The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-16
BY HARRY ROOT.

Qugours and picking up buffalo chips
for fuel to keep the family from freez-
ing were not the only pioneer Incl
dents in the development of northwest
Kansas. Mrs. Sadie Barley, of Sher-
, man county, writes that she came to
the county in January, 1883, at which
| time there were only three families
and one lonely bachelor living in the
county. There were plenty of wild
horses. antelope and fleas in those
early days, she says, and she caught
one of the horses, and raised it to be
a good saddle pony. In the summer
OF 1885, family named Cullins 10,
Gated in Sherman county. The head
of the family pre-empted a claim not
far from Goodland. This family
hauled water for their use with a COW
and pony for three years. In the Sc
we're winters of those early times the
family lived mostly on pumpkins and
bread, and it was hard rustiing to get
all the bread they needed, for there
were nine all told in the family. In
the winter of 1856 that section was
visited by g. fearful blizzard, and to
save their stock from freezing they
kept three horses and two. head of
cattle in the sod house they lived in
for three days and nights. During the
summer of 1855 the family helped to
capture six head of wild horses. No
such incidents as these now exist in
Sherman county. In the pioneer days
to homestead. Today it is selling for
s35 to SIS an acre, and many fam
lily who came to the county by the
prairie schooner" route enjoy sub
stantial bank accounts and live in
modern farm homes with all the COM
forts of a finished eastern home. Many
tof the early pioneers to Sherman
county went thru struggles which they
now like to talk about since prosperity
has came their way and in repeating
nj iraoi &c Tlr-a
certain the half has not been told in
many cases. Their county seat is Good
land, situated en- the great Rock Is
land main line from Chicago to the
Rocky mountains, and one of the main
division points for both passenger and
freight trains.
In Populist times in the Sixth dis
trict, Jewell county was a hotbed for
the party: Digs, Lease. Peffer and
other noted Populists came into the
county and made speeches. And ex-
Sheriff Frank McGrath, who years be-
fore was sheriff of Mitchell county
when he was a Republican, had
elected president of the state Populist
organization. He was a splendid
mixer" and the Populists wanted
him to be with them. In the first
election in that county, strong Repub-
iican tho 1t was. the new party sue
! filling their offices themselves. In
1898 was the winter of the double
headed legislature. A citizens mass
meeting had been advertised to be
| held in the court house in Mankato,
the object of the meeting being to de-
termine whether to stand by the Re-
publicans or Populists. 1t was "eut
and dried" so the Populists claimed,
that the Republicans were going to
pack the meeting. The Populfst lead
h. o11Y
to advertise the meeting all over the
county unbeknown to the Republicans.
The meeting held, and 1t was found
the Populists had an ATTENDANCE more
than three to one. The Republicans
had their resolutions prepared, so did
the other fellows, and they voted the
adoption of their resolutions and
against those the Republicans present.
ed. The original meeting was called
by the chairman of the Republican
county. committee. g. G. Vandeyenter'
now of Oakland, suburb of Topeka,
was chairman of the meeting. Other
members of the Pepulist committee
besides Vandeventer were w. E. Bush,
also of Oakland, and L. D. Raynolds
and Frank Forrest The Republican
COMMITTEES were C. Angevine, Geo. H.
| Case, Thos. Kirkpatrick and s. M.
Weed. Immediately on the adoption
| Of the Populist resolutions Frank For
rest was sent to Topeka on the first
! train with them, and they We're print
/ ed in both papers the next day. The
resolutions endorsed the action OF the
| Populists in the double-h headed legisla~
| ture. Four Oakland residents who
were living in Jewell county at the
time were C. c. Handkerchief, G. X.
Cole, w. E. Bush and John Lingo.
They attended tie meeting, and affiii-
ated with the Populists. They go so
| far as to say that it was the most ex-
citing political meeting ever known in
| Jewell county. They talk about It to
| this day and appear proud of the fact
that they beat the Republicans in their
own game After the meeting adj
journed and the Populists returned to
| their homes, the Republicans orgap-
| lied and as one of them expressed 1t,
ne said "New that the liars and an
archists have gone. we will adopt our
resolutions" And they did, but IT did
no good, as the Populists were in the
saddle" with a big majority. AS
result of this strife the Popufist county
attorney sent a Telegram to the head
quarters in Topeka reading: Call on
Jewell county for men and money.
| Both ready" The war was on; the
idouble-headed legislature remained in
session, and the people of Topeka anu
Kansas know the result.
PlainvilIe. Rocks county, at one
time several years ago, looked II 1t
was going to be the railroad center
of northwest Kansas Two railroads
| were headed that way, the Union
Pacific and Santa Fe. In later years
| the Plainville & Northwestern was or
ganized, bonds voted, and work actu-
| ally commenced. Grading was fin
ished from Plainville to the Solomon
river, opposite Webster 10 miles west
of Stockton. Two or three town sites
had been decided on and town lot
hsaIes advertised. Carloads of ties,
bridge materials and telegraph poles
had been unloaded in Piainville- The
road had heen graded g miles All at
once work ceased all along the Nine,
and after the graders got square with
the Plainviile & Northwestern people.
and before they did there were many
claim cases in court. The Union Pa
cific was the only road to build to
PiainviiIe, the Santa Fe refused to ex-
tend the MINNEAPOLIS branch and all