The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-02
BY HARRY ROOT.


1t is interesting to meet and talk to
old pioneers. One of them is Thos. NJ.
Walker of Kansas City. He was one
of the early pioneers from Kentucky
to Osborne county. He located in Bull
City (now Atom, and engaged in
merchandising in early days. Emil
grafton was coming in. but it looked
as If the homesteaders brought along
with them but little money. Walker
did lot of credit business. He had
to If he continued in business. Be-
sides winter was coming on, and buff
falo chips were getting scarce. Hot
winds and drouth had driven some of
them back to wife's relations. He had
accommodated many of them already,
and being without means and wanting
to quit Kansas for keeps. they sold
he owned more than 10000 acres of
Osborne county land, Few years
later better times came. and there
was a demand for the land, and he
sold the farms for about what he paid
per acre. Now these lands are selling
for $50 and SIS an acre. Your corre-
spondent knew him well from the time
he commenced work on his building.
He carried on business for several
Years and made a big enough start to
sell out and engage in banking. He
started a bank in Fremont. Graham
county (now Morland), and later was
at the head of a bank in Eoxie and
another in Osborne. He is one of the
big stockholders in a bank in Atehi-
son, as we'll as Kansas City. He is
also president OF the wholesale Nc
Pike Drug company of Kansas City.
He we'll remembers Joseph Hart, who
took the first homestead in Sumner
township, where Alton is located,
which was in the seventies. Other old
pioneers in his town in the early days
were Lyman T, Earle. Frank Clark,
Gen. H. c. Bull. VIM. Chase, Hopweed
Rinchart, W. r. Braden, Peter Mitch
ell, T. J. Thurston, E. L. Ives Chas.
Gutterg, P. H. Campbell, Wln. Rosen-
grant and others. While he carried
on business in Alton he was a pusher
for the town. subscribed literally to
every enterprise for the towns good,
and 1t was thru the efforts of this man
who succeeded in getting the name of
the town changed from Bull City to
Alton. This writer is glad to number
him among his friends. He was a val
liable friend to the homesteadeFs as
well as his home town of Alton.
John Carlson is one of the well TO
do farmers of Sherman county, going
there from Texas in 1910. He tried
to make a living in that state several
years, and failing. he went to Sher-
man county. He owns 1880 acres,
built him a house costing $4,000 to-
gether with other improvements He
has $4,000 bushels of small grains
and is free of debt Who can beat this
successful farmer?
Railroads can make or kill a town.
is an old saying, and it may be true
in some cases. Major w. H Downs
was superintendent of the NCentral
Branch road during its building west
of Atehisen, through nopth an. north
west Kansas. Before the road reached
Cawker City he was looking for a
depot site. TO save cuts and fills"
he favored the Solomon valley site
which would do away with the long
cuts both east and west of the town.
A committee of representative citizens
of the town favored another site. and
it was so decided In the meantime a
town nearer the river, named WAGON
da. was making signs of life. and the
Cawker City committee believed the
depot site favored by the superinten-
dent would help Waconda more than
Cawker City. Be that as it may, the
railroad proposition was rejected.
Major Downs and other railroad Off
Gals moved west six miles and started
the town of Downs. Had he won his
site for the depot some believe there
would have been no town of Downs
and Cawker City would this day have
been a town of 5000 population. The
two branches of the Solomon river
come together near the town, and the
extension of the South Solomon
to Osborne. Bloomington. Alton.
Woodston and Stockton The COM
mittee that decided the location of the
site for the depot all are dead except
one.
Some items from the Kirwin Prog
ress. in March. 1881: A lodge of Good
Tenplars is badly needed. The town