The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-31
Sixth District NeuUs Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.
nv HARRY ROOT
BY HARRY ROOT.

Your correspondent was in the
counties of Jewell, Smith, Phillips, De-
catur, Rawlins, Cheyenne, Sherman,
Sheridan and Graham during the trou-
blesome days of locating county seats.
Perhaps the liveliest race was in era
ham county, and this was due to the
fact hat at one time five towns We're
after the court house, Hill City,
MiIlbrook, Gettysburg, Nicodemus and
Roscoe being the aspirants. The
towns all had one and two news
papers, and the work they did for
their respective towns filled columns
of space. So far as the writer re-
members only one man was killed IN
Graham county during the scrap
and that was in Gettysburg, but
whether this was on account or the
part he took in the fight, there has al
ways been two sides about the killing.
MilIbrook, the town on the hill, was
made temporary county seat on the
organization of the county. Pleas
antly situated as Nillbrook was, and
on high site, and commanding a
picturesque view of a vast scope of
country on every side, the greatest
obstacle was that water was scarce.
The first time your correspondent
visited the town there was only one
we'll of water on the town site, in front
of the Terrell store and this was over
400 feet deep. In the first election
for permanen county seat the vote
stood: Millbrook, zoe: Gettysburg,
PA; Roscoe, 1872; Hill City, 181.
Eight ballots were voted for center
of the county" Nicodemus had with
drawn from the fight. In fact it never
got into it very deep. In the final
election Hill City won the honor. In
the first election it was said E. P.
McCabe, co1ored, and who was after
wards elected state auditor, was can
didate for county clerk. He at once
printed a card in the Mil1brook Times
saying: 81 desire to state that who
| ever the author is, he is a liar from
Fhis boots up" In the organization
| of the county, in April, 1880, the COM
missioners appointed were: John In
| low, o. G. NevinS and A. E. Moses.
Benz. B. F. Graves was the editor and
publisher of the Millbrook Times,
which paper carried two columns of
| United States land office notices.
Other advertisers were. Terrell &
| Tribe, land agents; J. L Morrison,
| pillow works; c. Fountain, drugs; Thos.
Nesbit & Son, boots and shoes; Golden
Bros, brooms; Ferrells general store,
| McCarty & Bisconer, b1ackSrniths and
wagon makers; Geo. H. Nuggles, car
penter and builder; ]. L. Blatchley,
physician and surgeon, and Terrell &
Trimble, lawyers.
In the county seat fight in Chey-
enne county St Francis easily won over
| Bird City with the aid of the B. & NJ.
railroad. In Sheridan county Hoxie
had it all her way over Kenneth, Smith
! Center took it away from Cedarville.
now Cedar, in Smith county, Phillips
| burg beat Kirwin in the match in
i Phillips county, and Mankato carried
| off the honors in Jewell county over
| Jewell City. The strife was bitter be-
| tween Atwood and Brakeman, in Raw
/ Inns county, the former winning out
after a two years bitter strife, some
( blood spilled but no killings. Soon as
the majority of the people in Sherman
county made up their minds where
| they wanted the permanent county
| seat, Goodland was selected by a de-
| eisive vote over Eustis, the then coun-
| ty seat. It looked for a time that be-
| fore the matter was settled there
would be some bloodshed, and both
sides appeared equal for trouble. The
Eustis people were strongly fortified,
1 rifle pits having been dug around the
town to keep the Goodland people
from coming to carry off the county
| records. State guards were called on
and a company was sent out there to
| prevent any serious trouble. The mat
ter was amicably arranged between the
| contending factions which resulted in
the Eustis people moving to the then
new town of Goodland. and they
stayed and prospered, and with the aid
of the Rock Island road they have
| built up one of the solidest towns in
| northwest Kansas Besides that road
made It one of their important division
points. There has been occasional
county seat removal scares in Cove
county. Only this and nothing more