The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-28
HARRY ROOT
Prophet Of Kansas Northwest
WRITTEN STATE
BY F. L. VANDERBILT


out by the late Col. John A Martin.
editor and owner OF the old Atchison
Champion. He began for the State
Journal in 1895. His full name is
Henry G. Root, but in Kansas he is
Originally, he was employed by
Colonel Martin in the capacity of
printer, and, even after he went on
the road for the Champion, he con-
tinued to hold cases on the paper
for a time; making only short trips.
once a week for two or three days,
into the territory of the Central
Branch" railroad. And the purpose
OF these journeys was not so much to
solicit subscribers and to gather news
as to find out friends for Colonel Mar
tins prospective candidacy for gov
ernor. For the administration of
George T. Anthony. who then was gov
ernor. was not popular, and, since the
signs. inevitably, pointed TO change,
Colonel Martin believed that he saw
his own opportunity.
So. commissioning Harry Root to
feel OUT northern Kansas, and. ;arly
in 1878, sending for Noble L. Prentis
to be associate editor of the Cham
pion. and enlisting the aid of personal
friends of the old Guard who con-
Quoted newspapers in other parts of
the state, Colonel Martin began
newspaper campaign for governor.
However. well as he had laid his
plans. and loyal as the newspapers
were, 1t was not Colonel Martins year
to run Anthony was upset, but, aided
by his own and other machines, he
was able to prevent the nomination of
Colonel Martin and to give the prize
to the late John p. st. John. For the
contest was in the time of the old
state convention, when combination
of forces of the weak so often was
able to defeat the strongest candidate.
And, depressing a moment, the state
convention, after all, seldom went
wrong. Usually, 1t nominated the
man of the hour for the chief office
commended for. Even st. John. now,
In the light of the years which have
passed since, was the right man; use
full citizen and brave soldier tho Colo
mel Martin had been, and able COVER
nor as he was for four years, later
in life.
In the meantime, Harry Root con-
tinued on the road for the Champion.
Soon, the owners of the Central
Branch decided to build beyond the
Blue, over into the Republican val
ley. ana still beyond into the valleys
of the forks of the Solomon. This set
tied. Harry Root gave up his cases on
the newspaper, and subscriptions be-
came his regular work. For the coun-
try, westward, was filling with settlers,
who had been attracted by editorials
NTlllCh Dy 0OIOnSl himself.
and Mr.. Root went out and listed
them for his paper. The railway was
building, but Mr.. Root went ahead of
construction; travelling by blackboard
or stage, quite often catching a ride
on notion wagon
Old settlers of the Kansas North
west will remember the notion wag-
ons of Frank Howard & Co. and G. l.
Florence & Co., of Atchison. These
wagons, their running gear strong and
of long reach, and their boxlike bodies
set high, roomy and closely inclosed,
carried great loads of articles of COM
mon use in the homes of the early
settlers of western Kansas. Painted
in bright colors, the names of the
houses which sent them out emblaz-
oned in big letters. and drawn by four
gaily caparisoned horses, the driver
sounding a trumpet from afar, their
passage across the plain was an event
ia every neighborhood. For. loading
by schedule from the lend of the
track they came with the regularity
and exactness of the days of the cal
endar; selling to farmwives and 10
the trade. Regular as these wagons
were, so Harry Root was regular. at
least at the larger settlements. where
he would lose them for periods; in
the meantime. taking stage or buck
board.
The END OF the track" originally.
for Harry Roots Journeys, was Wa
terville. Soon the company began to
build westward, stopping at Green
leaf for period; next pushing a spur
eight miles over to Washington; now
building from Greenleaf over to Clyde.
in the Republican valley; and so on
by degrees up the Republican TO Con-
cordia; across the divide beyond TO
Beloit. in the Solomon valley; on to
the junction of the forks of the Solo
mon. where the town of Downs was
founded; up the South Fork to Stock
ton, and the North Fork to Lenora.
where construction westward stopped
and stays stopped to this day
In the meanti. e, the BURLINGTON
System built lines ont of Nebraska to
Concordia, on the Republican river;
to Oberlin, on the Sappa. far west
ward; to St Francis. still westward.
on a fork of the Republican, in the
northwestern corner of the state. The
Central Branch built it's Superior and
Burr Oak branches; the Union Pacific
its Colby and Beioit branches; the
Rock Island its Colorado line: and the
Santa Fe its line from Strong CITY to
Superior. By degrees, the entire re-
gton was occupied by railroads. and
the stage, the buck board, and the no
ton wagon disappeared.
But Harry Root did not disappear
his greater opportunity. He moved to
Belolt, to be nearer to his territory.
where he lived for fourteen years,
until he came to Topeka, where now
he makes his he. quarters. and, at
the age Of SO, vigorous. hale. alert
continues to make the Kansas North
westi travelling now for the Topeka
State journal.
When Harry r. { began this work
the n01r- mia
the Blue river, which is only 100 miles
from Atchison, were Washington, Re-
public. Cloud, Jewell, Smith, Osborne,
Rocks, Phillips, Mitchell, and Norton
Waterville. on the Blue, in Marshall
county, was the lend of the track"
and all family supplies were carried
from there by freight wagon into the
region beyond, for a distance of 500
miles to the Colorado line. Mail and
passengers were carried by stAge. I'm