The Topeka state journal., 1908-12-10

his health was failing him and he had
to resign.
The west was then bidding for young
men with pluck and ambition, and
Cameron answered the call. He walked
all the way from Washington to St.
Louis, a feat which he performed on
many subsequent occasions. Here he
met a party bound for Kansas, sent
west by that great free state colonizer,
Eli Thayer. He was admitted to the
party and pawned clothing enough to
pay his boat fare across the state of
Missouri. The party stopped at West
small town with brick hotel and
few river front warehouses, was
known. Cameron didn't like Westport
Landing. Neither did Dan R. Anthony,
afterward editor of the Leavenworth
Times. The two decided to migrate
still further into the new west and
walked, from Westport Landing to
Lawrence. This was in 1854. Anthony
was dissatisfied and refused to spend
the winter in Lawrence, and returned
to New York.
General Cameron's connection with
Kansas history dates from this time.
He staked out, a claim, which was still
his home at the time of his death. This
claim is located a mile and half east
of Lake View and three miles west
of Lawrence. He called his claim
Camp Ben Harrison, in honor of one
dependence, the father of President
William Henry Harrison and the great
grandfather of the late ex-Pres1dent
Benjamin Harrison. 9, During the early
days. Cameron made his living hunting
game, which was plentiful Later he
hauled logs from his claim to saw
mill near Lawrence. which proved
profitable venture. One day While cut
ting logs alone, he was injured and
spent his time alone in his lonely cabin
for seven weeks. He recovered his
health and strength, but quit hauling
logs.
For a few years previous to the civil
war Cameron carried on an extensive
freighting business, and when the war
broke out he had ten wagons and 60
yoke of oxen in his train He hauled
goods from Missouri river points and
frequently went as far west as Den
yer.
Cameron was not a man who could
be kept down, but was bound to be-
come factor in the new community in
which he had cast his fortune He was
prominent in the border ruffian trou-
bles from the very outset of his KAN
sas career. He came to Kansas as an
ardent opponent of slavery He had his
troubles and was openly accused of go
ing over to the pro-slavery cause. But
he lived long enough to obliterate the
stigma that was attached to his name
in the days before the civil war. He
forever wiped out this charge on the
battle field fighting in the cause of
the slaves. 1
AS Cameron delighted in telling the
story of his coming to Kansas, he made
Lawrence afoot. Dan Anthony accom-
panied him, and they walked on |
wager. If Cameron reached Lawrence
first Anthony was to give him ten
dollars. IF Anthony reached the desti- |
nation first he was to have Cameron's s |
shotgun. In those days. popular inn |
was located midway between the mouth |
of the Kaw and Lawrence, which was
run by a man named Donaldson. An |
thony was far the better walker of the |
two. He was tall and lanky, while |
Cameron was much shorter. Anthony |
walked away from Cameron, but when /
he reached Donaldsons he stopped for |
dinner, and then to show what he |
could do, thought he would wait Tor
Cameron and then beat him out. Cam
eron was a crafty man, and passed by |
the match by his strategy, but An
thony, who was somewhat sore, never
paid the wager. Cameron said he didn't
miss the ten dollars as he got that
much satisfaction out of the walk.
Cameron's troubles soon came.
Territorial Governor Shannon, who
tried to be non-partisan in his ad-
much to the dissatisfac-
ton of both sides, prevailed upon him
to accept a commission as justice of |
the peace. From this time Cameron
lost favor with the free state men.
His troubles eliminated with the IS
suance of a warrant for the arrest of
one Jacob Branson, a harmless old
man who espoused the free state
cause This warrant was issued at the
request of the pro-slavery forces.
Sheriff Jones, a resident of West
port, Mo-, but an officer of Douglas
county, arrested Branson on this war
rant. He was brought before
Cameron, as justice of the peace.
when he was intercepted by party
of free state settlers, headed by Sam
ueI N Wood. Wood, it will be re-
was a radical opponent of
a man who loved nothing
better than a fight, and who was shot
to death at Hugoten, Kan, in county
seat fight seventeen years ago. Bran
son was rescued by Woods party.
This was in open defiance of the law
as Cameron defined it, and in his
official capacity he issued warrants
for the arrest of Wood and his as
sociates. This precipitated an open
clash. Jones couldn't arrest these
men without assistance from the '