The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-05


ed state game and fish warden by Gov
ernor Stubs last spring
No family has wider reputation
for remarkable newspaper work than
the Murdocks. Jacob Stotler, now de-
ceased, one of the first newspaper
men in Kansas, married Leverah Muir
dock, the eldest sister, and they leave
a son who is good newspaper man.
The other sister, Mrs. Ella Pemberton,
has two sons, Brock and Murdoch,
who are now employed on William
Allen Whites Emporia Gazette. Mar
shall NJ, Thomas B. and Roland p,
the three brothers. all learned the
practical side of the business. Victor
and MarcelluS, sons of Marshall M,
are widely known as newspaper men,
succeeding their father and brother
Roland on the Wichita Eagle, while
Mary Alice, daughter of Thomas Ben
ton, has literary talent, often editing
witty, bright issues of the Ell Dorado
Republican during her fathers alb
sence.
A Power in Kansas Politics.
T. B. Murdoch has always been
power in Kansas politics and especial
~ in Butler county. He has been a
delegate to state, congressional and
county conventions from 1870 to the
present time and has been a member
of different state committees. He has
never hesitated to deal knock out
blows to political wrongdoers and bar
nacles in his own party as we'll as TO
those of the opposition. He was the
originator of the boom of E. w. Hoch
for governor and when he refused to
make the race, Mr.. Murdoch insisted
that he must accept and with the as
sistance of w. R. Stubs and others,
finally drafted Hoch, who was nomi-
mated and elected. He was one of w.
E. Stanley's early supporters, was for
w. j. Bailey for the first term and first
suggested Stubs for governor. He is
high-up official in the ranks of the
square Dealers" who defeated Ches-
Bristow to the United States senate.
With the exception of his election
to the state senate in 1876 and again
in 1888 and his serving on the com
mittee of that body to codify the laws
of Kansas, he had never held any po-
litical positions until July 5, 1908,
when he was appointed state game
and fish warden.
While he had been prominent in poll
tics his heart has been wrapped up in
his newspaper work ever since he es-
tablished the Walnut Valley Times at
Ell Dorado in 1870. This was the first
paper south and west of Empor1a, there
being no paper at Wichita Tor year
afterwards In 1883 he sold the Times,
went to Topeka, was an editor on the
Commonwealth until 1885 when he re-
turned to Ell Dorado and established
the Republican which he has since
edited and which is not only the Of
fetal paper of his town and county, but
is one of the best in Kansas
Was a Great Lover of Nature.
Mr. Murdoch was a great lover of
nature and was always close to the
grass roots. With the cares of his Of
fee and the work required to make ms
paper sprightly he took time, until his
eyesight partially failed him, to indulge
in the sports of fishing and hunting,
which he dearly loved. His delight was
to get a few companionable friends,
take his fishing tackle, go down to the
Walnut and other streams of the coun-
ty, and spend few days camping and
fishing for bass and crappie.
In early days he was an excellent
marksman and many a buffalo, deer
and other game has fallen at the crack
Of his gun. His knowledge of fish and
game, their haunts and propagation,
has long been recognized by Kansas
people and no doubt led to his appoint
ment to the office of fish and game
warden by Governor Stubs in July of
this year. He had put in several weeks
getting the hatchery at Pratt ready to
give the state more for its money in
this department than it had ever before
received, was preparing to stock the
streams with young fish and to put new
spawners into the ponds, but was
stricken, on the porch of the warden's
home at Pratt, by a collapse of his
ambition for the hatchery.
Mr.. Murdock's intimate knowledge of
Kansas her history-into which his life
is woven-people and Typography
equals, if not excels. that of any other
living Kansan, and it was a rare treat
to hear him relate incidents of pioneer
days. experiences with the Indians, of
the Quantrell raid, of his trip by bull
team to Leadville, Colo, with his
brother Marsh, when a boy of Is, of
riding horseback with his regiment to
Fort Halleck. Idaho, and many other
matters of history, not recorded IL the
books.
At the first call for volunteers T. B.
Murdoch enlisted at Leavenworth in
company B, Ninth Kansas cavalry, Oc-
tober II. 1861 was promoted to lieuten-
ant and served until the close of the
war. He rode with his regiment acr oss
the plains to Fort Halleck, Idaho, in
1868, to protect government property
and subdue the Indians. His father,
Thomas Murdoch, and brother, Roland,
belonged to the same company. Tnsy
had several severe brushes with the
redskins on this trip.
TEAVENWORVvH RESTErEn