LUCIUS WALTON.

[Beaver Township; Pleasant Valley Township; Winfield.]

1901 BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

[DECEMBER 1870.] PAGE 25.

Mrs. Julia L. Walton, who, with her two accomplished daughters, resided in one of Winfield’s beautiful houses, was the widow of LUCIUS WALTON, who was one of the earliest settlers of Cowley County, Kansas.

Mr. Walton was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, November 4, 1829, and was a son of Comfort Walton. His grandfather, Abial Walton, came from England to New York City before the Revolutionary War. During that struggle he lived in Canada, but when it was over he returned to the United States and finally located at Rising Sun, Indiana, where he died at a very advanced age, being nearly one hundred years old.

Comfort Walton, father of Lucius Walton, was one of the earliest settlers of Jefferson County, Indiana, where he preempted land. His wife’s maiden name was Sprague and she came from the Rhode Island family bearing that name. Comfort Walton died when Lucius, the youngest child and only son, was two years of age. The latter, at the age of fourteen years, was placed with C. K. Laird, a merchant, who was an uncle of the lady he afterward married, and there he became proficient as a salesman, making many friends by his courteous manner and upright conduct. With this gentleman he made his home until 1851, when he was married to Julia Laird, the subject of this personal history.

In 1852 Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Walton went to Jackson County, Indiana, where their eldest child, John, was born. They soon moved to Shelby County, Indiana, where they resided for eighteen years. Mr. Walton was engaged in merchandising until the outbreak of the Civil War, when the unsettled finances of the country prompted him to make a change, and he invested in farm property. He sold his farm of 120 acres in 1870, preparatory to going to Kansas, receiving therefore $50 per acre. Owing to the discovery of gas in the locality at a later period, the price of this land rose in value to $100 per acre.

Mr. Walton located at Olathe, Johnson County, Kansas, with his wife and four children, and found many others waiting for the survey and opening for settlement of the Osage Indian Reservation lands, which included what is now Cowley County. In December 1870 with his son, John, he came to Cowley County to locate claims, camping near the Ross farm, to the north of Winfield. They then set out on foot to find a claim, but it was very difficult to find desirable spots, as the land was unsurveyed. As a result, he bought the claim of Mr. Eskridge, brother of a former governor of Kansas. It was the northeast quarter of section 36, township 33, range 3 east. There was already upon it a log house, and there John remained, while his father returned for the family and an outfit. On March 12, 1871, Lucius Walton left Olathe with his family and arrived at their future home eleven days afterward. They resided in the log house until 1874, when a comfortable frame house was built on the northeast quarter of the same section, where the family lived until 1889, and of which John Walton became the present occupant.

Lucius Walton engaged extensively in grain and stock raising, and met with great success, but he was not merely a farmer. He had large transactions in property, and acquired a handsome competency by good investments and judicious management. His later life became clouded by sickness, which resulted in his death in 1890, one year after his removal to the city of Winfield. He was a man universally admired and respected.

Mrs. Julia Laird Walton was born February 14, 1830, in Delaware County, New York, a daughter of H. N. and Hannah (Stonemetz) Laird. Her great-grandfather Laird emigrated from Belfast, Ireland, with his small family. Soon after his arrival in New York, he enlisted in the American army under Washington, and was killed in the battle of Monmouth. The grandmother of Mrs. Walton on her father’s side was of the Hammond and Delano families, of Massachusetts, and later, of Vermont. H. N. Laird, her father, moved to Jefferson County, Indiana, when she was but two years of age. Her mother, Hannah Stonemetz, was of German descent, her parents having emigrated from the county bordering the Rhine, and having settled at Cherry Valley, New York, at a very early day.

Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Walton became parents of the following children.

1. John Walton, born in Jackson County, Indiana, and came to Cowley County with his father, preempting a claim here. He also worked with the surveyors when the county was surveyed. John owned 640 acres of land in 1901 and resided on the old home farm. He was married at Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas, to Georgia A. Nesbit, and they had three children: Glenn, Errol, and Helen.

2, 3, 4, and 5. Clarence, Elvin, Florence, and Marie were deceased in 1901.

6. Lillie, born in Shelby County, Indiana, May 6, 1869, lived at home with her mother, and was the owner of 160 acres of farm land in her own right.

7. Clara, born in Beaver Township, Cowley County, Kansas, October 26, 1873, was also the owner of a tract of 160 acres of land.

Mrs. Walton well remembered her first view of Winfield, and how little it was entitled to be called a town, as many of the inhabitants were living in tents and wagons. The early days in Kansas were attended with rough experiences and much trepidation on account of the Indians. Upon one occasion, Mr. Holland became frightened at the noise made by a party of Indians who were passing his house in the night, and took his wife and 12 children to shelter in some bushes not far away. The night being cool, the anxious mother feared for the comfort of her youngest child, a babe in arms, and requested her husband to return to the house for a quilt. Upon seeing him run back with the quilt over his shoulders, Mrs. Holland became frightened and screamed herself almost into hysteria. That night they drove to Winfield for safety. This incident, laughable now, was serious enough at that day.

Mr. and Mrs. Walton moved to Winfield in 1889, and both took great interest in the improvements there going on. In 1891, Mrs. Walton purchased her present beautiful home at No. 1221 Seventh Avenue, where she resided with her two surviving daughters.

Beaver Township 1873: Lucius Walton, 42; spouse, Julia R., 42.

Kansas 1875 Census, Beaver Township, Cowley County. March 1, 1875.

Name age sex color Place/birth Where from

Lucius Walton 45 m w Indiana Indiana

Julia R. Walton 43 f w New York Indiana

John Walton 23 m w Indiana Indiana

Mary S. Walton 9 f w Indiana Indiana

Sally A. Walton 6 f w Indiana Indiana

Mary B. Walton 1 f w Kansas

Beaver Township 1878: Lucius Walton, 48; spouse, J. R., 48.

P. O. Address: Arkansas City.

Beaver Township 1881: Lucius Walton, 51; spouse, J. R., 51.

Beaver Township 1882: Lucius Walton, 52; spouse, Julia R., 52.

FROM THE NEWSPAPERS.

[REPUBLICAN TICKET]

Cowley County Censor, October 21, 1871.

For county commissioners:

District No. 1: FRANK COX, of Richland

District No. 2: LUCIUS WALTON, of Beaver.

District No. 3: R. MAURER, of Dexter.

[EDITORIAL PAGE: THE COUNTY RECORDS.]

Winfield Courier, February 6, 1874.

THE COUNTY RECORDS.

The readers of the COURIER will remember that we published sometime ago an intimation that the county records, as left by Mr. Jackson, were in a bad condition, and should be thoroughly investigated.

The County Board, no doubt acting on the COURIER’s suggestion, met at the County Clerk’s office, and after careful deliberation, concluded to appoint a committee of three to straighten out the records and give the new County Clerk a fair start with the world. They accordingly selected S. M. Fall, of Lazette; Lucius Walton, of Pleasant Valley; and Wm. H. Grow, of Rock; three as good men as the county affords, men of integrity and ability.

The committee met last Monday and began their labors. They had not proceeded far, however, until they came to the conclusion that they had an elephant on their hands—seeing that to go over the records from the time the county was first organized would be a summer’s job. They very wisely asked the Board to meet and advise them as to their duties in the matter before proceeding any further. The Board of County Commissioners have not met at this writing, so we are unable to tell what they will do. We hope, however, that now that the matter has been commenced, it will be probed to the bottom. The people of this county have a right and they demand to know how their affairs stand. We believe that the COURIER has never yet accused anyone of “defalcation,” “corruption,” or anything of the kind, and we hope that the gentlemen who have made the records will be able to clear themselves of any corrupt intention. But should such turn out to be the case, the guilty one, be he friend or foe, need expect no mercy from the COURIER.

LATER. Since the above was put in type, the Board of County Commissioners met, and yesterday were in secret session with the committee. The cauldron is boiling. It has been ascertained that Devore, our former county treasurer, is a defaulter to a considerable amount—how much, cannot at this writing be ascertained. J. P. Short, Mr. Devore’s deputy, has turned over to Mr. Kager, as near as we can come at it, some $680.00, which he should have turned over with the office in July, 1872. There is also found to be a large amount of scrip afloat which Mr. Jackson’s books show to have been canceled, rumor variously estimating the amount of such extra scrip, all the way from $5,000 to $10,000.

Let us look into this matter. Here is say, to strike an average, $5,000 in scrip taken in as county tax by Mr. Short, while deputy for Devore; he presents it to Mr. Jackson for cancellation. Jackson takes the No. and amount and marks canceled on his book, hands them back to the treasurer, who may sell it, thus putting it afloat once more to be taken up at some future time.

Now follows a few pertinent queries: What right had Mr. Short to present these orders to Mr. Jackson to be canceled, until he had marked them “paid” across the face, in red ink, as the law requires?

Then, why did Mr. Jackson cancel these orders if they were not marked “paid?” Then naturally follows another most painful query: was this whole transaction a big steal? Or was it simply negligence and want of knowledge of the law?

We most sincerely hope the latter is the correct conjecture. [We could not get at the exact figures as the committee of investigation together with the County Board sat with closed doors so that we could not get in.]

We hope these gentlemen will think better of this matter, and allow at least the accredited representatives of the press to know what is transpiring. The people who read the papers are the taxpayers of the county and they have a right to know all about it, and will know, let it cost what it may, so long as we run a paper.

[COUNTY COUNCIL: GRANGE IN COWLEY COUNTY.]

Winfield Courier, February 13, 1874.

Pursuant to a call of Deputy J. H. Werden, the delegates from the different subordinate granges throughout the county met at the Courtroom in Winfield. The meeting being called to order by the worthy Deputy, proceeded to temporary organization by electing brother A. S. Williams temporary Chairman, and N. C. McCulloch Secretary pro tem. Whereupon the Master appointed the following committees.

On Constitution and By-laws: J. H. Werden, Jos. Stansberry, and Frank Cox.

Committee on Credentials: W. H. Grow, H. H. Martin, and A. Walck.

Committee on Resolutions: T. A. Blanchard, John Irwin, J. C. Vanorsdal, C. G. Handy, and A. T. Stewart.

Adjourned to meet at 1:30 o’clock, p.m. 1:30 p.m.: Meeting called to order by the sound of the gavel, whereupon the committee on Credentials made the following report and declared the following members entitled to seats. From Pleasant Valley grange: Lucius Walton, E. Frederick, H. H. Constant.

[COUNTY GRANGE COUNCIL.]

Winfield Courier, February 20, 1874.

COUNCIL ROOM, Winfield, February 14, 1874.

Council called to order by the Master whereupon the following business was transacted after calling the roll, etc. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted.

Resolved, That our delegates to the State Grange of patron’s of husbandry, be instructed to ask our Representative in the Legislature to vote and use his influence against authorizing the Commissioners to bond the indebtedness of Cowley County.

Resolved, That our delegates to the State Grange be instructed to inform our Representative that his action on the pass and per diem resolutions is not approved by the patrons of husbandry of Cowley County.

Resolved, That we approve the action of the County Commissioners in the present investigation of the County Clerk’s office, and say, make the examination thorough, and extend it to other officials if thought necessary, even if it takes six months.

Resolved, That our Council agent be requested not to purchase implements of those firms who refuse to contract with the agency.

Committee on crop reports: Lucius Walton, John Mentch, S. C. Winton.

[INVESTIGATION: COUNTY RECORDS.]

Winfield Courier, March 27, 1874.

The committee appointed to investigate the County Records have finished their work as far as the term of Devore is concerned, and are preparing a report which will be published as soon as the committee get one or two items which they are after red hot. Hon. S. M. Fall concluded that he could not stay to investigate and retired from the committee. The other two members, Messrs. Grow and Walton, are determined to unearth everything unholy if it takes all summer. We have been collecting facts and figures which we will publish in connection with the committee’s report. We have no desire to prejudge the case and will withhold it until then.

Winfield Courier, April 17, 1874.

Lucius Walton and W. H. Grow, the investigating committee, are still hard at work looking at long lines of figures, receipts, vouchers, etc. They were not prepared to make any report to the county board; consequently, we have nothing new to give our readers in that line. It is a herculean task to go over the records of the county since its first organization, but these men are equal to the emergency, and hang to it with a pertinacity truly commendable.

[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]

Winfield Courier, April 24, 1874.

The following is a list of bills allowed by the Board of County Commissioners at their last regular meeting, showing the amount to whom allowed, and for what purpose.

Lucius Walton, Investigating Committee: $60.00; W. H. Grow, Investigating Committee: $60.00.

[TAX ERRORS FOUND BY STATE: EDITORIAL PAGE.]

Winfield Courier, May 8, 1874.

The following letter will explain itself.

STATE OF KANSAS, AUDITOR’S OFFICE.

LUCIUS WALTON, Chairman—Winfield, Kansas.

Dear Sir: Enclosed, find copy of Reports of Sale of School Lands of Cowley County, as requested in yours of the 10th inst. I find upon examination of the reports the following errors in addition, etc., which are now charged to your county, to-wit:

To error in adding report Dec. 31, 1871. $400.00

To error in adding report Dec. 31, 1872. $2,259.20

To error in adding report June 30, 1873. $0,000.00

Extending amount, June 30, 1872. .80

Extending amount, June 30, 1873. .20 Total Corrections: $2,660.20

There are some other minor errors, but they do not change the total foot, and no account is made of them on the books in office. I regret the delay in furnishing reports, but could not furnish them sooner and take the precaution to have them carefully compared with the original reports on file in this office.

Please acknowledge receipt of same. Very respectfully, D. W. WILDER, State Auditor.

The foregoing letter was received by the committee that is examining the records of Cowley County, in response to an inquiry made to the Auditor of State for information. The Auditor of State receives reports from the County Clerk of each county, of the amount of School Land Sales, and charges said amount to the County Treasurer. If there are no mistakes in the County Clerk’s reports, from this county, then there is considerable School Land money in the hands of the County Treasurer.

Winfield Courier, June 5, 1874.

We publish in another place the report of the committee of investigation. It will be seen that the report brings Mr. Short and Mr. Kager several thousand dollars behind. Mr. Short claims that he holds receipts to, nearly or quite, cover the amount charged against him, and we have Mr. Kager’s word for it, that he has in his hands, even more money than the committee found against him. However this may be, we have no comments or criticisms to make until these gentlemen have had an opportunity to settle with the county board. We cannot however close this article without saying a word for the committee. They, we believe, have discharged their duty faithfully and conscientiously, and their report shows with what ability that work was done. We will have more to say of this when we have looked the field all over. Let this suffice for the present.

REPORT OF THE COWLEY COUNTY INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.

WE, your Committee appointed to examine the books and accounts of the County Clerk and County Treasurer, beg leave to submit the following report as the result of our investigation. In instituting the examination, we first took the books and accounts from the organization of the County up to the 16th day of July, 1872, at which time J. P. Short, Deputy County Treasurer, turned the office over to E. B. Kager, the present incumbent of the office. On examination of the books and accounts of A. A. Jackson as County Clerk, and John Devore as Treasurer, under the management and control of J. P. Short, Deputy, we found the books and accounts in a very confused and tangled condition, the Treasurer not having made a settlement of his accounts during his term of office, and turned the office over to his successor without paying over moneys in his possession.

After due deliberation as to the best method of instituting the examination, we concluded to take the Tax-roll as it was furnished the Treasurer, by the County Clerk for collection, as a basis for our settlement and hold the Treasurer for all moneys coming into his possession by virtue of his office.

In making up the roll we found many mistakes for and against, but these, we consider merely the result of incompetency and inexperience on the part of the County Clerk.

In our report, $3,075.47 stands charged to Mr. Short, on account of the County which in reality is covered by county warrants which have been canceled on account of Short, but have not been destroyed or ordered applied on his account by the County Commissioners.

The tax-roll of 1872 is the greatest complication of figures and erasures that we ever saw, and we regard it as a matter of impossibility to arrive at just conclusions in every particular in making up the accounts, but we have made our figures from the most reasonable conclusions in the premises always giving Mr. Kager the benefit of the doubts. Mr. Kager has not made a settlement of his accounts since he came in possession of the office of County Treasurer, and reference to our report reveals the fact that he had a large sum of money in his possession on the first day of July, 1873, at which time the law requires him to make his annual settlement, and at which time most of the funds in his possession should have been paid out.

The accounts in both the County Clerk’s and County Treasurer’s ledgers, in most instances show clearly to our minds that the original charges have been erased and figures changed. In making up the account of School Land Sales, we took the County Clerk’s and Treasurer’s accounts in connection, from which to base a settlement; even then there may be, and doubtless is, discrepancies. We are informed that persons have made payments on school lands and have taken the Treasurer’s receipt therefor but failed to have it countersigned by the County Clerk and charged to the Treasurer as the law requires, and in other instances parties have made payments on School Lands for which neither Treasurer nor Clerk have given the proper credit.

We would recommend that notice be given through the papers of the County to parties who have purchased School Lands to examine the records and see if any such irregularities exist.

On comparing our School Land sales account with an abstract of school land sales received from the Auditor of State, we found Mr. A. A. Jackson had made an error in addition of the school land sales reported on account of Mr. Short in favor of the County Treasurer to the amount of $400.00, and $1,252.26 remained unreported. The same error occurs in his report to the Auditor of State of school land sales on account of E. B. Kager to amount of $2,260.20, and $97.80 remained unreported.

Mr. Kager says he has money in his possession that he does not know where to apply, but when he finds the proper place for it he is ready to pay the same over. This admission of the County Treasurer seriously involves his competency, in our opinion, for the faithful and efficient discharge of the duties of the office.

In justice to ourselves we must say that we have prosecuted the investigation under very unfavorable circumstances. There has been a continual disposition on the part of those directly interested in the settlement, and our County Clerk, M. G. Troup, to cover up and withhold information that would lead to a solution of the complications connected with the work, hence it has been very tedious and discouraging to the Committee.

We found many irregularities in the accounts, particularly in the manner of making them up, and entering the same on their books. We have brought the best order out of the confused mess that we could and feel safe in saying that we have arrived at a good state of perfection in making up our accounts, and now submit the following figures as the result of our investigation, showing the amount collected on each fund, the amount paid out on the same, and the amount remaining in the hands of the Treasurer, up to the date of each settlement as the exhibit will show. LUCIUS WALTON, W. H. GROW, S. M. FALL. COMMITTEE.

Winfield, Kansas, May 30th, 1874.

Report of the Committee of the financial condition of the County; Showing the gross amount collected on each fund and the amount paid out on the same; also the amount due the different funds at the expiration of the official term of J. P. Short as deputy County Treasurer, up to the time (July 16, 1872) E. B. Kager took possession of the office.

RECAP OF TOTALS:

Amount collected: $14,658.81

Amount Paid out: $ 8,903.80

Remains Unpaid: $ 5,759.08

Overpaid: $ 4.07

Report of the Committee on the financial condition of the County from the 15th day of July, 1872, at which time J. P. Short, Deputy County Treasurer, turned the office over to E. B. Kager, County Treasurer, to July 1st, 1873; showing the net gross amount due each fund, the amount paid out on the same, and the amount remaining in the treasury on the first day of July 1873.

RECAP OF TOTALS:

Due Fund: $44,572.70

Paid out: $34,066.12

Remaining in Treasury: $10,604.11

Overpaid: $ 97.53

Winfield Courier, August 7, 1874.

The C. S. Smith Road. One of the most important roads in the county, petitioned for by C. S. Smith, and two or three hundred others, was located last Friday by Messrs. Lucius Walton, E. G. Willett, and Jas. Vanorsdal as viewers, and W. W. Walton, as Surveyor, from the Arkansas River eight miles east via the brewery, and Lowrey’s ford, on the Walnut River, to the West end of Court House Street in Menor’s addition to Winfield. This road has put the county to considerable expense, there having been two surveys during Mr. Hemenway’s term of office, the report of each irregular. Not being discouraged, however, the petitioners employed A. H. Green as counsel and commenced again, the result being the order for a new survey. The citizens of Vernon and Beaver townships turned out en masse and showed the viewers by their presence how much in earnest they were in regard to the matter, as they have been compelled for three years to travel three or four miles in a roundabout way to get to their market town and county seat. The viewers reported “the route practicable, of great public utility, and much needed by the traveling community,” and advised its immediate opening. On the one-thousand dollars damage claim of John Lowrey, Esq., (the road having cut off about three acres of his land) they awarded him $50, to which of course he excepts, and consequently the end is not yet. Mr. Green has had prepared by the Surveyor an elaborate plat, showing Winfield and the roads for miles around it, in order to better impress the commissioners of the importance of this one. We await the action of the County Commissioners for further information.

[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]

Winfield Courier, September 18, 1874.

Board met pursuant to adjournment. Present: R. F. Burden and M. S. Roseberry.

The following bills were presented and acted on as follows.

Road Viewers: $2.00—Lucius Walton, James Vanorsdal.

[COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.]

Winfield Courier, October 22, 1874.

The following is a list of bills allowed by the Board of Commissioners of Cowley County, Kansas, at their regular session, commencing on the 5th day of October, A. D., 1874, and ending on the 9th day of October, A. D. 1874.

Lucius Walton, investigating committee: $384.50.

S. M. Fall, investigating committee: $153.00.

J. D. Pryor, investigating committee: $153.00.

Winfield Courier, February 11, 1875.

Judge Brown, Congressman elect, has sent the following names to the Commissioner of Agriculture, as proper persons in Cowley County to whom should be sent seeds for distribution. The usual amount of seeds annually distributed throughout the United States are to be sent principally to Kansas and Nebraska. This will give a large amount of seeds to the state. Persons named: A. T. Stewart of Winfield; S. M. Fall, Lazette; T. R. Bryan, Dexter; Capt. Harrelson, Tisdale; H. L. Barker, Floral; John Stalter, Rock; David Hopkins, Vernon; Lucius Walton, Arkansas City; Wm. Norman, Maple; Wm. Nesmith, Thomasville; S. D. Klingman, Winfield. If our friends in townships not represented in the above list will send the name of one of their citizens to the COURIER office, we will see that he also receives seeds for distribution. Send in the names at once as time is precious.

Winfield Courier, January 3, 1878.

Mr. Lucius Walton, of Pleasant Valley, gave Winfield a New Year’s call.

[BEAVER CORRESPONDENT: “HORATIUS.”]

Winfield Courier, January 17, 1878.

“Mr. Lucius Walton, of Pleasant Valley township,” etc. A mistake, MR. COURIER. Lucius is one of Beaver’s substantial “institutions.”

[COMMUNICATION FROM “CHRISTOPHORUS”—PLEASANT VALLEY.]

Arkansas City Traveler, June 19, 1878.

PLEASANT VALLEY, June 17, 1878. Our township and others having been visited by a very severe rain and wind storm on the night of the 12th inst., I take this opportunity to jot the facts as reported to me. The storm commenced on Tuesday night about midnight, and continued until 5 o’clock Wednesday morning. The damages to crops cannot be definitely estimated in quantity or quality. Mr. L. Walton had a log house blown down.

[SUICIDE: ROBERT P. WOOLEY, BEAVER TOWNSHIP.]

Winfield Courier, April 8, 1880.

Tuesday morning news was brought to town of the suicide of Robert P. Wooley, in Beaver township. Mr. Wooley arrived from Indiana about ten days ago, with his wife, whom he had married three weeks previous, and leaving her at the Olds House in this city, commenced improving his farm, which is located about seven miles southwest of town. During this time he boarded at Lucius Walton’s. Last Friday he came to town, visited his wife, and left with her $250 in cash. On Monday he again came to town and saw her for a few moments, telling her that he would come up for her the next day. He then returned to Lucius Walton’s, ate supper, and went to bed as usual. About two o’clock in the night he got up and went out, but returned in a few minutes and asked a young son of Mr. Walton’s, with whom he was sleeping, for a rope, giving as a reason that he wished to tie his mules away from the horses. This was the last time that he was seen alive.

About 7 o’clock Tuesday morning he was found in the barn of Wm. Shaw, one and one-half miles from Walton’s, hanging by the neck from one of the braces in the roof. It seems that after securing the rope, he walked over to Mr. Shaw’s barn, climbed up to the rafters, and after fastening one end of the rope (which was about eight feet long) to the brace in the roof, tied the other end around his neck and jumped off between the rafters. He had pulled off his hat, coat, vest, and shoes, and first attempted to tie his hands together with his shoe strings; but failing in this, took his pocket-handkerchief, made a running noose in each end, slipped one hand in, and after adjusting the rope around his neck, put his hands behind him, slipped the other noose over his wrist, and drew them up tight.

In his pockets were found two letters, one to his wife and one to his father, who lives in Ripley County, Indiana; $65 in cash and a check on Read’s bank for $250, in favor of Wm. Dobson. The letters were dated March 3rd, but were evidently written on Sunday afternoon.

All his property, amounting to about $3,000, is left to his wife. The only motive to which this rash act can be attributed is a morbid fear of losing his property and being reduced to pauperism. He had recently made a bad investment, about which he was constantly harping, and over which he seemed to brood deeply. He was a man of good moral character, and 31 years old the 18th of March.

Arkansas City Traveler, June 9, 1880.

We received a pleasant call from Mr. Lucius Walton, of Beaver Township, last Saturday.

[REPORT FROM “D. F.” - BEAVER TOWNSHIP.]

Arkansas City Traveler, March 9, 1881.

Mr. Lucius Walton has his house almost completed. It will be among the finest houses in Beaver township, and will be a first-rate place in which to hold a party.

Walton schoolhouse...

[PLEASANT VALLEY CORRESPONDENT: “HORATIUS.”]

Winfield Courier, May 11, 1882.

Miss Pickering enjoys the honor of presiding over the first school taught in the Walton schoolhouse, which, by the way, is a very comfortable, neat and attractive building, and a credit to the enterprise of the district.

[LETTERS: LUCIUS WALTON, (“CHANT,”) AND D. M. HILL.]

Winfield Courier, May 25, 1882.

WILLIAM HOOD. Giant of the Nineteenth Century.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP, May 10, 1882.

I noticed an article in the COURIER, copy of a telegram from Seymour, Indiana, relative to the death and burial of Wm. Hood, near that place. Also some remarkable feats of his physical prowess. His real name was Francis. I was personally acquainted with “Bill Hood,” as he was popularly known, when I was quite a boy—from some time before 1840 until about 1849—when he was in the prime of life, and a most remarkable man for strength. He was, I am pretty sure, one-eighth African blood, and not very dark at that. He wooed and won the heart and hand of a charming widow who had been twice married before. To overcome a difficulty arising from a clause in the law, forbidding inter-marriage between the African and Caucasian races, they conceived the idea of performing a surgical operation upon the arm of Hood, by opening a vein, out of which flowed the life-blood, which she drank, enabling her to depose an oath that she had African blood in her; whereupon the necessary papers were obtained, and the twain were made one flesh. Mrs. Hood had two children by a former marriage. A son of one of them has been in this county; was in the employ of one of our County officials, and is popularly known about Winfield. They also had some Hood children, one of which was a pretty, blue-eyed, fair complexioned, and straight haired girl that would pass for strictly white anywhere where not known.

My grandfather had a vicious bull, a terror to the barnyard, which he sold to Hood to replace one he had lost from his yoke. When the process of yoking took place, Hood caught him by the horns and held him, while my grandfather and other help secured him in the yoke. I have seen him take a large ox by the horn with one hand, and punish him with a whip in the other, as easily “apparently” as I could handle a yearling lamb. In freighting along Neils Creek, on a hot day, his cattle made a dive into the water, upsetting his wagon. He took hold of one wheel at a time and set it back, and with a few impressions from his lash, was in the road again, on his wending way. When his team “got stuck,” he would lift it out by main strength.

The most remarkable exhibition of his strength that I ever heard of, was in the process of turning a flat-boat upside down, in the Ohio River at Madison. It was a pre-concerted plan among the hands that when they got the boat up and Hood well under it, for all hands to let go and crush him beneath its weight, which they accordingly did; but to their great astonishment, he stood there in his strength supporting the whole weight until they got ashamed of their conduct, took hold again, and helped turn the boat.

Judge D. M. Hill of Paris, Jennings County, Indiana, was a man of extraordinary physical powers, who had much to do with Hood, in testing his strength. I herewith append the Judge’s own language, of incidents that came under his own observation. CHANT.

SHARPSVILLE, INDIANA, February 16, 1882. Lucius Walton, Esq. Dear Sir: your letter went to Paris and was forwarded to me at the above named place, where I have been for almost a year. You write me concerning the exploits of Bill Hood. I will endeavor as best I can to give you what I know about him. His first great deeds, in which he manifested such wonderful power and strength, took place in Vernon. While I was Judge of the Court, he was indicted for an assault and battery with intent to kill John Loyd, a colored man. The State had six negro witnesses and they (three negroes) testified that Bill Hood threw John Loyd over the top of an apple tree. From the examination of the witnesses it appeared that one of the negroes had struck Bill upon the head with a heavy hoe. This “addled” Hood and Loyd rushed at him. Hood caught Loyd and threw him over the apple tree. The jury found him not guilty, as they believed him to be acting in self-defense.

Hood’s weight, when in health, was about 225 pounds. He was 6 feet, 1 inch high, and raw-boned, and the strongest man I ever saw. He was not clumsy.

The case of this ox is this. He bought a wild ox four years old. I, with four other men went with him to help yoke the ox with a gentle one. We hemmed him in the corner of the field. He made a rush to get away and I caught him by one horn, which checked his speed. Hood caught him by the hind leg and held it high up until he was yoked.

Now as to the iron shaft. The shaft lay with each end on a small log at the mill, where it was to be placed in position, about one foot from the ground. Joseph Higgins and Hiram Twaddle were trying to lift the end with a hand spike, but failed. I then took hold of one end of the shaft and lifted one end. At this time Hood came up. I told these men that he could lift the shaft with both of them on it. Bill said he could lift the whole thing by himself. He got as near the center of the shaft as he could and lifted it clear off the logs.

My weight was 218 pounds. I was much quicker and more active than Hood. He could lift one-third more than I could.

In regard to the saw log. I sold 100 logs to the millers and Hood was hauling them. They sent to me for a log twenty feet long, 2½ feet at the butt. We cut it and I helped roll it on the wagon. It went too far forward. Hood said, “Hill, take hold of it and let us move it back.” I said, “We cannot lift it.” He replied, I can lift the big end.” It was just high enough for me to help lift with my knees. We lifted it clear off the wagon and slipped it back one foot.

At another time W. W. Dixon was boating plank from Rodman’s mill, and the three Rodmans were helping. They were all large men; they ordered Hood around until he got mad and went out on shore. They then tied up the boat and all went ashore. They here got to quarreling and the largest Rodman struck Hood over the shoulder with an oar. Hood caught him by the collar and seat of his breeches and raised him up and brought him down to the earth and would have beaten him to death if Dixon and Chambers had not begged him not to kill Rodman. Hood walked out and offered to fight all of them, but they would not accept his offer.

Hood while hauling goods from Madison and Paris, coming up the hill near the stone quarry, was met by two men who ordered him to give the road for their wagon, and one of them struck his horse on the head with a whip. Hood caught the man and threw him over the cliff. The man did not touch the ground for more than 30 feet; then Hood ran for the other man, who was afraid of him and jumped off the cliff. Hood then went on his way victorious.

Respectfully yours, D. M. HILL.

Arkansas City Traveler, October 4, 1882.

STOCK SALE. Mr. Lucius Walton will sell at public sale, at his residence, in Beaver township, five miles north of Arkansas City, on Thursday, October 12th, about forty-five head of improved cattle, embracing milch cows, one, two, and three-year-old steers, yearlings, and calves. Parties desiring to purchase good stock should make a note of this.

Winfield Courier, October 5, 1882.

STOCK SALE. I will sell at public auction, to the highest bidder, for cash, at my residence in Beaver Township, 5 miles north of Arkansas City, on Thursday, Oct. 12, 1882, commencing at 10 o’clock a.m. 45 head of improved cattle, consisting of 13 head of good, gentle milk cows, suitable for family use; 5 head of two-year-old steers; 1 three year old; 1 four year old; 12 yearling calves; 13 sucking calves; and perhaps forty or fifty acres of corn in the field. LUCIUS WALTON.

[OLD SETTLERS’ REUNION.]

Winfield Courier, June 7, 1883.

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.

Election of officers for the ensuing year are as follows: E. S. Torrance, president; J. W. Millspaugh, vice-president; Jacob Nixon, secretary and treasurer.

Motion prevailed that the president appoint an executive committee of one from each township. The president appointed as such committee the following. Beaver: Lucius Walton; Cedar: D. M. Patton; Creswell: I. H. Bonsall; Dexter: Jesse Hines; Fairview: Wm. White; Harvey: Robt. Strother; Liberty: Justus Fisher; Maple: Adam Walck; Ninnescah: A. A. Jackson; Omnia: W. H. Gilliard; Otter: Daniel Kantz; Pleasant Valley: A. H. Broadwell; Richland: N. J. Larkin; Rock: Reuben Booth; Sheridan: E. Shriver; Silver Creek: Harvey Smith; Silver Dale: W. H. H. Maris; Spring Creek: J. B. Callison; Tisdale: E. P. Young; Vernon: J. E. Dunn; Walnut: H. C. Loomis; Windsor: Mc D. Stapleton; Winfield City: J. P. Short.

Motion by Mr. H. H. Martin that all residents that came to this county prior to June 1st, 1875, be eligible to membership in the organization, carried. President instructed to appoint a committee of three on program for next meeting. President appointed as such committee: Wm. P. Hackney, C. M. Scott, and S. M. Fall. On motion, the 1st Tuesday in September next was appointed as the first regular meeting. Interesting personal reminiscences of early times in the county were given by Messrs. Millspaugh, Murphy, Hawkins, Bonnewell, Kinney, Werden, Schwantes, and the president. Adjourned to meet at 10 a.m., 1st Tuesday in September next. E. S. TORRANCE, President. JACOB NIXON, Secretary.

Arkansas City Traveler, May 28, 1884.

Lucius Walton dropped into our sanctum for a few minutes chat yesterday.

Arkansas City Republican, June 14, 1884.

Mr. L. Walton came in yesterday, and called upon us. We found him a gentleman well informed on current affairs, and exceedingly entertaining in conversation. The calls of our farmer friends are highly appreciated.

Winfield Courier, August 21, 1884.

Proceeding of the Greenbackers Delegate convention which met in Winfield, Aug. 16th, 1884. Meeting called to order by Mr. Wallis. On motion F. W. Schwantes was elected chairman and W. C. Briant was chosen Secretary. On motion the following named members were elected delegates to District convention which meets at Independence Aug. 21st, 1884. J. J. Johnson, F. W. Schwantes, C. C. Kronk, N. H. Brown, and W. C. Briant. On motion, R. C. Stevens, Mr. Wallis, W. A. Tipton, L. Walton, and J. A. McCullen were elected delegates to State convention at Topeka, Kansas, August 27th, 1884. Moved that we invite the Independent voters of Cowley County to meet in mass convention at Winfield Saturday, September 20th, 1884, to nominate a county ticket. On Motion, the Secretary be instructed to send proceedings to County Papers with request to publish. On motion, adjourned.

W. C. BRIANT, Secretary. F. W. SCHWANTES, Chairman.

HACKNEY HAPPENINGS. “MARK.”

Winfield Courier, Thursday, March 12, 1885.

Today Mr. Lucius Walton commenced threshing his last year’s crop of oats. He will have no difficulty in disposing of every bushel of them to his neighbors for seed at a profitable figure.

HACKNEY SCRAPINGS. “TYPO.”

Winfield Courier, Thursday, June 25, 1885.

Mr. Walton has been hauling off his wheat. How much he is selling and the price he is getting, we do not know. He is shipping from Hackney.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, October 22, 1885.

The board of County Commissioners has filed its report of damages allowed on the K. C. & S. W. right of way from Winfield to the south line of Pleasant Valley township, as follows: J. H. Snyder, P. B. Lee and Dr. Marsh, $15; A. G. Robinson, $643.20; S. S. Linn, $725; M. E. Rodocker, $574; N. S. Perry, $31; H. R. Shaughness, $575; Z. B. Myers, $377; Uriah Copeland, $357; Lewis Fibbs, $519.50; W. H. H. Teter, $514; Z. S. Whitson, $431.50; Holtby Estate, $325; Lucius Walton, $349.50; John W. Snyder, $526.50; Wilson Shaw, $539; Daniel Mumaw, $509.50; L. Walton, $634; J. H. Wooley, $491.50; J. R. Turner, $460.

[HACKNEY CORRESPONDENT: “GRAPHITE.”]

Arkansas City Republican, November 28, 1885.

John Turner has a convenient and substantial barn in process of erection, which will add very much to the picturesque appearance of his farm. It now behooves Lucius Walton to follow suit as his fine dwelling looks quite lonesome with a background of hay-covered sheds, stables, and granary.

Winfield Courier, Thursday, December 10, 1885.

CIVIL DOCKET. ELEVENTH DAY.

189, 2276. Lucius Walton vs K C & S W R R Co. McDonald & Webb pros; Hackney & Asp defense.

190, 2277. Lucius Walton vs K C & S W R R Co. McDonald & Webb pros; Hackney & Asp defense.

[HACKNEY CORRESPONDENT: NAME NOT GIVEN.]

Arkansas City Republican, April 10, 1886.

April 1, Lucius Walton fooled his charming daughters by bringing home a new organ.

[HACKNEY CORRESPONDENT: “GRAPHITE.”]

Arkansas City Republican, May 15, 1886.

Sam Crow has the contract of breaking out 100 acres of the Walton quarter adjoining the Mose Teter farm on the east in section 24, township 33. Sam is already at work. He gets $2.50.

Arkansas City Traveler, August 11, 1886.

Railroad Meeting. A report being spread that Mr. W. P. Hackney would be at Tannehill to speak on the railroad question, and more especially on the proposed Winfield, Geuda Springs and Southern railroad, much interest was felt to hear what this big gun would say on the subject. But he failing to put in an appearance, the citizens to the number of fifty, assembled together to discuss the matter among themselves. The house was called together by Lucius Walton, and the meeting organized by electing R. S. Wright chairman and S. A. Beach secretary. The object of the meeting being stated, namely, to consider whether, as citizens of Beaver Township, they would be justified in voting $15,000 bonds to aid in building the above named road. The proposition was supported by J. W. Browning in a well argued speech, and opposed by L. Walton and C. W. Roseberry. S. A. Beach offered the following resolution.

Resolved, That we, the taxpayers of Beaver here assembled, are opposed to voting aid to the amount of $15,000, to aid in building a railroad from Winfield to Geuda Springs.

The resolution was unanimously adopted. S. A. BEACH, Secretary.

TANNEHILL, Aug. 5th, 1886.

[COWLEY COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.]

Arkansas City Republican, August 14, 1886.

L. Walton asked what was the best variety of strawberries to grow here. The President stated that he thinks the Crescent Seedling. Charles Downing and Captain Jack are the best for general purposes. The best time to plant is in the spring after the leaves start out, and that the bed be deep and thoroughly cultivated. He plants rows from 4 to 5 feet apart and from 12 to 18 inches apart in the row; and would cut the bloom out of the plants at setting. They should be thoroughly cultivated through the growing season, and mulched as soon as the ground is frozen enough to bear a man’s weight. Open the rows in the spring with rake or fork, leaving mulch between rows.

[PROHIBITION.]

Arkansas City Republican, Saturday, October 9, 1886. From Thursday’s Daily.

We, the undersigned, a committee chosen by the prohibitionists of Cowley County, Kansas, desire as many prohibitionists as can possibly attend from each township in the county to meet in mass convention in Winfield on Saturday, October 16th, 1886, at 11 o’clock, for the purpose of placing in nomination a county prohibition ticket and appoint delegates to the central committee.

Dr. Holland, Pleasant Valley; T. V. McConn, Arkansas City; W. A. Lee, S. W. Curns, and M. Wagner, Winfield; L. Walton, Beaver Township.