Ponziglione, Paul M., Rev. Father

The following data is extracted from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans.

Rev. Father Paul M. Ponziglione, one of the most famous Catholic missionaries of Southern Kansas and what was, in his time, Indian Territory –particularly among the Osage Indians of the Southwest–was born in Piedmont, Italy, February 11, 1818. He was of noble descent on both sides of the house, but, as he was wont to express it, his greatest pride was that he belonged to "the noble family of Adam," His education was obtained in several Jesuit institutions of Italy, the College of Nobles at Turin conferring upon him the degree of Bachelor of Arts. But the pomp of the Italian court had no fascinations for young Paul, and in 1839 he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Chieri, near Turin. The year 1848 found him connected with the Jesuit College in Genoz and during the revolution of that year, with other priests, he was transported to Sardinis and serionsly wounded by a mob. He finally escaped to Modens, and soon after, under holy orders, embarked from Havre for New York. The general of the Jesuit Socisty had already assigned him to missionary work in Missouri.

Father Pouziglione spent two years in Missouri and Kentucky, engaged in missionary work, and in March, 1851, accompanied by Bishop Miege, left St. Louis for his far western mission. While his home was to be at Osage Mission, and his particular charge, the Osages, his labors extended from Fremont Peak, Wyoming, to Fort Sill, Indian Territory. During the first twenty years of Father Paul's life among the Osages they remained in Southeastern Kansas. The particular scope of his work extended from Cherokee County north to Miami County, thence to Fort Larned, Pawnee County, and on through the counties along the southern state line back to the home mission. He was the first to spread the gospel in thirty of the present counties of the state included in the circuit mentioned. He also penetrated the wild regions of the Indian Territory, establishing missionary stations at the Indian agencies and military posts as far south as Fort Sill, near the Texas line. Thus the selfsacrificing father, starting from the mother church at Osage Mission, within forty years established 180 Catholie missions, eighty-seven of which were in Southern Kansas and twenty-one in the Indian Territory. In 1870 the Osages withdrew forever from Kansas into the Indian Territory, but Father Paul never relaxed his watchfulness over his red children. That beautiful edifice in Osage Mission, known as St. Francis Church, and the most imposing ediflee of its kind in the state with the exception of the Leavenworth cathedral, is one of the most imposing memorials in stone which stand as evidences of his snergy and devotion poured out with unstinted measure to the missionary cause of the Catholic Church. It was dedicated in 1884.

On February 27, 1889, Father Ponziglione celebrated his golden jubilee at Osage Mission, the occasion being the fiftieth anniversary of his admission into the Jesuit Society. Numerous notables of the church and many thousands of people were present. In the spring of that year he was called to the Crow Reservation in Montana, and in 1891 became historian of St. Ignatius' College, Chicago. While identified with that institution he passed away March 28, 1900, in his eighty-third year.

Fred Schuyle Jackson, of Topeka, prominent lawyer, former congressman, ex-attorney-general of Kansas, is one of the many able men who have made Kansas notable as a commonwealth.

His father was Martin Van Buren Jackson, who bore a conspicuous part in the border warfare of Kansas. Fred S. Jackson was born April 19, 1868, and his birth occurred in the block house at Stanton near Osawatomie. His early education came chiefly from the public schools of Miami and Greenwood counties, and of earlier experiences and service readered should be mentioned five years spent in the schoolroom as a teacher, In the meantime he read law, and in 1891 was admitted to the bar. In order to equip himself the better for his chosen profession he then became a student in the law department of the University of Kansas, where he was graduated with high credit.

In the meantime he had begun practice at Eureka, and it required only a few years for a man of his excellent ability, his knowledge of men, and his high ambition to serve, to build up a large clientage and extend his reputation as a lawyer to many remote quarters of the state.

After concluding his service in the office of county attorney, his abilities attracted the attention of C. C. Coleman, then attorney-general of Kansas, who induced Mr. Jackson to become first assistant in the attorney-general's office. He was assistant attorneygeneral of Kansas until January, 1907, when as a result of the election in the preceding fall he became chief in the same office. Mr. Jacksen made a splendid administration during his two terms as attorney-general. At the beginning of his second term there occurred an impressive and significant demonstration during the inaugural ceremonies. Reference to this was made by the Topeka Capital in the following language: "The demonstration toward Attorney General Jackson was as spontaneous and unexpected as it was general. It was the tribute to the faithful official. That was its significance. What the big audience at the Auditorium meant was to testify their hearty approval of a man who without making much noise about it, in the regular and orderly course of his duty, had made the laws of the state respected by enforcing them. It testified to the fact that the man who is efficient and applies himself to the full performance of his duties will always reach the finest of all rewards, what Governor Hughes in his inaugural the other day called 'the appropriate tribute of a grateful people,' The 'appropriate tribute' to Attorney General Jackson yesterday was an object lesson to every public official."

An unusual amount of important litigation fell within his term of office as attorney-general. It was Fred Jackson who successfully prosecuted the brewery interests for evasion of the state laws, and in this one instance, after a bitter flght, he was able to clear the state of dramshops and illegal liquor selling. No less important were his suits to enforce anti-trust laws, and the ability with which he conducted those against the Harvester and the Standard Oil trusts. The unique forms of the suits and tactics adopted in these cases attracted favorable comments from some of the greatest lawyers of the nation.

His service as attorney-general would have been sufficient to give him a high place in Kansas history, but that was only a part of his varied activities. It is very likely that Fred S. Jackson has done more to remodel defective court procedure and has drafted and secured the enactment of more practical and essential laws than any other one man in Kansas.

In 1910, while still holding the office of attorney-general Mr. Jackson permitted the use of his name as the progressive republican candidate for Congress from the Fourth Congressional District. He was elected in the fall of that year and served a full term, expiring in March, 1913. As a progressive republican, though on the minority side of the House, Congressman Jackson again and again made his work such as to sttract national attention. For one thing, he took a sturdy stand in the House in favor of complete publicity of campaiga expenses. There was such a tremendous public opinion behind such a bill that neither party could well have escaped the responsibility of proposing such a measure, but Congressman Jackson exposed the meretricious quality of the support which was given the propoeal when he introduced a bill providing that not only should candidates for Congress publish their regular campaign expenses, but all outlays of money made both before and subsequent to election, including primary expenses. This bill passed the House, but subsequently by parliamentary tactics a substitute measure was enacted in its stead. He was also author of an anti-trust bill which was in harmony with the more advanced thought of the time, and showed more discrimination than some similar measures that had been proposed both before and since. As a member of a committee of ten congressmen and senators selected by the Antl-Saloon Leagne of America, he helped frame and enact the Webb-Kenyon Liquor Bill and was active in securing the first parcels post law.

On October 30, 1895, Mr. Jackson married Miss Inez Sarah Wood. Their one son, Schuyler Wood Jackson was born November 24, 1904. Mrs. Jackson was born in Pawnee County, Nebraska, April 19, 1873, but in early childbood was brought to Brown County, Kansas, by her parents. Mrs. Jackson is a graduate from the State Normal School at Emporia and was a succeasful teacher until her marriage with Mr. Jackson.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

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