The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-28
Sixth District Ne1Us Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

! ing TO the hotel after midnight the
speakers had gone to bed, ard the Of
flee room was crowded with boys and
young men, and it looked as if all of
them had a bottle of whisky on his
person. This was before Kansas voted
on the prohibition amendment. We
voted that crowd the widest and best
natured set of young men we had met
on tht swing around. Bird City con-
tinued to grow until the Lincoln, Neb..
Land company and the Burlington
railroad in Nebraska came along, laid
out St. Francis, got up a county seat
contest. and won the seat of govern
ment away from Bird City. which is
about fifteen miles east of St Francis.
The first court house was years ago
sold to the county for the poor house.
Losing the county seat the people left,
many of the business houses and resi-
dences were sold to the farmers and
moved in the country. The three
banks and her newspa pers ceased bus
mess and moved elsewhere. 1t was
about as dead a town for many years
as any town ever was. Several years
ago a new and more substantial boom
hit the town, a bank came In, another
lumber yard started. many good bust
ness houses and elegant residences
were erected, and thrift is seen on all
sides. 1t is situated in a great wheat
belt. and a few years ago the b. K NJ
Co. gave Bird City the preference OF
shipping more carloads of wheat IN
one season than any other town on
their system in Kansas.
During the building of the Rock
Island road thru northwest Kansas,
and several months before it was COM
pleted to Colby, officials of the Rock
Island town company, including NJ. A.
Low, general attorney of the road,
were driving over the proposed route.
Reaching Colby a hot afternoon, the
carriage stopped near the row Rock
lIsand depot. There were no autos in
those DAYS. The pacty alighting. they
were pleased with the lay of the
country, and especially appeared to be
suited with half a section of land
which Joined the surrey. Those who
knew Low best, knew that he was a
man of few words. He wanted to see
the owners of the land, SO they were
hunted up. They were asked the price
for the two quarter sections, and in
formed $4,000. That was all that
was necessary, and the man of a few
words said: I'VE will drive farther
west" and the carriage and occupants
continued the journey to where GooI-
land is now built. Several years later.
and after the Rock Island road had
reached the Rocky mountains. these
two quarters" were sold for taxes
one for $500 and the other for $500
Evidently the Fl. c. L. was in vogue in
Thomas county in the early days as it
is in these times.
The first meal your itemizer ever
ate in Cheyenne county, as well as the
first nights lodging, was in Wano, a
| thrifty town about three miles east of
the present county seat, and several
years before the birth of St Francis
With the relocation of the county seat
most of buildings and population
moved to the new county seat All
that is left of Wano are several ex-
cavations where buildings stood. and
the toWnsite is now being farmed w
B. Lockwood. banker al St. Francis,
and former member of the legislature
from Cheyenne county, conducted d
bank in Wano in pioneer days.
Ex-Congressman John r. Connolly
OF Colby, who represented the Sixth
district three terms, was a Topeka
visitor and attended the Democratic
banquet He was congratulated by a
| big army of friends not only from
his district but scores of others from
different parts of the state. Several
/ of his earnest supporters urged him
TO be candidate again this year. and
he declined. He assured them that
he was going to take an active part
IN the campaign. Asked whom he
thought the party would nominate, he
paid Senator James Malone a fine
compliment, and believed he would be
nominated. Connolly is one of the
busiest men in Colby. Besides being
interested in the new bank. he has
recently bought a large mercantile
stock and put his sons at the head
of it. He is also doing a big real
estate trade. He believes northwest
Kansas, Thomas county and Colby will
witness great prosperity this year.
Rumor comes via Smith Center
that Bert p. Walker, of the Osborne
Farmer, is going to spend some time
or the Pacific coast this year, and
that Charles Mann. of the Downs
! Times. member of the legislature from
| Osborne county. will have charge of
the paper during the absence of Mr..
! Walker. The Farmer is one of the
I best paying newspaper plants in
northwest Kansas, and the owner has
| worked hard to put it on a good
| financial basis. 1t is also said he has
real estate interests near San Diego,
besides some bank stock in that city.
/ He has also visited that city on two
or more occasions. there being sew
| eral families from Osborne county
| there already. One of the runors is
/ to the effect that Mann has bought
the Farmer outright. 1t will be re-
membered also that he was men
i toned favorably for congress in the
Sixth district in the last campaign.
The Sixth district postmasters Kept
away from the late Democratic ban
quet, only a few of them being pres
ent. Sure they had reasonable ex-
cuse for not attending. The con-
gresham from that district is a Re-
publican. 1t looks at this time like
the next president will be a Republi-
can. 1t takes money to attend the
/ blowouts. 1t appears they were wise
to stay at home and save these ex-
penses. Charles Page of OberIin,
William Walker. jr.. of Goodland, ].
1 O. Adams of stockton, f. W. Boyd
OF Phillipsburg. Josiah Crosby of St
Francis, and many others who have
seldn... lied Ia,