The Topeka state journal., 1905-08-09
GEO. EVANS DEAD.
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than $3.50, 600. The work was let in
two main contracts, one for 100000
and one for 100000. There were
other smaller contracts which brought
the total up to $1,000,000. / had the
INSIDE on all this work because of my
electric derrick. None of the other
contractors could use this derrick, and
hgure that the possession of it gave
me about $4,000 advantage. With it
we We're able to lift the big stones
very quickly and easily to exactly the
place where they We're needed. It was
great saving of time and labor
II was misplaced confidence which
ruined me- I made the mistake of
my life when l tied up with Joe Cox
If had handled the business alone
would have been all right, but the
partnership business ruined me. 1 was
not a good judge of men. When 1
took liking to a man 1 never was
able to consider that he was capable
OF doing me a wrong, and that is
where fell down.
THAT contract for building a new
army post of 20 buildings down at
Fort Bliss, near Ell Paso, was where
Cox and broke up. Cox came down
and interfered with the work, and we
lost $50, 600. We took the job at
small margin, but if Cox had kent his
hands off, we would have made
$40, 0,00O.'
The contract which finally broke
Evans was the one for building the
Shawnee county court house. Evans bid
too low on this work, and was unable to
carry the work to completion. His bonds
men. one of whom was Jonathan Thom-
as, had to take the work off Evans
hands and complete it.
Evans & Cox also secured contracts of
great value at the Leavenworth Soldiers
home, the FIT Worth postoffice, the
Atchison postoffice, and numerous other
places. These were the days when
| -
erable of a pOo-bah in Kansas political
affairs, and had plenty of money. 1t
came easy. and went the same way.
George Evans was good spender. This
characteristic led to his financial ruin.
His friends say that he had too many
foremen, and that they robbed him.
They say that he could not look after
the details of the business closely, and
that thousands of dollars worth of
worthless stuff was sold to his firm
through the foremen, and then rejected
by the government or state His f1nan-
cial troubles were also attributed to a
quarrel between himself and his partner
Cox, together with man named John
the firm. They say that Cox and Jack
conspired to do up Evans, and that
they gave him the worst of it.
Evans enemies, on the other hand
attribute his trouble to his reckless ex-
travagance and Questionable conduct
They say that when he was looking
after a. big contract at FIT. Bliss, Texas,
he threw money around at prodigious
rate, and became involved in some
scandals which caused his partners to
come down and straighten things out.
They tell about one sumptuous banquet
which Evans gave to a lot of army Off
GERS and others, the cost of which was
over $4,000.
was what precipitated Evans financial
ruin He had in Topeka numerous val
liable properties. These he lost from
time to time under mortgages.
For some years Evans had been a
very sick man. His principal trouble
had been paralysis, complicated with
numerous disorders due, it is said, to
| high living, and failure to take proper
care of himself Several times he had
| been almost at the point of death.
When the 1908 legislature included in its
miscellaneous appropriation bill lump OF
! 81, 800 for George Evans, to pay off certain
| claims which he had on account of inter-
est on old warrants. there was good
deal of protest. But this 1880 is what
| has kept George Evans from actual need
! during the past two years: The claims
| may or may not have been just, but there
| is no doubt that Evans needed the money.
Even in this last pull at the public ex-
chequer Evans showed that he was still
| fairly we'll posted in the needs of politi-
clans when it comes to the passage of an
appropriation bill
! To a reporter for the State Journal Geo.
Evans said once in speaking Of this I5OO
I
criticise anybody, but he had reason to be-
| lieve that Senator -- had to be seen
in order to get anything past him.
| George Evans used most of the $500 ap-
preparation to buy himself a small home
in Oakland. 1t is located at sss Oakland
avenue. There he lived with his wife for
several months. His wife was finally
| overcome by worry and overwork in TAX
ing care of her sick husband, and her
mind was affected. Then Evans went to
live with his daughter at 527 Tyler street.
He was there for some time, and then
1 To no a FOR fT,oo-
| received no benefit and was taken back to
| his Oakland home, where his sister, Mrs.
Mary Burkett, of Canada, came to take
care of him.
Not long ago the Rev. CHARLES NJ. Shell
don became Interested in Mr.. Evans and
appealed to the county commissioners to
give him some financial assistance in his
last days of helplessness and poverty. The
commissioners allowed him so cents day
for support, which was paid up to the time
of his death. Mr.. Evans had also received
some assistance from a nephew, Kit Col
her. who had made a fortune in contract
ing at Kansas City Mr.. Evans has four
children, three of them sons. Two of the
sons are supposed to be down in Texas,
but it is stated by Mr.. Evans brother that
they have done nothing for their fathers
support.