The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-12
No Romances
Kansas a Hard One
for the Story.Writers.

aroused For all Kansas has long been
on the hunt for a Kansas romance, which
would reflect the sky, the prairie. the
creek, the dusty road and the personality
which is set in among them. the person
atty which makes them and is made by
them.
William R. Lighton has written a book
called Sons OF Strength being "A Re-
nance of the Kansas Border War
Others have essayed that border war
as e field OF romance. No one has ever
attempted it before who has equalled Mr..
Lighton's grace of diction. On that
score his work is perhaps faultless. The
story is a good. strong. morally helpful
one. The author has been a little timid
of drama, but the story does what it is
intended it should do teach the lesson OF
the expediency and brillianey OF true
worth in men.
But one hesitates to recognize our Kan
sas in its pages. except in one instance
the description of the home-seekers' first
night IN the sunflower state.
Mr.. John Speer. the oldest Of notable
Kansans, biographer Of Lane, publisher
of the Lawrence Tribune in the Pro-Slav-
cry and Free State days, was, with a
view of being fair to this romance. asked
by this reviewer several questions. Mr..
Speer has not himself read the book.
One OF these: rs the Kansas character
the same now as in 1852"
To which he answered: Yes"
Did the Kansas emigrant anticipate
physical danger on setting out for Kan
sas from Pro-Slavery menu
paign. He no more expected TO be hit IN
the back with a bullet than you expect to
be hit in the back with a bullet in the
campaign here now"
Did the conservative, or better element,
or the intelligent element of Lawrence
approve OF the compromise between
Shannon, Robinson and Lane which ward
ed off from Lawrence an attack of the
Pro-Slavery forces then camped at
franklin"
They did approve OF it. If the Mis-
sourians had carried back forty or fifty
dead men with them, there would have
been no Lawrence Immediately there
AFTER
WAS John Brown man VINO, race 10
face, impressed you with tremendous will
power"
THAT is very true He did that"
did he and Jim Lane have a dramatic
encounter on the streets of Lawrence?'
SCI think not They would have had it
out in private. most likely"
The reason for these questions will come
out in the narrative which Mr.. Lighton
has written and which is as follows: AN
egnigrant's wagon leaves behind it in Il
linois boy, who becomes a foundling
This portion of the story is masterfully
written. The founding finds a playmate
in Blinkie Mead. The founding, Pokey
Upjack by name, is early taught honesty
and truthfulness He is later adopted into
the family of a Quaker. The Quaker,
when Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska
act. permitting the people OF the terri
tories to decide by ballot whether they
should be slave" or free state" prayed
that his adopted son move on to Kansas
70 make the battle for the free. He set
out with others in wagons. They were
Joined by other wagons from Ohio and
among them one containing Elizabeth
Archibald, a teacher with whom Pokey
Upjack falls in love, warily, tentatively.
In passing through Missouri Pokey Up
jack beholds young man holding a
bleeding negro baby which an older man
has Just dashed. Pokey becomes a spec
tator and helps the younger man. These
two proved TO be father and son, one an
abolitionist, the other a rank, cruel slave
master. The old man is bound and
gagged and the boy, Arch McCulloch,
joins the Kansas emigrants. Archie meets
we'll to her. concealing the plight OF her
husband, because of all mortals she alone
cares for him. The party, fired with en-
thusiasm for their mission, and fearful Of
attack from Missourians, at last crosses
the river moves on to Lawrence where
Pokey recognizes his old friend, Blinkie
Mead, now a preacher under new name
and a thorough hypocrlte. Westward
from Lawrence they locate claim and
build a strongly fortified house. One day
Archie. who by this time has also fallen
in love with Elizabeth (and Elizabeth is
nearer a Kansas type than any other
character in the book, goes to Lawrence.
He is back speedily with the announce
ment that there is war. A sheriff from
Missouri arrested a Free State man. A
one Of them took the man from the sher-
if Governor Shannon called out the
which meant Missourians. The
camped IN a body at Frank
lin, near by Lawrence. Archie and !
Pokey and the rest OF the Free State set !
tiers poured into Lawrence TO protect Il /
against the threatened attack. Shannon. |
governor representing the Missouri crowd, /
came to Lawrence to effect a compromise /
with a Council OF Safety, scored roundly 1
by this author. Jim Lane. although the 4
author does not name him, got Shannon i
drunk. Previous to the compromise John |
Brown arrived and lined up the Free state |
men for action. he wanted no compro- |
mise; he wanted a fight. which is histo-
really correct Lane ordered him 70
make no attack A dramatic scene on the /
street OF Lawrence Is described. Mr..
speer said Lane probably went to sohn
Brown and said: You must not attach"
After the compromise was signed, Brown
luleted down.
The author calls the Council of Safety
Charles Robinson and 5im Lane the
Council OF Fear and has John Brown reply
% Lane:
Il deny all military authority over ne
MESS you give ne an order 70 SCAT. ~
Master Is the Lord. 7 shall obey none bug
Him and Bis orders have already Re-
.eivec"
B-own's company dissipatss. much 70
he narrator's disgust, and John Brown
loes net attack a. stated above TIE char
.cter o. 70 story. Pskey tp5ack. AS
sIsh Brown on the matter q attack. me
.rana o. tAe story hinges o. visit
made By Pokey and Archie 70 Franklin.
n the course % which they 6tzcover thsy
re brothers. and taat ~BIiukse Mead."