The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-10
OUT BIRD SHOOTING
KEELING PLU0KS TIE PLUMAGE OF
THE LABOR COMMISSIONERS.
He Thinks He Marbles Too Much and Does
Not Know What He is Warbling for
when He Chirps About having People
Arrested for Violation of Law-Mr.
Keelings Denies Being Connected with
the Emigration Association Limited of
London-He Eesents the Statements
and Insinuations of Mr.. Bird.

Henry c. Keeling Of Caldwell, who
has been connected with the Interna-
| tional Emigration society by Mr. Bird,
state labor commissioner, was in the
city yesterday and when asked about
| the matter he said: II have taken
some interest in the young EnglishTnen
| who recently came from the old cOun-
try, who came here for the purpose of
learning something of the mode of
| farming in this country and particular
ly the question of blooded stock as they
| were attracted to Sedgwick county by
the fact hat Gentry and Patchen were
Sedgwick county horses. 1 am in no
way complicated in the violation of any
law. These young gentlemen brought
letters Of introduction to myself and
Mr.. Dedrick, and am not an agent of
any such company suggested in the ar
ticle in the Eagle, nor have L any con-
nection with it whatever. The whole
matter is a visinary scheme for the
purpose of arouSing sympthy Of some
kind and against the business interest
OF this vicinity.
These young entlemen are, all of
them, of good families, and as repre-
scented to me. they come over for the
purpose of informing themselves in the
stock business and farming with the
ultimate object of subsequently buying
and staying in our midst. They come
over in conflict of no law and the labor
commissioner of Kansas is in a very
poor business in trying to prevent a for
eign emigration that will ultimately re-
dound to the advantage of our people.
These young men are no pauperS
without visible means of support as the
gentleman has so earnestly suggested,
but are young men who their parents
desire to acquaint themselves with our
customs and who will, as L am inform
ed, after they have settled down furn-
ish them means to buy farms and stock
them. If this object is against any law
it has never yet been pointed out to
me- 1t is just such methods and the
attitude of some of our state officials
that keep desirable emigrantS from
coming to Kansas and if the gentleman
desires to keep agitating this matter
these gentlemen will probably go to
some other state where they are not an
noyed by the alleged regulations of our
la Dor commissioner, and comments of
papuerism. l am as much interested
in building up southwestern Kansas as
any other man in this neighborhood, as
1 expect to remain a resident of Cald-
well and this vicinity ali my life, and
everything possess is here. 1t IS an
outrage to accuse me of attempting 10
violate any law.
Il see that the gentleman threatens
to have me arrested. j am prepared TO
meet the gentleman, either before the
public or in the courts. 1 nope it viii
be at Wichita rather than some other
place. L trust that you will put this
right with your readers
no hJ- ir1
said, before leaving night before last,
that he would have Harry Dedrick ar
rested in st. Louis yesterday. Mr..
DERRICK, it appears, was not arrested
but is now on his way 10 Wichita, 1t is
thought, with another batch of emf
grants.
These emigrants, Mr.. Bird claims,
were brought over by Mr.. Atkinson,
the manager of the Emigration assocla-
ton, and were to have been transfer
red TO Mr.. Dedrick al st. Louis yes
terday,