The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-24
OF THE LIFE OF SENATOR PLUMB.
a Reminiscential Sketch by a Friend and
Companion Of Years.


Jacob Stotler at the instance of the edi-
| tor of the EAGLE. AIr. Stotler was not
only partner in business but a close
associate and companion for years, oc-
cupying the same room and same bed
a long time. The senator has often said
himself that he regarded and loved Mr..
Stotler just as brother. Mr. Stotler
leaves out of his sketch all personal an
| ecdotes of Plumb's peculiar individuality
and personal characteristics, for fear OF
touching or wouuding the feelings OF
the sorrowing family, as also he left out
all reference to the senator's wonderful
benefcence, and of the great fortune be
has in the aggregate given to churches,
schools, and for charitable purposes:
| To the Editor of the Eagle.
The writer first met the late Senator
| Plumb IN March, 1856 He was one of the
! publishers of the Xenia Ohio News. He
advertised for a foreman, and we rode
! across the country eighteen miles from
our old home and got the job. Here com
menced a warm friendship which lasted
with little interruption for thirty five
years. He was then a slim, awkward boy
of 49, but with the same habits OF indus
try that characterized his whole career.
We were told by his employees that we
would not stray in the Office three weeks;
that Plumb was hard to get along with,
etc. He was always eXactlng, but he was
fair and Just. He hated lazy man or a
shirk all his life We found no difficulty
in getting along with him. In 1856 the
local department Of the country newspa-
per was but little known. Plumb con-
Quoted a column in his paper under the
striking head Our Pine Box" The name
was a misnomer for Plumb, because we do
not believe he ever sat on a store box long
enough to catch an item. de rather
caught them on the fly. We never knew
much of his younger days. He rarely made
illusions to himself at any time. We
learned he came from Union county, Ohio,
to XenIa; that he was born in Delaware
county, same state, Oct. y, 1887; that he
had been at an Episcopalian school there
and learned his trade in the office of a
paper of that faith while securing his
schooling. We learned what we knew of
him from a younger brother, Josephus,
who was with him in the Nenia office.
This boy was one of the most religious and
conscientious youths we ever met. lie had
great faith in Preston, as he called him,
but sometimes had to rebuke the future
senator for slight deviations from the
straight and narrow way. The editor had
great love for the younger brother.
In the Xenia News Office Mr. Plumb be-
gan his earnest life work. He took to
politics naturally. The old paper there was
published by Robert McBratney, vino
afterwards came to Kansas and died some
years ago. The young editor had an am
l L. Ill
sions and generally did SO. We remembe
that in the summer of 1856 he went into
the party convention and overturned the
plans of McBratney and the politicians
and won a substantial victory for his news
paper. While he was full of the life and
fun of youth his associates in Xenia were
mostly men considerably older than him
self. Even then he was consulted by the
leading men of the town. His power to
see the effect of action was always wonder
full. Among his school fellows and neigh
bors when a boy he was the leader IA
accident happened to him when boy
which nearly cost him his life, and must
have impressed him with the importance
of being more cautious. There was some
sort of celebration, and among the at
fractions was tame bear chained in a
barn. This was fun for the boys and
Young Plumb entered fully into the sport
-
close and was caught and nearly torn to
pieces. The great sears on his legs and
body he carried to the grave.
The political excitement in Ohio that
year over the Kansas struggle was at fever
heat. The late Granville Moody was the
Methodist preacher for Xenia. He was an
agitator and fighter. He stirred the young
men and old, and he and Plumb were
friends. When the Fremont campaign
was on. the young editor entered into the
spirit of the struggle with all the enthusi-
asm OF his nature. He was liter
ally working himself to death even
at that date to establish his paper
and make it the leader. We
knew of his working three nights in a
week all night. In broken health he came
into the Office one day and announced his
intention of going to Kansas. when
will YOU go?" Tomorrow" and he
went. He travelled over the territory,
mostly on foot, going as far west as where
Salina now stands, where he and others
laid out a town, l think, which they
named Mariposa, in honor of Fremont.
When he went he was for non-interferenCe
with slavery. When he returned he was
a thorough abolitiohist, and for a fight, if
necessary. He had no patience with or
respect for the time-serving and slavery
worshiping administration, which was
using all its power to force slavery on
Kansas, by tair means or foul. His health
had so far improved in the six or seven
weeks trip, and he had become so robust
and brOuZed that his Aenia friends hardly
recognized him From that on his whole
life was for Kansas. He resolved to return
at once Sacrificing his interests in Xenia
he raised a small company for the Kansas
service and was chosen its leader. That
company came through most of the way
on foot. 1t had charge of a
cannon from Iowa City, which was
delivered safely at Topeka At one
time they were pressed and buried their
gun At another time there was a mutiny
in the company which was speedily sup
pressed by Mr.. Plumb and one of his
faithful friends.
During the winter Mr.. Plumb and his
Nariposa friends had to abandon their
quarters in the far west and retreat to
Lawrence TO keep from starving. Here for
a time he worked at his printers trade
and fell in with party who were about to
lay out the new town Of EmpOrla. He
agreed for his part to start paper to
speak for the interests OF the wonderful
new city. Returning to Ohio in March,
1881, he induced a number of young men,
including the writer, to 60 TO the new
town. The first number of the Emporia
News was issued June 6, 1897, The new
town was seventy-tiye miles from Law
renee, the ledAiuS TOWN. III tue NSAIltOI y Z,
and the embryo senator Tot lntreQuently
made the trip on foot.
Mr. Plumb was born leader. At the
new town nothing could be done without
him. His guiding hand was in everything.
tie was poor and all were poor, but the iu-
terests of EmpOria were always kept
in the front. Plumb had railroad
men. merchants. professional men,
mechanics and manufactures there all
the time looking at the new city. No
tory was allowed 10 pass without an KIN
porIa representative 50 with political
rnn-r..,,a-t. 5000 rs in avarH-. ci-Ac-