The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-31
DAVID NILLER'S
QVIH BIRTHDAY
Celebrated in Wichita by a
Family Reunion.
STORY OF HIS LIFE
Interesting Light on Early
Days in Wichita.
STORY OF HIS LIFE

Lawrence avenue, where he has lived fol
thirty years. David H. Miller celebrated
his seventy-seventh birthday with a fam
fly reunion. All the family were present
and as climax to the days enjoyment
the family. with Yankee" Miller in
front. were photographed.
Not the least interesting feature of the
day was the recollection of old times, and
as Yankee" IS of a reminisciential turn
he recalled many interesting experiences
Of early life in Wichita.
Mr.. Miller has recently done a thing
that all men at some time in their lives
contemplate doing, but rarely consum-
mate. He has written his own biography,
telling frankly the story Of his life, to the
nninutest detail. It is not for publication.
but he intends to hand it down TO his
children and let it descend to the coming
generations. The Eagle has seen a copy
of the work. and, in some respects, it is
one Of the very best side-nghts on life
in early wichita that can be found.
Mr.. Miller was born near Hagerstown,
Maryland, August so, 1925. He was filling
g farm when the Civil War came on.
Both armies chased each other over his
fields. took his goods and made life thor
oughly miserable After the battle OF Get
tysburg he suffered so much from the
military stress Of affairs that he resilved
20 go west He went 10 Polo, Illinois,
and later 10 Kansas. This was in 1853.
He bought house at Topeka, and after
is months sold it for 500 and resilved to
come TO Wichita. He writes of the jour
ney here: They packed their buds. hired
two teams for thirty dollars, and, with
the end of one nice day hey landed on the
Big Arkansas river, where plum bushes
were all IN bloom, March 3, 1871"
Continuing: "On the first day, after
dinner, the tourists went in search Of
Wichita, which they found on the banks
OF the Little river and consisting OF
twelve little shanties and several dug
outs. All were occupied by wild-eyed
frontiersmen eager for prey. These big
men with their revolvers strapped to
their sides alarmed the tourists Some
were government scouts, in pursuit of
. notorious desperate, Ledford. They
finally cornered him in an clubhouse; Led
ford received 4 shot in the back, he gave
his last war-whoop and fell dead. This
caused Davy Miller to make ready his
old shot gun. believing himself in the
midst OF another war And as darkness
came down they lost no time in sheltering
themselves from those long haired Kan
sans. They found Indian tepees and old
log shanties. as the Indians had just left
for other reservations. They entered an
old log house and took it for a temporary
homo. Davy made beds by driving stakes
IN the ground and laid sticks on these
and on these sticks they placed their
comforts. They slept very well. The
next day he and DR.. Longsdorf started in
search Of land, accompanied by an old
pioneer as guide at 81 a day and board.
They stood that charge just one day. The
end Of that day found them at a small
place of twelve shanties, by the name Of
Park City. They invested . cents in a
dozen eggs and gave a cook at the res
taura1t % cents 10 cock them and for
crust OF bread which made up .helr zeal.
They spent a sleepleSs night listening to
the bowling wolves. After their morn
ing meal they SGT out for another vii
lage by the name of Seds-w!cll which con
sisted Of thirteen hoT7.s filed with ruff
fans and cowboys filling themselves up
with barleycorn and red-eye whisky and
prscticing shooting cigars out OF one an
others mouths. After seeing all this.
Davy concluded to so back to his family
and taking shank's horse separated from
the party and started at noon He had
twenty miles TO go. Darkness soon came
down on him, and hearing many strange
sounds behind him. he put on all the
steam he had. The wolves around him
and behind him kept bowling, for a full
meal or for the lonely traveller"
Mr.. Miller goes on to tell how finally he
saw q light in the darkness. 1t proved
drunk and he increased his speed He
walked clear 70 Wichita. making the
twenty miles in five hours. which proves !
that he was going some.
OF the next day he says: Every man OF !
age was allowed loo acres of land. 10 be /
paid for within two years at s1.25 an acre /
and Davy had no time TO waste, so he /
and his oldest daughter started our ;he /
next day in search Of a claim. The noon I
hour found them about six miles north 4
east Of Wichita. At that place they found /
two claims staked of and attached 10 4
two stakes were the names Of Taylor and I
Sam Jones. or the Niger killer, as he 4
learned later AS it was getting late 4
they thought they had better retrace 4
their steps. They reached home as the +
sun was sinking. That days journey 4
was pleasantly spent. The next thing
was TO md those two men. and at last /
he found them. They told him they
had been TO the government land office /
and had been granted their filings. but
would turn them over 70 him for the 4
smount OF $50. or SO apiece. This he
promptly took ID. He then went 10 the
land Office at Augusta 10 investigate the
matter and found that no one had ever
taken out fling papers on them. He lost
no time in nling on them at s. each. That
was one Of the games played on newcom-
srs and greenhorns in those DAYS"
Speaking % those claims. he had 70 1
make improvements on them 10 the
amount CT 500 in the first six months
In the meantime he had bought OF VII
Ham GreifEenstein the Indian trading post
for $50. lie hired two teams for Ssa 10
haul those old logs out to his claim.
Then Davy and another man. hired at
g a day built the first house for many
miles around, at a cost Of about SEQ. Il
was a story and a half house fourteen
feet square. There was no lumber in I
reach and II had TO have some kind Of
roof. At length they heard OF J. r. eIead
having cottonwood shingles for sale at
81 PEI Looe. he bought 3,eoo at Sc. He