Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-12-24
GETTINe 4 OOuRTKouaK.
A n. Crazy Recalls How It Was
Done Long AGO.

famous courthouse fight:
II We recollect right 1t was twenty
two years ago this winter that th
court house block In Abilene wa
destroyed by fire. together with
large portion Of the county record
that had been accumulatlng 10
twelve or fifteen years. It was one o
the coolest nights that winter, AM
although there was not the least bi
Of wind whom the confagration began
10 less than twenty minutes the wine
was blowing q gale from each ant
every point Of the compass 1t seems
TO be q curious thing to state, yet Il
Is true. It was OF course rush oil
cold air to one common center, and In
any direction you would stand from
the fire, you would declare that the
wind was coming from that way and
was increasing in velocity every mo-
ment. Abilene had no water works
at the time, and the IRE 6end held
high carnival until the whole OF that
half block was 10 ruins and dozen
smaller store buildings including Tom
Klrby's bank building, Cd the east
side Of the street.
How the conhagrstion first started,
no one ever knew, but II has always
been surmised that twas set, In the
hall above. by parties who were anx-
ious to rid the county Of . part Of tho
court records, or possibly Of records
Of the county clerks or treasurer's
office. This surmise first started by
the first one who went into the hall
stating afterward that be smelled
kerosene burning, hence the conclu-
sion that 1t had been set. Anyway,
the block was destroyed, and the
county commissioners we're obliged to
purchase new furniture throughout
and rent the entire upper story Of the
large Berry block south Of the rail-
road, on Texas street, until the new
court house was built.
A new site for the building had to
DO selected, and there the trouble
began. Enterprise was anxious to
have the county seat transferred to
hat place, hence petitions were start
ID asking the county commissioners
10 call an election "ior the relocation
II the county seat" There was quite
bitter feeling against Abilene Of the
lime. caused largely by the grange
headed by a hot headed
elbow who published an Anti.Monopo-
lot paper in Enterprise at the time.
Ne have forgotten the name Of the
nan, also the name Of his paper, but
The Fire.brand" would have been an
appropriate name for the paper and
Fire Eater" would have been very
appropriate cognomen for the 30 called
ditor TO have assumed. Oh, but he
7as a bitter one against railroads,
anking institutions, political parties
except his own, Apti-Monopolist as
was pleased to name it and In fact
gainst everybody and everything ex,
spt "the poor, downtrodden Of the
srth" In whose behalf he was spend. i
x all his time and what little talent
,e good Lord had intrusted to his I
IRE. He was an eloquent stalker" /.
I'd had the thing down so pat that to
BAR him In the school house going
rough with his mighty harangue,
~ would have thought that the T
illenium was near at hand and be Q
10 chosen one to lead the children Of d
rael out Of the bondage In which !.
% Monopolists had seen DIT to place !,
EN-. !,
Well, about the court house. The Z
" provided that In case a court <
'uss should be destroyed by fire, the T
ople Of county would have a
sht, on presentation to the county q
ard Of legal petition, to demand
Of an election for court house site be
Id lat the expense Of the county, Of oil
urse) and that the question be sub ,n
tied to vote Of the qualified cleo ~
rs OF the county. William Murray lu
Ridge township, Samuel Broker Of In
ant township, and Alfred Pray Of ue
nner township we're commissioners 20
the time, and although they were