The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-07-17

capitalist by selling him shares IN Graw
vile, at $500 each.
In the spring of 1859, wild, reckless.
feverish stream of humanity swept past
Salina, headed toward the setting sun.
This was at the height of the Pixies
Peak excitement, and Salina was the
last station on tho celebrated Smoky
Hill Route, tho 'tshortost and best route
to the Gold regions" 1t was q motley,
mixed, struggling mass on foot, and
some mounted on horses, mules and
ponies; some with hand carts, and
others again with we'll appointed teams,
all carrying their arms, clothing and
provisions for Q trip OF four hundred
miles across the wilderness, and all ami
mated aud inspired by the THIRST for
gold. With this crowd came Or. Cobb,
in the month of May, 1860. He, too,
was aiming for that auriferous land
around the base of the Peak, to which
Capt. Zebulon Pike has given his name.
Liking the appearance of the country.
bis thirst for sudden wealth having
cooled, he concluded to become pes-
manent settler, and selected claim on
the river, several miles below town, on
land now owned by Mr. Peterman.
DIR. Cobb came from the kanawha
valley, IN Virginia, where he had been
engaged in the salt business. Some
years prior to his leaving Virginia, he
had purchased q mulattO woman OF
rather comely appearance, together with
her son Bill. Afterwards two children
more, boy and girl, with light hair
and fairer complexion than their moth
or, were added to this family. At the
time of which write, Bill was almost q
grown man, and the other children
were aged about ten and six. Thus
provided with domestic aid and farm
labor, and possessing moreover q good
team, the doctor set himself to work to
improve his claim, and with admirable
success. Before the summer was far
advanced he had built comfortable log
house and had plOwed about thirty
acres. DIR. Cobb was at this time about
fifty years OF ago, and not Of strong
physique. He was gentleman OF the
old school, polished in his manners, and
very courteous and gracious in bis rela-
tions with others. As the season ad-
vanced and sickness became general in
our sparse settlement, his services as q
physician we're in request.
1t was never my opinion that the doc.
tor belonged in tho first rank of the
medical profession, yet We were very
thank for his services in wrestling
with the fierce attacks of fever and
ague, and other malarial diseases of
those early days. Late in the fall DR..
Cobb's health began to fail, and sinking
rapidly he died of congestion of the
brain. His body was placed in q box
made of 2-inch oak plank bridge tim
bers), which was the only lumber obtain
able, and he was buried on the hill near
the upper mill. His housekeeper wish
ed to return to Gallipolis, Ohio, and,
although trip through Missouri was at
that time pcrilous undertaking for one
of her race, she decided to 60. She and
her family were carried to Leaven-
worth, the team and other property
were sold and the proceeds given her,
and she embarked down the Missouri.
Whether she was taken off and re sold
into slavery, or arrived safely at Cali
polls, we never heard.
This is, believe, tho solitary in
stance of slavery in Saline county.
Having shown who was not the fret
settler in Saline county, /! will leave
the question of who was the first settler
to be discussed at some future time.
A. T.. s.