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 67
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Then, after explaining how he traded the three guns, etc., for three horses and a mule, "marked with a Spanish brand," he continues: "I proposed to them to let me pass through to the Padoucahs. To this they were much opposed, as they are deadly enemies. Seeing they would not consent, I questioned them in regard to the Spaniards. It seems to me we could succeed in making peace between this tribe and the Padoucahs, and by this means open a route to the Spaniards. It could be done by giving back to them their slaves and making them some presents. I told them it was your desire they should be friends. We could yet attempt the passage by the Missouri, going to the Panismahas to carry them some presents. I have offered MI. de Boisbriant to go there myself, and if this is your wish I am ready to execute it so as to merit the honor of your protection. The way to go there from the Osages is south, one-quarter west."
In Margry's works (vol. VI, pp. 309-12) is an extract from one of La Harpe's relations, apparently taken from Dutisne's report. This relation says the Pani villages were 40 leagues southwest from the Osages. The latter Dutisne described as being 80 leagues from the mouth of the Osage river, near the present town of Osceola, in St. Clair county, Mo. Forty leagues southwest from that point would bring the site of the Pani villages near the southeast corner of Kan- sas, possibly inside the present boundary of the state. There is nothing in Dutisne's report, or any account of the expedition, to show that he made the fifteen days' journey up the Smoky Hill river mentioned by Hale, though Dutisne did say that, according to the report of the Panis, "it is fifteen days' journey to the great village of the Padou- cahs." It is therefore extremely problematical whether Dutisne was
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ever in what is now the State of Kansas, though from the distances and directions mentioned in his report he may have touched the south- east corner of the state.
Dwight, an incorporated city of the third class in Ohio township, Morris county, is a station on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. some 15 miles north of Council Grove, the county seat. It was settled about the time the railroad was built, and on March 4, 1903, Gov. Bailey approved an act authorizing the town to incorporate and organize as a city of the third class. The incorporation was not effected, however, until in 1905. In 1910 the population was 298. Dwight has. a bank, a money order postoffice with two rural routes, express, tele- graph and telephone service, Christian, Methodist, Episcopal and Presby- terian churches, good public schools, and is the principal trading and. shipping point in the northeastern part of the county.
Dyche, Lewis Lindsay, zoologist, was born at Berkeley Springs, W. Va., March 20, 1857. In early life he came to Kansas, and in 1884 he received the degrees of B. S. and B. A. from the University of Kansas .. During the years 1885-86 he was assistant professor of zoology, and in 1886 he received the degree of A. M. He was then made professor of comparative anatomy, which position he held until 1890, receiving the degree of M. S. in 1888. From 1890 to 1900 he was professor of zoology and curator of birds and mammals, and since 1900 has held the chair of systematic zoology and taxidermy. Prof. Dyche has made more than a score of scientific expeditions, covering North America from Mexico to Alaska, including Greenland and the Arctic regions, and as a result of his work the University of Kansas has one of the largest and finest collections of mammals in the world. A collection of these specimens was exhibited at the Columbian expedition at Chi- cago in 1893 and excited much favorable comment. On Oct. 4, 1884, Prof. Dyche married Miss Ophelia Axtell of Sterling, Kan. He has lectured at various places upon the subjects with which he is so well acquainted, and has contributed articles on zoology and kindred topics to the leading magazines. In 1911 he was appointed state game warden and fish commissioner, a position for which he is admirably fitted by his long training as a student of animal life, the habits of birds and mammals, etc.
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Eagle, a small settlement of Elwood township, Barber county, is situated in the forks of Little Mule creek, about 12 miles southwest of Medicine Lodge, the county seat, and most convenient railroad station. The people receive mail by rural delivery from Lasswell.
Earleton, one of the thriving little towns of Neosho county, is located in Canville township on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. 12 miles. west of Erie, the county seat. All lines of business are represented,. including banking. There is an express office and a money order post --
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office with two rural routes. The population in 1910 was 250. Earle- ton was founded by J. C. Lantz in 1870, in the interests of the railroad company, which was supposed to own the land. Mr. Lantz was the first postmaster and kept the first store. The growth of the town was retarded by litigation for the title of the land and little was done in the way of building until the matter was settled in 1876. In 1877 several new business enterprises sprang up, a depot was erected and the town started on its career.
Early River Commerce .- When the first actual white settlers came to Kansas, there were no railroads west of the Mississippi river, and the various water-courses were depended upon to furnish the means of transportation. As early as 1819 four steamboats-the Thomas Jef- ferson, Expedition, R. M. Johnson and Western Engineer-were built for the navigation of the upper Missouri, and were used in the first Yellowstone expedition. Prior to that time the only species of water craft on the western streams were the Indian canoes or the keel boats and pirogues of the fur traders. In 1830 a steamboat called the Car of Commerce was built for the Missouri river trade, but was sunk near the mouth of the river two years later. The Yellowstone ascended the river in 1831, and between that time and 1840 the Assiniboine and the Astoria made regular trips. About the time Kansas was organized as a territory, the best known steamers on the Missouri were the A. C. Goddin, the A. B. Chambers and the Kate Swinney. The last named, a side-wheeler 200'feet long and 30 feet wide, was sunk on the upper river on Aug. 1, 1855. Others steamers on the Missouri were the Key- stone (upon which Gov. Geary came to Kansas), the Robert Campbell. the Paul Jones, the Polar Star and the J. M. Converse.
Lewis and Clark's journal for June 5, 1804, contains the following entry: "Passed the Creek of the big rock about 15 yds wide on the left side at II oClock brought too a small Caissee (raft made of two canoes tied together) in which was two french men, from 80 leagues up the Kansias R where they wintered, and brought a great quantity of Beaver," etc.
It may be that this early report was partially responsible for the popular belief some years later that the Kansas was navigable for a distance of 80 leagues. (See Kansas River.) The first attempt to navi- gate the river by steam was in 1854, when Capt. C. K. Baker bought the Excel, a vessel of 79 tons with a draft of only 2 feet, for the Kansas river trade. On one trip down the river, this boat made the run from Fort Riley to Kansas City in 24 hours, stopping at thirty landings. In 1855 eight new steamboats attempted the navigation of the Kansas, viz: the Bee, New Lucy, Hartford, Lizzie, Emma Harmon, Financier No. 2, Saranak and Perry. The Hartford made but one trip. On June 3 she ran aground a short distance above the mouth of the Blue river, where she lay for a month waiting for high water. . With a rise in the river she dropped down to Manhattan, where she unloaded her cargo, and with the next rise started for Kansas City, but grounded opposite
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St. Mary's mission, where she caught fire and was burned. The bell of this boat is now in the steeple of the Methodist church at Manhattan.
In 1856 the steamers Perry, Lewis Burns, Far West and Brazil made their appearance on the Kansas. In this year the flat-boat Pioneer took out the first load of freight from up the river, arriving at Kansas City in April. The following year four new steamboats were added. They were the Lightfoot, Violet, Lacon and Otis Webb. The Liglitfoot of Quindaro, a stern-wheeler, was the first steamboat ever built in Kansas. The Violet was built at Pittsburg. She arrived at Kansas City on April 7, 1857, and two days later reached Lawrence. Here the captain noticed that the river was falling and declined to go any farther. Dis- charging his cargo and passengers, he started back down the river and arrived at Kansas City on May 10, having spent the greater part of a month on the sand bars. The vessel never tried a. second trip.
In 1858 the Otis Webb, the Minnie Belle and the Kate Swinney were the principal steamboats on the Kansas, but in 1859 came the Silver Lake, Morning Star, Gus Linn, Adelia, Colona, Star of the West and the Kansas Valley. In 1860 the Eureka, Izetta and Mansfield were added to the list. Then came the Civil war and but little was done in the way of river commerce until peace was restored to the country. The Tom Morgan and the Emma began the navigation of the Kansas in 1864; the Hiram Wood, Jacob Sass and E. Hensley were put in com- mission in 1865, and in 1866 the Alexander Majors was added.
The early navigation of the Kansas was attended by many difficul- ties. Wood was used for fuel, and it was no unusual occurrence for a boat to tie up while the crew went ashore to fell trees and lay in a supply of wood. On one occasion the Financier No. 2 ascended the Republican river for a distance of 40 miles by way of experiment. This was the farthest that river has ever been navigated. A correspondent of the St. Louis Democrat, on Nov. 18, 1855, said: "The bed of the Kansas, like that of the Missouri, is quicksand, ever changing and ever dangerous while the water will not average over two feet in depth at any place for a distance of 500 feet along its banks. If the bottom was rock and the banks precipitous, a line of steamers would pay well; but as it is, no sensible capitalist will invest his money in a single boat. Kansas is destined by nature to be the Railroad state."
When the counties of Cowley, Sedgwick and Sumner were settled, about 1870, the question of steamboat navigation on the Arkansas became one of interest to the settlers, who were desirous of finding an outlet to market. In the fall of 1875 A. W. Berkey and A. C. Winton of Cowley county built a flat-boat at Arkansas City and loaded it with flour, which they took down the river and sold at Little Rock, Ark. Upon their return a stock company was formed for the purchase of a steamboat. A light draft boat was bought and it ascended the river nearly to Fort Gibson, when the engines were found to be of insufficient power to stem the current. In the summer of 1878 W. H. Speer and Amos Walton built a flat-boat 50 feet long and 16 feet wide, equipped
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it with a 10 horse-power thresher engine, and with this novel craft made several trips up and down the river for a distance of 60 miles from Arkansas City while the water was at a low stage.
Through correspondence, the business men of Little Rock were induced to send a boat on trial trip to Kansas. The boat selected was the Aunt Sally, which had been built for the bayou cotton trade of Arkansas. She arrived at Arkansas City on June 30, 1878, and the officers of the boat expressed the opinion that a boat built especially for the purpose could make regular trips up and down the river at all seasons of the year. Thus encouraged, McCloskey Seymore had the Cherokee built at Arkansas City. This boat was launched on Nov. 6, 1878; was 85 feet long, 22 feet wide; and had a draught when loaded to the guards of only 16 inches. Other steamers that were built for the Arkansas river trade were the Gen. Miles, the Necedah and the Nonesuch. But, before the commerce of the Arkansas river was fully established, the railroad came, and the certainty of railroad traffic, when compared with the difficulties attending that of the river, made the operation of the steamboats unprofitable. However, as late as 1884 a steamboat called the Kansas Millers was built for the trade. This was the last attempt at steam navigation of the Arkansas, though some flat- boats and barges continued to transport wheat and flour down the river until the railroad lines were more fully developed.
Eastern Orthodox Church .- (See Greek Church.)
Eastern Star, Order of .- (See Freemasons.)
Easton, one of the important early settlements of Leavenworth county, is situated on the Stranger river and the Union Pacific R. R. in the northwestern part of the county II miles northwest of Leaven- worth. In the autumn of 1854, Gen. L. J. Eastin, and his associates located the town of Eastin and it was named in honor of the general. The spelling was changed to Easton through the influence of Gov. Reeder, for his native town in Pennsylvania. The first settler was Andrew Dawson, who opened a store just above the bridge in 1852. In 1855 Stephen Minard bought this store, settled in the village and opened the first hotel. In Dec., 1855, a postoffice was opened and the village began to thrive. A number of free-state men settled in the town and vicinity and during the border troubles it was regarded as a head- quarters for men of this political faith. (See Easton Expedition.) Sev- eral churches were built at an early day, a school was opened and great things were expected of the town. Early in the 'Sos it had two general stores, a blacksmith shop and grocery. Today the town is the supply and shipping point for a rich agricultural community, has several gen- eral stores, a hardware and implement house, lumber yard, money order postoffice, express and telegraph facilities, hotel, good graded school, and is one of the leading towns in the western part of the county. In 1910 the population was 310.
Easton Expedition .- In the fall of 1855 a free-state mayor was elected in Leavenworth. He became intimidated by the demonstrations at the
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December elections, and fearing the dissatisfaction of the people because of the hopelessness of performing his duty, resigned on Jan. 13, 1856, two days before the date fixed for the election of state officers under the Topeka constitution. The president of the council forbade the election to be held, and although no polls were opened, the election was held in an informal way by carrying the ballot box around. Some of the free-state men determined that an election should be held in the Leavenworth district free from the pro-slavery influence.
At Easton, II miles northwest of Leavenworth, the election had been postponed to the 17th because of the threats to break it up as had been done at Leavenworth. The election was held at the house of T. A. Minard, about a half mile from the village, and a number of Leavenworth men attended to see that the election was fair, one of them being Capt. Reese P. Brown, member-elect of the legislature. About 6 o'clock p. m. an attack was made upon the polls, which were defended by the free-state men under command of Stephen Sparks. A message was sent to Minard by the pro-slavery men, demanding the ballot box, and informing him that unless it was given up they would come for it. No disturbance occurred, however, until the next morn- ing, when news was brought that Sparks and his son had been taken prisoners. Capt. Brown and a party started out to rescue them. On reaching the village they found Sparks and his son standing at bay in a fence corner. Sparks and his son were released, but threats were made that they would soon be recaptured. The parties had not separated before guns were fired, a pro-slavery man named Cook being killed and two free-state men slightly wounded. Brown and seven others then started for Leavenworth, but when about half way there they were met by a company of Kickapoo rangers under command of Capt. Martin and a company from Leavenworth under Capt. Dunn on their way to Easton to avenge the death of Cook. Upon being assured that they would be treated kindly, the free-state men, seeing the odds against them, gave up their arms and were taken back to Easton, where a mock trial was attempted. The soldiers became unruly, and Capt. Martin said that nothing could save Brown. All the other prisoners were released, but Brown was kept locked in a room to prevent the mob from interfering. Upon being told that the men holding the trial had decided to take Brown to Leavenworth to await his trial according to law, the mob said that he too would escape. They broke open the door where he was confined, and a man named Gilbert struck him on the head with a hatchet. He was dragged out of doors, stabbed and hacked from head to foot, and finally thrown in a wagon, in which he was jolted over the frozen ground to his home, where he died. Brown was a prominent free-state man, he had previously taken part in the defense of Lawrence and was feared by the pro-slavery men.
Echo, a hamlet of Douglas county, is located in the southern portion about 10 miles northwest of Baldwin, the nearest railroad station, from which it has rural free delivery. The population in 1910 was 25
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Electric Medical Association .- (See Medical Societies, State.)
Eden, a hamlet of Atchison county, is located in the northern portion on Independence creek, about 5 miles east of Huron, the nearest rail- road point. It has rural free delivery from Atchison, the county seat, which is about 10 miles southeast. In 1910 the population was 20.
Edgerton, one of the large towns of Johnson county, is situated in the southwestern portion, near the junction of two branches of Bull creek, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., 14 miles southwest of Olathe, the county seat. The town was laid out after the building of the railroad in 1870 and named after the chief engineer. The first building was the railroad station. It was followed by a dwelling and store the same year and in 1871 Reuben Perkins built the first hotel. The first school house was also built in 1871 and school was taught by Robert Quay that winter. The town lies in a rich agricultural country and is a shipping point for produce sent to Kansas City. It has a money order postoffice, good hotel, hardware and implement house, lumber yard and good public school system. The population in 1910 was 400.
Edith, a country postoffice of Lee township, Logan county, is situated on Twin Butte creek about 12 miles southeast of Russell Springs, the county seat, and about half-way between Monument, on the Union Pacific, and Scott, on the Missouri Pacific, which are the nearest rail- road stations.
Editorial Association, State .- Wilder's Annals of Kansas (p. 372) says that on Oct. 7, 1863, a meeting of the state editors was held at Leavenworth, and that the next day a society was formed with John Speer as president; Hovey E. Loman, vice-president ; D. H. Bailey, secretary ; and Daniel W. Wilder, treasurer. This is the only mention of this organization to be found, and it does not appear that a second meeting was ever held.
In Dec., 1865, a call was issued for the editors of the state to meet at Topeka on Jan. 17, 1866, the anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth, to consider the advisability of organizing a state editorial association. At that time there were but 37 papers published in the state, and at the Topeka meeting 20 of these were represented as follows: M. W. Reynolds, Lawrence Journal; J. B. Oliver, Lawrence Tribune; W. H. Bisbee, Leavenworth Conservative; H. Buckingham, Leavenworth Times; J. A. Martin, Atchison Champion; F. G. Adams, Atchison Free Press; F. P. Baker and S. D. McDonald, Topeka Record; J. F. Cum- mings, Topeka Leader; J. P. Greer, Topeka Tribune; P. H. Peters, Marysville Enterprise; E. C. Manning, Marysville Union ; R. B. Tay- lor, Wyandotte Gazette; D. B. Emmert, Fort Scott Monitor; Sol Mil- ler, White Cloud Chief; Jacob Stotler, Emporia News; M. M. Mur- dock, Burlingame Chronicle; Joseph Bond, Humboldt Herald; Sol Miller, Mound City Sentinel; William Springs, Garnett Plaindealer ; George W. Martin, Junction City Union.
A committee consisting of P. H. Peters, F. G. Adams and M. W. Reynolds, was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws with a (I-36)
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view to perfecting a permanent organization. This committee in its report, suggested the name of "Kansas Editors' and Publishers' Associa- tion," the objects of which should be "to promote the mutual welfare of the Kansas press, protect its rights, inculcate feelings of harmony, and elevate its tone and character."
The report of the committee was adopted and the following officers were elected: R. B. Taylor, president; M. W. Reynolds, John A. Mar- tin, M. M. Murdock and J. F. Cummings, vice-presidents ; S. D. McDon- ald, secretary ; and P. H. Peters, treasurer.
For some years the annual meetings of the association were held on Jan. 17, the anniversary of the organization. Then the time, as well as the place, of holding meetings was left for the members to decide. In 1871 the meeting was held at Lawrence late in October, and the meeting of 1872 was held at Emporia in May. Following the custom of similar organizations elsewhere, the meetings of the association were generally accompanied by a banquet or an excursion to some point of interest. No meetings were held in 1876, 1880, 1881 and 1884, though in 1876 a number of the members got together and went as an excursion party to Philadelphia to attend the Centennial exposition. The old 'associa- tion continued in existence until it was replaced by the present one.
In May, 1892, the Kansas delegates, while on the way home from the meeting of the National Editorial Association, formed a temporary or- ganization with D. A. Valentine as president and Ewing Herbert as secretary. These officers called a state convention to meet on April 21, 1893, when about 40 newspaper men from various sections of the state assembled at the Copeland hotel in Topeka and organized the present "Kansas Editorial Association." On July 25 a call was issued for a meeting of the association on Sept. II-12, 1893, to be followed by an excursion to the Columbian exposition at Chicago during Kansas. week. Meetings have been held annually since the organization in 1892. At these meetings papers relating to the interests of the press. are read and discussed, and the business exercises are usually followed by a banquet or a visit to the state institutions.
The meeting of 1911 was held in Topeka on Jan. 30-31, when the fol- lowing officers were elected: President, W. Y. Morgan, Hutchinson News; vice-president, Clyde H. Knox, Sedan Times-Star; correspond- ing secretary, Mack Cretcher, Sedgwick Pantagraph; recording secre- tary, Charles Brown, Horton Headlight; treasurer, W. E. Miller, St. Mary's Star. At that meeting 196 members were reported, and that all parts of the state are fully represented may be seen from the following list of presidents, together with the papers with which they are con- nected : In 1892, D. A. Valentine, Clay Center Times; 1893, Charles F. Scott, Iola Register; 1894, J. E. Junkin, Sterling Bulletin ; 1895, W. H. Nelson, Smith Center Pioneer; 1896, F. H. Roberts, Oskaloosa Inde- pendent ; 1897, H. A. Perkins, Manhattan Nationalist ; 1898, S. H. Dodge, Beloit Gazette; 1899, George W. Martin, Kansas City Gazette; 1900, L. F. Randolph, Nortonville News; 1901, G. T. Davies, Concordia Kan-
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san; 1902, F. C. Raney, Fort Scott Republican; 1903, D. R. Anthony, Leavenworth Times; 1904, Ewing Herbert, Hiawatha World; 1905, Mack P. Cretcher, Sedgwick Pantagraph; 1906, W. E. Blackburn, An- thony Republican; 1907, Thomas Charles, Belleville Freeman; 1908, Sheridan Ploughe, Hutchinson Independent ; 1909, Arthur Capper, To- peka Capital; 1910, H. C. Sticher, Belleville Telescope; 1911, W. Y. Morgan, Hutchinson News.
Edmond, a town of Solomon township, Norton county, is located on the Solomon river and the Missouri Pacific R. R., about 14 miles south- east of Norton, the county seat. It is a flourishing place, has a national bank, a grain elevator, a flour mill, a creamery, a hotel, graded public schools, a money order postoffice with one rural route, and a large local trade in all lines of merchandise. The population in 1910 was 350.
Edna, an incorporated town of Labette county, is located on the Mis- souri Pacific R. R., in Elm Grove township, 18 miles southwest of Os- wego, the county seat. It has 2 banks, 2 elevators, a flour mill and a machine shop. There are express and telegraph offices, and an interna- tional money order postoffice with 3 rural routes. The population in 1910 was 489. In 1876 Alexander Patterson and Mr. Booth opened a general store at this point in a shanty 11 by 14 feet. That fall they built a frame store. Nothing was done toward building a town until the railroad came through in 1886. The plat was made that summer. A bank was opened in 1887 by C. T. Ewing, but it failed in 1892. There have been two disastrous fires, both of which burned several business houses, the first occurring in 1889 and the other in 1891. The town was incorporated in 1892 as a city of the third class. The following were the first officers: Mayor, J. H. Hoole; police judge, J. H. Reasor ; city clerk, J. E. Blunk ; councilmen, G. W. Reasor, T. G. Harris, H. H. Clark, A. C. Veach and J. C. Arnold.
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