The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-26

II is almost 90 years ago that Fish
er. a young ScOtchman. became in
oculated with the kansas fever and
came west with his wife. He still de-
lights TO tell of the adventures and
misadventures of the pilgrimage.
He says; My wife and | started
from Dover. y. H. about the Sth, of
May. 1857, to go out west to st. Joe,
Mo. We stayed there a short time then
started for Topeka on June 18th.
While sailing down the Missouri river
we struck a snag and broke the boat
in two. Then there was commotion
and women screaming, the captain
save orders to run the boat on sand
bar close by. The boat was sinking
Last and as 1t settled first on one side
and then the other I concluded to try
10 save my baggage which was on the
lower deck If il was posi- Bile to do so.
J left my wife who was on the upper
deck and went below and as the water
would come on one side of the deck
would haul my chest and my wife's
trunk on the dry side of the boat and
from the wet to the dry side till the
boat settled on the sand bar.
The first boat that came down the
river took all the passengers and their
baggage to Leavenworth, where we
stayed till the next day then took the
stage coach to Topeka. When we
reached Shunganunga creek the
horses got scared on the bridge and
commenced prancing and moving
backwards across the bridge I looked
out and saw the hind wheels within
few inches Of going over the south
side OF the bridge. ! opened the door
and as quick thought jumped out
and ran for the horses heads and
grabbed the bits. Then the man on
tho seat with the driver jumped and
took my wife out of the stage the
driver jumped and by the time he got
down one of the horses stumbled over
the bridge and hung by the harness.
The upright post OF the bridge was
the salvation of The horse. | held by
the bit The pole of the stage coach
was against the other horse. and saved
it. The driver took his knife and cut
tn harness and let the horse drop
down about eight feet on its launches
ON the soft bank. 1t did not hurt the
horse much. 1t got up and walked
UP the bank.
when we got up to the corner of
Sixth and Quincy | asked the driver
where the town was. He looked at
me with a smile and said we right
in the middle of the town
lie l. Hale and Hearty.
Mr. Fisher is still hale and nearly
ana able to work at his trade although
there has been no necessity for his
working for years. He tells of he
border ruffian days of Kansas and the
excitement of boom times and the
vicissitudes Of the period following the
collapse of the boom. with all the viEor
and fire of young man. No ona
would take him for an octogenariau;
he gives the appearance of a man still
in his early sixties. He reads mach
and follows current affairs closely. I'e
is a hard and fast Republican and
boasts OF voting the straight Repub-
Hcon ticket ever since the formation
OF the party in 1856.
He was born in Glasgow. Scotland.
August - 1929. and came - this
country when only 20 years old. In
1850 he met Elizabeth Lowrie.
young Scotch girl, and was married -
her shortly thereafter They lived
very happily together for fifty four
years until her death in 1905.
shortly after arriving in Topeka he
spprenticed himself to John Elliott to
learn the masons trade. Albert
Knowles. vice president of the Bank
OF Topeka. apprenticed himself at the
same time. Mr.. Fisher joined the
First Congregational church in 1860
and holds the distinction of being its
eldest member. In the spring If 1889
he built the concrete part of the house
in which he still lives. He dug the Gel
lar quarried the stone and built the
house himself all but part Of the
carpentering. He also built the barn
in which he has cobbled shoes for over
46 years. He helped build the first
wing Of the state house and laid the
last stone.
Mr.. Fisher has many friends here
who delight to hear his accounts Of
life in the pioneer days of the city
He will be 81 next August.
Zeppelin Raid Kills 81.
London. Feb 26.-The revised Of
fetal figures of the casualties in the