Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-07-22
FROM ROY OSBORNE
Probate Judge of Montgomery County
Kansas. A Newsy Letter Contain
ing Many Items of Interest to
the People of His Boyhood
Home.

Independence, Kans., July ID,
A. S. Peacock,
Wa-Keeney, Kans.
Dear judge was indeed pleased
to received your letter of the 18th
ult., with which you enclosed a most
complete statement of the history of
the probate Judges of Trego County.
I had been personally acquainted
with every incumbent of that office.
What a flood of recollections your
letter brought. l have not been in
Wa-Keeney since the summer of 1899.
l spent that school vacation at work
in Ellis and on several occasions Wis
tied Wa-Keeney during that time.
In June, 1900, l completed my law
course at the State University and
soon after located in Coffeyville, Kan
sas. After remaining in Coffeyville
about one year, j accepted a govern
ment position in the legal depart
ment of the Commission to the Five
Civilized Tribes in Muskogee, Okla
homa, remaining in that service for
one year and three months. / then
returned to Coffeyville and entered
into partnership with my father, and
soon after was appointed assistant
county attorney, serving in that cap
acity two years. January IL, 1909, /
entered upon my first term as pro-
bate judge. l was renominated and
reelected without any opposition
whatever, except from the Socialist
party.
The population of this county has
been practically sixty thousand. /
am not advised as to what the last
returns show. The county has four
good sized towns: One first class and
three second class cities. In addition
to this there are six cities of the
grows older the work in the probate
court increases. Early this year one
of the newspaper boys wanted me to
prepare a review of the business tran
Sacted in this office, and l am enclos
ing herewith a carbon copy of that
report. This will serve to give you
some idea of the amount of work
here.
My annual report filed January 4
1911, shows that for the year ended
December 81, 1909, there was a bal
ance of fees due and uncollecteC
amounting to 81, 1878 that the tota
amount of fees charged for the yea
1910 amounted to SIS, 43S. 3d. while tn,
total amount of fees collected during
the year 1910 amounted to So, 567. rs
Under provision of the statues, / an
entitled to retain three Thousand
dollars of the fees, and divide equal,
with the county any amounts receiv
ed in excess of that sum. This, o
course, does not include the fees re
ceived in the juvenile court work o
those fees received for performin,
marriage ceremonies.
We have an interurban cleo
trio line extending across thi
county, and this and the railroad con
nections enable persons to get int
this town from almost any directions
Naturally, that helps the matrimon
ial business. December, 1910 was m
banner month in the issuance of maj
riane licenses, there being ninety-fiv
issued and 1 performed forty-eigh
ceremonies. The next best montl
was this last June, when eighty-Si
marriage licenses were issued an
twenty six ceremonies performed.
charge $50 for recording the aft
davit of the applicant for marriag
license for the issuance and recordin
of the marriage license and for re
cording the return thereof. l charg
81. so for performing a ceremony an
issuing a certificate. Enclosed her,
with are views of some of the builC
ings and streets in this city.
On a recent trip to Coffeyyill,
where father lives and is in practic,
L took your letter and the picture
with me. All the members of I'll
family were very much interested i
the same.
Last November, day before election