The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-30
BY HARRY ROOT.


The pioneer settlers of Osborne
county will remember Gen. H. G. Bull,
in whose honor the town of Bull City
was named He located in the county
in $40, being among the first, and be-
ford the. town started. He operated a
store for many years in building
built of logs and sod. The first visit
of your correspondent to Bull City for
the Atchison Champion was several
years before the railroad. His ac-
quaintance with the general dates
from this trip. He had laid out a
| park of six acres close to his house,
being a lover of wild animals which
, were plentiful in that section in pio-
neer times. Among them were elk,
buffalo, several deer and an antelope
or two. The park was fenced with
pickets, and was a great show place
| of the neighborhood, as well as the
frnmigrants who were coming in and
| taking up homesteadss> many of the
prairie schooners" stopping there to
| see the animals One of the elks the
often visited the park and petted 1t.
The antlers were in the velvet and
he was affectionate and playful Later
| on, in October, 1879, the morning OF
the 18th, Robert BrickeH, who was
working for Mf. Bull, was chased out
of the park sly the elk named Billy"
HE reported the incident to Bull, who
, visited the park, stating that he would
go and find out whether he or the elk
was boss. Brickell and another man
named william Sherman, who was
| working on the farm. walked along
side of Bull to the park. and once in
side, Bull called to BILLY" and asked
what was the matter with him. AT
this the elk turned on the general. and
| hit him squarely. knocking him down
The other two men grabbed clubs and
started to his assistance. Bricken was
the next victim, the elk catching the
Club with his antlers, and threw it
over his back, and then caught him,
Throwing him down, killing him al
most instantly. The elk then turned
to Sherman, and while trying to dodge
he was caught on the hip, a heavy
memorandum book in his pocket re-
ceivfng the main blow. the book being
pierced by the prong. He was saved
from death by the blow of the elk
throwing him over the fence. An
other man named George Nichols, liv-
ling adjoining, came to the rescue, and
tpicking up a club he struck the elk
blow, but the animal got the best OF
| him and he was also killed He mac
caught hold of the antlers, and neio
| them for several minutes, but the in
furiated animal broke the hold. The
onIys time your correspondent saw the
elk he was apparently very tame, ana
4 would come up to the renee ana mex a
persons hand. A crowd soon gather
ed. but the elk continued TO snow
fight, and tried to get out of the park
i some time elapsed before the elk
slowed down, SO much so that the
tcrowd threw a rope with a moose over
his antlers, and he was tied, up Then
the bodies of the three men the elk
/ had killed were taken out OF the paril,
c-,I the animal was killed and buried
with its antlers. Before daylight some
i one oDened the grave and stole tne
head. They were fine specimens The
wife of General Bull was also an am
NAL lover. She had pet cats, bids
white mice and guinea pigs. Some
wears later the antlers of the elk were
4 found in Atchison by T.. NJ. Walker
! now president of the wholesale Nc
4 Pike drug house of Kansas City. he
was a merchant of Bull City at the
time General Bull and the other Two We
men were killed by the pet elk. lie
was also credited with getting the
name of the town changed from Bun
civ to Alton. the newer people locat-
iing there appeared to favor it
The thrifty Rock Island town OF
! Agra, Phillips county. has some
pleasant reminiscent history eonnecteo
with it, One Of the first settlers was a
man named ]. A. Thompson, who sold
real estate At the time the name OF
the town was Curtis, his letterheads
and envelopes being printed with the
| name of Curtis on them And this was
the name the early settlers believed
would be selected. During the build
/ ing of the Rock Island road thru that
part of the state the Kansas Town anc
Land company. a Rock Island organ
: ization. named the town Agra. said ts
be in honor of a daughter of N A
Low, who was general attorney fol-