The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-01-10
a Losr 80 rowN.
Runymede Was lively Place Waats
81 LASTED, nut e HHa neen
Wiped on the HAP.


Capt Charles Seton, who was form
erly an officer in the British army, res
turned recently to this country and
when he read Of a hunt for lost towns
in Kansas he told the following story
about Runymedes
you must first know said he,
that Runymede was a combinations
Of British inexperience, British cred-
ulity, British money, considerable
cockneyism and a ludicrous attempt
to live on foolish hopes and foolish
promises.
"The immigrants who came from
England to Kansas expected to grow
rich over night and then return to
England to live on champagne and
venison.
1T took two years to wear of the
varnish, break the bank and turn out
the lights. And Rome-or / should
say Runymede-howled in the inter-
val.
"Runymede was created by a north
Of Ireland agitator named TURNKEY,
who had lost money in the cotton
business in the United States. HIS
son Edward bought 1900 acres of land
at S1.50 an acre in Harper county, and
began Advertising in England that he
was lord of a western paradise, where
golden birds sang in the trees and sil-
yer rivulets ran tinkling to the sea.
For $500 a year he engaged to
teach the o q of English gentlemen
the mysteries of successful farming
and stock raising, provide for their
physical needs and administer such
educational tonics as would enable
them to hold the winning hand
wherever they might be.
"Runymede, 70 miles northwest Of
Harper, in the middle of a boundless
prairie, with only one tree in sight,
was founded as the center of this en-
terprise, and at Runymede c~ongregat-
ed the good souls who listened to
Turnley's tinted tales.
ct was to be the great commercial
depot of the west. 1t was with glow
ing hearts that my party Of 16 e
and women sailed from England in
May, 1889, for the neNS world.
$50 anxious was toNfnd agreeable
quarters at the end of my journey
that, with fearful extra gance, /
sent along cablegram to TURNKEY to
build me a house forthwith and have
it ready for me upon my arrival.
When I reached Runymede there was
no house in sight, and we were glad,
likewise disgusted, to find lodging at
the ranch house, where we braved the
terrors of corn bread and fat bacon
until houses were built.
"Some of us had considerable
money. None Of us had any financial
sense. While we waited for a miracle
to be performed that would trans
form our arid home into a blooming
garden, and the town Of Runymede
into a vast metropolis, we Toasted and
danced and made merry. We enjoyed
all the sports dear to English hearts
and dressed in the wonderful gar
ments we had brought from the land
whose white cliffs look across the
channel to Calais.
kansas was known as a prohibi-
tion state, and one guileIess father
thought that Runymede would be the
salvation Of his son, who had acquired
a big thirst for liquor. The lad kept
the trail hot between Runymede and
Harper and maintained an irrigating
plant that would have overwhelmed
the children of Israel. He always had
some kina Of a jag.
Kansas prohibition was a failure in
Runymede, The good livers brought
whole cargoes Of the very best whisky
from Chicago. One youth fell heir to
$4,000 a year, and the Thermometer
in Runymede went up several degrees.
What a time he had.
''Ihe men imagined that they were
in the very heart of the west, where
the blood ran widest and reddest
They wore cowboy outfits, and an al.
senal of guns and knives ratified on
them as they walked. They would
not go outside the house unless armed
to the teeth. They were fond Of pos
ing for their portraits in photograph
galleries at Harper and Wichita, and
1 tremble even now at the terrible des.
peradoes that gaze at me from the
faded pictures. Capt. Faulkner was
especially herce-looking cowboy
and was almost afraid of himself
when in full regaHa.
Every fortnight there was racing.
.Runymede had a steeple course which
afforded much amusement. The
riders bedecked themselves in all the
glory of Solomon. John Lobb was the
beau Of the s-teeplechase. Upon one
occasion he appeared wearing a white
r~td-bcsomed shirt, a collar and a
flowing necktie, a black alpaca coat.
checked trousers that reached half
way to his knees; white socks, dane
ing pumps, a granger hat and Iaven-
der kid gloves.
Dick Watinage, who affected cow.
boy hats and a feroeious-looking buff
falo o%vereoat, a this race with red
and white bunting wrapped around
his legs, hatless and wearing a black
shirt
kunymede withered like q flower
and died. Its citizens were scattered
from ocean to ocean. Few returned
70 England.
IF anyone should hnd the Iosta
town OF Runymede, ask him to- mark
me spot with a stone bearing the
raFRHnHa FNEF~. H.