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Life Sketches
William Arthur Whiteside is a native of Pope county. His father was James A. Whiteside, a native of Illinois, and his mother's maiden name was Malissa E. Andrews. She was born in Pope county, where she married the father of our subject, who was born Feb. 4, 1871, and attended the common schools while laboring on the farm.
At the age of 18 he taught one term of school, but did not like the profession. Returning to the farm he tilled the soil until March, 1892, when he attended a seven weeks law school taught by Attorneys Crow and Morris in Golconda. He returned to the farm but continued reading and in 1893 entered the senior class of the law department of the Wesleyan university, Bloomington, Ills., graduating June 14, 1894, with the degree of LL. B, and was admitted to practice May 17, 1894.
He then came home and clerked for his father until March 1895, to repay him for aid rendered in securing an education, and then opened an office in Golconda as a regular practitioner. In May a primary was held to nominate a republican candidate to fill the unexpired term of county judge occasioned by the resignation of Judge Crow, but he was defeated by only 13 votes. In the primary to nominate a candidate for the full term in 1898 he received a handsome majority and in the fall election was given the biggest majority any candidate ever received in a county election up to that time.
Judge Whiteside has a charming family and enjoys the home circle. He is making a good record as county judge and honors await him.
Captain Joseph W. King was born in Pope county, Illinois, Dec. 29, 1838. He was educated in the common schools of that day and early evinced an aptness at trading. His early life was uneventful, but when the war broke out he readily answered his country's call, enlisting July, 1861, in company F of the twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry, under the command of Colonel James A. Reardin and General John A. McClernand, and fought in many bloody battles.
After the battle of Shiloh he was discharged and immediately raised a company known as company E, 120th Illinois Infantry, of which he was commissioned captain, serving until the close of the war.
He returned to Pope county and was appointed deputy sheriff. During President Harrison's administration he was superintendent of the pension building under General Green B. Raum, then commission of pensions, and was "written up" in the daily papers for storing a great number of bushels of potatoes and selling them when the market was high.
Captain King was elected by the republicans to the fortieth General Assembly of Illinois from the Fifty-first Senatorial district and served with ability. Twice since he has received the instructions of his home and other counties for the same office, but political fortune favored other counties in conventions. During the forty-first General Assembly he was superintendent of ventilation, a responsible position in the house. He took a boat load of chickens to Cuba in 1876 and merchandised extensively between Galconda and New Orleans. Fraternally the captain is a Mason and member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He has a happy home, composed of a devoted wife and ten children-five kings and five queens, and his big heart is known throughout the realm.
Charles Durfee was born in Stonefort precinct, Saline Co., Illinois, Nov. 21, 1863. Dr. W.F. Durfee was his father and Mrs. Lucretia Moore Durfee his mother. Both parents died leaving young Durfee a penniless orphan at an early age.
He worked hard on the farm, improved his spare moments in hard study, attended the common school at times and engaged in the profession of teaching in which he was a marked success.
Politics has always enticed him and though not an office holder or office seeker he was elected surveyor of Saline county in 1892 and has always taken a great interest in each campaign. He is a republican and a stalwart.
Under the direction of Judge Crow he read law and was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Judge W.A. Whiteside of Golconda, where they do a general legal business. Mr. Durfee has been twice married, and lives with his family in Golconda, surrounded by many warm friends and well wishers.
Harmon L. Sedberry, attorney at law, Golconda, Ill., was born in Smithland, Kentucky, July 6, 1878, and graduated at the Smithland high school in June 1898.
During the campaign for governor between Governors Taylor and Goebel he spoke in 76 of the 119 counties of the state. He was a delegate from Livingstone county to the republican state convention that nominated Governor Taylor and was the member of the committee on resolutions in that convention from the First Congressional district.
In the campaign of 1900 he spoke many times in his adopted county of Pope, and from Oct. 25th, he spent the remainder of the time in Kentucky. It will be readily seen that his services are in demand in campaigning.
For three years he was county examiner of Livingstone county and was admitted to the bar at Smithland, Ky., Sept. 6th, 1899. April 12, 1900, he came to Golconda, Pope county, and formed a co-partnership with Attorney W.S. Morris, which partnership exists today.
He is the son of Lewis and Hannah Adams, of Hutsonville, Crawford county, Illinois, was born Dec. 17, 1865 in Galveston, Indiana, and educated in the public schools.
At Hutsonville, he learned telegraphy and gradually rose in positions of responsibility in the railroad service. He was agent at Metropolis, Princeton, Ky., and Paducah, Ky. At the latter place he was not only agent but was made cashier of the freight department. His railroad service covered 14 years.
In 1895 he went into the furniture and undertaking business in Metropolis. In 1897 he was elected mayor and reelected in 1899 by an increased majority. As mayor the water and light bonded indebtedness has been reduced $4,000.00. The old levee bonds refunded at a saving of $780 interest annually, a public library established and Franklin park, so beautified that it is a popular resort for the best citizens; Washington park has also been reclaimed, while several miles of graveled streets, blocks of granitoid walks and an improved water and light plant unexcelled by any similar city stand as evidences of his administration.
Willis green, the grandfather, was one of the earliest settlers of Kentucky, first delegate from the district of Kentucky to the Virginia legislature, clerk of the first district court, and registrar of the Kentucky land office. His ancestry came originally (1630) from the province of Leinster, Ireland and settled in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Dr. Duff Green was his son, a thoroughly educated and practical physician, who married Lucy, niece of Simon Kenton, the noted frontiers man, of Scotch descent.
William Henry Green, son of Dr. and Mrs. Duff Green, was born Dec. 8, 1830, in Boyle county, Ky. He secured a classical education at Centre college, Danville, Ky., of which institution his learned uncle, Rev. Lewis W. Green, D.D., was president. In 1847 the family moved to Mount Vernon, Ill., where Dr. Green practiced his profession until his death, 1857.
When 17 young William Henry began life on his own account, taught school in Benton, Franklin county, Illinois, and for three years in St. Louis county, Mo. During this time he read law under Judge Walter B. Scates, the first judge assigned to the bench of Massac county, and chief justice of the supreme court of Illinois. In 1852 he was admitted to the bar and practiced about a year in Jefferson county, when he removed to Metropolis, Ill., enjoying a lucrative practice for ten years, and purchased large tracts of land, among them "Old Ft. Massac."
In 1858 as a democrat he was elected a member of the House in the twenty-first General Assembly from the Second Senatorial district. Speaker William R. Morrison appointed him chairman of the committee on judiciary and he became a leader of his party and an admirer of Stephen A. Douglas, who was elected United States Senator. In 1860 he was returned but his party was in the minority of which side he became the leader. In 1863 he was elected to the Senate and was his party's leader in that body on committees and on the floor of the Senate. In 1865 he was elected circuit judge in the third judicial circuit and served three years. Excepting this interval he has been district attorney for the Illinois Central railroad.
He was a delegate to the national conventions of his party during 1860, '64 and '68 and a member of the state central committee for years. Since 1861 he has been appointed and re-appointed a member of the State Board of Education. He is a strong believer in the principles of the christian religion and a vigorous defender of the same. In 1854 he married Miss Ann L. Hughes, daughter of James R. Hughes, of Morganfield, Ky., who is the mother of two sons, Duff and Reed, named in honor of ancestors. Mrs. Green died in 1865 and Mr. Green in 1868 was united in marriage to Miss Louise Hughes, sister of his former wife.
In manner Judge Green is a polished gentleman and his conversation is sprightly, terse, instructive and entertaining, flowing as it does from a well filled fountain of intelligence and seasoned with the wisdom of over a half century of wide experience. He is kind, considerate and modest. In the forum he is logical, resourceful and ornate. At the bar he is an able, judicious and fearless advocate, ranking among the best lawyers of the state.
George E. Martin, Mound City, was born in Osage, Franklin county, Illinois, July 7, 1865, attended the rural schools finished his education at the Southern Illinois Normal university, and taught school a number of years.
In 1893 he was admitted to the bar after having finished his legal education at the Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Ill., and located in Mound City. He was elected a representative in the forty-first General Assembly of Illinois from the Fifty-first Senatorial district and in 1900 was elected state's attorney of Pulaski county on the republican ticket. He also did acceptable campaign work.
December 24, 1895, he married Miss Ada L. Read, of Mound city, and they have a happy home in her native city.
Jesse Morris, great grandfather, was a Virginian whose English ancestry early came to America. His son, James R., was born in Virginia and moved to West Tennessee, entered land, was a slave holder, and died there. His son, Milton D., was born in Weakley county, Tennessee, Dec. 31, 1828, was reared on a farm and was also a teacher of vocal music. In 1865 he moved to McCracken county, Ky., near Paducah, thence to Illinois, near Hillerman, Massac county, in about 1890, where he resided until his death May 1, 1897.
Nancy C. Grimes, who became the wife of M.D. Morris, was the daughter of Robert Grimes, a native of North Carolina; he emigrated to middle Tennessee, thence to Kentucky, later Metropolis, 1868 or '69, and died on his farm near the Powers church, 1883. She is still living.
William Thomas Morris, son of Milton D. and Nancy C. Morris, was born in Weakley county, Tenn., July 24, 1853, attended subscription schools until he came to his Grandfather Grimes in 1874 when he completed the common school course in our city schools. He aspired to the law but ill health changed his course and in 1879 he purchased and operated a threshing machine for three months, during which time 40,000 bushels were threshed at 5 cents a bushel.
He has been a local preacher a year and on the day he quit threshing a call was sent to him by Presiding Elder Waller to take charge of the McLeansboro circuit. He could not go, but in February, 1880, took charge of the Liberty circuit, Enfield, Ill.
In the fall of 1880 he entered the Southern Illinois Academy at Enfield and completed his academic education and joined the Southern Illinois annual conference in September, 1883, and has continuously grown in influence as a pastor and minister of ability, and high character, holding not only the circuits but such stations as St. Elmo, three years; Fairfield, three years, and now in his second year in Metropolis. During his labors here the church has materially advanced along all lines and the indebtedness of the congregation for their handsome building shown elsewhere is rapidly and surely paid.
In McLeansboro he married Miss Nettie L. Summers, who died at Fairfield, May 12, 1897, and on September 22, 1898, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Anna B. Goldburgh, of Fairfield.
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