The History of the Early Settlement of Norton County, Kansas

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will be called to account for Sumner Smith's sin; and then why not let him pursue his own way? But no, Scandlers, the lowest and vilest people on the face of God's green earth; scabs upon the body of decent humanity; the filth and scum of the darkest recesses of the earth, have made his business their business, instead of attending to their own. And the result is what? A father is sent to his grave, and helpless little ones are left to the cold world with no kind hand to guide them. Sumner Smith is dead. Gone to account for the sins made in the body. Peace to his ashes. He is at rest now and while the sad winds sing a requiem over his distorted corpse, do not forget to place in characters on his tombstone, "MURDERED BY SLANDERERS!"

I lived on the claim for about a month after that when Dr. Wilkison told my daughter to take me home with her on the Prairie Dog, as my health was poor and the boys had to go away to work. I did not like to give up the claim, but was told that if I left my household goods there and would go and do some work every month I could hold it for the boys. But those Worthingtons were determined to have some one jump it. Mr. Dannevik wrote that two men had jumped my claim and were contending for it. I went over there and told them the circumstances, one gentleman left, but the other, Mr. Densmore, seemed to think he had a right to take property belonging to a widow and her children away from them for nothing, so he took it, and I hope he, is struggleing (sic) for a living yet. [He is dead. Lockard.]

In 1879 I was married to Mr. DeJean by John Wallace at Leota; about a year afterward we moved to Denver, going in wagons; my two sons, Ed and Ray, and Ed Hepler, youngest brother of Will Hepler, went with us; lived in Denver about four years with my husband when I found that he was not doing just right, a woman led him astray, after the manner of Col. Breckinridge. I secured a divorce and sold my place in Denver and came to Blackfoot to live. Three of my sons are here and I like the country and climate very much, and here I think I shall remain the rest of my days. I do not know where DeJean went to, I left him in Denver. I heard he went to the Blackhills. The first trip I ever took in the cars was from Denver here. Yours respectfully,
MRS. SUMNER SMITH."

James W. Stotts was born at Morrisburg, Guthrie county, Iowa, September 19, 1854; was married to lna M. Smith at Nelson, Nebraska, in September, 1872; came to Norton county, April2, 1875. They have had seven children, two of them, Leroy and Rafael were born in Nebraska, the other five in Norton county, as follows: Carle S., born June 6, 1878, died February 26, 1878; Avery Blaine born December 28, 1880; Floy A. February 25, 1883; Herman C. August 26, 1886; Herbert S., November 3, 1887. Stotts left here May 5, 1889, expecting to return inside of three months, but did not. He will come back here to live the balance of his days as soon as he makes a strike, so he says, and if he never makes it will spend them trying. He says I would have made it long ago but for the death blow at silver, and you know who dealt it." Stotts was editor of the Calvert Gazette until it went under. He was a republican but supported with his paper Judge Bertram, democrat, in the fall of 1889. He and the writer were partners in mail contracts in 1876, and have been warm friends ever since.

Prof. H. W. Smith lives at Calvert, but spends most of his time on the road with his show. He has the reputation of being an expert in ventriloquism and legerdemain.

Eric Anglund was born in Sweden, June 20, 1845; he came to the United

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