USA > Kansas > Douglas County > Lawrence > The Kansas memorial, a report of the Old Settlers' meeting held at Bismarck grove, Kansas, Sept. 15th and 16th, 1879 > Part 21
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Kansas with Indians, wolves, camp fires, houseless on the prai- rie, was preferable; anything to get away from where "The trail of the serpent was ever over them all."
Two weeks before the first party of the New England Emi- grant Aid Company arrived in Kansas, that little band of emi- grants toiled up the hill and rested on the very spot where now stands that noble building, the Kansas State University. The two hours' rest on that hill will never be forgotten. How vast the coun- try seemed to that lonely little party. For miles around the scene was unbroken by the work of human hands. The quiet, good-na- tured oxen standing patiently in the shadow of the high covered wagon, seemed like part of the family. No wonder. Not a sign of human habitation or of animate nature in all that vast expanse of country, only the few gathered around the wagon resting and enjoying that glorious view, calling the attention of each other to different points of beauty. The mother called the attention of the party to some object just visible above the tall prairie grass. She said it looked like a small pen of some kind. The natural conclu- sion was that it was an Indian hut. In that same " little pen " Mr. Paul Brooks kept the first dry goods store in the city of Lawrence. The party passed on and pitched their tents four miles farther west on the old California road.
Thus commenced that new, queer, half-Christian way of liv- ing, a home without a house. I remember what an effort mother made to keep in sight the old landmarks and dear old home ways. The family altar was established, the blessing asked at table, an extra plate laid for the stranger. Often was our camp-fire a beacon light to the benighted traveler and seeker after a claim. Our tent was pitched a half-mile north of the California road near a spring. That was a temporary arrangement, however, for father's claim was south and near the California road. Just north of the road where we lived three months in the tent, G. C. Brackett now has his fruit and nursery farm. Good water was not plenty those days and the spring was a treasure, but the spring began to fail and it was suggested to dig it deeper. S. N. Wood took that for his job, while father hauled green boughs from the woods two miles north of us, with which he made a welcome shade over the door of the tent, extending out about ten feet ; also one for Mrs. Wood's tent. We were more comfortable after that. The hot August sun had been almost unbearable in the tent. Other tents were soon pitched near us, until we had quite a cheery little settlement.
Mr. J. C. Archibald, J. D. Stevens, Mr. John Maley and others, all members of the first New England party, were our neighbors.
The weather was hot and dry, the spring failed again, and we suffered for good water. Father hauled water in barrels from the creek two miles north of us. Everyone was ready to take a drink when he drove up with a fresh supply. One Saturday noon a vio- lent thunder storm came up. Fortunately for us father was at
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home. The other men were all away looking for claims or hunting.
The storm came on in such awful grandeur, such magnificent fury as we had never witnessed before. The thunder rolled and crashed over us. The rain poured down in torrents. The wind blew as if it would sweep the prairie clean. It required the united efforts of the family to hold the tent in place. Mrs. Wood was alone in her tent a few rods from ours. Her two little boys came to grandma's tent but a little while before the storm came on. Mrs. Wood's habitation was soon in ruins, and she ran through the pour- ing rain to us.
The tents belonging to the gentlemen were all down and blown about. After the violence of the storm had passed it remained cloudy and threatening and turned cold. Our neighbors returned to their fallen homes. The night came on early and dark. Every- thing was soaking wet and cold-no fire; no supper, and not even a place to sit down.
Father was equal to the emergency, how he did it I never knew, but he soon had a blazing fire under the cover of green boughs that had nobly withstood the storm. As the bright cheerful fire lighted up the prairie, father called out to our neighbors to come. They waited for no second invitation for they were wet, hungry and cold. Some of them had walked miles that day and were glad to get even a wooden stool to sit on near the glowing fire.
Now was mother's opportunity to show that she was, too, equal to the emergency. She always baked on Saturday. That day she had her bread ready to bake when the storm came on. With true housewife care she managed to protect her bread, and when sup- per time came she had a panful of very light sour dough but no bread. By the use of a little soda she soon had good light biscuit, and while Mrs. Wood baked them in a Dutch oven mother made a boiler full of coffee, and every one was served with hot coffee and bread and nothing else, but it was a feast. These new-comers can- not realize the situation, but we old settlers can understand it per- fectly. The dark night; the threatening clouds overhead ; the blazing wood-fire casting a weird light far out over the tall prairie grass still dripping with rain; around and near the fire, seated on wooden benches, a little company of men fresh from comfortable New England homes, unused to anything like " roughing it," mother, the tall dignified lady, with the assistance of her daughters, serv- ing refreshments that were as thankfully received as more delicate viands would have been under more favorable circumstances. Father, the returned Californian, was in his element. He was al- ways " given to hospitality," and it was a real pleasure to him to entertain those houseless strangers. It was a picture worthy an ar- tist's best efforts.
All were cheerful and talked of far-away homes and hopeful of future homes in Kansas. One wondered what the effect would be if the group and surroundings could be set down in Boston Com-
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mon. Another remarked, " Wouldn't it make the natives stare ?"
Mr. Archibald, in that characteristic way of his that we all so well remember, said as he passed his tin cup for more coffee, "Well, it is a good thing to have women-folks around." The sen- timent was echoed by the others. Mother appreciated the com- pliment.
The next morning the sun rose in all his regal splendor, as if to repair the damage done by the storm. Tents were set up, beds, blankets and clothing were spread out to dry. Soon all things were in comfortable order again.
When the cabin was built we moved into it and lived all win- ter without floors, doors or windows. As it was called the best house on the road we could not complain.
By this time a flourishing city of tents had sprung up as if by magic, and was called New Boston, Yankee Town and Thayer. It was finally named Lawrence, in honor of Amos Lawrence, of Boston. About this time an adventurous Missourian brought a barrel of whisky in town to start a saloon with. It was left un- guarded during the night. In the morning when the would-be whiskey seller returned to his "foundation of a fortune," he found that some anti-whisky men had been there before him and his hopes of future wealth had all run with his whisky into the ground through a half-inch auger hole, bored through the bottom of the wagon box into the barrel. Every one in the little city looked so perfectly innocent and sober in the morning that he could accuse no one of the deed. He retraced his steps with a lighter wagon to a more congenial clime, a wiser if not a richer man.
On the memorable 30th of March, 1855, when Kansas was first invaded by Missourians who came in by hundreds to vote for members of the Legislature and other territorial officials, they would ride up to the house and ask the way to Douglas, one place of voting. One rode up to the door and asked if he could get " something to drink." Mrs. Adams answered, "Yes, sir," and when she in that quiet lady-like way that was characteristic of her, handed him a glass of cold water, his look of blank astonishment was perfectly ludicrous, and he said, " Oh, I want something stronger than that." She replied, " This is what we drink." He, no doubt, was thinking of the inevitable whiskey barrel found in the cabins of his own class of people. During the day many others called for something to drink and turned away disappointed.
Volumes could be filled with the varied experiences of the first settlers of Kansas, but the half will never be told.
Our pioneering was not all ills and darkness. We could make merry over many things that in Ohio would have annoyed us. Per- haps it was the increasing health and physical strength of each one that caused the happy change. Then we had the lovely prairie flowers that were a continual source of wonder and delight, and then a never-ending panorama of beauty, of hills and valleys, lights and shadows ever before us. Kansas was then in her christ-
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ening robes, young, fair and beautiful. Her sponsors were the brave, self-reliant sons and daughters of freedom, who promised to protect and educate her in the ways of liberty, justice and equal rights. She was baptized with the most precious blood of the land, that of husbands, sons and brothers. Her sponsors have been true to their trust. Through trials and darkness she has come up to that high standard of perfection that their most ambitious hopes could desire. To look back over the long reach of twenty-five years it seems almost incredible that we have survived it all. Could the Old Settlers have foreseen the storm of terror that was to sweep over Kansas and last so many years, surely our hearts would have failed us. But when the storm broke in all its fury upon us, and our only hope was for all hands to "hold on to the tent," everyone was ready, and when the clouds were the darkest, and the light- ning of burning homes, and the thunder of death shots, it made the stoutest hearts quail. Then it was the Old Settlers who stood firmly at their posts and outlooks until the storm had passed and the glorious sun of freedom shone out upon them.
The night has passed away and we enjoy this bright, this glo- rious noontime.
One by one we are passing away, emigrating alone to the new untried country. Our number is being reduced. While we remain here let us remember each other, and as we meet year after year at our reunions, while there is one of us left, let us give the na- tion to know and understand that we belong to the F. F. Ks.
ADDRESS BY THOS. W. CONWAY.
COL. WOOD :- I will now introduce to you a gentleman who will talk to you about a class of people that the struggle in Kansas emancipated from slavery.
Gen. Conway said :
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen :
I am surely a newcomer, though my namesake and relative is one of your old comers, and I noticed to-day when his name was mentioned that he has a very warm place in all your hearts. I have not been indifferent to the great and wonderful history of Kansas. I was reminded to-day when I heard the mention of Sharp's rifles of what I had to do with Kansas in the early times, when I was a college boy in a university in the State of New York. On one vacation day when I was down in New York City, I thought to myself I would go over to Brooklyn and hear Mr. Beecher. Just a little while before a kind friend had sent me a New Year's present of a hundred dollars. I thought myself very rich with the hundred dollars, and I had most of it in my pocket when I went over to the Plymouth church, in Brooklyn, to hear the great minister. The topic that he preached about was KANSAS ; and the subject I thought was chiefly rifles. An appeal
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was made for money, to help you people who were the Free State Pioneers of Kansas; and I thought to myself as God had been so good to me as to put it into some kind friend's heart to send me a present of a hundred dollars, that I would be ungrateful if I did not in turn try to do good to somebody else and give part of that hundred dollars. So I put my hand into my pocket and took out money enough to pay for a rifle to send out here where my rela- tive was struggling with the rest of you in behalf of liberty in Kan- sas. So, then I am an old citizen to the extent of a rifle. If I had been a little older then, as old as I am now, I have no doubt but that I should have brought the rifle and come to Kansas my- self. Now, I have enjoyed this meeting immensely to-day. If I had time I would like to tell you what a Jerseyman thinks of you, but I have not time. I have seen more of Kansas than I ever did before. I am reminded of the time I went to a Chinese theater in San Francisco. I went there with an English speaking Chinaman. I asked him what the actors were talking about. He says, "Chi- nese." Pretty soon the thing changed and another actor came on and says I, " what are they talking about " ? He says, " Chinese," Another curtain ran up and I asked the same question and he says, " Chinese," and so it went throughout the evening's entertainment. Well, now, it is so here. If some one were to ask me what you were talking about I should say "Kansas." If somebody else were to, ask what you are talking about I should say "Kansas." I am glad to hear you men and women talking so much about Kansas. Kansas in your heads and Kansas in your hearts. You have got a grand record and a grand history, and I am proud of it. My friend said that I was interested in the exodus. Well, I suppose you all know that. I lived in New Orleans for about eleven years, from 1863 to 1874. I was six years the Superintend- ent of Public Education in the State of Louisiana after the war. I was connected with the army in various important positions. I am conversant with the condition of the people of the South, and if I were not in favor of the exodus I should be untrue to my man- hood. I should be untrue to my knowledge of the Bible. I should be untrue to its principles of grand civilization. I am in favor of the exodus, and I am doing all in my power to enlarge it and give it power, dignity and importance. I am in favor when a building is on fire of rescuing the men and women and children in that building. The South is on fire ; the fire of hell reigns in the South. The fire of persecution, the fire of outrage, the fire of denial of rights, the fire of poverty and oppression, the fire of trampling on liberty, and where that kind of fire burns I am for rescuing the people. I met a distinguished citizen of Kansas in New York the other day and he said to me, " General, I want you to go out to the pioneers' meeting, they will be glad to see you." " Well," I said, "it is 1, 500 miles away, and it is a long way, but I have long wanted to go to Kansas any how," and so I came. I think I have grown about five feet since I came here. I like you. I like you men
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and women and children. I like your spirit and your love of Kansas. Speaking of the exodus in Kansas reminds me of what some committees with which I am connected in Washington told me to say. They told me to " tell the people of Kansas for us, God bless them for their kindness to the poor negro." Well, now, I think I have been honored with an important message-a very honorable message-"God bless them for their kindness to the negro." The poorest and meanest and most despised of our peo- ple ; kind and forgiving and patriotic. Nineteen-twentieths of them Christians belonging to some church, trusting in the same God with the white man that oppresses him, having but very few friends in the South and not a great many more in the North. I meet them on the Mississippi river and I ask them, why are you going to Kansas ? They said because Kansas people are humane and kind. Their heads are level in regard to Kansas. If a negro in Kansas has occasion to bring a suit before one of your justices, he will get justice in the court. That is one reason why the negro comes to Kansas. If he works for a man and that man agrees to pay him the wages and then violates his contract, that negro knows that in nine hundred and ninety-nine cases out of a thousand the public sentiment of Kansas will demand justice for him. Don't be alarmed about too many negroes coming to Kansas. You are not going to be troubled with them in that great proportion. I am authorized while I am in the West by negroes themselve who have money and who are organizing into colonies of 2,000 to 3,000, more than a dozen of them have written to me, while I am in the West, to go down into New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, and see if they cannot get a body of land ranging from a million to two million acres. And I find people in the North ready to furnish the negroes the money to buy this land and make them independent land-owners, and by working upon it as the farmer upon his land, earn their own living. The negroes that are coming up this fall and winter from the South are not coming up as paupers, but or- ganized into colonies. Their plan is not to allow anybody to join these colonies who has not got money enough to pay their way and buy land when they get up here. We have more than 13,000 ap- plications from Illinois for work for them. You are not going to be troubled. I have 4,000 from Ohio. I have some from west- ern Pennsylvania and western New York. I had a gentleman write me the other day from Minnesota, saying that 500 or 600 could get employment away up there. My own judgment is that they better not go as far north as that.
But I must close. This grand occasion must be of great in- terest to you. Your talks to-night ought to be short. I was afraid I had come 1, 500 miles and was not going to get a chance to talk. I never heard no many orators in one place as I have heard here these two days. You are all members of Congress or fit to be, or going to be. You are in favor of woman's rights; and so is my wife and she manages to have them. You are liberal ; you are up,
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on all things, and up so high that a short man like me cannot reach them at all. I leave you to-morrow, and I leave you with very pleasant recollections. I am delighted with my visit among you, and if I live twenty-five years from now, I hope to come over and join in your next quarter-centennial celebration. I am going to write to Martin F. Conway in his unfortunate condition in that asylum down in Washington, and I am going to tell him how you received his letter to-day and how his name was received. I think it will do his soul good. I think when I get back to Washington, on my way to New York, I will stop and see him. I know what it is to be confined in-doors rendered utterly physically helpless. I know what it is to have some cheering voice come from abroad and from some friendly heart. I know how invigorating it is, and I know that Martin F. Conway will be very glad when he learns how kindly his letter was received. We ought to take the case of Martin to God and ask Him that he may be relieved from any trouble of the mind and that he may be restored to health again.
ADDRESS BY HON. JOSHUA WHEELER.
The chairman introduced Hon. Joshua Wheeler who said : Mr. Chairman :
For the information of my friends I will state that I never was a Democrat. I do not know that I can claim to be an Old Settler. It has been twenty-two years the Ist day of October since I with my family-a wife and two children-crossed over the Missouri line into Kansas. A company of neighbors left the State of Illinois during the present month and started for the territory of Kansas. We came overland bringing our wives, our children, our cows, our horses, our oxen and our implements to farm with. We were near- ly four weeks making the trip. We came through the State of Missouri and crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph, remaining there a short time in the town of Elwood which I think has since been washed away by the Missouri river. I settled in Atchison county and many of you Old Settlers know the reputation of Atchi- son county at that time. It had been but a short time before that General Lane had visited the city of Atchison and a mob prevented his speaking and the secretary of this meeting, the secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society came within a very little of losing his life on that occasion. We had conventions then nearly every day in the week and we had some brave free state men in the county of Atchison. Some of them did everything in their power for the country and one of those men was Hon. S. C. Pomeroy. I took a deep interest in the Kansas-Nebraska Bill when it was pend- ing in Congress. I have not forgotten the last speech made on the passage of that bill by William H. Seward in the Senate when he challenged the men of the South to meet the North and make the struggle here in Kansas. Well, they did meet it. I do not regret it. We have seen troublesome times. Our wives and our families
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have gone through many hardships of pioneer life for at the time we settled in the State you will recollect that it was just at the money crisis of 1857. Part of the time we had to pay four per cent. per month for money. We had to live very sparing, but we have stuck to it, and I like to look back and think of what we have gone through since that time.
Thank God that the State of Kansas has taken such an active part in this great struggle which this nation has gone through. I rejoice that the people of this State have been true to the great in- terests of human freedom.
ADDRESS BY REV. WILLIAM BISHOP.
COL. WOOD: I will now introduce to you a gentleman from what used to be the western frontier of Kansas, Rev. William Bishop.
Mr. Bishop said :
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen :
I cannot claim that I am really an Old Settler, and therefore I cannot tell what a great many others have told here in their speeches, the important part they took in the great struggle. But I have been here about twenty-one years, and therefore I am of age. I am happy to be allowed to speak at this great love-feast. I claim that I did not come from Massachusetts, nor Ohio, nor Illinois nor in fact from anywhere in the United States. I came from another State beyond the ocean. I have been very much amused, that, with all the speeches I have heard, only one fact has been estab- lished, and that is that Kansas has been saved. The question as to who saved Kansas reminds me of the conundrum, "Who struck Billy Patterson ?" A great many claim that they have saved Kan- sas. Now the fact is that what they have said is true in no little degree, I have no doubt. They all did their part, and had their agency in accomplishing this result. But after hearing Col. Wood and Hon. Mr. Legate and all these men I was reminded very much of the old preacher when he was preaching to the Jews. His text was " He goeth about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." And says he, we will inquire first, who the devil he is ; and second, what the devil he is seeking; and third, what the devil he is roar- ing about. (Applause.) Now when I heard these men roaring I asked what were they roaring about. (Applause.) They were go- ing about like roaring lions who have devoured a great many good men in Kansas. Now the fact is that Kansas was saved by the proper agencies of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois and of many other States, and of some not from any of the States. It was saved by the Yankees, Pennsylvania Germans, Irish, Scotch ;- all the nationalities in the world were engaged in saving Kansas. But pardon me if I mention one or two names that have been ig- nored apparently in this great work of saving Kansas. I say that no man in his proper sphere in the early history of Kansas did
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more to bring the right kind of an element into Kansas, and use it after it got here, than Col. William A. Phillips. And you will par- don me if I mention another man that now lies asleep in this ceme- tery over here. His name has never been mentioned; and yet I believe he established the first free state paper in Kansas. I refer to Josiah Miller. And now let me mention still another man who has been under a cloud for some years past; but we should not forget his services to Kansas. He also has been virtually ig- nored; yet no man did more to promote the interests of the State and the people than he did during his career. I mean Samuel C. Pomeroy. But Kansas has been saved; and well saved, too; al- though to do this, it was necessary to pass through the border ruf- fian war of the Rebellion. If Kansas has grown to its present status on the western prairies through all these trials what will it be in the next twenty-five years to come ? Let us prepare for this bat- tle and inscribe upon our banners the glorious victories we achieved in the past, and go forward doing our whole duty and trust to God for the result.
ADDRESS BY E. A. COLEMAN.
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