The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-26
BY HARRY ROOT.

Downs and Marvin are named in
honor of old Central Branch railroad
officials, the former for Maj. w. F.
Downs, who was it's superintendent at
the time of building from Atchison
west, and Marvin was named after H.
years the road became the property
of the Missouri Pacific. 1t isn't gen.
orally believed Marvin was started for
county seat honors, for Phillipsburg
had won the fight long before the
building of the railroad, at which time
Kirwin was a vigorous rival. The
town is located in the North Solomon
valley, in the center of a fine Ngricul-
turai section of Phillips county. Since
good roads and the automobile came
the town has lost much of its old time
prestige in business and population.
Besides the county seat is only five
miles to the north. There being con-
fusion in the mails between Marvin
and Marion, the poStoffice department
in 1900 changed the name of the post
office to Glade. The town proper is
known as Marvin. Among the early
settlers of the town was a. man named
Brown who claimed to be one of the
original California "49ers". 1t was
characteristic of him to attend all
horse races far and near, and make
display of a bag of gold he brought
back with him, and if there was any
share. 1t was his delight to show his
gold when under the influence of Ii
quor.
Stockton Record: The party who
sent a dispatch to the Associated Press
from Salina that 25 per cent of the
wheat had been blown out by the high
winds is a liar. We have heard of
none being damaged in this way. All
of the Rocks county wheat is firmly
rooted in the ground and growing to
beat the band.
H L. Peterson, clerk in the late
auditors office, remembers an Incl
dent of his life and often refers to it
when others are telling of their hair
breadth escapes from death. 1t oc-
Cured in Mitchell county, at the ferry
crossing of the Solomon river, near
Simpson. It was in the early eighties
when he was on load of Shelled corn
being hauled from the Peterson farm
to market. There were two crossings,
one at the dam, where the water was
low, the other by ferry. Reaching the
river it was at once seen that it was
unsafe to cross at the dam, and the
ferry boat was used The horses and
loaded-wagon was driven on the ferry
boat. and no sooner than the front
wheels struck the boat than the rope
used in anchoring broke, and the boat
1lOaIeQ out INTO the river, White the
wagon and contents went into the
river. Uncoupling the horses from the
wagon, the hind wheels went to the
bottom of the river, while the bed
floated down stream until it found
Judgment, and with only a few bushels
of grain remaining. The father man
aged to crawl out on the tongue. and
reaching the boat he worked with all
his might to pull it to the other side.
The son, who was sitting on the load
of corn. was thrown into the river.
The wagon bed f1oated off and while
he was struggling to save himself from
drowning, the father was using every
effort to save the horses and his son,
besides, worked like a tiger to get him
side. 1t was life or death with them,
and the son kept on struggling to
reach the boat. and finally succeeded
when the father caught him and
pulled him into the boat. Help was
scarce those early days. but W. L.
Record, one of the early timers, now
dead was near by and came to the as
them to his dugout and dried their
clothing. besides other friends assisted
in saving the horses and agon. The
Pettersons went home that night
thankful they had been saved from a
watery grave, but minus the load of
corn and a pail of butter.
One of the interesting characters in
Phillips county is ]. D. Matteson, who
homesteaded in 1872. Like many
others of the pioneers. he came to stay.
He ate many meals furnished by the
buffalos and between the meals he
was building a. sod house. 1t can
truthfully be said of him that the sec