USA > Kansas > Kansas; a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc. with a supplementary volume devoted to selected personal history and reminiscence, Voilume I > Part 10
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In Sept., 1878, the Indians on the western frontier began making hos- tile demonstrations. When Gov. Anthony received the information that some of the Cheyennes had left their reservation and were moving against the settlements in western Kansas, he placed himself in tele- graphic communication with the Federal authorities. Ten days later the Indians were reported to be in the vicinity of Fort Dodge, and, as the general government refused to act, the governor sent Adjt .- Gen. Noble with arms and ammunition to the menaced districts, with in- structions to arm and organize the people for their own defense. (See Indian Wars.)
If Gov. Anthony had introduced an innovation at the commencement of his administration, in requesting a joint session to hear his mes- sage, he introduced no less an innovation at its close, in submitting a retiring message, partly a review of his official acts and partly sugges- tions for the future. This message bears the date of Jan. 13, 1879, and in a prefatory note to the incoming governor, Gov. Anthony says: "Sir: Impelled by a sense of duty. I have prepared, and herewith hand you, a communication to the legislature. This innovation will, I trust, meet with sufficient approval on your part to justify you in its trans- mittal to the separate branches of that body, which favor I respectfully ask at your hands."
In the message itself, he thus gives his reasons for its preparation : "Believing it better to establish a good precedent than to follow a bad one, and holding duty to the public paramount to custom and usage,
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I have concluded to depart from the practice of predecessors, by ad- dressing you. I am impelled to this departure by a belief that there are transactions, both complete and incomplete, connected with my ad- ministration, which should be brought to your attention in more full- ness of detail and particularity of statement than could be expected or required of the governor elect; and I trust you will, by law, make it his duty to perform a work I have assumed to do at the peril of un- friendly criticism."
The governor then gives a detailed account of the appointment of ex-Gov. Samuel J. Crawford as state agent, with a list of the bonds issued at various times for military purposes, amounting to $470,726.15. for which the state had not been reimbursed by the Federal govern- ment. He also discussed the Santa Fe strike; school lands and school funds ; the correspondence with the governors of Ohio; the Indian raid of 1878, and included a list of pardons granted to convicts during his term of office. Gov. St. John, in his own message, made no reference to Gov. Anthony's farewell communication, though it appears to have been submitted to the legislature, as official copies of it were printed by the state printer. The day following its submission to Gov. St. John, the administration of Gov. Anthony came to a close.
Anti Horse Thief Association .- Shortly after the commencement of the Civil war, lawless men in the border states-that is the states lying between the loyal and seceded states-banded themselves together for the purpose of plundering honest citizens. Missouri especially was sub- ject to the depredations of these gangs, and in time the conditions be- came so bad that the law-abiding people found it necessary to take some action for defense. The first organization of this character was pro- posed at a meeting held at Luray, Mo., in Sept., 1863. At a second meeting, held at Millport, Mo., about a month later, a constitution and by-laws were adopted, and as horses seemed to be the principal objects of theft, the society took the name of the "Anti Horse Thief Associa- tion." The effectiveness of such an organization quickly became ap- parent, the order spread to other states, and in time covered a large expanse of territory. After the war was over, when the conditions that called the association into existence no longer existed, its scope was widened to include all kinds of thefts and a national organization was incorporated under the laws of Kansas. This national order is com- posed of officers and delegates from the state associations and meets annually on the first Wednesday in October. Next in importance is the · state division, which is made up of representatives of the local organiza- tions, and meets annually to elect officers and delegates to the national order. The sub-orders or local associations are composed of individual members and usually meet monthly. Any reputable citizen over the age of 21 years is eligible for membership, widows of members receive all the protection to which their husbands were entitled while living, and other women may become "protective members" by payment of the regular fees and dues.
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Wall and McCarty, in their history of the association, say: "The A. H. T. A. uses only strictly honorable, legal methods. It opposes lawlessness in any and all forms, yet does its work so systematically and efficiently that few criminals are able to escape when it takes the trail. The centralization of 'Many in One' has many advantages not possessed by even an independent association, for while it might en- compass a neighborhood, the A. T. H. A. covers many states. . . . The value of an article stolen is rarely taken into consideration. The order decrees that the laws of the land must be obeyed, though it costs many times the value of the property to capture the thief. An individual could not spend $50 to $100 to recover a $25 horse and capture the thief. The A. T. H. A. would, because of the effect it would have in the future. . . . Thieves have learned these facts and do less stealing from our members, hence the preventative protection."
This was written in 1906. At that time the national organization numbered over 30,000 members, arranged in divisions as follows: Ohio Division, which embraced the State of Ohio; Illinois Division, which included the states of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan and all territory east of the Mississippi and south of the Ohio river not otherwise dis- tricted; Missouri Division, including the states of Missouri, Iowa, Ar- kansas and Louisiana; Kansas Division, which consisted of the states of Kansas and Nebraska, and all territory to the north, west and south of those states not included in other districts; Oklahoma Division, in- cluding the State of Oklahoma; Indian Territory Division, which em- braced the Indian Territory and Texas.
The Anti Horse Thief Association is in no sense a vigilance com- mittee, and the organization has never found it necessary to adopt the mysterious methods of "Regulators," "White Caps" or kindred organi- zations. Its deeds are done in the broad open light of the day. When a theft or robbery is committed in any portion of the vast territory cov- ered by the association and the direction taken by the offender is ascer- tained, local associations are notified to be on the lookout for the fugi- tive, and his capture is almost a certainty. Although the original name is retained, bankers, merchants and manufacturers are to be found among the members, courts recognize its value, criminals fear it, and press and pulpit have endorsed and praised its work in the apprehension of criminals.
Antiquities .- (See Archaeology.)
Antonino, a post-village of Ellis county, is situated in the Smoky Hill valley about 8 miles southwest of Hays, the county seat. It is a small hamlet and receives mail tri-weekly. Hays is the most conve- nient railroad station.
Antrim, a small hamlet of Stafford county, is within a short dis- tance of the Pratt county line, about 8 miles south of St. John, the county seat and most convenient railroad station, from which mail is received by rural free delivery.
Aplington Art Gallery .- The movement for a traveling art study
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collection may be said to have had its beginning in the year 1895, but nothing definite was accomplished till 1901, when Mrs. W. A. Johnston was president of the Kansas Federation of Women's Clubs, and the executive board accepted a small set of photogravures-the gift of Mrs. Kate A. Aplington of Council Grove-to be used as the nucleus of a state art study collection. A report of the board says: "Later it was thought best to let some district try the experiment of caring for the traveling collection, and as the Fourth district offered to frame the pictures and keep them in circulation in the schools of the district, the collection was placed in their hands."
At the first board meeting of the Kansas Federation of Women's clubs in 1903, a motion was made to publish a "Book of Quotations," the profits from the sales to be devoted to the purchase of large size carbon photographs for use by the clubs and schools of the state for public art exhibits. The proceeds from the sale of the book netted over $360, which was used for the purchase of 50 pictures of the Italian, and about 60 of the Dutch and Flemish schools. A small German collection was added later. In 1905 a very full fine French collection was added. The following year a new English collection was added, and during the first three years the gallery was in existence the State Federation held 91 exhibits.
From the first it was intended at some future time to offer this col- lection to the state, and accordingly, in Feb., 1907, the executive board of the Federation met in Topeka and took formal action regarding this. A bill was passed by the legislature of 1907, authorizing the acceptance of the collection by the state.
Aplington, Kate Adele, for whom the above collection is named, was born in Sugar Grove, Lee Co., Ill., March 1, 1859, a daughter of Henry H. and Elizabeth Melinda (Deming) Smith, both natives of New York. Her father was an educator and from 1854 to 1879 was engaged con- tinuously in school work, being city superintendent of schools in Sa- vannah, Mt. Carroll, Galena, Macomb, Alton, Polo and Ottawa, Ill., and for 12 years was county superintendent of Whiteside county, Ill. As a girl Mrs. Aplington was quite a student, and was of great help to her father in his laboratory work. She was graduated in 1876, and immediately took some post-graduate work, to fit herself for a univer- sity course, but failing eyesight prevented. She taught two terms in the Ottawa (Ill.) high school, and while there helped establish a read- ing room and library. On June 19, 1879, she was married to John Ap- lington, a graduate of the Union College of Law of Chicago, and in 1880 they moved to Council Grove, Kan., where they have since resided. In 1901 Mrs. Aplington was appointed a member of the Charities Con- ference committee and with other members visited the Girls' Industrial School at Beloit, making recommendations that domestic science be installed in the school. In 1902 she was made chairman of the manual training committee of the Kansas State Social Science Federation, and wrote hundreds of letters to educators in the larger towns, from whom
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she received voluminous reports and recommendations from which the present state law was passed in 1903. In that year she was elected vice president of the Kansas Federation of Women's Clubs, at its meet- ing in Wichita, and was the author of the proposition to publish a "Book of Quotations," the profits from the sales to be devoted to the purchase of a collection of carbon reproductions of famous paintings. These copies were purchased and for three years were exhibited in va- rious parts of the state, Mrs. Aplington having the superintendency of the same. In 1907, the collection was offered and accepted by the state, and was given the name of "Aplington Art Gallery." Mrs. Aplington is still connected with the traveling art galleries and at the present time (July, 1911) is preparing notes, etc., for an American collection of paintings which will be placed in the hands of the traveling libraries commission to be used in connection with the other exhibits.
Appanoose, a hamlet of Douglas county, is situated in the extreme southwestern corner, 8 miles southeast of Overbrook, the nearest rail- road station, from which it has rural free delivery. In 1910 it had a population of less than 20.
Aral, a little hamlet of Butler county, is about 20 miles southwest of Eldorado, the county seat, and 3 miles from Rose Hill, from which place mail is received by rural free delivery.
Arapahoe County .- One of the first acts of the territorial legislature of 1855 created Arapahoe county-so named for the plains tribe of In- dians-and defined the boundaries as follows: "Beginning at the north- east corner of New Mexico, running thence north to the south line of Nebraska and north line of Kansas; thence along said line to the east line of Utah territory ; thence along said line between Utah and Kansas territories, to where said line strikes New Mexico; thence along the line between said New Mexico and the territory of Kansas to the place of beginning."
.All the territory embraced within these boundaries is now in the state of Colorado. By the act of creation Allen P. Tibbitts was ap- pointed judge of the probate court of the county, the plan for holding court being left to his discretion, and Allen P. Tibbitts, Levi Mitchell and Jonathan Atwood were appointed commissioners to locate the coun- ty seat, which was to be known as Mountain City. One representa- tive in the state legislature was apportioned to the county, which was attached to Marshall county for all business purposes.
In 1873 a second county of Arapahoe was created in the southwest- ern part of the state out of unorganized territory. Its boundaries were defined as follows: "Commencing at the intersection of the east line of range 31, west, with the north line of township 27, south; thence south along the range line to where it intersects the sixth standard parallel : thence west along the sixth standard parallel to the intersec- tion with the east line of range 35, west; thence north along the range line to where it intersects the north line of township 27, south ; thence east to the place of beginning." In 1883 Arapahoe county disappeared.
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its territory being included in Finney and in 1887 Haskell county was created from that part of Finney which had been established as Arapa- hoe in 1873.
Arbitration, Boards of .- Although Kansas has never been a great manufacturing state, the need of some systematic plan for the settle- ment of disputes between capital and labor was felt at an early day, for as early as 1886, an act was passed "to establish boards of arbitra- tion." By this act, when a petition signed by five or more workmen, or by two separate firms, individuals or corporations within the county who are employers, is presented, the district court of a county, or a judge thereof in vacation, shall have the power to issue a license for the establishment of a tribunal for voluntary arbitration and settlement of disputes between employer and employee in "manufacturing, mechanical, mining and other industries."
A tribunal consists of four persons appointed by the judge; two workmen and two employers, all of whom must be residents of the county in which the dispute takes place. At the time the license is issued for the establishment of the board, the judge also appoints an umpire, who is to decide impartially all questions that are submitted during his term of office. When the board fails to agree after three meetings, any question in dispute is referred to the umpire and his de- cision in the matter is final. A board of arbitration may take jurisdic- tion of any dispute between employees and employer in any of the industries, who submit their dispute to the tribunal in writing. When disputes occur in a county where there is no tribunal, they may be re- ferred to a tribunal already existing in an adjoining county. After the appointment of a board of arbitration in a county, it organizes by electing one member chairman and one secretary. The sessions of these tribunals are held at the county seat, to consider the petitions that have been presented. Its members are paid out of the county treasury at the rate of $2.00 a day for each day of actual service. All matters in dispute are submitted to the chairman of the board, who has power to administer oaths to all witnesses called upon to testify by either side. The board also has power to investigate all books, docu- ments and accounts pertaining to matters in hearing before it. The board makes its own rules for government while in session, fixes its own sessions and adjournments, but the chairman can call an extra session at any time. When the board cannot settle any matter in dis- pute it submits the matter to the umpire in writing, and he is required to award a decision within seven days. When the award is for a spe- cific sum of money, a copy of the decision is filed in the district court of the county, after which the court may enter judgment. Since the act was passed providing for these boards of arbitration many labor disputes have been successfully settled with no litigation; usually to the entire satisfaction of both parties of the dispute.
Arbor Day .- This day owes its origin to J. Sterling Morton, of Ne- braska, late United States commissioner of agriculture, who in 1872
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succeeded in inducing his state (then almost treeless) to set apart a day for the purpose of planting trees. Over a million were planted that year. In 1874 the same state planted over 12,000,000 trees, Gov. Robert W. Furnas, the governor at that time issuing a proclamation setting apart a day in April for the purpose. Nebraska, in 1885, en- acted a law, designating April 22, the birthday of Mr. Morton, as Arbor day and making it a legal holiday. In Kansas the first recognition of the day was in 1875, when Thomas J. Anderson, then mayor of Topeka, issued the following proclamation :
ARBOR DAY ..
PROCLAMATION BY THE MAYOR.
"At the sugggestion of many citizens who desire to see the capitol grounds made an ornament to the city, I hereby appoint Friday, April 23, 1875, as "Arbor Day," and request all citizens on that date to set out trees in the capitol grounds. On that day, it is hoped that each citizen interested, will repair to the grounds, between the hours of 2 p. m. and 5 p. m., and set out one tree. The secretary of state will point out the proper locations for the trees.
"THOS. J. ANDERSON, Mayor."
The citizens of Topeka responded to the call and some 800 trees were planted. The next year the mayor of Topeka set apart April 18 as arbor day, on which occasion the residents of the capital city again gathered on the capitol grounds to replace such trees as had died dur- ing the previous twelve months, and to make such additions as they saw fit.
From this time on the cities, towns and villages of the state began observing the day in a more or less public manner, with the ultimate result, that many sections are now veritable forests, where a few short years ago they were ·treeless plains.
On April 4, 1883, Gov. George W. Glick issued a proclamation, set- ting apart April 25 to be observed as arbor day. This probably was the earliest official recognition given the day by the chief executive of Kansas, which custom has since been followed by succeeding gov- ernors.
Arbor day is now observed in nearly every state and territory in the Union, and in many places in Canada and in parts of Europe. The day is made a feature in the Kansas schools each year, when appropriate exercises are given in connection with the planting of trees and shrubs.
Arcadia, an incorporated town of Crawford county, is a station on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R., about 15 miles northeast of Girard, the county seat, and near the Missouri state line. It has a bank, a good graded public school, a fire department, a weekly newspaper,
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planing mills, brick and tile factories, a hotel, churches of several of the leading denominations, and in 1910 reported a population of 694. Communication with other places is maintained by telegraph and tele- phone in addition to the facilities offered by the postoffice, which issues international money orders and supplies the surrounding rural districts with mail through the medium of four free delivery routes.
Archaeology .- Webster defines archaeology as "The study of an- tiquities ; the study of art, architecture, customs and beliefs of ancient peoples as shown in their monuments, implements, inscriptions, etc."
The term is sometimes used in its narrow sense for the study of the material remains of the historic peoples of antiquity, especially the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians and Egyptians, and sometimes for the general scientific study of prehistoric man, when it is known as pre- historic archaeology or paleethnology. Holloway's History of Kansas (p. 87) says: "Kansas cannot boast of a remote antiquity. Her soil never becomes the scene of stirring events until of late years. Her level and far-reaching prairies afforded but little temptation to the early adventurer. No ideal gold mines or opulent Indian city were ever lo- cated within her boundaries."
While this is true in a general sense-so far as human antiquities are concerned-there is abundant evidence to show that Kansas has a remote antiquity along other lines. In prehistoric times southwestern Kansas was the bed of a great inland sea, where dwelt the ichthyo- saurus and other gigantic animals, and in Barber county there are beds of petrified shells resembling the shells of the modern oyster. The antiquities of Kansas are therefore confined chiefly to the fossil remains of prehistoric animals, of which fine specimens are to be found in the collections of the University of Kansas and Yale University. Some years ago S. S. Hand found a fossil fish in Hamilton county, which he sent to Chancellor Snow of the state university, who wrote in reply : "My view about your fine fish is, that it lived and died when what is now Hamilton county, more than 3,000 feet above the present level, was under the salt water ocean. Remains of fishes, sharks and great sea monsters are found abundantly in the rocks of western Kansas, especially along the banks of the Smoky Hill river and its branches. In fact, the ocean covered the entire western portion of the United States. The Rocky mountains were not upheaved when your fish lived and died." (See Geology.)
Of the early inhabitants of Kansas, little definite information can be gleaned from the relics these departed races have left behind. Stone mauls, hammers, arrow heads and a few iron implements constitute the greater part of these relics, and the information they impart tells but little of the people who made and used them, or of the period when those people lived. Brower, in his Quivira and Harahey (q. v.) gives an account of his discovery of the sites of a number of ancient villages, and early in 1880 the Scientific American published an article comment- ing on the report of Judge E. P. West of recent archaeological explora-
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tions in Kansas. Says the American: "Judge West presents a large amount of evidence to show that at a remote period that region was peopled by a race with which the mound builders must be accounted modern. . Prior to the (glacial) drift epoch the river channels were deeper than now, and the river valleys were lower. Subsequently the valleys were filled by a lacustrine deposit of considerable depth. In or beneath this last deposit the reamins of an extinct race occur."
The remains mentioned in Judge West's report were found along the line of the Union Pacific railroad in Douglas, Pottawatomie, Riley, Dickinson, Marion, Ellsworth and Lincoln counties, and all with the exception of one on the second bottom or terrace. In digging wells and making other excavations stone implements, pottery, bones and bone implements were found from 20 to 30 feet below the surface. Judge West is inclined to fix the time when this race occupied the re- gion as after the glacial epoch and prior to deposition of the loess. In requesting the newspapers of Kansas to urge the importance of sav- ing such relics and remains when found, he says: "Here we have a buried race enwrapped in a profound and startling mystery-a race whose appearance and exit in the world's drama precede stupendous changes marking our continent, and which perhaps required hundreds of thousands of years in their accomplishment. The prize is no less than determining when this mysterious people lived, how they lived, when they passed out of existence, and why they became extinct." (See Lansing Skeleton.)
George J. Remsburg, who has devoted considerable time to the study of the archaeological remains of the Missouri valley, investigated the ruins of a number of Indian villages, etc., and in the Kansas Magazine for June, 1893, published the results of his researches. After mention- ing the location and describing several old Indian villages, he says: "One of the richest archaeological finds ever made in Atchison county was at Oak Mills, a small village in the river bottom. Two men were employed in repairing the fence around John Davitz's lot, when they observed several flint implements projecting from a ridge of clay. In- vestigation revealed the fact that it was an aboriginal burial ground. The remains of several Indians were exhumed, the bones of which crumbled instantly on being exposed. Not even a small fragment of bone could be preserved, except the teeth, which are worn down very short and smooth, indicating that the deceased were of an advanced age, or that they had subsisted on a diet of dry corn or coarse food. The skulls were completely decayed, but the imprint of one of them indicated that it was unusually large. .Near the shoulders and
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