The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-26
PENCIL SKETCH
OF A PIONEER
OF NORTHWEST
Interesting History of Man
Who Opened NewsCOuntry.
LIVED IN A LOG HOUSE
And Started PoIiticaI Life as a
County Commissioner.
LIVED IN A LOG HOUSE

~ 7
missioner Of the general land office. He
is especially interesting to the west be
cause he VIII probably become commits
sioner within six months time. He IS
particularly interesting to south Kansas
and Oklahoma, because he so admira-
bly, managed the big opening Of the last
o9 the public domain In Oklahoma last
summer.
Governor Richards. as everyone calls
him. IS a man of, say. 55 years. He is a
vigorous active, able clear-headed west
erner. He is the soTt Of man that does
things. He can manage a big ranch in
Wyoming; an opening Of public land III
Oklahoma. or administer successfully and
irtelligently the important Office of com
missioner OF the general land office. He
is tireless. and strong mentally and phys
ically. and honest. He is the sort Of an
official that the new president so ad-
mires.
Governor Richards really began life in
1859 on ths Nebrasca prairies. surveying
for the Union Pacific railroad. He has
been connected with the west, its devel-
opment, its lands and its resources ever
further west; he has worked on top and
beneath the ground; he has mined and
fleighted; he has been a ranch foreman
and later a ranch-owner. He says he
thinks he can do almost anything; can
handle any number Of men at any task,
can administer a big bureau-since he
has handled 100 cow-punchers on the fire.
quent round-ups in the west many q
Early in the eighties. Governor Rich
ards went into the "backwoods perhaps
back prairies" and canons of wyoming
would be a better term-and practically
isolated himself from the world. He had
homestead: he built himself a sod ana
Jog house: he started IN with a bunch OF
cattle which soon grew TO larger proper
tions than the modest beginning. He
became known and respected throughout
his rather wild region. This was the
real beginning.
Il was as county commissioner Of his
county that Governor Richards got his
political start in life. He held this office
with credit to himself and his big, rough
Undeveloped county. In 1850. President
Harrison nominated him TO be surveyor
general Of Wyoming, then a territory It
was no mean office: it required ability
and knowledge 10 hold it down--and Gov
eruor Richards had both qualifications. /
Carey, afterward a senator when Wyo-
ming was admitted as a state, was then
delegats, but he was not So important
perhaps. politically. as he might have
been. At aay rate. Richards did not owe (
his appointment 20 Delegate Carey. 1t !
was William 3. Allison, then. as now. /
the senior United States senator from I
Iowa; and David 3. Henderson. then a (
plain member OF congress, now the !
speaker OF the house OF representative, Z
who secured the appointment FOR Gov /.
ernor Richards. The latter Old rot know /
9, bis good luck until ten DAYS after his 4
nomination He went into d shipping
pcint where there was a telegraph station, /
TO secure some cars for shipping, and (
then ascertained his political advance (
meut
Wei. Richards took the Office. he held (
il nearly I'VE years. It was an important /
position. and he discharged fl weH and (
faithfully Neither state nor administra- /
tion regretted bis selection. when he fl /
naliy left the place Ly reason OF [
change lu national administration.
In 1888 Wyoming had become a state .
OF this union. The legislature WAS ia ,
session. 1t was about equally divided 1
between Republicans and Democrats. +
Neither party controlled the election OF !
United states senator 10 succeed Francis (
f. Warren, who had been chosen in 1890 /
upon the admission Of the state. There
%ere three Populists in the legislature. /
They held the balance OF power. One +
of them walked into Richards office in /
the state house at Cheyenne one morning +
during the legislative session. and said he .
was going to vote Tor Richards for seu-
ator. richards smiled. and said ne +
would await developments. l1c knew tho +
Populists would probably NOT unite ON (
one man. buj he knew if they ala, ana
lle v1as that mau. DE- would be elected for .
the Republicans stood ready 30 sele-t
anyone the Populists might select. espe-
cially were he @ good man and @ Bepub- .
nean. The PopulistS finally ascertaiued-
ard Richards himself called their atteu- /
tion 90 it-that thev had made au agree
ment unsuspectiuey with the Democrats f
early in the session not % Unite en- a Ee-
publican for senator But " 8 Democrat .
could ha induced 90 vote Tor Heouou- .
can. Richards c- lry c-hr taen tre
Icrui ui.sts cou.f break away. Tho roru-
l.st frlc.l or E.Hrls raly fouua
Democrat who would Fe fr ta sr
eyo- general le ltauea- was asou-
i've minutes ro I- wl-a rla le-tGr-
would nest in f.l-t session. thsl The Pon-
r1lstic friend walked tnt1 Richards 4licr .
with the news thlt a Democrat - lead i
The break was fcuud. Richards waEared .
his PonuHst friend that The l-g atur .
would adjourn size die thst day without 7