Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-07
ATALE Of tWOTOWNS
Rise and fsll !. IF Mushroom Com
munities in Kansas.
BONDS rHEr ARE REPUDIAfED
Sometime Villages Now Populated
by Jack Rabbits.
LONG COUNTY SEAT FIGHT

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Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
TOPEKA. Kan. September 1. 1894.
Louis A. Riley. q wealthy citizen of Phil
adelphia, who invested in western Kansas
bonds several years ago. when the specula-
tive boom was at food tide. finds himself I'm
an embarrassing situation. In 1885 and so
a gang of bond sharks did q very profitable
business In western Kansas. This was the
period when SO many new counties were
being organized, and It was soon after that
that the county commissioners Of Garfield
county issued $4,000 for public improve
ments. Mr.. Riley, being OF q speculative
turn of mind. was found to be an easy
victim on whom to unload the bonds. He
made the purchase, and leisurely awaited
the first interest payment.
1t was not long, however. until It was dis
covered that Garfield county did not contain
the requisite territory for a county. the
shortage being less than 100 acres. The
matter was taken to the Supreme Court,
which decided that the county had not been
legally organized, because 1t did not con-
tain the territory reQuired by the constitu-
ton Of the state This decision settled the
question, and the county was made q town
ship Of Ffnney county, and the various
county oWCeS vacated.
Mr.. Riley at once made an effort to collect
the interest on his bonds. and to his sur
prise was informed by the old Garfield
county commissioners that the county owed
him nothing They claimed that II the
were illegal also. and that he would have
to whistle for his money. Today Mr.. Riley
goes to the Supreme Court and asks that
Finney county to levy q special tax on Gar
FIELD township. which was old Garfield coun-
ty to pay Interest on the bonds which were
urloaded OH him several years ago. The
matter will come up for hearing at the
next term Of the Supreme Court, which con-
venes In September.
Old Garfield county comprised territory
25x30 miles. 1t Is today barren waste.
towns, Eminence and Revenue. which con-
tested for the county seat from the date OF
organization until the Supreme Court dis
organised the county, there are not naif
lines. Here and there on the burned-up
prairie, which is as destitute Of farm crops
as the Desert of Sahara, may be seen an
occasional SOD hue but these are tenantless
The people who rushed in there and took
claims when the, boom was sweeping over
that country have, long since deserted these
primitive houses and returned to states
further east. The people remaining are too
out existence b. a mystery yet unsolved
Coyotes scamper over the prairies by the
thousand With perfect assurance or safety,
while the army Of jack rabbits that infest
the country sit erect on their hind legs at
the roadside whitman air Of sa tisfaction over
the fact tItheys have once more regained
snS ne
The only question with the few stray
Cling settlers still remaining is how to get
out Of the country before the piercing bliz-
hot winds from the staked plains destroyed
every vestige of green than the unfortu-
nate settlers look forward to the chilling
blfzxards, which will too soon sweep down
on them from the frigid north.
In the organization OF all the western
Kansas counties two towns were started
which became rivals for the county seat.
This was true Of Garfield county Revenna
and Eminence, only six miles apart, sprang
up like mushrooms. Both towns experienced
a wonderful growth in building until fully
one hundred houses were erected on each
tcwnsite. People rushed in these and bought
town lots and engaged in business. The
rivalry was very strong. and each town
tried to outstrip the other in public i'm
provenents and public spirit.
The town OF Eminence derived its name
from the fact that II stood upon the highest
point Of land In western Kansas. BY rea-
soE OF the high altitude many ccnsumptives
from eastern states went out to western
Kansas to breathe the pure air of the plains
The people of Revenna conceived the no.
ton that large hotel and sanitarfum would
attract this class Of people to that town.
Accordingly, a company was formed, and a
committee sent east TO secure the money To
build the hotel. The scheme worked all
right. The boomers found fasteners were
willing to put up the cash. and within a few
months a fine four-story hotel OF sixty rooms
was the pride Of the great commercial
center of the west"
Today the only family residing in the
town OF Revenna IA domicled in this hotel
building; Occasionally a struggling Traveller
passes through the place, but with this az.
ception the one family and the sportive
jock rabbit have things their own way.
The hotel building. the dozen business houses
and the two score OF residences that have
been deserted stand there as the re,ninder.
Of the days when the boomers were doing a
land-office business" with the eaSterners
who fell into their net.
Over at Eminence the same picture meets
the eye. There were many struggles and
fights over the county seat between the two
towns ana for several years the county
government aiternated between them. The
books and records were carted from one
place to the other, as II they were 40 much
merchandise. Finally, Eminence by a vote
Of the people. was made the permanent seat
OF government. Revenna declared il would
not give up the records, but the Eminence
crowd thought differently, so one morning a
posse Of about one hundred resolute men.
heavily armed. marched over to the opposi.
ton town, took possession Of the records
and hauled them TO Eminence and placed
them In the court house. which now fur
nishes Judgment for bats and prairie owls.
When the Supreme Court disorganized
Garfield county, the glory Of Eminence de-
parted. Today two families make up its
population, while the head of a third. who
occupies a sod cabin three miles out. walks
into the deserted hamlet each day, and sets
type for the little five column pa tent -outside
rOpulist paper. which he issues tri-weekly-
that is. he tries one week and gets II out
the next. This paper goes to the rude homes
OF probably fifty persons, and from its
pages they CLEAN the information that the
circulation perl capitar' is but SO.
Under these conditions in old Garfield
county, 1t Is not strange that Mr. Riley is
willing to accept the interest on his bonds.
even at the end of a law suit, to say moth
ing about the principal which he will prob
ably never recover