USA > Kansas > Reno County > History of Reno County, Kansas; its people, industries and institutions, Vol I > Part 17
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
259,000
16,2
362,000
185
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
on a basis of one-third the actual value of the property. How far from that standard, was shown when the first effort was made, under a law passed in 1907 requiring all property to be listed at its full value, when the valuation of the county increased from nine million to sixty-one million dollars, nearly seven times what it was under the old system of valuation, instead of three times the real value, as was supposed to be the basis of assessment. But even in 1908 the value was not within ten million dollars of what the property assessed was really worth. There was a determined effort on the part of some of the assessors to keep the valuation in their respective townships or his wards down, so that his unit of assessment would not have to pay more than its proportion of the expense of the county. In the townships. the assessor chosen was generally the township trustee. This is an elective office and each assessor was anxious to retain the good will of his neighbors. and the valuation he put on property, both real and personal, was as low as he could put it and be able to have his work approved by the county com- missioners, who are the equalization board under the law for the county. And they, the county commissioners, were in the same position with respect to the state equalization board as the individual assessor was with respect to them, as each county was trying to keep its valuation as low as possible. so that the county should not have to pay more than its proportion of the taxes to support the state government. So it is very probable that the valua- tion fixed on property under the old system was nearer a tenth of its real valuation than a third, the basis on which it was supposed to be assessed. Then the head of each household was allowed an exemption of two hundred dollars on personal property. The result was a further decrease of the assessed valuation of the county.
When the law requiring all property to be assessed at its full value went into effect, it was supposed that the full valiation would be fixed on property. but it didn't have that effect. Nor has the change in the law, requiring assessments to be made on basis of full valuation, been much more suc- cessful in getting all the property on the tax rolls of the county. There are so many discrepancies in values fixed by the assessor as compared to what the property sold for that it is probable that, if any actual cash valuation could be obtained, at the end of 1916 the real value of the taxable property of Reno county really was one hundred and fifty million dollars, rather than the approximately eighty million dollars fixed by the assessors.
186
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
COUNTY'S BONDED INDEBTEDNESS.
A large per cent. of the bonds which have been voted by the county have been donated to railroads. It will be but a few years until these bonds will be paid off. It is very probable that before many years the bonded indebt- edness of the county will be increased. The old bonds were for transporta- tion purposes, and the new bonds that will be issued will be for transpor- tation purposes also; not, however, for the use of the railroad, but for the use of the people. It is very probable that the paving of county roads will soon be adopted, as the almost universal use of the automobile requires bet- ter roads than the old dirt roads of the present time. It is very likely also that Reno county will within a few years build a new court house, as the old one is wholly inadequate to the needs of the county and its vault is over- crowded. necessitating the storing of valuable records in the basement of the court house. The present court house is not a fire-proof building, and Reno county risks its records of immense value in a building that no cor- poration of one-tenth the capital of the property of Reno county would risk over night. The probate court records, involving the record of estates, the register of deeds' records, involving the title to every piece of property in Reno county are so inadequately protected in the old building that common prudence alone will require a fire-proof structure for the housing of these records.
So it is probable that it will be many years before the bonded indebted- ness of the county will be much lower than it is at the present time. Values will increase. farm values particularly will grow, and internal improvements be carried on on an extensive scale.
OFFICE OF COUNTY ASSESSOR.
Reno county has had three county tax assessors. Then the law was changed and the duties of the assessor were added to those of the county clerk. This change was made in the interests of economy, but it is very doubtful if the change has been a wise one. Three men have held the office of county assessor. J. E. Conklin, John A. Myers and George Lec. It is very probable that far more property was added to the tax rolls by the activities of these men, on which the taxes would more than pay all the extra expenditures caused by the continuing of the office of county assessor. The first one of these assessors. J. E. Conklin, found enough canned goods
18-
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
stored in Hutchinson, that had never been listed before for taxation, to more than pay the entire expense of his office, the assessor's salary, and all the clerical help required in that office. These goods were owned by firms in other cities stored in Hutchinson for shipment, subject to taxation in Reno county. They were not listed at the place of business of the firms, storing them here for reshipment to their customers. But a wave of economy swept over the Legislature and it discontinued the office of county assessor, and added the work to the already heavily burdened office of the county clerk, who cannot devote his time to hunting up property missed by the assessor.
SOMETHING REGARDING COUNTY'S PROGRESS.
The annual expenditures of the county for county purposes have grad- ually increased from $14,625 in 1872 to $215,376 in 1916. But these expenses have not increased, either in proportion to the increase in the population of the county, or in proportion to the increase in the assessed valuation of the county. They will increase as the years go by. The big increase in the busi- ness of the county will make the expenditures for county purposes heavier year by year. The increased road expenditures caused by the demand for better highways to accommodate the greater amount of travel will be greater each year. It will cost more to maintain the poor for the assurance of old that they will abide with us always, cannot fail of fulfillment, even in a county as prosperous as Reno.
The progress of the county of less than a half century is marvelous. It has surpassed the dreams of the early settler. He, more than those who have become residents of the county in more recent years, is astonished at the great development of the county's resources. He realizes also better than the newcomer, that this development has scarcely begun. The resources of the county have hardly been touched. Crops more productive by many fold than those the old settler planted are grown, and ground neglected has been brought into cultivation, and better farming has doubled the products of the soil. Hutchinson has developed into a commercial center in a way that has greatly added to land values, and the richness of Reno is but begun to be developed.
CHAPTER XXV.
BUILDING THE MISSOURI PACIFIC.
In the days before railroads were generally built, when transportation matters were in their formative period, there was great rivalry between towns for railroads. The laws were exceedingly generous as to the amount of financial aid to railroads that was allowed to be voted by a community. Both county and township bonds were permitted to the extent of four thou- sand dollars per mile, which was given for "stock subscription", the town- ship or county taking so much stock and the railroads getting the bonds of the county or township and converting them into cash, with which they built the road. As soon as the road was completed, the property was sold to the real owners of the road. the bonds and other donations having been made to a "construction company". This was a method of getting rid of the muni- cipal stockholders used by some roads.
The Missouri Pacific road through Reno county was built under the name of The Wichita & Colorado railroad. It was first agitated by some Wichita people. Their plan was to build in a northwesterly direction until they struck the southern boundary of Reno county. They proposed then to run west, along the southern line of the county and then go to Kinsley. They obtained their charter on July 27. 1885. The main purpose of this road was probably to help Wichita and, in the second place, to kill Hutchin- son. They thought they would run through the southern part of the county, establish towns along the road, build the road to the center of the county. then called Reno Center (now Partridge), and make a fight for that town as the county seat. The Santa Fe railroad was largely interested in the suc- cess of Wichita. as at that time it was one of their principal stopping points in the state. The Hutchinson people did not oppose the Santa Fe crowd directly. The plan they adopted was to beat the Wichita people at their own game and not let them know what they were doing. L. A. Bigger visited the general offices of the Santa Fe and urged them to build a line from Hutchinson to Kinsley. The Wichita project was not being pushed very rapidly. So, on August 4. 1885. a charter was obtained for the Arkansas River & Western road, now known as the "Kinsley cut-off" of
180
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
the Santa Fe. The construction of this road was pushed as fast as possible over the identical route from "Reno Center to Kinsley" that the Wichita people intended to build their line, and was well under way when the Wichita people, whose road was being financed by Jay Gould, reached the eastern border of Reno county.
At this point another turn was made in affairs. Mr. Bigger, W. F. Mulkey, Hiram Raff and S. W. Campbell were sent to New York to see Gould and see if the Wichita road could not be brought to Hutchinson. They met Gould and he informed them that there would be no more rail- road building into Hutchinson or any place else in Kansas unless the railroad could have its property protected from strikers. At that time there was a big strike on the Missouri Pacific and its railroad property had been burned át Atchison and Parsons. Gould had appealed to the county authorities to protect his property, but the politicians in the local offices were more afraid of losing some votes at the election if they used force in stopping the strike than they were anxious to protect the property of a corporation that had no votes. Mr. Bigger, for the Hutchinson committee, suggested to Gould that perhaps they could help him. "You are the men I want," replied Gould. "You get my property protected from the strikers and you can have what- ever you want from me."
Raff, who was the politician of that committee, suggested a plan. They would wire R. M. Easley, then editor of the Hutchinson Newes, to go to Topeka and await word from New York. Before he left Hutchinson, how- ever, he was to wire all of the politicians of western Kansas who had any influence with the governor to meet him in Topeka at once as matters of highest importance to them were at stake. They hurried to Topeka. Easley was adroit and able to handle the Topeka end of the proposition. Mean- while, the Western Union wire had been turned over to the committee in New York for their use to any extent desired, without charge. The New York committee wired Easley in Topeka freely about the things that it would take to get the road built to Hutchinson. The real purpose of all this was not divulged by Easley to the men whom he had wired to meet him in Topeka, but the threat of Gould to stop all railroad building in Kansas unless the strike was stopped was told them. Gould also added that no road would build into a state where strikers were allowed to burn and pillage property without any attempt on the part of the authorities to stop them.
All of the men Easley had wired were friends of Governor Martin. They likewise had contracts for townsites with various railroads and the
190
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
prospects of the stopping of railroad building in Kansas was an appalling one to them. When Easley had them all worked up to the right point where they would ask how they could help. Easley would tell them that there was only one way and that was to get Governor Martin thoroughly aroused by their own anxiety over prospective losses; that they could overcome his opposition to the calling out of the militia, if necessary, to stop the riots. Martin was very anxious to avoid anything of this sort. He wanted as little of this as possible in his administration, but all day, one at a time, these political friends called on him, properly coached by Easley, and talked to the governor. each on a different phase of the subject. There was one thing that influenced him most. They made it very plain to the governor that future relations between them would depend on the governor helping them to save the fortunes they had invested in the prospective townsites that were threatened. All day long, they drilled up to the governor's office at the state house. At supper time he was still undecided and still besieged. New arguments were constantly being brought up to force the governor to action. Late at night he surrendered. He told his besiegers that he would issue the proclamation they wanted. Easley soon appeared at the state house, accidentally of course, dropped in on the private secretary of the governor and began talking about the necessity of prompt action. The private secre- tary asked Easley if he would write the proclamation, as that was something new for him to get up. Easley agreed to this, retired to an adjoining room and. after a proper length of time, produced a proclamation that had been wired him from New York. When the method of handling the strike had been agreed on, Gould called in his attorney, Judge Dillon, and had him pre- pare the proclamation that was desired. In this proclamation the governor called on the strikers to desist from all violence and he threatened to send the militia to the various points in the state unless order was immediately
restored. It called on all sheriffs to enforce order and to co-operate with the militia in case it was necessary to have them to suppress lawlessness. This proclamation was wired to Easley and it was this copy which Easley handed to the Governor's private secretary. The Governor signed the proc- lamation. It was sent out to the various sheriffs in the counties where the strikers were creating trouble and published the next morning in the Topcka Commonecalth, then the official paper of the state.
The news of Rasley's success was wired to the Hutchinson committee in New York, who immediately went to Gould's residence and told him of their success. Gould was greatly pleased with the work of the Hutchinson
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
men and told them to come to his office next morning and he would carry out his part of the agreement.
In the meantime the Hutchinson committee in New York had had a big map made of the Missouri Pacific as it was then constructed. After leaving West Wichita, the road was built in an almost northwesterly course to the point where the town of Maize is now located. It continued to where Colwich is now located and then, instead of continuing in that course, it bent southward and ran almost due west to where Andale is now located. Here the course was changed again and the road ran almost due north to where Mt. Hope is located. There was no reason why the road could not have been built directly northwest, as it was started from Wichita. With this enlarged map, the big crooks showed up very plainly. At this interview the fact that the Santa Fe had occupied the territory from Reno Center west and had beaten the Wichita people to that territory was first made known to Gould. He had been financing the proposition, supposing that there was no road contemplated in that territory, and was very angry that he had been imposed on by the Wichita promoters. He was in a proper mood to give the Hutchinson committee what they wanted.
A big map of Kansas was consulted. It showed the Missouri Pacific main line was then completed to a point northwest of Hutchinson. Gould then drew a line from where the road being built by the Wichita promoters reached Reno county. He traced the road to Hutchinson and to have an outlet he continued his drawing of the road as it should be built, northwest from Hutchinson, up through Nickerson to Sterling, north to Lyons and on northwest to a point where it would join the main line of the Missouri Pacific, now where Hoisington is situated.
As soon as the Wichita promoters found that the finances had been withdrawn, they hurried to New York to see Gould. But he had made his promises to the Hutchinson committee and told them they would have to stand. However, when the road reached the Arkansas river, Gould tried to keep from building into Hutchinson, in order to appease the Wichita pro- moters. He notified the Hutchinson committee that they could not cross the river, as there was no bottom to the sand and that it would cost too mich to cross the river. The Hutchinson committee told him that was only a bluff: that the Santa Fe had built a bridge across it a couple of miles higher up and that Reno county's bridge, less than a mile above where lie proposed to cross the river, was not an expensive one, and insisted that he keep his contract and build into Hutchinson as he had agreed to. As soon
1
192
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
as he saw the determination of the Hutchinson committee, he ordered the road built as was originally agreed on. Thus another road was built into the city.
The present size of Hutchinson would never have been attained, its trade would have been diverted to Wichita and a number of small towns would have been built along the southern border of Reno county had it not been for the incessant activity of the men who lived in this city then, who were always alert for opportunities of helping the growth of the city. These "old-timers" were constantly on the outlook for the things that would help build up this community.
-
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE HUTCHINSON & SOUTHERN RMILROAD.
As it was originally planned, the Hutchinson & Southern railroad was a Union Pacific project. The Santa Fe was then extending its track south- ward; the Rock Island was also arranging to build a line to the southern coast of the United States and the Union Pacific wanted to be on equal terins with its competitors and get through the rich lands of southern Kan- sas and into the land then called the Indian Territory and on to Texas and the southern markets. The originator of the plan to build what is now the Hutchinson & Southern railroad was John P. Usher, of Lawrence, Kansas. He was at one time general attorney for the Union Pacific railroad. Mr. Usher was a man of broad vision and saw the advantage that would accrue to the Union Pacific in having such a southern feeder to its east and west main line. Usher had a prominent place in the political world. He had been secretary of the interior in President Lincoln's cabinet, which position he left after the assassination of Lincoln and became general attorney of the Kansas Pacific railroad. Later he became general attorney for the Union Pacific railroad. His plan was to extend the Union Pacific branch, then built from Salina to McPherson, southward through Hutchinson, con- tinuing through Kingman and Harper counties and on to the Gulf. The general plan for the building of this road was outlined, but, before it could be carried into effect. Mr. Usher died. A preliminary survey was made in 1885 and a charter for the road obtained the next year.
The road was organized under the name of the McPherson, Texas & Gulf railroad. The original incorporators were A. L. Williams, H. P. Dillon, Charles Monroe, N. H. Loomis, of Topeka: G. A. A. Deane, of Lincoln, Kansas; W. H. Clark and George D. Thompson, of Harper, Kan- sas: W. P. Olmstead and J. B. Forbes, of Anthony, Kansas. The first board of directors consisted of A. L. Williams, H. P. Dillon, Charles Mon- roe, N. H. Loomis and G. A. A. Deane. A. L. Williams was the first presi- dent of the new road and the entire project was conducted in the interests of the Union Pacific railroad.
(13)
194
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
Prior to this survey, there was a great controversy in the board of directors of the Union Pacific railroad. The .New York side of the directors was represented by Sidney Dillon and the Boston interests of the road were represented by Charles Francis Adams. Dillon was an advocate of continuing the westward line and Adams wanted to build to the Gulf. Whenever the Dillon interests controlled, the westward plans were pushed, but, when the Adams side of the controversy controlled the stock in the Union Pacific road the southern extension advanced. The Dillon conting- ent made a contract with the Rock Island for a joint use of the bridge over the Missouri river at Omaha. This contract included a joint use of the track of the Rock Island from Kansas City to Topeka, from McPherson to Hutchinson and from Limon to Denver. The Adams interests were opposed to the contract, they urging separate tracks and a separate bridge over the Missouri river. When the Adams interests got control of the directorate of the Union Pacific they tried to repudiate the contract with the Rock Island. The case was tried through all of the courts and resulted in the upholding of the contract.
The making of this contract rendered necessary the building of a road from McPherson to Hutchinson, as a part of the plan of the incorporators of the McPherson, Texas & Gulf railroad. The Rock Island was consider- ing building to El Paso and the Union Pacific began to move trains from McPherson to Hutchinson in May, 1890, over the Rock Island tracks from McPherson, which continued for several months. When the Dillon interests gained control of the Union Pacific, the train service between these two points ceased. But the time for the building of the road southward from Hutchinson, in order to get the bonds voted by Hutchinson, South Hutchin- son and Kingman for "terminal facilities", likewise the bonds voted by the various townships through which the road was to run, were expiring by limitation, when G. A. Walkup, a real estate man of Hutchinson. undertook to build the road as was contemplated and get the bonds voted by these municipalities. He interested two other Hutchinson men, Charles Collins and .A. J Lusk. Collins was an old-timer in Hutchinson, the first sheriff of Reno county, and Lusk was president of a bank that went to pieces during the hard times of a few years later. Walkup. Collins and Lusk went to Chicago and induced three Chicago men to join with them in the enterprise of building the road. These men were Everitte St. John, then general man- ager of the Rock Island, E. E. Wise, who was a brother-in-law of Major- Gen. John M. Schofield. of the United States army, and H. A. Christy.
195
RENO COUNTY, KANSAS.
The Dillon management of the Union Pacific, then in control of this road, were glad of an opportunity to stop the Adams management that they had just succeeded in putting out of control of the Union Pacific, and gave the franchise of the MePherson, Texas & Gulf to the new company, with the stipulation that it was to be constructed under another name. Accord- ing to this agreement, the road's name was changed to the Hutchinson, Oklahoma & Gulf railroad. The board of directors chosen then were H. . 1. Christy. E. E. Wise and E. St. John. of Chicago, and Charles Collins and G. A. Walkup, of Hutchinson. Christy was elected president of the new road, Wisc, general superintendent, and O. P. Byers, superintendent of con- struction. The articles of incorporation of the road were filed with the secretary of state of Kansas on October 7, 1889.
The territory over which it was planned to build this road had no rail- road facilities. The people were anxious to have the road built. Bonds were voted and right-of-way given freely. When the company found a man who would not give the right of way, they would seek to get him by the promise of a life pass on the road: if this did not succeed in getting the right of way, they would build around his place. It made little difference to these men about the curvature in the road. They were building it to sell and their bonds were voted on a mileage basis. No money was ever paid out, for the promoter had none with which to pay. Neither did they have any money with which to build the road. All grading was paid out of the subsidies voted the road. The rails were purchased on time from the Illi- nois Steel Company through the influence of St. John. The ties were like- wise purchased on time. Engines and cars for construction purposes were loaned: the freight on material was to be paid out of the proceeds of the bonds, after they were earned. The road was built without a dollar of money being put up by the men building it. It was built on the credit of the towns and townships through which it was constructed.
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.