The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-28
TWO GOLD TEETH.
How King of Wichita and His
Friend Recognized Each Other
WILL OLIVER COMES BACK
Returns to the Scenes of His
Rule Twenty Years Ago.

Yesterday two men met IN Wichita. In
misty way each thought that some
where some day. he had met the other. /
but where? Each smiled doubtfully,
tentatively. In each mouth came to
view gold false tooth.
Two good right hands shot forth and |
clasped and the men cried each others |
names
In very few minutes thereafter one
of the men. Ralph Milnson Of this city,
was spreading the news to the old-tim-
ers that VIII Oliver was back.
Twenty-three' years ago VIII Oliver,
the red-headed king Of wichitas Boy
vile. knocked that missing tooth from
Milison's jaw ana twenty-three years
ago, Ralph 8ullison. promptly retaliated
by knocking that missing tooth from the
head Of VIII Oliver.
When the people Of Wichita who were
here between the years 1870 and 1880
read that VIII Oliver after 20 years
VIII do viii be to adjust their spectacles
and ask:
And what did the little scamp make
of himself, anyway
Mr.. William J. Oliver. gray-haired and
sedate at thirty-five, is general mana
ger and secretary of the T. 9. Lamar
Kaonn company, miners and shippers Of
paper. Wall paper and Cnina-clay-the
largest clay producers in the United
States. He is contractor for railroads.
one Of the largest in the south, and does
( his share for the big levee and bridge
work OF that section; is vice president Of
I the Pickens railroad and is rich. The
plants he supervises are in Langley
South Carolina He left Wichita in 1850
and since that time no one in the city
has had any word about him or his for
tunes.
! Last night he said In the Eagle office:
( 81 came back to see the old town; but II
4 isn't here. I wouldn't know it. I look
ed for the old dip in Douglas avenue at
/ Topeka It's all filled up. No one would
ever know it had been there. Why, no
/ one could ever tell that this was Wichita
at all Few recognize ne--Mrs. Charles
+ Lawrence, Fred Baldwin, Ralph Mill
son and you here. I took tea with Mr..
and Mrs 3Iillison today. went up to
see Miss Woods CIrs. Charles Lawrence)
and she said to me: VIII, when they
gave me the eighth grade TO teach, my
whole and only alarm was because you
were in that eighth grade
For Will Oliver was the ruler OF the
town AS such he made successive
school boards hold special sessions over
his latest move, and caused general ner-
vous prostration among school teachers.
He established the first peanut stand in
the town and on the assumption that a
peanut stand has a sphere Of influence
as inviolate as German territory in
China, promptly licked all competitors
out Of the business. He sold the first
daily papers in the town. On July g.
1876 he blew himself to pieces and his
face full Of powder with a homemade
bomb and licked seven boys for calling
him "scabby Oliver during his conval-
essence. He and Omrah Alley blew them
selves up with an impromptu steam en-
CINE made out Of tomato cans. Although
every boy in town tied other boys cloth
es on the river bank oliver without eX-
cept.on was credited with every offense
Of this kind It was he and Kay Smith.
the son Of an old sea captain who gath
cred together a compass, caUking tools
and other marine remnants stored in a
barn here in Wichita and started for the
coast for a sea-faring life afoot; and
were taken four miles out of town and
brought back marine implements and al
and soundly tlreshed. Kay Smith II
now in Tokyo japan
Q, . y -frf7 nh
old Fourth ward school house burned
down." he was asked last evening.
Remember It" said the visitor, pass
, ing his hand over his gray hairs. THAT
was the happiest moment Of my life
But he was probably mistaken Ta'
manifest moment Of his life was prob
I ably in the midst Of the ruins the nex'
morning where a general boy tight tool
. plac cover the possession Of the faller
shattered bell
There is every reason to believe TIA
it was due to his Vaccinations that al
i one time the north and south part o
; town became deadly enemies and any BOZ
from the north side who strolled souti
E of Douglas avenue was promptly ant
completely thumped.
During his residence here, the othe
little bows were angels. Ha4loWe en-
when the door steps Of every schoo
house disappeared and every gate Wa.
( cadsed of, the other little boys jus
stood out in the moonlight and though
noetic thoughts. The next morning,
was that WIN Oliver who moved ever
e gate although # would have taken hin
4 a year to have really done it,
Daring his reign the community wa
D.. divided into two factions over him. on
crowd said re was going TO ell sorts q
demniti9n bow-wows The other SID
said he was going TO be president som
dav or something near g. Both side
arreed that a brighter boy never pu
tic-tacs on windows.
He came back yesterday RE has win
dicated his wall-wishers. he has rise
high IN the commercial world. s. shreTs
honest Industrious and successful =
married az Gaiesaurg. Illinois. Mss Jer
rie WAGNER They have two children
ass sister Susie oliver IS married an
s. lives at Pryors creek. indian Territorl
HIS parents fze n Thayer. kansa
which is near Chsnate-
* last evening he sat and named names
10 names long dead in the community, a
their owners.
And old Four-Eyes" he asked as