The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-10

the Woodsdale and Hugoton sympa-
th1zers met, there was usually trouble.
WOOD did everything except to aid in
restoring peace. Sometimes there was
bloodshed. When residents of Woods
dale went to Hugoton, they carried
guns. Hugoton people did the same
when they went to Woodsdale.
Following the county seat trouble.
Wood had been arrested for arson.
He went to Hugoton to attend court.
AS he started to enter the old church
that had been converted into court
house. Wood met James Bremen. The
men were personal enemies. Bremen
was Hugoton sympathizer. AS he
saw Wood approach, he drew gun
and fired. Wood was killed.
Near Dodge City stands a college,
sacred to the memory of George Soule.
Possibly, many years ago, you used
Soule's hope bitters? They were made
by the man who built the big college
away out by Dodge City in the days
when students were few, but when
Soule's pocketbook was filled with cur
rency. The school is Soule college. He
gave the institution to the Presbyter-
ians, but that church found the school
was profitless and Soule then endowed
the Baptists with the institution, al
though it is said that he kept the
deed himself. When the Baptists had
tried to run the school for a time, they
gave the institution back with thanks
Next the Methodists tri 4 it, but with
no better success. Then Souie turned
the institution over to the Catholics,
that they might keep green his name
in the short grass district.
Following the shooting of .Food, Gov
ernor Humphreys sent the state militia
to Hugoton to disarm the waring fac
lions. The county was on the verge of
quiet was restored. Following the
shooting of Wood, Bremen had gone
to Oklahoma He was never prosecu-
ted Some months ago Bremen was
arrested, but the governor of Oklahoma
refused to permit the mans removal
for the reason that the Stevens county
people had long known that the man
was in the adjoining state and had
made no effort to secure his return
to Kansas for prosecution on charge
of murder.
With the bitter county seat wars in
these western counties. entire towns
disappeared from the map almost over
night. There was the case of Spring
field in Seward county. Thirty years
ago. Springfield looked like the logical
haven of rest for the tired pilgrim in
the western desert. Great Things were
expected of the town. A modern
waterworks system was built. On the
prairie where the plated town lots were
unoccupied, the prosperous Spr1nghelo
stationed fire plugs for the protection
of the homes of the residents OF a TO-
morrow that never came. On h1gh
Seward county hill stands mammoth
brick building. 1t is the Springfield
high school-a building as large as any
public school building in Topeka. But
the waterworks system was little used,
the high school was never filled.
to Liberal and somehow the people
Just moved away, leaving the few iron
fire plugs and the old brick school
building as mute sentinels to mark
the burial place of once busy city on
the Kansas plains.
Standing in the big tent. the old set
tiers attending the Hugoton picnic told
of the fall of Cincinnati and Apo
mattox For Appomattox also fell.
natl and Appomattox we're busy, pros
porous towns in Grant county. Young
and ambitious men and women hoped
they would some day become the busy
centers of trade in that prairie coun-
try. But Appomattox and Cincinnati
were candidates for the county seat.
So was Ulysses. They couldn't all
win-and Cincinnati and Appomattox
lost Now the stories of their. exist
ence are recorded only in the minds
a quarter of a century ago.
1t was only in recent years, though,
that Ulysses, having won the county
seat fight, decided to move The town
had voted bonds for municipal i'm
provement in the hopes of a bright fu-
ture The bonds became due. but the
money was more than the property
lners of the town were able to pay
or felt in justice should be compelled
a., fnr Wy G
held. The next morning, the court
house, hotel, general store, blacksmith
shop and half dozen houses in the vii
lage, were on an adjoining quarter
section of land. The town had been
moved over night, and the people hold
ing the Ulysses municipal bonds were
invited to collect their surety.
Looking west from the car windows
as the train stopped at Sublette, a
person could readily see the town OF
Santa Fe, county seat of Haskell coun-
ty. But Santa FEES possession of a
courthouse is almost a hollow honor.
Some months ago Sublette decided she
should be the county seat by virtue OF
the building of the new Santa Fe road
from Dodge City to Hugoton. Sublette
received the largest number of votes
in the special election, but by virtue
of a statutory provision, was com
PEELED to gather 60 per cent of the
total vote to win. 1t needed Just
votes to win the county seat. The case
is now in the supreme court, but the
courthouse is still in Santa Fe. Yet
Santa Fe-named in honor of the road
which it was hoped would pass
through the towns now almost de-
serted. 1t is without a railroad, many
of it's stores and houses have been
moved to the newer town of Sublette
and only the courthouse and a few
scattering buildings remain.
Out of the ancient history of the
short grass country is still page
fresh in the memory of many Kansans
That is the story of sylvester Dixon
and his wheat train. Dixon operated
in the nalmY DAYS of the western coun-