The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-02-27
IN. P.,.s.x q Il. rion..r..

worn the title of governor, but for hsv
ing borne a part in shaping from early
time the institutions, the beliefs, socia
and political, and religions of Kansa.
people, and for having made the story
of Kansas and telling it to the widt
world. Not merely as chief magistrate:
will their names be preserved in mans
recollections, but as soldiers of the ad
vance: as pioneers.
In the founding OF new state mer
gain place by various service. In the
formative period it is not merely officia
position that confers distinction and in
sures memory. Not every Kentuckian
even, can tell at once the name of the
first governor of Kentucky: but whist
American west of the Alleghanies but
knows of Daniel Boon? What western
man has ever visited the Tennessee
state library at Nashville without look
| ing at the picture of the beech tree or
which the hunter, carving his rude
and simple annals" with his knife, has
inscribed 'cilled bar" with the day
and year The bad spelling does moi
matter; he who drives out the bears to
rem deserves well of the state.
So it comes to pass that from day to
day, now thirty-seven years have passed
since the congress of the United States
declared Kansas white mans ground.
that the pioneers, the first who came,
are dropping into the grave. There
may be men who never were ''honored
by the people," as the phrase goes las il
the only honors i'll this world were con-
ferred on election day9, yet who did
well their part in laying foundations.
| These sometimes receive cold or brief
local mention when they pass away, the
notice being the work of some news
paper Pharaoh, who knew not the Kan
sas Joseph, but their work will remain
quite the same.
A Kansas man of the older time, who
died recently, has already been men
toned in these communications, and
yet his name comes up again, as starts
the ''unbidden tear"-George A. Craw-
ford, the father and founder of the city
of Fort Scott. What a place he once
filled in all the hopes the plans, the
projects of that town, What illimit-
able vistaS opened before its minds eve,
What Future Fort SCOTS he saw in the
evening sky, with what spires and
dOmes and trailing smoke clouds, 1t
all prOfted him nothing in the end, as
We count dollars and Sents and bank
able paper, yet it seems that nobody
should ever go to Fort Scott without
thinking of him. and if the public
schools divided into eight grades with
a high school on top of those had not
banished ghosts, we could believe that
the wrath of that slender gentleman
with the bright eyes and the flowing
beard and the clasping hand and the
enthusiastic manner walked at night
the queer old plaza.
There died at Denver but a few days
ago Charles H. Branscomb, who, in
spite of certain indifferences among the
Lawrence antiquarians, was certainly
the founder of Lawrence. He not only
conducted the first party to the town
sight, but, according to statement
published over his signature, and prob
ably the last he ever gave to the press,
he visited and explored the sight OF
Lawrence alone prior to its occupation.
This was in the last of July, 1854, and
then on the 9Th of September, 1854. he
came with second party numbering
between 100 and 200 persons; but the
honor and glory and power was in pilot
ing the first party. That company of
thirty were the Plymouth Rockers
they probably founded the Plymouth
church, Lawrence) and whoever dates
from them in Lawrence has Mayfower
pedigree. Mr.. Branscomb, in
the territorial period did good
service. He was member OF
the body that met in Leavenworth and
formed the 'Leavenworth Constitu-
tion," meritoriOus instrument, the
first that left out the word white" but
which in the scuffle of constitutions, got
lost. There is mention also that he was
member of the executive committee
under the university law: probably a
preliminary step to the establishment
of the State University, in its Snow
crowned hill at Lawrence. In later
years when the toughest of the row was
over. he was sent as United States con-
sui TO Manchester, England, a post OF
honor and responsibility, where he re-
manned many years Then he came
back to Lawrence, which we imagine
he found a less agreeable town, as far as
he was concerned, than the Lawrence of
shakes and shanties and tents he knew
at first. Possibly it is better if man
is to be pioneer once, that he continue
to be one: first in sOlitudes, leading the
''madding crowd, but keeping it behind
him. Some years being past" the
founder of Lawrence, died in Denver,
Colorado.
But a few days later and another OF
the first party" of Lawrence was drop
ped from the roll, James Blood. He
was a man of rugged mould, a Yer
\, N1n,, Of hot
central or executive committee it might
be that directed the movements of the
never-say-die branch of the Free State
party and he always took part in the
deliberations of the ''Wyandotte Con.
vention" which framed the present con-
stitution of the state, the constitution
Of which one of its trainers proudly said
when the work was done, 1T COM
mends itself to the true and good every
wheresbecause through each line and
syllable there glows the sunshine OF
liberty"
The men whose going away to anoth-
er country is here recorded saw many
changes in Kansas; saw all the change
there has been and those who died
last saw the most remarkable changes
Of all. They saw the great political
party of which they were the Char
ter membership Kansas-the party which
was Kansas once, in its hour of overthrow
so reduced as not to be numerous or
courageous enough to hold caucus for
the nomination of officers of the Kansas
house of representatives. Possibly they
were reminded of the day when Louis
XVI, hearing of the attack on the
Bastile, said, ''But this is revolt" and
De Liancourt answering said, Sire, it
is not a revolt, it is revolution" But
they had seen enough before of Kansas
parties and politics, and the rise, de-