a  long  line  of  able  and  popular  pastors  the  church 
grew  apace,  establishing  several  churches  and  missions  in 
various  parts  of  the  city,  some  of  them  (St.  Paul  and  Trinity) 
almost  rivaling  in  strength  and  influence  the  parent  church. 

The  present  pastor.  Dr.  W.  H.  Heppe,  is  leading  them  out  in 
a  vigorous  preparation  for  building  a  new  house  of  worship 
where  the  old  one  now  stands,  tO  cost  $100,000,  which  will  be 
pushed  to  completion  in  the  near  future. 

THE  FIRST  BAPTIST. 

While  the  Baptist  church  has  the  honor  of  being  the  first  to 
proclaim  the  Gospel  within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Wichita,  they 
did  not  secure  the  organization  of  a  working  church  until  some 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OP  WICHITA  365 

time  in  the  spring  of  1872.  A  Baptist  layman,  by  name  Sturgis, 
organized  a  Union  Sunday  school  in  the  summer  of  1871,  and 
conducted  it  successfully  until  the  spring  of  1872,  when  Rev. 
John  C.  Post  came  and  took  charge  of  the  work,  organized  a 
church  and  became  their  first  pastor,  and  remained  in  charge  of 
the  church  for  several  years. 

This  church  has  also  taken  its  place  among  the  leading 
churches  of  the  city  and  state,  a  positive  force  for  good  in  the 
city,  its  acts  being  known  and  read  of  all  men  who  have  kept 
pace  with  the  religious  growth  and  development  of  the  city,  and 
have  just  completed  a  new  house  of  worship  on  the  corner  of 
Lawrence  avenue  and  Second  street,  costing  about  $75,000. 

It  may  be  an  item  of  interest  to  those  who  knew  and  remember 
Father  Post  to  learn  that  when  a  young  man  he  was  in  the  mili- 
tary service  (Texas  Rangers),  and  was  in  the  army  of  Gen.  Sam 
Houston  when  it  marched  to  the  relief  of  the  little  garrison  in 
the  besieged  castle  of  The  Alamo  in  1836,  but  were  too  late  to 
rescue  them ;  but  they  completely  routed  the  Mexican  army  that 
had  murdered  in  detail  the  little  band  that  had  so  heroically 
defended  it. 

These  four  pioneer  pastors,  all  of  them  by  the  name  of  John, 
builded  greater  than  they  knew,  laid  foundations  broad  and 
deep.  Others  have  entered  upon  their  labors,  have  built  and  are 
continuing  to  build  what  will  be  monuments  to  them  and  the 
faithful  few  who  stood  with  them  in  these  days  of  trial  and  of 
small  beginnings. 

It  was  eight  or  ten  years  after  this  before  the  Reformed 
Church,  the  Central  Christian,  the  Plymouth  Congregational,  the 
Friends  and  other  churches  were  established.  All  of  these  and 
many  others  stand  prominently  among  the  churches  of  the  city 
and  deserve  more  than  a  passing  notice,  and  if  written  up  as 
they  ought  to  be  would  make  a  large  volume  of  very  interesting 
history.  I  hope  some  capable  pen  will  take  it  up  and  place  the 
record  where  it  will  be  preserved.  The  present  generation,  which 
has  been  so  instrumental  in  establishing  these  churches  amid  the 
whirl  and  excitement  of  a  busy  commercial  life,  would  very  much 
enjoy  sitting  down  in  the  evening  of  life  and  carefully  perusing 
the  record  and  handing  it  on  down  to  coming  generations. 

Will  not  some  one  take  it  up  before  the  records  of  these 
churches  are  lost  or  destroyed?    I  sincerely  hope  it  will  be  done. 


HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 


MONUMENTS  TO  THE  PAST. 

By 

CLARENCE  J.  MARTIN. 

The  church  steeple  is  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  de- 
parted who  have  lived  lives  of  truth,  and  a  skyward  pointed  fin- 
ger to  those  that  yet  live  and  are  prone  to  go  astray. 

Every  note  of  the  ringing  bell  is  a  voice  of  approval  to  those 
who  do  right  and  a  hammer-stroke  of  rebuke  upon  the  heart  of 
those  that  do  wrong. 

The  American  home  is  built  in  the  shadow  of  the  cathedral 
and  felicity  and  love  walk  from  the  chancel  rail  hand  in  hand 
to  bless  the  world.  Childhood  learns  to  pray  in  the  pews  and 
youth  to  love  the  truth.  Old  age  lays  down  its  burdens  at  the 
altar  rail,  lets  go  of  fear  and  makes  ready  to  depart. 

The  secular  business  of  a  city  can  be  put  upon  a  commercial 
basis  and  considered  solely  from  the  view-point  of  dollars  and 
cents  without  the  necessity  of  including  any  moral  issue  in  the 
consideration.  It  is  not  so  with  a  church  or  a  religious  society. 
While  the  money  value  of  a  church  or  parsonage  is  a  valuable 
asset  to  any  city,  the  uplifting  moral  effect  upon  a  community 
produced  by  the  presence  of  the  chapel  and  the  rectory  cannot 
be  computed  by  any  system  of  finance. 

The  church  and  business  have  mutual  interests.  Each  has 
made  possible  the  prosperity  of  the  other,  and  religion,  education 
and  business  have  made  Wichita  a  city  where  to  live  is  life  indeed. 

For  over  forty  years,  since  the  time  her  first  congregation 
gathered  to  attend  the  first  religious  service  conducted  in  the 
city,  Wichita,  has  honored  and  given  place  to  the  church,  and  now 
the  spires  of  the  places  devoted  to  religious  worship  pierce  the  air 
from  the  very  heart  of  the  city  to  the  limits  of  the  far  suburb. 

Wichita  does  not  aspire  to  be  called  "the  city  of  churches," 
but  is  satisfied  to  patronize  those  she  has  and  build  others  as  fast 
as  her  growth  justifies. 

For  long  years  the  idea  has  prevailed  that  religion  was  entirely 
apart  from  business,  but  in  Wichita  the  falsity  of  that  idea  has 
been  proved  in  the  fact  that  many  of  the  wealthiest,  most  suc- 
cessful business  men,  politicians  and  public  officers  are  closely 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OP  WICHITA  367 

associated  with  all  kinds  of  religious  activity,  holding  oiBces  of 
responsibility  in  the  various  churches. 

They  have  proved  that  piety  and  progress  are  not  at  variance 
and  that  salvation  and  sense  can  be  mixed  without  neutralizing 
either. 

From  the  rude  building,  constructed  of  slabs  from  a  sawmill, 
with  its  dirt  roof,  where  the  early  citizens  met  for  worship  forty- 
two  years  ago,  to  the  magnificent  structures  in  many  parts  of 
the  city  today,  is  an  almost  startling  transition. 

Wichita  has  more  than  sixty  religious  societies  and  as  many  as 
fifty  edifices  devoted  to  religious  worship,  while  immense  mission 
enterprises  are  found  throughout  the  city. 

The  total  membership  of  all  the  denominations  is  above  13,000, 
and  the  Sunday  schools  have  a  combined  membership  of  over 
12,000. 

The  total  valuation  of  the  church  properties  is  greatly  in 
excess  of  $1,000,000. 

The  valuation  of  the  several  church  buildings  are: 

Baptist  churches $  85,500 

Christian   churches    73,000 

Congregational  churches 69,000 

Episcopal  churches 83,000 

Friends  churches  7,000 

Presbyterian  churches    188,500 

Methodist  Episcopal  churches   232,500 

United  Brethren  churches  19,500 

United  Presbyterian  churches 8,500 

German  Evangelical  churches 15,000 

Catholic  churches 145,000 

Colored  Baptist  church 30,000 

African  M.  E.  church 10,000 

M.  E.  Colored  church 2,000 

Dunkard  church 8,000 

Reformed  church  (Brown  Memorial) 25,000 

Universalist  church  15,000 

Salvation  Army   35,000 

Free  Methodist  chiu-ch  3,000 

Total  valuation $1,074,500 


368  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Members  of  the  various  denominations  number  as  follows : 

Baptist  churches 1,295 

Christian  churches 1,507 

Congregational  churches    700 

Episcopal  churches 540 

Friends  churches 710 

Methodist  Episcopal  churches 2,965 

Presbyterian  churches  1,943 

United  Brethren  churches 322 

United  Presbyterian  churches  180 

German  Evangelical  church 50 

Catholic  churches  2,140 

Colored  Baptist  church 300 

African  M.  E.  church 200 

Negro  M.  E.  church 50 

Dunkard  church   175 

Reformed  church  (Brown  Memorial) 105 

Universalist  church    100 

Salvation  Army 100 

Free  Methodist  church   50 

Total  ■ 13,480 

After  conversation  with  conservative  business  men  and  those 
familiar  with  conditions  in  the  city,  it  is  certain  that  there  is 
much  property  devoted  to  religious  purposes  held  by  other  denom- 
inations, Avhose  holdings  are  not  included  in  the  above  list. 

For  years  the  general  work  of  the  churches  of  the  city  has 
been  augmented  by  the  existence  of  a  strong  ministerial  associa- 
tion, which  was  organized  to  bring  the  pastors  of  the  different 
churches  together  at  regular  intervals,  where  papers  are  read  and 
discussions  on  helpful  themes  are  held. 

The  work  of  the  association  reaches  further  than  mere  denom- 
inational lines,  and  one  result  of  the  organization  of  the  alliance 
has  been  to  produce  a  i  better  spirit  of  fraternalism  among  the 
ministers  themselves,  which  has  had  its  effect  on  every  parish  rep- 
resented in  bringing  about  co-operation  in  all  lines  of  Christian 
work. 

Several  churches  in  the  city  have  also  become  engaged  in  for- 
eign missionary  work  and  are  supporting  missionaries  in  China, 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  WICHITA  369 

Japan,  India,  Africa,  South  America,  Korea,  Mexico  and  Alaska. 
This  is  aside  from  the  regular  mission  work  of  the  denominations 
and  is  carried  on  by  the  local  churches,  each  church  assuming  the 
responsibility  of  supporting  one  or  more  missionaries. 

Ardent  zeal  and  sane  optimism  will  be  the  guides  for  all  future 
religious  enterprises  in  Wichita,  because  successful  business  men 
are  the  builders  and  supporters  of  these  Christian  institutions. 
They  will  not,  in  moments  of  enthusiasm,  construct  large  and 
'costly  edifices  and  then  leave  them  to  be  occupied  by  the  moles 
and  bats.  They  will  fill  them  and  thrill  them  with  brain  and  red 
blood  and  maintain  in  them  a  spirituality  void  of  cant  and 
whine  and  a  sincerity  as  refreshing  as  the  morning  dew,  and  in 
the  future,  whatever  is  characteristic  of  progress  in  religious  life 
in  the  West  will  be  found  in  the  churches  of  Wichita. 

WICHITA'S  FIRST  CHURCH. 

By 
HATTIE  PALMER. 

(In  the  ' '  Kansas  Magazine. ") 

Trade  follows  the  flag,  but  civilization  follows  the  church. 
In  the  frontier  days  of  Kansas  the  Indian  trading  post  and  store 
was  the  first  institution  erected.  Immediately  afterward  came 
the  saloon  to  bid  for  a  portion  of  the  circulating  capital.  Soon 
afterward,  a  worthy  competitor  of  the  saloon,  and  companion  of 
the  trading  post,  came  the  church. 

Wichita's  first  church  was  not  an  imposing  structure.  Archi- 
tecturally, it  was  not  even  so  imposing  as  the  "Bon  Ton  Saloon," 
operated  by  Charlie  Schattner,  the  good-natured  German  in  the 
next  block.  The  first  church  was  in  striking  contrast  to  the  mag- 
•  nificent  structure  of  the  Baptist  denomination  which  is  now  near- 
ing  completion  in  that  city.  Forty  years  have  made  great  changes 
in  Wichita,  and  the  churches  of  the  two  periods  might  show  the 
extreme  of  the  development.  Wichita's  first  house  of  worship 
did  not  cost  a  cent.  The  last  one  nearing  completion  will  cost  in 
the  neighborhood  of  $100,000.  But  it  is  different  now,  and  times 
have  changed. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1868,  the  hundred  or  so  people  on  the 
present  townsite  of  Wichita  discussed  the  advisability  of  erecting 


370  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

a  church.  They  had  passed  through  the  winter  without  a  house 
of  woi'ship,  and  many  of  them  were  homesick  for  a  real  church. 
It  was  reasoned  that  if  a  church  were  built  it  would  draw  the 
people  together  in  more  common  bonds  of  sympathy  and  would 
make  it  possible  to  enjoy  at  least  one  of  the  benefits  of  the  civ- 
ilization which  they  had  so  recently  left. 

But  the  church  was  slow  in  materializing.  Money  was  scarce ; 
people  were  too  busy  providing  for  a  home  of  their  own,  and 
there  was  not  much  enthusiasm  generally  in  the  church  proposi- 
tion. But  the  faithful  kept  tirelessly  at  work.  An  Episcopal 
minister  had  recently  arrived  from  England,  and  he  put  new 
energy  into  the  work  of  building  the  church.  J.  R. 
Mead,  now  deceased,  came  forward  with  an  offer  to  give 
the  ground  for  the  structure.  Then  William  Smith,  a  sawmill 
man,  who  had  moved  to  the  place  with  his  machinery,  offered 
the  refuse  slabs  from  the  cottonwood  logs  around  his  mill  down 
near  the  Arkansas  river.  Enthusiasm  grew  with  the  summer  and 
by  the  time  the  grass  was  green  and  the  flowers  were  blooming 
out  on  the  prairie,  the  church  was  commenced. 

All  of  the  townsmen  turned  out  and  gave  a  helping  hand  to 
the  erection  of  the  new  church.  The  cottonwood  slabs  were  hauled 
from  the  mill  and  within  a  week  after  active  operations  were  com- 
menced the  church  was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy.  The 
building  was  about  thirty  feet  long  by  twelve  feet  wide.  Posts 
of  cottonwood  logs  were  placed  at  the  corners  and  at  intervals 
on  the  sides.  To  these  were  nailed  the  slabs  in  a  vertical  position. 
Two  windows  were  made  on  each  side  and  a  wide  door  was  built 
in  the  front  end.  The  roof  was  so  low  that  a  person  of  ordinary 
height  was  compelled  to  stoop  on  entering.  While  the  sides  of 
the  structure  were  of  wood,  the  roof  was  made  of  dirt.  Boards 
were  laid  across  from  the  side  beams  and  on  these  was  piled  the 
earth,  giving  the  roof  an  oval  shape  to  turn  aside  the  rain.  But 
as  it  did  not  rain  very  often  in  those  days,  a  waterproof  roof 
was  not  considered  in  the  plans.  The  boards  upon  which  the 
earth  was  piled  protruded  in  an  uneven  and  zigzag  fashion  around 
the  eaves.  The  antique  style  which  is  so  popular  at  the  present 
time  would  find  many  opportune  suggestions  in  that  first  church. 

Notwithstanding  the  crudeness  of  the  outside  appearance,  the 
church  was  snug  within.  It  was  nicely  seated  with  benches  and 
through  the  efforts  of  the  pastor's  wife  a  carpet  was  spread  on 
the  bare  floor.     She  worked  night  and  day  to  make  the  church 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OP  "WICHITA  :■:  1 

building  homelike  and  inviting,  and  many  tireless  hours  were 
spent  in  beautifying  the  interior  to  make  it  look  like  a  real  church 
and  providing  for  the  comforts  which  would  attract  the  rough 
men  of  the  village. 

The  Rev.  J.  P.  Hilton  was  the  first  pastor,  and  he  served  in 
that  capacity  until  the  church  was  torn  down  two  years  later  and 
a  more  imposing  structure  was  erected.  The  Rev.  Hilton  was  an 
Englishman  and,  it  is  said,  he  was  one  of  the  finest  readers  who 
ever  expounded  the  Episcopal  faith  in  Wichita  or  in  Kansas.  He 
was  an  earnest  preacher,  and  with  his  estimable  wife  did  much 
to  preserve  the  spiritual  dignity  of  the  border  settlement.  He 
left  Wichita  in  the  early  seventies  and  died  a  few  years  later  at 
some  place  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  country. 

Immediately  after  the  church  was  completed,  the  entire  popu- 
lation of  the  village  turned  out,  and  a  group  photograph  was 
taken.  The  new  church  was  a  matter  of  concern  to  every  citizen 
in  the  town  and  they  were  proud  of  their  work.  Prominent  in 
the  first  picture  were  the  vestrymen.  That  it  was  a  cosmopolitan 
congregation  is  shown  by  the  list  of  officers  and  their  vocations. 
Among  the  vestrymen  was  William  B.  Hutchinson,  the  editor  of 
the  "Vidette,"  the  first  paper  published  in  Wichita.  Hutchinson 
was  considerable  of  a  "rounder"  and  was  known  as  a  bad  man. 
Charles  Schattner,  the  proprietor  of  the  "Bon  Ton"  saloon,  was 
another  vestryman.  Another  was  George  Richards,  a  tramp 
printer.  "Doctor"  William  Dow  was  another.  He  was  a  profes- 
sional gambler,  and  many  shootings  and  killings  were  pulled  off 
at  his  resort  at  that  time.  The  cowboys  and  the  wandering  gam- 
blers made  his  place  their  headquarters  and  there  was  always 
danger  for  the  unwary  and  the  slow-on-the-trigger  when  the 
liquor  began  to  flow  and  the  cowpuncher's  luck  went  against  him 
at  the  poker  table.  The  name  of  John  Edward  Martin  completed 
the  roll  of  the  vestrymen. 

The  location  of  the  church,  which  was  in  the  first  block  north 
of  the  court  house,  on  Main  street,  facing  west,  came  near  causing 
a  killing.  A  few  months  after  the  church  was  erected,  several  of 
the  members  wanted  it  moved  to  a  new  location.  Mr.  Mead,  who 
had  given  the  original  site  for  the  building,  offered  it  a  new  loca- 
tion near  what  is  now  the  corner  of  Main  street  and  Douglas  ave- 
nue— the  heart  of  Wichita.  At  that  time  the  business  portion  of 
the  town  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  Central  avenue,  four  blocks 
from  the  present  center  of  business  activity.    Mr.  Mead  owned  the 


?,Tl  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

quarter  section  along  Douglas  avenue  extending  from  Lawrence 
avenue  to  the  Arkansas  river.  Mr.  Mead  was  convinced  that  in 
time  the  business  section  of  the  city  would  be  located  there.  How- 
ever, some  of  the  members  of  the  congregation  and  olificers  thought 
differently,  and  a  great  discussion  arose  about  the  new  location. 
William  Hutchinson  disliked  Mr.  Mead  on  account  of  the  fact 
that  the  latter  had  fought  against  the  principles  for  which  the 
former  stood.  Hutchinson  was  a  tough,  while  Mr.  Mead  stood  for 
the  law  and  decency.  As  a  consequence,  the  two  men  had  many 
differences  and  stormy  meetings  frequently  occurred.  At  the 
meeting  called  to  discuss  the  removal  of  the  church  to  the  new 
site,  Hutchinson  inferred  that  Mr.  Mead  regretted  the  donation  of 
the  building  site  for  the  church  and  was  planning  to  get  the  build- 
ing moved  away  in  order  that  he  might  use  the  plot  of  ground  for 
speculative  purposes.  Hutchinson  declared  that  Mr.  Mead's  desire 
to  have  the  church  removed  farther  south  was  prompted  only  by 
mercenary  motives.  He  made  a  fiery  speech  against  the  proposi- 
tion, in  which  he  said:  "I  don't  care  a  d — ^n  what  the  rest  of 
you  think  of  this  change,  but  I  want  to  go  on  record  as  being 
against  any  move  to  cheat  Jesus  Christ  out  of  a  foot  of  ground." 
The  congregation  was  unable  to  agree,  and  as  a-  result  the  church 
was  not  moved  to  the  new  location.  The  site  offered  by  Mr.  Mead 
is  now  worth  many  thousands  of  dollars. 

It  was  a  democratic  congregation  which  assembled  on  Sunday 
morning  to  listen  to  the  Rev.  Hilton.  The  saloon-keepers  and 
gamblers,  who  were  the  vestrymen,  were  true  to  their  offices  and 
were  regular  attendants  at  the  services,  as  well  as  the  best  people 
of  the  town.  It  was  the  only  church  building  in  the  section,  and 
members  of  all  denominations  were  urged  to  come  and  take  part 
in  the  worship.  Several  people  who  are  now  residents  of  Wichita 
were  members  of  that  first  congregation  and  many  others  are 
scattered  throughout  the  country,  while  the  greater  number  is 
dead. 

The  cowboys  were  also  present  at  the  services  at  different 
times.  Church-going  with  them,  however,  was  more  of  a  novelty 
than  a  duty.  When  they  came  to  town  they  came  to  see  all  of 
the  sights,  and  the  church  was  one  of  them.  They  were  able  to 
come  to  town  not  more  than  two  or  three  times  a  year,  and  they 
stayed  as  long  as  their  money  lasted.  The  cowpuncher  within 
seventy-five  miles  of  Wichita  who  had  not  been  an  attendant  at 
the  little  church  was  the  exception  and  was  looked  down  upon 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OP  WICHITA  3:3 

by  his  fellows.  To  miss  it  was  like  going  to  New  York  City  and 
failing  to  see  the  Bowery  or  a  visit  to  San  Francisco  which  omitted 
the  trip  to  Chinatown.  Their  horses  were  tethered  on  the  outside 
and  their  decorum,  while  attending  the  services,  was  most  admira- 
ble. They  were  devout  as  far  as  silence  and  attention  were  con- 
cerned. They  held  the  church  confines  sacred  and  no  guns  were 
ever  drawn  within  its  portals.  Differences  often  sprang  up  on 
the  outside  and  blood  stained  the  steps,  but  when  the  provocation 
arose  which  demanded  redress  at  the  pistol's  point  it  was  settled 
without  desecrating  the  house  of  God. 

Following  the  erection  of  the  Episcopal  church,  the  Presby- 
terians were  the  next  to  build.  Their  church  was  a  more  modern 
building  than  the  first  church,  but  there  was  probably  no  church 
ever  erected  which  served  its  purpose  better  than  the  rude  slab 
and  dirt  structure  erected  in  1868,  where  the  saloon-keeper  and 
the  pious  worshiped  in  common  with  one  another.  The  church 
was  torn  down  after  it  had  done  service  for  more  than  two  years, 
and  the  congregation  moved  into  a  store  building  which  was 
fitted  up  as  a  church.  In  the  early  seventies  several  other  con- 
gregations started  their  churches  in  the  vacant  store  buildings. 
These  offered  better  accommodations  than  the  old  slab  structure. 
Many  of  the  rooms  served  for  other  purposes,  and  when  Sunday 
arrived  the  benches  were  taken  from  the  piles  in  the  alley  and 
placed  in  position  for  the  worshipers. 

The  growth  of  the  "church  industry"  in  Wichita  is  typical  of 
all  Kansas.  The  forty  years  which  have  passed  since  the  little  low 
structure  was  erected  have  seen  many  wonderful  strides  in  all 
lines.  Xiess  than  a  half  mile  from  the  site  of  the  dirt-thatched 
structure  there  is  nearing  completion  a  new  church  building. 
It  is  of  solid  stone ;  it  shows  the  perfection  of  the  architect 's  and 
craftman's  skill.  It  is  built  with  the  view  of  beauty,  comfort  and 
durability,  and  it  cost  thousands  and  thousands  of  dollars,  but  it 
represents  not  an  iota  more  of  the  earnestness  and  devotion  which 
inspired  the  erection  of  the  cottonwood  slab  and  dirt  structure 
which  housed  the  first  congregation  of  worshipers  in  Wichita. 

WICHITA  CHURCHES  OF  TODAY. 

Prom  a  wild  and  woolly  frontier  town  in  the  early  eighties, 
Wichita  has  been  transformed  into  a  city  of  schools  and  churches. 
Nearly  every  denomination  is  represented,  and  churches  are  now 


374  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

building  in  this  city  that  will  cost  $150,000  each.  The  following 
is  a  list  of  churches  and  church  societies  in  this  city : 

Seventh  Day  Adventist  Church.  Dodge  avenue,  southeast 
corner  Burton  avenue;  membership,  150;  pastor.  Rev.  James 
MorroAV;   residence.  No.  207  North  Dodge. 

First  Baptist  Church.  Lawrence  avenue,  northwest  corner 
Second;  organized  1873;  membership,  900;  pastor.  Rev.  G.  W. 
Cassidy;   residence.  No.  1203  North  Wichita. 

New  Hope  Baptist  Church  (Colored).  No.  446  North  Rock 
Island  avenue ;  organized  1889 ;  membership,  200 ;  pastor.  Rev. 
E.  T.  Fishbaek  (colored)  ;  residence.  No.  827  North  Washington 
avenue. 

Second  Baptist  Church  (Colored).  Water,  northwest  corner 
Elm;  pastor.  Rev.  G.  W.  Smith  (colored);  residence,  No.  212 
West  Elm. 

Tabernacle  Baptist  Church  (Colored).  No.  834  North  Water; 
pastor.  Rev.  M.  L.  Copeland  (colored) ;  residence,  No.  1015  North 
Wichita. 

West  Side  Baptist  Church.  Walnut,  southwest  corner  Burton 
avenue;  pastor.  Rev.  W.  A.  Ayres;  residence.  No.  212  South 
Exposition  avenue. 

St.  Aloysius  Pro-Cathedral  Church.  St.  Francis  avenue, 
southeast  corner  Second ;  rector,  Rt.  Rev.  J.  H.  Tihen ;  residence, 
No.  244  St.  Francis  avenue. 

St.  Anthony  German  Catholic  Church.  Ohio  avenue,  south- 
east corner  Second;  pastor.  Rev.  C.  B.  Schoeppner;  residence. 
No.  256  Ohio  avenue. 

Central  Christian  Mission.  Fifteenth,  northwest  corner  Mar- 
ket ;  organized  1910 ;  membership,  50 ;  pastor.  Rev.  E.  A.  Newby. 

Christian  Central  Church  of  Christ.  Market,  southeast  corner 
Second ;  organized  1880 ;  membership,  1,200 ;  pastor,  Rev.  Walter 
S.  Priest ;  residence.  No.  724  North  Lawrence  avenue. 

Christian  Church  of  Christ.  No.  201  Mathewson  avenue ;  pas- 
tor. Rev.  W.  F.  Parmiter ;  residence,  1806  North  Waco  avenue. 

South  Lawrence  Avenue  Christian  Church.  No.  1132  South 
Lawrence  avenue ;  organized  1888 ;  membership,  350 ;  pastor. 
Rev.  C.  C.  St.  Clair ;  residence.  No.  114  East  Gilbert. 

First  Church  of  Christ  Christian  Scientist.  No.  259  North 
Lawrence  avenue;  organized  1880;  membership,  140;  first  reader, 
Mrs.  A.  M.  McCune ;  second  reader,  Joel  Tucker. 

Second  Church  of  Christ  Christian  Scientist.     No.  217  North 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  WICHITA  3:5 

Lawrence  avenue ;  organized  1908 ;  membership,  52 ;  first  reader, 
Mrs.  M.  T.  Jocelyn ;  second  reader,  E.  E.  Cornelius. 

College  Hill  Congregational  Church.  Clifton  avenue,  north- 
east corner  First ;  organized  1909 ;  membership,  105 ;  pastor, 
Rev.  W.  W.  Bolt;   residence,  Lawrence,  Kan. 

Fairmount  Congregational  Church.  Fairmount  avenue,  south- 
west corner  Sixteenth ;  organized  1892 ;  membership,  130 ;  pas- 
tor, Rev.  L.  C.  Markham ;  residence,  3235  East  Twelfth. 

Fellowship  Congregational  Church  (Institutional).  Kellogg, 
northeast  corner  Pattie  avenue;  organized  1905;  membership, 
130 ;  pastor.  Rev.  J.  Hammond  Tice ;  residence.  No.  925  Pattie 
avenue. 

Plymouth  Congregational  Church.  Lawrence  avenue,  south- 
east corner  Second ;  organized  1883 ;  membership,  464 ;  pastor. 
Rev.  N.  0.  Bartholomew ;  residence,  1439  North  Topeka  avenue. 

Dunkard  Brethren  Church.  St.  Francis  avenue,  southeast  cor- 
ner Eleventh ;  pastor,  Rev.  Jacob  Funk ;  residence,  1105  Wabash 
avenue. 

Dunkard  Church.  Fifteenth,  northeast  corner  Grove;  mem- 
bership, 40;  pastor.  Rev.  Samuel  M.  Brown;  residence,  1554 
Riddell. 

All  Saints'  Episcopal  Church.  No.  216  South  Handley  ave- 
nue ;  organized  1906 ;  membership,  30 ;  rector.  Rev.  Robert  Flock- 
hart  ;  rooms,  1624  University  avenue. 

St.  John's  Episcopal  Church.  No.  402  North  Topeka  avenue; 
rector.  Rev.  P.  T.  Fenn ;  residence,  416  East  Third. 

St.  Stephen's  Episcopal  Church.     First,  northwest  corner  New 
York ;    organized  1907 ;    membership,  40 ;    rector.  Rev.  John  E. 
Flockhart ;  rooms,  1624  University  avenue. 
Friends  Church.     No.  124  Cleveland  avenue. 
Friends  North  End  Church.     Main,  southwest  corner  Twenty- 
first  ;  pastor.  Rev.  O.  A.  Winslow ;  residence,  2147  North  Main. 

Friends  University  Church.  Hiram  avenue,  west  end  Univer- 
sity avenue;  organized  1899;  membership,  500;  pastor.  Rev. 
L.  E.  Stout ;  residence,  510  South  Fern  avenue. 

German  Evangelical  Church.  Market,  northwest  corner 
Waterman ;  organized  1889 ;  membership,  45 ;  pastor,  Rev.  Karl 
Peldman ;  residence,  114  East  Waterman. 

St.  Paul's  English  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  Meets  in 
Philharmony  Hall,  No.  217  North  Lawrence  avenue;    organized 


376  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

1909 ;  membership,  50 ;  pastor,  Rev.  G.  G.  Clark ;  residence,  919 
South  Emporia  avenue. 

College  Hill  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  First,  northwest 
corner  Erie  avenue;  organized  1908;  membership,  110;  pastor, 
Rev.  W.  T.  Ward;  residence,  119  South  Estelle  avenue. 

Emporia  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Emporia  ave- 
nue, southwest  corner  Dewey  avenue;  organized  1878;  member- 
ship, 400;  pastor.  Rev.  C.  D.  Hestwood;  residence,  603  South 
Emporia  avenue. 

First  Free  Methodist  Church.  No.  1102  Anderson  avenue; 
pastor,  Rev.  F.  S.  Atwell ;  residence,  1104  Anderson  avenue. 

First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  No.  326  North  Lawrence 
avenue;  membership,  1,200;  pastor.  Rev.  W.  H.  Heppe;  resi- 
dence, 421  North  Topeka  avenue. 

German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Lulu  avenue,  southwest 
corner  Prince  ;  organized  1878 ;  membership,  100 ;  pastor,  Rev. 
C.  L.  Koerner ;  residence.  No.  437  Ida  avenue. 

Harry  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Harry,  southwest 
corner  Main;  organized  1907;  membership,  100;  pastor.  Rev. 
R.  A.  Spencer ;  residence.  No.  1431  South  Wichita. 

St.  Paul's  African  Metbodist  Episcopal  Church  (Colored). 
No.  523  North  Water ;  pastor,  Rev.  James  T.  Smith  (colored)  ; 
residence.  No.  521  North  Water. 

St.  Paul's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Lawrence  avenue, 
southeast  corner  Thirteenth ;  organized  1887 ;  membership,  600 ; 
pastor.  Rev.  G.  E.  Pickard ;   residence.  No.  1547  Park  place. 

Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Martinson  avenue, 
southwest  corner  Maple ;  organized  1881 ;  membership,  500 ; 
pastor.  Rev.  A.  B.  Hestwood ;  residence.  No.  415  South  Martinson 
avenue. 

Calvary  Presbjrterian  Church.  No.  1900  North  Market;  or- 
ganized 1895;  membership,  122;  pastor.  Rev.  G.  R.  Anderson; 
residence,  1841  North  Market. 

College  Hill  United  Presbyterian  Church.  Green  avenue, 
southwest  corner  First;  pastor.  Rev.  William  N.  Leeper;  resi- 
dence, 229  North  Estelle  avenue. 

First  Presbyterian  Church.  No.  340  North  Market;  organ- 
ized 1870;  membership,  900;  pastor.  Rev.  Thomas  Parry;  resi- 
dence, 1039  North  Lawrence  avenue. 

First  United  Presbyterian  Church.  No.  1122  East  First ;  pas- 
tor, J.  A.  Greer ;  residence.  No.  207  Ohio  avenue. 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  WICHITA  377 

Grace  Presbyterian  Church.  No.  124  Cleveland  avenue;  or- 
ganized May  12,  1909 ;  membership,  160 ;  pastor,  Rev.  Charles 
W.  Blake ;   residence,  No.  303  Mathewson  avenue. 

Lincoln  Street  Presbyterian  Church.  Emporia  avenue,  north- 
east corner  Lincoln;  organized  1885;  membership,  200;  pastor, 
Rev.  J.  T.  May;  residence,  No.  915  Pattie  avenue. 

Linwood  Presbyterian  Chapel.  Harry,  southeast  corner  Laura 
avenue ;  pastor.  Rev.  J.  T.  May ;  residence.  No.  915  Pattie 
avenue. 

Oak  Street  Presbyterian  Church.  South  Murdock  ave- 
nue, opposite  Cherry ;  organized  1887 ;  membership,  150 ;  pastor, 
Rev.  E.  P.  Elcock ;  residence.  No.  802  Cleveland  avenue. 

West  Side  Presbyterian  Church.  Dodge  avenue,  northwest 
corner  Texas  avenue ;  organized  1890 ;  membership,  250 ;  pastor, 
Rev.  W.  M.  Irwin;  residence,  No.  121  South  Dodge  avenue. 

Brown  Memorial  Reformed  Church.  South  Topeka  avenue, 
southeast  corner  Lewis ;  organized  1885 ;  membership,  180 ;  pas- 
tor, Rev.  Samuel  B.  Tockey;    residence.  No.  921  South  Emporia 


American  Salvation  Army.  No.  528  West  Douglas  avenue; 
Capt.  James  Pernett. 

The  Salvation  Army.  Nos.  126-128  North  Topeka  avenue; 
Adjt.  Fred  M.  Andrus ;  Lieut.  Wilson  Law. 

First  Unitarian  Church.  Central  avenue,  southeast  corner 
Topeka  avenue ;  organized  1886  ;  pastor.  Rev.  Edward  Day ;  resi- 
dence. No.  3215  East  Douglas  avenue. 

First  United  Brethren  Church.  No.  200  South  Washington 
avenue;  organized  1882;  membership,  220;  pastor.  Rev.  E.  H. 
Wilson ;   residence,  No.  212  South  Washington  avenue. 

United  Brethren,  Kriebel  Chapel.  No.  1129  Hendryx  avenue ; 
organized  1906;  membership,  45;  pastor,  Rev.  D.  H.  Sill;  resi- 
dence, 817  Munnell  avenue. 

Waco  Avenue  United  Brethren  Church.  Waco  avenue,  cor- 
ner Eleventh  street;  organized  1905;  membership,  59;  pastor, 
Rev.  J.  E.  Wilson ;  residence.  No.  1309  Jackson  avenue. 

First  Universalist  Church.  Market  street,  corner  Kellogg 
street;  organized  1901;  membership,  110;  pastor,  Rev.  G.  A. 
King;  residence,  121  East  Kellogg  street. 

In  favor  of  the  moral  uplift  of  the  city  it  can  be  said  that  all 
of  the  churches  and  church  societies  are  in  a  most  flourishing 
condition. 


378  HISTORY  OF  SEHGWICK  COUNTY 

YOUNG  M£N'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION. 

By 

CLIFFORD  PIERCE, 

General  Secretary. 

The  first  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  meeting  in  Wich- 
ita was  held  in  the  office  of  Dr.  W.  M.  Johnson,  October  23,  1885. 

The  call  for  this  meeting  read  as  follows: 

"Believing  that  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  is  an 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  God  for  doing  good,  and  a  means  of 
grace  of  peculiar  advantage  to  young  men,  and  that  our  city 
needs  such  an  organization,  therefore  we,  a  few  of  the  young  men 
of  the  various  churches  in  Wichita,  have  called  a  preliminary 
meeting  for  the  purpose  of  completing,  as  soon  as  possible,  the 
organization,  hoping,  by  the  assistance  of  God  and  all  good 
Christians,  to  be  able  to  place  the  organization  on  a  firm  footing." 

Those  present: 

A.  A.  Hyde,  A.  D.  Morgan,  E.  D.  Kimball, 

H.  L.  Smithson,  F.  A.  North,  Dr.  W.  M.  Johnson, 

0.  A.  Delong,  A.  D.  Phelps,  C.  P.  Mueller. 

Mr.  A.  A.  Hyde,  who  is  now  president  of  the  association,  was 
chosen  chairman  of  the  first  meeting,  and  C.  P.  Mueller,  still  a 
prominent  member,  was  elected  secretary. 

At  this  meeting  the  principal  question  was:  "Do  we  want  a 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  Wichita?"  This  was  set- 
tled in  the  affirmative  by  a  unanimous  vote.  This  group  of  men 
went  to  work  at  once  and  on  November  6,  1885,  called  a  meeting 
for  permanent  organization.  Mr.  Robert  Weidensall,  of  the 
International  Committee,  and  now  the  oldest  employed  officer 
in  America  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  was  pres- 
ent and  assisted  in  perfecting  the  organization. 

The  "committee  on  nomination"  retired  from  the  meeting 
and  later  reported  the  following  "ticket,"  which  was  unan- 
imously elected,  and  these  men  became  the  first  officers  of  the 
Young  Men 's  Christian  Association  of  Wichita : 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  WICHITA 

President  J.  C.  Rutan. 
Vice-President — A.  A.  Hyde. 
Corresponding  Secretary — J.  Y.  Montague. 
Recording  Secretary — Harry  Evans. 
Treasurer — A.  F.  Rowe. 


W.  M.  Johnson, 
William  Kessel, 
A.  D.  Phelps, 


BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS. 

George  C.  Strong, 
Prof.  Pence, 
H.  L.  Smithson. 


Constitution  and  by-laws  were  prepared,  and  on  November  27, 
1885,  the  following  thirty-nine  men  put  their  names  to  the  consti- 
tution, thereby  becoming  charter  members : 


W.  M.  Johnson, 
A.  A.  Hyde, 
C.  P.  Mueller, 
J.  C.  Rutan, 
David  V.  Walker, 
Fred  L.  Guthrie, 
George  C.  Meeker, 
J.  T.  Montague, 
Travis  Morse, 
H.  McKin  Du  Bois, 
George  C.  Strong, 
C.  W.  Barthalomew, 
A.  D.  Phelps, 


William  Kassel, 
V.  Y.  Stanley, 
Oscar  DeLong, 
H.  L.  Smithson, 
J.  K.  Hollowell, 
Sam  F.  Wollard, 
R.  P.  McPherson, 
E.  B.  Philleo, 
T.  F.  Stanshely, 
Charles  Lawrence, 
H.  W.  Babcock, 
Walter  G.  Kraft, 
Harry  Campbell, 


C.  H.  Morehouse, 
J.  E.  Coulter, 

D.  S.  Pence, 
Edward  Phillips, 
R.  Byrony  Hossor, 
L.  W.  L.  Abbott, 
T.  F.  Kirshaw, 
Charles  L.  Davidson, 
J.  H.  Parks, 

A.  F.  Rowe, 
Edgar  J.  Foster, 

E.  D.  Kimball, 
Ed.  W.  Smith. 


Section  2  of  Article  I  of  this  constitution,  as  prepared  at  that 
time,  is  interesting,  inasmuch  as  it  has  not  changed  in  the  twenty- 
five  years  of  growth.  It  is  the  "object"  of  the  association,  and 
reads : 

"The  object  of  this  association  shall  be  the  development  of 
Christian  character  and  activity  in  its  members,  the  promotion 
of  evangelical  religion,  the  cultivation  of  Christian  sympathy, 
and  the  improvement  of  the  spiritual,  intellectual,  social  and 
physical  condition  of  young  men." 

Ways  and  methods  of  doing  work  have  changed  greatly,  but 
the  object  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  will  never 
change. 


380  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Two  rooms  were  secured  in  the  Roys  Block,  over  the  Wichita 
Grocery,  in  which  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  association.  In 
December  of  the  same  year  Mr.  J.  Y.  Montague  became  the  first 
employed  secretary  of  the  association,  giving  only  a  small  part 
of  his  time  to  the  work,  and  receiving  a  salary  of  $25  a  month. 

In  March,  1886,  Mr.  Andrew  Baird  was  called  to  become  gen- 
eral secretary,  giving  all  his  time  to  the  work  of  the  association. 
Under  Mr.  Baird 's  leadership,  the  association  grew  into  a  large 
and  aggressive  organization.  Its  rapid  growth  seemed  to  demand 
larger  and  better  facilities.  Mr.  C.  H.  Yatman,  of  the  Interna- 
tional Committee,  was  invited  to  come  to  Wichita  and  consult 
with  business  men  regarding  a  new  building  enterprise.  A  ban- 
quet was  held,  to  which  forty  prominent  citizens  were  invited. 
At  this  banquet  about  $20,000  was  subscribed.  At  a  union  meet- 
ing, the  following  night,  held  at  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  the  subscription  was  raised  to  $50,000.  Plans  for  a  new 
building  were  immediately  prepared.  Before  the  completion  of 
the  building,  however,  the  disastrous  collapse  of  the  boom  period 
came,  and  many  fortunes  were  swept  away.  Many  subscribers 
were  unable  to  meet  their  pledges,  and  when  the  beautiful  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  First  and  Topeka  was  finished  and  furnished, 
the  association  was  $20,000  in  debt.  The  only  recourse  was  a 
mortgage,  which  was  given  for  $20,000.  Then  came  the  terrible 
years  of  depression,  not  only  in  Wichita  but  the  entire  country, 
culminating  in  the  national  panic.  Business  men  and  former 
financiers  gave  up  their  individual  properties  under  mortgage 
claims,  and  the  association  did  what  many  of  the  best  and  wisest 
citizens  did  in  their  own  personal  affairs.  The  building  was  sold 
to  the  Masons  for  just  enough  to  cancel  the  debt. 

While  the  association  was  without  a  building,  it  was  also  out 
of  debt  and  continued  its  organization.  Mr.  Baird  resigned  in 
1893  to  become  state  secretary  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  of  Kansas.  Mr.  W.  M.  Shaver  was  elected  general 
secretary  and  served  in  this  capacity  until  July,  1895.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1895,  John  Caldwell  was  called  to  the  secretaryship  and 
served  until  January  1,  1897.  In  June,  1898,  Mr.  George  F. 
Fuller  took  up  the  work  as  general  secretary,  and  was  connected 
with  the  association  continually  until  October  I,  1905,  when  Mr. 
Arthur  G.  Pearson  became  general  secretary.  To  Mr.  Pearson 
and  the  board  of  directors  who  were  elected  at  the  time  his  admin- 
istration started  is  due  much  of  the  credit  for  the  present  beauti- 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  WICHITA  381 

ful  home  of  the  association  at  the  cornei-  of  First  street  and 
Emporia  avenue.  This  property  is  valued  at  $110,000.  The  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1907  and  would  be  a  credit  to  any  city. 

The  officers  and  directors  of  the  association  at  the  time  of  the 
erection  of  the  present  building  were  as  follows : 

OFFICERS. 

President — A.  A.  Hyde. 
Vice-President — C.  S.  Sargent,  D.  D. 
Recording  Secretary — 0.  A.  Boyle. 
Treasurer — H.  W.  Darling. 
General  Secretary — A.  G.  Pearson. 

DIRECTORS. 

C.  Q.  Chandler,  C.  E.  Potts, 

H.  W.  Lewis,  R.  P.  Murdock, 

W.  C.  Edwards,  E.  Higginson, 

R.  E.  Lawrence,  0.  H.  Bentley, 

C.  L.  Davidson,  I.  W.  Gill. 

H.  Comley. 

Chairman  Business  Men's  Committee — Hiram  Imboden. 
Chairman  Young  Men's  Committee— Tom  Blodgett. 
Secretary  Young  Men's  Committee — Will  K.  Jones. 

FINANCE  COMMITTEE. 

C.  S.  Sargent,  0.  H.  Bentley  and  II.  W.  Darling. 

The  physical  work  of  the  association  is  under  the  direction  of 
an  able  physical  director,  who  has  had  special  training  for  this 
work.  The  purpose  of  the  gymnasium  is  to  develop  men  phy- 
sically through  the  regular  "gym"  classes  and  recreative  games, 
that  they  may  reach  the  highest  degree  of  health  and  efficiency. 

The  gymnasium  is  one  of  the  finest  to  be  found  in  the  Middle 
West.  It  is  well  lighted  and  ventilated,  and  its  equipment  is  the 
very  best.  The  floor  space  is  42x70,  and  there  are  no  posts  to 
interfere  with  games.  There  are  two  large  individual  exercise 
rooms,  fitted  up  especially  for  those  who  wish  to  exercise  while 
some  game  is  in  progress  on  the  main  floor.  There  is  an  inclined 
x;ork  running  track  around  the  entire  gymnasium,  thirty-two  laps 


382  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

to  the  mile.  Teams  in  basket  ball,  volley  ball,  indoor  base  ball, 
tennis,  etc.,  are  organized  by  this  department.  A  physical  exam- 
ination is  given  by  the  physical  director  to  all  who  take  the 
physical  work. 

The  bathing  equipment  is  the  very  finest  that  can  be  afforded. 
There  are  eleven  shower  baths,  the  best  of  the  modern  baths, 
always  supplied  with  an  abundance  of  hot  and  cold  water.  Mar- 
ble tubs  are  also  provided.  The  swimming  pool  is  lined  with 
white  enamel  tile  and  is  20x60  feet  and  8x3  feet  in  depth;  it  is 
filled  with  clear  running  water,  and  kept  at  a  uniform  temper- 
ature. A  great  many  boys  and  men  learn  to  swim  in  this  swim- 
ing  pool. 

The  educational  classes  are  provided  for  young  men  who  are 
employed  during  the  day  and  who  wish  to  increase  their  earning 
capacity  and  to  live  more  useful  lives.  The  following  subjects  are 
taught :  Bookkeeping,  Business  Spelling,  Penmanship,  Commer- 
cial Arithmetic,  Business  English,  Commercial  Law,  Stenography 
and  Typewriting.  Practical  talks  are  given  by  business  and  pro- 
fessional men  of  the  city  under  auspices  of  this  department.  The 
reading  room  contains  daily  papers  and  all  leading  magazines. 

Our  aim  is  to  giA^e  religious  work  first  place  in  our  activities; 
however,  religion  is  not  thrust  upon  anybody.  It  is  all  whole- 
some and  manly.  A  spiritual  life  demands  a  clean,  strong  body 
and  a  healthy  mind,  and  the  association  idea  is  to  develop  the 
three — spirit,  mind  and  body.  Men's  meetings  are  held  every 
Sunday  afternoon  at  4  o'clock,  in  the  auditorium.  Good  music 
and  live  addresses  by  speakers  who  know  how  to  speak  to  men. 

A  supper  is  served  each  Sunday  following  the  men's  meeting. 
Strangers  in  the  city  are  invited  to  stay  for  "tea"  and  meet 
members  of  the  association.  A  charge  of  10  cents  is  made  for 
this  lunch.     A  twenty-minute  Bible  study  follows  the  luncheon. 

Bible  classes  for  all  groups  and  ages  are  arranged  by  the 
Religious  Work  Department. 

"Meet  me  at  the  Y.  M, "  is  a  popular  expression  often  heard 
among  our  members;  it's  the  meeting  place  for  hundreds  of 
young  men,  and  the  one  place  where  they  can  meet  under  the 
best  of  environment.  The  Social  Department  aims  to  maintain 
a  feeling  of  good  fellowship  among  its  members,  and  give  a  wel- 
come to  the  "stranger  within  its  gate." 

The  lobby,  with  its  cozy  fireplace,  is  a  great  social  center.  The 
parlors  are  elegantly  furnished,  and  are  at  the  disposal  of  mem- 


PIONEER  CHURCHES  OF  WICHITA  383 

bers.  There  is  a  separate  department  for  the  boys  of  Wichita. 
There  are  over  400  members  of  the  department.  They  do  th^ 
things  boys  like  to  do.  They  are  always  in  charge  of  a  competent 
Boys'  Work  Director. 

There  are  foiir  regulation  bowling  alleys.  There  are  forty- 
five  bachelor  apartments,  accommodating  seventy-five  young  men 
who  are  away  from  home.  They  are  furnished  to  suit  the  tastes 
of  young  men.  There  is  a  telephone  in  every  room.  These  rooms 
are  in  such  demand  that  there  is  a  waiting  list  the  year  around. 

The  dining  room  is  a  delightful  privilege  of  membership,  and 
a  distinctive  feature  of  its  work.  Any  man  of  good  moral  char- 
acter may  become  a  member  of  the  Wichita  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association.  Church  membership  is  not  required.  This 
building  has  been  provided  by  the  public-spirited  citizens  and 
dedicated  to  the  young  men  of  Wichita,  hundreds  of  whom  use 
the  building  daily  and  testify  to  the  development  which  they 
receive,  physically,  mentally  and  morally. 

The  officers  and  directors  at  the  present  time  are : 

President — A.  A.  Hyde. 

Vice-President— W.  S.  Hadley. 

Treasurer — H.  W.  Darling. 

Recording  Secretary — T.  M.  Deal. 

Directors— H.  Imboden,  C.  E.  Caswell,  M.  D.,  W.  R.  Dulaney, 
C.  E.  Potts,  C.  A.  Magill,  H.  Comley,  H.  W.  Lewis,  E.  Higginson, 
W.  C.  Edwards,  C.  Q.  Chandler,  J.  N.  Haymaker. 

EXECUTIVE  OFFICERS. 

General  Secretary — Clifford  Pierce. 
Boys'  Work  Secretary — Foster  M.  Heaton. 
Physical  Director — Anthony  C.  Knehr. 
Assistant  Secretary — Daniel  W.  Binford. 
Assistant  Secretary — Clarence  I.  Vessey. 
Assistant  Secretary — Max  Pierce. 

The  presidents  of  the  association  and  years  they  have  served 
since  the  organization  in  Wichita  are : 
1885-1887— J.  C.  Rutan. 
1887-1888— Robert  E.  Lawrence. 
1888-1889— H.  Imboden. 
1889-1890— A.  A.  Hyde. 
1890-1891— W.  J.  Coner. 


384  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

1891-1892— R.  P.  Murdock. 
1892-1893— H.  H.  Dewey. 
1893-1896— W.  E.  Stanley. 
1896-1898— H.  H.  Dewey. 
1898-1900— A.  W.  Siekner. 

1900-1900 — W.  J.  Frazier  (part  term ;  Mr.  Prazier  declined  re- 
election). 

1900-1902— J.  W.  Laidlaw. 
1902-1906— J.  M.  Knapp. 
1906-        —A.  A.  Hyde. 

THE  SALVATION  ARMY  BARRACKS. 

Some  years  ago  the  Salvation  Army  in  Wichita,  and  through 
the  liberality  of  the  Wichita  people,  established  permanent  bar- 
racks on  North  Topeka  avenue  on  a  valuable  lot.  A  very  pre- 
sentable -building  was  built,  and  in  the  building  a  debt  of  $5,000 
was  left  upon  the  structure.  The  enterprising  and  public-spirited 
men  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  headed  by  ex-Governor  W.  E. 
Stanley  and  others,  conceived  the  idea  of  lifting  the  debt.  To 
that  end  a  campaign  was  laid  out  and  a  popular  subscription  of 
$10  per  capita  was  started.  A  few  days  sufficed  and  the  debt 
was  cleared,  and  the  Army  today  has  the  best  Salvation  Army 
barracks  in  the  state  of  Kansas,  free  and  clear  of  any  debt. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
CITY  FEDERATION  OP  CLUBS. 

By 

RUTH  PRASIUS. 

The  Wichita  City  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  although 
new  in  comparison  with  like  organizations  in  other  cities  of  the 
same  age,  has  accomplished  a  great  deal  of  good.  Its  undertak- 
ings have  not  been  many,  but  what  it  has  undertaken  has  been 
carried  to  successful  completion.  Its  pet  project,  and  probably 
the  one  that  has  accomplished  the  most  good,  is  the  visiting  nurse. 
Since  this  work  was  started.  Miss  Amy  Smith  has  been  in  charge 
of  it,  and  has  met  with  wonderul  success.  The  nurse  is  sup- 
ported by  subscription.  She  works  among  the  poor  of  the  city, 
who  otherwise  would  not  have  proper  treatment  while  ill.  The 
city  federation  established  a  North  End  library  for  the  benefit 
of  the  working  people  of  the  packing-house  district,  who  could 
not  get  good  books  to  read  without  coming  down  town.  They 
were  instrumental  in  getting  trash  cans  for  the  streets,  so  that 
now  the  public  thoroughfares  are  kept  much  cleaner  than  they 
were  formerly.  It  was  at  the  instigation  of  the  club  women  that 
a  humane  officer  was  appointed.  The  club  women  went  to  the 
mayor  of  the  city  and  prevented  a  roping  contest  that  was  to 
have  been  held  here.  They  had  a  cleanup  day  in  the  spring,  and 
also  secured  two  men  who  are  scenic  artists  to  give  a  course  of 
lectures  in  the  city.  The  federation  is  composed  of  women,  rich 
and  poor,  but  who  are  alike  in  the  respect  that  they  have  the 
best  interests  of  the  city  at  heart.  Last  year  Mrs.  J.  D.  Berto- 
lette  was  president,  and  under  her  leadership  the  work  of  the 
federation  flourished.  The  constitution  allows  a  president  to 
hold  office  but  one  term,  so  that  the  honors  for  the  different  clubs 
may  be  more  equally  divided.  Mrs.  W.  T.  Johnson,  of  Twentieth 
Century  Club,  will  be  the  president  this  year. 

The  object  of  the  federation,  in  the  words  of  the  pledge,  is: 


386  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

"We,  the  club  women  of  Wichita,  iu  order  to  form  and  perpetu- 
ate a  union,  whose  highest  aim  shall  be  to  establish  a  lofty  stand- 
ard of  citizenship  and  culture,  to  promote  the  general  welfare  of 
our  city  and  especially  in  every  department  that  influences  the 
sanctity  of  the  home,  and  to  assist  in  securing  the  blessings  of 
an  ideal  civilization  to  ourselves,  and  to  our  posterity,  do  ordain 
and  establish  this  constitution  of  the  Federated  Clubs  of  Wich- 
ita." The  oldest  club  in  the  city,  and  perhaps  in  the  state,  is 
Hypatia,  which  was  organized  in  1886.  There  were  nine  charter 
members,  six  of  whom  now  reside  in  the  city.  They  are  Mrs. 
Louise  Henderson,  Mrs.  Emma  Hills,  Mrs.  George  McCoy,  Mrs. 
Nerius  Baldwin,  Mrs.  Mary  Todd  and  Mrs.  George  Strong.  The 
object  of  the  club  is  "literary,  artistic  and  scientific  culture,  en- 
tirely free  from  sectarian  and  political  partisanism. "  Of  the 
twenty-four  past  presidents  only  one,  Mrs.  C.  Emerson  Clarke,  is 
dead.  The  club  meets  every  alternate  Monday,  for  either  study 
or  a  program.  The  biggest  event  in  the  club  year  is  the  "club 
annual,"  which  occurs  on  the  twenty-third  of  January.  This  is 
the  birthday  celebration  and  something  original  is  always  given. 
The  club  colors  are  purple  and  gold,  and  the  pansy  is  the  flower. 
The  course  of  study  for  this  year  will  include  a  systematic  study 
of  Prance  and  the  live  issues  of  the  day,  such  as  the  child  labor 
question,  white  slave  traffic,  woman's  suffrage,  and  the  conserva- 
tion of  natural  resources.  Under  Prance  they  will  study  its  his- 
tory, leading  characters,  customs,  manners,  etc.  The  year  books 
will  be  out  October  3. 

In  the  past,  Hypatia  has  not  been  identified  with  social  reform 
work,  only  through  the  city  federation,  but  this  year  the  members 
will  make  civic  improvement  one  of  the  main  features  in  the 
course  of  study. 

Twentieth  Century  Club,  Organized  January  3,  1899,  is  a 
club  with  an  unlimited  membership,  and  now  has  over  100  mem- 
bers. It  is  divided  into  four  departments:  Shakespearean,  Art, 
Domestic  Science  and  General.  Meetings  are  held  once  a  week. 
Mrs.  Lionel  Trotter  is  in  charge  of  the  Shakespeare  department, 
which  is  probably  better  attended  than  any  other  meeting.  Mrs. 
O.  A.  Keach  is  chairman  of  the  art  department,  and  under  her 
leadership  the  club  members  have  learned  a  great  deal  of  the 
old  masters  and  their  works.  Last  year  the  study  was  chiefly  of 
the  Venetian  school.  The  domestic  science  department  this  year 
will  be  ably  presided  over  by  Miss  Estella  Barnes,  who  is  the 


CITY  FEDERATION  OF  CLUBS  387 

lunch  room  secretary  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  jMiss  Mary  Noble  will 
again  have  the  general  programs,  which  have  become  popular 
features. 

Last  year  Prof.  Trueblood,  of  Friends  University,  gave  a 
course  of  lectures  on  sociology.  The  Rev.  Bruce  Griffith,  A.  E. 
Jacques,  Rev.  Day,  Mr.  Wood,  Mrs.  William  Larkin,  Mrs.  B.  E. 
Rowlee,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Bradt  and  Miss  Amy  Smith  were  on  the  gen- 
eral programs  for  talks  along  sociological  and  civic  improvement 
lines. 

The  club  has  four  large  social  affairs  during  the  year.  A  re- 
ception, a  musical,  a  buffet  luncheon,  and  a  banquet.  The  club 
colors  are  green  and  white,  which  lend  themselves  admirably  to 
decorative  purposes.  The  tiower  is  the  carnation.  There  have 
been  but  three  presidents  of  the  club :  Mrs.  R.  P.  Murdock,  Mrs. 
Arthur  T.  Butler  and  the  present  president,  Mrs.  E.  B.  Jewett. 
The  object  of  the  club  is  intellectual,  moral  and  social  develop- 
ment of  its  members.  Each  meeting  is  opened  -with  current 
events,  lead  by  Mrs.  A.  C.  Race,  then  follows  the  business  to  be 
transacted,  and  then  the  programs. 

Wichita  Musical  Club  is  composed  of  125  women,  who  are 
either  musicians  or  are  interested  in  music.  The  musical  club 
belongs  to  the  eighth  District  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs, 
and  also  to  the  city  federation.  It  was  organized  in  1894,  by  Mrs. 
Lillian  Hamlin  Garst,  who  now  resides  in  Chicago.  Among  the 
charter  members  were  Mrs.  Hubert  Childe,  Mrs.  George  Strong, 
Mrs.  Leathe,  Miss  Leida  Mills,  and  Miss  Jessie  Clarke.  Mrs. 
Leathe  was  the  first  president.  Last  year  the  club  met  every 
week  at  the  homes  of  the  different  members,  but  it  has  been 
decided  that  it  will  meet  in  a  hall  this  year.  Prom  a  social  stand- 
point the  year  was  a  great  success,  but  the  members  feel  that 
they  can  do  more  real  studying  if  the  meetings  are  held  in  a  hall. 
The  club  has  two  departments,  choral  and  instrumental.  Miss 
Jessie  Clarke  has  charge  of  the  choral  department,  and  Mrs.  E. 
Higginson  has  charge  of  the  piano  department.  Last  year  the 
club  made  a  special  study  of  women  composers.  They  gave  pro- 
grams every  month,  and  besides  this  assisted  in  "The  Messiah," 
which  was  presented  at  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  gave  two  cantatas.  Mrs.  David  Smyth  is  now  the  president 
of  the  club. 

The  South  Side  Delvers  was  originally  composed  of  women 
who  live  on  the  South  Side,  but  so  many  of  the  members  have 


388  ■  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

moved,  that  the  south  part  of  the  name  is  no  longer  appropriate. 
"Dig"  is  their  motto,  and  the  club  emblem  is  a  pick  ax  and 
shovel.  The  colors  are  purple,  lavender  and  white,  and  the  club 
flower  is  the  white  carnation.  Mrs.  Lawrence  Staker,  at  whose 
home  the  club  was  organized  about  eight  years  ago,  has  been  its 
president  twice.  She  is  the  oldest  member  in  the  club  and  is  one 
of  the  most  enthusiastic.  The  club  is  limited  to  eighteen  mem- 
bers. Although  they  have  discussed,  at  many  of  the  meetings, 
the  advisability  of  becoming  allied  with  the  city  federation,  they 
have  never  yet  taken  the  step  that  would  bring  them  into  the 
broader  club  life.  Until  last  year  the  club  studied  only  Shakes- 
peare, but  now  its  members  devote  half  of  the  time  to  Browning. 
They  have  a  critic,  whose  duty  it  is  to  criticise  them  on  the  use 
of  the  English  language,  and  thus  they  gain  much. 

Eunice  Sterling  Chapter  is  perhaps  the  strongest  chapter  of 
the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  in  Kansas.  The  ob- 
jects of  the  chapter,  as  set  forth  in  the  constitution,  are:  "To 
perpetuate  the  memory  and  spirit  of  the  men  and  women  of  the 
American  Revolution,  to  record  the  hitherto  unwritten  history 
of  the  ancestors  of  the  Eunice  Sterling  chapter  and  to  encourage 
and  maintain  true  patriotism  and  love  of  country. ' '  The  Eunice 
Sterling  chapter  erected  a  handsome  monument  to  mark  the 
Santa  Fe  trail  at  Lost  Springs,  Kan.  In  the  new  high  school 
building  they  will  put  a  bronze  tablet  of  Lincoln  and  his  Gettys- 
burg address.  They  have  made  quite  a  sum  of  money  in  the  past 
year  from  the  sale  of  flags.  In  addition  to  the  pecuniary  side 
of  this  arrangement,  it  promotes  a  spirit  of  patriotism  in  the  city. 
They  have  furnished  a  room  in  the  Carnegie  library,  and  have 
placed  in  it  a  great  many  curios.  They  keep  a  chest  filled  with 
baby  clothes,  that  the  visiting  nurse  uses  in  her  work,  and  do  a 
great  many  other  charities,  besides  their  regular  work. 

Fadrmount  Library  Club.  In  October,  1894,  some  Pairmount 
women  and  teachers  in  the  school  met  in  one  of  the  class  rooms 
to  devise  ways  and  means  to  secure  for  the  college  a  good  work- 
ing library.  The  institution  was  not  Fairmount  College,  how- 
ever, till  several  years  after,  but  was  known  as  ' '  Fairmount  Insti- 
tute." Among  those  present  at  the  first  meeting  were:  Mrs. 
Mary  C.  Todd,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Knapp,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Helm,  Mrs.  George 
C.  Strong,  Mrs.  Isabella  Clough,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Babb,  Mrs.  Mary  B. 
Graves,  Mrs.  Albert  Ellis,  Mrs.  R.  M.  Tunnell,  Miss  Marie  Mathis, 
and  Miss  H.  Rhea  Woodman.     In  the  election  of  officers  Mrs. 


CITY  FEDEEATION  OF  CLUBS  389 

Mary  Brooks  Graves  was  made  president,  Mrs.  R.  M.  Tunnell, 
vice-president,  Miss  H.  Rhea  Woodman,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Knapp,  treasurer.  The  object  of  the  club,  as  stated  at  the  meet- 
ing, was,  "primarily,  to  furnish  a  library  room  and  add  to  the 
library;  and,  second,  to  aid,  in  general,  the  entire  work  of  the 
college."  The  only  qualification  for  membership,  as  laid  down 
in  the  constitution,  was  "showing  a  willingness  to  work  in  the 
interest  of  the  college."  Later,  it  was  decreed  that  the  meetings 
be  held  the  first  and  third  Tuesdays  of  each  month ;  that  the  name 
be  the  "Library  Club";  that  the  motto  be  those  fine  words  of 
Berthold  Auerbach,  "Help  yourself  to  further  growth — that  is, 
the  best";  and  that  the  club  colors  be  the  old  Rubric  colors — red, 
white  and  black. 

The  first  study  was  American  literature,  followed  by  a  study 
of  French  literature  and  art,  a  four  years'  reading  course  in 
English  literature,  outlined  and  ably  conducted  by  Miss  Flora  C. 
Clough,  dean  of  the  English  department  of  the  college.  Miscel- 
laneous topics  have  been  considered,  and  last  year  there  was 
given  a  course  in  American  art,  under  the  efficient  leadership  of 
Miss  Elizabeth  Sprague,  head  of  the  art  department.  The  study 
for  the  current  year  will  be  on  Ireland — the  history,  art,  music, 
and  literature,  while  studies  in  sociology  and  science  will  be  given 
by  members  of  the  faculty.  This  club  was  formerly  federated 
with  the  district  and  state  organizations,  but  at  present  with  the 
city  federation  only.  Some  of  the  most  valuable  books  of  the 
library  have  been  contributed  by  this  club,  in  addition  to  cement 
walks  laid,  walls  decorated,  and  subscriptions  made  to  the  endow- 
ment fund,  the  emergency  fund,  equipped  and  maintained  for 
two  years  (1901-2,  1902-3)  a  domestic  science  department  at  Fair- 
mount  College.  It  is  now  furnishing  the  museum  with  cases. 
Through  the  kindness  of  the  trustees  and  faculty  the  use  of  a 
beautiful  room  in  the  Carnegie  Library  building  has  been  ten- 
dered, and  all  regular  meetings  are  now  being  held  there. 

The  club  officers  are  as  follows:  President,  Mrs.  Minerva 
Clough  Babb ;  vice-president,  Mrs.  Jennie  May  Brown ;  secretary. 
Miss  Mary  B.  Dimond ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  Harriet  Ellis  Swartz. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
FRATERNAL  ORDERS. 
YOEK  RITE  JMASONRY. 

Wichita  is  noted  as  a  Masonic  city.  Probably  no  city  in  the 
country  has  a  larger  percentage  of  its  citizens  who  are  members 
of  this  fraternity.  Every  known  organized  body  related  to  the 
Masonic  institution  has  a  local  organization  here,  and  every  one 
of  these  organizations  is  in  an  active,  flourishing  condition.  In 
numbers  this  institution  stands  head  and  shoulders  above  any 
other  fraternity ;  in  personnel  it  is  equally  prominent ;  in  capital 
invested  in  buildings,  paraphernalia,  etc.,  it  has  no  peer,  and  its 
influence  is  felt  through  its  teachings  in  a  myriad  of  ways  in 
every  movement  that  has  for  its  object  the  upbuilding  of  this  city. 
Masonry  has  ever  been,  in  all  ages  and  all  climes,  an  influence 
for  the  uplifting  of  mankind.  Its  origin  is  lost  in  the  mists  of 
antiquity.  Many  theories  are  advanced  as  to  the  exact  time  of 
its  foundation,  the  most  popular  one  being  that  it  was  the  result 
of  an  organization  of  the  workmen  employed  in  building  the 
temple  of  Solomon.  However,  all  these  theories  are  founded  on 
tradition,  as  no  authentic  history  of  the  fraternity  goes  back 
beyond  the  middle  ages.  It  was  then  an  organization  of  operative 
or  actual  stone  masons.  Later,  its  symbolical  or  speculative  fea- 
tures attracted  men  of  wealth  and  rank  to  its  membership,  and 
gradually  it  became  what  it  is  today,  "a  beautiful  system  of 
morals,  veiled  in  allegory  and  illustrated  by  symbols." 

Benjamin  Franklin  said  of  it:  "Masonry  has  beauties  pecu- 
liar to  itself ;  but  of  what  do  they  consist  ?  They  consist  of  tokens, 
which  serve  as  testimonials  of  character  and  qualifications,  which 
are  only  conferred  after  a  due  course  of  insti-uction  and  examina- 
tion. These  are  of  no  small  value ;  they  speak  a  universal  lan- 
guage and  act  as  a  passport  to  the  attention  and  support  of  the 
initiated  in  all  parts  of  the  world.    They  cannot  be  lost  as  long 


FEATERNAL  OEDEES  391 

as  Masonry  retains  its  power ;  let  the  possessor  of  tliein  be  ex- 
patriated, shipwrecked,  or  imprisoned;  let  him  be  stripped  of 
everything  he  has  got  in  the  world ;  still  these  credentials  remain, 
and  are  available  for  use  as  circumstances  require.  The  great 
effects  which  they  have  produced  are  established  by  the  most 
incontestable  facts  of  history.  They  have  stayed  the  uplifted 
hand  of  the  destroyer ;  they  have  softened  the  asperities  of  the 
tyrant ;  they  have  mitigated  the  horrors  of  captivity ;  they  have 
subdued  the  rancor  of  malevolence,  and  broken  down  the  barriers 
of  political  animosity  and  sectarian  alienation.  On  the  field  of 
battle,  in  the  solitude  of  uncultivated  forests,  or  in  the  busy 
marts  of  the  crowded  city,  they  have  made  men  of  the  most 
diversified  condition  rush  to  the  aid  of  each  other  and  feel  social 
joy  and  satisfaction  that  they  have  been  able  to  afford  relief  to  a 
brother  Mason." 

"The  Masonic  Institution"  is  a  term  generally  used  to  desig- 
nate all  organizations  with  a  Masonic  connection.  In  this  "insti- 
tution" is  included  not  only  the  basis  or  foundation  of  the  whole 
structure,  the  lodge,  but  also  those  bodies  whose  ranks  can  only 
be  recruited  from  those  who  are  already  members  of  the  lodge, 
and,  in  the  case  of  the  Order  of  Eastern  Star,  their  female  rela- 
tives. The  portion  of  the  Masonic  family  known  as  the  "York 
Rite,"  or  "American  Rite,"  is  composed  of  The  Lodge,  or  Sym- 
bolic Masonry,  the  Eastern  Star  Chapter  or  Adoptive  Masonry, 
the  Royal  Arch  Chapter  or  Capitular  Masonry,  the  Council  of 
Royal  and  Select  Masters  or  Cryptic  Masonry,  the  Commandery 
of  Knights  Templar  or  Chivalrie  Masonry.  The  lodge  is  the  most 
ancient  of  all  ]\Iasonic  bodies  and  is  the  foundation  of  the  whole 
fabric.  After  that  it  is  simply  a  wheel  within  a  wheel.  The  first 
requisite  for  membership  in  the  Royal  Arch  Chapter  is  that  the 
petitioner  is  a  member  of  the  lodge,  or  Master  Mason ;  he  must  be 
a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  or  member  of  the  Chapter,  before  he  can 
•  seek  admission  to  either  the  Commandery  of  Knights  Templar 
or  Council  of  Royal  and  Select  Masters.  Membership  in  the 
Chapter  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  is  limited  to  Master 
Masons,  their  wives,  widows,  mothers,  sisters  or  daughters. 

Symbolic  Masonry  consists  of  the  first  three  degrees,  Entered 
Apprentice.  Pellowcraft  and  Master  Mason.  There  are  three  co- 
ordinate lodges  located  in  this  city,  Wichita  Lodge,  No.  99 ;  Sun- 
flower Lodge,  No.  86,  and  Albert  Pike  Lodge,  No.  303. 


392  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

WICHITA  LODGE,  NO.  99,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

This  history  of  Wichita  is  correlative  with  that  of  York  Rite 
Masonry.  With  the  first  settlers  in  this  valley  came  Masons  ferv- 
ent and  with  the  good  of  the  order  at  heart  they  went  at 
once  to  found  the  order  here.  Wichita  Lodge,  No.  99,  was  born 
in  a  stable.  The  first  meeting  called  for  the  organization  of 
the  lodge  was  held  in  the  loft  of  a  livery  stable,  at  the  corner 
of  what  is  now  known  as  Main  and  Third  streets.  A  committee 
of  three  was  sent  to  Mystic  Tie  Lodge,  No.  71,  of  Augusta,  the 
then  nearest  lodge  to  Wichita,  who  was  to  exemplify  the  work  and 
prove  themselves  "worthy  and  well  qualified  to  do  the  work  of 
the  order."  This  committee  was  composed  of  Bro.  Morgan  Cox, 
M.  B.  Kellogg  and  J.  P.  Allen.  This  committee  returned  with  the 
necessary  credentials,  and  in  October  of  the  year  1870  a  dispen- 
sation was  granted  for  a  lodge  in  Wichita  by  Grand  Master  J.  M. 
Price. 

The  first  officers  elected  were:  Bro.  Morgan  Cox,  worshipful 
master;  Bro.  Milo  B.  Kellogg,  senior  warden;  Bro.  J.  P.  Allen, 
junior  warden.  At  the  end  of  the  year  a  permanent  charter  was 
granted  the  lodge,  and,  Bro.  Cox  being  away  on  his  claim,  the 
lodge  elected  Bro.  H.  C.  Sluss  the  first  master  under  the  charter, 
with  Bros.  M.  B.  Kellogg,  senior  warden,  and  J.  P.  Allen,  junior 
warden.  Bro.  Morgan  Cox,  with  a  man  by  the  name  of  Green, 
built  the  first  two-story  house  in  the  city,  at  the  corner  of  Pine 
and  Main  streets,  where  the  lodge  made  its  first  home  until  the 
building  was  sold  to  Ida  May,  and  was  afterwards  known  as  the 
Ida  May  House.  The  lodge  then  moved  to  the  attic  of  a  frame 
schoolhouse,  standing  where  the  present  high  school  is  being  con- 
structed, where  they  remained  till  they  moved  to  what  was  known 
as  Eagle  Hall,  afterwards  removed  to  better  quarters  over  the 
First  National  Bank,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Main  and  First, 
where  the  Sunflower  Lodge  now  holds  their  meetings.  In  1886 
the  lodge  was  moved  to  their  own  new  building,  where  they  now 
are,  on  the  southwest  corner  of  First  and  Main.  The  following 
are  the  men  who  have  acted  as  master  of  the  lodge,  and  the  times 
for  which  they  served : 

Morgan  Cox,  1870-71-73-74-75;  H.  C.  Sluss,  1872-78;  Thomas 
M.  Trickey,  1876-77;  Winfield  S.   Corbett,   1879-80;   George  E. 

Harris,  1881 ;  George  W. ,  1896 ;  Milton  H.  Rudolph,  1897 ; 

William ,  ????-87;  Leonard  C.  Jackson,  1886;  Joseph  P. 


FEATEENAL  OEDEES  393 

Allen,  1888 ;  James  H.  McCall,  1889,  afterwards  Grand  Master  of 
state  of  Kansas ;  Carlton  A.  Gates,  1890 ;  George  L.  Pratt,  1891 
John  Wilkin,  1892 ;  Lauriston  G.  Whittier,  1893 ;  Charles  A.  Cart- 
wright,  1894;  William  A.  Reed,  1894;  August  Anderson,  1895 
John  M.  Chain,  1890;  Milton  H.  Rudolph,  1897;  William  E, 
Bailey,  1898;  Nicholas  Steffen,  1899;  Matthew  J.  Parrett,  1900 
AVilliam  J.  Frazier,  1901 ;  James  F.  McCoy,  1902 ;  Harry  E.  Wil 
son,  1903 ;  George  M.  Whitney,  1904 ;  William  L.  Kendrick,  1905 : 
Louis  Gerties,  1906;  Richard  B.  Wentworth,  1907;  William  G. 
Price,  1908;  Harvey  C.  Price,  1909. 

The  present  ofificers  are :  Dr.  John  I.  Evans,  W.  M. ;  G.  A. 
King,  S.  W. ;  Ross  D.  McCormiek,  J.  W. ;  J.  J.  Fegtley,  secretary ; 
L.  S.  Naftzger,  treasurer ;  Homer  T.  Harden,  S.  D. ;  L.  V.  Koch, 
J.  D. ;  Paul  J.  Wall,  S.  S. ;  Glen  C.  Chamberlain,  J.  S. ;  Benjamin 
Hunt,  tyler.  The  lodge  has  grown  rapidly,  especially  during  the 
last  year,  and  now  numbers  630  members.  The  fine  business  block 
now  occupied  by  the  lodge  is  owned,  free  from  debt,  by  it,  and 
they  are  now  considering  the  advisability  of  moving  to  larger 
and  better  quarters.  The  stated  eommunciations  are  held  on  the 
first  and  third  Monday  evenings  of  each  month.  Prom  this  lodge 
has  originated  the  other  two  lodges  of  the  city.  Sunflower  Lodge, 
No.  86,  and  Albert  Pike  Lodge,  No.  303.  In  tliis  hall  are  held 
all  the  meetings  of  the  other  branches  of  York  Rite  Masonry, 
Wichita  Council,  No.  12;  Wichita  Chapter,  No.  33;  Ivy  Leaf  Chap- 
ter, No.  75,  0.  E.  S.,  and  Mi.  Olivet  Commandery,  No.  12,  K.  T. 

SUNFLOWER  LODGE,  NO.  86,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

Sunflower  Lodge,  No.  86,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  commenced  work 
under  dispensation  granted  by  Most  Worshipful  Grand  Master 
Lamb,  on  March  12,  1888.  It  held  its  first  meeting  in  what  was 
known  as  the  Sunflower  block,  on  West  Douglas  avenue,  on  the 
West  Side.  It  was  composed  at  first  almost  entirely  of  residents 
of  the  West  Side.  On  February  20,  1889,  a  charter  was  granted 
to  this  lodge,  with  J.  B.  Lawrence  as  the  first  master,  H.  A.  Hill, 
senior  warden,  and  J.  H.  Taylor,  junior  warden.  A  most  peculiar 
incident  marked  the  second  year  of  the  new  lodge.  The  master, 
James  B.  Lawrence,  while  conferring  a  degree  in  the  lodge  room, 
was  stricken  with  apoplexy  very  suddenly  and  expired  before 
he  could  be  removed  to  his  home. 

In  1897  the  lodge  moved  its  quarters  from  the  West  Side  and 
for  a  short  time  used  a  room  in  the  Wall  building  on  Market 


394  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

in  what  is  now  called  the  Sunflower  block.  This  building  was 
formerly  the  county  courthouse.  It  was  bought  and  remodeled 
by  a  company  composed  entirely  of  members  of  this  lodge.  The 
lodge  owns  a  large  block  of  stock  in  this  company,  which  is  pay- 
ing them  a  handsome  dividend.  Their  quarters  are  commodious 
and  well  adapted  for  their  use.  The  lodge  is  in  a  flourishing  and 
active  condition,  entirely  out  of  debt,  and  with  a  rapidly  increas- 
ing membership.  The  stated  communications  are  on  the  second 
and  fourth  Tuesdays  of  each  month.  Following  is  a  list  of  the* 
worshipful  masters  since  the  organization  of  the  lodge:  *James 
B.  Lawrence,  1888-89;  *H.  A.  Hill,  1890;  *S.  P.  Howard,  1891; 
*H.  A.  Hill,  1892 ;  *Giles  Davis,  1893 ;  F.  C.  Kirkpatrick,  1894-96- 
98;  0.  L.  Drake,  1895;  M.  W.  Cave,  1897;  C.  A.  Latham,  1899; 
J.  C.  Dunn,  1900;  Herman  A.  Hill,  Jr.,  1901-02;  H.  S.  Speer,  1903- 
04;  Frank  L.  Payne,  1905;  John  L.  Taylor,  1906;  Horace  M. 
Rickards,  1907 ;  William  F.  McFarland,  1908 ;  Arch  Debruce,  1909 ; 
Guy  W.  Kyle,  1910.  *Deeeased. 
street.    It  now  meets  on  the  third  floor  at  200  North  Main  street, 

ALBERT  PIKE  LODGE  A  DISTINCT  FORCE. 

Albert  Pike  Lodge,  No.  303,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Wichita,  Kan., 
is  a  distinct  moral  force  in  this  community  and  a  forceful  factor 
in  Masonic  circles.  This  lodge  was  chartered  by  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Kansas,  on  February  20,  1895,  under  dispensation  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  state,  with  a  membership  of  thirty,  and  began  work 
in  July,  1895.  George  L.  Pratt,  33°  Honorary,  was  its  first  wor- 
shipful master ;  John  L.  Powell,  33°  Honorary,  was  its  first  secre- 
tary; Col.  Elmer  E.  Bleckley,  33°  Honorary,  was  the  first  senior 
warden  of  this  lodge,  and  Col.  Thomas  G.  Fitch,  33°  Honorary, 
was  its  first  junior  warden.  From  almost  the  earliest  history  of 
this  lodge  Alva  J.  Applegate,  32°  K.  C.  C.  H.,  has  kept  the  records 
of  this  lodge.  In  an  early  day  Mr.  Applegate  was  the  secretary 
of  Lodge  No.  99 ;  he  afterwards,  on  invitation,  demitted  from  that 
lodge  and  joined  Albert  Pike  Lodge.  He  has  been  the  secretary  of 
Albert  Pike  Lodge  since  1897.  In  this  work  he  excels,  as  he  has 
the  reputation  of  being  a  most  efficient  and  natural  secretary,  his 
work  on  the  records  is  always  neat  and  accurate,  and  he  has  no 
superior  in  looking  after  the  dues  and  financial  part  of  the  lodge. 
Succeeding  George  L.  Pratt  came  a  line  of  most  efficient  masters, 
who  put  the  lodge  to  the  very  front  in  Masonic  circles.  Among 
the  masters  of  Albert  Pike  Lodge  W.  W.  Pearce,  32°  K.  C.  C.  H., 


FEATEEXAL  OEDEES  395 

has  the  unusual  distinction  of  passing  in  rotation  every  station  in 
the  lodge,  from  junior  steward  to  the  master's  chair. 

Ealph  Martin  is  now  the  active  and  efficient  worshipful  master 
of  Albert  Pike  Lodge,  and  it  goes  without  saying  that  A.  J.  Apple- 
gate  is  still  its  secretary.  It  would  be  invidious  to  distinguish 
among  the  distinguished  men  and  Masons  who  have  filled  the 
master's  chair  in  Albert  Pike  Lodge.  They  have  all  made  this 
lodge  a  grand  success  and  have  the  respect  and  love  of  the  craft 
in  this  city.  Albert  Pike  Lodge,  during  its  last  Masonic  year, 
raised  80  men  to  the  Master's  degree.  It  now  has  a  membership 
of  778,  and  is  the  largest  lodge  in  the  state  of  Kansas.  Its  activi- 
ties during  the  past  Masonic  year  broke  the  state's  record  and  the 
world's  record.  It  now  occupies  the  finest  lodge  room  in  the  state, 
in  a  portion  of  the  Scottish  Kite  Masonic  Temple. 

IVY  LEAF  CHAPTER,  ORDER  EASTERN  STAR. 

Ivy  Leaf  Chapter,  U.  D.,  was  instituted  at  Wichita,  Kan.,  in 
the  afternoon  of  March  26,  1889,  by  George  W.  Clark,  Grand 
Patron,  with  the  following  officers :  Eudora  E.  Hall,  "W.  M. ;  Dr. 
John  M.  Minick,  W.  P. ;  Mary  V.  Cox,  A.  M. ;  May  W.  Pearse,  sec- 
retary ;  David  A.  Mitchell,  treasurer ;  Sadie  Wesselhof t.  Con. ; 
Carrie  B.  Hume,  A.  Con. ;  Margaret  Lemon,  Adah ;  Mary  Allen, 
Ruth;  Helen  SoUiday,  Esther;  Carrie  M.  Brook,  Martha;  Eliza- 
beth Minick,  Electa;  Lydia  Starr,  warden;  Harvey  Goodrow, 
sentinel;  Carrie  Fegtley,  organist.  Its  charter  was  issued  March 
11,  1890,  and  contained  the  names  of  the  following  charter  mem- 
bers: R.  Allen  Hall,  Eudora  E.  Hall,  Phoebe  Peckham,  John 
Minick,  Elizabeth  Minick,  Mary  Allen,  Helen  Solliday,  William 
Wesselhoft,  Sadie  Wesselhoft,  Carrie  M.  Brook,  May  W.  Pearse, 
Margaret  Lemon,  Carrie  B.  Hume,  Mary  V.  Cox,  William  Starr, 
Lydia  Starr,  David  A.  Mitchell,  Henry  L.  Smithson,  Annie  Smith- 
son,  Alva  J.  Applegate,  Anna  M.  Applegate,  Edw.  Phillips,  James 
H.  McCall,  Harvey  Goodrow,  John  J.  Fegtley,  Carrie  Fegtley, 
David  Smyth,  Annie  Smyth.  The  chapter  was  constituted  Satur- 
day evening,  April  12,  1890,  by  Lillian  A.  Wiggs,  grand  matron, 
with  the  following  officers :  Eudora  E.  Hall,  W.  M. ;  Dr.  John 
Minick,  W.  P. ;  Mary  V.  Cox,  A.  M. ;  May  Pearse,  secretary ; 
David  A.  Mitchell,  treasurer ;  Sadie  Wesselhoft,  Con. ;  Tillie  Whit- 
lock,  A.  Con. ;  Anna  Applegate,  Adah ;  Ella  Dorsey,  Ruth ;  Annie 
Smyth,  Esther ;  Lillian  Wilber,  Martha ;  Elizabeth  Minick,  Electa ; 


396  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Lydia  Starr,  sentinel;  William  Wesselhoft,  warden;  D.  A. 
Mitchell,  chaplain ;  Mary  Hall,  marshal ;  Carrie  Fegtly,  organist. 
The  first  person  initiated  under,  the  dispensation  was  Anna  M. 
Applegate,  now  past  grand  matron.  The  following  well  known 
ladies  and  gentlemen  have  been  at  the  head  of  this  organization 
since  its  beginning : 

Mrs.  Eudora  Hall,  1889-90-91 ;  Mrs.  Anna  M.  Applegate,  1892 
Mrs.  Anna  Smyth,  1893;  Mrs.  Matilda  S.  Whitlock,  1894;  Mrs 
Mary  M.  G.  Cossitt,  1895 ;  Mrs.  Eliza  Ruth  Bristow,  1896 ;  Mrs 
Maggie  L.  Rudolph,  1897;  Mrs.  Grace  M.  Anderson,  1898;  Mrs 
Carrie  C.  Cossitt,  1899 ;  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Baker,  1900 ;  Mrs.  Georgia 
C.  Kilgore,  1901 ;  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Charlton,  1902-03 ;  Mrs.  Anna 
Phinney,  1904;  Miss  Vesta  Charlton,  1905;  Mrs.  Anna  L.  Cott- 
man,  1906 ;  Mrs.  Anna  Schnitzler,  1907 ;  Mrs.  Kate  Rebstein,  1908 : 
Mrs.  Kathryn  Duckworth,  1909;  Mrs.  Mary  M.  Miles,  1910;  Dr, 
John  M.  Minick,  1889-90 ;  James  T.  Dorsey,  1891 ;  Dr.  E.  A.  Whit 
lock,  1892;  Edgar  N.  Hall,  1893;  August  Anderson,  1893-94-1904; 
David  Smyth,  1895-99-1903;  W.  H.  Harrison,  1896;  Fred  J, 
Cossitt,  189T;  W.  E.  Bailey,  1898;  F.  C.  Kirkpatrick,  1900;  S.  H 
Kilgore,  1901 ;  M.  J.  Barrett,  1902 ;  W.  S.  Mickle,  1905-06 ;  G.  M 
Booth,  1907-08 ;  Dr.  H.  H.  Taggart,  1909-10.  Many  of  its  members 
have  been  appointed  to  fill  distinguished  positions  in  the  Grand 
Chapter. 

The  following  members  have  filled  the  offices  of  Grand  Matron 
and  Grand  Patron  of  the  Grand  Chapter  of  Kansas:  Eudora  E. 
Hall,  grand  matron,  1891-92 ;  Anna  M.  Applegate,  grand  matron,. 
1906-07;  August  M.  Anderson,  grand  patron,  1896-97;  David 
Smyth,  grand  patron,  1900-01.  These  are  the  highest  offices  within 
the  gift  of  the  Grand  Chapter,  and  their  occupants  filled  them 
with  credit  to  themselves  and  honor  to  their  home  chapter. 

Of  the  twenty-eight  members  in  1890  but  six  are  members  of 
the  chapter  at  this  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Smyth,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  A.  J.  Applegate  have  held  continuous  and  active  member- 
ship, and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  J.  Fegtly,  who  were  out  of  the  city  a 
number  of  years,  affiliated  again  as  soon  as  they  returned.  The 
membership  at  the  present  time  is  451,  Ivy  Leaf  being  second 
only  to  Kansas  City  in  point  of  membership  in  the  state.  Its 
members  are  known  throughout  the  country  for  their  active  efforts 
in  behalf  of  the  Kansas  Masonic  Home,  and  their  "gathering  here 
a  little  and  there  a  little,"  with  which  to  provide  a  home  for 
themselves  some  time  in  the  future.     This  chapter  was  among 


FRATERXAL  OEDEBS  397 

the  first  to  furnish  a  room  in  the  Masonic  Home,  the  money  there- 
for being  earned  by  giving  a  lawn  social  on  what  is  now  Masonic 
Home  ground.  The  remembrance  of  that  social  still  remains  with 
those  that  lived  here  at  that  time,  as  the  largest  and  finest  gather- 
ing that  had  ever  taken  place  in  the  city  of  Wichita,  and  in  the 
minds  of  the  members  as  the  largest  amount  of  money  ever  cleared 
from  a  like  source.  Ivy  Leaf  also  has  the  disjtinction  of  being 
the  first  to  offer,  and  of  giving,  the  largest  donation  towards  the 
building  of  the  Eastern  Star  Chapel  on  the  Masonic  Home 
grounds.  It  is  known  as  a  liberal  contributor  towards  this  grand 
institution,  so  dear  to  the  heart  of  every  good  Mason,  and  espe- 
cially dear  to  the  ladies  of  the  Eastern  Star.  Its  lady  members 
are  especially  known  for  the  splendid  banquet  they  have  served 
in  the  Scottish  Rite  cathedral  the  past  few  years,  which  has  given 
Wichita  the  name  of  being  a  good  entertainer  and  given  the  order 
the  opportunity  of  living  up  to  its  teachings,  that  the  cry  of  the 
widow  and  orphans  of  those  less  fortunate  than  themselves  shall 
never  be  heard  in  vain.  The  kindness  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
to  this  adoptive  rite  in  Wichita  is  not  exceeded  by  any  fraternity 
in  the  country,  and  Ivy  Leaf  is  deeply  sensible  of  this  fact.  The 
Grand  Chapter  of  Kansas  will  hold  its  next  annual  session  in  this 
city,  May  11,  12  and  13,  1911,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  the 
thousand  members  who  will  be  in  attendance  will  go  home  with 
glowing  accounts  of  the  hospitality  of  Ivy  Leaf  and  the  citizens  of 
Wichita  in  general. 

CAPITULAR  MASONRY,  WICHITA  CHAPTER. 

The  next  step  in  Masonry  after  the  tliree  degrees  of  Entered 
Apprentice,  Fellow  Craft  and  Master  Mason  is  known  as  that 
of  Capitular  Masonry  and  belong  to  the  Chapter,  and  are  known 
as  Mark  Master,  Past  Master,  Most  Excellent,  and  Royal  Arch. 
.  Many  persons  get  the  erroneous  idea  that  the  more  degrees  they 
get  in  Masonry  the  higher  they  are  considered.  This  is  not  the 
fact,  however.  On  taking  the  Master  Mason's  degree  the  candi- 
date steps  upon  the  highest  level  or  plateau  of  Masonry ;  all  other 
degrees  are  but  side  rooms  or  views  from  which  to  see  the  beauties 
of  the  order  and  where  the  great  principles  of  the  order  are 
exemplified.  Wichita  Chapter,  No.  33,  Royal  Arah  Masons,  was 
organized  under  dispensation,  December  5,  1875.  The  first  offi- 
cers were:    Most  excellent  high  priest,  George  P.  Hargis;  excel- 


398  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

lent  king,  David  A.  Mitchell ;  excellent  scribe,  M.  S.  Adams ;  cap- 
tain of  hosts,  J.  C.  Redfield;  principal  sojourner,  Morgan  Coxj 
royal  arch  captain,  M.  C.  Crawford;  master  of  first  vail,  R.  P. 
Murdock ;  master  of  second  vail,  A.  A.  Jackson ;  master  of  third 
vail,  Dave  Hays;  treasurer,  Mike  Zimmerley;  secretary,  M.  B. 
Kellogg ;  tyler,  L.  Hays. 

The  same  officers  were  elected  after  the  charter  had  been 
granted.  The  persons  holding  the  highest  office  in  the  chapter 
since  the  organization,  viz.,  that  of  high  priest,  are  as  follows: 
George  F.  Hargis,  1876-77 ;  D.  A.  Mitchell,  1878-79-80-86-87 ;  Jo- 
seph P.  Allen,  1881-83-85;  William  F.  Walker,  1882;  James  L. 
Dyer,  1884 ;  Charles  E.  Martin,  1888 ;  Carlton  A.  Gates,  1889 ;  Ed- 
ward Phillips,  1890;  George  L.  Pratt,  1891-99-1901;  Charles  M. 
Jones,  1892 ;  Jacob  H.  Aley,  1893 ;  William  A.  Reed,  1894 ;  Thomas 
C.  Fitch,  1895  (grand  high  priest  of  Grand  Chapter  of  Kansas)  ; 
James  H.  McCall,  1896 ;  Merritt  A.  Carvin,  1897 ;  William  H.  Har- 
rison, 1898 ;  Abraham  B.  Wright,  1900 ;  Matthew  J.  Parrett,  1902 ; 
Charles  W.  Biting,  1903 ;  Frank  C.  Kirkpatriek,  1904. 


THE  SCOTTISH  RITE  IN  WICHITA. 

By 

J.  GILES  SMITH,  33°. 

Review  of  Wichita  Bodies.  The  pyrotechnic  career  of  the 
local  organization  of  Scottish  Rite  Masonry  is  so  really  marvelous 
and  brilliant  that  a  brief  recapitulation  must  be  of  interest  to  all 
readers.  Its  embryonic  state  was  commonplace  and  primeval 
enough.  Eleven  years  ago  the  coordinate  bodies  in  this  valley 
were  organized  with  twelve  charter  members.  They  then  met  in 
the  Hacker  &  Jackson  block,  corner  Douglas  avenue  and  Fourth, 
in  lowly  quarters.  In  January,  1891,  having  ninety-two  members, 
the  cathedral  property,  corner  of  Market  and  First  streets,  was 
purchased  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  society,  and  fitted  up  for 
exclusive  Scottish  Rite  purposes.  From  that  date  the  advance- 
ment was  so  rapid  that  very  soon  it  became  evident  that  those 
accommodations  were  entirely  inadequate,  and  it  was  talked 
among  the  members  to  erect  a  new  edifice  on  that  site.  In  the 
meantime,  the  massive  and  architectural  Y.  M.  C.  A.  structure, 
corner  of  First  street  and  Topeka  avenue,  was  about  to  revert 


FRATEKXAL  ORDEES  399 

to  the  church  society  who  held  the  indebtedness,  and  the  exec- 
utive committee  from  the  Consistory  at  once  entered  negotiations 
to  secure  it,  which  was  finally  effected  January  1,  1898.  The 
building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $75,000,  and  to  this  was  added 
a  sum  of  $12,000  for  remodeling,  decorating  and  furnishing  the 
building  for  the  use  of  the  bodies  of  the  rite.  The  result  is  that  right 
here  in  Wichita  is  located  one  of  the  most  completely  equipped 
and  magnificent  temples,  entirely  devoted  to  Masonry,  anywhere  in 
the  Southern  jurisdiction.  There  were  sacrifices  of  time,  money 
and  attention  during  the  struggling  early  period  of  the  Con- 
sistory, and  at  least  three  men  deserve  special  mention,  but  all 
are  entitled  to  due  credit  for  their  steadfast  perseverance  and 
inspiring  faith  in  the  ultimate  outcome,  the  fruits  of  their  fidelity 
remaining  today  a  credit  to  the  city,  of  all  citizens,  Masons  or 
not.  Jeremiah  S.  Cole  and  J.  Giles  Smith  were  the  earliest 
leaders  who  infused  hope  and  courage  into  the  little  band,  who 
bravely  overrode  all  difficulties  and  often  paid  out  of  their  own 
pockets  large  sums  of  money  to  keep  alive  the  spark  of  being  for 
the  rite  in  Wichita.  Once,  when  extensive  improvements  were 
needed,  they  went  to  W.  H.  Sternberg,  one  of  the  early  members 
of  the  rite,  and  laid  the  case  before  him.  Without  a  word  of 
promise  or  any  contract  Mr.  Sternberg  went  right  ahead  with 
the  work  and  finished  it  up,  just  as  desired,  with  no  prospects  of 
remuneration,  and,  in  fact,  it  was  not  for  a  year  or  two,  after 
the  rough  sailing  was  passed,  that  he  was  paid.  Twice  each  year 
the  four  bodies  met  and  created  more  Masters  of  the  Royal 
Secret,  until  at  last  the  attention  of  the  Supreme  Council  was 
drawn  to  their  efforts,  and  J.  S.  Cole  and  J.  Giles  Smith  were 
summoned  to  appear  before  the  Supreme  Council  at  Washington, 
there  to  receive  the  reward  for  their  patieni,  toiling  labors,  and 
this  was  the  coveted  33d  degree,  that  of  inspector  general,  which 
is  never  extended  except  for  meritorious  service  in  behalf  of  the 
,  rite.  From  then  on  a  new  spirit  of  ardent  zeal  was  inculcated, 
and  the  growth  has  been  so  phenomenally  rapid  that  today  the 
youngest  consistory  in  the  southern  jurisdiction  of  the  world 
leads  all  the  particular  consistories  in  membership  and  high 
order  of  the  working  of  the  established  ritual.  Since  its  organ- 
ization, there  have  been  created  in  this  valley  twelve  33d  degree 
Masons,  and  there  are  now  on  the  rolls  ten  Knights  Commander 
of  the  Court  of  Honor,  which  is  the  initial  step  toward  the  33d. 
The  inspectors  general  honorary,  or  33d  degree  Masons,  are :  J.  S. 


400  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Cole,  Lanark,  111.;  J.  Giles  Smith,  deceased;  Jacob  H.  Aley,  de- 
ceased; Major  Edward  Goldberg,  Quapaw  Indian  Agency,  I.  T.; 
Col.  Henry  C.  Loomis,  mayor  of  Winfield ;  Charles  M.  Jones ;  S.  H. 
Horner,  Caldwell;  James  H.  McCall;  Henry  Wallenstein,  James 
A.  Corey,  Dodge  City;  George  L.  Pratt;  Col.  Thomas  G.  Fitch. 
The  Knights  Commander  of  the  Court  of  Honor  now  enrolled 
and  awaiting  further  advancement  are:  Judge  Henry  C.  Sluss, 
Judge  David  A.  Mitchell,  Elmer  E.  Bleckley,  Charles  G.  Cohn, 
Fred  H.  Stuckey,  Frank  W.  Oliver,  Charles  W.  Bitting,  Stephen 
F.  Hayden  and  John  L.  Powell,  the  latter  general  secretary  of 
all  of  the  four  bodies.  Be  it  said  that  the  secret  of  the  wonderful 
growth  of  the  Wichita  bodies,  and  their  pinnacle  standing  in  the 
esteem  of  the  Supreme  Council,  is  the  solidarity  and  ardent  zeal 
of  the  membership.  Once  a  Master  Mason  is  created  a  32nd 
degree  he  at  once  feels  he  is  a  propagandist  and  missionary  to 
induce  others  among  his  Masonic  acquaintances  to  progress  up 
the  "mysterious  ladder."  All  work  together,  and  the  fruitage 
of  their  labors  is  today  amply  in  evidence.  But  to  a  few  spe- 
cially gifted  members  along  the  dramatic  and  histrionic  art  is 
due  the  extension  of  unlimited  praise.  Charles  M.  Jones  has 
proven  an  invaluable  aid  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  rite  in  this 
city,  and  no  more  popular  and  respected  member  is  listed.  Gifted 
with  a  remarkable  memory,  quick  to  learn  the  difficult  parts  of 
the  dramatization,  retentive,  and  with  natural  histrionic  gifts, 
and  patient,  willing  readiness  to  serve,  his  rare  and  gifted  talents 
have  more  than  once  been  brought  into  play  at  a  time  when 
enthusiasm  was  at  its  ebb  and  just  such  powers  most  in  demand. 
Henry  Wallenstein,  Fred  Stuckey,  Colonel  Bleckley,  Tom  Pitch, 
Edward  Goldberg,  George  Pratt,  and  many  others  along  this 
line  have  never  faltered  when  their  invaluable  services  were  most 
desired.  The  efficiency  of  the  equally  necessary  talent  of  scribe 
has  been  of  great  practical  benefit  to  the  four  bodies,  that  pos- 
sessed in  an  unusual  degree  by  John  L.  Powell,  who  for  several 
years  has  acted  in  the  position  of  secretary.  Thus,  from  a  very 
little,  has  the  Wichita  consistory  grown,  until  today  her  members 
stand  first  in  numbers  throughout  the  expanse  of  the  Southern 
jurisdiction. 

Wichita  Consistory,  No.  2,  now  has  a  membership  of  2,500, 
and  they  are  a  power  in  any  line,  as  there  is  a  wonderful  unan- 
imity in  their  efforts.  Many  of  those  enumerated  in  this  article 
have  passed  away,  but  "their  works  live  after  them." 


FRATEENAL  OEDEES  401 

The  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rite  bodies  are,  in  the 
aggregate,  the  most  important  body  in  the  county  of  Sedgwick. 

Regarding  the  historical  feature  of  the  Scottish  Rite,  it  may 
be  said  that  French  writers  call  this  the  Ancient  and  Accepted 
Rite,  but  as  the  Latin  constitutions  of  the  order  designate  it  as 
the  Antiquas  Scotius  Ritus  Acceptus,  or  the  Ancient  and  Ac- 
cepted Scottish  Rite,  that  title  has  now  been  very  generally 
adopted  as  the  correct  name  of  the  rite.  Although  one  of  the 
youngest  of  the  Masonic  rites,  having  been  established  not  earlier 
than  1801,  it  is  today  the  most  popular  and  most  extensively 
diffused.  Supreme  councils,  or  governing  bodies,  of  the  rite, 
are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  civilized  country  of  the  world, 
and  in  many  of  them  it  is  the  only  i\Iasonie  obedience.  In  1758 
a  body  of  Masons  was  organized  in  Paris,  called  "The  Council 
of  Emperors  of  the  East  and  West."  This  council  organized  a 
rite,  called  the  Rite  of  Perfection,  which  consisted  of  twenty-five 
degrees,  the  highest  being  the  Sublime  Prince  of  the  Royal 
Secret.  In  1761  this  council  granted  a  patent  or  deputation  to 
Stephen  Morin  to  propagate  the  rite  in  the  Western  Continent. 
He  in  turn  appointed  Isaac  Da  Costa  deputy  inspector  general 
for  South  Carolina,  who,  in  1783,  introduced  the  rite  into  that 
state  by  the  establishing  of  a  grand  lodge  of  Perfection,  in 
Charleston.  In  1801  a  supreme  council  was  opened  in  Charleston. 
There  is  abundant  evidence  in  the  archives  of  the  supreme  coun- 
cil that  up  to  that  time  the  twenty-five  degrees  of  the  Rite  of 
Perfection  were  alone  recognized.  But  suddenly,  with  the  or- 
ganization of  the  supreme  council,  there  arose  a  new  rite,  fabri- 
cated by  the  adoption  of  eight  more  of  the  continental  high  de- 
grees, so  as  to  make  the  thirty-third,  and  not  the  twenty-fifth 
degree,  the  summit  of  the  rite.  This  council,  being  the  first  one 
in  the  world  in  this  rite,  is  now  known  the  world  over  as  the 
Mother  Supreme  Council  of  the  world.  In  the  Southern  juris- 
diction there  are  thirty-two  states  and  territories  yielding  alle- 
giance to  this  parent  council,  besides  the  District  of  Columbia, 
the  Hawaiian  kingdom,  the  Empire  of  Japan,  and  southern 
China.  These  yield  direct  obedience  to  the  supreme  council  at 
Washington,  and  further,  there  are  several  foreign  powers  with 
which  the  supreme  council  has  relation  of  amity  and  corre- 
spondence. Among  these  are  the  Northern  jurisdiction  of  the 
United  States,   France   and   its   independencies,  Belgium,   Italy, 


402  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Ireland,  England  and  Wales,  and  the  dependencies  of  the  British 
crown.  Of  the  latter,  his  royal  highness,  Albert  Edward,  Prince 
of  Wales,  K.  G.,  being  grand  patron.  Scotland,  Portugal,  Peru, 
Brazil,  Venezuela,  United  States  of  Colombia,  Argentine  Repub- 
lic, Uruguay,  Colon,  Estados  Unidos  de  Mexico,  Greece,  Hun- 
gary, Switzerland,  Dominion  of  Canada,  Central  America,  Egypt, 
Tunis,  Republica  Dominicana,  Sweden,  Norway,  Denmark,  Chile 
and  Spain. 

MOUNT  OLIVET  COMMANDERY. 

The  Commandery  is  a  semi-military  organization  of  Christian 
Knighthood,  the  last  of  the  so-called  York  Rite  series.  It  is 
an  order  "founded  on  the  Christian  religion  and  the  practice  of 
the  Christian  virtues."  Here,  as  in  no  other  Masonic  body,  are 
the  teachings  and  example  of  the  Saviour  brought  vividly  to  the 
mind  of  the  initiate.  Ritually  it  is  supreme,  and  the  lessons 
taught  are  ones  never  to  be  forgotten.  It  is  modeled  in  some 
respects  after  the  ancient  Crusaders,  although  the  direct  con- 
nection is  disputed  by  some  authorities. 

Mount  Olivet  Commandery,  No.  12,  was  instituted  May  27, 
1878,  with  twenty-one  charter  members,  as  follows :  M.  S.  Adams, 
John  D.  Pryor,  L.  K.  Myers,  George  F.  Hargis,  W.  C.  Crawford, 
M.  Zimmerly,  H.  S.  Carter,  D.  W.  Cooley,  Benj.  F.  Smith,  C.  E. 
Martin,  Lewis  Lashway,  WUliara  P.  Olmstead,  D.  S.  Black,  James 
S.  MeWhorter,  E.  B.^Kager,  K.  F.  Smith,  G.  G.  Hewitt,  S.  P. 
Channell,  A.  A.  Newman,  I.  Wildey  and  W.  H.  Sternberg,  with 
Moses  S.  Adams  as  the  first  eminent  commander.  This  com- 
mandery has  for  many  years  ranked  high  among  the  comman- 
deries  of  the  state  in  excellence  of  work,  equipment,  and  skill 
in  drill.  The  military  feature  has  always  been  prominent. 
This  feature  has  been  taken  in  charge  by  a  drill  corps  composed 
of  members  of  the  Commandery.  This  drill  corps  was  first 
organized  on  May  24,  1888,  with  a  membership  of  forty-two,  with 
Winfield  S.  Corbett  as  drill  master,  I.  H.  Hettinger,  president, 
and  H.  L.  Arnold,  secretary-treasurer.  Ever  since  that  time  the 
drill  corps  of  Mt.  Olivet  has  been  a  factor  in  the  competitive 
drill  of  this  state,  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  enjoyed  a 
national  reputation  for  excellence  of  drill.  It  is  now  under  the 
leadership  of  Horace  M.  Rickards  as  drill  master.  For  the  past 
four  years  it  has  won  first  prize  in  the  state  competition,  and  in 


PEATERNAL  OEDEES  403 

August,  this  year,  was  entered  in  the  national  competition  at 
the  tri-ennial  conclave  at  Chicago,  where  a  creditable  showing 
was  made  in  competition  with  the  crack  drill  corps  from  all  over 
the  United  States. 

The  Commaudery  is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  with  fine  equip- 
ment, excellent  personnel,  and  a  rapidly  increasing  membership. 
The  stated  conclaves  are  held  on  the  first  and  third  Fridays  of 
each  month,  in  the  York  Rite  Temple,  corner  First  and  North 
]\Iain. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  past  eminent  commanders:  Moses 
S.  Adams,  1879;  W.  S.  Corbett,  past  grand  commander,  1880; 
J.  P.  Allen,  1881 ;  Charles  A.  Walker,  1882 ;  Charles  E.  Martin, 
1883 ;  Oscar  D.  Barnes,  1881 ;  Jacob  H.  Aley,  1885 ;  Finlay  Ross, 
1886;  Charles  H.  Hunter,  1887;  Charles  M.  Jones,  1888;  Jacob 
H.  Hollinger,  1889;  Robert  C.  Beam,  1890;  Owen  B.  Stocker, 
1891;  I.  H.  Hettinger,  1892;  H.  L.  Gordon,  1893;  George  L.  Pratt, 
1894 ;  E.  E.  Bleckley,  1895 ;  Thomas  H.  Griffith,  1896 ;  Charles  W. 
Bitting,  1897 ;  W.  M.  Anawalt,  1898 ;  Thomas  G.  Pitch,  past  grand 
commander,  1899;  William  11.  Herbig,  1900;  John  L.  Powell, 
1901;  A.  B.  Wright,  1902;  David  M.  Galusha,  1903;  W.  H.  Har- 
rison, 1904 ;  Fred  Stearns,  grand  senior  warden,  1905 ;  F.  C. 
Kirkpatriek,  1906;  Fred  J.  Cossitt,  1907;  William  J.  Frazier, 
1908 ;  George  H.  Willis,  1909. 

The  present  officers  are :  W.  P.  McParland,  E.  C. ;  Horace  M. 
Rickards,  Gen. ;  James  P.  jMcCoy,  C.  G. ;  William  J.  Frazier,  pre- 
late ;  Harry  Wilson,  S.  W. ;  W.  H.  Boston,  J.  W. ;  Blsberry  Martin, 
treasurer;  F.  J.  Cossitt,  recorder;  H.  S.  Speer,  Std.  B. ;  Thomas 
W.  Blunn,  Swd.  B. ;  Robert  H.  Phinney,  warden;  Benj.  Hunt, 
sentinel.  George  M.  Whitney,  1905;  William  J.  Frazier,  1906; 
James  P.  McCoy,  1907;  John  J.  Fegtly,  1908;  Reuben  S.  Law- 
rence, 1909.  Those  holding  offices  now  are:  William  P.  McPar- 
land, excellent  high  priest;  Galusha  A.  King,  king;  Harvey  C. 
Price,  scribe ;  Elasberry  Martin,  treasurer ;  J.  J.  Fegtly,  secre- 
tary; Thomas  W.  Blunn,  captain  of  hosts;  William  H.  Harrison, 
principal  sojourner;  W.  H.  Boston,  royal  arch  captain;  R.  D. 
Bordeauk,  master  third  vail ;  W.  C.  Davis,  master  second  vail ; 
Thomas  E.  Hansom,  master  first  vail ;  Ben  Hunt,  sentinel.  The 
Chapter  meets  on  the  second  and  fourth  Friday  evenings  of  each 
month,  in  the  hall  of  Wichita  Lodge,  No.  99,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


404  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

SCOTTISH  RITE  MASONRY. 

By 
HENRY  WALLENSTEIN. 

No  history  of  our  prosperous  state  would  be  complete  without 
a  thoroughly  comprehensive  and  detailed  account  of  York  Rite 
Masoui'y,  which,  among  its  33,657  members,  boasts  of  men  in 
every  walk  of  life  and  representing  our  best  citizenship.  While 
this  is  true  of  Ancient  Craft  Masonry  in  the  state  of  Kansas,  he 
would,  indeed,  be  an  uninformed  historian  who  failed  to  give 
a  complete  and  accurate  account  of  the  growth  and  iniiuence  of 
Scottish  Rite  Masonry  in  the  valley  of  Wichita.  It  is  only 
twenty-four  years  ago  when  Bro.  T.  Giles  Smith,  33d°,  who, 
then  a  newcomer  to  the  Peerless  Princess,  and  who  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Northern  Masonic  Jurisdiction,  and  feeling  the  lack 
of  that  friendly  and  fraternal  intercourse  he  had  enjoyed  among 
his  brethren  of  the  rite  while  living  in  Indianapolis,  made  the 
first  effort  to  establish  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies  in  Wichita.  Only 
four  brethren  responded  to  his  call,  and  it  was  not  until  Decem- 
ber, 1886,  that  twelve  charter  members,  influenced  by  the  zeal 
and  enthusiasm  of  Bro.  T.  Giles  Smith,  decided  to  ask  for  a 
charter  from  the  Supreme  Council  at  Washington,  D.  C,  for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  Elmo  Lodge  of  Perfection,  No.  9. 
From  December,  1886,  to  May  21,  1887,  twenty  additional  mem- 
bers were  secured,  when  the  lodge  was  organized,  but  it  was  not 
until  June  9,  1887,  that  it  was  properly  instituted  by  Bro.  E.  T. 
Carr,  33d°,  the  sovereign  grand  inspector  general  of  the  state  at 
that  time.  Struggling  under  the  most  unfavorable  conditions, 
the  first  degree  work  was  done  on  June  28,  1887,  in  the  Hacker 
&  Jackson  business  block  on  East  Douglas  avenue.  The  degrees 
were  communicated  to  the  novices  in  a  room  furnished  with  a 
few  cheap  chairs;  a  dry  goods  box  covered  with  calico  was 
placed  in  position  for  altar,  while  a  few  tallow  candles  and  sev- 
eral yards  of  plain  bunting,  used  as  hangings,  constituted  the 
balance  of  their  paraphernalia.  Encouraged,  rather  than  dis- 
mayed, by  these  conditions,  and  further  encouraged  by  the 
zealous  determination  of  their  leader  for  final  and  triumphant 
success,  it  was  but  a  few  months  when  additional  charters  had 
been  secured,  which,  in  November  of  the  same  year,  enabled  the 


FKATEEA'AL  OKDERS  405 

brethren  to  institute  Wichita  Chapter,  Rose  Croix,  No.  5,  and 
Wichita  Chapter,  Knights  Kadosh,  No.  5.  With  three  bodies 
already  secured  the  enthusiasm  of  this  young  fraternity  knew 
no  bounds,  so  that  on  January  25,  1888,  Wichita  Consistory,  the 
last  and  highest  body  of  our  rite,  had  been  established  in  this 
valley. 

Only  three  years  elapsed  when  it  became  very  apparent  that 
their  quarters  were  inadequate  to  comfortably  accommodate  the 
rapidly  increasing  membership,  and  not  fearing  tlie  assumption 
of  a  very  large  indebtedness  this  comparatively  small  organiza- 
tion, in  January,  1891,  bought  the  little  Baptist  church  on  the 
corner  of  First  and  Market  streets  for  $10,000,  and  spent  an  addi- 
tional $2,000  remodeling  it  for  their  needs.  This  exceedingly 
rapid  growth  was  wholly  due  to  the  inspiration  of  the  few  inde- 
fatigable workers  (all  business  men  of  our  then  growing  city), 
who  had  charge  of  the  conferring  of  degrees  and  whose  aim  it 
ever  was  to  establish  here  the  best  Scottish  Rite  bodies  in  the 
Southern  jurisdiction.  Chief  among  this  band  of  workers  was 
Bro.  C.  M.  Jones,  a  recognized  authority  in  Masonic  lore  and 
ritualist,  besides  being  a  prince  among  men.  He  was  ably  assisted 
by  J.  H.  Aley  33d°,  J.  H.  McCall  33d°,  Ed.  Goldberg  33d°, 
Frank  W.  .Oliver  33d°,  Thomas  G.  Fitch  33d°,  E.  E.  Bleckley 
33d°,  J.  S.  Cole  33d°,  Charles  Bitting  33d°,  George  L.  Pratt 
33d°,  all  of  whom  had  been  inspired  by  the  lofty  teachings  of 
our  glorious  rite  and  felt  that  its  exalted  lessons  of  ethics  and 
morality  should  be  communicated  to  all  worthy  brother  Master 
Masons  in  the  jurisdiction.  In  October,  1891,  the  membership 
had  increased  to  119,  and  in  another  twelve  mouths  179  brethren 
had  received  the  32°.  In  November,  1893,  226  was  the  number 
who  had  been  made  Masters  of  the  Royal  Secret,  and  in  the  same 
month  of  1896  the  total  membership  had  been  increased  to  341. 
Again  it  was  manifestly  necessary  to  enlarge  our  quarters  if 
the  rite  continued  to  grow  as  it  had  in  the  previous  year.  Nothing 
so  thoroughly  encouraged  us  as  the  success  of  our  undertaking, 
and  guided  by  the  spirit  the  brethren,  in  January,  1898,  assumed 
an  indebtedness  of  $18,000  on  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  to  be 
paid  in  yearly  payments  of  $1,000,  and  expended  another  $15,000 
for  remodeling,  scenery  and  paraphernalia.  This  new  and  spa- 
cious home  was  dedicated  in  May  of  the  same  year,  when  mem- 
bers were  initiated  amidst  scenes  of  the  most  commendable 
enthusiasm. 


406  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

The  hope  and  dream  of  him  who  had  been  instrumental  in 
establishing  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies  in  ^Yichita  had  been  fully- 
realized,  for  in  the  city  then  stood  what  was  conceded  to  be  the 
handsomest  Scottish  Rite  temple  in  the  United  States.  After 
a  few  months  of  occupancy  our  bodies  suiiered  their  first  great 
loss  in  the  death  of  their  dearly  beloved  brother,  C.  M.  Jones, 
who,  above  all  others,  had  been  responsible,  with  his  histrionic 
ability  and  tireless  efforts,  for  the  proper  rendition  of  our  moral 
and  philosophical  degrees  and  for  the  success  thus  far  attained. 
"While  it  is  true  that  Bro.  J.  Giles  Smith  was  and  shall  henceforth 
be  considered  the  "father"  of  Scottish  Rite  Masonry  in  "Wichita, 
to  Bro.  C.  M.  Jones  is  due  the  credit  for  its  marvelous  growth 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  His  was  the  first  funeral  conducted 
in  the  new  temple,  it  being  held  at  the  hour  of  midnight,  a  serv- 
ice for  the  dead  who  have  attained  the  33d°.  Only  a  few  days 
after  this  Master  Masonic  genius  had  been  carried  to  his  ever- 
lasting resting  place,  Bro.  Henry  Wallenstein,  33d°,  was  made 
director  of  the  work,  which  position  of  duty  and  responsibility 
he  has  filled  ever  since. 

The  unexpected  taking  off  of  Bro.  C.  M.  Jones  threatened 
to  prove  an  irreparable  loss  to  our  discouraged  brotherhood,  for 
his  enthusiasm  and  zeal  had  been  the  inspiration  of  all  his  co- 
workers in  the  conferring  of  our  degrees.  Fully  realizing  the 
enormous  responsibility  of  this  newly  acquired  position,  Bro. 
Henry  "Wallenstein  gathered  about  him  all  of  the  former  earnest 
workers,  and  adding  thereto  quite  a  goodly  number  of  newly 
made  and  zealous  brethren,  he  endeavored  not  only  to  maintain 
the  high  standard  of  perfection  already  reached  by  his  predeces- 
sor, but  strove,  if  possible,  to  give  a  broader  interpretation  to 
our  philosophical,  historical  and  dramatic  degrees.  His  labors 
were  more  than  arduous  on  account  of  the  preconceived  ideas 
of  the  older  brethren,  who  thought  that  the  conception  and  ren- 
dition of  our  degrees  under  the  direction  of  Bro.  C.  M.  Jones  had 
reached  the  acme  of  perfection.  Nothing  daunted,  however,  and 
with  an  unfaltering  determination  to  retain  the  exalted  position 
of  our  bodies  already  established  in  the  Southern  jurisdiction, 
and  if  possible  to  place  them  on  a  still  higher  plane,  he  labored 
incessantly  for  years  to  accomplish  his  laudable  ambition.  The 
result  of  his  effort  soon  manifested  itself  in  the  astonishing  in- 
crease of  our  already  large  membership.  The  beautiful  temple, 
which  everyone  had  supposed  would  be  amply  large  for  all  time. 


FBATEENAL  OBDEES  407 

was  insufficiently  commodious  for  our  needs,  and  for  a  third  time 
in  our  liistory  larger  quarters  were  demanded  to  comfortably 
care  for  the  increasing  brotherhood.  On  June  2,  1906,  he  dtew 
the  first  lines  of  the  plans  of  our  present  temple,  which  was 
dedicated  on  the  evening  of  June  7,  1908,  by  Bro.  James  D. 
Richardson,  33d°,  sovereign  grand  commander  of  the  Southern 
Jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  and  Bros.  Franklin  Pierce, 
33d°,  of  California;  Bro.  Charles  E.  Rosenbaum,  33d°,  of  Little 
Rock,  Ark. ;  Bro.  Thomas  W.  Harrison,  Topeka,  Kan. ;  sovereign 
inspector  general  of  our  state,  Bro.  William  Busby,  of  Oklahoma; 
Bro.  H.  C.  Alversou,  of  Iowa;  all  members  of  Bro.  Richardson's 
official  household. 

During  the  dedicatory  services  the  brethren  were  delighted 
with  a  statement  made  by  Bro.  James  D.  Richardson,  33d°,  who 
had  just  returned  from  the  international  Scottish  Rite  convention 
in  Belgium,  and  who  had  visited  many  other  prominent  places 
while  on  the  continent,  who  said:  "It  is  my  pleasure  to  say  to 
this  vast  audience  that  we  are  assembled  in  what  in  my  judgment 
is  the  handsomest  and  most  perfectly  equipped  Scottish  Rite  tem- 
ple in  the  world."-  The  following  morning,  June  8,  1908,  at  9 
o'clock,  began  the  initiation  on  a  class  of  469,  the  largest  in 
the  history  of  the  Southern  jurisdiction.  After  three  days  of 
the  most  painstaking  degree  work,  over  1,300  brethren .  were 
conducted  into  our  spacious  banquet  room,  decorated  under  the 
supervision  of  the  Southern  jurisdiction.  After  thy  enjoyed  a 
sumptuous  meal,  prepared  by  the  ladies  of  the  Eastern  Star,  and 
listened  to  many  able  addresses  by  prominent  visitors,  all  of 
whom  pronounced  the  meeting  one  of  the  most  successful  they 
had  ever  attended.  No  general  can  win  a  battle  without  the 
assistance  of  a  well  disciplined  army,  neither  could  Bro.  Wallen- 
stein  without  his  many  willing  helpers,  all  of  whom  are  ardent 
and  enthusiastic  Scottish  Rite  Masons,  have  accomplished  his 
wonderful  success.  It  requires  about  130  men  to  perfectly 
■portray  the  several  degrees,  while  many  changes  have  been 
made  in  the  years  which  have  elapsed.  Bros.  Frank  Oliver, 
Thomas  G.  Pitch,  J.  H.  McCall,  Charles  W.  Bitting,  George  L. 
Pratt,  E.  E.  Bleckley,  all  of  them  original  workers  in  Scottish 
Rite  Masonry,  excepting  those  who  have  been  called  to  their  last 
home,  are  still  among  the  zealous  co-laborers  of  Bro.  Wallenstein, 
thus  demonstrating  their  loyalty  to  our  cause  of  fraternal 
brotherhood. 


408  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Phenomenal  is  the  only  word  which  will  fittingly  describe  our 
growth  under  the  leadership  of  Bro.  Wallenstein,  but  much 
credit  is  also  due  the  many  brethren  who  so  ably  assisted  him  in 
his  labors  for  the  propagation  of  our  glorious  rite.  Since  his 
tenure  of  office  as  dictator  of  the  work  there  are  many  brethren 
who  have  never  failed  to  do  their  full  quota  of  work  at  each 
reunion,  and  it  is  but  just  to  mention  at  least  a  few,  while  all, 
no  matter  what  simple  assistance  they  may  have  rendered,  are  in 
a  measure  responsible  for  the  unstinted  commendation  which  has 
been  bestowed  upon  the  bodies  in  this  valley  by  all  who  have 
had  the  pleasure  of  witnessing  our  rendition  of  degrees,  in  which 
the  brethren  named  are  seen  in  more  or  less  important  stations: 
Fred  H.  Stuckey,  I.  W.  Gill,  W.  S.  Grant,  0.  H.  Bentley,  Edward 
Vail,  August  Anderson,  F.  B.  Harris,  Richard  Bird,  C.  G.  Cohn, 
Harry  R.  Jones,  J.  F.  Bennett,  I.  Goldsmith,  Ransom  Brown, 
L.  Hays,  Bruce  Griffith,  Floyd  Amsden,  G.  M.  Booth,  W.  G.  Price, 
A.  C.  Means,  M.  Kraelsheimer,  Harry  Cottman,  "W.  H.  Harrison, 
Fred  Stanley,  W.  W.  Ledgerwood,  Claude  Stanley,  B.  F. 
Dunkin,  A.  K.  Wilson,  Rev.  J.  D.  Ritchey,  E.  B.  Sawyer, 
John  B.  House,  William  M.  Shaver,  J.  F.'  McCoy,  J.  Wal- 
lenstein,  A.  D.  Taylor,  Paul  Brown,  J.  H.  Reynolds,  Willis 
Davis,  Amos  McLain,  Ralph  Martin,  A.  S.  Buzzi,  Rev.  George 
W.  Cassidy,  F.  Stearns,  Frank  Rebstein,  M.  L.  Truby,  William 
J.  Frazier,  W.  W.  Pearce,  R.  B.  Petrie,  0.  E.  Billinger,  Henry 
Lampl,  Innes  House,  J.  H.  Turner,  Franklin  L.  Payne,  John  L. 
Taylor,  Floyd  W.  Hunt,  W.  T.  Rouse,  J.  E.  Luling,  Clem 
Spruance,  Homer  J.  Harden,  H.  S.  Kilgore,  A.  G.  Mueller,  M.  E. 
Gates,  J.  H.  Turner,  W.  Parrott,  Herman  Hoffman,  George 
Schollenberger,  Hal  McCoy,  Fred  Wright,  A.  C.  Means,  J.  A. 
Parkinson,  B.  W.  Jaquith,  Robert  McVicar,  H.  E.  Wilson,  W.  A. 
Ayers,  0.  E.  Juengling,  M.  E.  Gates,  C.  A.  Magill,  Charles 
Bergenthal,  C.  A.  Baker,  W.  H.  Sehwerhoff,  Ray  McHugh,  W.  C. 
Means,  Jay  Gill,  Lloyd  Ray,  E.  H.  Stevens,  S.  J.  Houston,  and 
numerous  others,  all  of  whom  have  been  instrumental  in  gaining 
the  reputation  of  merit  bestowed  upon  Wichita  Consistory.  No 
article  written  on  this  subject  would  be  in  any  sense  complete 
without  the  special  mention  of  Bro.  Bestor  G.  Brown,  past  grand 
master  of  the  Most  Worshipped  Grand  Lodge  of  the  state  of 
Kansas,  mose  able  and  learned  Mason  in  our  state,  if  not  in 
the  United  States,  a  gifted  gentleman  of  the  highest  type  and  in 
its  truest  sense.     For  years,   sacrificing  his  business  interests. 


FKATEE^AL  OEDEKS  409 

he  has  rendered  Bro.  Wallenstein  invaluable  assistance  in  the 
portrayal  of  our  historical  and  dramatic  degrees.  Nor  should 
we  forget  to  give  due  credit  to  Bros.  S.  A.  Hanlan,  of  Newton; 
B.  Nussbaum,  of  Hutchinson;  Wilbur  H.  Rice,  of  Hoisington, 
J.  W.  Wright,  33d°,  of  Independence ;  Wallace  T.  Rouse,  Wichita, 
who  by  their  love  and  zeal,  together  with  their  untiring  efforts 
in  behalf  of  our  bodies,  have  succeeded  in  securing  an  unusually 
large  quota  of  our  present  membership  of  2,400  Scottish  Rite 
Masons. 

Whatever  the  success  reached  by  our  great  brotherhood,  if 
measured  only  by  its  material  growth  and  progress,  it  would 
be  worse  than  worthless.  Philosophy  teaches  us  that  the  entire 
world  changes  with  every  breath  we  exhale — when  we  drop  a 
tiny  pebble  in  the  seething  expanse  of  the  ocean,  the  circle  which 
is  formed  grows  wider  and  larger  until  it  reaches  the  farthest 
shore,  then  rebounding,  continues  its  inconceivable  travel  with 
infinitesimal  effect  until  the  end  of  time. 

Realizing  the  logical  force  of  this  well  established  and  scien- 
tific truth,  we  must  unhesitatingly  accept  the  indisputable  con- 
clusion that  the  enabling  and  exalted  teachings  of  Scottish  Rite 
Masonry,  founded  on  the  religious  code  of  Moses,  Zoroaster,  Con- 
fucius, Mohammed  and  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  are  the  adaman- 
tine foundation  of  our  present-day  civilization,  and  these  being 
instilled  into  the  receptive  and  matured  minds  of  our  2,400  breth- 
ren must  of  necessity  influence  their  lives  for  good,  making  of 
them  better  and  nobler  husbands,  fathers  and  brothers,  giving 
them  a  higher  and  better  conception  of  God,  and  beautifying 
their  religious  beliefs,  dispelling  from  their  minds  intolerance, 
bigotry,  superstition  and  fanaticism,  filling  their  souls  with  a 
spirit  of  charity,  love  and  duty  toward  their  fellow  man,  broad- 
ening their  ideals  of  liberty  and  making  of  them  more  loyal 
and  patriotic  citizens,  devoted  to  our  glorious  stars  and  stripes, 
that  banner  of  freedom,  the  prid#  and  glory  of  our  own  dear 
land.  May  the  day  not  be  far  distant  when  our  altruistic  teach- 
ings may  be  the  portion  of  humanity.  Then  and  not  until  then 
will  Scottish  Rite  Masonry  have  fulfilled  its  mission;  then  and 
not  until  then  will  its  influence  for  good  have  been  ultimately 
established  in  the  minds  of  the  entire  human  family,  when  all 
will  accept  the  fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man. — 
A  Scottish  Rite  Mason. 


410  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

THE  MYSTIC  SHRINE. 

By 

THE  EDITOR. 

If  Wichita  is  noted  for  any  one  thing  more  than  another,  it 
is  the  fact  that  it  is  distinctively  a  Masonic  town.  All  of  the 
Masonic  rites  are  represented  here;  three  blue  lodges  make  up 
the  early  degrees,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  these  lodges  are  all 
very  prosperous ;  they  own  their  own  property  and  have  money 
at  interest.  Albert  Pike  Lodge  is  the  youngest  lodge  in  Wichita, 
but  has  the  largest  membership  of  any  lodge  in  Kansas.  Only 
a  few  months  since  a  charter  was  granted  to  organize  a  Shrine 
temple.  With  its  usual  vim,  the  Masonic  brethren  took  hold 
of  the  Shrine,  and  Alidian  Temple  today  numbers  a  membership 
of  more  than  500.  George  H.  Bradford  is  the  efficient  Imperial 
Potentate,  and  James  P.  McCoy  the  energetic  Recorder  of  the 
Shrine.  The  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  is  a 
flourishing  one,  and  this  rite  has  made  arrangements  with  the 
trustees  of  the  Masonic  Temple  whereby  they  occupy  that  build- 
ing, the  finest  building  in  the  West  devoted  entirely  to  Masonry. 
The  Shrine  is  noted  for  its  fine  banquets,  its  general  good  fellow- 
ship and  its  unsurpassed  patrol. 

WICHITA:   A  MASONIC  TOWN. 

By 

A  CRAFTSMAN. 

All  branches  of  Masonry  are  represented  in  Wichita  and 
Sedgwick  county,  and  the  rites  of  this  order  are  in  full  form  and 
strength.  The  Scottish  and  York  Rites  are  strong,  and  the  Order 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine  is  especially  flourishing.  The  membership 
of  the  orders  existing  in  Wichita  take  in  today  a  membership  in 
every  state  in  the  Union,  and  even  in  the  isles  of  the  sea.  Some 
of  the  most  distinguished  Masons  in  the  state  and  nation  hold 
their  membership  in  Wichita.  It  is  likely  that  Wichita  holds 
today  more  distinguished  and  eminent  Masons  than  any  city 
of  its  size  on  the  American  continent.  The  following  is  a 
list  of  those-brethren  in  Wichita  who  have  attained  the  distinc- 


FEATEEXAL  OEDEES  411 

tion  of  the  thirty-third  degree,  Inspectors  General  Honorary: 
John  L.  Powell,  Thomas  G.  Fiteh,  James  H.  McCall,  Paul  Brown, 
Charles  G.  Cohn,  Henry  Wallenstein,  Frederic  H.  Stuckey,  Frank 
W.  Oliver,  Orsenius  II.  Bentley,  William  S.  Grant,  Elmer  E. 
Bleckley,  Leland  L.  Newcomb,  Edward  Vail,  Salmon  T.  Tuttle, 
Isaac  Goldsmith,  Floyd  A.  Amsden,  George  L.  Pratt  and  Isaac 
W.  Gill, 

KANSAS  MASONIC  HOME  AND  CHAPEL. 

There  is  an  institution  in  West  Wichita  that  is  always  spoken 
of  and  pointed  out  by  citizens  with  pride.  Not  only  is  it  the 
pride  of  Wichita,  but  the  whole  state  is  proud  of  the  Kansas 
Masonic  Home.  In  the  early  da:js  of  Wichita  this  building  was 
considered  the  handsomest  home  in  the  city.  It  was  built  by 
R.  E.  Lawrence,  It  was  a  handsome  gray  stone  residence  set  in 
the  midst  of  fifteen  acres  of  lawn,  garden,  orchard  and  grove. 
In  1896  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Kansas  bought  the  property,  valued 
at  $75,000,  for  $21,000,  and  on  September  10,  1896,  the  Kansas 
Masonic  Home  was  dedicated.  Since  that  time  nearly  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  have  been  spent  on  buildings  alone.  The 
paving  of  Seneca  street  on  the  east  side  and  Maple  street  on 
the  north  and  the  sewer  tax  have  cost  nearly  nine  thousand  dol- 
lars. A  building  has  just  been  completed  to  be  known  as  the 
Isolation  Cottage,  Many  times  the  entire  family  has  been  quar- 
antined on  account  of  some  contagious  disease  among  the  chil- 
dren. Now  those  who  are  sick  or  have  been  exposed  can  be  iso- 
lated and  cared  for  in  a  modern  cottage,  thoroughly  furnished 
and  equipped  with  everything  necessary  for  their  care.  This 
improvement,  with  its  furnishings,  will  cost  nearly  nine  thousand 
dollars. 

There  is  a  stone  chapel  built  and  furnished  by  the  Order  of 
Eastern  Star  at  a  cost  of  over  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  this 
order  has  supplied  the  home  with  nearly  all  its  furniture  and  is 
now  thoroughly  equipping  the  Isolation  Cottage  with  electric 
lights,  gas  stoves  and  all  furniture  and  bedding.  The  beneficia- 
ries of  the  Home  are  aged  Master  Masons,  their  wives  or  widows 
and  children  of  the  members  of  the  Order  Eastern  Star.  Since 
its  opening  it  has  given  shelter  to  almost  two  hundred  of  these 
needy  old  people  and  helpless  little  children.  The  old  people 
come  here  expecting  to  spend  their  declining  days  and  finally  to 


412  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

be  laid  away  to  sleep  in  the  home  lot  in  Maple  Grove  Cemetery. 
The  children  come  to  remain  until  educated  and  fitted  for  some 
station  in  life.  It  is  a  gratifying  fact  that,  so  far,  every  child 
who  has  gone  out  from  the  home  has  made  good  in  the  positions 
they  have  been  called  upon  to  fill,  thus  proving  that  the  discipline 
and  moral  training  received  in  the  home  has  been  a  blessing  to 
them.  The  home  is  maintained  by  a  per  capita  tax  of  50  cents 
per  annum  from  the  membership  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Kansas 
and  10  cents  per  annum  from  the  Order  Eastern  Star  of  Kansas. 
The  superintendent  of  this  splendid  Wichita  institution  is  James 
Snedden,  and  the  matron  is  his  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Snedden.  They 

have  had  charge  of  the  home  more  than   years,  and 

have  done  much  to  make  it  what  it  is. 


JEREMIAH  GILES  SMITH. 

By 

THE  EDITOR. 

I  have  been  requested  by  a  large  representation  of  the  mem- 
bership of  Wichita  Consistory,  No.  2,  the  largest  consistory  in 
the  Southern  Jurisdiction,  to  give  a  space  to  Jeremiah  Giles 
Smith  (33),  the  real  founder  of  Wichita  Consistory.  This  is  not 
only  the  duty  that  I  owe  the  dead,  but  it  is  a  great  pleasure.  To 
no  single  individual,  dead  or  alive,  is  the  membership  of  Wichita 
Consistory  so  much  indebted  as  to  Brother  Giles  Smith.  Early 
and  late,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  his  heart  was  in  the  work. 
Through  evil  and  good  repute  he  stood  by  his  guns,  and  let  no 
man,  now  that  he  is  dead,  seek  to  snatch  his  well  earned  laurels 
from  his  brow.  He  was  easily  the  foremost  Mason  in  Sedgwick 
county,  and  passed  away  without  an  enemy  in  the  world.  In  his 
death  the  fraternity  lost  a  tower  of  strength  and  a  tireless  worker 
for  a  great  cause.  "The  noblest  Roman  of  them  all,  his  sword 
hangs  rusting  on  the  wall." 

Born  August  30,  1851,  at  Winchester,  Ind.,  Brother  Smith  was 
made  a  Master  Mason  in  Mystic  Tie  Lodge,  No.  398,  at  Indianap- 
olis, Ind.,  August  21,  1876.  In  the  Scottish  Rite  he  received  the 
degrees  from  the  fourth  to  the  thirty-second,  inclusive,  in  the 
bodies  of  the  Rite  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.  In  1882  Brother  Smith 
removed  to  Kansas  and  located  in  the  young  and  thrifty  city  of 


FRATERNAL  ORDERS  413 

"Wichita.  Diiuitting  from  tlie  Scottish  Rite  bodies  in  Indianap- 
olis, he  took  an  active  part  in  the  establishment  of  the  Rite  in 
that  young  city,  and  as  the  different  bodies  were  instituted,  he 
became  a  charter  member  of  each,  and  was  the  first  Master  of 
Kadosh,  and  for  several  years  he  was  the  Deputy  of  the  Inspector 
General  of  Kansas,  always  active  and  zealous  in  the  advancement 
of  the  Rite.  He  was  elected  a  Knight  Commander  of  the  Court  of 
Honor,  October  18,  1888,  and  for  his  valuable  labors  in  behalf  of 
the  Rite  he  was  elected  to  receive  the  thirty-third  degree  at  the 
same  session  of  the  Supreme  Council,  which  honor  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  the  Inspector  General  of  Kansas,  with  the  assistance 
of  others,  November  17,  1888. 

While  not  alone  in  his  labors  and  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Scot- 
tish Rite  bodies  at  Wichita,  no  one  is  entitled  to  greater  credit 
than  he,  and  he  lived  to  see  the  bodies  there  become  foremost  in 
the  Grand  Jurisdiction,  and  in  possession  of  the  finest  cathedral 
in  the  land  devoted  exclusively  to  the  Scottish  Rite.  Brother 
Smith  died  very  suddenly  at  his  home,  January  13,  1909. 

TRADES  AND  LABOR  ORGANIZATIONS  IN  WICHITA. 

Brotherhood  of  Railway  Trainmen,  Wichita  Lodge,  No.  356. 

Meets  every  Sunday  morning  at  211  East  Douglas  avenue :  S.  F. 
Ayler,  president ;  J.  W.  Taylor,  secretary ;  0.  A.  Mcllvain,  finan- 
cial secretary. 

Ladies'  Auxiliary,  Peerless  Princess  Lodge,  No.  349,  B.  of 
R.  T.  Meets  second  and  fourth  Thursdays  of  each  month  at  211 
East  Douglas  avenue ;  Mrs.  Alice  Hibberd,  president ;  Mrs.  Stella 
Bumstead,  V.  M. ;  Mrs.  Minnie  Stewart,  secretary ;  Mrs.  Lucretia 
Davis,  treasurer. 

Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  Wichita  Division,  No.  338.  Meets 
second  and  fourth  Sundays  of  each  month  at  211  East  Douglas 
avenue ;  L.  W.  Cregger,  C.  C. ;  August  Anderson,  secretary. 

Peerless  Princess  Division,  No,  221,  Ladies  Auxiliary  to  0.  R.  C. 
Meets  first  and  third  Wednesdays  of  each  month  at  Maccabees' 
Hall;  Mrs.  Mattie  Gray,  president;  Mrs.  Hylda  Hollingsworth, 
vice  president;   Mrs.  Elizabeth  Nichols,  secretary  and  treasurer. 


414  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

OTHER  SECRET  SOCIETIES. 

By 
RODOLPH  HATFIELD. 

Wichita  is  noted  for  its  many  secret  societies,  and  is  a  state- 
wide preferred  general  lodge  meeting  place.  Its  location  and 
superior  railroad  connection  with  all  portions  of  the  state  make 
it  a  very  general  anniial  rallying  point  for  all  manner  and  name 
of  fraternal  orders. 

ODD  FELLOWS. 

Wichita  Lodge,  No.  93,  I.  0.  O.  F.,  was  instituted  June  24, 
1872,  the  charter  members  being  George  W.  Reeves,  B.  C.  Purcell, 
Frank  Hamilton,  H.  W.  Kendle,  Charles  Eckardt,  J.  N.  Warren 
and  W.  J.  Hobson. 

The  Wichita  Encampment,  No.  29,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  granted  a 
charter  October  11,  1876,  with  C.  C.  Furley,  W.  A.  Richey,  W.  J. 
Hobson,  H.  H.  Peckham,  T.  H.  Minnick,  W.  P.  Stem  and  M.  W. 
Levy  as  charter  members. 

From  this  early  beginning  have  grown  Queen  City  Lodge, 
No.  296;  West  Side  Lodge,  No.  345;  North  Wichita  Lodge, 
No.  .348,  with  their  complementary  Rebekah  lodges,  constituting 
the  most  numerous  secret  order  membership  in  the  city. 

ANCIENT  ORDER  OF  UNITED  WORKMEN. 

Wichita  Lodge,  No.  22,  A.  0.  U.  W.,  was  chartered  November 
1,  1879,  with  thirteen  members.  There  is  now  Peerless  Lodge, 
No.  271,  A.  0.  IT.  W.,  besides  two  complementary  Degree  of  Honor 
lodges,  all  with  a  large  and  enthusiastic  membership. 

There  are  likewise  several  fraternities  known  as  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  Woodmen  of  the  World,  Fraternal  Aid, 
Eagles,  Red  Men,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights  and  Ladies  of 
Security,  Fraternal  Brotherhood,  Fraternal  Mystic  Circle,  Fra- 
ternal Union  of  America,  Hermann's  Soehne,  Highland  Nobles, 
as  well  as  some  other  and  newer  organizations.  Many  of  the  fore- 
going are  open  to  both  men  and  women. 

The  colored  people,  too,  have  their  branches  of  many  of  the 
old  line  and  newer  fraternal  societies. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION  IN  WICHITA. 

By 
DR.  A.  H.  FABRIQUE. 

Noble  Prentiss,  who  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  writers 
and  newspaper  men  of  Kansas,  once  said  that  in  this  state  there 
were  two  kinds  of  doctors — "one  kind  was  called  Doctor,  and 
the  other  kind  was  called  Doc."  Wichita  has  had  both  kinds. 
It  would  take  a  lexicon  to  cover  all  of  the  various  doctors  which 
Wichita  has  had,  and  it  would  take  several  lexicons  to  cover  all 
of  the  kinds  of  doctors  who  have  in  the  past  come  and  gone 
in  this  city.  Through  all  of  the  changing  years  of  good  times 
and  bad,  of  good  crops  and  bad,  through  drouths,  and  grass- 
hoppers, and  all  of  the  ills  and  vicissitudes  of  a  new  country  like 
Sedgwick  county,  and  a  frontier  town  like  Wichita,  I  might  say 
it  has  been  "a  survival  of  the  fittest."  It  took  a  great  deal  of 
nerve  to  practice  medicine  in  Sedgwick  county  prior  to  the 
eighties.  Since  then  it  has  been  easier.  I  came  to  the  county  in 
1870,  and  began  actual  and  active  practice  in  1870.  Prior  to 
1880  I  can  readily  recall  those  of  my  profession  in  Wichita. 
Wichita  was  about  the  only  town  of  any  population  prior  to  that 
time.  I  can  recall  the  names  of  most  of  the  early  doctors  in 
Wichita  prior  to  that  time.  Dr.  E.  B.  Allen,  Dr.  Oatley,  Dr.  H. 
Owens  and  the  writer  came  to  Wichita  in  1870.  Dr.  W.  T.  Hen- 
drickson  and  Dr.  Furley  came  to  Wichita  in  1871.  Dr.  C.  E. 
McAdams  and  Dr.  A.  J.  Longsdorf  came  to  Wichita  in  1872.  The 
writer  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  early  M.  D.'s.  At  that  time 
there  were  no  hospitals  in  Wichita ;  it  was  all  the  old-time  prac- 
tice and  a  following  of  the  old-time  methods.  In  those  days  the 
physician  went  to  the  patient;  now  the  patient  very  largely 
comes  to  him.  New  methods  have  supplanted  the  old  rules,  and 
these  are  to  the  credit  of  the  profession  and  greatly  to  the  benefit 
of  the  patient. 

415 


416  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Dr.  Furley  was  twice  president  of  the  Kansas  State  Medical 
Society.  In  those  days  the  practice  of  the  "Wichita  doctor  ex- 
tended to  the  Walnut  river  on  the  east,  to  Newton  on  the  north, 
to  the  Indian  Territory  on  the  south,  and  to  the  west  as  far  as 
one  could  ride  in  two  days.  Dr.  Allen  was  the  first  mayor  of 
Wichita,  was  state  representative,  and  afterward  was  secretary 
of  state  of  the  State  of  Kansas.  Many  times  the  doctor  was 
called  to  distant  points,  making  the  trip  on  horseback.  Some- 
times the  trip  was  made  on  the  old  familiar  buckboard,  and 
oftentimes  the  doctor  was  compelled  to  go  into  camp  to  rest  him- 
self and  team  before  beginning  his  return  journey.  In  gunshot 
wounds,  which  were  many,  we  used  the  old-time  army  instru- 
ments. Antiseptics  were  unknown  in  those  days,  and  all  surgical 
instruments  were  of  a  crude  pattern. 

The  District  Medical  Association  was  organized  here  in  1878. 
It  took  in  the  counties  of  Sedgwick,  Butler,  Harvey,  Sumner, 
Reno  and  Cowley.  In  187'i  the  doctors  began  to  settle  in  other 
portions  of  Sedgwick  county.  Dr.  Tucker  settling  in  Derby  and 
Dr.  Goddard  settling  in  Sedgwick  in  1875;  in  the  year  1880  a 
number  settled  in  the  smaller  towns,  notably  Dr.  Shannon  in 
Cheney  and  Dr.  Dwight  in  Mt.  Hope.  The  old  guard  of  the  pro- 
fession has  largely  passed  away. 


WICHITA  HOSPITAL  NEEDED  EVERY  DAY. 

By 

MRS.  GEORGE  L.  PRATT, 

President  Board  of  Directors  of  Wichita  Hospital. 

September  9,  1885,  a  small  band  of  earnest  women  met  in 
Wichita  and  organized  the  Ladies '  Benevolent  Home,  and  a  house 
on  South  Market  street  was  selected  for  its  quarters.  Its  object 
was  to  give  temporary  relief  to  the  homeless  and  sick.  That  this 
was  needed  was  proven  by  the  broadening  fields  of  their  labor 
and  the  increasing  demands  for  the  care  of  the  sick  which  were 
made  upon  the  association.  The  better,  therefore,  the  association, 
the  better,  therefore,  to  fulfil  the  object  of  the  founders  and  meet 
the  demands  of  the  people.  In  January,  1887,  the  institution 
was  incorporated  under  the  title.  Ladies'  Benevolent  Home  and 


MEDICAL  P1!0FESSI0N  IN  WICHITA  417 

Hospital.  A  trained  nurse  was  employed,  a  staff  of  physicians 
selected,  and,  with  more  commodious  quarters,  in  the  building 
now  known  as  the  Rescue  Home,  the  institution  began  its  career. 
In  May,  1889,  full  hospital  work  was  being  done,  and  the  asso- 
ciation became  the  Wichita  Hospital. 

With  the  increase  of  patronage  of  the  hospital  came  the  real- 
ization that  competent  nurses,  trained  for  the  work,  were  abso- 
lutely essential  to  its  success,  so  in  1896  the  management  inaugu- 
rated a  training  school  and  the  institution  was'  reincorporated  as 
the  Wichita  Hospital  and  Training  School  for  Nurses. 

Early  in  the  year  1898  the  great  work  that  this  institution  was 
accomplishing,  and  its  crowded  condition  in  its  old  quarters, 
was  brought  to  the  notice  of  a  benevolent  gentleman  in  Boston, 
and  to  his  kindness  and  generosity  the  association  is  indebted  for 
the  present  home  of  the  hospital.  Through  the  liberality  of  the 
Wichita  people  and  the  untiring  efforts  of  the  board  of  twenty 
women,  it  has  been  reconstructed  and  transformed  into  the  pres- 
ent modern  and  well  equipped  hospital  building.  But  with  the 
growth  of  the  city  the  demand  for  hospital  accommodations  has 
increased,  and  again  the  Wichita  Hospital  needs  larger  quar- 
ters. For  a  long  time  the  board  of  directors  has  felt  the  need  of 
a  new  building,  and  has  planned  an  annex  with  bright,  cheerful 
rooms,  large  verandas,  operating  rooms  modern  in  all  equipment, 
an  obstetrical  ward,  and  new  dormitories  for  the  nurses.  And 
what  is  needed  most  of  all  is  the  co-operation  of  the  people  of 
Wichita  in  helping  the  women  of  the  board  to  raise  the  funds 
necessary  to  carry  out  their  plans  and  build  a  hospital  that 
Greater  Wichita  will  be  proud  to  have  bear  the  name  of  the 
Wichita  Hospital. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 
SCRAPS  OP  LOCAL  HISTORY. 

There  were  law  suits  there,  cases  of  replevin,  in  which  the 
judgment  was  given  to  one  side,  and  to  the  other  the  payment  of 
costs  in  order  to  keep  any  feeling  of  triumph  on  either  side  down. 
The  dram-shop  was  a  center  of  interest.  At  that  time  Kansas 
had  some  sort  of  a  dram-shop  law,  and  before  a  dram-shop  could 
be  started  a  petition  had  to  be  presented  to  the  board  of  county 
commissioners  granting  permission.  This  petition  had  to  be 
signed  by  a  majority  of  the  residents,  male  and  female,  in  the 
township.  It  is  charged  that  the  women  were  generally  against 
the  establishment  of  dram-shops,  and  that  in  order  to  secure  their 
names  a  petition  for  a  new  road  was  circulated,  the  heading  being 
cut  off  after  all  the  women  had  signed  it,  and  a  dram-shop  peti- 
tion heading  substituted.  One  day  there  was  a  suit  in  replevin 
before  Justice  Zimmermann,  of  Park  City.  A  man  had  taken  up 
another  man's  horse  and  had  failed  to  advertise  it.  The  owner 
of  the  horse  tried  to  take  him  without  paying  the  feed  bill,  alleg- 
ing that  as  the  holder  hadn't  advertised  he  did  not  have  to  pay 
the  feed  bill.  The  owner,  becoming  the  plaintiff,  replevined  the 
horse.  The  case  was  tried  with  great  bitterness ;  the  plaintiff  got 
his  horse  and  was  made  to  pay  the  feed  bill,  while  the  defendant 
had  to  pay  the  costs.  This  was  the  first  case  Ed.  Jewett  ever 
tried  in  Sedgwick  county,  for  which  he  received  $3  fees,  repre- 
senting the  plaintiff.  The  ease  was  finished  at  sunset.  At  4 
o'clock  the  next  morning  Jewett  was  summoned  from  his  bed 
and  met  both  plaintiff  and  defendant.  They  were  not  quarreling. 
They  had  started  home,  got  lost,  and  had  been  circling  until  they 
struck  the  Jewett  farm.  But  the  narration.  Wichita  wanted  the 
Santa  Pe  south  from  Newton.  It  was  necessary  to  vote  bonds. 
Park  City  set  out  to  defeat  those  bonds.  The  election  which  fol- 
lowed was  the  most  wonderful  in  the  annals  of  Kansas. 

A  cowboy  coming  into  Wichita  from  the  South,  smelling 
emphatically  of  Mexican  associations,  early  election  morning, 
was  pulled  down  off  his  horse  and  told  to  vote.  "I  ain't  a  citi- 
418 


SCRAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTORY  419 

zen,"' he  said.  "  That  makes  no  difference.  Are  you  in  favor  of  a 
railroad?"  "Bet  your  life."  "Crawl  down  and  vote."  "But 
I  'm  from  San  Antonio. "  "  That 's  all  right.  Go  ahead  and  vote. ' ' 
Half-breeds  from  the  woods  about  Ft.  Gibson,  bull-whackers  from 
the  rocks  about  Ft.  Sill,  Indian  traders  from  Medicine  Lodge, 
evei-ybody  who  happened  to  be  in  town,  was  voted  for  a  raih-oad 
to  Wichita.  There  is  no  evidence  on  the  charge,  but  with  these 
conditions  prevailing,  some  men  voted  twice.  A  memory  is  liable 
to  be  treacherous  at  such  a  time.  But  Park  City  was  outdoing 
Wichita.  Freighters  from  Pike's  Peak  were  compelled  to  cast 
their  ballots  against  railroads.  Men  from  the  Smoky  Hill  and  all 
along  the  trail  were  grabbed  up  and  made  to  voice  their  senti- 
ments, whether  they  had  any  sentiments  on  the  matter  or  not. 
The  leaders  at  Park  City  were  not  "literary"  in  any  sense  of  the 
word.  They  had  arranged  a  long  list  of  fictitious  names.  For 
each  name  they  put  in  a  ballot  against  the  railroad  bonds.  The 
voting  place  did  not  close  at  6  o'clock,  but  at  2  o'clock  the  next 
morning  the  vote  was  still  in  progress.  And  the  names  gave  out ! 
Their  former  acquaintances  back  in  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio, 
some  dead  and  gone,  were  vot^d. 

At  3  o'clock  a  committee  woke  up  the  late  Judge  W.  T.  Jewett 
and  asked  him  to  ' '  think  up  some  new  names ! ' ' 

The  end  of  it  all  was  that  Wichita  won  out.  Park  City,  Avith 
its  300  inhabitants,  cast  1,000  votes.  Park  City  waned.  A  fire 
carried  off  one  of  its  largest  buildings.  Others  were  moved  away. 
By  1879  all  that  marked  its  site,  except  the  little  grave,  was  a 
bunch  of  yellow  Scotch  thistles  and  a  depression  in  the  ground, 
once  the  beer  cellar  of  the  dramshop.  All  is  now  gone  but  this 
small  depression.  The  townsite  was  sold  for  taxes  and  was 
bought  by  W.  and  N.  McClees,  and  thereafter  passed  through 
various  hands.    That  is  the  story  of  Park  City. 

The  land  on  which  it  stood  is  now  owned  by  J.  W.  Laming 
and  Zaring  Laning  and  John  Page,  an  engineer  on  the  Missouri 
Pacific.  Two  of  the  families  who  were  there  then  and  still  live 
in  the  vicinity  are  the  Jewetts  and  the  Pauls.  One  of  the  last 
scenes  in  the  history  of  the  town  was  the  action  of  Hockins,  one 
of  the  founders.  He  gathered  up  a  lot  of  coyotes,  wolves,  pole- 
cats, deer  and  buffalo  and  set  out  for  Indiana  to  exhibit  them. 
Whatever  became  of  him  and  his  menagerie  is  as  big  a  mystery  as 
the  present  whereabouts  of  the  Countess,  with  her  long,  flowing 
hair  and  her  titled  estates  in  England. 


420  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Note:     Park  City  was  at  one  time  the  rival  county  seat  of 
Wichita. — Editor. 


PARK    CITY   AND   WICHITA   AND   THEIR   ASTONISHING 
CONTEST. 

By 
E.  B.  JEWETT. 

The  recent  death  of  Judge  W.  T.  Jewett  removes  from  the 
theater  of  the  West  one  of  the  last  characters  in  the  memorable 
contest  between  Wichita  and  Park  City,  the  only  rival  this  city 
has  ever  known.  The  story  has  passed  out  of  the  minds  of  many 
who  once  knew  it.  To  many  others  it  is  strangely  fiction-new. 
Here  is  a  city  of  broad  pavements,  of  long,  shaded  streets,  of 
beautiful  homes,  of  multiplied  political  complications,  of  entan- 
gled commercial  competition,  of  accumulating  and  clashing  pro- 
fessional ambitions.  There,  the  spot  once  religiously  despised 
and  bitterly  hated  as  a  rival,  the  yellow-sheathed  cornstalks 
crackle  and  wave  their  wizened  arms  in  solitude,  over  a  hollow 
in  the  ground,  slowly  filling  as  the  years  go  by,  and  coming  at 
last  to  the  extinction  of  a  common  level.  The  contest  between 
the  two  towns  has  long  ago  lost  its  significance,  in  the  wall  of 
accumulating  years  which  bar  the  present  from  the  issues  of  the 
past.  To  most  people  of  Wichita,  Park  City  is  mythical.  But  it 
was  once  a  "city,"  worthy  of  many  a  violent  oath,  worthy  of 
being  condemned,  and  worthy  of  an  aggressive  enmity. 

There  were  wintry  nights  when,  in  the  Wichita  dramshop,  at 
the  slivered  pine  bar,  the  cow-spurs  clinked  an  accompaniment  to 
a  long  Homeric  narration  in  derogation  of  the  location  of  Park 
City.  And  on  the  same  night  a  crowd,  equally  worthy  to  all  eyes 
save  those  of  Fate,  gathered  in  the  dramshop  of  Park  City  and 
mixed  anathemas  against  Wichita  with  a  very  ragged  and  barbed 
variety  of  sheep-dip.  The  verity  was  that  the  contention  grew 
from  the  very  lack  of  argument  on  either  side,  for  anger  flour- 
ishes most  without  any  vestige  of  reason  about  it.  Both  Wichita 
and  Park  City  were  located  on  a  table-flat  bottom.  Both  rested 
next  to  the  Big  river  (the  Arkansas).  The  banks  of  the  Arkansas 
were  higher  at  Park  City,  a  most  momentous  claun,  oiJset  by 
Wichita's  insistence  that  this  was  the  junction  of  the  Big  and 


SCRAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOEY  431 

Little  Arkansas.  The  latter  claim  was  pooh-hoohed  by  Park  City, 
while  the  high-bank  advantage  of  Park  City  was  outraged  by 
high-colored  ridicule  in  AVichita.  The  real  contest  ended  in  the 
most  remarkable  election  ever  held  on  earth.  No  western  Kansas 
contest  of  after  years  could  equal  it,  for  in  western  Kansas  there 
was  the  .skeleton  of  law.  In  the  contest  between  Wichita  and 
Park  City  there  was  not  an  outline  of  righteousness. 

Park  City  was  located  in  1870,  fourteen  miles  northwest  of 
"Wichita.  Its  site  lies  now  five  miles  directly  west  of  Valley  Cen- 
ter, between  the  Big  and  Little  Arkansas.  The  location  is  admit- 
tedly today  very  beautiful  for  a  town.  Here  the  serpentine  Ar- 
kansas swings  into  a  great  bend,  and  at  this  bow,  to  the  east  and 
north  of  it,  the  pretentious  City  of  Park  was  platted.  The  bottom 
is  higher  than  at  Wichita,  and  in  the  large  city  mapped  out  a 
gorgeous  park  was  reserved.  Nereus  Baldwin,  now  of  this  city, 
had  pre-empted  eighty  acres  at  this  point,  which  the  Park  City 
boomers  secured.  The  prime  movers  in  the  location  of  the  town 
were  a  lawyer  named  Nichols,  a  man  named  Mcllvane,  and  Frank 
Hoekins.  The  site  was  chosen  with  due  design.  The  Santa  Fe 
Railroad,  on  its  ambitious  way  to  the  old  city  of  Santa  Fe,  in 
New  Mexico,  had  reached  Newton.  The  first  survey  out  of  New- 
ton carried  the  road  southwesterly  through  the  northwest  corner 
of  Sedgwick,  through  the  Indian  Territory  partly,  and  into  New 
Mexico,  missing  Colorado  entirely.  This  was  following  an  old 
trail,  for  the  Santa  Fe  trail  curved  down  nearly  to  Park  City 
from  the  north,  in  order  to  strike  the  Arkansas  valley  quickly. 
Large,  imposing  maps  of  the  city  were  made  and  sent  East,  show- 
ing a  perfect  network  of  avenues,  and  in  the  center  the  large 
park  with  the  mythical  trees  marked  plainly  and  with  brilliant 
prodigality.  Near  the  townsite  were  W.  T.  Jewett,  on  a  farm ; 
Dan  Bright,  now  deceased,  but  a  prominent  man  of  late  years  in 
Larned;  Col.  James  Hammon,  of  Virginia,  and  Mr.  Paul,  now 
deceased.  At  that  time  Park  City  had  about  300  people,  and  was 
very  prosperous,  as  much  on  its  prospects  as  anything  else,  al- 
though most  of  the  people  in  the  country  west  of  it  and  many 
on  the  land  north  of  it  traded  there.  There  were  three  large 
stores,  among  other  things,  and  the  inevitable  dramshop. 

The  founders  of  the  town  were  confident — alas !  too  confident 
— as  events  proved.  The  Santa  Fe  determined  on  its  plug  branch 
south  from  Newton  to  a  point  to  meet  the  Texas  cattle  trail. 
Park  City  and  its  founders  were  high-headed  and  possessed  a 


422  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

goodly  share  of  the  earth,  in  their  imagination.  It  is  said,  but 
this  is  not  authentic,  that  the  Santa  Fe  offered  to  come  directly 
south  from  Newton  to  Park  City,  in  return  for  a  portion  of  the 
townsite.  But  the  owners  of  that  townsite  valued  it.  It  was  not 
to  be  parted  with  frivolously,  and  this  offer  they  refused.  Park 
City's  magnetic  powers  were  greater  than  a  corporation's  greed, 
and  Park  City  took  her  stand  of  defiance.  The  railroad  would 
have  to  come  to  the  town.  It  could  not,  indeed,  survive  without 
the  tOAvn.  But  that  is  getting  ahead  of  the  story.  In  Park  City 
were  many  characters.  One  of  these  was  Mr.  Nichols,  a  very  bril- 
liant lawyer,  who  had  a  very  fine  library.  Another  character 
was  an  English  woman — at  least  she  said  she  was.  She  claimed 
her  first  husband  was  an  English  count,  and  gave  the  name  of  his 
estate,  since  forgotten.  Her  second  husband  was  a  common  citi- 
zen of  Park  City,  without  any  noble  appendage  in  the  way  of 
title.  By  her  first  husband  she  had  one  daughter,  and  in  that 
daughter  she  centered  all  her  ambition,  believing — holding,  at 
any  rate — that  some  day  the  daughter  would  succeed  to  the  earl- 
dom. In  obedience  to  this  belief,  the  daughter,  a  young  woman, 
was  called  by  her  mother,  with  a  defiant  persistency,  "The  Count- 
ess." And  after  a  time  the  city  began  to  call  her  "The  Count- 
ess." She  was,  in  time,  known  by  no  other  name.  The  Countess 
was  a  very  fine  specimen  of  humanity,  fair  of  face  and  buxom  of 
figure,  with  a  wealth  of  cascading  brown  hair,  which  she  always 
wore  streaming  down  over  her  shoulders.  She  had  many  suitors, 
accoutred  in  broad  sombreros  and  spurs  and  heavy  top  boots. 
None,  in  the  known  history  of  Park  City,  won  her  heart. 

One  day  the  husband  of  the  Countess'  mother  dropped  dead 
on  the  street.  Nichols,  the  lawyer,  believed  there  had  been  foul 
play.  He  sent  for  the  coroner.  Dr.  Owens,  of  Wichita,  who  did 
not  arrive  until  the  next  day,  by  which  time  the  dead  man  had 
been  removed  to  his  wife's  home.  The  widow  had  heard  the  evil 
suspicions  against  her  and  the  talk  of  a  post-mortem  examination, 
and  when  Dr.  Owens  and  the  jury  of  twelve  good  men  and  true 
hove  up  to  the  front  door,  the  widow,  planting  herself  squarely  in 
the  door,  began : 

' '  Enter,  gentlemen,  at  your  peril.  Coke  on  Common  Law :  '  A 
domicile  is  sacred  to  its  inmates.'  Page  306.  Blaekstone:  'A 
man's  home  is  his  castle.'  Page  207.  Chitty  on  Tenantry:  'The 
law  extends  to  the  family  door-step.'    Page  20." 

The  jury  wavered  and  fell  back.    The  dead  man  was  not  cut 


SCEAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOEY         423 

open.  The  law  the  widow  quoted  was  afterwards  found  to  be 
false  and  extemporaneous.  In  justice  to  the  widow,  it  must  be 
said  that  she  did  not  poison  her  husband.  But  at  that  moment 
the  panicstricken  jury  timidly  returned  a  verdict  of  heart  dis- 
ease. One  day  a  certain  long  and  lanky  cow-puncher  struck  town 
and  was  at  once  smitten  with  the  beautiful  Countess.  With  a 
suppressed  headyness  he  waited  three  days  before  making  an 
out-and-out  proposal  of  marriage,  which  the  Countess  rejected. 
The  unhappy  suitor  thereupon  began  to  "shoot  up"  the  town. 
He  was  seized  by  the  citizens  and  locked  in  a  lawyer's  office, 
where,  two  days  later,  after  some  protocoling,  he  promised  to  be 
good  in  return  for  his  liberty,  which  was  given  him.  The  town 
occasionally  had  its  funerals.  One  of  the  citizens  was  a  sterling 
young  man.  He  had  proposed  to  one  of  the  young  women  of  the 
town  and  they  were  soon  to  be  married.  They  had  talked  together 
for  hours  or  strolled  hand  in  hand  along  the  bank  of  the  river, 
building  on  the  future  when  Park  would  be  a  great  city,  and 
their  ships  had  come  in.  But  he  died.  The  young  woman  for 
years  kept  his  grave  green  and  was  true  to  his  memory.  Year 
by  year,  as  adverse  fortune  came  creeping  in  on  the  little  place, 
she  was  true  to  her  trust.  One  by  one  the  buildings  were  hauled 
away  or  toppled  down  from  desertion  and  decay;  one  by  one 
the  rude  head-boards  to  the  graves  in  the  little  cemetery  tumbled 
over  and  were  appropriated  for  incomplete  hog-pens  or  other  pur- 
poses of  utility.  Year  by  year  the  rural  quiet  ate  into  the  heart 
of  the  little  place,  until  cornfield  stillness  came  at  last,  and  all 
was  obliterated  but  that  one  grave,  still  ever  green  and  neat. 
The  faithful  one  had  other  suitors,  but  her  heart  was  steadfast. 
As  the  years  went  by  she  heard  of  the  rival  city  of  Wichita's 
growth,  and  came  once  or  twice  to  see  it,  and  then  returned  to 
Park  City  and  its  lone  vestige — the  grave  she  loved  so  well.  But 
years  ago  she  died  of  a  broken  heart,  they  say,  at  last,  and  the 
little  grave  surrendered  to  thistles  and  sunflowers  and  disap- 
peared at  last,  as  all  its  fellows  in  the  past. 

WICHITA:    CITY  OF  THE  NEW  WEST. 

Out  there  on  the  gently  undulating  and  fertile  plains  of  Kan- 
sas, away  from  the  Father  of  Waters,  and  still  removed  from  the 
Rockies,  is  arising  a  great  kingdom — the  kingdom  of  the  New 
West.    The  Old  West  was  a  place  of  short  grass  and  long  horns ; 


424  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

of  sweeping,  dreaming  distances;  pregnant,  potential,  unawak- 
ened  earth.  The  New  West  is  a  place  of  long  grass  and  short 
horns;  awakened  vitality,  springiag  up  through  green  stalk  and 
mighty  tree  trunk;  richness  pouring  up  through  alfalfa,  corn, 
wheat.  In  material  wealth  this  kingdom  is  becoming  fabulously 
rich,  for  its  wildness  has  been  subdued,  and  Ingalls'  benignant 
blue  grass  has  worked  its  wonder  in  superseding  the  prairie  grass. 
And  the  capital  of  the  New  West  is  Wichita,  a  city  of  60,000  peo- 
ple. The  New  West  is  the  home  of  a  people  noted  for  hospitality, 
open-heartedness  and  good  will  toward  men.  So  the  traveler  in 
visiting  Wichita  is  pleased  to  find  that  its  metropolis  in  every 
way  exemplifies  these  graces.  When  the  editors  of  Kansas  re- 
cently visited  Wichita,  they  were  allowed  to  march  behind  the 
town  band — just  like  they  longed  to  do  when  they  were  boys — 
to  the  corner-stone  laying  of  the  first  Wichita  skyscraper,  which, 
by  the  way,  was  the  dedication  of  a  Greater  Wichita,  the  mark- 
ing of  a  new  epoch.  This  shows  just  what  Wichita  is.  It  is  a 
great,  big,  husky,  red-blooded  boy  of  a  city — strong,  and  growing, 
jolly,  good-hearted.  It  has  not  developed  the  foolish  bored  air 
of  the  large  old  city ;  it  is  too  fragrant  of  fresh  earth  to  despise 
what  gives  it  life — agriculture.  It  has  none  of  the  cheap  cynicism 
which  laughs  at  country-bred  people  and  at  the  same  time  depends 
upon  the  country  people  for  an  existence.  It  takes  a  boyish 
delight  in  its  recreations  and  achievements  and  is  boyishly 
optimistic. 

Wichita  is  too  large  to  have  the  curses  of  the  small  town — 
people  who  spend  most  of  their  time  at  the  business  of  others, 
gossips,  town  rows.  It  is  too  small  to  have  the  curses  of  the  great 
city — slums,  under-world,  the  frenzied  fight  for  existence.  And 
it  can  and  will  be  a  city  of  half  a  million  without  having  any  of 
these  evUs,  for  it  is  started  right,  in  the  right  place.  No  one  can 
travel  up  and  down  the  Arkansas  valley,  with  its  developing  cen- 
tral part  and  its  upper  part  just  stirring  from  its  age-long  dream, 
without  feeling  that  to  be  true.  Wichita's  growth  is  not  purely 
material,  for,  with  its  average  of  five  new  houses  each  day,  and 
daily  thousands  invested  in  new  industrial  enterprises,  there  is 
keeping  step  the  moral,  civic  and  artistic  interest.  The  enforce- 
ment of  law  and  the  adoption  of  a  new  and  improved  system  of 
government,  the  existence  of  several  colleges,  music  and  art 
schools  and  churches,  these  things  are  the  proofs.    The  structures 


SCRAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOKY         425 

are  built  of  stone,  steel,  concrete,  brick.    There  are  no  false  fronts 
and  no  cardboard  scenery  in  Wichita. — Cimarron  "  Jacksonian." 


WICHITA. 

By 
MACK  P.  CRETCHER. 

(Of  the  Sedgwick  (Kan.)  "Pantagraph.") 

Wichita !  What  memories  cluster  around  the  name !  Memo- 
ries of  achievement  in  the  strenuous  past,  promises  of  greatness 
in  the  mightier  future.  Scarce  forty  years  since  the  coyote 
skulked  through  the  undulating  sea  of  blue-stem  where  Wichita 
now  stands.  A  brief  span  since  buffalo  grazed  and  the  shy  prairie 
hen  nested  where  now  stand  substantial  edifices  of  brick  and 
stone.  Founded  by  men  with  the  restless  red  blood  of  the  pio- 
neer in  their  veins — men  with  Western  brain  and  courage  and 
confidence — Wichita's  growth  has  been  as  wonderful  as  a  chapter 
from  the  Arabian  Nights.  Her  greatness  is  not  alone  in  her  miles 
of  paved  streets,  her  skyscrapers,  factories,  churches,  schools  or 
homes,  but  in  her  magnificent  citizenship  that  has  made  her 
dreams  reality.  Here  men  have  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  since 
the  first  bleak  sod  shack  arose  beside  the  tepee.  Here  the  investor 
has  been  welcomed  and  encouraged  as  a  brother.  Always  and 
ever  the  indomitable  faith  in  Wichita  and  her  future.  Always  a 
willingness  to  dig  deep  into  the  pocket  to  furnish  the  sinews  of 
war,  firm  in  the  conviction  that  the  dollar  spent  for  Wichita 
would  return  as  bread  east  upon  the  waters. 

Today  Wichita  stands  a  city  of  50,000  people.  A  new  genera- 
tion from  the  old  pioneer  stock  is  taking  over  the  reins.  Forty 
years  of  struggle  and  achievement  have  whitened  the  heads  of 
the  sturdy  empire  builders.  Their  sons  and  daughters  are  step- 
ping into  line  and  accepting  the  load  with  the  loyalty  and  courage 
of  youth.  With  the  magnificent  vantage  gained  in  the  brief  span 
of  forty  years,  where  is  the  limit  for  the  bounding  blood  and  keen 
brain  of  the  new  generation?  Today  Wichita  is  only  in  the  swad- 
dling clothes  of  her  greatness.  Her  territory,  the  Great  South- 
west, is  as  yet  in  the  inception  of  its  development,  a  mere  scratch- 
ing of  the  surface,  exposing  the  outeroppings  that  lead  to  the 


426  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

mother  lode.  To  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  men  who  have 
biiilded  a  city  of  50,000  population  in  forty  years,  there  is  no 
limit  of  possibility.  That  a  city  of  250,000  will  spring  from  the 
Wichita  of  today  is  by  no  means  as  wild  a  prophecy  as  that  the 
present  metropolis  of  the  Southwest  should  arise  from  the  Indian 
camp  and  trader's  store  in  less  than  half  a  century.  The  golden 
stream  of  Kansas  grain  is  just  beginning  to  trickle  through 
Wichita  to  the  gulf.  The  packing  industry  is  yet  in  its  infancy. 
The  proud  boast  of  the  jobbers  of  today  will  cause  a  smile  when 
millions  of  people  of  the  Southwest  look  to  Wichita  as  a  distrib- 
uting center — and  millions  will  some  day  look,  mark  that!  The 
1,800  homes  built  in  Wichita  the  past  year  will  be  but  the  domi- 
ciles of  pioneers  who  got  in  on  the  ground  floor.  In  the  dawn  of 
her  greatness,  Wichita  stands  beckoning,  the  smile  of  confidence 
upon  her  lips.    She  still  holds  wide  the  door  of  Hope. 


THE  PIONEER  REAL  ESTATE  DEALERS. 

The  pioneer  real  estate  dealers  in  Wichita  and  Sedgwick 
county  largely  gave  to  the  county  and  city  its  first  impetus  toward 
a  large  population  and  consequent  prosperity.  John  M.  Steele, 
or  Jim  Steele,  as  he  was  known  far  and  near,  was  a  pioneer  in 
this  line.  The  old  firm  of  Steele  &  Levy,  composed  of  J.  M.  Steele 
and  Morris  W.  Levy,  were  among  the  early  real  estate  men  of 
this  valley.  John  Stewart,  afterward  one  of  the  richest  men  in 
Kansas,  was  associated  with  them ;  so  was  Doc  Mann,  Charley 
Stanley  and  others.  Steele  is  now  dead ;  died  in  Tacoma,  Wash. ; 
Levy  is  retired  from  business  and  lives  in  New  York ;  Healy  and 
Neiderlander  came  next  in  point  of  time;  Pat  Healy  and  Nick 
Neiderlander  composed  this  firm,  and  they  were  hustlers ;  Neider- 
lander lives  in  St.  Louis  and  Pat  Healy  is  still  here,  and  Wichita 
would  feel  lonesome  without  him.  Jocelyn  and  Thomas  were  act- 
ive ia  the  early  eighties;  both  are  dead;  Al  Thomas  died  in  St. 
Louis,  and  Colonel  Jocelyn  died  a  short  time  ago  in  this  city. 
This  firm  were  active  sellers  and  price-makers  on  the  realty  mar- 
ket. Later  on  came  a  vast  number  of  realty  men  who  have  in 
many  ways  helped  to  develop  Wichita  and  Sedgwick  county. 
One  thing  we  can  always  admire  in  the  real  estate  men  of  Wich- 
ita, and  that  is  their  unswerving  loyalty  to  their  town  and  locality. 
To  them  there  is  no  town  so  promising  as  Wichita,  and  no  county 
in  all  the  bounding  West  so  fertile  as  Sedgwick. — Editor. 


SCEAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOKY  427 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  PEERLESS  PRINCESS. 

When  the  men  who  first  stood  at  the  confluence  of  the  two 
Arkansas  rivers  and  with  prophetic  vision  saw  into  the  future 
and  declared  that  here  was  the  place  to  found  a  city,  men  laughed 
at  them.  When  that  city  was  founded  and  the  trade  of  the  great 
Southern  empire  was  turned  this  way,  filling  the  coffers  of  the 
early  merchants  and  bringing  prosperity  to  all  who  had  the  enter- 
prise to  engage  in  business,  men  thought  again  that  they  saw 
something  of  the  greatness  which  was  to  come  to  this  city  of  the 
plains,  but  there  were  doubters  still.  When,  at  a  later  period, 
dreamers  came  from  the  East  and  adding  their  faith  to  that  of 
those  already  here,  and  commenced  to  build  a  city  far  in  advance 
of  the  needs  of  the  country,  some  men  again  said  that  Wichita 
was  to  be  great,  and  others  scoft'ed.  Of  this  period  in  its  history 
the  least  said  the  better.  Suffice  to  say  that  the  dreams  of  the 
pioneer,  the  later  business  enthusiast  and  then  of  the  boomer 
have  all  at  last  been  realized,  and  Wichita  stands  today  a  monu- 
ment to  the  business  sagacity  and  the  unwavering  faith  of  all 
the  men  who  have  given  their  best  efforts  for  its  building,  and 
the  scoffers  have  been  silenced.  All  know  the  Wichita  of  today, 
with  her  splendid  railroad  facilities,  her  magnificent  commercial 
enterprises,  her  manufactories,  her  thousands  of  workingmen, 
her  fine  parks,  her  good  schools,  her  fine  churches,  her  handsome 
business  houses,  her  "up-to-now"  citizenship,  and  her  determined 
advancement  to  the  metropolitan  leadership  of  the  Southwest, 
indispensable  alike  to  the  great  West  and  to  Mexico,  the  pivot  on 
which  the  business  future  of  the  great  Southwest,  the  commercial 
prospects  of  half  two  nations  must  revolve  in  the  growth  of  the 
next  century.  There  are  a  few  throughout  the  Southwest  who 
have  kept  in  touch  with  the  city 's  progress,  and  these  few  remem- 
ber from  what  a  small  beginning  has  grown  the  Wichita  of  today. 
For  the  information  of  those  who  have  more  recently  come  to  try 
their  fortunes  in  this  great  empire,  a  terse  but  truthful  descrip- 
tion of  the  town  as  it  used  to  be  is  here  given : 

"Wichita,  485  miles  from  St.  Louis,  723  miles  from  El  Paso, 
and  1983  miles  from  San  Francisco,  was  one  of  the  great  way 
points  on  the  great  Santa  Fe  trail.  This  was  the  first  rapid  line 
across  the  continent.  John  Butterfield  and  his  associates  were 
paid  $600,000  a  year  for  carrying  tri-weekly  mails  between  St. 
Louis  and  San  Francisco.    Ruling  influences  in  congress  and  the 


428  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

White  House  compelled  them  to  adopt  a  far  Southern  route 
through  Kansas,  touching  Wichita,  the  Indian  Territory,  Texas 
and  Arizona,  while  a  branch  line  from  Memphis  joined  the  main 
stem  at  Port  Smith,  Ark.  The  coaches  ran  day  and  night,  ordi- 
narily going  from  St.  Louis  to  San  Francisco  in  twenty-one  days, 
though  the  law  allowed  them  twenty-five.  It  was  the  longest 
stage  route  in  the  world.  Wichita  in  those  days  was  nothing  more 
or  less  than  a  trading  post  and  a  way  station,  where  travelers 
refreshed  themselves  and  the  stage  drivers  changed  horses.  The 
next  way  station  was  many  miles  farther  Southwest,  and  the 
drive  was  through  a  very  unsettled  country,  principally  inhabited 
by  ranchmen  and  a  few  Indians.  Habitual  gambling  was  uni- 
versal, from  the  boys'  game  of  pitching  quartillas  (3-cent  pieces 
Mexican  money)  to  the  great  saloons  where  silver  dollars  were 
staked  at  monte." 

In  view  of  the  picture  here  .drawn  when  contrasted  with  the 
present  day  Wichita,  it  is  little  wonder  that  some  are  amazed  and 
others  have  been  led  to  become  satisfied  with  the  transformation. 
It  is  not,  however,  in  its  past  that  Wichita  is  great.  Its  greatness 
lies  in  what  it  is  yet  to  be. 

Never  in  the  history  of  the  country  did  a  city  have  such  a 
future,  a  future  contingent  upon  that  eternal  vigilance  which  is 
the  price  of  success,  a  future  contingent  upon  unremitting  labor 
and  determination,  a  future  contingent  upon  lack  of  fatuous 
folly  of  being  content  with  winning  the  first  lap  in  the  race. 
Wichita  is  to  become  a  metropolis,  which  will  be  greater  commer- 
cially than  St.  Louis,  greater  in  population  than  Denver  and  ex- 
celled in  resource  and  importance  by  no  city  on  the  continent. 
The  greatness  of  Wichita  is  not  contingent  upon  the  efforts  of 
its  citizens  alone  nor  upon  its  location  geographically.  It  is  situ- 
ated in  the  midst  of  the  richest  agricultural  and  stock  country  in 
the  world,  and  from  these  industries,  which  in  the  last  analysis 
form  the  foundation  of  all  prosperity,  the  town  will  continue  as 
in  the  past  to  derive  the  nourishment  on  which  it  is  to  develop. 
It  was  agriculture  that  made  Cairo  the  wonder  of  Egypt  and  the 
envy  of  the  world.  It  was  agriculture  that  made  all  the  great 
cities  of  middle  Europe.  It  was  agriculture  that  made  Chicago, 
St.  Louis,  Minneapolis,  Omaha,  Kansas  City  and  others  of  the 
most  prosperous  cities  of  this  country,  and  it  is  to  agriculture 
that  Wichita  owes  the  greatest  measure  of  its  present  success 
and  to  which  it  must  look  for  much  of  its  success  in  time  to  come. 


SCRAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOEY  429 

The  fertile  lands  of  the  territory  surrounding  Wichita  for  a  dis- 
tance of  two  or  three  hundred  miles  are  sufficient  to  produce 
grain  and  stock  and  fruit  and  hay  sufficient  to  supply  the  needs 
of  a  territory  that  is  great  in  extent.  A  large  proportion  of  these 
products  find  their  way  by  natural  channels  to  this  logical  center 
of  trade,  where  they  are  manufactured  into  usable  form  or  ex- 
changed for  other  necessities.  In  this  way  the  surrounding  coun- 
try is  not  only  benefited,  but  Wichita  is  made  to  grow.  It  is  to 
impress  upon  the  people  of  the  Southwest  something  of  the  im- 
portance of  this  interdependent  relation  which  ought  to  exist  be- 
tween the  citizens  of  the  more  remote  sections  and  this  natural 
distributing  center,  that  these  excursions  by  the  business  men  of 
Wichita  have  been  organized  and  sent  out  year  after  year. 
Wichita  is  dependent  upon  the  country  with  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded, but  at  the  same  time  as  it  becomes  more  and  more  pros- 
perous it  is  in  position  to  aid  in  making  other  portions  of  the 
country  prosperous.  A  proper  recognition  of  this  fact  will  do 
much  to  make  Wichita  all  that  present-day  prophets  predict  for  it 
and  make  -it  a  city  of  100,000  within  the  next  five  years. 

CIRCUS  DAY  IN  SEDGWICK  COUNTY. 

The  old  time  circus  in  Sedgwick  county,  always  held  at 
Wichita,  used  to  draw  a  great  crowd.  Wichita  has  always  been 
a  great  circus  town.  It  used  to  be  said  that  in  the  hard  times 
and  during  the  dull  times,  when  the  crops  were  short,  that  the 
farmer  sold  his  cook  stove  and  came  in  to  the  circus  just  the  same. 
Sells  and  Floto  with  their  circus  always  draw  a  big  crowd  in 
Wichita;  Ringling  Brothers  with  their  acres  of  canvas  always 
draw  for  miles  around ;  Buffalo  Bill  always  held  that  Wichita  was 
one  of  his  big  show  towns.  One  of  the  greatest  accidents  con- 
nected with  the  Rock  Island  railway  was  the  night  of  the  last 
show  of  Buffalo  Bill  in  Wichita.  A  heavily  loaded  bus  of  people 
headed  for  the  Buffalo  Bill  show  east  of  the  railway  tracks 
was  crossing  the  Rock  Island  tracks  on  East  Douglas  avenue, 
and  this  bus  was  run  into  by  a  swiftly  moving  southbound  Rock 
Island  train.  Several  people  were  killed  outright  and  many 
were  severely  injured.  Texas  Jack  with  his  aggregation  of  cow- 
boys and  buffaloes  and  his  girl  riders  and  broncho  busters  always 
drew  a  big  crowd,  and  Oklahoma  Harry  Hill  organized  here  in 
Wichita  an  aggregation  which  bid  fair  to  rival  the  great  show 


430  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

of  Buffalo  Bill.  Joe  Rich  went  into  this  game  as  the  manager  and 
regrets  it  yet.  One  of  the  early  shows  of  this  town  was  organized 
by  Bob  Neff.  In  the  early  days  of  Oklahoma,  Bob  went  to  Black- 
well,  Okla.,  and  opened  a  law  ofSce.  He  was  afterwards  elected 
probate  judge,  but  the  call  of  the  boards  was  too  strong  for  him ; 
he  again  donned  his  broad-brimmed  hat,  let  his  hair  grow  out  long 
and  again  took  his  favorite  character  of  "Lollypop."  Wichita  has 
always  been  a  good  show  town;  Sedgwick  county  has  always 
patronized  the  shows,  from  an  all  around  railroad  show  or  circus, 
with  its  acres  of  canvas  and  trained  animals,  to  the  barnstorming 
company  from  the  kerosene  circuit. 

THE  NORTHWEST  CORNER. 

Until  the  building  of  the  Kansas  Midland  railway  in  1887,  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  county,  north  of  the  Arkansas  river,  was 
without  a  railroad.  A  large  portion  of  this  land  in  Eagle  town- 
ship was  within  the  Santa  Fe  land  grant,  and  it  was  sold  upon 
payments  and  its  development  was  correspondingly  slow.  Acres 
and  acres  of  this  fine  land  for  many  years  laid  out  in  pasture  and 
without  cultivation.  The  settling  of  an  English  colony  west  of 
Valley  Center  and  the  building  of  the  railroad  gave  the  country 
a  new  impetus,  and  the  land  was  rapidly  put  under  the  plow. 
The  Zimmerman  neighborhood,  the  Oscar  Winters  farms,  the 
Biggs  neighborhoods  and  the  holdings  of  Uncle  John  Williams 
proved  most  valuable.  It  was  discovered  that  the  northwest  of 
Sedgwick  county  was  within  the  corn  belt.  At  this  time  there  is 
no  better  land,  no  better  producing  land,  nor  a  more  prosperous 
portion  of  Sedgwick  county  than  this  same  northwest.  Among 
the  prosperous  farmers  of  this  locality  may  be  mentioned  A.  Cos- 
son,  Matt.  Biggs,  H.  H.  Hanson,  Norman  Calhoun,  J.  M.  Ragan, 
Wesley  Biggs  and  Albert  Campbell. 

THE  HEART  OF  WICHITA. 

What  would  ultimately  be  the  business  heart  of  Wichita  has 
for  a  long  time  puzzled  the  old-timers  and  average  citizen  of 
Wichita.  For  many  years  North  Main  street  seemed  to  have  the 
lead  on  business.  The  corner  of  Main  and  Douglas  avenue, 
known  in  frontier  parlance  as  the  New  York  corner,  has  always 
appeared  to  be  the  hub  of  the  town.  This  has  always  been  a 
prominent  business  corner,  but  as  the  town  grew  it  gradually 


SLiiAl'S  OF  LOCAL  HISTOKY  431 

dawned  upon  the  residents  of  Wichita  that  the  city  would  cease 
to  revolve  around  that  corner.  The  building  of  the  postoffice 
building  to  the  south  and  upon  Market  street,  the  city  hall,  and 
more  than  all  of  the  elements  combined,  the  building  of  the  Smyth 
building  eastward  at  the  corner  of  Lawrence  and  Douglas  avenues 
has  served  to  disturb  conditions  somewhat.  The  Smyth  building, 
being  at  once  occupied  by  a  large  retail  store  carried  on  by  Inness 
&  Co.,  has  had  a  great  influence  in  moving  business  to  the  east- 
ward. The  town  has  become  too  large  to  revolve  around  one  cor- 
ner. It  is  spreading  out.  The  Forum,  built  by  the  city,  is  upon 
Water  street ;  the  Eagle  building  is  upon  South  Market  street, 
and  most  of  the  depots  are  eastward  on  Douglas  avenue.  A  great 
improvement  has  lately  been  noticed  on  the  south  side  of  Douglas 
avenue.  As  the  principal  business  street,  Douglas  avenue  now 
has  and  will  likely  keep  the  lead.  So  that  the  real  heart  of 
Wichita  is  at  this  time  at  no  particular  corner,  but  Douglas  ave- 
nue is  the  main  artery  of  business,  and  upon  Douglas  avenue  is 
now  transacted  the  principal  business  of  the  city.  From  the 
bridge  across  the  great  Arkansas  river  to  the  Santa  Fe  depot  is 
today  the  heart  of  Wichita. 

AN  OLD  LANDMARK. 

The  people  who  go  south  from  the  courthouse  along  Market 
street  will  recall  the  ancient  Gothic  house  facing  east  two  doors 
south  of  Central  avenue.  The  whole  place  has  fallen  into  decay 
and  is  generally  unkempt  and  forlorn.  Yet  at  one  time  this  was 
one  of  the  fine  places  in  Wichita  and  was  formerly  the  home  of 
the  mayor  of  the  city.  Some  years  ago  and  during  the  boom 
this  house  was  the  home  of  Mr.  Brown,  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Aldrich  &  Brown.  Later  on  Mr.  Brown  left  the  city  and 
located  in  Chiekasha,  Okla.  But  when  Wichita  was  young  and 
the  cowboy  was  a  daily  sight  upon  our  streets  and  Wichita  was 
on  the  great  cattle  drive  from  Texas,  this  old  house  was  the  home 
of  Jim  Hope,  the  mayor  of  Wichita.  In  those  days  when  a 
stranger  came  to  Wichita  he  was  taken  in  hand  by  Uncle  Billy 
Griffenstein ;  by  him  turned  over  to  Otto  Weiss,  his  nephew,  and 
Otto  was  always  instructed  to  show  him  the  town  and  especially 
show  him  this  old  house,  which  was  then  the  proud  residence  of 
Mayor  Hope.    A  few  short  years  and  this  old  house  will  forever 


432  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

disappear  from  the  face  of  the  landscape  and  finer  and  more  com- 
modious buildings  will  take  its  place. 


THE  ARKANSAS  RIVER. 

It  is  a  trite  saying  that  large  streams  always  run  past  big 
cities.  If  this  saying  holds  true,  Wichita  is  destined  to  be  a  large 
city.  Col.  Marsh  Murdock  used  to  claim  that  Wichita  would  be 
great  because  located  at  the  confluence  of  the  two  rivers.  The 
streams  which  run  past  Wichita  have  little  bearing  upon  its  com- 
mercial supremacy.  The  Big  Arkansas,  while  it  is  one  of  the 
large  streams  of  the  North  American  continent  and  is  2,100  miles 
long,  carries  no  commerce  upon  its  bosom.  No  argosies  from 
Spain  ever  enter  the  port  of  Wichita.  The  Arkansas  river  rises 
in  the  fastnesses  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  flows  easterly 
through  Colorado,  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and  southward.  It  waters 
a  noble  valley,  and  from  its  source  on  the  great  Continental  Di- 
vide, where  it  bursts  from  the  rock  a  limpid  spring,  and  for  fifty 
miles  it  is  a  beautiful  trout  stream.  Its  first  contamination  is  at 
Granite,  Colo.,  where  a  huge  tail  race  from  a  placer  mine  pol- 
lutes its  pure  waters.  At  Pueblo  it  gathers  other  impurities 
which  imparts  its  yellow  colors  to  this  stream  for  many,  many 
miles.  Tlu-ough  eastern  Colorado  and  Kansas  it  has  a  distinct 
underflow,  and  it  blesses  all  of  the  surroimding  country.  There 
was  a  time  in  the  early  eighties  that  congress  appropriated  the 
sum  of  $35,000  to  explore  this  river.  A  boat  was  constructed  at 
Wichita  and  manned  by  engineers  and  the  river  was  entered  at 
this  point  and  the  boat  poled  and  pushed  down  this  stream. 
Enough  time  was  wasted  to  use  up  this  appropriation,  and  that 
was  the  last  of  navigating  this  portion  of  the  Arkansas.  About 
this  time  Bent  Murdock,  who  lived  at  Eldorado,  Butler  county, 
jeered  at  Wichita  and  its  claims  to  being  the  head  of  navigation 
on  the  Arkansas  river.  He  said  "that  the  Arkansas  river  at 
Wichita  was  navigable  only  for  channel  catfish  and  that  any  boat 
which  could  run  on  a  heavy  dew  could  run  on  the  Arkansas  river 
at  Wichita." 

THE  LITTLE  ARKANSAS  RIVER. 

"Here  the  rank  thistle  nodded  in  the  wind  and  the  wild  fox 
dug  his  hole  unscared." 

The  Little  Arkansas  river  forms  a  confluence  with  the  larger 


SCRAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOKY  433 

stream  within  the  corporate  borders  of  the  city  of  Wichita.  The 
Great  Arkansas  is  a  larger  stream  and  flows  from  mountain  to 
plain  for  2,100  miles,  but  in  no  sense  does  it  possess  in  Kansas 
the  attractions  of  the  smaller  stream.  The  smaller  stream  makes 
a  beautiful  and  fruitful  valley,  stretching  from  its  very  source  in 
Rice  county  to  its  junction  with  the  larger  stream  in  the  beautiful 
park  system  of  the  city  of  Wichita.  There  is  no  more  attractive 
spot  in  Kansas  than  the  junction  of  these  historic  streams.  A 
fine  expanse  of  water,  a  magnificent  stretch  of  woodland,  nature 
and  art  combined,  the  natural  forest  combined  with  the  skill  of 
the  landscape  gardener,  present  a  most  pleasing  picture  to  the 
eye.  The  native  timber  has  been  preserved  with  infinite  care 
and  the  rich  alluvial  soil  yields  to  the  florist  the  most  pleasing 
returns.  On  the  elegant  drives  and  along  the  banks  of  this  stream, 
where  once  the  Indian  warrior  woed  his  dusky  mate,  the  speedj 
roadster  with  the  rubber -tired  buggy  and  the  luxurious  automo- 
bile now  take  the  road.  Northward  from  Wichita  along  the  Little 
Arkansas  river  are  located  some  of  the  most  fertile  farms  in  the 
entire  state  of  Kansas. 


THE  WICHITA  BOOM. 

By 
THE  EDITOR. 

During  the  years  1886  and  1887  occurred  the  Wichita  boom. 
In  its  trail  it  left  a  track  of  devastation,  which  lasted  for  a  decade 
and  more.  A  period  of  wild  speculation  was  on  the  entire  west- 
em  country.  It  was  not  confined  to  Wichita  but  took  in  the  in- 
terior West  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  It  was  a  disease  like 
the  "milk  sick"  in  Indiana.  It  had  to  run  its  course.  It  was  a 
microbe  which  was  inhaled  in  the  air  and  the  most  conservative 
men  in  the  East  who  came  to  Wichita  at  that  time,  either  for 
permanent  or  temporary  purposes,  "who  came  to  scoff,  remained 
to  pray,"  falling  under  the  influence  of  the  deadly  parasite,  in- 
haling the  microbe,  in  one  week  they  became  as  M'ild  as  their  fel- 
lows and  joined  the  maddening  crowd.  It  was  a  "fool's  para- 
dise," complete  in  one  chapter,  and  it  was  followed  in  1888  with 
a  reaction  which  jarred  business  in  Wichita  and  the  West  to  its 
very  foundations.     During  this  boom,  which  was  a  wild,  unrea- 


434  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

soning  craze,  men  lost  their  reason,  went  into  the  wildest  specu- 
lations, projected  new  lines  of  rail-way,  built  new  buildings  mostly 
on  mortgages  and  borrowed  capital,  turned  stores  and  business 
houses  into  real  estate  offices,  and  acted  the  fool  generally.  As  a 
result,  when  the  reaction  came,  Wichita  woke  up  to  find  itself  a 
wreck.  Many  fine  pieces  of  property  went  for  the  taxes,  many 
more  went  under  the  hammer  of  the  sheriff,  mortgage  foreclosures 
clogged  the  court  docket,  and  distress  was  broadcast  over  Sedg- 
wick county  and  all  over  this  interior  West.  To  recoup  their 
fallen  fortunes  men  seized  upon  other  and  what  they  supposed 
were  lesser  dilemmas.  The  grafter  was  abroad  in  the  land  and 
his  harvest  was  a  bountiful  one.  Wildcat  stock  in  corporations 
capitalized  a  hundredfold  and  in  most  improbable  localities  found 
ready  sale.  All  kinds  of  stocks  in  mines,  manufactures  and  kin- 
dred schemes  were  floated  upon  a  long  suffering  and  deluded 
public.  Finally  a  halt  was  called.  It  came  as  the  result  of  a 
sober  second  thought.  The  bubble  burst,  the  idol  was  shattered, 
the  stock  looked  like  money  but  would  not  draw  a  dollar  at  the 
bank.  It  finally  dawned  upon  our  people  that  the  same  money 
invested  in  Wichita  property  or  Sedgwick  county  lands  would 
bring  far  greater  returns.    The  light  of  reason  broke. 


THE  STRUGGLES  OF  THE  EARLY  BUSINESS  MEN. 

The  many  citizens  of  Wichita  who  now  enjoy  the  later  civiliza- 
tion of  the  present  and  all  that  goes  to  make  up  the  enjoyment, 
schools,  churches,  theatricals,  transportation  facilities,  and  all 
that  goes  with  a  metropolitan  city,  little  understand  the  struggles 
of  the  early  settlers  and  those  business  men  of  an  earlier  day, 
whose  shoulders  bore  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  fray.  Each  day 
brought  forth  its  annoying  struggle  to  keep  Wichita  to  the  front, 
and  it  was  simply  a  survival  of  the  fittest.  The  competition 
among  towns  was  fierce.  The  Santa  Fe  built  southward  and  Win- 
field  and  Wellington  were  rivals  at  our  very  door.  These  towns 
were  in  those  early  days  no  puny  rivals,  as  they  were  exploited 
by  active,  energetic  business  men  and  a  farming  country  as  good 
as  ours.  The  transportation  lines  in  this  interior  West  were 
determined  to  build  up  a  large  number  of  towns  rather  than  any 
whose  size  and  ambition  would  call  for  additional  transportation 
lines.  Such  was  the  situation  in  Wichita  in  the  early  eighties. 
But  with  a  wonderful  tenacity  and  an  unparalleled  energy  our 


SCIJAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOEY  435 

business  men  faced  this  perplexing  situation.  Location  counts  for 
something,  but  cities  are  made  by  the  men  in  them,  and  Wichita 
today  stands  in  her  territory  without  a  rival.  The  time  has  now 
come  to  cease  thinking  of  Oklahoma  City  as  a  rival  of  Wichita. 
Oklahoma  City  is  a  marvel  of  energy,  but  it  is  a  day's  swing  of  a 
train  from  this  city.  It  is  in  another  state.  It  has  a  field  very 
much  like  ours.  It  is  and  always  will  be  the  metropolis  of  the 
new  state.  It  does  not  cut  into  our  field  like  Hutchinson.  The 
latter  place  is  only  forty-five  miles  away.  Reno  county  is  one  of 
the  best  in  the  state.  Hutchinson  is  full  of  energy.  It  naturally 
reaches  west  and  southwest  of  us,  and  it  commands  a  fine  terri- 
tory. In  the  natural  order  of  things  it  will  wax  stronger  and 
grow,  but  it  is  in  Wichita's  field;  it  is  within  the  charmed  circle 
which  surrounds  Wichita;  it  is  simply  an  integral  point  within 
the  radius  of  the  far-famed  golden  circle  so  graphically  described 
by  Prof.  Eugene  Pahl,  of  the  Wichita  Chamber  of  Commerce. 


A  LITTLE  REMINISCENCE  OF  THE  DAYS  WHEN  WICHITA 

WAS  YOUNG— INSPIRED  BY  LOOKING  AT  THE 

BEACON  BUILDING. 

By 
KOS  HARRIS. 

In  the  days  of  long  ago,  on  South  Main  street,  just  back  of  the 
old  Eagle  block,  where  the  Boston  store  now  stands,  there  stood 
a  one-story  paint  shop,  a  blacksmith  shop  and  about  75x100  feet 
of  tall  sunflowers.  Across  the  street  was  a  millinery  store  owned 
by  Mrs.  Louise  Henderson;  south  of  her  store  was  a  paint  shop 
and  a  dwelling  house,  occupied  by  a  painter,  who  often  viewed 
the  "wine  when  it  was  red."  In  fact,  very  red  and  when  it 
colored  the  cup.  After  looking  on  the  wine,  he  usually  whipped 
his  wife  and  then  went  to  the  calaboose,  owned  by  the  city  and 
built  up  with  2x4  studding  to  about  eight  feet  in  height.  Next 
morning  he  usually  pleaded  guilty,  his  wife  got  the  fine  remitted 
and  for  one  or  two  moons  things  ran  smoothly  at  the  paint  shop. 
On  the  site  of  the  paint  shop  and  the  blacksmith  shop  the  present 
Beacon  building  now  stands.  Back  of  the  old  paint  shop  Karatof- 
sky,  then  one  of  the  great  merchant  princes  of  the  city,  whipped 
his  son  daily,  tri-weekly  and  weekly.     "Karatof"  had  a  second 


436  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

wife  about  four  or  five  years  older  than  the  son  and  the  twain  did 
not  agree.    Hence  the  regular  mauling. 

If,  in  1874,  1884,  1894,  1904,  any  "biped"  in  Wichita  had  said 
that  the  old  Cooper  stable,  which  had  just  been  torn  down  to 
make  room  for  the  Beacon  building,  would  be  torn  away  and 
on  its  site  there  would  be  a  ten-story  building  such  as  the  Beacon 
building,  the  said  "biped"  would  have  heard  a  "horse  laugh," 
compared  to  which  all  other  "horse  laughs"  would  be  as  a  whistle 
in  a  hailstorm.  Indulging  in  reminiscences  of  the  days  of  old; 
the  days  of  gold ;  the  days  when  Wichita  was  young  and  new  and 
"life  was  sweet  and  bright  as  sparkling  dew,"  I  am  reminded 
of  the  business  world  of  Wichita  at  and  near  the  site  of  the 
Beacon,  building  at  the  date  of  the  paint  shop  and  for  some  years 
afterwards.  In  1878,  contiguous  to  the  Beacon  building  site 
amongst  others  were  the  following :  George  Y.  Smith  &  Co.  had  a 
dry  goods  store,  Caldwell  &  Titsworth  had  a  queensware  store, 
the  Wichita  Savings  Bank  was  in  the  corner  and  Hollowell  & 
Byers  had  a  hardware  store.  All  this  was  on  the  ground  floor 
of  the  present  Boston  store.  East  to  Market  street  from  the  old 
Eagle  block  was  Albert  Hess,  grocer,  now  of  the  Wichita  Whole- 
sale Grocery  Company.  Directly  west  of  Hess  was  Dieter  & 
Kaiser's  new,  up-to-date,  modern  barber  shop  and  bathrooms.  In 
this  barber  shop  there  was  a  workman,  one  Tony  Bruhn.  Tony 
was  a  Prussian  drillmaster  and  also  a  boxer,  and  always  wanted 
to  put  on  the  gloves  and  box.  One  day  the  writer  got  shaved,  and 
after  he  got  out  of  the  chau-  Tony  squared  himself  to  box.  The 
writer  got  his  hat  and  coat  and  then  hit  Tony  in  the  nose  and 
ran  out  of  the  back  door  across  a  vacant  lot  now  occupied  by  the 
United  States  postofifice,  and  did  not  go  to  the  barber  shop  to  get 
shaved  until  Tony  sent  him  word  that  a  general  armistice  had 
been  declared  and  the  war  was  over.  On  the  front  part  of  this 
vacant  lot  there  used  to  stand  a  little  one-story  building,  and  in 
this  building  some  of  the  business  men  and  professional  men,  as 
well  as  the  married  women  of  Wichita,  in  the  early  days,  attended 
a  kindergarten. 

Butler  &  Fisher  had  a  hardware  store  between  Market  street 
and  Eagle  block.  Henry  Bolte  had  a  furniture  store  where  Kress 
&  Co.  now  are  on  Douglas  avenue.  Henry  sold  good  fiarniture, 
and  this  article  is  written  while  I  am  sitting  in  a  willow  chair 
bought  of  Henry  Bolte  in  1877.  Tom  Jewell  had  a  real  saloon 
and  Steele  &  Levy  had  a  real  estate  office  where  Frazier's  drug 


SCKAPS  OP  LOCAL  HlSTOliY  437 

store  and  George  jMcNeal's  barber  shop  are.  The  second  floor 
of  the  old  Eagle  block  contained  the  court  room,  the  general 
political  convention  room,  dance  hall  and  reception  room  for  state 
occasions,  and  also  Little,  Sluss  &  Hatton  and  B.  D.  Hammond,  at- 
torneys-at-law,  had  their  offices  on  the  second  floor;  also  the  old 
Eagle  office  was  in  this  building.  Across  the  street,  running  from 
the  Henry  Schweiter  corner  east  to  Jackson  &  "Walker's,  was 
what  was  called  the  New  York  block,  which,  when  built,  was  a 
thing  of  beauty.  Six  rooms  of  the  ground  floor  on  Douglas  avenue 
were  occupied  as  follows:  Kohn  Brothers'  store;  Charles  L. 
Lawrence,  druggist ;  J.  P.  Allen,  druggist ;  Allen  &  Tucker, 
grocers ;  Richards  &  Rogers,  grocers,  and  T.  H.  Lynch,  di-y  goods. 
In  the  second  floor  of  the  New  York  block  there  were  some  at- 
torneys and  loan  agents,  the  following  being  among  the  attorneys : 
Adams  &  Hill,  L.  B.  Bunnell,  Governor  Stanley  and  H.  E.  Higgin- 
botham.  Also,  in  the  alley  corner,  was  the  Wichita  "Beacon," 
H.  C.  Day,  loan  agent  and  N.  McClees,  loan  agent. 

AYest  of  the  Boston  store  was  the  Eagle  clothing  house  and 
what  was  called  the  Commercial  block,  now  the  National  Bank  of 
Commerce,  American  Express  Company  and  Gibson's  harness  and 
saddlery  store.  The  old  United  States  land  office  was  on  the  sec- 
ond floor  and  was  occupied  by  attorneys:  D.  B.  Emert,  0.  D. 
Kirk,  J.  F.  Lauck,  W.  W.  Thomas  and  Harris  &  Harris. 

The  buildings  where  the  Kansas  National  Bank  now  is  and 
the  buildings  immediately  north  and  west  to  the  alleys  had  liquor, 
liquor,  liquor.  In  fact,  this  corner  at  that  time  was  devoted  to  the 
legitimate  business  of  illegitimate  business.  The  liquor  dealers  in 
Wichita  at  that  date  who  paid  city  license  and  did  business  openly 
and  publicly  were  Beach,  Brown,  Dill,  Ditman,  Gardiner,  Jewell, 
Keehler,  Hollister,  Schattrer  Brothers,  Ritter,  Hoover,  Lemcks, 
Vincent,  Werner,  and  Schnitzler.  The  places  now  occupied  by 
them  are  but  a  reminiscence  and  their  names  are  almost  faded 
from  the  memory  of  the  residents  of  Wichita.  Even  in  that  early 
day  the  corner  of  Main  and  Douglas  was  the  business  heart  of 
Wichita.  Then  it  was,  as  now  it  is,  the  "beehive"  corner  of 
Wichita.  The  Beacon  building  is  exactly  138  feet  south  of  the 
"beehive"  corner,  where  a  man  who  wears  a  No.  10  boot  steps 
on  $1,500  worth  of  land  every  time  he  moves.  Since  those  days 
time  in  its  whirl-a-gig  hath  had  many  ups  and  downs  for  Wichita. 
Verily  we  have  experienced  the  motto  of  Kansas,  "To  the  stars 
from  tribulations,"  or  words  to  that  effect  or  similar  import.    We 


438  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

have  sailed  in  the  clouds,  been  dragged  in  the  gutter,  like  a  kite ; 
decked  ourselves  in  plumage  like  a  peacock,  a  rag  man  and  tramp 
and  have  had  nectar  and  ambrosia,  wormAvood  and  gall.  We  have 
"bulled"  real  estate  till  the  bull  broke  his  neck.  We  have 
"beared"  real  estate  until  the  bear  hibernated  for  some  years 
from  shame.    This  and  all  this  in  one  decade. 

The  "Beacon"  had  an  humble  beginning  as  well  as  some  great 
men.  Milt  Gable  got  it.  He  made  a  mortgage  on  it  to  Billie  Mc- 
Clure.  He  skipped  the  tovi^n.  Harris  &  Harris  foreclosed  the 
mortgage.  Prank  Smith  and  Frank  Fisher  bought  the  plunder 
and  continued  the  business  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Second 
streets.  Cap  White  came  in  from  his  claim  on  the  Ninnescah  to 
edit  the  "Beacon,"  and  for  many  years  the  "Beacon"  had  edi- 
torials on  the  brutality  of  the  policeman's  club,  said  policeman's 
club  typifying  the  brute  force  in  government  in  all  its  phases. 

Wichita  owes  the  Beacon  building  to  Henry  J.  Allen  as  the 
great  factor  in  this  building.  "All  honor  to  him  who  won  the 
prize"  in  this  $350,000  rafHe,  gamble  and  bid  on  the  future  of 
Wichita.  When  we  things  that  are  now,  are  dead  and  gone,  when 
the  future  babe  shall  carry  the  "Beacon"  to  our  homes  and  the 
present  babe  reads  the  paper  and  carries  on  business  and  con- 
ducts the  municipal  affairs  of  Wichita,  when  the  middle-aged  man, 
who  is  in  the  "lean  and  slippered  pantaloon"  age,  takes  the 
grandchildren  downtown  to  see  the  sights  and  some  little  tot 
asks,  "Grandpa,  who  built  the  Beacon  building?"  grand-dad  will 
say,  "The  men  of  Wichita  built  it  and  paid  for  it  without  any 
mortgage  on  it,  moved  thereto  by  the  spirit  force,  enthusiasm  and 
pluck  of  Henry  J.  Allen,  then  editor  of  the  ' '  Beacon. ' '  His  bones 
are  out  on  the  hill,  but  this  building  is  his  monument. ' ' 

October  7,  1910. 


THOUGHTS  OF  HELPING  WICHITA. 

By 

EOS  HARRIS. 

The  writer  was  waiting  in  an  ofSce  in  Kansas  City  for  an  ac- 
quaintance, where  an  East  St.  Louis  "preferred  stock  broker"  of 
a  manufacturing  concern  was  distributing  a  prospectus  that  was 
dazzling.    The  thought  occurred,  if  the  facts  alleged  in  the  pros- 


SCEAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTORY         439 

pectus  were  true,  all  the  broker  need  do  was  to  cross  the  railway 
bridge  at  St.  Louis  and  sell  all  his  stock  in  one  day  among  the 
owners  of  idle  money  in  St.  Louis,  who  were  seeking  safe  and 
permanent  investment.  The  man  who  run  the  office  came  out 
of  his  private  room,  was  approached  by  the  broker  and  the  reason 
he  gave  why  he  would  not  invest  in  the  "preferred  stock"  has 
stuck  in  my  mind  like  a  "sand-burr  to  a  sheep's  tail"  ever  since. 
The  statement  made  was  about  as  follows : 

"I  live  in  Kansas  City,  am  interested  in  its  material  welfare, 
taxable  values,  the  growth  of  population  and  in  all  things  that  will 
tend  to  make  it  a  greater  city.  Whatever  benefits  Kansas  City 
has  a  remote  tendency,  at  least,  to  help  me.  Whatever  helps  the 
state  of  Missouri  in  a  measure  benefits  me.  Whatever  builds  up 
Jackson  county  adds  taxable  property  to  Kansas  City  and  helps 
every  resident  and  property  owner  in  Kansas  City.  All  my  in- 
vestments are  in  Missouri  and  nearly  all  in  Kansas  City. 

"An  investment  in  Illinois  is  merely  an  investment.  An  in- 
vestment in  Kansas  City  is  more  than  a  simple  investment.  If  I 
throw  a  stone  in  the  Missouri  river  at  Kansas  City  it  creates  a 
wave  that  is  seen  at  the  spot  where  I  throw  it,  and  this  wave  is 
carried  a  little  distance,  and  then  the  water  becomes  smooth  again, 
but  I  know  where  I  threw  my  stone  and  where  the  biggest  wave 
was.  No  investment  I  can  make  outside  of  Kansas  City  or  the 
state  of  Missouri  can  benefit  my  town,  county  and  state.  I  prefer 
to  throw  my  rocks  into  the  Missouri  river  at  Kansas  City.  If  you 
move  your  concern  to  Kansas  City  or  Jackson  county  and  the 
stock  is  good  I  might  consider  the  same." 

Is  there  not  common  horse  sense  in  this  reasoning?  Is  it  not 
true  that  a  Kansas  man  who  puts  his  hard-earned  dollars  in  an 
unknown  scheme,  away  from  home,  risks  his  fortune,  builds  up  an- 
other city  or  state  and  does  not  benefit  his  own  home?  Is  it  not 
true  also  that  a  Kansas  man  who  invests  in  a  Kansas  venture  has 
a  better  chance  to  win  and  that  he  also  aids  his  own  city,  county 
and  state?  Every  man  in  Wichita  knows  that  he  is  in  the  best 
city,  county  and  state  in  the  Union.  He  believes  it.  The  stranger 
who  comes  here  realizes  or  he  would  not  come.  Why  would  we 
not  as  loyal  patriotic  Kansans  and  loyal  citizens  of  Wichita  prove 
our  faith  by  our  own  works  by  sticking  to  Wichita,  to  Sedgwick 
county  and  to  Kansas? 

The  present  mercantile  concerns  and  manufacturing  industries 


440  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

in  Wichita  need  more  capital.  The  stocks  and  bonds  of  our  own 
Wichita  concerns  are  more  worthy  of  investment  and  considera- 
tion than  any  outside  stock  can  be.  It  is  a  plain  proposition  that 
if  we  invest  in  Wichita,  in  Sedgwick  county  or  in  Kansas  we  are 
benefitting  the  city,  the  county  or  the  state  and  also  we  are  help- 
ing our  own  friends  at  home.  We  benefit  ourselves  and  we  add 
wealth  to  Kansas  and  increase  our  own  tax  rolls.  Wichita  has 
put  more  than  a  million  dollars  into  outside  schemes  outside  of 
the  state  of  Kansas,  some  of  which  are  good  and  others  of  which 
have  proven  worthless.  This  more  than  a  million  dollars  in 
Wichita  buildings  would  have  built  buildings  equal  to  the  Boston 
store,  the  Barnes  block,  the  Innes  store,  the  Beacon  building  and 
the  Schweiter  building,  and  the  result  would  have  been  a  dividend 
at  home,  adding  beauty  to  the  city  of  Wichita  and  a  million  dol- 
lars to  the  tax  rolls  of  Wichita  and  Sedgwick  county  to  cut  down 
the  general  annual  tax  levy. 

The  mere  individual  in  this  day  and  age  cannot  build  the 
buildings  that  Wichita  demands  for  the  business  homes  of  all  its 
manufacturing  and  mercantile  concerns  that  are  here  and  those 
we  desire  to  come.  Wichita  is  in  its  infancy  as  a  manufacturing 
town  and  as  a  wholesale  town.  Kansas  City  has  one  thousand 
capitalized  concerns  for  mercantile  and  manufacturing  purposes, 
and  if  Wichita  succeeds  some  body  of  men  must  furnish  the  capi- 
tal for  the  man  who  has  the  brains  sufficient  to  run  the  business 
but  not  money  enough  to  enlarge  it  or  put  a  new  business  on  foot 
to  compete  with  foreign  concerns.  Every  bond  issue  by  the  city 
of  Wichita  should  be  owned  by  a  Sedgwick  county  citizen. 

When  Wichita  realizes  that  the  building  of  a  city  is  "a  joint 
stock  concern, ' '  in  which  every  man  should  have  a  share ;  when 
we  realize  that  keeping  our  money  at  home  for  home  investments 
is  a  duty  we  owe  to  the  city,  county  and  state,  as  well  as  a  profit 
to  ourselves ;  when  we  realize  that  there  is  no  place  where  an  in- 
vested dollar  is  safer  than  at  home,  guarded  by  home  people  and 
by  home  laws ;  when  we  realize  that  50,000  more  people  to  Wichita 
means  an  added  percentage  to  every  lot  and  every  acre  of  land  in, 
around  and  about  Wichita ;  when  we  realize  that  if  the  city  con- 
tinues to  grow  we  will  have  to  add  bank  capital  to  the  present 
bank  capital  and  manufacturing  capital  for  the  manufacturer 
and  mercantile  capital  for  the  merchants;  when  all  these  facts 
melt  into  the  mind  of  the  property  owners  and  residents  in 
Wichita  we  will  realize  that  a  rock  thrown  in  the  Arkansas  river 


SCKAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOIJY  441 

at  Wichita  creates  a  wave  here  and  that  a  stone  in  Oklahoma,  in 
Texas  or  Colorado  will  only  be  a  rock  thrown  in  the  dark  and 
only  the  investor  can  realize  any  benefit  and  in  some  cases  he  may 
not  get  any  profit.  The  rock  that  creates  the  ripple  when  thrown 
in  the  river  at  Wichita  is  a  benefit  to  the  city,  the  county  and  the 
state. 


THE  MAIN  NORTH  AND  SOUTH  STREET  OF  WICHITA. 

By 

THE  EDITOR. 

Evei'ybody  concedes  that  Douglas  avenue  is  the  principal  busi- 
ness street  of  Wichita.  For  a  long  time  the  town  revolved  around 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Douglas  avenue.  It  has  now  outgrown 
this  proposition.  There  was  a  time  when  it  meant  business  dis- 
aster to  get  a  block  away  from  this  corner.  That  day  is  past ;  in 
the  natural  order  of  things,  as  the  town  expanded,  business  had 
to  go  somewhere.  It  is  now  solidly  intrenched  between  the  bridge 
and  the  railroad  tracks.  It  has  deadened  over  the  line;  it  has 
gone  east  of  the  tracks;  it  has  gone  west  of  the  river.  But  the 
main  push  and  volume  is  within  the  limits  named  above.  The 
Masonic  Temple  is  on  North  Topeka.  Long-headed  and  careful 
business  men  like  Joe  Hollike,  W.  E.  Jett,  Professor  Samuels,  W. 
W.  Pearce,  Mason  Nevins,  Fred  Aley,  E.  L.  Martling  and  0.  C. 
Daisy,  aided  and  abetted  by  such  careful  men  as  Judge  Dale,  still 
sing  the  praises  of  Topeka  avenue.  Others  as  equally  sagacious, 
like  Butts  &  Son,  Smythe  Brothers,  Arthur  Pauline,  Cone  & 
Cornell,  J.  S.  Giwosky,  M.  A.  McClellan,  and  many  others,  still 
contend  for  Lawrence  avenue.  They  cite  the  fact  that  Lawrence 
avenue  is  a  section  line  and  200  miles  long,  and  they  show  their 
faith  by  their  investments  and  dollars.  If  anyone  could  tell  to  a 
dead  moral  certainty  which  would  be  the  main  cross  street  of  the 
town,  Lawrence  or  Topeka  avenues,  that  one  could  make  quite 
a  bunch  of  money.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  town  has  outgrown 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Douglas  idea,  and  the  overflow  is  now 
taking  place  both  north  and  south  of  Douglas  avenue.  There  is  at 
this  time  a  spirited  rivalry  between  Lawrence  and  Topeka  avenue 
as  to  future  supremacy. 


442  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

THE  Mcknight  land. 

When  the  daily  press  of  Wichita  runs  short  of  news  it  always 
begins  on  the  McKnight  land.  This  land  and  its  status  has  be- 
come a  matter  of  general  public  interest.  This  land  consists  of 
123  acres  of  fine  land,  all  within  the  city  limits  of  Wichita.  It  is 
surrounded  by  the  improvements  of  the  city.  This  land  is  owned 
by  Joseph  Hudson  McKnight.  The  purchase  and  conservation 
of  this  land  has  made  Mr.  McKnight  a  rich  man.  This  holding  is 
bounded  on  the  west  by  Hydraulic  avenue  and  on  the  north  by 
Douglas  avenue.  Conservative  business  men  estimate  the  value 
of  the  McKnight  land  at  $300,000. 

This  land  was  originally  the  Hoover  homestead.  It  was  for- 
merly occupied  by  Samuel  H.  Hoover,  the  owner  of  the  well- 
known  Hoover  orchard.  Mr.  McKnight  came  here  from  Anthony, 
Kan.,  and  early  saw  the  possibilities  of  Wichita.  With  wonder- 
ful foresight  and  excellent  business  judgment  Mr.  McKJnight 
bought  the  Hoover  land  of  the  Black  estate.  It  is  rumored  that 
the  entire  tract  cost  him  approximately  $6,500.  That  he  made  a 
fine  investment  no  one  will  deny.  The  time  will  come  when  all 
of  this  land  will  be  covered  by  the  city  of  Wichita. 

THE  DRAINAGE  CANAL. 

The  drainage  canal  is  an  unsightly  gash  cut  through  the  city. 
It  is  supposed  to  take  the  meanderings  out  of  the  Chisholm  creek. 
Chisholm  creek  was  placed  upon  the  landscape  by  providence,  for 
what  purpose  only  providence  knows.  Wichita  in  the  past  being 
located  originally  upon  a  level  plain,  has  suffered  considerably 
from  high  water.  It  was  Finlay  Ross,  who  was  then  mayor,  who 
conceived  the  project  of  a  drainage  canal.  Surveys  were  made, 
appraisers  appointed  and  a  line  was  run  from  Twenty-first  street 
to  Linwood  Park.  The  canal  cost  $106,000.  Some  of  the  conserva- 
tives say  it  cost  too  much ;  others  say  that  it  is  useless ;  others  say 
that  with  this  amount  of  bonded  indebtedness — the  envious  call  it 
Ross'  folly — that  it  costs  the  city  about  $500  per  month  to  pay 
the  interest  on  the  bonds.  And  still  others  say  that  it  is  a  good 
thing.  Its  utility  is  to  be  demonstrated  in  the  future.  To  make 
this  drainage  canal  effectual  the  lower  end  of  it  should  be  ex- 
tended to  the  Arkansas  river.  Up  to  the  present  time  the  county 
commissioners  have  refused  to  take  the  matter  of  extension  under 


SCEAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOEY  443 

consideration.  The  time  is  not  far  distant  when  this  extension 
will  be  made.  At  this  time  the  drainage  canal  serves  to  drain  the 
packing  house  district  of  flood  water.  This  in  itself  is  very  im- 
portant. At  some  future  time,  when  the  city  can  afford  it,  it  is 
designed  to  level  the  banks  of  the  drainage  canal,  arrange  a  drive- 
way on  both  sides  and  plant  trees  and  shrubbery  and  beautify  the 
banks.  All  this  is  in  the  future,  when  the  city  is  more  prosperous 
and  has  a  sinking  fund  of  money  to  draw  upon.    We  shall  see. 

THE  OLD  MUNGER  HOUSE,  THE  FIRST  HOUSE  IN  WICHITA 

"Eagle,"  April  24,  1910. 

Such  little  interest  has  been  taken  in  Wichita  in  local  history, 
and  so  little  has  been  done  towards  the  preservation  of  articles  of 
former  days,  which  in  years  to  come  will  be  of  great  interest  as 
historical  souvenirs,  that  the  recent  action  of  the  park  commis- 
sioner in  causing  the  removal  and  restoration  of  a  log  cabin,  which 
is  now  in  Riverside  Park  near  the  Zoo,  should  meet  with  public 
approval.  This  is  one  of  the  first  efforts  to  preserve  for  posterity 
some  of  Wichita's  early  history.  Commendable  as  was  the  object 
in  this  preservation  of  the  cabin,  it  is  lamentable  that  the  his- 
torical value  of  the  log  cabin  which  Sam  P.  Stewart  has  removed 
from  the  premises  of  P.  J.  Conklin  at  901  North  Waco  avenue 
has  been  challenged.  It  was  carefully  removed  and  put  together 
to  be  an  enduring  souvenir  of  one  of  Wichita's  first  settlers.  Mr. 
Conklin,  who  lives  in  the  former  home  of  the  late  "Commodore" 
W.  C.  Woodman,  who  lived  in  the  original  home  of  D.  S.  Hunger, 
gave  the  log  cabin  to  Commissioner  Stewart  to  place  in  the  park 
as  a  relic.  Historical  societies  in  Wichita  for  the  next  300  years 
will  pass  many  an  interesting  evening  of  discussion  in  trying  to 
determine  just  exactly  what  was  the  first  house  in  Wichita,  and 
who  was  the  first  settler,  and  who  was  the  real  founder  of  the 
city.  When  it  came  time  for  the  Osage  Indians  to  be  removed 
from  what  is  now  Wichita  there  was  a  race  among  settlers  to 
prove  up  homesteads  on  the  government  land,  and  especially  a 
race  to  lay  out  a  townsite,  as  the  hunters  and  traders  who  had 
long  operated  among  the  Indians  had  always  marked  the  junction 
of  the  two  rivers  as  the  site  for  a  city.  Rival  townsite  companies 
were  in  a  great  rush  to  get  a  claim  proved  up  in  order  to  plat 
it  for  the  town  of  Wichita.  Eli  P.  Waterman  proved  up  one 
claim,  which  he  sold  to  William  Greiffenstein,  and  D.  S.  Hunger, 


444  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

representing  a  land  company  composed  of  parties  at  Burlingame, 
proved  up  another  claim.  Both  of  these  claims  became  parts  of 
the  townsite. 

Mr.  Hunger  was  a  native  of  New  York  state,  where  he  was 
born  in  1812.  He  was  a  hardy  pioneer  in  several  western  localities 
and  was  living  at  Topeka  when  the  land  company  induced  him 
to  take  a  claim  at  Wichita.  He  arrived  in  the  spring  of  1868, 
and  at  once  set  about  building  his  house,  which  was  more  than 
a  year  in  the  course  of  construction.  He  left  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter Mary  in  Topeka,  as  Mrs.  Hunger  was  not  in  good  health  and 
the  daughter  was  attending  Bethany  Seminary.  In  the  spring 
of  1869,  however,  Hary  Hunger,  then  fourteen  years  of  age, 
joined  her  father  in  Wichita,  and  Mrs.  Hunger  came  on  in  the 
fall.  Of  the  building  of  the  Hunger  house,  Hrs.  Hary  E.  Hunger 
Watson  said  to  the  "Eagle":  "Father  built  the  house  himself, 
cutting  down  the  cottonwood  trees  on  what  we  called  Teuchel 
island,  because  a  man  named  Teuchel  lived  there.  This  was 
very  near  where  the  two  rivers  join.  Father  crossed  the  river  in  a 
skiff.  He  hewed  the  logs  out  with  an  adz  and  carefully  joined 
them  into  a  substantial  house.  He  made  three  rooms  downstairs 
and  four  rooms  above.  Later  on  we  put  on  an  addition  on  the 
south  side,  and  this  became  the  hotel  office  and  had  three  upper 
rooms,  and  we  also  added  a  kitchen.  For  lath  he  used  small  wil- 
lows which  grew  along  the  river,  and  he  burned  his  own  lime 
for  the  mortar  and  plaster,  and  also  used  buft'alo  hair  for  the  plas- 
ter. His  lime  kiln  was  on  the  river  bank  back  of  the  house.  He 
hauled  the  window  sash,  glass  and  flooring  from  Emporia.  In 
those  days,  where  most  of  the  city  of  Wichita  now  is,  was  then 
nothing  but  prairie,  and  there  wasn't  a  tree  between  the  Little 
Arkansas  river  and  Chisholm  creek. 

"Near  our  house  was  the  Durfee  ranch,  which  was  a  trading 
post,  and  this  was  on  the  river  northwest  of  our  house.  The 
Indians  used  to  come  there  to  trade,  and  there  were  lots  of  soldiers 
stationed  there  when  I  first  came  to  Wichita.  I  remember  that  I 
used  to  think  it  was  a  very  rough  place,  and  I  used  to  keep  out  of 
the  way,  because  I  was  only  fourteen  years  old  and  I  was  afraid 
sometimes. 

"Father  was  the  postmaster,  and  I  was  the  first  deputy  post- 
mistress in  Wichita.  In  the  little  room  on  the  north  side  of  our 
house  was  our  postoffice.  This  was  a  table  about  three  feet  long, 
and  on  it  I  piled  up  cigar  boxes  to  make  pigeon-holes  for  the  let- 


SCRAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOKY  445 

ters.  Along  about  1869  and  1870,  when  lots  of  travelers  began 
to  come  to  Wichita,  father  opened  a  hotel  in  our  house,  and  it 
also  became  a  hospital.  Many  cowboys  were  brought  to  our  hos- 
pital and  most  of  them  had  been  shot.  Father  also  was  justice 
of  the  peace.  To  decorate  the  house  father  plastered  the  north 
gable  on  the  outside  and  he  stuck  pebbles  in  this  plaster  to  orna- 
ment it.  I  do  not  know  where  the  cabin,  now  at  Riverside  Park, 
came  from,  but  it  must  have  been  built  after  our  house.  It  could 
not  have  been  our  barn,  because  we  did  not  have  a  barn,  except 
that  I  had  a  little  shelter  made  of  poles  for  my  pony.  I  know  what 
I  am  talking  about,  because  I  helped  father.  He  made  the  shingles 
for  the  roof  himself  and  I  held  the  light  for  him  when  he  worked 
at  night." 

Mr.  and  Mi*s.  Munger  were  the  original  settlers  in  Wichita  and 
built  the  first  house  on  the  townsite. 

A  FRONTIER  INCIDENT. 

Everybody  in  Sedgwick  county  knows  Uncle  Billy  Mathewson. 
William  Mathewson  still  lives  in  Wichita,  enjoying  himself  at  a 
ripe  old  age.  He  is  said  to  be  the  original  Buffalo  Bill,  and  was 
here  with  Sheridan  and  Custer  and  William  F.  Cody.  The  follow- 
ing is  an  early  incident  in  his  career,  and  he  has  a  career  which 
reads  like  a  romance.  In  his  day  on  the  frontier  he  was  one  of 
the  celebrated  scouts. 

There  are  no  round-ups  for  the  early  day  plainsmen  any  more, 
and  so  it  is  with  added  pleasure  that  friends  of  the  sixties  and 
seventies  meet.  So  it  was  when  William  C.  Peacock,  "Left-Handed 
Bill,"  called  upon  Col.  William  Mathewson,  "Buffalo  Bill,"  of 
this  city,  some  time  ago.  It  had  been  thirty  years  since  these  two 
hardy  frontiersmen  had  seen  each  other.  Mr.  Peacock's  home  is 
in  Kansas  City.  He  stopped  off  at  Wichita  while  on  his  way  home 
from  a  trip  to  Oklahoma,  where  he  goes  frequently  to  visit  his  old 
stamping  ground  at  Fort  Sill,  and  pay  his  regards  to  old  friends. 
At  El  Reno  lives  Albert  Curtis,  son  of  "Old  Dick  Curtis,"  inter- 
preter, scout  and  half-breed  Sioux,  with  whom  Mr.  Peacock  lived 
at  Larned  in  1868.  Here,  too,  is  Ben  Clark,  nor  should  Lone  Wolf 
and  Big  Tree  be  forgotten.  At  Anadarko  "Jimmy"  Jones  and 
Tom  Peet  live.  With  Clark,  Curtis  and  Jones,  memories  of 
"Hurricane  Bill"  Martin,  "Buffalo  Bill"  Mathewson  and  "Wild 
Bill"  Hiekock  were  the  topics  of  conversation,  but  with  Lone 


446  HISTOKY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

Wolf  and  Big  Tree  "Zane-pong-za-del-py"  was  the  all-absorbing 
thought. 

Now  "Zane-pong-za-del-py"  is  the  aboriginal  root  for  "Bad 
Man  With  the  Long  Beard,"  a  designation  for  Col.  W^illiam 
Mathewson,  applied  to  him  when  he  made  a  piece  of  Indian  his- 
tory that  forms  an  epoch  to  this  day.  Colonel  Mathewson,  the 
original  "Buffalo  Bill,"  as  he  was  known  among  his  own  people, 
was  keeping  a  store  or  supply  house  at  Great  Bend  at  that  time. 
The  Kiowas  were  camped  near  there,  and  one  of  their  number 
ventured  out,  under  the  protection  of  night's  blackness,  to  steal 
a  horse  from  the  stockade.  Colonel  Mathewson  caught  sight  of 
the  red  rascal  as  he  was  fleeing  in  the  then  most  popular  mode  of 
horse  stealing,  astride  the  stolen  horse 's  back.  Mathewson  picked 
the  Indian  from  the  horse's  back  with  a  shot,  inflicting  a  wound 
from  which  the  Indian  died  a  few  days  after. 

Colonel  Mathewson 's  fair  treatment  of  the  members  of  the  dif- 
ferent tribes  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  in  his  trading  expedi- 
tions and  daily  business  had  won  him  a  reputation,  valuable  to 
him  in  a  business  way  and  as  securing  his  person  against  vicious 
assaults.  He  maintains  today  that  whatever  bad  the  character 
of  the  Indian  showed  in  those  days  was  due,  or  at  least  made  op- 
erative, by  the  white  man's  military  hysteria.  So  the  Kiowas 
could  hardly  look  upon  his  shooting  of  the  horse  thief  as  malicious 
or  unjust,  for  it  was  generally  understood  that  had  the  robber 
been  a  white  man  he  would  have  fared  no  better  at  the  hands  of 
Mathewson.  Notwithstanding  this  fact,  however,  Satanta,  a  war 
chief  of  the  tribe,  grasped  the  opportunity,  as  he  thought,  of  gain- 
ing an  advantage  for  himself.  Satanta  came  to  Mathewson 's  place 
a  day  or  two  after  the  death  of  the  stable  pilferer.  With  him  was 
a  circle  of  swarthy  bucks,  whose  different  visages  wore  looks  of 
expectation  and  menace,  but  none  of  fear  or  indifference.  Satanta 
entered  the  store  alone.  His  companions  crowded  around  the  en- 
trance. Mr.  Mathewson  was  behind  the  counter  when  the  giant 
Satanta  moved  slowly  up  to  the  counter  with  a  glance  about  the 
place  to  assure  himself  that  he  was  alone  with  his  prey.  Mathew- 
son did  not  move  even  a  step,  although  Avithin  five  feet  of  him 
behind  a  showcase  and  out  of  sight  of  the  red  beast  lay  a  big  Colt's 
six-shooter.  He  kept  his  eye  not  on  the  weapon  in  the  hands  of 
Satanta  but  on  that  devil's  eye.  To  a  citizen  living  in  the  peace 
of  a  Kansas  town  of  today,  under  the  protection  of  ample  police 
force,  with  most  of  the  Indians  in  their  happy  hunting  grounds. 


SCEAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOEY  447 

the  suspense  of  those  few  moments  would  seem  unconditionally 
terrible;  yet  to  "Buffalo  Bill"  they  were  but  a  valuable  period  of 
time  which  allowed  him  to  think  of  a  mode  of  procedure,  for  he 
was  always  as  "cool  as  a  cucumber,"  and  was  never  known  to 
lose  his  head.  Finally  Satanta  spoke.  The  words  were  in  the 
native  tongue  of  the  tribe,  but  the  signs  that  went  with  them 
plainly  indicated  that  Satanta  said  to  Mathewson:  "Give  us 
goods  or  I  will  kill  you  for  the  murder  of  my  kinsman."  With- 
out any  change  of  expression,  but  with  a  free  hand  motion, 
Mathewson  directed  his  sweeping  arm  to  the  shelves  behind  him, 
and  said:  "Satanta,  there  are  the  goods.  Take  them."  The 
avaricious  red,  with  a  motion  to  his  waiting  companions,  started 
to  the  end  of  the  showcase  to  get  behind  the  counter.  Mathewson 
had  not  been  idle  in  the  meantime.  Intent  upon  getting  his  hands 
upon  the  white  man's  goods,  Satanta  had  not  noticed  Mathewson 's 
change  of  position  and  knew  not  of  it  until  he  felt  the  crushing 
blow  of  Mathewson 's  revolver  upon  his  head.  No  sooner  had  he 
delivered  the  blow  than  Mathewson  leaped  upon  the  fallen  Satanta 
and,  picking  the  senseless  Indian,  threw  and  half  kicked  him  into 
the  midst  of  his  assembled  braves  outside  of  the  store.  "Take  him 
away  quick  or  I'll  kill  him,"  spoke  "Bviffalo  Bill"  to  the  Kiowas 
in  the  same  quiet  way  in  which  he  had  offered  Satanta  the  goods. 
That  ended  the  trouble  with  the  Kiowas,  and  although  Satanta 
lost  a  reputation,  Colonel  Mathewson  found  one.  After  that  for 
years  "  Zane-pong-za-del-py "  had  only  to  point  his  finger  to  get 
Satanta  to  sit  down  and  "be  good." 

WICHITA. 

From  the  "Elk  County  Citizen,"  Howard,  Kan. 

Some  cities,  like  some  individuals,  have  a  personality.  Wichita 
is  in  this  class.  Whenever  that  city  is  mentioned  one  thinks  of 
great  things.  Wichita  is  the  favorite  child  of  Kansas.  Here  the 
true  Kansas  spirit  is  found.  All  Kansans  regard  Wichita  with 
much  the  same  feeling  that  a  fond  parent  feels  toward  a  child 
that  has  "made  good."  Kansas  has  had  her  troublesome  days,  but 
is  now  in  the  broad  open  sunlight  of  prosperity.  The  day  was 
when  Wichita — the  "Peerless  Princess"- — was  a  dirty-faced  tom- 
boy with  soiled  and  torn  garments,  but  now  she  is  decked  in  gar- 
ments befitting  the  name  which  her  best-loved  citizen  gave  her — 
he  who  was  her  prophet  in  her  infancy  and  devoted  his  life  to  her 


448  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

service.  Wichita  is  located  in  the  Arkansas  valley,  the  richest 
body  of  farming  land  in  the  world.  She  is  served  by  eight  lines 
of  steam  railway  and  work  has  begun  on  a  trolley  system  that  will 
place  her  in  touch  with  every  city  within  one  hundred  miles  dis- 
tance. The  population  of  the  city  is  considerably  above  the  50,- 
000  mark  and  is  increasing  rapidly.  Wichita  has  two  of  the  best 
and  ablest  newspapers  published  in  any  city  in  the  United  States 
of  her  size.  Thirty-five  other  newspapers,  weekly,  monthly  and 
daily,  present  her  interests  to  the  outside  world.  She  has  sixty- 
six  churches,  twenty-five  schools,  ten  colleges  and  technical 
schools,  seven  hospitals,  extensive  and  beautiful  public  parks, 
fourteen  banks,  great  elevators,  big  mills,  three  packing  plants  em- 
ploying more  than  1,500  people,  wholesale  and  jobbing  houses  rep- 
resenting every  branch  of  business,  is  the  largest  market  for 
broomcorn  in  the  world,  is  the  greatest  distributing  city  for  agri- 
cultural implements,  save  one,  and  in  many  other  lines  is  ranked 
in  the  highest  class. 

During  the  past  year  1,895  homes  were  built,  besides  many  sub- 
stantial and  towering  business  blocks,  and  there  is  building  at 
this  time  more  than  800  homes,  with  more  than  $5,000,000  prom- 
ised for  building  improvements  during  the  coming  year.  Wichita 
is  an  open-faced  town — nothing  bid.  There  are  no  slum  districts. 
One  will  not  see  there  women  and  little  children  with  pinching 
poverty  gnawing  at  their  vitals.  The  Brotherhood  of  Man  seems 
to  have  found  a  lodging  place  in  this  fair  city,  and  there  is  work 
and  plenty  for  all.  Her  future  is  assured.  Because  of  her  superior 
citizenship,  her  enterprise,  her  excellent  schools  and  colleges,  her 
business  opportunities,  she  is  drawing  to  herself  and  will  continue 
to  draw  the  enterprising  young  man,  and  those  who  have  out- 
grown their  home  towns,  and  those  who  have  accumulated  a  com- 
petency, in  all  the  surrounding  territory;  and  this  will  continue 
until  she  will  be  classed  with  the  ten  great  eities  of  this  nation. 

LOCAL  CONDITIONS. 

By 

RODOLPH  HATFIELD. 

The  old-timers,  like  myself,  who  have  been  in  Sedgwick  county 
for  more  than  thirty  years,  delight  to  say  that  Wichita  as  a  city  is 


SCRAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTORY  449 

not  affected  by  local  conditions.  This  is  a  grave  error.  While 
Wichita  has  nearly  55,000  people,  the  time  has  not  yet  arrived 
when  it  is  not  affected  very  seriously  by  local  conditions.  The 
town  has  always  been  keenly  sensitive  to  local  crop  and  other 
conditions.  When  in  the  early  seventies  Wichita  was  the  largest 
primary  wheat  market  in  the  world  the  wheat  came  here  because 
it  was  the  terminus  of  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  from  Newton.  The 
building  of  the  railroad  southward  seriously  affected  the  town  and 
all  of  its  conditions.  All  realty  values  weakened  and  the  real 
estate  market  sagged  very  badly  for  several  years.  Prior  to  that 
time  Wichita  was  the  end  of  the  Texas  cattle  trail.  The  moving 
of  that  trail  to  Dodge  City  very  seriously  affected  the  town,  and, 
as  the  old  settlers  expressed  it,  "The  town  was  gone."  The  most 
serious  stroke  that  Wichita  ever  suffered  was  the  dying  of  the 
boom,  and  it  took  years  to  recover  from  this  setback.  The  old- 
timers  and  those  who  came  later  have  always  been  very  sensitive, 
and  are  still  in  that  frame  of  mind.  At  the  same  time  the  people 
of  this  city  have  an  abiding  faith  in  the  future  of  Wichita.  They 
believe  that  it  is  on  a  solid  basis ;  that  it  will  grow  and  wax  strong 
as  the  years  go  by.  We  have  passed  through  our  periods  of  de- 
pression, and,  as  we  believe,  are  now  in  the  clear  noonday,  with 
nothing  ahead  to  make  us  afraid.  The  most  careful  observer  of 
realty  values  now  looks  confidently  to  the  next  decade  to  make 
Wichita  100,000  strong. 

THE    POPULATION    OF    WICHITA,    SEDGWICK    COUNTY, 
AND  THE  STATE  OF  KANSAS. 

The  following  is  the  population  of  Wichita,  Sedgwick  county 
and  the  state  of  Kansas,  according  to  the  latest  official  returns. 
Wichita  and  Sedgwick  county  take  second  place  in  population  as 
they  are  in  wealth.  Also,  as  a  matter  of  comparison,  the  cities  of 
Kansas  having  a  population  of  more  than  10,000  people  are  also 
given : 

The  population  of  Kansas  March  1,  1910,  according  to  figures 
returned  to  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  and  made  public  today, 
was  1,696,361,  a  decrease  of  11,130  from  the  same  date  in  1909  and 
an  increase  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  in  the  last  ten  years.  Wichita 
ranks  second  among  the  cities  of  the  state,  with  54,133,  and  Sedg- 
wick is  second  among  the  counties,  with  73,338. 


450  HISTORY  OP  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

The  population  of  those  cities  having  10,000  or  more  inhabi 
tants  and  the  order  of  their  rank  follow : 

Kansas  City 91,300 

Wichita 54,133 

Topeka   45,143 

Leavenworth   24,342 

Coffeyville   18,174 

Atchison  16,691 

Hutchinson 16,572 

Pittsburg 15,073 

Parsons 14,490 

Lawrence 13,779 

Independence  12,372 

Fort  Scott 11,556 

Salina 10,120 


WICHITA  SEES  HER  VISION  AND  SMILES. 

The  address  of  William  Allen  White  at  the  laying  of  the  cor- 
nerstone of  the  new  Beacon  building  March  8,  during  the  Wichita 
meeting  of  the  Kansas  Editorial  Association:  "If  a  thousand 
years  are  but  as  a  watch  in  the  night,  the  great  heart  of  the  ages 
has  hardly  throbbed  a  beat  since  the  Indians  left  Wichita.  Yes- 
terday we  had  "Rowdy  Joe"  and  his  galaxy  of  tarnished  stars 
in  the  dance  hall.  Tick  toek  goes  the  great  clock,  and,  lo!  we 
have  the  initiative  and  referendum  and  recall  with  the  Law  and 
Order  League  in  serene  control  of  the  situation.  What  a  city  of 
dreams  you  are !  God  said  let  there  be  light  and  there  was  light. 
He  smiled  and  there  was  Wichita.  When  one  considers  things  as 
they  were  and  as  they  are  in  this  community,  no  miracle  seems 
impossible.  Changing  water  into  wine  is  wonderful,  but  no  more 
wonderful  than  changing  the  wilderness  into  a  beautiful  city  in  a 
generation.  Feeding  the  multitude  on  five  loaves  and  three  small 
fishes  is  no  greater  marvel  than  is  Wichita  a  dream  city  crystal- 
lized into  form  and  substance  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  And 
the  marvel  of  it  all  is  not  the  substance  of  it  in  brick  and  stone, 
not  the  evidence  of  things  seen,  but  the  marvel  of  it  is  the  reali- 
zation of  things  hoped  for  in  the  relations  of  men  to  one  another. 
It  is  not  that  you  have  400  miles  of  streets,  that  you  have  waved 
the  wand  of  progress  and  have  made  brick  and  stone  and  wood 


SCEAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOKY  451 

and  iron  blossom  into  homes.  The  great  wonder  of  Wichita  is  not 
its  material  structure,  not  the  50,000  people,  but  its  civilization. 
Other  cities  have  blossomed  of  old  in  other  wildernesses.  That  is 
not  so  wonderful.  The  wonder  of  Wichita  is  not  that  50,000  peo- 
ple live  here  but  that  50,000  people  live  here  so  happily.  Where 
else  on  earth  will  you  iind  so  little  poverty  as  here  ?  Where  else 
on  earth  will  you  find  so  little  difference  between  the  rich  and  the 
poor  as  here!  Speaking  in  the  terms  of  eastern  civilization,  there 
are  no  rich  here  and  no  poor.  You  have  achieved  the  dream  of 
philosophers  for  thousands  of  years — a  community  wherein  the 
profits  of  capital  and  labor  are  being  distributed  more  nearly  in 
fairness  than  they  are  distributed  any  place  else  in  the  world. 
In  this  young  city,  built  by  the  people  without  class  lines,  with- 
out cruel  contrasts,  you  have  a  civilization  that  would  have  been 
deemed  a  mere  vision  of  a  dreamer  one  hundred  years  ago.  That 
is  the  wonder  of  Wichita.  And  that  wonder  is  in  a  way  epitomized 
in  this  building  you  are  beginning  today.  It  is  a  dream  taking 
shape  in  stone  and  iron — a  vision  coming  into  material  form.  But 
the  miraculous  part  of  the  vision  is  not  its  stone  and  iron  but 
instead  the  economic  significance  of  it.  It  epitomizes  in  little  the 
miracle  of  Wichita.  This  is  the  people 's  town  and  this  is  the  peo- 
ple's  building.  This  city  was  built  in  the  sublime  faith  of  the 
people  in  themselves.  This  building  is  built  in  that  same  faith. 
No  rich  man  owns  it.  It  is  built  by  the  people — the  common,  ordi- 
nary home-making  folks — for  their  own  use  and  benefit.  It  is 
probably  the  first  great  structure  ever  erected  in  the  world  just 
by  the  folks  without  a  debt  or  mortgage  to  the  rich. 

"That  is  the  wonder  of  it — the  economic  stability  of  the  com- 
mon people.  That  is  why  this  building  is  a  monument  to  Wichita, 
and  a  tribute  to  the  civilization  of  Kansas.  It  indicates  a  state  of 
prosperity  among  the  people  never  seen  in  the  world  before.  It 
proves  a  distribution  of  the  common  wealth  of  the  common  peo- 
ple is  more  nearly  equitable  here  and  now  than  the  ancient  world 
has  ever  seen.  The  city  of  dreams  is  a  city  of  the  people.  But 
the  dreams  of  the  people  are  not  disturbed  by  debts  or  bonds  or 
mortgages.  The  dreams  are  not  nightmares.  Wichita  sees  her 
visions  and  smiles." 

TAGS. 

Tags  is  a  dog,  and  yet  there  is  not  a  person,  man,  woman  or 
child,  in  the  city  of  Wichita  better  known  than  Tags.     He  is  a 


452  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

yellow,  rough-coated  dog,  with  one  lop  ear.  His  habitat  is  in  front 
of  the  Boston  store,  and  his  picture  appears  each  afternoon  in 
the  "Daily  Beacon,"  and  his  prognostigations  are  read  by  all  of 
the  reading  community.  He  is  in  a  way  a  tramp  dog,  but  he  fares 
sumptuously  every  day,  and  on  St.  Patrick's  day  he  sported  a 
bright  green  ribbon  tied  around  his  neck  by  some  friend.  He 
sometimes  leaves  his  post  to  bark  at  some  motor  car  which  is  pass- 
ing making  an  unusual  noise,  but  he  always  returns  to  his  post 
and,  careless  of  the  crowd,  stretches  himself  at  full  length  in  the 
middle  of  the  walk,  and,  unmindful  of  the  passing  throng,  takes 
an  afternoon  nap.  The  building  of  the  Orient  shops,  the  location 
of  the  Auditorium,  the  raising  of  the  $50,000  to  complete  the  Chil- 
dren's Home  are  daily  incidents  in  the  life  of  the  city  which  do 
not  worry  Tags.  He  has  grown  into  a  landmark.  The  children 
all  over  the  county  know  him,  and  the  children  in  the  city  feed 
him.  When  he  is  sleeping  everybody  respects  his  condition  and 
he  slumbers  on  undisturbed,  and  when  upon  his  feet  everyone  has 
a  kindly  word  and  hand  for  Tags. 


FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  WERE  LASTING. 

"I  never  have  grown  tired  of  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas," 
said  Dr.  A.  H.  Pabrique,  who  is  entitled  to  be  called  a  real  pioneer. 
"I  first  saw  the  valley  from  College  Hill  during  the  summer  of 
1869.  I  had  come  out  to  Eldorado,  and  decided  to  drive  across 
and  take  a  look  at  this  valley.  I  cannot  tell  my  impressions  as 
our  wagon  reached  the  summit  of  the  rise  of  ground  now  called 
College  Hill,  and  I  saw  for  the  first  time  this  wonderful  valley 
of  the  Arkansas  river  stretching  away  to  the  Northwest  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  see.  There  was  the  river,  then  carrying  much 
more  water  than  it  does  now,  and  the  Little  river  with  its  fringe 
of  trees,  with  herds  of  cattle  and  of  Indian  ponies  here  and  there. 
I  made  up  my  mind  then  and  there  to  cast  my  lot  in  this  valley, 
and  the  next  spring,  1870,  I  came  here  and  it  has  been  my  home 
ever  since.  There  has  never  been  a  time  in  all  these  years  that  I 
have  lost  faith  in  this  valley  or  this  town,  and  though  I  am  now 
an  old  man  and  have  since  seen  many  spots  that  are  called  beauti- 
ful and  attractive,  I  have  never  seen  a  spot  that  pleased  me  as 
well  as  this  valley. ' ' 


SCEAPS  OF  LOCAL  HISTOKY         '  453 

VERSATILE  PREACHER  OF  PIONEER  DAYS. 

The  first  preacher  in  "Wichita  was  a  man  named  Hilton,  who 
afterward  left  here  and  became  rich  in  Arizona.  He  is  said  by  the 
pioneers  to  have  been  a  versatile  man,  with  the  abil;ty  to  preach 
a  sermon,  take  hand  in  a  knock-down,  play  poker  or  guzzle  booze 
at  the  Bismarck  saloon  with  equal  relish  and  facility.  Some  of 
the  old-timers  who  did  not  object  so  much  to  his  propensity  for 
card  playing  and  liquor  drinking,  still  contend  that  Hilton  was 
one  of  the  smartest  men  and  best  preachers  that  ever  held  a 
Wichita  congregation  spellbound  by  his  eloquence. 

This  man  preached  in  a  small  church  with  a  shed  roof,  and 
frequently  had  in  his  congregation  some  of  the  most  notorious 
desperadoes  that  ever  lived  in  the  "West. 

WICHITA'S  FIRST  DAILY  NEWSPAPER. 

"Wichita  brings  out  the  first  daily  paper  ever  published  in 
southwestern  Kansas.  It  is  a  Grant  and  "Wilson  paper,  called  the 
"Beacon,"  and  is  published  by  Millison  &  Sowers.  "We  wish  it 
success. — Bent.  Murdock. 

Off  again,  old  wind.  Use  Vinegar  Bitters  for  a  change.  "We 
hurrah  for  the  great  American  agriculturist  and  the  original  Mis- 
souri abolitionist  from  Kentucky. — From  the  "Daily  Beacon"  of 
October  29,  1872. 

THE  CHARITY  OF  WICHITA  CITIZENS. 

The  old  quotation  from  holy  writ,  ""What  shall  it  profit  a 
man — , "  was  never  intended  to  discourage  progress  in  things 
commercial.  The  Prince  of  Peace  himself  was  a  carpenter.  He 
lived  among  fishermen,  farmers  and  shepherds.  He  gave  his  en- 
couragement to  every  man  ^iio  was  endeavoring  to  provide  the 
material  things  necessary  for  his  own  comfort  and  that  of  those 
dependent  upon  him.  If  Jesus,  the  Christ,  were  on  earth  today 
he  would  not  withhold  a  blessing  from  any  man  for  promoting 
the  commercial  interests  of  his  community  by  honest  industry  and 
faithful  toil.  But  those  who  have  read  the  sentiments  of  the  in- 
spired writers,  or  have  heard  them  read  occasionally,  must  have 
been  impressed  by  the  absence  of  exhortations  to  pile  up  endless 
riches  or  to  get  a  corner  on  wheat.    Where  stocks  and  bonds  are 


454  HISTORY  OF  SEDGWICK  COUNTY 

mentioned  in  the  modern  financial  journals,  the  Book  of  Books 
pleads  for  human  sympathy.  It  describes  attractively  the  length 
and  breadth  of  charity — a  field  of  wonderful  promise,  in  which 
help  and  encouragement  are  brought  to  those  who  need  them 
most,  and  in  which  men  and  women  are  raised  from  treacherous 
paths  near  the  water's  edge  to  a  safer  and  better  plane  of  life  and 
thought  and  action.  If  charity  were  less  important  than  it  is,  it 
would  not  have  received  so  much  emphasis  from  Him  who  brought 
to  the  world  the  most  thrilling  message  men  have  ever  heard. 
The  story  of  the  woman  at  the  well  would  not  have  been  made  the 
feature  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  chapters  of  the  Bible  if  the 
Creator  had  not  intended  that  men  should  concern  themselves 
about  the  misfortunes  of  others.  So  it  is  interesting  to  know  that 
while  the  men  of  Wichita  who  have  talent  for  promoting  commer- 
cial organization  and  industrial  thrift  have  won  power  and  promi- 
nence in  the  field  of  trade,  others  who  have  the  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  for  the  work  of  charity  have  built  institutions  where 
suffering  from  hunger  and  exposure  is  relieved,  where  struggling 
soiils,  burdened  with  failure  and  remorse,  are  sheltered  through 
the  tempest  and  warmed  with  love  until  the  light  of  strength  and 
usefulness  appears  again  in  the  East. 

The  people  of  Wichita  have  shown  a  wonderful  tenderness 
in  the  provisions  they  have  made  for  unfortunates.  Splendid 
hospitals  have  been  erected  and  equipped  for  the  care  of  the  af- 
flicted. Thousands  of  dollars  have  been  freely  appropriated  by 
the  people  to  provide  a  comfortable  home  for  little  children  who 
have  been  deprived  of  the  helpful  care  of  loving  parents.  Sedg- 
wick Home,  which  annually  helps  thousands  of  men  and  women  to 
secure  means  of  livelihood,  is  maintained  by  the  funds  which  the 
people  supply.  There  is  a  home  here  for  fallen  women  who  have 
no  place  else  to  go.  Other  homes  have  been  provided  for  the 
helpless,  the  aged  and  the  infirm.  In  a  thousand  ways  a  thought- 
ful citizenship  has  sought  to  share  its  comfort  with  those  whose 
efficiency  has  been  impaired  by  physical  or  mental  ills.  Charity 
is  encouraged  here.  The  work  of  charity  is  increasing  in  Wichita 
every  year.  It  is  a  work  of  love  and  mercy  which  has  enriched  the 
lives  of  many  citizens  who  are  prominent  and  useful  in  other  fields 
as  well,  and  the  touch  of  sympathy  they  have  frequently  adminis- 
tered has  brought  light  and  cheer  to  hundreds  of  souls  that  would 
quickly  have  perished  without  it. 


610