The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1896-08-21

People living about the quaint old viii
lage Of AnkenytOWn, Richland county o.,
are for the most part the progeny of per-
sons who formed the Leedy settlement in
1910 At that time a colony of Germans
came from Berke county, Pennsylvania, and
settled what was then a wilderness. They
were frugal and industrious. The simple
faith Of the DunkardS was their religion.
we'll that nobody has been able to raise
anything OF consequence on that soil since.
Old John Leedy, grandfather of the Kan
sas nominee, was the leading spirit among
these hardy pioneers. While the govern
ment of the settlement was not cOmmunis-
tic in form, IL saVoTed strongly Of it, and
each one helped his neighbOT. John Leedy
was faVorite arbitrator of disputes, and
those who believe in the laws Of heTedity
might find a striking example in the resem-
blance Of the strictly original notions of
justice entertained by John Leedy of Kan
sas compared to the verbal decisions of
old John Leedy Of Ohio. the DUnkaTd piO-
neer, Economical and masters Of agri-
cultural pursuits, these DunkaTds thTived
for many years. The soil of that portion
of Ohio, however, does not possess the pow
er of recuperating, like that Of Kansas and
Missouri, and about the time the father
of the man who is the subject of this ma
TatiVe was born the assets of tue Leedy
family had dWindled to a point where a
minus sign was necessary to correctly in
dicate them. John Leedy, father of the
present John Leedy, succeeded in removing
the incubus of debt but he died before he
accomplished more. His widow was left in
stfattened circumstances There were five
small children. That was fOrty-three years
ago, and John Leedy, now Of Kansas, was
Just four years Of age, The interval of the
following six years was one of which the
next Governor of Kansas mas a very haZV
recollection, The fireplace of the old log
cabin and his mother reading Horace
| Greeley's New York Tribune and the Bible
are about the only reliable pictures he can
persuade memory to reproduce. The first
thing John Leedy ever read, however, was
a newspaper, He learned the alphabet
from 1t, and ne has been reading neWspa-
pers ever since. Since he has taken an
active part in politics some of them have
proved highly entertaining reading. for
many Kansas editors still cling to the old
custom or spelling the name of the caudi-
date they oppose in small letters There
is probably no other man in Kansas who
mas had as much said about him in tina
last hVe years, and comments, good OF bad.
usually prove interesting If not satisfactory
reading to the person about whom tnev
are made, Thus 1t happens that beside
Senator Leedy's chair on the grass there
Is a bundle of Kansas newspapers that
might lead enc TO believe that he was
the hard-W0rking and maligGed individual
known on newspapers as the exchange edi-
tor. he does keep q scrap book. and as he
never I0rsets, some OF the unfortunate
writer's OF the unpleasant paragraphs may
ANSAS l4AS4A NASTY NutltkfeS4s-VA IA LlulG 20
come.
The habit of keeping a scrap book was
one which he learned from his mother If
/ has been OF much more use to him than
1t ever was to her, bnt as she is stiu living
and inoTdinately proud Of her boy" as
she calls the dignifed Senator, she does
not consider the early tuteiage sn this r.
spect es labor lost This habit Of his moth-
er.s OF preserving information was Of greas
use to John Leedy. when at the age OF h
years he started out in life Tor himself he
was REGARDED as a boy who knew more
than was customary for one OF his wears.
Leedy worked on a farm until ne was al
I the age of Il, in 1e,3 a victim of what Deo-
| pie then regarded as an insane determine
| ton to 90 to war. The boyish desire To
/ take part in the civil conflict was the only
one In WHICH be felt justifisd In disobeying
the inlunctS9Hs Of mis- mother One day be
quit hoeiag corn and procured an old mus
| ket. Just at that time Jacob NJ. Ilee6v
was organizing the One Hundred and Sixtv-
I third regiment Of Ohio volunteers. Captaiu
[ Leedy was a cousin of the youthful aspi-
SAINT Of military honOFs,
siss- Leedy was promptly notified OF her
s 81 hhereabOuts and went TO Mansfield
: AVt tAs purpose Of leading him home by the