The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-02
Miscellaneous.


las County, March is, 1856.
Miscellaneous.
ACCORDING to the report of the Secretary
of the State Board of Agriculture the pop
ulation OF Kansas has increased the past
two years 1865, the eastern half of the
State receiving the largest proportion of
the increase. During the biennial period
just past nearly 100000 additional acres
have been put in cultivation. The princi-
pal field crops, corn, wheat, oats and grass,
/ have received each proportionate amount
of this increase in acreage, the most nota-
bic addition being to the winter wheat area,
which increased from l, ,465, 40 acres in 1882
to 2,l5l ,SGS acres in 1884. The area of grass,
made up of the tame grasses and prairie
meadow under fence, increased in the two
| years nearly 100000 acres. As is learned
/ by the report the results of farming opera
tions in Kansas in the past two years have
definitely settled all doubt as to the entire
| fitness of the eastern half of the State to
| the successful prosecution of agriculture in
| all its branches. The debatable ground of
ten years ago is now producing crops that
! have placed Kansas among the first three
! great agricultural States of the Union, and
! the soil that ten years ago was believed, to
/ the satisfaction of many, to be unfit for
/ diversified farming, is now producing aver
age yields that largely exceed the yields of
] any other portion of this country.
| Upon complaint made that baggage
man had refused to check a trunk as bag
gage that contained merchandise, the Rail-
road Commissioners recently decided that
merchandise is not baggage, and the law
| requires railroad companies to transport,
without extra charge, baggage not exceed
ing one hundred pounds in weight for each
passenger over twelve years old paying
fare. Baggage consists of articles of per-
sonal use, and needed for the use, comfort
and convenience of the owner while trav-
cling. Merchandise is excluded by this
designation or definition of baggage. The
Commissioners hold that it is not only the
legal right but the legal duty of railroad
companies to refuse to check merchandise
as baggage. If it were otherwise, a part
of those engaged in trade would get their
goods, or part of them, transported free,
and the rest would have to pay transporta-
ton charges, an unjust discrimination
against those who would have to pay.
BY CAVERN at a mine near Galena the
other day James Evans had leg crushed.
POsTMAsTERs lately appointed by the
President: Vincent j. Lane, editor of the
Herald, Wyandotte; John Mileham, To
peka; Osbun Shannon, editor Gazette,
Lawrence.
AS three men were recently rowing in
f1,nr- ~, Of 7
body of a fioater. The body was in an ad-
vanced state of decomposition and abso-
lutely past all possibility of recognition.
RUSSELL ARMSTRONG, of the Wyandotte
GGzctte, was recently assaulted upon the
streets OF that city by Police Judge Belts,
because of structures made by the former
in his paper upon Belts, who was a candi-
date for reelection. The police interfered
and nominal fine was imposed upon the
Police Judge.
CONSIDERABLE interest has been awak-
ened in pension circles in regard to re-
cent inquiry from Attorney General Gar
land relative to the State law authorizing
County Clerks to certify and record PEN
sion certificates. The authorities at Wash
ipgton seem to think otherwise as the law
requires them to be recorded by clerk of
a court of record. 1t is said that if County
Clerks are not authorized to certify and
record pension papers, fully one half
of all the pension claims that have been
paid were illegal.
UPON a complaint made against the
Santa Fe Road that charges for transport
ing seeds were too high, the Railroad Com
missioners decided that the charges were
in accordance with the esta blished tariff
and classification and that the shipment of
grasses, seeds or garden seeds is not a
large item nor burdensome one on the
public, and they are sold in small quanti-
ties, and the freight is very small matter
to the consumer, and as freights have nec-
essarily to be higher on some things than
on others, it is better that they be allowed
to be higher in such matters as this. Also,
as the charges are in accordance with the
regular tariff, the Commissioners would
uot make general change in them upon
complaint of an individual shipper, but
only upon application of Mayor and Coun-
Gil or Township Trustee.
MICHAEL COLLINS, well-known citizen
of Wyandotte, and formerly Marshal of
that city, attempted to board moving
train at Armstrong the other evening and
fell under the cars, receiving injuries which
caused his death in a few hours. -.
TOPEKA wants baseball club.
THE temperance people OF Atchison had
an enthusiastic meeting the other evening
and passed resolutions calling upon the
officers of the law to rigidly enforce the
Prohibitory law, and announced their ''un
alterable purpose to continue l<e agitation
of this question until the illegal traffic in
intoxicating liquors is suppressed"
& MAN named Doolittle, said to be a mill
engineer, was recently knocked from the
platform of al east-bound Santa Fe train,
as it was nearing Topeka, and robbed OF
SO. He was badly stunned by the fall,
but crawled to the depot and told the po-
lice.
BRYANT's livery stable at Gay Center
burned recently and eleven horses perished.
AN Atchison dispatch stated that the |
prohibition movement upon saloons in that |
CITY resulted the other day in a street en- |
counter between Jesse Grail, a saloon |
keeper, and Rev. D. C.. Miner, pastor of |
the Presbyterian Church and an active |
Prohibitionist. Miner was standing oppo- |
site the saloon, when Grail approached him |
and after a little preliminary talk struck |
him several blows in the face. This fired !
the blood of the preacher, who fought back |
fearlessly. Finally they clinched and went |
to the pavement. The iparties were sepa-
rated by friends. @A- Eas2 |
HATTIE BURNER, the late Topeka pro-
~ 4 \ zAr.1,