The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-06
Sixth District Nelus/ Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

of Missouri Pacific fame, and the
main travelled road running to Nico-
demus and Hill City. In the pioneer
days the sod houses were quite as
numerous as jack rabbits. Very little
of the country was under the pillow, but
it looked inviting. AS far as the eye
could reach it was level as a floor.
1T was a great trip to the writer, who
witnessed in after years it's rapid de-
velopment, and the Transformation of
almost a barren country of buffalo
grass and cactus to well improved
farms and the little ''soddies" to fine
homes, surrounded with plenty.
Wallace county was organized in
1858 and the title was declared void
by the supreme court and by Iegisla-
tive enactment. 1t was reorganized
in 1899. There is in the office of sec
rotary of state charter for the Yost
City Town company, filed in March,
1894. Luther Melton, George R. ALA
man, NJ. S. Martin, A. J. Phillips and
c. A. Good, Wallace county people,
are the stockholders. The Sixth dis
trict has two big trunk lines of rail-
roads, Union Pacific and Rock Island,
with branches of the Santa Fe, Mis-
souri, Pacific and B. & NJ. Yost City
and Pond Creek. both in Wallace
county, are surprises. The latter town
was chartered in February 1859, with
a capital stock of $4,000. The town
site had $40 acres, adjoining the Fort
Wallace reservation on the west. The
incorporators of the Pond Creek Land
& Town company were John Whitford.
c. II. Fee, Harrison Nichols, R. F. Nc
Clure and w. Fl. Bush. Little was
ever known of these two townsites ex-
cept when the charters were secured,
anad they doubtless went back to the
farm years ago.
letter TO The State Journal, says: Re
CARDS to my old friend Harry Root,
and tell him for me that Alton, Kan,
was not named for Alton, ILL.,, but for
Alton, n. H, at the lower part of Lake
Wsnnipesaukee, by Samuel McIntire,
who migrated from those parts to
Kansas. He was brother of Mrs. I.
L. Stockbridge and an uncle of my
wife. who lived at the home of General
Bull, of Bull City, before the name
was changed to Alton. Mr.. McIntire
died several years ago at Haverhill,
Mass, where his children live today.
and we visited them last month";"
Woodston. Rocks county, reports
that one of her merchants has quit
business. He didn't tell anyone where
he was going. and he forgot to pay
orally supposed that northwest Kansas
had a business man who would do
things this way.
Joe Finch, one of the prominent
educators of the Sixth district, was a
Topeka visitor last week attending the
meeting of the State Teachers asso-
citation and visiting Emmett George, a
| former resident of that district and
now private secretary of Governor AL
len. Mr.. Finch was born in Jewell
county, educated in her common
CT hfcvh
school. He did the janitor work in
the Mankato high school and saved
his pennies to enter and pass thru that
school. He taught school in Kensing-
ton, Smith county. For several years
he>was vice president of the Northwest
time he served Jewell county as coun-
| ty clerk. At present he is superin-
| tendent of the jamestown, Cloud coun-
| ty schools, and giving satisfaction The
writer is pleased to number Joe Finch
| among his friends. who claim he has
an eye on the state superintendent
office in 1922.
| Dempster Scott and his son Charley
of Rawlins county, located there ir
days of the buffalo. but the prairis
dogs were thicker than bees around
sugar barrels. The dogs" were scat.
tered all thru the county. and the,
| had located many towns. The 1arges
one your correspondent ever saw wa
In the Beaver valley. between Atwood
and Ludell, and covered over severa
/ acres of ground. In this town Their
were thousands of them. The Scott
have lived to see them exterminated
They have seen the modern home TAX
the place of the dugouts and sod
dies" They are now enjoying a largi
law practice. and working real estate
Ioaning money and doing insurance OF