Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-06-02

w. Scott, coroner; J. C. Philips, county
attorney; A. B. Poler, district court clerk.
Rev. J. Z. Wilson. superintendent Of pub.
lie instruction; T. K. Peck, county sur.
veyor. For county seat, Wa-Keeney had
81 votes and Ogallah' Ii, and Wa-Keenev
was declared the permanent county seat.
Her title to this position never has been
in dispute.
Trego county, unlike most OF the coun-
ties in western Kansas which were set
tied previously to 1885, was settled by a
class of people of high average intelh-
gence. A man or woman who can not
read and write is an oddity. Many of our
farmers and ranchmen are collegiate
graduates and are versed in mercantile
and other business pursuits. It would
not be expected that, among such peo-
pie, crime would be rife. It has not been.
In September, 1880, d. NJ. Nixon COM
mitted cold-blooded murder by shoot
ing J. s. Crawford, neighbor. The kill
ing was done on Nixon's homestead, in
the Sand creek valley, two or three miles
from the residence of w. 81. Wilcox.
After various delays, Nixon was sentenced
the to penitentiary for life. He is living
yet.
On August IA, 1880, one Matt Smith,
alas johnson, killed NJ. 81. Bernardo in
Downer creek valley. On trial before D.
NJ. Mitchell, a justice of the peace, in Wa
Keeney, the defendant was discharged.
In April, 1886, one VIM. Olive, filed up
with bad whisky, shot George D. Harri-
son in disreputable dive in Wa-Keeney,
kept by the BEEN family. Harrison was
young man, who, aside from incidental
intoxication, was as harmless as the
wholesome winds which sweep over this
fair region. Harrison lived about ten
days, dying on April 25. The murderer
escaped to No Mans Land, modern ref
uge for murderers, where, report says, he
has since been killed in drunken brawl.
Outside ofthese specific crimes, few of
considerable magnitude have been perpe-
trated in Trego county. Several years
before the organization of the county, a
Mr.. Cox was shot and killed by cowboy
in the eastern portion of the county. The
murderer escaped. About the same time,
colored cook belonging to cattle camp
was shot and killed on Trego creek, three
miles northwest of Wa-Keeney.
There has ever been in Trego county
an overwhelming majority sentiment in
favor of temperance. In 1880, upon the
question of the adoption or rejection of
the proposed liquor amendment to the
constitution of the state, the vote in
Trego county was 900 for the amendment,
and 120 against.
The financial affairs of Trego county
have perhaps, of all counties in Kansas,
been managed by the different boards of
county commissioners upon the principle
that to be out of debt is to be out of dan
ger. In only two instances have county
bonds ever been issued. In 1883 county
bonds in the amount of $11, 800 were is
sued for the purpose of taking up the
outstanding county Indebtedness, which
had inevitably resulted in the incipiency
of the county organization, because of the
books and the salaries, ETC., of the county
officers having to be furnished for up
wards of one year before any taxes were
paid into the treasury. Of the bonds
thus issued, $1,000 were paid on March
80, 1885, and the balance of $500 on
January IA, 1886. In 1887 bonds in the
amount of $4,000 we're voted for the
building of court house and Jail at Wa
Keeney. The returns of the election show
amajority of 126 for the Jail bonds and
majority of 10 for the court house bonds.
Seven hundred and thirty-eeven votes
were cast. Of these bonds, thirty thou
sand dollars have been issued to this date.
These bear per cent. interest, and fall
due on January l, 1908.
At present, there are outstanding
school district bonds in the county which
aggregate $138OO.
Our county warrants are at par, and
have been so ever since in 1888.
A herd law, which has been in force
ever since, was adopted by the people of
Trego county at their first election, in
1879.
Trego county possesses one of the only
two state institutions within the western
one-half of the territory of Kansas. This
is state forestry station, located on 100
acres of land, about one mile west of
Ogallah. s. G. Robb, of this county, is
state commissioner of forestry, having
charge of the forestry station in this
county, as we'll as of the one in the county
of Ford. These stations were established
by law in 1887. The far-reaching results
of the work of these stations will be more
appreciable in the course of twenty years
than they are now.
A very successful county fair was held
at Wa-Keeney in October, 1881.
The common schools of the county are
in Aourishing condition. There are