The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-03-22
FIRST COLLEGE IN KANSAS.

|
| Now Used for q Blacksmith Shop-Its
Founder in the POorh0use.
Early In the sixties when the town
site of Atchison was first being settled
up, tall, intellectual looking woman,
giving her name as Miss Sarah Abdell,
and who said she was from the east,
arrived on steamer and announced
| that she had come to esta blish the first
college in Kansas, She stated that the
college would teach the sciences and
highs branches, although some atten-
ton would also be given to children.
Although there were good many men
in the town the women did not number
more than dozen, and the children
were fewer still. The men paid more
attention to an education in shooting
than in book knowledge, and the out
look was certainly not very encourage
ing for an educator who wanted to
found college. If the learned teacher
thought she had made mistake she
evidently did not propose to show it,
for she ordered her college built and
paid for the building when it was com.
pleted. It was one of the best build
ings in the town at that time and her
pluck attracted the admiration Of the
inha bitants.
The few children in town enrolled,
but no college students could be seen
gamboling on the campus, which, by
the way, was covered with thick
growth of hazel brush and wild rose
bushes. Whether the learned founder
of the college-"The Western Uni
versity" it had been named-had
imagined that Kansas was then COM
posed of men whose sons wanted some
thing easier than work, or whether
she thought the bull team drivers
pinned for s'higher" life, the oldest !
settlers cannot now remember; but
anyway she did not receive the class
OF patronage she anticipated. Within
Q year or SO good many families
moved to Atchison. The students"
who crowded the schoolroom were Just
learning to read, write and cipher.
This was exasperating, but the Gull
tured teacher was still confident that
her university was to become a great
of learning and took no
pains to conceal her convictions.
Within few years the town was a
'ery respectable place, as to size at
east. One day young lawyer put in
IN appearance and announced that he
lad come to grow up with the coun-
ry. He stopped at the same tavern
where Miss Abdell was boarding, and
hey soon became acquainted. She
old him all her plans, and then he up
ct them all by marrying her. They
ived together some years, during ,
which time she was social favorite
nd set the literary gait of the town.
finally there was gossip about town
which was hushed when either of them =
vas near. A good many said that she
7as high tempered and that he could
OF get along with her If he were deaf.
umb and blind. They parted and the
usband was granted divorce.
1t would not be pertinent to go into
etails. but it might be said that he is
ow a distinguished United States
idge, while she is in poorhouse only
few miles from the spot where her
,llege was erected The college
uilding still stands, but am sorry to
" the temple of learning is now a
blacksmith and tinker shop.
hus 1t Is that the first college in Kan
Is, which started out with high hopes.
now a place where can be heard the
ilgar sound of the anvil and the rasp-
g noise of saws being filed.--Kansas
ty Star.