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University Daily Kansan Monday, March 7, 1955
The Kansan Feature Page
Many Old Towns Now Forgotten
By MARION McCOY
Horace Greeley once said after a visit to Kansas, "It takes three log houses to make a city in Kansas, but they begin calling it a city as soon as they have staked out the lots."
Small towns sprang up like mushrooms all over Kansas in the late 1800's, and most of the early settlers were of English descent. A group settled near a river or railroad town. They traced many mushroom towns. The desire to locate and live in a county seat was very prevalent.
About 2400 towns have been compiled by the State Historical society as lost towns. A great number of towns disappeared because of the county seat fights. Through the years of legal war over the placement of the seat, stuffed ballot boxes and gun fights were not uncommon.
Many towns died because the railroads missed them. When Topeka became a thriving community it took the railroad from Old Indianola. The people took their town and moved to Topeka, leaving only the hotel which still stands today in ruin.
Blue Mound, one half mile south of the highway south of Lawrence, is today the cemetery of Franklin. When a prisoner was rescued from the sheriff by Lawrence free-staters, he moved to Franklin making it his headquarters. The pro-slavery men and free-staters fought back
and forth until Quantrill and his band of outlaws destroyed Lawrence and indirectly hastened the destruction of Franklin. The Lawrence homes had to be replaced, and they took the homes from Franklin to do it.
In the early 50's Silver City was founded on a spot that was thought to contain silver. Mine shafts were dug and prospectors came flocking to the town. After much digging they agreed it was a false alarm, and Silver City faded away.
Probably one of the most famous ghost towns of Kansas was Old Runnymede. In 1899 Edward Turnley persuaded the younger sons of noble English families to come to Kansas with him and learn to farm. The bare prairie did not please them and they turned to sport instead of hard work—conducting their colony as a hunting club. The town died when the novelty wore off.
Kansas is filled with ghost towns. As they lived or died each has contributed in some way to the history of the state. But most of them, without even a crumbling chimney remaining, have long since been forgotten.
Graduate Snake Hunter To Study in Europe
By JOHN McMILLION
The head snake-hunter of the KU chapter of the International Association of Rattlesnake hunters visited the campus last Friday and Saturday prior to leaving for school in Switzerland and cobra hunting in Africa. $ \textcircled{*} $
Richard B. "Rip" Collins, who turned the campus upside down last spring when he played host to what was probably the only rattle-snake fry in the school's history, was in town for the Model United Nations conference held at Green hall Friday and Saturday.
A politician for several years, having been a candidate for State Treasurer of Kansas in 1950 and for the U.S. House of Representatives last summer, Rip plans to study international law in Geneva. Rip is a Democrat, a disadvantage in Kansas politics.
Rip, who graduated from the college in 1950 and finished with a law degree last semester, sails March 29 on the S.S. United States for Switzerland, where he will attend the Graduate Institute of International Study in Geneva.
Rip has a knack for being in the limelight wherever he goes. His snake fry, at KU last spring, was one of his more successful ventures.
The printing of the invitation in the Daily Kansan was all it took to make the party a success. Between 70 and 80 people attended the party from 7 p.m. until 4 a.m. All the rattles were fried and devoured with relish.
Several rattlers had accompanied Rip back from the annual snake hunt at Waynoka, Okla. and were dwellng peacefully in the back of his car. He and his roommate decided to throw a party and fry the rattlers.
In addition to snake catching Rip is a mountain climber. "At this I an a failure," he bemoaned. Last summer Rip and three other KU students attempted to climb Crestone Needle in Colorado which was the last 14,000-foot mountain to be climbed in this country.
As in politics Rip never quite made it. About 100 feet from the summit he slipped and fell 120 feet
During the summer vacations, while he is in Europe, Rip plans to go to Africa and do some big game hunting, if he can find a safari with student rates. He said he plans to go cobra hunting and also is "thinking about shooting a Mau-Mau for a mantlepiece."
to a leedge. It was three days before the Army got them off the mountain.
Four members of the School of Education will attend the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development conference Sunday through Thursday in Chicago. The theme of the conference is the "Crucial Problem of Today's Schools."
4 to Attend Schools Meet
The members of the department attending are Dr. Cloy Hobson, professor of education; Dr. Karl Edwards, associate professor of education; Robert Ridgeway, instructor of education, who will be recorder for the discussion, "Pros and Cons of Problem-Centered Curriculum," and Dr. Charles Johnson, assistant professor, who will lead a discussion on "The Organization of Subject Matter in the Elementary Schools."
Washington — (U.P.) — Evangelist Billy Graham preached to President and Mrs. Eisenhower and a capacity audience yesterday on "Faith of Our Times."
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The world-famous evangelist was guest preacher at the National Presbyterian church—home church of the Eisenhowers.
He addressed two congregations of about 1,100 each. Crowds stood in line outside the church, despite a heavy rain. Many members of Congress and other dignitaries also attended the services.
The Chief Executive sat intently with bowed head as his pastor, Dr. Edward L. R. Elson, asked in prayer for "special aid and grace o the President and all associated with the government of this land."
Watch Out, Bachelors Spring Now in the Air
By JOHN McMILLION
Spring is in the air and a young man's fancy turns—well, it just turns. Caution is the word brother, you are entering the most dangerous time of the year. If you are going to depart from the glorious state of bachelorhood, now is the most likely time.
As the weather gets warmer look around you and observe what is happening. Sarge will be seen more and on the campus in the company of some lovable young canine. That moon-eyed, dying-call, look will become more apparent in the eyes of many young eligibles.
How to combat this malady? Leave town brother. Join the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army, or even the Foreign Legion. If you think you're slipping, get out and get out fast. It may be too late.
A special bit of advice if you're 19 years old. Don't wait until it happens, leave now, you're at that dangerous age. If you're past 22 you might be able to stick it out. By then you know how good single life can be.
If you are a veteran and haven't been out of the service six months, watch out. You are at a dangerous
crossroad in your life. The first sweet young thing that comes along and bats her baby blue eyes at you and says she likes older men, you will think is it. My advice to you my friend is to re-enlist or else go out and really tie one on, but good.
Remember for the next three months to do three things. 1. Stay away from women. 2. Go fishing, hunting, or anything. 3. Wear a set of blinkers at all times. That's all I've got time to say brother as I've got to step on it and take that sweet, tender thing in one of my classes out for a coke. I've had it.
You can get three to five times as much return by making starch from oats and other nurse crops and feeding it to wintering beef cattle as by selling the grain.
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