Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-11-12

three thousand men attended the meet
ing, and they unanimously passed reso-
lutions investing me with autocratic
power, to appoint the committee on
public safety; and to this committee all
grievances were to be referred and by
them decided, subject to appeal to me.
1t was decided by the meeting that
everything should remain in statu quo,
all property rights to be referred to the
courts, just as though no fire had oc-
CURED. Therefore, where town lots
had been in dispute, the holder at the
time of the fire was permitted to con-
tinue as the holder, and other claimants
were obliged to await orderly processes
to gain possession. There was only one
man who refused to obey the orders of
the committee of public safety. He
took possession of lot which he
claimed belonged to him, and swore
that he would kill anyone who under
took to eject him. The committee was
called upon and proceeded to the spot,
accompanied by the sheriff. The man
was told that he must go away, and he
asked the sheriff what he was going to
do about it, and the sheriff replied:
We are going to take you away from
here, alive or dead He then weak
ened, and said: If the people are
agin' me, and the law is agin' me, and
the sheriff is after me. I'm gittin', and
I'm gittin' quick, too And he re-
treated Everybody else cheerfully
obeyed the orders and directions of
the committee"
"Was no effort made by the lawless
elements to burglarize the banks?"
''None whatever. AS soon as the
committee was appointed l sent word
to the colonel Of a cavalry regiment,
which was encamped a few miles away
from us, and a company came galloping
into the gulch, and camped there. 1t
was well understood by all that the
people were determined to maintain
law and order at any cost, and the few
who might have been tempted to COM
NIT depredations instinctively knew
that all the ropes in town had not been
burned, and that Deadwood mob
would make short work with them"
''How long did the cavalry troop re-
main with you?"
manned only two days. They were not
needed even for that length Of time.
All that was necessary was for them to
wanted them to appear for the purpose
of making that show of force which is
always necessary in order to impress
the lawlessly inclined. If they had
galloped up the gulch and back again
suppose that that would have been all
that was necessary. Nothing was said
by them TO any of our people. They
just showed that they were within
reach, and that was sufficient. 1t was
fortunate for US. though, that they
came, for we might have had some
trouble with few of our people, but
for the display of force. However. the
majority of our people were indus
trious. law-abiding citizens, even at
that early day. At present we have
one of the richest and most prosperous
cities in the west. Instead of depend
ing upon transfers to bring our sup
plies across the Sioux reservation. we
have two trunk lines, well equipped for
passenger and freight traffic, and are
no longer isolated from the world, but
we consider ourselves part of the
business world, and quite factor in it,
too. Our city is no longer one of frame
dwellings and business houses, but we
have handsome and substantial brick
houses and blocks. The Deadwood of
former days is almost dream now.
But it was good town, and the people
demonstrated an amount Of heroism
and independence, in time Of trouble
| and peril, which are Incompatible.
was proud of them then and am proud
of them now; proud to be a citizen Of
such a city" SMITH D. Fry.