The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-09
"Sapp Was an Itinerant One"
Says Fred L. Vandegrift.
His Father Required Him to
Learn Trade as a Boy.
DISTINCTION CAME TO FAMILY
Mothers Cousin, Jules Ferry,
President of France.
Interesting Incidents Recorded
by Newspaper Man.

One of the earliest acquaintance
of w. F. Sapp, in Kansas, was Fred
L. Vandegrift. This was in the spring
of 1879, at Atchison, where Mr.. Van
degrift was in newspaper work. "Sapp
was an itinerant halter" Mr.. Vande-
grift said, this morning. He had
graduated in the law from Michigan
university, but he was a practical
halter as well, and by means of the
art was working his way thru the
country, until he might find a COM
munity in need of a lawyer.
HE was a halter because his faith
er required him to learn a trade. 1t
was a family custom for the boys first
| to acquire trades, and then, if they
chose, to enter other vocations-
There were four boys in the family,
L believe William f. chose to be a
| halter; Edward E. and another broth
| err to be printers, and the fourth
something else. William and Edward
afterward became lawyers, Edward
later becoming judge of the district
court of Cherokee county, Kansas,
for some years.
In the previous generation, the
Ferry family. from which these boys
sprang on their mothers side. gained
distinction in politics on both sides of
| the Atlantic; their mothers cousin.
Jules Ferry, becoming president of
the French republic, and an Ameri-
can cousin a senator of the United
States and president pro tempore of
| the senate.
He Wore a Linen Buster.
"Mr. Sapp had come to Atchison
| from st. Joseph, with his kit of tools;
| travelling with a married couple who
were his helpers. His assistants were
not hatters, but he had taught them
something of the art, and so, while
| they kept shop and cleaned and re-
built old hats, he went about town
soliciting jobs. Sapp wore a linen
buster and the inevitable plug hat
which he always affected, and by this
peculiar garb soon attracted attention
around town. He did a 1and-office
business for a week or more, until,
having fixed up one citizens silk hat
so we'll, the man gave him a contract
to make over job lot of hats which
had accumulated for twenty years.
The work done, and the hats deliv-
cred at his office, the man loaded
them in his buggy and SO took them
home. The shining load of silk
plugs attracting the attention of a
local haberdasher, Mr.. Sapp and his
working without a municipal license.
In the following autumn, 1 met
Sapp at Galena, where I had gone
seeking fortune in the lead mines. He
buster, but little of anything else, and
had opened a law office. He said that
his helpers had stolen his tools and
made off between two suns from
Oswego, and, since a halter is helpless
without TOOLS he had to fall back on
his profession.
Generous and Lovable Man.
"Our acquaintance grew into friend
ship which has continued unbroken
until now death has claimed him. He
was a generous and lovable man; full
of human sympathy, his life strewn
with good deeds, and many thousand
men and women of Kansas share the
grief of his widow and children in
their loss.
Mrs Sapp was a Miss Wood, a
granddaughter of John Wood, of
Quincy, ILL.,, a governor of that state
during the Civil war. Mr.. Sapp first
met her at Galena, while she was Wis
iting her uncle's family. They have
four children, I believe. The family
is left in comfortable circumstances. |
Mr. Sapp having been fortunate in
mines. He was a successful lawyer,
but, his mines growing into such great
profit since the war IN Europe broke
out he abandoned the practice of his
profession and gave his entire atten-
ton to the production of lead and zinc.
LAS he was popular in Kansas, so
he became popular outside of the
state following his election to be ma
tional committeeman eight years ago.
He especially was the mark of news
paper men at the national conven-
tons; their comments always friendly.
At Baltimore, in 1912, Edna Ferber
wrote characte sketch of him which
was reprinted widely"