Not the grit of passion that fires the heart of an army on the field of battle when the bugles lead the charge and the drums are in the van, but the quiet every day courage that without cheer and without surety of success holds a man to his work, each day growing stronger as greater the obstacles that confront and oppose his progress to the goal he has set as the end of his journey through the weary years. The grit of the common unrecognized people who [have] won the victories that county most for civilization and progress.

It is now a quarter of a century since one of this class, and they are as plentiful as pebbles on the beach, a down east yankee by the name of Jones found his way into this part of Kansas and went to work for R.L. Carter by the month. He was a young man of correct habits, faithful and industrious, so that he not only won the confidence of his employer, but the affection of his daughter and they were married. Glad in their new found happiness they went cheerfully to work to civilize the land and build a home. Fifty miles from a market, with only a pair of old yellow mules, Mr. Jones tilled the fields, while with few conveniences Mrs. Jones looked after her household duties. Together they toiled and fought back the obstacles and scourges incident to the settlement of all new countries. "Saxon grit has conquered all." At their beautiful home five or six miles from Lake City, surrounded by fruits and flowers and forest trees their own hands have planted: where gurgling springs break from the bluffs, with 800 acres of deeded farm and grazing lands, 500 head of high-grade cattle, 200 hogs, granaries, stables, barns a mill for grinding feed, all built in approved modern style for convenience and good looks, they would seem to have all that [a] heart can wish of this world's goods with many years before them to enjoy it in. We should perhaps add that Mr. Jones keeps a herd of 45 fine horses with a standard bred Hambletonian stallion at their head. The foregoing is not a fancy picture, but a very imperfect sketch of what is being accomplished by scores and scores of Mr. Jones' in Kansas and in Barber county.

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Thanks to Ellen (Knowles) Bisson for finding, transcribing and contributing the above Medicine Lodge Cresset article to this web site!

It is one of a series of articles published together on 2 March 1900 under the title of Barber County Profiles: Men Who Have Taken a Prominent Part in Developing the Stock Industry in Barber County.

It was transcribed from Kansas State Historical Society microfilm reel #M 870. If a photo is indicated in the above text, the microfilm itself has a photo of the individual or property.

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