Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-02-18
tention: Quindaro, Delaware, Sumner, Don
iphop p.Ior,po op6 FlroOd

taneously, and their early progress was most
extraordinary. Large hotels and fine bust
ness blocks, and valuable stocks OF goods
could be found at each and the population
of each increased with astonishing rapldlty,
especially when the sparseness with which
the territory was then settled is taken into
consideration. In fact, question whether
with our present large population, and the
mania that has again broken out among our
people for the building of new towns, say
question whether any city of the present
time has been built so thoroughly, or has In.
creased in population so rapidly as some OF
those cities to which am now calling your
attention.
Perhaps their great prosperity is not to be
marveled at, when we remember who were
the founders of those cities, or who early pc
came their champions. The most dlstln-
guished citizen of our Territory at that time,
and afterwards governor of our common,
wealth, and who has been the foremost
among all our people for the whole thirty
one years of our history, was among the
leading spirits of Quindaro. A lieutenant
governor and many others OF dlstlnct1on
championed the prosperity of Delaware. A
gentleman of wide literary fame, and who
has since honored both his state and the ma
ton upon the floor of the United States
senate, was the special friend OF Sumner.
The great military, chieftaln OF our
Territorial days, and afterwards dis
tinguished senator in congress, was the
leader of the hosts and of the enterprise
at Doniphan. Gentlemen of almost equal
prominence and ability were directing at
fairs at Palermo. But it was reserved for
ElIwood to be especially blessed with list
of names as its founders and friends, OF
which any city might well be proud. One,
afterwards often honored by his friends
with seat in the state legislature, and other
civil offices: another, a high literary author
ity in the territory, and afterwards an ac
complished state officer; another, afterwards
distinguished general in the union army,
and subsequently holding high positions in
the civil service at New Orleans; another, af-
forwards the leading citizen of a nelghbor-
ing state, millionaire, and member of the
United States senate; and still another.
greater than all who afterwards held
many civil offices, then governor
of our state, and more recently
envoy extraordinary and minister plenipo-
Tertiary to powerful but friendly empire.
Yet, notwithstanding, all this great array OF
talent and ability, the fates seemed to be
against these cities. Their ''boom'' contil-
ued but for a year or two, and. like some of
the other cities to which l frs. referred, II
would be difficult to-day to determine even
the sites upon which some of these last
named cities were erected.
AS there may be persons present to night
who have never heard of the cities about
which l am speaking, and who do not know
where such cities were located, and, as the
enthusiastic exhumists of cities. after they
shall have gotten through with Pompeii and
Herculaneum, and Babylon, and Troy and
Others of the old world, may want TO try
their hands upon the lost cities of this
continent, it might be well for me to state,
that they were all situated upon the Missouri
river. Quindaro, some three miles above
Wyardotte; Delaware, about half way be-
tween Wyandotte and Leavenworth; Sumner,
IL. ~. H.
phan, as many miles above Atchison; Ell |
wood, Immediately opposite the city of st.
Joseph, and Palermo, about midway be-
tween Elwood and Doniphan.
Two great causes contributed to bring |
about the collapse of these cities: Fir t.
Being located but few miles apart, along |
the Missouri river which already had upoa |
its banks the large and prosperous cities Of |
Atchison, Leavenworth and Wyandotte, they |
necessarily became rivals and greatly an !
tagonized each others interests.
Second-They were unquestionabiy far in |
advance of the times. The business of the |
territory, with its small population, could
not sustain so many large places, crowded |
into such close proximity.
Viewed from the standpoint of to-day, and |
with all the disastrous results before us, It is |
a matter of supreme regret to me, and l |
doubt not, to all the people of our state, that |
the great talents employed and the large |
means expended in building up so many an
tagOnlStlc cities on our eastern border, ,
we're not combined to build one really great,
magnificent city within the limits of our
state, a city capable of evoking the largest |
state pride, at which the commercial
and financial business of the state
might be transacted, and whose |
wealth would augment and aggrandize the
wealth of our own state, instead of suffering
such city to be built i'll a neighboring state,
to exhaust the resources and drain the life
blood of all our people for all time to come.
Two other cities of our territorial days
should claim our attention for moment
Lecompton and Mineola. Both of these cit
to be the great political center-the
capital of our commonwealth. Nor
were these aspirations by any means
groundless, for Lecompton was
chosen as the capitol by the
first legislative assembly, or what was known
as the Border Ruffian Assembly," while
Mineola was chosen as the capital by the
free state legislative assembly, at its second
regular session. Soon after the first of these
locations, congress made an appropriation
of $4,000 with which to erect the capital
building at Lecompton, and, which was duly
expended for that purpose.
After Kansas became a state, one of the
first official acts of Governor Robinson was
to sell that capital building at public auc-
ton, and strange as it may seem. so little
were capital buildings in demand ct that
particular season, that the net proceeds of
the sale only amounted to S2l6. l quote
from recollection, but think am correct.
At Mineola, a large and commodious
building was erected for capital purposes,
by private enterprise, and good hotels, for
the accommodation of members, territorial
officers, and others.
But they were doomed never to be occnIi d
for the purposes for which they were erected.
The legislative assembly, which located the !,
capital at Mineola, also provided for Il con-
stitutional convention. to assemble at the
same place. 1t met, but refused to entertain
any motion, or do any business, other than
organize, and adjourn to Ieavenworth,
where the constitution designated by that
name was framed.
The fate of both Lecompton and Mineola
rs capitals was clearly discerned from the
beginning. The political revolution then
taking place sealed the fate of the former.
The latter-Mineola-w largely owned by
the members of the assembly which located
the capital at that place. This savored too
much of the lob" TO be tolerated by the
people. Besides, it was forestallng the pop
ular Judgment upon so important matter
as the location of their capital. The people
became indignant. Their condemnation was
swift as the lightning and as destructive as