Jefferson County, Illinois - Biographical sketches, 1909 (part 2 of 6)

He has never taken upon himself the duties and responsibilities of matrimony, notwithstanding which he makes the most of life and its opportunities, encourages all legitimate means for the advancement of the community along social, intellectual and moral lines and spares no reasonable efforts to benefit his fellow men and make the world better by his presence. With his mother he occupies the family residence known as Grant Place.

Mr. Ham is a Mason of high degree, belonging to Blue Lodge, No. 3 1 , Chapter No. 1 6, and Commandery No. 69, Mount Vernon He is also identified with the Jefferson Lodge, No. 121, Knights of Pythias, and Lodge 819, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, in all of which he has held important official positions from time to time. In matters religious he subscribes to the Methodist faith, and with his mother belongs to the church in Mount Vernon, being interested in the various lines of work under the auspices of the same.

Conrad Schul

Pre-eminently a self-made man and one of the leading members of a bar noted for the high order of its legal talent, the subject of this sketch fills a large place in the public view and for a number of years has figured prominently in the civil affairs of his county and state. He enjoys to a marked degree the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, has held worthily positions of honor and trust and although a young man, has made his influence felt in various lines of activity and may with propriety be classed among the leaders of thought in the city of his residence. Conrad Schul, attorney and counsellor-at-law, and ex-Judge of Jefferson county, was born February 23, 1875, in New York City. His father, Conrad Schul, also a native of the great metropolis, was a tailor by trade and for a number of years conducted a thriving establishment in the city of his birth. Katherine Landregan, who became the wife of the elder Schul, was born and reared in New York state and was of Irish descent, her husband's people coming originally from Germany. She died when her only child, the subject of this sketch, was quite young and left to him the memory of a beautiful character and a devoted life.

Conrad Schul, Jr., spent the first ten years of his life in his native city and about 1885 came to Hamilton county, Illinois, where he received his education. Subsequently, August, 1892, he became a resident of Mount Vernon and for several years thereafter was employed in the car shops of this city, devoting his leisure time the meanwhile to the study of law, for which he early manifested a decided preference. Mr. Schul began his legal studies in March, 1894, under the direction of George B. Leonard, a well known attorney of Jefferson county, and by diligent application made such rapid and commendable progress that within less than three years he was able to pass the required examination and engage in the practice of his profession, his admission to the bar bearing date of February 23, 1897, the twenty-second anniversary of his birth. Considering the difficulties under which he labored and the many obstacles encountered, his is a remarkable record and has few if any parallels among the members of the legal profession in the field to which his practice is principally confined.

Immediately after receiving his license, Mr. Schul entered upon the practice of law at Mount Vernon and in due time won a fair share of business and secured quite a large and lucrative clientele. Like the majority of young attorneys, however, he was obliged to enter a field already occupied by old and experienced practitioners, but nothing daunted, he strove earnestly in the face of opposition and it was not long until his ability was recognized and his progress was assured. In the meantime, he became interested in public matters and entering the political arena, soon rose to a place of influence in the Democratic party, his services to which led to his nomination and election in 1902, to the honorable and responsible office of County Judge. Mr. Schul's official career was eminently satisfactory and creditable and compares favorably with that of the many able men thus honored. He discharged his duties fairly and impartially, looked carefully after the interests of the county and strove by every laudable means to prove a worthy and acceptable official and a true servant of the public. Retiring from the office at the expiration of four years, he resumed the practice of his profession and now has an extensive and profitable business, which is constantly growing in magnitude and importance, not only in his own city and county, but in other jurisdictions as well. As a lawyer, he ranks high and stands today among the leaders of the Jefferson County Bar. As already stated, he is a Democrat and has long been a power in local and state affairs, being a leader of his party in the county, besides wielding a wide influence in political circles throughout the state. He has been influential in party counsels for a number of years, serving from 1900 to 1902 inclusive, as Congressional Committeeman for the Twenty-third Congressional District and at the present time he is Judicial Committeeman of the Second Judicial Circuit, in both of which capacities his services have been valuable and highly appreciated. As a campaigner he has few equals in Southern Illinois, being not only a shrewd and judicious manager and tireless worker, but also a forcible, logical and eloquent speaker, his ability on the hustings causing large demands for his services in every political contest. Although active and influential as a politician, he is eminently honorable in his methods, never resorting to the questionable practices of the professional partisan, nor making use of any of the wiles and subterfuges of the demagogue. A man of strong character and invincible integrity, he is popular with the people, irrespective of party alignment and as an enterprising public-spirited citizen with the good of the community and the welfare of his fellow men ever at heart, no one today in the city of Mount Vernon stands higher in the esteem of the people or has shown himself more worthy of the regard in which he is held.

In addition to his general practice, Mr. Schul is attorney and counsellor for several local and general enterprises, among which are : The American Security Company, the Purity Ice Cream Company and the Kansas, Illinois Gas Company. He belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights of Pythias, Red

Men and the American Home Circle, aside from which organizations he manifests a Hvely interest in the social and intellect life of Mount Vernon, besides giving his encouragement and support to all measures and enterprises having for their object the material progress of the city and the moral advancement of the populace. Mr. Schul has never taken upon himself the duties and responsibilities of the marriage relation, nevertheless he is popular in the social circle and a hale fellow well met among his friends whom he numbers by the score and fastens to himself, as it were, with bands of steel. A sane, well rounded, forceful man, he has acted well his part in life and his past success and present high standing professionally and otherwise may be taken as an earnest of the still brighter laurels and greater honors which he is destined to achieve in coming years.

Charles H. Patton

With no intention of minimizing the justly earned fame of the many distinguished citizens who have figured in the history of Jefferson county, it can be truthfully stated that among their honored names none occupied a more prominent position, achieved greater success or were better beloved by their fellows than the late Charles H.Patton,of Mount Vernon, for many years one of the leading lawyers of Southern Illinois and admittedly the peer of any of his contemporaries of the state in legal acumen and professional ability. Few men of his day were as widely and favorably known, none exceeded him in those sterling qualities which make for noble manhood and a high standard of citizenship and when the historian of the future contemplates the good and the great whose deeds and influence contributed to the progress of Illinois and gave the state her

In the life current of Charles H. Patton flowed the best blood of a long line of sturdy New England ancestry and to a marked degree he combined the sterling qualities and attributes for which his antecedents for many generations were distinguished. On the paternal side his people were among the early English settlers of Connecticut, the maternal branch of the family being traceable to a remote period in the history of Vermont. Eliphalet W. Patton, the father, was born October 5, 1805, in Hartford county, Connecticut, and when a young man married Miss Ladora A. Griswold, whose birth occurred in Burlington, Vermont, in the year 1814, and who became the mother of six children, the subject being the oldest of the family. Charles H. Patton, who was also a native of Hartford county, Connecticut, was born May 19, 1834, and the year following was taken by his parents to Ashtabula county, Ohio, where the family remained until removing in 1 862 to Jefferson county, Illinois. On coming to this state Eliphalet Patton purchased land in Dodds township and engaged in farming which vocation he continued with gratifying success until his death on December 5th of the year 1881 .

The early life of Charles H. Patton was spent on a farm in Ashtabula county, Ohio, where he grew to manhood under excellent home influences and while still a mere youth gave evidence of the strong mental and moral force which formed such a marked and influential characteristic of his more mature years. His father provided for his educational training by procurring for him the advantages of an academic course at Kingsville, Ohio, the preceptor being Zwinglass Graves, afterward president of the Female College of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, under whose direction he pursued his studies until acquiring a tolerably thorough knowledge of the ordiwall's history of JEFFERSON CO., ILL. 393 nary branches and an acquaintance with the classic language, meanwhile he assisted in the cultivation of the farm, and by reason of being the oldest son, not a few of the responsibilities of the family naturally fell to him. After remaining with his parents until his eighteenth year he severed his home ties and shipped as a sailor on the Great Lakes, which vocation he followed during the three years ensuing and in which he acquired a valuable practical knowledge besides meeting with many interesting and not a few thrilling experiences.

On attaining his majority Mr. Patton quit the lake service and turned his attention to teaching, which line of work he followed for a few years for the purpose of fitting himself for a more permanent profession. His early predilections were in favor of the law and with this in view he exercised the strictest economy until saving sufficient from his earnings to defray his expenses while pursuing a preliminary course of reading in the office of Hon. L. A. Leonard, of Pierpont, Ohio, a prominent lawyer of that place and one of the distinguished jurists of the state. Under the able instruction of this learned Judge Mr. Patton made commendable progress and in due time was sufficiently advanced for admission to the bar, which formality took place on March 12th of the year 1862. The year prior to that date, however, he came to Jefferson county, Illinois, to look after his father's purchase until the latter could remove his family to the new home in the West, and in the winter following his admission to the bar, he taught school in Jefferson county, meanwhile maturing plans for engaging in his profession as soon as practicable.

On the arrival of the family in 1 862 to take charge of the farm, Mr. Patton began the practice of law at Mount Vernon in partnership with Judge James M. Pollock, the firm thus constituted lasting until 1865, when the junior member was elected County Clerk, which office he held with ability and credit for a period of four years. Resuming his profession at the expiration of his official term in 1 869, Mr. Patton practiced alone until the following year when he formed a partnership with Judge Thomas S. Casey, which continued until 1873, and during that time was not only one of the strongest law firms in Jefferson county but among the ablest in Southern Illinois, with a reputation by no means confined to state lines. Severing his connection with his associate in the year indicated, Mr. Patton again maintained an office of his own, and rose to a prominent position among the distinguished men of his profession in the West, his name for a number of years appearing in connection with the leading cases tried in the courts of Jefferson and neighboring counties while his services were frequently in demand in causes demanding a high order of legal talent, in other jurisdictions. By the unanimous approval of the Mount Vernon Bar, he was chosen Master in Chancery, this signal mark of confidence on the part of his professional brethren bearing eloquent testimony to his eminent legal ability and to the high esteem in which he was held as a man and good citizen. Mr. Patton's career as a chancery and corporation lawyer gave him an honorable reputation in legal circles throughout the state and brought him in contact with some of the greatest men of his profession in various parts of the Union. Wherever known his talents commanded respect and for a number of years his name occupied a prominent place among the great legal minds of the Middle West as stated above, winning recognition in other and remoter parts of the country. He possessed in a marked degree those traits and abilities by which men make themselves masters of their fates. It is difficult to discover and define the hidden forces that move a life of ceaseless and varied activities ; little more can be done than to note their manifestations in his career; Mr. Patton mounted rapidly from one sphere of usefulness to another, always acquitting himself most honwall's history of JEFFERSON CO., ILL. 395 orably and discharging worthily the duties of every station to which his fellow citizens called him. In his profession he attained a high rank, and for a series of years his position as leader of the Jefferson County Bar was never questioned. Firmly linked logic, also quick repartee and scathing criticism were at his command, while clear perception, perfect analysis, comprehensive thought, correct judgment and stainless integrity were among the more prominent characteristics of a professional career which brought credit to himself and honor to the city in which his greatest success was achieved.

He was not only an able and brilliant attorney but a publicspirited gentleman who enjoyed universal admiration and esteem and whose life was largely devoted to the public good. Those who knew him best were most profuse in their praise of his many sterling qualities and all who enjoyed the privilege of a personal acquaintance were made better by the association. Few men of Jefferson county were as widely known, none exceeded him in powers of mind and intellect and he was easily the peer of any of his professional contemporaries, in all that constituted a really good lawyer and distinguished man of affairs.

Mr. Patton was married November 17, 1854, to Miss Charlotte Shave, of Bere Regis, Dorsetshire, England, who came to America with her parents in 1847 when eleven years of age, and grew to maturity in Jefferson county, Illinois. Her father, John Shave, and mother, who bore the maiden name of Charlotte Lane, were among the esteemed residents of the community in which they lived, but both have long been sleeping beneath the sod, their memories being tenderly cherished by a grateful posterity. The following are the names of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Patton: Dr. Fred W. Patton, a successful physician and surgeon of St. Louis, Missouri; Lulu L., wife of Stephen G. H. Taylor, of Mount Vernon; Lillie W., who married James G. Nugent, of St. Louis, and Otto Charles Patton, who served as an officer in the Illinois National Guard, and with his company was among the first to enter the United States service in the late war with Spain. He took an honorable part in that struggle and at its close resigned his commission and returned to his home in Mount Vernon where he has since resided.

Mr. Patton was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity and rose to high rank in the order, Patton Commandery of Mount Vernon having been named in his honor. He was also actively identified with the Knights of Honor, did much for the success of the order in the state at large and exemplified in his relations with his fellow men the beautiful and sublime principles upon which both the above organizations are founded. Indeed he aided to the extent of his ability all organizations and enterprises having for their object the advancement of the community and the material, social and moral welfare of his fellow men, contributed liberally to various charitable and humanitarian projects and gave his influence to every worthy movement for the benefit of the race. His career was filled to repletion with activity and usefulness, and the limited space of this review does not permit of a detailed account of his distinguished professional success or of the faithful services uniformly rendered to the many friends of the city of his residence, the state and nation. Few men lived such a happy life or were so blessed in their family and surroundings or had such absolute control of themselves while serving with distinction their day and generation. Of pleasing presence and dignified demeanor he had massive mind and a heart in proportion thereto, and although a natural leader of men his kindly nature made him the friend and well wisher of the humblest of his fellows.

was not only a loss to his county and state but the nation as well. Mrs. Patton, who is still living, resides in Mount Vernon, and is highly esteemed by the best people of the city for her many estimable qualities of mind and heart.

Hon. William H. Green

Early pioneer experiences, brilliant service in two wars, prominence and usefulness as legislators, physicians and lawyers, distinguished connection with the industrial and social development of the community, constitute the proud record of the Green family, so long and favorably known in Southern Illinois. Dr. Duff Green, founder of the state branch of the family, served for some years as lieutenant in the regular army. During the War of 1812. he held the rank of surgeon in Barbee's regiment, Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, and made a fine record for gallantry and usefulness. At a subsequent period he located at Danville, Kentucky, where he practiced medicine until the summer of 1 844, when he removed to Pulaski, Tennessee. Two years later he migrated to Mount Vernon, Illinois, where he ended his days at the age of seventy-three. His wife, Lucy, survived him many years, being eighty-three years old at the time of her death. He left a son, Willis Duff Green, who was destined to achieve professional eminence and become one of the most eminent men of his day. Born in Kentucky, he received his scholastic education at Centre College, in his native town and entered Transylvania University at Lexington to take an initial course in the study of medicine. Later he became a student at the Cincinnati Medical College and graduated from that institution in the class of 1844. Shortly afterward he located at Mount Vernon, where, for nearly half a century he was recognized as the leading physician. He was one of the most successful practitioners in the Southern part of the state and became widely famed for his skill and ability. He was president of the company which built the first railroad into Mount Vernon and in many ways exhibited his public spirit. He was a prominent Odd Fellow - became Grand Master of the state in 1 858 and was sent as grand representative to the national convention of the order in 1 859. For many years he was a conspicuous leader in Democratic politics and was delegate to the national convention that nominated Samuel J. Tilden for the Presidency in 1876. In 1845 he was married in Kentucky to Corinna L., daughter of Isaac Morton, a prominent merchant of Hartford. By this union there were ten children, several of whom rose to distinction. Alfred M. Green, the eldest, served as State's Attorney of Jefferson county and as a member of the Legislature. At present he is a leading lawyer of Gainesville, Texas. Earl Green, the fourth son in order of birth, now a prominent physician of Mount Vernon, was graduated from the University of Michigan and Bellevue College in New York and later studied medicine in Vienna, Paris and London. Inez I. Green, the eldest daughter, is an instructor in the Southern Illinois Normal at Carbondale. Among the other children are Duff, Laura Reed, Cora Lee, Minnie and Maidelyn F. William H. Green, the second son, was born at Mount Vernon, Jefferson county, Illinois. After the usual course in the public schools he entered the Law School at Ann Arbor, Michigan, from which in due time he obtained his degree as Bachelor of Laws. Shortly afterward he was admitted to the bar of his native city and served one term as Master in Chancery. In 1 882 he was elected City Attorney and while serving in this office was elected State's Attorney in 1 884, re-elected in 1 888. and filled the place altogether for eight years. In 1 894 he was elected to the Legislature from his district and became recognized as one of the most forceful speakers of the body. He is an ardent Democrat and has always taken an active part in politics of the state. In 1896 Mr. Green was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Chicago, when William Jennings Bryan was first nominated for the Presidency. Later Mr. Green was selected as a member of the Illinois contingent of the notification committee and attended the ceremonies which were held in Madison Square Garden, New York. He IS one of the busiest men of the Mount Vernon Bar, but his activities are by no means confined to his professional duties. He is a president of the Jefferson State Bank and holds the same position with the Illinois Banker's Fire Insurance Company, of Mount Vernon. As a lawyer he ranks among the best of an unusuall> strong bar and as a citizen he stands with those who have achieved prominence in the social, fraternal and political history of his county. He is a gentleman of fine address, popular manners, possessed of versatile powers as a public speaker and recognized as a leader in all causes.

Christopher Devalcourt Ham

Standing out distinctly as one of the central figures in the history of Jefferson county is the name which introduces this sketch, a name better known perhaps than any other in the specific line of endeavor with which it was so long and so honorably identified. Prominent in local business circles and equally so in other than his own field of effort, with a reputation in one of the most responsible and exacting callings which won him a name for distinguished service, second to none of his contemporaries there was not in his day a more enterprising and successful man than Christopher D. Ham, and it is with pardonable pride that the people of his native county revere his memory and ascribe to him high honor as one of their leading citizens. Mr. Ham, for many years an influential factor in the financial affairs of Jefferson county, belonged to an old and widely known family whose earliest representatives in Illinois appear to have been Moses and James Ham, natives of Virginia, who migrated westward in the pioneer period and settled in Jefferson county where in due time both became large cattle owners and prominent in public affairs. Moses Ham, the father of James, and grandfather of our subject, took an active part in county affairs, accumulated a handsome competency and stamped his individuality upon the community in which he lived as one of the influential men of his day and generation. James Ham was in the prime of life when he came to Jefferson county and like his father bore a prominent part in the settlement of the country and the development of its resources. He, too, became a noted figure in the early history of the county and for a number of years was one of its leading citizens and well-to-do men. In addition to large agricultural interests he conducted for some time a very successful mercantile business and later established a tannery, one of the first in the county, which like his other enterprises proved the source of a very liberal income.

Christopher Devalcourt Ham, son of James and Frances (Crisel) Flam, was born in Jefferson county, Illinois, September 10, 1838, and spent his childhood on the family homestead at Ham's Grove near the site of the present town of Opdyke. His early environment was conducive to moral as well as mental development, his home influence being such as to implant in his mind and heart those principles of rectitude which make for strong character and well rounded manhood, and while still young he laid broad and deep the foundation upon which his subsequent career was so solidly builded. With the object in view of fitting him for the legal profession his parents gave him the best educational advantages the country afforded and after the usual intellectual course in the schools of his own county and higher institutions elsewhere he entered the Law School of Cincinnati and in due time was graduated therefrom with a creditable record and was licensed to practice by the Supreme Court. Having no taste for the profession, however, he did not engage in the practice, but turning his attention to a pursuit more in harmony with his inclinations he soon became one of the leading merchants of Mount Vernon and made an honorable name in the business world. In connection with merchandising he was also engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods, and during the period of the Civil war conducted a very profitable business in this line in partnership with James D. Johnson, the firm thus constituted operating for several years the woolen mills at Mount Vernon. After a long and remarkably successful career as a merchant. Mr. Ham turned his attention to another important business enterprise, having been one of the leading movers in the organization of the old Carlin- Cross Bank, which subsequently became the Mount Vernon Bank and still later was re-organized as the Ham National Bank. He served as president of the institution, always kept in close touch with its affairs and to him as much as to any other man was due the rapid growth and continued success of the bank, during the early years of its history.

Mr. Ham was remarkably successful in his business affairs and everything to which he devoted his energies appears to have worked to his advantage. He was not only fortunate in a monetary sense but also manifested an abiding interest in whatever tended to advance his city and county materially and otherwise and for a number of years took an active part in public matters, serving several successive terms as a member of the local school board besides filling other positions of responsibility and trust.

Ann Grant. She was the daughter of Angus McNeil Grant, who came to lUinois from Kentucky about the year 1835 and subsequently became one of the leading business men of Jefferson county. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ham, only three of whom survive, namely : Mrs. Martha Ham Pavey, of Mount Vernon, whose husband, Louis G. Pavey, is cashier of the Ham National Bank; Sidney Breese Ham, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere, and Grant Taylor Ham, president of the Mount Vernon Brick Company and one of the city's most enterprising citizens. Three children died in infancy and Bernadine after reaching the age of young womanhood. Mr. Ham's distinguished business career has few parallels in the history of Jefferson county and he will live in the memory of his fellow citizens of Mount Vernon as one who contributed liberally toward the growth of the city and gave stability to its business and financial interests. He died at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, April I 7, 1 899, and left to his family and the community the heritage of a well spent life and an honorable name.

Christopher was one of three children, a sister having died while still quite young; and O. M. D. Ham, of Mount Vernon, the only surviving member of this old and highly esteemed family whose history during the last three quarters of a century has been closely identified with that of Jefferson county.

Angus McNeil Grant, father of Mrs. C. D. Ham, was an early settler of Jefferson county and one of her men of influence. His arrival, as already indicated, was about the year 1835, and in the course of a few years he became the possessor of a large amount of land, which soon increased greatly in value and to him also belongs the credit of adding very materially to the growth and business interests of the county seat. Soon after locating at Mount Vernon he engaged in merchandising which he carried on with marked success for a number of years and at one time he held the office of County Judge, besides being honored with various other positions and taking an influential part in pubhc affairs. He was one of the organizers and first president of the Carhn-Cross Bank, the first institution of the kind in Mount Vernon and for a number of years thereafter kept in close touch with monetary affairs and was long regarded as one of the sound, far-seeing and successful financiers of Jefferson county, and Southern Illinois. Despite his frail physique and modest demeanor he was an influential factor in promoting the advancement of Mount Vernon and the welfare of the people and to him as much as to any one man is the city indebted for its continuous growth and the prosperity for which it is now distinguished. Mr. Grant possessed business ability of a superior order and was also noted for his inflexible integrity and the high sense of honor which characterized all his relations with his fellow men. A man of noble aims and high ideals, he made his influence felt for good in business as well as in social and religious circles and for many years he was a noted character in his city and county and as a leader in the world of finance.

When a young man Mr. Grant married Miss Martha Anderson, of Tennessee, who proved a true wife and helpmeet until her lamented death in the year 1883, and who bore him three children: Mrs. Helena Ann Ham, of Mount Vernon; Mrs. M. M. Pool, of the same place, and Mrs. W. C. Pollock, who lives in Washington, D. C. Mr. Grant's long connection with the banking interests of Mount Vernon added much to the financial credit of the city and gave it an honorable reputation as a safe place for the judicious investment of capital as well as a desirable and attractive place of residence. He was always enterprising and public-spirited and gave his hearty support to all enterprises that tended to the advancement and progress of his fellow men.

Charles R. Keller

This representative business man and ex-county official fills a conspicuous place in the public life of Mount Vernon and it is with no little satisfaction that the following brief review of his career is allotted a place among those of the leading men of his city and county. The family of which Charles R. Keller is an honorable representative, is of Southern origin, and early in the eighteenth century the name was familiar in various parts of North Carolina, the state in which the subject's grandfather, John Keller, was born and reared. This ancestor, whose birth occurred on July 1 7, 1 804, moved with his parents to Bedford county, Tennessee, in 1814, and after a residence of about twenty years in the latter state he removed with his family to Jefferson county, Illinois, settling in 1841 in Elk Prairie township where he purchased land and engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1 847 he joined the United States army to take part in the war with Mexico, but shortly after reaching the scene of action contracted a disease which resulted in his death at the city of Jalapa, in January of the year following his enlistment.

Mary Nees, wife of John Keller, was born in Lincoln county, Tennessee, in 1805, and departed this life in Jefferson county, Illinois, December, 1 869. She bore her husband ten children, among whom was a son by the name of Willis A. Keller, whose birth occurred in Lincoln county, Tennessee, July 1 , 1 826, and who in 1841 accompanied his parents to Jefferson county, Illinois and grew to maturity in Elk Prairie township. Owing to unfavorable circumstances his educational training was but limited and at the age of ten years he left home to make his own way in the world, by working on a farm at very small wages. After continuing this kind of labor until his nineteenth year he married and set up a domestic establishment of his own on rented land, the lady who became his

WiUis A. Keller began farming for himself under circumstances which to most men would have been considered decidedly discouraging, but to one of his energy and optimism, the future appeared bright with promise, notwithstanding the sum total of his earthly capital at that time amounted to less than ten dollars. With a determination which knew no such word as fail, he resolutely addressed himself to his labors, and in due time succeeded in bettering his condition and laying the foundation of a career which ultimately resulted in one of the largest private fortunes in his township and earning for him much more than local repute as a progressive farmer and public-spirited citizen. Mr. Keller's industry became proverbial in his neighborhood and his economy, sound judgment and excellent management bore their legitimate fruits in a competency which not only placed him in independent circumstances but as stated above made him one of the financially solid and reliable men of the county. From the modest beginning alluded to he added to his savings until able to purchase land of his own from which time his advancement was more rapid and some idea of his success may be obtamed from the fact of his having accumulated a large and valuable estate ere he passed the years of his prime, his realty at one time in Jefferson county amounting to considerable in excess of one thousand acres of land to say nothing of valubale personal property and other private interests which tended to augment his fortune. Mrs. Mary (Dodds) Keller, who was born in Kentucky, November 29, 1829, died in Jefferson county, Illinois, July, 1865, leaving these children, namely: Sarah E., wife of George W. Yost; Judge C. A. Keller, of San Antonio, Texas; Amanda, who married Robert Lloyd, and Minnie, now Mrs. Julian Frochock, and Carrie Fly, wife of W. S. Fly.

In the year 1866 Willis Keller was united in marriage with Mrs. Lucy Jane (Adams) Rentchler, who bore him children as follows: Mrs. Mary J. Maxey, Mrs. Luphemia Jones, and Charles R. Keller, whose name introduces this sketch, all living in Mount Vernon and highly esteemd by the best people of the city.

Charles R.Keller, to a brief review of whose career the reader's attention is herewith respectfully invited, was born in Mount Vernon on the 18th day of April, 1872, and spent his early life in the city and on his father's farm, his experience in the country having a decided influence in fostering habits of industry and teaching lessons of self-reliance which subsequently resulted so greatly to his advantage. At the proper age he entered the public schools of his native place, between which and the country districts he devoted the time until completing the prescribed course when he became a student in the Southern Illinois Normal School at Carbondale, where he prosecuted his studies for a period of two years, during which time he made commendable progress and earned a creditable record. On leaving the above institution Mr. Keller yielded to a predilection in favor of a business life, accepting a clerkship with the mercantile firm of Culli Brothers & McAtee, of Mount Vernon, in whose employ he continued from 1890 until 1896, when he resigned his position to enter upon his duties as Clerk of the Circuit Court, to which office he was elected in the fall of the latter year. From his youth he had manifested a lively interest in public affairs and on attaining his majority became influential in political circles and one of the rising young Democrats of Jefferson county, and when it became necessary to select a candidate for the important and responsible office of Circuit Clerk, attention was directed to him as the most available man to select, and it was not long until his party friends rallied to his support and his nomination, his election following as a matter of course, not altogether, however, on account

Mr. Keller's official career proving creditable to himself and acceptable to the public he was renominated at the expiration of his term and in the election of 1900 was again victorious, defeating his competitor by a decisive majority and during his second incumbency proving an able and faithful public servant whose record fully met the expectations of the people. On retiring from the clerkship Mr. Keller devoted two years to the grocery business but at the expiration of that time severed his connection with merchandising and in 1906 entered the Ham National Bank as assistant cashier, which position he still worthily holds. In his present capacity as in his official relations with the public he discharges his duties in the faithful and conscientious manner characteristic of the man, demonstrating clerical abilities of a high order and a familiarity with finance and matters relating thereto which render his services especially valuable to the management of the institution with which he is identified.

Mr. Keller is a gentleman of high character and strict integrity whose worth has been duly appreciated and rewarded and whose name has ever been above the suspicion of dishonor. The universal esteem in which he is held by the people of his city and county bears eloquent testimony to his many sterling qualities while the honors conferred upon him by his fellow citizens and the confidence reposed in him by his present employers show him to be loyal to every trust and worthy of the support and confidence with which he is regarded. Despite the fact of his never having, assumed the duties and responsibilities of the marriage relation Mr. Keller is an influential factor in the social life of Mount Vernon and takes an active interest in all movements having for their object the amelioration of the human ills, and the general prosperity and welfare of the body politic. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles, in all of which organizations he takes a leading part besides being honored with important positions from time to time.

John Stewart Bog An

An enumeration of the men who won honor and public recognition and added to the reputation of the communities in which they acted their parts in life would be incomplete without specific mention of the well remembered citizen whose career is briefly reviewed in the following lines - a gentleman, who, by the master strokes of strong mentality, backed by sheer force of will, rose to an honorable position in Jefferson county and achieved more than local prominence in the various lines of activity to which his energies were devoted. John Stewart Bogan was a native of Shenandoah county, Virginia, and the oldest of a family of twelve children, whose parents, Benjamin and Sarah A. (Ott) Bogan, were also born in the Old Dominion state, the father in Spottsylvania county, December 30, 1795, the mother in the town of Woodstock on April 18th of the year 1801. The subject, whose birth occurred in Woodstock on the 6th day of March, 1820, spent his early hfe in his native town, but when a mere youth accompanied his parents on their removal to Washington, D. C, where in due time he entered upon an apprenticeship to learn the printer's trade. The office in which he laid the foundation for his subsequent career as a journalist was conducted by Blair & Reed, one of the old reliable publishing firms of the national capital, the Washington Globe, which they issued.

having long been one of the most noted and influential political newspapers in the United States. Frank P. Blair, one of the editors at that time, one of the strong and forceful men in the field of journalism, subsequently became a prominent figure in public affairs, serving with distinction as major-general during the War of the Rebellion, and afterwards achieving an honorable record in the National Congress, besides running for the Vice-Presidency on the ticket with Horatio Seymour. During John S. Bogan's apprenticeship, he became well acquainted with many of the distinguished men of the country and it frequently fell to him to carry proof sheets to such public characters as Henry Clay, General McComb, secretary of the treasury; Gen. Lewis Cass, secretary of war; John Forsythe, secretary of state, and a number of others who contributed articles to the Globe, and bore leading parts in the history of the nation at that time. After completing his period of service and becoming a proficient typo, Mr. Bogan took a case in the office of the Globe and at the end of four years resigned his position on account of ill health and about 1 843 engaged in agricultural pursuits a few miles from the Capital City. Thinking to better his condition in the West where he was satisfied more favorable opportunities awaited young men with ambition to rise in the world Mr. Bogan after a few years disposed of his interests in Maryland and came to Jefferson county, Illinois, casting his lot among the people at Grand Prairie, where he resumed farming and continued to reside until 1851, when he gave up the pursuit of agriculture and moved to Mount Vernon. Shortly after locating at the seat of justice, he established the first newspaper ever published in Jefferson county, giving to the new publication the appropriate name of "The Jeffersonian," and bringing to the enterprise a practical experience which augured well for its success. Under his able business and editorial management, the paper grew steadily, if at first somewhat slowly in public favor, but during the succeeding two years the circulation and advertising patronage were such as to put the enterprise on a paying basis, and it became a welcome visitor to the majority of homes in the county, and quite popular.

Through the medium of the Jeffersonian Mr. Bogan soon became one of the influential party leaders of the county, the name of the paper indicating his political faith, and giving him prestige in local Democratic circles. In recognition of valuable political services, he was nominated in 1 854 for the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court, and his triumphant election the same year and the able and faithful manner in which he conducted the office during his first term paved the way for subsequent re-nominations as is indicated by the fact that during the thirty-four years ensuing he was regularly re-elected to the position and held it with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the public. Mr. Bogan's continuous retention in one of the most responsible offices within the gift of the people attests the high esteem in which he was held, regardless of party ties, the most signal instance of public confidence being afforded by the campaign of 1 860, when his election lacked but three votes of being unanimous. On learning the result of this election his father, then living in Washington City, was so elated that he showed the returns to his warm personal and political friend Hon. Stephen A, Douglas, with the comment that, "His scrub boy in Illinois could make a much better race for his office than the popular 'Little Giant' could for the Presidency." Mr. Bogan proved an able and popular official and his long period of service during which his duty was ever worthily discharged, and his record above criticism, has few, if any parallels, in the history of the state. In addition to his official functions he took an active interest in other enterprises and put forth every effort at his command to promote the material prosperity of Mount Vernon and Jefferson county and the welfare of the people.

On voluntarily retiring from the clerkship in 1 888 he turned his attention to other lines of business and from that time until his lamented death he was a prominent and influential figure in the civic life of the community and a leader in public affairs. He assisted in establishing the Jefferson County Agricultural Society and for a period of thirty years served as its secretary and to him also belongs the credit of being one of the founders of the First Presbyterian church of Mount Vernon and an early member of the Lodge, No. 13, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of the same city. He always looked after the interests of these organizations and contributed as much perhaps as any other man to their growth and success and as an humble and sincere Christian his everyday life beautifully exemplified the teachings of the great head of the church and induced many to abandon the ways of sin and seek the higher way which leads to happiness and peace.

On September 20, 1842, in Montgomery county, Maryland, John S. Bogan and Louisa M. Brunet were united in the holy bonds of wedlock, the ceremony being solemnized by the Rev. John C. Smith, a distinguished Presbyterian divine of Washington City, and for several years a warm friend and trusted adviser of President Lincoln. This union, which proved almost ideally happy, resulted in the birth of eleven children, and was terminated by the hand of death several years after the devoted and beloved old couple had celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage. The names of the children born to them, all of whom are living, are as follows: Mrs. Sarah E. Goodale, Mrs. Mary C. Goodrich, Mrs. Anna L. Pace, W. V. Bogan and J. F. Bogan.

Mr. Bogan departed this life February 19, 1900, and his death was the occasion of universal sorrow throughout Jefferson county, in all parts of which he was well known and highly esteemed. The following tribute to his worth as a man and citizen which appeared

"When Uncle Johnny Bogan breathed his last, one of nature's noblemen and one of Jefferson county's grand old men passed to his eternal reward. No man was better known and more highly respected by all classes and conditions of our people. He was a firm and steadfast friend, and is not known to have had an enemy in the world. He did not measure men by their standing in society or the official positions they occupied or the wealth of this world's goods they possessed, and while he numbered as his friends all in these circles with whom he had an acquaintance, he was the especial friend and champion of the poor and lowly, the down trodden and oppressed. No one of this class ever appealed to him in vain for sympathy or assistance. He made lots of money in his time but invariably divided to the last farthing with the needy and suffering, and died a comparatively poor man. The death of such a public benefactor is of course universally regretted. His whole life was devoted to making others happy. He lost sight of self and absolutely stinted himself that he might contribute to the relief of others."

John R. Allen

A prominent citizen and successful business man, of Mount Vernon. Few residents of Jefferson county are as well known and highly esteemed as J. R. Allen, to whom more, perhaps, than to any other is the city indebted for its present reputation as an important business center, and the county for the continuous prosperity which has characterized its history in recent years. Mr. Allen has been a life long resident of Jefferson county and belongs to one of the oldest families in this part of Illinois. When the country was still a wilderness, in which dwelt wild animals and trodden by the feet of the savage, one, Rhodam Allen, a native of Tennessee, and a typical pioneer, settled in what is now known as Jefferson county in 1819. At the time of his arrival there were only a few sparse settlements within the present bounds of the county and during the first few years he experienced all the hardships and vicissitudes incident to life in a new and undeveloped country. He died many years ago and was the first person laid to rest in the Old Union grave yard, the first place in Jefferson county consecrated to the burial of the dead.

Rev. Rhodam Allen, a son of the above, came to Jefferson county with his parents and in due time became one of the most noted Methodist divines of his day. He was among the first to preach the Gospel in this part of Illinois and during a long, active and very successful ministry organized a number of churches in various parts of the state and led thousands of his fellow men into the kingdom of God. He nas not only a preacher of wide repute and much more than ordinary ability and power, but was honored as a citizen and a leader in many important enterprises. He was called from the scenes of his earthly labors amid triumphs after a long and useful life, dying early in the fifties and leaving to his descendants the memory of an honored name which they value as a priceless heritage.

Among the children of Rev. Rhodam Allen was a son by the name of George W., who was born in Tennessee in 1810, and at the age of nine came to Illinois with his parents and from that time until death, in the year 1 866, was an honored and influential citizen of Jefferson county. Eliza M. Daniels, wife of George Allen, was born in Kentucky and spent the greater part of her life in Jefferson county, Illinois, and survived her husband but a short time, dying in 1867. This couple were the parents of eight children whose names are as follows: Caroline P. died in the year 1908; John R., whose name introduces this sketch; Mary, deceased; Mrs.

John R. Allen was born October 1 0, 1 836, in Jefferson county, Illinois, and spent his early years in close touch with nature on the farm, where he learned the lessons of industry and thrift and self-reliance, which had much to do in shaping his subsequent life. In the country school near the homestead he obtained a knowledge of the common English branches and later attended a six-months term in Mount Vernon, which terminated his educational experiences. Reared to agricultural pursuits and to habits of industry he bore his part in the cultivating of the farm and like a dutiful son with the interests of his parents at heart, did not leave home on attaining his majority as most young men do, but remained with his father until his twenty-fifth year, taking upon himself many of the latter's burdens and responsibilities. In 1861, when treason grew bold and threatened to disrupt the Union, Mr. Allen did not long hesitate between the comforts and restfulness of home and the hardships and dangers of war; appreciating the perils which menaced the government he enlisted that year in the Sixtieth Illinois Infantry and within a comparatively short time accompanied his command to the front where during the three years following he shared with his comrades all the varied experiences of camp-march, campaign and battle, throughout all of which he discharged his duty ably and faithfully and earned an honorable record as a defender of the flag. His regiment was in the Army of the Cumberland and he took part in all the battles in which it was engaged, including Missionary Ridge, Dalton, Rocky-face Gap, and other engagements of the Atlanta campaign, receiving in the action last named a painful gunshot wound in the hand. After the fall of Atlanta he marched with Sherman's army to the sea, and at the close of the war returned to Jefferson county and in a short time thereafter engaged in merchandising at Mount Vernon, where during the fifteen years ensuing he

At the expiration of the time indicated Mr. Allen embarked in the grain business in connection with which he also operated a mill, the two enterprises engaging his attention for a period of fourteen years and proving very profitable. Possessing mature judgment and business ability of a high order he so managed his various interests as to realize liberal returns and at the end of the time was enabled to discontmue dealing in gram and to retire with a comfortable competency, though he still retains his milling interests besides being identified with several local enterprises which yield him an ample income. In 1901 he assisted in organizing the Third National Bank of Mount Vernon and was elected the first president of the institution. In office he demonstrated rare executive capacity and did much to popularize the institution and make it one of the most successful banks in the southern part of the state. He is still a member of the board of directors and as such devotes considerable attention to financial matters causing his services to be greatly appreciated by officials and stockholders and others interested in the institution.

Mr. Allen was also an influential spirit in establishing the Mount Vernon Car Manufacturing Company, one of the largest industrial enterprises in the city, and has been a director of the same ^ver since it began operations. He is president of the Mount Vernon Ice & Storage Company, sustains the same relation to the Jefferson Milling Company. In addition to these interests he also owns considerable real estate. His business career has been characterized by continuous prosperity and he is now one of the solid men of the city and county with a reputation in financial circles much more than local.

As a citizen he ranks among the most enterprising and progressive in this part of the state, being wide-awake and public-spirited, alive to every interest calculated to promote the advancement of the community and benefit his fellow men. Although practically retired so far as active participation in business is concerned he keeps in close touch with the world of affairs and the trend of modern thoughts, being well informed on the leading questions and issues before the people and an intelligent observer whose counsel and advise on many subjects carry weight and influence.

The domestic chapter in Mr. Allen's history dates from 1876, when he was united in the bonds of wedlock with Miss Belle Maxey, the daughter of Charles H. and Sarah Maxey, of Mount Vernon, the Maxey's being among the prominent pioneer families of Jefferson county and for many years actively identified with the growth and development of the country.

Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Allen, two of whom are living, viz., Albert, of Mount Vernon, and Alice, who married Dr. Charles W. Hall, one of the leading physicians and surgeons of the city, Mrs. Hall being the youngest of the family, and her brother third in order of birth. Herbert and George H., both deceased, were the oldest children.

Mr. Allen is a Republican and well versed in politics, but aside from servmg several terms as Alderman has held no elective office nor aspired to public position. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, with which religious body his wife and children are also identified.

G. Gale Gilbert

As a lawyer and public official, G. Gale Gilbert, of Mount Vernon, ranks with the distinguished citizens of Jefferson county and occupies a conspicuous place among the leading men of his profession in Southern Illinois. No other resident of the community is more actively identified with its development and progress and none has so indelibly impressed his personality upon the city of his residence or exercised a stronger influence in directing enterprises which tend to the advancement of its business interests. The Gilbert family is am.ong the oldest in this part of the state, its history and the history of Jefferson county, being very closely interwoven ever since the pioneer period. The first of the name of which anything definite is known, appears to have been one Eli Gilbert, a native of Maine and a representative of one of the old English families of that commonwealth. He migrated to Ohio many years ago, in which state his son, Philo Gilbert, grandfather of the subject, was born and reared. Shortly after Southern Illinois was opened for settlement, Philo Gilbert moved to Jefferson county, purchased a tract of government land in what is now McClellan township and in due time developed a good farm and became one of the leading citizens of the community. He was among the first settlers of the above township, took an active part in opening the county's resources and as an enterprising man of affairs, weilded a wide influence and was universally respected. Among his children was a son by the name of James Eli Gilbert, whose birth occurred on the family homestead in McClellan township and who also became a tiller of the soil and a citizen of much more than average intelligence and influence. A successful farmer and stock raiser, he was also an active participant in public affairs, having served the people of his township in various official positions, including among others that of School Treasurer and Tax Collector and some time in the "eighties" he was the Republican nominee for County Treasurer, but failed of election by reason of the overwhelming strength of the opposition. He was a man of strong character, honorable in all of his dealings and was always held in the highest esteem by his neighbors and fellow citizens. He spent his entire life near the place of his birth and was called from earth August 28, 1 889.

Susan Ford, wife of James E. Gilbert, was born in Jefferson county, Illinois, and departed this life in the year i 880. Her father, Solomon Ford, a native of North Carolina, moved his family to Jefferson county in an early day and here spent the remainder of his life, living to an advanced age. The reputation of his family is second to that of no other in the county. James E. and Susan Gilbert were the parents of five children, the subject of this sketch being the oldest of the family. The others are: Mrs. Eunice S. Louth, of Mount Vernon ; John P. Gilbert, a professor in the State University at Urbana; Mrs. Hattie C. Schaffer, of Princeton, Indiana; and Menzis E. Gilbert, a druggist, of Jacksonville, this state. Some time after the death of the mother of these children, Mr. Gilbert married Emily A. Gillett, of Saline county, Illinois, who bore him three children, namely: Arthur, of Centralia, and Mrs. Gertrude Farris and Glen Gilbert, of Mount Vernon.

G. Gale Gilbert, whose birth occurred in McClellan township on the 27th of November, 1867, spent his early life on the family homestead and while still a lad became familiar with the rugged duties of the farm. Reared under wholesome home influences, he early acquired habits of industry and grew up with a proper appreciation of the dignity of honest toil. At the proper age he attended the public schools of his neighborhood and later took a high school course in Mount Vernon, the discipline thus received being afterwards supplemented by a more thorough training in the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he made commendable progress in his studies and earned an honorable record as a diligent and enterprising student.

Having decided to make the legal profession his life work, Mr. Gilbert, shortly after finishing his scholastic education, entered the office of N. H. Moss, of Mount Vernon, under whose able instruction he continued until his admission to the bar on May 7, 1891 , since which date he has forged rapidly to the front as a capable lawyer and judicious practitioner, being at this time recognized as one of the leading members of his profession m the field to which his talents are principally confined. His career presents a series of continued successes such as few men of his age and experience attain and during the last ten years, few important cases have been tried in the courts of Jefferson county m which he has not appeared as counsel, besides being interested in a large and growing legal business in neighbormg counties.

Mr. Gilbert has never ceased being a student, and his aim has been to become a good lawyer and stand as near as possible in the very front ranks of his profession. To this end he keeps in close touch with the trend of current legal thought and familiar with the leading authorities, this with his knowledge of the basic principles of jurisprudence and the ability to apply the same to practice, enabling him to cope with the ablest of opposmg counsel and in the majority of cases to gain verdicts for his clients. He is careful and methodical in the preparation of legal papers and their presentation to the court are very thorough in the matters of detail as well as in the general principles of his cases, while his ability as an advocate makes him a formidable, though at all times a fair and courteous adversary.

Mr. Gilbert served from 1905 to 1907 as City Attorney of Mount Vernon and in 1 896 was the Republican nominee for Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson county, but failed of election on account of the then normally strong Democratic majority. He is an active and influential politician, a trusted leader of the Republican party in his own and other Southern Illinois counties, besides enjoying a wide acquaintance in political circles throughout the state. In addition to his general practice, he is attorney for various enterprises.

among which are the Mount Vernon Car Manufacturing Company, the Third National Bank, of which is also a director, the Citizens Gas, Electric & Heating Company, and the Mount Vernon Loan & Building Association. He is also a director of I. G. Gee & Co. Bank at Waltonville, and sustains a similar relation to the banks of Woodlawn and Kell, his connection with these several interests indicating the confidence which the management repose in his ability and judgment, besides being a compliment to his high standing as a faithful and honorable business man. In addition to his successes in his profession and in politics Mr. Gilbert is a capable and prosperous business man.

In the year 1906 Mr. Gilbert was appointed postmaster of Mount Vernon and has since conducted the office with his characteristic business ability, discharging the duties with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the public. Since taking charge of the office, he has made many changes and mtroduced a number of reforms and it is now conceded by all with any knowledge of postal affairs as well as by the department, to be one of the most methodical and best managed offices in the state.

Mr. Gilbert was married m April, 1893, to Miss Catherine Harman, of Jefferson county, daughter of the late John Q. Harman, a former prominent citizen of the county and the first Clerk of the Appellate Court at Mount Vernon, of which position he was the incumbent at the time of his death. Three children have been born to this union, namely : James Harman, Helen May and George Gale, Jr. In his fraternal relations Mr. Gilbert is a member of the Pythian Brotherhood, belonging to Jefferson Lodge, No. 121, and he is also an influential worker in Lodge No. 819, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Harry F. Bray

Proprietor of the Bray Engineering Company of Mount Vernon, and one of the leaders of industry in Southern IHinois, is an American by birth, but belongs to a distinguished English family, whose history is intimately interwoven with that of the land of his forefathers. Thomas D. Bray, the subject's father, was a seafaring man, who spent many years in the English navy and in due time rose to a position of prominence in that branch of service. By a series of promotions he was gradually advanced until becoming commander of a vessel and for brave and gallant conduct was knighted under the name of Sir Thomas Dyer Bray, by which title he is still known in the naval circles of Great Britain. Captain Bray resigned his commission some time in the sixties and in 1866 came to the United States, locating in Chicago, lUinois: where he remained about fourteen years, removing at the expiration of that time to Southern California, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying in 1896.

Sir Joseph Lewis Bray, a brother of Thomas Dyer Bray, was also a distinguished officer in the British naval service, and at one time was Governor of the Island Malta, the largest and most important naval stations in the world, the position being one of great responsibility and earning for those filling it especial honors as officers of the crown. Sir William Bray, the subject's grandfather, also a seaman by profession, attained to high standing in the navy and at the time of his death, held the rank of Commodore. He was killed about the year 1869 in the life saving service and left to his descendants the memory of a useful life and an honorable name, the luster of which has never been tarnished by the commission of a single unworthy act.

mother of the subject of this sketch, was a daughter of J. M. Browning, to whom belonged the unique distinction of having been the first white child born south of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, then the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad. Mrs. Bray, who was one of three children born at the same time grew to maturity at Browning Hill, about five miles west of Benton, Franklin county, Illinois, but spent the greater part of her married life in Chicago and California, dying in the latter state a number of years ago. Captain and Fannie M. Bray were the parents of ten children, five of whom are living, as follows: Walter, of Bowlmg Green, Ohio; Harold L., of Chicago; Thomas D., also of that city; Mabel E., who lives in Los Angeles, California, and Harry F., the subject of this review.

Harry F. Bray was born in Chicago in the year 1868 and spent the early years of his life in his native city, receiving a practical education in the public schools. Endowed with strong mental powers and a decided taste for mechanical pursuits he yielded to a natural desire when a mere youth by becoming an apprentice to a marine engineer, and after acquiring efficiency and skill as a workmen devoted the ensuing sixteen years to the profession, the greater part of the time on deep water ships, plying the Pacific coast. Resigning his position in the marine service at the expiration of the period indicated, he spent the succeeding three years as a locomotive engineer, but in 1 902 severed his connections with the road and returned to Chicago, where during the five years ensuing he was engaged in the heating and plumbing business.

Disposing of his interests in the above city Mr. Bray, in April, 1907, purchased his present site in Mount Vernon and established what has since been known as the Bray Engineering Company, one of the leading industries of the place and an enterprise whose development and growth has fully realized his expectations, as the present wide reputation of the plant and the large and constantly increasing business abundantly attest. In connection with contracting for the erection of various types of engines, Mr. Bray commands a large and lucrative patronage in the lines of plumbing, heating, electrical work and sewage, in all of which his technical training and experience have made his services especially valuable.

In the building up of the large industry of which he is the head and general manager, Mr. Bray has displayed executive ability of a high order and a technical knowledge of every branch of the business which shows him a master of his calling and endowed with capacity to inaugurate and carry forward large and important enterprises. Blessed with a clear brain, analytical mind and sound judgm.ent, with the necessary tact to direct these and other attributes in the right direction, he has moved steadily forvvaid from one achievement to another, overcoming all obstacles calculated to hinder or impede his progress and moulding circumstances to suit his purposes until he now occupies a commanding position in industrial circles with encouraging prospects of still greater success as the years go by. His career, characterized by consecutive effort and continuous advancement, has been eminently creditable, while the evidence of thorough preparation and the laudable ambition to be satisfied with nothing less than the highest attainment render his story of especial value to the young man who contemplates making mechanical pursuits his life work.

Mr. Bray has traveled extensively and mingled much with men, thus adding very materially to his experience and affording the means of obtaining a valuable practical knowledge such as educational institutions do not impart. He has sailed every sea and nearly all the great inland waters and visited all the most important parts of the world, besides visiting m.any places of historic interest on both continents and acquiring a knowledge of the manners and cus- toms of the people of the different countries traversed. His has indeed been a varied and interesting experience and his relations with his fellow men under so many difficult circumstances enables him to take broad views of life and duty and gives him an influence and leadership which only the man of the world can exercise.

"Much depends upon being well born," in which respect Mr. Bray has been fortunate and he has every reason to fee! proud of his birthright and to keep untarnished the escutcheon of the honorable family to which he belongs. As stated in preceding paragraphs both his father and his grandfather were knighted for duty bravely and faithfully performed and the high positions to which they rose, in the service of their country were honorably won and worthily held. From those sturdy ancestors Mr. Bray has inherited not a few of the sterling characteristics that have made him an influential factor in the business world and a leader among his fellow men, but he makes no undue display of these qualities nor obtrudes the history of his antecedents upon unappreciative ears. With all of his experience, training and success he is one of the most modest and companionable of men. Of a pleasing presence and attractive personality he is easily approachable, being a favorite in the social circle, popular with all classes and conditions of his fellow citizens and one of the strong and forceful factors of the city in which he resides.

The domestic life of Mr. Bray dates from the year 1892, when he was happily married to Miss Alice Ward, of Benton, Illinois, daughter of Thomas Ward, one of the early settlers of the city and a pioneer of Franklin county. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Bray has been made bright by the presence of one child, a daughter by the name of Winifred Estella, whose birth occurred on the 8th of October, 1893, and who is now an interesting young lady in her sixteenth year, a favorite with her companions and the pride of the family circle, of which she is such an important part.

Although well informed on the leading questions of the day and abreast of the times on all matters of public import, Mr. Bray is not a politician nor an office seeker, being essentially a business man and content with the simple title of citizen. Nevertheless he manifests an abiding interest in the material advancement of Mount Vernon and the social and moral progress of the people and to the extent of his ability is ever ready to encourage all laudable means for the common good. He is a Mason of high rank, including among other degrees, that of Sir Knight, and is also a member of the Pythian Brotherhood and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Capt. John Riley Moss

In the death of the honored subject of this memoir on the 2d day of October, 1 908, there passed from earth another member of the group of distinctively representative men who were instrumental ' in building up the material interests of Jefferson county and leaders in those things, which made for the social and intellectual advancement of their respective communities. His nan^e is familiar, not alone to the representative people of the county to whose development and progress he contributed so conspicuously but to all who are informed concerning the history of Southern Illinois. A pioneer of this state and for many years one of the foremost men of the section of country honored by his citizenship, Capt. John Riley Moss impressed his individuality upon the times in which he lived and his long connection with the growth and prosperity of his native county will cause his name to be enshrined in the memories of his contemporaries as one of the distinguished citizens of his day and generation.

From the most reliable data obtainable the Moss family is supposed to be of Norse or Scandinavian origin, although its first representative in America came from England early in the colonial period, nnd settled at various points along the New England coast. The Captain's immediate ancestors migrated to the South a number of years ago and were among the sterling yeomanry of North Carolina, his father. Ransom Moss, having been a native of that state and his mother, Anna (Johnson) Moss, of Louisa county, Virginia. Ransom Moss was twice married, his first wife, Susan Avant, who came to Illinois from Tennessee in 1818, with her husband and settled in what is now Shiloh township, Jefferson county, being the first women laid to rest in the old Shiloh cemetery, one of the first places in the county consecrated to the burial of the dead. Mr. Moss and wife were among the first settlers of the above township and figured conspicuously in the early history of the community, which they helped to establish. Anna Johnson became the wife of Mr. Moss on his second marriage, the two wives bearing him nine children in all, the Captain being one of the youngest of the family and a small boy when his father died.

Capt. John Riley Moss was born May 13, 1830. on the old home place in Shiloh township, Jefferson county, and, as already stated, was a mere child when his widowed mother assumed the responsibility of the family by reason of his father's untimely death. Reared to agricultural pursuits and early obliged to contribute to the support of his mother he spent his youthful years in close touch with the soil and was enabled to obtain but a limited education in such indifferent schools as the country in those days afforded. On reaching the years of manhood he selected agriculture for his vocation and in due time became one of the leading farmers of his township and perhaps the largest stock raiser of the county, being the first man to introduce Cotswold sheep, Jersey cattle and the Berkwall's history of JEFFERSON CO., ILL. 427 shire breed of hogs into this part of IHinois and leading the way to a general improvement in the matter of live stock among the farmers of the county. He was enterprising in all the term implies and as a farmer and stock raiser had few equals and no superiors, cultivating the soil by the most approved methods and taking advanced grounds in arousing and maintaining an interest in progressive agriculture. His financial success was commensurate with the energy, judgment and foresight displayed in his undertakings and in due itme he became not only one of the well-to-do farmers of the county, but also one of the leading men of affairs and public-spirited citizens. Consequently it naturally followed that he should become one of the promoters and organizers of the Jefferson County Agricultural Society, which for a number of years gave annual exhibitions of live stock and farm products and accomplished much for improvement along those lines.

When the safety of the government was put in jeopardy by " armed forces of rebellion, Mr. Moss was among the first Jefferson county's patriotic sons to tender his services to the Union and not long after his enlistment in Company C, Sixtieth Regiment lUinois Volunteer Infantry, in 1861, he was at the front discharging his duty as became a gallant defender of the nation's honor and sharing the fortunes and dangers of war under many trying and hazardous circumstances. Immediately after the organization of Company C he was made its captain and as such served with an honorable record until discharged by reason of disability in 1863. On September 5th of the following year he was appointed Deputy Provost Marshal of the Eleventh District and not long after taking charge of his office was put in command of a detachment of troops and ordered to take a fort on Skillet Fork river, held by a number of disloyal men, and to capture all such who were in hiding or in other ways seeking to evade military service. This duty he discharged in such a manner as to make his name a terror to the disloyal element in his district and as Supervisor of the enrolling and drafting of soldiers throughout his jurisdiction, he also rendered valuable service to the state and earned an honorable place in the category of her brave and loyal sons. He became a member of Coleman Post, No. 508, Grand Army of the Republican, of Mount Vernon, upon its organization and was active for many years in its councils, serving as commander of the same. At the time of his demise the honorary pallbearers at his funeral were selected from among his old comrades.

At the close of the war Captain Moss resumed the peaceful pursuits of civil life on his farm in Shiloh township and as stated in a preceding paragraph rose to conspicuous place among the leading agriculturists and stock raisers of the county, becoming influential in public affairs and taking a active part in the political issues of the times. His services to the Republican party made him one of its most influential leaders in the county of Jefferson, but when its policies were in his judgment unsatisfactory or failed to meet the demands of the people he did not hesitate to dissent therefrom and appeal to the bar of public opinion as was attested by his election in 1 878 to the Thirty-first General Assembly as an independent candidate. His career in that body met the expectations of his friends of all parties throughout the county and proved eminently satisfactory to his constituency as well as creditable to himself. He served on a number of important committees where his judgment, knowledge and wide grasp of public questions were duly recognized and appreciated and in the general deliberations of the chamber he proved a ready and able debater and his opinions always commanded the respect of his fellow members.

and was one of the best informed men on the pioneer period in his part of the country. At the time of his death and for many years previous he was an active member of the IHinois State Historical Society. In recognition of his researches and other services he was made president of the Pioneers' Association of Jefferson county, in which capacity he was instrumental in arousing an interest in local history which is still maintained and by means of which much valuable information has been collected and placed on record. He also gathered much important data on the early history of Shiloh township and put it in form for future references, besides taking a leading part in promoting the intellectual advancement of the community by means of social and literary clubs, which under his judicious management resulted in considerable enthusiasm and became educational factors of wide influence. One of the most important of these societies was a debating club in which the leading citizens of the township were active participants and through which much was accomplished in developing the art of public discourse and preparing not a few young men for lives of honor and usefulness. Later the organization partook more of the character of a literary society and among its members were a number of men who have smce made their mark in the world, to say nothing of the good work done in cultivating a taste for literature among the people of the community, in general. Under the leadership of Captain Moss, Shiloh easily took the lead of her sister townships in literary culture and her citizens have ever since sustained a creditable reputation for general information and a high order of intelligence. In addition to his activity and influence in organizing and maintaining for a number of years the various societies referred to, the captain was also president of the Southern Illinois Fox Hunting Association and always took delight in this means of recreation. He was a true sportsman and a liberal patron of all legitimate means for promoting an interest in outdoor amusements and to him more than to any other member was the above association indebted for its popularity, during the period of its existence. In his rehgious behef Captain Moss subscribed to the Methodist creed and for many years was an active and influential member of the church, having figured prominently in establishing a number of organizations in his own and other counties and risen to a position of considerable prominence in ecclesiastical circles. In all of his relations his conduct was that of an earnest and sincere disciple whose daily life was consistent with his religious profession and who ever tried to realize in himself his high ideals of Christian manhood and citizenship. The Captain was essentially a man of the people with the best interests of his fellows at heart and there were few in his county who were as universally respected or stood as high as he in the confidence and esteem of the public.

Permelia C. Allen, who became the wife of Captain Moss, was born in Jefferson county, Illinois, November 23, 1835. Her father, a native of Tennessee, and a prominent farmer and local minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, was one of the leading citizens of the county and for many years an influential factor in public affairs. Her mother, who maiden name was Eliza Daniel, came to Illinois from her native state of Kentucky and spent the greater part of her life in the county of Jefferson. Mrs. Moss was a woman of many excellent traits of character, a devoted Christian and like her husband, an active worker in the local Methodist Episcopal church to which she belonged. She departed this life in Mount Vernon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Rufus Grant, on the 1 6th day of March, 1 908, and left to mourn her loss a large circle of devoted relatives and admiring friends.

Norman H. Moss, a leading member of the Jefferson County Bar, whose sketch appears elsewhere in these pages; Mrs. E. W. Neal, of Knoxville, Tennessee; Dr. Harry C. Moss, of Albion, Illinois; Mrs. Rufus Grant, of Mount Vernon, and Mrs. Addie May Mc- Anally, deceased, Brst wife of Dr. John T. McAnally, of Carbondale, Illinois. The death of Captain Moss, on the date mentioned in the beginning of this review, occurred at the home of his son. Dr. Harry Moss, of Albion, and caused universal sorrow among his many friends and fellow citizens, especially those with whom he was brought into intimate relations and who had learned to appreciate his splendid powers and prize his many estimable qualities. His was indeed a life fraught with great good to the world and among his fellow citizens of Jefferson county his name will long be honored as one of the leading men of the time in which he lived and wrought.

Holding distinctive precedence as a captain of industry, the subject of this sketch fills a large place in the manufacturing and business circles of his own and other states and as executive head of one of the largest and most important industrial enterprises in Southern Illinois, has earned a reputation second to that of none of his compeers. Beginning life under many unfavorable circumstances and early obliged to rely entirely upon his own resources, his career has indeed, been truly remarkable and to him in the true sense of the term belongs the proud title of a "self-made man.

W. C. Arthurs, president of the Mount Vernon Car Manufacturing Company, and one of the leading citizens of his city and state, springs from sturdy Scotch ancestors who in their native land went by the name of MacArthurs, but during a long period of residence in the United States the descendants of the original immigrant to this county have gradually dropped the prefix, leaving the patronymic as it now appears.

Joseph W. Arthurs, the subject's grandfather, was a native of North Carolina, where his birth occurred m 1806. He left that state in an early day and migrated to lUjnois, settling at Hillsboro, Montgomery county, where he worked for some time at the tailor's trade, dying there in the year 1849. Joseph W. Arthurs married Lydia Morrison, November 26, 1835, who was born in Iredell county. North Carolina, April 9, 1810, and died at Camden, South Carolina, on the 13th of March, 1844. Her father, James Morrison, also a native of North Carolina, was born in the county of Iredell, November 30, 1 769, and her mother, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Grace V/ilson, was born in the same state and county on January 1 7th of the year 1 779.

Among the children of Joseph W. Arthurs and wife was a son by the name of James M. Arthurs, who was born in Hillsboro, Illinois, and who in early life learned the trade of blacksmithing which he followed for many years in his native town. He entered the army at the breaking out of the Civil war and served till the downfall of the Confederacy, participating in a number of bloody battles and earning an especially honorable record as a brave and gallant soldier. He was a member of the Ninth Illinois Infantry, Colonel Phillips' regiment, and for meritorious conduct was promoted second lieutenant of Company H, which office he held when discharged at the close of the war. Some time in the nineties he moved to Kansas and departed this life at Hutchinson, that state, in the year 1903.

obtainable, appears to have been a descendant of the celebrated Von Cram family of Germany. She was a woman of many sterling qualities greatly esteemed by all who knew her, and her death, which occurred on October 1, 1865, was felt as a personal loss in the community where she spent the greater part of her life. Latinus M. Cram, father of Mrs. Arthurs, was born at Portland, Maine, October 30, 1810. He married at Norfolk, Virginia, A.ugust 13, 1836, Ann Hart, whose birth occurred in Suffolk county on Long Island, New York, July 19, 1811, and who belonged to one of the old and well known families of that part of the Empire state. When a mere lad Latimus Cram was bound as a cabin boy on a vessel plying the Atlantic and ever afterwards followed the sea. gradually rising from his original humble station to become master of a ship, a position he held for many years. He was drowned in the Ohio river, near Cairo, Illinois, April 9, 1 842. His widow survived him many years, dying at Hillsboro, December 27, 1893.

The Harts were among the early residents of Suffolk county. Long Island, Philetus Hart, father of Ann Hart, having been born there on the 6th day of May, 1 768. His wife, Mary Hart, also a native of the same county, was born September 7.1, 1 778, and died in the city of New York in February, 1 83 1 , her husband departing this life in September of the previous year, 1830.

^ . C. Arthurs, whose name introduces this sketch, is a native of Montgomery county, Illinois, and the son of James M. and Emma (Cram) Arthurs. He was born at Hillsboro, received his education in the schools of that city and Litchfield and while still a mere boy began making his own way in the world by working on a farm. Indeed, so small was he at the time of finding his first employment, that he could barely hold the handles of a plow, but blessed with good health and a strong body, and endowed with an labors and not only earned the small wages received, but so pleased his employer that the latter parted with his services very reluctantly when the lad saw fit to change his mode of life. From the fields he entered a grocery store where he clerked for some time and obtained a practical knowledge of business and subsequently accepted a similar position in a drug store. After an experience of a few years in the latter capacity he entered the shoe business and sold shoes at retail for a number of years, leaving the retail shoe business to engage as traveling salesman with a boot and shoe firm whose interests he represented on the road for a number of years. Meanwhile he prepared himself for a business life by taking a course in a commercial college at Jacksonville and on being graduated from that institution was well fitted to grapple with the problems which usually confront the ambitious young man at the beginning of his career.

Early in life Mr. Arthurs resolved to make his employer's interests his own, and prove faithful to every trust reposed in him. By always acting in conformity with this resolution he was enabled to hold a number of important positions and it is a fact worthy of note that he was never discharged by an employer, nor in any way lost the confidence or incurred the ill-will of those to whose service he devoted so much of his time and energy.

On quitting the road, Mr. Arthurs in partnership with certain friends built a shoe factory at De Kalb, Illinois, but by reason of the failure of his associates the enterprise did not prove a success and had to be abandoned, following which he entered, in 1887, the employ of the Litchfield Car & Machine Company as cashier and paymaster, which important position he held during the two years ensuing. Severing his connection with the above enterprise at the expiration of the time indicated Mr. Arthurs in 1890 accepted the post of secretary and treasurer of the Mount Vernon Car Manufacturing Company, and after discharging the duties of the same in a highly creditable manner for a period of seven years he was made receiver, which place he filled to the satisfaction of all concerned from 1897 to 1902 inclusive, bringing the concern out of bankruptcy, paying its debts, greatly improving the property and turning same back to the original stockholders without a sale of the property. In the latter year he was further honored by being elected vicepresident and treasurer of the enterprise and after six years of faithful and acceptable service in that capacity, he succeeded in 1908, on the death of Mr. Settlemire to the presidency, which responsible and honorable office he still holds and in which he has displayed sound judgment, a comprehensive grasp of the principles essential to success and executive ability of a very high order.

The Mount Vernon Car Manufacturing Company was organized in 1890 since which time it has grown into one of the largest and most successful industrial enterprises of Southern Illinois, advancing from the original capacity of ten cars and one hundred car wheels per day, to the present daily output of twenty-five cars, or four hundred and fifty wheels, and affording employment to considerably over one thousand mechanics and skilled artisans, many of whom have been with the company ever since it was established. The pay roll of this large and rapidly growing industry averages something in excess of sixty thousand dollars per month, and the average yearly product is five million dollars. Since beginning business a little more than eighteen years ago the company has paid for labor alone, the enormous sum of four million dollars, besides large amounts for material and all of which has been spent in Mount Vernon, proving a great impetus to the business interests of the city, and adding very materially to its reputation as an important industrial and business center.

uous growth of the company since he became president and its present high standmg in manufacturmg circles throughout the country. Wide-awake, enterprising and remarkably energetic, his influence is felt in every department of the business which he manages and being familiar with its every detail, he understands well how to obtain the largest possible results, at the same time maintaining those mutually pleasant relations with his subordinates which have made them his loyal friends and for which the establishment has long been noted. Aside from his official position with the Mount Vernon Car Manufacturing Company, Mr. Arthurs is identified with a number of other enterprises in this city and elsewhere, being a director of the Mechanics-American National Bank, of St. Louis, one of the largest institutions of the kind in that city, a director of the Third National Bank, of Mount Vernon, and of the bank of Waltonville, besides owning stock in thirty-six other companies and corporations, and sustaining the relation of director in a number of them, in all of which he manifests a lively interest and keeps in close touch with their growth and success.