Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-02-25
The Swope Affair.
What the People Of Kansas City Think Abou
the Matter. Some Things About the Life
Of the Millionaire BY bis Friends.

Inc Mater. Some TnlneS ABOUT Inc Lie
Of the Millionaire by bis Friends.
A letter from a friend at Kansas
City, Missouri, to the Statesman-Den-
ocrat says of the Swope matter:
Colonel Swope was very eccentric
man. If be was ever married he COM
pletely fooled the people here. The
Colonels estate will amount to about
"a 900, 900. About two years age he
gave to Kansas City Swope park, a
tract of 1850 acres. 1t is now most
beautiful park and the city has ex-
tended to and around it. When it was
given to the city it was five miles be-
yond the city limits. He gave other
valuable property gift, to the city.
Our corresp ondent, who is one of the
most prominent citizens of Kansas
City also sends the following inter-
view which he says is about the aver
age opinion, of the Swope affair, en-
tertained by the people of Kansas City,
which, if true ,efectually disposes Of the
claim of Elmer Swope to sonship A.
he was born in 1882.
"Coenel Thomas Fl. 6wope was
resident Of Kansas City, In 1855,
when he laid out the first Swope addi-
ton, and in 1884 he discovered
and staked out the famous Marcus
Daily copper mines, now the property
OF Senator William A. Clark, the mill
lionaire coPp'r mine owner of Mon
tana, but, abandoned the mines
because they were 800 miles from the
closest railroad and he did not think
that during his lifetime a railroad
would be extended to them, is the SUBJ
stance of statement msde yesterday
by Daniel Geary, one Of Col. Swope's
Oldest friends and business aquaint-
snces.
Mr.. Gsary adds that Colonel Swope
not only never married, but that he
never proposed or promised marriage.
He say. that he was quiet, unassum-
ing young man who had been well ed
ucated and that he attended many Of
the parties which were given by the
young folks, but that he was what
might bs termed wall flower. He
never danced. Mr.. Geary is of the opin-
ion that Colonel Swope never learned
to dance This was always remarked
upon by the young folks, especially by
Mrs. Geary who, as Miss Emma Sails
bury was one of the Bellies of the city.
The Salisburys came here in 1860 and
| Mrs. Geary distinctly remembers Col
onel Swope, whom she met shortly af-
ter she came here.
"ColoneiSwope came herein 1856 and
laid oat his first addition" said Mr..
Geary at his home, 1888 South Benton
boulevard yesterday. "This addition
extended from Main street to the alley
between Mc(1ee and Oak streets and
between Ninth and Twelfth streets. 1t
excepted the pieces sf property ON
which are now located the Keith and
Perry building, the Riggs building
and the Shcidley building. He pur-
chased this property at $3.50 an acre.
"Colonel Swope's second addition
lay between Wyandotte and Delaware
and between Seventh and Eighth
streets. l was assistant city engineer
at the time and surveyed this second
addition. I do not remember what he
paid for this property bat it was in ex
cess of what he had paid for the frst.
1 plated the second addition for him,
which had no exceptions"
"Colonel Swope came here with sew
eral thousand dollars" continued Mr.
Geary. "He was graduate of Yale
and after he left that school his father
gave him somelmoney with which he
went into the hands of Alabama and
Georgia and bought some options on
mining claims. These cost him few
hundred dollars and he TOOK them to
Knoxville, Tenn, where he sold them.
He got SIS 900 for his options and after
reirnbursing his father he came to
Kansas City. He afterward told me
that the men to whom he had sold his
options never realized penny on the
mines. When he came here he OPEN
ed little Office in a one-story building
on the levee front, He hung out a
sign which read: Thomas Fl. Swope.'
At first we thought that he was law
yer, but he never practiced law and
was content to operate in mines and
real estate. He made frequent business
trips as far as st. Louis, but SO far as
[ know, and can say positively, he
was never in West Virginia.
"He was here in Kansas City at the
time the war broke out and was busy
with his real estate and his mining
ventures. He took no interest at all
in the war and | never heard him eX-