The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-22
Sixth District NelOs Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

BY HARRY ROOT.

Mrs. A B. Cotton, one of the tai
ented women of BeIoit, and who has
been a tireless worker for the better
ment of the town, as long ago as Au-
gust. 1912 was a contributor to the
columns of the Gazette. In an artlcle
in that paper entitled: Belolt--A'ast,
Present and Future-the writer uses
many beautiful thoughts. every one Ok
which has come true and at this time
if the lady was to re-write the article
she could thereby enlarge on the
growth of the town has mace since
1912. The writer goes on ana says:
1t was near shutdown when the 1lrst
settlers came to Mitchell county in
the early seventies. weary and foot
sore. Fording the solomon river they
drove to the springs and quencheu
their thirst from the pure cold water
that dubbed up out of the springs
They sat down in the shade of the
two willow trees and rested They
looked up and down, over and beyond,
seeing no sign of habitation, hearing
no sound save the bubble of the water
as it streamed into the Solomon, and
methinks they thought, TINS IS Goa
country. He made it and 1t is good;
here 1 will pitch my tent here we
will stay, here we will go ITO work
and build a home for our little ones,
and this spot shall be called Willow
Springs which is the first name given
to the now town of Beloit. They COM
menced to build. Little later a man
ramed Hersey. an emigrant came
along He liked the site and sur
roundings- He built dam. then
sawmin and grist mill. He proposed
tho name of Beloit after the same
name of his Wisconsin town, his for
mer home. Settlers came in. lnclud-
ing Curtin. Linville. Casey, the Coop
er's Campbell Bros, the Freeman S,
HanIev Mitchell Aiken Wiley, Finne-
gan Williams and others. At the
time, this article was written few of
the pioneer buildings were standing.
One of the first merchants was Henry
Casey. He hauled his goods from
Solomon City, about 20 miles In
those pioneer days he sold flour for
$3.50 a hundred. bacon 50 cents a
pound, coffee 40 cents pound, tea
$3.50 a pound and buffalo meat for
cents pound. me 1lfst scnool
house was used for religious meetings,
and a board shanty at that A daily
mail was put on in 1872. from Solomon
City, the fare being $500. Buffaloes
and antelope were in great numbers.
hunters from all over came here, and
the Indians didn't modest the people.
OF the names mentioned the most or
them have passed on. and only one is
now living in Beloit, W. E. Cochran,
Tim Hersey had the honor of renam-
ing Willow Springs to Beloit. He, too.
passed on several years ago The
above items are of "reminiscences of
Beloit in the early seventies Her
present population has with essed the
in the Big Sixth district.
John NJ. Gray of Kirwin, state SEN
ator from the 4Oth district, is the only
Republican who has made a campaign
for congress IN the Big Sixth, now
represented by Hays White, and can
didate for reelection Gray is one OF
the first who settled in Phillips coun-
ty, and grew up and helped develop
that section. He stayed with it, and
succeeded. He has farmed, raised
stock and engaged in business. he
made a success in all these aVoca-
tons He wanted to represent his
district in the state senate. and the
voters placed him there. He is on
several important committees, and ne
did his work well. Where he visited
touring the district he made friends,
and the newspapers made pleasant
notices of his visit. You other fellows
who want to go to congress from the
Big Sixth will have to look out for
Senator Gray.
1t was As years ago when A. S
Peacock landed in Trego county, com
ing from Michigan. He left that state
in a real blizzard, the ground frozen
hard and covered with snow. Three
days later he was in warm, sunny
Kansas, and the fruit trees were in
bloom. Coming with him was friend
| named BixIer. They had read about
the promising state of Kansas, and IL
was to Trego county they were
| headed. Reaching Chicago on their
western journey they run up against
a "snag''-a confidence fellow whose
| relatives owned big vineyards in Cali
/ fornia, and there was untold wealth in
| them. BiXler was more easily per-
! suaded to change his mind than was
| Peacock, so they parted company, and
the former parted with his hard
| earned money to the confidence man.
| while Peacock came west, and To-
Gated in Trego county. and he has been
! there ever since Bixler had to go
to work and retrieve his lost fortune.
! He finally run on to a job on dairy
\ farm, his work being milking cows.
\ Forty years ago he was working on d
farm in western Nebraska, and that
was the last known of him. Peacock
landed in Wakeeney- AT times he was
! teaching school, then at work in odd
jobs. until the voters of Trego county
J elected him probate judge. and have
: kept on re-electing him, until now he
is lat home" in that office. and he
/ knows everything by heart of the
duties pertaining to the office. In
every election he sits at his desk at
! tending to the duties of the office
| He doesn't have to make a cam paign,
: he is so well acquainted. He knows
/ know him. So the voters go to the
! polls every two years and vote. When
/ the count is finished PeacOcks ma
! jority is larger than in the previous
| election. 1t appears the poorest month
] Judge Peacock has ever had since he
! has filled the office of probate judge
| was this last winter. when one month
| didn't show up a marriage license is
sued, and the judge explained it by
1 telling his friends that the office was
| "hoodooed, shot all to pieces SO to
| speak" It is good to meet so pleasant
people as Mr.. and Mrs. Peacock. and
your correspondent is glad to be num-
bered among their friends.
1
There is a whole lot in a name, Gem
lis the name of town in Thomas
county. 1t is the home of p. S. Hous-
ton, who located there when the town
was young. and when pennies looked