Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-04-29
STATE NEWS.

Allen county has twenty -four brloges,
| eighteen Of them of iron. The aggre-
gate cost of all the bridges is 100000.
More than sixty insurance companies
do business in Parsons, and pay the
city a revenue of about $500 annually.
There are about $50 lawyers in To-
peka, but one of the leading ones says
that forty of them do the great bulk OF
the work.
The Topeka Railway company has
shipped it's last carload of horses to
Oklahoma. Only few of the 'old
line" animals now remain undisposed OF.
From Goodland: A. B. Montgomery,
president of the Goodland Rsinmaking
company, forwarded papers to Wash
ington asking for patent on his sys-
tenn of rainmaking. This company
claims to have discovered Frank Mel
bourne's secret and advertise that they
use it to produce rainfall Already
Montgomery is contracting with farm
ers in many of the counties n western
Kansas, charging on an average OF
$1,000 per county. Last year some OF
these companies made great deal OF
money out of the rainmaking business.
Irwin S. Merrill, whom everyone had
given up for dead, has arrived in
Brunswick, N. j., to visit his sisters,
after an absence of thirty-four years.
He served in the civil war, and the men
who survived brought news to relatives
that he had persisted at Vicksburg.
Mr.. Merrill says that after leaving New
Brunswick in 1859 he settled in Chica-
90. He wrote to his sisters but never
received reply. The sisters never re-
ceived the letters, nor did he receive
theirs. Mr.. Merrill is now located in
Kansas City, Kan, where he is IN the
real estate business.
From Lawrence: Fire destroyed the
superintendent's barn and the hay and
cattle barn at the United States Indian
school. Both buildings we're complete
ly destroyed, with their contents. The
superintendent's barn was built in 1885
at a cost of $780, In this barn were
| the four fine horses used as carriage
horses, top buggy and some harness.
| Three of the horses were burned to
death, and the fourth was burned so
badly that it had to be shot. The big
hay and cattle barn was 50xl45 feet in
size, with large shed along the south
side. It cost $1,000. 1t was empty
when the fire occurred. The fire started
| from the explosion of lantern left in
the barn by one of the Indian employees.
The total loss is estimated at $4,000.
| Fire insurance agents are not interest
| ed. as the government does not insure
it's buildings.
Wichita spec al: The larger part Of
the business portion of Mulvane was
swept away by fire. The loss on stock
alone must be fully $4,000, as some of
the best stores in the town were burned
out. The fire started in the rear of the
Union hotel, a ree-story structure,
from sparks from Santa Fe locomo-
tive, and the high winds soon famed
the blaze into confagration which the
| facilities at hand we're unable to SUBJ
due. With the exception of three or
four buildings, the town is built OF
wood, and building after building for
nearly two blocks fed the flames. 10
add to the confusion several fires were
started among the residences by flying
debris. Among the burned buildings
we're the Union hotel, the STATE bank,
Hawkes. grocery, Mrs. SINNERS MILL
merry, Fitzsimmons' hardware, Tague's
bakery, Williams dry goods, and eight
| or ten smaller establishments of various
kinds.
Jetmore letter: The most disastrous
| prairie fire that has yet visited this
county passed over the southern part.
| A. Borieson had his house. stables, and
everything he had burned; John knoe-
| fer had his stables and house on one
of his places and a large amount OF
| stock burned. It is estimated that his
| loss will amount to about $500 or $500.
| William Lancaster's stables, feed and
grain were also lost. E. NJ. Golden lost
| his stables, feed, and had two horses so
badly burned that it is doubtful
whether they will get over it. ]. 81.
Cramer lost everything but his house.
At the poor farm everything was burned
| but the house, and there are many more
who have met with serious loss. The
greater part of the county has been
burned over this spring, and the damage
done can hardly be estimated, and the
losses in nearly all cases will have to be
sustained by parties who are not able
to bear the loss.
At Wichita, in the district court,
Judge Reed rendered decision touch
on questions arising out of the act
passed by the late Legislature ''to regu-
late the sale of real estate and to pro-
vide for the redemption thereof" The
court ruled that the act was not subject