The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-29
ELLIOTT A KANsAN.
Has Made a Record in Lawrence Char
tiles Association.

Sherman G. Elliott, one of the new
members of the board of control was
appointed by Governor Hoch largely
on account of the recommendations of
his friends as to the record he has
made in connection with the charities
association of Lawrence and as poor
commissioner of Douglas county. He
was raised on a farm near Mayetta
Gated at the state university. After
travelling about for awhile he was put
in charge of the charity work of Doug
las county as an experiment and made
a pronounced success of it.
Elliott is one of six brothers who
were reared on that Jackson county
farm. Their father was pronounced
abolitionist and Union man, Intensely
names he gave his sons. One was
George Washington Then came on
John Fremont, Charles Sumner and
Schuyler Colfax. These three all be-
came physicians and located in kan
sas City. The latter is now dead, but
the other two are among the leading
physicians of Kansas City. The fifth
son was the one who has recently
been appointed on the board of con-
troll Arriving on the stage of action
at the time when patriotic heroes
were plentiful, it is doubtful whether
the patriotic old gentleman was afraid
he would not have sons enough to go
around, or whether he could not
choose between two of the greatest
war heroes. At any rate he doubled
up on heroes by calling the fifth son
named Philip Sheridan. He attended
Washburn a few years ago and man.
aged the ball team one spring He is
now in Central America running a
big banana plantation.
Since becoming connected with the
charities of Douglas county Sherman
Elliott graduated from both the state
university and the school of law Prof.
w. H. Carruth, of the university. in
speaking of what he has accomplished
in Douglas county and how he did it,
says;
strength of the remarkable record he
madea as secretary of the Associated
Charities in Lawrence and later as
poor commissioner of Douglas county.
He made no campaign for the place
and he and his friends kept away
from Topeka except when sent for
He had been prepared for this work by
experience as township trustee in
Jackson county, in 1895, and by care
full study of the field of charity work
in the University of Kansas in con-
nection with which he travelled some
thousand miles ION the trucks and in
the blind baggage of Colorado, Kan
Sas and Missouri railroads famillarizing
himself with the tramp problem. He
graduated from the law school of the
university in 1900, and from the col
lege in 1901. Before this he had had
a busin ess education and the two
years experience as accountant.
I'm 1900 he was selected to act as
secretary of the newly reorganized
Associated Charities of Lawrence.
Here as nearly everywhere else in
Kansas the city had been in the habit
of doing out the necessities of life
the winter to about everybody
who applied-provided he had a vote.
The city was persuaded to take the
support of the needy out of the hands
l. 474r-r AZ
to the Associated Charities. Soon Mr..
Elliott knew every applicant in town. |
and no aid was given until an investi-
cation had shown that it was needed
and could not, be, obtained in any
other way. The work room and the |
stone pile furnished a test of willing !
ness to work, and an opportunity. |
Poor people Of q certain class had
the city for coal and provisions be- !
cause a neighbor received them and |
they wanted their share. A man with |
a comfortable shanty, cart and pony, /
cow, pig and chickens had regularly |
drawn his -four beans and coal from |
the city. A thrifty auntY who applied /
for coal was indignant when told that |
the secretary would come out and see /
how she was situated. No sab, eff you |
CANT send me my coal without nosin |
around my place, you needn't send 1t |
at ALL All this was stopped The |
-itv saved money. And so when a |
special law provided for a county poor |
Mr.. Elliott was evident
" the man for the place. He hal /
prejudice and graft to fight, but he
won his Wav and kept the good will /
IF the people. Most township officers
became his friends and heartily sec
onded the better way when they knew
what it meant His experiences were
IS interesting as those of Jacob RiiS
)r Josiah Flint And from $4,000 /
annually he reduced the county poor
bills to something under $4,000, be-
sides suppressing a most demora1izing
system that simply cultivated pau
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