Barton, Rice and Stafford counties constitute the Thirty-fifth Senatorial District, and John ARMSTRONG, an engineer, machinist and farmer, whose post-office is Great Bend, is the Senator, this being his second term in the Senate. Mr. ARMSTRONG was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, fifty-one years ago, and served the Union as a soldier in Company K, Eighteenth, and Company B, Ninth Michigan Infantry, during the Great Rebellion. He had always been a Republican until the organization of the People's Party, when he joined it, and has been fairly active in doing his share of the party work. Mr. ARMSTRONG is married, and has two sons and two daughters. His family are Methodists.

Barton county is District 82, and has elected to represent her interests M. W. COBUN, who is a Populist and a farmer, residing near the enterprising city of Hoisington, in the north part of that county. Mr. COBUN was born in West Virginia; is no 62 years of age, and received his education in the common school. He has a wife and six children living, and is a believer in the doctrines of the Methodist Church. From 1862 to 1865 he was Captain of Company H, Tenth West Virginia Infantry, and made a good as a soldier. Captain COBUN is not without legislative experience, for before coming to Kansas he was in the State Senate of West Virginia, and he was in the Kansas Legislature as a member of the House in '91 and again in '93. He was also President of the Board of the World's Fair Managers at Chicago. He was elected by the Populists and Democrats, but prior to 1888 he was a Republican. He came to Kansas from West Virginia in 1886, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising.

Barton county, the Seventy-ninth district, is represented by Elrick C. COLE, of Great Bend, who was born at Burlington, Racine county, Wisconsin, and is thirty-eight years old. He received a common-school education and then studied law, which he commenced practicing upon his arrival in Kansas, in 1879. Mr. COLE has always been active in politics, and was Clerk of the Circuit Court of Kenosha county, Wisconsin. He has also served two terms as County Attorney of Barton county. He was a delegate to the State convention of 1882 and 1894. He was also chairman of the Congressional Convention of the Seventh district in 1892. In every campaign since 1880 he has taken the stump for Republican nominees. In 1894 Republicans of his county nominated him for the House and although his county had an opposition majority of 300, he was elected by 500 majority. Mr. COLE was married in November, 1880, at LaCrosse, Wis., to Minnie O. WEBB, and has one daughter.

Cyrus FRY, Kansas House of Representatives, One Hundred and Twentieth District, Barton County, of Great Bend, was born in Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Pennssylvania, May 13, 1850. Removed to Freeport, Stephenson county, Illinois, when six years old; received a common school education and entered the State University at Champaign, and graduated in the class of 1869; removed to New York and engaged in the commission business until 1872; removed to Chicago, thence to Kansas, in 1873, and located in Barton county, and engaged in farming and sheep-raising; was elected to the House in 1876 as a Republican.
[Note.... In the book's table of House members the surname is listed as FRYE. In the biographical section the surname is listed as FRY]

Isom Wright, by whom District No. 79, is represented, came to Kansas from his birthplace, Greencastle, Indiana, in the spring of 1890. He completed the common-school course, and then graduated from the Normal College at Danville, Indiana, and afterwards finished the commercial course at the Bryant & Stratton Business College at Indianapolis, Indiana. He then taught school for ten winters, and farmed in the summer. He has lived on his farm since coming to Kansas. Prior to coming to Kansas he was a Democrat, but when he came here became one of the charter members of the Alliance, and became County Lecturer. Mr. WRIGHT held the office of Justice of the Peace, and was a delegate to the State convention at Ablilene. He is a member of the Christian church. Barton county constitutes the district. Mr. WRIGHT's post office is Great Bend.

---

This page was established 3/22/2000