Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-03-16
The Passing of Frakes.

his title perfect, FrakeS never claim
ed to be tall Sycamore of the Wa
BASH He rather posed as Sycamore,
one of the wise ones among the unter-
rified democracy of the Golden Circle
until he came to Kansas when his til
tie became d. d. doctor of divisIon)
among the forces of fusion and reform
Frakes landed in Lane county in I
the sos and at once organized himself
as a committee of one to secure his i
own election as township trustee-a
distinction he had already achieved
s'back in Indyanny." He succeeded |
and then first began to declare that he |
''never had been defeated" He con-
ceived the idea that he was invinci |
BILE and concluded to run for treasurer |
in county where the odds were near |
ly two to one against him and against |
one of the best men in the county-a
man of real worth and ability.
His campaign was organized with |
this layout and accoutrements: One
old gray mare-a lineal descendant of
the celebrated animal that persisted
in the wilderness several years ago-a
rope bride and gunnysack saddle
These were his principal arguments
but if he met a particular obstinate
voter he had little roll in his inside
pocket. These methods succeeded
twice and as the law barred him from
Il third term he sent black to Indyan-
ny for brother John to come out" and
run for office. Brother John sue
ceeded but it was by the skin of his
teeth and \ be saw the necessity of
hunting greener pasture. He found
it and In Trego county we are sorry to
say. BY some means he got himself
appointed Register of the U. S. Land
Office at Wa-Keeney. There are those
who think they know the exact value
of the ''pull" which got him the place.
This was in the days of the Second
Cleveland and for the honor of the
stuffed prophet it is hoped that the
appointer never saw the appointee.
Frakes was installed and soon quar-
relied with his colleague, Colonel S. S.
Reynolds, and succeeded in securing
his diSmiSSal--a clear case of discard
ing the gentleman and retaining the
donkey. w. E. Saum followed Rey-
noldS. Saum is ii man of gumption
and discretion. He sawed wood, kept
his own counsel and kept his office
but he must have hated the supreme
emptiness of Frakes with hatred he
never dare express. F'rakes imported
Allen Cox, chief clerk, and for Il while
Cleveland Democracy was sufficient,
but later they began to take a hand
in local fusion and were soon In open
defiance of civil service Jules and COM
mon decencv-
In these days Frakes had visitor
once in while. My friend Mr.. Loo
miller. Mr.. Loomiller is blind. Shake
hands with Mr.. Loomiller. This was
the standard introduction This is
the same Loomiller whose recent
tragic end and chequered career the
papers are still exploiting.
All things have an end and Frakes
and Cox had to get out of the land Of
flee. Cox wanted to be county print
er and the reformers decided to run
Frakes for county commissioner.
Once more he brought out his slogan:
Il have never been defeated" and
sure enough he added another to his
long line of brilliant victories Loo
miller came on visit 80 days before
and on election day lie solemnly swore
that Wa-Keeney was his hOme-a
plain, palpable case of perjury-as
everybody knew. Loomiller has never
been here since and Frakes only
fraction of the time. Nobody knows
what bond of union existed between
these men but it seemed that Frakes
touched the button and Loomiller did
the rest
How was FrakeS elected? Uncouth,
unkept and unlearned; empty, vulgar
and vain of little personal adorn-
ments, he had not one single attrac-
tive trait of voice, gesture or feature.
Ingersoll, politics and gum were the
only things that attracted him.
Heaven aud home ties held no allure
ments for him. A railer at the church,
a scoffer at religion and a general
skepJic, still he got the votes of min
listers of the gospel and the apostles
of holiness. Bootleg and Doodle were
the chief agents In securing his cleo
I ftson and he got the prohibition vote
, also. OF all the dupes who voted for
Frakes for commissioner not one-half
could give reason for 1t and. the
/ other half would not dare tell-leav-
. ing shame entirely out of the queS-
r tion as it was one of the most shame
less elections ever held in Trego-al-