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Robt. S. Strother
Harvey Township and later Atlanta, Omnia Township.
[Handled Sheep.]
Kansas 1875 Census Harvey Township, Cowley County, March 1, 1875.
Name age sex color Place/birth Where from
Robert Strother 34 m w Kentucky Kentucky
Jennie Strother 29 f w Kentucky Kentucky
Minnie Strother 3 f w Kansas
Julius Strother 4m m w Kansas
Harvey Township 1878: R. S. Strother, 37; spouse, E. (?), 24. P. O. Baltimore.
Harvey Township 1879: Robert Strother, 38; spouse, E. (?), 30. P. O. Baltimore.
FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
Winfield Courier, April 24, 1874.
Election Judge: R. S. Strother, $5.00.
[TOWNSHIP ASSESSORS.]
Winfield Courier, April 22, 1875.
R. S. Strother, Harvey Township.
Winfield Courier, November 11, 1875.
The following is a list of the Trustees elected for the ensuing year in the several townships.
Harvey: R. S. Strother.
[COUNTY WARRANTS TO BE PAID.]
Winfield Courier, November 25, 1875.
By virtue of authority given by an Act of the Legislature of the State of Kansas, approved February 10th, 1875, entitled “An Act to amend Section Sixty-nine of Chapter Twenty-five, General Statutes of Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-eight,” I hereby give notice that the principal and accrued interest of County Warrants herein below described will be paid at the County Treasurer’s Office, in Winfield, on and after the 1st day of November, 1875, and that the interest on said warrants will cease on that day. E. B. KAGER, County Treasurer.
By F. GALLOTTI, Deputy.
Names of parties to whom warrants are payable:
R. S. STROTHER: 4 WARRANTS - $48.00.
Winfield Courier, May 11, 1876.
Republican Work. The following townships have reported the proceedings of last Thursday’s conventions. Harvey Township: R. C. Story, delegate. Township committee chosen: R. C. Story, chairman, W. F. Hall, secretary, and R. Strother.
Winfield Courier, September 14, 1876.
Township Conventions. OMNIA. At the Republican primary last Saturday Enos. Henthorn was elected a delegate to the County Convention, after which speeches were made and a Hayes and Wheeler Club was organized. R. S. Strother was elected President, W. H. Gilliard, Vice President, and J. Messenger, Secretary. The Republicans are alive in that township.
[TOWNSHIP OFFICERS ELECTED NOVEMBER 7, 1876.]
Winfield Courier, November 16, 1876. Editorial Page.
Harvey Township: R. S. Strother, Trustee; H. E. Mathews, Clerk; A. J. Peebler, Treasurer; J. C. Kerr, J. P.; G. Harris and C. Day, Constables.
Winfield Courier, January 4, 1877. Editorial Page.
Notes from Upper Grouse. Squire Strother, the accommodating trustee of Harvey Township, has the longest nose, by actual measurement, of any man on Timber Creek.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS.]
Winfield Courier, May 31, 1877.
Election fee: R. S. Strother, $2.00.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
Winfield Courier, July 12, 1877.
Assessor: Robt. Strother, Harvey Township, $33.00.
Road Viewer: R. S. Strother, $2.00.
[REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, September 20, 1877.
The following persons are elected delegates to the Republican convention at the Courthouse next Saturday. Harvey. Martin Barber, Robt. Strother.
[REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, September 27, 1877.
On motion the following committees were appointed by the chairman: Committee on permanent organization, C. A. Metcalf, A. A. Wiley, Robt. Strother, C. S. Smith, and H. L. Barker.
The committee on credentials submitted the following report.
Mr. Chairman: Your committee on credentials beg leave to request that the following townships and delegates therefrom are entitled to representation and seats in this convention.
Harvey: Robt. Strother, Martin Barber.
The committee on permanent organization submitted the following report. Mr. Chairman: Your committee on permanent organization and order of business beg leave to submit the following report. For permanent chairman, J. B. Callison; for permanent secretary, Chas. H. Eagin; assistant secretary, R. A. Houghton. That the order of business be as follows.
1st. Selection of County Central Committee.
2nd. Nominations in the following order: Sheriff, Coroner, County Clerk, County Treasurer, Register of Deeds, County Surveyor, and County Commissioners.
3rd. That in balloting for each candidate the secretary shall call the roll and each delegate as his name is called will answer with the name of the person he desires to vote for.
W. H. Metcalf, A. A. Wiley, C. S. Smith, R. S. Strother, H. L. Barker.
On the question of the adoption of the report, a motion prevailed to adopt the order of business, excepting the selection of Central Committee and the manner of voting for candidates. It was then moved and carried that the selection of County Central Committee be the last thing in the order of business, and that tellers be appointed to receive and count the votes for candidates in the regular way.
[TOWNSHIP OFFICERS ELECTED.]
Winfield Courier, November 15, 1877.
Harvey—E. J. Horseman, Trustee; L. Smith, Treasurer; G. Savage, Clerk; R. S. Strother, Justice; A. Smith, L. L. Newton, Constable.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
Winfield Courier, November 22, 1877.
Claim Presented for Election Services.: R. S. Strother.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
Winfield Courier, January 24, 1878.
Road Viewer: R. S. Strother, $2.00.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
Winfield Courier, April 18, 1878.
Upon presentation of a petition and bond by E. J. Horseman et al, of Omnia Township, asking for a view and survey of a county road, the board appointed R. S. Strother, Jonas Messenger, and L. M. Brown viewers, to meet on the 14th day of May, 1878.
[REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, September 11, 1879.
Committee on credentials reported the following named delegates entitled to vote in this convention; which report was adopted.
Harvey: R. S. Strother, W. J. Gamel.
The following resolutions were presented by R. S. Strother, and adopted unanimously.
PLATFORM. Resolved, 1st. This is a nation. It is known as such abroad, and must be recognized as such at home. 2nd. The people of this country owe the Republican party a debt of gratitude for having accomplished resumption. 3rd. We invite to the ranks of the Republican party all who have heretofore gone after strange gods, that our columns may be solid for the final redemption of our land in 1880. 4th. The American flag must and shall be respected everywhere; at home as it is abroad. National authority must afford protection to all citizens, of whatever race or color.
R. S. Strother gets into the sheep business...
[BALTIMORE, OMNIA TOWNSHIP, CORRESPONDENT: “X. Y. CAESAR.”]
Winfield Courier, August 26, 1880.
It is reported that L. T. Harned has purchased three hundred head of sheep from Mr. Parks. Messrs. Strother and Woolsey have purchased five hundred head.
Winfield Courier, November 11, 1880.
The following are the names of the enterprising citizens who brought in the returns from different townships on the night after the election. Harvey: R. S. Strother.
[THE OLD SOLDIERS.]
Winfield Courier, July 28, 1881.
A large number of the Soldiers met in the Hall Saturday afternoon to consider the ways and means of organization. Mr. C. M. Wood was chosen President and Jacob Nixon, secretary. The following motion was offered, and prevailed: “That townships and wards hold local meetings the 13th of August, and a committee meeting at the opera house August 10th at 10 o’clock a.m., to perfect arrangements for the ‘Old Soldier Reunion to be held October 7th and 8th.’” It was then moved and carried that a committee of one from each township be appointed to make all necessary arrangements in the townships and wards. The following persons were appointed as said committee.
Sheridan: Jas. Henson; Dexter: J. C. McDorman; Bolton: Capt. Hoffmaster; Otter: C. R. Myles; Cedar: Jas. Utt; Windsor: Jos. Reynolds; Silver Creek: Harvey Smith; Omnia: J. C. Stratton; Rock: Wm. Farmer; Fairview: E. Schofield; Maple: Capt. Story; Harvey: Capt. Strother; Richland: Dan Maher; Walnut: T. A. Blanchard; Ninnescah: J. P. Cook; Vernon: J. W. Millspaugh; Tisdale: W. R. Bradley; Pleasant Valley: H. Harbaugh; Liberty: Watt Williamson; Beaver: Bert McMellon; Spring Creek: Hiram Blenden; Silverdale: Ben French; Creswell: Capt. Nipp; Arkansas City: C. R. Mitchell; Winfield 2nd ward: C. M. Wood; Winfield 1st Ward: W. E. Tansey.
On motion of comrade T. A. Blanchard, the committee from townships be requested to report at the county meeting, August 20th, the name, company, regiment or battery, rank of each old soldier in their respective township and ward, was approved with amendment that the Secretary prepare and furnish each with a blank roll. Motion prevailed that the county papers be furnished with a copy of these proceedings with request to publish and secure the attention of all old comrades to this call. Pending motion to adjourn, Judge Soward presented a resolution expressing to President Garfield through Hon. R. L. Lincoln, Secretary of War, “our sorrow as soldiers of the late war for his injuries at the hands of the assassin, and expressing the hope that he may live long to serve his country and people, and to cheer his brave wife is our sincere wish,” with a request to the Secretary to forward, was unanimously adopted. The meeting then adjourned. All present joined in singing “Old John Brown.”
C. M. WOOD, President. JACOB NIXON, Secretary.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
Winfield Courier, February 16, 1882.
HARVEY. R. S. Strother, Judge: $6.50.
Strother: sheep...
[OMNIA TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “CLODHOPPER.”]
Cowley County Courant, March 23, 1882.
Of sheep Messrs. Woolsey and Strother have their eight hundred head nearly all fit for the butcher, if they were disposed to sell them for mutton.
Cowley County Courant, June 15, 1882.
We were about to nominate Bob Strother, of Harvey, for Representative, but hearing that Wash. Weimer was on the track, concluded not to, but if the race between the present candidates should be close enough to justify, Bob will make a dark horse that we can trust.
Winfield Courier, June 7, 1883.
OLD SETTLERS’ REUNION. At Riverside Park, Thursday, May 31, 1883.
The Old Settlers’ Association of Vernon Township was called to order by the President, J. W. Millspaugh. Minutes of the last meeting read by the Secretary, H. H. Martin, and approved. On motion of J. H. Werden, the Association of Old Settlers of Vernon Township was dissolved, and an association of the Old Settlers of Cowley County organized.
Motion prevailed that the president appoint an executive committee of one from each township. From Harvey: Robt. Strother.
[REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, July 19, 1883.
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
Proceedings of the Central Committee.
The Republican Central Committee of Cowley County met at the COURIER office in the city of Winfield Saturday, July 14th, 1883, at half past one o’clock p.m., and was called to order by the chairman, D. A. Millington. The secretary was ordered to call the roll of townships and the following members of the Central Committee were present.
Beaver, M. S. Teter; Bolton, P. A. Lorry; Cedar, N. W. Dressie; Creswell, J. B. Nipp; Dexter, J. V. Hines; Fairview, Wm. White; Harvey, R. S. Strother; Liberty, J. A. Cochrane; Maple (Not represented); Ninnescah, W. B. Norman; Omnia, J. L. Parsons; Otter (Not represented); Pleasant Valley, Z. B. Meyer; Richland, N. J. Larkin; Rock Creek, S. P. Strong; Sheridan, J. E. Jarvis; Silver Creek, E. C. Pate; Spring Creek (Not represented); Silver Dale, L. J. Darnall; Tisdale, S. W. Chase; Vernon, Oscar Wooley; Walnut, J. Mentch; Windsor (Not represented); Winfield, 1st ward, D. A. Millington; Winfield, 2nd ward, T. H. Soward.
The executive committee reported that they had paid all debts owed by the committee. A motion that the basis of representation be one delegate at large for each township and ward in the county and one additional delegate for each 30 votes and fraction of 15 over, cast in their township or ward for Hon. Thos. Ryan for congress in November, 1883, was carried.
The chairman appointed P. A. Lorry, S. P. Strong, and J. V. Hines a committee to apportion the delegates according to the basis adopted.
In next item paper placed R. S. Strother in Omnia. This is not correct.
[REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, September 6, 1883.
The Cowley County Republican Convention met at the Opera House in Winfield on Saturday, September 1st, 1883, at 11 o’clock a.m.
The chair appointed J. A. Cochran of Liberty, I. H. Bonsall of Creswell, and R. S. Strother of Omnia, a committee of credentials.
Committee on credentials reported the following named delegates and alternates for their respective townships.
HARVEY: R. S. Strother, T. J. Hickman.
Alternates: L. M. Burn, J. M. Hickman.
The committee on Credentials report that Winfield has not presented any credentials, but has placed the election returns in our hands, filed a ticket from each ward with the names of delegates elected. We also find that the 1st ward is entitled to 7½ delegates, and 2nd ward 5 to 5½ delegates, 13 in all, and your committee recommend that one name be stricken off said ticket. I. H. BONSALL, R. S. STROTHER, J. A. COCHRAN. . . .
For Register of Deeds, Dr. Wagner presented the name of H. C. McDorman; Mr. Gale presented S. P. Strong; J. M. Barrick presented Wm. White; W. E. Tansey presented Jacob Nixon; D. M. Patton presented N. W. Dressie; A. J. Crum presented S. S. Moore; Dr. Carlisle presented T. H. Soward; and J. S. Strother presented J. S. Rash. Twelve ballots were taken...Total vote 99. Necessary to a choice, 50. Soward having 50 votes on the 12th ballot, was declared nominated, and his nomination was made unanimous. Closest one in votes next to Soward: McDorman.
[DISTRICT CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, September 6, 1883.
On the adjournment of the county convention, Millington, chairman of the central committee, called the delegates from the Third Commissioner district in order. S. B. Sherman of Windsor was elected chairman, and R. S. Strother of Harvey was chosen secretary. J. A. Irwin of Windsor was unanimously put in nomination for commissioner.
Convention adjourned. S. B. SHERMAN, Chairman. R. S. STROTHER, Secretary.
Winfield Courier, October 25, 1883.
R. S. Strother was over from Harvey last week and put in a day at the re-union.
Winfield Courier, December 13, 1883.
Bob Strother was over from Harvey Monday looking over the grain market.
Winfield Courier, May 15, 1884.
A post of G. A. R. was mustered at New Salem Tuesday evening by Adjutant Snow of twenty members. G. W. Jackson is Post Commander and C. C. Krow adjutant. He also organized last week a Post in Harvey Township of seventeen with R. S. Strother, commander, and W. Rash, adjutant.
[REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION.]
Winfield Courier, July 17, 1884.
A resolution was passed at convention. The following gentlemen were selected from the different townships to carry out the object of the resolution. R. S. Strother of Harvey was one of those selected to carry out object of the resolution.
Winfield Courier, August 7, 1884.
Organization of Blaine and Logan Club. Pursuant to notice the committee appointed to organize a Cowley County Blaine and Logan Club met at the COURIER office at 2 o’clock p.m., July 19, 1884. T. H. Soward was elected President, J. R. Sumpter, Secretary, and W. J. Wilson, Treasurer. The following gentlemen were elected vice-Presidents of the Club.
R. S. Strother of Harvey township was one of those elected as a Vice President.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 15, 1885.
Dr. S. Wilkins, vice-president of the second district of the county temperance union, according to the Cambridge News, has appointed a committeeman for each of his townships as follows: J. W. Tull, Windsor; Wm. R. Stolp, Omnia; E. I. Johnson, Sheridan; Nathan Brooks, Silver Creek; Robert Strother, Harvey.
[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]
COUNTY ROAD NOTICES.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 29, 1885.
Petition of Joseph Jackson and others of Windsor township, commencing at southwest corner se ¼ sec 34; thence w 240 rods; thence n 40 rods; thence w 160 rods; thence nw to nw corner sw¼ sec 33; thence sw along R R 40 rods to Grouse creek; thence sw 6 rods; thence n across creek and R R; thence w. along R R 480 rods to e line se of nw sec 31; thence n to sw of nw sec 81; thence w 100 rods; thence nw to se corner sw of se section 25, tp. 31, range 7. Viewers, Samuel Rash, Joseph Kidwell, R. S. Strother. Meet with county surveyor at place of beginning, March 2, at 10 a.m.
[FARMERS’ INSTITUTE.]
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 5, 1885.
The first business taken up was the formation of a permanent farmers’ organization for the county. Mr. Adams moved that a committee of one from each township be appointed to perfect a plan of organization. Carried.
A member of the township committee: R. S. Strother, Harvey township.
R. S. Strother: sheep...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 5, 1885.
“Mr. Bob Strother had twenty sheep killed the other night by hogs, and thirty-one wounded, so that nine have died since,” says an upper Timber creek correspondent of the Burden Eagle. “This is the second raid the dogs have made on Mr. Strother’s sheep lately, he having lost seventeen a short time ago in the same manner. He now has a ‘paddy’ fixed up holding a burning lantern in one hand and a gun in the other.”
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 19, 1885.
Cowley’s Farmer’s Institute is now a permanency. A good number of our wide-awake farmers met at the COURIER office Saturday last with Mr. J. S. Baker, of Tisdale, in the chair and Mr. F. A. A. Williams, of Winfield, Secretary.
The following board of township directors was elected, conditioned on their becoming members of the organization. Bolton, Amos Walton; Beaver, F. H. Burton; Vernon, R. J. Yeoman; Ninnescah, L. Stout; Rock, E. J. Wilber; Fairview, T. S. Green; Walnut, R. T. Thirsk; Pleasant Valley, A. H. Broadwell; Silverdale, George Green; Tisdale, J. S. Baker; Winfield, Dr. Perry; Liberty, J. C. McCloy; Richland, D. C. Stevens; Omnia, W. R. Stolp; Silver Creek, John Stout; Harvey, R. S. Strother; Windsor, Samuel Fall; Dexter, W. E. Merydith; Cedar, J. H. Service; Otter, Mr. Mills; Sheridan, J. R. Smith; Maple, Mr. Fitzsimmons, Creswell, Ed. Green; Spring Creek, H. S. Libby.
On motion, M. H. Markcum, F. W. McClellan, and Dr. C. Perry were appointed a committee on plan of work. Jas. F. Martin was elected honorary vice president of the Institute by a unanimous rising vote.
R. S. Strother: tangles with Batch over stock, sheep-killing dog...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 19, 1885.
“Mr. Bob Strother and Mr. Frank Batch had a difficulty about depredations of stock and a sheep-killing dog the other day. They came to blows, using knives and clubs pretty freely, and had it not been for the intervention of neighbors who were passing, would no doubt have ended very seriously.”
Strother starts hotel: the Atlanta House, in Omnia Township...
Winfield Courier, Thursday, August 20, 1885.
Atlanta. Atlanta is about twenty-two miles from Winfield in the center of Omnia township, and is starting on a substantial basis. The buildings already erected are better buildings than are usual for the first buildings of a new town. They are painted up well and make a fine appearance. R. S. Strother has his hotel, the Atlanta House, completed and is running it splendidly and doing a large business. It is quite a good sized and good looking building.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 18, 1886.
R. S. Strother, Atlanta’s live real estate man, was down Saturday. Some counterfeiters took in Atlanta Saturday, leaving some five dollars or more of bogus coin.
Justice Strother, Atlanta, Omnia Township...
“SHOVERS OF THE QUEER” AT ATLANTA.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 18, 1886.
Charley Grant, constable at Atlanta, brought in two parties Monday and lodged them in Castle de Finch, charged with passing counterfeit coin in Atlanta on Friday evening. From Mr. Day we learn the following particulars. About 8 p.m. a party entered Dunbar’s store, bought a dime’s worth of goods, and handed him a dollar in payment. Mr. Dunbar gave him the change and he went out, doing the same thing at Gilliard & Darlington’s and Doty & Smith’s billiard hall. At the last place Mr. Smith didn’t like the looks of the party nor the money, and scrutinizing the dollar, he started out and found the same kind of dollars at the other places the parties had been to. Constable Grant was put on their track and found out in a short time the direction they had taken and arrested them near Grenola. In their wagon he found three molds, a bogus dollar, and some metal spoons in their satchel. Mr. Grant took them back and had a preliminary before Justice Strother, who sent them to jail. They are hard looking cases, about twenty-three years of age, and give their names as Johnson and Wilson. They say they know nothing about the satchel, that it was given to them at Halstead by a party by the name of Miller for the purpose of expressing it to Independence. It won’t do for anyone to fool around Atlanta with ways that are dark and tricks that are vile or Constable Grant will soon run them in and Justice Strother will apply the cold arm of the law.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 11, 1886.
M. E. Dunbar, J. F. Kidwell, G. B. Darlington, and R. S. Strother, Atlanta’s leading citizens, were in town Saturday.
Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 11, 1886.
The reporter visited Atlanta Thursday and found things wearing a cheerful appearance. Messrs. Gilliard & Darlington, among Atlanta’s leading men, have sold their general merchandise store to P. G. McDaniels, of Aurora, Missouri, who has taken possession. Gilliard and Darlington will remain there, going into other business. Wm. H. Day and R. S. Strother have formed a partnership in real estate business, and can satisfy anybody with any kind of real estate. Dr. Cunningham is erecting a very neat two-story building on the corner; a store room below and the upper part designed for a hall. A gentleman from Missouri will put a drug store in soon. C. D. Brown, the druggist, is doing a good business. Marshall Dunbar, formerly of this city, is holding a good trade in dry goods and groceries. Mr. Edwards is running a first-class blacksmith shop. Charlie Grant, the “Longfellow” of the prairie, keeps the country in livery rigs. The Commercial Hotel is run by Mr. Johnson, satisfactorily to all. A. H. Hixson is the accommodating agent for the Frisco. J. F. Kidwell is the agreeable postmaster; whether a democrat or not, we don’t know. The Atlanta Lumber Company will soon erect a first-class building on Main street, where Day & Strother’s land-office now stands. Atlanta has all the indications of a live business this spring.
1891.
Daily Calamity Howler, Saturday, October 3, 1891.
THE CRISIS PASSED.
There are some amusing things that take place in this world, but they usually happen behind the scenes and the busy world knows nothing of them, unless the newspaper reporter happens to learn of it. The editor of the Courier has been on an extended visit of late, and as the affairs of the Courier, as well as the republican campaign were in a desperate shape, the fellows who have been trying to edit the paper sent out a telegram for their chief to return immediately as business of great importance required his presence. When the chief returned, there was a meeting of the three liars in a private room of the Courier building in which, substantially, the following conversation took place.
Ed: Well, boys, how are things going?
Joe: Bad enough, I assure you. Business has been very dull with us, the receipts of the office not being sufficient to furnish two men in the necessary elixir of life since you went away. The candidates refuse to put up any boodle and if I had my way about it I’d give them h__l, so I would.
Ed: Oh, no, that wouldn’t do; for if we do that the party would repudiate the Courier again, and we are not able to stand more than one more repudiation [TWO LINES ALL MESSED UP] makes me tired yet to think how the party sat on me. I went to Guthrie on purpose to see Hackney and see if he couldn’t make the state committee put up, but Hackney says that the committee absolutely refuse to give him a cent since he was deposed two years ago. But say, if you need money, why don’t you work some of the merchants by having an interview with some of them with whom we stand in, and get him to blow about the great Courier as an advertising medium?
Joe: I did that last night [Thursday] with a certain drug store here, but I haven’t got a single new ad today and it seemed to fall on the community like a wet blanket; and I believe that the merchants and the people are on to the scheme, for I overheard a crowd of those dodgasted calamity yelpers laughing and talking about it today. They seemed to be making fun of it.
Ed: I was of the opinion that you fellows would be running low on the subject of heavy editorial and so I have written out some three or four for Friday’s daily and I will read them for you.
“Fishback has a dead sure thing on the clerk’s office and Salem Fouts is getting ready to surrender.
“Wilkin will come in with both hands down and you may mark that.
“Strother will get there and you may mark that down.
“Nipp will be elected. Mark that down.”
Ed: What do you think of them for a bracer, Jack?
Jack: Those are regular heavy weight corkers, and I am afraid if it gets out who wrote them, my reputation will suffer for in my happiest vein I could never get off such whoppers as that.
Ed: Now, Joe. I want you to charge up these editorials to each of the candidates at the rate of $50 each, and we can pass it in as assets when we fail, as it seems we are bound to do so soon. Also announce this evening that we will get out a lot of extra papers for Saturday evening, and that the matter of editorials will be kept up to the usual standard and say also, that the Courier is the only daily paper in town and if you think best you might say it is the only one in the county and state. Our readers are of a peculiar build and will not know any better, so make it strong. Be on the alert for the main chance and I think we will be able to tide thro’. Good night, boys, and be sure to keep up your lick. Be sure and clip all the democratic stuff that you see lying around loose, especially when you know it will reach our readers.
Daily Calamity Howler, Friday, October 9, 1891.
The Courier of last night boiled over with a lot of sympathetic heart rending gush. It started out as usual to show to its readers the stereotyped story that our mortgages was evidences of our wealth and prosperity. It says nine out of every ten mortgaged as an alternative to have a home. No one doubts this for a moment, but when these Cowley County farmers mortgaged their farms from six to ten years ago, they had confidence in the administration who was supposed to be running this government in the interest of the people. They did not expect a government to be run on the principle of a reduction of values, in order to make the rich richer and the poor poorer, but such is the fact, and the Courier dare not tackle this question to the contrary. The Courier drops on to the chattel mortgage question, and intimates the great majority of chattel mortgages is caused by our farmers buying machinery. This is to a great extent true, but why do those farmers put chattel mortgages on their stock, from the simple fact, they have grown the grain, and it takes the necessary machinery to take care of it, and values on everything has been depreciated to such an extent that they have no ready money to buy with. The grain they raise has not paid the true cost of production for the last eight years on account of depreciating values and gambling in the products of what the farmer produces. This great promulgator of law and morality after showing that mortgages was a benefit, and a necessity, then gives L. P. King a round up on what they call his misrepresentation of the railroad bonds in Cowley County, which no doubt is a snag the Courier and its “prosperity yawpers” do not like to run against.
Another stumper the Courier ran against was the fact that our County Surveyor has been allowed $156, instead of $52. This extravagance is all laid at the door of the last legislature, which passed a law to the effect that the county surveyor “must keep his office open one day in the week, or that he may keep his office open six days and receive $4.00 per day.” Mr. Carnes should be given credit for being a conscientious reformer, as he only made out a bill for $162, while the law would have given him $304. The Courier man sees in this law a rare chance for boodle, and is striving to place a man in the office, who will put in a bill of $304 each quarter instead of $152. This $152 boodle that the Courier looks at will go a long ways to help keep up a corrupt newspaper for a corrupt political ring. With a reform county surveyor in office, the county saves $608 a year, which if in the hands of the prosperity yawping party, would be used for political boodle.
The Courier finally winds up on “the old soldier racket,” and says the people’s party, in order to catch votes, put up by a one armed soldier (J. D. Salmons for register of deeds) against R. S. Strother, “as brave a soldier as ever faced the privations of war.”
Could our readers peruse the article on the “old soldier racket,” in last night’s Courier and then read some of the pathetic slobbering of this same paper of a few years back, they could see at a glance, that this “old soldier racket” has about lost power with the Courier and its party.
The pension that Mr. Salmons receives, that is such a bugaboo in the eyes of the Courier, does not pay him for the loss of a strong right arm and the suffering he underwent for many months caused from the loss of his arm. This little fusillade being fired at Mr. Salmons emanates from the brain of one who should forever hold his tongue about the “old soldier racket,” when the position he now occupies and under the circumstances he occupies it, is so well known to every citizen almost in this county. He should take a back seat on the “old soldier” question. A man who has no use for an old soldier, only to get his vote to keep his party in power and then occupy a position the “old soldier” is entitled to, is not much on “consistency.”
