Henry Wheeler, Kansas 2nd., infantry, Company B., Private, Home Junction City, Enlister May 14, '61, muster in June 20, '61, Mustered out with regiment October 31, 1861. This was a 3., month duty. His tombstone states he was in company F., but he could only be found on the rosters as being in company B.
Birth: unknown, Death: Mar. 17, 1885, Died at age 63.
He was a member of Lew Gove Post (#100), Grand Army of the Republic.
Burial: Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas.
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George B. Hines or Hines 11th., Kansas Cavalry, Company L., Private, Home Manhattan, Enlisted Feb. 29, '64, Mustered in same day, Mustered out with company Sept. 26, 1865.
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Jacob Van Antwerp, 11th., Kansas Cavalry, Company G., Sergeant, Home Zeandale, Enlisted Aug. 30, '62, Mustered in Sept. 13, '62, Promoted 1st Lieut. Company L, April 18, '64, Mustered out with company Sept. 26, 1865.
In 1880,Jacob Van Antwerp, was a Carpenter in Manhattan, his wife Elizabeth keep house their children Gerty VAN ANTWERP ( 14 ), Bertie VAN ANTWERP ( 11 ), Sarah VAN ANTWERP ( 8 ), Edward VAN ANTWERP ( 6 ), where in school, Myrtle VAN ANTWERP, was at age 3m.
Jacob Van Antwerp, was Born about 1818, at Caledonia, New York, His father was John Van Antwerp, his mother was Polly Ann Leiter, married his wife Elizabeth J. Hamilton, on 14 Mar 1861, at Sparland, Illinois, Jacob Van Antwerp, died 21 Dec 1880, at Manhattan, Kansas. Burial: Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas.
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John Condray, 5th, Kansas cavalry, Company E., Private, Home Junction City, Enlisted in April 3, '62, Mustered in June 19, '63, Transferred to Co. H, August 6, 1864, Transferred to Co. K, November 2, 1864, Mustered out April 15, 1865, on detachment roll.
Birth: unknown, Death: Feb. 13, 1914, died at age 70. He was a member of the Lew Gove Post (#100), Grand Army of the Republic. Burial: Sunset Cemetery, Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas.
In 1880, John CONDRAY ( 36 ), was a farm his Wife Caroline CONDRAY ( 31 ), was keeping house. There children were; Annie CONDRAY ( 8 ), Nellie CONDRAY ( 5 ), Mary CONDRAY ( 1 ), Charles H. CONDRAY ( 3 ), Rena CONDRAY Sdau ( 12 ), Gorgia CONDRAY Sdau ( 11 ) and a Servant Sophia CARLSON.
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John N. Smith, 11th., Kansas Cavalty, Company E., Private, Home Wabaunsee, Enlisted in Aug. 25, '62, Mustered in Sept. 13, '62, Promoted Corporal. Mustered out with company August 7, 1865.
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Peter Wettstein, 8th., infantry, Company B., Privatr, Home Leavenworth, Enlisted Sept. 2, '61, Mustered in same day. Mustered out Sept. 5, 1864, Leavenworth, Kan.; Wounded in action Sept. 19, '63, Chicamauga, GA., was also part of the Block's Co., Leavenworth Zouaves, Kans. Birth: unknown, Death: unknown, Burial: Sunset Cemetery Manhattan
Riley County Kansas.
In 1880, Peter WETTSTEIN ( 50 ) was a farmer in Jackson, Kansas with his son Fredrick WETTSTEIN ( 5 ). Was on the Riley County, pension roll of 1883, was living in Leonardville, Kansas, was wounded in the right arm.
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William H. Bower.
Co. B, 2nd KS. Infantry.
William Cutler wrote the following about this gentleman:
WILLIAM H. BOWER was born in New York City, October 13, 1829. When a child, his parents moved onto a farm in Chatham, N. J., where he was educated in the academy of that place. At about the age of seventeen he went to learn the cabinet-making business, and served an apprenticeship of four years. He then went West to South Bend, Ind., and Southern Michigan, and worked a year. In 1850-51 he traveled through Illinois, and returned to his old home, where he remained until July, 1854, when he traveled West, through Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, looking upon the site of Leavenworth, then covered with a forest just beginning to be cleared away for the future city.
Returning to Illinois, he worked for a time at Jerseyville, but the next spring, 1855, he again traveled through Southern Illinois, and finally located at Springfield, where he lived until February, 1858, when he came to Riley County stay. He settled at Manhattan, and worked as a contractor and builder until the war, when he enlisted as a private, in April, 1861, in Company B of the Second Kansas Volunteer Infantry. He served six month, when the regiment was mustered out by reason of the expiration of term of service. He was in the regiment sent against the Indians in July, 1864, and in the militia of the Price raid, in October of that year.
In November, 1861, he was elected Clerk of the District Court, and re-elected in 1863, serving four years in that office, meanwhile acting as Deputy County Clerk and Register of Deeds. He has been City Marshal and Collector of Taxes, and is now a member of the City Council, which office he has before filled. In 1875 he opened his present business, undertaker, in the city of Manhattan. He belongs to the Odd Fellows. He was married September 24, 1862, to Miss Hannah H. Hornby, of Manhattan.They have one child - Mary C., born September 19, 1863.
The Daily Mercury, Monday, May 20, 1912, Pg. 1
Vol. IV, No. 8
Wm. Bower Dead.
In the death of Wm. Bower Sunday Manhattan loses another of her pioneer citizens. Mr. Bower came here from Springfield, Ill., where he was a friend and neighbor of Abraham Lincoln. He arrived here in the latter fifties and was employed by Count Charles De Vivaldi, the first editor of Manhattan, to assist in setting the type and printing the “Western Express.” Mr. Bower was a Kansas soldier for three years and was a good one and true. For many years he was engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in Manhattan and prospered. For some years he was in partnership with his son-in-law, I. L. Ady, as W. H. Bower & Co. Mr. Bower was once the mayor of Manhattan and all his life long has been an honorable and upright citizen. Always rather fragile, very gentle and thoughtful of all around him. Until the past winter he has been quite active though he is over 80 years old. He was buried today in Sunset cemetery.
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Adoniram J. Mill, 16th., Kansas Cavalry, Company F., Captain, Home Ohio City, Enlisted---?, Mustered in Apr. 27, '64, Resigned June 15, '65. Remarks from rosters 5th., cavalry co B., Resigned July, 1862; was sworn into service Oct. 1, 1861; was com. and msut. Feb. 8, 1862, to cover previous service, and on same date mustered out on acc't of Co. being below the minimum; was again com. and must. March -, '62
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Alexander Abshear, 13th., Kansas infantry, Company F., Private & Corporal, Home Robinson, Enlisted in Sep. 19, '62, Mustered in Sep. 20, '62, Pro. Corp.; mus. out with reg. June 26, '65. Remarks from Co. H., Reduced to ranks
Birth: Jan. 12, 1841, Death: Sep. 20, 1910, Burial: Riverview Cemetery, Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas.
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Amos Walton, 9th., Kansas Cavalry, Company B., Private, Enlisted in Oct. 12, '61, Mustered in sane day, Farrier, Promoted Quartermaster Sergeant June 1, 62., Promoted Sergeant May 25, 1863, Quartermaster Sergeant, Mustered out Nov. 19, '64, Leavenworth Kan. Birth: 1838, Death: 1898, wife Mary Murray Walton; Birth: 1858, Death: Jun. 5, 1954, both are at rest at; Riverview Cemetery, Arkansas City, Cowley County,
Kansas.
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Charles G. Thompson, 11th., Kansas Cavalry, Company G., Private, Enlisted in Aug. 30, '62, Mustered in Sept. 13, '62, Promoted Corporal September 19, 1862, Corporal, Promoted Sergeant September 14, 1863, Sergeant, Promoted Q. M. Sergeant March 24, 1864, Q. M. Sergeant Mustered out with company June 13, 1865.
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Peter M. Carnine
Co. H, 9th KS. Cavalry.
The Emporia Gazette, Friday, Dec. 6, 1918.
Died: Dec. 5, 1918
Peter M. Carnine Dead.
Peter Marion Carnine died at his home, 1102 Congress Street, yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock, of hardening of the arteries. Mr. Carnine had been in failing health for a year or more, and for the past few months his condition was critical. He was conscious until yesterday morning, and death came while he was asleep.
Mr. Carnine was born in Johnson County, Indiana, March 4, 1835. He came to Kansas in 1857 and took a claim six miles north of Iola. He enlisted for service in the Civil War, in Company H, 9th Cavalry, in the fall of 1862, he was married to Miss Mary Susan Luyster, and in 1890 the Carnines moved to Emporia. Mr. Carnine was a charter member of the oldest Presbyterian Church in Southeastern Kansas, of Carlyle, and was an elder of that church until they left Carlyle.
Mr. Carnine united with the church when a young man, and lived every day the faith he professed. No man was more faithful to his church than he, no man more loyal to his friends, and his eight sons and daughters, fine, true men and women, attest to his devotion to his family, and to the fulfillment of his family, and to the fulfillment of his every obligation to them. The Carnine golden wedding celebration in 1912, was one of much joy and satisfaction to Mr. and Mrs. Carnine, when their children and grandchildren, their old friends and neighbors, came to rejoice with them. Mr. and Mrs. Carnine retained in their old age a remarkable degree of health and attended regularly to their duties in their home and in the community. For a year or more Mr. Carnine had been kept at home by failing health, and Mrs. Carnine was his constant companion.
Mr. Carnine is survived by Mrs. Carnine and their eight children, Mrs. E. W. Beeson, of Emporia; William Carnine, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Vermillion; Mrs. Hattie Gordon, Ordway, Colo.; John Carnine, in Y. M. C. A. work at Fort Lawton, Seattle, Wash.; Mrs. Dell Buckingham, Yuba City, Calif.; Harry Carnine, of Burlingame; Charles Carnine, of Emporia; George E. Carnine, of Arco, Iowa; three sisters, Mrs. Joseph Handley, Mrs. Sarah Bergen and Mrs. Rachel Heln, all of Frankland, Ind., and one brother, John Carnine of Seattle, and seventeen grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 3 o’clock at the Carnine home, 1102 Congress Street. Dr. R. B. A. McBride, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Carnine, was a member, assisted by Dr. W. C. Templeton, of Winfield, will conduct the services, and interment will be made in Maplewood Cemetery, N. B. Haynes, S. Altman and L. P. Munson, of the eldership of the First Presbyterian Church, and J. H. Ray, Charles Harris and J. R. B. Edwards, of the Grand Army, will be the pall-bearers. Mrs. J. M. Parrington, Mrs. John Hoffer, E. N. Evans and E. E. Anderson will have charge of the music.
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Owen L. Davis, 11th., Kansas, Cavalry, Private, Home Emporia, Enlisted in Aug. 19, '62, Mustered in Sept. 10, '62, Disc. for dis. Jan. 8, 1863, Elm Springs, Ark.
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William O. Ferguson, 9th., Kansas, Cavalry, Company B., Private, Home Emporia, Enlisted Dec. 20, '61, Mustered in same day, Assigned to new Company B., Disc. for dis. Nov. 25, '64, Jefferson Barks, Mo.
He was born in Preble County, Ohio, April 17, 1831. December 26, 1861, enlisted in the Ninth Kansas Cavalry Regiment and served on the frontier eighteen months. Participated in one battle with the Ute Indians and several skirmishes. Once carried a dispatch from Fort Halleck to Fort Laramie, 116 miles in thirty-nine hours in the cold of winter. The company came back to Kansas after the Quantrell raid, and was stationed near Lawrence about four months. Then went to Arkansas, where Mr. F. was taken sick with fever. Was discharged for disability November 27, 1864, at Jefferson Barracks, Mo.
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WILLIAM O. FERGUSON, carpenter and builder, was born in Preble County, Ohio, April 17, 1831. When seven years old he moved with parents to Indiana, in which State he resided fourteen years. Then returned to Ohio, and remained three years. Then started for the West. Remained in Iowa two years, whence he journeyed by wagon to Kansas. Entered this State March 27, 1857. Camped in the brush on the spot where now stands the city of Leavenworth. Passed through Lawrence and located two and one-miles north of Topeka on the Delaware Reservation. Remained there but a short time, and in August removed to Emporia and pre-empted a claim of 160 acres. Sold his claim shortly after, and until the breaking out of the Rebellion worked at his trade, that of carpenter and builder.
December 26, 1861, enlisted in the Ninth Kansas Cavalry Regiment and served on the frontier eighteen months. Participated in one battle with the Ute Indians and several skirmishes. Once carried a dispatch from Fort Halleck to Fort Laramie, 116 miles in thirty-nine hours in the cold of winter. The company came back to Kansas after the Quantrell raid, and was stationed near Lawrence about four months. Then went to Arkansas, where Mr. F. was taken sick with fever. Was discharged for disability November 27, 1864, at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. Returned to Emporia, and in the spring of 1865, he went into the grocery business, as a member of the firm of Frederick, Ferguson & Edwards. Continued business over a year, then the firm was changed to Ferguson & Ely. Six months after Mr. Ferguson sold his interest to Ely.
Clerked one year for Holderman Bros., then started a grocery and bakery on the corner of Commercial street and Seventh avenue. Continued in this business until 1880,when he sold out, and has since been engaged in building. Mr. F. is a member of the Christian Church of Emporia, a member of Post 55, G. A. R. also of Emporia Lodge No. 2, A. 0. U. W. Married Miss Catharen Stack, of Emporia, August 18, 1867, and by this marriage has two children - Lou Etty and Daisy Dutton, both living.
source: William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas, published 1883 by A. T. Andreas, Chicago, IL.
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John H. Heriford or Herriford, 5th., Kansas Cavalry, Private, Enlisted in Aug. 12, '61, Mustered in same day. Absent sick at Keokuk, Iowa, at date of muster out of company. Birth: 1838, Death: unknown, wife Clara, Birth: 1851, Death: 1915, both at rest at; Highland Cemetery, Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas.
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Ansel B. Hackett, 1st., Independent Battery Kansas Light Artillery, Enlisted Aug. 6, '61, Mustered in same day, Renl. Veteran, Veteran Volunteers, Enlisted Jan. 25, '64, Mustered in Feb. 25, '64. Mustered out July 10, '65.
1st Independent Battery Kansas Light Artillery From A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, written and compiled by William E. Connelley, Secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, copyright 1918.
ANSEL B. HACKETT. The nation was celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence when Ansel B. Hackett was born July 4, 1836. His birth occurred at Minot, Cumberland County, Maine. It was in that picturesque district of the Pine Tree State that he spent his early years. Mr. Hackett, who with his venerable wife, now resides at Carbondale, is one of the true pioneers of Kansas, as is also Mrs. Hackett. Both came here when Kansas was a territory, and they experienced the dangers and hardships of frontier life. It is a matter of special interest that Mrs. Hackett is one of the very few surviving witnesses of the Quantrell raid on Lawrence, in which city she was living at the time. Mr. Hackett has now passed the age of four-score, and nearly sixty of those years have been spent in the State of Kansas. He is one of the honored survivors of the Civil war.
His grandfather Hackett came from Ireland and his grandmother from Scotland, and the Hacketts became identified with America during colonial days. His parents were Barnabas and Abbey Hackett, who had a family of ten children, named: Lucas, Abbey, Ruby, Sarah, Maria, Hattie, Nathan, Daniel, Ansel and Elmer. Ansel and his brother Elmer are the only ones now living. It was on September 20, 1857, when Ansel B. Hackett arrived in Kansas. He was then twenty-one years of age. His early years had been of circumscribed opportunities, and he came West so that his vigorous youth and ambition might find a new field in which to work out its destiny. He pre-empted land soon after coming to Kansas, but was employed in various lines of work until the outbreak of the Civil war.
Mr. Hackett spent four years and one month in the service of the Union army. He enlisted August 6, 1861, in the First Kansas Light Artillery, Captain Moonlight, and did not receive his honorable discharge until September 7, 1865. Much of his service was on the frontier, in Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas, until 1864, when his regiment was transferred east of the Mississippi and took part in the great campaign which the battles of Franklin and Nashville were the culmination. Earlier in the war he fought in the engagements of Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, Dry Wood, near Fort Scott, and throughout the Curtis campaign in Arkansas. After being sent first to Tennessee in 1864 he was in the battle at Johnsonville, and then in those bloody conflicts at Franklin and Nashville. When the resistance of the Confederate arms was broken down by the last named battles, he remained with Thomas' army around Huntsville, and the end of the war found him and his comrades at Chattanooga.
His long service exposed him to countless hardships and dangers, but the only affliction resulting from his honored career was a disease of the eyes, and that has brought him a pension from the United States Government for a number of years.
He was still a member of the army when on May 6, 1863, he married Caroline Evans, of Lawrence. She is a daughter of William and Betsey Evans, who formerly lived at Lynn, Massachusetts. Mrs. Hackett and her mother, Betsey Evans, came to Kansas in the fall of 1856. Thus Mrs. Hackett, who was born October 10, 1829, and is now in her eighty-seventh year, has a vivid recollection of many pioneer events in Kansas Territory during the free-state movement and in subsequent epochs.
As already stated, she was living at Lawrence during the Quantrell raid, and in spite of her advanced years has a vivid recollection and can recite in detail many of the incidents of that attack. After the war Mr. Hackett rejoined his wife at Lawrence, and on either the 5th or 6th of March, 1868, they moved to a farm comprising the southeast quarter of section 21, town 14, range 16. This land lies 2 1/2 miles east of Carbondale. It was the pre-emption claim of Mr. Hackett in 1858, but he had never occupied it for the first ten years, having been employed with other matters in addition to his war service. On that farm Mr. and Mrs. Hackett lived profitably and comfortably until they retired in 1913 to a pleasant home in Carbondale. Mr. and Mrs. Hackett have no children. In matters of politics Mr. Hackett has voted the republican ticket, and has been affiliated with that organization since the first campaign in 1856. Outside of voting and performing his duties as a good citizen he has had no aspirations for public office.
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Henry C. Thomson or Thompson 11th., Kansas Cavalry, Company I., Private, Home Burlingame, Enlisted Aug. 20, '62, Mustered in Sept. 15, '62, Mustered out with company Sept. 26, 1865.
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John McMaster, 2nd , Kansas, Cavalry, Company F., Private, Home Topeka, Enlisted Sept. 10, '62, Mustered in Aug. 13, '63, Assigned to new Co. D, March 18, 1865, Mustered out June 22, 1865, Fort Gibson, C. N. Birth: May 3, 1834, Ireland, Death: Aug. 20, 1914, Eskridge, Wabaunsee County, Kansas.
John and Elizabeth Neil were Married in Peach Orchard, Lawrence Co., Kentucky on 17 Jan 1859.
Moved to Osage Co., Kansas in April of 1859.
John was a Civil War Veteran enlisted Sept. 10, 1862, and was mustered into Company F on Aug. 13, 1863. He was assigned to company "D" March 18, 1865. He mustered out June 22, 1865 at Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma.
John and Elizabeth had the following Children:
Robert Henry McMaster, born on 17 Sep 1859, Ridgeway, Osage Co., Kansas; married Mary Jane Shumate, on 12 Sep 1883; died on 1 Oct 1938, Topeka, Shawnee Co., Kansas.
Minerva Lydia McMaster, born on 17 Dec 1861, Wakarusa, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas; married Frank Sylvanus Tufts, on 19 Oct 1881; died on 25 May 1942, Eskridge, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas.
Fred Winfield McMaster, born on 16 Mar 1866, Mission Creek Township, Wabausnee Co., Kansas; married Anna Luella (Luella) Clark, on 7 Jan 1891; died on 27 Apr 1937.
Elijah McMaster was born on 15 Jun 1868 in Mission Creek Township, Wabausnee Co., Kansas. He died on 26 Mar 1877 in Kansas. He was buried in 1877 in Eskridge Cemetery; Eskridge, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas.
Sarah J McMaster, born on 5 Mar 1871, Mission Creek Township, Wabausnee Co., Kansas; married Walter Augusta Harris, on 12 Oct 1898; died on 10 Feb 1956, Eskridge, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas.
John R. McMaster, born on 10 Jun 1874, Mission Creek Township, Wabausnee Co., Kansas; married Lizzie Hughes, on 5 Jan 1898, Eskridge, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas; died on 26 Feb 1952, Eskridge, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas.
George Joshaway McMaster, born on 17 Oct 1877, Eskridge, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas; married Amelia L. Schultz, on 29 Mar 1905, Eskridge, Wabaunsee Co., Kansas; died on 3 Mar 1948, Topeka, Shawnee Co., Kansas.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Real Life Adventure Of Luther R. Tillotson
About a year ago my family went to a garage sale and brought back this type written book?, of about ten pages. Well I give it a fast glance then put it in my library in the garage. Yes in the garage, it’s not a real library I just call it that, it’s a big book case filled full of history book and what nots and just too many to have in the house, says my wife. Well I got it out today and began to read it and found I couldn’t put it down. When I was done I know I had to put ( Luther Rudolph Tillotson) story on my web site.
Now the grammar is bad but, I deiced not to change anything, oh I could fix the grammar, but I felt it would be taking something from the story. I know she put in a lot of hard work on his story, and I just feel that by changing the errors the story would not be or read the same, for this reason his story stands on it’s own.
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By and about.
Luther Rudolph Tillotson.
In 1905, I was a instrument man in Nevada on a railroad maintenance survey party. The railroad was named the Tonopah, extending from Hazen via a switchback at Tonopah and terminating at Goldfield through the heart of the gold boom region. Twenty-eight miles south of Hazen was Churchill Junction where the Tonopah met the Virginia and Truckee Railroad of Comstock Lode fame. Beside the tracks at this junction there stood the adobe ruins of Fort Churchill where the first trans-continental telegraph crews held their historic East-West meeting under soldier guard.
The road was standard gauge from Hazen To Tonopah, with the added attraction oh three rails for nine miles from Mina to Mina Junction to accommodate the narrow gauge with terminals at Mina, a freight division point, and Keeler, California. At the junction the standard gage turned eastward. The one hundred and six miles of narrow gauge had a telegraph station and an agent approximately every forty miles. Meeting and passing points were determined by smoke.
The narrow gauge train usually consisted of combination baggage and local freight car, and a long day coach with smoking compartment also serving as the caboose. Lighting was by coal-oil lamp, with sperm-oil candles for emergency. The engine was an old wood burner, modernized. The freight service was three times a week, as food for the gold region depended on the irrigated Owens River valley, through which the narrow gauge meandered.
I had heard the Mormon bullwhackers tell of the Mormon patch of burlap bagging with which they repaired their tools and harness, and also of the Montana patch of baling wire. I encountered the latter when the engine broke down on splitting the switch at Mina Junction. The hoghead called back to the conductor for a piece of baling wire. The conductor yelled that his kit held some barbed wire, which answered the purpose, and we were soon on our way.
In order to secure right-of-way through the Piute Indian reservation south of Hazen, the railroad agreed that the ordinary Indian could ride on the open coaches free. The chief was permitted to ride free on the cushions of the day coach. When we traveled the narrow gauge on our work, the chief was invariably riding from one squaw to another. Always he wanted me to write a letter for him.
Once when he was less drunk than usual, I agreed. We seated ourselves in the smoking compartment. He proceeded to cross his arms over a very considerable paunch, closed his eyes, and between snores, began to dictate to me a very crude love letter to a squaw, but in good English. He never vouched the reason for the advanced missive, and mailed it at the next station. Just as the chief closed with “Please excuse the bad writing,” I looked up to see two of the menbers of the party grinning in the doorway. They had beenn there through the dictation and it was weeks before their ribbing died out about my writing abilities.
L. R. Tillotson.
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Note. I transcribed from shorthand I jotted down while Dad talked. We were in the living room at 1321 MacVicar, Dad on the sofa, mother in a chair near the fireplace, and I seated near the foot of the stairs. Dad was utterly unselfconscious of my note taking. Unfortunately, I did not persist in the effort. I was doing this in 1954, dad died in 1955.
Note. It was one of his daughters ( Mary Belle? ) that took his sotry down.
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In June 1902 dad graduated from Topeka High. He was class orator and had to give a speech.
July 1, 1902, he went to work for the AT & SF. railroad, in the blueprint room under John Dailey. He took the position with the understanding he would eventually go out on surveys.
Just before April 1, 1903, dad was notified to report to F. Meredith Jones at Llano, New Mex. A pass was issued for him on the Rock Island rail road to Santa Rosa; he had to pay his way from there to Llano ( now Espris ). The position was rear chainman of a survey party at $30, a month and found; in others words, all expenses plus a $30, monthly allowance. They were put up in tents but had to furnish their own bedding.
When he was put off the Rock Island train it was blowing sand and dust. He was put off at telegrapher’s place. The telegrapher was a man named Crew. All he had was a cot and a board with the telegrapher’s key. His clothes just hung around the wall. Crew told dad to go along track and he would find a section house. When he found it the place seemed deserted, but a man was batching there while his wife and boys had gone back home to Leavenworth. Dad and his companion lighted an oil lamp and crawled into bed. The companion was Ed Frank. Early in the morning they heard a knock at the door. Dad opened it and there stood a cowpuncher. He proved to be F. Meredith Jones. The party was still three days out but they would meet at the section house. The county was hilly desert. Ed Frank was a rod-man in the same party dad was to join.
They got up on the morning of the day third, ate breakfast and started walking to the top of Llano summit, a big hill. Dad saw his first mountains from there, the Pedernales. They were beautiful and golden with the sun on them. They reached the top of the peak where the survey would start, sat down and watched the dust of the party coming while F. M. Jones went to meet them. The party got in, hobbled the horses and mules and it was time to eat. They set up a windbreak of tent and heated up some stuff, stew and ancient bread. The instrument man of the party was a man named Williams, later retired as chief engineer of the Western Pacific, _____transit man. They set up camp while Williams and Jones hunted for section corners to start survey.
Next morning the stock had gone for home, with nobody having heard them. Am Indian pony a stub, had been trained to trot after wagon eating instead of being hitched. He had nipped at the other horses to start them off with him, back to Belen’s, a hot rotten place in the river bottom below Albuquerque. Everyone hunted for them but it was too dusty to see them. Granddad had told dad the first thing was to look at the shoeing of the horses. Dad found shoe marks; too dusty to see animals. One of the teamsters got a mount, found the horses by following the trail and drove them back.
( 2 )
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They ran out of water and at the section house the man said they would have to wait for the next work train. An extra came through instead of the work train, a red ball freight. They had to stop and the conductor came down from the head ready to fight. They had passed up a red flag so the section man made them back up; they got their water and bucketed it up to the party. It was the next morning before they could start their survey.
Final location on which AT. & SF., built. The survey paralleled the Rock Island about three miles following Llano ridge and went about four miles east then. A new foreman named Martin Tobin showed up. Arthur Lagron, the first boss, had been born and educated in France. He had been sent over by a France stockholders syndicate to locate a couple of roads that ran out of Peoria, one branch having been taken on by the AT. & SF. He had made preliminary location and construction work but, a man of considerable means, had been retired in Peoria and came out on request of the At & SF. He was not happy and told F. M. Jones he would have to have relief. He paid his way back and Martin Tobin came out in answer to a wire.
Tobin went back to Llano summit and went east plotted a big fill. A man named Cunningham was topographer, did the drafting and was in charge of purchasing. They went east and dad drove the stake for the center of the depot at the present town of Vaughn. That was the end of that survey.
The party consisted of:
Chief Locating Engineer, F. Meredith Jones.
Chief of party, Martin Tobin ( First was, Arthur Lagron ).
Topographer and draftsman, Cunningham.
Teamsters, Carson, Zeno, Tilden Gilman ( A barfly picked up in Belen by Williams).
The teamsters reported to Cunningham.
Instrumentman, Williams, Transitman.
Head chainman, Shipman Lane.
Rear chainman, Tillotson.
Man to drive and carry stakes and axe-man, John Hand.
Level-man, George Wilhelm
Rod-man, Ed Frank.
Teamster Zeno, while Lagron is chief, Jones went to telegrapher’s office and there was a telegram from Zeno’s father telling him to send Zeno home because his mother was worried. Zeno had a pretty sister and a swell home with brass beds. He had come out to see the west and was a teamster, something he know about because he had learned from Becker at Belen. Zeno’s father was the biggest manufacturer of householed electrical equipment. He had been backed originally by Standard Oil to make gas fixtures. At the time ( 1903 ), he was making combination gas and electric lighting fixtures. Jones issued pass.
( 3 )
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After the Vaughn survey they went back to Lagon’s line paralleling the Rock Island. Jones had surveyed it once but they never went by just one survey.
Water commenced to get scarce. The head teamster had to act as guide. He didn’t find any water. Dad took off. They stopped at Llano ranch, the headquarters for a Mexican ranch outfit, called it El Rancho Leon. A man came out and said he had 60,000, head coming and would hardly have water for them so couldn’t do anything for the party and didn’t know if anyone else could help either for drinking or stock water. He left and out came his wife. She said to follow the trail and wind along until they saw a little mesa ( Mesas were lava with a little earth and a few pines on top.)
They would find a house which would be abandoned and they could see from there a well. They went on. She said she would have drinking water when they came back. The well had a windlass with a barrel sawed in two and attached to a rope. They got up a barrel and a half of stock water. They still had an empty barrel. The woman had left at the gate one-half barrel of rain water. They helped themselves liberally and backtracked. These people had know the author of ( Black Beauty ). One of their horses was ( Black Beauty ), and the author had got his notes at their ranch. The big ranchers then were Portuguee or Spanish. This woman’s sons were then in Lisbon to be educated. The place where they got water was El Rancho Leoncito.
They went back to join party but had moved to a canyon where a windmill was located. Dad followed trail. Made an awful long drive. Jones was there when they got there, he said if they couldn’t do better for water they would have to make a 250-mile trek and teamster Carson would guide them. Carson was half Mexican.
Worked south of line again next morning. When they got in the darky cook from Albuquerque was gone. He was old, a strapping fellow, and had the job because they didn’t retire in those days. At noon a couple of cowhands had showed up. They all carried guns then. The cook was outside peeling potatoes. They had come to get something to eat and the code in that time was to give it to them. The cook said they would have to see the boss. They pulled their guns and said they were boss and they got fed. Jones came in and took cook to station at Leon and put him on a freight.
They went about a week without a cook and dad helped out with the meals. Jones finally brought one from Santa Rosa. He said he was much of a cook but thought he would do. He had some food and baked a canned apple pie. There was always plenty of tomato juice. They brought #10, cans of tomatoes, drank the juice and cook the tomatoes. Dad learned to make Mulligan stew when he helped cook ( learned out of his inner conscious ).
Shipman Lane was head chainman. He was tall, rawboned. He had been to high school, never out of San Francisco. He had complained about food of the new cook. There was one gong ( pound on skillet ) to get up. Same when breakfast ready. One gong but Shipman didn’t get up, even with Ed Frank’s prodding.
Lane’s placed had been at the head of the table next to Ed Frank ( both were choosey about where they would sit. ) cook asked where Lane was. Cook figured Lane evidently didn’t like his cooking. He goes into Lane’s tent. Lane was bigger but cook grabbed him up, bedding and all, and set him at head of table. He socked him on the side of his head so hard his head rolled. He told him that from now on “You like my cooking.” Lane said “Yes sir” and ate. Lane had turned up his nose at cook’s ( which wasn’t much ). The apple pie was soggy. Survey continued under Tobin.
Equipment-three wagons and a buckboard, an Indian pony and bronco for the buckboard, one team mules, two teams horses, one extra team.
Eating-big pans and skillets, #10 cans tomatoes, canned cherries and peaches, cabbage ( fresh big hard heads ), corned beef, fat bacon, ham, eggs bought by the case, Mexican beans, flour, sugar, coffee, condensed milk, fresh beef tougher then a boot. Usually put cabbage with beef. Coffee three times a day. Can of coffee, bread and meat ( Usually bacon) sent out on line. Cook beef around the clock. Fresh ( Tough ) rabbit sometimes to cook with beef. Rarely got wood; occasional busted railroad ties.
Near Logan ( first started in sinkhole country)-dug up yucca cut off top, cut with axe as low as could in the ground, pounded out on stone early Sunday before breakfast. Let dry all morning. After dinner get water hot in powder cans and wash hair and rest of self in washtub.
Not many antelope seen. Trading post man at Nara Visa said quite a heard north. Dad borrowed single shot shotgun. About a mile to rim of large bowl open on east end. Dad dropped down flat but antelope gone. Too sudden to have gun loaded. Trading post man estimated over 1,000, antelope in heard. Quite a sight running in dust.
Tobin was a Catholic. He and Williams always fussing. Tobin ( he had come back off ridge ) said to Williams to have men follow him to top of ridge and Tobin would wave arms when okay. The did. The thought Tobin waved but it was an antelope. Tobin said he was through. He was furious. Jones back in camp about this cook business, seeing how new cook getting along. Tobin said he quit. Jones wrote him a pass on Rock Island and Williams took over as chief.
Getting out of water and had to make 250-mile trek. In this camp dad told Carson they would want to get coyote pelts to get out on the ground with. Tents got so cold. Next morning Carson called dad and dad called shipman Lane and Ed Frank. Dad had borrowed gun, a single shot shot-gun and got it out from under bunk, flipped it to see if it was loaded. Lane ( Looked ) down his and pulled both barrels ( still so sleepy ). Ed Frank quite precise and had slicker folded over bed, shoes in certain spot ( big high top shoes ). Jones had made him send back fancy stuff at Llano. Lane ruined Frank’s slicker and one slug went through both sides of shoes. Frank just had to get along with his stuff until they got to a trading post.
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Duran ( not present day Dran ). Ilfeldt had a trading post there ( he had a string of them ). First place Frank could get anything to replace shot-up effects. ( D. C. had warned dad against carrying gun ). Loaded up at Duran on food, ammunition, etc. Stayed there that night . Frank and Lane had to make arrangements to sleep indoors, of course. Threw up a shelter and bedded down in the open. A little rain had settled dust. Next morning they left.
Wound up at Santa Rosa, a division point of the AT. & SF. Dad head of party scouting trail. Dad saw Mexican come out of house and dip in spring on the edge of the mesa ( ____down into Pecos river valley ). Dad drank out of it. Smelled to high heaven, sulfur and alkali. Dad went down to ____along trail that crossed over Rock Island bridge. Everyone had hoped they would get ice at Santa Rosa but they didn’t have any. Along track dad found work train ( W. R. Stubbs construction train ). They had been putting in extra yard facilities at Santa Rosa. Dad got there before they put their cold beer away in car. They sold dad a bottle of beer for 20 cents ( cheap in those days ). Dad went back and made reports of stream. The train pulled out before the men got there.
In Duran they had got copy of Santa Rosa paper. On the front page it said “Seven young ladies pertaining to Scarlet Brigade are camped across the tracks.” Carson slept with “his cousin” that night. Drunk. Carson quit. Last of Carson. They followed trail out of Santa Rosa. They had tried to hire a Mexican guide but Carson had knocked him off wagon. He had to go back. Carson went back to his cousin.
They could see Rock Island track plainly. They followed trail beside it. They took turns driving wile rest sat back on bedding and played pitch. Dad driving by Montoya. They had seen it for miles upside down in the mirage. A little store at Montoya. What had looked like buildings were bid blocks of rock Island Ties. Store had once been home of Montoya family big folks in Spain. Regular mansion now crumbling. Montoya’s had put in good irrigation but ditches now full of sand. They kidded dad about his driving. He asked them in if they wanted anything in store. They said “Oh, if there was something.” So dad slapped the reins on the back end of the mules and turned them at right angles. They went at gallop right across ditch. Instruments in this, bedding and tenting. The ____in there because awful place to ride on wagon where no front springs and back about shot. Instruments and bedding tumbling around. They never said anything else for a long time about dad’s driving.
They went on from Montoya with a little water from section foreman. They got to Mount Tucumcari, a double mesa, a division point of Rock Island. A Rock Island branch called Roy branch to Roy mines ( Coal ). Good water up at Roy mines, 100 miles north (?). Brand new. At. & SF., maps didn’t show it. Neither did Rock Island. Following trail from Mt. Tucumcari to Roy, guiding by Mt. Tucumcari. Ran into brush and sand. Had to cut branches and lay on ground to help wagon. Here was gully; just stopped them. They could still see Tucumcari mountain. Had to camp there. Then turned around and went to Tucumcari. Got there at noon. Town marshal asked if they had any guns. Williams said yes. A week before there had been a shooting scrape by strangers. Williams said they would pull on out and he give his word they would put up guns in town.
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Not long till 4th, of July 1903, Kept on. Lacking water till they got to ford at Elm Creek. Don’t know why it was called Elm. All kinds of folks headed for fourth celebration at Tucumcari. A good ford and horses drank fill and they filled barrels. Pulled up to a town called Logan. Had a trading post run by a man named Rankin and a store or two. Rankin financed out of watrous. Made camp at Logan.
Jones showed up and said they were to go on about 20, miles next day and tie onto Texas State line. Went to Nara Visa near state line. Trading post there run for benefit of Wolf ranch. Fellow showed up there named Scotty. Jones hired him as head teamster. Started backwards on little parallel on Rock Island under general supervision of Jones. Jones said to sleep at depot at Logan. Ate at Rankin place. Slept out in open to begin with. Got away from wind by sleeping on south end of depot platform. Twelve-inch planks ( 2x12 ) had been cupped by weather. During night rain came down went over roof and came back under them in cupped planks. They went inside about midnight, just bedded down when train whistled. Two fellows there with bicycles. One bought ticket and got out door. Other ran around on top of them, then ran out and agent had to go out and get his money from him. Held up train. Then they managed to get sleep.
Got up next morning and went back to Nara Visa. Cunningham a southerner used to hiring darkies in construction work on Mississippi River levees. Trading post at Nara Visa let them have a case of force and broken cases of vegetables and two cases of carnation cream, something yet fairly new on the market. ( Nara Visa a crossing point of Denver and Ft. Worth now called Colorado and Central and owned by Burlington ). They were expecting in cattle and he didn’t have things to spare. They went back to windmill with good water and had big old tin bowls and filled them. Filled bowls with force, put in milk and alkaline water. Each used a whole carton of force, bigger than big corn flakes cartons. Got it all down but dad couldn’t eat cereal for a long time.
Jones making preliminary stuff to parallel Rock Island from fence where they tied in and went clear across Texas to see if they would go. The party went back to tie in to Texas State line. Three-fourths mile west from Texas never had been surveyed. Trying to find section corners and had dickens of a time. Government had required Bell Ranch to replace corners but on stones had placed bell instead of government inscription. Jones brought letter to Lane from his brother who was an office engineer, some people were to go to California and dad sick because he was not on list.
Necessary to go load car half of it was stock, half the bedding. Three teamsters to go. When they got letter Scotty said to Jones he had to get money and buy partner some groceries. Scotty didn’t turn up till third morning. Jones lit into him. Scotty said they were out of groceries. Partner said they were short of meat so they just as well get a deer. They slept, heard rustling, he shot, deer took fence, stobs and wire and everything with them.
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That evening dad went down by stockyard. Here comes Jones with brass from Chicago office. Jones wanted help carrying wood stove they had to load on car. Jones to front end and dad took back, shoving it forward on Jones so he really carried it. Made it to top of steps got it on platform of stockyards, managed to shove it in and close and thought it necessary to seal doors ( seal of antimony or some such soft metal, stamp it with AT&SF., seal which locks it officially ). Jones puts on back and, staggering, said “You think you’re a pretty good man, don’t you?” Dad said “Yes.” He said, “You go on and join party in California.
Dad took midnight train east. An old-fashioned train. In smoker turn two seats around face to face and sleep in them. Dad only had about fifty cents. Party had sent along big breakfast of sandwiches and stuff. Dad got letter about 1903, flood. D. C. had stood at foot of Western avenue and helped boats get in with people. Dad thought about all of Topeka covered. Boys exercised dad going back to flood district, but it was down when dad got back home. He wander around North Topeka. Party was to meet at Albuquerque to head west. They were making up two parties. Dad at Topeka in July 1903, D. C. wanted him to stay and go to school. No money. Dad returned to Albuquerque after about a week in Topeka. Dad stayed at cheapest place called Sturgis House. Dad had got paid in Topeka by AT&SF., Everybody happy since all got paid.
He went to California on coach. Met a Mrs. Capwell whose husband was resident engineer at Belen. Mrs. E. W. Grant and Mrs. Capwell were sisters. They later wrote his mother about their visit. Mary Grant ( Daughter of Mrs. Grant ) taught Latin at K. U., forever. Williams at Albuquerque wired J. J. Keyes who was chief engineer in charge of construction ( out there because of T. B. ) Eight days before Keyes answered.
They get away at midnight. Dad had $6, of his pay left. Keyes had four big residencies under him and he had been traveling, two east and two west. They were getting ready for track. They had been working days so hot. Dad gave Williams $5, and he kept $1. Cook had wanted 10-cent package of sweet caporal cigarettes. He said just before dad left on midnight train to come to back door of Alvarado kitchen. Dad had slipped and torn leg of new trousers. Dad went to cook who could sew it up and he did. He handed dad a great big sandwich. Dad went right to smoker where rest of boys were. A man asked him what that cost him-a fancy chicken and egg sandwich. Dad said it was in repayment for a favor. Man said he paid $2.50, for one. Cut a loaf lengthwise. Boy dumbfounded and dad didn’t offer to divide. Last he saw of cook. Cook with them ( Bar fly ) used to bum sandwiches for them. Not the cook of ( the ) sandwich.
Transfer at Daggett. Over to Hatch by ( Tehachapi? ) slow four per cent grades and tunnels. Landed at Bakersfield. See folks along way waiting for train to pass. No money to even gamble in pitch game. At Stockton a telegram from W. B. Storey who was supposed to meet Williams at AT&S F, offices in San Francisco. They were to go to San Francisco and pay way from there to get paid at Willits. They got to San Francisco but they didn’t have any money to go on to Willits. Williams went to hotel in San Francisco. They were floored they would be let in such a plush place. They said they had no money but it was only ____they had baggage. Boys out early looking for free lunches. Would meet at entrance to Monadnock building where AT&SF, officers were, a new building in those days. Boys all had checks there but dad. Got way paid up to Willits. Storey met them at train and unbent more then usual. Take bus up to Willits hotel but dad didn’t such a short distance.
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New Mexico-Coyotes followed wagons parallel and behind. Shot at them but never hit one; just to see how fast they really would go. Coyotes chased dogs back under wagons. First camp at Llano summit, borrowed a dog and pup. During night dog ran out to front of tent, barking to keep coyotes away. Pup followed him out, then held himself under dad’s bunk for the rest of the night. Only dog able to keep with them on a survey party. Camps usually a headquarters for awhile and they work both ways from it.
New Mexico-Accuracy required of railroad surveys. They would try to find two section corners this crossed the railroad line. They would have to run a line from one section corner to other and chain line ( measure a line ) from the corner so they would be in an exact location of the line ( an exact tie ) so would hitch with government surveys. Distances between stakes depended on just how many takes you had with you, usually. Save stakes by pulling them up if line not acceptable. In New Mexico, owing to rarity of section corners, about every week they would determine true north from Polaris. You didn’t have a way of getting Direction from sunlight. Chained surveys with real chain, quite a knack to learn to throw the chain. Learned to throw the steel tape in a lop for transportation purposes.
A Sunday chore was to undo tape and string it out and see how accurate it was with government steel tape. Learned to use a railroad chain that was 100 links to 100 feet. The old chain was a land measure chain and it was 66 feet long because it would fit with measurements of side of an acre. The prototype of present transit and level and steel tape and rod and poles for survey party was brought from England by Dixon for line.
Tents and cots for sleeping. Railroad furnished tents and cots and each furnished own bedding. Cook had tent to himself. Office tent used by chief of party, transit man and instrument man. It would have drafting board and what ever office equipment they had brought. Tent for teamster, and the feed they stocked was kept there if it rained. Usually a surplus they would have to store in there. One tent for everyone else. All big Tents.
Cooking arrangements-A stove. Carried some wood with them all the time plus coal ( the main heat ) they got from section houses. Tents had no warmth in them as a rule. Get warm in morning by getting a big old 5-gallon lard can, stuff paper in it at night. The fellow next tent flap would get up in shirt tail and bare feet, throw one tent flap back ( flaps tied shut during night ) and fasten it back. Usually let head teamster do that. Can just in the opening. Drop match in can and everyone would jump and dress fast as he could, teeth chattering. Coal oil stove not in fashion. Cook just used coal oil to get fire started in morning so his tent always had some burnt holes. He would holler “Fire.” but no one would pay any attention to him. He would scramble around to put out fire.
Granite-Were pans, common steel forks and knives since before days of aluminum ware. Cook had two big tubs for washing purposes so he could wash out clothes after a fashion.
Harness-If it was patch with burlap, was a Mormon patch. If patched with wire it was the Montana patch.
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California-At Colonel Hardin ranch the road had blown out but on leveler side of it sat an old-time rail fence for a corral. One evening after supper dad crawled up bank and looked over rail fence and here stood Colonel Hardin. He was surrounded by genuine Texas longhorns and away-backed Arkansas hogs. Dad asked him what he was doing keeping these things. He said he had a desire to go to California and prospect for gold. His home was in east Texas. He went to nearest port and took ship around the Horn. It was without incident until they got to Erueka bay. Storm struck them. They went onto rocky beach and were stuck but managed to get all off with what they had on them. Boat broke up. He had very little money. There wasn’t any gold in the vicinity. He struck out looking for homestead that had timber on it. He homesteaded 320 acres as a timber claim; now 14,000 acres. He used what little money had to eat and trade on. He did pretty well in lumbering business, buying and selling footage.
When he made some money he decided he would go back to Texas, see his folks and marry his childhood sweetheart. No railroads then. He went overland on foot and horse. Stayed just a spell in Texas, married girl and got hold of ancestors of these longhorns and razorbacks. He started to herd them back from Texas. That was in “84.” He missed Indian difficulties. He managed to herd to California. He kept them in remembrance of home.
Hardin had a son on the ranch who was always wandering around very well dressed. Sundays dad talked to him and learned lots about identification of trees, location of springs, etc. He had been born on the ranch. He wanted to go to ocean and learn ways of seamen. He did and finally bought boat for $90,000 and had captain’s license. He was doing alright in tramp steamer business. Tried to make a fortune running guns and ammunition to Russians at Vladivostok. He got caught at dock when the Japanese besieged. They took him to Japan for trail before a Japanese court, sentenced him to death by hanging but American ambassador interfered. He was finally got off by agreeing to go back and stay on old home place for ten years. That’s why he was running around through forests. He had read every book he could get his hands on. The U. S. marshal came by every two months to check to see if he was there. Left tanbark oak branches just there, dead.
In California surveying various preliminary and locations from Willits to ______There was another party north of them. The end of the line had recently been finished to Willits. A ruckus on between AT&SF, and Southern Pacific. Running a bunch of surveys from Tiburon clear up to _____bluffing each other.
First they run a preliminary line. They put a few stacks on---news to the level party to keep in line. The rodman’s duty is to step off distance in between. Then topographers take off on either side of the line to determine slope of the ground. Then they plat ( or plan? ) another preliminary line, or two or three, depending on how rough the ground is. The topographers put in contours. If they decide that one of the preliminaries is good enough, they retrace the line more accurately--like determining haw accurate the north is, resetting angles, etc. Mountain country around there terrible. Ran out innumerable surveys and make modification (?) so they would be different.
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Pacing-Normal stride they try to hold to -30 inches to a pace ( 40 paces to 100 feet.) F. Meredith Jones was deadly at it. Get your direction a foresight and a backsight ( terrible with mirages jumping up and down.) Count to 40, remember how many stations he had. Jones might pick out a tree up on a mountain and pace for miles. This was preliminary stuff. Reconnaissance was picking feasibility of route. Determine how much right-of-way would cost in already settled country, number of acres of timber, pasture, fills, etc. Fremont did reconnaissance for U. P. by finding the pass.
Jones daughter lives in Topeka--a Mrs. Chrysler. He had several boys. Jones maintained home with wife back in Santa Fe. She was Mexican and morose, didn’t go any place with him. Only child that favored him was one son who got really good education at K. U., a graduate, but was morose. This son committed suicide by jumping off bridge. Jones has specialized in math at Northwestern. First time dad knew he was friendly, Jones said to dad “If I had authority I would take you with me on my trip around the world.” He was accurate on estimates of lumber from a stand of timber. Jones was gone for a year on tour around the world. AT&SF sent him.
Last time dad saw him was in the summer of 1905, in Newton office working in the right-of-way sketches. Dad had back room, dirty walls that had been originally painted ____, window dirty in a kind of well. One little old carbon light with no shade hung from the ceiling. He came behind him just enough to shade his drawing. Dad thought it one of the boys but it was F. Meredith just grinning.
Jones had beautiful spencerian shaded handwriting. Jones said president had told him he would have to have a stenographer with typewritten work. Very few stenographers in those days. Dad said he knew of a girl who was doing that work for the office engineer but that Jones would want a man really with an engineering education.
Jones said he was in room No. 1, of the Harvey House. Had a private bath, walls decorated, beautiful drapes at the windows. There was a fellow, though, who had taken a business course in addition to graduating from K. S. A. C., so dad introduced him to Jones. Jones sitting there with maps and things spread out. Jones never a man to say a great deal. Not long till man was back from Jones’s office. Jones was then chief locating engineer for the system. Jones looked like a cowpuncher except he always wore real shoes except for hobnail boots in woods of California. Jones middle height, ______bowlegged, always had a squint _______eyes but never did wear glasses that dad knew of, always traveled light, had just one outfit at a time.
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Family History.
Luther Rudolph Tillotson, born July 5, 1884 in Topeka KS., to Dewitt Clinton Tillotson and Belle Viola Rudolph. Luther married Eva Gertrude Kinley on January 18, 1919, they would have two daughters, Mary Belle Tillotson born January 8, 1921 and Margaret Gale, born October 31, 1927.
Luther Rudolph Tillotson would die of a heart attack on August 26, 1955.
Now the grammar is bad but, I deiced not to change anything, oh I could fix the grammar, but I felt it would be taking something from the story. I know she put in a lot of hard work on his story, and I just feel that by changing the errors the story would not be or read the same, for this reason his story stands on it’s own.
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By and about.
Luther Rudolph Tillotson.
In 1905, I was a instrument man in Nevada on a railroad maintenance survey party. The railroad was named the Tonopah, extending from Hazen via a switchback at Tonopah and terminating at Goldfield through the heart of the gold boom region. Twenty-eight miles south of Hazen was Churchill Junction where the Tonopah met the Virginia and Truckee Railroad of Comstock Lode fame. Beside the tracks at this junction there stood the adobe ruins of Fort Churchill where the first trans-continental telegraph crews held their historic East-West meeting under soldier guard.
The road was standard gauge from Hazen To Tonopah, with the added attraction oh three rails for nine miles from Mina to Mina Junction to accommodate the narrow gauge with terminals at Mina, a freight division point, and Keeler, California. At the junction the standard gage turned eastward. The one hundred and six miles of narrow gauge had a telegraph station and an agent approximately every forty miles. Meeting and passing points were determined by smoke.
The narrow gauge train usually consisted of combination baggage and local freight car, and a long day coach with smoking compartment also serving as the caboose. Lighting was by coal-oil lamp, with sperm-oil candles for emergency. The engine was an old wood burner, modernized. The freight service was three times a week, as food for the gold region depended on the irrigated Owens River valley, through which the narrow gauge meandered.
I had heard the Mormon bullwhackers tell of the Mormon patch of burlap bagging with which they repaired their tools and harness, and also of the Montana patch of baling wire. I encountered the latter when the engine broke down on splitting the switch at Mina Junction. The hoghead called back to the conductor for a piece of baling wire. The conductor yelled that his kit held some barbed wire, which answered the purpose, and we were soon on our way.
In order to secure right-of-way through the Piute Indian reservation south of Hazen, the railroad agreed that the ordinary Indian could ride on the open coaches free. The chief was permitted to ride free on the cushions of the day coach. When we traveled the narrow gauge on our work, the chief was invariably riding from one squaw to another. Always he wanted me to write a letter for him.
Once when he was less drunk than usual, I agreed. We seated ourselves in the smoking compartment. He proceeded to cross his arms over a very considerable paunch, closed his eyes, and between snores, began to dictate to me a very crude love letter to a squaw, but in good English. He never vouched the reason for the advanced missive, and mailed it at the next station. Just as the chief closed with “Please excuse the bad writing,” I looked up to see two of the menbers of the party grinning in the doorway. They had beenn there through the dictation and it was weeks before their ribbing died out about my writing abilities.
L. R. Tillotson.
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Note. I transcribed from shorthand I jotted down while Dad talked. We were in the living room at 1321 MacVicar, Dad on the sofa, mother in a chair near the fireplace, and I seated near the foot of the stairs. Dad was utterly unselfconscious of my note taking. Unfortunately, I did not persist in the effort. I was doing this in 1954, dad died in 1955.
Note. It was one of his daughters ( Mary Belle? ) that took his sotry down.
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In June 1902 dad graduated from Topeka High. He was class orator and had to give a speech.
July 1, 1902, he went to work for the AT & SF. railroad, in the blueprint room under John Dailey. He took the position with the understanding he would eventually go out on surveys.
Just before April 1, 1903, dad was notified to report to F. Meredith Jones at Llano, New Mex. A pass was issued for him on the Rock Island rail road to Santa Rosa; he had to pay his way from there to Llano ( now Espris ). The position was rear chainman of a survey party at $30, a month and found; in others words, all expenses plus a $30, monthly allowance. They were put up in tents but had to furnish their own bedding.
When he was put off the Rock Island train it was blowing sand and dust. He was put off at telegrapher’s place. The telegrapher was a man named Crew. All he had was a cot and a board with the telegrapher’s key. His clothes just hung around the wall. Crew told dad to go along track and he would find a section house. When he found it the place seemed deserted, but a man was batching there while his wife and boys had gone back home to Leavenworth. Dad and his companion lighted an oil lamp and crawled into bed. The companion was Ed Frank. Early in the morning they heard a knock at the door. Dad opened it and there stood a cowpuncher. He proved to be F. Meredith Jones. The party was still three days out but they would meet at the section house. The county was hilly desert. Ed Frank was a rod-man in the same party dad was to join.
They got up on the morning of the day third, ate breakfast and started walking to the top of Llano summit, a big hill. Dad saw his first mountains from there, the Pedernales. They were beautiful and golden with the sun on them. They reached the top of the peak where the survey would start, sat down and watched the dust of the party coming while F. M. Jones went to meet them. The party got in, hobbled the horses and mules and it was time to eat. They set up a windbreak of tent and heated up some stuff, stew and ancient bread. The instrument man of the party was a man named Williams, later retired as chief engineer of the Western Pacific, _____transit man. They set up camp while Williams and Jones hunted for section corners to start survey.
Next morning the stock had gone for home, with nobody having heard them. Am Indian pony a stub, had been trained to trot after wagon eating instead of being hitched. He had nipped at the other horses to start them off with him, back to Belen’s, a hot rotten place in the river bottom below Albuquerque. Everyone hunted for them but it was too dusty to see them. Granddad had told dad the first thing was to look at the shoeing of the horses. Dad found shoe marks; too dusty to see animals. One of the teamsters got a mount, found the horses by following the trail and drove them back.
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They ran out of water and at the section house the man said they would have to wait for the next work train. An extra came through instead of the work train, a red ball freight. They had to stop and the conductor came down from the head ready to fight. They had passed up a red flag so the section man made them back up; they got their water and bucketed it up to the party. It was the next morning before they could start their survey.
Final location on which AT. & SF., built. The survey paralleled the Rock Island about three miles following Llano ridge and went about four miles east then. A new foreman named Martin Tobin showed up. Arthur Lagron, the first boss, had been born and educated in France. He had been sent over by a France stockholders syndicate to locate a couple of roads that ran out of Peoria, one branch having been taken on by the AT. & SF. He had made preliminary location and construction work but, a man of considerable means, had been retired in Peoria and came out on request of the At & SF. He was not happy and told F. M. Jones he would have to have relief. He paid his way back and Martin Tobin came out in answer to a wire.
Tobin went back to Llano summit and went east plotted a big fill. A man named Cunningham was topographer, did the drafting and was in charge of purchasing. They went east and dad drove the stake for the center of the depot at the present town of Vaughn. That was the end of that survey.
The party consisted of:
Chief Locating Engineer, F. Meredith Jones.
Chief of party, Martin Tobin ( First was, Arthur Lagron ).
Topographer and draftsman, Cunningham.
Teamsters, Carson, Zeno, Tilden Gilman ( A barfly picked up in Belen by Williams).
The teamsters reported to Cunningham.
Instrumentman, Williams, Transitman.
Head chainman, Shipman Lane.
Rear chainman, Tillotson.
Man to drive and carry stakes and axe-man, John Hand.
Level-man, George Wilhelm
Rod-man, Ed Frank.
Teamster Zeno, while Lagron is chief, Jones went to telegrapher’s office and there was a telegram from Zeno’s father telling him to send Zeno home because his mother was worried. Zeno had a pretty sister and a swell home with brass beds. He had come out to see the west and was a teamster, something he know about because he had learned from Becker at Belen. Zeno’s father was the biggest manufacturer of householed electrical equipment. He had been backed originally by Standard Oil to make gas fixtures. At the time ( 1903 ), he was making combination gas and electric lighting fixtures. Jones issued pass.
( 3 )
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After the Vaughn survey they went back to Lagon’s line paralleling the Rock Island. Jones had surveyed it once but they never went by just one survey.
Water commenced to get scarce. The head teamster had to act as guide. He didn’t find any water. Dad took off. They stopped at Llano ranch, the headquarters for a Mexican ranch outfit, called it El Rancho Leon. A man came out and said he had 60,000, head coming and would hardly have water for them so couldn’t do anything for the party and didn’t know if anyone else could help either for drinking or stock water. He left and out came his wife. She said to follow the trail and wind along until they saw a little mesa ( Mesas were lava with a little earth and a few pines on top.)
They would find a house which would be abandoned and they could see from there a well. They went on. She said she would have drinking water when they came back. The well had a windlass with a barrel sawed in two and attached to a rope. They got up a barrel and a half of stock water. They still had an empty barrel. The woman had left at the gate one-half barrel of rain water. They helped themselves liberally and backtracked. These people had know the author of ( Black Beauty ). One of their horses was ( Black Beauty ), and the author had got his notes at their ranch. The big ranchers then were Portuguee or Spanish. This woman’s sons were then in Lisbon to be educated. The place where they got water was El Rancho Leoncito.
They went back to join party but had moved to a canyon where a windmill was located. Dad followed trail. Made an awful long drive. Jones was there when they got there, he said if they couldn’t do better for water they would have to make a 250-mile trek and teamster Carson would guide them. Carson was half Mexican.
Worked south of line again next morning. When they got in the darky cook from Albuquerque was gone. He was old, a strapping fellow, and had the job because they didn’t retire in those days. At noon a couple of cowhands had showed up. They all carried guns then. The cook was outside peeling potatoes. They had come to get something to eat and the code in that time was to give it to them. The cook said they would have to see the boss. They pulled their guns and said they were boss and they got fed. Jones came in and took cook to station at Leon and put him on a freight.
They went about a week without a cook and dad helped out with the meals. Jones finally brought one from Santa Rosa. He said he was much of a cook but thought he would do. He had some food and baked a canned apple pie. There was always plenty of tomato juice. They brought #10, cans of tomatoes, drank the juice and cook the tomatoes. Dad learned to make Mulligan stew when he helped cook ( learned out of his inner conscious ).
Shipman Lane was head chainman. He was tall, rawboned. He had been to high school, never out of San Francisco. He had complained about food of the new cook. There was one gong ( pound on skillet ) to get up. Same when breakfast ready. One gong but Shipman didn’t get up, even with Ed Frank’s prodding.
( 4 )
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Lane’s placed had been at the head of the table next to Ed Frank ( both were choosey about where they would sit. ) cook asked where Lane was. Cook figured Lane evidently didn’t like his cooking. He goes into Lane’s tent. Lane was bigger but cook grabbed him up, bedding and all, and set him at head of table. He socked him on the side of his head so hard his head rolled. He told him that from now on “You like my cooking.” Lane said “Yes sir” and ate. Lane had turned up his nose at cook’s ( which wasn’t much ). The apple pie was soggy. Survey continued under Tobin.
Equipment-three wagons and a buckboard, an Indian pony and bronco for the buckboard, one team mules, two teams horses, one extra team.
Eating-big pans and skillets, #10 cans tomatoes, canned cherries and peaches, cabbage ( fresh big hard heads ), corned beef, fat bacon, ham, eggs bought by the case, Mexican beans, flour, sugar, coffee, condensed milk, fresh beef tougher then a boot. Usually put cabbage with beef. Coffee three times a day. Can of coffee, bread and meat ( Usually bacon) sent out on line. Cook beef around the clock. Fresh ( Tough ) rabbit sometimes to cook with beef. Rarely got wood; occasional busted railroad ties.
Near Logan ( first started in sinkhole country)-dug up yucca cut off top, cut with axe as low as could in the ground, pounded out on stone early Sunday before breakfast. Let dry all morning. After dinner get water hot in powder cans and wash hair and rest of self in washtub.
Not many antelope seen. Trading post man at Nara Visa said quite a heard north. Dad borrowed single shot shotgun. About a mile to rim of large bowl open on east end. Dad dropped down flat but antelope gone. Too sudden to have gun loaded. Trading post man estimated over 1,000, antelope in heard. Quite a sight running in dust.
Tobin was a Catholic. He and Williams always fussing. Tobin ( he had come back off ridge ) said to Williams to have men follow him to top of ridge and Tobin would wave arms when okay. The did. The thought Tobin waved but it was an antelope. Tobin said he was through. He was furious. Jones back in camp about this cook business, seeing how new cook getting along. Tobin said he quit. Jones wrote him a pass on Rock Island and Williams took over as chief.
Getting out of water and had to make 250-mile trek. In this camp dad told Carson they would want to get coyote pelts to get out on the ground with. Tents got so cold. Next morning Carson called dad and dad called shipman Lane and Ed Frank. Dad had borrowed gun, a single shot shot-gun and got it out from under bunk, flipped it to see if it was loaded. Lane ( Looked ) down his and pulled both barrels ( still so sleepy ). Ed Frank quite precise and had slicker folded over bed, shoes in certain spot ( big high top shoes ). Jones had made him send back fancy stuff at Llano. Lane ruined Frank’s slicker and one slug went through both sides of shoes. Frank just had to get along with his stuff until they got to a trading post.
( 5 )
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Duran ( not present day Dran ). Ilfeldt had a trading post there ( he had a string of them ). First place Frank could get anything to replace shot-up effects. ( D. C. had warned dad against carrying gun ). Loaded up at Duran on food, ammunition, etc. Stayed there that night . Frank and Lane had to make arrangements to sleep indoors, of course. Threw up a shelter and bedded down in the open. A little rain had settled dust. Next morning they left.
Wound up at Santa Rosa, a division point of the AT. & SF. Dad head of party scouting trail. Dad saw Mexican come out of house and dip in spring on the edge of the mesa ( ____down into Pecos river valley ). Dad drank out of it. Smelled to high heaven, sulfur and alkali. Dad went down to ____along trail that crossed over Rock Island bridge. Everyone had hoped they would get ice at Santa Rosa but they didn’t have any. Along track dad found work train ( W. R. Stubbs construction train ). They had been putting in extra yard facilities at Santa Rosa. Dad got there before they put their cold beer away in car. They sold dad a bottle of beer for 20 cents ( cheap in those days ). Dad went back and made reports of stream. The train pulled out before the men got there.
In Duran they had got copy of Santa Rosa paper. On the front page it said “Seven young ladies pertaining to Scarlet Brigade are camped across the tracks.” Carson slept with “his cousin” that night. Drunk. Carson quit. Last of Carson. They followed trail out of Santa Rosa. They had tried to hire a Mexican guide but Carson had knocked him off wagon. He had to go back. Carson went back to his cousin.
They could see Rock Island track plainly. They followed trail beside it. They took turns driving wile rest sat back on bedding and played pitch. Dad driving by Montoya. They had seen it for miles upside down in the mirage. A little store at Montoya. What had looked like buildings were bid blocks of rock Island Ties. Store had once been home of Montoya family big folks in Spain. Regular mansion now crumbling. Montoya’s had put in good irrigation but ditches now full of sand. They kidded dad about his driving. He asked them in if they wanted anything in store. They said “Oh, if there was something.” So dad slapped the reins on the back end of the mules and turned them at right angles. They went at gallop right across ditch. Instruments in this, bedding and tenting. The ____in there because awful place to ride on wagon where no front springs and back about shot. Instruments and bedding tumbling around. They never said anything else for a long time about dad’s driving.
They went on from Montoya with a little water from section foreman. They got to Mount Tucumcari, a double mesa, a division point of Rock Island. A Rock Island branch called Roy branch to Roy mines ( Coal ). Good water up at Roy mines, 100 miles north (?). Brand new. At. & SF., maps didn’t show it. Neither did Rock Island. Following trail from Mt. Tucumcari to Roy, guiding by Mt. Tucumcari. Ran into brush and sand. Had to cut branches and lay on ground to help wagon. Here was gully; just stopped them. They could still see Tucumcari mountain. Had to camp there. Then turned around and went to Tucumcari. Got there at noon. Town marshal asked if they had any guns. Williams said yes. A week before there had been a shooting scrape by strangers. Williams said they would pull on out and he give his word they would put up guns in town.
( 6 )
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Not long till 4th, of July 1903, Kept on. Lacking water till they got to ford at Elm Creek. Don’t know why it was called Elm. All kinds of folks headed for fourth celebration at Tucumcari. A good ford and horses drank fill and they filled barrels. Pulled up to a town called Logan. Had a trading post run by a man named Rankin and a store or two. Rankin financed out of watrous. Made camp at Logan.
Jones showed up and said they were to go on about 20, miles next day and tie onto Texas State line. Went to Nara Visa near state line. Trading post there run for benefit of Wolf ranch. Fellow showed up there named Scotty. Jones hired him as head teamster. Started backwards on little parallel on Rock Island under general supervision of Jones. Jones said to sleep at depot at Logan. Ate at Rankin place. Slept out in open to begin with. Got away from wind by sleeping on south end of depot platform. Twelve-inch planks ( 2x12 ) had been cupped by weather. During night rain came down went over roof and came back under them in cupped planks. They went inside about midnight, just bedded down when train whistled. Two fellows there with bicycles. One bought ticket and got out door. Other ran around on top of them, then ran out and agent had to go out and get his money from him. Held up train. Then they managed to get sleep.
Got up next morning and went back to Nara Visa. Cunningham a southerner used to hiring darkies in construction work on Mississippi River levees. Trading post at Nara Visa let them have a case of force and broken cases of vegetables and two cases of carnation cream, something yet fairly new on the market. ( Nara Visa a crossing point of Denver and Ft. Worth now called Colorado and Central and owned by Burlington ). They were expecting in cattle and he didn’t have things to spare. They went back to windmill with good water and had big old tin bowls and filled them. Filled bowls with force, put in milk and alkaline water. Each used a whole carton of force, bigger than big corn flakes cartons. Got it all down but dad couldn’t eat cereal for a long time.
Jones making preliminary stuff to parallel Rock Island from fence where they tied in and went clear across Texas to see if they would go. The party went back to tie in to Texas State line. Three-fourths mile west from Texas never had been surveyed. Trying to find section corners and had dickens of a time. Government had required Bell Ranch to replace corners but on stones had placed bell instead of government inscription. Jones brought letter to Lane from his brother who was an office engineer, some people were to go to California and dad sick because he was not on list.
Necessary to go load car half of it was stock, half the bedding. Three teamsters to go. When they got letter Scotty said to Jones he had to get money and buy partner some groceries. Scotty didn’t turn up till third morning. Jones lit into him. Scotty said they were out of groceries. Partner said they were short of meat so they just as well get a deer. They slept, heard rustling, he shot, deer took fence, stobs and wire and everything with them.
( 7 )
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That evening dad went down by stockyard. Here comes Jones with brass from Chicago office. Jones wanted help carrying wood stove they had to load on car. Jones to front end and dad took back, shoving it forward on Jones so he really carried it. Made it to top of steps got it on platform of stockyards, managed to shove it in and close and thought it necessary to seal doors ( seal of antimony or some such soft metal, stamp it with AT&SF., seal which locks it officially ). Jones puts on back and, staggering, said “You think you’re a pretty good man, don’t you?” Dad said “Yes.” He said, “You go on and join party in California.
Dad took midnight train east. An old-fashioned train. In smoker turn two seats around face to face and sleep in them. Dad only had about fifty cents. Party had sent along big breakfast of sandwiches and stuff. Dad got letter about 1903, flood. D. C. had stood at foot of Western avenue and helped boats get in with people. Dad thought about all of Topeka covered. Boys exercised dad going back to flood district, but it was down when dad got back home. He wander around North Topeka. Party was to meet at Albuquerque to head west. They were making up two parties. Dad at Topeka in July 1903, D. C. wanted him to stay and go to school. No money. Dad returned to Albuquerque after about a week in Topeka. Dad stayed at cheapest place called Sturgis House. Dad had got paid in Topeka by AT&SF., Everybody happy since all got paid.
He went to California on coach. Met a Mrs. Capwell whose husband was resident engineer at Belen. Mrs. E. W. Grant and Mrs. Capwell were sisters. They later wrote his mother about their visit. Mary Grant ( Daughter of Mrs. Grant ) taught Latin at K. U., forever. Williams at Albuquerque wired J. J. Keyes who was chief engineer in charge of construction ( out there because of T. B. ) Eight days before Keyes answered.
They get away at midnight. Dad had $6, of his pay left. Keyes had four big residencies under him and he had been traveling, two east and two west. They were getting ready for track. They had been working days so hot. Dad gave Williams $5, and he kept $1. Cook had wanted 10-cent package of sweet caporal cigarettes. He said just before dad left on midnight train to come to back door of Alvarado kitchen. Dad had slipped and torn leg of new trousers. Dad went to cook who could sew it up and he did. He handed dad a great big sandwich. Dad went right to smoker where rest of boys were. A man asked him what that cost him-a fancy chicken and egg sandwich. Dad said it was in repayment for a favor. Man said he paid $2.50, for one. Cut a loaf lengthwise. Boy dumbfounded and dad didn’t offer to divide. Last he saw of cook. Cook with them ( Bar fly ) used to bum sandwiches for them. Not the cook of ( the ) sandwich.
Transfer at Daggett. Over to Hatch by ( Tehachapi? ) slow four per cent grades and tunnels. Landed at Bakersfield. See folks along way waiting for train to pass. No money to even gamble in pitch game. At Stockton a telegram from W. B. Storey who was supposed to meet Williams at AT&S F, offices in San Francisco. They were to go to San Francisco and pay way from there to get paid at Willits. They got to San Francisco but they didn’t have any money to go on to Willits. Williams went to hotel in San Francisco. They were floored they would be let in such a plush place. They said they had no money but it was only ____they had baggage. Boys out early looking for free lunches. Would meet at entrance to Monadnock building where AT&SF, officers were, a new building in those days. Boys all had checks there but dad. Got way paid up to Willits. Storey met them at train and unbent more then usual. Take bus up to Willits hotel but dad didn’t such a short distance.
( 8 )
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New Mexico-Coyotes followed wagons parallel and behind. Shot at them but never hit one; just to see how fast they really would go. Coyotes chased dogs back under wagons. First camp at Llano summit, borrowed a dog and pup. During night dog ran out to front of tent, barking to keep coyotes away. Pup followed him out, then held himself under dad’s bunk for the rest of the night. Only dog able to keep with them on a survey party. Camps usually a headquarters for awhile and they work both ways from it.
New Mexico-Accuracy required of railroad surveys. They would try to find two section corners this crossed the railroad line. They would have to run a line from one section corner to other and chain line ( measure a line ) from the corner so they would be in an exact location of the line ( an exact tie ) so would hitch with government surveys. Distances between stakes depended on just how many takes you had with you, usually. Save stakes by pulling them up if line not acceptable. In New Mexico, owing to rarity of section corners, about every week they would determine true north from Polaris. You didn’t have a way of getting Direction from sunlight. Chained surveys with real chain, quite a knack to learn to throw the chain. Learned to throw the steel tape in a lop for transportation purposes.
A Sunday chore was to undo tape and string it out and see how accurate it was with government steel tape. Learned to use a railroad chain that was 100 links to 100 feet. The old chain was a land measure chain and it was 66 feet long because it would fit with measurements of side of an acre. The prototype of present transit and level and steel tape and rod and poles for survey party was brought from England by Dixon for line.
Tents and cots for sleeping. Railroad furnished tents and cots and each furnished own bedding. Cook had tent to himself. Office tent used by chief of party, transit man and instrument man. It would have drafting board and what ever office equipment they had brought. Tent for teamster, and the feed they stocked was kept there if it rained. Usually a surplus they would have to store in there. One tent for everyone else. All big Tents.
Cooking arrangements-A stove. Carried some wood with them all the time plus coal ( the main heat ) they got from section houses. Tents had no warmth in them as a rule. Get warm in morning by getting a big old 5-gallon lard can, stuff paper in it at night. The fellow next tent flap would get up in shirt tail and bare feet, throw one tent flap back ( flaps tied shut during night ) and fasten it back. Usually let head teamster do that. Can just in the opening. Drop match in can and everyone would jump and dress fast as he could, teeth chattering. Coal oil stove not in fashion. Cook just used coal oil to get fire started in morning so his tent always had some burnt holes. He would holler “Fire.” but no one would pay any attention to him. He would scramble around to put out fire.
Granite-Were pans, common steel forks and knives since before days of aluminum ware. Cook had two big tubs for washing purposes so he could wash out clothes after a fashion.
Harness-If it was patch with burlap, was a Mormon patch. If patched with wire it was the Montana patch.
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California-At Colonel Hardin ranch the road had blown out but on leveler side of it sat an old-time rail fence for a corral. One evening after supper dad crawled up bank and looked over rail fence and here stood Colonel Hardin. He was surrounded by genuine Texas longhorns and away-backed Arkansas hogs. Dad asked him what he was doing keeping these things. He said he had a desire to go to California and prospect for gold. His home was in east Texas. He went to nearest port and took ship around the Horn. It was without incident until they got to Erueka bay. Storm struck them. They went onto rocky beach and were stuck but managed to get all off with what they had on them. Boat broke up. He had very little money. There wasn’t any gold in the vicinity. He struck out looking for homestead that had timber on it. He homesteaded 320 acres as a timber claim; now 14,000 acres. He used what little money had to eat and trade on. He did pretty well in lumbering business, buying and selling footage.
When he made some money he decided he would go back to Texas, see his folks and marry his childhood sweetheart. No railroads then. He went overland on foot and horse. Stayed just a spell in Texas, married girl and got hold of ancestors of these longhorns and razorbacks. He started to herd them back from Texas. That was in “84.” He missed Indian difficulties. He managed to herd to California. He kept them in remembrance of home.
Hardin had a son on the ranch who was always wandering around very well dressed. Sundays dad talked to him and learned lots about identification of trees, location of springs, etc. He had been born on the ranch. He wanted to go to ocean and learn ways of seamen. He did and finally bought boat for $90,000 and had captain’s license. He was doing alright in tramp steamer business. Tried to make a fortune running guns and ammunition to Russians at Vladivostok. He got caught at dock when the Japanese besieged. They took him to Japan for trail before a Japanese court, sentenced him to death by hanging but American ambassador interfered. He was finally got off by agreeing to go back and stay on old home place for ten years. That’s why he was running around through forests. He had read every book he could get his hands on. The U. S. marshal came by every two months to check to see if he was there. Left tanbark oak branches just there, dead.
In California surveying various preliminary and locations from Willits to ______There was another party north of them. The end of the line had recently been finished to Willits. A ruckus on between AT&SF, and Southern Pacific. Running a bunch of surveys from Tiburon clear up to _____bluffing each other.
First they run a preliminary line. They put a few stacks on---news to the level party to keep in line. The rodman’s duty is to step off distance in between. Then topographers take off on either side of the line to determine slope of the ground. Then they plat ( or plan? ) another preliminary line, or two or three, depending on how rough the ground is. The topographers put in contours. If they decide that one of the preliminaries is good enough, they retrace the line more accurately--like determining haw accurate the north is, resetting angles, etc. Mountain country around there terrible. Ran out innumerable surveys and make modification (?) so they would be different.
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Pacing-Normal stride they try to hold to -30 inches to a pace ( 40 paces to 100 feet.) F. Meredith Jones was deadly at it. Get your direction a foresight and a backsight ( terrible with mirages jumping up and down.) Count to 40, remember how many stations he had. Jones might pick out a tree up on a mountain and pace for miles. This was preliminary stuff. Reconnaissance was picking feasibility of route. Determine how much right-of-way would cost in already settled country, number of acres of timber, pasture, fills, etc. Fremont did reconnaissance for U. P. by finding the pass.
Jones daughter lives in Topeka--a Mrs. Chrysler. He had several boys. Jones maintained home with wife back in Santa Fe. She was Mexican and morose, didn’t go any place with him. Only child that favored him was one son who got really good education at K. U., a graduate, but was morose. This son committed suicide by jumping off bridge. Jones has specialized in math at Northwestern. First time dad knew he was friendly, Jones said to dad “If I had authority I would take you with me on my trip around the world.” He was accurate on estimates of lumber from a stand of timber. Jones was gone for a year on tour around the world. AT&SF sent him.
Last time dad saw him was in the summer of 1905, in Newton office working in the right-of-way sketches. Dad had back room, dirty walls that had been originally painted ____, window dirty in a kind of well. One little old carbon light with no shade hung from the ceiling. He came behind him just enough to shade his drawing. Dad thought it one of the boys but it was F. Meredith just grinning.
Jones had beautiful spencerian shaded handwriting. Jones said president had told him he would have to have a stenographer with typewritten work. Very few stenographers in those days. Dad said he knew of a girl who was doing that work for the office engineer but that Jones would want a man really with an engineering education.
Jones said he was in room No. 1, of the Harvey House. Had a private bath, walls decorated, beautiful drapes at the windows. There was a fellow, though, who had taken a business course in addition to graduating from K. S. A. C., so dad introduced him to Jones. Jones sitting there with maps and things spread out. Jones never a man to say a great deal. Not long till man was back from Jones’s office. Jones was then chief locating engineer for the system. Jones looked like a cowpuncher except he always wore real shoes except for hobnail boots in woods of California. Jones middle height, ______bowlegged, always had a squint _______eyes but never did wear glasses that dad knew of, always traveled light, had just one outfit at a time.
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Family History.
Luther Rudolph Tillotson, born July 5, 1884 in Topeka KS., to Dewitt Clinton Tillotson and Belle Viola Rudolph. Luther married Eva Gertrude Kinley on January 18, 1919, they would have two daughters, Mary Belle Tillotson born January 8, 1921 and Margaret Gale, born October 31, 1927.
Luther Rudolph Tillotson would die of a heart attack on August 26, 1955.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Ross & Brackman Families Of Scranton Kan.
A while back I looked into the Isaacs family of Scranton Kan., for Joanne Tudor, of England. She wrote me the other day and asked if I could look into another family member who moved to Scranton Kan., and she said;
“Just to let you know I have told 2 other Isaacs descendents that I know of in the UK about your site. They are as delighted as I am with all the information. I am sure your website will be visited more than a few times in the next week or two....?!
I am currently looking into whether there are any Isaacs of even Ross's (the only sister to emigrate, Mary Ann was married to William Ross in UK, 1870, before going to Scranton.“
Well I took a look and found that indeed she came to Scranton. I found a lot of information on the family, so I decided to put up this page in the hope it will help other Ross & Brackman families looking into this line.
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Obit.
Topeka State Journal.
Monday August 17, 1931, p.6.
William Ross, 83, died at his home in Scranton, Kan., He had lived there for the last fifty years. He is survived by a son, Thomas Ross, Scranton, and a grand-daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Brackman, Scranton. Funeral services were held Sunday at the Nethodist Episcopal church of Scranton.
Obit.
Topeka Capital Journal.
Wednesday October 12, 1966, p. 25.
Scranton-Services will be at 2 p. m. Thursday at the Methodist Church here for Mrs. Elizabeth ( Bade ) Brackman, 70, Scranton, who died Monday in a Topeka hospital where she had been a patient since Oct. 3., She had a heart ailment and had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage several years ago.
She was born April 21, 1896, at Scranton and spent most of her life in the Scranton community in Osage County. She was postmistress at Scranton 18 years until 1957.
She was a member of the Scranton Methodist Church and the Kansas Authors Club. She wrote poems and had received several honors for her work.
Surviots include a daughter, Mrs. Maxine Bleidissel, at home; two grandsons and two great-grandsons. Burial will be in Scranton Cemetery. Carey Funeral Home at Burlingame is in charge of arrangements.
Short notes from census.
1900, Thomas & Grace, and four year old daughter Mary E. Ross.
1910, Thomas, Grace and Mary E., were living in Burlingame.
Note. Burlingame, Kan., is about 14 miles S. W. of Scranton Kan.
1920, William, Mary and Abraham Isaacs, William’s brother-in-law.
1920, James L., Mary Elizabeth and Lois M. Brackman, age 2.
1925. James L., & Mary Elizabeth and two children Elizabeth Maxine age 7., and J. D., age not shown.
1930. William & Thomas both widowers, came to the U. S. from England in 1881.
They lived near Elizabeth and her husband James and their two children Lois Maxine 12., and James 9.
The families lived closed to each other in Scranton; in 1930 particularly, Thomas and his father were only 3 or 4 houses away from Thomas daughter Elizabeth and her family.
Scranton Cemetery.
Ross Family.
Ross, Grace V, b. 1875, d. 1921
Ross, Mary Ann, b. 1851, d. 1927
Ross, Tom, b. 1872, d. 1934
Ross, William, b. 1848, d. 1931
Scranton Cemetery.
Brackman family.
Brackman, Elizabethm, b. 1896, d. 1966
Brackman, James Donald, b. 1920, d. 1931
Brackman, James L, b. 1889, d. 1948
“Just to let you know I have told 2 other Isaacs descendents that I know of in the UK about your site. They are as delighted as I am with all the information. I am sure your website will be visited more than a few times in the next week or two....?!
I am currently looking into whether there are any Isaacs of even Ross's (the only sister to emigrate, Mary Ann was married to William Ross in UK, 1870, before going to Scranton.“
Well I took a look and found that indeed she came to Scranton. I found a lot of information on the family, so I decided to put up this page in the hope it will help other Ross & Brackman families looking into this line.
----------------------------
Obit.
Topeka State Journal.
Monday August 17, 1931, p.6.
William Ross, 83, died at his home in Scranton, Kan., He had lived there for the last fifty years. He is survived by a son, Thomas Ross, Scranton, and a grand-daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Brackman, Scranton. Funeral services were held Sunday at the Nethodist Episcopal church of Scranton.
Obit.
Topeka Capital Journal.
Wednesday October 12, 1966, p. 25.
Scranton-Services will be at 2 p. m. Thursday at the Methodist Church here for Mrs. Elizabeth ( Bade ) Brackman, 70, Scranton, who died Monday in a Topeka hospital where she had been a patient since Oct. 3., She had a heart ailment and had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage several years ago.
She was born April 21, 1896, at Scranton and spent most of her life in the Scranton community in Osage County. She was postmistress at Scranton 18 years until 1957.
She was a member of the Scranton Methodist Church and the Kansas Authors Club. She wrote poems and had received several honors for her work.
Surviots include a daughter, Mrs. Maxine Bleidissel, at home; two grandsons and two great-grandsons. Burial will be in Scranton Cemetery. Carey Funeral Home at Burlingame is in charge of arrangements.
Short notes from census.
1900, Thomas & Grace, and four year old daughter Mary E. Ross.
1910, Thomas, Grace and Mary E., were living in Burlingame.
Note. Burlingame, Kan., is about 14 miles S. W. of Scranton Kan.
1920, William, Mary and Abraham Isaacs, William’s brother-in-law.
1920, James L., Mary Elizabeth and Lois M. Brackman, age 2.
1925. James L., & Mary Elizabeth and two children Elizabeth Maxine age 7., and J. D., age not shown.
1930. William & Thomas both widowers, came to the U. S. from England in 1881.
They lived near Elizabeth and her husband James and their two children Lois Maxine 12., and James 9.
The families lived closed to each other in Scranton; in 1930 particularly, Thomas and his father were only 3 or 4 houses away from Thomas daughter Elizabeth and her family.
Scranton Cemetery.
Ross Family.
Ross, Grace V, b. 1875, d. 1921
Ross, Mary Ann, b. 1851, d. 1927
Ross, Tom, b. 1872, d. 1934
Ross, William, b. 1848, d. 1931
Scranton Cemetery.
Brackman family.
Brackman, Elizabethm, b. 1896, d. 1966
Brackman, James Donald, b. 1920, d. 1931
Brackman, James L, b. 1889, d. 1948
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Scranton Kansas, 1880 Census.
Here is a index’s of all the heads of the families and wife’s from the 1880 census of Scranton Kansas. There were so many people in Scranton at this time, there is just not enough room to get them all in. This index is to help you find out if that person of interest was in Scranton at this time. Those of you who find a name of interest may want to write to me for more infotmation if so, my address can be found in my profile. However, now that you know when and where they were you may want to look up the information for yourselves.
Note. These names are not in alphabetical order, and some names may have been missed.
-----------------------------------
1. James INGHAM
Matilda INGHAM
2. Henry ISAICS
Lizzie ISAICS
3. Archibald PATTERSON
Agnes PATTERSON
4. John OSMARA
Ann OSMARA
5. John YATES
Martha YATES
6. Henry L. AINSWORTH
Barbara AINSWORTH
7. Henry J. AINSWORTH
Rachael AINSWORTH
8. John Wm. CURLEY
Elen S. CURLEY
9. Samuel DRAKE
Emma DRAKE
10. Wilkes DRAKE
Purlina H. DRAKE
11. Robert R. SMITH
Elizabeth SMITH
12. Patrick MC BRIDE
Jane MC BRIDE
13. Robert WILLIS
Mary Ann WILLIS
14. Peter KELLEY
Charlotte KELLEY
15. Elen BRICKLEY
16. Thomas GIBSON
Anna B. GIBSON
17. Patrick MC CAMBRIDGE
Mary MC CAMBRIDGE
18. Pat MC CAMBRIDGE
Mary MC CAMBRIDGE
19. James BARCLIFF
Mary Ann BARCLIFF
20. Charles ROBINSON
Isadore ROBINSON
21. John GALLAWAY
Elizabeth GALLAWAY
22. Joseph DRAKE
Mary DRAKE
23. John CAIMS
Amelia CAIMS
24. Rebecca WILLIAMS
25. Joseph MOYLE
Mary MOYLE
26. Mary H. BARKER
27. William WILLIAMS
Elen WILLIAMS
28. Frank CHAPMAN
Elizabeth CHAPMAN
29. Matthew ALDERSON
Mary ALDERSON
30. John YOUNG
Jennette YOUNG
31. William HARRIS
Levenia HARRIS
32. James WHITE
Jane WHITE
33. John BELL
Elizabeth BELL
34. William MC NEISH
Jane MC NEILE
35. Alexander BRONSON
Mary Ann BRONSON
36. John H. BURK
Hannah BURK
37. Joseph MARTIN
Mary MARTIN
38. John R. POE
Elizabeth POE
39. Thomas TURVEY
Elizabeth TURVEY
40. James B. JARVIS
Jane JARVIS
41. C. Henry WAHLERS
Sarah A. WAHLERS
42. John SHAW
Catherine SHAW
43. James BICKIRDIKE
Sarah BICKIRDIKE
44. James BIGGINS
45. John F. HURST
46. Emlen G. BUNDY
Samantha BUNDY
47. Thomas EDWARDS
Nellie EDWARDS
48. John GLENN
49. John DODD
50. Robert LINN
Margaret LINN
51. John BERRY
Mary Ann BERRY
52. James LOWES
Catherine LOWES
53. John ALLEN
Harriet ALLEN
54. William NELSON
Mary NELSON
55. John SUIGER
56. Ann WILKINSON
57. John CARTER
Emma CARTER
58. James CAMPBELL
Elizabeth CAMPBELL
59. John WILLIAMS
Anna WILLIAMS
60. George W. BEUSHOFF
Emma J. BEUSHOFF
61. Charles ANDERSON
Althera ANDERSON
62. John WESTWOOD
Sarah K. WESTWOOD
63. Moses B ANDREWS
Mary J. ANDREWS
64. Henry HURST
Mary HURST
65. Walter S. CHALLIS
Oxana CHALLIS
66. William WESTWOOD
Phoebe WESTWOOD
67. Ann WESTWOOD
68. John KILDAY
Bridget KILDAY
69. Thomas CONLIN
Charlotte CONLIN
70. Michael CONLEY
Elizabeth CONLEY
71. Joseph TOMLINSON
Martha TOMLINSON
72. Edward HARLEY
Elizabeth HARLEY
73. Michael MCNULTY
Jane MCNULTY
74. Robert HARRISON
Margaret HARRISON
75. Lawrence MOONEY
Annie MOONEY
76. John BIERMAN
Elen BIERMAN
77. Holmer C. BURKE
Sarah A. BURKE
78. James MCGOWN
Mary MCGOWN
79. Richard SMITH
Sarah SMITH
80. David LITTLE
Nancy LITTLE
81. John LAMONT
Jennette LAMONT
82. Thomas ISAICS
Elizabeth ISAICS
83. James JONES
Ann JONES
84. Thos. CHALLACOMB
Martha CHALLACOMB
85. James ROWE
Christian ROWE
86. John CARRUTHERS
Mary CARRUTHERS
87. William R. PORTER
Mary PORTER
88. Thomas CLARK
Agnes CLARK
89. Luisa HAIDEGGER
Kate HAIDEGGER
90. Cornelia CLOYD
91. Andrew KRAMER
Elizabeth KRAMER
92. Patrick RYAN
Elizabeth RYAN
93. Peter BRADY
94. Charles BRADY
95. James BARTLETT
96. Benj. EDMONDS
97. George LAFFLON
98. Thomas ELI
99. James PHILLIPS
100. Evan EVANS
101. Martin FLYME
102. Wm. SHOULDICE
103. James GARDNER
104. George KINNEY
105. James A. IVEY
Angeline IVEY
106. Dennis BANAHAN
Ann BANAHAN
107. John CONNELL
Ann CONNELL
108. Daniel CARROTHERS
109. Frank SLATTERY
110. John GALLAVAN
111. Joseph MEISINGER
112. William OBAREN
113. Linion HOPPER
Deborah HOPPER
114. A. LIVINGSTON
115. George WILSON
Alice WILSON
116. Margaret KELLEY
117. David GRIFFITH
Mary GRIFFITH
118. Michael CASSIDY
Alice CASSIDY
119. James MOORE
Elizza MOORE
120. Joseph M. BRATTON
Emma J. BRATTON
121. Charles PETERSON
122. William H. HOBBS
Samaria HOBBS
123. Charles JENKINS
Jennie JENKINS
124. William SCOTT
Agnes SCOTT
125. Walter C. HOWARD
Cassie J. HOWARD
126. Isaih R. JONES
127. David GREEN
Jennie GREEN
128. Connie F. RIST
Rebecca RIST
129. Thomas EVANS
Mary EVANS
130. John COOK
131. James W. GIDDINGS
132. Frank THURMAN
133. William ROSSER
134. Samuel FULTON
Katie FULTON
135. Alexander THOMAS
Jennie A. THOMAS
136. George CROW
Mary CROW
137. William LAFFRIES
Mary Ann LAFFRIES
138. Robert CURLEY
Esther K. CURLEY
139. Squire ANDERSON
Elizza ANDERSON
140. John FARRELL
Margaret FARRELL
141. William PICKUP
Isabella PICKUP
142. John WELCH
Mary WELCH
143. John HOLMES
Mary HOLMES
144. Thomas ELLWOOD
Mary ELLWOOD
145. John W. ELLIOTT
Elizabeth ELLIOTT
146. Barney SMITH
Mary SMITH
147. Mathew THOMPSON
Sally THOMPSON
148. James BURNETTE
Lottia BURNETTE
149. Enoch GOSETT
Julia GOSETT
150. Alexander CONNORS
Mary CONNORS
151. William NIXON
Margaret NIXON
152. Andrew J. BURK
Rachael BURK
153. George BRIDDICK
Harriet BRIDDICK
154. James CHAPPEL
Martha J. CHAPPEL
155. Isabela BRIDDICK
156. William MC LAUGHLIN
157. Thomas SHELLEY
158. Charles FLYNN
159. Benjamin HUGHES
Sarah A. HUGHES
160. Frank EARLY
161. Alexander HADDO
Jane HADDO
162. Frank WHITTIMORE
Nellie WHITTIMORE
163. Jacob PFAFF
Mary PFAFF
164. John BROWN
165. Roy F. CONNOR
Addie CONNOR
166. Isaid NICKOLSON
Sarah NICKOLSON
167. Thomas PALMER
168. John FOLDEN
169. Robert LOCK
170. Ella POLLARD
Milton C. POLLARD
171. Thomas CHAPPELL
Elen CHAPPELL
172. Mattie BURNETT
173. Robert NELSON
Mary NELSON
174. James DARGUE
175. James ARTHUR
Bay ARTHUR
176. Ely KELLY
177. Thomas FERGUSON
178. Madison J. CREST
179. Thomas F. ROOKS
180. Lawrence BARIS
181. John FOSTER
182. Frank LAWFORD
183. John MICHAEL
184. George W. CRADIT
185. Rosswell BOSDY
186. Wm. M. HOOVER
187. Henry SHELDON
188. Theodore L. MARSHALL
Margaret MARSHALL
189. Martha MC GOWN
190. Thalimon NATHINGSON
Rachael NATHINGSON
191. Thomas MORRIS
Jane W. MORRIS
192. Augusta BROGUSET
193. Gustave LERSON
Mary LERSON
194. John ANDERSON
195. August PETERSON
196. Daniel JOHNSON
197. Olaf WALL
198. Wm. BARRACLOUGH
Sally BARRACLOUGH
199. Charles SAMUELSON
200. Peter FACER
201. John A. ANGREN
202. John BARRACLOUGH
203. Charles MILLING
204. Charles LOOKE
205. George MC KEE
206. Olcott DOUGLAS
207. Rueben RIDEY
Note. These names are not in alphabetical order, and some names may have been missed.
-----------------------------------
1. James INGHAM
Matilda INGHAM
2. Henry ISAICS
Lizzie ISAICS
3. Archibald PATTERSON
Agnes PATTERSON
4. John OSMARA
Ann OSMARA
5. John YATES
Martha YATES
6. Henry L. AINSWORTH
Barbara AINSWORTH
7. Henry J. AINSWORTH
Rachael AINSWORTH
8. John Wm. CURLEY
Elen S. CURLEY
9. Samuel DRAKE
Emma DRAKE
10. Wilkes DRAKE
Purlina H. DRAKE
11. Robert R. SMITH
Elizabeth SMITH
12. Patrick MC BRIDE
Jane MC BRIDE
13. Robert WILLIS
Mary Ann WILLIS
14. Peter KELLEY
Charlotte KELLEY
15. Elen BRICKLEY
16. Thomas GIBSON
Anna B. GIBSON
17. Patrick MC CAMBRIDGE
Mary MC CAMBRIDGE
18. Pat MC CAMBRIDGE
Mary MC CAMBRIDGE
19. James BARCLIFF
Mary Ann BARCLIFF
20. Charles ROBINSON
Isadore ROBINSON
21. John GALLAWAY
Elizabeth GALLAWAY
22. Joseph DRAKE
Mary DRAKE
23. John CAIMS
Amelia CAIMS
24. Rebecca WILLIAMS
25. Joseph MOYLE
Mary MOYLE
26. Mary H. BARKER
27. William WILLIAMS
Elen WILLIAMS
28. Frank CHAPMAN
Elizabeth CHAPMAN
29. Matthew ALDERSON
Mary ALDERSON
30. John YOUNG
Jennette YOUNG
31. William HARRIS
Levenia HARRIS
32. James WHITE
Jane WHITE
33. John BELL
Elizabeth BELL
34. William MC NEISH
Jane MC NEILE
35. Alexander BRONSON
Mary Ann BRONSON
36. John H. BURK
Hannah BURK
37. Joseph MARTIN
Mary MARTIN
38. John R. POE
Elizabeth POE
39. Thomas TURVEY
Elizabeth TURVEY
40. James B. JARVIS
Jane JARVIS
41. C. Henry WAHLERS
Sarah A. WAHLERS
42. John SHAW
Catherine SHAW
43. James BICKIRDIKE
Sarah BICKIRDIKE
44. James BIGGINS
45. John F. HURST
46. Emlen G. BUNDY
Samantha BUNDY
47. Thomas EDWARDS
Nellie EDWARDS
48. John GLENN
49. John DODD
50. Robert LINN
Margaret LINN
51. John BERRY
Mary Ann BERRY
52. James LOWES
Catherine LOWES
53. John ALLEN
Harriet ALLEN
54. William NELSON
Mary NELSON
55. John SUIGER
56. Ann WILKINSON
57. John CARTER
Emma CARTER
58. James CAMPBELL
Elizabeth CAMPBELL
59. John WILLIAMS
Anna WILLIAMS
60. George W. BEUSHOFF
Emma J. BEUSHOFF
61. Charles ANDERSON
Althera ANDERSON
62. John WESTWOOD
Sarah K. WESTWOOD
63. Moses B ANDREWS
Mary J. ANDREWS
64. Henry HURST
Mary HURST
65. Walter S. CHALLIS
Oxana CHALLIS
66. William WESTWOOD
Phoebe WESTWOOD
67. Ann WESTWOOD
68. John KILDAY
Bridget KILDAY
69. Thomas CONLIN
Charlotte CONLIN
70. Michael CONLEY
Elizabeth CONLEY
71. Joseph TOMLINSON
Martha TOMLINSON
72. Edward HARLEY
Elizabeth HARLEY
73. Michael MCNULTY
Jane MCNULTY
74. Robert HARRISON
Margaret HARRISON
75. Lawrence MOONEY
Annie MOONEY
76. John BIERMAN
Elen BIERMAN
77. Holmer C. BURKE
Sarah A. BURKE
78. James MCGOWN
Mary MCGOWN
79. Richard SMITH
Sarah SMITH
80. David LITTLE
Nancy LITTLE
81. John LAMONT
Jennette LAMONT
82. Thomas ISAICS
Elizabeth ISAICS
83. James JONES
Ann JONES
84. Thos. CHALLACOMB
Martha CHALLACOMB
85. James ROWE
Christian ROWE
86. John CARRUTHERS
Mary CARRUTHERS
87. William R. PORTER
Mary PORTER
88. Thomas CLARK
Agnes CLARK
89. Luisa HAIDEGGER
Kate HAIDEGGER
90. Cornelia CLOYD
91. Andrew KRAMER
Elizabeth KRAMER
92. Patrick RYAN
Elizabeth RYAN
93. Peter BRADY
94. Charles BRADY
95. James BARTLETT
96. Benj. EDMONDS
97. George LAFFLON
98. Thomas ELI
99. James PHILLIPS
100. Evan EVANS
101. Martin FLYME
102. Wm. SHOULDICE
103. James GARDNER
104. George KINNEY
105. James A. IVEY
Angeline IVEY
106. Dennis BANAHAN
Ann BANAHAN
107. John CONNELL
Ann CONNELL
108. Daniel CARROTHERS
109. Frank SLATTERY
110. John GALLAVAN
111. Joseph MEISINGER
112. William OBAREN
113. Linion HOPPER
Deborah HOPPER
114. A. LIVINGSTON
115. George WILSON
Alice WILSON
116. Margaret KELLEY
117. David GRIFFITH
Mary GRIFFITH
118. Michael CASSIDY
Alice CASSIDY
119. James MOORE
Elizza MOORE
120. Joseph M. BRATTON
Emma J. BRATTON
121. Charles PETERSON
122. William H. HOBBS
Samaria HOBBS
123. Charles JENKINS
Jennie JENKINS
124. William SCOTT
Agnes SCOTT
125. Walter C. HOWARD
Cassie J. HOWARD
126. Isaih R. JONES
127. David GREEN
Jennie GREEN
128. Connie F. RIST
Rebecca RIST
129. Thomas EVANS
Mary EVANS
130. John COOK
131. James W. GIDDINGS
132. Frank THURMAN
133. William ROSSER
134. Samuel FULTON
Katie FULTON
135. Alexander THOMAS
Jennie A. THOMAS
136. George CROW
Mary CROW
137. William LAFFRIES
Mary Ann LAFFRIES
138. Robert CURLEY
Esther K. CURLEY
139. Squire ANDERSON
Elizza ANDERSON
140. John FARRELL
Margaret FARRELL
141. William PICKUP
Isabella PICKUP
142. John WELCH
Mary WELCH
143. John HOLMES
Mary HOLMES
144. Thomas ELLWOOD
Mary ELLWOOD
145. John W. ELLIOTT
Elizabeth ELLIOTT
146. Barney SMITH
Mary SMITH
147. Mathew THOMPSON
Sally THOMPSON
148. James BURNETTE
Lottia BURNETTE
149. Enoch GOSETT
Julia GOSETT
150. Alexander CONNORS
Mary CONNORS
151. William NIXON
Margaret NIXON
152. Andrew J. BURK
Rachael BURK
153. George BRIDDICK
Harriet BRIDDICK
154. James CHAPPEL
Martha J. CHAPPEL
155. Isabela BRIDDICK
156. William MC LAUGHLIN
157. Thomas SHELLEY
158. Charles FLYNN
159. Benjamin HUGHES
Sarah A. HUGHES
160. Frank EARLY
161. Alexander HADDO
Jane HADDO
162. Frank WHITTIMORE
Nellie WHITTIMORE
163. Jacob PFAFF
Mary PFAFF
164. John BROWN
165. Roy F. CONNOR
Addie CONNOR
166. Isaid NICKOLSON
Sarah NICKOLSON
167. Thomas PALMER
168. John FOLDEN
169. Robert LOCK
170. Ella POLLARD
Milton C. POLLARD
171. Thomas CHAPPELL
Elen CHAPPELL
172. Mattie BURNETT
173. Robert NELSON
Mary NELSON
174. James DARGUE
175. James ARTHUR
Bay ARTHUR
176. Ely KELLY
177. Thomas FERGUSON
178. Madison J. CREST
179. Thomas F. ROOKS
180. Lawrence BARIS
181. John FOSTER
182. Frank LAWFORD
183. John MICHAEL
184. George W. CRADIT
185. Rosswell BOSDY
186. Wm. M. HOOVER
187. Henry SHELDON
188. Theodore L. MARSHALL
Margaret MARSHALL
189. Martha MC GOWN
190. Thalimon NATHINGSON
Rachael NATHINGSON
191. Thomas MORRIS
Jane W. MORRIS
192. Augusta BROGUSET
193. Gustave LERSON
Mary LERSON
194. John ANDERSON
195. August PETERSON
196. Daniel JOHNSON
197. Olaf WALL
198. Wm. BARRACLOUGH
Sally BARRACLOUGH
199. Charles SAMUELSON
200. Peter FACER
201. John A. ANGREN
202. John BARRACLOUGH
203. Charles MILLING
204. Charles LOOKE
205. George MC KEE
206. Olcott DOUGLAS
207. Rueben RIDEY
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Isaacs Family of Scranton kansas
I had been looking for a subject to write about on Kansas, when I received a letter from a lady from England by the name of Joanne Tudor, and she states;
“Hello Dennis
I have read your research concerning the history of Scranton, Kansas with much interest. I must congratulate you, it is all fascinating! I recently discovered that an ancestor of mine, Henry Isaacs, emigrated to Scranton, Kansas around 1870. Most of his brothers and sisters followed him. Henry was the brother of my Great Grandmother, Sarah Ann Isaacs, who remained in the UK.
It seems he had quite an impact on the town in the early years, opening a grocery store and a coal mine etc. I would be fascinated to find out more about the Isaacs in Scranton and note that you say you have further information on them. It would be wonderful if you could share this with me....
I look forward to hearing from you.”
All the best for now
Joanne Tudor.
Well I found there was a lot of Isaacs family stories about Scranton and their family life there. I found it very interesting so I decided to make up this page so other Isaac ancestor can enjoy the stories as well.
--------------------------------
HENRY ISAACS, dealer in groceries, also owns and operates three coal shafts; located at Carbondale in 1871; remained four years and moved to Scranton; opened his store November 1, 1882, and carries a stock of about $2,000. Was born in Leicester County, England, April 2, 1847. When six years old moved to York County and learned the wagon-makers' trade; came to America in 1871; was married in England in 1868 to Miss Elizabeth Peel, and has six children - Jessie, Tillie, Ella, George, Rosie and Samuel. Is Treasurer of School District, No. 75, and Justice of the Peace.
-------------------------------
The following come from Scranton Centennial booklet 1872-1972.
Agnes T. Isaacs.
I have been requested to write a few lines about our town, Scranton of the years long gone by, I was brought to Kansas at the age of 11 months. I have seen many changes in the old town since I have grown up. Bill my husband, and I were married December 22nd., 74 years ago. We were married by the Rev. George Wilson, the minister of the Methodist Church. He left Scranton but was called to Scranton for a funeral of John Martindale. Bill, my husband asked him to stay over a few days as we were going to be married. He stayed and married us. He was a good minister and was liked by every one.
Well. I better get on the sports of Scranton, it happens to be baseball. Bill was the umpire of the games and he really liked the job. He thought a lot of his baseball boys. One day the Scranton boys were going to Overbrook to play a game and he asked me to go along, which I did. In those days we had to hitch up the old horse and go in the buggy.
I believe it was the hottest day of the summer. We had to sir on the wooden benches and nothing to our backs. We sat in the sun and I felt like I was cooked. It was the first and last game I ever went to. The boys got a lot of fun from the game but I told Bill I didn’t see where the fun was. Us mothers and our children had to eat our supper alone as we never knew when the game would be over. Our ball boys have most all passed away.
Well, I have been in Scranton a long time but it is still home to me and I have lived in my home over 60years. When we first came here to live it was called Bluetown. I lived down this way before I was married and we walked to the Scranton school. When I was in grade school, at that time the railroad crossed what is now our Highway. About every morning we would have to stand and wait for the fright train to move on.
In years gone by Scranton was a booming town and we had our own band. The bandstand was on the main street in front of the building North of the post office. The band boys looked nice in their band suits. My uncle and aunt Mr. And Mrs. James Clark lived across from the lumber yard. We often sat on the front porch and listened to the band practice. It was good music and they sure knew how to play.
My two uncles, Sam and George Turvey, were running the butcher shop on the West side of Main Street. They did all their own butchering down in the timber, across from which is now the John Stephen’s home. We had the fourth of July picnics in the old timber and had to hurry and get the grounds ready for the picnic. We all had something new to wear, the cloth we bought for dresses was called line lawn. It cost five cents per yard. We trimmed it with narrow ribbons which cost more than the dress goods.
Scranton at one time had hotels, boarding houses, dry good stores and all. We also had some runaway horses. We also had two livery barns. My oldest brother Thomas, and Edward Hulsopple was in the livery barn business. The barn was on the West side of Main Street, near the St. Louis Store. The boys were burned out and lost everything the had. The boy had to cut the horses loose and run them out of the burning barn. There were horses running around town, didn’t know where to go. The boys later took the other barn which was where the Hartwick home now is.
When I learned to sew, the dressmaker shop was a small building on the same ground down by the alley. The lady who taught us to sew was Nary Stiers, who was staying with her aunt and uncle, Mr. And Mrs. Goodman. The old house still stands. It is across on the West side of the road from the old Ryan home. Emma Ryan who is now Mrs. Abrims of California was my sewing chum. We had to do the job right or rip it out. We went to Sunday school in the old School house and also in the parent’s homes, where sometimes we didn’t have enough chairs. We lost our church by fire. We had a jail bur it was not used very much. In those days we had lots of tramps, but we never turned a hungry person from our doors. Also we had gypsies come to see us quite often and they really scared us but never harmed us.
When I was in grade school of Scranton, one of my teachers was Miss Mamie Supple, who rode a horse to school, across the field a there were no fences or gates to open. It was the former Tobe Coffman pasture. I also went to the Supple School and the boys filled the wood box to keep us warm. The girls helped with the sweeping. The winters were cold and some nights we would get caught in a blizzard and the teacher said we might have to stay all night in the school room. She was kind to us kids and we thought a lot of her. Wishing all success.
Agnes Turvey Isaacs.
Scranton, Kansas.
January 28, 1972.
94 years of age.
-----------------------------
The Isaacs's.
In 1875, Henry Isaacs, father of William Isaacs, opened a grocery store and a coal mine. Later he sank a second shaft both being along the southern line of the town.
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Kansas Census, Scranton Kansas, 1895.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England, About 1849, age 46.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 44.
Children.
1. Emma, age 18.
2. George, age 15.
3. Rose, age 14.
4. Samuel, age 12.
5. Willie, age 11.
6. Clyde, age 8.
7. Neta, age 6.
8. Leo Gregory Isaacs, age 4.
------------------------
United States Federal Census, 1900, Scranton Kansas.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England.
Age: 51.
Immigration year: 1873.
Married: 1870.
Married tears 30.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 49.
Children.
1. George W., age 21.
2. William I., age 15.
3. Clyde H., age 13.
4. Juantta, age 11.
Leo G., age 9.
--------------------------------------------
Kansas State Census, 1905, Scranton Kansas.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England.
Age: 58.
Immigration year: 1873.
Married: 1870.
Married tears 35.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 56.
Children.
1. Emma, age 26.
2. Samuel, age 22.
3. Clyde, age 18.
4. Nitta, age 6.
5. Leo, age 14.
6. William, age 20.
7. Jennie, age 18.
------------------------------
United States Federal Census, 1910, Scranton Kansas.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England.
Age: 61.
Immigration year: 1873.
Married: 1870.
Married tears 40.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 59.
Children.
1. Clyde, age 22.
2. Leo G., age 18.
Note. Depending on how the name sounded to the one taken the census’s some names are spelled different and there seem to be a difference in the ages. So please do your research before stating this census information as fact.
------------------------------
William H. Isaacs was born in Carbondale Kansas, in 1874, and moved to Scranton when a small child. His father, Thomas Isaacs, like most men in those days, was a coal miner. When William was seven years old, his father passed away during the Typhoid Fever epidemic, leaving his mother, himself, and a younger sister, Isabelle, (who later became Mrs. Edward Hulsopple) of this city. At the age of nine years he went to work in the coal mine to help support his mother and sister, and went to night school three nights a week.
--------------------------------
Agnes Turvey was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1877, and came to Scranton when she was eleven months old. Her father, Thomas Turvey, was a mechanic in the coal mines. When a child she went with her family to visit relatives who had staked a claim near what is now Dodge City Kansas. They traveled in a covered wagon and got into quick-sand at one point on their roure. Her relatives were living in a dugout as were most of the homesteaders. Agnes recalls one night the women and children stayed in the dugout as they were told the Indians were coming. The men remained outside with guns all night but no Indians came.
Agnes finished grade school in Scranton and at the age of sixteen became an expert seamstress under the training of Mary Stiers who was the local dressmaker at that time.
When Agnes was twenty and William twenty-three they were married in Scranton, The Reverend George Wilson officiating, the year 1897. During the early days of their marriage William went to work at four o’clock in the morning and many times worked until after dark in the evening. It was said the children used to ask who that man was who came to their house on Sunday, as they were in bed when their father went to work and in bed when he returned. That was a joke among the families of the miners.
Mr. and Mrs. Isaacs lived in Scranton until 1913 when Mr. Isaacs was elected Sheriff of Osage County, at which time they moved to Lyndon. The family returned to Scranton in 1917. Shortly after returning to Scranton Mr. Isaacs became a rural mail carrier, a position he held for twenty years.
Several years after retiring from the mail route, Mr. Isaacs and three other members of his family became employed at the Douglas Aircraft Company in Tulsa. Oklahoma where they resided for three years. At the close of World War Two they returned to Scranton. Mr. and Mrs. Isaacs were the parents of six children. Mr. Isaacs, a son and two daughters are deceased. Mrs. Isaacs, now ninety-four years of age, and three children reside in Scranton.
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The Carbondale Record
Osage County
April 28, 1932
William Isaacs, Jr.
Mr. William Henry Isaacs, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Isaacs, was bron Novmber 9, 1900 and departed this life April 17, 1932, at Grace Hospital, Detroit, Michigan at the age of 31 years, 5 months and 8 days. He had been in ill health for some time, and when his mother visited him at Detroit last fall, she persuaded him to come home. He did so, and spent four months here. He began to look better and improved within a week after returning home, and gained steadily during his stay with home folks. He decided to return to Detroit the latter part of March. He seemed to feel so better when he left, that he made the remark, "I feel like a million dollars."
He had just been back one month when his father was called to Detroit where he spent the day Sunday and the last few hours at his bed side, but in spite of the kind loving care which was given him he passed away at 10:20 o'clock Sunday night. He attended the public schools at Scranton, and at the age of 11 he moved to Lyndon with his parents, where he attended high school.
Four years later he returned to Scranton with his parents, where he worked in and around Scranton and sections of western Kansas, and he also spent some time in Wyoming.
He, with his cousin, Alvin HULSOPPLE, spent several years in Schuyler, Nebraska, where they had employment, after which they left for Detroit where he spent the last 8 years and 11 months. He was employed by the Ford Motor Company where he made good, later was promoted to Inspector of the Crank Shaft Department, until a few months before he came home when many men were layed off in every department. He has made several trips homes during the 81/2 years there. During those years he won a wide circle of friends. The last visit at home will always be a cherished memory of his dear sweet face, his loving words, and his noble deeds will go with us until eternity.
He was a great home boy during his visits here, very kind and thoughtful to his parents, his brother and sisters. He had a fine dispostion, always thinking of others before himself. he was always cheerful even to the end. It was a terrible shock to everyone, which will linger in their hearts for many a long year to come.
Funeral services were held at the Suttons and Son parlors, Detorit, in which several hundred friends attended to pay their last respect to a real and noble friend.
He was brought to Scranton with his father and Alvin Hulsopple and he lay in estate in his home until 2:30 Thursday afternoon, after which funeral services were held at the Methodist church, conducted by Rev. H.P. BASQUIN. He was laid to rest in the Scranton cemetery.
He leaves to mourn his loss, his broken-hearted mother and father, one brother, Ralph, four sisters, Mrs. Ruth JOHNSON, Mrs. Esther HUTCHISON, Eva and Alta Isaacs, besides a host of other relatives and friends both in Scranton and Detroit who will greatly miss his smiling face.
Card of Thanks.
We desire to thank our many friends and neighbors for the kindess and sympathy shown us during the death of our dear son and brother also for the beautiful floral offerings. We also wish to thank his many friends in Detorit who sent the beautiful flowers and words of sympathy.
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Isaacs
Ralph, Eva and Alta Isaacs
Mrs. Esther Johnson
Mrs. Ruth Johnson.
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Scranton City Cemetery, Osage County, Kansas.
Isaacs, Abraham, b. 1856, d. 1920
Isaacs, Agnes T, b. 1877, d. 1976
Isaacs, Dorothy M, b. 1916, d. no date, m. Mar 25, 1941 to Ralph E
Isaacs, Elizabeth, b. 1849, d. 1945 (1943)
Isaacs, Hayden E, b. 1910, d. 1985
Isaacs, Hazel Isaac Long, b. Nov 27, 1892, d. Aug 26, 1984
Isaacs, Hazel M, b. 1914, d. no date, m. Apr 1, 1932 to Leal A
Isaacs, Henry, b. 1847, d. 1918
Isaacs, Hollis H, b. 1908, d. 1923
Isaacs, Jennie, b. 1890, d. 1958
Isaacs, Kenneth D, b. 1916, d. 1918
Isaacs, Leal A, b. 1910, d. 1983
Isaacs, Leo Gregory, b. Feb 22, 1891, d. Jun 18, 1968
Isaacs, Leo Lisle, b. May 1, 1914, d. Feb 3, 1982
Isaacs, Margaret N, b. Jan 22, 1926, d. no date, m. Sep 11, 1971 to Leo Lisle
Isaacs, Matilda, b. Apr 8, 1884, d. Jun 13, 1978, m. Sep 1905 to Samuel T
Isaacs, Ralph E, b. Apr 11, 1910, d. Feb 26, 1990, Cpl US Army WWII
Isaacs, Rosa, b. 1881, d. 1898
Isaacs, Sam, b. 1861, d. 1882
Isaacs, Samuel T, b. 1882, d. 1962
Isaacs, Thomas, d. Nov 19, 1881, aged 37yrs 9mo 1day
Isaacs, William H Jr, b. 1900, d. 1932
Isaacs, William H, b. 1874, d. 1951
------------------------------
As I stated at the beginning of this page I got interested in the Isaacs name because of a letter from Joanne Tudor, of England, and after it was done and she saw it, she sent me a nice letter. This letter is places here as there is some information in it that may be of help to other Isaacs families looking in to their ancestors.
-----------------------------
Hi Dennis I cannot thank you enough for all the work you have put into helping me with my research into the Isaacs in Scranton. The page makes for interesting reading - it really brings the people, and the times, to life!
Agnes's writing was very touching - working it out, she was the wife of the son of Henry's brother, Thomas, who was the first to make the move to Kansas. Also the memories about the death of their son, William Henry Junior. The census and cemetary lists are so useful. I managed to place at least two thirds of the names in the family tree I have already.
I googled Scranton and to my delight came across a photo of Henry, his wife Elizabeth and their son Leo at the Cozy Theater (which they owned), plus one of the family home, and one or two others in the Isaacs clan including William Henry as Osage County Sheriff, all at http://www.scrantonks.com/
I cannot believe my luck - 3 weeks ago I knew nothing and now I know more about the Isaacs than I could ever have imagined.
It's left me wanting to find out about Henry's other brothers and sisters. I will upgrade my membership to include the US records at Ancestry.com. Who knows where it could end...maybe a visit one day!
PS I've placed all the info that I found on the Isaacs in the UK, including Henry's father and grandfather, marriages before moving to the US etc. onto my family tree at http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/ guess there's a few more details I need to add now!!
Best wishes to you.
Joanne Tudor
“Hello Dennis
I have read your research concerning the history of Scranton, Kansas with much interest. I must congratulate you, it is all fascinating! I recently discovered that an ancestor of mine, Henry Isaacs, emigrated to Scranton, Kansas around 1870. Most of his brothers and sisters followed him. Henry was the brother of my Great Grandmother, Sarah Ann Isaacs, who remained in the UK.
It seems he had quite an impact on the town in the early years, opening a grocery store and a coal mine etc. I would be fascinated to find out more about the Isaacs in Scranton and note that you say you have further information on them. It would be wonderful if you could share this with me....
I look forward to hearing from you.”
All the best for now
Joanne Tudor.
Well I found there was a lot of Isaacs family stories about Scranton and their family life there. I found it very interesting so I decided to make up this page so other Isaac ancestor can enjoy the stories as well.
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HENRY ISAACS, dealer in groceries, also owns and operates three coal shafts; located at Carbondale in 1871; remained four years and moved to Scranton; opened his store November 1, 1882, and carries a stock of about $2,000. Was born in Leicester County, England, April 2, 1847. When six years old moved to York County and learned the wagon-makers' trade; came to America in 1871; was married in England in 1868 to Miss Elizabeth Peel, and has six children - Jessie, Tillie, Ella, George, Rosie and Samuel. Is Treasurer of School District, No. 75, and Justice of the Peace.
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The following come from Scranton Centennial booklet 1872-1972.
Agnes T. Isaacs.
I have been requested to write a few lines about our town, Scranton of the years long gone by, I was brought to Kansas at the age of 11 months. I have seen many changes in the old town since I have grown up. Bill my husband, and I were married December 22nd., 74 years ago. We were married by the Rev. George Wilson, the minister of the Methodist Church. He left Scranton but was called to Scranton for a funeral of John Martindale. Bill, my husband asked him to stay over a few days as we were going to be married. He stayed and married us. He was a good minister and was liked by every one.
Well. I better get on the sports of Scranton, it happens to be baseball. Bill was the umpire of the games and he really liked the job. He thought a lot of his baseball boys. One day the Scranton boys were going to Overbrook to play a game and he asked me to go along, which I did. In those days we had to hitch up the old horse and go in the buggy.
I believe it was the hottest day of the summer. We had to sir on the wooden benches and nothing to our backs. We sat in the sun and I felt like I was cooked. It was the first and last game I ever went to. The boys got a lot of fun from the game but I told Bill I didn’t see where the fun was. Us mothers and our children had to eat our supper alone as we never knew when the game would be over. Our ball boys have most all passed away.
Well, I have been in Scranton a long time but it is still home to me and I have lived in my home over 60years. When we first came here to live it was called Bluetown. I lived down this way before I was married and we walked to the Scranton school. When I was in grade school, at that time the railroad crossed what is now our Highway. About every morning we would have to stand and wait for the fright train to move on.
In years gone by Scranton was a booming town and we had our own band. The bandstand was on the main street in front of the building North of the post office. The band boys looked nice in their band suits. My uncle and aunt Mr. And Mrs. James Clark lived across from the lumber yard. We often sat on the front porch and listened to the band practice. It was good music and they sure knew how to play.
My two uncles, Sam and George Turvey, were running the butcher shop on the West side of Main Street. They did all their own butchering down in the timber, across from which is now the John Stephen’s home. We had the fourth of July picnics in the old timber and had to hurry and get the grounds ready for the picnic. We all had something new to wear, the cloth we bought for dresses was called line lawn. It cost five cents per yard. We trimmed it with narrow ribbons which cost more than the dress goods.
Scranton at one time had hotels, boarding houses, dry good stores and all. We also had some runaway horses. We also had two livery barns. My oldest brother Thomas, and Edward Hulsopple was in the livery barn business. The barn was on the West side of Main Street, near the St. Louis Store. The boys were burned out and lost everything the had. The boy had to cut the horses loose and run them out of the burning barn. There were horses running around town, didn’t know where to go. The boys later took the other barn which was where the Hartwick home now is.
When I learned to sew, the dressmaker shop was a small building on the same ground down by the alley. The lady who taught us to sew was Nary Stiers, who was staying with her aunt and uncle, Mr. And Mrs. Goodman. The old house still stands. It is across on the West side of the road from the old Ryan home. Emma Ryan who is now Mrs. Abrims of California was my sewing chum. We had to do the job right or rip it out. We went to Sunday school in the old School house and also in the parent’s homes, where sometimes we didn’t have enough chairs. We lost our church by fire. We had a jail bur it was not used very much. In those days we had lots of tramps, but we never turned a hungry person from our doors. Also we had gypsies come to see us quite often and they really scared us but never harmed us.
When I was in grade school of Scranton, one of my teachers was Miss Mamie Supple, who rode a horse to school, across the field a there were no fences or gates to open. It was the former Tobe Coffman pasture. I also went to the Supple School and the boys filled the wood box to keep us warm. The girls helped with the sweeping. The winters were cold and some nights we would get caught in a blizzard and the teacher said we might have to stay all night in the school room. She was kind to us kids and we thought a lot of her. Wishing all success.
Agnes Turvey Isaacs.
Scranton, Kansas.
January 28, 1972.
94 years of age.
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The Isaacs's.
In 1875, Henry Isaacs, father of William Isaacs, opened a grocery store and a coal mine. Later he sank a second shaft both being along the southern line of the town.
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Kansas Census, Scranton Kansas, 1895.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England, About 1849, age 46.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 44.
Children.
1. Emma, age 18.
2. George, age 15.
3. Rose, age 14.
4. Samuel, age 12.
5. Willie, age 11.
6. Clyde, age 8.
7. Neta, age 6.
8. Leo Gregory Isaacs, age 4.
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United States Federal Census, 1900, Scranton Kansas.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England.
Age: 51.
Immigration year: 1873.
Married: 1870.
Married tears 30.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 49.
Children.
1. George W., age 21.
2. William I., age 15.
3. Clyde H., age 13.
4. Juantta, age 11.
Leo G., age 9.
--------------------------------------------
Kansas State Census, 1905, Scranton Kansas.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England.
Age: 58.
Immigration year: 1873.
Married: 1870.
Married tears 35.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 56.
Children.
1. Emma, age 26.
2. Samuel, age 22.
3. Clyde, age 18.
4. Nitta, age 6.
5. Leo, age 14.
6. William, age 20.
7. Jennie, age 18.
------------------------------
United States Federal Census, 1910, Scranton Kansas.
Henry Isaacs.
Born: England.
Age: 61.
Immigration year: 1873.
Married: 1870.
Married tears 40.
Wife: Elizabeth ( Peel ) Isaacs, age 59.
Children.
1. Clyde, age 22.
2. Leo G., age 18.
Note. Depending on how the name sounded to the one taken the census’s some names are spelled different and there seem to be a difference in the ages. So please do your research before stating this census information as fact.
------------------------------
William H. Isaacs was born in Carbondale Kansas, in 1874, and moved to Scranton when a small child. His father, Thomas Isaacs, like most men in those days, was a coal miner. When William was seven years old, his father passed away during the Typhoid Fever epidemic, leaving his mother, himself, and a younger sister, Isabelle, (who later became Mrs. Edward Hulsopple) of this city. At the age of nine years he went to work in the coal mine to help support his mother and sister, and went to night school three nights a week.
--------------------------------
Agnes Turvey was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1877, and came to Scranton when she was eleven months old. Her father, Thomas Turvey, was a mechanic in the coal mines. When a child she went with her family to visit relatives who had staked a claim near what is now Dodge City Kansas. They traveled in a covered wagon and got into quick-sand at one point on their roure. Her relatives were living in a dugout as were most of the homesteaders. Agnes recalls one night the women and children stayed in the dugout as they were told the Indians were coming. The men remained outside with guns all night but no Indians came.
Agnes finished grade school in Scranton and at the age of sixteen became an expert seamstress under the training of Mary Stiers who was the local dressmaker at that time.
When Agnes was twenty and William twenty-three they were married in Scranton, The Reverend George Wilson officiating, the year 1897. During the early days of their marriage William went to work at four o’clock in the morning and many times worked until after dark in the evening. It was said the children used to ask who that man was who came to their house on Sunday, as they were in bed when their father went to work and in bed when he returned. That was a joke among the families of the miners.
Mr. and Mrs. Isaacs lived in Scranton until 1913 when Mr. Isaacs was elected Sheriff of Osage County, at which time they moved to Lyndon. The family returned to Scranton in 1917. Shortly after returning to Scranton Mr. Isaacs became a rural mail carrier, a position he held for twenty years.
Several years after retiring from the mail route, Mr. Isaacs and three other members of his family became employed at the Douglas Aircraft Company in Tulsa. Oklahoma where they resided for three years. At the close of World War Two they returned to Scranton. Mr. and Mrs. Isaacs were the parents of six children. Mr. Isaacs, a son and two daughters are deceased. Mrs. Isaacs, now ninety-four years of age, and three children reside in Scranton.
----------------------------------
The Carbondale Record
Osage County
April 28, 1932
William Isaacs, Jr.
Mr. William Henry Isaacs, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Isaacs, was bron Novmber 9, 1900 and departed this life April 17, 1932, at Grace Hospital, Detroit, Michigan at the age of 31 years, 5 months and 8 days. He had been in ill health for some time, and when his mother visited him at Detroit last fall, she persuaded him to come home. He did so, and spent four months here. He began to look better and improved within a week after returning home, and gained steadily during his stay with home folks. He decided to return to Detroit the latter part of March. He seemed to feel so better when he left, that he made the remark, "I feel like a million dollars."
He had just been back one month when his father was called to Detroit where he spent the day Sunday and the last few hours at his bed side, but in spite of the kind loving care which was given him he passed away at 10:20 o'clock Sunday night. He attended the public schools at Scranton, and at the age of 11 he moved to Lyndon with his parents, where he attended high school.
Four years later he returned to Scranton with his parents, where he worked in and around Scranton and sections of western Kansas, and he also spent some time in Wyoming.
He, with his cousin, Alvin HULSOPPLE, spent several years in Schuyler, Nebraska, where they had employment, after which they left for Detroit where he spent the last 8 years and 11 months. He was employed by the Ford Motor Company where he made good, later was promoted to Inspector of the Crank Shaft Department, until a few months before he came home when many men were layed off in every department. He has made several trips homes during the 81/2 years there. During those years he won a wide circle of friends. The last visit at home will always be a cherished memory of his dear sweet face, his loving words, and his noble deeds will go with us until eternity.
He was a great home boy during his visits here, very kind and thoughtful to his parents, his brother and sisters. He had a fine dispostion, always thinking of others before himself. he was always cheerful even to the end. It was a terrible shock to everyone, which will linger in their hearts for many a long year to come.
Funeral services were held at the Suttons and Son parlors, Detorit, in which several hundred friends attended to pay their last respect to a real and noble friend.
He was brought to Scranton with his father and Alvin Hulsopple and he lay in estate in his home until 2:30 Thursday afternoon, after which funeral services were held at the Methodist church, conducted by Rev. H.P. BASQUIN. He was laid to rest in the Scranton cemetery.
He leaves to mourn his loss, his broken-hearted mother and father, one brother, Ralph, four sisters, Mrs. Ruth JOHNSON, Mrs. Esther HUTCHISON, Eva and Alta Isaacs, besides a host of other relatives and friends both in Scranton and Detroit who will greatly miss his smiling face.
Card of Thanks.
We desire to thank our many friends and neighbors for the kindess and sympathy shown us during the death of our dear son and brother also for the beautiful floral offerings. We also wish to thank his many friends in Detorit who sent the beautiful flowers and words of sympathy.
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Isaacs
Ralph, Eva and Alta Isaacs
Mrs. Esther Johnson
Mrs. Ruth Johnson.
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Scranton City Cemetery, Osage County, Kansas.
Isaacs, Abraham, b. 1856, d. 1920
Isaacs, Agnes T, b. 1877, d. 1976
Isaacs, Dorothy M, b. 1916, d. no date, m. Mar 25, 1941 to Ralph E
Isaacs, Elizabeth, b. 1849, d. 1945 (1943)
Isaacs, Hayden E, b. 1910, d. 1985
Isaacs, Hazel Isaac Long, b. Nov 27, 1892, d. Aug 26, 1984
Isaacs, Hazel M, b. 1914, d. no date, m. Apr 1, 1932 to Leal A
Isaacs, Henry, b. 1847, d. 1918
Isaacs, Hollis H, b. 1908, d. 1923
Isaacs, Jennie, b. 1890, d. 1958
Isaacs, Kenneth D, b. 1916, d. 1918
Isaacs, Leal A, b. 1910, d. 1983
Isaacs, Leo Gregory, b. Feb 22, 1891, d. Jun 18, 1968
Isaacs, Leo Lisle, b. May 1, 1914, d. Feb 3, 1982
Isaacs, Margaret N, b. Jan 22, 1926, d. no date, m. Sep 11, 1971 to Leo Lisle
Isaacs, Matilda, b. Apr 8, 1884, d. Jun 13, 1978, m. Sep 1905 to Samuel T
Isaacs, Ralph E, b. Apr 11, 1910, d. Feb 26, 1990, Cpl US Army WWII
Isaacs, Rosa, b. 1881, d. 1898
Isaacs, Sam, b. 1861, d. 1882
Isaacs, Samuel T, b. 1882, d. 1962
Isaacs, Thomas, d. Nov 19, 1881, aged 37yrs 9mo 1day
Isaacs, William H Jr, b. 1900, d. 1932
Isaacs, William H, b. 1874, d. 1951
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Updated January 15, 2010.
As I stated at the beginning of this page I got interested in the Isaacs name because of a letter from Joanne Tudor, of England, and after it was done and she saw it, she sent me a nice letter. This letter is places here as there is some information in it that may be of help to other Isaacs families looking in to their ancestors.
-----------------------------
Hi Dennis I cannot thank you enough for all the work you have put into helping me with my research into the Isaacs in Scranton. The page makes for interesting reading - it really brings the people, and the times, to life!
Agnes's writing was very touching - working it out, she was the wife of the son of Henry's brother, Thomas, who was the first to make the move to Kansas. Also the memories about the death of their son, William Henry Junior. The census and cemetary lists are so useful. I managed to place at least two thirds of the names in the family tree I have already.
I googled Scranton and to my delight came across a photo of Henry, his wife Elizabeth and their son Leo at the Cozy Theater (which they owned), plus one of the family home, and one or two others in the Isaacs clan including William Henry as Osage County Sheriff, all at http://www.scrantonks.com/
I cannot believe my luck - 3 weeks ago I knew nothing and now I know more about the Isaacs than I could ever have imagined.
It's left me wanting to find out about Henry's other brothers and sisters. I will upgrade my membership to include the US records at Ancestry.com. Who knows where it could end...maybe a visit one day!
PS I've placed all the info that I found on the Isaacs in the UK, including Henry's father and grandfather, marriages before moving to the US etc. onto my family tree at http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/ guess there's a few more details I need to add now!!
Best wishes to you.
Joanne Tudor
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Frank E. Morgan--Topeka, Kansas, 1898.
Frank E. Morgan a volunteer soldier from Burlingame, was attacked by an unknown Negro last night about half past 7 o’clock , at seventh and Kansas avenue, and his throat was nearly cut by two slashes of a razor. A mob of several thousand yelling men besieged the city jail till midnight. Lynching would have been late of the would be murderer if he had been captured . The Police gradually persuaded the mob that he was not at the jail. There seem to be little doubt that the attack on Private Morgan was entirely without provocation. Morgan had an appointment to meet his brother, Ed. Morgan and his cousin James Morgan, at the corner where the trouble occurred. Ed. and James Morgan came up on the north side of east seventh street. At the alley they stopped by a Negro, who made some remark to them. They replied and the Negro cursed them.
Then they walked toward the avenue. When they reached the corner Ed. Morgan looked back, and, stepping up to his brother, said: “ There’s a fellow following us.” The three stepped over to the railing near the corner of the building. The Negro came, up, and, according to the story of witnesses, called Morgan a vile name. The white man struck the Negro, and then Frank Morgan the brother of Ed., stepped in between the fighters. The Negro dealt him two blows with his razor, saying at the same time:” You’re one of them d----militia-men, ain’t you?”
The Negro turned and run. Morgan fell forward, with the blood spurting in streams from this neck. “ I’m cut, Ed. I’m cut he said to his brother. A man standing near is said to have started in pursuit of the Negro, and to have hurled a rock at him. Who this man is could not be learned. The Negro turned north in the alley. Morgan was quickly taken to Stansfield’s drug store, where Dr. D. T. Long dressed the wound. The injured man was not unconscious and talked intelligently. One of the wounds extended from the left ear around to the front of the neck. The other had severed the lower part of the lobe of the left ear and made a shallow gash across the creek. The first wound gaped open, and was a ghastly sight. Twenty stitches were taken in it. In front of the drug store an immense crowd gathered. Many of the soldiers cut on leave thronged to the spot and were greatly excited.
As soon as Morgan’s wounds were sewed up he was taken to Christ hospital in an ambulance. Hardly had the ambulance passed out of sight when a squad of thirty soldiers under command of Lieutenant Huddleston came rapidly down Kansas avenue. The squad composed provo guard of Camp Leedy. News of the trouble had reached the camp and the guard had come to town ostensibly to collect the stragglers from the streets. The temper of the men in the command was such that it had more the nature of a detail on the war path for Negroes. The men begged their Captain to allow them to disperse and take in the town. The requests were very wisely refused.
The appearance of the solders created wild excitement on the avenue. An immense crowd, cheering howling and hooting pushed shoved down the avenue abreast of the soldiers. But the excitement on the avenue died down when the soldiers marched away for camp. But the mob which had gathered did not disperse. It became rumored that the police had caught the Negro that did the cruel work. In a few minutes the streets around the city jail at fifth and Jackson streets were crowded with people. All of the special police and day men were hastily summoned to the jail. The crowd was an angry one, and the presence of a few stray volunteers served to stir the excitement and increase the talk of lynching. Every effort was used to calm the mob.
A young man by the name Kelly climbed the railing in front of the jail, and tried to make a speech . He made an unhappy allusion to “ the affair up on Kansas avenue” the crowd allowed him to go no farther. A Negro drunk named Hezekiah Jones had been arrested by the police , and this man, it became rumored, was the one who did the cutting. The police, brought in several witnesses of the affair, and they all were positive that the man was not the right one. After the theory was exploded, the mob got the idea the police had the man, and were simply using Jones, the drunk as a blind.
There was considerable wild talk of storming the jail. Guards were posted in the alleys to prevent the transfer of any one from the city to the county jails. By midnight the bulk of the mob had departed, and a few stragglers stayed to take over the situation. Some of the volunteers stated that they would not leave town until the police captured the man. As soon as that happened, they proposed to take summary vengeance.----Frank Morgan the man who was cut, is a large powerful man. It is said that he had been dissipating considerably though out the afternoon.
He said to be a rooter for the Capitals: I really don’t know much about this. It all happened so quickly that I was down and bleeding before I know what had happened. I don’t believe that I could recognize the Nero that cut me. I never saw him before. I thank I will get over this all right. I don’t believe I am going to die. Ed Morgan and James Morgan said that the Negro was a short heavy set man, with a black mustache. He wore a round black hat, and a black suit. J. Davis a member of one local Modern Woodmen Company, saw the hole affair from the middle of the street, and confirmed the description. A. W. Green storm, of Osage City, gave a story of the trouble which corresponded with the general observation, and descriptions. Dr. McClintock examined Morgan at the hospital, and made this statement on his condition: Morgan’s external jugular is cut and the external muscles of the neck. All of the deeper muscles are ok. If the keen knife blade had been an eight inch deeper, the jugular vine would have been severed. Morgan was enlisted in the Osage City Company.
Note. I would like to know about Frank P. Morgan, if you have any information on him I would like to hear about it, you can write to me at the following: dsegelquist1@cox.net
Then they walked toward the avenue. When they reached the corner Ed. Morgan looked back, and, stepping up to his brother, said: “ There’s a fellow following us.” The three stepped over to the railing near the corner of the building. The Negro came, up, and, according to the story of witnesses, called Morgan a vile name. The white man struck the Negro, and then Frank Morgan the brother of Ed., stepped in between the fighters. The Negro dealt him two blows with his razor, saying at the same time:” You’re one of them d----militia-men, ain’t you?”
The Negro turned and run. Morgan fell forward, with the blood spurting in streams from this neck. “ I’m cut, Ed. I’m cut he said to his brother. A man standing near is said to have started in pursuit of the Negro, and to have hurled a rock at him. Who this man is could not be learned. The Negro turned north in the alley. Morgan was quickly taken to Stansfield’s drug store, where Dr. D. T. Long dressed the wound. The injured man was not unconscious and talked intelligently. One of the wounds extended from the left ear around to the front of the neck. The other had severed the lower part of the lobe of the left ear and made a shallow gash across the creek. The first wound gaped open, and was a ghastly sight. Twenty stitches were taken in it. In front of the drug store an immense crowd gathered. Many of the soldiers cut on leave thronged to the spot and were greatly excited.
As soon as Morgan’s wounds were sewed up he was taken to Christ hospital in an ambulance. Hardly had the ambulance passed out of sight when a squad of thirty soldiers under command of Lieutenant Huddleston came rapidly down Kansas avenue. The squad composed provo guard of Camp Leedy. News of the trouble had reached the camp and the guard had come to town ostensibly to collect the stragglers from the streets. The temper of the men in the command was such that it had more the nature of a detail on the war path for Negroes. The men begged their Captain to allow them to disperse and take in the town. The requests were very wisely refused.
The appearance of the solders created wild excitement on the avenue. An immense crowd, cheering howling and hooting pushed shoved down the avenue abreast of the soldiers. But the excitement on the avenue died down when the soldiers marched away for camp. But the mob which had gathered did not disperse. It became rumored that the police had caught the Negro that did the cruel work. In a few minutes the streets around the city jail at fifth and Jackson streets were crowded with people. All of the special police and day men were hastily summoned to the jail. The crowd was an angry one, and the presence of a few stray volunteers served to stir the excitement and increase the talk of lynching. Every effort was used to calm the mob.
A young man by the name Kelly climbed the railing in front of the jail, and tried to make a speech . He made an unhappy allusion to “ the affair up on Kansas avenue” the crowd allowed him to go no farther. A Negro drunk named Hezekiah Jones had been arrested by the police , and this man, it became rumored, was the one who did the cutting. The police, brought in several witnesses of the affair, and they all were positive that the man was not the right one. After the theory was exploded, the mob got the idea the police had the man, and were simply using Jones, the drunk as a blind.
There was considerable wild talk of storming the jail. Guards were posted in the alleys to prevent the transfer of any one from the city to the county jails. By midnight the bulk of the mob had departed, and a few stragglers stayed to take over the situation. Some of the volunteers stated that they would not leave town until the police captured the man. As soon as that happened, they proposed to take summary vengeance.----Frank Morgan the man who was cut, is a large powerful man. It is said that he had been dissipating considerably though out the afternoon.
He said to be a rooter for the Capitals: I really don’t know much about this. It all happened so quickly that I was down and bleeding before I know what had happened. I don’t believe that I could recognize the Nero that cut me. I never saw him before. I thank I will get over this all right. I don’t believe I am going to die. Ed Morgan and James Morgan said that the Negro was a short heavy set man, with a black mustache. He wore a round black hat, and a black suit. J. Davis a member of one local Modern Woodmen Company, saw the hole affair from the middle of the street, and confirmed the description. A. W. Green storm, of Osage City, gave a story of the trouble which corresponded with the general observation, and descriptions. Dr. McClintock examined Morgan at the hospital, and made this statement on his condition: Morgan’s external jugular is cut and the external muscles of the neck. All of the deeper muscles are ok. If the keen knife blade had been an eight inch deeper, the jugular vine would have been severed. Morgan was enlisted in the Osage City Company.
Note. I would like to know about Frank P. Morgan, if you have any information on him I would like to hear about it, you can write to me at the following: dsegelquist1@cox.net
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