The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-21

Ell
Big, jovial. kind hearted Dick
Walker has joined the great majority.
He has gone to that undiscovered
country" A few sticks of type in
many a Kansas paper told Of the fact
this week but it would take columns
to recount the stirring and interesting
incidents in his life and to tell Of his
good qualities, his open heartedness
and his generOsities.
Dick Walker viii be sorely mourn
ed by those who knew him and there
will be an extra touch Of sadness from
the fact that in his declining years ne
did not enjoy the fruits Of his labors-
Years ago he might have taken ms
place among the aristOcratic Of New
York. made possible by his father ana
his grandfather before him-had ne
wished to. But Dick Walker chose
to hew his own way in the west where
mind is free and fashion is naught.
He seoffed at the silk hated society OF
Fifth avenue and went to work on the
prairies under a large, broad brlmmed
white felt hat; a hat that covered a
fine specimen of the typical westerner
and a hat that is in the family TO TINS
day.
The Kansas man was the third Rich
ard L. Walker The first was MS
grandfather and the second his father.
Both are buried in the old burying
ground of Trinity church where they
have slept undisturbed by the hurly
burIy of Broadway for years. The
grandfather came from the real ola
Knickerbockers of New Amsterdam
and Walker street in the metropolis
was named for him. So the kansan
was closely related to many Of the
nabobs of Gotham and some OF the
most aristocratic were his kin
Politics was the undoing of the ca
reer of Walker, which might otherwise
have been successful in putting away
the reward for his labors in bountltul
store to lessen the burden of his last
wears. If "Dick" Walker had never
meddled in politics he would have been
! one of the richest men in Kansas ana
I he might have retired years ago, VIII
out cares. and have rounded out his
/ life in quiet and ease and the pursuit
4 of his own happiness
In the early seventies Col Walker
( lived at Winfield and owned large
ranch in the Cherokee strip so miles TO
+ the south. He was successful as
ranchman. He was known as SQUARE
man. In the early days society was
not as. well regulated along the southern
I Kansas line as it is now and while the
! stories of lawlessness that might NJ
some localities can not be told OF thar
part of the state in those days, Win
! the same amount of thrills ana h5l.
4 loreaa+h escaues still it was not the
peacefuI community that 1t IS To-Day
Thirty years ago Dick" Walker wore,
in the country where he lived was a.
GOOD as a government bond ana ne couiu
afford protection that the courts couiu
not He was respected ,...
Then Col. Walker dipped into politics
He was sheriff of Cowley county TOT
four wears and afterward in charge OF
the land office at Wichita. He built up
the first powerful Seventh district ma
/ chine" and he was the power IN stale
and federal politics in the southwestern
/ counties What Lit" Crum was, IN the
( - tn the IHlr0 01G1TlCt
! Walker was in the big seventh he was
the right hand man of the nauohal re
nublican administra tons in that sectlon
If Kansas He was all powerful, but ne
1,-ae 81 the same time honest with po-
litical friend and foe. and he IN no way
/ abused the powers he had. Tnen ne De
4 came United States marshal 1or Kansas
but because of his being good felioW,
because he would listen to the plea OF
I this man and that and because ne look
4 ed 4lpon his fellowmen as honest ne lett
+ the Office with nothing Since then ms
home has been here and there ne
b,,ile7ed homes on schemes that did not
noaferialize He was the promoter OF a
railroad from the Utah coal nelus 70
the coast that was almost assured man
I a dozen times and as many times turn
/ 81 down nv the money kings of New
York 1t has been years since LICK
Walker. the once powerful, mas peen
seen in copeland county Wneh ne
need to he milling there in the croWds
n
shoulder. figuratively and in fact above
the politicians who surged around nm
for he stood over six feet tan ana
4 1,,siraed more than 200 pounds Had ne
e5ged his wav into the Copeland county
crowds during the days when the last
sena torial struggle was rife there woulu
( have been few who would have recog-
/ med him For every politician. now
Ger noyverfuI has his day and Dick
Walkers day had passed with the old
croyvd that is fast being crowded out
bv the younger statesmen
Colonel Walker had a war record to be
proud of. He was a schoolmate OIL Mc-
| I<inlpv at Canton and was one OF the
first to enlist under Llncolns call A
| lifelong friend of his. writing to the
/ VVinfeId Courier, recOunts some inter
( estine events in his career, as follows.
/ Colonel Walker was with Rosecrans IL
I one of the first engagements OF the war
I in western Virginia Rosecrans was III
a fight place and wanted to communl-
cafe with union force which he be-
reved to be beyond the confederate lines,
and called for volunteers to carry q
message A slim youth OF 20 stepped
to the front It was Walker, and ne
sl5illfi1lIv performed the perilOus duty,
Thirty years thereafter / took Walker,
who was six feet and one inch IN helSnt,
,4-eiohed 900 pounds, of perfect mould
and stately carriage, into the presence
Of General ROSecrans as ne sat at MS
desk in Washington, the register Of the
treasury, broken, bent and feeble. Ihey
had not met in thirty years. Walker
said. General, do you know me. me
general laboriously raised his eyes and
said. No DO you remember the first
how that stepped out Of the ranks az
Kanawha to carry a message to General
t-=?s' Are you Dick Walker eS-
claimed the grizzly old warhorse, and
rising emotional and trembling, he
threw his arms around Walkers neck
and embraced and kissed him. 1t was
a pathetic scene. Walker retained IN
til his death the book of memoirs which
~Old Rosy gave him on that occasion
It is history that the charge UP Mis-
sfonary Ridge, SO famous in war annals
was made by the boys in blue with
ont orders. Grant and Sheridan were