The morning news., 1889-01-17

Kansas is noted for three things, viz:
Big republican maj ajar.ties, droughts and
county seat wars. If the republican states
men are to be believed the republican ma
jorities indicate h.sh degree Of intelli-
gence among the people, but where the
people are well informed they ought to be
able to settle their differences without re-
sorting 10 shotguns Kansas, however, not
withstanding hsr republican majorities and
educational facilities, has more than her
share of local wars Her early history is
fun Of accounts Of bloody deeds, and since
her population has become somewhat more
quiet, and less bloodthrsty, she continues
to furnish startling sensations in which the
rife and shotgun figure conspicuously.
Her county seats have given her people
about as much trouble as anything else
The cowboy raids ald the raids on gam
blers and whisky saloons which comprise a
large part of the news which she fur
nishes the reading public, are insignificant
in comparison with the battles which are
fought over county seats. A war
involving the question Of the location of
one Of these sites is in progress in Gray
county now Thus far three men have been
killed, and half a dozen or more wounded.
The state militia has been called out, and
the governor has announced his purpose to
put an end to hostilities or sacrifice his
reputation as a soldier in the attempt.
Gray county has large area, but not
many inhabitants. 1t would have more if
it were not for the droughts and grasshop-
pers. What the droughts don't destroy, the
grasshoppers do, and the people who settle
in the county move away when they have
consumed what they brought with them.
There are two towns in the county which
want the court house. One is Cimarron
and the other ingalls,. The latter must be a
very scrawny town, fit is anything like the
Kansas senator from which it takes its
name. The county court house appears to
be such an unstable affair that it can be
carried around on wheels 1t was at Cimar-
ron few days ago, and now it is at ingalls,,
seven miles west Of the first-named
place. The citizens of Cimarron
were just congratuating themselves on the
possession Of the court house, and doubtless,
preparing for a boom in town lots, when a
pdi W AiOiH II Edll9 JIG IlluC Juo bOWIl ttlll
loaded all that constituted the court house
into wagon and carried 1t to their own
little town. OF course they had some
trouble in doing this, and had to shoot two
of the Cimarron people before they could
get away with their prize. Some of their
own number were wounded too, but then
they hardly expected to get so valuable a
prize without some sacrifices.
The Cimarron people pursued the robbers
Of course, and chased them into ingalls,, but
they didn't venture into that town. They
paused upon the borders of it, and are now
awaiting reinforcements and ammunition
The presence of the militia causes a suspen-
sion OF hostilites, but the militia can
not remain long, and then the Cimarron-
ties will make rush for the court house,
and unless the Ingalltes are the more num-
erous and the better marksmen the court
house will journey back to Cimarron in
very much the same way it left that place
In the south, county seat questions are set
tied by the ballot. In enlightened Kansas
they are settled by the shotgun.