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People
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William Swaney and grandsons Bernard and Roy
circa 1908
Description
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William Swaney and his grandsons Bernard and Roy around 1908. In the background are the farms of William Swaney and Captain Paisley
Transcription of the back of the photo:
To Dixon & Patricia Dec 11-75 (1975)
My grandfather William Swaney, myself (Bernard) & Roy we must have been about 7 and 5 at the time.
In center of picture is Granda’s house and to the left is the home great grandfather Captain Paisley built. His youngest daughter live with him. Grandpa’s first wife was a Anderson, according to Aunt Betty has verified by Grandpa Frank Swaney. They had 3 children Will Swaney, Harold’s father (J.W. Swaney), Janey, and a daughter who married a Fogler, I never knew her as she died before I was born.
Grandpa was left with children to care for and married Captain Paisley’s youngest daughter, to this marriage were born 6 children all that survived the first year of life were my father Frank Swaney & Aunt Emma (Swaney) Glaser.
I can’t find any record of Captain Paisley being buried in the Derby Cemetary, so I assume after his daughter married my grandfather he sold the farm and went back to Ohio.
My grandfather and great Grandfather came to Kans. in 1872. The railroad was built to Emporia KS, they drove their teams to Wichita and purchased the above farms in this picture.
Great Grandfather had a team of Texas Longhorn steers that he freighted with between Emporia and Wichita till the railroad got to Wichita some time in 1873.
He hauled the material to build both his house and my grandfathers. His house is still being lived in. I was about 16 when grandpa died and I helped dad tear down grandpa’s buildings.
This is about all I can tell you about these 2 men.
Dad (Bernard)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Unknown donor donated the photo to the Derby Historical Museum
(Inv. 23-080114)
Bernard Swaney
Bessie May "Betty" Swaney Shaffer
cattle
Chloe Emma Swaney Glaser
Derby Historical Museum
El Paso Cemetery
Ellsworth Dixon Swaney
farm
Frank William Swaney
Harold Swaney
Jane Paisley Swaney
John Willis "J. W." Swaney
Margaret Oello Swaney Fogle
Martha Anderson Swaney
Martha Jennie Swaney Neptune
Patricia Suzanne Swaney
railroad
Robert Paisley
Roy Swaney
Texas Longhorn
unknown donor
William Swaney
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Wichita City Eagle (04/12/1872 - 11/26/1909)
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
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For Immigrants.
El Paso.
The town of El Paso is located on the east bank of great Arkansas River, in the southeastern park of Sedgwick county, Kansas. It has many advantages, among which are its beautiful and healthy location, situated on a high, gently sloping prairie, surrounded by one of the largest bodies of the most fertile land in the state, which is all taken up by actual settlers, who are energetic, industrious and practieal farmers. They are at work in earnest, opening up their farms and making themselves good, comfortable and permanent homes.
Rock Bottom.
There is a rock bottom in the river, extending about three quarters of a mile up and down the stream. On the east bank the rocks are about fifteen feet above low water mark, and on the west bank about twelve feet below the surface of the ground.
Bridge Facilities.
A good substantial bridge, two hundred and seventy-five feet long, spans the Arkansas River at this place, thereby giving the farmers on the west side of the river access to the town at any stage of water and at all seasons of the year. The bridge rests on stone abutments on either bank, and on two iron piers, which stand firmly on the bed rock in the river. It is naturally the best place on the river in this state for a railroad bridge across the great Arkansas River.
Railroads.
Two railroads have already been surveyed to this place; one from the northeast, via Eureka and Augusta, crossing the river at this rock bottom, the other from the city of Wichita to Arkansas City, which proved to be almost an air line, and a very favorable route. No doubt, both roads will soon be completed.
Water Privilege.
There is not the least doubt that here is the best water privilege in the state of Kansas. The great Arkansas River, its source in the Rocky Mountains, is supplied with water in the summer by the melting snows in the mountains, by rain and its many tributaries in winter. The water is always highest from spring until fall, yet it has never been known to overflow its banks at this point. There is an abundance of water during the whole year to run all the machinery that can be placed on the bank of several miles below.
Feasibility of a Dam.
The feasibility of a dam across the river is not questioned, a solid rock bottom all the way across to build upon, the width only two hundred and seventy-five feet from shore to shore, a high bank of clay and rock on the east side, and on the west side a bed of tough clay covered with sand, extending for some ways up the river above the rock bottom. This water privilege must and will shortly be improved. El Paso will be a manufacturing town. The experiments last season in raising cotton demonstrated that this soil and climate are adopted to cotton growing; then why not manufacture it here where the corner stone and foundation have been naturally laid.
The Town.
The town is new, the buildings are substantial, erected for permanent business houses and homes. It contains one dry good store, a drug store, two grocery stores, one Hotel, a wagon maker and blacksmith shop, one shoe store, a meat market, two feed stables, a good school house, and a number of dwellings.
School Privileges.
There is a good school from seven to nine months each year. A Sabbath-school has been organized and is now in a flourishing condition.
Churches.
Two church organizations have been effected, viz: the Methodist and United Presbyterian, each having regular services.
Junction of Stages.
By recent arrangements the Town Company has suceeded in obtaining at this place a junction of the stages of the Southwestern Stage Company. A daily stage runs from here to Wichita, a tri-weekly from here to Fort Sill, a tri-weekly to Wellington, a daily, via Winfield, to Arkansas City.
Timber.
The timber in this vicinity consists of cottonwood, oak, ash, hickory, walnut, mulberry and elm. Cord wood is delivered in town at four dollars per cord.
Business Openings.
There is here a good opening for business men of all kinds, mechanics of all trades; honest, industrious, temperate and energetic men are respectfully invited.
The policy of the town company heretofore has been to donate lots to those who built houses on them. Now, for the first time, they advertise lots for sale.
Home Seekers.
Persons seeking homes or wishing to engage in business of any kind, or desiring to locate in a healthy, pleasant and prosperous new place, among a good class of society, would do well to pay this place a visit before settling elsewhere.
For further particulars address
John Hufbauer, or
J. Hout Minnich
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For Immigrants
Subject
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An ad in the paper explaining the resources available for people to move to El Paso, Kansas
Source
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Wichita City Eagle
Wichita, KS
Apr. 9, 1874
Page 4
Accessed at Newspapers.com
Rights
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Public Domain
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Wichita City Eagle
Arkansas River
blacksmith shop
bridge
business
drug store
dry goods
El Paso
feed stable
grocery store
hotel
immigrants
J. Hout Minnich
John Hufbauer
meat market
Methodist Church
newspaper
Presbyterian Church
railroad
rocky bottom
school
Sedgwick County
settlers
shoe store
stage
timber
wagon maker
Wichita Eagle
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Douglass Tribune (5/7/1909 - 9/29/1911)
Text
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Wichita Farmers Win Siege of Dynamite
Midland Valley Road Settles For Right-of-Way.
Peace Declared After Strenuous Times---Farmers Take the Dynatime Mines Up---No Criminal Prosecutions.
Wichita, Kan.---Harvey Pitman and James P. Somers, farmers, have capituated and their fight with the Midland Valley railway over a right of way through their farms near Derby came to a bloodless end. Pitman and Somers had their farms protected with dynamite mines and were patrolling them with guns in hand. Each farmer is to receive $4,000 from the railway company for damages. Pitman was awarded $2,775 and Somers $1,775 by a board of appraisers. By agreement Pitman and Somers are to remove all their mines and go ahead of the graders to insure that here are no explosives in the ground. Pitman said he would ride on a rake over every inch of the right-of-way. They planted over 100 charges of dynamite on their farms.
J.W. McLoud, general attorney for the railroad, carrying a flag of truce, visited Pitman while graders and newspaper men looked on from a distance. The two men talked for six hours; Somers joined Pitman and the talk continued. It broke up with the men shaking hands. Pitman and Somers threw down their guns and came to Wichita and signed a peace compact.
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Title
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Wichita Farmers Win Siege of Dynamite
Subject
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Harvey Pitman and James Somers fight Midland Valley railway over land
Source
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Douglass Tribune
Douglass, KS
Jul. 14, 1911
Page 5
Accessed at Newspapers.com
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Public Domain
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image/jpeg
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Douglass Tribune
Douglass Tribune
dynamite
farmer
Harvey Pitman
James P. Somers
Midland Valley railway
newspaper
railroad
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People
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Title
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Railroad crew in Derby
circa 1920s
Source
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Tony Gonzalez (1)
Richard Hogan (donated photo to the museum) (2 & 3)
Inv. 96-010014
Atchison Topeka Santa Fe Railroad
Derby
Derby Historical Museum
railroad
railroad depot
Richard Hogan
Santa Fe Railroad
Tony Gonzalez
train depot
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Wichita Daily Eagle (05/20/1884 - 03/27/1927)
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“Death of Old Settler.”
R. A. Neely Was a Pioneer in Wichita.
Another one of the early settlers of Wichita has joined the larger number who have passed to the beyond. R. A. Neely died at his home, 1431 North Market street at 7 a. m. yesterday. Notice of the funeral will be given later.
R. A. Neely came to Wichita in the summer of 1870. He took a claim on the east side of Chisholm creek, south of the Black place, and proved it up. He afterwards sold the place and went to derby to engage in the grocery business with L. E. Vance.
Neely & Vance did a large business with the first settlers in that section of the county. After Mr. Neely went to Derby, then called El Paso, he was elected to the office of county commissioner, which was the only office he ever held. His success as a merchant in these early days was limited because of his liberality. Many of the early settlers were not very well fixed in the wealth of this world’s goods, but they all had credit at R. A. Neely’s store.
In the early seventies the business men of Derby were John Hufbauer, J. Haut Minnich, Albert Minnich, R. A. Neely, L. E. Vance, Dr. H. C. Tucker and George H. Litzenberg. Hufbauer, Neely, J. Haut Minnich and Dr. H. C. Tucker are dead. Albert Minnich is in Ohio and George H. Litzenberg lives in this city. L. E. Vance came to Wichita with a team in the early eighties, since which time he has never been heard from.
In the early days when the merchants above named held forth in Derby it aspired to be the big city of the Arkansas valley. They have a rock bottom in the Arkansas river at that point in the early seventies the Derbyites used to worry the Wichita town builders by writing letters to the Eagle and claiming that all of the railroads that came into this valley would have to come to Derby to cross the river at the only rock bottom ford on that stream between the mountains and the gulf of Mexico. The people actually had faith in that rock ford and were surprised when the Santa Fe finally came and crossed the Arkansas where Mulvane is now located and at the widest place in the stream. They found out that the railroads did not care for rock fords and did not go an inch out of their way for the Arkansas river, but crossed it wherever they pleased.
R. A. Neely finally, like many others, concluded that Derby, or El Paso, was not going to make the big city of the Arkansas valley and he sold his property there and moved back to Wichita and went into the nursery business. He was generous and made friends wherever he went and has many of them in this county and city who will regret to hear of his death.
R. A. Neely was born in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1836. He leaves a wife and three children to mourn his loss—William Neely of the Johnston-Larimer Dry Goods company, Harry C. Neely, commercial traveler, and Mrs. Gene Ketzler.
Mr. Neely came to this part of Kansas at the time when men who did not possess nerve of the necessary strength for a frontiersman remained in the east. He was here when such men as Ledford, Curley Marshall, Rowdy Joe and Red were characters of the town, and he was an eye witness to some blood curdling scenes in the early frontier town. He was never the man to take the life of a fellow man, but the men who did not value human life were all about him. He had associated with the worst men on the frontier but he never lost that goodness of heart which was a part of his nature. When R. A. Neely is laid to rest the soil of this valley will cover the remains of a man who never betrayed a friend or intentionally injured a neighbor.
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Title
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Death of Old Settler - R. A. Neely Was a Pioneer In Wichita.
Source
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Wichita Daily Eagle
Wichita, KS
Aug. 22, 1903
Page 6
Accessed at Newspapers.com
Rights
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Public Domain
Format
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image/jpeg
Creator
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Wichita Daily Eagle
Albert Minnich
Arkansas River
County Commissioner
Dr. Henry Clay Tucker
George Litzenberg
grocery
J. Hout Minnich
John Hufbauer
L. E. Vance
Neely & Vance
newspaper
obituary
R. A. Neely
railroad
Wichita Eagle
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Historic Landmarks
Description
An account of the resource
Since most structures still standing today date back only a few decades, the planning of Derby’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2019 prompted discussions about how to best tell Derby’s story.
Landmark signs were determined to be the best way to commemorate Derby’s origin as a farming community of people who value family and faith (1869-1949) to its boomtown period (1950-1979) of building homes and schools, its suburban growth (1980-1999) with parks and a cutting-edge recreation commission, and finally to its coming of age as a regional center (2000-2019) with shopping and services to meet most community needs. Visiting the seven Derby Landmarks will provide a thorough education about Derby’s first 150 years.
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Garrett Homestead
1100 E. Chet Smith
(Historic Landmark #7)
Description
An account of the resource
Alexander and Margaret (Dickson) Garrett were the first settlers to put down roots in what was first El Paso and was renamed Derby, Kansas. In 1869, the area was considered Indian Territory (Osage Trust Lands) and had many transient traders, trappers and people traveling through. Hearing this area called “the garden spot of Kansas,” the Garretts were lured to leave Ohio in search of this land.
In spring 1869, after traveling by covered wagon for approximately 1,000 miles, the Garrett family paused at Spring Creek, just northwest of where you stand. What is currently Garrett Park was part of the original Garrett homestead. Both Mr. and Mrs. Garrett took out a claim so they would have enough acreage to farm. They made a small sod house near the creek. Soon after they arrived, their daughter Anna was born. After the railroad track was built in 1879, more settlers staked homesteads and began forming a community of farmers that evolved into a town named El Paso officially incorporated in 1871.
Since the 1980s when the RED HORSE unit at McConnell Air Force Base constructed Garrett Park, this city park has been home to softball and baseball leagues, tournaments and recreational play. In honor of the civil engineering group, the city named the park driveway RED HORSE Drive.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
City of Derby
Alexander Garrett
Anna Garrett
baseball
City of Derby
civil engineering group
Derby
El Paso
Garden Spot of Kansas
Garrett Park
homestead
Indian Territory
landmark
Margaret Dickson Garrett
Osage Trust Lands
railroad
recreational play
RED HORSE Drive
RED HORSE unit (McConnell Air Force Base)
sod house
softball
Spring Creek
tournaments
traders
trappers
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Title
A name given to the resource
Historic Landmarks
Description
An account of the resource
Since most structures still standing today date back only a few decades, the planning of Derby’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2019 prompted discussions about how to best tell Derby’s story.
Landmark signs were determined to be the best way to commemorate Derby’s origin as a farming community of people who value family and faith (1869-1949) to its boomtown period (1950-1979) of building homes and schools, its suburban growth (1980-1999) with parks and a cutting-edge recreation commission, and finally to its coming of age as a regional center (2000-2019) with shopping and services to meet most community needs. Visiting the seven Derby Landmarks will provide a thorough education about Derby’s first 150 years.
Still Image
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El Paso Business District
Derby Police Department, 229 N. Baltimore
(Historic Landmark #2)
Description
An account of the resource
On July 11, 1871, J. Hout Minnich and John Hufbauer filed a town plat for El Paso in Sedgwick County, Kansas. It established streets from Madison to Kay and from Water Street to Georgie Avenue, and business boomed.
Around the turn of the century, most buildings in downtown El Paso were on Baltimore Avenue between Main and Washington streets, and many changed uses or owners as the city progressed. An example is T. D. Wardell Hardware, first located on the first floor of Odd Fellows Hall and then moved west across the street to its own building on the property where you are standing.
Note the evolution of the Farmers & Merchants Bank building’s facade. After the bank currently located at Market and Baltimore was built, the original bank building was sold to El Paso Water Company, then several years later to a realtor and then back to the bank. It was torn down to accommodate expansion and parking. The block between Market and Washington had barbers, dry goods, groceries and other services. The Sickler brothers were two of the proprietors.
South of Market Street were the Independent Oil Company and Gertie’s Café. Near the center of the block was H. Jones General Store, which later became Lock Edwards Grocery, and then in the 1930s Chet Smith Grocery and Locker. In 2019, this building now houses professional offices. Just south of Kay Street was the grain elevator and nearby railroad depot, which occupied three locations over the years.
On the east side were the Odd Fellows Hall and Davidson & Case Lumber Company. This site later became the Trading Post Lumber Yard for a number of years and in 2019 is occupied by the Baltimore Market Place. In the early days, the post office was a pigeon-hole cabinet in the front of someone’s store, and as the community grew, it expanded and moved locations several times.
A hotel on Washington Street was built in the late 1800s, and in 1904 the Weston family purchased it. In the very early days, a public horse watering trough was in the middle of Baltimore at Washington. The original Catholic mission church was south at Kay Street. Just to your north, the First Presbyterian Church remains at its original location, although the 1879 building was replaced in 1926 and again in 1990.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
City of Derby
Atchison Topeka Santa Fe Railroad
Baltimore Avenue
Baltimore Market Place
barber
business
Catholic Church
Chet Smith
Chet Smith Grocery and Locker
City of Derby
Davidson & Case Lumber Company
dry goods
El Paso
El Paso Business District
El Paso Water Company
Farmers & Merchants Bank
First Presbyterian Church
Georgie Avenue
Gertie's Cafe
grain elevator
grocery
H. Jones General Store
hardware
Horace Jones
hotel
Independent Oil Company
John Hout Minnich
John Hufbauer
Kay Street
landmark
Lock Edwards Grocery
Madison Avenue
Market Street
mission church
Odd Fellows Hall
police
post office
Presbyterian Church
railroad
railroad depot
Santa Fe Railroad
Sickler brothers
T. D. Wardell
Thomas Weston
Trading Post Lumber Yard
train depot
Washington Street
Water Street
watering trough
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Wichita City Eagle (04/12/1872 - 11/26/1909)
Text
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Correspondence of the Eagle.
From El Paso
El Paso, Sedgwick, Co., Ks., Sept. 4, 1872.
Editor Eagle: Seeing a letter in last week's issue from our little neighbor across the water. Waco. I thought I would tell you something about us for the benefit of your many readers who may not know where and how we are situated. I will say that El Paso is in the southeast corner of the county, situated on the Arkansas river at the junction of the beautiful Spring creek. The town is laid out on the high prairie, overlooking the river and the vast bottom in which Waco is situated. There is one remarkable feature of our town, and that is the style of buildings up and in course of erection. They are of good size and substantial build. No little 10x12 cottonwood shanties. Mr. A. L. Minich of the firm Minich & Bro. lives in his two story brick residence on Baltimore Ave. Another residence of worthy mention is our gentlemanly postmaster's. Dr. H. C. Tucker has built a fine residence in the rear of his drug store and brought his family to town. Although there is not much sickness here he is kept pretty busy, as he has the reputation of being the best doctor in these parts. Our enterprising fellow-townsman, R. R. Costin, is building him a fine store and residence on the corner of Baltimore and Market and is fitting a hall up stairs to be used by the votaries of the light fantastic toe. There is also a rumor that the Masons will organize and use the hall for a lodge.
George Litzenberg, of the grocery firm Sharpnack & Litzenberg, is doing a flourishing business in the real estate line. He says he has farms on Spring creek to sell from $300 to $1,500. In fact anything a man may want in the "dirt line."
I will say here for the benefit of your castern readers that this is one of the finest tracts of land in Kansas - well watered and timbered; and we think the day is not far distant when we will have coal mines in operation, as we find indications of coals in every well dug here. e climate is mild and salubrius, winters short and so mild that stock runs and feeds on the prairie the year round. The soil is of the richest in the state, and is a black sandy loam, with just sand enough to make it pulverize well. No mud here the year round, and a man can work in his corn fields three hours after a heavy rain.
Our farmers all have their fall wheat in, and it is all up and looking fine. This is as good a wheat climate as any in the country, and the farmers are all putting in every bushel they can get hold of.
I have just returned from a trip through Cowley county and the four mile strip. Everything looks flourishing, and all the inhabitants are calling loudly for a railroad.
We have had two railroad survey,s but we don't hear the whistles as yet. That is all our town needs to make it a "city of the first class."
Our wide-awake saloon-keeper J. Griffey has just completed a fine livery and feed stable, size 22x36 feet, with a dance hall overhead, in which he gives a dance almost every week. Some of our Wichita neighbors could spend a pleasant evening at there "socials" - plenty to eat and drink, and good looking girls for partners.
Mr. McWilliams, one of our most extensive farmers, built him a house here and expects to live in it this winter.
J. H. Bernard has built a factory and is going to manufacture wagons and farm implements. He and our blacksmith are turning out some good work.
Our merchants are all doing a good business, and there are but two changes that I know of. Mr. Neely has purchased the interest of his partner, Mr. Vance, and has restocked his store, and is doing a big biz. George Mamson has traded the El Paso House and furniture for a farm, and his successor J. Q. Graham, is playing mine host for the benefit of the traveling public, and for the few poor mortals here who are not blessed with a "household angel." He dishes up as good hash as any hotel in the state, and says that as long as Kansas City, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Wichita and other places send out "drummers" that leave the wealth, he will continue to do so.
Judge L. E. Vance, the gentleman nominated on the liberal county ticket for probate judge, is a resident of our town, and is a gentleman fully qualified for the position, and although a "crow eater," will carry this and surrounding townships where he is well known.
"Farmer Doolittle," your farmer correspondent from this place, being a strong supporter of the "honest sage," feels so badly over the election returns from North Carolina, Maine and other places that he cries for "a lodge in some vast wilderness," where rumors of political success may never reach him more.
We are all please to see the improvement in your paper. Keep on, and you will make it one of the best county papers in the state. As soon as the mail arrives from Wichita the office is filled and the general cry is "give me my EAGLE." Through neglect of the department at Wichita we failed to receive this week's issue. They sent the Southwestern mail here instead of ours. More anon.
Pete
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
From El Paso (Sept. 4, 1872)
Subject
The topic of the resource
El Paso News
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Wichita City Eagle
Wichita, KS
Oct. 10, 1872
Page 2
Accessed at Newspapers.com
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Public Domain
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Wichita City Eagle
A. L. Minnich
Arthur Luther Minnich
business
dance hall
Dr. Henry Clay Tucker
El Paso
El Paso House
farmer
Farmer Doolittle
feed stable
George Litzenberg
George Mamson
grocery
J. Griffey
J. H Bernard
J. Q. Graham
judge
L. E. Vance
livery
Mail mix-up
Masons
McWilliams
Minnich & Bro.
newspaper
R. A. Neely
R. R. Costin
railroad
real estate
saloon keeper
Sharpnack & Litzenberg
wheat
Wichita Eagle