Memory's Storehouse Unlocked, True Stories: Pioneer Days In Wetmore and Northeast Kansas — John Locke — John Shaqi
Memory's Storehouse Unlocked, True Stories: Pioneer Days In Wetmore and Northeast Kansas
John Locke · en
The Mollineaux heirs are the only descendents of the originals holding
an interest in section twenty-five in recent years. Alfred now owns the
south 80 of the northwest quarter. Harry sold the north 80 two years ago
to Otto Krack. Otto paid $6,000 for it, including the growing crop. The
old house on the place, built more than a half century ago, is the
original John Mollineaux home. The other lands in the section have long
since passed to new owners.
There are now only two of the old Colonists living. William Wessel,
familiarly called “Teddy,” came over in 1873. He is 89, and lives with
his daughter, Mrs. John Chase, in Goff. William Conover lives with his
son Edward, on a farm adjacent to the old Colony section. He is 89.
I took a drive about the old Colony section a few days ago seeking to
refresh my memory and gather additional data for this article. At Goff I
found Teddy Wessel in the Sourk drug store. Still living over the broken
dreams of the past, Teddy exploded, first-off, “They were a bunch of
damned rascals.”
In course of the interview I asked Teddy if he knew anything about a
racy romance at Llewellyn Castle many years ago. “I should say I do,” he
said. He had a momentary flash of it. That was all. Then his mind began
to fag. Laboriously, tantalizingly, the tired feelers of his mind went
fumbling into the dark pool of the past, trying desperately to capture
the lost details, but the whole works went under—ebbed away like a
fadeout in a movie.
George Sourk, who was sitting by and coaching the old fellow a bit,
said, “You’ll have to give daddy a little time, John. He’ll remember it
all right.”
Daddy swam up out of it all right and sure enough recollections were
upon him with a bang. But the main topic was still submerged and in its
place was an ugly memory that should have been dead long ago. “They were
damned rascals,” is all he said.
It is assumed that my very fine old friend’s poisoned arrow was aimed
only at the shades of the original six, or, at most, only those who had
the actual management of the Colony affairs.
Teddy Wessel’s run of hard luck started before he left London. It seems
he bought something—or thought he paid for something—he didn’t get. But
Teddy can thank his stars that there was at least one crooked countryman
in his close circle. Teddy trusted a friend to purchase first-class
passage for himself and family. The friend bought cheaper tickets on a
slower ship, and pocketed the difference. The fast ship passed the
slower one in midocean and was lost, together with all on board, when
one day out from New York.