Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1918-07-12

not will be Of much interest at this
time.)
For many years after the moving
Of the county seat from Baxter
Springs to Columbus, q spirit of an
tagonism prevailed between the peo-
Piles Of the two places. It was deeply
serious and 1t sometimes led to ''bit-
terness and expression Of cordial
dislike" Even yet there are those who
probably do not cultivate q marked
degree of charity and forgiveness,
when recalling the exciteing incident
which so separated the people in those
days; but within recent years (this
was written in 1904 time having
somewhat Modified their wounded
feelings, while removing some who
took an active part in the fractional
contest, the people have sought the
ways Of peace and brotherly consider
alton, to the extent that the lines Of
separation have been mostly erased.
The generation now coming on will
know practically nothing Of the old
troubles only as they read of them in
the annals Of the county.
There was one condition which help
ed Baxter Springs to bear much of the
supposed misfortune Of losing the
county seat: It was by far the bus
lest town in the county, besides being
the oldest and the largest in popula-
ton. It was what was called o "wide
open" town, and there was q free and
easy way among the people, such as
is characteristic Of all frontier places. |
1t was the gathering place Of many |
cattlemen and the COW boys they en-
plOyed; and the trades people who
were there to supply the wants Of
these classes which made the people |
of Baxter Springs too busy to take
time for considering little matters like
county seat controversies. II was the
Of the Southwest country
and within its mart could be found
every class and kind Of merchandise
that the wants of the settlers and So
lOurnerG required, and these in guam
titles suited to the demand.
Hither came hundreds of drovcrs
md their herds. These were the days
before the coming Of the railroad.
when the country had not fully awak.
med to the G; II Of the inrersrr In
lustrial pursuits; Lut there were
rade and traffic, and there was the
Oming and going Of the many in
Iuest of opportunities for bargain
nd sale. These conditions continued
n Baxter Springs for many years;
nd even as late as 1875, after the
iscovery Of the rich mines of lead
nd zinc around Joplin, Missouri, had 3
egnn to attract attention to that
lace, Baxter Springs remained the O.
fading business point south Of Fort !,
colt and west Of Carthage, No.; in =,
axter Springs hundreds of thousands a
dollars changed hands between the n
exas and Indian territory cattlemen n,
nd the buyers for the markets Of the
)rth, and as such it continued among
5 inhabitants nearly every class Of O
,Ople found in the United States, and w
Vt few of whom dwelt lightly with w
its borders, and were ever ready o,
re the shifting sands Of the desert, M
move on under the impulse Of q "a
shtly stirring breeze. NJ
Really 1t was not until after the
nditiOns had given way to the grow
3 requirements Of better social ten u,
ncies and to the fixing Of more per -
anent pursuits, that the inhabitants -
Baxter Springs fully realized what
had lost in the election of 1869. 80,