, 1890-03-16

Coronado found a tat and friendly set
of Indians, quite a number of whom he
married, in a cursory manner. after
which he went away from the place. He
formed the acquaintance at that time of
old Wideout, chief of the Cowbiters, a
very warlike and %revengeful race. Wide
out weighed, it is estimated, 400 pounds,
though not very tall, say four feet five
inches in height. So we may class him as
the widest red American, aside from Noah
Webster, ofwhom history informs us.
Coronado, however, was not in search
OF Indians, or a homestead, or even rest
and change of scene, but he was looking
for gold at the time; being a cold, grasp
ing native, such as lourished during the
luxurious Castilian days or under the
New Orleans dynasty.
Not finding any gold in the region Of
Wichita, and town lots being far beyond
his reach, he retraced his steps. He
| lived, however, to regret that he did not
secure property there and hold it for a
rise.
For some years the Wichita Indians
and the OsaGes occupied the most desir
able portions of Sedgwick county, and
the buffalo. with the foreshortened nara
tive walked the main streets of Wichita.
The first white man to settle in the
county was John Ross. He was followed
by his hired man. both being buried in
the same grave at the earnest solicitations
Of the Indians.
In 1868 Hon. James r. Mead estab.
lished a trading post on the site of Wich-
ita and began killing the buffalo in order
m nlaar NH u,H,oinnt r,rnJ .. 49,. Al.
new board of trade building. In three
weeks Mr.. Mead killed 800 buffalo, and
saved 300 pelts in addition to his own.
lie also saved $500 pounds of tallow,
which served to lubricate his boots all
that winter.
William Mathewson, who, it is claimed,
is the original Buffalo Bill of the from
tier. her settle here. His wife was
the first white woman to come to Wich
ita. The first official act of the county
commissioner was to issue a license for a
new station.
10 1870 d. S. Munger kept a hotel, was
postmaster, carried the mail in his hat,
and had time to do a general real estate
business, watch repairing. lunch at all
hours. saws set and filed, and also to fur
nish insurance and bulk oysters to one
and all. Now it requires thirteen letter
carriers to spread the mail.
In 1872 the Wichita Eagle broke its
shell, and with its shrill scream bought a
new hand press and began the opinion
molding business. The editor now &C.
cupies a luxuriant office, with rich tapes
tries torn from the treasures of European
princes. He Tolls back on u Turkish
divan in a beautiful suit of pajamas, while
silent eunichs from the east do his bid
ding. On the walls are seen costly paint
ings of Socrates, Plumb and other promi-
nent Kansas men. A group picture con-
slsting of Messrs, ingalls, and Demos
themes hangs abovethe etruscan fireplace.
Costly works are seen on every hand, and
in rich bindings, side by side, are the
poems Of Homer and Thomas Brewer
Peacock. There also may be found the
published speeches of Cicero, the Thomas
Ochlltree of his time. Large etruscan
tear Jugs containing Wichita chartreuse
ornament the sideboard and natural
punches Of seed corn decorate the bust OF
a man whose name / did not learn.
And yet on this very spot, only a few
years ago, it seems, the rank buffalo
nodded in the wind and the early pic
neer mother was kept busy pulling the
arrows out of her loved once.
Is 1t not remarkable? Here, where
now wealth and refinement Just fairly
iostle each other on the streets. and cable
cars run clear out into the large farms,
and hired men dig potatoes beneath the
glare of electric lights, only a short time
ago the early buck wheater, with his lite
in one hand and his scalp in the other,
fled before the irritable red man
Like hare before the beagle.
Later still, at each end of the principal
streets, it became necessary to put up
the sign: