Pierce County, Washington - The whole text, 1927 (part 26 of 27)

Eugene Dewitt Roberts

The life history of Eugene DeWitt Roberts was for many years closely identified with the industrial interests of Tacoma, in which he became a prominent figure, having been at the head of the Puget Sound Iron & Steel Works at the time of his death, which occurred August 11, 1925. His life was one of untiring activity, crowned with gratifying success. He was of the highest type of progressive citizen and in all the relations of life measured up to high standards, thus winning the sincere confidence and respect of the entire community. Mr. Roberts was born at The Dalles, Wasco county, Oregon, in 1878, and was the son of John L. and Ollie O. Roberts, the former a native of Bangor, Wales. His mother was born in Ohio and in her young girlhood crossed the plains, with ox team and covered wagon, her family becoming early pioneers of Junction City, Oregon. John L. Roberts became identified with the iron business and was the owner of extensive works in Walla Walla, Washington. In 1897 he sold that plant and, coming to Tacoma, he and Judge Crowley established the Puget Sound Iron & Steel Works, of which he became the head, retaining the presidency up to the time of his death, which occurred in May, 1921.

In his babyhood, Eugene D. Roberts was taken to Junction City, Oregon, and when he was two years of age the family moved to Walla Walla, Washington, where he received a good public school education, after which he entered and was graduated from Whitman College. He then went into the iron works with his father, remaining at Walla Walla until the business was sold, and later he became identified with the Puget Sound Iron & Steel Works as a member of the engineering department, where he performed effective service. About 1910, on the reorganization of the business, he became vice president of the company, and on the death of his father was elected president. He devoted great energy to the interests of the business, showing himself a man of marked executive ability, and was regarded as one of the best iron men in the business. About five years prior to his death he entered into a contract to make engines for the Lidger-Wood Company, which arrangement proved very satisfactory to both companies, and recently the two concerns have been merged into one company. ;

In 1906 Mr. Roberts was united in marriage to Miss Etta Bates, who is a native of Nebraska and a daughter of Charles O. and Mary Kathleen (Gillette) Bates, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Nebraska. Mrs. Roberts comes of sterling old American stock, tracing her ancestry back to Governor William Bradford, of the Plymouth colony, while members of the family served in the War of the Revolution. Mrs. Roberts is an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She accompanied her family to Tacoma in her young girlhood and received her education in the public schools, graduating from high school. To Mr. and Mrs. Roberts were born two children: John Bates, who is a student in Brentwood College, Victoria, British Columbia; and Mary Howard, who is a student in the Annie Wright Seminary, Tacoma.

Mr. Roberts was a stanch republican in his political views, was a close reader and keen observer, and held well defined opinions on the problems of the day. He was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church, of which he was a liberal supporter. He was a man of fine public spirit, giving his earnest support to every measure for the advancement of his community along material, civic or moral lines. Kindly and unaffected in manner, he was cordially responsive to all social claims and among his acquaintances was held in the highest regard for his eminent qualities as a man and citizen.

Ezra St. Cyr

Few men of his day in Pierce county were more widely or favorably known than Ezra St. Cyr, whose death occurred at his home near McKenna, February 22, 1903, when he had reached the age of seventy-eight years. He was one of the strong and influential citizens whose lives have become an essential part of the history of their county, and for years his name was synonymous with all that constituted honorable and upright manhood. Tireless energy, keen perception and honesty of purpose, combined with that sound judgment which is ordinarily called common sense, were among his chief characteristics, and while advancing individual success he also contributed to the welfare of his community.

Mr. St. Cyr was born in Quebec, Canada, in 1825, and was a son of Joseph and Celia St. Cyr, both of whom died in that country. He was educated in the Dominion and remained at home until twenty-one years of age, when he went to sea and was a sailor for five years. In 1849 he landed at San Francisco and, quitting the sea, joined in the gold rush and followed mining successfully until 1859. He then came to Pierce county, Washington, and took up a pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty acres, one mile east of McKenna, where he built a small log house and began clearing and draining the land. He also homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres and bought one hundred and twenty acres more, becoming the owner of four hundred and forty acres of well improved land. He ran about eighty head of cattle, having all of his land under fence, and also cultivated a large tract, his principal crops being oats and potatoes. He devoted himself closely to the operation of the ranch and lived there continuously up to the time of his death.

Mr. St. Cyr was married in 1861 to Mrs. Lapothrie, of Lewis county, Washington, who died in October, 1895. To them were born six children, namely: Michael, Louise and Celia, who are deceased; Sophie; Albert; and Jasper, deceased. Mr. St. Cyr was a man of sterling qualities of head and heart, hospitable and kindly in all his relations, and commanded the unequivocal confidence and respect of all who knew him.

Sophie St. Cyr was married April 5, 1897, to Charles M. Ockfen, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended the public schools of that city, later going to Germany to complete his education. On his return to this country he located in Michigan, where he was employed in the lumber mills until 1888, when he came to Washington and was connected with sawmills at Tacoma until 1890. He then went to Hart's lake and worked for an uncle, Nicolas Ockfen, for awhile. He was engaged in the logging business in Snohomish county, this state, for a few years, and on his return to Pierce county was married and has since lived here, being engaged in farm. ing the one hundred and sixty acres of land which Mrs. Ockfen inherited from hei father's estate. His principal crops are hay, grain and potatoes, and he also keeps a few cows and sheep. He is thorough and methodical in his work and has been very successful in the operation of the ranch. He is active in community affairs, having served as road foreman for the past twelve years and as a member of the board of directors of the McKenna school for twenty-one years. To Mr. and Mrs. Ockfen have been born seven children, namely: Joseph, deceased; John, who remains at home; Peter, who is married and has a son, Kenneth; Annie, deceased; Albert, a millwright with the McKenna Lumber Company, who married Miss Lucile Massie and has a daughter, Marjorie, born July 10, 1926; Alice, who is a student in the State Agricultural College at Pullman; and Alma, who is at home.

Another of the native sons of Pierce county who have wisely remained here and attained not only material success, but also gained a worthy place among their fellowmen, stands Owen .O'Farrell, who now lives on and operates a part of his father's old homestead near Orting. He possesses to a marked degree the essential attributes of good citizenship and is also a man of sound business judgment and persistent industry, so that he has well deserved the success which has crowned his efforts. Mr. O'Farrell was born March 18, 1879, on the farm where he now lives, and is a son of Daniel and Margaret. O'Farrell, both of whom were natives of Galway, Ireland, the father having been born in 1836. In 1855 Daniel O'Farrell went to Australia and engaged in gold mining there until 1868, when he came to the United States. He spent about two years in various places in California and Oregon and in 1870 located in Pierce county. Soon afterwards he took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres near Orting, the place being heavily covered with timber and brush. He built a log house and began clearing the land, eventually getting about seventy acres under cultivation and for many years was an extensive hop raiser. In this he was successful and continued to live there until his death, which eccurred in 1914. His wife passed away in 1904. To this worthy couple were born eight children, namely: Robert, John; Michael and Daniel, deceased; James, Owen, Mrs. Ellen Swain, and Martin, deceased.

Owen O'Farrell was educated in the public schools of Orting and assisted his father in clearing and cultivating the home farm. He has always lived here and new occupies a part of the homestead, on which he raises hops as his principal crop. Mrs. O'Farrell gives her attention to the poultry business, in which she is meeting with excellent success. The place is well improved and the land is productive.

On December 27, 1916, Mr. O'Farrell was united in the bonds of wedlock tv Miss Anna Bonderer, who was born on the Atlantic ocean while her parents, Joseph and Adeline Bonderer, natives of Switzerland, were on their way to this country, in 1893. Her parents are now living near Seattle, where the father owns a small ranch and is also engaged in lumbering. Mr. and Mrs. O'Farrell are the parents of a daughter, Pauline, who was born on the old homestead, May 27, 1918, and is now attending the public schools. Mr. O'Farrell has always given his attention to agricultural pursuits and his energy and close application have constituted the foundation on which he has builded his success.

Albert Rhyner

Albert Rhyner, though born under foreign skies and a resident of this country for only about fourteen years, has achieved a noteworthy business success in Pierce county. Beginning the dairy business in 1916, he has so managed the enterprise, and has used such progressive and enterprising methods, that today he is regarded as one of the leading dairymen of the state, while his plant stands as a model of its kind. Mr. Rhyner was born in Switzerland, on the 9th of June, 1892, and is a son of John and Margaret (Dish) Rhyner, both of whom still live in the land of the Alps, where the father is engaged in farming. To them were born eighteen children, namely, John, Euphemia, Susanna, Jacob, Hilarius, Henry, Caspar,

Albert Rhyner was educated in the schools of Switzerland and then worked on farms and herded cattle and sheep in the Alps until he was nineteen years of age, when, in 1912, he came to the United States. Coming direct to Pierce county, he went to work on dairy farms, being so employed for about four and a half years, and in 1916 engaged in the dairy business for himself. Leasing the John Cameron ranch, between Puyallup and Tacoma, he began with twenty-three cows and twelve head of young stock, and has gradually increased his stock until he now has two hundred and twenty head of high grade Holstein and Jersey cattle, some of which are pure bred, and he also keeps pure bred bulls. He at first sold his milk wholesale but later began retailing it and now operates six milk trucks in the retail trade. He has a splendid plant, his investment in buildings, machinery and cattle representing not less than sixty-five thousand dollars. In 1926 Mr. Rhyner bought. forty-five acres of land where the Home dairy is now located, and he also leases two hundred and fifty acres in connection with it. He employs eighteen persons and pays out about twenty-five thousand dollars a year for feed, buying six hundred tons of hay, besides mill feed in carload lots. Up-to-date equipment and absolute cleanliness in every respect characterize this splendid dairy farm and Mr. Rhyner deserves the highest meed of praise for what he has accomplished in so short a time.

On June 18, 1918, Mr. Rhyner was united in marriage to Miss Mary Helen Conlon, a native of Puyallup and a daughter of John and Mary Conlon, the former now deceased. To them were born eight children, Henry, Andrew, Joe, John, Peter, © Mack, Mary and Frank. Mr. and Mrs. Rhyner are the parents of three children: Frank Albert, born May' 9, 1919; Margaret Marie, November 4, 1921; and Dorothy Helen, December 24, 1925. Mr. Rhyner is a member of the Swiss Society of Tacoma. He is a man of sterling character, quick of decision and energetic in action, has shown strong business judgment in all of his affairs, and is a splendid type of the self-made man. He is courteous and friendly in his social relations and commands the sincere admiration and good will of the entire community.

Hubert L. Meader

One of the successful fruit raisers in the northwestern part of Pierce county is Hubert L. Meader, whose productive and well improved ranch lies near Puyallup. He is a man of marked initiative ability, does well whatever he undertakes and has shown sound judgment in the management of his farm. Mr. Meader is a native of Nebraska, born on the 13th of November, 1881, and is a son of Cyrus C. and Josephine (Martin) Meader, of whom the latter died January 11, 1926. The father was born in Wisconsin and the mother in Vermont. He went to Nebraska in 1866 and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Pawnee county, of which locality he was one of the earliest settlers. He remained on that place for sixty years, retiring in 1926. To him and his wife were born six children, as follows: Mrs. Bertha (Dennis) Yant; Mrs. Lillian Edgerton, of Puyallup; Gideon, of Puyallup; Harry, of Nebraska; Mrs. Blanche Aiken, of Nebraska; and Hubert L.

The last named was educated in the public schools of Nebraska and remained on the home farm until he had attained his majority. He then leased his father's farm, which he operated until 1912, when he came to the Puyallup valley, Washington, and bought of Tom Millroy ten acres of Indian land, three miles. west of Puyallup. He at once began planting this land to berries, and subsequently added twelve and a half acres to his original purchase, so that he now has: twenty-two and a half acres, practically all of which is now in fruit. The land is' fertile and, under Mr. Meader's careful management, produces abundant crops. * He also keeps: two cows and has between three and four hundred laying hens. He has made many subee improvements on the place and now has a very comfortable and pleasant

On May 6, 1903, Mr. Meader was married to Miss Mary A. Millen, who is a native of Missouri, a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Kitch) Millen, both of whom are living. They had a family of six children, as follows: Mary A.; Mrs. Lillie Stulp, of Kansas; Mrs. Rena (Raudebaugh) McKenna; Earlam, of this state; Alvin, of Washington; and Mrs. Evelyn Kidd, of Tacoma. Mr. and Mrs. Meader have three children. Florence Adele, born 'in Nebraska, July 28, 1904, graduated from the Puyallup high school in 1921, from the College of Puget Sound in 1925, and is now teaching in the Puyallup junior high school. Ethel Lucille, born in Nebraska, December 9, 1905, graduated from the Puyallup high school in 1923, completed the normal course at the College of Puget Sound in 1925, and is now teaching. Mildred Evelyn, born in Nebraska, November 29, 1907, graduated from the Puyallup high school in 1926. Politically Mr. Meader is a stanch republican and has taken an active interest in local public affairs, being an earnest advocate of good schools and improved roads. He is a member and director of the Puyallup and Sumner Berry Growers' Association, and he and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Puyallup, to which he gives generous support. A man of earnest purpose and strong individuality, he has made an impress on the people of his community, among whom he commands confidence and respect.

George M. Harvey

To George M. Harvey belongs the distinction of having been engaged in business on Sixth avenue longer than any other merchant now there and during all of this period he has commanded a steady and substantial patronage, his grocery store being up-to-date in every respect. Mr. Harvey was born in Park county, Indiana, on the 3d of January, 1876, and is a son of John and Martha (Osborn) Harvey, farming folk, and both now deceased.

After completing the public school course George M. Harvey entered the Central Normal College, at Danville, Indiana, and was graduated on completing the commercial course in. 1898. In September of the following year he came to Tacoma and entered the employ of the People's store, and later was with McLain & McMillan. In September, 1906, he bought the Westside grocery store, at 2805-7 Sixth avenue, which he later moved across the street to 2802-4 Sixth avenue, and remained there fourteen years. In September, 1921, he located at 608 North Pine street at Sixth avenue, where he has a well stocked and attractively arranged store, unexcelled in that section of the city. He carries a full line of staple and fancy groceries, with fruits and vegetables in season, and his courtesy and accommodating manner have gained for him the good will and patronage of the community. It is noteworthy that Mr. Harvey's telephone number has not been changed during his entire career here, having been retained by him and the former owner for twenty-seven years. This section of the city was a veritable mud hole when he came here but is now one of the best improved sections of Tacoma.

On February 17, 1898, Mr. Harvey was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle G. Pickard, of Terre Haute, Indiana. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Sixth Avenue Business Men's Club, which he served as president during 1926, being advanced from the vice presidency because of the resignation of the president. He is a stanch republican in his political views and has taken an active part in local public affairs, having served as a member of the executive committee of the Pierce County Republican Club several terms. He has always stood ready to cooperate in all movements for the betterment of his community and the advancement of the city along all legitimate lines and because of his splendid record here he has gained a high place in public esteem.

William Holt

Among the active, industrious and intelligent farmers of northern Pierce county stands William Holt, who has shown sound judgment in all of his operations and is meeting with well deserved success. He is a native of Lancastershire, England, born on the 23d of September, 1884, and is a son of William and Sarah Holt. The mother died in 1886 and the father is still living in that land. They were the parents of five children, Edward, Mary, Samuel, Jennie and William.

The last named acquired only a limited education in the public schools of his home neighborhood, for at the age of eleven years he went to work on a farm, delivering milk. When eighteen years old he went to sea on a sailing vessel, on which he visited practically all the important ports of the-world. On May 25, 1910, he started on his last voyage, going to Valparaiso, South America, 'and on his return to Tacoma, in 1912, quit the high seas and for awhile worked as a longshoreman in Tacoma. In 1916 he leased eighty acres of school land on section 36, township 19, range 4, only a few acres of which had been cleared, the remainder being covered with timber and stumps. During the subsequent years he has continued clearing the land, along with his other farm work and now has about forty acres cleared and cultivated. He has made many substantial improvements on the property, having remodeled and enlarged the house and added a bathroom. The other farm buildings are all in good condition. He keeps ten good Jersey cows, two being pure bred, and a registered sire, and also keeps a number of hogs. He carries on general farming, raising hay, potatoes and root crops, and has met with very encouraging success.

On September 1, 1914, Mr. Holt was united in marriage to Mrs. Laura (Larsen) Duthie, a native of Norway and a daughter of Peter and Amalie Larsen, of whom the former was a sea captain and both of whom died in their native land. They were the parents of six children, namely, Pauline, Laura, Alma, Sophie, Paula and Marie, of whom Sophie is deceased. By a former marriage Mrs. Holt is the mother of a son, William, who was born in Tacoma and is now a senior in high school. Mrs. Holt came to the. United States in 1904, lived about one and a half years in North Dakota and came to Tacoma in 1906. Mr. and Mrs. Holt have three children: 'Loretta, born in Tacoma, January 2, 1916; Frank, born in Orting, October 15, 1919; and Ruth Helen, born January 9, 1924. Mr. Holt is regarded as an enterprising and upto-date farmer and has applied himself closely to the operation and development of his farm. He can always be relied upon to support the best interests of the community and his life exemplifies the highest principles of correct living. Because of his industry, his success and his splendid character he has won a place in the front rank of the progressive and respected citizens of his locality.

Sento Gardella

A member of one of Pierce county's old and prominent pioneer families, Sento Gardella has long held an enviable place among the leading citizens of his section and has been a potent factor in the prosperity and advancement of his locality. Born in Puyallup, Pierce county, on the 1st day of May, 1871, he is a son of Augustus and Sarah (Adams) Gardella. The mother was born and reared in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, and the father was born in Genoa, Italy, where he was reared and lived until 1856, when he came to the United States, locating in Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1869, being engaged in lumber contracting. He then came to Pierce county, stopping in Tacoma when there were but four houses in the village. For awhile he worked for Ezra Meeker on a hop ranch, and also leased a ranch at North Puyallup, which he operated until 1879, giving his attention largely to the raising of hops. In that year he bought the home ranch of two hundred and forty acres, and also bought and sold several other ranches in the Puyallup valley. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Cooperative Creamery at Sumner, which he later bought and operated himself. He was a man of sound business judgment and was successful in all of his operations, remaining active until shortly prior to his death, which occurred October 24, 1914. Prior to buying the home farm, he had purchased one hundred acres of the old Isaac Woolery donation claim "between Puyallup and Sumner, on which he ran a dairy and raised hops but later sold that place. While living in Pennsylvania, Mr. Gardella was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Adams, who was born and reared in Clearfield county, that state, and whose death occurred July 2, 1919. To them were born five children, namely: Mary, who is the wife of George M. Lee, of Tacoma; Frank, who lives in South Prairie. this county; Mrs. Melissa Rogers, of Bellingham, Washington; Sento; and Etta who is deceased. Augustus Gardella was a man of many fine qualities and was long a prominent and influential man of his section of the county.

Sento Gardella was reared on his father's farm and secured his education in the public schools at Sumner. He then devoted his attention to assisting his father and helped to clear three different farms in this county. During the later years of his father's life he had entire charge of the farm, and at one time had as much as one hundred acres in hops. About 1901 he bought one hundred and ten acres of land on the Puyallup river, two miles east of Puyallup, the greater part of which he cleared, also erected a good set of farm buildings and engaged in dairy farming, keeping one hundred head of good cattle. Later he turned his attention to berry growing. In 1920 he sold the ranch and for a few years traveled in the south. He is now devoting his attention to the management of the estate of his sister, Mrs, Rogers, near Puyallup.

In 1902 Mr. Gardella was united in marriage to Miss Ethel Crounse, a native of Pierce county and a daughter of William and Amelia Crounse, both of whom were natives of New York. The father, who was a carpenter by trade, came to Pierce county and he and his wife died in Sumner. Mrs. Gardella died in iM PA. leaving three children, namely: Melva, who graduated from the Sumner high school, and is now a senior at the State Agricultural College, at Pullman, where she is specializing in music; Claudine, who also is a graduate of the high school at Sumner, and is now.in her second year at the State Agricultural College, where she is specializing in history; and Lucile, a pupil in the public school, Mr. Gardella is a member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 145, A. F. & A. M., at Sumner, in which he has held all of the chairs up to that of master, and also belongs to Sumner Camp, Woodmen of the World. Of kindly manner, cordial and friendly in his social relations, throughout the community in which he lives he commands esteem and good will.

Carl A. Anderson

The people who have come to Pierce county from Sweden have contributed very materially to the development and upbuilding of this section of the state. They have been characterized by thrift, industry and honesty, which qualities will contribute to success in any undertaking, and these sturdy people are numbered among the best citizens of this community. In this class stands Carl A. Anderson, who was born in Sweden, a son of Jonas and Breita (Anderson) Anderson, both of whom died in that land. The father owned and cultivated a farm. Of the eleven children born to this worthy couple, but two are living, John, who is still in Sweden, and Carl A.

The latter received his education in the public schools of his home neighborhood and then helped his father on the home farm. He served two years in the Swedish national army, and in 1889 came to the United States. He first located in Tacoma, Washington, where he worked in brickyards and in logging camps, and later for the city of Tacoma. In 1896 he bought sixteen acres of Indian reservation land, near Puyallup, all of which was covered with heavy timber and brush. He built a small cabin and then began clearing the land and in the course of time got it all under cultivation. For nine years he ran a dairy, keeping twelve good grade cows. He has three acres in red raspberries and strawberries, the remainder being hay and pasture land, but it is his intention to plant more of the land to berries, which have proven a very profitable crop. In 1915 he built a new barn and in 1897 a good house, besides which he has made valuable improvements on the place, which is now regarded as one of the desirable farms of the valley. In 1918 Mr. Anderson sold one acre of his land to the Riverside school board for school purposes. He is a strong advocate of schools and roads. Politically, he is a stanch republican and is a member of the Lutheran church, in which he was confirmed in 1882. He is a substantial citizen and stands deservedly high in the estimation of his fellowmen.

Alexander Fuchs

Dairying has become one of the important interests of Pierce county, and especially in the Puyallup valley, where conditions seem to be particularly favorable for that industry. One of the leading dairy farms of this locality is the "Puyallup Valley Dairy," which is owned and successfully operated by Alexander Fuchs, who enjoys a wide reputation for his business achievements. He is a native of Canton Schwyz, Switzerland, where he was born on the 9th of July, 1879, a son of Meinrad and Agatha (Kaelin) Fuchs, of whom the former died in Switzerland in 1888, while the mother died in Spokane, Washington, in 1915. They were the parents of twenty-

Alexander Fuchs attended the public schools of his native country and remained at home until February, 1896, when he emigrated to the United States. He came at once to Tacoma, and was employed on a dairy ranch for about a year. In 1897 he went to San Francisco, California, where he worked five years in the dairy of Ed Hanson, and then went to Alameda, that state, where he worked in a dairy for two years. In 1901 he came to Tacoma and for about one and a half years drove a milk wagon for his brother, Frank Fox, now deceased. In 1902 he bought two hundred and sixty acres of land at Kapowsin, a part of which he cleared, and kept the tract two years, selling the timber on the place. He then leased sixty-five acres and started in the dairy business near Tacoma, milking fifty cows, and carried on the business for about one and a half years, when he sold out there and bought his brother Frank's dairy, which he conducted for two years. In 1908 Mr. Fuchs bought fourteen acres of partly cleared land on section 14, township 20 north, range 4 east, to which he later added, by successive purchases, nine acres, twenty acres, sixteen acres and four acres, being now the owner of seventy-four acres of excellent land. He began the dairy business here with one cow, and through good management and persistent effort has steadily forged ahead, increasing his herd and equipment, until now he milks seventy head of fine Holstein cattle, retailing the milk in Tacoma. He raises fine crops of hay and corn, and owns a splendid team of draft horses, while all of the mechanical equipment on the ranch is modern in every respect. A few years ago Mr. Fuchs built an attractive bungalow on the highway. His large barns are conveniently arranged and equipped in every way and he has devoted himself indefatigably to his business, well deserving the splendid success which has come to him..

On July 14, 1908, Mr. Fuchs was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Zurpluh, who was born in Switzerland, a daughter of Frank and Catherine (Barg) Zurpluh. The family came to this country in 1888, locating first in Wisconsin, where they lived about fifteen years, and then came to Tacoma, the father buying ten acres of land in South Tacoma, where he and his wife are now living. They were the parents of nine children, Catherine, Barbara, Louise, Philip, Frank, Anna and Josephine, twins, Rose and William. Mr. and Mrs. Fuchs have four children: Rose, who graduated from the high school at Fife and Beutel Brothers College in Tacoma, is now bookkeeper at the Olympus Hotel, in this city; Mary Agatha, who also graduated from the Fife high school, is now a student in the State Agricultural College, at Pullman, where she is specializing in history, chemistry and political science; Louise Josephine is a senior in the Fife high school; and Alexander Frank is at home. All of the children are musically inclined.

Politically Mr. Fuchs gives his support to the republican party and is actively interested in all efforts to advance the general welfare along material, civic or moral lines. He is a member of Tacoma Lodge, No. 174, B. P. O. E., Tacoma Lodge, F. O. E., and a life member of the Swiss Society of Tacoma. He possesses a pleasing personality, is genial and friendly in manner, and throughout the community has won and retains a host of warm and loyal friends. }

William Pierce Bonney

William Pierce Bonney, an honored native son of Pierce county and one of Tacoma's most highly esteemed citizens, has served as secretary of the Washington State Historical Society during the past decade and is also curator of the Ferry Museum. His birth occurred in Steilacoom, Washington, on the 24th of April, 1856 and thus he has passed the seventy-first milestone on life's journey. His parents, Sherwood and Lydia Ann (Wright) Bonney, crossed the plains with ox teams in 1852, becoming early pioneer residents of the northwest. Mrs. Bonney taught school in Steilacoom in 1854. Sherwood Bonney was justice of the peace for Pierce county that year and as such performed the marriage ceremony for many of the pioneer couples. In tracing back the ancestry it is learned that Thomas Bonney was the progenitor of the family in the new world. He was born in Dover, England, in 1604, wedded Mary Hunt and in 1634 or 1635 they crossed the Atlantic on the Hercules. Their son, Thomas Bonney, married Dorcas Sampson and the line of descent telephoning to Bellingham, congratulating an "old subscribers' meeting" celebrating the thirty-sixth year of telephone service in that city.

is traced down through John Bonney, who married Elizabeth Bishop; Perez Bonney, who married Ruth Snow; Titus Bonney, who married Anna Pierce; John Bonney, who married Orilla Sherwood; and Sherwood Bonney, who married Lydia Ann Wright.

Their son, William Pierce Bonney, after acquiring a public school education in this state, learned the drug business with Gardner Kellogg of Seattle, starting in 1868. He was employed by others for several years and in July, 1881, began business on his own account in Tacoma, forming a partnership with L. E. Sampson under the firm style of Sampson & Bonney. At the time of his retirement from that business he was one of the oldest as well as the best known druggists of the city.

On the 17th of August, 1882, at Olympia, Washington, Mr. Bonney was united in marriage to Miss Eva Bigelow, a daughter of Daniel R. and Ann Elizabeth Bigelow, who crossed the plains in 1851 but not in the same party. They were married on Chambers Prairie, five miles from Olympia; on the 18th of June, 1854, and took up their residence in Olympia on the same day. To Mr. and Mrs. Bonney have been born four children, as follows: Zaidee Elizabeth, who, like her mother in early womanhood, became a school teacher; Ruth, who died at the age of five years; Victor Bigelow, who wedded Miss Rose Cook and entered the government food and drug laboratories at San Francisco as a chemist; and William Sherwood, who died in early life.

During the long years of his residence in Tacoma, Mr. Bonney has been actively identified with its public interests and in 1884 and 1885 served as a member of the city council. He has served as chairman on the board of curators of the Washington State Historical Society and has been its secretary for the past ten years or more. He has been an interested witness of the progress and development of Pierce county from pioneer times to the present, and in the historical portion of this work has given to present and future generations a splendid record of its growth and advancement.

R. D. Moore

A man of action rather than words, possessing a strong personality and with marked capacity for getting things done, R. D. Moore, of Fairfax, has long been regarded as a representative citizen. A member of the well known Manley-Moore Lumber Company, he has been closely and actively identified with the timber and lumber interests of eastern Pierce county, the success of which has in a large measure been due to his capable efforts. The Manley-Moore Lumber Company was organized in 1907 with August Von Boecklin as president, J. E. Manley, secretary and treasurer, and R. D. Moore, vice president. Mr. Manley is now president, secretary and treasurer and has charge of the company's office in Tacoma, whilé Mr. Todd is in charge of all the outside interests. The company bought private property near Fairfax and later purchased extensive timber lands from the Northern Pacific Railroad. Until 1910 they operated the Arline mill, between South Prairie and Crocker, and then built the present plant at Fairfax. In earlier years they had a planing mill and column factory in connection with the sawmill, but they were burned out in 1918 and have never rebuilt. They now confine their output mainly to rough lumber, much of which is shipped to subsidiary plants in Tacoma for further manufacturing, to the Washington Door Company and the Washington Manufacturing Company. They still have about a fifteen-year run of timber standing and do their own logging, owning their own railroad and other equipment. They employ about two hundred and fifty people and the mill output averages one hundred and fifty thousand zee daily. The mill is at Montezuma, near Fairfax, and there the company has its own store, clubs and amusements and a school for pupils up to the sixth grade, making conditions for their employes as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

R. D. Moore was born in China in 1878 and is a son of Marshall G. and Anne (Wilson) Moore, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. They both died in 1908, the mother in Scranton, that state, and the father in New Jersey. The mauhe? was "for a number of years a wholesale tea merchant in China and on his apne to the United States became actively identified with rapid transit ser sree a the first elevated railroad in Chicago and was secretary and treasurer 0 the Rapi

R. D. Moore secured his elementary education in-the public schools and then entered the University of Minnesota, where he took three years' work in civil engineering. He spent six years with the engineering department of the Great Northern Railroad, with headquarters at St. Paul, and then spent a year with a lumber company. He next became identified with the Arline mill, near South Prairie, this county, and later was one of the organizers of the Manley-Moore Lumber Company, which took over the Arline plant. He has devoted himself closely to the interests of the business and has gained wide recognition as an efficient and competent lumberman, as well as for his ability as a manager.

In 1907, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mr. Moore was united in marriage to Miss Eleanor Von Bodenstedt, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of Godhardt and Elise (Bolley) Von Bodenstedt, both of whom were natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Moore are the parents of two sons, Robert D. and Richard S., the former a student in the University of Washington, while the latter is attending school at Seattle. Mr. Moore is a member of the Alpha Delta Phi college fraternity.

Eli H. Waldron

Some of the finest farms in Pierce county are to be found in the vicinity of Spanaway, and among these is that owned by Eli H. Waldron, who has long been recognized as one of the most progressive and enterprising farmers of his section of the county. He has gained his present success only through hard and persistent effort and is still actively engaged in the operation of this ranch.

Mr. Waldron was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, on the 7th of July,.1857, and is a son of Hammett and Celestia (Jones) Waldron, both natives of New York state, the father having been born in Utica and the mother at Syracusé. Hammett Waldron was a flour miller in Utica, but was for a time a resident of Wisconsin, where he took up a homestead, which he improved and lived on for a few years. Both parents are deceased. They were the parents of five children, namely: Delia, deceased; Jennie; Eli H.; Arthur, who lives in New York; and Walter, who lives in Montana.

Eli H. Waldron was educated in the public schools and an academy in Utica and then went to work in flouring mills, learning the trade under his father. He followed that occupation until his marriage, in 1879, when he went to Beloit, Wisconsin, near which city he rented a gristmill, which he operated until 1886. He then decided to cast his lot with the far west and arrived in Tacoma, May 6, 1887. For awhile he was employed at cabinet work, making furniture for some of the best hotels in Tacoma. He built a good house in the city for himself and in 1888 traded it for one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 8, township 18, range 4, the entire tract being covered with timber and brush, the only improvement being a small building which stood on the place. He at once set himself to the task of clearing the land, in the course of time placing thirty-five acres under cultivation. In 1894 he built a good barn and in 1913 erected a modern house. He milks nine cows; also has a few sheep and keeps a nice flock of poultry. Hay, grain and potatoes are his principal crops. He keeps the farm in good shape and operates it to the best advantage.

On November 4, 1879, Mr. Waldron was united in marriage to Miss Effie Zimmerman, who was born in Ogle county, Illinois. Her parents were Elam and Julia (Shannon) Zimmerman, the former of whom was a native of Canada and the latter of Illinois. The father followed farming during his active years, and his death occurred in about 1906. The mother passed away in 19038. They were the parents of three children, Effie, now Mrs. Waldron; Ella; and Nettie, who was a school teacher and is now deceased. Mrs. Waldron is a lady of gracious qualities of character which have gained for her a large circle of warm friends, and she is gifted as ~ painter in oil, having done some beautiful work. Mr. and Mrs. Waldron are the parents of three children, as follows: Maud, who is now the wife of William Dawson and has a son, Walter Daniell, by a former marriage; Herbert, who is married and has three children, Mildred, Morris and Harry; and Hattie, the wife of H. J. Fisher, of Tacoma, county superintendent of schools. Mildred Waldron became the wife of a Mr. Lang and has a daughter, Nellie June, born in 1926.

In the early days Mr. Waldron served as a member of the school board at Kirby. He has always stood ready to cooperate in all movements for the better- ment of the community along material, civic or moral lines and is counted among his district's substantial and dependable citizens. Because of his consistent life, fine public spirit and excellent personal qualities, he well merits the confidence and respect. which are accorded him by his fellowmen.

George Freeman

George Freeman, of Orting, is a veteran of two wars and has had varied experiences in various parts of the world. He was born in Helena, Montana, on the 22d of August, 1869, and is a son of John T. and Elendora (Perdue) Hanks, the former the son of Dennis Hanks, who was the son of Nancy Hanks, the mother of Abraham Lincoln. The subject's change in surname comes from the fact that at the age of twelve years he ran away from home, assuming the name of Freeman, and. has ever since retained it. John T. Hanks went across the plains, with ox teams, at the time of the California gold rush of 1849, and followed mining several years in that state. In later years he went to Roseburg, Oregon, where he took up a homestead and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1916. The mother is still living. They were the parents of eleven children, as follows: Mrs. Hattie Lukes, Dennis, George, Mrs. Mollie Jacques, Mrs. Fannie Jacques, John, Dolph, Charles, Mrs. Cora Chaney, Mrs. Dora Jackson, and Mrs. Ella Higgins, who lives in Oregon.

George Freeman attended the public schools of Oregon and Pierce county, Washington and also attended two terms in Beutel Business College, in Tacoma. At. the age of eighteen years he took up railroad work, starting in as a fireman and later becoming engineer. In 1903 he went to old Mexico, where he was employed in. railroad work until 1914, when he came back to Tacoma and is now employed as. engineer on the Milwaukee railroad. Mr. Freeman has had much military experience, having served with credit in two of this country's wars. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war he enlisted and served until the close of that short but decisive conflict. During the Mexican revolution of 1909 to 1913 he served as an. operating engineer under General Madero. In February, 1918, he enlisted for service. in the World war, joining the Thirty-first United States Engineers and was overseas about a year and a half, receiving an honorable discharge on his return home.

On April 28, 1899, Mr. Freeman was united in marriage to Miss Rose Krondak,. who was born in Bohemia, a daughter of Joseph W. and Barbara (Janskey) Krondak. The family came to the United States in 1881, locating in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1882 they went to North Dakota, where the father took up a homestead, where they lived but a short time, and then came to Orting, Pierce county. Here the father: bought eighty acres of timber land, a part of which is now included in the town-. site of Orting. He began clearing this, built a house and developed a good farm, on which he raised hops for many years, also running a dairy. He was successful and lived there until 1903, when he sold the farm and, moving to Tacoma, bought a. home, in which he lived until his death, December 15, 1925. His widow is still living in that city. They were the parents of six children, namely: Mrs. Mary Chisholm, deceased; W. W., who lives in Tacoma; Rose; Anna, deceased ; William, of Tacoma, and Harry, who is an engineer on the Great Northern Railroad and lives at. Wenatchee, Washington. To Mr. and Mrs. Freeman has been born a son, James. Freeman, who was born at Orting on February 19, 1903.

A pioneer in poultry hatching on a commercial scale in the Puyallup valley, in which business she has attained more than ordinary success, Mrs. Lillian E. (Singer) Wieland is numbered among the enterprising and progressive residents of her section of the county. She was born in Buffalo, New York, and is a daughter of C. and Emily (Runser) Singer, the former a native of. Baltimore, Maryland, and the latter of Cleveland, Ohio. The father was a dairyman, and the mother, following: the custom of her family for many generations, was in the poultry business. The father died in 1923 and the mother is still living in Buffalo. They were the parents.

of four children, namely: Lillian E.; Mrs. Clara Swartz, of Denver; Mrs. Henrietta Uthoff, of Genoa, Ohio; and Mrs. Emily Rossow, of Buffalo, New York.

Mrs. Wieland spent her girlhood in Buffalo and received her education in the public and private schools. She took a commercial course in the Buffalo Business College and was employed as stenographer and bookkeeper for seven years. In 1911 she went to Los Angeles, California, where she remained about a year, and then removed to Aberdeen, Washington, where she engaged in the raising of exhibition poultry, mainly silver laced Wyandottes. In 1915 Mrs. Wieland went back to Buffalo, New York, and established a hatchery at Williamsburg, which she operated for three years. In the fall of 1918 she came to Puyallup and bought two acres of land for the purpose of engaging in poultry hatching. She moved onto the place January 20th and on February 28th her first chickens were hatched, in her home. From that time on improvements on the property were rapidly made, until now she has a capacity for twenty thousand chicks at one hatching. The buildings are substantial, being specially designed for their respective purposes, and comprise three doublemonitor breeding houses, forty-two by sixty feet in size; a laying house, of shed type, twenty-seven by one hundred and ten feet, and two large feed rooms, having loft capacity for two carloads of straw. The incubator building is twenty-seven by forty-five feet in size. Mrs. Wieland keeps about two thousand breeders and one thousand pullets to be trapnested each year. The strain of her flock began with one hundred New Zealand hens and Hollywood males, resulting in an especially strong and virile strain. The sales from the Mountain View Hatchery have steadily increased from year to year, due to the high quality of the chicks, and the older stock, which is all trapnested before selling, commands fancy prices. Since establishing the hatchery, Mrs. Wieland has also bought thirty acres of land on the Pacific highway, two miles north of Sumner, to which land all the fertilizer goes. This land will be devoted to the growing of lettuce and garden truck, as well as green feed for the poultry. Mrs. Wieland is a member of the National Baby Chick Asso¢iation and is an able and capable business woman, her eminent success in this enterprise vindicating her judgment and farsightedness in locating here and in her methods of transacting business. Personally, she is kindly and tactful, cordial and friendly in manner, and since coming to the Puyallup valley has gained a host of loyal and devoted friends.

Robert Montgomery

Robert Montgomery is prominently connected with journalism in western Washington, being publisher and editor of the Puyallup Valley Tribune, which is one. of the most popular papers in this section of the state and compares favorably with any of .its contemporaries in news, editorial ability and typographical appearance. Pierce county recognizes in Mr. Montgomery not only a keen and progressive newspaper man but also a representative citizen, whose interest in everything that affects the general welfare has been of such a character as to win for him a high place in the confidence and esteem of the people.

Mr. Montgomery was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on the 25th of May, 1872, and is a son of Robert and Margaret (Kerr) Montgomery. The father owned one of the best farms in Lancaster county, where he carried on general farming and raised pure bred horses and cattle. In later life he sold the farm and retired from active affairs. Coming to Washington, he lived in Tacoma and the Puyallup valley a few years, but eventually returned to Pennsylvania, where he died at the age of eighty-one years. The mother is also deceased.

Robert Montgomery, Jr., attended the public schools of his native state and was in a private school for two years, after which he attended Orchard Academy the same length of time. In February, 1890, he went to Kansas, where he remained a few months, going then to Angus, Minnesota, and from there to Vancouver, British Columbia. In May, 1890, he came to Tacoma, Washington, and obtained employment in a furniture store. He also followed the carpenter's trade and later worked a few months with a surveying crew. He then turned his attention to the newspaper field, working as a reporter for the Tacoma Ledger. He became deeply interested in journalism and, to properly prepare himself for that profession, he entered Whitworth College, where he took a five-year course, working his way through the last two years. On completing his college work he returned to newspaper work and has been identified with it continuously to the present time. He made no mistake in his choice of his life work, for he is in many ways particularly well qualified for the profession, and his success has abundantly vindicated his choice. On September 3, 1903, Mr. Montgomery established the Puyallup Valley Tribune, the outcome of the consolidation of the Puyallup Independent and the Sumner Herald. The Puyallup Independent had been established as the successor to the Puyallup Commercial, which had been started in 1886 by J. W. Reddington, it being one of the first papers in the Puyallup valley. Edward M. Fuller had previously started a paper, which may have been succeeded by the Commercial. The Sumner Herald was established by E. J. White and A. M. Rosseau in 1889, the former selling his interest to Rosseau in 1893. Robert Montgomery and H. J. Crubshaw bought the Herald on March 14, 1894, and conducted it together for eight years, when Mr. Montgomery bought his partner's interest. The Puyallup Tribune is a six-column weekly paper, of from ten to twelve pages, all home print, and has become a fixture in most of the homes of the valley. Mr. Montgomery possesses the genuine newspaper instinct for printing the news while it is news and in a pleasing and attractive literary style. The mechanical equipment of his plant is maintained at the highest point of efficiency, a new linotype machine having been installed in 1926. The Herald has the largest weekly circulation in western Washington and is widely recognized as a valuable advertising medium.

On October 18, 1903, Mr. Montgomery was united in marriage to Mrs. Agnes E. Cook, of Sumner, a daughter of William W. and Elizabeth (Armstrong) Wilson. To them have been born three children, namely: Robert Bond, deceased; Thomas Sterling, who is in college; and Mara A., who is also in school.

Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Masonic fraternity in which he has received the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite; is also a member of the Mystic Shrine and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He has been a member of the last named order for twenty-eight years, having joined Tacoma. Lodge, from which he was dimitted to the Puyallup Lodge in 1928, at which time the Tacoma Lodge and its board of trustees passed resolutions of regret, the first and only time such action has been taken by that body. Politically Mr. Montgomery has been a lifelong supporter of the democratic party and has taken an active interest in public affairs. He served as mayor of Sumner one term and part of another, and was postmaster at Puyallup from August, 1913, to May, 1923. He is a member of the Puyallup Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club. Personally he is a man of sterling character, candid and straightforward manner, holds well grounded opinions on questions of public policy and in local affairs is a consistent advocate of improvement and progress. He is an influential citizen of his community and by personal effort and the medium of his newspaper he has cooperated with every movement for the betterment of the public welfare. Cordial and friendly, he enjoys a wide acquaintance and has a host of warm and loyal friends.

Francis Bisson

One of the oldest merchants in point of continuous identification with one business in Pierce county is Francis Bisson, who has owned a store at South Prairie since 1884, a period of forty-two years. During this period he has not. only gained material success, but has also commanded the respect of the people among whom he has lived, being today regarded as one of the representative men of his community. Mr. Bisson was born in Canada, in 1849, and is a son of Daniel and Mary Caroline (LeGallis) Bisson, both of whom were natives of the island of Jersey, off the French coast. The father came to Canada about 1839, while an apprentice boy, as clerk for an English cod-fishing firm, and later engaged in mercantile affairs, which he followed during the remainder of his life.

Francis Bisson received his education in the public schools of Canada and the isle of Jersey, having lived in the latter place from 1862 to 1864. He then returned to Canada and was employed as a clerk by his father until 1872, when he went to Wisconsin, where he spent four years in the pine woods and in mills. In 1876 he came to Washington, and in 1877 to Tacoma, where he went to work on the con- struction of the railroad to Wilkeson and Carbonado, where coal mines were located. He was employed in laying the ties on the incline there, and later became bookkeeper for the Carbonado Coal Company, with which concern he remained until 1884. On September 14th of that year he came to South Prairie, opened the first store in this town, and has conducted it to the present time, it being now carried on under the firm name of F. Bisson & Son. He carries a stock of general merchandise, including groceries, clothing, shoes and kindred lines, and during all the years has commanded a large trade throughout this locality.

'Mr. Bisson was married to Miss Eleanore J. Wilson, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of W. K. and Mary E. (Hooker) Wilson, of whom the former came here in 1872, his family being among the pioneer settlers of Wilkeson. To Mr. and Mrs. Bisson have been born three sons, Francis, Jr., Daniel and Newell Wilson. Francis, who is a dentist in Oakland, Washington, is married and has two children, Beverley Jane and Mary Elizabeth. During the World war he held a commission as second lieutenant in the dental corps of the United States navy and was located in the Philippine islands. Daniel, who is a practicing dentist in Bremerton, Washington, also was in the navy as a second lieutenant in the dental corps and was in Italy. Newell W., who is his father's partner in the business at South Prairie, served as a wireless operator in the navy during the war and made a number of trips back and forth to France. He now holds the position of postmaster of South Prairie, the office being located in the Bisson store. Mr. Bisson is nominally a republican in his political views, but is inclined to maintain an independent attitude, voting according to his judgment as to men and measures. He has been active in local public affairs, having served as a member of the town council and of the school board, while in 1889 he was a member of the state legislature. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, to which his two oldest sons also belong, and he also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a man of sterling character, earnest purpose and public spirit, and the record of his life here has been such as to gain for him the unbounded confidence and esteem of his fellowmen.

Tacoma's bar has many strong representative men, capable of crossing swords in forensic combat with the ablest lawyers of the country. Well skilled in his profession J. T. S. Lyle is engaged in the general practice of law but specializes in the law applicable to public interests and corporations. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin, June 25, 1878, a sori of David and Margaret Lyle. His father was a native of Paisley, Scotland, born in February, 1838, and there he was reared and educated to the age of thirteen years, when in 1851 his parents brought their family to the United States, settling in Madison, Wisconsin. In time David Lyle entered mercantile circles there and was actively identified with the commercial interests of the city to the time of his retirement from business in 1914.

J. T. S. Lyle pursued his early education in the public and high schools of Madison and following his graduation with the class of 1896 he took up a collegiate course in the University of Wisconsin, being numbered among its alumni of 1900. Having prepared for the bar in the law school of the same university and graduating in 1908, he entered upon the active practice of law in Madison, Wisconsin, where he was also vice president and assistant manager of the Dane Abstract & Title Company until March, 1907, when he came to Tacoma and with W. L. McCormick formed the law firm of McCormick & Lyle. This partnership was dissolved on the 1st of January, 1910. A year previous Mr. Lyle had been appointed deputy prosecuting attorney by J. L. McMurray and served in the civil department until April 1, 1911, when he resigned. He was then appointed assistant attorney general and removed to Olympia, occupying the position most capably until he resigned on the 1st of November, 1913. He then again came to Tacoma, where he has since continued in the practice of law as a member of the firm of Lyle, Henderson & Carnahan, concentrating his efforts and attention upon corporation law and that which applies to public interests. Through this period of his residence in Tacoma he has been counsel for the taxpayers' association of the city. His law practice is large and important, and the public recognives the fact that he readily solves intricate legal problems, while his deductions are clear and logical and his reasoning sound. He served as president of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce in 1921-22. Mr. Lyle acted as secretary of the committee of citizens of Pierce county in working out the plan for the gift of Camp Lewis to the United States. He was appointed special attorney and official representative of Pierce county in the condemnation of the land required, and handled all the phases of the see? seacnge with the secretary of war necessary to complete the gift to the government.

Mr. Lyle is well known in fraternal and club circles of the city. He has membership with the Elks and with the National Union, and is a member of the Union and the Tacoma Golf and Country Clubs. His political endorsement is given to the republican party at the polls, but without desire for office as a reward for party fealty. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, and the rules which have ever governed his conduct in all his relations to the public and to the profession are such as measure up to the highest standards of manhood and citizenship.

Mitchell Skansie

One of the successful business men of Gig Harbor, named by the famous Wilkes expedition of 1841, is Mitchell Skansie. He was born at St. Martin, Dalmatia, February 18, 1879, and came to the United States when twenty years of age. His parents were Vincent and Clementine Skansie. Mitchell Skansie has lived at Gig Harbor since 1900. For eight years he followed fishing and then went to Seattle for four years to work in the boat shop of the Sunset Boat Company. Returning to Gig Harbor, he started a boat repair yard, and in 1913 began building new boats in sizes from fifty to sixty-five feet in length. Since that time he has built four large ferries and about one hundred and ten boats. He is still engaged in the boat building business, under the firm name of the Skansie Shipbuilding & Transportation Company. He has a fleet of five automobile ferries which ply between Tacoma and the peninsula points. He has organized the Washington Navigation Company, of which he is president and general manager. Mr. Skansie is also a director in the Brotherhood Co-operative National Bank of Tacoma.

Mr. Skansie's early education was secured in Dalmatia, completing the courses up to the high school before coming:to America. He was married to Amanda Drotich, January 20, 1905, at Tacoma. Mrs. Skansie was born at Gig Harbor, March 18, 1886, and is a daughter of Joseph and Caroline Drotich, the former also a native citizen of Dalmatia. They have four children, all residing with them at Gig Harbor. There are two daughters, Clementine and Amanda, and two sons, William Joseph and Mitchell, Jr. Mr. Skansie is an active member of the Tacoma lodge of Elks and Eagles. He has always taken a keen interest in building up his home town of Gig Harbor and Pierce county generally.

J. T. Bond

One of the mcst popular brands of chocolate candies on the coast is the Bond brand, consisting largely of bars, which may be found in all candy stores. The growth of the Bond Chocolate Company has been remarkable, its prosperous condition having been attained within four years' time, and the expansion and increase of the trade has been a tribute to the business acumen and sound judgment of the president, J. T. Bond, who has been its active manager from the beginning. The predecessor of the present company was the DeLuxe Candy Company, which had an unsatisfactory financial career, going bankrupt several times. In May, 1922, Mr. Bond bought the assets of the old company from the bank which held them and organized and incorporated the Bond Chocolate Company, of which he became president and manager, with Charles S. Lyons, vice president; and O. J. Stone, secretary and treasurer. The company utilizes one floor, seventy-five by one hundred and thirty feet in size, giving them nearly ten thousand square feet of space, the product consisting mainly of chocolate creams and five-cent bars, the greater part of which is sold to Woolworth, Skaggs and other large concerns, though much is also sold to the jobbing trade. Forty-five people are employed and the business is numbered among the prosperous and substantial industries of Tacoma. In addition to the manufacturing business Mr. Bond owns and operates a retail candy store on Pacific avenue, which also is a successful concern.

J. T. Bond is a native son of Tacoma, and has spent his life here, his parents being Richard and Mary Jane (Shine) Bond, both of whom are still living in this city. Richard Bond came to Tacoma about 1883 and was one of the first grocers here, being a member of the firm of Bond & Bennatts, in Old Town. He is now associated with his son, J. T. Bond. To him and his wife were born four children, of whom the survivors are J. T. and Samuel, the latter now living in Los Angeles, California.

J. T. Bond attended the public schools, graduating from the old Tacoma high school, and then entered the University of Washington, from which he was graduated in 1916. He paid his own way through college, working on the docks and at other occupations. On leaving college, he worked for the Puget Sound Flour Company, with which concern he remained until it went into bankruptcy, when he became sales manager for the Humphrey Candy Company, with which he continued until 1922, when he embarked in his present enterprise. He has shown himself a man of keen business instincts and progressive tendencies and the success which has come to him has been well earned. Mr. Bond is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Phi Kappa Sigma college fraternity. He possesses many excellent qualities which have gained for him the sincere respect and good will of his fellowmen and is regarded as a distinct asset to the business circles of Tacoma.

Chester Thorne

For over thirty-five years Chester Thorne has been actively identified with the banking interests of Tacoma and has been an important factor in the development and progress of the city. For almost this length of time he has been either president or chairman of the board of directors of the National Bank of Tacoma, one of the strongest and most influential financial institutions of this section of 'the state, and enjoys an enviable reputation as a man of clear-headed judgment in practical business affairs and farsighted in his opinions on public affairs. :

Mr. Thorne was born in New York, November 11, 1863, a son of Edwin' Thorne, also a native of the Empire state, and a grandson of Jonathan Thorne, whose English ancestors came to America before the Revolutionary war. The old homestead of the family is at Millbrook, Dutchess county, New York. It has been in possession of the family since 1780 and is now owned and occupied by Oakleigh Thorne, a prosperous and retired business man, who is a brother of Chester Thorne. The father, Edwin Thorne, was a successful wholesale dealer in leather during much of his active business career and in his later life retired to his farm, where he found pleasure in raising fine bred trotting horses. He was born in 1825 and passed away in New York city in 1890, at the age of sixty-five years, having spent his entire life in Millbrook and in the metropolis. He married Charlotte Pearsall, a native of New York and a daughter of Thomas W. Pearsall, a representative of an old family of the Empire state, of English descent. She died about 1868 and one of their three children has passed away, Thomas Pearsall having died in 1924. Those living are Chester and Oakleigh.

After pursuing his early education at Poughkeepsie, New York, Chester Thorne entered Yale University, from which he was graduated with the class of 1884, winning the Bachelor of Philosophy degree on completing a course in engineering. He then put his technical' training to the practical test by accepting a position in the engineering department of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company in St. Louis. He afterward represented the company in Kansas City and various other points, spending three years in the engineering department of that road. He next entered the traffic department of the Missouri Pacific Railway Company in St. Louis and was associated therewith for two years, which was his first real business training.

Mr. Thorne was then married and in 1890 came to the west. After considerable travel and investigation he decided to make his home in Tacoma, and he took up his abode here in the month of May. In a short time he became a director of the National Bank of Commerce (chartered 1887) and in 1893 its president, which position he held until 1913, when the Pacific National Bank and the National Bank of

Commerce were consolidated under the name of the National Bank of Tacoma. He then retired from such active connection with the management and _ became chairman of the board of directors. He has many other financial, commercial a eet interests, being a director of the Pacific Cold Storage Company, a Pree the Pacific Coast Gypsum Company, chairman of the board of directors of e | acific Alaska Navigation Company, a director of the Alaska Coast Company, president of the Pacific Steamship Company, vice president and director of the Tacoma Savings Bank & Trust Company and a director of the Army National Bank of Camp Lewis. His lightened duties at the National Bank of Tacoma making community work possible, Mr. Thorne organized a company to build hotels on Mount Tacoma, which was an Improvement long demanded by the increasing mountain travel. He has also given much study to waterway development. The first public office for which he ever consented to become a candidate was that of chairman of the Commercial Waterway District No. 1, a very important position, to which he was chosen by unanimous vote.

Politically Mr. Thorne has been a lifelong supporter of the republican party and has been deeply interested in public affairs. He has been a close student of fiscal and economic subjects and is a man of well defined opinions on questions of public policy. He has rendered effective service to his city as park commissioner, port commissioner, as president of the port and as chairman of the Hylebos water commission. His appreciation for the social amenities of life is indicated by his membership in the Tacoma Golf and Country Club, the Fircrest Golf Club, the Union, University and Commercial Clubs of Tacoma; the Metropolitan and University Clubs of New York; the Rainier Club of Seattle and the Seattle Country and Golf Club. Golf is his chief diversion and he greatly enjoys the game. Upright and conscientious in his motives, he has always been gentlemanly, considerate and courteous in his relations with others, being one of the most unostentatious of men, and there is probably not another man in the city so long honored by his residence who is held in higher esteem by the people, regardless of sect, politics or professions.

A contemporary biographer said of him: "Mr. Thorne occupies an enviable position in Tacoma. Though not by any means backward in expressing an opinion on any public topic, he has avoided factionalism, has kept away from petty politics and has maintained so even and fair an attitude through his years in the city that he has the universal respect and admiration of the community and he is called again and again as arbiter and peacemaker. No sketch of Mr. Thorne would be complete without reference to his generosity. Many men in Tacoma who at one time or another have reached the last ditch could tell how Mr. Thorne quietly helped them to their feet, steadied them and started them anew. There is no finer work in life than this." : ' '

On the 10th of November, 1886, Mr. Thorne was married to Miss Anna Hoxie, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, and a daughter of M. B. Hoxie, one of the early settlers and prominent citizens of Des Moines. Mr. and Mrs. Thorne became the parents of four children, three of whom are deceased. Their surviving daughter, Anita, who was born in Tacoma, March 6, 1895, is the wife of C. C. Corse, of this city. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Thorne on American lake is the finest in Pierce county and indeed has few superiors on the Pacific coast. In addition to being a fine example of architecture, it possesses an even greater distinction on account of its surroundings.

Rev. William Paul Reagor

illi Reagor, who has filled the pastorate of the First Christian ae eee he Shout five years, is one of ie Rk eee ont er clergymen of the city. His birth occurred in Winder, "Georgia, former a native of Shelbyville, Tennessee, while the latter was shee ee a - The Reagor family, which was established on American soil as sae as was

Kentucky, and pursued special work in Columbia University and in the University of Washington. He began preaching in Kentucky in 1914 and was ordained to the ministry in the fall of 1916. He was commissioned chaplain in the United States navy in 1917 and during the period of his service, which ended September 26, 1919, he made eleven trips to France. He was sent to the naval station in North Carolina and subsequently served on the naval transport Maui until leaving the ship in August, 1919, after which he was stationed at the navy yard in New York until the following September. It was in October, 1919, that Rev. Reagor came to Tacoma, Washington, where he has remained to the present time as a minister of the Christian gospel. For three years he filled the pulpit of the McKinley Park Christian church and then accepted a call to the First Christian church, the work of which has been carried successfully forward under his zealous and consecrated leadership.

In February, 1921, Rev. Reagor was united in marriage to Miss Madge Beeman, a native of Colorado and a daughter of F. W. Beeman, who was also born in that state. She was brought to Tacoma by her parents about the year 1903 and is a graduate of the Lincoln high school of this city. Rev. and Mrs. Reagor have a daughter, Margaret May.

Politically Rev. Reagor maintains an independent attitude, supporting men and measures rather than party. He has membership in the Kiwanis Club and also belongs to the Greek letter fraternity Kappa Alpha (Southern). His life has been dedicated to the service of the Master and his labors have not been denied the full harvest nor the aftermath.

S. Albert Perkins

Sidney Albert Perkins, a prominent Tacoma capitalist, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, May 6, 1865. He is the son of George Goodwin and Emily (Cleveland) Perkins. His mother was a cousin of President Grover Cleveland. His father was a well known Congregational minister, who removed his family to Iowa, where the son had his first experience in newspaper work. But before that he had encountered many difficulties in his efforts to earn enough money for his schooling. A considerable part of that money came from the sale of tinware among the farmers of the surrounding country on Saturdays. Through one summer he worked as a brakeman on a railroad and for three seasons he herded cattle. For several months he worked for a farmer who paid him in young pigs which the energetic youth herded in the commons and fed them buttermilk hauled from a creamery, and he 'realized one thousand and eleven dollars from the sale of them. These experiences were delightful as they gave him an outdoor life, which he always has desired.

For seven years Mr. Perkins was a traveling salesman with headquarters in Chicago. It was this work that brought him to Tacoma, September 5, 1886, where he met William P. Bonney, then in the drug business on Pacific avenue, and they formed a partnership under the name of Bonney & Perkins. Mr. Perkins gave up his Chicago position and remained here. The firm sold drugs and specialties at wholesale, covering a wide territory, and had a very prosperous business until the depression of the early '90s, when the firm lost everything. Mr. Perkins did not have a dollar, but he did not complain. He found employment at one dollar and a half per day, hustling shingle bolts, and later he obtained a position in the city water department, turning water off and on, at seventy-five dollars per month.

In 1896 Mr. Perkins formed the Young Men's Republican Club. He had been active in politics ever since coming to Tacoma. He had a considerable acquaintance in the east and that, with the attention which the activities of the club attracted, enabled. him to obtain the assistant secretaryship of the republican national committee. As soon as he had assumed the duties he became one of the movers in the organization of the American Republican College League, which acquired a large membership and had a notable influence in the campaign. In the course of the campaign he established confidential relations with Hon. Marcus A. Hanna, chairman of the committee, and he became Mr. Hanna's private secretary. When Mr. Hanna was elected to the United States senate Mr. Perkins continued as his private secretary, a position in which he was intrusted with a large part of the correspondence of the national

In 1898, while still in Senator Hanna's employ, he bought the Tacoma Daily News and a part of the stock of the Ledger Company. Later he acquired the complete ownership of the Ledger. After buying the News he sent Albert J ohnson, a well known Washington city newspaper man, out to become its editor. (Mr. Johnson became a member of congress from this state.) In 1901 he left Senator Hanna's office and came west to take personal charge of his properties. Neither of the papers then was on a profitable basis. He at once converted them into metropolitan papers and by careful business and editorial management made them profitable and gave them a state-wide circulation. Early in 1900 he acquired the Everett Herald and quickly put that on a much stronger basis. Later he acquired the Bellingham Herald, and the Bellingham American and Reveille, the Morning Olympian of Olympia, and he established the Daily Recorder of Olympia. In 1906 he built the six-story Perkins building at A and Eleventh streets, as a home for his Tacoma papers, and a year later a structure of the same size and architectural style was added to it.

Of the leading papers in Washington his alone have been steadfast in their allegiance to the principles of republicanism, and they never have ridden the waves of populism, free-silverism and other passing political notions. It has been said of him that he is "a hard fighter but he holds no postmortems," and many of his adversaries have become his best friends. His Tacoma papers were the first in the state to declare for woman suffrage and they led in many other movements for better political and economic conditions. He has sold both the Tacoma Ledger and the Tacoma Daily News but is still proprietor of other newspapers in the northwest. He is president of the Alaska-Mexico Transportation Company and the Perkins Investment Company and is chairman of the board of directors of the Standard Gypsum Company.

In 1912 Mr. Perkins became a member of the republican national committee and he was reelected in the spring of 1916. He became a member of the executive committee and of the campaign committee. He never has aspired to public office and has refused to accept high diplomatic posts. Few men have a larger acquaintance among American political and financial leaders.

He has taken an active interest in good roads work and in 1911-12 was president of the Washington Good Roads Association. He has been closely connected with the city's commercial bodies. His charitable interests have been centered largely upon the Children's Home, the curing of deformed children and the education of boys. In 1916 he was serving his third term as commodore of the Tacoma Yacht Club, and in 1911-12 was president of the Pacific International Power Boat Association. His yacht El Primero is one of the largest and handsomest on the Sound .and probably no boat on the coast has been honored by entertaining so many distinguished men. Among them have been President Roosevelt, President Taft, Vice President Fairbanks, and many cabinet members, senators, congressmen and others of note. Mr. Perkins has one of the finest collections of autographed photographs in the country. It embraces the portraits of most of the prominent men of the nation for nearly two decades.

On November 17, 1896, Mr. Perkins married Miss Ottilie Walther, daughter of a prominent St. Paul physician, and they have three children: Virginia Thorne, Ottilie Walther and Elinore Cleveland. As a Mason Mr. Perkins is a Knight Templar and a life member of the Shrine. He also is a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and a life member of the Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the Union, Commercial and Country Clubs. The family lives at. 501 North D street in Tacoma.

Walter V. Zelinsky

Walter V. Zelinsky, deputy county auditor, is the son of one of the pioneer business men of Tacoma. His father, Herman Zelinsky, came to Tacoma in 1881, and started the second retail grocery store in Old Town under the firm name of the Pioneer Grocery. He later moved his business to East Tacoma. Herman Zelinsky was born in West Prussia and his wife, Rose (Gutfeld) Zelinsky, was born in East Prussia. The father is now retired from business, but is well remembered by the early settlers. on the townsite. He speaks several languages, including English, German, Polish, Hebrew, French, Italian, Greek,. and even the native Indian tongue. His brother, Emil Zelinsky, uncle of Walter V., was one of the early pioneers of Oregon, landing at "Looking Glass," now known as Gresham, in 1853.

Walter V. Zelinsky is a native son of Tacoma, born July 13, 1889. He was educated in the public schools here, entering the old Hawthorne school and completing the eight grades taught there. He. then completed two years at the Stadium high school, and completed his studies with a business course. His first position, which he retained for a period of thirteen years, was with the Dowd-MacFarlane Machinery Company. He then entered the employ of the county, and has been in his present position for eight years. His specific duties are to audit the books of the various county institutions and the ferries.

Mr. Zelinsky was married to Hannah Floberg October 25, 1916, at Tacoma. She was born in Georgetown, Minnesota, June 12, 1890. Her father, Andrew Floberg, was born in Sweden and her mother, Pernella Lee, was born in Norway. Mr. and Mrs. Zelinsky have three children, all born in Tacoma, and attending the Tacoma public schools. They are Walter V., Jr., aged nine years; Donald K., aged seven years; and Robert Lee, aged six.

Mr. Zelinsky is a member of the Masonic, Elk, Odd Fellow and Eagle lodges. Through his residence in Pierce county since his birth and the long period during which his father has resided here, he has built up a large acquaintance and won many friends. The writer, in the preparation of this work, came in contact a great deal with Mr. Zelinsky and found him not only a most efficient public official, but one whose courtesies mean the winning of lasting friendships.

William P. Hopping

William P. Hopping arrived in Tacoma in the fall of 1888 and in 1902 established a fire insurance and real estate business, which a few years later led him to his present connection as vice president and manager of the Tacoma Savings & Loan Association, the oldest savings and loan association in the state of Wash-. ington. He was born December 13, 1862, in Springfield, Illinois, and in tracing the ancestral line from England it is found that the family was established in America prior to the Revolutionary war and was represented in the colonial army in the struggle for independence. His father, Daniel P. Hopping, a native of New Jersey, removed to Illinois when a young man of eighteen years, becoming one of the pioneers of that state in the '40s. He was prominently and extensively engaged in the lumber business, in operating planing mills and in contracting and building. His planing mill interests were conducted under the name of Hopping & Ridgely and constituted one of the most important industries of Springfield. Mr. Hopping was very active in civic and church matters and was a warm personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. For many years Daniel P. Hopping remained a resident and prominent business man of Springfield, but in 1889 disposed of all his interests there and removed to Tacoma, where he engaged in the contracting and building business, continuing active to the time of his death, in February, 1908, when he had reached the age of -seventysix years. His wife, who in her maidenhood was Rachael Smith Hillman, was born in Philadelphia, where she lived until she was quite a young woman. Her parents early located in St. Louis, Missouri, later moving to Springfield, Illinois, where she became the wife of Daniel P. Hopping. Her family numbered four sons and one daughter, the latter being Ella Elizabeth, who died at the age of fifty years. The eldest son, J. F. Hopping, is connected with the West Coast Grocery Company of Tacoma. Herbert P. is engaged in merchant tailoring in Tacoma. Samuel M. Hopping was up to the time of his death in August, 1924, the oldest trusted employe of the Bank of California at Tacoma, with which institution he became connected when it was the London & San Francisco Bank,

William P. Hopping was educated in the public'schools of his native city, where he graduated from the high school with the class of 1882. After finishing his studies he started in the business world in a clerical position in the office of the Wabash Coal Company at Springfield, Illinois, and later was transferred to their coal mines at Springfield Junction, where he occupied the position of superintendent of mines for some years. Desirous of trying his fortune in the west, he removed to Normal,

Illinois, and entered the private bank of which one of his cousins was the cashier, the institution being conducted under the firm name of W. H. Schureman & Company. Mr. Hopping worked his way up to the position of assistant cashier. He intended after learning the banking: business to locate in California, but became acquainted with Allen C. Mason of Tacoma, Washington, on one of the latter's trips to Normal to visit his mother. After hearing of the wonderful possibilities in the beautiful city of Tacoma, on Puget Sound, he decided to locate here and arrived in Tacoma on November 27, 1888, almost an entire stranger. He at once entered the employ of Mr. Mason, later becoming his chief clerk, and remained in his service for fifteen years or until Mr. Mason closed his office during the hard times following the panic of 1893. After leaving the employ of Mr. Mason, Mr. Hopping served for three years as cashier of the Tacoma Gas Company, on the expiration of which period he decided to enter business for himself and organized and established a fire insurance and real estate business on his own account, in 1902, under the firm name of William P. Hopping & Company. In 1905 he was elected secretary of the Tacoma Savings & Loan Association, which at that time had assets of about eighty thousand dollars but which now amount to more than six million, five hundred thousand dollars. For over twenty-two years Mr. Hopping has capably and efficiently served as secretary of the Tacoma Savings & Loan Association, of which he is now vice president and manager. Through his business ability, integrity and enterprise he has contributed in a large measure to the results achieved and has helped make the association one of the strongest and most serviceable institutions in the city. Alfred Lister, one of the charter members, is president of the association; A. W. Winden, who is Mr. Hopping's partner in his real estate business, is secretary and assistant manager: William D. Hopping is assistant secretary; Kingston Lister, treasurer; Raymond T. Winden, assistant treasurer; and Frank M. Harshberger, counsellor.

In Springfield, Illinois, on the 4th of June, 1890, occurred the marriage of Mr. Hopping and Miss Louisa B. Gardner, who was born near Bradfordton, about five miles west of Springfield. Her people were pioneers of that section of Illinois, settling there in 1833. Both her father and mother are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Hopping have become parents of two sons: Hiram G., born in September, 1895; and William D., who was born in 1897 and is now connected with the Tacoma Savings & Loan Association. For the past thirty-seven years the family have resided at 3424 North Thirtieth street in a home erected by Mr. Hopping's father.

Mr. Hopping has been identified with the republican party during all these years, having cast his first ballot for James G. Blaine. He served for three years as school director, from 1908 to 1910, serving as president of the board during his last year as director and filling the position with integrity and ability. _The Stadium high school was built during his directorate on the board. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, being a life member of Tacoma Consistory, Valley of Tacoma, and also of Afifi Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. Both he and his wife are charter members of the Mason Methodist Episcopal church, in the work of which they have taken an active part. For fifteen years Mrs. Hopping was president of the Ladies' Aid Society. ; Mr. Hopping was superintendent of the Mason Bible school for thirty years, being one of its earnest workers and active leaders and having aided in organizing the school. He had much to do with the construction of the handsome church and Bible sen plant, together with the beautiful parsonage, on the entire block located at Nort Twenty-eighth street and Madison avenue.

J. H. Jackson

our decades J. H. Jackson has been numbered among the substantial Pe a es farmers of southern Pierce county and, because of ae ot personal character and his consistent support of all those things which Sa et : the prosperity and welfare of the community, has enjoyed the respect and goo oe of his fellow citizens. Mr. Jackson ay born in England in 1861 and is a son o pry ie: re Zine his education in the public schools of his native land and then worked as a farm hand and coal miner until 1884, when he emigrated to Heer locating first in Ontario, Canada, where he lived about a year. He ee "i Angeles, California, and a year later came to Tacoma. In the spring o e following year he homesteaded one hundred and twenty acres of land on section 26, township 175 range 3, and at once addressed himself to the task of clearing off the heavy timber which covered it, first erecting a small log house. During the subsequent years he has made good progress and now has a comfortable farm home. He raises the field crops common to this locality, maintains a good family garden, and keeps a number of cows and chickens, having realized a very gratifying success since locating here.

In 1891 Mr. Jackson was united in marriage to Miss Josie E. Wright, who was born and reared in Erie county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of J. H. and Elizabeth (Kelly) Wright, both of whom were natives of Chautauqua county, New York. Her father was a cabinetmaker by trade and on the outbreak of the Civil war enlisted in the Union army, being killed in the battle of Atlanta in 1864. The mother died in 1881. They were the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Jackson is the only one living. She was educated in the public schools of her native state and then attended the State Normal School at Edinboro, where she was graduated. She then engaged in tesbing school in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio and Nebraska, and, after coming to Washington, taught at Eatonville, at the Lieber school, in her own district, and one year at Metaline, Pend Oreille county. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson was born a son, who died in infancy. Mr. Jackson has shown a commendable interest in educational affairs and served as clerk of the school board of the Lieber district. Unassuming in manner, he possesses those solid elements of character which have commended him to the good favor of his fellowmen, among whom he has always enjoyed a high measure of popularity.

Charles C. Mellinger

Conspicuous among the successful morticians of Pierce county and the northwest are the members of the well known firm conducting business under the name of the C. C. Mellinger Company at 510 Tacoma avenue in Tacoma. For more than a third of a century Charles C. Mellinger has been serving this community as a funeral director and during this time has retained the respect and confidence of all who have had dealings with him, because of his prompt and efficient service, his tact and accommodation, and his kindly personality. His birth occurred near Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, on the 25th of December, 1865, his parents being David and Christine (Foss) Mellinger, both of whom are deceased.