8 Conservative.
tioii. Many of its banks aud flimucinl
institutions failed , together with many
business houses.
It is now , only fifteen years since the
"boom scoiirge" came , that the capital
of southwestern Kansas Wichita is
recovering. It is a notable fact that
during six months in the latter part of
1880 aud the early part of 1887 the real
estate transfers at Wichita involved a
sum larger than those represented by
real estate transfers , elsewhere in Amer
ica , save in two places , New York City
and Kansas City , Missouri. The Mis
souri town was also going through a de
lirium. In the point of value of real
estate transfers , Chicago had to take
fourth place to Wichita's third. Citizens
of Wichita donated nearly a million
dollars as bonus money to secure the lo
cation of packing houses , a car factory
aud other commercial institutions , few
of which proved of permanent value to
the place , 'it may be mentioned , paren
thetically , that the car works , con
structed with a portion of the bonus
money subscribed , was in operation but
for a few weeks. After making this
demonstration of good faith , the east
erners , who promoted the affair , pock
eted the subscription money , remaining ,
above the cost of construction and the
price of a banquet given on the opening
day , and returned to the east , from
which , according to biblical traditions ,
the wise men are said to have come.
The buildings have not since been used ,
except during a few months when a
traveling circus hibernated in them.
The University "Craze. "
The imiversity craze was one of the
ridiculous features of the Wichita boom ,
but I hardly believe the townspeople
realized how funny it was until the ebb
tide had loft them bankrupt and re
stored them to their normal sense of hu
mor. One real estate genius at that
time platted an addition hopelessly far
from the outlying residence portion , and
sought to save himself by having a uni
versity located in the center of his ter
ritory. The promoter donated the laud ,
and a church organization secured money
enough to put in a foundation for one
building. The foundation still stands ;
and it is still unburdened by super
structure , one of many monuments to
the folly of the "boom scourge. " Dur
ing all these vicissitudes there is a clasf
of hardy pioneers who have remained
faithful to their great love of the south
west. They have withstood the shock
of the "boom" days , the hot winds , and
other disasters. They have lost their
paper fortunes and become reconciled t <
give up the millionaire illusions. Then
when all seemed settled , Kansas wa *
again subjected to a calamitous disturb
ance the alliance-populist wave that
swept over the state. Fortunately Kansas -
sas has now given up this attempt at
self-destruction. Peace and plenty seem
t last to have come to this commou-
vealth. There is no need to rehearse
ho folly which is yet painfully fresh in
; he minds of all Kausaus. The state
as passed through a fiery ordeal , al-
aiost from her territorial days to the
lose of the old century. But Kansas is
great state. It is now coming into its
wu into the prosperity vouchsafed for
t by its generous soil , its balmy climate ,
lie breadth of its domain and above
ill , by the honest , resolute character of
ts people a class once too visionary ,
uid possibly too enthusiastic yet , but in
my humble opinion , the most aggress-
ve , intelligent people who do honor to
American citizenship.
The Loyalty of Kansans.
It is impossible in one short article to
iveii faintly cover one's recollections of
he great southwest , especially if one
iias lived with , and become a part of
hat people. What I have jotted down
n this article are more fragments of the
'warp and woof" of'a mighty panoramic
ramic story that might be told of that
ocality and its inhabitants. I know in
my own personal experience the grain
bags of promise were torn open and
found to bo filled with the tare seeds of
disappointment which were blown care-
.essly about by the wind puffs of adver
sity.
It is now eleven years since I bade the
people of southwestern Kansas an af
fectionate farewell , and drifted before
the force of circumstances into other lo
calities , but my recollections , yea more ,
uy love for the great cattle range aud
its people has caused me to devote many
hours to the writing of an historical
story of the "southwest" and its pro
vincialisms , which will probably be
given to the world sometime during the
present year.
That which I would emphasize in
these "recollections" is the unswerving
loyalty of the average Kansau to his
native or adopted state. A prairie fire
or a hot wind may sweep over the
"southwest , " devastating and com
pletely withering up all vegetation.
Then , perhaps , the next day a misty
rain will begin falling. A prayer oi
thanksgiving is at once in the hearts of
the people. After a steady down-pour
of three or four days , the sun will come
out , wreathed in smiling gladness. The
scorched and browned landscape takes
on a new life. The buffalo-grass within
a few days is a carpet of living green
The cacti will put forth new shoots ant
spines , their buds open into beautifu
flowers as fragrant as the cape jasmines
while the sunflowers will lift their
drooping leaves , and bulbs of promise
will swell in triumph under the caress
ing rays of the wooing sun. Then it ii
that hope springs up anew in the hearts
of these Spartans of the great "south
west. " The country may have been
"burned up , " but when nature smile
with a new promise , they regard it as t
good omen a rainbow of hope and a
once begin making ready for anothe
seed time.
OLD FORT KEARNEY AGAIN.
THE CONSERVATIVE has received the
ollowing remarkable communication
rom one of the members of the garri-
on of Old Fort Kearney. The remarka
ble thing about it is that such a letter
is this which we are able to print
without the alteration of a word or a
etter should be forthcoming after the
apse of fifty-four years.
GALLATIN , Mo. , May 20 , 1901.
DEAR SIR : In response to your letter
of recent date , I shall now undertake
X ) toll you my recollections of "Old
Fort Kearney. " The plat enclosed will
lelp you to understand my story.
It was in the latter part of June , 1847 ,
; hat I joined the "Oregon Battalion , "
is it was called , at Fort Leaven worth.
The "Oregon Battalion" was composed
of five companies of Missouri mounted
iroops , as follows : Capt. Subletted
from St. Louis ; Capt. McCoslin's [ D.
McCausland ] from St. Charles , Capt.
James Craig's from Holt , Capt. Wm. H.
Jogers from Savannah , and GaptRob't.
Stewart's from St. Joseph , Mo. I was
private in Capt. Wm. H. Rogers'
company.
The "Oregon Battalion , " 500 strong ,
under command of Col. Powell , with
Japtain Van Vliet , an old regular offi-
er , as Quartermaster , and Captain
Todd as Adjutant , reached Fort Kear
ney , [ Nebraska City , ] the latter part of
August , 1847 , and we remained there
till hi May , 1848.
The old Block House was standing
empty when we reached there , having
been built prior to that time , but just
how long , I do not know. I do not
know whether it had been occupied be
fore our advent. It was about twenty-
four (24) ( ) feet square , built of hewn
logs.
logs.This
This Block House was built two
stories high'the first story being built
square with the world , and the second
story being built across the angles of
the first story , so that the loop holes in
the second story commanded the angles
of the first story , and opportunity was
thus afforded the garrison to shoot in
every possible direction.
There was no other house or cabin
standing anywhere in that vicinity at
the time we reached the fort.
We immediately constructed quarters
( each mess of twelve built a cabin of
cottonwood logs , hauled off of the island
north of the fort ; each' had a fire
place built of sticks and dirt , and the
roofs were made of dirt ) . These cabins
were joined in a row south-west of the
Block House , and at an angle with this
row , as shown in the plat , each room
being 20x20 feet in. size. Similar cabins
were constructed for the captains and
other officers ? Some , perhaps all , of
the officers' rooms had windows in
them , which was not true of all the
privates' mess-rooms though each had
'
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