The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-05


conscious of the fact that its claims
were fully and properly presented and
ably advocated.
In September 1884, Norton county
had four towns named: Devices on
Sappa creek; Densmore, on the Solo
mon river; Dallas. on the Prairie Dog,
and Hanback, on Dry creek. well
known writer in the pioneer days did
not like the names of the streams.
neither did the names of the towns
suit him. His article went on to say:
Prairie Dog creek was given the
name by Fremont. 1t calls up a high,
dry sunbaked wilderness given over
to flying sand, screaming winds. cac-
tus, rattlesnakes owls and prairie
dogs. The Solomon river is corrup-
ton but has been in use SO long that
it can't be changed. Sappa creek is
barbarous. but the old Indian name
and the statutes of Limitation bar a
change. Dry creek calls to mind what
once was a creek now gone out of
business. The name on a map is an
advertisement of desolation. 1t para
/ lyzes the land agents; let US have no
more Prairie Dogs and Dry creeks"
The pioneer writer went on and said:
| There was no excuse for naming
town Dallas. All it had to recon-
mend it was that it was given in honor
of an old fashioned Pennsylvania
Democratic politician The writer
further says: Hanback, is the name
of popular man. Lewis J. Hanback,,
who represented the Sixth district in
congress at the time the article was
written" If this pioneer citizen and
writer was living he would be sur
prised to see how these creek valleys
have forged ahead in population and
farm industry. OF the four towns he
mentioned two of them went back to
the farm, Dallas and Hanback,, while
Devices is a postoffice in a thickly set
tied community and Densmore is
Missouri Pacific town of a few hun
dred population.
In the pioneer days of Voltaire the
promoters referred to it as the mag
tic city of Sherman county. Your
correspondent well remembers his
| first visit to the town in company
with E. ]. Turner, candidate for con-
gress from the Sixth district. The
weather was threatening, and we
stopped there for the night. Nor was
there any Goodland in sight, and
Eustis was the county seat. It showed
and blowed all night, and in the
morning there were piles of snow
which had drifted thru the cracks of
our room. Sure there was enough Of
| it to make several good sized snow
balls. When the storm ceased the
team was ordered, and We were on
| our way to Wano, Cheyenne county.
There wasn't any st. Francis town. In
| 1885 there was a number of men and
| teams at work in Voltaire, and several
buildings had been erected. and others
under way. The townsite was selected
/ in 1880. 1t was made point on the
government mail route from allace,
on the Union Pacific, to Atwood. 1t
was also on another mail route from
| Wallace to BenkeIman, Neb, which
also passed thru Wano. Barney Nc
Closky, it was claimed, was the first
white settler in Sherman county. He
was close to the Texas cattle trail, and
is authority for the statement that
during the years of the drive not less
| than $4,000 cattle passed his ranch,
the several herds averaging 5000 to
$500 head. Voltaire was located in
the South Beaver valley. A newspa-
per was printed in the town, the Ad-
wiser. In its best days the place had
several business men. There is no
| town there now. In Connelley'st history
Of Lost Towns in Kansas no men
ttion is made of Voltaire.r Sherman
| county. 1t is about five miles north
| of Goodland. It had county seat
aspirations at one time, hence its
name magic city of Sherman coun-
| ty" With the flood of immigration
new people came to the county, and
| Goodland started, grew up rapidly,
and won the county seat.
In letter to the State journal from
Ludell, the writer says the wheat
| raisers of Rawlins county are hoping
to combat the high prices paid for
harvest hands by putting in modern
machinery which will do away to a
large extent with surplus farm hands.
He says the wheat prospects in his
county are No. /, and with abundant
moisture TO insure the crop, the farm
ers are preparing for big harvest
RawlinS county last year was one OF
1
hands, besides the majority Of wheat
raisers run their headers with only
half a crew. Some of the farmers are
going to try the combined stacket
| which will take the place of the head
| err barge. and there is little pitching to
are getting is the combined header and
! thresher.- Those who have used il
claim it will do the work of two or
more men in heading and threshing
| besides the farmer will have extrt time
to prepare the ground after harvest
! instead of taking the time to thresh.
Mrs. Laura Craney. of Downs. sold
ITO acres of her S0-acre tract adjoin-
ing the town for $500 an acre. There
| ment on the land. The tract will be
plated into town lots This beats al
high priced records for Osborne coun-
ty lands.
| Eighteen students of the Cheyenne
lcounty high school graduated with
thigh honors, this year. Professor
leigh Bowling. who has filled the po-
lsition of principal for the last five
Iyears has given up the occupation OF
teaching and will engage in the prac-
Itice of law. The high school is &C
| credited with a fine new three story
brick structure costing 100000. be-
sides new equipment of a cost OF
$4,000 A new district school build
ing has also been erected at cost oil
$4,000, in which eight grades are
taught, and five teachers employed
ST Francis is the farthest northwest
kansas town in the state. In the mat
L ter Of schools the rnIace rnr1,f IA Ike q