The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-12
CLOSE FIGURING.
Doubtful Who Controls Post
Offices in Two Districts.
Scott and Bowersock May Clash
in the Second.
TOPEKA OFFICE LEADS
More Pensions Paid Here Than
Amy Other Office in Country.
Dodge City Land Office in Need
of Another Clerk.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 12.-There
is some fine figuring going on in two
districts in Kansas over postoffices.
These districts are the Second and
Seventh. In the former. J. D. Bower
sock Will retire on March 4 as mem
Der of congress. and Charles F. Scott
will succeed him. In the Seventh. Vic
tor Murdock will cease to represent
the district on the same date. and E.
H. Madison will succeed him. Hence
the fine figuring. In the Second dis
trict, Mr.. Scott was supposed in the
! primary of nearly a year ago to be the
legitimate heir, successor. and assign
of Mr.. Bowersock, politically, and fac
uonally. Yet Mr.. Bowersock has his
I friends who are, or hope to be, post
masters in the Second, and so has Mr..
Scott In some cases these two sets of
friends are not one and the same. In
some cases there will be a few days in
| tervening between the expiration of
terms OF postmAsters and March A,
when Bowersock ceases to make post
masters, and Scott commences so to
do The question is, can the hiatus be
bridged over. in some innocent way, SO
as 10 permit Scott to name Scott men,
in the cases where Scott men are not
the same as BcWersock men2
The same proposition applies in the
seventh district. There is no clash
! between Murdock and Madison. There
is no rivalry, or feeling. The two are
good friends, and the supporters of the
one are the supporters of the other,
Tor the most part. Yet there be cases,
it is said, where Mr. Murdoch might
make or unmake postmasters where, if
1 Judge Madison had a chance at it, he
would take opposite action. AS in the
Second, there are cases when only
two or three days intervene between
expirations and March 4, when Muir
/ dock ceases to be referee, and Madi-
son takes up the reins of patronage.
fin t.
The Dodge City land Office wants an
| other clerk, and wants it badly. 1t has
| been struggling along on two clerks,
with Register Milikan and Receiver
Pettijohn working day and night like
any mere clerks and yet is far and
away behind in its work Senator
Long has been trying to get an addi-
| tional clerk. The general land office
says there are about score of land
offices throughout the country in just
/ the same position as Dodge City-and
no relief in sight just now.
The chief clerk of the general land
/ office says that there is greater demand
for land all through the west than
] there ever has been before. He says
| the tide has turned from Oklahoma,
for instance, and is now coming to
western Kansas. He also cites the
Clayton, N. M, land district. where just
a few years ago there was not enough
work to keep Ole man busy Now the
number of entries is 1000 a month,
and the register and receiver and a
half dozen clerks are busy all the time.
The general land office has so much
money each year for clerical purposes
! for local land offices and no more, and
can not reasonably expect any more
until it gets its hands on the new ap-
! preparation act for the next fiscal year.
/ Hence the shortage or clerks, ana the
increasing demand for them from every
| local land Office in the west. particu-
larly New Mexico and Dodge City, Kan.
According to the report of the com
mossioner of pensions just out. the To-
peka pension agency Is the largest and
most important, in number OF pension
ers and amounts paid out. The Topeka
agency includes the states of Kansas,
| Missouri, Colorado, and Oklahoma. The
number of pensioners in the district Is
/ 1851; and the amount disbursed ap-
! proxfmates 16 million dollars. The Chi
| cago district is the next largest. in dis
bursement, paying out 10 million dol
lars annually.
From the year 1900 to the close of
| September, 1906, according to the re-
! port of the secretary of the treasury.
there were 81 national banks establish
ed in the state Of Kansas, with aggre-
gate capital of $3,4S5, 900. OF these 81
banks, 73 of them were of $4,000 capi-
! tai each; and "a exceeded $4,000 capt.
tai each.
At Geuda Springs. in Sumner coun-
| ty. the eastern edge of the county.
| a portion of the town being also in
Cowley county, there may be built up a
great health resort, If certain investiga-
tions now being made by the govern
ment al the solicitation of Senator Long
are successful.
Senator Long has asked the geolog-
ical survey to send an expert man to
Geuda Springs to look over the phys
| ical features; examine into the forma-
ton of the geology at that place; figure
| on the permanency of the supply of
water, and send here to Washington
for minute analysis a large quantity of
this water
For years it has been the assertion
! of all who have visited Geuda Springs
ard are familiar with It, that the place
must. some day, develop into a great
resort both for health and social pleas
ure like Manitou and Hot Springs.
! Analyses have been made by officers of
| the University of Kansas, showing the
water to be very fine. In a more or
less crude manner effort has been made
for some years to build up the place.
J There are now two hotels and several
springs ana bath houses at Geuda, but,
being crude and primitive, as stated,
there has been no particular incentive
! Senator Long is one who has long be-
lieved in the future of Geuda. Once,
1 some years ago. when exhausted from
arduous work in congress, he went to
/ Geuda for short time. and profited
thereby. The baths. the drinking water,
| the air. were conducive to building up
| the system. Representative Murdock is
another who has tried Geuda's healing
waters. So Senator Long is now an
xious to help out the place
The desire on the part of Geudas s
| friends has always been to get the great
name and prestige of the government
] back OF the claims made for IT'S waters