Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-12-25
The Story of two kansans who
Started at the BOtt0m-Ar-
thur Capper and Otis
L. Benton.
EARNED so CENTS A DAY
Native Kansans are Setting Stand
ard in Good Citizenship-ReaI
State Builders.
BY D. o. McCRAY-

ed in life by working for four bits a
day? The inspiring history OF TINS
comm wealth is woven into the lie
story of hundreds of her most sue
cessful citizens. The pioneers who
came fifty and sixty years ago are
the historians of the state who re-
count with accuracy its wonderful
growth and advancement They, too,
have watched the careers of men, who,
in all the walks of life, have come up
from the hum blest beginnings to
places of honor and trust in business
affairs and in the service of the state.
To the pioneers it does not seem far
back to 1879 when Kansas had almost
reached the million mark in popula-
ton, yet in that year Arthur Capper,
the governor of the state, was earning
fifty cents per day when not attending
school, working in a printing office
at Garnett Sweeping out the shop,
mixing the forms on a Washington
hand press, distributing the type back
into the case wet with eating I've, and
setting it up again letter by letter into
the weeks news for the next issue,
constituted the routine labor for which
Governor Capper received the princely
wage of fifty cents per day. His phe-
nomenal success as a publisher in the
past twenty years is due to just two
things; first, he has labored fifteen
hours a day looking after every detail
of his business, and second. he has
brought to his aid the intelligence and
efficiency that counts in a great en-
terprise-an army of loyal, untiring,
conscientious men and women work
ers. Governor Capper's life story is
complete refutation of the oft-re-
peated assertion that the poor man
has no chance in the world" Rather
it is proof that any boy may rise to
commanding place in business affairs,
or to a high station in the service of
his state if he will work hard and stand
for ideals and principles that build into
the life Of a community the highest
type of citizenship.
The position Kansas occupies to-
day among states of the union is due
to the standard set by the pioneers
and by the example of her men and
women who have led ana are leading
in every movement for the betterment
of humanity. The native Kansans
whose early lives were encompassed
with poverty and adverse conditions so
general in the early settlement of the
state, have been a forceful and dom
mating factor in every community.
Their useful lives and their example
have been an inspiration that is guild
ing and directing the young men and
wonien of Kansas in their advocacy
of the ideals that bring happiness to
the home and prosperity to the state.
These thoughts were impressed
upon my mind a few days ago in
visit l enjoyed with Mr.. A. c. Merritt,
whose home, Hill Crest, is near the
Rochester school, two miles from
North Topeka MIR. Merritt is a mem
Der of one of the oldest and most re-
spected families of Kansas. He, with
his brother. James S. Merritt, remem-
bered so well by the old-tsme citizens
and politicians, located at Louisville,
Pottawatomie county, in 1876 and en-
gagged in the milling business. In 1882
Mr.. Merritt represented the western
district OF Pottawatomie county in
the legislature. 1t was about the early
days in Pottawatomie that we talked
L cannot recall when Learned my
first fifty cents, Mr.. Merritt said, but
l remember of paying a Kansas boy
| the first half dollar he ever earned in
wages And 1 never paid a wage so
willingly, for his first days work
around the mill convinced me- that he
was the kind of boy who would grow
into a useful man. This prediction
made nearly forty years ago about Otis
L. Benton has been more than veri-
4 fled
1T was this way: Otis lived with
| his parents in the little town. Before
coming to Louisville they resided on
a homestead out in Vienna township
| whose principal improvement was a
log house, where Otis was born. The
father. Almon Benton, came to Jeffer-
son county in 1858. and to Pottawato
mic in 1860. The people were all poor
in those days and the hard times made
it necessary to conserve every dollar
Mr.. Benton owned a hardware store
and the family kept a little hotel as O
sideline- Otis was a mere boy.
One day he came to me and asked
me to employ him to run errands anc
do odd jobs about the mill I want
TO make some money for myself. hs
said, and as my father needs ever,
dollar he can make for his business
/ feel that ought to earn the money Il
buy the clothes l will need when / star
to school, / needed a boy about tn,
mill and this appeal from Otis Bentel
settled the matter of his employment
Ii we could agree upon terms / askA.