Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1904-04-09
THE MErKERs-Miss Rozene Meeker

IHE AEEKERS.-M1SS hOzene Meeker,
daughter of Indian Agent Meeker.
who was massacred by the Indians of
White river, is at Abilene, coming from
Greeley Colo, where she says she is
prosecuted by her mother and brother,
Suit has been brought to secure fromher
the title to valuable land in the center
of Greeley. Her sirter, Mary, who was
held in captivity by the Indians for
years, is now dead; the mother, also
captured at the time lives in Greeley.
CHANUrE's WELLs.-Thatd district has
almost as many oil wells now as the
entire Kansas oil field had year ago.
1t has Cos against 735 all told in Kan
sas in June, 1903. Humboldt is not far
behind Chanute, and Neodesha is not
much behind Humboldt. There are
now in the state about $500 oil wells.
In 1903 the total production of oil in
the state was about 100, 900, 600 bar
rels. This year seems likely to null
tiply that by three.
AFTER THE FREEzE.-ApFle King
Wellhouse says, after the cold spell:
1.-The apple buds have not begun to
swell, the peach buds are just begin
ming to swell little, and the peach
trees, excepting the Albertas, are in
good condition, but large part of the
Albertas have been killed. The peach
trees in the southern part of the state
are ing good condition. Everything
else in the fruit line is in good
shape"
PRICES IN 1S67.-While remodeling
an old house at Manhattan, workmen
ran across a hand bill that had been
printed in October, 1867. On one side
are quoted a few prices. Here are
some of them: Flour at 81 to Sc per
sack; black teas at 81. 25 to S1.75; green
teas at 81 per pound; white sugar, FIVE
pounds for 81; calicoes at Is cents per
yard; coal oil at rs cents per gallon.
All prices strictly cash.
book commission will meet on May 2
to adopt books for the high schools of
Kansas. The contracts entered into at
that time will hold for five years.
Most of the book publishers are al
ready submitting their sealed bids to
the state superintendent of schools
who is president OF the commission.
So far the American Book company has
submitted no bid.
Loss FROM GAsoLINE.-A mistake in
filing a lamp with gasoline instead of
kerosene caused an explosion that set
on fire the Congregational parsonage
in Wellington. The inmates had a
narrow escape with their lives. The
building was completely wrecked, but
the church adjoining was not damaged.
The loss is ST, 900 with $500 insurance.
PEACE BETWEEN RoADs.-The Santa
Fe and Orient railroads for several
years, while the old Santa Fe-Orient
case over the possession of the land at
Central avenue and West street, EN-
poria, was pending, were at logger
heads. Now that the old case has been
settled the two railroads evidently are
on the best of terms.
For RIFLE RANGEs.-The conferees
on the army appropriation bill con-
solidated the provisions for the equip
ping of rife ranges at Fort Riley, Kan
sas, with the general appropriation for
ranges and placed the question of the
location in the discretion of the secre-
tary of war.
For WAsHBURN,-A. c. Stitch, a
wealthy gas, oil and brick man, of In
dependence, Kas., has given S75 900 for
fine arts department. at Washburn
college. This is a memorial for son
and daughter who at one time attended
Washburn, but both of whom have
since died
New ELEvATOR.-Sou Haven is to
have new elevator with a capacity
of twenty-four cars of grain per day.
New CANNERY- Hutchinson expects
canning factory to can sweet pota-
toes, to be ready for the crop.
JOINTS ASSESSED S1Oo.-The fines of
the joints in Kansas City, Kansas, are
doubled The chief of police announced
that AFTER April every person 1ouno
operating a ''joint" in Kansas City,
Kan, will have to pay into the police
department fine of 500 month.
FoR PACKING COMP South
western Cattlemen's association in ses-
sion at Dodge City, was attended by
several hundred cattlemen. The first
report says that considerable stock in
the Independent Packing company
would be subscribed.
ROSTER OF OFFICIALs.-Secreta
George w. Martin of the State Histori-
cal society is preparing roster OF all
persons who have held Office in Kansas
under the territorial or state govern
ments to be published in the next re-
port of the society.
AFTER AZ YEARS. Nathan Miller, an
old negro soldier, head janitor of the
University of Kansas, has received
word from his sister, whom he has not
seen since they were parted as slaves
on Kentucky plantation in 1857, when
he was only six years old.
PARTS OF THREE TRIBES LEFr.-At