The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-22
BY HARRY ROOT.

There are a good many people living
in Oberlin who believe that if Decatur
county had voted $4,000 a mile for
the Rock Island railroad that great
road would have built thru Oberlin.
and the town might have been made
a division. When this road COM
menced to build from the Missouri
river thru the northern tier of coun-
ties with charter naming the county
seat towns of the northern tier of
counties thru the state, and a short
letter from NJ. A. Low to the Com
mercial club offering to build to Ober-
lin if Decatur county would vote bonds
to the extent of $4,000 a mile, the
offer was turned down. The town was
booming. The orators of the day
argued that no railroad manager
would build a line thru the county
without running thru the queen city"
of the west-Oberlin. The road was
completed as far west as Norton, then
bore off to the southwest, and passing
thru the southern part of the county
to Colby. Notwithstanding the disap-
pointment the town has always been a
thrifty commercial center, with a rich
territory tributary, and is today one
of the most beautiful towns of its size
in northwest Kansas, with lovely
homes, trees, and flowers, an up-to-
date opera house. fine schools and
churches and a happy, contented popu
lation of about 1000 people, and not
vacant house of any kind. Oberlin
Jared the same as Concordia. The
same proposition was made to her peo-
pie and rejected. Concordia didn't get
the Rock Island, neither did Oberlin.
If rumors are well founded Judge
r. M. Picker will again enter the race
for judge of the Fifteenth district,
which position he filled for more than
a quarter of a century and resigned
a year ago on account OF failing
health. Reports from his home town
of Smith Center say that he has re-
gained his old time health and is
young enough to try the judgeship
again. The district comprises the
counties of Jewell, Mitchell, Osborne
and Smith. Judge Pickler loves this
work. and his friends in the district
will be pleased to see him again on the
bench. In all the years he served the
district as judge he was so satisfactory
to all that in several elections the OPP
position didn't put up a candidate
against him.
One of the northwest Kansas trips
worth preserving was that of Capt. J.
G. Waters. a Topeka attorney, and
your correspondent, whom he CHANGED
to meet in Atwood, where he had been
on law matters. He had finished his
as quick as possible. So we took the
auto route from Atwood to Colby, a
distance of 81 miles. 1t had rained
all the night long and was raining
when We left Atwood at noon. Going
out of town the auto had to climb
some hills before it reached the ''di-
vide and level road The road had
been recently worked, and soon our
car was in mud hub deep. And such
a time We had trying to get our auto
thru the mud and up the hills no
Ford car ever before experienced.
We got out and climbed back several
times, helping to hold the wheels from
slipping or pushing 1t forward. Be-
fore the car reached to top of the hill
lady passenger was awaiting. the car.
She was standing in mud nearly up
to her shoetops, and wanted to get to
Colby in time to see her son graduate
that night. Even the woman passen-
ger had lived on a farm long enough
in Rawlins county to know what work
was, and she, too, used her strength
to help the car out of the mud and
keep it from sliding down hill. The
wind was blowing furiously, and rain
ing hard. and no side curtains, we
passed the time as pleasantly as we
could, nor did the woman passenger
put in a protest. She was covered
with mud and soaked with water as
were the other two passengers and
driver. She was thoughtful enough
TO bring along a grip with change
of Apparel. 1t was trip that none
Of US ever before experienced and
such a one that MOI of our crowd will
ever care to repeat. Captain Waters
is full of good stories, and he kept US
all in a laugh from the time we left
Atwood until we reached Colby, two
hours late. 1t took Waters until train
time to dry his clothes and clean them
of mud. He did come in mighty
handy in helping push our car out of
the mud, and keep it from sliding
down hill on a muddy road. The rain
was beneficial to the farmers of Raw
Inns county for the crop of wheat