The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-03
FROM LOG
CABIN TO
CONGRESS
Cid Friend Writes of Dennis
Flynn and Family.
MRS. FLYNN, A HEROINE
Deserted by Husband, She
Travelled Ihorny Path.

editor of the Mail and Breeze. published
at Topeka, Kan. and resident of Medi-
cine Lodge during an early day. gives
the following excellent and complete his
tory of the. F1ynns of Oklahoma:
Since there has been so much said in
the papers regarding the marriage OF
Miss Dorothy Flynn to a noted Wash
ington physician We nave been asked In
regard to the truth of the report that
she is not the daughter. but the step
daughter OF Dennis Flynn The report
is correct. The name OF the celebrated
bride was not Flynn. but Chatham.
Her father Jim Chatham. one of the
brightest newspaper men in Kansas in
an early day, married Miss Addie Blan
ton, doughter OF Captain Napoleon B.
Blanoton, known among the early set
tiers as "Bony Bianton." Captain Blan-
ton was at one time member of the
Kansas legislature and attained some
prominence in the territorial days. Jim
Chatham had plenty of talent, but he
was guilty of the objectionable sin of
neglecting his young wife, finally aban-
doning her and leaving her to shift for
herself and baby as best she could.
In Log House Hotel.
Mrs. Chatham took her little girl to
Barber county, and in the little frontier
hamlet of Kiowa later known as odd
Kiowa," started into the hotel business
in an old rambling log house. built of
cottonwood logs cut from the groves that
lined the Medicine river. Few women
ever put up Drawer or more uncompiain-
ing battles with the world for a living
than Mrs Chatham. Her customers were
for the most part cattlemen and rough
cowboys from the range, but Mrs. Chat
ham had the respect OF every one OF
them on account of her quiet. ladylike
and self-respecting ways. And she pros
pered. too, in the rude old log hotel.
When the railroad was built through
southeast Barber county the old town of
Kiowa was abandoned and the new town
was organized. \ larger and more pre-
tentious hotel was built in the new town
ard Mrs Chatham became the proprie
tress of that. At this time her daughter
was a bright-eyed and dark-skinned little
maid of or summers. independent in
her notions, but shy in the presence of
strangers.
Coming of Dennis.
Along in the early SOS a lean, smooth
shaven young Irishman drove into Old
Kiowa with an OK team. hauling
wagon loaded with a Washington hand
press and couple OF cases of body
type He set up his printing office in
an old log shanty whose roof let in the
sunshine and the rain. The chinking
was out from between the logs and the
A. q
the shanty were not securely fastened.
the cows frequently strolled into the
sanctym of the editor and watched him
set the type or swing back on the handle
of the Washington press. Occasionally
a goat wandering about the town would
saunter into the editorial office and in
the absence of the editor satisfy the
cravings Of its appetite with bunch Of
copy from the hook or a section Of the
towel which It found leaning against the
wall.
Luck of an lrishnan.
With the starting of the new town the
editor, Dennis Flynn. moved his printing
office and paper. the Herald. to the new
emporium. He mixed fl politics. ran his
newspaper and sold real estate. When
ters made Dennis the postmaster and
prosperity came tumbling in upon him
He boarded at the hotel kept by the
handsome young widow. Mrs. Chatham.
and acquaintance ripened into love. Mrs.
Chatham became Mrs. Flynn. and the
little black-eyed. Gypsy-looking maid.
her daughter. became known In time as
Dorothy Flynn instead Of Dorothy Chat
ham Then came a change Of administra-
ton. Dennis had to give way In the
postoffice to a Democrat; the bottom fell
out Of the real estate business to some
considerable extent, and Dennis was
pulling against the current. In ISIS Ben
iamin Harrison was elected president %
the Unite, States The time was fixed
for the opening Of the new territory and
| a friend OF Dennis Flynn suggested 20
hin, that he should get the appointment
as postmaster OF the capital Of the new
territory that was 10 be Go 70 wash
ington al once and see Congressman Pc
ters'' said the friend. That might be
good suggestion replied Dennis. 'but
| the fact Is I haven't the money 70 spare
| TO pay the expenses Of a tTip TO Wash
/ inston.~
Foundation Ct Fortune
! Never mind about the money" said
TIE generous frfead. I win j.; you have
| the money" And Dennis started for
Washington. He got the appointment
! through the help Of CongTessrnan Peters.
/ The, the representative Of the Big Sew
/ e,th- The postof5ce vas opened in a
tent: the mail dumped on the Erouad and
/ sorted ont IN piles hv the new poEtrra e.
4 ter and his friends Who had been drafie1
/ into the service Here vas the begln-
ming Of the real prosperity q Dsnnis
{ Flvnn. he eonciuded a couple q years
after the opening that he would Ike %
/ 70 "a CONGRESS and ~ out % gather n
| TIE Republican nomination re got 81
| borrowed the money 70 nay MS carnpaiEn
| expenses anf was triurnphzHiiy ei@cfe1
| The blaek-eved little mad bad Ero1s
/ nearly % ~o-uanhocd ard zhea Deznie
I was elected fhe 5000 tine shs vas
/ made his private secretary. a Denri~
( MILDRED his acuuaiutance s1d i1cTea So
| IN fame and Influence RS stsp-daDEhts7
! was making her ecuqllests- Ehe had d.
/ velcpea into a strfkinEiy harfser1e NO
mar. Who attracted attention sns al
r,i-a,soa 81 whatever society she e-ancet
/ 70 b.
Romance o. Both SIDES
I, The history OF - FiFnn family Tfa1s
/ 4 ed a~af IKE a ror1a1cs 81 ceth Fises
/ y, t,s h-sse. TIE ~ e pea2ss FlTza
! hs--ssrs from ;A4 r-sssf5o. = 60 by -
.ta c~ee q Grover c1eveisnf. tisYoszE1
/ 80 ,-sors.ssve s,ers q PRINTER. sssft1r 6
weekly psp~r n = frunsier hsssist coa-