Mr. J. S. Griffith — Jack Griffith as we all knew him — died at his home here last Tuesday evening at eight o'clock. Rev. Berkeley, of the Christian church, conducted the services. We will give a more extended notice next week.
— Marion Record, April 19, 1906, p. 1
_____
Jack Griffith
This is the way we all knew him.
He came to Marion County, Kansas, in 1860, then a totally uninhabited country except the ranches known as Lost Springs and Moore's Ranch on the Santa Fe Trail. With him were William H. Billings and family, Geo. Griffith and family, and William P. Shrieves [sic] and family. Their nearest post-office was Emporia, 50 miles distant. I have said the country was uninhabited. Not so, however, for on all sides were the merciless Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapahoe, Kechi and Sioux tribes of savages. Five or six years had he braved the hardships, terrible they were, before the writer of this came to make one more in the settlement. The first night after my arrival as I camped in my wagon, I came to know him as my friend, and now as I write this, let me ask whose friend was he not? To whom did he knowingly do an injury? Jack Griffith was a friend to us, all of us. Jack may have had his failings — can we call them faults? No. Show me the individual, the pioneer who spent the years of his young manhood on the frontier away from civilization and its good influences that is perfect, if you can. Jack Griffith had as good and kind and soft a heart as any of us. His life struggle was a hard one as the world looks at life. Jack was truthful, honest and sincere. I knew him well. About two months ago, I spent a couple of hours with him in his home, listening to his talk of early days. Glad I am that I went to see him on that occasion. It was a pleasure to me, and now that death has taken him from our midst, I realize from that one visit how much I have lost in the 40 years that have passed since I first knew him, had I taken the time to visit him in his home frequently. Yes, 40 years, for it is now 40 years yesterday that I left my home in Pennsylvania for Kansas. Dear old Jack Griffith, pioneer who paved the way for the happy homes we enjoy — let us not soon forget him. Forget his faults if he had any — I don't know that he had — he may at times have been thoughtless. Let us forget all that in looking at life from his standpoint, perhaps not ours. The old pioneers are passing away one by one and quite frequently of late, and it is with great regret I realize this, for they are all dear to me. I cherish their memory. I shall no more hear his friendly greeting or see his happy and pleasant old face. How I wish I could have been with him at the last and said, "Goodbye old pioneer." ALEX. E. CASE
— Marion Record, April 26, 1906, p. 1
— Marion Record, April 19, 1906, p. 1
_____
Jack Griffith
This is the way we all knew him.
He came to Marion County, Kansas, in 1860, then a totally uninhabited country except the ranches known as Lost Springs and Moore's Ranch on the Santa Fe Trail. With him were William H. Billings and family, Geo. Griffith and family, and William P. Shrieves [sic] and family. Their nearest post-office was Emporia, 50 miles distant. I have said the country was uninhabited. Not so, however, for on all sides were the merciless Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapahoe, Kechi and Sioux tribes of savages. Five or six years had he braved the hardships, terrible they were, before the writer of this came to make one more in the settlement. The first night after my arrival as I camped in my wagon, I came to know him as my friend, and now as I write this, let me ask whose friend was he not? To whom did he knowingly do an injury? Jack Griffith was a friend to us, all of us. Jack may have had his failings — can we call them faults? No. Show me the individual, the pioneer who spent the years of his young manhood on the frontier away from civilization and its good influences that is perfect, if you can. Jack Griffith had as good and kind and soft a heart as any of us. His life struggle was a hard one as the world looks at life. Jack was truthful, honest and sincere. I knew him well. About two months ago, I spent a couple of hours with him in his home, listening to his talk of early days. Glad I am that I went to see him on that occasion. It was a pleasure to me, and now that death has taken him from our midst, I realize from that one visit how much I have lost in the 40 years that have passed since I first knew him, had I taken the time to visit him in his home frequently. Yes, 40 years, for it is now 40 years yesterday that I left my home in Pennsylvania for Kansas. Dear old Jack Griffith, pioneer who paved the way for the happy homes we enjoy — let us not soon forget him. Forget his faults if he had any — I don't know that he had — he may at times have been thoughtless. Let us forget all that in looking at life from his standpoint, perhaps not ours. The old pioneers are passing away one by one and quite frequently of late, and it is with great regret I realize this, for they are all dear to me. I cherish their memory. I shall no more hear his friendly greeting or see his happy and pleasant old face. How I wish I could have been with him at the last and said, "Goodbye old pioneer." ALEX. E. CASE
— Marion Record, April 26, 1906, p. 1
Mr. J. S. Griffith — Jack Griffith as we all knew him — died at his home here last Tuesday evening at eight o'clock. Rev. Berkeley, of the Christian church, conducted the services. We will give a more extended notice next week.
— Marion Record, April 19, 1906, p. 1
_____
Jack Griffith
This is the way we all knew him.
He came to Marion County, Kansas, in 1860, then a totally uninhabited country except the ranches known as Lost Springs and Moore's Ranch on the Santa Fe Trail. With him were William H. Billings and family, Geo. Griffith and family, and William P. Shrieves [sic] and family. Their nearest post-office was Emporia, 50 miles distant. I have said the country was uninhabited. Not so, however, for on all sides were the merciless Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapahoe, Kechi and Sioux tribes of savages. Five or six years had he braved the hardships, terrible they were, before the writer of this came to make one more in the settlement. The first night after my arrival as I camped in my wagon, I came to know him as my friend, and now as I write this, let me ask whose friend was he not? To whom did he knowingly do an injury? Jack Griffith was a friend to us, all of us. Jack may have had his failings — can we call them faults? No. Show me the individual, the pioneer who spent the years of his young manhood on the frontier away from civilization and its good influences that is perfect, if you can. Jack Griffith had as good and kind and soft a heart as any of us. His life struggle was a hard one as the world looks at life. Jack was truthful, honest and sincere. I knew him well. About two months ago, I spent a couple of hours with him in his home, listening to his talk of early days. Glad I am that I went to see him on that occasion. It was a pleasure to me, and now that death has taken him from our midst, I realize from that one visit how much I have lost in the 40 years that have passed since I first knew him, had I taken the time to visit him in his home frequently. Yes, 40 years, for it is now 40 years yesterday that I left my home in Pennsylvania for Kansas. Dear old Jack Griffith, pioneer who paved the way for the happy homes we enjoy — let us not soon forget him. Forget his faults if he had any — I don't know that he had — he may at times have been thoughtless. Let us forget all that in looking at life from his standpoint, perhaps not ours. The old pioneers are passing away one by one and quite frequently of late, and it is with great regret I realize this, for they are all dear to me. I cherish their memory. I shall no more hear his friendly greeting or see his happy and pleasant old face. How I wish I could have been with him at the last and said, "Goodbye old pioneer." ALEX. E. CASE
— Marion Record, April 26, 1906, p. 1
— Marion Record, April 19, 1906, p. 1
_____
Jack Griffith
This is the way we all knew him.
He came to Marion County, Kansas, in 1860, then a totally uninhabited country except the ranches known as Lost Springs and Moore's Ranch on the Santa Fe Trail. With him were William H. Billings and family, Geo. Griffith and family, and William P. Shrieves [sic] and family. Their nearest post-office was Emporia, 50 miles distant. I have said the country was uninhabited. Not so, however, for on all sides were the merciless Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapahoe, Kechi and Sioux tribes of savages. Five or six years had he braved the hardships, terrible they were, before the writer of this came to make one more in the settlement. The first night after my arrival as I camped in my wagon, I came to know him as my friend, and now as I write this, let me ask whose friend was he not? To whom did he knowingly do an injury? Jack Griffith was a friend to us, all of us. Jack may have had his failings — can we call them faults? No. Show me the individual, the pioneer who spent the years of his young manhood on the frontier away from civilization and its good influences that is perfect, if you can. Jack Griffith had as good and kind and soft a heart as any of us. His life struggle was a hard one as the world looks at life. Jack was truthful, honest and sincere. I knew him well. About two months ago, I spent a couple of hours with him in his home, listening to his talk of early days. Glad I am that I went to see him on that occasion. It was a pleasure to me, and now that death has taken him from our midst, I realize from that one visit how much I have lost in the 40 years that have passed since I first knew him, had I taken the time to visit him in his home frequently. Yes, 40 years, for it is now 40 years yesterday that I left my home in Pennsylvania for Kansas. Dear old Jack Griffith, pioneer who paved the way for the happy homes we enjoy — let us not soon forget him. Forget his faults if he had any — I don't know that he had — he may at times have been thoughtless. Let us forget all that in looking at life from his standpoint, perhaps not ours. The old pioneers are passing away one by one and quite frequently of late, and it is with great regret I realize this, for they are all dear to me. I cherish their memory. I shall no more hear his friendly greeting or see his happy and pleasant old face. How I wish I could have been with him at the last and said, "Goodbye old pioneer." ALEX. E. CASE
— Marion Record, April 26, 1906, p. 1
