Following is the full vote of the county on the railroad bond proposition, June, 1866:

"Did you know that Wathena, in Doniphan county, is the big hub of the blackberry wheel of the west? That more blackberries are raised around Wathena than in all the rest of the states put together?" says the Atchison Globe. "And yet the land around Wathena is not particularly good. It is rough, hilly, and the soil is not rich, and if the people were asleep to their opportunities in Doniphan county, as they are elsewhere, it would go to waste. But a smart man saw the possibilities in the hills, planted blackberries, and now blackberries are shipped from Wathena to all parts of the United States, and hundreds of people in that section do nothing during the blackberry season but gather the crop. The pay is 25 cents a crate, and a boy once picked fourteen crates in a day. There are loafers all over--Atchison is full of them---but thousands of crates of berries are going to waste at Wathena today because there is no one to pick them. There is no town in the world where the system is conducted as it is at Wathena. A poor family moves in, the neighbors furnish him supplies till he gathers his first crop from the patch of hazel brush he has rented, cleared and planted to berries. The first patch overpays for the land and all cultivating and living expenses incurred in the meantime. And land that pays for itself with its first crop, at $100 to $150 per acre, with almost a certainty of a crop every year, is better worth its price, can be paid for quicker and easier, than land a $10 to $15 per acre, on ten years' time, that at the end of ten years often has to have the mortgage renewed upon it. That is the reason why land near Wathena is yet cheap at $100 to $150 per acre. It is often asked, what is the life-time of a blackberry patch? That is not fully determined. T. J. Ferguson has a patch eighteen years old that will produce 200 crates per acre this year, and from the present appearances might last as much longer if well cared for. Blackberries are sometimes winter-killed, but not often. Only hardy, shipping varieties are grown for profit. The fine, large luscious, tender varieties, as long as your thumb and larger, sometimes seen, are grown sparingly for pleasure, and would not do to ship at all. The small, firm varieties that turn black before they are ripe are the only reliable ones for business. In one day last week 2,500 crates of berries were shipped from Wathena, exclusive of those that went by wagon to St. Joseph. Before the season ends the 3,000 mark will be passed.

Colonel Ege was born at Carlisle Iron Works, Cumberland county, Pa., had died at Highland, Doniphan county, Kas., November 24th, 1876. He received his education at the Academy of Dr. McGraw, West Nottingham, Cecil county, Md., and at Mt. St. Mary's College, Emmetsburg, Md. Identified for many years with political history of his adopted state, Maryland, as a legislator, member of the Constitutional Reform Convention of 1850 and 1851. As presidential elector and other prominent public positions, he was always noted for his firm adherence to settled convictions, and his earnest and untiring vindication of what he deemed right. Colonel Ege was a bitter opponent of the Know Nothing party, in the days of its strength. As a great reader, he was well informed in the history of the past and present. His mind was stored with a vast fund of practical knowledge, the result of long experience and close observation. The deceased was truly a charitable man. He never saw distress without offering to relieve and assist the afflicted. A lover of the chase, and often said that he had owned more fine dogs than any other man in America. As a horseman and a good shot he was unsurpassed. In fact, his pleasures were those of past generations. Colonel Ege was a man of untiring energy, having improved twenty-one farms during his life, and had owned a large amount of land in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan and Kansas. He spent a large fortune in this state, and did much for the material developement of Doniphan county, where he had resided since 1856.

A social, polite, genial gentleman has passed away; one of the men "of ye olden time," so few of whom are left. His heart though brave was tender as a woman's. During his sickness he remarked "that he relied on the mercy and the justice of God, and believed in the atonement." One who loved him while living, and mourns him now; who understood his great generosity and affection, with a sad heart leaves this tribute upon his bier.

The grass upon his grave will freshen and wither, but the memory of the departed will ever remain in our heart. May we meet in the hereafter. "Mors omnibus communis."

Whenever a crowd of Oklahomaus get together and talk about old times, it is safe to bet that the name of Col. David L. Payne will crop to the surface oftener and be spoken with more reverence than that of any other man mentioned. Payne was the John the Baptist of Oklahoma, and like his great counterpart, did not live to see the realization of his dreams for which he worked and endured a host of hardships.

Payne, known everywhere in the territory as "the father of Oklahoma," was the original boomer, and it is due to his efforts that the country was thrown open for settlement. This, however, was not accomplished without a fight against great odds, but it is indicative of the man that, although imprisoned, abused and frowned upon by the powers in Washington, never once gave up, but struggled on until he won the victory he long had sought. Time after time he rushed his determined little bands of settlers across the line from Kansas, only to see them scattered by the United States troops or rangers maintained by the big ranchmen. Once Payne was even forced to walk to Fort Smith, Ark., chained to the tail of an ox-cart, a distance of several hundred miles, and when he reached there was thrown into prison. The United States courts, however, always proved his friend, for he never experienced any difficulty in securing his release through a writ of habeas corpus.

Payne's native state was Indiana and his birthplace Fairmount, in 1836. When a young man he moved to Kansas and settled in Doniphan county, from which district he was twice elected to the state legislature. Early in the '70s Payne went to Washington and acted as doorkeeper in the house of representatives during one session. While there he made examination into the records of the land department and conceived the idea that Oklahoma was a part of the public domain and as such subject to homestead entry. Congress, backed by the stockmen with their wealth and undenied influence, had an entirely different idea on the subject and the fight of one man against the multitude commenced then. How well he won is shown by the fact that where once the countless herds of cattle, owned by his opponents, roamed there are now innumerable homes and fully 700,000 people hold him the father of their happiness. This has taken place in less than a score of years, for the anniversary celebrated Friday was but the fifteenth since the opening of Oklahoma.

It took years to bring about this opening, however, and to better advance his purpose Payne moved his home from Doniphan county to Sedgwick and made Wichita his headquarters. The first band of colonists which Payne took across the border were rounded up by the federal authorities and taken to Fort Smith, Ark., to jail. There was, however, no law making it a felony to trespass upon public lands and the party was immediately released. Seven times in all did Payne cross the border and as many times were he and his determined band of homeseekers driven back or imprisoned. One of these expositions organized a town called Rock Falls, near the present site of Enid. Here for six months the party was allowed to remain in peace and Payne edited the War Chief, the first paper published in Oklahoma. For this colony Payne secured a seal, and as those composing the party were from Emporia, Kan., it was known as "Emporia Camp No. 2." Finally the cattlemen were once more successful and the party composing the settlement of Rock Falls was driven from Oklahoma.

HIS LAST INVASION.

At last, after years of fighting, a verdict was secured in the federal court, sitting at Topeka, Kan., and the victory was won. By this it was decreed that Oklahoma was public domain and homesteaders were given a clear title to their claims. Soon after Payne started for Oklahoma with another band of homeseekers and while stopping over at Wellington, Kan., he was taken suddenly ill and died. The colonist he headed went on and many of them are now among the wealthiest and most respected business men in the territory.

In Oklahoma a man who has resided there for fifteen years is looked upon as a pioneer and if he has been there five years or more he is eligible to membership in the old settlers' clubs. When statehood comes at the next session of congress Oklahoma will have been opened for settlement but seventeen years and been an organized territory a less time than any other ever admitted to the Union. ---Kansas City Journal, April 24, 1904.

If you don't see what you want in Doniphan County, ask for it.

Dr. H. S. Dinsmore of Troy. Kan., was born December 4th, 1853, at Washington, Iowa. He graduated in 1878, and in the same year located at Troy, where he has been engaged in the practice of medicine. Being a great lover of the gun, his hours of recreation were generally devoted to the trap, target or field shooting. He is best known among rifle men and pistol shooters who have frequently witnessed some fine scores made at 200 yards, off hand, with the rifle, and fifty yards with the pistol. Dr. Dinsmore's best score of ten shots, at 200 yards with rifle aggregated .94, on Standard American Target, and .433 for fifty shots at same distance and target. This shooting was done with a Ballard 32-40, 185 grooved bullet. He has seventeen full scores of bull's-eyes at 200 yards, off hand. His best score at fifty yards with a pistol for fifty shots aggregated 463 out of a possible 500 on a Standard American target (200 yard rifle). His highest score for ten shots at the same distance was 97 out of a possible 100. This shooting was done with a Stevens 22-calibre pistol. About three years ago the doctor temporarily gave up rifle and pistol shooting and gave his attention to the shot-gun. While not an expert with this weapon as with the former, he ranks as one of the best trap shots in the state. His best run at live pigeons was 63 although not all shot in the same day. His best run at inanimate targets was during the tournament at Seneca, Kan., in 1891, when he broke 93 straight, and 98 out of 100. The doctor used a Parker Hammerless 12 gauge. 7 3-4 pounds, 2 5-8 drop. In his clay bird shooting he uses 2 3-4 dr. of E. C. powder and 1 1-8 oz. No. 7 chilled shot. ---"Shooting and Fishing", Boston, 1892.

Dr. Dinsmore has been chosen a member of the American Rifle Club, the only member from Kansas.

The third week in June, 1883, brought the heaviest rains and the most destructive floods ever seen in the county. On Saturday night, June 16th, came the heaviest rain of all which caused every stream, brook and rill in the whole county to overflow. We give a few extracts from the published account at the time.

"Wolf River was never so high within the memory of living man; and, in fact, the same may be said of every creek, branch and gully in the county."

"There were but few bridges left in the county, either on railroads or wagon roads."

"The railroads were washed out in all directions; telegraph wires were down by the mile, and the roads were impassable for wagons on account of bridges being out. The only means of communication was by horse."

"The bluffs above White Cloud slid down upon the railroad track. The depot at Wathena was swept away entire. Several houses in the lower part of the town were also carried away."

"At Severance the lower part of the town was inundated, and nine or ten families were compelled to get out of their houses and wade to dry land during the night. There was great damage to all the elevators and to Franklin and Frick's flouring mills."

"At Leona, Mailler's grain warehouse was swung across the railroad track."

"The whole of Highland Station was inundated before midnight, and the entire population sought shelter on higher grounds

"The number of hogs, cattle and other stock belonging to farmers living along the streams, carried away and drowned, is impossible to ascertain. No such public and individual losses have ever occurred in the county."

It was in the spring of 1868 that seven men, among whom were two pioneers of Doniphan county, named Phillip Burke and J. Leslie McChesney, equipped for a three weeks' hunt, went out to the grass lands beyond the Republican river to shoot big game.

At that period regulars were in their saddles much of the time, scouring prairie and timber, in search of Indians who had murdered white men and carried off their wives and children, and it was known at every Fort that the Cheyennes had sworn to shoot any one found on their hunting grounds. But men in the west in those days were possessed of a spirit of daring which led them to enter eagerly upon any adventure which promised danger or even risk to human life.

As there were no buffalo at the point mapped out, the hunters pushed on until they found themselves in the very heart of the forbidden territory, where they saw a herd of buffalo grazing in a spring fed plain and, forgetting that grave difficulties were likely to be encountered before reaching civilization again, they lingered on the enchanted ground, filling their wagons with hides and sun-dried jerk, while Banker Cole of Detroit, (a relative of McChesney's), succeeded in capturing two fine calves which he intended bringing back with him to exhibit to friends as trophies of the chase. Finally something convinced the Doniphan county men, both of whom were old buffalo hunters, that they were being tracked, and one of them taking a field glass scanned the prairie in the hope of discovering another party of hunters who were supposed to be in that vicinity; but instead of a train of canvas covered wagons a large company of horsemen were seen on a distant bluff, and next day while hurrying eastward, the same company of horsemen was seen again and moving in the same direction. Wagons were now unloaded and the horses put to their greatest speed, but the pursuers kept even pace. A halt was made that night at the ruins of an old log Fort on the Solomon river, where the hunters prepared for an attack, for half the party were veterans of the Civil War and had faced danger many times before. Towards morning a faint stir was heard and every man gripped his gun as the naked body of an ugly Savage crawled out from behind the logs and springing to his feet ran off into the darkness, barking like a coyote, when instantly the whole forest echoed with an answering cry. Determining to abandon the wagons and escape on foot if possible, the others made hasty preparations for the journey while Mac crept out toward the open to turn the lariated horse. But all plans failed, for at that moment a signal was given and the whole army of Cheyennes dashed down the bluff into the little camp below, when the short and bloody work began. Besides the others already mentioned there were Reuben Winklepleck, his son Alonzo, and a nephew, Edward Winklepleck and Charles Cole, son of Norman Cole---half a dozen against a hundred or more blood thirsty demons armed with all manner of weapons known to savage warfare, from a plentiful supply of U. S. bullets to clubs, tomahawks and poisoned arrows, and lighting upon their own ground.

While his comrades were being shot and clubbed to death Mac fled to the river. The scene of carnage was followed by a feast and dance after which the bodies were stripped and robbed, the harness cut to pieces and the horses led away. The escape of the only survivor reads like a romance, for he lay in the tall grass by day and walked all night, finally reaching Scandia, the nearest settlement, where a party was made up to return with him to the scene of the massacre, to dig temporary graves for the poor scalped and mutilated bodies.