The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-06-07
VOL. 81. NO. %.

down, a grand old man 20 run ProS0y-
teries and synods, and he Will follow.
And the uncle will also follow, and L
want him in Kansas, too" How won
derfully the old missionary builded, let
the history of the twenty years of that
portion of the kaw Valley attest. The
dust of the father and mother repoSe
in the handSOmeSt cemetery In the
state of Kansas, established as the re-
suit of their death, on hill top
as high as the I point pint OF fh,, t6s
so successfully and firmly planted;
the problem of Industrial education
satisfactorily solved at the Kansas
state agricultural college; the record
of the famous congressman from the
Fifth district, involving a political
revolution as conspicuous and signlh-
cant as any that has happened in the
country; and this gathering to dedi-
cate books to the perpetuation of the
memory of the third one
in the mind of the mission
airy, contributing to the value of an
institution that will be felt in all the
ages to come! There is no man in any
country better or more useful than the
missionary, and surely no other part of
the state or any man in it, can show
results so remarkable as those which
have so far followed the judgment and
effort of the one referred to at juno
tion City.
Col. John B. Anderson first became
interested in Kansas affairs in the
spring of 1864. The st. Louis parties
who had contracted with Samuel Hal
lett and John C. Fremont for the con-
struction of the Union Pacific Railway,
eastern division, were in trouble with
the enterprise. All old Kansans will
remember the ENHANCEMENT resulting
from Hallett'S management, and the
death of Hallett at the hands of an
engineer. In April of that year
Colonel Anderson visited LeavenwOrth
and secured transfer to the st. Louis
worth Pawnee and Western under
whose charter, granted by the bogus
legislature of 1855, construction was
authorized as far as Fort Riley. Col
onel Anderson was invited by the st.
Louis parties to secure them aid in
building the road. Hallett offered
him an enormous bonus to build the
road to the Tooth meridian in his HAL
lett's) name which was declined not
withstanding Hallett offered to go to
Europe and remain there until the
road was completed. The st. Louis
parties offered him liberal salary to
superintend the construction OF the
road, but this was declined because of
the complication with Hallett. Several
years preceding the war, Colonel An
derson had attracted the attention of
the leading railroad men of the United
States as a civil engineer and as rail-
road manager. He began negotiations
with Thomas A. Scott and j. Edgar
Thompson, of the Pennsylvania COM
pany, to take lot with the st. Louis
parties, but the contract with
Hallett seemed to stand in
the way. The murder of
Hallett at Wyandotte, July %, 1854,
and the announcements of Mrs. Hallett,
husbands contract, enabled the
eastern men to see their way
clear TO take hold of it.
Trouble. however, continued through
the summer of 1865, concerning the de-.
livery of the government subsidy, evil
| IDENTIFY instigated by the Omaha inter-
ests. Arrangements were finally per-
fected. and the construction of the
road pushed.
The subject of this sketch had no
| direct connection with the location OF
the line OF the road or its construction.
| He had some geographical and eng1n-
| eering ideas of the country, which, If
they had been adopted, would have
| been of great value to the property,
time having, demonstrated their cor
rectness. He located their shops at
1
changed to the river bottom at Wyan-
dotte. In less than year one build
| ing went into the river, and the re-
mainder were pulled off and removed
/ to Armstrong. He objected to the
Harker Hills, and urged that the line
| diverge at Salina and occupy the pres
| ent route of the Santa Fe, or follow the
now of world wide fame, while the
Union Pacific company is building a
line over the other for the cOnVen-
| fence of their business. He was eX-
| tremeIy anxious that the company
| should purchase the PottaWatomie re-
serve, and their neglect of his advice
lost them the richest tract of land in
/ the state.
| Following the desire of the mission
airy referred to a call was extended to
/ the preacher named Anderson. And
/ as the good old man planned so it
worked; in the summer of 1853 we en-
| joyed frequent visits from DIR. w. c..
Anderson and wife and Col. John b.
i Anderson and wife, resulting finally in
their settlement with us in 1869. Col,
AnderSon'S life in Kansas has been
principally that of a retired man, only
incidentally engaging at spells in the
development of cattle ranch, the
opening of a farm, church work, and
in addition to an extensive benevolence
of the sort which does not let the right
hand know what the left hand doeth,
becoming involved through the best
nature in the world in the financial
difficulties of friends, or the under fell
low in struggle. He resided in juno
ton City from 1869 until the winter OF
1880, when he removed to Manhattan.
During his residence in Junction
City he invested largely in Kansas
lands, and established in the southeast
ern corner of Dickinson county the
noted Geraldine ranch. In 1875, being
involved in some of the securities Of
the Maysyille & Lexington railroad in
Kentucky, he was induced by others
interested to remove to Maysville and
assume charge of the road and work IL
out of its difficulties. This he did in a
year, building the road up and re-es-
tablishing its business, so that it was
disposed of at handsome profit. WheT:
he returned to junction City.
In March, 1879, Governor st. John
appointed him member of the board
of state house commissioners, and up
on the organization of the board he
was elected its president. This posi-
ton he held until May, 1885, when he
resigned. During his service the west
wing was built, and the erection of the
main building commenced. No public
job was ever conducted with such Scru.
pulous and business-like care, OF evel
gave greater satisfaction, than the
building of the west wing. Not 8
breath of suspicion attached to it
management, and it is a model OF
beauty and order. / have heard mel
! OF travel say that the hall o.
! the house of representatives II
not excelled in this COUNTRY
for good taste and simple elegance
His large and liberal nature supple
: mented by his scientific attainments
and extensive practical knowledge. {.
. which may be coupled the benefits de
| rived from foreign travel, in which b
I appears to have been a close observe
e of the architectural and engineerin
/ works of the countries he visited, mos
admirably fitted him for the positio
he held. His executive ability and 81
: perience in business affairs requirin
(. decision and action, gave TO him
. ] ready command Of E.yIlediar,ks and Z