The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

Page 129

and worked at it till 26 years old when he abandoned farming and went into the mercantile business in Cherry Valley, Illinois. There he became acquainted with Miss Charlotte S. McWhorter, youngest daughter of Judge Samuel McWhorter of Belvidere, Illinois, and after a pleasant and successful courtship of several years married her on the 19 of October 1854 and from that day to this their lives have grown happier and friends and neighbors dearer. Mrs. Kuney was born November 1, 1830.

From Cherry Valley they moved to Kilbourn City, Wisconsin, in 1856, when that city had its great boom which consisted mostly of plotting about one thousand acres of land containing a great many parks and promises to put in an eight foot dam in the Wisconsin river. After several years the dam was finaly (sic) in but the boom went further west and Mr. Kuney followed after. He landed in Washington, Kansas, in 1876 and engaged in the lumber business; after two years in business there he sold out and went to Clyde where he remained two years when he moved to Norton; and here he will remain, to put it in his own words, "in one of the nicest towns in the nicest state filled by the nicest people in the world." Three of their children came with them and stayed a few years, then left for homes of their own. They are all married. Jessie and Hattie live in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Arthur lives in Hill City. Carrie, the second daughter lives in Portage, Wisconsin.

Upon his arrival here, he engaged in the lumber business which he continued until 1889. He is an active republican; was chairman of the central committee in 1889. During that time he organized a fight against the renomination of John Peter St John for governor on the third term issue and succeeded in electing delegates favorable to Captain J. B. Johnson. He was nominated on the republican ticket in 1886 for the ligislature (sic) end elected by a large majority defeating Major L. F. Warner. He was a delegate to the judicial convention at Millbrook that nominated Louis K. Pratt, was also a delegate to the state convention in 1880. During the session of the legislature in 1887 Mr. Kuney took an active part. When the Murray law was under consideration he offered an amendment which became known as the Kuney amendment, as follows: "And twenty-five reputable women over twenty-one years of age of the township, city of the third class, or ward of any other city wherein such business is located."

This amendment became a part of our prohibitory law and applies to the petition a druggist must get in order to secure a permit.

Upon his return home his prohibition friends gave him a reception and presented him with a gold-headed cane, at the same time they presented his excellent wife a set of silver knives and forks.

Page 129

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