Johnson County, Missouri - - Biographical, 1918 (part 9 of 19)

Mr. Early, whose name introduces this sketch, attended school at Oakland, where Miss Williams was employed as teacher. In the days of his youth, he heard many of the pioneer preachers expound the Scriptures, among whom he recalls: Reverends Reavis, Dr. Reese, Houx, and Gillam. W. S. Early was fifteen years of age when he came to Missouri in 1880 and with his brother, D. S. Early, located on a farm south of Warrensburg, where the Earlys purchased one hundred sixty acres of land and resided for fi\-e years. At the close of that period of time, D. S. and W. S. Early purchased the interests of the other members of the family in the farm and then when they had sold the place, W. S. Early moved to Warrensburg. where he entered the feed and grain business and conducted a wagon yard. In the meantime he had married and for five years was engaged in farming and stock raising on the place owned by his wife's father. In 1895, Mr. Early moved to the Jacob Eppright farm. He and Mrs. Early are now owners of three hundred twenty acres of choice farm land in Chilhow^ee township, two hundred acres of which are in pasture land and grass. In 1905, Mr. Early built a handsome residence, a house of thirteen rooms, where he and his wife reside. He raises a large number of Duroc Jersey hogs and Shorthorn cattle annually and Mrs. Early always raises a fine flock of Rhode Island Red chickens each year. She has complete charge of the poultry on the farm and has been remarkably successful in the management of her department of the farm work.

In 1886, W. S. Early and Berea M. Eppright were united in marriage . Mrs. Early is the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Jane Eppright. The Epprights were among the first settlers of this county, to which they came in a very early day. A more comprehensive account of the family appears elsewhere in this volume. Berea M. (Eppright) Early has one sister now living. Mrs. Myrtle C. Mitchell, of Colorado. Mrs. Early well remembers how her mother was want to take the wool, which tlie father had cut from the sheep they raised, down to the creek and there wash it before she began to card and spin it. Her family went to church everv Sundav in the farm wagon. The Eppright children attended school at Pleasant Green and when Mrs. Earlv was a vouug girl, she knew personally Reverend Kaxanaugh and frequently heard her uncle, J. Cal Litteral. preach. Ik- was considered one of the most able of the pioneer evangelists. To .Mr. and Airs. Early have been born five children: Jacob F.. Centerview. Missouri; Forest D., Warrensburg, Missouri; Mrs. Blanche Weigaiul. Centerview, Missouri; Willard J. II., Warrensburg. Missouri : and C'liarlcs E.. Centerview, Missouri. The Early family is well known ami hiohly respected in Johnson county. Mr. and Mrs. Early are worthy and valued members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.

Nelson Chapman, an enterprising and influential farmer and stockman of Chilhowee township, is a native of Indiana. He was born in 1870, a son of George and Mary E. Chapman. The father was a son of Uriah Chapman, a successful and prosperous farmer of Lawrence county, Indiana. George Chapman was a veteran of the Civil War. a member of the Seventeenth Indiana Infantr\-. serving with W'ilder's Lightning bridage. He was with Sherman on his famous march to the sea and he took an active part in many hard-fought engagements and important battles. For liis exceptional bravery on the field of battle. Mr. Chapman was awarded a medal, showered with encomiums by comrades and ofificers. and called "Little Chappy". After the war had ended, he returned to the farm in Indiana and was there engaged in farming until 1871. when he came to Missouri and located in Cass county, where he resided for a few years and then went back to Indiana to live for nearly three years. In 1877, George Chapman again came to Missouri and settled in Joimson county. He resided several years on a farm in Rose Hill township and then mo\ed to the place in Chilhowee township in 1888. where he spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1904.

Nelson Chapman attended school at Pleasant Ridge in Johnson county, and Miss Alice Quick. Miss Emma Metzler. and David Smith Avere at dififerent times employed as teacher while Mr. Chapman was a pupil. He later was a pupil in the school near Magnolia, of which Miss Lizzie Houston was the teacher, and in the schools of Magnolia, and St. Cecelia's Academy. Holden. Missouri. Since he attained maturity, Mr. Chapman has been engaged in farming e\'ery year. In 1893, he purchased a farm of forty acres in Chilhowee townsln'p. which are adjoining his present place, a tract of eighty acres that lie obtained "vvlien he sold his original farm. Mr. Chapman is interested in stock raising and has the farm well equipped for handling Poland China hogs and Duroc Jerseys and white face cattle, which breeds of hogs and cattle he prefers. In 1914, Mr. Chapman bought two acres of land within the town limits of Magnolia and to the home in Magnolia he has moved from the farm. He is engaged in buying and shipping cream and gardening. The season of 1917 he had twenty-five acres of his farm in corn.

Mr. Chapman is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and of the Modern Woodmen of America. He and Mrs. Chapman are highly regarded in Magnolia and they are numbered among the county's excellent and most desirable citizens.

Luther W. Dawson, a member of a prominent pioneer family, was born in 1884 in Johnson county, Missouri, in a house built by his grandfather, C. W. Dawson, before the Civil War. C. W. Dawson came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1846 and purchased a farm in Johnson county, a place comprising two hundred seventy-three acres, for which he paid one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. C. W. Dawson was a native of Lexington, Kentucky. At the time the farm in Johnson county was purchased, a log house was standing on the place and this was the Dawson, home for many years. There the father of the subject of this review was born and J. T. Dawson's brother and two sisters: John Dawson, Mrs. Susie Crutchfield, and Mrs. Kittie Wolfe.

C. W. Dawson was the owner at one time of nine hundred fiftythree acres of land in Johnson county and was considered one of the wealthiest men in the county in his day. He was a born leader and when just a mere child was dictator of his crowd of playmates and later, while still a very young boy, he became captain of the home militia in Lexington, Kentucky. He was exceedingly fond of outdoor life and spent much time on long hunting and fishing trips. The death of C. W. Dawson occurred in Johnson county in 1889. J. T. Dawson, the father of the subject of this review, is the son of C. W. and Martha Dawson. His mother died in 1893, four years after the death of her husband. J. T. Dawson was reared on his father's farm in Johnson county and early in life began working for himself. He was married in 1881 to Lillian V. Smith, the daughter of Jolin Smith, a native of Ohio. To J. T, and Lillian V. (Smith) Dawson were born the following children: Leslie, who is a prominent attorney of Bryant, Washington: Luther W., Warrensburg. Missouri: Orland, Lone Elm, Kansas;

Flossie, who resides in Kingsville, Missouri; and Milton, who resides in Bryant, Washington. J. T. Dawson lives on a farm southwest of Holden.

Luther W. Dawson received his education in the district school, near his home, in Johnson county, where he was one of the best students, receiving six different prizes, and later, in Hill's Business College, Sedalia, Missouri, and the Warrensburg State Normal School. After leaving college, Mr. Dawson became interested in agricultural pursuits and in 1916 purchased a farm from liis father. This place comprises three hundred thirteen acres of splendid farm land, which placed at the lowest possible figure is worth one hundred dollars an acre. Mr. Dawson has one hundred fifty-three acres in bluegrass, eighty acres in meadow, forty acres in oats, thirty-six acres in corn, and four acres in garden produce. The farm is well improved, with numerous barns, a good tenant house, and a fine farm residence, a large structure of ten rooms, which presents an imposing appearance. This residence is weatherboarded entirely with black walnut lumber. A new garage was recently added to the improvements, which is a well-constructed building 26 x 32 feet in dimensions. The Dawson place is well watered by two large ponds. Mr. Dawson has built a cistern five hundred fifty feet from the residence, where the land is sliglitly elevated, from which the water supply for the house and barns is pumped by windmill and then piped in a complete modern ,water-system. He has had splendid success as a farmer and has grown thirty bushels of wheat to the acre, but he gives most of his attention to the raising of stock. He has registered Shorthorn cattle, Poland China hogs, and eight of the best mules in the state. Mr. Dawson fattens a large number of hogs each year for the market and at the time of this writing has still on hand three hundred bushels of corn two years old and one hundred bushels of corn raised in 1916. The income from coal mines on his farm, when in operation, averages about two and a half dollars a day.

In 1911. Luther ^^'. Dawson was united in marriage with Stella Marye. the daughter of J- H. Marye, of Cooper county, Missouri. To Luther and Stella f Marye) Dawson have been born two daughters: Thelma and Hazel. Mrs. Dawson has complete charge of the poultry industry on the Dawson place and she has had splendid success raising turkeys for the market. Last year, the year of 1916. Mrs. Dawson received ninety-seven dollars and twenty-five cents for the turkeys she sold. Mr. Dawson takes a keen interest in all movements which have for their object the improvement of farm conditions and he is a member of the Farmers' Productive Club, which is one of the progressive, wideawake organizations of Johnson county that are accomplishing a great amount of good in this section of Missouri. He is secretary of this club. Mr. Dawson possesses remarkable skill as a mechanic and in his own shop on the farm is able to make or repair any machinery, which is not too complicated, that he needs. Both he and his wife are valued members of the Baptist church and are numbered among the county's most esteemed and respected young citizens.

Edwin B. Little, a prosperous and influential farmer and stockman of Magnolia, Chilhowee township, is a member of a well-known pioneer family of Johnson county. He was born in 1858 in Johnson county, Missouri, a son of John Howe and Margaret Frances Little. John H. Little was a son of William and Jane Little, natives of Virginia. The Littles were considered very wealthy and prominent in that state, where the father owned a large plantation in Jefiferson township. William Little was the first sheriff of the county in Virginia, where he resided. John H. Little came to Johnson county in 1858 and purchased nearly six hundred acres of land on the open prairie. The early settlers advised him to buy land along a creek, cautioning him of the difificulties he would encounter if he chose to live elsewhere, warning him of the cold in winter. After a heroic struggle against conditions i-^iuch more adverse than they had ever been pictured, Mr. Little died in 1861, leaving the mother and her four sons and three daughters to fight poverty alone and unaided. The family endured all the privations and hardships of pioneer life and war, but Mrs. Little was one of the bravest and noblest women who came to Johnson county and uncomplainingly bore burdens that would have broken the spirit of many a stronger person. She lived to see the happier days of the coming of which she often prophesied. She died in October, 1901. To Mr. and Mrs. John H. Little were born: Charles C, who died October 9, 1917: Clara E.. died October 12, 1917: Mrs. Francis H. McDougal : J. A.: G. ^^^. on the home place: Mrs. Alice B. McDougal: and Edwin B.. subject of this review.

E. B. Little attended the Barthick school, which was taught liy John Coats and Maggie Humphrey. .Among his schoolmates, whom he now recalls, were: Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Fisher, wlio now reside in Tohnson county : R. S. Fisher: T- C. Raker, T- F. Raker. M. H. Snare : John

Kirkpatrick; and Thomas Kirkpatrick, of Holdeii. Air. Little knew personally many of the pioneer preachers and he has heard the following men many times in the early days: Reverends Levi Henshaw, "Johnny" Denton, Prather, and J. H. Houx. When E. B. Little was a lad, there was much open prairie and unbroken sod land and he frequently aided in surveying the county, carrying the cliain for "Jap" Ferguson. On his father's farm, the first work given him to do was breaking sod, with the assistance of a yoke of oxen. Until he was twenty-nine years of age, Mr. Little remained at home with his mother on the home place. She was obliged to sell eighty acres of the homestead, in order to pay debts, and about 1889, E. B. bought back this tract. At the time of his marriage, in 1887, he owned one hundred acres of land. He devoted most of his time and attention to stock raising, specializing in Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs, and in the course of time began to prosper, meeting with deserved success in practically every business venture. Now. Air. Little owns five hundred forty acres of good farm land in Johnson county. About three hundred acres of the farm are in pasture and meadow. The Little farm is well improved and two drilled wells furnish an abundance of water, which is pumped to both the residence and the barns by a gasoline engine. Mr. Little harvested a splendid crop of oats this year and he always has a nice crop of wheat.

In 1887, E. B. Little and Sue C. Stone, daughter of "Uncle Salathiel" Stone, an honored pioneer of Post Oak tow-nship and well-to-do farmer and stockman, w^ere united in marriage. Mrs. Little's mother died in 1901 and her father in 1910. She has one brother deceased, R. I. Stone, and six brothers and sisters living, namely: Mrs. Sarah M. James, Mrs. Mary J. Eppright. Mrs. Melissa Sweeney, T. \\\ Stone. J. W. Stone, and G. W. Stone. To Mr. and Mrs. Little have been born three children: H. S., Magnolia. Missouri: E. E.. Alagnolia, Missouri; and Mary E., Magnolia, Missouri. In 1887, Mr. Little built an attractive and comfortable residence, a house of seven rooms, which is the present home of the entire family. He and his wife are higlily regarded and valuable members of the Presbyterian cliurch and tliey are numbered among the county's best and most substantial citizens.

Hubert Elliott, an honored and highly respected pioneer of Johnson county, resides on a farm in Chilhowee township, which has been his home for the past half century. He is a native of Kentucky. Mr. Elliott was born in 1844 in .\dair conntv. a son of William and Susan

Elliott. William Elliott was the son of Alexander Elliott, a well-known farmer of Kentucky, who lived and died in that state. The son, William, was also a farmer and, in addition, a skilled mechanic. He came with his family to Missouri in 1849 and settled in Moniteau county, where he purchased a large farm and became very successful and prosperous. He died in 1895. William and Susan Elliott were the parents of twelve children, all of whom were reared to maturity and six are now living: Mrs. Mary F. Russell, Santa Fe, Kansas; Mrs. Elizabeth Burlingame, California, Missouri; Hubert, the subject of this review; Joseph, Latham, Missouri; Guinn, Latham, Missouri; and Robert, California, Missouri.

In 1867, Hubert Elliott moved from Moniteau county to Johnson county, Missouri. He settled on a farm of eighty acres of virgin soil in Chilhowee township and began farming. For the first year, Mr. Elliott resided in a rude log cabin, located on the county line, which was a two-story structure, the upstairs, or "loft," reached by a ladder. The Elliott farm was one of the first to be fenced in the township. Prior to the advent of fencing in Johnson county, one could ride horseback from Chilhowee to Holden, keeping on a straight line. When Mr. Elliott came to this county, there were few settlements between Chilhowee and Sedalia, but an abundance of deer, wild turkeys, and prairie chickens. "Uncle Green" Wallace and Mr. VanAusdol were early da\' school teachers and Reverends Ridley, J. H. Houx, and "Uncle Johnny" Morrow, pioneer preachers of Johnson county, whom Mr. Elliott knew fifty years ago. The early settlers enjoyed religious meetings far more than do the people of to-day and the attendance at all meetings was all that could be desired. The revivals, which were frequently held, were considered most pleasant and enjoyable occasions. In 1868. Hubert Elliott and Nancy R. Hindman, daughter of Samuel Hindman, who came to Johnson county from Kentucky in 1865, were united in marriage and to tliis union were born four children: Mrs. Mary S. Hughes, Holden, Missouri: Robert H., Blairstown, Missouri: Montrie, who is keeping house for her father; and Arthur, Blairstown, Missouri. The mother died in 1914. Mr. Elliott has given each of his children forty acres of land and rents to them his remaining one hundred sixty acres and he is now spending the closing years of his life of honest toil and long usefulness in quiet ease. He firmly believes that it is the right course to pursue in regard to one's children, which he has adopted, for by dividing the homeplace with them they are kept near him and will not drift apart and lose interest in one another. For many years, Mr. Elliott has been the school director for his district, but he has never had any political aspirations himself. He is a worthy and highly respected member of the Cnmberland Presbyterian church, as was Airs. Elliott.

Fifty years ago, Hubert Elliott came to Johnson county to make his home. As a farmer and stockman and as a citizen, Mr. Elliott has succeeded in establishing a well merited and splendid reputation. Many an interesting story of the early days can he relate and many a vivid picture of the hard and of the happy times can he bring before one! He remembers when corn sold for fifteen and twenty cents a bushel and meat for two and three cents a pound. In the days gone by, horseback riding was the usual mode of traveling and all the pioneer women were expert riders. Mr. Elliott enjoys studying tlie changes which have taken place in the past half century, ciianges which he has witnessed. He recalls the old corduroy roads, made by throwing logs across the trails to keep the wagons from sinking so deeply into the mud that they could not be gotten out, which made rough riding one may be sure. Hubert Elliott attributes much of his success to the raising of white face cattle and Poland China hogs, but there is no doubt that the greater ineasure is due to his industry, honesty, and perseverance.

Dr. R. Z. R. Wall, a late prominent pioneer physician of Johnson county, was one of the leading and most prosperous of the early settlers in this part of Missouri. Dr. Wall was born March 29, 1810 in North Carolina on his father's plantation in Rockingham county. He was a son of Richard Wall, who was born in Maryland, a member of one of the best colonial families.

Dr. Wall was a graduate of Chapel Hill College of North Carolina and also of the Medical College of Pennsylvania University, Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. After completing the medical course. Dr. Wall began the practice of his profession first in his native state and in Rockingham county. In 1837, he moved to Missouri and located teinporarily in Henry county, coming thence to Johnson county, where he began the practice of medicine in the West. For many years. Dr. W^all was one of the leading physicians of this county. He was a man of invincible spirit and determination which combined with a fine mind.

well trained, made success easy and sure. At one time, he was the owner of five thousand acres of vakiable, choice land in Johnson and adjoining counties. Dr. Wall was very fond of hunting and it was no unusual sight to see him on horseback carrying his gun and dashing across the open prairie on a deer chase. It became a fixed habit of his to take his gun with him everywhere, even when he was visiting his patients. He kept the family larder well provisioned with venison. One winter, the doctor brought home in all fifty deer he had killed. He would often take his young son, R. W. R., of whom he was very fond, with him, when he went on a deer chase or fishing. Dr. Wall was a lover of nature and the great freedom of the thinly settled prairies. He enjoyed the companionship of his countless friends and few men are as fond of home life as was he, but he liked most of all to be out in the open, out under the broad, blue canopy of Heaven, with his gun on his shoulder and a deer ahead. The forest was an open book to him and he knew not what fear meant. Dr. Wall has long been deceased.

R. W. R. Wall, a prosperous and influential farmer and stockman of Chilhowee township, is a son of one of the most widely known and honored pioneer physicians of Johnson county. Mr. Wall was born in 1858 in Johnson county, a son of Dr. R. Z. R. and Mary Jane (Covington) Wall. Dr. Wall was a son of Richard Wall, a native of Maryland. The doctor was a native of North Carolina and a graduate of Chapel Hill College of that state and of the Medical College of Pennsylvania University. A biography of Dr. R. Z. R. W^all will be found elsewhere in this volume.

Miss Jennie Potts was employed as teacher of the "subscription school" which R. W. R. Wall first attended in Johnson county. A few years after the Civil War, the Elliott schoolhouse was erected and there Mr. Wall later attended school, taught by Mr. Davidson. Will Higgins, and Miss Holland. When Mr. Wall was a lad, the leading pioneer preachers, whom he recalls, were: "Uncle Billy" Owsley, "Uncle Ben" Thomas, and "Jim Henry" Houx. In those days, the young people had great fun and many happy times at the country dances, parties, "singing schools," and "spelling bees." Hunting and fishing were pleasurable occupations, generally indulged in by the early settlers. Dr. Wall was intensely fond of out-of-door sports and he was well known as a very able marksman. The doctor frequently would take his young son, R. W. R., with him on his hunting expeditions.

One winter, Dr. Wall killed more than tifty deer. Many deep pools abounded in the county then, and these were filled with fish. Mr. Wall remembers the old log cabin in which the Wall family resided for several years after they came to this county to make their home. He states that in his youth, when there were no banks in this section of the state, the settlers kept all the money they had in their homes. In countless ways, it took an enormous amount of courage to be a pioneer.

In 1881, R. W. R. Wall was united in marriage with Laura E. Wetherholt, daughter of Jacob Wetherholt. and to this union have been born five children, who are now living: Mrs. Linnie E. Simpson, Denton, Missouri; Mrs. Dessie A. Dejarnett, Holden, Missouri; Miss Frances Ellen, at home with her parents; Mrs. Blanche Cayton, Griggs, Oklahoma; and Ira, at home with his parents. The Walls reside in Denton, where Mr. Wall owns their home and six valuable lots, within the town limits.

Mr. Wall is affiliated with the .Ancient I'"ree and Accepted Masons and the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically, he is a Democrat. Mr. and Mrs. W^all are worthy and consistent members of the Presbyterian church and they are highly valued citizens of Johnson county.

T. C. Byram, a successful and enterprising farmer and stockman of Chilhowee township, is a native of Kentucky. He was born in 1853 in Bath county, a son of A. ^^^ and Emily (Robinson) Byram, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. A. W. Byram was the son of Valentine Byram, who lived and died in the state of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Byram were the parents of ten children, seven of whom are now living: O. ^^^. Harrisonville. Missouri: T. C. the sul)ject of this review; D. C. Holden. Missouri: L. \\'., Kansas City. Missouri; C. W., Holden, Missouri: Bettie M.. Holden. Missouri: and W. S., Harrisonville, Missouri. \\'. S. Byram is tiie well-known probate judge of Harrisonville.

In 1869. Mr. Bvram, whose name introduces this sketch, left Kentucky and came to Missouri, locating for a short time in Camp Branch township, Cass county. Four years later, he went to the territory of Utah, where he engaged in mining successfully for six years. After that time, T. C. Bvram returned to Missouri and settled on a farm in Chilhowee township. Johnson county, a place comprising three hundred twentv acres of land on which he has ever since resided. He has made a name for himself in this county as a prominent wheat producer, sowing one year one hundred ninety-six acres of his farm in wheat and reaping abundant returns. One hundred acres of his farm are now in grass and meadow and Mr. Byram is devoting more attention to stock raising. He has at present on the farm, which is remarkably well adapted to stock raising, a large number of Shorthorn cattle and Berkshire hogs. He is an earnest advocate of the manure spreader and of crop rotation and is considered one of the best and most progressive farmers in the township.

In 1891, T. C. Byram was united in marriage with Rosa L. Roberts, daughter of Luke Roberts, an honored pioneer in this county. To this union have been born five children : Allan G., who is now in the United States Navy; Luke R., in the United States Army; Albert W., at home, Holden, Missouri; Margaret M., Holden, Missouri; and Frances, Holden, Missouri. Mrs. Byram is a member of the Christian church and Mr. Byram of the Methodist Episcopal church. South. Since he came to Johnson county, nearly forty years ago, Mr. Byram has observed the countless changes incidental to growth and improvement and he has nobly done his part to aid the advancement of liis county and township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Byram are highly respected in Chilhowee township, where they are enrolled among the county's best and most valued citizens. Politically, Mr. Byram is a Democrat.

D. L. Bell, an honored and highly respected pioneer of Johnson county, residing in Washington township, was born in Maryland in 1851. He is the son of David R. and Rebecca (Looman) Bell, the latter a daughter of Thomas Looman. The Bell family is of Scotch and English descent. David R. Bell was the thirteenth child born to his parents. He was born in 1800. John D. Bell, a half-brother of David R., was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and C. S. Bell, a brother, was the noted master mechanic of Ohio. Although the relationship has not been traced, it is not improbable that Alexander Graham Bell, of Massachusetts, the inventor of the telephone, is a member of this family. Rebecca (Looman) Bell was born in 1812 and she is now deceased. David R. Bell died in 1882, at the advanced age of eightytwo years. The Bell family emigrated to Ohio in 1858 and in 1865 migrated to Johnson county, Missouri.

At the age of twenty-one years, D. L. Bell began life for himself, engaging in farming on the old home place in Grover township. In 1876, he purchased a threshing machine, an old fashioned horse-power thresher, and for four years was engaged in threshing wheat in different parts of Johnson county. He purchased a steam threshing outfit in 1880 and was in great demand from Knob Noster to the country east of Dresden. The pioneer in wheat threshing was John Spurgeon, who in a much earlier day owned and operated a "ground hog" thresher in the neighborhood of Knob Noster.

In 1882, D. L. Bell was united in marriage with Sarah M. Shaw, the daughter of Newton Shaw, who moved from Ohio to Missouri in 1880. To D. L. and Sarah M. (Shaw) Bell have been born three children: Homer, who is married and has four children, Frankie Lee M., Louise, Mary Opal, and Alice Rose, and resides at Knob Noster, Missouri; John and George, both of whom live at home with their parents. In 1888. Mr. Bell purchased a farm near Knob Noster, which place comprised one hundred fifty acres of splendid farm land, and a few years later he increased his holdings and is now the owner of one hundred sixty-eight acres, which he is converting into a stock farm, devoting most of his time to stock raising. He still operates a threshing outfit and prior to IV17 operated two machines. He and his sons also operate a saw mill.

When Mr. Bell came to Johnson county, there were very few fences, most of the land being open prairie. Wild game was in abundance and he frequently saw as many as twehe deer in a herd, and thousands of prairie chickens. The early settlers were always sure of plenty of meat. Their trouble was to get bread. William Thornton built the first log caliin in the neighborhood of Knob Noster. in 1835. Within a very few years there were many of these rude log homes. There was little that one would call comfortable in these cabins, but the ])ioneers always had one beautiful thing in their homes and that was the open fire. The fireplace was so large that great logs could be l)urned in it and as they crackled and burned, the room, rude and primitive though it was. would be filled with rosy light, .\mong the early-day scliool teachers, whom Mr. Bell recalls, were Mr. \\'alker, of Lamonte. Missouri, and Mr. Robertson. He remembers two pioneer preachers: Reverend Spurgeon, a Baptist minister, and Reverend Ing. a Methodist minister. .\ brother of D. L. Bell, H. R., makes his liome with Mr. and Mrs. Bell.

L. N. Yoder, a prominent farmer and stockman of Rose Hill township, came to Johnson county in 1870 and settled on the farm where he now resides. Mr. Yoder is a native of Ohio. He was born in 1846.

a son of Samuel and Katherine (NofzingerJ Yoder. His grandfather, Jacob Yoder, was a resident of Pennsylvania and of German descent. Katherme (Nofzingerj Yoder was the daughter of Valentine Nofzinger, a native of Germany.

Mr. Yoder, whose name introduces this sketch, received his education in the public schools of Ohio. When he came to Missouri, he purchased forty acres of land in Johnson county, for which he paid twenty-hve dollars an acre. During the past forty-eight years, he has constantly increased his holdings by purchase and is now the owner of one hundred sixty-eight acres of Johnson county's choicest farm land, which is worth at the lowest figure one hundred dollars an acre. In the early days of his coming West, Mr. Yoder engaged in farming and stock raising on a very small scale. He built a small box house in which he lived for several years. Later, he moved it to the present location of his residence and built a few additions to it and this was the Yoder home until 1887, when the large, two-story structure was built, which is now the home, a house of handsome and commanding appearance. The maple trees, which Mr. Yoder planted in the early days, are now large and beautiful and furnish an abundance of fine shade on the well-kept lawn. The Yoder farm is well watered and equipped for handling stock. For many years, Poland China hogs and Shorthorn cattle have been raised on this place and annually nearly a dozen cows have been milked. L. N. Yoder is at present giving more attention to the breeding of white face cattle for the market and in the last few years has not been keeping so many milch cows. Mr. Yoder's son, Clarence G., is in partnership with his father in the business of farming and stock raising and he has the complete management of the farm.

In 1869, L. N. Yoder and Susan Gerber, daughter of Joseph Gerber, were united in marriage in Indiana. To this union were born eight children: Mrs. Adaline Richards, Wooster, Ohio; Samuel, Kent, Ohio: Frank, Garden City. Missouri: Mrs. Ellen Rayburn, Holden, Missouri : Will, Quick City, Missouri : Mrs. Mable Joy. Holden, Missouri : Rolla, Ft. Kearney. California, a private in the National Army, Company K, One Hundred Fifty-eighth Regiment; and Clarence G., the widely known auctioneer, who resides on the home place with his father. Mrs. Yoder died in March, 1911.

settled in Johnson county over two score years ago. Fences were practically unknown and anyone was privileged to go wherever he desired to cut hay and take all he wanted. Mr. Yoder tells how he was want to kill the wild ducks which haunted a pond near his home. They were called wild, but he thinks they were not so wild as they now are. Frequently, he killed three with one shot with a ride. Among the early preachers, he recalls Reverend Hulse. a pioneer Methodist minister. L. N. Yoder came West nearly fifty years ago to buy cheap land and thirty-five years later, his son. Samuel, went to his father's native state of Ohio in order to buy cheap land. In the course of time, the pendulum always swings backward. The marvelous increase in land values is only one of the countless changes which have taken place in this section of Missouri since Mr. Yoder came to make his home in Johnson county, all of wdiich he has observed. He has ever been ready and willing to support any worthy cause, that had for its object the betterment of conditions and no citizen in Rose Hill township has done his part more cheerfully and nobly than has he in aiding the advancement of both the county and the state. ^Ir. Yoder is a man worthy of the highest respect and consideration.

S. W. Raber, proprietor of "Pleasant \'iew Stock Farm" in Rose Hill township, is a native of Missouri. He was born in 1870 in Hickory county, a son of Daniel and Susanna (Nofzinger) Raber. the former, a native of Baden, Germany and the latter, of Prussia. The father came to America when he was a boy twelve years of age. He was the son of Christian Raber, a prominent minister of the Mennonite church in Germany, son of a well-known and respected minister also of the Mennonite church. S. ^^^ Raber has in his possession a valuable relic, a Bible printed in the German language in 1536. which formerly belonged to the great-grandfather and then to the grandfather. Christian Raber. Susanna (Nofzinger) Raber came to America with her parents in 1846. She, too, was a worthy and beloved member of the Mennonite church. The Nofzingers were a highly valued pioneer family of Ohio. In 1890, Mr. and Mrs. Raber moved from liickory county. Missouri to Johnson county and settled on a farm in Rose Hill township, where they spent the closing years of their lives. Daniel Raber died in 1905 and Mrs. Raber joined him in death this past year, of 1917.

purchased his present country home in Rose HiU township, a farm comprising one hundred forty acres of choice land on which place he has since resided engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Raber has been very successful in raising Poland China hogs and Duroc Jerseys and he is considered one of the best and most progressive general, "all-round" farmers in Johnson county. He is a firm advocate of crop rotation and of fertilization and Mr. Raber himself plants much of his farm in clover and practices the methods of soil improvement which he so enthusiastically advocates. In 1911, he built a large, substantial stock barn, which is supplied with water and lighted with electricity. Mr. Raber built a handsome residence, a modern structure of eleven spacious rooms, in 1916. Recently, he installed an electric plant at a cost of five hundred dollars, which furnishes light for the home and barn at a cost of ten cents a week.

In 1904, S. W. Raber was united in marriage with Agnes Van Matre, daughter of Abner Van Matre, of Indiana. Her father was born in 1837 in that state and came to Johnson county, Missouri just after the close of the Civil War and settled in Holden. Abner Van Matre was a leading attorney and prominent politician of Holden and served many terms as mayor of that city. He died in 1895 and his widow is still residing in Holden. To Mr. and Mrs. Raber have been born four children: Russell D., Drusilla C, Homer E., and Susanna E. The Raber family is well known and esteemed in Johnson county. Mr. Raber is an influential stockholder and director of the First National Bank of Holden and he is one of the township's most valued and substantial citizens.

Judge Charles C. Atkins, a late prominent and highly respected citizen of Johnson county, was a prosperous and influential farmer and stockman of Rose Hill township and a public-spirited, industrious man, whose loss to the good citizenship of this section of the state has been keenly felt. He was born in 1864 in Johnson county, son of James and Elizabeth (Elliott) Atkins, both of whom were honored pioneers of this county. James Atkins settled in the county in the autumn of 1852 and became a very successful and widely known farmer and stockman. His son, Charles C. was reared on the farm and educated in the public schools of Johnson county. In early manhood, he began the work of farming and stock raising and in these vocations was interested the remainder of his life.

History 01- Johnson County Jz

In 1889, Judge Charles C. Atkins and Jennie V. Baker were united in marriage. Mrs. Atkins is the daughter of T. S. and Anne (Hughes) Baker. Her mother was a daughter c»f Dudley Hughes, one of the earliest settlers of Kentucky, who migrated from Virginia in the first part of the nineteenth century and settled on a large tract of land in Kentucky. To Judge and Mrs. .Atkins were l^orn two children: Charles W. and Flora, both of whom were at home with their widowed mother, who now resides in Holden. Charles W., aged twenty-five years, is now a private in the Regular United States Army, One Hundred Twenty-fourth Infantry, and is stationed at Camp Cody, New Mexico.

In 1890, Judge x\tkins purchased a farm of eighty acres, for which he paid twenty-five dollars an acre. He constantly increased his hoKlings, until he was the owner of three hundred acres of valuable farm land in Johnson county. Mr. .Atkins devoted most of his attention to stock raising and was considered one of the best and most successful stockmen in the township. He ser\eil on the lirst executive board of the Farm Bureau of Johnson Count}- and much of the splenclid success of this institution is due to Judge .\tkins' energetic and determined efforts.

In 1914. Charles C. Atkins was elected judge of the connty court of Johnson county from the western district and in 1916. he was reelected and he was filling this position at the time of his untimely death in 1917. He had served his county faithfully and well, giving the best of satisfaction to his constituents. At the time of his death, the court house was closed for two hours and all work suspended while the last services were being held, as a tribute to him, who had so nobly rendered service there. His fellow associates of the county court sent the widow and fatherless children as a token of their heartfelt sympathy a beautiful floral emblem, a broken wheel. Judge .\tkins was taken to his last resting place accompanied by one of the largest funeral processions held in this part of Alissouri. He was widely known and wherever he was known he was loved and many were the sad hearts in Johnson county when it was known that the Grim Reaper had visited the .Atkins home. Mr. and !\Irs. .Atkins were reared in the Presbyterian faith, but upon the establishing of the Community church at Medford they united with this congregation. He was a valued and worthy member and officer of the Medford Methodist church and he had contributed liberally to the liuilding of the new church structure, in which he was deeply interested. He invariably aided in every movement which was for the betterment of the community and did all in his power to advance the interests of his township, county, and state. Judge Atkins was pre-eminently a home man and it was when alone with his family that all the nobleness of his fine nature was shown. Though Judge Atkins has gone on before, his memory will ever be held precious and sacred by those he loved so well. His tenderness, kindliness, charity, and humanity will never be forgotten and the life, cut off before the allotted time of man, he lived will ever be a source of inspiration to all who came in contact with Judge Atkins. Robert Browning says:

James Riddle, one of Johnson county's highly respected pioneer citizens and a successful farmer and stockman of Rose Hill township, is a native of Ohio. Mr. Riddle was born in 1844, a son of Archibald Riddle, son of James Riddle, who was an emigrant from Scotland. He came to America and located first in Pennsylvania and several years later settled in Ohio. The Riddles trace their ancestry back to the time of the conquest of the Northmen in 1066. Different members of the family were knighted in the old feudal days in Great Britain. Nicholas Ridley, bishop of London, a martyr of the period of the Reformation, who was descended from a family long seated in Northumberland and October 16. 1555, in company with Latimer, was burned at the stake at Oxford for heresy, is an ancestor of James Riddle. During the centuries and in changing countries the spelling of the name has been changed slightly, but the family has remained the same.

When James Riddle was a boy of seventeen years, he enlisted in the Civil War with Company A, Twelfth Ohio Cavalry and for three years served faithfully and well under Captain F. A. DuBois. Mr. Riddle fought in many skirmishes and took an active and effective part in numerous important battles, twenty-five in all. After the conflict closed, he returned to his farm home in Ohio. In 1866. he purchased one hundred acres of land in Rose Hill township, for which he still holds the old warrant, signed by President Buchanan and given to the original owner of the tract, who entered the land from the government. \It. Riddle built a small house on this place, when lie first came to Tohnson countv. and this was the riddle home for vears. Tn 1015. it

In 1867, James Riddle and Martha C. Cresswell, daughter of James Cresswell, owner of the Lincoln Mills in Pennsylvania, were united in marriage. To this union have been born four children, of whom three children are now living: Mrs. Lissa AI. Anderson, Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Mattie E. Rearick, Kansas City, Alissouri; and Mrs. Ruth A. Yoder, Holden, ^Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Voder make their home with her parents and Charles \V. Yoder is associated in partnership with Air. Riddle in farming and slock raising. Mrs. Riddle and her daughter are interested in the poultry industry and at the time of this writing, in 1917, have one of the hnest flocks of Rhode Island Reds to be found in Johnson county. Mr. and Mrs. Riddle are earnest Christians and devout and valued members of the Presbyterian church for almost all their lives. Mr. Riddle became a member of the church in 1869.

James Riddle and Charles \V. Yoder have a splendid herd of high grade Jersey cows on the Riddle place and they find that the production of cream for the market is a very profitable business. They are raising Duroc Jersey hogs and own a fine Clydesdale stallion and good jack. Air. Riddle has given his entire time and closest attention to farming and stock raising and, being a man of thrifty propensities, has prospered. He is a gentleman of the old school, of splendid physique, never having been ill a day during his entire life and he is now seventythree years of age, and of quiet, unobtrusive, kindly manners. Mr. Riddle has never been in a lawsuit in all his life. He has always felt that it was better to settle any difficulties outside of court and to keep out of trouble and wrangles, thus he has a multitude of friends, with whom he is a prime favorite because of his jovial ways. For many years. Air. Riddle was superintendent of the .Sunday School held at Union schoolhouse and then of tlie Christian Sunday School at Quick City, but on account of his hearing for the last few years, he has not been active in church work. He has never taken a drink of liquor and is an ardent temperance advocate.

In every wav, James Riddle is a first class farmer and stockman. He has watched the changes in Johnson county which have occurred during the past half century, tlie growth from a wild, lawless, sparsely settled region to one of the best and most progressive, well populated divisions of the grand, old state of Missouri and he has done his full share in aiding the upbuilding of his chosen county, in making it one of the garden spots of the West. Mr. and Mrs. Riddle are worthy of the highest honor and they are highly regarded among Rose Hill township's best and most public-spirited citizens.

T. E. Rigg, a pioneer of Johnson county of great worth and one of Knob Noster's most valued citizens, was born in Johnson county in 1857, the son of J. E. and Mary Jane (Vandiber) Rigg. J. E. Rigg is the son of Noah Rigg, who came to Missouri in the early days and located in Pettis and later Cooper counties. He resided for some time in Johnson county and here his son, J. E.. was born. J. E. Rigg is a carpenter by trade, but he has engaged in farming practically all his life in Johnson county. He is the present justice of peace at Higginsville Missouri, where he and his wife now reside. Mary Jane (Vandiber) Rigg is the daughter of Irvin Vandiber. J. E. and Mary Jane Rigg are the parents of three sons: Charles P., Higginsville, Missouri; Frank, Higginsville. Missouri ; and T. E., the subject of this review.

T. E. Rigg received his education in the public schools of Rnob Noster, Missouri. In early manhood, he learned the painter's trade, which he followed for fifteen years. Even as a boy, he had often engaged in painting and has at diflferent times been so employed practically all through life. Mr. Rigg conducted a restaurant and later a livery stable in Knob Noster for about ten years. In 1913, T. E. Rigg in partnership with T. W. Boyd entered the mercantile business in Knob Noster, opening a general store, which they still own and conduct. They carry a stock valued at seven thousand dollars, including a full and complete line of ready-to-wear clothing for both men and women.

In 1881, T. E. Rigg was united in marriage with Lulu Chester, the daughter of Uncle Billy" Chester, who at the time of his daughter's marriage, was postmaster at Knob Noster. To T. E. and Lulu (Chester) Rigg were born two children: an only son, who died in infancy; and Mrs. T. W. Boyd, whose husl)and is in partnership with her father in the mercantile business in Knob Noster. Mr. Rigg has built five different residences in Knob Noster and at the present is the owner of three. He is afifiliated with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and the Mvstic Workers. He is a member of the Baptist church.

of deer, flocks of wild turkeys, and prairie cliickens in abundance. His first school teacher was Mrs. Spurgeon. As a boy, he often attended church with his father and heard many of the pioneer preachers expound the doctrines of Christianity, one of wliom was Reverend Spurgeon, a Baptist minister, who wore a bright red wool shirt at the time. Rolling up his sleeves, he would invariably begin by saying. "I am a little late." The observing lad in the audience received the impression that such was the only and proper way to begin an exhortation. There Ijeing no church, services were often held in the homes and later in the scJiool house. Mr. Rigg frequently attended an old-fashioned Methodist camp meeting. Life in the early days in Johnson county was not always a humdrum existence for there were many bright days full of happy experiences, which it is a pleasure to recall. The history of the Rigg family, who have been so closely associated with the early history of Johnson county, would make as interesting story of pioneer life as has ever been written. Mr. Rigg is numbered among the county's most substantial and highly respected citizens. He is a member of the Baptist church.

Mrs. Lulu (Chester) Rigg departed this life July 15, 1917, at the age of fifty-six years. She was a devout and deeply religious woman who was an ardent church worker, a kind mother to her children and a faithful and industrious helpmeet. Her death came suddenly after a brief illness of eleven days. Her passing to her heavenly abode is sincerely mourned by the entire community of Knob Noster. The following is the local newspaper comment on the death of Mrs. Rigg:

"Sunday afternoon between the hours of three and four o'clock, Mrs. Lulu Rigg, one of the best-known and most highly respected and loved ladies of Knob Xoster, gave a hard fight for life and passed away. Mrs. Rigg had been ill for about three weeks, and although she suftered much during this time, her condition was not thought to be dangerous until about midnight Saturday, when the family could see that her strength was failing. Once before, several years ago, Mrs. Rigg had been very sick and her life had been despaired of, but she rallied and this time it was hoped she would be able to be out in a few weeks. Mrs. Lulu Riggs was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Chester. She was born in Old Town, Knob Noster. and lived here all her life with the exception of a few years spent in Chicago after she was married In December, 1880, she was married to T. E. Rigg. two children being born to this union, one, Harry, having died in infancy. Mrs. Riggs was converted when quite young and her great faith in her Savior, taking the Lord into her daily life, was never shaken and she with her husband and daughter, joined the Baptist church February 6, 1896. She is survived by her husband, daughter, Mrs. Lollie Boyd, and two sisters, Mrs. Jennie Mahan, of this place, and Mrs. Josie Swope, of Lamar, Colorado. She was a great worker in the \\ . C. T. U., and work of other organizations, including the Baptist Home for Orphans and the Home for the Friendless. Mrs. Rigg always tried to do what she could to help others, and even during her last illness she asked that flowers, sent to her, be divided and part sent to others whom she thought would appreciate them. In her death the whole community has lost a faithful friend whose loss will be keenly felt. Funeral ser\ices were held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the Baptist church b}- Rev. Edward James, attended by one of the largest crowds ever attending a funeral here. The floral offerings were profuse, showing the great esteem in which the deceased was held. Interment was made at City cemetery. The following were pallbearers: J. C. Winkler. H. C. Wills, O. F. Elliott, E. A. Shepherd, A. M. Craig and S. J. Dudley. Mr. Craig attended the funeral of Miss Rebecca Roberts and did not reach the house in time to act as pallbearer from there to the church, the vacancy being filled by A. Boyer. Mr. Craig was able to take his place at the church, however." - Gem.

C. L. Farnsworth, a member of a prominent and honored pioneer family of Johnson county. Missouri, is a prosperous and progressive farmer and stockman of Rose Hill township. He was born in Johnson county in 1872. son of C. L. and Nancy C. (George) Farnsworth. The father, Christopher L. Farnsworth, was a native of Greene county, Tennessee. He came to Missouri in 1854 and settled on a farm in Rose Hill township, Johnson county. There was a train of emigrants, from Tennessee, came at that time. Mr. Farnsworth went to Cass county, after two years in Johnson county, to remain temporarily while homesteading a tract of land there. He was in Cass county until Order Number 11 was issued, when he returned to Johnson county to spend the remainder of his life on his farm, engaged in raising Poland China hogs. Shorthorn cattle, and Cotswokl sheep, liuying large numbers of each and feeding them for the market. ?Ie became very well-to-do and the owner of many hundred acres of land. Nancy C. (George) Farnsworth was born in IS,"^! in Greene countv. Tennessee. Air. and

Mrs. Christopher L. Farnsworth were the parents of ten children: R. A., Blairstown, Missouri; Mrs. Louisa J. Fowler, Enid, Oklahoma; Mrs. Helen Hall, Longton, Kansas; Mrs. Laura U. Parkhurst, Kinsley, Kansas; Mrs. Lucy A. Parkhurst. Hollywood, California; Reason W'., deceased; Albert A., ALirble Hill, Missouri; Mrs. Ida L. Duck, Quick City Missouri; Edna E.. Blairstown, Missouri; and Cyrus L., the subject of this review. Aku-ch 7, 1909. the father died. Mrs. Farnsworth lived to a good, old age, her death occurring in August, 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Farnsworth were held in the highest respect in Johnson county, where they had so long and faithfully labored.

Cyrus L. Farnsworth attended school at Lincoln Hall, where Cyrus Anderson was in charge as a teacher. He recalls Reverend Toms, a pioneer preacher of the United Brethren church, whom he often heard preach in the days of his boyhood. There was open prairie then and the roads were at times impassable, so that it was no easy task to attend church or school or for the teacher and preacher to be at his post. When he attained maturity. Mr. Farnsworth farmed rented land and worked on his father's place until 1900. when he purchased a small farm of fifty acres of land, on which he resided one year. He bought the P. G. Sanders place in 1901, a farm embracing one hundred sixty acres of fine farm land, and moved there in the same year. Since then, Mr. Farnsworth has added to his acreage and is now the owner of three hundred eighty-seven acres of land in Johnson county, a well-impro\ed. abundantly watered, and conveniently located farm, on which he is raising high grade cattle. Cotswold sheep, and Poland China hogs. He has at present one hundred nine head of splendid grade sheep. He is an enthusiastic advocate of crop rotation. He has remodeled the residence recently and now has a beautiful country home, surrounded by fine, old maples and a well-kept, bluegrass lawn. The farm is well supplied with all sorts of farm buildings, all of which Mr. Farnsworth keeps in excellent repair.

In 1898, C. L. Farnsworth was united in marriage with Cynthia L. Downing, daughter of Hiram Downing, of Urich. Missouri. To this union have been 1)orn three children: Bonnie L.. Jesse J., and Lillian C. all at home with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Farnsworth are highly regarded meinbers of the Christian church, of which he has been an elder for several years. Mr. Farnsworth is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America.

W. R. Famsworth, one of Rose Hill township's most substantial citizens, is a son of one of the best pioneer families of Johnson county. Mr. Farnsworth is one of the boys 01 yesterday of Rose Hill township. He was born on his father's farm in Johnson county in 1865, a son of Benjamin J. and Eliza Farnsworth, who are well-remembered by the older residents of Rose Hill township. Benjamin J. Farnsworth was a son of Thomas Farnsworth, who lived his entire lifetime in Tennessee.

In 1854, Benjamin J. Farnsworth, father of W. R., the subject of this review, came to Johnson county, Missouri and settled on a farm in Rose Hill township. He engaged in general farming and stock raising and prospered, at one time owning fifteen hundred acres of land. Mr. Farnsworth attributed the larger measure of his success to his good fortune in raising and feeding cattle and in handling mules. He fed stock extensively and perhaps a portion of his success was due to the care he invariably gave, but most probably Mr. Farnsworth attained affluent circumstances because of his splendid business judgment, perseverance, thrift, and industry. He had a host of friends in this and adjoining counties, who recall his kindly, jovial handclasp and cheery voice. He was a gentleman, a man of high moral principles and a keen sense of honor and justice, one who made true friends wherever he went. He died in 1890. Mrs. Farnsworth preceded her husband in death many years before. She died in 1871.

W. R. Farnsworth attended school at Lincoln Hall in Johnson county. In his schoolboy days, the following men and women wielded the ferule of authority at different times at Lincoln Hall : Tom Quick, Cyrus Anderson, and Miss Lutie Umstadt. He recalls among the pioneer preachers, whom he often heard in his youth. Reverends J. H. Houx and Mohler. There was much open land in those early days and prairie chickens were plentiful. Mr. Farnsworth, when a lad, often successfully set traps for these wild fowl. He made his first money raising flax and his first investment was in calves, which proved to be a very profitable speculation. He and his father owned jointly one hundred ninety-six acres of land, which became W. R. Farnsworth's after his father's death. He is the owner of the old Farnsworth homestead. The son now owns one thousand acres of valuable land, three hundred acres of which are in blue grass. Mr. Farnsworth is an ardent advocate of crop rotation, clover growing, and pasturing as soil l)uilders.

He is a well-informed, iutelligent, and progressive agricidturisl, whose opinions and judgment are well worth weighty consideration. He deals extensively in stock and is raising Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. The Farnsworth residence is a handsome, eight-room structure and modern throughout. Mr. Farnsworth recently installed a water system on his place at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars, but which is well worth the outlay for it is a model of convenience, requiring two wells and over one mile or more of water pipe with two windmills.

In 1891, W. R. Farnsworth and Edna Farnsworth, daughter of C. L. Farnsworth, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume, were united in marriage and to this union have been born four children: Lena, Airs. Flossie Raker, Ruby, and Ruth. Mr. and Mrs. Farnsworth are highly respected among the good citizens of Johnson county. Both are valued members and earnest supporters of the Baptist church. Mr. Farnsworth is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

Dr. Robert Z. R. Wall, a late prominent and highly respected physician of Johnson county, Missouri, was a native of North Carolina and an honored pioneer of Missouri. He was born in 1810 and at the age of twenty-nine years came with a company of emigrants to this state. Dr. Wall had just completed the medical course in the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia the year previous, 1838, and with a brave band of seven hundred pioneers from North Carolina came West to make his home. The company came in wagons and "carryalls" and they were three months on the way. In 1840, Dr. Wall settled on a large tract of land in Chilhowee township, Johnson county, a farm comprising nearly ten thousand acres which he purchased for twentylive cents an acre.

Dr. Wall was the son of Richard and Mrs. Wall, the former a native of Scotland and the latter, of Wales, Great Britain. The doctor was a gifted linguist and an exceptionally skilful physician and surgeon. He was highly intellectual and having an education far above the average for those early days. Dr. Wall easily became a leader of men in the new Western community. He began the practice of medicine in North Carolina and continued in the work of his chosen profession after coming to Missouri. He called his office "the shop" and, as was the custom in that day, kept a complete line of drugs and filled his own prescriptions. Dr. Robert Z. R. Wall was widely known throughout the state as a very able and competent physician and not only were his services as doctor in great demand but he was also a tutor and under his instructions many young men learned the study of medicine. There were no. regularly established medical schools then and the usual method of acquiring a knowledge of medicine was to study with some learned man. Dr. Wall was well known as a scholar.

In North Carolina, Dr. Robert Z. R. Wall and Alary Jane Cobington were united in marriage. To this union were born thirteen children, six of whom are now living: Mrs. Cornelia J. Hubbard, Denton, Missouri; Mrs. Mary S. Simpson, Denton, Missouri; Mrs. Mary A. Rush, Blairstown, Missouri; Mrs. Frances L. Hughes, Denton, Missouri; Robert, Jr., Denton, Missouri; and Mrs. Dora A. Roberts, Denton, Missouri. The Wall home was the social center for the entire community and there are yet living many men and women in Johnson county who, in the days long past, enjoyed the kind, southern hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. Wall. In addition to "the shop," Dr. Wall conducted a general store and he perhaps came in contact, through his mercantile business and the practice of medicine, with more men and women in this section of Missouri than any other one person and he was universally esteemed by all wlio knew liim.

Like all the pioneers. Dr. Wall was a skilful hunter and fisherman. It was no easy task for him to visit his patients, many calls for his assistance coming from a distance of a score or more miles. Oftentimes the roads would be almost impassable, but he was always brave and cheerful and often could be heard singing hymns as he went on his lonely way through the thick brush, forests, and muddy swamps. Dr. Wall traveled on horseback and carried his gun and blanket with him. Sometimes at night he would be far from any settlement and then he would wrap himself in his blanket and spend the night on the ground near his camp fire. He needed his gun at times to protect himself from unfriendly Indians and to kill game for food. He invariably took with him punk, flint, and tow, that if necessary he could build a fire. Dr. AVall enjoyed fishing and in the last years of his life, he spent much time indulging in this simple pleasure.

For many years, Dr. Wall was superintendent of the Liberty Sunday School and a tireless worker in the cause of Christianity. Tliough not a member of any denomination, he was a noble. Christian gentleman and in his own home observed mnnv devotional ceremonies. Every night, the family were gathered togetlier to listen, while the father read a chapter from the Bible and to take part in family prayer. It was his greatest desire that his fannly of chililren should not drift apart from and lose interest in one another and to keep them near him and united he gave each child a large, fully equipped, and well stocked farm. When Dr. Wall realized that he was nearing the \alley of the Shadow, he urged his boys and girls to so live that when the last summons came the}- might be a happy, reunited family once more "Up There." Dr. Wall died in 18'M and five }-ears later. lie was joined in death by his noble, faithful wife.

Adrian M. Wall, a late prosperous and ])rogressive farmer and stockman of Johnson county, was a member of one of tlie best and most prominent pioneer families of this section of Missouri. He was a native of North Carolina. Mr. Wall was l)orn in 1839 and in the same year came with his parents to Missouri and they settled on a large farm in Chilhowee townsliip. He was a son of Dr. Robert Z. R. and Mary Jane ( Cobington ) Wall, a biography of whom appears elsewhere in this volume.

In 1864, Adrian 'SI. Wall and Matilda C. Hunt were united in marriage. Mrs. ^^'all is the daughter of John B. Hunt. To .\drian M. and Matilda C. (Hunt) \\'al! were born ten children, nine of whom are now living: Charles O.. .Mberta, Canada: John R.. Bhiirstnw p. Missouri: Oliver W., Blairstown, Alissouri: Edgar H.. Blairstown, Missouri; Mrs. Maude Atkins, Blairstown, Missouri: Robert .-\.. Blairstown, Missouri; Addison M., Blairstown, Missouri; Rufus A. and Benjamin F., both of whom are unmarried and at home with their widowed mother on the home place. Mr. Wall died in 1002. He was a leading worker and valued deacon of the Presbyterian church, a good honest. kind-hearted. Christian gentleman, a citizen of Johnson county whose loss has been long deeply felt and mourned.

Mrs. Wall relates that after their marriage. Mr. Wall and she lived in a log cabin, having only one room, for one year and then they moved to another log house, whicli was not nnich larger or more comfortable and this was their home for several years until Mr. Wall built a new home, which seemed a mansion with its four large rooms. In 1885. they purchased the ^NlcCarty place and on this farm. Mr. Wall spent the remainder of his life, engaged in farnn'ng and stock raising. He acquired five hundred acres of land, but lost much of it going secur- ity for irresponsible people. In the early days, Mr. Wall was a wellknown and adept hunter and there were many days that all the meat that the family had was the wild game, which he brought home from one of his hunting expeditions. Mrs. Wall vividly recalls seeing herds of deer as she stood in the doorway of their primitive, rude log cabin. In spite of the privations and hardships of pioneer life, and she has experienced them all, Mrs. Wall says that those were the happiest days of her life. She is a bright, intelligent lady, one of Johnson county's noblest pioneer mothers and worthy of the highest regard and esteem.

W. A. Tompkins, proprietor of one of the best dairy farms in Missouri, was born in Smith county, Kansas in a dugout on his father's land claim, in 1883. Stephen E. and Frances R. (Arment) Tompkins, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter, of Ohio, had gone to Smith county, Kansas about 1880 to take up a land claim in that state and three years later, on September 7, 1883, their son, W. A., was born. When he was but a small lad, the Tompkins family moved from Kansas to Missouri and in 1892 settled on a farm in Warrensburg township, Johnson county. Stephen E. and Frances R. Tompkins were the parents of four children: W. A., the subject of this review; Ernest E., who resides in Pennsylvania; Earl C, who resides in Warrensburg township; and Frona, the wife of George Lacy, of Enid, Oklahoma. At the time of his death, in 1907, Stephen E. Tompkins was owner of one hundred twenty acres of choice land in Johnson county. Mrs. Tompkins died in 1914.

In the Oakland district scliool of Warrensburg township, W. A. Tompkins received his education. Until he attained maturity, he remained at home with his parents. He then assumed charge of the home place and engaged in general farming and stock raising, in which vocations he is still engaged in addition to conducting the dairy on his farm. Mr. Tompkins annually raises nearly two hundred head of hogs, having a pure-bred male.

In 1906, W'. A. Tompkins and Rena Powell were united in marriage. Rena (Powell) Tompkins is the daughter of Andrew and Rachel Powell, of Warrensburg township. The parents of Mrs. Tompkins are now deceased and their remains are interred in the cemetery at Warrensburg. To W. A. and Rena Tompkins have been born two children, both daus:bters. Lora and Mildred. Andrew Powell was a vete-

Recently, Mr. Tompkins began conducting a dairy on his splendid stock farm of two hundred acres. One hundred forty acres of the place are in pasture land and the remaining sixty acres are devoted to the raising of small grains, corn, and hay. Mr. Tompkins rotates his crops every three years. In 1911, he erected a silo, which he has annually filled since that time and which he considers the best investment feature on his place. His farm is well watered by the Fletcher branch, a small stream, which flows through it. \\'. A. Tompkins has at present fifty head of dairy cattle of different Ijreeds, but chiefly Holsteins, a registered Holstein male heading the herd.

Mr. Tompkins" dairy is well equipped with separators and sanitary devices of all sorts. The milkhouse has a concrete floor and in it has been installed an engine to run the milking machine and separators and the tank, in which the milk is cooled. Ice is brought from the city every day in the summer to be used in cooling the milk. The proper precautions in sterilizing everything used in connection with the milking are taken in this room and a sterilizing outfit for this purpose has been installed. The cowbarn is kept perfectly clean, having a concrete floor with excellent drainage. There stanchions for ten cows have been placed and the milking is done by an Empire Milking Machine, a double unit apparatus, which milks two cows at a time. Twenty-four cows are now being milked and there will soon 1:>e thirty. Milking is done twice daily, at 5 A. M. and at 4:30 P. M. and the milk delivered in the city of Warrensburg each morning. All the cattle are tubercular tested. The milk is delivered in ten-gallon cans and Mr. Tompkins finds a ready market for the product of his dairy, selling some to the Missouri Dairy Company, a part to the Warrenslmrg creamery, and a part to the Warrensburg drug stores.

Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins are progressive, young people, filled with an energetic determination to succeed, and they are accomplishing their purpose. It is an inspiration to know young, hopeful citizens, such as these, who are numbered among the best in Johnson county.

ministers of the Baptist church. He was born August 22, 1865, a son of J. W. and Mary (Bennett) Hodges. The father was a son of Charles W. Hodges, a native of Maryland, who settled in Ohio late in life and spent the remainder of his years in that state. He was of English lineage. Mary (Bennett) Hodges was a native of Pennsylvania and when but a mere child moved to Ohio with her parents and in that state was reared, educated, and married. To J. W. and Mary Hodges were born six children, four of whom are now living: T. B., Case, Missouri; J. S., the subject of this review; Mrs. Aletha Ann Snedeker, Jonesburg, Missouri; and Mrs. Alice Laura Smith, Warrenton, Missouri. In 1866, the Hodges family moved from Ohio to Missouri and settled in Warren county on a farm of one hundred sixty acres of land and on this place both the father and the mother died. J. W. Hodges departed this life February 4, 1905, and Mrs. Hodges followed him in death ten years later. She died in April, 1915.

Reverend Hodges attended the public schools of Warren county and later, was a student for two years at the William Jewell College, where he specialized in theology. Previous to entering college, Reverend Hodges was a successful farmer in Warren county. After receiving his theological training, he entered the ministry and preached many years in several of the different country churches in Warren county. In 1911, Reverend J. S. Hodges was appointed Colporter Missionary of his church and for six years worked in connection with the different Baptist associations, namely, those of Bear creek, Saltriver, Quiver, St. Francis, and Johnson county. He delivered, on an average, from twentyfive to thirty sermons each month and was continually traveling. He is not now devoting his entire time to church work but is planning to do so in the near future.

In 1917, "Sunny Slope Stock Farm" was purchased by Reverend Hodges, who is at present engaged in general farming and stock raising. This place comprises two hundred forty acres of land which are well watered and splendidly adapted to the growing of stock. The farm is nicely improved, being plentifully supplied with all necessary farm buildings, all of which are in good repair. The residence is a comfortable house of seven large, airy rooms conveniently arranged. One hundred twenty acres of "Sunny Slope Stock Farm" are in grass and pasture land and Reverend Hodges harvested seventy tons of hay this season, of 1917. He raised twelve hundred bushels of oats and had sixty-five acres in corn. There are forty head of cattle on the place now, five of the herd milch cows, and a large number of high-grade hogs. Reverend Hodges advocates crop rotation, the liberal use of commercial fertilizer and manure, and of a larger stock production. He will devote some attention to dairy work within a short time. Reverend Hodges finds time from the manifold duties of his stock farm to frequently preach the doctrines of Christianity and it is the plan to have his son, John, who resides on the farm with his parents, to assume the management of "Sunny Slope" and then he will lie at liberty to resume active church work.

In October, 1890, Reverend J. S. Hodges and Frankie P. Lytle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Lytle, of Montgomery county, Missouri, were united in marriage. To this union have been born four children: John R., Holden. Missouri, who married Laura Garrett in December, 1915, and to them has been born one child, a daughter, Helen and they reside on the farm with his parents; Harry B., who is deceased; Mary and Murle, at home. Reverend and Mrs. Hodges are fine, upright. Christian people, enrolled among the count)''s best and most valued citizens.

G. V. Raker, the efficient cashier of the Bank of Magnolia, was born in Johnson county, Missouri, in 1889. He is a son of R. N. and Martha Jane (Atkins) Raker, who were the parents of the following children; Mrs. Viola Carmichael, Holden. Missouri; R. L., Holden, Missouri; T. C, Holden, Missouri; Mrs. Ural Fisher, Blairstown, Missouri: G. V., the subject of this review; Gorman, Holden, Missouri; and Gordon, Holden, Missouri. Mrs. Raker, the mother of these children, is a daughter of James and Elizabeth Atkins and a sister of R. O. Atkins.

Mr. Raker, whose name introduces this sketch, received his early education in the district schools of Johnson county. He later was a student at the Warrensburg Business College. After completing the business course, Mr. Raker was employed as clerk by the Magnolia Lumber Company, which position he held for some time when he accepted a position with the National Bank of Commerce of Kansas City. Missouri, and afterward with the First National Bank of Kansas City. In 1913, he came to ^Magnolia to assume the duties of cashier of the Bank of ]\Iagnolia. of which financial institution he is a stockholder.

Tj2 History Of Johnson County

worth, daughter of W. R. and Edna E. Farnsworth, a biography of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Raker reside in jMagnolia, where they have a nice, comfortable home, a house of six rooms. In addition, Mr. Raker owns a farm of seventy-four acres of land located west of Magnolia on which place is a pleasant home and plenty of well-built farm buildings. This place Mr. Raker owns but has never been engaged in farming on it, always renting the farm.

The Bank of Magnolia is one of the sound financial institutions of which Johnson county is proud. The officers of the bank at the present time are as follow: G. B. Graham, president: F. P. Parrott, vice-president; G. V. Raker, cashier; and J. C. McDougal, assistant cashier. The official statement of the bank's business issued August 31, 1917, discloses excellent conditions. The loans and discounts amount to thirtysix thousand two hundred twenty dollars and ninety-two cents and the present capital stock of the Bank of Magnolia is ten thousand dollars; surplus, two thousand dollars; undivided profits, three thousand nine hundred seventy-three dollars and forty-one cents and the deposits at the close of business on the last day of October of this year amounted to thirty-nine thousand dollars. The people of the country surrounding Magnolia and the residents of Magnolia have unbounded confidence in this bank and they attribute much of the institution's success to the capable management and keen business judgment of its splendid and well-qualified officials.

George B. Graham, president of the Bank of Magnolia, is one of Johnson county's most successful business men and respected citizens. He is a native of Johnson county, a member of a well-known and prominent pioneer family, a son of Robert and Nancy Graham born in 1874. Robert Graham was a son of Guy Graham, who came to Missouri from Virginia in 1833 and settled on a farm located west of Hazel Hill. G. B. Graham's great-grandfather, Robert Graham. Sr.. also came to Missouri in 1833 and homesteaded a tract of land in Hazel Hill township. Robert Graham was a highly intellectual man and gave his children the best educational advantages which he was able to afford and two of his sons, Samuel and James, later became teachers. Robert Graham, Jr., served in the Civil War with the Seventh Missouri Cavalry and after the war ended returned to his home in Johnson county, where he purchased sixty acres of land and engaged in farming and stock raising, becoming very successful and prosperous. He was married just after the war. Mr. Graliani wa.s an ambitious and industrious man and at the time of his death, in 1914, he was the owner of four hundred acres of valuable farm land in Johnson county. He was a Democrat and had been active in political aiTairs, serving his party long and well. For two terms. Mr. c;raliam was judge of the county court from the western district and he had given excellent service and splendid satisfaction to all his constituents. His death has been deeply deplored in Johnson county, where he was numbered among the best and most public-spirited citizens. Mrs. Graham is now residing in Holden.

G. B. Graham attended school at Stony Point, where he was under the instruction of Professors Swearengen and Ship. Later, he was student at the Warrensburg State Normal School and after graduation from that institution was engaged in teaching school for several years. Mr. Graham taught his first school at the Houx school house and his last at Kingsville, where he was employed as principal, in Johnson county. He taught in Rice's Business College at Butte, Montana, for a short time and then went to the Philippine Islands as a soldier in the regiment serving under General Otis and later, under General Funston. When he returned to Johnson county, he remained with his parents for one year, after which he moved to his present country home and has since been engaged in farming, stock raising, and dairying. Mr. Graham is a charter member and stockholder of the Bank of Magnolia and for some time has held the office of president of the bank.

In 1901, G. B. Graham was united in marriage with Maude Brothers, daughter of J. Z. Brothers. ]Mrs. Graham is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Brothers, who are highly respected residents of Holden, Missouri. To 'Mr. and Mrs. Graham have been born two sons: Guy and George B., at home with their parents. After their marriage they moved to the farm at Magnolia and they have continued to reside on this place and own this farm for the past sixteen years.

The Graham place comprises one hundred sixty acres of good farm land, forty acres of which are now in grass. In 1917. Mr. Graham built a large, well-equipped barn and silo. He is engaged cliiefly in raising Jersey cattle and Duroc Jersey liogs and mules. At tlie present time, he has eighteen milch cows and sliips the cream from the dairy to Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Graham lias a modern dairy barn, which has accommodations for twenty cows. He harvested forty tons of hay this season and six hundred bushels of wheat. .-\t the time of this writing.

in 1917, he had sixty acres in corn which promised a "bumper crop." In addition to his farm, Mr. Graham owns his handsome residence in Magnolia, a house of eight rooms which is modern throughout. Both he and Mrs. Graham are well known in Johnson county, where the Graham and Brothers families have long been enrolled among the county's most substantial and best families.

Dr. R. L. Bills, ex-coroner of Johnson county and one of the county's ablest physicians, is a native of Morgan county. Missouri. He was born in 1867, a son of A. M. H. and Nancy J. Bills. Jonathan Bills, grandfather of Dr. R. L. Bills, came to Missouri in the early days from his native state of Tennessee. The father of Jonathan Bills and two brothers were refugees from England and from them the Bills family in America have descended. A. M. H. Bills was the father of fourteen children, six by his first marriage and eight by his second marriage. He homesteaded the tract of land that is now the site of Ft. Scott, Kansas, but during the Civil War lost all his possessions. He enlisted in the Confederate army and fought throughout the conflict, taking an active part in many important engagements and skirmishes and he was not once injured. A. M. H. Bills was a graduate of the Physio- Medical College of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the class of January 25, 1854, and after the war had closed he resumed his medical practice at Barnett, Missouri. He was there united in marriage with Nancy J. Cox and to them were born eight children, one of whom was Dr. R. L., the subject of this review. Dr. A. M. H. Bills resided on a farm and was very successful as a farmer and stockman. In 1880, he met with a fatal accident and his career was prematurely ended. A large saw-log fell on him and death resulted almost instantly. The senior Doctor Bills left the mother with her seven little ones, of whom R. L. was the oldest and he was a child thirteen years of age. The father was a generous, kindly man and an earnest supporter of every worthy public enterprise, a liberal contributor to all institutions. Dr. Bills had a host of friends wherever he went and he was valued highly in this county. The mother survived her husband but a few years. She died in 1899.

At the age of thirteen years. Dr. R. L. Bills was left at the head of a family of seven children to care for an invalid mother and an aged grandmother and keep the little ones tgoether. That was a job truly "man-si^e," but the lad did it and did it well. For many years he barely managed to "keep the wolf from the door," but as the other children grew older they aided and in time the family was in comfortable circumstances. In 1886, R. L. Bills entered the Miller County Academy and after graduating engaged in teaching school for several years in Miller and Moniteau counties. He became interested in the study of medicine and in 1891 took up this study under the instructions of his half-brother. Dr. J. T. Bills, who is a graduate of the American Medical College of St. Louis, Missouri, in the class of 1884 and is now engaged in the practice of his profession in New Mexico. Later, R. L. Bills matriculated in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of St. Louis, Missouri. Financially handicapped, he had to work his way through college and after one year in college returned to Vernon county and associated with his former tutor, Dr. J. T. Bills, and practiced medicine for two years. He then returned to college in 1894 and two years later graduated in the April class. Dr. Bills located in Magnolia at that time and has since been engaged in the practice of his profession in this city. In 1904. he did post-graduate work in the University Medical College at Kansas City, completing the four-years course.

Dr. R. L. Bills was united in marriage with Sallie A. Strange, the only daughter of George M. and Nancy J. Strange. The father is now deceased and the mother has remarried and is now Mrs. John Greaves, of Kingsville, Missouri. To Dr. and Mrs. Bills have been born six children: Mabry Moore, Marvin Lee, Curtis Jarvis. \'ernie Irene, Joseph Ravmond, and Miriam Ernestine, all of whom are at home with tlieir parents. It is the doctor's earnest desire that each of his children may have a fine education, which he firmly believes is the best legacy a parent can bestow. In the handsome, thirteen-room residence in Magnolia, Doctor Bills has his office, his store of drugs, his medical library, and an operating room. .Arrangements have been made whereby his patients may stay in his home. He has a very large practice, his territor}' covering a circuit of twenty-five and thirty miles.

Mrs. Bills retains the old patents to the Iiomestead of two hundred twentv-five acres of land which her father entered from the government and which he gave to Iier. Her farm is located two miles west of Magnolia. The doctor has charge of the place and he has it well stocked with cattle of mixed breed, mules, and horses. Forty tons of hav were harvested this season, fifteen hundred Inishels of oats, and eighty acres of the farm were in corn. The farm is well watered .Tud nicely improved and at the lowest figure worth twenty thousand dol-

For two terms, Doctor Bills was the county coroner of Johnson county. He is a Democrat and is active in political affairs, taking a keen interest in all elections. He is affiliated with the Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. Doctor and Mrs. Bills are active and valued members of the Christian church, as are all their children. The Bills family are very talented in music and six members of the family are members of the Magnolia Band, of which the doctor is manager. Prof. Frank Preston, who possesses a fine musical education, is the band instructor and master. The band consisted of fifteen different instruments and is the only organized band in Johnson county.

S. Y. Sanders, a prominent stockman of Warrensburg, Missouri, owner of "Quarry City Stock Farm," is one of the best known horsemen of the state. He was born in 1850 in Jackson county, Missouri on his father's farm near Lonejack. S. Y. Sanders is the son of James and Mary A. (Yankee) Sanders, the foriher a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. James Sanders left Virginia in early manhood and went to Kentucky, where he remained but a short time. In 1829 he moved from Kentucky to Missouri and in the winter of 1830 located near the present State Fair Grounds in Pettis county. From there he went to Jackson county in 1830 and entered land in Van Buren township. The farm, which James Sanders entered from the government, comprised one hundred acres in Jackson county and one hundred twenty acres in Johnson county, for which he paid twenty-five cents an acre. Mary A. (Yankee) Sanders was the daughter of Samuel and Amelia (Graves) Yankee, natives of Kentucky. To James and Mary A. Sanders were born the following children : Charles, who fell into a spring and was drowned at the age of three years ; George, who died during the Civil War and is buried at Van Buren. Arkansas ; Mrs. Julia Spanhower, deceased; Thomas, deceased; Mrs. Mary Gipson. the wife of Judge P. Gipson. Kingsville, Missouri; S. Y., the subject of this review; Mrs. Josephine Houston, who resides in Idaho; J. B., deceased; R. E., Kingsville, Missouri. The mother died in Jackson county in 1874. Mr. Sanders continued to reside on the farm, which he had entered from the government, until 1898, when he moved from the farm to Warren.s- burg and for the remainder of his hfe made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Gipson. His remains were interred in Underwood cemetery at Lonejack, Missouri.

S. Y. Sanders received his education in the public schools of Lonejack, Missouri. His first teacher was Martin Rice, the celebrated historian of Jackson county and author of "Rural Rhymes and Talks" and "Tales of the Olden Times." Mr. Sanders was but a lad of eleven years when the Civil War began. But even at that youthful age, he was at the battle of Lonejack, Missouri. lie took his stand on a gatepost only a fourth mile away and observed the entire struggle. After the battle was over, the small boy was indispensable for his services in caring for the wounded men and his assistance in hauling away the dead horses, in which work he was engaged for four days. Although his father and one brother were serving in the Confederate army, Mr. Sanders' mother sent him with soup to the place where the wounded Union men were lying. When the lad protested against going his mother replied that the men were some mother's boys and though tliey were enemies they must not needlessly sufifer. Besides soup, she sent other provisions from her own small store and her kindness of heart and thoughtfulness were greatly appreciated by tlie dying and wounded men. The Sanders lad saw much of the guerilla warfare of the trying days of the sixties. His uncle, Robert Sanders, was shot and killed in the old court house at Warrensburg. while confined as a prisoner there. Robert Sanders was taken captive, while serving in the Confederate army, and he was at the window of his cell when some one outside shot him. When Order No. 11 was issued, Mrs. Sanders and her son moved to Higginsville, Lafayette county. Six of their neighbors were taken captives by Kansas "jayhawkers" and lined up against a fence and shot down. The men, Jonathan Hunter, \\illiam Hunter, Benjamin Potter, Calvin Tate, Jonathan Cave, and Andrew Owsley, were preparing to leave the county and had tlieir wagons loaded, when the incident occurred. All the men were buried in one grave on the Jolm Pliillips' farm near Lonejack. Burial was made by tlie wives, mothers, and sisters of the dead men.

At the age of twenty years, Mr. Sanders began life for himself. He early became interested in farming and stock raising and often drove hogs from Lonejack to Dresden, a distance of sixty miles, taking a week to make the trip. For forty-five years Mr. Sanders has made a specialty of breeding saddle horses. In 1893 at the World's Fair at Chicago in the breeders' class he received first premium on horse and colt shown from Missouri and second premium on horse and colt entered in the world contest. "Young Mitchell" with four of his colts won the premium at Chicago. With "Sallie Mitchell," Mr. Sanders, started the "Quarry City Stock Farm." This farm comprises nine acres of land within the city limits of Warrensburg, Missouri and twenty-five acres adjoining. "Rex Moore," No. 3829, now heads the herd. He took first money at the Missouri State Fair in 1916, he and his colts. Mr. Sanders has thirty head of registered saddle horses and all but two are chestnut color. He has always been partial to saddle horses and has developed the Denmark breed, which he believes to be the best type of the class. Mr. Sanders has refused thirty-five hundred dollars for "Rex Moore," whose sire was "Rex McDonald," undisputed champion of the world.

In 1870, S. Y. Sanders was united in marriage with Plutina Winfrey, the daughter of Isaac and Mary (Easley) Winfrey, of Jackson county, Missouri. Isaac Winfrey is now deceased and his widow resides in Warrensburg, Missouri. To S. Y. and Plutina (Winfrey) Sanders have been born the following children: Mamie, who is the wife of Nicholas M. Bradley, a prominent attorney of Warrensburg, Missouri; Herbert W., a civil engineer, residing in Chicago, Illinois; three children died in infancy; and Thomas W., who died at the age of twenty-one years at Kirksville College, where he was a student.