Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1902-03-22

The earth and every common sight
To me did seem
Appareled in celestial light.
The glory and the freshness OF dream"
Then everything-even the sunshine
seemed young. But, after all, 30 far "a
we know. one part OF the earths sur
face is as old as any other. 1t 10 only
we who change, shifted hither and
thither by that silent mechanism which
controls all the generations OF men.
Doubtless the Kaw Is as ancient as the
Jordan; and the Missouri has flowed In
turbid majesty to the sea as many weary
centuries as has the Ganges or the Eu-
pirates The footsteps of civilization are
measured by the banks Of rivers. In
the days when I became q Kansan.
mighty host had turned their faces west
ward, seeking new homes, new sites for
their affairs and their shrines. Some
camped upon the Arkansas, that Junior
Nile in whose waters harvests flow In
soluble. but sure; some seized upon the
Neosho, having the borders OF fertile
fields and pastures; while others Hooked
to the Solomon and the Republican-two
names which mean wisdom and patriot.
ism-and soon their valleys blossomed
as the rose. As for me, I settled upon
the verdigris. that beautiful stream.
worthy q better name. When ! saw IL
first It was liquid emerald. under the
brilliant skies and hardly less brilliant
clouds Of southern Kansas. Years have
sped away since I visited that spot,
which was my first Kansas home, but
It Is still and will ever be to me, hal
lowed place. From 1t the light Of other
days comes laden with memories, ana
with thoughts that cannot all be spoken.
Almost every day when I lived in indie
90 zee pniF0rnVA
bearing his many scars. the relics ana
reminders of that fatal day on the Marias
du Cygnes, when there were
"Great drops on the bunch-grass
But not Of dew"
At Cofreyville. in the same county. lived
Thomas B. Eldridge. known to all az
TOM" the bright, genial, courtly gen.
tleman, who used to relate with infinite
zest his adventures while serving on the
staff Of the general commanding In the
Wakarusa war. Time had already soft
ened the asperities Of the territorial
struggles and men who had been bitter
enemies had come to look at each other
through eyes Of friendship and affection.
In my boyhood had supposed that Will
son Shannon was the incarnation OF the
slave-driving oligarchy. but when came
to know him found him to be, not
figuratively but actually, grand old
man, the finest type have ever known
of the antique Roman.
Among others whom I knew was SAM
uel D. Lecompte, who had the honor OF
having had an incipient capital named
after him, 0nd who in territorial times
was popularity supposed to be very Sat
of Tarsus, breathing out threatenings
and slaughter, but who was. In fact, q
gentle, kindly soul who would not nave
harmed fly.
When the Kansas struggle broadened
out and gathered into its compasS the
entire nation, I do not doubt that Gen.
Price, of Missouri, and Gen. Blunt, OF
Kansas, were equally sincere IN their
convictions, and equally brave In main
tanning them. Thank heaven! all the ha-
tired is gone, and these two noble states
gazing into each others eyes wonder
how they could have waited so long to
fall in love with each other.
I have said much about Kansas. nut
you will forgive me since 1t was my home
so long, and since 1t Is your neighbor.
l cannot claim to be a patriarch OF the
Kansas bar, but when ! followed those
sweet western wooings and cast my lot
with Kansas, the patriarchs were still
there. / hold them In profound respect
and keep them in loving memory, for
followed in those happy days. Wilson
Shannon was the Nestor, and the recog-
nized leader. Everything that should ac-
company old age he had, "as honor.
love, obedience, troops Of friends" And
there were others. The banner OF Rug
giles and Plumb floated proudly through
out the valley of the Neosho, the Cot
tonwood and the Walnut, and was rapidly
advancing along the Santa Fe trail into
the valley Of the Arkansas. Mcclure ano
Humphrey had taken unto themselves the
upper waters Of the Kaw, and the broad
sweep of the Solomon and Republican.
w. w. Guthrie and Nathan Price from
their strongholds in Atchison and Doni'
phan counties, kept watch and word over
the northern tier, while B. F. Simp-
son and James D. Snoddy looked after
the interests Of the eastern border. Clougn
and Wheat exercised general SUPER
vision over the entire bar, with their
great library and hospitable ONCE always
omen to lawyers who needed help for to-
morrow and absolution for to-day. !
cannot think of those June terms OF the
United States circuit court at Leaven'
worth, when Judge Dillon presided-tn
model of all who would have justice al
ministered In the manner becoming
great judge-without recalling how we
used to drop in of an evening at Clough
& Wheat's office. generally catching our
adversaries also sharpening their weap-
ons.
Clough and Wheat in those days were
faithful public servants, and ought TO
have been Incorporated as an annex OF
the state library and made exhibit IA
in the jurisprudence Of the state.
speaking now to the older members OF
the bar, can safely admit to you-and
confess to the younger ones-that when
we entered the profession, lawyers knew
much more about some things than they
do now. But they knew little OF organi-
cation, reorganizations and re-reorgani-
cations. The word syndicate" was I'M
known, and its capabilities as little un-
derstood as are the present possibilities Of
the Marconi wireless telegraph, But we
knew a great deal of the COCA oid law OF
real property, much of devises to chari-
.oLIa ,,aas of the doctrine that trusts