The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-28
Sixth District NelUS Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.
BY HARRY ROOT
BY HARRY ROOT.

Bruning, of Rocks county, who put IN
a claim for a pension for wounds re-
ceived in battle. He was badly Grip
pied. and lived on homestead near
Stockton. His injuries were thai one
limb was shorter than the other by a
hip dislocation, and the bones of one
arm were missing for several inches
below the elbow, and one side of his
breast was broken and badly deform-
ed His claim was that he received
these injuries in battle. He also said
he was left for dead on the field, but
afterward he was found to be alive,
and was sent to the hospital where he
remained until discharged. He en-
listed under the name of Charles Z.
Brewer, he said, and this name was
on the army records, as having been
killed in battle, and for this reason
he never received a discharge from
army service but did have one from
the hospital which was burned up
several years before he made his ap-
plication for pension His friends be-
lieved his story, as did Senator ingalls,
and Congressman Hanback, and they
volunteered to help him in his claim.
The department sent to Rocks county
several special agents to examine the
claim and two of them reported fav
orably to granting the pension. An
other agent was put on the claim and
he succeeded in developing the fact
that a man by the name of Charles
E. Brewer did enlist in the Union
army, and that he was actually killed
in battle, and his body was sent home
and buried. The expert agent also
established the fact that Bruning re-
ceived all his injuries in a saw mill
accident. At this he was arrested,
plead guilty, and was sentenced to the
federal prison at Chester, Ill, for one
or two years. He had the confidence
of many of his Rocks county neigh
bors, as well as the senator and con-
gresham and at least two of the spe-
cial agents from the department in
Washington. Yet some of the best
people in Stockton were satisfied the
claim was a spurious one So he
plead guilty rather than face trial
and the chance of conviction and serv-
ing a long term in prison, and at the
same time he protested his innocence.
Very little was said at the time. 1t
is one of the reminiscent items of
Stockton AID Rocks county, and will
be news to many of her people today.
Bruni.-g claimed that he was with his
company but few days, before the
battle in which he was injured, and
for that reason none of his comrades
remembered him.
s. r. Tucker. of Rocks county, was
a delegate to Topeka the week of the
Farmers Congress. The writer of this
item has known him since 1898, the
year he landed in the county, and set
tied at CodeH. He is a practical farm
err and stock man, and while he didn't
arrive in Rocks county soon enough
to farm with oxen, he did help to
break the sod in Clay county with
them, in 1873. He also passed thru
the grasshopper invasion in 1874. He
wasn't afraid to herd cattle. 1t is
good to listen to his story since he
came to Rocks county, At first he
bought 200 acres of land adjoining
Codell on time. He was a hard worker.
and he knew he could pay for it =
hot winds and drought would give
him n chance. He made money farm
ing and raising stock, until now he
owns 1.840 acres of land in Rocks
and Ellis counties. He is president
stockholder and director in the Codeil
State bank, also the Farmers and
Merchants State bank, of Plainville,
and the Farmers State bank of Alton.
He has other irons in the fire, an6 it
is safe to say they all bring him in d
handsome revenue. He has a lovely
home on the farm adjoining Codeu.
His family of wife, three daughters
and a son were never afraid to work.
He said to your correspondent: There
was nothing to the accumulation of
property, and my many friends in Co
dell, Rocks county, and all over Kan
sas are worth much more to me-"
Col. A. M. Harvey of Topeka Is a
mighty good advertiser of ST. Francis
and Cheyenne county. Recently he
has-visited northwest Kansas on legal
business, and is loud in his praise of
Goodland and St. Francis. as well
built and prosperous towns. He says
Cheyenne county is the best farming
community in northwest Kansas, and
that it's county seat is an ideal COM
munity. Colonel Harvey says the
homes and business buildings of st.
Francis will compare faVorably with
towns of four times the population.
D. o. McCray, assistant secretary of
state, likes to read the country cor
respondence in the Kansas newspa-
pers. He was especially interested in
the splendid column of items in the
Beloit Gazette, written by the Simpson
correspondent. This correspondent
didn't let any news item get by, and
every week the "comings and goings"
of a large family living in that neigh
borhood were recorded, even to the
Sunday dinners served by some MEM
Der of the family. McCray wrote to
Jack Harrison complimenting him on
the fine news service he was getting
hope that Harrison, thru his paper
could induce the members of this big
family around Simpson to vote for
him for secretary of state. Harrison
replied to McCrdy that he would DO
what he could for him. but that wasn't
the interesting part of his letter. He
said the writer of the Simpson items
was a woman, and that she was total
~ blind. when you think of her
maybe you will not consider your own
situation in life so bad, after ALL he
wrote. Harrison, no doubt. had in
mind MCCray's close call two years
ago. when he lowered between life and
death in a Kansas City hospital, fol-
lowing a serious operation.
1t used to be first come first
served" in pioneer days in naming
towns. and especially those in centers
Of counties who wanted the county
seat For instance, there was Decatur
Center which was an aspirant for the
county seat of Decatur county. It died
after the majority of the voters saiG
they wanted Oberlin. Rocks Center
was another socalled town that wanted
county seat honors at one time. 1t
died, and Stockton has always re-