The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-22
DEATH OF OLD SETTLER.
r. A. Nicely Was a Pioneer in WITCH
tia

Another one of the early settlers of
who have passed TO the beyond. r. A.
Nicely died at his home, 1431 North Mar
ket street at Z a. m. yesterday. Notice
of the funeral will be given later.
r. A. Nicely came to Wichita in the
summer of 1870. He took a claim on the
east side of Chisholm creek, south of the
Black place. and proved it up. He after
wards sold the place and went TO Derby
to engage in the grocery business with
L. z. Vance.
Nicely & Vance did a large business
with the first settlers in that section of
the county. After Mr.. Nicely went to
Derby, then called FL Paso, he was elected
to the Office of county commissioner,
which was the only office he ever held.
His success as a merchant in these early
days was limited because of his liberality.
Many of the early settlers We're not very
well fixed in the wealth of this world s
goous. but they all had credit at R. A.
Neely's store.
In the early seventies the business men
of Derby were John Hufbsuer. ]. Haul
Minnich Albert Minnich. r. A. Nicely
L. L. Vance. DIT. II. c. Tucker and
George H. Litzenbers. Hufbauer. Nicely
J. Haut Minnich and DR.. II. C. Tucker
are dead. Albert Mrnnich is in Ohio and
George H Gutenberg lives in this city.
i. E. Vance came TO Wichita with team
in the early eighties since which time
he has never been heard from.
In the early days when the merchants
above named held forth in Derby it as
pired to be the big city OF the Arkansas
valley. They have rock bottom in the
Arkansas river at that point and in the
early seventies the Derbyites used to
worry the Wichita town builders by writ
ing letters TO the Eagle and claiming that
all II the railroads that caple into this
valley would have to come 10 Derby 10
cross the river at the only rock bottom
ford on that stream between the noun
tsirs and the gulf of Mexico The people
actually had faith in that rock ford and
were surprised when the Santa Fe finally
came and crossed the Arkansas where
! Mulvane is now located and at the widest
place in the stream. They found out that
the railroads did not care for rock ford-
and did not 20 an inch out of their way
for the Arkansas river. but crossed il
wherever they pleased
f. A Nicely finally like many others.
concluded that Derby. or FL Paso. was
not going TO make the big city OF the
Arkansas valley and he sold his prop
erty there and moved back 10 Wichita
and went into the nursery business. He
was generous and made friends wherever
he went and has many Of them in this
county and city who will regret TO hear
OF his death
r. A Nelly was born in SteubenvilIe.
Ohio. in 1885. Re leaves n wife and three
children 10 mourn his loSs-Villiam Neely
OF the Observation-Disclosures Dry Goods com
pany, Harry & Nicely commercial trav-
eler. and Mrs Gene Ketzler
Mr.. Nicely 80 ne to this part or Kansas
| at 4 time men who did not possess
nerve OF the necessary strength for n
froriersman remained in the east He
was here when such. men as Ledford.
CuTley Marshall. Rowdy Joe and Red
were characters OF the town. and he was
an eye witness 20 some blood curflins
scenes in the early frontier town. He
was never the man 20 take the life OF a
| fellow man bat the men who did no,
value human life were all about him lie
1 had associated with the worst men on
The frontier. but he never lost that good
| ness q heart which was part Of his
| nature When R 4. Nelly is laid 20
rest the soil OF THIS valley VIII cover the
remains 81 a man who never betrayed a
| friend or Intentionally injured aeighbor.