Blue Earth County, Minnesota - Biographical sketches, 1901 (part 12 of 15)

The Eobinson family was founded in this country by Joseph Eobinson, who came from Cork, Ireland, in early life and settled In Pennsylvania, there spending the balance of his years. His son, Joseph, was born in Blair county, Pennsylvania, and married Jane, daughter of William McCaulley, a native of Scotland. As early as 1856 Joseph and Jane Eobinson brought their children to Minnesota and settled on a tract of raw land in Eice county, remaining there until 1863. During that year they removed to Faribault county and settled in the town of Winnebago, where the father died in 1864 at the age of fiftythree. In his family there were nine sons and two daughters, and seven of the number are yet living, the fourth in order of birth having been Andrew S., a native of Punxsutawney, Jefferson count)', Pennsylvania, born August 5, 1842. At the age of fourteen years he accompanied the family to Minnesota and here his sturdy, youthful energy was useful in the difficult task of converting raw land into a profitable farm.

From the opening of the Civil war Mr. Eobinson gave his sympathy to the Union cause. August 13, 1863, he enlisted in Company A, Seventh Minnesota Infantry, under Colonel Marshall. The regiment was mustered in at Fort Snelling and accompanied General Sibley in an expedition after the Indians, whom they pursued across the Missouri river. After returning from that campaign they were sent to the south, joining the Sixteenth Corps under General A. J. Smith and participating in an engagement at Nashville, Tennessee, which was their first experience of the horrors of battle. Their second engagement was at Tupelo, ilississippi, after ivhich they joined the Eed river expedition. Thence they went into the Gulf region and assisted in the capture of Spanish Fort, Mobile. Shortly afterward they were ordered to the north and at Fort Snelling received an honorable discharge August 15, 1865, after which Mr. Eobinson immediately returned to -his home and resumed the avocations of peace. His record as a soldier is one of which he may well be proud, and since the organization of the Grand Army of the Eepublic . he has maintained a deep interest in the reunions of the veterans, among whom he is popular and influential.

After having remained in Faribault county until 1875 Mr. Eobinson then removed to Blue Earth county and bought the farm which he occupied until 1903. During the year of coming to this county he married Sarah Oliver, a sister of George G. Oliver, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Her death occurred in 1893 on the old homestead. The present wife of Mr. Eobinson, whom he married October 7, 1903, and who bore the maiden name of Ella Clough, was born in New Hampshire, but at a very early age accompanied her father to Wisconsin and there received a fair education. Later she came to Minnesota, where slie has many friends among the. people of the community and shares with her husband in the general good-will.

EOBINSON, JOSEPH H. - The genealogy of the Eobinson family indicates a colonial association with the history of America and shows that those of the name have possessed energy, thrift, high principles of honor and the pioneer instincts that lead men to seek homes upon the frontier and thus become the vanguard of an oncoming civilization. Pennsylvania was the former home of the family and there Joseph H. was born December 37, 1847, being a son of Andrew and Mary (Wait) Eobinson. The father was a native of E[untingdon county, the same state, and for years followed general farming in the east, but during 1851 he journeyed to Illinois and took up a homestead. Four years later he became a pioneer of Minnesota and settled in Eice county, which as yet had few settlers and no improvements. The last years of his life were passed in the home of his son, J. H., with whom he remained until his death in 1885. His was the life of the frontiersman, familiar with privations^ inured to hardships and content to receive no other reward than that of having aided in the development of the northwest.

The opening of the Civil war found Joseph H. Eobinson eager to offer his services to the Union, but hindered' by his youthful years. Septembeu 8, 1864, he was accepted' as a member of the First Minnesota Heavy Artillery and was assigned to the army of the Cumberland. The regiment was ordered south and engaged in garri- son duty at Chattanooga, Tennessee. At the expiration of the war in 1865 he received an honorable discharge and returned to the Minnesota farm. In 1879 he came to Blue Earth county and built the first elevator at Vernon Center, where for four years he engaged in buying wheat. Later for ten years he owned and operated a hotel at Vernon Center, but eventually he traded the hotel for a farm on section thirty-two, Garden City township, and gave his attention to agricultural pursuits for some yeais. For eighr years he made his home at Lake Crystal, this county, and engaged principally at the carpenter's trade, but afterward returned to farming.

Upon selling his farm Mr. Eobinson removed to Vernon Center in 1904 and now occupies a pleasant homestead in this place. For two years after coming here he gave his time to carpentering, and then erected a flour mill, which he now conducts in partnership with L. W. Kimble. Considerable wheat is raised in the vicinity of ^'ernon Center and thus a fair trade has come to the partners in the mill. Every effort is made to satisfy patrons with the quality of the product and excellent improvements have been made in the plant in order to secure the best results. In 1867 Mr. Eobinson married Johanna L. Eeed, daughter of Freeman and Eacina (Cole) Eeed, natives of Wisconsin and pioneers of 1863 in the Blue Earth valley and Faribault county. The parents are both deceased. Three daughters comprise the family of Mr. and Mrs. Eobinson, of whom j\Iao, a school teacher, is the only one remaining at home. EfEie married Eugene Francis and lives on a farm in Vernon Center township. Orpha married Ole Bengtson, a stone mason living in Vernon Center. The family are identified with the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Eobinson has been an active Sunday school worker. His sympathies are with the cause of prohibition, but in party matters he has voted independently. For four years he has served as justice of the peace, also has held office of chairman of the town board and has been a school director and deeply interested in the welfare of the schools. For years he has been a member of the Grand Army of the Eepublic.

EOBINSON, JOHN. - Since the period of his army service during the Civil war the life of John Eobinson has been quietly passed in agricultural labors in Blue Earth county. Some men love excitement and change, but to him no associations are as dear as those of the past and he has had no desire to leave the old homestead where forty years ago he and his wife, in the strength of early life, began their married existence. Though possessed of means sufficient to maintain him in retirement, it is his preference to remain on the same farm until advancing years render further manual labor impossible. The homestead comprises two hundred and forty acres in Pleasant Mound township and is devoted to the raising of farm produce and to fine breeds of horses, cattle and hogs, in which lines the owner is thoroughly experienced.

By reference to the sketch of Andrew S. Eobinson on another page of this volume the history of the family will be found, and from it may be learned that Joseph Eobinson came from Ireland to America and settled in Pennsylvania, where his son and namesake was born and reared. The younger Joseph removed to Minnesota in 1856 and settled in Eice county, but six years later he removed to Faribault county and settled on a farm in the town of Winnebago. There he died in 1864 at the age of fifty-three years. In his family there \\'ere eleven children, of whom the fifth, John, was born at Punxsutawney, Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, May 5, 1844, and at the age of twelve years accompanied the family to ilinnesota. The schools of Eice county afforded him fair educational advantages. At the age of twenty years he offered his services to the cause of his country. During December of 1864 he enlisted in Company H, Second Jlinnesota Cavalry, under Colonel McClarrib, and was mustered in at Fort Snelling. Being ordered west, the regiment joined General Sully at Fort Eice on the Missouri river. A short time afterward they were ordered on an expedition after the Indians in South Dakota, chasing them through the Bad Lands and engaging in several skirmishes with the savages. In these encounters a number of the men of the regiment were killed. Continuing to the west, they crossed the Yellowstone river and the ilissouri river, and thence went to the relief of Captain Fisk on the Milk river. From there they returned by way of Fort Union to Fort Wads worth, where they remained until the spring of the year, meanwhile guarding the frontier. During the summer they were transferred to various points along the frontier for guard duty and in the spring of 1866 they were returned to Fort Snelling, where they were honorably discharged and mustered out of the service.

After his return from the war John Robinson embarked in agricultural pursuits and soon chose a helpmate, his marriage, December 35, 1867, uniting him with Deborah Webster, a native of McComb county, Michigan. Her father, Alphonso Webster, was born in New York and in early manhood moved to Michigan, later establishing his home in Rock county, Wisconsin, andfrom there removing to Minnesota. After one year in Rice county he came to Blue Earth county, M'here he soon won many warm friends. Eventually he returned to Michigan to spend his last days. Three sons blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, but a heavy bereavement fell upon them in the death of two, Sumner and Don. The youngest, Luther, is a progressive agriculturist who conducts a farm in Pleasant Mound township.

RODMAN, JOHN P. - The genealogy of the Rodman family in America is traced back to the very earliest attempts at the colonization of the countrj', the first of the race having crossed the Atlantic ocean as early as 1613 and settled among the few white people striving to plant a home amid adverse environments. Their former dwelling place had been in England, where they enjoyed a prosperity and position strangely contrasting with their lot as pioneers of the new world. It is said that they brought with them from their old English home a clock that had long told the time from its place in the hall in their mansion. This clock, which is now ticking away the hours of the twentieth century in the Mankato residence of the Rodman family, is still an accurate time-piece notwithstanding its great

One branch of the Rodman family settled in New Jersey and there John P. Rodman was bom in 1833, while later the schools and academies of the state gave him fair educational opportunities. Upon starting out to earn his own way in the world he came to Minnesota in 1854 and always afterward continued to be a resident of that state, where he built up a large commission business and won many warm friends among his associates. Remaining a bachelor until 1870, he then established domestic ties by his marriage to Miss Abbie Williams, who was born in New Jersey, the daughter of Louis and Mary (Pearson) Williams, also natives of that state. When she was two years of age her father, a wealthy farmer, passed from earth, and afterward her mother, who was a member of a very influential family of Orange, New Jersey, removed to the city of New York, there residing until dea,th. Mrs. Rodman received superior educational advantages and is a woman of intelligence, ability and qualities of heart that endear her to all acquaintances. After the death of her husband, wi-dch occurred July 5, 1892, she moved to Mankato, where she owns a cozy home at No. 401 Clark street. Her elder daughter, Mary, holds a responsible position in the count)' auditor's office at Mankato, and the younger daughter, JMargaret, is the wife of- E. C. Willard, who conducts a large poultry farm here. The only son, George P. Rodman, who is one of the most popular and prominent young men of Mankato, holds a commission as first lieutenant in Company H, Second Regiment, Minnesota National Guards, while in his business associations he is chief clerk for Farmer & Pfau, wholesale dealers in knit goods.

ROMACK, JOHN R. - Continuously, since 1863, John R. Romack has occupied his present farm in Blue Earth county. This property is one of the landmarks of the township, and is justly representative of the methods employed by the scientific and well equipped farmer of this northern country. Mr. Romack's farm is well drained and fertile, and he is engaged in the line of farming adapted to local climatic and general conditions. He raises a good grade of stock, the usual grains, and his place is well

Born in Shelby count)', Ohio, January ;i7, 1839, Mr. Eomack is one of the six children of John and Xancy (Eiehards) Eomack, both of whom died in the state of Wisconsin. Mr. Eomack left his native Ohio in 185:), intending to locate permanently in Iowa, but after a two year's sojourn, came to Blue Earth county arriving September 18, 1856. He at once took up a claim, remained on it until 1863, and in 1861 came to his present farm. With him to the north came his family, of whom at present there are three living of his six children: Mary, wife of G. E. Loomis, of Washington; Ida, now Mrs. J. H. Moonej', a railroad man connected with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Eailroad; and Ira, a farmer in Blue Earth county. Mr. Eomack is a pleasant man to meet, and an honorable man to deal with. He is the friend of education and progress, and is a promoter of all that advanced communities regard as essential to health, happiness and prosperity.

EOSEjSTBEEGEE, EENST. - One of the most widely known confectioners in the Northwest, and an inventor of merit, especially in connection with his business, Jlr. Eosenberger is of German parentage, but born in Chicago, Illinois, September 2, 1857. He is the son of George and Christina (Eose) Eosenberger, natives of Saxony, who came to tlie United States in 1848 and located in Chicago in the following year. George Eosenberger was a mercl)ant tailor and died in the western metropolis in 1886, aged seventy-six years, his wife being still alive. Of their family of nine children Ernst was the sixth and, besides him, the following survive : Emil, who resides in South Dakota; Elizabeth, wife of August Beckman, living in Chicago, and jMinnie, Mrs. G. C. Stockwell, also of that city. Ernst Eosenberger attended the common schools of Chicago, but in 1871, then only fourteen years of age, was apprenticed to M. E. Page & Company, wholesale confectioners, of that city, and remained with them for seven years. During the following three years he was with Frank Field & Company, of Chicago, after which he was connected with the trade in various cities both east and west, and for a time was engaged in business for himself at Big Eapids, Michigan. In 1888 he went to St. Stevens, Xew Brunswick, and, after several other changes of location settled at Mankato in 1890.

Upon locating in this city he organized the firm of C. A. Everhart & Company, wholesale confectioners, the business being afterward sold to L. Patterson ilercantile Company, after which ilr. Eosenberger engaged in the same line with John C. Noble, under the name of Eosenberger & Xoble, their establishment being on Front street. In 1875 F. il. Currier purchased Mr. Noble's interest, and the business has since been successfully conducted as Eosenberger & Currier, their present fine plant at Xos. 801-.3 South Second street being erected in 18i)7.

Mr. Eosenberger has been mostly instrumental in building up the establishment to its present magnitude, as he is not only a fine business man, but has so thoroughly studied his line from the manufacturers' standpoint as to originate several devices the facility of production and ensured greater purity of the output. His inventive talents have also been applied in other directions, as he has invented and had constructed, under his personal supervision, a four-wheel drive automobile, which is a rival of any other on the market. The correct inference is that Mr. Eosenberger is a man of remarkable originality and aggressiveness, his lousiness methods and persona] actions being, morever, aljnve reproaeli. His wife to whom he was married in 1881, was formerly Miss Mar) J. Lnwery, a native of St. Andrews, Canada.

EUSS, CHAELES W. - Thorough cultivation and substantial improvements characterize the Euss homestead on section twenty-nine. Pleasant Mound township, Blue Earth county, where Charles W. Euss has engaged in agricultural pursuits since the year 1892, the date of the purchase of the property by him. Two hundred and forty acres are embraced within the boundaries of the place. Tlie land is rolling and has the advantages of admitting of thorough draining. A portion of the acreage is devoted to such crops as are suited to the soil and climate; the remainder is utilized for the pasturage of horses, hogs and cattle. The farm buildings are fully protected from wintry blizzards by means of a grove on the north, east and west, these trees having been planted since the purchase of the property by the present owner. The residence is heated by hot air and has an excellent system of waterworks which provides running water and bath. The buildings for the sheltex of stock and storage of grain are substantial and erected with a view to convenience and durability.

Meigs county, Ohio, is the native place of Charles W. Euss, and May 10, 1857, the date of his birth, his parents being Herbert and Lucy (Comstock) Euss, natives respectively of JSTew Hampshire and Vermont. Very shortly after the close of the Civil war, in which he had served as a drummer, Herbert Euss became a pioneer of Minnesota and settled on a raw tract of land in Dakota county, where he remained for a number of years. Eventually he went to Missouri with one of his sons and remained in that state until he died. The mother resides in Blue Earth county, making her home with J. Huffman. Of their children only two are now living. The eldest son, Charles W., accompanied the family from Ohio to Minnesota in boyhood and attended the schools of Dakota county until he had obtained a common school education, after which he began to earn his own livelihood as a farmer. Erugality and energy gradually brought him a fair degree of success and enabled him eventually to acquire a farm of his own.

The marriage of Mr. Euss and Miss Eosetta Carter was solemnized in 1880. Five children were born of their union. The eldest, Guy, is now married and engaged in farming for himself. The others, Eay, Eoy, Leo and Myrtle, remain at the old homestead with their parents. Mrs. Euss is a daughter of Eev. E. Carter, for years an honored resident of Pleasant Mound township, but now living in retirement at Edgerton, Pipestone county, Minnesota. During active years he engaged in the ministry of the Congregational church and accomplished much in the spiritual uplifting of his community, where the influence of his consecrated life and earnest sermons made an impress for good.

EUSSELL, MICHAEL BOHAN. - The life history of this prosperous farmer of Blue Earth county is the record of a man who, deprived of educational advantages in youth and forced at an early age to take up the struggle for a livelihood, in spite of obstacles accumulated a competency, aided younger brothers and sisters, and has given to his own children the best educational advantages the- state affords. It may be assumed that such a man must possess talents of no common order. Unwearied industry, untiring energy and keen sagacity have been factors in his success, added to which was the courage that could not be daunted by the perils of Indian outbreaks and the other vicissitudes of pioneer days. When the family settled in Ceresco township there were few neighbors. The Sioux outbreaks, which had occurred a short time previous, had driven away many of those who had pre-empted claims in this part of the country. Some there were, however, who determined not to be driven away by the Indians and these stood their ground, defending home and property as best they could. During the day they carried fire-arms as they worked around their homes. At night they took turns in standing guard over the houses and stables. Horses were an attractive loot for the bands of marauding redskins and many a pioneer was sorely inconvenienced by the theft of his t^ame. After the Indians had been placed on their reservations and peace returned to the settlers, new people were attracted to the unclaimed lands, schools were opened, churches established, and the privations of pioneer existence became but a memory even with the old settlers.

The Eussell family came to this country from Ireland, although as the name indicates they ale of English extraction. The ancestors were pro- Irish in sentiment and devoted Eoman Catholics, but on account of their name they were regarded with some distrust by their fellow-countrymen. Francis Tracy Eussell was born in Ireland and there received a thorough education, after which he engaged in teaching school and to some extent also in magisterial work, as he was not only well educated but also a fine penman. When a young man he came to the United States and settled at Hartford, Wisconsin, where he met and married Anna Bohan. She was a native of Ireland

During the residence of the family at Hartford, Wisconsin, Michael Bohan Russell was born September 13, 1849, and in that town he received the rudiments of an education. In 1862 the parents removed to Minnesota, accompanied by their six sons and two daughters. Later two sons were born, making ten children in the family. The first school in Ceresco township was taught by the oldest son, James, now a resident of Michigan. The second son, Michael B., took up the burden of caring for the farm, as the father, who was never robust, at that time was in ill health. Under these circumstances- he had no opportunity to attend high school or academy, but by reading and observation he has acquired a broad knowledge of the world. Since early life he has lived on the land originally purchased by his father; the brothers and sisters have moved away and now own homes in different states.

As a farmer Mr. Russell met with really remarkable success and accumulated considerable wealth. However, with a generosity characteristic of the man he assisted younger brothers by loaning them money and signing papers for them to the amount of $16,000, all of which he lost owing to his brothers' failure in business in 1905, the failure being caused by nine years of poor crops in the Red river valley. He still owns a large farm and some timber and lumber interests in the northern part of the state. During the long period of his residence in Blue Earth county he has been active in measures for the public good. At different times he secured from the state legislature $750 for the building of a bridge across Perch creek. From 1884 to 1892 he held office as town clerk. For eleven years, beginning in 1888 he served as postmaster at Ceresco. During his service as town clerk he officiated as justice of the peace, and for fourteen years, at different times, he was a member of the Ceresco school board. His political views are Democratic, yet he is broader than any party and in local elections, when he considers the Republican candidate better qualified to serve the people than his opponent, he does not hesitate to give his allegiance to the more fitting candidate irrespective of political affiliations. In 1887 he became affiliated with the Ancient Order of Hibernians, of which he is yet an acti\e member. Reared in the Roman Catholic faith, he always has been an earnest believer in its doctrines and a supjjorter of its charities.

The marriage of ilr. Russell was solemnized at St. John's Catholic church in ilankato, Minn., July 15, 1886, and united him with Mary E. DoUard, who was a graduate of the Mankato Normal school, class of 1819, and afterward taught in the Mankato public schools seven years, until her marriage. She is a refined, capable woman and has given her husband valuable assistance in all his business affairs. Her father, Michael DoUard, served in the Civil war from Wisconsin. After a brief service he was honorably discharged on account of ill health. Afterward he enlisted from Minnesota and remained in the service until the close of the war. He was highly respected in Blue Earth and Faribault counties, where he made his home from the close of the Civil war until his death, November 28, 1894. - His funeral was held at St. John's Catholic church, Mankato, under the auspices of Wilkin Post, of which he was an honored member. His wife, a lady of refinement and charming hospitalit}', had many friends in Mankato, and their three daughters were teachers in the public schools of that city. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Russell comprises the following children : Loretta A., who was graduated from the Mankato High School in 1905 and since was two years assistant editor of the Minneapolis Journal Junior, and is now a Freshman at State University; Joseph F., and Thomas P., who are attending Christian Brothers college at Minneapolis; M. Cecilia, who is attending Sisters Academy at Minneapolis; L. Dollard and Catherine E., who are with their parents on the home farm and attend the district school.

SALISBURY, ALilOX J. - The well-improved farm owned and occupied by Mr. Salisbury is situated on section nineteen, Shelby township, and comprises one hundred and twenty acres of the rich soil which has given to Blue Earth county its wide reputation as an agricultural region. Among the improvements on the farm maj' be mentioned the neat residence and large barns, as well as the substantial fences. The land is adapted to the raising of crops of all kinds and is kept under thorough cultivation. Fine horses are raised, also Durham cattle and Poland-China hogs, and the owner finds that his receipts from his stock swell the annual revenues in a gratifying degree. Besides the home farm, he owns one hundred and sixty acres on section eighteen, Shelby township, this being cultivated by a tenant. Also, adjacent to this quarter section, he has sixty acres, of which twenty acres are in a grove of oak, walnut and red elms.

Born near Montreal, Canada, October 1, 1856, Almon J. Salisbury is a son of Henry E. and Elsie (Wallace) Salisbury, natives of the same locality as himself, and a grandson of Lawrence Salisbury, descended from English progenitors early established upon the Canadian soil. The great-grandfather, Jasper Salisbury, spent his entire life in Canada. During early years Henry E. Salisbury learned the trades of carpenter, wheelwright and mechanic, and these he followed to some extent, but in addition he has been extensively interested in farming. Coming to the States in 1862, he spent five years in Wisconsin and then removed to Minnesota, where he since has made his home. Though now seventy-four years of age, he enjoys excellent health and with the excejjtion of the loss of hearing he retains all of his faculties unimjoaired.

The eldest in the family, Almon J. Salisbury was a child of seven years when the family removed to Wisconsin, and five years later he accompanied them to Minnesota, where from 1868 to 1871 they lived in Garden City township. Blue Earth county. Thence they removed to Shelby township, and settled on a farm in section nineteen. Here he attended the district schools. At the age of twenty-one he started out to earn his own way in the world. After a short time he bought a farm in Pleasant Mound township, where he remained for two years. Next he returned to the old homestead on section nineteen, puchased the one hundred and twenty acres comprising the estate, and has since placed the property under cultivation and conducted general farm pursuits. As previously stated, he has been successful in stock raising and has devoted considerable attention to this department of agriculture- Xovember 7, 1878, he married Rebecca Stevens, a native of Canada. Born of their union are three children, of whom the son, Ray E., is engaged in farming in Shelby township. The daughters, Eva and Edith, are with their parents. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal church and have contributed generously to its maintenance, as well as to other religious and philanthropic projects.

SALISBURY, FREEMAN J. - The agricultural interests of Shelby township have a capable representative in Freeman J. Salisbury, who, although not a native of Blue Earth county, has spent practically his entire life in this part of the country and has a wide circle of friends among the farmers of his locality. His father, George AV., was born and reared in New York, and during early manhood sought a home in the northwest with its bxoad tracts of unsettled and undeveloped lands. After securing a homestead at Easton, Minnesota, he married Millie Armstrong, a native of the region, and they began to keep house in the pioneer style common to the day and locality. For some years he remained in the same neighborhood. Meanwhile Nebraska was being opened up to settlers and considerable emigration was turned in that direction. With others he joined in the rush to the new region, but conditions there were not wholly to his liking and in 1878 he returned by ox-team to Eaton, Minnesota, thence soon afterward removing to Pleasant Mound township and buying land near the present homestead. About 1893 he bought the Stratton farm in Shelby township and here he engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death in the spring of 1897. Possessing high principles of honor, fearless in the defense of the right, loyal to the upbuilding of the community, a firm believer in the fertility of the soil of Blue Earth county, and true to every duty as citizen, husband and father, he was one of that class of men whose migration to ilinnesota proved so helpful to the early development of the commonwealth. He cared little for office and nevef cherished official aspirations, but found his great-

Among the six children of George W. Salisbury the eldest, Freeman J., was born in Valley county, Nebraska, July 11, 1877, and as a boy lived on a farm in Shelby township and attended the neighboring school. After taking a business course at Winnebago City he was emploj'ed as a bookkeeper for three years. Upon the decease of his father he returned to the old homestead and has since then successfully managed the farm. February 21, 189.5, he married Louise Latimer, daughter of Daniel Latimer and a granddaughter of Alexander Latimer, one of the very earliest settlers of Faribault county, as. well as one of its leading citizens and a man of indomitable energy. Two daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Salisbury. Florence alone survives, Hazel having died in childhood. The home farm comprises- one hundred and sixty acres, all of which is under cultivation, yielding, under the skilled management of the occupant, an excellent return for its care and tilling. In addition to the raising of the usual crops, attention is given to the stock business, and horses, cattle and hogs of the finest breeds are to be found on the estate.

SALISBTJEY, SPEFCEE M. - A typically progressive and enterprising Twentieth century farmer is found in Spencer M. Salisbury, who not only is a land owner in his own right, but who is successfully farming the property of his father, Alfred Salisl^urv, in section 21 and 28, Shelby township. Mr. Salisbury is the oldest of his father's four children, and his birth occurred in Quebec at Sutton Flats, July 4, 1877. Both his father and mother, the latter of whom was in girlhood Abbie Squire, were natives of Quebec, Canada, while his grandfather, who established the family in the north, was a native of Connecticut. The elder Salisbury came from Canada to Minnesota in the early days and since then has lived both on his farm and in Mankato, at present spending most of his time in the town.

when he started out on an independent farming venture on northwest quarter section 10, Shelby township, which he now rents to a tenant and preferably farms his father's land. The paternal farm consists of two hundred and fortj' acrea, and both farms are under a high state of culti- -^alion. Mr. Salisbury has made a practical study of agriculture and stoclv-raising, and has a thorough knowledge of the clicmistry of soils, the best methods of rotation, and the quickest and most certain ways of acliieving results from a given amount of land. He raises Shorthorn cattle, Poland China hogs, and a good grade of working horses, also chickens and other fowl. The farm is well supplied with modern machinery, barns and general buildings, and is kept with admirable regard for neatness and order.

The marriage of Mr. Salisbury and Abbie Brush occurred July 4. 1898, and of the union there are two children, Lois and Lyle. Too much cannot be said of the energy and resource which characterize the career of ^Ir. Salisbury, or the integrity and dependability which make him a valuable friend and a worthy addition to the fundamental element of the community.

SAXBOEN, EDWIX L. - The agricultural interests of Blue Earth county form the Ijulwark of its pi-()«]ierity and the men who have chai'gc of the same deservedly rank among the most important meml)ers of the population, their work forming the nucleus on wliich the local development is l)asfd and the foundation on which progressive enterprises are built. Of all portions of the county none is more prosperous than Sterling township and none has contributed in a larger degree to the permanent prosperity of the county; that such an end has been attained and such prominence secured bv the township may be attributed to the work of the farmers, a wliole-soulcd, progressive, selfreliant and independent body of men, whose labors have been productive of good to all. Numbered among these farmers we mention the name of Edwin L. Sanborn, secretary of the Sterling Center Creamery Company and owner of the homestead farm of one hundred and twenty acres, also the owner of a farm of

More than one hundred years have come and gone since the Sanborn family became associated with the village of Sanbornton, in New Hampshire, which still bears their name and thus perpetuates for future generations the story of their association with its early history.

Wm. Sanborn, born in 1632, sailed from England March 9, 1633, arrived in Boston, June 3, 1632; Wm. Sanborn, born in 1650, lived at Hampton; Hon. John Sanborn, born Nov. 6, 1680, in Hampton; Jermiah Sanborn, Feb. 12, 1703 ; John Sanborn, born in Hampton, Jan 25, 1742, served in Revolutionary war; John Sanborn, boru at Bride Hill, Feb. 16, 1787 ; John Sanborn, born at Sanbornton, April 18, 1815 ; E. L. Sanborn, born Feb. 16, 1867.

John Sanborn, Jr., was born in the village of Sanbornton, New Hampshire, in 1815, being a son of John Sanborn, Sr., of Bride's Hill. The family were well situated financially and thus it became possible for him to secure better advantages than were oflEered to most young men of his day and locality. Upon completing the studies oi the common schools he took a college course and studied medicine but did not graduate. Later he came west with an uncle, passing through Chicago when it contained only three frame houses and was known as Fort Dearborn. Thence they proceeded across the state of Illinois and on to Davenport, Iowa. Later the young man was married at Allen's Grove to Julia Burgoon, a native of Sandusky, Ohio. After his marriage he began housekeeping near Dubuque and continued on the same place until 1855, when he came to ^Minnesota and took up land four miles ctist of Faribault, Eice county. The country was then in the infancy of its agricultural development. The nearest markets were far distant, improvements were conspicuous only by their absence, and the crude conditions of the frontier jsrevailed ; however, on the other hand, there was an open-handed, generous-hearted hospitality that' gi"aced the giver and cheered the recipient, giving to the pioneer era a charm which later civilizations miss. During March, of 1865, John Sanborn, Jr., came to Blue Earth county and bought land in Sterling township, where he spent his remaining years. Of a quiet, retiring disposition, he took no part in public affairs, and at no time sought official honors, yet was always to be depended upon to discharge every duty falling upon patriotic men.

Ten children comprised the family of John Sanborn, Jr., and four of these still survive, three remaining in Minnesota, and one residing in Iowa. The youngest, Edwin L., was born where he how resides February 16, 1867, and received jiis primary education in district schools, afterward taking a course of study in the Minnesota State Normal School at Mankato, June 23, 1903, he married Maude Goff, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Victor Goff, concerning whom mention is made under the heading ol John Goff elsewhere in this volume. Besides engaging in the raising of grain for the market, Mr. Sanborn raises feed for his stock and devotes considerable attention to the care of his dairy herd comprising grade stock sired by a full-blooded Durham. While the management of his farm and property interests gives him little leisure for outside matters, 3-et he keeps posted concerning all national issues, is thoroughly informed in regard to the problems affecting our country's prosperity, and maintains a keen interest in all matters of public importance. Fraternally he holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the blue lodge of Masons. For a number of years he rendered service as justice of the peace and in addition he has served with efficiency and faithfulness in the office of si-hool treasurer.

SAULPAITGH, THOIMAS. - Consistent and steady devotion to duty characterized the entire active life of Thomas Saulpaugh, who during the course of a long and remarkably successful business career won and retained the friendship of a host of acquaintances brought within the sphere of his influence through the diversified activities of his extensive interests. Equally familiar with many j)ortions of the United States, the course of his business affairs took him to . the south at an early age and later he became a contractor for - the stone work on railways throughout the north and west. Few men were more conversant with the entire country than he; its possibilities were to him an open book, and he saw, as he traveled through undeveloped regions, many an attractive spot awaiting the hand of labor and capital for its ultimate development. When death brought to an end his sterling activities of mind and body, he left behind him, as monuments of his skill, a large number of completed substructure contracts and skilled stone work, placing him among the leading men in that industry in his era.

Milford, Otsego county. New York, was the native home of Thomas Saulpaugh, and April 7, 1822, the date of his birth. At an early age he served an apprenticeship to the trade of stonecutter, which he followed as a journeyman. At the age of thirty years he went to Tennessee and became interested in railroad contracting. In 1856 he removed to Illinois and settled in Eock Island, where for twenty-five years he engaged in railroad contracting under the firm title of Eeynolds, Saulpaugh & Co., his partner being E. P. Eeynolds. In 1S81 he removed to Minneapolis and started the business of T. Saulpaugh & Co., his partners being his only son, Clarence H., and John Crubaugh. The necessities of his business demanding a large amount of stone, he was constantly searching for localities having deposits in paying quantities, and in this way he was first attracted to Mankato. For some years his firm bought heavily of the Mankato stone. Meanwhile he was busily engaged in filling railroad contracts in the northwest. Those years witnessed the completion of contracts for bridge substructures at Bismarck, North Dakota, and Minneapolis, (for the Northern Pacific Company,) Blair, Nebraska, and Sioux City, Iowa, (for the Chicago & Northwestern Eailroad) : Omaha, Nebraska (for the Union- Pacific) ; Nebraska City and Plattsmouth, Nebraska, (for the Burlington road.)

From the year 1888 until his death, which occurred May 9, 1893, Mr. Saulpaugh was a resident of Mankato, where he erected soon after his arrival a hotel that was conceded to be the largest and best equipped building of its kind in southern Minnesota. The formal opening of this hotel, which occurred November fi, 1899, was the occasion of a large and elegant reception tendered by the city in honor of the occasion. The hotel is still owned and conducted in the family name and formed a portion of the estate inherited by the only son, C. H., who is a leading resident of Mankato. During his early life Thomas Saulpaugh formed the acquaintance of Eliza C. Vinton, whom he married at Fultonville, New York, December 16, 1850, and who died December 31, 1893, a few months before the demise of Mr. Saulpaugh. The latter was regarded as a sagacious business man, a public-spirited citizen and a warm-hearted friend, and he was honored by all the people of ^Mankato. On more than one occasion he was tendered ofl^ers of official trusts, but these he declined, with the sole exception of serving as a member of the hoard of aldermen of Mankato in 1891-92; with that exception he declined public positions, the nature of his business being such that its duties interfered with the discharge of political and official responsibilities.

SCHABFEE, FEANK M. - The lineage of this prosperous farmer of Blue Earth county if; traced to a long line of Teutonic ancestry and he himself is of German nativit)', having been born in Baden, November 30, 1844, but from the age of eight years he has made his home in the United States and thus has become thoroughly American in his sympathies and sentim.ents. His parents, George A., and Margaret (Hofl) Schaefer, were natives of Baden the former born November 28, 1803, and the latter, August 10, 1809. Beared in their native country, they there married and established a home, remaining in the Fatherland until 1853. Upon crossing the ocean to America they landed at New Orleans, Louisiana, and from there traveled by boat up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, landing at Cincinnati. The location did not suit them and they soon proceeded to Dayton, Ohio, where the father secured employment at his trade of blacksmithing. Two j-ears later the family proceeded to Minnesota and settled in St. Paul, where he worked at his trade. The year 1856, which brought so many pioneers to southern Minnesota found the family in Blue Earth county, where the father pre-empted a claim and took up lands on sections thirty and thirty-one, Lime township.

The most arduous and self-sacrificing efforts were necessary in order to transform the harren tract into a fertile farm. Every privation was endured; the greatest hardships were met, and the family in their lonely eal)in home learned many lessons of self-denial and self-reliance. In tlie end well-deserved success rewarded their efforts. The wild land was '^i-oken and brought under cultivation, a neat house replaced the original cabin, substantial barns were Ijuilt, and the homestead took on the aspect of prosperity and plenty. Here the father passed away September 18, 1884, and here, too, September 11, 1887, the life of the mother came to an end. There were six children^ in tJie family and all of them now reside in ilankato with the exception of Frank M., vrho follows farm pursuits.

The members of the family are as follows : Theresa, widow of John P. Sanger; Margaret, the widow of William J. Hoerr; Anna, who is the wife of Nicholas Weis; Catherine, wife of Stewart ilartin ; Prank M. ; and Mary, Mrs. Frederick Dittmer. A resident of Blue Earth county ever since h.e was t^velve years of age, Frank ]\I. Sehaefer received a fair English education in the schools of this county and since attaining manhood he has followed farm pursuits. In this county, February 9, 1874, he married Mary B. Kern, who was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Xovember 24, 1856, being a daughter of John and Susan Kern, natives of Germany, the father born December 37, 1830, and the mother March G, 1827. During early life the parents came to tlie United States and settled in Wisconsin, where they resided at La Crosse until 1857, and then moved to Xicollet county, Minnesota, later coming to Blue' Earth county. Eventually in 1886, they removed to Oregon, where the mother died March 5, 1900, and the father, March 1, 1905. They were the parents of five children, namely: Marv B., Mrs. Sehaefer; George, now living in Alaska ; John, who resides in Wyoming; Carrie, Mrs. Charles P. Klock, of Illinois; and Joseph, who resides in JTankato township, Blue Earth county.

Acquiring the old family homestead through purchase Mr. Sehaefer remained there until 1898, when he bought and removed to his present farm of two hundred acreiB on sections thirty-two and thirty-three. Lime township onequarter of a mile north of jMankato Junction. The homestead is one of the most attractive in the entire county, occupying a location on one of the best roads leading to Mankato. The land is in a high state of cultivation. Its appearance and productiveness indicates the thrift and energy of the owner. In addition to this place, he owned and presented to a son one hundred and twenty acres of good land. In his family there are nine children, namely : Rosie, married to Philip Borgmeier, and residing in lame township. Blue Earth county; William F., Frank M., Theresa, Ottilia, Mary, Agnes, Bertha, and Cyril H. The family are earnest members of the Roman Catholic church. Politically Mr. Sehaefer believes in Democratic principles and votes that ticket in national elections, but in local matters he supports the best men regardless of party ties.

SCHAUB, ARTHUR. - The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is among the best known and most popular (lermans of Blue Earth county - rather a German-American of intense and deeprooted Democratic principles, who is a politician because he believes class and industrial inequalities may best be agitated and corrected through the machinery of politics than in any other way. For several years he has also been a large factor in the work and progress of the "Deutsche Land-und-Heim-Cesellschaft," whose office is in ilankato and of which he is now Secretary and Treasurer.

A native of LeRay Township, this county, ]\Ir. Schaub was born of German parentage, October 20, 1873, being the son of Kasimir and Magdalena (Kasper) Schaub, natives of Baden, who came to the locality named in 1868. The -father died in 1899, at the age of seventy-three years, and his wife passed away at Mankato October 26, 1906, when se\'enty-four years of age. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Arthur \\'as the youngest.

Mr. Schaub obtained his preliminary education in the common schools of his native township and the parochial schools of Mankato, and finally, in 1892, graduated from the Cassisius

College of Buffalo, Few York. His next intellectual training was as a law student in the office of C. L. Benedict, of Mankato, and in 1895 he was admitted to the Minnesota bar, continuing in general practice until, The Deutsche Land-und-Heim-Gesellschaft was organized and he was elected its secretary. In 1904 it was incorporated and he became secretary and treasurer. Mr. Schaub's influence as a democrat may be inferred from the facts that in 1896 he became a member of the office force of the State Central Committee; was Chairman of the Democratic County Committee from 1898 to 1900, and was also acting during the latter period as Secretary of the Congressional Committee.

On- May 14, 1901, Mr. Schaub was united in marriage to Miss Annie M. Groschans of Le Sueur, Minnesota. His religious connection is with the St. Peter and Paul's Church, and he is a member of the following organizations : P. 0. E., Leidertafel and Commercial Club. Altogether he is a man of popularity and substantial character, whose worthy ambition to be an inspiring and uplifting force in the community has been fully realized.

SCHERER, ARCHIBALD H. - Noteworthy among the business institutions of Mankato is the establishment owned and conducted by the Scherer-Dackins Carriage Company, the partners in the firm being A. H. Scherer and John F. Backing. The headquarters of the firm at Nob. 423-425 South Second street, are fitted out with a complete line of agricultural implements and vehicles of all descriptions. The business was formerly owned by H. P. Jensen, but was purchased by the present company in 1904, and now is equipped with a complete plant for putting or rubber tires. A specialty also is made of repairing, painting and carriage trimming. With men of recognized energy at the head of the business, it has naturally enjoyed a steady growth and receives the patronage of a large proportion of those in search of any of the varied articles of agricultural equipment kept in stock.

a son of Luther and Katherine (Correll) Scherer, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Indiana. During the '60s, while Minnesota was yet an undeveloped frontier region, the father left the east and established himself among the pioneer merchants of Mankato. After a time he took up land in South Bend township, Blue Earth county, and from the raw tract evolved an improved farm. Subsequently he ovraed and occupied a farm in Lincoln township, but at this writing he is a resident of Lake Crystal, Blue Earth County. The branch of family which he represents come from the south, having been planted in North Carolina after emigration to America.

In the family of Luther Scherer there were six children, but one died at an early age. Those now living are as follows : Ida, who is Mrs. Orrin Cole : John E., a resident of Yellow Medicine county, this state ; Frank, who is living in Garden City township. Blue Earth county; Oscar A., of Mankato; and Archibald H., the youngest of the family circle.

The last named received a fair education in the public schools and commercial college, and while still quite young acquired a thorough knowledge of bookkeeping and kindred office work. For a time he was employed in Minneapolis, later in St. Paul, after which he gave up bookkeeping and removed to a farm in Yellow Medicine county, this state, where he conducted agricultural pursuits for four years. At the expiration of that time he took up the implement and carriage business in Mankato, where since 1904, he has become known and respected for the possession of sterling traits of head and heart. The comfortable home which he has established is presided over by Mrs. Scherer, formerly Jennie M. Dackins, whom he married January 26, 1896, and who is a daughter of David Dackins of Mankato. Three children comprise their family, Harold D., Catherine M. and Bessie. The only fraternal organization with which Mr. Scherer holds membership is the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His attention has been given to business affairs to the exclusion of politics and fraternities, yet he is interested in all such movements and is regarded as one of the enterprising business men of his city.

SCHEEEE, GEOEGB W. - Ko occupation in which manlcind is engaged has a more direct bearing upon the well being of the community than the laundry business. As now conducted in the model enterprises of the land opportunity is afforded for a degree of excellence in workmanship approaching the artistic, as well as for the observance of sanitary laws which of necessity are based upon a thorough knowledge of scientific principles. Dealing with an absolute human necessity, the man who complies with latter day demands in this line of work is assured of a steady and dependable trade, and is filling a nitch of large and unquestioned usefulness. It is to this need that George W. Scherer subscribes in his business life, and as owner and proprietor of the Star Steam Laundry, at 120 and 122 Hickory street, is maintaining a standard which places him above the fear of competition in the city of Mankato.

The ambition of Mr. Scherer has been many sided and has embraced a variety of occupations, all of them practical and enlarging. His birth occurred in Cincinnati, Ohio, February 37, 1863, that city being the temporary makeshift of his parents, Peter and Amelia (Pfau) Scherer, whd were natives of Ohio, and who, because of the Indian outbreak in Minnesota in 1863, were obliged to flee from New TTlm, Brown county, to a place of safety. Peter Scherer established a mercantile business in ISTew IJlm in 1857, and remained one of the successful and substantial men of the town up to the time of his death in 1900, at the age of sixty-seven years. Besides George W., who was his second oldest child, he had six others, all of whom are living. George, his mother and brother returned to Few Ulm the spring following the Indian outbreak, and he subsequently attended the local schools, eventually graduating from the Mankato State Formal school in the class of 1881. Por some time he taught mathematics in the Few Ulm graded schools, and in 1886 established the Mankato Weekly Post, which he conducted for five years.

In 1892 Mr. Scherer was elected county superintendent of schools on the Eepublican ticket, and was re-elected two terms in succession, serving in all six 3^ears. His administration of the educational affairs of the county met with a high degree of approval, and demonstrated the popular trend towards practical and useful education. After serving as superintendent of schools Mr. Scherer conducted an insurance and real-estate business in Mankato and Blue Earth county, and in 1902 bought the Star Steam Laundry, which he since has improved and enlarged to meet a growing demand. The plant is equipped with, modern labor saving machinery, although much of the work if of the higher grade done by hand. The laundry is a well lighted and well ventilated structure, and employes are shown every courtesy and consideration consistent with the proper fulfillment of their duties. Twenty people are required in the different departments, and additional help is added during the extra work of the summer months.

The marriage of Mr. Scherer and Minnie Manderfeld occurred in 1887, and of the union there are three children: Allie, Waldemar and George Jr. Mr. Scherer is socially popular, and is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being past grand master in the latter lodge. He also is a member of the Mankato Commercial club. He is a man of keen intelligence, mental grasp and depth, and thoroughly practical and usable ideals. His identification with Mankato has established a many sided claim upon its history and appreciation, and has conserved to its commercial, educational and ethical development.

SHEEBE, MAFASSEH. - The genealogical records of the Sherer family show that during the early part of the nineteenth century they became identified with American history, Solomon Sherer having emigrated at that time from Germany to the United States. With his wife, who likewise was born and reared in Germany and who bore the maiden name of Maria Gidding, he settled in Preble county, Ohio, where their son, Manasseh, was born Fovember 4, 1837. Two years later they removed to Indiana and settled near Lafayette, where they remained on a farm for nine years. Following the tide of emigration toward the west they crossed the Mississippi into Iowa, where they took up a tract of raw land and experienced all the hardships incident to existence upon the frontier. Eventually the father removed to Missouri, where he (lied December 13, 1902, at a very advanced age. The wife and mother had died December 7, 1858, m.any years before her husband's demise.

During the boyhood years of Manasseh Sherer educational privileges were few and schools few in number and inferior in quality. Primarily educated in Indiana, he later attended school in Iowa, and availed himself of every opportunity for increasing his fund of laiowledge. Habits of observation and self-culture have been important factors in his acquisition of a broad fund of information. As early as 1856, he became a pioneer of Minnesota and settled in Blue Earth county, whither as yet few white men had come. Selecting a quarter section he secured the same by pre-emption and from the raw land he has evolved a farm of whose improvments and fertility he has every reason to be proud. In the early period of his residence in this county he suffered from the depredations of the Indians and remembers the excitement they aroused at the time of the ISTew Ulm massacre which brought to the pioneers a realization of the imminent peril in which they stood. The trials incident to life in a new coiintry brought the pioneers into the deepest sympathy with one another, and there prevailed among them a spirit of hospitality and fellowship which the higher civilization of the present cannot equal.

While following farm pursuits during the summer months Mr. Sherer frequently taught school in the winter, and in this way he earned the means used in the payment of his land. Through all of his active life he has maintained an interest in political affairs, keeps posted on subjects of national importance and supports the men and measures championed by the Eepublican party. In religious faith he worships with the United Brethren denomination. By his marriage, which occurred January 29, 1854, he was united with Mary Jane Scott, a native of Virginia and a member of an old family of that commonwealth. Fifteen children were born of their union. Eight daughters and one son are now living, namely: Euanna, who married W. F. Miller and lives in Cottonwood county, Minnesota; Phoebe, Mrs. P. H. McCarty;

Matilda P., who is the wife of Eev. John Gimpson, now of Gibson City, Illinois; Maria, Mrs. T. C. Trater, residing in San Francisco, California; and S. W., a farmer on the old homestead; Estella vho married John Addleman; l^ora, Mrs. David E. Davis; May, Mrs. Herbert Gillman; and Edith, Mrs. G. B. Gillman, all residents of Blue Earth county.

SCHLESSELMAK, M. D., J. T. - Thorough theoretical training in a well-equipped m.edical institution, followed by practical experience gained in hospital work and under skilled surgeons, has qualified Dr. Schlesselman for the successful practice of his profession, and we find him in charge of a large clientele at Good Thunder, where his time and attention are closely given to the labors of a skilled practitioner. Such is his popularity that he has little leisure, especially in those seasons of the year when disease is lurking in its insidious forms among the inhabitants. In the diagnosis of disease and in the treatment of intricate eases he has proved skillful and has gained a reputation extending throughout this part of the county.

Born in Eejmolds, White county, Indiana, January 21, 1877, Dr. Schlesselman is a son of Eev. Henry and Christine (ISTiedenberger) Schlesselman, natives respectively of Germany and St. Louis, Missouri. During early life the father became a citizen of the United States and entered the ministry of the Lutheran church, where his self-sacrificing labors and consecrated spirit brought him the esteem of parishioners. The son was given such advantages as the common schools and later was sent to the Concordia college at Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he took the complete course of study, graduating with the class of 1893. During the autumn of the same year he matriculated in the Cleveland University of ]\redicine and Surgery and remained a student in the institution until the completion of the regular courses of lectures, graduating in 1897 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. The following year he spent as an interne in a hospital at Cleveland, after which he added to his practical professional knowledge through work with skilled physicians. In 1898 enlisted in the hospital corps of the U. S. A. and served in the 3rd Division Hospital during the Spanish war. The year 1899, found him located at Good Thunder, Blue Earth county, where he now owns a comfortable residence and has established a permanent: and profitable practice.

It was not until some years after he became a resident of Blue Earth county that Dr. Schlesselman established domestic ties. His marriage was solemnized September 3, 1904, and united him with Miss Elsie Darge, daughter of Herman and Amalia (Graf) Darge, early settlers and prosperous farmers of this county. The doctor and his wife are the parents of a son, Harold. In religion thev are identified with the Evangelical Lutheran church, to the maintenance of which "the Doctor has been a regular and generous contributor. While devoting his time closely to professional details, he has not held himself aloof from other matters; on the other hand, he has been in close sympathy with movements for the welfare of the general public and for the upbuilding of the community with whose ii'terests his own life is now closely associated.

SCHMIDT, EDWAED. - The fact that ample opportunities are offered to young men by the fine farming lands of Blue Earth county is evinced in the growing prosperity of those who have adopted the occupation of agriculture and settled in this part of Minnesota. The sons of our pioneers are worthily walking in the footsteps of their progenitors, and while happily they are not forced to undergo the privations common to the previous generation they are proving nevertheless to possess traits of self-reliance, energy, thrift and prudence that were notable possessions of the pioneer temperament. The farm which he now cultivates was the birthplace of Edward Schmidt and February 6, 1866, the date of his birth. The well improved tract of ninety acres lies on section twenty-six, Lime township, and in its neat and well-kept aspect bears a mute but eloquent testimony to the energy of the owner.

As the name indicates, the Schmidt family comes from Germany. Charles Schmidt was bom in Prussia March 11, 1826, and received a fair education in the German schools. During the year 1857, he crossed the ocean to the United States and at once proceeded to the frontier regions of the northwestj settling in Blue Earth county, where he made his home until his death, March 7, 1S98. After coming to this country. he married Wilhelmina Eeiche, who was born in Saxony, August 15, 1826, and in 1861 immigrated to America, proceeding direct to Minnesota, where on the 5th of July, same year, she became the wife of Mr. Schmidt. Shortly afterward they took up a tract of unimproved land in Lime township. A dense forest covered the tract and no improvements had been made. Under the judicious labors of Charles Schmidt the place was transformed into one of the best farms in the township, being considered at this writing a desirable homestead and productive property. The widowed mother still remains at the old home with her youngest child, Edward. Her other children are Minnie and Herman, residents of the country.

Eeared to a knowledge of agricultural pursuits, Edward Schmidt always has followed the occupation of farming, and is considered one of the progressive young farmers of the township. His education was secured in the district schools and has been supplemented by extensive reading and habits of close observation. Since leaving school he has maintained a constant interest in educational affairs and. since 1890 he has served as clerk of scliool district ISTb. 45, in which capacity he has proved painstaking and efficient. Since attaining his majority he has been a stanch advocate of the Eepublican party and has never failed to cast his ballot for its candidates in the general elections, but personally he has no political aspirations, preferring to devote his attention exclusively to the details connected with his estate.

SCHMIDT, OSCAE W. - Comparatively few of the men in whose hands rest the business enterprises of Mankato are native born citizens of the place where they now reside; among these few mention belongs to Oscar W. Schmidt, who was born in this city March 13, 1865, and now conducts one of the substantial induetries of the town. . While yet a boy he learned the trade of a harnessmaker under the skilled supervision of his father, and this occupation he selected for his life work, pursuing the same as a journeyman iu various places, but eventually returning to his native city and associating himself with his father in the conduct of the latter's shop under the firm title of G. Schmidt & Son.' Upon the death of the senior member of the firm the son succeeded to the business, which he has since conducted upon a larger scale than before. To accommodate the growing trade an addition has been erected to the shop at No. 236 South Front street, and saddlery has been added to the making of harness. Altogether the store is said to be the most complete retail establishment of its kind in the southern part of the state.

As early as the year 1854, Gottlieb Schmidt came to the then small hamlet of Mankato. A native of Saxony, Germany, he had learned the ti-ade of harness-maker in early life and was proficient at the calling, being recognized as a skilled workman. After a brief sojourn in Manlcato he proceeded to St. Paul, but soon returned to Blue Earth county and in 1860, took up a claim in Mankato township. As the country began to be settled by permanent residents a need for a harness-maker became apparent and thereupon he resumed work at his trade, beginning upon a very small scale, but gradually increasing the business as demands upon his workmanship grew more numerous. Living the life of a quiet, peaceable citizen; busy workman and genial friend, he passed his years in contented industry, and at the age of seventy, in 1896, was called to his final rest. His widow, who survives him, was Ida Schmidt, a native of Wisconsin. Of their two sons. Otto died in 1880, at the age of twelve.

Educated in the grammar and high schools of Mankato, Oscar W. Sehmitt, was given the fair ieducational advantages which the increasing prosperity of his father rendered possible. On leaving school he secured employment in the Citizens' National Bank as an office boy and later became collection clerk. Through an apprenticeship covering three years he had gained a thorough knowledge of the trade of harnessmaker and his knowledge was supplemented by practical work in various towns, after which he located permanently in Mankato in 1888, and since then has devoted his attention to the business established by his father. Meanwhile he has become interested in other avenues of business and civic activity and is known as a progressive citizen, ready to co-operate with movements for the general welfare. The Citizens' Telephone Company is one of the concerns which he aided ii! organizing and helped to place upon a substantial basis. Other enterprises, including the Standard brewery, have received his practical aid. In 1887, he was united in. marriage with Miss Catherine Manderfeld, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Manderfeld, of Mankato, and they are the parents of one son, Harold W. Active in fraternal organizations, Mr. Schmidt holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, both the local lodge and encampment; Eoyal Arcanum, of which he officiated as regent and treasurer for ten years; and Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, in which he has been a trustee for two terms.

SCHMITT, HARBISON L. - The senior member of the law firm of H. L. & J. W. Sehmitt, the gentleman whose name heads this article, is s forcible illustration of the value of concentrated effort in the development of character and the establishment of a high professional reputation. A native of Iowa, born at Waverly, October 15, 1866, Harrison L. Sehmitt is the son of Rev. John H. and Maria C. (Lipp.) Sehmitt, the former being a Pennsylvania German and the latter a daughter of the Fatlierland. The father was a clergyman of the German Evangelical Association and was a pioneer of his calling in the State of Minnesota, faithfully and ably laboring in his holy field until called away by death in February, 1888, at the age of fifty-eight years. I-lis wife and the mother of his seven children (of whom Harrison L. was the second) is still living, a venerable and honored figure of the earlj days.

the latter in 1888, and afterward having a successful experience of several years as a teacher in Blue Earth county and elsewhere. Fortunatelj his choice of a profession and his ability to rise in it were, in line, and after a regular course in law he graduated from the Northwestern University of Chicago in the class of 1893, earning his degree LL; B. In July of that year he settled in Mankato and his practice has since brought him botli financial rewards, and an honorable reputation, for straightforward and meritciious professional work. In 1900 lie formed a partnership with his youngest brother, John W. Schmitt which now handles much of the important legal business of this section of the country. Both are members of the State Bar Association and have never allowed their energies and abilities to be diverted from, the prosecution of. the legitimate business connected with tlieir profession.

On August 13, 1894, Harrison L. Schmitt was married to Miss Esther M. Grannis, of Mankato, and they have had four children, Harrison A., Helen K., Pauline A., and an infant daughter.

John W. Schmitt, junior partner of the firm of II. L. & J. W. Schmitt, leading attorneys of Mankato, was bom in Paynesville, Minnesota, August 12, ,1875, received his early education in the public schools of Mankato and graduated from the City High school in the class of '96. After teaching in Mankato for a time, in 1898, he entered the University of Minnesota, v/herein he completed the law course as a member of the class of 1900, entitling him to the degree of .LL. B. Since that year, as stated he has been in partnership with his brother. In April, ]907, was appointed City Attorney of Mankato, Minnesota and is now acting as such. Mr. Schmitt wa,s married July 22, 1905, to Miss Laura Elizabetli, daughter of Hon. John E. Beatty, of Mankato.

SCHULTE, HENEY. - The earliest recollections of Henry Schulte cluster around the pioneer scenes of Blue Earth county, whither his parents came from Missouri during his infancy, bringing with them no capital except strong hearts and willings hands. The frontier environment was familiar to his childhood years, and he has been an interested participant in the changes wrought in the agricultural domain of the county during the passing years. The only aid which he had upon starting out for himself was the gift from his father of forty acres of wild wood land, the same being given him ia recognition of his self-sacrificing efforts to assist his parents during his youth.; from that beginning he has evolved his present homestead in lime township.

The family record shows that Peter Schulte was born in Prussia in 1817, and came to the United States in 1847, settling near St. Charles, Missouri, where he secured employment at $4 per month and board. Later he was given more satisfactory wages. Some time after his arrival he married Clara Eakler, who as a young girl had come from Germany, to America with her parents and had settled near St. Charles. After their marriage they settled on a farm in St. Charles county, where their son, Henry, was born February 17, 1853. From there in October of 1853, they removed to Minnesota and took up a tract of raw land in> Lime tovraship, Blue Earth county, where afterward they labored arduously in the building up of a productive property. The father died at the old homestead December 2, 1893, and the mother passed away September 13, 1904, they were the parents of ten children, of whom the following survive: Henry, Frank, George and August; Christena, wife of Nicholas Bruels, of Eenville county, Minnesota; Mary, who married Henry Heinzman of Blue Earth county; and Elizabeth, who married Frank Hagen, of Eenville county, this state.

The eldest member of the family now living is Henry Schulte, who was reared on the homt.' farm in Blue Earth county and always has followed agricultural pursuits in this locality. November 12, 1874, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Borgmeier, who died March l!>, 1879.

Of that union four children were born, namely: Theresa M., who is the wife of William Baumgardner and lives in Eenville county, this state; George P., who makes his home in Lamoure ecunty, North Dakota; Eosie M., who married John Pihale, of Mankato; and Joseph, who died in infancy. The second marriage of Mr. Schulte v,as solemnized September 6, 1881, and united him with Mrs. Mary Hilgers, widow of the late Bartholomew Hilgers, and a daughter of Matthias and Christina Boemer, pioneers of Blue Earth county. The family came to the United Slates from Germany, where Mrs. Mary Schulte was born April 17, 1852. Four children were born of her union with Mr. Hilgers, namely : Bosie, deceased; Albert, Jacob and Gertrude. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Schulte was blessed with four children, Peter P., Helena M., Leo H. and Wendell J., all of whom are still under the parental roof. The family are identified with the Eoman Catholic church and have a host of friends among the people of their community. For several years Mr. Schulte held office as supervisor of Lime township and during that period he favored movements for the benefit of the people here, while at the same time he was ever mindful of the interests of the tax-payers. For five years or more he has served as treasurer of the township. In addition he has been clerk of the school board for nine years and meanwhile has accomplished much to promote the welfare of the schools.

' SCHUMACHEE, GUSTAVE. - Having passed his entire life upon the farm where he now lives Mr. Schumacher is familiar with the possibilities of the soil and understands the methods of treatment which will bring the largest returns from the cultivation of the land. Memory carries him back to the environment of childhood, to the' primitive home, the pioneer surroundings, the lack of comforts, the necessity for constant drudgery and the many deprivations incident to frontier existence; with those conditions he contracts those of the present day, and realizes that the labor of years has, not been without its reward. Neat buildings bring comfort to the family, shelter to the stock and adequate facilities for the storage of grain. Fences divide the land into fields of convenient size. The heavy growth of timber has been replaced by crops that yearly yield a golden harvest to the careful tiller of the soil.

To this farm lying on section twenty-seven. Lime township, came Mathias Schumacher in May of 1854, and here he labored assiduously until his death, which occurred Jilarch 1, 1901. A native of Germany, born April 25, 1826, he came to the United States in early life and settled in the east. October 23, 1852, he was united in marriage with the widow of David Knechler, nee Anna Mary Eberhart. Mrs. Schumacher was born in Germany August 11, 1824, and grew to womanhood in Germany, where November 25, 1845, she became the wife of David Knechler, who died in November of 1850. Three children were born of that union, but all are deceased. June 2, 1851, Mrs. Knechler took passage on a ship bound for the United States and after a tedious voyage of eighty days she landed in New York City, whence she traveled across the country to Buffalo, New York. In that city she married the following year. From there in May of 1854 she accompanied her husband to Blue Earth county, Minnesota, and settled on the land out of which was developed a finely improved farm, since her home.

During the Civil war Mathias Schumacher offered his services to his adopted country, enlisting in the Union army November 20, 1862, and remaining at the front until he received an honorable discharge, November 28, 1863. Afterward he followed farm pursuits uninterruptedly until his death and since then his widow has remained at the old homestead. They were the parents of seven children. The eldest, Hattie, was born April 25, 1855. Frederick was born September 1, 1856, and died April 15, 1863. Louisa was born June 21, 1858, and died April 8, 1863. Caroline was born March 5, 1860, and died April 27, 1863. Edward was born May 3, 1863; Gustavo, July 20, 1866; and Ernst, July 6, 1871. Gustave Schumacher was reared on the home farm and received a common school education. He was married in this county, April 11, 1893, to Mary Hummer, who was born in i>ricollet county, Minnesota, August 15, 1876. Her parents, Michael and Theresa (Wagner) Hummer, removed to Blue Earth county about 1882 and at present make their home in Lime township. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Schumacher was blessed with two children, namely: Hattie T., born July

8, 1894; and Ida T., February 24, 1896. The family are respected wherever known and Mr. Schumacher has a reputation among his acquaintances as an up-to-date agriculturist.

SCHWAN, PEANK EGBERT. - Mr. Schwan is first of all a farmer, and his long and successful association with the agricultural and stockraising interests of the township, entitle him to foremost rank among its thrifty and enlightened upbuilders.

Born in Lyra township July 23, 1866, Mr. Schwan is a son of August Schwan, farmers by occupation, and the former of whom was a soldier in the Civil war. He was educated in the public schools. June 1, 1892, he was united in marriage to Emma L. Mertesdorf, of Vernon Center, and one child has been born of the union, Juanita Nellie Schwan.

SCHWAEZ, JOHN E. - Coming to Blue Earth county with his parents when he was a child of six years, Mr. Schwarz has since been identified with this part of the state. Here he gained his education in the country schools. Here he learned the rudiments of agriculture under the supervision of his father, and upon attaining man's estate here it was that he started out for himself as a member of the farming community. About 1893 he became a resident of Vernon Center township and settled on the farm he still owns and operates, the tract comprising one hundred and seventy-five acres, all under the plow and improved with substantial buildings erected by the present owner. An adequate system of fencing adds to the value and the appearance of the property, while the crops are aided by thorough ditching.

Near the village of Princeton, G-reen Lake county, Wisconsin, John E. Schwarz was born March 9, 1862, being a son of John and Louise (Joster) Schwarz, natives of Prussia, Germany, and emigrants to Wisconsin during the year 1858. For eight years they remained on a farm in Green Lake county, after which they came to Minnesota and took up a claim in Olmsted county. The year 1868 witnessed their arrival in

Blue Earth county, where they settled on wild land in Ceresco township and took up the task of earning a livelihood from the untried soil. Many hardships awaited their patient efEorts. By degrees the land was brought under cultivation and willing hands aided in gleaning the goodly harvests. There were ten children in the family, John E., being the third in order of birth. It was impossible to give the children many advantages, but they were sent to the district schools during the winter months and by careful home training were prepared for the responsibilities of the work a day world. The father died in 1892, and is survived by his wife, who makes her home in Amboy at this writing.

The marriage of John E. Schwarz took place in 1894 and united him with Mary Boeck, daughter of Charles and Anna (Weinkopf) Boeck. The parents were born and reared in Prussia and came to the United States at the same time with the Schwarz family. For twenty years or more Mr. Boeck followed the trade of a blacksmith at Pleasant Mound and he still lives in an adjoining township, but is now practically retired from business cares. In religion Mr. and Mrs. Schwarz are identified with the Lutheran church and in that faith they are rearing their four children, Lena, Herbert, Celia and Ella. The home farm is utilized for the raising of such crops as are suited to the soil and climate, and excellent results have attended the efEorts of Mr. Schwarz in general farming. Stock-raising forms a noticeable feature of his work, and he makes a specialty of Poland- China hogs and a good grade of cattle. In politics he always gives his ballot to the Eepublican party and has been interested in local affairs, although never displaying any trace of partisanship in his opinions. For four years he served as a member of the town board and at this writing he holds the office of assessor of Vernon Center township.

SCHWEITZEE, JOHN. - The passing years have brought their eventful changes in Blue Earth county since Mr. Schweitzer came hither from the old world. Hamlets have developed into villages of fair size, farms have been improved, emigration has been attracted by reason of low prices of land and the fertile soil^ and the early settlers have shared in the general and rising prosperity. It was the good fortune of Mr. Schweitzer to arrive in the county at a time when conditions were ripe for investment and he was thus enabled to place- his small capital in a judicious manner. For success he was further equipped with an excellent German education and a fair knowledge of business methods. Aided by these qualifications he has risen to a position of importance in Mapleton and has become a property owner, dealer in real estate and prominent business man.

No member of the Schweitzer family excepting John ever came to the United States and he was twenty-six years of age when, in 1873, he bade farewell to friends and relatives in his native Prussia and turned his face toward the setting sun. After landing in Kew York he proceeded direct to Minnesota and settled in Mapleton, which remains his home at the present time. Soon after his arrival he secured employment in a drug store. In a short time he purchased the business, which he has conducted ever since and which is the only store of its kind in the village. A number of times there have been drug stores started in the town, but each was compelled to close out in a short time, for the business had been practically absorbed by Mr. Schweitzer and his patrons invariably remained loyal to him. The substantial building occupied by his stock of goods is owned by himself and in addition he owns the postoflEice building and has other town property, the same representing a valuation of considerable importance.

When Mr. Schweitzer came to the United States he was a single man, but soon he established a home of his own. October 17, 1876, he married Eose Pagenkopf, a daughter of Charles Pagenkopt, who came to America from Germany in young manhood and settled on a farm in Wisconsin. Several years later he bought a farm in Blue Earth county, Minnesota, near Mapleton, remaining there until his death. The family name of his wife was Kleinholt. Six children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Schweitzer: Charles, who married Ada Severson; Theo, who is employed as a drug clerk at Dickinson, North Dakota; Flora, who married

Edward Ulrich, proprietor of a general store at Good Thunder, Blue Earth county; Peter, who married Cora Schimmele; Julia, wife of William Ulrich; and Kosalia. No one appreciates the value of a good education more than does Mr. Schweitzer and he endeavored to give his children the best advantages his means rendered possible, so that they might be qualified for the responsibilities of life. His interest in educational matters led him to fill the office of school director for fifteen years. For a long period he also served as a member of the village board. Since becoming a citizen of the United States he has voted with the Democratic party believing thoroughly in the principles for \\-hich it stands. Fraternally he holds membership with the Yeomen. Movements for the benefit of the village receive his stanch support and he always has been found on the side of projects calculated to promote the general welfare.

SELLERS, C. L. - The development of electricity from a scientific as well as a business standpoint has opened up for young men fields of activity unknown to former generations and among those to avail themselves of this opportunity thus presented we mention the name of C. L. Sellers, who since 1898, has filled the position of city electrician of Mapleton. While he lacked the advantages of technical training and did not enjoy collegiate advantages during his jouth, he possessed native ability and by unaided efforts acquired a knowledge of electricity superior to that secured by many men of fine educations but lesser natural gifts. To him electi'icity always has presented a fascinating aspect. Its mysteries have attracted him and its problems have aroused his keenest interest.

The entire life of Mr. Sellers has been passed in Blue Earth county, where he was born November 4, 1868, being a son of William A. and Sarah (Gammon) Sellers. The father was born in Nova Scotia in 1831, and in early life became familiar with the stern and rock-bound coast of his native peninsula. Its opportunities for earning a livelihood were so meagre that he was led to migrate to the United States. For some years he made his home in Chippewa county, Wiscon- sin, and during a part of his time there he engaged in conducting a hotel. During the year 18G8 he brought his family to Blue Earth county, iJinnesota and took up a tract of raw land in Decoria township, where for years he led the quiet, busy and frugal life of the pioneer farmer. Upon retiring from farm cares he removed to liapleton in 1901, and in this village he passed away in 1904, two years after the demise of his wife. They were the parents of eleven children, eight of whom are yet living.

Upon completing the studies of the common schools C. L. Sellers took a course in the Mankato Business College and there gained a thorough knowledge of commercial bookkeeping. Afterward he engaged in farming in Beauford townsJiip, Blue Earth county, and he still owns an interest in a farm in Decoria township, but as previously stated for ten years he has given his attention especially to electrical work. In 1900, he was united in marriage with Miss Stella Bowen, daughter of Leroy and Marion (Gilbert) Bowen, natives of New York state, but pioneers 01 Blue Earth county, where they still make their home in Decoria township. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Sellers are as follows: Lyle, Lorena and Burnell. Ever since attaining his majority Mr. Sellers has. given his ballot to the candidates and principles of the Eepublican party and has been an enthusiastic supporter of the same. Formerly he was a member of the town board of Beauford township and since moving into Mapleton he has served as a member of the town council. Various fraternities have received his allegiance, among these being Mapleton Lodge No. 128, A. P. & A. M., also the Modern Woodmen of America, the Yeoman and the Mutual Benefit Association.

SEPPMAN, LOUIS. - The changes that onehalf century has wrought in the appearance of Blue Earth county are brought vividly to the mind of Mr. Seppman as he recalls conditions during the '50s when he arrived in Minnesota in search of a location. Few white men as yet had cast their lots with the earliest settlers scattered through the forests or dispersed upon the unbroken prairies. On every hand primeval nature was unadorned by arts or handiwork of man. The bleak winds of winter blew over a region whose habitations were few and whose future prosperity only an optimist could discern. Indians roamed through the trackless woods and appaled the "pale-face" by their dances of death. Erom that condition to the environment of the twentieth century there is a startling transformation, attributable to the steady courage and persistent efforts of the honored pioneers.

Westphalia, Germany, is the native province of Louis Seppman, and October 31, 1835, the date of his birth. His father, Henry, who was a stone-mason by trade, died in Germany, in 1880 while the mother, Elizabeth, still makes her home in that country, where her ancestors had lived and labored as far back as the records- can be traced. At an early age Louis Seppman resolved to seek a livelihood in America, and with this purpose in view he set sail for the new world in the fall of 1852, arriving in New York City on New Year's day of 1853. Prior to emigration he had learned the trade of a stone mason and this occupation he followed for three years in Pennsylvania. Leaving the east he sought a home in Minnesota and arrived in Blue Earth county May 1, 1857. It was possible for him to secure immediate employment at his trade and thus be earned a fair livelihood from the first. With the savings of years of assiduous effort he invested in land, acquiring a farm of fou^; hundred and fifteen acres, and since then he has engaged in agricultural pursuits. His farm lies on section eighteen of South Bend township, and is located on the rural route No. three, from Lake Crystal. In an early day he built a circular stone mill, which was one of the first flour mills in Blue Earth county and brought the trade of farmers from a distance of thirty miles.

In national politics Mr. Seppman votes with the Democratic party; in county affairs he supports the men whom he considers best qualified for official responsibilities. For a considerable period he served as township assessor and for eight years was honored with the chairmanship of the board. Eeared in the faith of the German Lutheran denomination he always has given his allegiance to its doctrines and has maintained a deep interest in religious activites.

For some time after coming to Blue Earth county he remained a bachelor, but eventually established domestic ties,'^ being united July 5, 1866, with Augusta Miller, a native of Pommern, Germany, but from girlhood a resident of Minnesota. Thirteen children were born of their union, and nine ol these are still living, namely : Herman, who if- engaged in farming at the old homestead; Henry, a farmer of Blue Earth county; Anna, who is married and lives on a farm in this county; Mary, Mrs. John LeDuc; Charles and Albert, who follow agricultural pursuits in this county; Clara and Emma who reside with their parents; and Alfred, who also remains at home.

SEVEESON, OLE T. - The native sons of Norway contribute very materially to the agricultural success of Blue Earth county, and their farms invariably reflect the order, thrift and industry which lies at the foundation of the Scandinavian commonwealth. No people adapt themselves more readily to the radical changes encountered on this side of the water, or develop greater patriotism and public spiritedness. Ole T. Severson spent the first twelve years of his life among the splendid mountains of Norway, where he was born May 6, 1844, and he was one of the six children of Severt and Anna Bertha (Hoverson) Severson, to embark with their parents in a sailing vessel during the summer of 1858, and after about six weeks of storm and calm arrived in New York harbor, whence they came to Vernon county, Wisconsin. Here the older Severson bought a farm, where his wife died in 1866, and where he himself died in 1890, having made this his home for thirty-eight years.

Educated in the public schools of Norway and Wisconsin, Ole T. Severson followed the family fortunes until 1872, when he came to Blue Earth county, settling on the farm which now is his home. Erom a crude and uncultivated state he has developed it into a fine and paying propei'ty, containing one hundred and ninety-four acres, and practically all of it under cultivation. He raises general produce and stock, and has a comfortable residence, and well constructed barns. His fences and place generally is kept in good repair, and he is painstakingly mindful of details, an essential of successful farming.

As encouragement in his upward struggle Mr. Severson married Tawnete Sofie Nelson on March 24, IS'iO, and has an interesting family, a part of which is self supporting and remote from the family roof, while his two 3'oungest children, Carrie and Oscar, are still at home. His older children, Albert and Joseph, have business interests of their own, the former being a general merchant, in Fairfax, South Dakota, and the latter a farmer in Minnesota. Mr. Severson is a Republican in national politics, and locally votes for the best man. In religion he is a Lutheran. His experience has included service in the Civil war as a soldier in Company B, Fiftieth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.

SHONTS, WILLIAM H. - Industry and integrity are the corner-stones of individual ana national success and prosperity. Without them they labor in vain who strive for honor among men and the esteem of associates. With their aid the humblest will become respected in the circle where chance or destiny has placed him. Among those fl'ho, solely through energy and integrity, lia\e risen to positions of esteem in neighborhood circles we mention the name of William H. Shouts, who has been a resident of Blue Earth county from early childhood and has become familiar with the soil, climate and possibilities of the region. General farming is his chosen work and his specialties are Poland- China hogs, Norman horses and shorthorn cattle.