The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-10
DENNIS FLYNN 5 START
Claims of His "DiScoverers"
are Reviewed.
JUDGE PETERS OF NEWTON
Is Held to be the One Whose
Title Is Clear.
JUDGE PETERS OF NEWTON


Homes" route the old controversy con-
corning his discovery" has been revived
as it naturally would be after securing
such magnificent victory for his con-
stituents. Public benefactors are so
scarce, especially in political life, that
when they accomplish great achievements
for the people, interest naturally attaches
to every detail of their lives, more par
ticularly if they come out of the OBJ
security Of humble life. The men whose
fame has shone brightest in the annals
of the ages were those who had an OBJ
scure beginning. They also were the men
who aroused the curiosity of the people
of their time. There is something fascin-
ating in tracing The evolution Of greatness
and nothing more interesting than expIor-
ing the record of a great mans life with
view TO ascertaining the precise begin
ming or appearance OF greatness, and the
accident or incident that first gave its
establishment No great man has ever
been developed that some one did not
claim his discovery, or rather the dis
ccvery Of the elements that made him
great The greater the man proves 10 be
the larger the number of his discoveries
There are at least six discoveries of
Dennis Flynn. The original discoverer is
said TO be Ex- President Grover Cleveland.
The story goes that Dennis used to shine
shoes in Buffalo, n Y, when Cleveland
was an obscure lawyer, too poor to pat
ronize 4 regular stand and too fat to
shine his own shoes. The story goes
farther that Grover Cleveland made a YER
bal contract with little Dennis to get
around every Sunday morning and give
MS shoes a polish. Many Sunday morn
ings the stuffed prophet" was in that
condition Of mind in which he would be-
come familiar with the boy, and during
these spells of familiarity he learned a
great deal about Dennis The upshot of
Inc acquaintance was, according to one OF
The various romances woven about the
early life Of the free homes champion,
that Grover took him into his law Office
as a sort Of a lad of general office utility
and taught him the rudments of the law
yer's profession. This story was often
TOLD at kiowa when Dennis Flynn sold
real estate there and plead a case before |
The police judge or justice Of the peace
when he was. fortunate enough to have a |
Client. If he did not tell the story himself /.
about the time Cleveland became presi- |
dent, il is quite certain that he took no |
pains to contradict it.
About that time the discovery Of Dennis |
was nor matter Of supreme Importance. |
out nevertheless there was an old man at |
hiowa who took some pride in being the |
dlscoverer of the future congressman. |
Nobody anticipated any particularly brin, |
iant future for Dennis and hence the old |
mans name has been forgotten All that |
Is remembered Of him is that he had The |
finest growth of alfalfa on his face thar
uds ever adorned mortal man, and that |
he showed a tremendous cavern Of month
when he laughed, as he always did. when
he recited the story of his first meeting
with Flynn. Dennis, it appears. was
crossing, or trying 10 cross. the Medicine
river with yoke Of scrubby oxen and a
printing press. he encountered a bank of
quick sand and was half buried in il
when the old man saw him in his danger
Gus situation. He went to his rescue and
pulled him out. oxen, printing press and
all He admired the gallant struggle
Dennis made against the shifting and
ueacherous sands and he made The pre-
dleuon there and then hat the lad had
those staying and nervy qualities that
would enable him To get 10 the front in
the west. Ii was these qualities that Sc
cured free homes for the people of Okla
homa
Fiynn's next discoyerer was pilgrim
Bard, who was d discovery himself
Scott Cummings was the name If this
famous bard, who was found writing
cowboy epics on Mule creek by Tom Nc
Neal, now editor Of the Topeka Mail ana
breeze and brother Of Joe McNeal. the
well known oklahoma banker. fnancisr
ana p'htclan- Cummings is now in Okla
heIla. and il IS good ten to one shot
mat he didn't have his land paid for be-
Tore Dennis by his energy. exemoted
MIN from the obligation. Bare-headed.
and with his hair Ike an Indian. he used
TO 60 into old kiowa. where Dennis was
editor lawyer and real estate man com
hlned. sharing an Office with a Justice of
the peace in the rear end of 4 Illoon In
those early days The Pilgrim" used In
prophecy that Dennis would be a great
man some day. but nobody paid anv ar
tenoon 10 him. They regarded his nrs-
ACTIONS as sort or compensation for
Dennis iiberality in publishing his bardie
verse. '''>
AHe next discoVerer of Dennis was W.
+. lShorthorn) Campbell. the founder Of
Ne" Nova. He had to Kill old Klowa in {
FAVOR q his new town. and recognising
IN Dennis young man Of great en,.ro,,.
ana ability. persuaded him 10 take his
printing press 10 the present town ~ ,
kiowa which he did
Shortly before rLfe , -..- ,
years or 50. Dennis was discovered b,, an
'''i'F man VINO did not know for several !
years afterwards that he had made a dis
c'NeTN- rms man was Hon. Tom RYAN. !
'"en serving in congress for the Third Dis
'rleI which embraced all OF what is now
'He hig seventh Mr.. Ryan is now
assistant secretary Of the interior n
washington. He secured the appain,r7,e,,,
q tiyno az postmaster Al Old Ki7vs
me claims az these five discoveries an
pale with base pretenses compared vv3tr
The claim Of Hon sam Peters. he prse-
en- postmaster az Newton In 1sSe Ju,r. :
Peters was elected ngressnan-st-ia-as
ana IN 1874 was reelected caneressrnsr
rom The Seventh district. recentlv 80 q
ated ey the legislature. q
\ reporter t3r the Eagle visited Jrdgs
refers ieN days ago ana speaking
Ao.0- me discovery of Flynn. he said.
think il was in ISIS .nvwav il V,s J
a. IN Sear-iha, senator Plumb ard my
ser took a notion 10 travel over my
.'sWis created district We Iect the ran
al a; Dodge CRY and Travelled over
'7t 10 hiowa tskiag in Meade Csn.e-
ana Coidwa- er auG Kiowa At tha
as-s- place Republican meeting was