USA > Kansas > Crawford County > A Twentieth century history and biographical record of Crawford County, Kansas > Part 12
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Dr. W. S. Swart, a native of Vernon county, Missouri, is the young- est of the Girard profession: 'was born in 1876: educated at Ft. Scott Normal and Barnes' Medical College. receiving his degree in 1899. and immediately located in Girard.
Dr. Lindley E. Strode was born in Bourbon county, Kansas, in 1872; graduated from Kansas Normal College. also the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago in 1900. Located in Girard in 1901. Is now serving as coroner of Crawford county.
Dr. Alice Ingels, who has been located at Girard for several years,
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is a graduate from the Keokuk Medical College, Keokuk, Iowa, class of 1891.
Dr. O. F. Lewis, a native of Michigan, graduate of Ann Arbor high school and the medical department of the University of Michigan. located in Hepler in 1881. The doctor is an active politician of the Republican variety ; served as chairman of the Republican central com- mitee of Crawford county ; is at present a representative to state legis- ture, a member of Crawford county pension board, and secretary of the state board of medical examinations and registration : conducts a drug store, operates a farm and yet finds sufficient time to attend to a large medical practice.
There are four physicians in active practice in McCune. The oldest is Dr. James M. Mahr, born at Galena, Illinois, in 1844. Moved to Missouri to study medicine, enlisted with a Missouri regiment in 1862, promoted to hospital steward, discharged in 1863. re-enlisted as a private in the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, served with this regiment until close of war: graduated from the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincin- nati. Ohio, in 1867. Shortly after graduation he located at Montana, Labette county, remaining at this place until 1884, when he moved to McCune. The doctor has always been a Democrat and established the Crawford County Democrat in 1880. and conducted it until 1902. Was elected representative to state legislature in 1870: was mayor of Mc- Cune for six terms : was a member of the Crawford county board of pension examiners during Cleveland's administration.
Dr. M. F. Kyger, also an old resident of McCune, graduated from the Missouri Medical College, St. Louis, in 1878.
Dr. James A. Ragsdale, another McCune doctor, graduated from the Kansas City Medical College in 1897.
Dr. E. W. Doan, son of the late Dr. A. W. Doan, an early Mon-
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mouth doctor, was born in Canada, but came to Crawford county in 1868, at the age of ten years. Graduated from Iowa College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons in 1883, practiced medicine at Weir City for twelve years, served as coroner of Cherokee county, prison physician at Lansing. Located at McCune in 1900.
Dr. H. K. Cowan, of Midway, is a native of Pennsylvania, but ived for several years at Ft. Scott. He graduated from the University Medical College in 1901 : served for one year in the Frisco Hospital at Springfield, Missouri, when he removed to his present location.
Dr. L. S. Wilson, of Monmouth, is a native of Indiana, but came to Crawford county when ten years old; graduated from Girard high school in 1891, engaged in teaching for a time, graduated from the University Medical College, Kansas City, in 1896, and moved at once to his present location.
Although Mulberry is a town of one thousand inhabitants and sur- rounded by a large population of miners, as well as a rich and populous farming section, Dr. J. G. Sandidge, or "Jimmie" as he is familiarly called, is still alone in the field. The doctor was born in Louisiana in 1870, is a nephew of Dr. Allen Wilson and grandson of the late Dr. B. W. Wilson, both of Mulberry. He graduated from a high school, a business college, a college of pharmacy and later in 1893 from the Missouri Medical College at St. Louis. Located at Mulberry as suc- cessor of Dr. Allen Wilson.
Dr. H. M. Bacon, of Nelson, is a native of Massachusetts. Gradu- ated from Amherst College in 1876, conducted a drug store in Kansas City from 1878 to 1897; graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1897; came to Nelson in 1899 as surgeon to the Central Coal & Coke Company.
Dr. A. C. Lynar, of Opolis, was born in Tennessee in 1845. In 1861,
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at the age of sixteen years, he enlisted in the federal army. serving through the war. Graduated from the Missouri Medical College, St. Louis, in 1876, was located at Milford, Missouri, until 1880, when he came to Opolis.
In the city of Pittsburg there are twenty-eight physicians.
The oldest. Dr. G. W. Williams, was born in Tennessee in 1850. graduated from the University of Louisville in 1878. located in Mis- souri until 1881, when he came to Pittsburg as successor of Dr. Watkins. Was president of the Southeastern Kansas Medical Society : established the Pittsburg City Hospital, and is now giving his attention to general surgery and consultation practice.
Dr. C. A. Fisher was born at Delphi, Indiana, in 1856. Graduated from the Medical College of Indiana at Indianapolis in 1881. Located in Pittsburg in 1882. Has served as mayor of Pittsburg, coroner of Crawford county, member of Crawford county pension board and is now a representative to the state legislature.
Dr. M. E. Johnson was born in Indiana in 1854, graduated from the Miami Medical College. Cincinnati. in 1879: located in Pittsburg in 1879.
Dr. W. E. Welch was born in Missouri in 1861, graduated from Rush Medical College of Chicago in 1886, located in Pittsburg same year.
Dr. William Williams was born in Tennessee in 1861, removed to Missouri in 1870. taught school, graduated from the Missouri Medical College, St. Louis, in 1886: located in Pittsburg same year. served as member of Crawford county pension board during Cleveland's adminis- tration.
Dr. E. O. Sloan was born in Missouri in 1855, graduated from the Missouri Medical College of St. Louis in 1881, was located at Walnut
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Grove, Missouri, until 1882, when hie removed to Cherryvale, Kansas, and remained there until 1890, when he came to Pittsburg.
Dr. A. O. Blair was born in Illinois in 1854, graduated from the St. Louis Medical College in 1877, engaged in practice in Illinois until 1884, when he located in Beulah. Came to Pittsburg in 1890. The doctor has served as secretary of the Southeastern Kansas Medical So- ciety.
Dr. I. E. Sanderson was born in Parke county, Indiana, in 1853; moved to Girard, Kansas, in 1877; located at Farlington, with a drug store, in 1879; remained until 1894, when he came to Pittsburg. The doctor is a licentiate of the state board of medical examination and reg- istration.
Dr. Charles Hunter was born in Alabama in 1853: came to Pitts- burg in 1883; graduated from Barnes Medical College, St. Louis, in 1896. Is making a specialty of diseases of the eye and ear. Has served as mayor of Pittsburg.
Dr. F. A. Porter was born in New York in 1855. Graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College (Homeopathic) of Chicago, in 1887; located in Arkansas City, 1891; removed to Pittsburg in 1896.
Dr. A. R. Clark was born at Rushville, Illinois, in 1845. Served one year in the army in 1865 with an Illinois regiment (One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Infantry). Practiced medicine in Schuyler county; Illinois, until 1893, when he removed to Pittsburg. He is a licentiate of the state board of medical examination and registration.
Dr. Arthur Moberg was born in Illinois in 1870. Graduated from the Marion Simms Medical College of St. Louis in 1897; spent one year in the St. Louis City Hospital ; located in Pittsburg in 1898.
Dr. H. H. Bogle was born in Ohio in 1867. Removed to Beulah, Kansas, in 1884; graduated from the College of Physicians and Sur-
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geons of Chicago in 1893 ; located at Beulah the same year ; removed to Pittsburg in 1899. Has served as county health officer and is now secretary of the Southeastern Kansas Medical Society.
Dr. Corresta T. Canfield, a native of Ohio, graduated from the Women's Homeopathic College of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1869. Attended lectures and was demonstrator of anatomy in Men's Homeopathic Col- lege for a time. Located at Titusville, Pennsylvania, for several years, until 1880, when she removed to Chicago. In 1890, on account of ill health, she removed to Pittsburg. She has served as vice-president, secretary and president of the Women's Medical Society of Chicago, and is a senior member of the American Institute of Homeopathy.
Dr. Robert W. McLaren was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1873. Graduated from Magill College, Montreal, Canada, in 1898: served two years in Montreal Hospital : located in Pittsburg in 1900.
Dr. Hugh B. Caffey was born in Mississippi in 1877. Graduated from the Tulane University of New Orleans in 1901 ; located in Pitts- burg the same year.
Dr. A. Dietrich was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1858. Gradu- ated from the University of Freiburg, Germany, in 1886, and later from the University of Indiana (medical department). Located in Oregon; came to Pittsburg in 1900.
Dr. J. W. Porter was born in Jefferson county, Indiana, in 1856. Graduated from high school in 1872; moved to Piatt county, Illinois, in 1877 : taught school : graduated from the Kentucky School of Medi- cine, of Louisville, in 1883 : practiced medicine in Illinois until 1885. when he removed to Jetmore, Kansas: moved to Litchfield in 1888, and to Pittsburg in 1901.
Dr. "Robert D. Gibb was born in Illinois in 1878: moved to Montana in childhood: graduated from the Hospital Medical. Louis-
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ville, in 1900. Located in Montana for one year: came to Pittsburg in 1901.
Dr. A. C. Graves was born in Huntingdon. Tennessee, in 1856, attended McKinzie College: graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1881 and Nashville University in 1882: located at Cherokee same year ; remained until 1897, when he attended eye and ear clinics in London, Paris and Vienna. Located in Pittsburg in 1898, where he has since limited his practice to diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat. The doctor has served as secretary and president of the Southeastern Kan- sas Medical Society.
Dr. Mary A. Gilman, assistant to Dr. Graves, was born at Onarga, Illinois, came to Pittsburg in 1874. Graduated from the Woman's Hospital Medical College. of Chicago. 1889. Served as interne in Mary Thompson Hospital, Chicago, for one year. Returned to Pittsburg in 1890.
Dr. F. S. Bragg was born at Evansville, Ind., in 1870. Graduated from Eyansville high school in 1885. and the Missouri Homeopathic Col- lege of Medicine of St. Louis. Located at Pittsburg same year.
Dr. Ethel Hill Sharp, a native of Buffalo, New York was trained as nurse in the W. C. T. U. National Hospital. Chicago. Graduated from Herring Medical College (Homeopathic) of Chicago in 1900. Was located at Emporia, Kansas, until 1892, when she came to Pittsburg.
Dr. Amelia A. Dickinson, a native of Maine, was born in 1871. graduated from high school and Herring Medical College (Homeo- pathic) of Chicago, in 1900. Was located in Maine and Massachusetts until 1903, when she located in Pittsburg.
Dr. D. O. Munson was born in New York in 1861, but early re- moved to Canada. Graduated from the Marion Simms Medical Col- lege, St. Louis, in 1896. Located in Cherokee in 1899. Came to Pitts- burg in 1903.
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Dr. T. R. Cave was born at Deputy, Indiana, in 1852. Graduated from the Medical College of Ohio in 1874. Practiced medicine at his old home until 1882, when he was located at MeCune for one year, then moved to Westmoreland, Kansas, where he remained until 1903, when he located in Pittsburg.
Dr. Ivan G. Poiiek, a native of Austria, was born in 1854. Gradu- ated from the University of Vienna in 1875, came to America and Kan- sas in 1887. and to Pittsburg in 1903.
Dr. William C. Whinster, a Canadian and a recent graduate of the medical department of Central University of Louisville, has recently located in Pittsburg.
Walnut has three physicians. Of these the oldest is Dr. W. B. Ash, who was born at Springfield, Ohio. in 1850. At the age of fourteen years he moved to Kentucky. Studied medicine and attended one course of lectures. Located at Morganfield in 1874: moved to Walnut in 1877.
Dr. R. B. Stafford was born in Indiana in 1870. Moved to Kansas. Attended Baker University. Graduated from the University Medical College, Kansas City, Missouri, in 1001. Located in Walnut the same year.
Dr. J. J. Cavanaugh graduated from the Creighton University of Omaha, in 1898. Located in Arcadia. Last year moved to Walnut.
Dr. C. A. Smith of Yale, was born at Windsor, Missouri, in 1870. Attended State Normal School at Warrensburg, Missouri. Taught school for a time. Graduated from the Barnes Medical College of St. Louis in 1899, and shortly after located at Yale as physician and surgeon to the Western Coal & Mining Company.
There are at the present time in the county engaged in practice fifty-two regular, seven eclectic and six homeopathic physicians. Of these, fifty-nine are male and six are female.
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While the progress of Crawford county in other fields during the past forty years has been rapid, yet medicine has kept abreast of the indus- tries and her sister professions. From the few squatter doctors, with their crude appliances in 1864, today we have sixty-five well equipped and up-to-date physicians and surgeons, fully prepared to meet the de- mands of our dangerous mine and railroad injuries, and to care for the ills of our increased population. We have two thoroughly equipped hos- pitals, the Pittsburg City Hospital, a private institution, operated by Drs. G. W. Williams, William Williams, and A. O. Blair, and the Mt. Carmel Hospital, conducted by the Catholic Sisters, and open to the entire profession.
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CHAPTER VIII. HISTORY OF THE BENCH AND BAR OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
BY J. A. SMITH AND ARTHUR FULLER.
It is with a feeling of hesitancy that we undertake the somewhat responsible task of writing even a brief history of the bench and bar of one of the foremost counties of the State of Kansas. Our ability to do justice to some of the characters we fear may be found inadequate and lack of time to make the research and inquiry necessary to enable us to give a full and complete historic sketch, we realize has handicapped us to a great extent.
The existence of the bar covers a period of about the average gen- eration of the human race, and in said time it has furnished a state auditor, a congressman, a judge of the district court and many prom- inent officials.
Besides these there have always been in its ranks numbers of well- known attorneys, who have ever been recognized in the circles of the profession as talented lawyers.
While many of the older members have yielded to the inevitable law, which fixes the destiny of every man, or sought new fields for the practice of their chosen profession or of other more lucrative callings, other young lawyers in the prime of their physical and mental vigor have taken the places of those no longer here.
These young gentlemen, among whom are some very brilliant and well-cultivated minds, are maintaining an enviable reputation for the
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lar and making history that it is to be hoped will be hereafter written by one or more of them.
The present members of the Crawford county bar are as follows : E. W. Arnold, O. T. Boaz, O. O. Boudinot, Campbell and Campbell, Morris Cliggitt, T. W. Cogswell, Curran and Curran, Arthur Fuller. B. S. Gaitskill. W. j. Gregg. John L. Kirkpatrick. W. J. Watson, T. J. Karr. E. M. Mason, W. H. Morris, E. A. Perry, Sanford Pettibone. W. H. Ryan, D. F. Schock. James A. Smith, George H. Stuessi. J. L. Taylor. J. M. Wayde. Widby and Wheeler. D. H. Woolley, and Laura A. Wilson.
The members of the Crawford county bar met at Judge James A. Smith's home in Girard. Kansas. December 12, 1895, to attend a ban- quet given by himself, wife and daughter Helen, and at the close of the entertainment the Crawford County Bar Association was organized and Judge James A. Smith was elected president. W. J. Gregg, secretary, and Arthur Fuller, treasurer. After this annual meetings were held and a general good time indulged in. At the meeting held at Pittsburg. in December, 1896. Judge Smith responded to the toast. "The Crawford County Bar." which gives a correct history of the bar from its incipiency to that time, and we give it in full.
CRAWFORD COUNTY BAR.
The Crawford county bar, in its first inception, during the spring of 1866, consisted of one member, the respondent to this toast: but before the election in November of the same year there were added thereto J. Thomas Bridgens and Julius Sherwood. Mr. Bridgens- "Tom." as he was known to all of us-died within the present year. He will be remembered as an encyclopedia of legal information, and a most genial and able jurist. Julius Sherwood was a candidate for county attorney in opposition to myself, and was defeated at the first
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election of county officers on the organization of the Neutral Lands into a county in November, 1866, after which he left for Texas, and it is reported that he is not now living. In the spring of 1867 tlie legisla- ture divided the Neutral Lands, which had been organized as Cherokee county, into three parts, giving to Bourbon county five miles and divid- ing the remainder into two counties, calling the northern half Crawford county, in honor of the then governor, Samuel J. Crawford, and Craw- fordsville about two and one-half miles west of the present county seat was designated as the temporary county seat. Young Wallace, a son of the aged Dr. Wallace, an early settler and still living at Arcadia, was made first county attorney proper after the division alluded to, and your respondent was elected first county attorney of Cherokee county. Then came Frank Danford, a young lawyer of ability, who served till January. 1873. A. A. Fletcher followed, and served two years. He was a suc- cessful lawyer. but becoming the victim of varied misfortune died not long since in the insane asylum. Daniel Scott was next in order, serving one term. A man in advanced life, he was an able lawyer, one of the old-style common law practitioners, and often talked entertainingly of his early practice in Ohio, with such eminent lawyers as Tom Corwin. when they traveled in company on foot or on horseback with the judge around the circuit, before the modern facilities for travel arrived. Con- sidered eccentric, he was merely dignified, with the old-time formal politeness, which caused him to be regarded as rather stiff in manner. but he was true, honest and cautious in his profession, and was generally respected and generally liked by the bar. He died in Girard some fifteen years since. John T. Voss was elected for two terms, serving until January, 1881. He located in Crawford county in 1867, where he remained until a few years since, when he moved to Colorado, where he still practices law, and is also engaged in the more lucrative business of
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mining He is what is termed a sledge-hammer lawyer, ever active, persistent, vigilant, in his client's interest, fighting in his behalf to the bitter end. He has since died. C. Dana Sayrs succeeded him for two terms, ending in January, 1885. He located in the county in 1868, and continued to practice here till '86, when he removed to Chadron, Nebraska, where he prosecutes law and farming. He is one of those whole-souled Virginians, who love to talk of Washington "Vauginia." and the F. F. V.'s, and had the rare gift of winning and keeping friends. His practice commenced in the early days of a new country, and he labored under difficulties belonging to such conditions, as did all young men similarly situated. John Rankin came next, and served one term. He is also of those who have joined the "innumerable caravan." Ed. Van Gundy followed, serving one term, and all violators of law feared him more than any prosecutor the county ever possessed. His ever vigilant and active enforcement of the law undoubtedly defeated him in the next election. Studious and hard-working, he promised to become a most able and brilliant attorney, but death interrupted-for this world. B. S. Gaitskill succeeded him for two terms. He is with us in flesh tonight, and, not to be fulsome in flattery, but honestly truthful, he was an active and faithful prosecutor, and turned more money into the school fund from fines collected than any of his predecessors, and now stands in the front rank of lawyers of this bar. We are not reviewing the absent or gone before it seems at this juncture, for W. H. Morris, our present county attorney, serving his second term, still survives the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" pertaining to the position, and adds to the good fellowship of this occasion.
Then there was Ben Pursal, now of Kansas City, one of the best lawyers that ever belonged to the bar, who always says when the court rules against him: "Don't it beat hel !? " And then Sol Smith, a cousin
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of Daniel Webster, with his tongue tied in the middle, who forgets to take off his napkin when going from his meals to court and who is now judge of one of the superior courts in Washington, and Frank Playter, an early settler, a rustler of whom you all know, and D. B. Van Syckle, J. M. Voss, A. Burns, Miller and Lewis, all gone away : James F. St. Clair, now dead, of whom many things might be said; and then there was William Wells, almost brought up in this county, a brilliant young man, who died last year, and James Brown, who has gone to Parkville, Missouri, and Col. C. G. Hawley, who came in 1868, and who served the county four years as probate judge. And Thos. Ping, who was also probate judge for two years, and his son P. I. B. Ping, who was state senator from this county four years, both dead. Then there is Thos. IV. Wells, an old settler, who first settled in Osage township, and who has been, and is now, a successful practitioner, and also his two sons. Henry J. and Edwin E. Wells.
And Arthur Fuller, a young man, and also one of the best and ablest members of our bar, who has attained that prominence by his energy, studiousness, and close attention to his business and profession. And John Randolph, his partner, a ripe scholar, who bids fair to surpass his namesake of Roanoke (and who died at Pittsburg, Kansas, 1901).
There are D. H. Woolley and P. P. Campbell, who have been prop- erly designated the orators of the bar. And O. T. Boaz and Morris Cliggitt, both scholars and leading lawyers.
Then there are J. M. Wayde, John J. Campbell, M. F. Bussell, W. J. Gregg, Lyngar & Wheeler, Arnold & Phillips, Brayman & Hill, D. F. Schoch, W. J. Watson, O. W. Mitchem, A. C. Mellette, Mr. Miliken, C. W. Butterworth, T. J. Widby, deputy county attorney, and T. T. Perry and E. A. Perry both old settlers. And there is E. M. Mason, one of the most scholarly and able talkers and at a recent meet-
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ing of the bar designated its poet. And there is O. S. Casad, late post- master and now justice in Pittsburg. And last but not least, comes Tom Cogswell, now assistant attorney general of the state of Kansas for this county. And I came nearly forgetting Col. H. R. Thurston, who was once what might be called the typical police judge of your city and who is now practicing law at Guthrie, Oklahoma.
We have frequently with us such eminent lawyers as Hon. Chas. W. Blair, Hon. H. G. Webb, W. R. Cowley, J. N. Ritter, W. C. Perry, Col. J. R. Hallowell, A. Danford, J. D. Hill, Mart. V. Voss and others.
Our presiding judges have been Hon. D. P. Lowe, W. C. Webb, H. G. Webb, B. W. Perkins, Geo. Chandler, C. O. French, S. H. Allen, and our retiring judge, J. S. West, who has served with great honor and credit to himself and to the public. We all regret to lose him, and wish him all the success and prosperity that a deserving man is entitled to in all his future ventures.
And we believe Walter L. Simons, our judge-elect, will faithfully and impartially carry out the trust imposed in him, if his past life and conduct and great ability are any criterion to guide us.
In responding to this most suggestive toast you will perhaps pardon me-the more especially since you recently by your vote honored me by bestowing upon me the title of the Father of the Crawford county bar-you will pardon me if I become reminiscent. It seems to me much akin to magic-like a fairy-tale-that thirty years ago your respondent, in October, 1866, followed the Indian trail then traveled from Fort Scott to Fort Gibson, during the organization of this county, the blue- stem grass tops waving a foot higher than the rider's head, finding few settlers along the timber skirting the streams and none at all on the open prairie. Like magic in truth, does it seem to contrast the condi- tions of that time to this. The same tract, now gridironed with rail-
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