The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-01
BY HARRY ROOT.


In 1881 the Seventeenth judicial
counties of Ellis. Rocks. Phillips and
all west OF these to the Colorado line,
comprising in all fifteen. D. c. Nellis,
of Hays City, was appointed judge of
the new district by Governor St. John.
He served about one year, being sue
ceeded by W. II. Pratt, of Phillips
county, who was nominated over Judge
Neilis and NJ. c. Revflle, CT Rocks
county, at a convention held in Mill
brook. the county seat of Graham
county, at that time. Judge Pratt
served one term. He was succeeded
by L. *. Pratt, OF Norton county, the
convention again being held IN MILF
brook. The candidates before the con-
vention were David Rathbone, OF Ell
lis county; z. A. McMath, Of Cove;
A. L. Patchin. of Decatur; L. K Pratt
of Norton; George Stinson. of Phillips,
and c. w. Smith, of Rocks county.
It was a typical Kansas political con-
vention. hotly contested, tho with
seemingly good feeling which left no
sore spots anywhere The convention
was held in midsummer on the broad,
treeless prairie, mile or more from
solomon
high and dry, there being but one well
of water and this was in front OF the
store of n. C. Terril. The we'll was
several hundred feet deep, the water
being drawn out by a mule hitched
to the end of the rope, which stopped
only when the bucket reached the top
of the we'll 1t was claimed by the
candidates and delegates that when
the mule was thirsty he was hitched to
ar
only stopped when he reached the
river for drink. In this state of the
case it may be inferred by those who
knew the practices of conventions OF
that day that very little water was
necessary for the use of the delegates
and candidates The convention was
held in a large tent. there being no
building in town large enough to hold
even the delegates. The real work Of
the convention was done in the home
of Terrill and in the buffalo grass
lawns in town. The fellows who made
political medicine" in northwest Kan
sas were at this convention and in
The principal orator of the convention
was John W. Niles, a colored delegate
from Nicodemus, Graham county. He
was afterwards killed in a race up
rising in Mississippi. The convention
lasted three days and resulted in the
nomination of Louis K. Pratt. of Nor
ton county. In the legislative session
| of 1sS6-1ss7 the Union Pacific tier
of counties were taken from the dis
trict and made the twentyfirst dis
| trict, and S. J. Osborn was appointed.
1 The legislature OF 1SSS-1SS9 cut off
the middle tier of counties from the
seventeenth district and created the
| thirty-fourth district. Charles W.
Smith, of Rocks county, was appoint
ed judge by Governor Humphrey. and
held the office until 1915. All the
candidates before the Milibrook con-
vention are dead except L. K. Pratt,
now practicing law in Fairbanks,
Alaska, and Charles ". Smith, who is
| executive clerk and pardon attorney
| in the governors office. Patchin died
| in Oregon, Sdnson in Iowa, MeMath
| in New York, and Rathboue in Hays
City. And SO it is that time dotn
! change all things. For several years
| Millbroolx people worked with energy
to retain the county seat and finally
lost, the records being moved to Hill
City, and the first county seat of Gra-
ham county going back to the farm.
The friends of J. D. Harrison, of
/ the Beloit Gazette, will try and land
| him for postmaster Of his town. He
| don't know whether he wants the Of
| flee, but he is interested as to who
the candidates Will be for United
full eye out for the job, having served
in that capacity several years ago.
On his recent visit to Beloit your
correspondent ran across E. c. Logan
of Solomon Rapids. former state sen
ator from the Jewell Mitchell distrie