Here are some news items taken from Kansas past, some of the newspapers stories are funny while others are sad and others are just down right interesting. But no matter the story they say a lot on what they were thinking and what was the social standings were at that time.
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When Hearts Were Trumps.
From the Topeka Daily Commonwealth, March 8, 1873.
A worthy couple in this city who have pulled together in the matrimonial yoke for some years, were living their courtship over again a few days ago, and got out their marriage certificate to look at. They probably examined the document with more then usal care, for they discovered for the first time that the stamp affixed to that important instrument was a stamp manufactured exclusively for playing cards. Probably the minister thought that kind of a stamp ought to be used when hearts were trumps.
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Attempt At Kidnapping In Lawrence.
From The Kansas News Emporia, November 13, 1858.
Lawrence has been thrown into considerable excitement recently by attempts being made to abduct and carry away two colored men, residents of that city. The scheme, however failed in both instances. Their object, as the evidence clearly shows, was to take them into Missouri and sell them. The first case occurred on Thursday evening, the 24th, the victim being seized, while returning home from the west of the city, by three armed men, bound and conveyed as far as Franklin, where the prisoner got loose in the night and came back. Subsequent examination have identified the house and name of it’s owner at Franklin where the man was confined.
The second attempt was made the Friday afternoon following, on the person of Chas. Foster, a colored barber of Lawrence, when returning on the south road, just outside of the city limits ----was overtaken by a hack containing three or four persons, ( doubtless the same who committed the assault upon the former, ) who alighted and pursued Forster, firing several shorts, and were also joined in the race by the hack; but the “fugitive” was too fleet for them, and succeeded in reaching the house of Rev. Mr. Reynolds, when his pursuers give up the chase. The driver, whose name is Samuel Fry, was afterwards arrested in Lawrence, when the hack belonged, examined, and bound over; also a Mr. Goss, supposed to have been one of the party in the hack. The others have not yet been found.
Foster, it is said, has his free papers, the other, we believe, also says he is :free;” at any rate he has been a resident of Lawrence for some time. The matter will be fully investigated, and if possible, all who were concerned in this infamous affair will receive the punishment they deserve.
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BACK HOME TO MISSOURI.
From The Daily Commonwealth, Topeka, March 21, 1874.
THE KIND OF FOLK THAT “DON’T LIKE KANSAS.“
From the Hiawatha Dispatch.
On last Thursday two or three wagons loaded with women, children, old bedsteads and others worthless property passed through town from the south-ward. WE interviewed the outfit with the following results;
“Where are you going?”
“Gwine to Buchanan county Missouri.”
“Where are you from?”
“Why, from Lincoln county, Kansas; and there is nothing down there but buffalo grass and office seekers.”
“Whence did you come from?”
“From Davis county, Missouri.”
“Had you not better stop here, where life, prosperity, &c., abounds; plenty.
“Well stranger I tell you Brown county is the only decent spot I’ve seen since I’ve left Missouri, but I must go back. Thar’s no paw-paws, fish or misquetors here, and we’re used to sich like you see. Drive on Tom. Say where will a fellow get some lasses and corn meal?”
“Right over there, sir, at Nr. Butt’s store.”
“Wall take care of yourself.”
“Thank you; good day, sir.”
“Yas its right good day for travlin.” Say, children, get out and walk, and let those dogs ride now and take sricks and beat those critters alone.”
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This Was Dodge City, When Young and Innocent.
From the Leavenworth Daily Commercial, April 19, 1875.
Dodge City.-- The site is most magnificent for a large town; on the very banks of the Arkansas, and is surrounded by the finest land on the continent. Back of the town is a fine rolling prairie and west and south of it is splendid bottom land. The population of Dodge City is about 400. They have a good hotel, two stories high and well kept; the rooms are clean and well ventilated. In addition to the hotel the town can boast of a capital restaurant kept by Messrs. Kelly & Beatly [ Beatly & Kelly ], where everything can be had, from a venison stack to a roast of buffalo. They have the tenderest beef at Dodge I ever tasted on the frontier.
The town also have a tannery here, where buffalo hides are tanned in regular Indian style. Charley Rath & Co., built the tannery llast year, and have now over 2,000buffalo hides ready for tanning. The firm deals extensively in hides and employs a large number oh hands. We examined some of the hides already finished, and they look to be of very superior quality. Mr. Rath has also an extensive outfitting store at this place, and does an immense business. The store is located on the corner of the street leading to the pile bridge spanning the Arkansas, and is crowded from daylight till dark with customers. The firm carries a large stock of goods; in fact, as large as any firm between Leavenworth and Dodge.
A. B. Webster is located here, and has a dry goods and clothing store, and seems to be doing an excellent business. He purchased a large building a few doors from his present location, a few days ago, the prerant building being altogether too small for his stock and trade.
R. M. Evans is also here engaged in the grocery and produce business. Dick is doing a big business and is considered among the prosperous men of the place.
A. J. Peacock has also settled down here and is doing a rattling business. He is chairman of the board of County Commissioners and wears his honors gracefully.
John Bitters of our city has also opened an establishment at this place, almost directly opposite the depot, and expects to make it pay. The location is good and John knows his business.
Mr. George M. Hoover has also an extensive liquor establishment here for a frontier town, and seems to be doing well.
Col. Isaac Young, who is will known to every Leavenworthian at this place, he looks as hale and hearty as ever and weighs almost as heavy as “fatty Brown.” He has a splendid tract of land adjoining the city, besides several houses and town lots. He has been recently in Colorado where he invested largely in silver mines which promises to yield largely. The Colonel attends strictly to his business.
H. P. Niess, formerly of your city has a splendid farm adjacent to the city, a large portion of which is under cultivation. The cucumbers, beets, melons, and vegetables are of the finest and largest size, while his corn is not excelled in the county. He has also a boot and shoe store in the city.
Dr. T. L. McCarty, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is also located here and has a very good practice. The doctor is a very accomplished gentleman and is considered an excellent physician.
Mr. Herman J. Fringer, the postmaster, has a neat drug store here and is doing well. He is one of the most accommodating gentlemen we have met with during our sojourn in the city.
Mr. H. L. Settle [ Siter ], an extensive stock raiser of this place arrived here from the East a few days ago with a handsome and accomplished “new” wife. As soon as the :boys” got to hear of it they were in extaciees [ sic ] over the prospects of a grand charivari. About 9 at night almost every man in the town was out and marched down the principal street to the hotel, where Mr. Settle and his wife were stopping and such a grand discord we never heard or listened to as greeted our ears.
Tin pans, broken-down bugles, dilapidated tin kettles, cracked bass drums, ricketty trombones, rusty cymbals, buffalo and Texas steers horns, and innumerable other outlandish, discordant instruments, were used for at lest half an hour in front of the hotel, to the great astonishment of the guests, who were taken utterly by surprise, not known what it all meant.
Pandemonium, in full blast, could not create more confusion or discord than did those Dodge City serenaders. They kept the thing going on until Mr. Settle had to come down stairs and match up the street in front of the band, the fashion or custom being on such occasions a grand treat at every saloon in the city. The cost of the serenade amounted to exactly $90. After the last saloon was visited the party countermarched back to the hotel and give the happy pair three cheers and a tiger.
Hon. R. W. [ M. ] Wright, or as he is more familiarly styled “Bob,” was busy with his hay contract while I was in Dodge, and consequently I did not see him but seldom. I visited his establishment at Fort Dodge, about five miles east of the city, and there net Joe Mason an old Hays City friend, up to his eyes in business. Mr. Wright has a fine assortment of goods and is doing a big business at the Fort.
Pat Ryan, an Irishman has one of the richest and finest claims in Ford county, and is extensively engaged in stock raising. His place is about sixteen miles east of the city, and whenever he visirs Dodge “the boys” try ro get up a sell on him. He visited the place during my sray there, and was trying his utmost to induce Mr. Kelley to take a claim adjoining his. Mr. Kelly, was not showing any disposition to do so, was thus addressed by Ryan: “You see now, Jim, you are a young man yet, bur you’ll get old one of these days, and what in the divil will become of ye? You’ll spend all yer money, and you’ll have nothing in yer old days to fall back on, and I think the best thing ye can do is to take rhar claim. You know if we have a dry season that you can easily varigate yer farum from the tribulations of the Mulberry.” It is needless to say that Pat’s speech caused a general roar. Instead of his saying irrigate, he said varigate, and he next substituted tribulations for tributaries. After the laugh was all over, he left in disgust, not realizing where the laugh came in.
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Church Giving Made Painless.
From the Clearwater Leader, May 7, 1886.
Down at Conway they have introduced hugging societies to swell the church treasury, with the following scale of prices: Girls under 16, 15 cents for a hug of two minutes, or ten cents for a short squeeze; from 16 to 2o, 50 cents; from 20 to 25, 75 cents; school marms 40 cents; another man’s wife, $1; widows, according to looks, from 10 cents to $3; old maids, 3 cents apiece or two for a nickel and not any limit of time. Preachers are not charged. Editors pay in advertisements, but are not allowed to Participate until every body else is through and even then they are not allowed to squeeze any thing but old maids.
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What Kansans Were Reading The Day Lincoln Died.
From the Junction City Union, April 15, 1865.
A Fight and a Foot Race.--The denizens on seventh street, in the neighborhood of the crib of Matt. Beckers, were much amused one day last week by a rencounter between Matt. And his better half. It appears that Matt. Was engaged in a game at cards with a soldier. Who attempted to cheat, ( most likely it was vice versa ), and Matt. sought his revolver by which to obtain redress. The better-half kept the shooting iron from him, which excited his filial affection, and he turned upon the sharer of his joy and sorrows. Knowing as she did, that he would strike, she started across lots, her valiant lord pursuing, with hatchet in hand. He threw the hatchet at her, but an intervening fence saved her the blow. By-standers assert that the manner in which the splinters flew demonstrated felonious intentions. This, being a domestic affair, may be beyond our province, but it occurred on the commons, before the sharp eye of our reporter.
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The Perils Of Pioneer Pedagogy.
From the Caldwell Journal November 15, 1883.
Last Tuesday a party of cowboys working on some of the range south-west, while on their way from Caldwell to camp, took occasion to indulge in more of the same kind of ruffians of which the people along the road have had to complain during the past summer.
Stopping at the Mayhew schoolhouse they forced the teacher, young Mr. Beals, to drink whisky out of a bottle the had. Arriving opposite the next school house, they fired several shots at it. On the side of Bluff creek, a few miles of Donaldson’s ford, is the school house of District No. 144. Here they amused themselves by shooting the lock off the door, filling the door full of bullet holes and shooting the light out of several windows. They fired several shots into the next school house west, doing but little damage. At the school in Dist. 72, they give the teacher, John Lowey, about the same treatment they did Nr. Beals, compelling him to drink their villainous whisky.
It is about time measures should be taken to put an effectual stop to proceedings of the above kind, and we know no other way than for the people living along the route on which the ruffians do their devilment, to ascertain the names of the parties, and have them arrested and punished. While the rascals are in town our marshal and his assistant can make them behave; but between rown and camp it devolves upon those living along the line to see that they are forced, in one way or other, to conduct themselves properly.
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BUFFALO HUNTING ALONG THE SANTA FE RAILROAD IN 1874.
From The Newton Kansan, October 29, 1874.
Immense herds of buffalo are now coming into the Arkansas valley along the line of the A. T. & S. F. Road; they are moving north along the line of the railroad from Kinsly to some miles west of Dodge City. This will prove of immense benefit to the settlers along the line as it will give them profitable employment as well as furnish them with excellent meat at a cheap rate. This will also afford another opportunity for amateur sportsmen to have an exciting hunt. The trains on the Santa Fe Road were stopped four times in one day to let the buffalo pass. One passenger shot three from a car window.
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