The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-30
Sixth District Neuus Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

that railroad in kaasas. Her news
papers had an eventfu1 history. The
first paper was the Graphic, but moved
to Kirwin after running about two
months. The Politician was the sec
ond publication, which a few months
later moved to Phillipsburg and the
name changed to Watchman. The
next paper was the News, which was
printed a few weeks and suspended.
New blood came to town and resur-
rected it, and a few months later it
met the same fate, died. The Razoo
was the next paper born in Agra, and
only published a short time, and It
soon met the same fate of the other
three. Now the town has>her Sentinel
and is happy and contented.,
On June 10, 1872. Governor Harvey
issued proclamation organizing Phil
lips county, and designated Phillips
burg the temporary county seat. In
October, 1872, a special election was
held for the purpose of deciding the
permanent seat. Three towns were in
the race, Kirwin, Phillipsburg and
Truesdell. In the election the ma
jority of voters said they favored the
temporary seat. In the second cleo
ton Truesdell stepped out and the race
was between the other two towns, with
vote of II for Kirwin and 121 for
Phillipsburg. The fight was real hot,
but no killings occurred, as was the
case of several county seat contests in
southwest Kansas. 1t is said there
wasn't house onathe town site when
The first postoffice in the county was
| established in 1871. in Kirwin, which
had grown to fair town before there
was building in Phillipsburg. The
year 1873 witnessed the "prairie
Schooners coming to northwest Kan
sas in droyes, after homesteads, with
the sign on the sides of the canvas:
kansas or Bust A year later the
grasshopper year, many of them who
could, returned to the states they
came from, with a different inscrip-
tlon on their wagons, reading: I'm
God we trusted. and in Kansas we
busted"
San Antoine Pete" the name of
the famous trotting steer, gave the
teWn OF Logan a history which was
neralded from one end of the state to
the other. The appearance of a trot-
ing steer on a Kansas race track
proved a big drawing card for sew
eral thousand people>who came to at
tend the jubilee, but in reality to see
a genuine steer trot. Among the
visitors was your correspondent. Al
Dougherty, Logan banker, was the
| originator and he drove the steer in
| the several races 1t seems that il
was cut and dried for the steer to win
| the race, but the throng of visitors
knew nothing of this put up san
| Antoine Pete" was there, so was the
morse and driver. The race was won
| by the steer, as was expected by the
| lew who knew about it beforehand.
| But this didn't end the career of the
| trottipg steer, for he was shown in
state fairs in Nebraska, Missouri and
| other states. The steer later on met
| n. Z hr-1l Of
| the corral got on the railroad, and
the. Missouri Pacific train came along
| and>pushed it off. killing it, for which
/ the company paid a loss of $1,000.
Logan and the steer drew the largest
Ncrowd the town ever had before or
| since The crowd was-there to see a
| steer trot. Perhaps no greater fake
at a fair has ever been put on the pro-
gram than was this trotting steer. The
| crowd was good natured on account of
the SELL and it Is safe to say not
| one of them will ever attend another
race Of this sort. The town of Logan
is in Phillips. which was for many
years the home of Congressman W. A.
| Reeder.
+ At one time the Sixth district had
4 a number of women doing most of the
/ papers. Only two women are now
i doing the brain work" where there
used to be dozen or more Mrs
Georgia E. Burlin, of the Luray
Herald, and Miss Lulu B. Ross. of til:
Palco News, are the only two who al;
owners and editors of their papers
Mrs Ida Walkers name appears II
the Norton Real Westerner~as associ
ate editor. She will also represent
} Norton county as one of the mem
bers of the legislature this winter
The name of Mrs. B. F. Baker is a