JOHN MARION HARCOURT.

Rock Creek Township.

[Handled Sheep.]

Rock Creek Township 1873: John M. Harcourt, 36; spouse, N. R., 37.

Kansas 1875 Census Rock Creek Township, Cowley County, March 1, 1875.

Name age sex color Place/birth Where from

J. M. Harcourt 38 m w Indiana Illinois

N. R. Harcourt 39 f w Illinois Illinois

C.? C.? Harcourt 15 m w Illinois Illinois

A. S. Harcourt 13 m w Illinois Illinois

G. A. Harcourt 11 m w Illinois Illinois

L. E. Harcourt 7 f w Illinois Illinois

H. W. Harcourt 4 m w Kansas

Rock Township 1882: J. M. Harcourt, 45; spouse, Nancy R., 46.

FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.

[TOWNSHIP ASSESSORS.]

Winfield Courier, April 22, 1875.

J. M. Harcourt, Rock Creek Township.

[RAILROAD MEETING: RESIDENTS OF COWLEY COUNTY.]

Winfield Courier, January 27, 1876.

The undersigned, residents of Cowley County, cordially unite in inviting the citizens of said county to meet in mass meeting at Winfield, on Saturday at 2 P. M., February 5^th, to take such action as shall seem advisable upon consultation to secure the construction of a railroad into Cowley County. We desire each paper in said county to publish this call, and we hope that every township will be fully represented at said meeting. Dated January 25, 1876.

ROCK TOWNSHIP: John M. Harcourt, Robert F. Bailey, Andrew Dawson, John Foster, J. L. Foster, Jess. J. Tribby, H. D. Lee, W. B. Wimer.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP: William D. Lester, B. W. Jenkins, John A. McCulloch, W. A. Freeman.

VERNON TOWNSHIP: Wm. Martin, C. M. Denkin, R. L. Walker.

SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP: R. P. Goodrich, Cyrus Wilson, F. W. Vance.

TISDALE TOWNSHIP: E. P. Young, D. H. Southworth.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP: Chas. W. Frith, J. L. H. Darnall.

NINNESCAH TOWNSHIP: Elmore Ansen.

PLEASANT VALLEY TOWNSHIP: B. W. Sitter, T. J. Harris.

OTTER TOWNSHIP: H. C. Fisher, R. R. Turner.

OMNIA TOWNSHIP: Elisha Harned.

DEXTER TOWNSHIP: T. W. Coats, J. D. Maurer, Mark Kenton Hull, Levi Quier, J. A. Bryan, George Bryan.

WINFIELD: M. L. Read, S. D. Pryor, N. M. Powers, N. W. Holmes, N. L. Rigby, Thomas McMillen, L. J. Webb, Charles C. Black, J. S. Hunt, W. M. Boyer, John W. Curns, G. S. Manser, B. F. Baldwin, J. H. Land, A. H. Green, W. Q. Mansfield, E. C. Manning, S. H. Myton, J. C. Fuller, A. B. Lemmon, James Kelly, W. H. H. Maris, T. H. Henderson, A. N. Deming, H. S. Silver, J. M. Alexander, Amos Walton, D. A. Millington, J. E. Platter, W. M. Allison, and one hundred others.

[DISTRICT COURT DOCKET.]

Winfield Courier, March 23, 1876.

CIVIL DOCKET. FOURTH DAY. J. M. Harcourt vs. T. H. Johnson.

Winfield Courier, May 11, 1876.

Messrs. Harcourt, Lee, and Warner, of Rock Township, were down yesterday. They report but little damage done to crops by the late rains in that section.

Winfield Courier, August 24, 1876.

J. N. ALLEN, JNO. HARCOURT, and MESSRS. DANIEL MELVIN and WM. LAKIN, all of Mt. Pulaski, Illinois, arrived in Rock Township yesterday. They are relatives of Messrs. Dawson and Harcourt of that township, and old friends of W. P. Hackney. We hope they will conclude to locate in Cowley.

Winfield Courier, October 19, 1876.

C. H. EAGIN, of Rock, writes to us that at their township caucus held at Darien schoolhouse last Thursday night, W. Wimer was nominated by the Republicans for trustee, George Williams, clerk; J. M. Harcourt, treasurer; J. M. Barrick, justice of the peace; Andrew Dawson and N. Rogers, constables; C. Coon, overseer 1st district, Wm. Funk 2nd; and J. Parson 3rd. After the nominations had been made, Hon. L. J. Webb was introduced, and for an hour and a quarter held the audience by his magnetic eloquence and masterly argument. His speech was complete, thorough, and convincing, and the best that has been heard in Rock during the campaign.

[TOWNSHIP OFFICERS ELECTED NOVEMBER 7, 1876.]

Winfield Courier, November 16, 1876. Editorial Page.

Rock Creek Township: W. B. Wimer, Trustee; G. H. Williams, Clerk; J. M. Harcourt, Treasurer; J. M. Barrick, J. P.; N. Rogers and A. B. Tuggle, Constables.

[TOWNSHIP OFFICERS ELECTED.]

Winfield Courier, November 15, 1877.

Rock—W. B. Wimer, Trustee; J. M. Harcourt, Treasurer; G. H. Williams, Clerk; H. Fisk, R. Booth, Justices; No Constable.

Winfield Courier, February 13, 1879.

J. M. Harcourt, of Rock, was in town Saturday last.

[REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION.]

Winfield Courier, September 11, 1879.

Rock: J. W. Douglas, J. M. Harcourt, W. J. Funk, Hiram Fisk.

[NATIONAL CENSUS.]

Winfield Courier, April 8, 1880. We expect that the county is divided into twenty enumeration districts with enumerators as follows.

District No. 11. Rock Creek. Enumerator: J. J. Harcourt.

Winfield Courier, June 3, 1880.

The Census Enumerators are hard at work. The following is the list of districts and Enumerators of Cowley County.

District No. 179. J. M. Harcourt, Rock Creek township.

Winfield Courier, October 21, 1880.

PLEASANT VALLEY, Oct. 13, 1880. ED. MONITOR: My attention has been called to an article in the Telegram, a paper edited, owned, and controlled by Chas. C. Black, the Democratic candidate for State Senator, charging that the scar on Mr. Hackney’s face was received in a drunken row in Illinois, and not in the army. Chas. C. Black published a lie, and he knew it to be such when he did it. I am from the same county in Illinois (Logan), from which Mr. Hackney is. I served during the war with Mr. Hackney, in the same regiment, the 7th Illinois infantry. He was captain of Co. H. I was present and participated in the battle of Altoona Pass, in Georgia, October 5, 1864, and was wounded in that battle. Mr. Hackney was shot in that fight through the face and also through the body. His brother was wounded in three places during the same fight, and a brother-in-law was killed.

When a contemptible puppy like Chas. C. Black attempts to belittle W. P. Hackney and make sport of his scars, it is time that all soldiers, both Democratic and Republican, set down on him. It is to Hackney and such men as he that the country is indebted today for its existence; and the cowardly sneak who assaults him is a fit companion for rebels and their allies. Yours truly, SAMUEL WATT. Monitor.

We are informed that Wm. Skees, of Windsor township, G. W. Edgar, of Maple, Sampson Johnson, of Pleasant Valley, Andy Dawson and J. M. Harcourt, of Rock, and Marsh Allen were with Mr. Hackney at that battle and tell the same story.

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.

Rock: S. P. Strong, J. M. Harcourt, W. H. Grow, W. H. White, G. L. Gale, R. Booth, H. Fisk, J. B. Holmes.

[THE OLD SOLDIERS.]

Winfield Courier, August 25, 1881.

The meeting at Manning’s hall on Saturday, August 20th, was well attended by the old soldiers. Capt. Haight with a section of his battery, put in a number of shots that sounded like old times to the boys. Messrs. Pixley, Requa, Woodruff, Roseberry, and others furnished old time martial music. At 11 a.m., the meeting was called to order with C. M. Wood in the chair, and Jake Nixon, secretary.

On motion a committee of seven was appointed as a permanent organization consisting of comrades Wells, Steuven, Stubblefield, Nixon, Waugh, Kretsinger, and Jennings. After some interesting remarks on the part of Capt. Stubblefield, J. W. Millspaugh, H. D. Catlin, and S. M. Jennings, the meeting adjourned until 2 p.m.

On motion comrades present from the various townships were requested to name their vice presidents. From Rock: J. M. Harcourt.

[MUSTER ROLLS BY TOWNSHIPS AS FAR AS HEARD FROM.]

Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 27, 1881 - Front Page.

OLD SOLDIERS OF ROCK TOWNSHIP.

JOHN M. HARCOURT, 108 ILL.

Cowley County Courant, May 11, 1882.

J. M. Harcourt, one of Cowley County’s most substantial farmers, and one of the first settlers of Rock township, came in to see us Wednesday for the first time. He reports everything in an encouraging condition in his section, and says unless the chinch bugs get their work in pretty soon, the wheat will average more bushels to the acre this year than it has any season since the breaking up of Cowley County.

[REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION.]

Cowley County Courant, May 18, 1882.

Congressional State Convention to be held at Topeka June 28, 1882: C. R. Mitchell, M. G. Troup, C. M. Scott, M. L. Robinson, John Wallace, R. S. Walker, J. E. Conklin, H. D. Gans. Alternates: Henry E. Asp, J. B. Tucker, J. M. Harcourt, J. B. Evans, R. F. Burden, N. W. Dressie, W. P. Heath, T. H. Soward, H. C. McDorman.

Cowley County Courant, May 25, 1882.

A Courant representative visited Rock township yesterday. To say that this is the best township in the county would lay the Courant liable to the charge of toadyism from which it prides itself on being so free. It is, however, one of the several very best in any county. No township in the county combines so many natural advantages. Besides vast quantities of the richest bottom land, there is abundance of timber, pure water in plenty, and exhaustive building and fencing stone, to be had for the quarrying; and wheat and corn everywhere. We think it probable that Rock township should be credited with having raised the biggest wheat in the State, that is, the largest yield to the acre. The acreage is not so large this year as last, but gives promise of being the best crop yet raised in that wheat raising township.

The Rock store kept by that clever, sensible Republican, George H. Williams, is the political headquarters, and may be said to be the county seat of Rock township. Here may be found a few congenial souls almost any time of the day. And the wayfarer can be accommodated with any kind of a discussion he feels himself capable of taking a hand in. The versatile Harcourt will lock horns with him on temperance, the conscientious Gale will hold him down on religion or the want of it, while Uncle John Holmes can wear him out on hogs and cattle. These gentlemen all live handy, and can afford now, to take their ease. They are in no sense loafers. They are men who have gathered a big competence by hard work and good management, who now feel that they have earned a rest on the shadowy side of their lives.

John Holmes, Esq., is the most extensive farmer in the county. He owns a thousand acres of the choicest land, nearly all of it in wheat and corn. We had the good fortune to be invited to dinner with Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Harcourt, where in company with Mr. and Mrs. Commissioner Gale, we passed a pleasant hour. This is decidedly a Hoosier neighborhood, every man within a radius of several miles having been lucky enough to get away from Indiana.

W. O. Baxter, M. L. Hollingsworth, W. L. White, G. M. Turner, F. G. Szirkowsky, Mr. Thompson, J. M. Harcourt, John Holmes, Mr. Bailey, and Sam Strong are among the most successful farmers of that township.

Winfield Courier, July 13, 1882.

The crop returns keep coming in and every report shows a yield that makes the farmer’s face as broad as a clapboard. Had we been delegated the power to regulate the rainfall and weather, none more favorable could have been made. The smallest yield yet reported in wheat is Col. Loomis’ volunteer field, which went 23½ bushels per acre.

Mr. Harcourt, of Rock, has also threshed a part of his crop and gets 30 bushels per acre.

Alfred Harcourt, son of J. M. Harcourt...

[ROCK CORRESPONDENT: “JIM.”]

Winfield Courier, December 21, 1882.

Alfred Harcourt is down in the Territory on a hunt.

[ROCK CORRESPONDENT: “JIM.”]

Winfield Courier, December 28, 1882.

The following note was picked up on the road near here, it being written by one of our leading Democrats. It will explain itself. Alfred Harcourt, who has been down in the Territory hunting with several others, met with bad luck. The prairie fire caught their tent, burning up everything except a can of powder, which, strange to say, escaped. They lost their overcoats. Being out of everything, they were obliged to come home. They had good luck hunting while they were at it. We are sorry for the boys. JIM.

George Harcourt, son of J. M. Harcourt...

[ROCK TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “JIM.”]

Winfield Courier, January 25, 1883.

The officers of our Sunday school for the ensuing quarter are: Supt. Thos. Harp; Assistant Superintendents, C. H. Leavitt and Mrs. Lydia Thompson; Secretary, Mrs. Wilson; Assistant Secretary, Geo. Harcourt; Librarian, Miss Maggie Holmes; Treasurer, Miss Lotta Thompson.

[ROCK TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “JIM.”]

Winfield Courier, February 22, 1883.

Marion Harcourt is delivering his wheat in Douglass at 80 cents per bushel.

Stock suffered greatly during the past cold spell, but we haven’t heard of many dying.

[ROCK TOWNSHIP CORRESPONDENT: “JIM.”]

Winfield Courier, March 29, 1883.

Some of our late wheat will have to be plowed up.

Marion Harcourt has sold his range (370 acres) east of here, and about 700 sheep, including 200 lambs, to William Osborne for $3,500.

Ab. Holmes bought the Harcourt sheep of Osborne.

[ROCK CORRESPONDENT: “JIM.”]

Winfield Courier, May 3, 1883.

Marion Harcourt has been delivering the balance of his wheat in Douglass at 95 cents per bushel.

[ROCK CREEK CORRESPONDENT: “C. L.”]

Winfield Courier, August 9, 1883.

Mr. Harcourt has put up a wind pump.

[DARIEN SCHOOLHOUSE IN ROCK TOWNSHIP DESTROYED BY FIRE.]

Winfield Courier, January 17, 1884.

The Darien schoolhouse in Rock Township was destroyed by fire Friday night. Some wood had been put in the drum of the stove to dry. This caught fire, fell out on the floor, and set the building on fire. All of the paraphernalia of the school, many of the scholars’ books, and some belonging to the teacher, Miss Leota Gary, were destroyed. Darien was one of the oldest schoolhouses in the county, and has been a place of rendezvous for the denizens of Upper Walnut for many years. The old walls could have told many tales of red-hot political meetings where Uncle Reuben Booth held the boys level, or deep-laid plans to “capture the delegation” or “put up a trick,” in which George Williams, Harcourt, Strong, Gale, Grow, Wilber, and a host of others, were participants. Let a new house, raised on the ashes of the old one, be called “Darien.”

[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]

Winfield Courier, February 21, 1884.

ROCK TOWNSHIP.

Judges: R. J. Wilber, Reuben Booth, J. M. Harcourt.

Clerks: J. F. Williams, W. R. Grow.

[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]

Winfield Courier, April 17, 1884.

J. M. Harcourt, W. H. Grow, and G. H. Williams appointed viewers on C. H. Mabry Co. road.

[ROCK CORRESPONDENT: “BASCOM.”]

Winfield Courier, May 1, 1884.

J. M. Harcourt will build a new house at once.

Winfield Courier, August 7, 1884.

George Williams and J. M. Harcourt were down from Rock Wednesday shaking hands with the boys all around.

[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]

Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 15, 1885.

Road petition of James E. Hanlen granted and W. H. Grow, George Williams, and J. M. Harcourt appointed viewers.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, January 29, 1885.

Jas. E. Hanlen road, Rock township, commencing at nw cor of sec 34, township 80, range 4 e, running thence on section line 3 miles to ne cor sec 37, same township and range. W. H. Grow, Geo. Williams, and J. M. Harcourt, viewers, and county surveyor will meet at place of beginning on April 2^nd, 1885, at 10 a.m., giving all a hearing and survey said road.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, June 25, 1885.

Miss Lou Wilber, Fred Wilber, Frank Wilber, and George Harcourt, of Rock, were down Sunday visiting George L. Gale.

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.

J. C. Page, T. C. Covert, W. P. Hackney, and W. H. Grow made pointed remarks. It was decided to submit propositions to Rock for $18,000; Walnut $15,000; Fairview $10,000; Winfield $17,000, making the $60,000 required for the extension. Committees were appointed to canvass and work up the propositions, as follows.

Rock: G. H. Williams, R. Booth, Sr., S. P. Strong, H. F. Hornady, W. H. Grow, J. M. Harcourt, and E. J. Wilber.

Fairview: Tom Covert, J. C. Page, H. C. Schock, J. W. Douglass, J. M. Barrick, R. P. Burt, A. J. McCollum.

Walnut: T. A. Blanchard, John Mentch, J. P. Short, John C. Roberts, W. D. Roberts, E. M. Reynolds, Chas. Schmidt.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, December 24, 1885.

The following are the real estate transfers filed in the office of Register of Deeds since our last issue.

John M Harcourt et ux to Thomas F Harp, 5 acres in se qr 17-30-5e: $225.00.

SHERIFF’S ELECTION PROCLAMATION FOR ROCK CREEK TOWNSHIP.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, December 24, 1885.

WHEREAS the Board of County Commissioners of Cowley County, in the State of Kansas, at a special meeting duly convened on the 22^nd day of December, A. D. 1885, duly made and caused to be entered of record in the office of the County Clerk of said County, the following order, to-wit:

NOW, on this 22^nd day of December, A. D. 1885, at a special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners of Cowley County, State of Kansas, duly convened, present, S. C. Smith, Chairman; J. A. Irwin and Amos Walton, Commissioners, comes Jno. M. Harcourt, a resident tax payer of Rock Creek Township, in said Cowley County, and with him comes Sixty other resident tax-payers of said Township, and present their petition in writing to the Board of County Commissioners of said County, praying that a special election be called in said Township, for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of said Township, a proposition for said Township to subscribe for One Hundred and Eighty (180) shares, of One Hundred ($100) Dollars each, of the capital stock of the Florence, El Dorado and Walnut Valley Railroad Company, and in payment therefor to issue to said Railroad Company Eighteen bonds of said Rock Creek Township, of the denomination of One Thousand ($1,000) Dollars each, said bonds to be payable upon the terms and conditions in said petition mentioned and described, and the said Board of County Commissioners having duly heard, examined and considered said petition, and the evidence of witnesses introduced to support thereof, doth find: That said petition is in writing, that said petition is signed by more than two-fifths of the resident tax-payers of said Rock Creek Township, and is in all respects in conformity with the law. The following being a copy of said petition, to-wit:

To the Honorable Board of County Commissioners of Cowley County, Kansas:

We the undersigned, your petitioners, being resident tax-payers and legal voters of Rock Creek Township, in the said County and State, respectfully petition your Honorable Body to submit to the qualified electors of said Rock Creek Township for their acceptance or rejection, at a special election to be ordered by your Honorable Body, under and in pursuance of the laws of the State of Kansas, and an act entitled “An Act to Enable Counties, Townships and Cities to Aid in the Construction of Railroads, and to Repeal Section Eight of Chapter 39 of the Laws of 1874,” which took effect February 29^th, 1876, and amendments thereto, the following proposition, with terms and conditions herein specified, to-wit:

Shall the Rock Creek Township, Cowley County, in the State of Kansas, subscribe for One Hundred and Eighty shares of One Hundred Dollars each, of the capital stock of the Florence, El Dorado and Walnut Valley Railroad Company, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Kansas, and in payment therefor, issue to said Railroad Company Eighteen bonds of said Rock Creek Township, of the denomination of One Thousand Dollars each; said bonds to be payable to the bearer at the fiscal agency of the State of Kansas, in New York City, thirty years after the date thereof, bearing interest at the rate of six per cent per annum payable annually, for which interest coupons shall be attached, payable at the fiscal agency aforesaid.

This subscription of stock and issue of Bonds to be upon the following conditions, namely: As soon as said proposition shall be determined in the affirmative, by canvass of the votes cast at said election, the Board of County Commissioners of said County of Cowley, for and in behalf of said Rock Creek Township shall order the County Clerk to make, and the County Clerk shall make, said subscription, in the name of said Township for said One Hundred and Eighty shares of capital stock of said Railroad Company; and when the Railroad of said Railroad Company shall be built of standard gauge, and completed, and in operation, by lease or otherwise from its present terminus at Douglass, Butler County, Kansas, to a connection with the Railroad of the Wichita and South Western Railway Company, at or near the junction of that Railroad with the Railroad of the Southern Kansas Railway west of Winfield, in the County of Cowley, in the State of Kansas, or to a connection with the Southern Kansas Railway or the Wichita & South Western Railway at any point between said junction and a point one-half mile east of present depot of the Southern Kansas Railway, at Winfield, the said Florence, El Dorado and Walnut Valley Railroad Company shall receive Eighteen Thousand Dollars of said bonds and issue One Hundred and Eighty shares of stock therefor.

The said Board of County Commissioners shall cause such bonds, with interest coupons attached, as aforesaid, to be issued in the name of said Township of Rock Creek and shall deliver the same to said Railroad Company on delivery or tender to the Treasurer of said Township by said Railroad Company, of certificates for its share of fully paid up capital stock of said Railroad Company, equal in amount with said bonds dollar for dollar; provided said Railroad shall be built and completed and in operation on or before the 1^st day of November, 1886; and provided further, that said Railroad Company shall construct a suitable depot building, and side tracks at some convenient point in said Township.

And it is also to be stipulated and agreed between said Railroad Company and said Township by the delivery and acceptance of said eighteen bonds and exchange therefor of said capital stock, that said shares of said capital stock, and the subscription therefor by said Township, shall be valid and binding, irrespective of the authorized capital stock of said Railroad Company, which shall be otherwise taken and subscribed for.

NOW therefore, pursuant to the prayer of said petition, and in compliance with the laws of the State of Kansas, and an Act entitled “An Act to Enable Counties, Townships and Cities to Aid in the Construction of Railroads and to Repeal Section 8, Chapter 39, of the Laws of 1874,” which took effect February 29, A. D. 1876, and the amendments thereto. It is therefore ordered and declared by the said Board of County Commissioners, that the prayer of said petitioners be and is hereby granted, and that a special election be held in said Rock Creek Township at the usual place of holding elections therein on WEDNESDAY, the 27^th day of JANUARY, A. D. 1886, and that thirty days notice of said election be given by the Sheriff of said County as hereinafter provided; and at said election the said proposition as set forth in said petition shall be submitted to the qualified voters of said Township, and as soon as said proposition shall be carried at such election and shall be determined in the affirmative by a canvass of the votes cast at such election, the Board of County Commissioners of said County of Cowley for and on behalf of said Rock Creek Township shall order the County Clerk to make, and said County Clerk shall make, such subscription of stock in the name of the Rock Creek Township for One Hundred and Eighty (180) shares of the capital stock of said Florence, El Dorado and Walnut Valley Railroad Company, and the said Board of County Commissioners shall, at the time hereinafter mentioned, cause said bonds, with interest coupons attached to be made out in the name of said Rock Creek Township, to be signed by the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of said County of Cowley, attested by the County Clerk of said County, and said bonds shall be of the denomination of One Thousand ($1,000) dollars each, and shall be payable to the bearer at the fiscal agency of the State of Kansas in New York City, thirty years after the date thereof, and shall bear interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, payable annually; for which interest coupons shall be attached to said bonds as aforesaid, payable at the fiscal agency aforesaid. And when the said Railroad of the said Railroad Company shall be built of standard gauge, and completed and in operation by lease or otherwise, from its present terminus at Douglass, in Butler County, Kansas, to a connection with the Railroad of the Wichita & Southwestern Railway Company at, or near the junction of that Railroad with the Railroad of the Southern Kansas Railway Company west of Winfield, in the County of Cowley, State of Kansas, or a connection with the Southern Kansas Railway, or the Wichita & South Western Railroad at any point between said junction and a point one-half mile east of the present depot of the Southern Kansas Railway, at said City of Winfield, then the said Florence, El Dorado & Walnut Valley Railroad Company shall receive the said Eighteen thousand ($18,000) dollars of said bonds, being Eighteen bonds of the denomination of One Thousand ($1,000) dollars each as aforesaid, and the said Florence, El Dorado & Walnut Valley Railroad Company shall, at the same time it receives said bonds, make out, execute under seal of said Railroad Company, and deliver to the Treasurer of said Rock Creek Township in the name of and for the benefit of said Rock Creek Township, certificates of full paid stock of the capital stock of said Railroad Company, in an amount equal to the amount of the bonds of said Rock Creek Township so received by it, dollar for dollar in exchange therefor, and in consideration thereof, provided: That said Railroad shall be built and completed, and in operation, by lease or otherwise as aforesaid, on or before the First day of November, A. D. 1886, and a suitable depot building and side tracks shall be constructed at some convenient point in said Township.

The ballots to be used at such special election for and against the proposition to take stock and issue bonds therefore as recited shall be in the following form, to-wit: The ballot in favor of said proposition shall contain these words: “For the subscription of stock and issue of bonds to the Florence, El Dorado & Walnut Valley Railroad Company.”

And it is further ordered that the sheriff of said Cowley County, make due proclamation of the holding of said election to the voters of said Rock Creek Township, of the time and place of the holding thereof by publishing the same for at least thirty days preceding the time of the holding of said election as required by law, in the WINFIELD COURIER, a weekly newspaper published and printed in the City of Winfield, in said County of Cowley, and of general circulation in said Rock Creek Township, and that in said proclamation he set forth the foregoing order and proceedings of said Board of County Commissioners in full.

Done by the Board of County Commissioners, of Cowley County, in the State of Kansas the 22^nd day of December, A. D. 1885. S. C. SMITH, J. A. IRWIN, AMOS WALTON, Board of County Commissioner of Cowley County, Kansas.

Attest: [SEAL] J. S. Hunt, County Clerk.

STATE OF KANSAS, Cowley County, ss.

I, J. S. Hunt, County Clerk of said county of Cowley, in the state of Kansas, do hereby certify the above and foregoing, to be a full and true and correct copy of the order of the Board of County Commissioners of said Cowley County, concerning the matters therein set forth, made and caused to be entered on record in my office as such County Clerk, this 22^nd day of December, A. D., 1885. [SEAL] J. S. HUNT, County Clerk.

STATE OF KANSAS, COWLEY COUNTY, ss.

Now, therefore, I, G. H. McIntire, Sheriff of said county of Cowley, under and by virtue of the foregoing order of the Board of County Commissioners of said county and the authority vested in me by law as such Sheriff, do hereby proclaim and make known to the qualified voters of Rock Creek Township, in the county of Cowley, State of Kansas, that there will be held in the said Rock Creek township, on WEDNESDAY, the 27 day of JANUARY, 1886, a special election at the usual voting precinct in said Rock Creek Township, upon the proposition as set forth in the foregoing order of the Board of County Commissioners of said Cowley County, and in the manner and form as herein set forth, and that said election will be held, the returns made and the result ascertained in the same manner as provided by law for general election.

Done at the Sheriffs office in the city of Winfield, in the county of Cowley, State of Kansas, this, 22^nd day of December, A. D., 1885.

G. H. McINTIRE, Sheriff of Cowley County, Kansas.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, February 25, 1886.

J. M. Harcourt, one of Rock’s substantial farmers, was in town Saturday.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 4, 1886.

According to the “statoots,” Sheriff McIntire and Justices Buckman and Snow have drawn 36 jurors to serve at the April term of the District Court as follows.

J. M. Harcourt, Rock, was one of the 36 jurors drawn to serve at April term.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 18, 1886.

Marion Harcourt and Gene Wilber were down from Rock Saturday.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, April 1, 1886.

S. P. Strong, J. M. Harcourt, and John B. Holmes returned from Topeka, having incorporated and filed the charter of “The Rock Town Company,” of Rock, Cowley County, Kansas. Term of charter, fifty years. Directors: Alden Speare, of Boston; W. G. Dickinson, W. A. Coates, Topeka; J. M. Harcourt and S. P. Strong, of Rock. Capital stock, $50,000. John B. Holmes is a member of the company, which has just secured control of 160 acres, four forty acre tracts cornering right on the old site of Rock, on which they will build their town. As will be noticed, three of the incorporators are prominent Santa Fe officials, who will back the town and put it right forward. The location of Rock is one of the best in the west for a splendid county town. It is surrounded by the best agricultural district in Cowley and is in the center of an enterprising, wealthy, and influential neighborhood. The Santa Fe company takes a half interest in the town and the Town Company grant it two miles of right of way, which is evidence that the Santa Fe means to make Rock a good town. Dirt is now flying on the Santa Fe extension, just this side of Douglass, where a half mile of right of way was purchased from James Thompson for $900. That graded, a jump will be made to the secured right of way at Rock, and after April 22^nd, when the official condemnation begins, the grading and track laying will be boosted through to Winfield with a rush. The Rock Town Company organized with Alden Speare, president; S. P. Strong, vice-president; W. A. Coates, secretary and treasurer.