The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-16
COOLER COINED HERE
Wichita Word Which Has
Gone All Over the World,
HOW IT WAS ORIGINATED
And the Building to Which 1t
Was First Applied,
HOW IT WAS ORIGINATED

Since the rehabilitation Of the old
Douglas avenue hotel to its former rank
as town hosiery. very decided re-
v.val of interest in the old landmarks
Of ANTIQUE wichita has set in. Not only
the first hotel has been accounted for,
but the first church, the first livery
stable. the first blacksmith shop and the
first residence have been digged up from
the dust OF thirty years Of Indifferent
recollection TO take their place in the
literary renaissance Of the town. In
reminiscent mood a few days ago. Fred
Sewers and other old timers who rocked
Wichita in its cradle, and sang for 1t
the first lullaby, wondered what had be
come of the first jail. That self-same
morning. Charlie Hatton and john Fisher
were driving down from Thirteenth
street and both OF them recognized 1t
standing within a dozen feet Of the Mis-
souri, Pacific watch house on Twelfth
street-that house in which the veteran
guardian Of the public life and limb
Jerry Lane has held sway, and red
flag. for so many years.
It is not generally known that the word
Cooler" as applied to local jails or
feinated in Wichita, and that the tenn
raraure Of this identical building, one
winter night. inspired the inventive vo-
sabulist who has added such an express
sive word TO the popular language OF
the nation. on the morning in question.
a prisoner was taken out Of this jail
frozen to death. and from that particular
nnortuarv event dates the application Of
the word cooler to city jails. The name
of the deceased is a matter Of much con-
tenuon among tradiHonists of the city,
some Of them insisting that it was Por-
ter while others are absolutely certain
that 1t was Gregory. Had it not been
that there was a Solomon in a crowd Of
old-tmers yesterday, the contention
might have become serious. He suggest
ed that as men in these days were not
extra fond Of keeping one name very
long at a time. it was possible that the
deceased was neither a born Porter or
a born Gregory. and hence the absurdity
of q strife between ola friends.
Who first applied the name cooler to
the old Jail is not even definitely known
br Jimmy Cairnes, the most authentic
authority of the jail history Of the per
sod. For years the impression prevailed
that Charlie Hatton was the man, but
Judge Jewett says that the word in
vented bv Judge Hatton was "sevagi-
vus. a term referring TO a condition Of
temperance rather that to O. condition
of temperature. To be "sevagivus' in
those days was to be all but completely
under the table. and # was an expression
Of such common use that the compilers
of Webster's dictionary wrote to friend
in Wichita to inquire into its origin cat
tiemen carried the expression into Texas
and # is said that it IS used in the neigh
b1rhood of Fort Griffin unto this very
day.
The jau was built Of two-by-four oak
boards laid nat one upon another after
the manner of construction Of log houses.
Ut had two compartments, one for lad
les" and one for gentlemen neither
one of them large enough to comfort
ably lodge more than one man, although
at times there were as many as two
dozen of the '1adies" and gentlemen
of the period in them. 1t had no win
dows. but a grated hole on either side
and end for the exit and entrance of air
currents. All four sides Of st are charred
ia consequence of fire being set to it
one night almost resulting i'm a whole
sale holocaust. Had it not been for Judge
Jewetts wonderful triangle by which
the city was alarmed a terrible tragedy
would have occurred. Mr. Jewett was
police Judge and Justice Of the peace at