Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-01-11
THAT COUNTY, IINR PTaHT.
A. II. Crary Tells How Gsary Failed
to Win Il.

49, sSASAeNoV w SnV oAVtS0 Pub tVAsl
BY Davis-now Geary--county to tai,
q strip of from the northeast Corne
Of Dickinson and add 1t to their own
This proposition came up way alonl
In the summer OF 1875. and OF course
II entered very largely into the cam
lpaign that fall when the election o.
representatives 10 the legislative was
to take place.
Hon. O. A. Root had been elected
representative in this county in the
fall OF 1874, and his work in the leg
islature during the winter Of "a and
'76 was so very satisfactory that he
was again nominated and elected
without opposition. It will be re-
membered that in those days the Kan
sas legislature met every year, and
that representatives were elected to
serve for the same length Of time.
That fall, Davis county put forward
its very best timber for the legisla.
ture in the person Of John K. Wright
and he too, was elected without oppo-
sition, and with the understanding
that II anyone could cut a slice off
from Dickinson county he could. No
sooner was the election over than the
junction City politicians began to CIR
culate their petitions on the much
priced strip, and they succeeded in
obtaining the signatures of q very
large majority of the residents there
on, asking that they be set off into
Davis county as a matter Of "conven-
ience." as they would then be closer
to junction City the county seat, than
they were to Abilene, the county seat
Of Dickinson county.
The next move was to send public |
speakers to Enterprise, Abilene and |
Solomon (they being the three prin-
cipal towns in the county, in order to
work upa sentiment in favor OF the |
change, especially among the NAL
contents who were not then entirely
satisfied with the way the affairs OF
Dickinson county we're RIM.
The junction City politicians,
knowing the ability Of a young law
yer, Tom Dever, who had formerly
been resident Of that much coveted
strip Of territory, assigned to him the
duty OF leasing up matters at the
county seat" and the first thing the
Abilene people knew, Tom was advsr-
Used to speak in the court room upon
tho new proposition of changing the
county lines. OF course US Abilene
politicians didn't appreciate such a
proposition as that very much, so the
Boys, led by Jim Hoffmire, Glenn
Murphy, Cap. Davidson and a few
more OF the particularly interested
mes, fixed up plan to give Tom a
espectable sized audience to begin
With. then to drop out one by one I
nd leave the junction City orator to l
iscuss bis important proposition to !,
mpty seats. The plan was carried !
Ut to the letter and the much adver. (
sed codnty-line proposition received
severe setback in the very town In
hich assistance WAS needed the most. \
We'll, the county seat proposition .
as before the legislature that winter,
I'D every effort was made by the
avis county people to carry the bill
rough when the final vote ON its
usage should come, but to no avail.
be writer was present in representa- ]
We hall when the vote finally came
Id listened to the speeches made g
'th for and against, BY the rerresen-
tives OF the respective counties, and
g speech made by Hon. 0. A. Root
rs SO convincing and conclusive that =,
9 honorable gentleman from Davis e
unity submitted to the inevitable, b.
d the proposition to steal good CT
ied strip of from one Of the very a.
st and most prosperous counties 10 - -
3 state was brought to an ignominl-' ef
8 close. W
The territory thus sought by our b
ighbors on the east OF Us, now NJ
ms the greater portion OF what 10 "
own as Fragrant Hill township, one q
the best towns in the county, and
people over there are mighty glad -
1t the proposition to divorce them u
N ne failed ss 1t did.
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