The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-20
Sixth District Nelus Notes
Items and "Reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

geaHt, secretary. Headquarters to be
in Smith Center where the company
will erect an alfalfa mill and elevator.
The secretary of the company is
banker and legislative member-elect
from Smith county
On some of the earliest maps of Kan
saS appears the name of Waconda,
in Mitchell county, near the forks of
the Solomon river. 1t started out with
big pretensions, before Cawker City
got on the map, and the promoters
heralded it from near and far as the
coming metropolis of northwest Kan
sas." With no railroad in sight. the
town pushed forward and at one time
it had several business houses. 1t was
plated as early as 1871 by James w.
Terry. Homesteads were taken in
that vicinity in the latter part of the
sixties. At this time buffalos were
numerous, and while settlers were few
and scattered, many buffalos were
killed and hauled east, the meat being
put on the market as far east as juno
ton City. The town, altho plated,
was never recorded. w. H. Bruce
was one of the early homesteaders,
and for a livelihood for the family he
followed freighting, leaving his wife
and two small children at home, the
trips at times lengthening into weeks
Mrs. Bruce never forgot one incident of
her early pioneer life, in Mitchell
county. She has said many times
that one of the hardest things she had
to endure was when the children
would beg and cry for cookies, and
there wasn't anything in the house to
make them with. Another incident of
pioneer life in the same neighborhood
was that of a man named Wilcox, who
had homesteaded, and was living
alone in his dugout. His family were
in the east, and not much in sight to
subsist on, he grew respondent be-
cause of the separation from his fam
lily. Not showing up one morning
some of his neighbors called, and
found him with his head partly shot
away, he had taken his own life.
About the time Waconda was ready to
push forward to be the metropolis
of the Solomon Valley" other people
of means went there and laid out Cav
ker City, two miles to the north. The
name of the colonists were Col. E
H. Cawker, after whom Cawker City
was named; r. G. Kshinka and J. P.
RICE, all of Milwaukee, and John
Huckell, of Pennsylvania. One man
named A. Parker of st. Joseph, Mo.
opened a stock of merchandise at the
town, and later moved it to Waconda,
thinking that was going to be the
metropolis" The rival factions in
the two towns fought like tigers to
hold prestige, and for a time it was
exciting enough to have a collision
between the warning factions, in which
guns and knives might be used. New
corners came in rapidly and Cawker
City, which had good foundation of
men and capital won the prize, and
Waconda commenced to go back, the
business men moving to the new town.
So the place which aspired to be the
metropolis of northwest Kansas"
went back to the farm, while Cawker
City has grown to be one of the pref
test towns in that part of the state
high enough up to overlook as fertile
a section of agricultural prosperity as
can be seen anywhere. 1t has many
beautiful homes. substantial business
men, and happy, contented popu1a-
Along in the early eighties the 23d
judicial district was created by legis-
lative enactment. Stephen J. Os-
borne was the first judge, and since
then the following well-known jurists
have dispensed justice: Lee Monroe,
James Reeder, J. c. Ruppenthal and
the present incumbent, I. T. Purcell.
This calls to mind an amusing story
told on Judge Osborne and Reeder, |
who lived in Hays and was noted for
his extravaganza both in dress and
living. Osborne being a candidate for
judge in the newly creased district,
prevailed upon Reeder to go to To-
peka with him to help push his
claims for appointment Alighting
from the train in the North Topeka |
depot. Reeder hunted up a cab at
once to carry them to the hotel |
(street cars were too slow for Reeder). |
to which Osborne demurred. saying |
the walk from the depot to the hotel i
would do us good" Nothing doing"
said Reeder. 1--WE are on an important
mission and appearances count good |
DEAL The two statesmen were taken /,
to the Copeland hotel, the most noted /
one in Topeka those days. Downing