Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-12-01
W. A. PETER.


In last weeks Advocate and News
J. w. Morpby writes the following
credi:able history of ex Senator peffer.
Mr.. Morphy has been associated with
Senator PETER IN publishing the Advo.
cate for several years and is intimately
acquainted with him:
One of the most agreeable duties
which has been assigned me for some
time Is that of saying something of in
terest To the public Of tx Senator PEI
fer. So much has been written of his
life, that extended reference to his life
work would seem UNNECESSARY. lie IL
a Pennsylvania by birth. aud is now
Us years old. He began l:fr as teach
u, afterwards becoming farmer.
i'rjnr 10 the war he resided IN Indiana.
ther in Missouri. and later in Illinois.
from which state he enlisted i'll the ar
my III 1862. He held numerous posi-
tons in The service. They were second
lieuttnant, r~gimental qnartcrmaster.
| and adjutan', pest adjutant. judge adj
vocaie of Il military commission AMI
depot quartermaSter at Nashville. He
vas mustered out in 1865 and began
The practice Of law at GAINESVILLE Ten
nessee, having studied during odd
hours while in the army. In 1870. he
came 10 Kansas and engaged in the
newspaper and law busint SIS. His pa
peTs were tie FredOnia journal and
COffrNville Journal. He became
state Senator in 1874 and Garfield
;,sesdtn tiar electOr in 1880. In 1881 he
ot CAIN. editor Of the Kansas Farmer,
from which position he retired to be-
come United States Senator i'll 1891
Wien tbs tern expired last March he
became editor Of the Advocate. The
ne" management OF the paper has
ncen fortunate in securing his services
fnr It's farm department., d line of work
in which be is an authority.
The writer has, bv association.
come 10 know the Senator well. IL is
10 his credit that every man who was
ever intimately acquainted with him
has become life long friend. AS ali
employer he wins the unqualified re
apect and esteem Of his employees. No
man employed by him ever had good
reason to complain of unjust treatment
at his hands. Although careful and
economical in financial matters, he
Mas never known TO complain about
bill of labor, his customary remark he
ing, L have no doubt you earned it and
more \ man WHO is more consider
ale of the rights, feelings and views OF
others does not live. When work is al
. iOtted 10 him it is always ready prompt
~ and we'll done. He is great lover
of home and spends very little, if any.
time except there and at his place of
business. lie is temperate in all things,
having the simplest aud most sensible
habits. Method and system are found
in all his work. HIS knowledge of
work in which he has been engaged,
whether in public or private life, coy
els the minutest details. In the Sell
ate he was walking encyclopedia
| and was consulted about matters re
quirng information relative to public
affairs by his fellow Senators more gen.
orally than any other Senator, with the
possible exception of few of the old
veterans who have been there life
time. He is not a politician in the
sense that the word is now used. He
could not adapt himself 10 modern 20
| Iltical methods, which Is to his credit.
| His idea of the line of a public officers
duty was to DO that which, after ma
ture consideration, seemed to be right
and just, and trust to the people to en-
dOrse his action. With his retirement
from public life, the people lost the
services Of a clean. honest, honorable
man and most faithful and untiring
worker in their interest"