The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-28
HER STORY WAS SAD
ONE OF WICHIFA'S EARLIEST SET
TIERS TAKEN TO AN ASYLUM.

Located the Texas Cattle Trail to Thi
City, and for Whom the Greek wa
Named, has Been Declared Insane ant
VIII be Taken to the Asylum-She i
said to Have Loaned $4,000 to Sup
posed Friends who Failed to Pay He
and She was Left Destitute.
Tonight Mrs. Mary Chisholm, one o.
the first settlers of Sedgwick county
Bnd wife of the man who esta blisheC
the first cattle trail from Texas 10 Wich.
TIA, Will be taken 10 the insane asylum
at Osawatonnie by Sheriff RUFF Cone.
Such cases are sad, extremely sad. but
the story in this case was Sufficiently dis
tressing 70 cause the sheriff to shed
tears as he related the sad history Of
the poor desnented lady. who for wears
has been honored by the title Of Mother
Chisholm
In 1886 Mother Chisholm owned a
beautiful home just south Of where the
rity building stands, and in fact the
south side Of the building now stands
On the north portion of one of her lots.
Times we've booming in Wichita At
that time and Mother Chisholm was
made tempting offers for the property
but she said she was getting old and
he place had been bought by her nus
band and she refused 10 sell the prop
eTty.
Finally the lots Of Father Bliss. an
old landmark of Wichita, were sold and
the old man, in whom Mrs. Chisholm
had the utmost confidence, advised her
20 set price and sell the property for
cash and that she could then live on
the interest Of the money loan.
She accepted this advice and sold the
property for $4,000 in cash and on the
advice Of her friends she concluded to
loan her money in sums Of 81 900 at a
rate Of 10 per cent interest. Some tried
10 get the old lady TO loan her money
at j per cent, but she said no. that the
money would bring her an income of
$500 and this would be sufficient TO keep
her
She also decided that she would only
loan her money in 81 900 instalhnents to
persons in whom she had the utmost
confidence. The property was sold and
the money loaned 10 nine men who Al
the time Of giving Mother Chisholm
their notes could have qualified for
many times their face value
But there came a change and when
the depression and financial stringencv
came the men who We're A No ! in the
commercial world became worse than
bankrupts and the notes became value
less and out Of the entire sum she only
received four installments of interest.
1t is said that three of the men who
gave the Old lady their notes for 81 900
each, bearing 10 per cent interest from
July 70, 1887, have recovered their for
tunes IN Oklahoma and are today in
comfortable circumstances and still
their notes remain unpaid either as to
principal or interest in the hands of the
woman who has her reason dethroned
by the loss Of her money.
For sometime the county has taken
care Of the old lady and kind friends
have seen that she did not suffer, but
she continued to brood over he. great
loss. 1t was her ambition that In her
old days she would be able to assist
others instead OF becoming a charge and
the brooding over her trouble has at
last dethroned a mind that was always
trying TO make others happy
She is now II years OF age and her
long white locks fell over her shoulders
as she sat IN the probate court while
a jury was called TO try Der sanity.
In her withered hand which had al
ways oeSn ready 10 reAeVe the suffering |
of the early settlers, and which had
been clasped in prayer by the death |
bed Of many of the heroes of the plains. |
she held an old leather pocket-book con |
tanning the notes given her for her |
money.
Please tell them that trusted them
as child and that now ! am to be TAX
en- TO the poor house and ask them If
they won't pay me a portion of the
money gave them. ] have often weep
ed over the song "Over the Hills to the
Poor House" l was thankful then that
would not be left in this condition. J
Oh, hurry and tell them that the sheriff
has come to take me TO the poor house"
Then the old lady would break down
and cry as though her heart would |
break and there was not a dry eye in
the room when her sad, sad story was
made known.
Rufe Cone said: "This is the saddest
Will be blamed If I don't dun the men
who gave the old lady their notes until
they see that she lacks for nothing the
rest of her days. There are hundreds
Of Texas cattlemen who Will see that
their old friend does not suffer- The
only thing that bothers me is how to
get those notes without causing Mother
Chisholm pain, and 1 would not do that
for the world"