Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-12-07
"REMINISCENCES.
Recoilections of, and Changes That
Have Occurred in, Our
County Since '85.

were by actual count sixty real estate
dealers and land attorneys in Wa-Keeney.
Every available room and basement was
occupied, and numbers who would have
engaged in the same business could not
for want of Office room. It would be i'm
possible to enumerate them all, but the
names of Hodshier, Wilson, Staples.
Bennett, Hogin and score OF others will
not soon be forgotten. They went with
the boom. and when the tide comes in
again others will perhaps take their
places. The methods OF some of these
transients were not above criticism, and
many complaints were made by home
steaders who paid their money for relin-
quishments only to find that the land
was under contest and could not be en-
tered. These agents never refunded
when mistakes of this kind occurred, and
those who did legitimate business suf-
fered in their reputation on account of
these vultures. One of the favorite
methods Of these Adventures was to en-
ploy runners who would loaf about the
streets and hotels, and when they found
victim they would warn him against
the wiles of the real estate dealer, and
wind up by saying that they knew of one
honest man VINO had done some business
for them, and whom they could recon-
mend. The homesteader would bite, and
instead of going to some reputable dealer
would be enveigled into the worst place
in town, and there purchase only expert
ence, when he thought he was buying a
claim. As rule our real estate dealers
were honest and reliable; the swindler
was the exception. Hodshier, after being
guilty of nearly all the crimes in the
decalogue, was compelled to fee between
two days. William Wilson was man
OF considerable ability. Polite as a
Chesterfield, bland and affable in his ad-
dress, he was adapted to take in the I'M
suspecting. His rooms were gorgeously
furnished, and the unsophisticated fell an
easy prey to his Establishments. He did
an immense business for a while, and
cheated almost every man who had any
dealings with him. He was hung in
efigy upon a telegraph pole, and after
narrowly escaping arrest several times he
concluded the place was not congenial,
and suddenly departed without bidding
his friends goodbye, and has not been
heard of since. There are a few who
we're too confding who mourn his alb
sence. Carney Staples was hanger-on,
a satellite of Wilson's, and the only
reason he was not as great rascal as
Wilson was because he did not know SO
much. His intentions were good enough.
He too left in hurry between two days,
and the last authentic account OF him
was of his arrest in Greeley county for
some crime committed in southwest Kan
sas. There were others who need notice,
but we refrain on account OF space. That
class have long since gone. Those who
did legitimate business are, most of
them, in business hero now. We don't
wish to be understood as saying that all
who went out of the real estate business
were of the class alluded to above. The
supply was more than equal to the de-
mand.
Times were good in those days, and
money was plenty. Everybody was
making money. The mechanic. mer-
chant, real estate dealer, land attorney,
hotel keeper, liveryman, all had plenty of
business. A few hundred dollars could
be raised for almost any enterprise in a
few minutes by voluntary contributions.
Street cars were at one time seriously
contemplated to the east addition to Wa
Keeney. Electric lights were discussed,
and SO were water works, and new rail-
roads were built ION paper every week
or two. We would remark here, paren-
thetically, that we have not had rail-
road meeting for more than a year, nor
sent railroad committee to Topeka or
Chicago.
~
Many permanent and needed improve
ments were made. In 1885 there was not
church building in Wa-Keeney except
the building now used for church pur-
poses by the Christian church, and which
in the early days served the q. P. rail-
road for depot. Since 1885 the Meth
odists, Presbyterians, Baptists, colored
Baptists and Catholics have each erected
a house of worship. There was no school
house except the building now occupied
by W. G.. Marshall as residence We
now have an eight-room school house
which cost about $4,000, very convent
emit and handsome structure. About
half our residence houses were built
since the fall of 1885. Our new court
house, the best in western Kansas, was
not then thought OF. All in all, Wa-Kee-
L., ~,o,v~ Rc>S