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John Stalter
Rock Creek Township. [Later Rock Township.]
[Sheep Raiser.]
[Also: George H. Stalter, Fairview County, thought to be a brother of John.]
Rock Creek Township 1873: John Stalter, 39; spouse, Jane, 35.
Rock Creek Township 1874: John Stalter, 40; spouse, Jane, 36.
Kansas 1875 Census Rock Creek Township, Cowley County, March 1, 1875.
Name age sex color Place/birth Where from
John Stalter 41 m w Indiana Ohio
Jane Stalter 37 f w Indiana Ohio
Mary Stalter 18 f w Ohio Ohio
Geo. Stalter 16 m w Kansas
Elvira? Stalter 12 f w Kansas
B.? Stalter 8 m w Kansas
D.? P. Stalter 4 m w Kansas
C. C. Stalter 2? f w Kansas
E. K. Stalter 5m m w Kansas
Rock Township 1882: John Stalter, 48; spouse, Jane, 47.
FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.
Winfield Courier, April 1, 1875.
Dogs vs. Sheep. Mr. John Stalter, of Rock Township, is one of the most estimable citizens of this county, and is doing very much for the good of the county in the way of stock growing. He has about nine hundred sheep, of the Merino breed, and is earnestly striving to establish the fact that sheep may as well be raised and kept here as elsewhere. He should have the assistance of every man in the county in this undertaking, especially his neighbors. We are sorry to learn that some of the latter have taken so much fancy in growing sheep-killing dogs as Mr. Stalter has in sheep raising. Mr. Stalter has lost several valuable sheep by the depredations of the dogs and, we are informed, quite a number have been seriously injured. At this time of year when the ewes are raising their young, it is essentially necessary that they should not be harassed by dogs. Some of Mr. Stalter’s neighbors have lost a dog or two and are making an attack on Mr. Stalter therefor. We say to them that if they want to raise dogs, it is their business, but it is also their business to keep them at home and they should do so. We also say to Mr. Stalter that he is justified in shooting all dogs he finds chasing or otherwise interfering with his sheep, if it results in depopulating Cowley County of the canine race.
Winfield Courier, June 17, 1875.
John Stalter, our sheep man, of Rock Township, sold 6,300 lbs. of unwashed wool last Monday to an Emporia firm for $2,000. His sheep averaged seven pounds or more to the head. The wool was weighed on Nates’ scales, and we know whereof we speak. John has also raised 250 lambs from his flock this year, and the total cost of keeping his sheep since last December has not been one hundred dollars. Who says that raising sheep will not pay in Cowley?
[FOURTH OF JULY PREPARATIONS.]
Winfield Courier, June 1, 1876.
Committee on Invitation: D. A. Millington, L. C. Harter, J. B. Lynn, C. A. Bliss, J. P. McMillen, H. S. Silver, A. H. Green, S. S. Majors, C. M. Scott, T. B. McIntire, R. C. Haywood, J. L. Abbott, John Blevins, T. R. Bryan, H. C. McDorman, Mc. D. Stapleton, S. M. Fall, J. Stalter, Wm. White, S. S. Moore, Jno. McGuire, H. P. Heath, J. O. Van Orsdal, G. B. Green, W. B. Skinner, J. W. Millspaugh.
Winfield Courier, June 29, 1876.
John Stalter, Esq., Rock Township’s sheep raiser, was down Monday. He reports everything flourishing in old Rock.
Winfield Courier, July 19, 1877.
The Wichita Eagle says: “Hays Brothers, of this city, bought last week of Mr. Stalter, of Rock Creek, Cowley County, 11,000 pounds of wool of excellent grade, light Merino, cut from 1,400 head of sheep. It was the largest single transaction in that line that ever occurred in these parts.”
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
Winfield Courier, January 24, 1878.
J. Stalter, Road Viewer, $2.00.
[WALNUT VALLEY FAIR ASSOCIATION.]
Winfield Courier, July 4, 1878.
WINFIELD, KANSAS, June 24, 1878. Board met pursuant to adjournment at the office of Col. J. M. Alexander. Present: J. W. Millspaugh, President; Col. Alexander, Treasurer; E. E. Bacon, Secretary; and Messrs. E. P. Kinne and E. C. Manning, Directors. Reading of the proceedings of last meeting was dispensed with. The committee to prepare premium list submitted for consideration a printed list and recommended its adoption. It was then read, corrected, and adopted, whereupon the following named ladies and gentlemen were appointed superintendents of the various classes, to wit: Class C - Sheep - John Stalter.
[WALNUT VALLEY FAIR ASSOCIATION.]
Winfield Courier, April 17, 1879.
At a meeting of the stockholders held in this city on the 14th inst. the following were elected officers of the Walnut Valley Fair Association.
R. F. Burden, President; E. P. Kinne, Vice President; J. M. Alexander, Treasurer; E. E. Bacon, Secretary. Directors: W. J. Hodges; A. A. Wiley; S. R. Marsh; John Stalter; H. B. Pratt. Chief Marshal: P. M. Wait; Chief Police: Jno. C. Roberts.
Winfield Courier, July 3, 1879.
John Stalter clipped over nineteen thousand pounds of wool from his herd of sheep this spring.
[EDITOR MILLINGTON TELLS ABOUT COLORADO TRIP.]
Winfield Courier, July 24, 1879. While at Colorado Springs, he and his wife were in the company of M. L. Robinson and family, J. C. Fuller and wife, John Stalter, J. L. Robinson, and others.
[REPORT FROM “L. J. N.” AT NORTH RICHLAND.]
Winfield Courier, February 5, 1880.
A law suit has just closed before N. J. Larkin between J. W. Meador and John Stalter. Warner was attorney for Meador and L. J. Webb for Stalter. The defendant, not being satisfied with the decision, appealed to the District Court.
Winfield Courier, February 19, 1880.
W. J. Hodges has purchased in the southwest part of town sixty acres of ground, of which he is using ten acres for a sheep corral. There is a small lake of pure water and sufficient shelter for the sheep in the brush. Early this month he purchased from John Stalter six hundred head of graded Colorado sheep. They are in splendid condition and without a blemish of any kind. They cost him $4.35 a head, which is an advance of two dollars on the price of a year ago. Mr. Hodges is fattening them for the New York market, and expects to ship them some time next month. Adjoining the sheep corral, there is one for hogs, on which he has nearly five hundred head. Monitor.
Winfield Courier, March 18, 1880.
Mr. John Stalter sold two lots of sheep last week. One lot of 300 were shipped direct to Boston, Mass., and the balance of 2,800 head to Kansas City and St. Louis. These are sheep which Mr. Stalter purchased last fall from a gentleman in Colorado, and fattened during the winter. This is merely a little outside speculation and has nothing to do with his home flock of 5,000 head.
Winfield Courier, August 5, 1880.
Telegram: Among the large sheep herders of Cowley County are: A. D. Crowell, Winfield, 4,000; George E. Raymond, Winfield, 1,700; Ezra Meech, Walnut, 1,200; S. C. Smith, Winfield, 1,000; Jake Stalter, Rock, 2,500; Mr. Parks, Grouse Creek, 2,440; Dr. Wright, Omnia, 2,400. Besides these there are a number of persons who have flocks, ranging from 100 to 1,000, which will bring the aggregate well up to 40,000.
Winfield Courier, November 18, 1880.
Kill the Dogs That Chase Sheep. No man has a right to keep an animal unless he can prevent the animal from doing damage to persons and property. If a dog attacks sheep, he must be killed on sight. Such a dog was never reformed. Some dogs lately chased sheep belonging to John Stalter, of Rock, and did him damage to the amount of $300 or $400, more than all the dogs in Cowley County are worth. Four of Mr. Stalter’s high priced merino bucks were killed, and four others were badly injured. The law should be put in force against such depredations; and if the law is not sufficient, it should be made so during the coming session of the legislature.
[THE WOOL GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION.]
Winfield Courier, January 13, 1881.
At an adjourned meeting of the Cowley Co. Wool Growers’ Association, held at Winfield January 8th, 1881, the following business was transacted. Mr. Service being temporary chairman, secretary’s report of last meeting was read and adopted. Names of members read and fourteen others added.
The following officers were elected by ballot for the ensuing year.
President: N. L. Rigby; First Vice President: S. P. Strong; Second Vice President: John Stalter; Recording Secretary: A. D. Crowell; Corresponding Secretary: S. C. Smith; Treasurer: A. H. Doane.
Messrs. Smith, Silliman, and Chafey were appointed by the chair to act as a committee to select one from each township in the county to act as an executive committee.
Messrs. Stalter and Eastman were appointed by the chair to act as a committee to select and assign subjects to be discussed at the next regular meeting.
Motion was made and carried that Mr. Ezra Meech be appointed as a delegate to the State Wool Growers’ Association that is to be held at Topeka on the 18th inst., and Mr. Rigby as alternate. Motion was made and carried that three and not more than five be appointed by the chair as a committee to visit the various flocks of sheep throughout the county and report regarding their condition, management, etc. Messrs. Chafey, Meech, Smith, Eastman, and Crowell were so appointed.
After remarks by Mr. Linn regarding the Eaton Tariff Bill now before Congress, a motion was made and carried that the corresponding secretary be instructed to request our representatives to Congress to favor said bill. Motion was made and carried that the first clause of the constitution be so amended as to read, “Cowley County Wool Growers and Sheep Breeders’ Association.” Motion was made and carried that the corresponding secretary be instructed to collect the petitions already distributed and present them through our Senator to the State Legislature. Adjourned to meet at 10 o’clock, m., March 5th, 1881.
A. D. CROWELL, Sec’y.
[THE PUBLIC SHEEP SHEARING.]
Winfield Courier, May 12, 1881.
The public sheep shearing held last Wednesday under the auspices of the Cowley County Wool Growers and Sheep Breeders’ Association, proved to be a much greater success than the management had hoped for. Almost every flock in our county was represented, and several of the leading wool growers of Butler County were present with some of their finest sheep. Much interest was exhibited, and the shearing was visited by crowds of visitors all day long.
During the early part of the afternoon it was almost impossible for persons to move about, so thick was the crowd. The sheep exhibit and the interest manifested in the matter was a surprise to many, who had no idea of the magnitude the sheep business has attained in this county, nor of the excellent grade of stock. This shearing has done much for sheep breeding by awakening an interest in sheep raising among persons who have heretofore been indifferent as to the demands of sheep men for protection. We think that could half the counties in the state make as good an exhibit as Cowley sheep, men would have no difficulty in getting a dog law through the next legislature.
Perhaps the finest lot of sheep on the grounds were those of Mr. Copeland, of Butler County. His exhibit consisted of one three-year-old Merino weather and two two-year-old Merino bucks. The weather sheared 25 pounds and weighed after being sheared 117 pounds. His buck “Gen. Grant” yielded a fleece of 35¼ pounds, and weighed after shearing 113¼ pounds. “Phil Sheridan,” another two-year-old Merino buck, weighed 128½ pounds, and fleeced 36½ pounds.
Senator Wilkie, of Butler County, brought two magnificent two-year-old Merino bucks, one of which was imported. Only one of his, “Captain Jack,” was sheared, however. The “Captain” weighed, after shearing, 122½ pounds, and his fleece tipped the beam at 28¼ pounds.
Mr. Uhl, Butler County’s far-famed sheep man, was present with six of his thoroughbred Merinos. Only four were sheared. Two yearling ewes, one weighing 77 pounds and fleecing 18 pounds; the other weighing 66 pounds and fleecing 15. One three-year-old ewe, weight, 92, fleece, 19½; and one yearling buck, weight, 103 pounds, fleece, 25¾.
Eight of our Cowley County flocks were represented. Messrs. Meech & Blue brought several thoroughbred two-year-old Merino bucks and three yearling lambs, a first cross between Merino buck and Colorado ewes. Two of these lambs were sheared and showed remarkable results. The first one weighed after shearing 51 pounds, and fleeced 9 pounds. The second weighed 48 pounds and fleeced 6¾. These lambs being from ewes which fleece at best from effect of the cross is apparent. One of their two-year-old bucks weighed after shearing 89 pounds and fleeced 24½, the second best, according to weight of carcass, sheared on the grounds. Another of their two-year-old Merino bucks weighed 82½ pounds, fleece 21½..
Mr. Wimple made a good showing. One of his ewes, a two-year-old Cotswold, yielded 9 pounds of fleece, and pulled the scales at 151 pounds. One year-old Merino buck weighed after shearing 103 and left 26 pounds on the board.
Mr. Linn, one of Cowley’s most energetic sheep raisers, exhibited two two-year-old bucks, thoroughbred Hammond stock, and several lambs. The bucks sheared 26¼ and 24¼ pounds, and weighed after shearing 63½ and 24¼ pounds. The lambs were not sheared.
Mr. Linn carries off the palm, one of his Merino bucks having sheared more to weight of carcass than any on the grounds. Mr. Meech showed second best heaviest fleece to weight of mutton. In this respect our Cowley County folks laid it over Butler nicely.
Mr. John Stalter, Cowley’s veteran sheep man and one of the largest owners, was on hand with two of his thoroughbred Merino bucks. They were fine-looking fellows, two year olds. One of them sheared 30 pounds and walked off with 123½ pounds of carcass remaining. The other weighted 109 pounds, and dropped 20 pounds of fleece.
Mr. Taylor, another Butler County man, brought a yearling Merino buck, which sheared 24 pounds and weighed 99.
Mr. Brown exhibited three fine Cotswolds. One two-year-old buck and two two-year-old ewes. The buck only was sheared. It fleeced 16½ pounds, weight after shearing, 195½.
Mr. Newcomb had a two-year-old Colorado ewe sheared. It weighed after the operation 56½ pounds and fleeced 3½ pounds. Not enough to pay for shearing and the wear and tear of the sheep.
Mr. Saunders brought several Merino bucks and a ewe and a lamb; did not have any of them sheared.
When the shearing commenced, the Association offered premiums, $5 to the best shearer, $3 to the second, and $2 to the third. A committee was selected to award the prizes, and the boys sailed in. Those contesting for the prizes were John Snider, Lafe McPherson, J. E. Majors, M. M. Kennedy, A. S. Taylor, W. Cole, and W. N. Young. The committee chosen to award the prizes were W. Stapleton, of Ohio; W. A. Campbell and G. L. Gale, of Cowley; C. B. Vail, of Elk; and W. Snodgrass, of Butler. The way the wool flew around was a caution, and if there is any county round about that thinks it can trot out better sheep shearers than Cowley, we should like to have them give us a hint to that effect. The shearing closed about five o’clock, and the committee awarded the first prize to Mr. Cole, the second to Mr. Kennedy, and the third to Mr. Taylor. All the boys “shock” with the lucky contestants, and the first annual sheep shearing of the Cowley County Wool Growers and Sheep Breeders Association wound up in the pleasantest manner possible.
Our Butler County visitors went home feeling they had been well treated and left hearty invitations to attend their shearing at Douglass next week. Although we have to admit that Butler County beats us a little in average weight of fleece and heavy mutton this year, we give them fair warning that it is the intention of our sheep breeders to push them hard next year, and that due diligence will be used to accomplish this end.
The effects of this meeting will be felt by the flocks all over the county and will be made apparently by better exhibits and heavier fleeces next year. Although our reporter spent the largest part of the afternoon on the ground, he failed to get several important paragraphs. One of the most important which escaped his notice was quickly observed by the astute Telegram reporter. Here it is:
“The reporter heard a number of the sheep men regretting the lack of interest taken by the press of the county in not having reporters on the ground that a thorough publication of what was done might be given to the people throughout the county. The only reporters present were Mr. Hulse, of the Douglas ‘Index,’ and the ‘Telegram’ man.”
George Stalter and John Stalter...
[Note: George Stalter also raised sheep in Fairview Township. It is thought that he might have been a brother of John Stalter, but I am not certain. MAW]
Cowley County Courant, January 5, 1882.
Fairview Township 1882: G. H. Stalter, 55. P. O. Address: Little Dutch.
PRAIRIE GROVE, KANSAS, Dec. 30, 1881. Ed. COURANT: Please announce that there will be a grand circle wolf hunt in this locality Thursday, January 12th, 1882. Everybody and their dogs are invited to meet at 9 o’clock at following places.
South division will meet at Fairview schoolhouse near Limbocker’s, and will be under command of Capt. George Stalter.
The west division will meet at the Walnut Valley Center schoolhouse, commanded by Uncle Jimmie Hanlen.
The north division will meet at the Green Valley schoolhouse, commanded by Capt. John Stalter.
East division, commanded by James O. Vanorsdal, will meet at Mr. Hendricks’ place.
Each company will move promptly at 10 o’clock and endeavor to arrive at the center about 12 o’clock. The Prairie Grove schoolhouse is designated as the center and place for forming a complete ring. No party will be allowed to break the ring or fire any gun or revolver in the ring. Let the dogs finish the work. By order.
Cowley County Courant, January 19, 1882.
PRAIRIE GROVE, KANSAS, JANUARY 12, 1882. Owing to bad weather the grand wolf hunt was postponed until Thursday, January 26, 1882, commanded as follows:
1st division, Captain Frank Limbocker, meets on the hill at Curfman’s.
2nd division, Captain R. B. Pratt, meets at his house.
3rd division, Captain Jimmie Hanlin, Valley Center schoolhouse.
4th division, Captain E. Rogers, meets at Darien.
5th division, Captain John Stalter, Green Valley schoolhouse.
6th division, Captain L. Hardy, at his house.
7th division, Captain T. Carson, Richland schoolhouse.
8th division, Captain R. Stevens, at Dicken’s cross roads.
9th division, Captain Conrad, meets at S. Stevens.
10th division, Captain Henry Curns, at his house.
11th division, Captain P. McIntire, at his house.
All commands will meet as above designated at 9 o’clock, and march at 10 o’clock, sharp. The ring will be formed at Prairie Grove, and a color line, designated by eleven stand of colors, will also be formed. All captains will halt when they arrive at the colors, and advance at a signal given by the Major commanding, said signal being two shots, one following the other. At the signal, all will advance in good order to the center, which will be designated by a large flag. No shooting will be allowed in the ring, and everybody is expected to be at the center by noon. All officers should see that the above orders are carried out. By order of JAMES O. VANORSDAL, Commanding.
Winfield Courier, April 6, 1882.
John Stalter, the sheep king of Rock Township, called Saturday.
George Stalter...
[FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “C. B.”]
Winfield Courier, May 11, 1882.
George Stalter is busy looking after his little lambs, and his sheep are doing well.
John Stalter...
Winfield Courier, May 25, 1882.
Our livestock interests are increasing rapidly and the exhibit this year is gratifying. We have 20,355 head of cattle, 13,827 head of hogs, 60,666 head of sheep, 5,600 horses, and 27,700 dogs. Windsor township takes the lead in cattle with 1,716; Beaver in hogs with 1,802; Bolton in horses with 381 head; Windsor in sheep with 6,412 head, and Bolton again comes to the front with a dogged perseverance and shows a herd of 166 hungry, howling canines. If any citizen of Bolton wants to immortalize himself, let him kill a dog. We heard of a dog the other day that killed 26 sheep in a single night. If all the dogs in the county were to go out sheep hunting, there wouldn’t be enough sheep by 11,094 to furnish them one night’s amusement. In order to equalize this thing, we must have more sheep and less dogs. We suggest that the same change be made in the dog crop that there has been in the wheat and corn crop—raise less dogs and more sheep for a year or two. We need a dog prohibition law and hereby nominate Cyrus M. Scott, Ezra Meech, and John Stalter as candidates for the legislature on that issue.
[FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “WILLIAM.”]
Cowley County Courant, June 8, 1882.
J. J. Tribbey is the happy owner of the celebrated horse, “Prince,” formerly owned by John Stalter.
Winfield Courier, August 10, 1882.
From an Illinois Paper. We clip from the Kankakee Gazette the following communication written from this county. It sets forth the condition of affairs here in a very impartial manner.
Now as to sheep raising. John Stalter came here in 1871, had nothing to brag of except a little old wagon, two poor ponies, and a large family of small children; but he managed to struggle through from Ohio with 300 head of Merino sheep. He took a claim on the high prairie near a fine spring. He was industrious and improved his stock. His flock increased. He bought all the land around him with the proceeds of his wool and sale of mutton until he owns 1,200 acres of land, mostly enclosed, keeps from three to five thousand fine Merino sheep, and finished shearing his sheep and with the sale of his wool, at 22 cents per pound, will pocket $6,000, to say nothing of the increase of flock, sale of mutton, sheep, etc.
George H. Stalter...
[COWLEY COUNTY FAIR.]
Winfield Courier, September 28, 1882.
“CLASS C”—SHEEP. Geo. H. Stalter, of Rock, carried off four premiums: 1st on ram lamb, pen of ewes and pen of ewe lambs, and 2nd on ram of any age.
John Stalter...
[ROCK TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “JIM.”]
Winfield Courier, February 22, 1883.
If you are a lover of fine sheep, just stop east of here, at John Stalter’s. He has one of the best sheep ranches in Kansas.
[WOOL GROWERS’ MEETING.]
Winfield Courier, May 31, 1883.
The Wool Growers of Cowley County met on Saturday, May 26th, at S. C. Smith’s office in Winfield. On motion, S. C. Smith was chosen chairman, Ezra Meech, Sr., corresponding secretary, and J. C. McClelland, recording secretary. A letter was read from David Harpster, of Fowles, Ohio, urging the organization of a National Wool Growers’ Protective Association. Mr. Raymond moved, and was seconded by Mr. Stalter, to recommend the organization of a State Wool Growers’ Protective Association. Motion was carried. Motion made and carried instructing the corresponding Secretary to have certain extracts from an address from the Ohio Wool Growers’ Association, published.
Adjourned till three weeks, at 7 o’clock p.m. J. C. McCLELLAND, Secretary.
[WOOL GROWERS’ MEETING.]
Winfield Courier, July 19, 1883.
The wool growers protective association of Cowley County met at 2 o’clock p.m. S. C. Smith chosen chairman, the committee on constitution reported. The constitution was read and adopted. The following officers were elected: President, S. C. Smith; Secretary, J. C. McClelland; Corresponding Secretary, G. E. Raymond; Vice president, Arthur Swain; Treasurer, John Stalter. On motion the President and Corresponding Secretary were appointed a committee to draft a memorial to circulate for signers and present before the next congress, making legislation in the wool growers interest. Another was carried to instruct the Corresponding Secretary to have printed a number of circulars and distributed among the various wool growers associations throughout the state. Moved and carried that the COURIER and Telegram be requested to publish the proceedings of this association. Adjourned till first Saturday in September. J. C. McCLELLAND, Secretary.
[COWLEY COUNTY FAIR.]
Winfield Courier, October 4, 1883.
CLASS D. SHEEP. FINE WOOL.
Best ram 2 years old and over, John Stalter, Rock, 1st premium; W. E. Leonard, Ninnescah, second.
Best ram 1 year old and under 2, W. L. Crowell, Maple City, 1st premium; John Stalter, Rock, 2nd.
Best ram lamb, John Stalter, Rock, 1st premium; W. L. Crowell, Maple City, 2nd.
Best 3 ewes two years and over, John Stalter, Rock, 1st premium.
Best 3 ewes one year and under 2, John Stalter, Rock, 1st premium.
Best 3 ewe lambs, Jno. Stalter, Rock, 1st premium; W. L. Crowell, Maple City, 2nd.
SWEEPSTAKES.
Best ram lamb, Jno. Stalter, Rock, 1st premium; W. L. Crowell, Maple City, 2nd.
Best ewe over 1 year, Jno. Stalter, Rock, 1st premium; W. L. Crowell, Maple City, 2nd.
Best ewe lamb, Jno. Stalter, Rock, 1st premium; W. L. Crowell, Maple City, 2nd.
Buck with 5 lambs, Jno. Stalter, Rock, 1st premium.
John Stalter’s sheep display was admired by all visitors. John has very fine stock and knows how to handle it. He took off twenty dollars in premiums.
Mrs. George Stalter, Rock...
SPECIAL PREMIUMS.
By O’Meara & Randolph: a $30 baby carriage for the luckiest baby, was drawn by Mrs. Geo. Stalter of Rock.
Winfield Courier, November 15, 1883.
DIED. We have just learned of the death of Mr. and Mrs. John Stalter’s little five year old daughter, Julia, which occurred two weeks ago. This is a sad loss to the parents.
Winfield Courier, January 17, 1884.
John Stalter, of Rock Township, is convalescing, after a very severe attack of pneumonia. He was taken with congestion of the right lung and liver, on the evening of Dec. 24th, while at Richland schoolhouse, having taken his family to a Christmas tree at that place. Not wishing to deprive them of their enjoyment, he started to walk home, some five miles, and after wandering over the prairie for some time, finally got to his daughter’s, Mrs. John Snyder’s, nearly frozen, and was taken home almost dead. With much labor and unceasing care by Dr. Hornaday and the friends of the family, reaction was brought about. Considering all, he had a very close call, but his many friends now rejoice at his recovery, and hope to see his countenance many years hence.
Winfield Courier, January 17, 1884.
On Monday afternoon the stockholders of the Cowley County Fair and Driving Park Association met in the Opera House for the purpose of re-organizing the Board of Directors for the year 1884, and receiving reports of the condition and doings of the Association for the year. About seventy-five stockholders, representing nearly all of the subscribed stock, were present.
John Stalter was a shareholder. He held two shares of stock.
Winfield Courier, February 28, 1884.
John Stalter bargained 1,900 head of sheep this week to an agent of a Kansas City house, receiving $500 down to hold the bargain. He delivered the sheep at the Douglass stockyards on Tuesday as per contract, and an extra train came down the road to transport them to the market. But when the buyer saw the sheep weighed, he found that he was badly worsted in the bargain and flew the contract, letting Mr. Stalter have the $500 and the sheep too and left the country. We understand the price at which the sheep were contracted was $4.50 per head. We presume the railroad company will be looking after somebody to pay them for running that extra down here for no purpose. Douglass Tribune.
Winfield Courier, February 28, 1884.
MARRIED. Mr. S. C. Cunningham, of Ninnescah Township, and Mrs. Julia Maurer, of Rock, were married on the 12th. The bride is the sister of John Stalter of Rock.
Winfield Courier, August 14, 1884.
Mr. John Stalter had two cows killed by lightning last week. They were out in a pasture at the time.
Winfield Courier, September 4, 1884.
John Stalter, a Democrat of thirty years standing and a prominent man in this community, joined the Blaine and Logan club last Saturday night and declared his intention to vote the Republican ticket this fall. Douglass Tribune.
Mr. Stalter is a resident of this county. He is one of our leading wool-growers and has felt the full tight of the Democratic industrial policy of free trade. He don’t want that kind of diet, and there are about fifty other old line democrats just like him in this county.
Winfield Courier, September 11, 1884.
Mr. John Stalter lost two cows by lightning on the night of August 12th. They were insured in the German of Freeport and the other day he received eighty dollars, the amount of the insurance. Noble Caldwell, of this city, is the agent for the German.
Winfield Courier, September 11, 1884.
The German Insurance Company, of Freeport, Illinois, through Noble Caldwell, district agent, paid during the month of August, the following losses by lightning: G. C. Orand, 1 horse; John Stalter, 2 cows; Wm. Aumann, 1 cow; D. McMillan, 1 cow; K. M. Barbour, 1 steer; E. B. Bradley, house damaged; School district No. 56, Sumner County, house damaged. This company make a specialty of farm insurance, and being a western company, knows the wants and customs of the western people, and in addition to insuring against fire and lightning, insures against tornado and cyclones. If you want to insure your buildings, stock, grain, farming implements, etc., and in a company that pays 100 cents on the dollar, call on or address Noble Caldwell, agent for Cowley and Sumner Counties, or G. E. Lubin, soliciting agent, Winfield, Kansas.
[JOHN STALTER ABANDONS DEMOCRATIC PARTY.]
Winfield Courier, October 9, 1884.
Some two weeks ago we announced the fact that Mr. John Stalter, a life-long Democrat and one of the leading citizens and wool growers of this county, had decided to hereafter cast his political fortunes with the Republican party. We are permitted this week to lay before our readers an article from him setting forth his reason for the change. It is a sound, sensible document, and coming from such a man as Mr. Stalter, will have much weight with thinking men. It is as follows. To the Editor of the COURIER: My attention having been called to an article in the Douglass and Winfield papers that a life-long Democrat had decided to vote the Republican ticket and having frequently been asked my reasons therefor, I beg leave to state in your columns the facts and reason for my position.
I cast my first presidential vote for the last nominee of the Democratic party elected president of the United States, James Buchanan, and have voted for each nominee of that party ever since. My early teachings and associations were Democratic and as you may well think that after having worked with and voted for men of that party for more than a quarter of a century, it is only after the most thorough investigation and convincing proof to my judgment that the position of the Democracy is inimical to the best interests of this country and her industries that I was induced to break away from my life-long associations politically. Convinced, however, as I now am, I should deem it a poor part for an American citizen to perform to smother his convictions and vote for a party the primary principles of which are opposed to his honest ideas of which is the best policy for the prosperity of this country, and, therefore, I shall work and vote for the success of the Republican party.
As a majority of your readers are aware, I belong to that class of business in this country known as the wool-growers. Every wool-grower in the United States is certainly convinced that a further reduction of the tariff on woolen goods and wool would work almost the complete destruction of the sheep industry, and even at present rates if they are continued, thousands of smaller owners will be compelled to close out their sheep at ruinous low figures, and the sheep of the United States will be owned only in large flocks in New Mexico and other arid portions of the country where no grain is fed the year through. . . .
[Stalter quoted different publications and the disastrous results of the tariffs of 1883 and 1884.]
In Cowley County last year there was fed to sheep alone nearly 200,000 bushels of corn, most of which was raised in portions of the county so far distant from railroads as to make it almost impossible to market it at the prices paid at the railroads, yet the prices paid by sheep men was nearly the same as paid at the railroads, realizing to farmers ten and twenty miles from market nearly as much for their grain as those living at the markets. Take the sheep out of Cowley County and there would be a direct loss to the farmers of the county yearly of at least $15,000, besides leaving the corn heretofore fed to be thrown on the market, which, added to the same proportional amount from the counties of the State and other states of the Union, would very greatly reduce the price of corn in the entire country. . . .
What difference is it to a farmer if the clothes for his family under protection cost him $25 a year more when he gets from $100 to $1,000 more for the products of his farm. I am in favor of protecting American labor, American factories, American farmers, and American stockmen against unreasonable and degrading foreign competition, and as the Democratic party is not, I am henceforth a Republican. Respectively, JOHN STALTER.
Winfield Courier, October 23, 1884.
Mr. John Stalter has taken up residence in Winfield, in order to give his children advantage of our splendid school facilities, leaving his fine Rock Township farm in charge of his son, George.
Winfield Courier, November 6, 1884.
John Stalter left Tuesday evening for Upper Sandusky, Ohio, being suddenly called there by news that his father was laying at the point of death.
Winfield Courier, November 20, 1884.
Mr. John Stalter returned from Ohio Wednesday, where he was called to attend his father, who died there in November. He was over seventy-five years of age and one of the pioneers of Wyandotte County.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 8, 1885.
The New York Store’s Prize Drawing. The drawing for the beautiful sixty dollar Russian circular offered as a prize by Mr. A. E. Baird came off at his store on New Year’s Eve and Mrs. John Stalter, of Rock, was the lucky holder of the winning ticket, number 2206. Two uninterested parties did the drawing to the satisfaction of the large number present.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, July 23, 1885.
Yesterday morning at 8 o’clock one of the most terrible catastrophes that ever occurred on Cowley’s fair domain took place at Dawson ford, fourteen miles up the Walnut, just below the mouth of Rock creek, in which six human lives and a fine team were swallowed by the waves. Mr. and Mrs. Yanson Carman and their son, Jay, and his wife and Mrs. Jim Carman, residing on Rock creek, hitched up early Sunday morning and started to spend the day gathering wild plums on the Arkansas River. They drove a very fine large bay team to a farm wagon. Passing by the home of William Cates, a mile below Carman’s, they stopped, told Cates where they were going, and asked he and his wife to go along. They agreed and Cates hitched his team to the spring wagon, and started. Jay Carman and his wife got out to occupy the back seat of the spring wagon, and Mr. Yanson Carman, wife, and Mrs. Jim Carman drove on. Cates followed up some quarter of a mile behind. The old gentleman went on down to the Dawson ford. Though living only a few miles from this ford, he hadn’t crossed it for two years. There was no guide board and he noticed nothing wrong, besides he knew that Mr. S. C. Cunningham, living near Seeley, had crossed there the evening before on his way to visit his brother-in-law, John Stalter. But there had been a rain up the river, making a raise of four feet. The horses had hardly touched the water before they were swimming. The swift current whirled them down stream. The wagon box floated off with the women in it. Mr. Carman held the lines and got out on the horses, in hopes of extricating them, but one whirled over the other, and all went down. About this time the wagon box struck the current, tipped over, and sank. Mr. Carman saw the women but once—women, team, wagon, and wagon-box went as completely out of sight as though a hundred miles away, and Mr. Carman floating down the river with but little hope of ever getting out. He finally drifted into a clump of willows, and getting a death-grip, held himself up until help came. He was eighty rods below the ford, and in the excitement forgot of the others of the party, but the spring wagon seats and cushions floating down the current soon told their fate. Cates and wife and Jay Carman and wife had followed up, came to the river, noticed where the old gentleman had driven in, and seeing nothing of the head party, supposed they had crossed over. Not a riffle of suspicion could be seen. A young man named Johnson, working for Mr. Sheets, twenty rods from the ford, ran out to tell Cates he couldn’t cross, but he was too late. Johnson said he didn’t see the first team pass. Running after Cates as fast as he could, he reached the ford approach just in time to see the spring wagon and party go under. The harness were farm harness with steel tug butts, and the tugs, when slackened, slipped right off the single trees, let the horses loose, and they swam across and got out. Johnson threw off his coat, sprang in, and grabbed Mrs. Carman; but she had already gone under three or four times, and the current was so swift that he got ashore a half mile below, almost dead himself, and Mrs. Carman entirely gone. He tried to resuscitate her, but life had gone. Johnson says the last he saw of Cates and Jay Carman they were trying to save Mrs. Cates. She was a very heavy woman and it is supposed that she drowned both Cates and Carman. The terrible screaming brought Messrs. Sheets and Starling, each living twenty rods away, one on one side of the river and one on the other, but scarcely a riffle told them of the terrible disaster when they got there five or ten minutes after they heard the screaming. Yanson Carman soon let them know, by his screams, where he was, and ropes were thrown out and he was brought ashore. The alarm was soon spread and hundreds of people flocked to the scene; and the search for the bodies began. Mr. Carman and wife were about sixty years old, and he was frantic with grief over the awful calamity. Jay Carman was thirty-five and Cates about forty. Sunday the body of the old lady was found and Monday Jay’s was recovered. The others were not found at last reports. The bodies found had drifted down the stream nearly half a mile. The teams and wagons were also dragged out. The three bodies were buried Monday. The Carman’s came into that neighborhood two years ago. There were six or seven voters among them, all men of means and influence. One is a partner in the sheep business with John Stalter. Mr. Cates was formerly proprietor of the Douglass Hotel, which he traded four years ago for J. W. Medder’s farm on Rock, where he has since lived. All the unfortunates were highly esteemed and their sad ending has cast a terrible gloom over the entire neighborhood. There will now be a big clamor for a bridge across the Walnut up there. There isn’t a bridge between Douglass and Winfield. The Dawson ford is a specially mean one. Three or four teams and several lives have been lost there before. Mr. S. C. Cunningham, who assisted all day Sunday in recovering the bodies, had to come clear down to Winfield, twelve miles around, to get home, near Seeley. He was at Carman’s Saturday evening, just having crossed this ford, and they told him of their intended Sunday trip.
George H. Stalter...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, November 12, 1885.
Geo. H. Stalter has filed a case with District Clerk Pate against Francis M. Mundy et al, foreclosure on promissory note, $242.25.
It is unclear when John Stalter moved back to Rock Township...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, December 17, 1885.
The committees, appointed at the citizens’ meeting, to work up the submitting of propositions for the extension of the Florence El Dorado & Walnut railroad from Douglass to Winfield, met yesterday afternoon in McDougall’s hall to determine on the apportionment of the amount of aid asked. Judge T. H. Soward called the meeting to order. S. P. Strong was chosen chairman and W. J. Wilson, Secretary. M. L. Robinson then explained the object of the meeting, to get everything in readiness for aggressive work in submitting the propositions and securing this road.
The Santa Fe is determined to push through the Territory, which right of way it has already secured, at once. The extension will be made from Winfield, with the machine shops, roundhouse, etc., for this southern division and the roads of southern Kansas, at this place. Committees were appointed as follows to see that this matter is properly worked up.
From Rock: G. L. Gale, G. H. Williams, H. F. Hornaday, E. J. Wilber, J. M. Harcourt, S. P. Strong, J. B. Holmes, and John Stalter.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, December 24, 1885.
We had a pleasant call from Mr. A. P. Carman, of Rock township, last Saturday. He has recently removed from Wisconsin, has bought a stock farm south of John Stalter’s, and is going into the stock business. He is a gentleman and the kind of a man we like to see settle in Cowley.
George Stalter...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 21, 1886.
Geo. Stalter, of Rock, lost his house and all its contents by fire Thursday, while all were away from home. The fire was too far underway when the neighbors arrived to save anything.
Stalter relatives...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 4, 1886.
Word reaches us that Lon Stalter, wife and child, formerly living in Rock township, were frozen to death in Kansas County during the late storm. Mr. Stalter was a nephew of John Stalter and a son of David Stalter, who now lives near Udall. Mrs. Stalter was the daughter of John B. Holmes, who lives at Rock P. O. We have not learned any of the particulars.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 4, 1886.
Mrs. Lon Stalter, who was reported in Monday’s COURIER as frozen to death in Kansas County, was the daughter of Joachim Holmes and not John B. Holmes as reported.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 25, 1886.
Joel Mack sends us a card stating that Lon Stalter, whom THE COURIER reported some time ago as one of the frozen victims of the western counties, is alive and well in the Territory and was not in the western counties during the winter. Lon is a brother to George Stalter of Rock, and we are glad to learn, even at this late date, that he still kicketh.
