The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-04

his dreams. Often at country school
house meetings Judge John Martin
would accompany him and the colonel
would indulge in his flights and make
his gesture as described. After the
meeting Judge Martin would ask him
if he believed what he had just told
the people. The colonel, raising his
right arm and clenching his fist, would
reply:
John Martin, as sure as there is a
God in heaven"
If any citizen of Topeka should
have heroic monument to his MEM
DRY, it is Cyrus K. Holiday.
Greatest Scoop"
The greatest scoop ever in the
newspaper annals of this city was on
election day in 1872, when President
Grant ran for a second term. A ter
rifle wind and rainstorm prevailed
the whole day and far into the night.
Kansas avenue was q mortar bed. In
the afternoon Colonel Prouty asked
me what we could do about the As
ISOLATED Press report. I suggested
that he go over to the Kansas Pacific
depot, give the operator $40 and have
him hook US to the Rocky Mountain
Associated Press at Denver. He and
1 went back and forth in cab get
ting the report of the election until
80" The next morning We had a
full report with BOOSTERS all round the
front page. while the Record stated in
three lines:
"Al1 the lines east being down on ac-
count of the storm we are without our
usual report this morning" or words
to that effect.
We also had in the same issue a full
tabulated report of the city and county
elections, thanks to Doctor Huntoon,
who contracted with me to have a
horseback rider at each country pre-
cinct, get the returns and then ride as
rapidly as possible. rain or shine, to
the Commonwealth office. All then
to be done was to slip the figures into
the table already prepared.
First Church Notices.
The first church notices, the first
local market reports, the first weather
reports were published in the Com
monwealth I obtained the weather
reports each Saturday from DR.. The
odore Weiss. an eminent scientist. the
father of Julius Weiss, the grocer
John Macdonald.
John Macdonald, of almost sainted
memory, came to this city in 1871
and first made my acquaintance when
he handed me what he said was re-
port of a picnic he had attended
John told the story
City Editor Wood read what I had
written and looking up into my face,
said:
.'WelI, Mr.. Macdonald, this is a
fine article. but why didn't you say
something about the picnic
Colonel Prouty knew that L had
been a teacher and one day he COM
missioned me to attend the public
school examinations and write them
up Just as 1 found them. 1 first
called at Miss Bartholomew room in
the Lincoln school. As a school it was
a travesty and so reported 1t for the
paper 1t created sensation Miss
B. was a niece of prominent citizen
and a member of the school board.
1 was never forgiven, but l had the
satisfaction of knowing that her asso-
ciates in the same building, Miss Julia
Brier, cousin of James NJ. Brier Of this
city. and Miss Holiday, niece of Col
onel Holiday and afterwards the wife
of Colonel Rossington, said of my re-
port-'It was a perfect photograph
of her school"
Ward Burlingame was editor of the
Commonwealth and I regard him as
the best political writer in the state at
that time He was also private secre-
tary to Governor James M Harvey
Henry King succeeded Ward Bur-
lingarne, and never has been excelled
as graceful writer
James L. King as City Editor.
James L. King succeeded me as city
editor in 1873 and soon after 1 went
to st. Joseph, No, as city editor of
the Herald under Col. c. B. Wilkinson
and Major John l.. Bittinger. 1 re-
NAMED there two years-then re-
turned to Pennsylvania and practiced
law until 1880 when I returned to To-
peka-
became telegraph and CONNER
cha. editor of the Capital and remained
with the paper until appointed county
auditor by Judge John Martin in 1885.
As telegraph editor 1 had the same
difficulties TO contend with as on the
CommonweaIth-no Associated Press
report 1 adopted the same tactics as
1 used on the Commonwealth. until