History of Labette County, Kansas, from the first settlement to the close of 1892, Part 26

Author: Case, Nelson, 1845-1921
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Topeka, Kan., Crane & Company
Number of Pages: 392


USA > Kansas > Labette County > History of Labette County, Kansas, from the first settlement to the close of 1892 > Part 26


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38


At the November election in 1870 as many as 1,706 votes were cast for some of the positions, but generally the aggregate vote on any one office was a few short of 1,700. The Republican State ticket generally re- ceived about 1,025 to 1,050 votes, and the Democratic candidates about


252


HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.


640 to 660 votes; while on the county ticket the vote for the respective candidates of the two parties was more nearly equal.


In 1871 there were 1,794 votes cast for Sheriff; of these G. W. Frank- lin, the Democratic candidate, received 959, and L. S. Crum, the Re- publican candidate, 835. I. W. Patrick, the Republican candidate for Register of Deeds, was elected by a majority of 150. In 1872 the Grant Electors received 1,779 votes, and the Greeley Electors 1,014, making a total vote on the National ticket of 2,793. The candidates on the two tickets for State offices received substantially the same proportion of votes. In 1873 S. L. Coulter, the Republican candidate for Probate Judge, re- ceived 1,765 votes, while Davis Vulgamore, the Democratic candidate, received but 487. C. F. Smith, the Republican candidate for Treasurer, had no opposition, and received 2,346. In 1874 the total vote was 2,076. For the office of Governor, Thomas A. Osborn received 1,108 votes, James C. Cusey 730, and W. K. Marshall 77. In 1875 the total vote was 2,450. S. B. Abbott, Republican candidate for Sheriff, received 1,252 votes, and Nixon Elliott, the Democratic candidate, 1,112. In 1876 the total vote was 3,529. The Hayes Electors received 2,092, the Tilden Electors 1,372, the Cooper Electors 8, and the Smith Electors 17. In 1877 but 2,683 votes were cast. For Chief Justice, A. H. Horton, the Republican candidate, received 1,562 ; Samuel A. Riggs, the Greenback candidate, 824; and W. R. Wagstaff, the Democratic candidate, 253 votes. In 1878 the vote was 3,385. J. P. St. John, the Republican can- didate for Governor, received 1,594; J. R. Goodin, the Democratic can- didate, 968 ; D. P. Mitchell, the Greenback candidate, 804. There were 3,102 votes cast in 1879. The Republican candidate for Treasurer re- ceived 1,591; the Democratic candidate, 886; the Greenback candidate, 574. In 1880 the total vote was 4,672. The Garfield Electors received 2,721; the Hancock Electors, 1,462; and the Weaver Electors, 420. In 1881 the vote was 3,163. The Republican candidate for Treasurer re- ceived 1,340; the Democratic candidate, 1,311; the Greenback candi- date, 474. In 1882 the vote was 4,020. For Governor, St. John received 1,941 votes, Glick 1,669, and Robinson 329. In 1883 there were 4,015 votes. The Republican candidate for Treasurer received 2,057, the Democratic candidate 1,571, the Greenback candidate 242. In 1884 the Blaine Electors received 3,475, the Cleveland Electors 2,094, the Butler Electors 316, and the St. John Electors 149. In 1885 the vote was 3,763. The Republican candidate for Treasurer received 2,378 votes, and the Democratic candidate 1,347. In 1886 the vote was 4,802. For Governor John A. Martin received 2,427 votes, Thomas Moonlight 2,195, and C. H. Branscomb 125. In 1887 there were 4,799 votes cast. For Treasurer


253


POLITICAL.


the Republican candidate received 1,903, the Union Labor candidate 2,448, and the Democratic candidate 417. This was the first election in the county in which the Republican party received a general defeat. Not infrequently one or more of the opposition ticket had been elected, but at this election, with one exception, the entire Union Labor ticket was elected. In 1888 the vote was 6,072. The Harrison Electors re- ceived 2,870 votes, the Cleveland Electors 976, the Streeter Electors 2,125, and the Fisk Electors 85. In 1889 the vote was 4,733. The Re- publican candidate for Treasurer received 2,120 votes, the Union Labor candidate 2,086, the Democratic candidate 507. In 1890 the vote was 5,555. For Governor, Humphrey received 2,165 votes, Willits 2,434, Robinson 914, Richardson 21. In 1891 the vote was 5,125. For Treas- urer the Republican candidate received 2,333 votes, the People's party candidate 2,449, the Democratic candidate 275, the Prohibition candidate 40. In 1892 the total vote was 6,174. The Weaver Electors received 3,116 votes, the Harrison Electors 2,950, and the Bidwell Electors 93.


The result of the votes which I have given above in the several years fairly represents the average strength of each of the parties. Especially in county matters the votes on different offices have varied quite largely, local and personal considerations entering into the result very much more than in State and National matters.


COMMISSIONER DISTRICTS.


On June 5, 1867, an order was made dividing the county into three dis- tricts as follows : District No. 1, townships 31 and 32, in range 21; Dis- trict No. 2, townships 33 and 34, in range 21; District No. 3, the remainder of the county.


On July 7, 1870, a new division was made, and the several districts were constituted as follows: District No. 1, all of range 21; District No. 2, townships 33, 34, and 35, in all of the ranges west of range 21; District No. 3, townships 31 and 32, in all the ranges west of range 21. This division has remained ever since it was thus made.


It is evident that between these two divisions another one was made which does not appear of record ; for at the November (1869 ) election the person elected from the first district resided in the second, and the person elected from the second district resided in the first, as the districts were constituted in 1867.


LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENT.


Labette county, without any bill making it such, was recognized as the Eighty-fifth Representative district from 1867, when our first member was admitted, to 1871, when the next apportionment was made, at which


254


HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.


time it was divided into two districts, the northern half constituting the Forty-third and the southern part the Forty-fourth. In this apportion- ment Elm Grove township was entirely left out of any district, and it was not until 1873 that it was made a part of the Forty-fourth district. We were a part of the Sixteenth Senatorial district up to 1871, when we were made the Fifteenth district.


In the apportionment of 1876 we were continued as the Fifteenth Senatorial district, and divided into three Representative districts, the northern portion being the Forty-fourth, the central portion the Forty- fifth, and the southern portion the Forty-sixth district.


In 1881 we were made to constitute the Ninth Senatorial district, and, commencing as before, on the north, the Thirty-third, Thirty-fourth and Thirty-fifth Representative districts.


In the 1886 apportionment we were constituted the Tenth Senatorial district, and the Twenty-eighth, Twenty-ninth and Thirtieth Representa- tive districts, numbering from the north.


In 1891 the act of apportionment made us the Eleventh Senatorial dis- trict, and gave us but two instead of three Representatives, as we had theretofore had. The townships of Mound Valley, Osage, Walton, La- bette, Liberty, North, Neosho, and the city of Parsons, were made to constitute the Twenty-sixth Representative district, and the remainder of the county the Twenty-seventh district.


LIST OF OFFICERS.


JUDGE OF DISTRICT COURT .- 1867, William Spriggs; 1868-69, John R. Goodin; 1870, William C. Webb; 1870-73, Henry G. Webb; 1873-82, Bishop W. Perkins; 1883-89, George Chandler; 1889, John N. Ritter; 1890-, Jerry D. McCue.


STATE SENATOR .- 1867-68, J. W. Scott; 1869-70, John C. Carpenter; 1871-72, Henry C. Whitney; 1873-76, J. H. Crichton; 1877-80, Angell Matthewson; 1881-84, W. B. Glasse; 1885-92, Charles H. Kimball.


REPRESENTATIVES .- Eighty-fifth District : 1867, Charles H. Bent; 1868, W. C. Watkins; 1869, Dr. D. D. McGrath; (on account of sickness, Dr. McGrath did not take his seat in the Legislature; ) 1870, Walter P. Bishop; 1871, Dr. J. M. Mahr .- Forty-third District : 1872, J. J. Woods; 1873, W. W. Harper; 1874, J. L. Williams; 1875, J. J. Woods; 1876, M. W. Reynolds .- Forty-fourth District : 1872, D. C. Constant; 1873, W. H. Mapes; 1874, W. H. Mapes; 1875, R. W. Wright; 1876, H. G. Webb .- Forty-fourth District : * 1877-78, G. W. Gabriel; 1879-80, J. H. Martin; 1881-82, J. B.Swart .- Forty-fifth District : 1877-78, F. A. Bet- tis; 1879-80, H. C. Blanchard; 1881-82, J. S. Waters .- Forty-sixth Dis- trict : 1877-78, J. H. Hibbets; 1879-80, T. J. Calvin; 1881-82, T. J. Cal- vin .- Thirty-third District : 1883-84, G. W. Gabriel; 1885-86, David


* This was the new Forty-fourth district, established by the apportionment of 1876.


255


POLITICAL.


Kelso .- Thirty-fourth District : 1883-84, J. S. Waters; 1885-86, H. C. Cook .- Thirty-fifth District : 1883-84, J. H. Crichton; 1885-86, J. B. Cook .- Twenty-eighth District : 1887-88, F. R. Morton; 1889-90, W. W. Cranston; 1891-92, J. I. Tanner .- Twenty-ninth District : 1887-88, J. H. Morrison; 1889-90, H. S. Coley; 1891-92, P. A. Morrison .- Thirtieth District : 1887-88, R. S. Lybarger; 1889-90, J. S. Hileman; 1891-92, Alex. Duncan.


PROBATE JUDGE .- The party who was elected April 22, 1867, failed to qualify in time. June 5, 1867, Bergen Van Ness was appointed. and reappointed July 3d; 1868, D. C. Lowe; Jan. to Sept. 1869, Henry M. Minor; Sept. to Nov. 1869, Merrit Read; Nov. 1869 to July 1870, W. H. Whitlock; July to Dec. 1870, Walter P. Bishop; Dec. 1870 to March 1873, B. W. Perkins; March 1873 to July 1880, S. L. Coulter; July 1880 to Jan. 1885, Nelson Case; 1885-86, S. L. Coulter; 1887-90, T. J. Calvin; 1891 -92, E. A. Richcreek.


COUNTY ATTORNEY .- 1867, W. J. Parkinson; 1868, C. H. Bent, W. P. Bishop; 1869, W. P. Bishop, B. W. Perkins; (J. D. McCue and J. H. Gunn special County Attorneys; ) 1870-72, J. S. Waters; 1873-74, E. C. Ward; 1875-76, Willard Davis; 1877-80, J. S. Waters; 1881-82, Lewis C. True; 1883-84, George S. King; 1885-86, J. D. Conderman; 1887-88, T. C. Cory; 1888, A. A. Osgood; 1889-90, John H. Morrison; 1891-92, Joseph R. Hill; May 20 to Nov. 12, 1892, Frank H. Atchinson; Nov. 12, 1892-, M. E. Williams.


SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION .- 1867, John F. Newlon; 1868, Enos Reed; 1869-70, R. J. Elliott; 1871-72, J. W. Horner; 1873-78, Mary A. Higby; 1879-80, J. Covalt; 1881-82, M. Chidester; 1883-86, Mrs. Anna C. Baker; 1887-88, Mrs. Anna Hickenbottom; 1889-90, Miss Agnes Beaty; 1891-, Mrs. Lucy Best.


REGISTER OF DEEDS .- 1867, Elza Craft; 1868-69. Charles Beggs; 1870-71, James W. Peace; 1872-81, I. W. Patrick; 1882-83, J. M. Cun- ningham; 1884-87, Asa Smith; 1888-89, J. K. Russell; 1890-91, J. A. Flora; 1892-, Andrew W. Mackie.


SHERIFF .- 1867, Benjamin A. Rice; 1868 to April 5, 1869, John N. Watson; 1869, Frank D. Howe; 1870, John T. Weaver; Oct. 1870-71, Joseph C. Wilson; 1872-75, G. W. Franklin; 1876-77, S. B. Abbott; 1878-79, J. H. Macon; 1880-83, D. M. Bender; 1884-85, Jonas T. Lamp- son; 1886-87, C. B. Woodford; 1888-89, Jonas T. Lampson; 1890-93, Wm. Cook.


COUNTY SURVEYOR .- 1867, Z. Harris; 1868 to April 5, 1869, S. R. Southwick; April 5, 1869, to 1871, E. G. Davidson; 1872-73, Wade H. Prichard; 1874-75, Samuel Terrill; 1876-77, Wade H. Prichard; 1878-79, George Thornton; 1880-81, J. M. Wells; resigned in Sept. 1881, and B. R. Cunningham was appointed; 1881-85, B. R. Cunningham; 1886-87, W. W. Dentler; 1888-89, C. C. Robbins; 1890-91, J. W. Boggess; 1892-93, A. B. Bushnell.


COUNTY ASSESSOR .- April 22, 1867, Francis Wall elected, but failed to qualify; A. W. Jones appointed; 1868, J. R. Morrison.


CLERK DISTRICT COURT .- 1867-68, R. S. Cornish; 1869-70, Robert Steel; 1871-72, D. S. Morrison; 1873-74, R. J. Elliott; 1875-84, H. C.


256


HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.


Cook; 1885-88, E. B. Baldwin; 1889-90, Colin Hodge; 1891-92, J. A. Jones.


COUNTY TREASURER .- April to Sept. 1867, C. C. Clover; Sept. 3, 1867, James C. Watson appointed but failed to qualify; Oct. 1867 to July 1868, R. M. Bennett; 1868-69, Henry C. Bridgman; Jan. to Oct. 1870, Wm. Logan; 1870-72, Henry C. Bridgman; 1872-76, Charles F. Smith; 1876-80, George M. Caldwell; 1880-82, George Thornton; 1882-84, Geo. M. Caldwell; 1884-88, C. W. Littleton; 1888-90, W. H. Porter; 1890-92, William Slaughter; 1892-, M. V. Davis.


COUNTY CLERK .- March to July 1867, Austin T. Dickerman; July to Dec. 1867, D. W. Clover; Jan. to Nov. 1868, Charles E. Simons; Nov. 20th 1868 to Jan. 6th 1869, Charles C. Beggs; Jan. 6th to Nov. 1869, John D. Coulter: Nov. 1869-79, L. C. Howard; 1880-81, W. H. Keirsey; 1882-85, Frank W. Felt; 1886-87, W. W. Cook; 1888-89, W. J. Millikin; 1890-91, Geo. W. Tilton; 1892-, D. H. Martin.


AUDITOR .- W. A. Starr, July 14, 1882, to his death, Dec. 14, 1883; W. B. Glasse, March 4th 1884-88; George S. King, Jan. 3 to Nov. 27, 1891.


HEALTH OFFICER .- June 1st 1885 to April 13th 1891, Elmer E. Lig- gett; April 13th 1891-, L. T. Strother.


CORONER .- 1867-69, George W. Kingsbury ; 1870-71, J. H. Logan ; 1872, J. F. Newlon ; 1873, William Pinkerton; 1874-77, D. B. Crouse ; 1878-79, W. R. Moore; 1880-81, W. W. Inglish; 1881-82, Lewis Peter- son, who resigned in 1882, and P. Davis was appointed; 1883-87, E. W. Dorsey; 1888-89, A. A. Clarady; 1890-91, T. J. Finley; 1892-, J. H. Miller.


COUNTY COMMISSIONERS .- March 10, 1867, Governor Crawford ap- pointed Samuel W. Collins, Charles H. Talbott and Bergen Van Ness commissioners to organize the county. April 22, 1867, William Shay, David C. Lowe and Nathan Ames were elected; Mr. Shay failing to qualify, John G. Rice was appointed in his place. 1868, 1st, William Logan; 2d, Isaac Butterworth; 3d, James F. Molesworth. 1869, 1st, William Logan; 2d, Elisha Hammer; 3d, James F. Molesworth.


Subsequent to 1869 the commissioners were as follows: First District : 1870, William Steel; 1871, Gilbert Martin; 1872-77, D. J. Doolen; 1878, H. S. Coley ; 1879-81, D. J. Doolen; 1882-84, W. G. Hoover; 1885-90, D. A. Jones; 1891-, Gilbert A. Cooper. - Second District : 1870-71, J. W. Morey; Nov. 1871, Abner De Con was elected, but died before taking his seat; Feb. 10th 1872-73, George Foland; 1874-75, H. M. Debolt; 1876-77, C. Leib; 1878-79, H. M. Debolt; 1880-82, A. N. Russell; 1883-84, M. Breidenthal; April 5th 1884, Mr. Breidenthal died, and E. B. Baldwin was appointed in his place, and served from April 18th to Dec. 3d, 1884; Dec. 3d 1884-88, Lewis Goodwin; 1889-, Milo Hildreth .- Third District : November 3, 1869, J. P. Hutton declared elected, but died before quali- fying; July 7, 1870, W. H. Carpenter was appointed; November, 1870, J. M. Richland was elected, but Carpenter claimed there was no vacancy, and Richland never took his seat; W. H. Carpenter continued to serve until the following November election; Nov. 1871-73, William Dick; 1874-77, W. A. Starr; 1878-80, P. W. Shick; 1881-83, J. J. Henderson: 1884-89, J. E. Brooks; 1890-92, J. W. Scott.


List and Terms of Chairmen of Board of County Commissioners .- 1867, David C. Lowe; 1868, William Logan; 1869, James F. Molesworth;


257


POLITICAL.


1870, William Steel; Nov. 14, 1870, to Jan. 12, 1871, J. W. Morey; 1871, W. H. Carpenter; Nov. 1871 to Jan. 1872, J. W. Morey; 1872-73, William Dick; 1874-77, D. J. Doolen; 1878, H. S. Coley; 1879-81, D. J. Doolen; 1882-83, J. J. Henderson; 1884, W. G. Hoover; 1885-86, J. E. Brooks: 1887, D. A. Jones; 1888-89, J. E. Brooks; 1890, D. A. Jones; 1891-92, Milo Hildreth.


COUNTY DEPOSITORY.


October 10, 1882, to July 11, 1891, bank of C. M. Condon; July 11, 1891, First National Bank of Oswego up to fifty thousand dollars, and Oswego State Bank for amounts beyond what the National Bank is to have.


LIST OF OFFICIAL PAPERS.


1868, January 14th, proceedings ordered published in Humboldt Union; subsequently the Neosho Valley Eagle was established at Jacksonville and did a part of the county printing; later the Oswego Register was es- tablished and did most of the county printing; 1869, Register; 1870, Reg- ister; 1871, Advance and Register; 1872, Advance; 1873, Advance; 1874, Independent; 1875, Register, during year transferred to Independent; 1876, Herald; 1877, Independent; 1878, Independent; 1879, Independ- ent; 1880, Democrat; 1881, Independent; 1882, Independent; 1883, In- dependent ; 1884, Republican ; 1885, Independent; 1886, Independent and Democrat; 1887, Bee and Sun; 1888, Bee and Sun; 1889, Independ- ent and Sun; 1890, Independent and Sun; 1891, on January 9th the In- dependent was designated as the official paper; this order was revoked on February 9th, and an order made that Mills's Weekly World be the official paper, and on February 10th this order was revoked and another one made designating the Labette County Statesman as the official paper; 1892, Mills's Weekly World.


-17


THE STRUGGLE FOR TEMPERANCE.


The license system was not put in operation in this county without a vigorous opposition on the part of the temperance people. So far as I can ascertain, the first attempt to obtain license to sell liquor in this county was in the summer or fall of 1867, when J. Q. Cowell, who was running a small drug store in Oswego, got a sufficiently signed petition to authorize the issuance of a license ; but before it was presented to the board, H. C. Bridgman, who was conducting a general store next to his, in some way got possession of the petition and destroyed it. This seems to have been the last attempt made by Cowell to get license, but proba- bly not the last attempt to sell liquor. The sales, however, if made, were without any authority of law.


Some time after this transaction John R. Clover got a petition contain- ing sufficient signatures to authorize a license to be issued to him, but Mrs. Augusta Herbaugh managed to get possession of it, and it suffered a fate similar to Mr. Cowell's.


THE FIRST LICENSED SALOON


In the county was kept at the northwest corner of block 39, in Oswego, by Jones & Stewart, who on January 11, 1868, presented to the Board of County Commissioners a petition said to contain the names of a majority of the residents of Oswego township, asking that a license to sell liquor be granted to them. The board granted this petition, and directed the clerk to issue license for one year, upon the payment by said Jones & Stewart of the sum of $50. This firm soon sold out to H. E. Porter and A. J. DeCou, the latter of whom in a few weeks sold his interest to his partner, and thereafter Mr. Porter ran the business alone. This saloon had been running less than seven months when, on the night of Au- gust 6th, J. C. Wheeler and Charles Van Alstine, with several more persons, spent the evening there in drinking and carousing until after midnight. Van Alstine and Wheeler got into a dispute over the ques- tion of indebtedness of the latter to the former, and after leaving the saloon, under the influence of liquor, remained by the side of the build- ing disputing for some time, until all the other parties had gone away, and H. E. Porter, the bar-keeper, had closed the door. The next morn- ing Wheeler was found by the saloon unconscious, his head bruised by


(258)


259


THE STRUGGLE FOR TEMPERANCE.


blows from a club, from which he soon thereafter died. Van Alstine was arrested, and at the next term of court convicted of murder in the second degree and sentenced to the penitentiary for ten years. I am in- formed that his family was left to be provided for by the public, as was also the family of Wheeler. Subsequently the Commissioners paid the expense of sending Wheeler's children back to their friends in Ohio. The cost to the county of convicting and sending Van Alstine to the penitentiary, and caring for the destitute families of the murderer and his victim, is said to have been over $2,000. Comparing this sum paid out of the public treasury, for a matter which may fairly be said to be traceable directly to the saloon as its cause, with the paltry sum of $50 paid into the county treasury for the saloon license, the transaction would not look like a very profitable one for the public to engage in.


The next party authorized by the board to make drunkards according to law was William B. Gregory, who on May 16, 1868, presented to the board a petition signed by 182 citizens of Richland township, asking that he be granted a dramshop license for said township. Whereupon the board ordered that, upon the payment of $100 into the county treas- ury, license be granted him for one year from that date. The last action of the board preceding their granting Gregory license to keep a saloon was their appointment of him to the office of constable of said township.


The practical workings of this licensed saloon do not seem to have been altogether satisfactory to the people of Chetopa. On February 9, 1869, a large temperance meeting was held at Spaulding's Hall, at which stirring temperance speeches were made by a number of citizens, and also by Rev. C. R. Rice, who had remained over a day or two after his quarterly meeting. Strong resolutions were passed denouncing those who were disgracing the town with their drunkenness, and calling upon the officers to see that the law was enforced. Temperance meetings were frequently held subsequently to this, and a temperance organiza- tion was effected. About the same time attempts were made by other parties to obtain license, but with less success.


On July 21, 1868, a petition dated July 6, 1868, was presented to the board, asking them "to grant Charles Sipes a license to keep a grocery and first-class billiard saloon " in Oswego; whereupon, "the board hav- ing considered said petition, and being satisfied that said petition is not made by a majority of the residents in said township as the law requires, and that the masses of the citizens are opposed to the granting of dram- shop license in said township, as evidenced by the remonstrance pre- sented to this board, therefore said petition is not granted." On the same day the record shows that W. S. Newlon presented to the board the following petition :


260


HISTORY OF LABETTE COUNTY.


"To the County Board of Labette County, Kansas : The undersigned, residents of Oswego township, over the age of 21 years, respectfully ask you not to grant license to establish a dramshop at Oswego at your next meeting."


And then follows their action thereon :


"And the board having duly considered the same, do and it is hereby ordered that the board will not bind nor circumscribe its powers, but will endeavor to act at all times and upon all subjects according to law and justice. Wherefore, said petition is not granted."


There seems to have been no other saloon license granted until Janu- ary 7, 1869, when John R. Clover and H. H. Stanley were granted a license on a petition said to contain the names of a majority of the citi- zens of Oswego township. The record shows that Commissioner Moles- worth voted to fix the amount charged for the license at $500, but that Commissioners Logan and Butterworth agreed to charge but $100 there- for. A year thereafter these parties had their license renewed by the Commissioners, at the same price.


After 1870, Oswego and Chetopa being organized under city govern- ment, the manner of regulating the sale of liquor in these places passed from the Board of County Commissioners to that of the City Council. The jurisdiction of the Commissioners was confined to the rest of the county.


The first record which I have found of a license being applied for outside of Richland and Oswego townships was that of Thomas Phillips to keep a saloon in Montana; this was at the meeting of the board in January, 1872. A remonstrance was also presented, and the license was refused. However, at their meeting in July of the same year the board granted a license to William T. Trapp, for a fee of $150. This was not the first saloon, however, that was kept in Montana. Several parties at different times were engaged in the saloon business who con- ducted it in defiance of law.


At the January, 1874, meeting of the board, two saloons were authorized to be licensed in Montana, at a fee of $100 each -one to be kept by Ed- ward Wilcox, and the other by William T. Trapp and Andrew Dixon.


On February 2, 1875, J. S. Waters presented the petition of himself and 168 others, asking that license be granted to Andrew Dixon, and on the same day the petition was granted, the fee to be charged therefor to be $300 ; but soon thereafter Mr. Waters appeared before the Commis- sioners and recommended that the fee be but $100. On consideration, the board finally fixed the fee at $200. In 1876 Dixon's license was again renewed, the fee charged this time being but $100. It was not long after its renewal until Mrs. Waters appeared before the board and showed that some of the names on the petition for license were not legal petitioners,


261


THE STRUGGLE FOR TEMPERANCE.


and she succeeded in getting the board to make an order revoking the license. At the next meeting, however, Mr. Dixon appeared with his attorney before the board, and by making them believe that they had no authority to revoke a license once granted, induced them to rescind their former action and leave his license in force.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.