The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-21
Sixth District NeuUS Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.
BY HARRY ROOT.
BY HARRY ROOT.

| Milling company had prior rights by
several years. The trade of the Be
lott Milling company extends thru
several states. It is an institution any
state can well be proud of.
Many people living in Topeka know
f. S. Knight, who now makes his
home in st. Francis, and is probate
| judge of Cheyenne county. When
| Geo. A. Clark was secretary of state
| knight was an assistant in the office.
While there he established a repu-
ability as man and as a lawyer He
vas a good mixer and a true friend,
and he was the best all round story
teller that has ever held a situation in
the state house, his friends claim. He
was foreman of the federal grand
jury one term at Leavenworth when
Harry Bone was district attorney. He
was in Sherman county during the
county seat contest between Eustis
and Goodland, and took an active
part. His Topeka friends wish him
success in his chosen location, and
hope he will win out in the office he
| has chosen.
State Senator John NJ. Gray, of Kir-
win, has sold the Phillipsburg Post to
Warren White. publisher of the News.
The consolidated papers will make one
of the strong publications of the Sixth
district. 1t will retain the name of
Philipsburg News, with "Wardie'
White in full charge. Senator Gray
states in his farewell to the readers of
the consolidated papers that poor
health was the main reason for sell
ing the Post. The News also states
that Senator Gray will soon go to
Rochester, Mimi, to consult the
MayoS in regard to his condition and
whether it is deemed necessary to I'M
dergo an operation. His many friends
in the Sixth district and turnout the
state will hope for his return home in
robust physical condition.
Harwood Benton and his bride htr-
ried back from their brief honeymoon
so that he could be present at the
meeting of the bankers of Decatur
county at Oberlin. When the local
bankers elected officers, Mr.. Benton
was chosen president of the associa-
ton. This fine young man, with his
brother, Gerald, who also is recognized
among the leading business men of
northwest Kansas, and especially in
banking circles, have taken over the
big business of. their father, the late
Otis /. Benton. and are carrying it on
in a most successful manner. Gerald
has recently built a fine home in
Oberlin, and Harwood will build an
other for himself and bride this year.
The writer is wondering just how
many people living in the Thirty-ninth
senatorial district, composed of the
thirteen counties in the west end of
the Sixth congressional district, can
name the state senators who have rep
resented that district since its organi-
cation. Just to refresh their memories
your correspondent gives them, as
their names appear to him, in the or
der in which they were incumbents:
: 0f "a Y n
practicing attorney at Sigourney, Ia. :;
Levi Pritchard, Hill City,. Charles
Buschow. Colby, now of Kansas City;
Fred. Robertson, Atwood, until short
time ago United States district attor-
ney for Kansas; James Malone, Hern =
don, now a resident of Topeka, and
Frank A. McIgor. of Hoxie, who is
also assistant auditor of state. The
Thirty-ninth district as it now stands
was created under a legislative ap-
portionment act in 1889 and is COM
posed of the following counties, Ellis,
Trego, Cove, Logan, Wallace. Rocks,
Graham, Sheridan, Thomas Sherman,
Decatur, Rawlins and Cheyenne. Prior
to this apportionment this territory
was in the Fortieth district and was
represented by E. J. Donnell of Rocks
county, and Hill P. Wilson, of Ellis
county, in the order named. The
choice of the earlier senators in this
district were often stormy events. This
was especially true in the days prior
to the passage of the primary law,
and the writer well remembers the
convention which was held at Colby
over DIR. A B. Jones. of Trego county,
and C. C. Evans of Sheridan. In the
campaign which followed Selden G.
Hopkins, now a resident of Wyoming
and u. S. land commissioner under
President Wilson, was the Democratic
by a small majority, but Buschow con-
tested and was seated. The Iegisla-
tive session following this election was
the one that elected j. Ralph Burton
to the U. S. senate.
Hoxie. coantv seat Of Sheridan
county, is the home of Chas. H. Beers,
a live and successful business man.
He commenced selling goods there in
1885, the year Kenneth people put
their buildings on wheels and moved
to Hoxie. Commencing his business
on a small scale, year after year he
branched out with larger stocks, until
now he occupies the major portion
of the largest building in Hoxie. He
has been success in all these years.
Many families have been benefited and
carried thru the hard years by his
generosity. While he Is careful, he
attends strictly to his own affairs. He
is public spirited and donates IfberaIlg
to all enterprises for the good of his
town. He is also director in the First
National, the oldest bank. in Sheridan
county. 1t is to the cre dit of such
men as Beers who has done so much
to keep HoXie on the map.
Smith county isn't so slow after all
It has had the secretary of state and
state insurance commissioner. It has
had nominee for lieutenant COVER
nor, who was defeated at the polls.
It has had three candidates for con-
gress. two of whom were defeated in
elections, and the third one failed of
nomination, and it is the home of the
present state treasurer. Now Mr.. and
Mrs. John Morrill, of this county, makes
another record, they being parents
of triplets, the first ever born In the
county. They are all girls. and
hnaItI,N and xroinIaod fr,11r. rnn1,r,ds. "a Oh