100 years ago
MARCH 27, 1903 — A stranger, a man thirty or forty years of age, was found lying in a field on the old Collins farm five or six miles west of Florence last Friday morning by the Gross boys, who live on the farm. The man was lying under a barbed wire fence, alive but in an almost unconscious condition. His feet and hands were badly frozen, and his hands had been lacerated by the wire fence. No other marks of violence were upon him. He was taken to the Gross home and later brought to town. From letters upon his person it was learned that he was a Scotchman, name Jack Burlington. Among the letters was a beautiful one from a brother in Scotland extolling the Christian life and advising Jack that it was the only life worth living — advice the poor fellow sadly needed, but had little heeded. It was learned that the poor fellow had a cousin in St. Joseph, and Sheriff Evans got into telephonic communication with this cousin, later receiving a pathetic letter from him, from which we make these touching extracts:
"Since talking with you yesterday I have been talking to some of Jack's cousins, and like myself they are not in shape to do anything for him. * * * Poor Jack, I am indeed sorry for him. By nature a gentleman, a college graduate, an expert accountant, a royal good fellow, but cursed by an appetite for whisky that has thrown him down and kept him from holding the positions in business and society his talents so amply qualified him for. God pity him. I would divide my last meal with him the same as if he were one of my own children, but two hundred miles away I can do him no good. Treat him as well as you can and if he dies like a tree in the forest, he must lie where he falls. * * * How he came to be in Marion county is a mystery to me. He had no business of friends in that direction."
The poor fellow died Sunday morning, and was buried Monday afternoon. He wore good clothes, badly besmeared with mud. He was seen in Florence Thursday afternoon.
To the Sheriff he talked a great deal in a sort of half rational way. He told a good many things about himself that are known to be true, and not the creations of a demented mind. Among other things he insisted that he had $265 upon his person. Can this be true? Is it possible that he was drugged and robbed and left on the prairie to freeze and die?
Anyhow, the case is a sad one. To die thus, among strangers, a wreck of manhood, with great possibilities of usefulness buried with him in a pauper's grave, is pathetic in the extreme. But that is the way King Alcohol treats his subjects. How true are the words of Holy Writ: "At last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder."
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People always come back to Kansas if you give them time. Some stay away longer than others, but they're sure to come back. There is Charley Caldwell, for instance, an old Kentucky friend, who farmed over near Peabody twenty-odd years ago, but went back to Kentucky, he and his young wife and their first baby. Well, they "landed" in Marion last week, seven in number, a fine family. They rented the Winslow house on the hill, bought several wagon loads of things and set up house keeping. Mr. Caldwell is an excellent farmer, and will take his time to buy a farm. They are splendid people and we are mighty glad to welcome them to Marion.
Mr. Sam Burkholder and family began moving their household goods yesterday into the Martin property, which Mr. Burkholder recently purchased.
Owen Philips, the twelve year old son of Mr. Winfield Philips, who lives east of Marion, was the victim of quite a serious accident last Saturday. While he was handling a rifle the gun was accidentally discharged and the ball passed though his hand, into his arm and lodged in the shoulder. The bullet could not be definitely located. Dr. Hannaford attended him and he is getting along nicely.
Mr. J.E. Gilbert is planning to erect a dwelling house on the lot between the Cottage House and the railroad. A barn has already been built and work on the house will begin at once.
From the Superior, Nebraska, Journal we get this interesting announcement — Miss Mable Gilliand, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gilliland, was married last evening at her parents' home north of town, to David Schlingloff, of Marion, Kan. Rev. J. A. Greer, pastor of the United Presbyterian church, performed the ceremony in the presence of about forty guests. The ceremony was followed by a lap supper. The bride was prettily attired in a gown of white silk mull, trimmed with silk and ribbon. The young couple will leave in a short time for Marion to reside upon a farm about three miles from that city. The bride received very many handsome presents. Among the out-of-town guests were Mr. and Mrs. John Hazel, of Hastings, Neb., and Mr. and Mrs. Ban Pelt, of Beloit, Kan.
J.S. Dean, J.W. Moore, D.W. Wheeler, and E.W. Hoch were in Topeka this week watching the Railroad Commissioner contest.
Fred Lewis is building a barn for Joe Lilley, on his newly-purchased residence site south of E.R. Trenner's residence. Which recalls the fact that Mr. Lewis has one of the finest carpenter's outfits in town and is an expert in their use. People think of Fred Lewis as a stone mason (and he is a good one) but he says it is hard to get them to understand that he is as good a carpenter as he is a mason.
A large audience listened to George W. Bain's charming lecture last night, "The Safe Side of Life for Young Men." It was a bouquet of beautiful things.
Marriage licenses issued within the last two weeks are as follows: Jacob Frick, Durham, and Louise Lehr, Hillsboro; Charles S. Dody and Pearl N. Holmes, Marion; Henry Kreaer, Herington, and Sarah Friezen, Lehigh; Gilbert Waltie, Peabody, and Lena Callesen, Florence; B.H. Cleveland, Gage, Okla., and Emma A. Bowman, Peabody; Joe Huey, Herington and Carrie Bell Ringey.
Mr. Ike Runyan and Charley Runyan entertained a few friends at Ping Pong and Flinch last Tuesday evening.
(Copied by Joan Meyer from the 1903 microfilm files of the Marion Record.)
