The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-06
JERRY, TIE SEA CAPTAIN.
"reminiscences of the New Kansas Con-
CHEESEMAN'S Life on the Lakes.

Prom the Chicago Tribune.
Hon" Jerry Simpson-he will soon
be ntitled TO the pretiX-the ''SOckless
Statesman of Kansas" used to sail from
the port of Chicago, between here and
Buffalo and some times Toledo.
Sitting in his office yesterday in this
city a gentleman gave a Tribune re-
porter some interesting data concerning
one of the greatest characters of the up
heaval of 1890. Taking down a book
marked Charters. 1873" from dusty
pigeon-hole i'm his desk the gentleman
opened it at page bout the wind-up of
the volume and pointed out the follow
ing entry:
Barge J. ii. Rutter, Commander
Jerry Simpson, lowed by steamer V. II.
Kelcham. left port Of Chicago Goth of
OCTOBER 1873. n. n, w. storm 30, W.
Sou. W. of Point Betsev. Separated
from her consort Ketcha n. The 31st
a. m. anchored off Ludington; leaking
badly: Nov. l broke the steerage-gear
before it anchored. Severe storm from
>. W. Foandered. Crew rescued by
Ii re-saving station off Point Betsey.
Cargo: 1929 bushels corn, Is, $50 bush
els rye"
placed and said:
1.-The RuIteT was commanded by Jerry
Simpson. the man about whom every
body Just now is talking. Ii was owned
by Curtis & Brainard. Of Toledo. Ohio. Ii
was chartered that year by me. Ii was
one of the largest vessels at that time
that sailed rom this port. jerry Simp-
son was an old sailor. He had been in
command of other vessels owned by
Curtis q Brainard. They took great
deal Of stock in him, especially Mr..
Curtis, who knew him best. He was in
the pay of Curtis &c Brainard at the time
of the laundering of the Rutter. He.
however, used to spend much of his time
when n was ashore in this port in my
Office In the winter he lived at his
home IN Indiana, but lie often came TO
Chicago and spent his time al my Office.
lie was ou the lakes from start 10 finish,
l should say, seven OF eigh; yeyrS. He
went from here 10 Medicine Lodge.
Kan, bought some land and went into
the cattle raising business. He used to
write 10 me occasionally, and
then lost sight OF him
until read in the Tribune one
day that he was a candidate for con
gresS. l wrote him letter congratulate
ing him. and | said to him that if he
was elected, If he made as good a mem
1er Of congress as he did a commander
of a vessel, his people would have no oc-
casion TO regret voting for him. And |
think that Jerry Viii not disappolnt
them
The man who wrote these words
meant them. He = too much a man Of
the world to be fiatterer. He was proud
of the friendship of this character who
had been suddenly raised up out Of the
grass of Kansas and summoned BIZ the
veomanry TO come down 10 the arena
and meet and measure his strength with
that of man skilled in such warfare
and acquainted with the minUtiP Of
OF such contest as began in the capital
OF Kansas the eth OF January. He l.
not prouder of the "sockiess statesman
than he was Of the honest sea captain
who never left his post W hen the Rutter
went down IN that cross sea OF Point
BelSey unit I every man OF the crew was
safe on land.
You say he used 70 come to your
onlce when ne was IN port. What were
has manner and habits when he was on
shore, and what sort OF a MAJ was ne Ia
every way: How did his earliest attire
and hls manner correspond with the
picture Of the man rs he appeared dur
Ing the n nsas campaign querled the
tribune reporter.
lie was great reader Of the newspa-
pers, As soon as IL would come into
my oihce he would p5ck up the newspsl-
pers ana seemed 10 read everything.