The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-30
Old Age Brings Pleasant Occu-
pations TO Three Kansans.
One Is Writer, Another a Sculp-
tor, Third Collects Insects.
DOCTOR SEE WRITES HISTORY
Tepekan Was Circuit Rider in
Northwest Conference.
DR.. De Leye of Emmett Makes
Unique Stone Decorations.

The vacation period OF life-years
well along towards the hortzon-has
brought pleasant occupations to three
aged Kansas men. Having retired
from active pursuits, each today is
following the bend of his inciinations
and declares he is enjoying his pastime
immenseIy-one writing and printing
book, another collecting insects. and
the third as a sculptor OF stone.
DR.. A N See.
DR.. A. N. See, 80, a retired Mstho-
dist preacher who with his wife lives
in the Methodist Home for the Aged
in Topeka. has Just completed a his
tory OF the Northwest Kansas confer
ence. He not only gathered the his
torical data and wrote the manuscript
for a 200-page book. but also printed
the pages on a little hand press and
bound the volumes. Doctor See was a
pioneer circuit rider in the big North
west Kansas conference and later for
many years was superintendent OF the
district.
Kari Stecher.
Kari Stecher. 90. Of wichita, artist
and educator, chose TO pursue what he
claims always has been his hobby
collecting insects. An extensive col
lection Of caterpillars, gathered and
mounted by Stecher, recently was dis
played in the show window OF q. Wich-
tia bank 1t includes specimens OBJ
tanned by him on his travels thru six
cOuntries-SwitzerIa France, Italy,
Turkey, Canada and the United
States. Stecher was born in ODER
kich. Germany. He gained most of
his education in Paris where he re-
sided twenty years. making art his
specially. His paintings are confined
largely to scenes OF nature in the va
rious countries he has visited, includ-
ing one of Mt. Blanc. and several of
New York. BY his brush he gained
considerable recognition, both in E,u-
rope and America. He still paints,
having several canvases under way at
dated 1920. Mr.. Stecher came to
America forty-eight years ago.
Charles DeLeye.
Having made comfortable fortune
farming since he came to this coun-
try with his father Sc years ago from
his native Belgium, Charles DeLeye
of Emmet-long since made famous
as the town that produced Jess VIII
lard-devoteS much OF his time to
sculpturing and making unique stone
decorations for his house and lawn.
Some of these, which include q large
stone gate arch. a decorative wall. a
huge basin surmounting a stone base
ten feet in diameter. are of mosaic
design or varf-colOred stones set in
concrete and decorated with the scuIp-
tors ehiseI. The decorative wall IS 127
feet long and inIaid with more than
200 kinds of rocks.
In fact the most difficult Job Of
all was the gathering of the many
kinds of stones" said DeLaye. u
have been gathering them for twenty
two years Most Of them came from
within seyenty-five miles Of my home,
but some came from Colorado, num-
erous other states and even from Bel
gum
In the gate DeLeye carried out A
design common to Belgium. His
father was a stone mason and before
they came to America they erected
numerous decorative stone structures,
such as arches public park bases,
crosses, fish ponds. well houses and
stone designs on buildings. The gate
consists Of two pillars a foot square.
surmounted by an arch of solid stone
the large keystone being carved to re-
semble grotesque skull. In his yard
stands a stone cross seven feet high,
the terminals Of the standard and the
cross-arn being rounded to resemble a
gigantic fleur-de-lis. He also has con-
structed a stone well house Of unique
design, ten feet in height, the top
OF which resembles q Chinese temple
with overhanging caves. In each of
the four well house pillars he has in
laid a glass beer bottle. They will be
considered real relics in a few years"
remarked the farmer-scuIptor.