The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-29
Sixth District Netus Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

lwere Alanthus. Teller. jerome and
Lewis. At that time everybody ex-
pected a railroad to be built up the
Smoky. The old overland trail ran
up the Smoky and it was expected that
the railroad would follow it just as the
Santa Fe railroad followed the Santa
Fe trail farther south. In those days
of great expectations the towns along
the Smoky flourished; each had sew
eral stores, hotels and business houses.
Jerome had a newspaper, the Smoky
Globe, ana got some votes for county
seat. But when the railroad came, the
Missouri Pacific, instead of going 10
the Smoky it followed the divide about
l ten miles south of it, over in adjoin-
ling county, and this gave the death
blow to the four Cove county towns.
Now Lewis is but a memory, Teller is
forgotten, and the site thereof is a
wheat field; the name of Alanthus still
survives as country postoffice patron
/ lied by about a dozen families; IT IS
on star route gettieg mail three days
| in each week, the postoffice kept IN
farm house and moving about from
one farm in the neighborhood to an
other with every change of postmaster.
Jerome is still on the map, and has
a daily mail, postoffice, general stoee,
.cTeam station and school house. VIII
/ liam Mclean is the storekeper and
icream buyer, and Mrs. Vida Courtney
Incorporated as a city, but it was plotted
and laid out and is still taxed as town
property. But now its existence as a
town is threatened. A local ranch
town site and being a ranchman and
not a, dealer in town lots. he has
brought action before the county COM
lmissioners of Cove county to have the
TOWN site vacated. When this is done
the postoffice and the store will still
49,, Trar-e rc,r-
pay town lot taxes on his grazing
lands.
| One of the stories told on early
pioneers to Kirwin and Phillips coun-
ty is that of Rev. Thomas Cox a
! Methodist minister. now dead. He
was anxious that all who came west
| should have a message of spiritual
fblessedness from him. 1t is said a
party of hoTnesteaderS coming west to
locate camped one night near Kirwin
on Deer creek. 1t being the end of
the week they remained in camp over
Sunday. The good minister concluded
| that they might possibly be glad to
have him preach the gospel to them.
He informed them that he was a min
lister and that he was at their service.
They readily accepted. and arrange
ments were made for the service.
After the opening exercises had taken
place, the minister started his sermon
! ana was getting quite warmed up TO
the occasion when a large herd of
| buffalo appeared on the nearby
hill. The minister's eye caught them
at once and he proceeded without fur
Their ceremony to announce to his new
audience the presence of the herd.
and informed them that as buffaloes
were near and meat was a necessity.
| that the service would be at ease until
the men couldNgo out and get all the
buffalo meat they could. After about
two hours the minister returned and
| finished the service, much to the sat
isfaction of all.
Rep. Chas. E. Mann. of Osborne
county, was born in, Gage county,
Nebraska, just a mile or so from the
Kansas line He is trying to talk his
colleagues into supporting a bill for
the state to buy a small strip of land
from southern Nebraska SO that he
can qualify as a native Kansan
/ Sherman county was for a time
after its organization a township of
Thomas county, when it was given full
county rights The first question to
be settled was where the county seat
! should be located. Eustis was near
the center, and was chosen temporary
seat, the permanent location being left
for the voters to decide At the cleo
ton in 1887 Eustis, yoltaire, Candy,
Itasca, Leonard and Sherman Center
/ were early in the race. Late in the
summer of 1887 a new town company
headed by A B. Montgomery. former
member of the legislature from Rocks
| county, was formed. and the town of
Goodland came into existence with
backing. 1t was rumored considera BILE
money was put into circulation about
held Whether this be true or not,