The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-05
SERVED WITH HIM
George Kellam on Federal Grand
Jury With Brewer.
Supreme Court Justice and He
Worked Together.
in KANSAS So YEARS.
Had Farm on Land on Which
Oakland Now Stands.
He Lived Near j. b. Billiard in
Days Of Long Ago.

| Hale and hearty at the age of 50
years, George Kellam, residing at 900
West Tenth street. is the only one of
| the IL Topeka men who served on the
second federal grand jury drawn in
Topeka and of which the late Judge
Brewer was foreman. Mr.. Kellam says
the business of the grand jury was re-
turning indictments against liquor
dealers who had violated the then
newly made statute against introduce
ing LIQUOR in the Indian country. The
Jury. Mr.. Ke4lam says, met in old Con-
stitution hall, just north of Fifth strQt
on the west side Of Kansas avenue.
Mr. Kellam says he does not remem-
Der that there was any particular in
to the later day generation in connec-
ton with that session of the grand
Jury He did not recall when he read
of Brewers death that he had served
on the grand jury with him. But
when he read the story of the grand
jury and its foreman in the state
Journal he remembered such was the
case. He then made inquiry and found
to his surprise that he was the only
survivor of the men who served with
the man who later became member
of the supreme court.
OF the men who were drawn on the
grand Jury of which Brewer was fore
man, the following named men came
from Topeka or Shawnee county:
Hugh Campbell, J. F. Cummings, d.
N. Buffum, E. Baker, William Hether-
c. Wilmarth, A. l. Richie. Paul r.
Hubbard, Samuel Hoon, George KEEL
lam.
like a Dream to Him.
'It all seems like a dream, it was
so long ago." said Mr.. Kellam. 81
came to Kansas in '57. and that was in
ell There has been wonderful de-
velopment since then. My, my, l had
no idea then that Topeka would ever
be as it is now.
II occupied a farm on which the city
of Oakland now stands. I didn't think
this upland here was worth taking up.
got q spade and went out digging
into the ground, trying to find place
where the soil suited me. When got
down into where Oakland now stands 1
found four feet of good soil and
thought that was good enough for me-
1 didn't think there would be a city on
it then. There was nothing but prairie.
THAT year 1 planted six acres Of sod
corn. The man who had the claim sold
out to me for $3.50. I bought city for
that amount. I put down my stakes
and took up his. planted 100 acres Of
wheat on the quarter section just west
of Washburn college and the Murdoch
boys, Marsh and Bent, broke up the
ground for me. There was dugout
on the place, but the man who sold out
to me had enough logs chopped and
FarnswOrth who was a crockery mer-
chant for years on Kansas avenue, but
who has now retired, helped me put up
my house. He is the only man now
alive who helped me do this work.
THE six acres of corn which plant |
ed in the sod did not come up until |
August. 1t was dry and hot and It |
seemed like it never would rain. |
thought I had struck a great farming |
country, you may imagine. That was |
in 1857.
Kansas All Right.
But I found Kansas all right for |
farming. 1 have been a farmer all my |
life. My ranch is now 16 miles from |
Topeka but 1 still have one. 1 have
never been without a Shawnee county
farm.
IT have been resident Of Shawnee
county for So years but there are not Il
great many people here now who were
here when l came. There has been a
great change. The unbroken land has
grown into a city. But it seems like a
ong time ago that I brought my young
wife here and we lived near the dugout,
IN which J. B. Billiard, one of the can
lidates for mayor today, then resided
Mrs. Billiard was almost a mother to |
my wife.
Il planted a hedge. around my farm
and 1 was told just the other day that
1ne of the trees 1 had planted was the
argest hedge tree in America 1t
stands near the corner of Kellam and
avenues. in Oakland