The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-17
AT OLD VICTORIA.
Old Kansas Town Founded by a
Wealthy Britisher.
Now Its Inhabitants Are Nearly
All Russians.
TRAGEDY OFPROGRESS
Burial Ground Marks Resting
Place of Indians Victims.
We're Killed While Building the
Union Pacific.
TRAGEDY OFPROGRESS
SUNDAY.

Victoria. Kan, Sept. 17.-One of the
historical towns in Kansas which lit
tie has been said in the newspapers. is
Victoria, in Ellis county. 1t is Rus
sian settlement, and they have made
money raising wheat.
There are a few Americans in Vic
toria, but about a quarter of mile
away is Herzog, founded in 1876, by
Russian colonists direct from their ma
tive land. Little business is transact
ed in Herzog, though both towns are
building together. and will soon con-
solidate and be known as Victoria. 1t
is the railroad town, and lies in the
center of a magnificent wheat belt. 1t
has three elevators, which expect to
handle close to 100000 bushels of wheat
this year, and will show large in
crease over the shipments year ago.
The Farmers State bank, of Vic
toria, organized in April, 1905 has on
deposit about $45, 900. The officers are:
President, J. A. Mermis; vice president,
A. A. Dreiling; cashier, A. p. Brun-
gardt. The officers and stockholders
are prominent business men and farm
erS.
There are a number of progressive
merchants, mostly Russians and Ger
mans. The town has become such a
business and grain center that most of
toria. Herzog is purely Russian and
contains the homes of many families
The houses are mostly vacated in the
growing seasons, the families moving
onto the farms, and returning after
the farm work is over late in the fall.
The Russian farmers are industrious.
They farm and make money, and as
soon as they can they add more land
to their farms. The case of J. S. Drel-
ing, who came to Ellis county in 1876,
i
He owns $40 acres, and is out of debt
This year he raised about 5000 BUSH
els Of wheat, and at all times has two
and three cars of cattle He says he
wouldn't live in his native country
again, and that he can make money
raising wheat in Ellis county.
John Billinger is another money
maker. He came to Ellis county in
1875 and worked on the Union Pacific
section for several years. He saved his
money, put it in land and now owns
800 acres. This year he will raise about
5000 bshels of wheat. He and his son
now carry on general mercantile
business, besides own several town pro-
perties. When he came here he could
buy land for two dollars an acre, now
1t is worth $50. He is selling his wheat
of 80 cents a bushel, and will buy more
land. Every Russian farmer says he
is satisfied with Ellis county, and is
making money raising wheat. and says
he couldn't do this back in his native
country.
1t may seem curious enough to look
for interesting historical data in and
near Victoria, but a little plat of
ground a short distance west of the
present railroad station records some
of the very earliest tragedies of pioneer
interest in this vicinity. The earliest
whites met with resistance from the
Indians in those early days and dur
ing the building of the Union Pacific
road through Ellis county. The his
torical plat of ground is situated on
a slight rise of ground near Victoria
creek, and about 200 feet south of the
the bridge spanning the stream. This