The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-10-04
RECORD OF A RErORMER.
How an Honest MAN. Manages to get
along In Politics, &C., &c.-News OF

How an Honest NAM Manages to get
September 81.
EDITORS OF THE NEws-GENTs IL
read the above head lines in your issue
of the above date, and the wonderful
flourish of trumpets which followed,
purporting to be historic This matter
of making history to suit the writer's
purpose, is no new phase Of small his
torians. have nothing TO take back,
nor any crfngfng apologies to make; nor
will any ever be offered; for presume
should do the same things again If
placed in the like positions and sur
rounded by like circumstances. 1 would
not at this time deign reply or offer
one word in explanation were it not due
my friends and the public
Item No. one-The Eldorado land
office:-In the fall of 1870, Mr.. J. G.
Fraker, then doing business in Eldora-
do, visited me at my home, some eight
miles north of EmpOria, and informed
me that new land district had been set
western part of this State, and that the
Eldorado people were anxious to secure
the location of the new land office at
that place, and that Augusta, a rival
town, was making efforts to secure the
location at that point, and that the Edo
RADIO people desired that should go to
Washington in their interest, and that
the business men and himself desired
that should visit Eldorado at once for
a conference on that matter. informed
Mr.. Fraker that could not well leave
home as 1 was doing my own farm work
Mr.. Fraker insisted that I should go to
Eldorado. did so. / met DIR. Allen
White and others whose names do not
now remember, who insisted that 1
should go to Washington in their inter
est, and go at once. To defray my ex-
pense of time and money, they advanced
me just $2O0-not one cent more, not
one cent less-Mr. Sumner to the con-
trary Notwithstanding. I took the mon
ey mot from table; it was handed mel
and told Mr.. White s. Co. would
visit Junction City Q. S. Land Office
first, and ascertain if that office had re-
ceived any information relative to the
location of the new Office, and would
write them from that place, and if I
learned the Office had been located I
would return and would return to them
the 5000, less my expenses to Junction
City. went to Junction City, called at
the Receivers Offices. D. Houston,
Receiver-and there learned that Mr.
Houston was in Washington, and that
no word as to location of the new office
had been received. next called on G..
W. Martin, Register, from whom I learn
ed that no word had been received re-
garding the location of the Office in the
new district. I at once wrote the facts
to the people of Eldorado, and that I
would take the first train for Washing
ton, which did. On reaching Wash
ington at once called on our q. s. Sen
ators who informed me that the papers
locating the office at Augusta had been
filed in the Interior dedartment several
days before my arrival, but no procla-
nation had been issued. I asked that
the papers be recalled that might rep
resent the claims of Eldorado They re-
ferred me to Mr.. Sidney Clark, M. c., in
whose hands they said the matter princi-
pal1y rested. 1 at once called on Mr..
Clark, from whom 1 learned also that
the papers locating the Office at Augusta
had been filed, some days before, in the
Interior Department. l asked that the
papers be recalled that I might have a
hearing in advocacy of the claims of Ell
dorado. Mr.. G. did not say positively
that they should not be, but said he
would see. found s. D. Houston, Re
ceiver of the q. s. land office at juno
ton City, there in the interest of, or ia
voring Augusta. After trying for some
ten days for hearing and being put off
came to the conclusion that parties in
power at Washington and in the Interior
Department had been made, in some
way, interested in Augusta; and that
further time and effort was useless, and
L left and came home. On reaching
home my cash account showed balance |
of between 81 and $12 in my hands of
the 5000 which $11 was all I ever re- |
ceived for my time, and any statement,
intimation or insinuation that ever re- |
ceived~One cent more from any one in
any way interested in this land Office
mater, say what is not true in any par
ticular. Or that did not act in good
faith with the people of Eldorado, is
just as false. If anything more was
done or money raised by the people of |
Eldorado, it never came into my hands
or to my knowledge, except through |
hostile newspapers. The people did. all |
1 asked, paid 5000 and $4,000, or |
twice that amount could have done no |
more, so far as was concerned.
As to Mr.. Summers statements pub |
Iished in the News, I only have to say
that he is either ignorant of the facts, |
has been misinformed, or has very little
regard for the truth I never supposed
or intimated that had any influence or
control OF that or any other matters in |
Kansas, outside Of my own little affairs. |
Item No. 2:-The HumboldtInde- |
pendence-Neodesha and present indie |
pendence o. s. land Office matters.-Il
took the Office of Register at Humboldt,
Nov. 81, 1871, under the impression OBJ |
tanned from statements made to me from
parties then in Washington, that the
Office was worth between 81, 900 and I, 200 |
a year. At the end of the fractional |
quarter, Dec. 81, one month and nine
days work, I made my report to the
Hon. Willis Drummond, Commissioner
of the general land Office, which report |
was audited and passed as correct in ev-
cry particular, and draft returned to |