USA > Kansas > Sedgwick County > History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas, past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county, Vol. II > Part 4
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As an editor, his style of writing was unique. He made the English language obedient to his every wish. From his com- prehensive vocabulary he could draw the lightning that could destroy and crush with as much facility as he could compose those prose poems that expressed the softness of his great heart in time of sorrow among his neighbors. None could soothe the grief of a parent for a dead child better than he, and his great- est pieces were those that expressed his sympathy for the distressed.
Personally Colonel Murdock was a man of the most lovable character. He lived far above the petty things of his times. He was scrupulously honest in his dealings with men as well as in his personal convictions in matters relating to his office as an
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editor, and hence the guide and counsellor of his readers. Muck- raking, that conspicuous feature of modern magazinism and journalism, was intolerable to him. He denounced wrong-doing in the way of the old-fashioned editor. One of his broadsides was always sufficient to stop an abuse, and the lightning which he hurled was given with such nice aim that it struck only the guilty parties. His thunderbolts were tempered finely, and when they struck the whole town blinked and ran to cover without swearing at the man who hurled them. In only rare necessary occasion's did he indulge in personalities himself and he never allowed his staff subordinates to assail the reputation of either men or women. While dignified he was a most charming com- panion and his wonderful stock of general knowledge made him a fascinating conversationalist. He was poetic in his temperament, and the few efforts he made at the production of verse proved that the Muses were exceptionally friendly to him.
Colonel Murdock is survived by a widow and three children and his love for his family was beautiful and wholesome. He left two sons who are making a fine public and private reputa- tion, Victor in congress, and Marcellus in the management of the great journalistic enterprise founded by the father.
The remains of Colonel Murdock are buried on the hill which overlooks the great city which has been builded by the great inspiration which he radiated among his fellow citizens. And that city will always remain the most eloquent monument of his great patriotism as a citizen and his great influence in the public life of his time.
Note .- The above from the pen of the gifted writer, David Leahy, is a fine tribute to Colonel Murdock, whose life work was in Sedgwick county. No history of the great county would be complete without Colonel Murdock in it .- Editor.
THE EARLY CONTRIBUTORS.
By THE EDITOR.
Among the early contributors to the weekly press of Sedg- wick county were many who have gone "over the Divide," and some of them still live among us. First of all was J. R. Meade, a constant and fluent writer, who wrote of the frontier days.
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Many of his tales of the border are now greatly treasured in the archives of the State Historical society in Topeka. Kos Harris of the Wichita bar for many years has been a voluminous contributor to the pages of the weekly and daily press. Kos writes for the pure enjoyment of writing, and his writings are pervaded by a vein of rich humor. Pat McDonald, "one of the Macs," out on the Cowskin, was in his day a frequent contributor to the "Eagle" and "Beacon." His writings were both poetry and prose. Mrs. King, long since gathered to her fathers, was a frequent writer; she lived upon a farm on the Cowskin creek, on the road to the ten-mile post. Hon. Frank Dofflemyer, of Park township, often wrote over his own signature, on matters of public importance. In years gone by, William H. Ranson, over the nom de plume of "Farmer K," was a frequent con- tributor to the "Eagle." Geo. Litzenberg in an early day set- tled in Rockford township; his articles first appeared over the name of "Farmer Dolittle." He adopted this name and later on gave his entire time to newspaper work; and he is employed in this capacity at this time. For years he has been an editorial writer upon the "Eagle." He is a vigorous writer with a quaint and original style.
All of these people have in their way preserved in part the history of the greatest county in Kansas.
1390091
WICHITA NEWSPAPERS.
"Agricultural Southwest." (Weekly.) 410-414 E. William. Editor, C. I. Reed. Issued Fridays. $1.00 per annum.
"Catholic Advance." (Weekly.) 150 N. Market. Pubs., The Advance Publishing Co. $2.00 per annum.
"Daily Livestock Journal." 410 E. William. Pubs., The Jour- nal Pub. Co. Subscription price, $4.00 per annum.
"The Democrat." (Weekly.) 414 E. Douglas avenue, Pubs .. The Democrat Pub. Co. Issued every Saturday. $1.00 per annum.
"Kansas Commoner." (Weekly.) (Democratic.) 157-159 N. Emporia avenue. Pubs., The Commoner Publishing Co. Issued every Thursday. $1.00 per annum.
"Kansas Farmer Star." (Weekly.) 150 N. Market. Issued every Friday. Pubs., Star Publishing Co. Subscription $1.00 per year.
"Kansas Magazine." 123-125 S. Lawrence avenue. Pubs., .
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HISTORY OF SEDGWICK COUNTY
The Kansas Magazine Co. Issued every month. Pres., Tom Blodgett; Vice pres., Wm. Allen White; Sec. and Gen. Mngr., E. M. Cole; Adv. Mngr., C. W. Myers; Editorial Mngr., R. J. Kirk; Art Editor, C. M. Seward; Music Director, Theodore Linberg.
"Missionary Messenger." 1145 N. Topeka avenue. Pub., G. A. Acken. Issued monthly. 25c per year.
"Price Current." (Weekly.) 410-414 E. William. Editor, C. I. Reed; Business Mngr., R. T. Reed. Issued Saturdays. $1.00 per annum.
"Primitive Christianity." (Weekly.) 705 N. Main. Prop., Western Publishing Co. Editor, W. F. Parmiter. $1.00 per annum.
"Southwestern Grain & Flour Journal." (Monthly.) 410- 414 E. William. Mngr., W. H. Hastings. $1.00 per annum.
"Wichita Daily Beacon." (Daily except Sunday.) Beacon Building. Pub. and Editor, Henry J. Allen. By carrier, 10c per week. Subscription, $4.00 per year.
"Wichita Daily Pointer." (Daily except Saturday.) 209 N. Main. Pub. and Editor, J. D. Carpenter. Free distribution. "Wichita Eagle." (Daily and Weekly.) (Republican.) Eagle Block. Prop., Mrs. Victoria Murdock; Business Mngr.,
M. M. Murdock; Editor-in-Chief, D. D. Leahy. Subscription rates (Daily except Monday) by carrier, 10c per week; $4.00 per year. Weekly issued every Friday. 25c per year.
"Wichita Herald." (Weekly.) 117 N. Market. Issued every Thursday. Pub., John Hoenscheidt. Subscription price, $2.00 per year.
"Wichita Searchlight." (c)-(Weekly.) 634 N. Water. Pub., W. N. Miller. $1.00 per annum.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
SEDGWICK COUNTY.
By
THE EDITOR.
Sedgwick county is one of the great counties of Kansas. It is at once the wonder and the envy of the other counties of the state. Including the city of Wichita, Sedgwick county has about 75,000 people. It is probably now the second county in Kansas in wealth and property. For twenty-five years it has been the third county in the state in the payment of the state taxes, and all of this in the face of the fact that it has no state institution, and has no state patronage; Sedgwick county was organized in 1870 with 1,008 square miles, in 1909 it stood third in rank, with an assessed valuation of $85,688,297. The population of Wichita at this time is 60,000 people.
At the confluence of the two Arkansas rivers, now within the city limits of Wichita, was the early camping grounds of the Osages. Here for a long time in those early frontier days was stationed Gen. Philip H. Sheridan in command of the frontier troops. Here also William Griffenstein, afterward mayor of Wichita, was the post trader, and here-then began an epoch of song and story, the legends of the wood and plain, the fables of the river and the woodland, the story of the chase, the low thunder of the moving buffalo, the shriek of the panther, the whirr of the wild bird's wing, and the wolf's sharp, hungry cry; all of which has intertwined and clustered about this spot- the mystery and pathos of the frontier, the hardships and strug- gles of the pioneer, the history of the early fathers, and the feverish, pulsing of rushing development of the present, so preg- nant with the hopes and aspirations of our people. The past history of Sedgwick county reads like a romance or the tale of Aladdin's Lamp. The early explorers of Sedgwick county, rid- ing from Newton to the Arkansas river on horseback, saw the rich prairie grass sweeping their saddle-horns, and the country
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West of Wichita to the Ninnescan valley black with countless buffalo.
After the soldiers and Indians came the settlers. It was the day of the prairie schooner and the dug-out. The sod house was in evidence. The wintry wind blowing from the Panhandle of Texas and No Man's land, and the summer's sun, were alike pitiless. On the early settler no shadow ever fell, save that of the passing cloud. Away from the slight fringe of timber along the smaller streams the landscape was a treeless plain. West of Wichita and the Arkansas river was the favorite hunting ground of William Mathewson, J. R. Mead and G. W. C. Jones. At this time buffalo, mountain lion along the streams, deer, and antelope abounded. Fish abounded in the waters of the various streams; prairie chickens, wild turkey and quail were abundant on the prairies. Sedgwick county has run the gamut of the hot winds, the drouth, the floods, the grasshoppers, the boom, the wild, unreasoning era of speculation, the land grafters, the oil grafters, the sellers of bogus stocks, speculation, overcapitali- zation, and all of their attendant and kindred evils, and from all of this series of scourges she has emerged into the clear noon- day of reason, out of a fool's paradise into business sense. No land is more productive than the lands of Sedgwick county when carefully and properly farmed; deep plowing and careful tilling does the business, and Sedgwick county is in the very heart of the alfalfa belt.
"Deeper grows the soil and truer, More and more the prairie teems, With a fruitage as of dreams, Clearer, deeper flow the streams, Blander grows the sky and bluer."
In April, 1870, Sedgwick county elected its first set of county officers. The county was named after Gen. John Sedgwick. The first trading-post in this vicinity was established by J. R. Mead in 1863, on the present site of Wichita; William Griffenstein located on the present city site of Wichita in 1865. The Wich- ita "Eagle" was established in Wichita as a weekly paper on April 22, 1872; its editor was M. M. Murdock. Prior to that time and on August 15, 1870, was issued the first number of the "Vidette" by Fred A. Sowers; W. B. Hutchinson joined him in
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November following. Colonel Murdock has passed away, but his works live after him. W. B. Hutchinson was an erratic, keen, and loyal man, profane to a scientic degree. He died several years ago. Fred A. Sowers still resides here as an honored citi- zen of Wichita, much respected by all, and an optimist pure and simple. He predicts a great future for Wichita.
On May 15, 1872, the Santa Fe railroad was completed to Wichita. September 4, 1879, William Griffenstein was elected mayor of Wichita. Sedgwick county has twenty-seven townships. It is governed by a board of county commissioners of three mem- bers and each township has a compliment of township officers headed by a township trustee, who is also the assessor of the township.
Eleven railway lines radiate out of Wichita like the spokes of an enormous wheel. Comparatively all of the territory of the county is well served by railway lines.
For Sedgwick county, with her superb location, her enter- prising city of Wichita within her borders, her splendid soil, her rich valleys, and her intelligent people, the future is full of hope.
"The rudiments of Empire here, Are plastic yet and warm; The chaos of a mighty world Is rounding into form."
SEDGWICK COUNTY, ITS ORGANIZATION.
By R. KENNETH EVANS.
Sedgwick, one of the oldest and largest counties in the state of Kansas, was named in honor of Major Gen. John Sedgwick, of the United States army, who was killed in the battle of Spot- sylvania, Va., May 9, 1864. Sedgwick county was attached to Butler county for judicial and other purposes by an act of the legislature of 1868. It was organized into a township for elec- tion purposes early the same summer. D. S. Munger was ap- pointed the first justice of the peace.
In November of 1868 the first election was held and at that time there were only thirty-five voters in the county. The election was held principally for school purposes with the result that M.
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A. Sales was elected trustee, H. W. Vigus, clerk, and S. B. Floyd. treasurer. Mrs. Sales, mother of M. A. Sales, was elected county superintendent of public instruction.
The organization of the county was attempted in October of 1869. A convention was called, tickets prepared and the elec- tion held. A part of the history of this election has been lost. Col. D. M. V. Stuart, of Park City, was elected to the legislature ; Minnard Hall, sheriff; H. W. Vigus and T. E. Dunlap, two of the commissioners. Owing to the informalities and irregularities of the election the governor sent word to the county that the elec- tion would not hold good and as a consequence it was declared void.
A census of the new municipality was taken and the result forwarded to the governor at Topeka. It was then discovered that the county had the required population and in the winter of 1869-70 the governor appointed S. C. Johnson, William Lockard and Henry Stein commissioners with the power to complete the organization of the county. They appointed John Ward county clerk and divided the county into three districts. In April, 1870, they called an election for the purpose of electing the county officers and to choose a permanent location for the county seat. Wichita at that time had been temporarily chosen. The election and canvass of the votes was the most exciting ever held in Sedgwick county, the fight being principally between Wichita and Park City for the location of the county seat, Wichita win- ning over Park City.
During the following year, 1871, pursuant to a call for an election a convention was held in the county, regardless of party politics, and a ticket chosen and placed in the field. Several candidates came out for election independently and the follow- ing officers were elected :
N. A. English, T. S. Floyd and Alex Williams, county com- missioners ; J. M. Steele, county clerk; T. J. Fulton, county attorney; L. F. Buttles, register of deeds; D. A. Bright, clerk of the district court; Reuben Riggs, probate judge ; W. N. Walker, sheriff; S. C. Johnson, treasurer; John P. Hilton, superintendent of public instruction; William Finn, surveyor and E. B. Allen, coroner. At this election there was a total of 260 votes cast which shows that the county had started to boom even in one year. The commissioners then appointed J. M. Steele and H. E. Vantrees justices of the peace.
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The first term of the district court was held in the upper story of a livery barn in Wichita. Hon. W. R. Brown was the presiding judge. The resident members of the bar at that time and the only attorneys in Wichita were H. C. Sluss, Reuben Riggs and P. T. Weeks. The only attorney in the county out- side of the city of Wichita was W. P. Campbell, who until a short time ago was judge pro tem of the city court.
The building first used for a court house in Sedgwick county was a structure which must have been built after Solomon's own heart. The plans were devised by the same architect that drew the plans for the old Buckhorn hotel. The vestibule of the building was occupied by a harness and saddlery manufactory, operated by Jack Payton. The rotunda of the building was oc- cupied by Dutch Tobe, who had a boot and shoe shop. The ante chamber joining the rotunda was occupied by the probate court. The county attorney also had an informal office there, keeping his library in the office of the probate judge. The east wing of the building was used for the offices of the several county officers. It also contained the vaults where were kept the records of the county. In this part of the building was a club room equipped with a cook stove and a frying pan. Lawyers, real estate men, surveyors and notaries public of the city all had their offices in this building, whose walls are now laid waste by the hands of time.
The first meeting of the county commissioners was held April 27, 1870. The following is the copy of the proceedings of that meeting :
"Pursuant to a special call, S. S. Floyd, N. A. English and Alex Williams, at the office of the county clerk at Wichita, Sedg- wick county, Kansas, after being duly sworn and qualified accord- ing to law organized by electing N. A. English chairman.
"The board approved the bonds of J. M. Steele, county clerk, and F. S. Floyd, justice of the peace, also the bond of M. B. Kel- logg, for assessor.
"A petition was presented by F. S. Floyd, of Wauculla town- ship, asking for a night herd law and signed by a majority of the citizens of said township; ordered that notice immediately be issued that all stock be confined at night time after thirty days notice hereof. Also a petition of the citizens of Wichita township having a majority of the electors there asking for the
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confinement of stock during the night time. Ordered that after thirty days notice hereof all stock should be confined during the night time within the limits of said township. Notice issued this date.
"On motion it was ordered that the chairman be authorized to furnish at the cost of the county and on such credit as he may be able to get, all books, blanks, seals and the stationery to supply the different offices of the county.
"Ordered that the judge of the ninth judicial district be requested to hold a term of court in this county in the month of August or at his convenience.
"George E. Clark presented a petition asking for a license to sell liquors at retail.
"Also a petition against granting license to retail dealers of liquor; last petition overruled and it was ordered that George E. Clark be granted a license and be required to pay $500 there- for, and to give good and sufficient security to fill the require- ments of the law.
"On motion the board adjourned.
J. M. Steele, Clerk. " (Signed.)
"This is to certify that notices of the order requiring stock to be confined during the night time were duly posted by me in three different places in the township of Wichita, Kansas.
" (Signed.)
J. M. Steele, Clerk."
The following paragraph appears in the minutes of the com- missioner's meeting held on October 3, 1870:
"Ordered that the question of issuing $10,000 bonds be sub- mitted to the people of Sedgwick county at their next general election for the purpose of meeting the current expenses of the county, and that the county commissioners be authorized to nego- tiate said bonds for cash to the best advantage and that notice be given of the same according to law."
THE TAX ROLLS OF SEDGWICK COUNTY FOR 1909.
The following is the recapitulation of the tax roll situation for the year 1909, with the several funds and the amounts with which the county treasurer is charged :
Total valuation, including railroads, $87,914,002. State tax,
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$109,892.22; county tax, $221,615; township tax, $41,314.10; city tax, $478,783.42; school tax, $302,991.19. Under the general fund of county tax, the six subdivisions are as follows: County gen- eral fund, $108,948.41; county interest, $8,786.14; sinking fund, $57,988.66 ; bridge fund, $30,751.55; Douglas avenue bridge, $4,- 393.02; high school, $10,807.22; total, $221.675.
The specialties are as follow: Surveyors' fees, $140.05; side- walks, $7,075.92; sewer, $13,566.82; curbing and guttering, $1,- 270.05 ; paving, $68,599.02; drainage canal, $7,904.38; street open- ing, $8,640.71; Riverside ditch, $817.83. Total, cities in the county, with railroads : Goddard, $619.34; Garden Plain, $771.88; Mt. Hope, $1,596.88; Cheney, $2,456.49; Clearwater, $1,415.43; Mulvane, $770.46; Derby, $613.07; Andale, $739.29; Colwich, $506.40; Valley Center, $373.75; Wichita City, $469,020.43.
TAXABLE PROPERTY SHOWS LARGE INCREASE.
The final reports of the office of county assessor for 1910 show that the total taxable property of Sedgwick county, both real and personal, in both the city and the country districts, has in- creased the past year a total of nearly $12,000,000 or about 14 per cent. Following is the comparative statement for the two years just past : Total real estate valuation in the city of Wich- ita for 1910, $48,310,060; for the year 1909, $30,801,545. Increase over last year, $17,508,515. Total personal property valuation inside city of Wichita, $12,717,600; for the previous year, $10,- 846,740. Increase, $1,870,860. Total taxable property in Wichita. $61,027,660 ; for previous year, $44,476,739. Increase, $16,550,921. Real estate valuation of country districts outside Wichita, $31,- 883,036; for previous year, $27,067,389. Increase, $4,815,647. Personal property outside of Wichita, $6,700,955: for previous year, $6,100,000. Increase, $600,950. Grand total of all taxable property in whole county, both city and country districts, $99,- 611,655; for the year 1909, $87,697,04. Increase, $11,914,451. It was the prediction of Maj. Geo. W. Bristow, county assessor, that the county would show a grand total of close to $100,000,000, and his very accurate guess was within less than $400,000 of it. It is a creditable showing of increase in every item, both city and county, and the steady growth of the values of the rich county of Sedgwick.
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THE INVESTMENT OF SEDGWICK COUNTY CAPITAL.
By THE EDITOR.
During the past five years many hundreds of thousands of dollars have gone out of Sedgwick county into various foreign enterprises which promised large returns. The first craze was the oil business and the people fell over each other in their efforts to invest in the Eastern Kansas oil fields. The Wichita bankers said that the money would never came back; the people said that the bankers were anxious to keep the money in the banks. This was so to a certain extent, but the bankers were right; the oil money never came back. This fund was like Jeffries in the big fight; it could not come back. The Standard was the customer and it controlled the market and later on controlled the field. Farmers, merchants, judges and conservative business men all took a shot at the oil business and their money is like the flag, "still there." Later on came other enterprises of most attractive form and men and the money flowed out again. Conservative monied men said: "Keep your money at home," but they said in vain. They were at once dubbed as old fogies and knockers, and no attention was paid to their plaints. Time will tell the story, as the finger of time points the moral. The fact remains that the same amount of capital and the same energy and the same care will yield larger returns, at home.
THE POPULATION OF A GREAT COUNTY.
Wichita's population, inside the corporate limits, is 54,131, according to the official returns of the deputy county assessors. It is probable that there are from 2,000 to 3,000 just outside the city limits, who practically live in the city, enjoy the same privi- leges and really belong to its population, who are not included in this enumeration because the corporation lines are run so as to shut them out. That is the opinion of County Assessor Bristow.
Sedgwick county's total population, according to the same authority is 73,779. These figures are low, rather than high, for . the deputy county assessors, while they make an earnest effort to enumerate every one in their respective sections, have little time to return to houses where they have found no one at home
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or where they may have gotten an incomplete enumeration. The enumeration in 1909 showed Wichita's population to be 52,000. That the city has grown more than 2,000 during the past year there is little doubt, and that the assessors may have missed a thousand or more is altogether probable and reflects no discredit upon them.
Clearwater is the largest town in the county outside of Wich- iet, with a population of 560. The complete figures for the vari- ous townships are as follows: Afton, 370; Attica and Goddard City, 694; Delano, 840; Eagle, 668; Erie, 294; Garden Plain and Graden Plain city, 795; Grand River, 352; Grant, 660; Greeley and Mt. Hope city, 1,584; Gypsum, 848; Illinois, 431; Kechi, 894; Lincoln, 605; Mineha, 513; Morton and Cheny city, 1,109; Nin- nescah and Clearwater city, 957; Ohio, 462; Park, 759; Payne, 465; Rockford and Derby city and part of Mulvane city, 847; Salem, 653; Sherman and Andale city, 933; Union and Colwich city, 704; Viola, 459; Valley Center and Valley Center city, 976; Waco, 1,140; Wichita, 636.
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