The Topeka state journal., 1903-02-07

of Fame General Leonard Wood should
have a tablet there to his memory; not
alone because he won for himself a brill
liant military record but because he is
the man Diogenes was looking Tor
General Wood was the guest Of honor
of the Kansas Day club. He Travelled to
Topeka from Washington. The club ex-
pected to pay all his expenses, and more
too. Expecting heavy expense II
bringing General Wood to Topeka, Will
liam Allen White, president of the club,
and Captain Clad Hamilton, secretary,
placed the price of tickets high enough
SO that the limited space in the banquet
hall would bring into the treasury OF
the club sufficient funds to cover all
, expenses.
When Mr.. White decided to settle with
Hamilton and drew enough money from
the treasury, about all that was left,
TO stuff his pockets. Then he hunted up
General Wood and broached the subject
of the clubs financial indebtedness TO
him.
Let me see" said General Wood. He
thought minute and then said I was
on the train with President Roosevelt
TO Canton. I guess about $50 will be
enough"
Mr. White was surprised. If General
Wood had said $500 he would not have
demurred.
I wish I could say nothing in an
swer to your query said General Wood.
Il met a mighty fine crowd OF men al
the banquet and l was glad to talk 70
them If I could I would say nothing,
but YOU see I have been ordered to the
Philippines and I must outfit mysei1.
/ The expenses of Quitting an officer
amount to something and the fact IS,
continued General Wood, L Will nave
F to borrow the money to do II.
The statement was made by General
Wood in humble manner simply as an
4 excuse for taking the paltry $50 from
the clubs treasury.
And this man. who must borrow
+ money with which to purchase his ser
vice outfit for his use while in command
Of the department of Mindanao IN the
Philippines, handled tens of millions OF
dollars while he was in absolute con-
troll of the situation in Cuba!
IF the committee on elections. in the
present session of the legislature, re-
fuses to recognize the credentials OF
any member it may recall to the minds
I of the old settlers the time when the
! late, Col. Cyrus K Holiday ana Dr
I Jesse D. Woods We're turned down by
the territorial legislature at Pawnee IN
1855.
At that time a councilman and a rep
resentative were chosen from Shawnee
county. The councilman held the same
relative position in the territorial legis-
lature that the senators do now. Gov
ernor Reeder declared the two offices
in Shawnee county vacant. for the
usual reasons which determined such
actions in the early days. But that is
another story, as kipling would say.
In those days Auburn was the center
of Shawnee county and was aspiring
to be the biggest town in the county
When it was discovered. just a couple
of days before the legislature was to meet
that Governor Reeder had declared tho
! offices vacant. the political powers at
Auburn got together and selected DR.
Woods and Col. Holiday as the candl-
dates to be supported by the anu-slay-
cry party. It was very late at night
-. 10 nd at
two O'Clock in the morning two men
left Auburn on horseback for Topeka
to inform the voters who had been Sc
1ected as the candidates at the i'm
promptu meeting at Auburn.
Col Holiday and DR.. Woods were
overwhelmingly elected and they start
ed at once for the legislature at Pawnee
They made the trip on horseback When
they presented their credentials the
NIissourians, who held the balance of
power, advised them to put their Gre
dentials in their pockets and return to
Topeka. They did. 1t was short
time after that that the legislature ad-
iourned to meet at Tom Johnson's. the
father of Col. A. S. Johnson. at Shaw
nee mission. But DR.. Woods and Col.
, Holiday were not members of the ter
ritOrial legislature in 1855
For several years Auburn aspired to
be the county seat of Shawnee and
years ago when the legislature of Kan
.
were planning for the honor.
The fact that, at that time, Auburn
, was very nearly in the center of Shaw
, nees county was looked upon as a
strong argument and as the northern
boundry was the Kansas river. and
Topeka was on the very edge of the
county, the Auburn supporters always
managed to OutvOte the Topeka forces
At this same time Burlingame wished
to be the county seat of Usage county
but was just over the line in Shawnee
ard Fmporia wished to be the county
seat of Lyon county and of course To-
f peka wished to be the county seat of
Shawnee. But neither Emporia nor To
peka were near the centers of the coun-
ties and BuTlingame was not in Usage
To obviate this difficulty an omnibus
. bill was prepared. to be passed by the
I legislature at Lawrence. which would
move the northern boundaries of Lyon.
/ Usage and Shawnee counties far enough
{ north to bring the three towns nearer
the center. This would take off terri
tory from the southern and add terri
: tory to the northern sides Of the coun-
! ties.
sJYncle Chet'' Thomas. who used "a
: be the power in Shawnee county poll
tics. was against the omnibus bill but
despite his objections it was passed by
l the legislature. The day before the leg
: isIature was to adjourn Thomas said
that If the bill happened to be lost that
{ further legislation could be STAYED off
The clerk of the senate agreed for $3.50
5 to carry the bill in his outside over
I coat pocket as he went from the sen
q ate to the house To get ahead of the
story it might be said that years after
ward the bill. which was lifted from
: the pocket Of the overcoat by a minis
a ter. was found in some rubbish that
was being cleared out of the Eldridge
] house in Lawrence
But the legislature fooled Chef Thorn
' as and on the very last day of the Sos
sion substitute omnibus bill was
{ Y9zsp6 and the county lines were
o changed. At that time the southern
. boundry Of Shawnee county was two
& miles south of Burlingame. The bill
Z / took 70 miles of of shawnee and put
!. 1t on Usage thereby giving Burlingams
: 2 chance to become a county seat and
alirni1,a ting A1lIa11rr Rlrrlfnearna va