The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-02-10

quarter section. We purchased the
land of him in 1862 and still own it.
Scrafford was one of the most driv-
ing, industrious men we ever saw.
There was no tire or let-up in him.
He was brick layer by trade, and in
the fall of 1857 he removed to White
Cloud, building him house-the
same that Mr.. Partridge afterwards
bought and remodelled. Lappin, on
the contrary, would not work, but de-
voted himself to speculation. He
formed partnership with II. U. Tor
rey, a young man from New York,
who died few years ago, at Norfolk,
Virginia, CT consumption. They
started building in White Cloud, for
an Office. but before it was completed,
in the fall of 1857, they found u better
thing. They went to Nemaha county,
found q splendid town site near the
center of the county, and selling their
house and their land, located there,
laid out town, and called it Seneca,
in honor of Seneca county, Ohio,
where Lappin had come from. We
believe they jumped another mans
claim in the operation, and managed
to beat him out of it by some hook or
crook of law. They designed the
town tor the county seat, and in a
short time secured it, wrestling the
honor from the town of Richmond,
which had previously been the county
seat.
In 1853, Scrafford burned several
kilns of brick and went into the BUSH
ness of building houses. His first job
was the City Hotel and Shreve Il
Macy's drug store. He afterwards
built residence for Il. +. Ruffner,
now owned by d. G.. Garlock, and an
other for VIM. III. Maucs, now owned
by the Beeler estate. He put i'll so
much time that summer that it was
said he laid brick by candle light, be-
fore day and after dark. In the fall Of
1858, Scrafford was induced, by the
glowing accounts from Lappin and
TOrrey, to pull up stakes and take an
Lappin and Scrafford together bought
the interest of Torrey, who returned
to New York.
From the time of their location at
Seneca the firm prospered and made
every edge cut. They opened a store
aud reaped rich harvest, not only
from the surrounding settlers, but
from the Pixies Peak emigration. FIR
some years Lappin, Scrafiord and Tor
rey held nearly all the county offices
between them, besides being members
of the Legislature, and of course, in
the way of tax titles, county warrants
and various other strings which they
held, made thousands of dollars. For
a long time they literally controlled
the politics of the county. In few
wears they sold their store and went
into the banking business. They were
public spirited aud 90 ahead. Scraf-
ford built the finest residence in north
ern Kansas, and through their exer-
tons magnificent court house, fine
school building, and several churches
were erected. They were believed TO
be immensely wealthy. and their cred
it was almost unlimited. Until their
ton of their finances was not suspect
ed, and even now it is not known how
they fell so far in the lurch. But since
the discovery of the bond fraud, their
destruction has been quick and thor
ough. But for that discovery they
might have weathered the storm. 1t
is to be lamented that, by such an I'M
accountable course, they risked and
lost the accumulations and the repu-
iation of years.
Lappin had the reputation of being
a hard and grasping man, without
mercy to the poor, aud fond of boast:
ing of his exploits i'll that line. We
never had any personal dealings with
him and cannot speak from expert
ence; but we believed that he would
be strictly honest in public capacity.
We were more intimately acquainted |
with Scrafford. He was sharp at a |
bargain. and keen for speculation, but |
we never thought him hard-hearted |
man. We had dealings with him to a |
amount, for us-more
than we should have undertaken, in |
chase of the farm above referred to. |
We failed several times on our part of
the contract. and were delinquent for
several years; and by the express
terms of the contract, as drawn up
with all the ingenuity of Lappin, and
in point of law Scratford had it in his
power to close us out completely aud
for keeps. He simply told us not to
worry about it, but to make it come
around as soon as we conveniently
could, at the same time taking the
lowest rate OF interest that was pre-
vailing then in Kansas, and he gave
Us warranty deed to the land, which
was on record more than a year be-
fore the property was really ours.
While regretting that Mr.. Scrafiord
las become involved in this great
rhine apparently, at least,) and that
he has been brought TO financial ruin,
We must pay this tribute of justice to
lin, from our own personal expert
,nce.