manner, in even greater measure, my successors-than whom two more honorable gentlemen, in every sense of the word, do not tread Kansas soil-with mingled feeling of joy and sorrow, gladness and regret, I step down and out. WM. B. TAYLOR."

Wyandotte, Oct. 1st, 1879.

SALUTATORY.

"It is with some degree of diffidence that we step forward and make our best bow to the readers of the Gazette. We shall ask a liberal degree of forbearance until we get broken in to the editorial harness.

"Our aim shall be to continue the Gazette as a live, earnest, Republican paper. While we shall endeavor to avoid personalities we shall, at the same time, consider public men as public property, and shall consider the interests of the county, or city, as far outweighing the feelings or interests of a single individual who may hold, or aspire to an office.

"We shall never forget the standard so frequently applied to candidates by the late R. B. Taylor. 'Is he honest, is he capable.'

"We ask the aid of correspondents, and of all who have the interests of our county and city at heart, to assist us in pushing on the great forward movement toward creating a truly "Kansas" City and of making this the garden county of our State, already so happily inaugurated at the mouth of the Kaw."

The Gazette is a seven column folio, issued every Friday. D. W. Leavitt, foreman, and R. H. Mitchell, Charles Wilgus, William Fletcher and Wilbur Coutant, compositors.

The Kansas Post, a German weekly, was removed from Kansas City to Wyandott early during the war, and remained one year. It was published by A. Wuerz and John Haberlein who was principal editor.

The Kansas Real Estate Herald was issued at Wyandott, by E. F. Heisler, from November, 1868, to July, 1869.

The first number of Die Fackel, (The Torch), was printed in Wyandott September 12, 1866, by Kastor, Fischer & Co. H. W. Kastor editor. It was first printed on the Gazette press. On the 1st of January, 1868, Die Fackel was removed to Atchison.

The Kansas Pilot was established in Wyandott in 1879, and William Caffrey is the present editor and publisher.

The Wyandott Herald was established in 1871 by V. J. Lane & Co., with V. J. Lane as editor. The paper was the same as now, a seven column folio, and printed on the corner of Minnesota avenue and Fifth street, where it remained one year. In 1872 the office was removed to the corner of Third street and Minnesota avenue, and remained one year and a half when it was removed to Hescher's building, on the north side of Minnesota avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets; here the Herald was published till January 1st, 1880, and then removed again to the Masonic building, on the corner of Minnesota avenue and Third street.

A new building of brick and iron, 25x75, is in process of construction on the north side of Minnesota avenue, between Fifth and Sixth streets, by the proprietors of the Herald, and it is expected this will be completed and ready for occupation September 1st, 1881. The estimated cost of the building will be $3.500, and furnish abundant conveniences for the increasing business of the paper.

B. R. Lane, son of the editor, bought one-third interest in the Herald April 1st, 1880, and has since been a partner with his father.

The Herald has a large circulation in Wyandott county and this section of the State, it being Democratic in politics, and there being comparatively few

papers holding those political principles in this part of the State, finds a wide field of operations.

The following was Mr. V. J. Lane's salutatory on taking charge of the Herald, January 4, 1872:

"It is usual, we believe, for publishers when they launch their bark on a sea of public opinion and public favor, to mark out on the political chart the course they intend that their craft shall sail. In fact, this is so common that the absence of a salutatory in the initial number of a paper, abounding in all kinds of fair promises in favor of the public, which is the party saluted, is an exception to the general rule. As the publishers of the Herald do not desire to break through the established usages of ages of successful journalism, we offer the following as our salutatory: We intend to try to publish a good live, reliable and interesting paper. In order to do this, we shall need a hearty support from the people among whom it is published. In politics, this paper shall be Democratic; but its editors are not so wedded to their political faith that they will overlook or mitigate fraud or peculation in members of their own party. The principal aim of this paper is to assist in the up-building of this city and the development of the resources of the county. In this we hope to have the hearty co-operation of all our fellow citizens, without regard to party affiliations. It shall be our endeavor to keep our readers informed of all that is transpiring in our midst as well as furnishing the latest intelligence from all parts of the world.

"In conclusion, we would say that we shall try to do our duty, and if we shall fail therein we hope our little world will kindly overlook shortcomings and attribute their failure to lack of capacity rather than a disregard of the importance of the responsibilities we have thus voluntarily assumed."

There is only one other Democratic paper in this county, the Evening Spy of Kansas City, Kansas. In 1857 a Democratic paper called the Wyandott Argus was established in the city of Wyandott by Gen. P. S. Post, for the past fourteen years consul to Vienna, and continued till the Civil War, when Gen. Post sold the paper to R. B. Taylor, who started the Wyandoti Gazette, a Republican paper. From 1861 to 1866 there was no Democratic paper in Wyandott county, but at the latter named date J. A. Berry started the Wyandott Democrat, issued it thirteen months and then he abandoned the paper, and it is said left the city with considerable money advanced on the second year's subscriptions. The next Democratic paper in this county was the Herald, commenced in 1871.

LONGEVITY FOR 1880.

When this portion of Kansas was first settled by the whites, it was a rare thing to see persons who had attained the age of fifty. All this is changed now, and we not only have hundreds who have attained that age, but a great many who have lived beyond the time allotted to man. The oldest white man in the county is Joseph Dixon, of Quindaro township, whose age is 94 years; while Mrs. Anna Best, of this city, is the oldest white woman, having reached the age of 86 years. The oldest woman in the county is Ann Crawford, a colored woman of Kansas City, who has reached the advanced age of 110 years. Below we give a list of those who have reached three-score and ten on the journey of life :

BIOGRAPHICAL.

WYANDOTT, KANSAS.

WILLIAM AHERN,

Manager Wyandott Street Railway. Was born November 26, 1855, in Limerick, Ireland, and remained in his native city attending school until the summer of 1871, when he came to the United States. On arriving in this country he emigrated west and settled in Carroll county, Missouri, where he engaged in farming. In 1872 he went to Kansas City and found employment with the Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad; remained with this company some two years, when he returned to Carroll county and went to farming again. He remained on his farm for five years, when, in May, 1879, he came to Kansas City and engaged with the Jackson County Street Railroad Company. On the 1st of February, 1881, he was transferred to take charge of the company's office and barns at Wyandott, a position of trust as well as responsibility. Mr. Ahern has worked himself up to where he is to-day, and is thought a good deal of by the public as well as by the company.

WILLIAM ALBRIGHT,

Treasurer of Wyandott county. Was born in Germany on the 10th of December, 1847, and came to the United States with his parents when but seven years of age They settled in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Mr. Albright spent his childhood days in that city, receiving a fair school education. In 1862 he enlisted in the army and served until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged. After the war he returned and was engaged at clerking in different city offices. In 1867 he removed to Wyandott and took up the trade of a painter, which he followed until the spring of 1872, when he was appointed city clerk. In 1876 he was appointed deputy county treasurer, which office he held until November, 1879, when he was elected county treasurer, and there is no man in Wyandott county more fitted for the office of treasurer than Mr. Albright, as his record shows. He discharges his official duties with great care and fidelity, and with credit to himself and friends. He has, since he became fourteen years of age, taken care of himself; is an active member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Mr. Albright married Miss Elizabeth Schniarle in Wyandott in 1867. Mrs. A. is a native of Pennsylvania, and was born in 1848. Their family consists of six children: Minnie O., Charles A., Frank B., Willie E., May M. and Calvin F. They are members of the Methodist church.

FRANCIS B. ANDERSON,

Justice of the Peace. Was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in October, 1820, and removed to Randolph county, Illinois, and came to Wyandott in 1866. Here he established himself as an attorney, having studied law in Pennsylvania previous to removing to Illinois. He was admitted to the bar in Illinois and practiced through that State for some twenty-five years before removing here.