The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-10-07
WAS HERE EARLY
JUDGE JOHNSON RILATES SOME
PIONEER HISTORY.

With Kit Carson He Came From New Mex
the Mouth of Little River - Killed
Buffalo the Site OF Wichita-What
Kit Carson said about the Future of
the Buffalo Didn't Pan Out-Ae Also
Compares the Horace Greedy Campaign
With the Present One.
Hon. W. A. Johnson, presiding judge
of the appellate court, entertained
reporter for the Eagle at the Carey
| hotel last evening in the most interest
ing manner with stories of Kit Carson
and other distinguished pioneers as
we'll as events in western history.
Judge Johnson is one OF that type OF
away and who, a quarter Of a century
hence. will be very rare. The younger
generation of Kansans cannot be like
their fathers because Of the effacement
Of those hard conditions that made the
early settler of Kansas an original ana
peculiar type of manhood and citizen
ship. 1t is a pity, too, that they can
not, for all history san be searched IN
vain for a sturdier people physically
and mentally than the pioneers of the
sunflower commonwealth Judge john
son is one Of them in every respect and
III every one of his traits and charac-
teristics. He can be a lion when
aroused and a lamb in repose. He is
candid in all his utterances, independ-
ent in ali his actions and conservative
In his every thought and opinion. He
Is as honest as he is patriotic and as
gentle as he is fearless. AS judge
he is impartial. He owes allegiance
TO no master but the equity and the
Justice of the written law. He cannot
be intimidated by corporate power nor
Tan ne be Influenced by political con-
sfderations. 1t is said Of him that he
Is such a stfci1ler for justice that he
would pass sentence on a man with a |
severe admonition and then out of the |
mercy of a big hearted Judge pay the |
fellows fine, if conditions justified it, |
out of his own pocket These condi-
lions were always based, however, on |
oonsidera tions for the mans family. In |
all cases he satisfied the law 1t will |
be a great pleasure to his friends in /
end out of the legal profession TO know
again this fall
Don't you know" said Judge John
son last night, that this campaign is
very much like the Greeley campaign.
L was a candidate for the state SEN
ate then in Anderson and Allen coun-
ties. At the opening of the campaign
Sery'body Thought the Republican party
was going to wreck and ruin. l thought
so myself and during the first week OF
my speaking campaign was so embar-
raised that didn't know what TO do
As the campaign progressed the sober
second thought of the people worked
wonders and on election day Grant
swept the country. This campaign is
turning out exactly like the Greeley
Changing the subject to pioneer DAYS
Judge Johnson said that he first WIS.,
lied Wichita long before it was born
and killed buffalo on the present town
site. That was in 1860. There was
probably one cabin about where Ell Do
dorado now is but none west of there
here We're two cabins and a spring
at Eureka in Greenwood county.
The next time he visited Wichita was
IN 1865 when the Cheyenne Indians
held big counsel over about where
The Missouri Pacific depot is now He
came here then with Kit Carson, the |
famous scout and gufde, from New
Mexico. Both of them We're officers in |
he volunteer service and came to at
md the Indian council and offer them
Inducements to live peaceful He and
Kit were riding ahead of their COM
nand about where Great Bend now is
md they drove into a herd of buffalo
hat could be estimated only by the
nile. The whole face Of the earth was
covered with them.
This spot" said Kit Carson. SIS the
'1act center Of the buffalo pasture OF
he United States and always will be"
How long do You think the buffalo
viii hold dominion over this country"
sked Mr.. Johnson.
Forever" was the brief reply of Xii
larson !
L thought so too" said Judge John
on, at that time. but in ten years {
here was not a buffalo in existence in ,
hat entire section of the country The
ork of determination was stupendous.
did not think it was possible TO wipe
hem out in two hundred years" L
Judge Johnson thought a great deal
Kit Carson and considers him one of
he most unique characters in Ameri- a
an history. Kit was a Kentucklan h
ut at an early period, some where in c
he thirties, he came up the Arkansas l
iver and its tributaries trapping. He I
ured his camp kettles out in this sec il
ron OF the country somewhere about y
s4o until the next season. He never l
anne after them and If any man ever n
igs thm UP he viii have a relic OF e
he man who guided even the path h
nder, General Fremont, through the
Yest -