The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-11

Walter N. Allen was born in Halifax
county. North Carolina, March l, 1884.
His father was James V. Allen who
was a merchant of considerable prom
at Wake Forest college, North Caro-
lima On leaving college he entered
Battles law school at Chapel Hill in
that state, where he gave considerable
time to the study of his chosen pro-
fession, and on his admission to the
bar, started into practice in his native
village In 1857 he moved to Kan
sas- settling in Jefferson county where
he has been a resident ever since. In
1883 he was appointed county attorney
and was reelected the ensuing year
In 1853 he was appointed clerk OF the
district court of Jefferson county by
William Mcdowell, judge of the first
judicial district of Kansas. In 1855
he was elected as a, member of the
Kansas house of Representatives. In
this position he was an active and able
opponent of the appropriation of $780,
600 acres of land which had been do
mated to Kansas by the government, in
aid of railroads. taking the ground
that these lands We're reserved by the
state constitution for the support Of
the common schools In 1887 he was
elected to the position of clerk of JEFF
ferSon county. During his term of Of
fee the board of county commissioners
submitted joint proposition to the
people of Jefferson county for subscrip-
uons to the capital stock, and the is
Suance of bonds therefor to the
amount of $500. 600 in equal proper
lions to the Atch1SOn, Topeka and San
ia Fe and the AtchisOn, Oskaloosa and
Lawrence railroads, and the board de-
clared the proposition carried, ordering
Mr.. Allen as county clerk to make the
entry subscribing to the stock of those
railroads Which he absolutely refused
to do. Legal proceedings were COM
menced against him and he was re-
manded to Jail He still resolutely per
sisted in his refusal, in consequence of
which he was not only kept in jail but
removed from Office. This delay en-
abled the people to get out injunc-
tiOn proceedings restraining the county
board or any other officer from sub
scrlbing to such stock or issuing such
bonds. This patriotic, heroic deter
mfnatiOn saved the county from finan-
cial ruin and bankruptcy and justly
gave Mr.. Allen the credit of honor
ably discharging his duty to the peO-
sequences In the bitter contest that
ensued in the persistent attempts of
the railroad companies to secure bonds
Mr. Allen took an active part. organiz-
ing political party in opposition.
He took the stump in advocacy of
candidates for county commissioners
who were elected on this alone in de-
fance of the regular nominees of the
Republican party which then had a
majority Of about 700 in the county
In 1882 he transferred his attention to
the newspaper business securing an in
Terest in the Topeka Democrat and
he contributed largely to the election
of G. w. Click as governor. After the
election Mr.. Allen, with his associates,
purchased the State Journal. at that
time a Greenback paper. The two pa
pers were then combined.
Later financial difficulties overlook
the management and the paper went in
to the hands of a receiver after a
vicariOus career of two years, Allen be-
ing appointed receiver in 1884 The pa
per afterwards in 1885 passed into the
hands of the present management
With the exception of chairman of
the state board of charities during the
Populistc state regime under Governor
Lseweling in 1S93-94 Allen held no pub
lie office following his retirement from
newspaper life. During Cleveland's first
administration he made an active can
vass for the office Of United States
marshal but was narrowly defeated by
a Iseavenworth man.
Mr.. Aliens name will be remembered
most strongly IN connection with his
formation and promotion of a hoped-
tO-be gigantic farmers trust with q
capitalization of S2O. .O00 900. The idea
embodied in the Organizat ton was the
creation of a com mbination among the
farmers through which the products
of the farms were to be held back from
the market until they could be profit
ably disposed Of Acting in conjunction
with this scheme was to be the organiz-
alton of a string of great commission
houses situated at the centers Of trade
which were to handle these products of
the soil to be marketed The commits
sion houses were likewise to be under
the control and management Of the till
ers Of the soil. The idea was first start
ed on its round of discussion by Mr.
Allen along in 1883 and was revived t
varying intervals and received new i'm
petus by some new statements made.