Memory's Storehouse Unlocked, True Stories: Pioneer Days In Wetmore and Northeast Kansas
John Locke · en
Thus, Green Campbell was launched upon the perilous sea of
politics—literally shoved off into its unfriendly waters, slightly, but
assuredly, beyond his depths. The warm and manifest enthusiasm of his
friends, so goes the story, inspired in him a feeling of confidence—and,
unschooled in the hard-played game of politics, he set sail upon the
turbid political waters with never a thought as to the many, many
wrecked political ships that mark the shores of Time.
Infectious enthusiasm had spread over the field. Voters and non-voters
alike cheered for him. The Italian colony piped, “Viva Campbell—bigga
man!” John Chinaman, it was related, yelled in badly Americanized
Cantonese, “Hoola Campbell! All-o-same-e, no like-e dlam Mormon
lenny-way!”
Deliverance, it seemed, was at hand. Still in the first flush of his
great financial triumph, Green Campbell spent money freely for the
cause, and incidentally tried for a seat in Congress. This experience
cost him a lot of money—just how much no one knows. Some said it was
nearly a million dollars.
Green Capbell was defeated for delegate to Congress by the Mormon
bishop, Cannon. But he contested the election upon the grounds that
Cannon, a Canadian, was not naturalized. In this he won, but not until
the two-year term was almost over. He went to Washington as the Hon.
Allen G. Campbell.
I shall not attempt to tell you his politics, because I don’t know—for
sure. But when I tell you his fine saddle horse was named Cleveland,
you can make your own deductions. It was a common sight to see Green
Campbell mounted on that spirited horse riding about the streets of
Vanderbilt, often with one of his little boys up in front of him or
riding behind, while his luxuriant white beard, always well groomed,
billowed gracefully in the desert breezes. Green Campbell was a large
man, about six feet tall and rather portly, though not really fat. He
always presented a prosperous, dignified appearance.
And now, while a million dollars, or whatever sum it really was, out of
one pocket was a lot of money wasted in priming the political pump, it
wouldn’t have been so bad for Green Campbell, seeing that he had obliged
his friends, had there not been other heavy and unexpected drains upon
his purse. It was a partnership with Jay Cooke and Company, a Washington
stock brokerage firm, at a most unfortunate time, that really hurt.
Jay Cooke was perhaps the foremost broker of that day. Hard luck
bankrupted him. His brokerage houses in three eastern cities collapsed
in 1873, causing one of the greatest financial panics of all time. He
was financing the building of the Northern Pacific railroad and had made
too many advances. But Jay Cooke was still the promoter par-excellence.
He was the promoter previously mentioned as having received an interest
in the Horn Silver mine for securing a railroad to the camp.