Barton County democrat., 1911-09-15

hllCl IuO NdI uc saw SSTNlC0 IN ul
border war in Missouri, against the
buShwhackers. AS a member of what
was known as the Jim Turley gang
under command of Capt. Montgomery.
hardly day passed but what they
had exciting adventures This COM
pany was composed of about thirty
men all expert hOrsemen and dead
shots and their duties consisted prin-
cipally of chasing down the gueriHas
of the rebel army who were raiding
all parts of Missouri where northern
sympathizerS lived.
When the war was over he was
still yOtmg man, just entering man
hood. A man with a reputation of
being able TO take care of himself un
der any circumstances and a man
whose word could be depended upon.
He was Of rowing disposition at that
time and Missouri was becoming too
weN settled. He wanted to get
out into the world as his brothers
had done befor thewar. Striking out
for himself he came to Kansas. hunt
ed buffalo all over this section of the
state, wandering over the mountains
through Colorado and down into New
Mexico. Then he returned to Colorado
and met John Tilton OF this city in
the GmnisOn country, stayed there
awhile, they returned to Kansas and
were working near Salina when a
man came out from Sahna to get G.
N. to guide them to a fit place in
this part Of the country for the To-
cation of townsite, it being known
that he had hunted all over this
section and down through the Medi-
cine Lodge and Texas cattle coun-
try. A company of Quincy, H., cit
izens had determined to locate a
town on the Santa Fe railroad which
wanted to beat the railroad CON-
pany TO it. G. N. guided them to
this section and they located the
town as it stands. Fort Zara then
had two or three stores and a gen.
eral colony and the railroad COM
pany UeSenting the efforts of out
siders to start a town instead of
their obtaining the tOwnSite
attempted to break Great Bend
but Great Bend outlasted them all.
With his marriage in 1873 to Miss
Ida Mitchell stepdaughter of Squire
Odell, one of the locaterS of the
town and members of the town COM
pany and went into business in
Great Bend in the firm of Burton,
Odel & Moses. When the Gunni-
son country in Colorado was open
ed up Burton withdrew from the
firm and went to Gunnison where
he opened a stone in which G. N.
was also interested. A few years
later E. R. Moses then only a young
man, came here and went to clerk
ing in the Great Bend store and in
a short time Mr.. Oden retired, the
firm becoming G. N. & E. R. Moses,
which it remained until about ten
years ago when G. N. retired, E. R.
buying his interest and naming the
firm the E. R. Moses Mercantile Co.
which 1t remains to this day. The
film saw many a bad year in the
early days when settlers we're few
and crops were bad but it went on
and carried many man who is rich
today but who would have been I'M
able to have farmed at all but for
this firm.
He served as mayor of the city
three different times, in the so S
and two terms in the uneties. Dur
ing the POpulist days he was a Re
publican nominee at one time for
the legislature, but was defeated.
He was the first sheriff of the coun-
.ty.
The funeral services were held at
the Congregational church Tuesday
afternoon, conducted by Rev. Brehm,
under the auspices of the knights
Templar. The various organizations
of which he was a member attended
in a body, the flags on our public
buildings were placed at half mast,
the BANKS Of the city remained clos
ed all day, and the business houses
all closed during the hours of the
funeral as a mark Of respect to the
passing Of the man who had made
the world better for having lived
in 1t. Long may the memory Of
George Nelson Moses hnger in the
community he helped to build and
for which he did 50 much.
Judge Cole. in accordanna Nth q