The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-19
Rain and High Water Bring
Grief to County Clerk.
He Is Kept Busy Explaining to
the People.
UNLOAD TROUBLES ON HIN
Hold the County Responsible
for Their MiSfOrtuneS.
He Passes the Load on to the
Commissioners.

These are troublesome days at the
court house-especially for Oscar
Swayze, county clerk. 1t is the matter
of rain and high water that is bring
genuine, deep rooted sorrow and the
county clerk is busy explaining to sew
eral thousand people along Shawnee
county streams why the county is not
losses and miscellaneous damage and
inconvenience.
When the rains descended and
floods came today. the telephone in
the county clerks office began to
jingle. Always and ever it was the
same. Some one had complaint.
They either wanted to file it with
Swayze personally or they wanted in
formation as to the official Shawnee
county trouble clerk. OF course
Swayze couldn't stop the high water
and he couldn't bring sunshine and
drive the clouds away. He wished he
might. But it just couldn't be done.
The county commissioners were in
sioners of his troubles. That didn't
help, either.
The water has washed the dirt
away from the approaches to our
bridge" came message from a man
along a Kaw river tributary. Then
the distressed speaker urged: won't
you please send some one out here at
once?"
Swayze explained that the matter
would be turned over to the county
commissioners. Then the phone bell
rang again.
Hello" shouted a highly pitched
female voice Say the water is UP
to our back porch and sixty of my
chickens have been washed away. 1t
does look like you ought to do some
thing about this. It's simply a shame
to tax people for things and then
leave them to suffer-
He Tries to Explain.
In vain the clerk tried to explain
that the county couldn't come to the
aid of the chickens and could not
force the river back within it's banks
Just when Swayze reached the point
where he was talking like $400-a-
night chautauqua orator, the woma n
hung up the receiver.
From the banks of the turbulent
Shunganunga, come howls of protests
and appeals for help.
Kaw valley farmers were alarmed
and distressed. Several dozen of
them called the county clerks office
and poured into the ear of their public
servant their little sorrow song.
DO you know whether the bikes
will hold if the water gets to twenty
five feet?" asked a seemingly 2gitat-
ed man who owns Kaw valley farm.
SwayZee was hopeful, but not GER
tain.
Then another woman called.
I'VE want to know whether the va
ter is going higher than in June and
if It is safe to stay in North Topeka,
piped the Woman'S voice. The clerk
suggested that the North Topeka
woman consult the weather bureau.
But the woman wasn't pleased n t all.
I'D like to know what you people at
the courthouse are paid for, any
how, if you can't answer plain, civil
questions" snapped the voice at the
other end of the line.
This time it was Swayze who hung
up the receiver.
Whats the use?' Swayze appealed
to a visitor. You just simply can't
please them and they just won't I'M
derstand. Honestly, if the state were
to turn over the national guards, we
couldn't meet the demands that are
made on the county when the river
gets to the flood stagS.''