both in this country and abroad, whereby many Jews leaving Europe for America have been induced to come to Galveston rather than to New York, and from there to settle in the country lying west of the Mississippi river. The most important center co-operating with Galveston in this movement is Kansas City, where the Jewish charities systematically care for the men and women sent to it from the Texas port. Since the inception of the movement, positions were found for immigrants at wages ranging from $8 to $16 a week. This particular activity is carried on under the auspices of the following committee: Julius Davidson, chairman; Myer Shane, vice-chairman; A. L. Rothenberg, treasurer; Leon E. Block, recording secretary; Jacob Billikopf, corresponding secretary; R. S. Crohn, Leon Block, Oscar Sachs, Sig. Harzfeld, Alfred Benjamin, Henry Flarsheim and B. Dantzig.

The different Jewish clubs flourishing in 1908 were the Boys' club, under Jack Reefer, with an enrollment of 15; the Girls' club, formed by Miss Binswanger and assisted by Miss Brown, meets bi-monthly on Sunday afternoons; the Young Men's Progressive club is a strong, ambitious organization. of young men between 16 and 25 years of age, and has an excellent course of study and lectures; the Physical Culture Social club for girls, formed and led by Miss Ethel Feineman, meets every Tuesday afternoon from 4:15 o'clock to 5:30 o'clock in the winter and every Tuesday morning in the summer. This club has an enrollment of 26. All these clubs meet and all lectures, entertainments and board meetings are held at the Educational Institute annex, a one story brick structure directly opposite the main building. The officers of the United Jewish charities in 1908 were: Alfred Benjamin, president; Sig. Harzfeld, first vice-president; Mrs. I. Ryder, second vice-president ; Mrs. H. H. Mayer, third vice-president; Alfred Rothenberg, treasurer; and L. H. Ehrlich, secretary. The constituent societies that were a part of the Federal Board in 1908 were: the Jewish Women's Charity association, the Bertha E. Haas Shoe Fund society, the Council of Jewish Women, the Sophia Newgass Sewing circle, the Men's General Relief society, and the Immigration Employment bureau.

A meeting was held February 5, 1908, to discuss the advisability of erecting a new Charity building, and to devise ways and means to raise the necessary funds. The following committee was appointed with full authority to collect additional funds and to erect the building: Alfred Rothenberg, chairman; R. S. Crohn, secretary; Alfred Benjamin, Henry Flarsheim, Sol. Block, Julius Davidson, Sig. Harzfeld, and Jacob Billikopf. About $35,000 had been subscribed in September, 1908, the contributions ranging from $5 to $1,500. The site of the building was on Admiral boulevard and Harrison

street.

Most of the poor Jews of Kansas City live in two distinct sections of the city in the so-called "North End," and in the neighborhood of McClure flats and Warden court. It was for these people that the Fresh Air fund evolved from a theory to a fact. The Fresh Air camp owes its idea to Miss Fanny Benjamin and its actuality to A. Rosenberg. Through the generous and unconditional loan of his 20-acre farm near Liberty, Mo., a regular out-door camp was made possible.

CHAPTER XX.

THE LEGAL AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONS.

Kansas City's first court of Common Pleas was established November 20, 1855. All of Kaw township was under its jurisdiction; it had the same criginal concurrent and appellate jurisdiction of civil cases within the township as the circuit and probate courts had on those within the county. It was decided that the judge should receive a salary of $500 a year, one-half of which should be paid out of the state treasury and the other half paid from a special township tax. The judge was entitled to fees not to exceed $500, at the rate of $1.00 on each final judgment made in his court. All fees in excess of the $500 were added to the school fund of the township. A marshal to execute the processes of the law was also provided for by law. In a small building in the public square, W. A. Strong, its first judge, presided over the first sitting of the Kansas City Court of Common Pleas. James K. Sheley became judge of the court in 1859. Few sessions of the court were held during the Civil war, 1861-65, and for part of that period, by act of the Legislature, the court was suspended. From 1863 to 1867, Jacob S. Boreman was judge. Later Judge Boreman was appointed a Territorial judge

of Utah.

In 1871 the court of Common Pleas of Kansas City and the Probate and Common Pleas court of Jackson county were abolished. A criminal court was established in Kansas City about 1871, which had jurisdiction over all the criminal cases in the county. The probate business of the county was cared for by a Probate court, and a Circuit court also was established. The criminal judge was exofficio judge of the Probate court and received as judge of the two courts, a salary of $2,500 a year. The first judge under this arrangement was R. C. Ewing. Judge Ewing was succeeded by Henry P. White who died in 1892. John W. Wofford followed Judge White and continued in office until his death, February 25, 1907. Judge Wofford's suc

cessor on the criminal bench was William H. Wallace (who had won distinction as an orator and as an attorney. Early in his term as judge of the criminal court, Judge Wallace attracted national attention by his efforts to enforce the laws prohibiting Sunday labor. In the meantime the criminal court had been separated from the probate court, and J. E. Guinotte became the Probate Judge. He was in office in 1908.

Samuel Locke Sawyer of Independence was the first circuit judge of Jackson county. He was born in New Hampshire and was a graduate of Dartmouth college. He was one of the most eminent lawyers in western Missouri. After remaining on the bench about six years, Judge Sawyer resigned and Samuel H. Woodson, also of Independence, a man of very high character, succeeded him. Judge Woodson died in 1881, and was succeeded by Turner A. Gill of Kansas City. Judge Gill remained on the circuit bench until he became judge of the Kansas City Court of Appeals.

A court of law and equity was established in Kansas City, February 18, 1873. It held two terms annually in Kansas City, and two terms in Independence. Its judge during its entire existence was Robert E. Cowen, who came to Kansas City from Virginia at the close of the Civil war. The court ceased to exist, December 31, 1880. When the law and equity court was abolished litigation had so increased that it became necessary to have another circuit judge, and a law giving the county another one was passed. Francis Marion Black was elected. Judge Black came from Ohio to Kansas City when he was a young man, and before taking the position on the bench had become one of the foremost leaders of the Kansas City bar. As circuit judge he was one of the strongest and most capable men who had ever administered justice in Jackson county. He remained on the bench until 1885 when he became a member of the supreme court of Missouri and served as a member of that tribunal until 1894. During these years he established for himself a reputation as one of the greatest judges that Missouri had produced. When his term as judge of the supreme court had ended, he came back to Kansas City and resumed his practice. Judge Black died, May 24, 1902. J. W. Dunlap who came to Kansas City from Virginia, was appointed to Judge Black's position in 1885, but before taking his place or performing any official duties, he accidentally shot himself and James H. Slover, a native of Pennsylvania, became his successor.

The number of circuit judges for Jackson county was increased to four in 1889. Other divisions were added; in 1908 the circuit court of Jackson county had seven divisions, six in Kansas City and one in Independence. The increase of court facilities indicates the growth of legal business. Manufacturing interests, transportation companies, commercial concerns, banks and trust companies, involving vast financial operations have created an