The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-07
OLD TIMERS MEET.
Celebrate Topeka's Fifty Fourth Birth
day on Saturday.

Two hundred and fifty of the pio-
neers of Shawnee county gathered at
the First Christian church Saturday
afternoon to recount their experiences
during the early days when the battle
for the abolition of slavery was first
waged on Kansas soil. 1t was the an
nual meeting of the Shawnee County
Old Settlers association. which met at
this time to celebrate the fiftyfourth
anniversary of the founding of Topeka.
Many of the old timers have died dur
ing the past year, but the gathering
Saturday was filed with interesting an
ecdotes, indicating that good1y num-
Der are still left.
The meeting was opened by A. B.
Whiting, president of the association
A committee was appointed to revise
the bylaws. which consisted of A. 3.
Whiting, P. 1. Bonebrake and ]. NJ.
Meade. The following officers were
elected for next year: John d. Knox,
president; John Elliott, vice president !;
Miss Carrie Deming. secretary and j.
A. Hickey, treasurer.
At noon the guests repaired to the
basement where a big feast was serv-
ed by the ladies of the association. The
pioneers certainly showed that age had
not interfered with their appetites in
The afternoon exercises were some
what limited on account of the time
and many papers on early day events
were prepared WHICH were not delivered.
The programme was opened with cou-
pie selections by the Washburn Ladies'
uuartette Miss Zu Adams read a pa
per containing some of the experiences
of her parents who came to IeaVen-
worth from Cincinnati in an OK cart.
Miss Adams also read a paper on the
grasshOpper plaques, which had been
prepared by Mrs. Mary Brown Samuel
j. Reader told of the first liquor raid
which was conducted by the govern
rnent revenue officials in 1885 at the ex-
pense of a F'renchman who had fur
nished booze" to the Indians for
Fourth of July celebration.
One of the most Interesting events re
lated was the county seat war which
was described by p. l. Bonebrake. This
was a four-cornered fight between To-
peka, Tecumseh, Auburn and Burl1n-
game. A bill had been drawn up for
presentation to the legislature but at
other one had to be fixed up in
hurry party came from Auburn,
and stole a cannon which the Topeka
force had. A band of Topekans pur-
sued and the Auburnites becoming
alarmed threw the carriage into the
Wakarusa and hid the cannon. This
was returned several years later.
Several other interesting papers were
read telling of the different Indian
fights and border ruffian troubles. D.
w. Boutwell,, Samuel Dolman, Mrs. F.
r. Foster, T. L. Lescher, H. G. Lyons,
DR.. s. E. Martin. Mrs. William Owen,
Mrs. S. r. Remington, H. c. Root, and
A. B. Whiting were all on the pro
gramme and retold many of the stir
ring events of interest in the time when
history was being made in Kansas.
Mrs. Julia Stinson. who lives near Te-
cumseh was the oldest settler at the
meeting She is a Shawnee Indian and
was born in the county in 1884, and
has lived here in Shawnee county all
her life. J. A. Hickey was the Oldest
bonafide resident of Topeka present
He came here December 4, 1884, and is
now "a Years old. To Avery Washburn,
who is now 81 years of age, is accorded
the honor of being the Oldest person in
attendance.