Biographies Index

BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

BIOGRAPHIES

HAINES, FOREST H.

Forest H. Haines, owner and proprietor of the leading department store of El Dorado and one of Butler county's most progressive merchants, is a native of Missouri. He was born in St. Joseph, March 6, 1877, and is a son of H. C. and Josephine (Hartzell) Haines, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father is a veteran of the Civil war and has been in the mercantile business all his life and is now a member of the mercantile firm of H. C. and C. S. Haines of Sabetha, Kans. He retired from active participation in the business at the age of fifty, and since then has spent most of his time in traveling.
Forest H. Haines is one of a family of eight children, as follows: Belle, deceased; Charles S., merchant, Sabetha; Mame, married A. E. Sloesson, banker, Newkirk, Okla.; Grace, married Joseph A. Crantz, iron manufacturer, Canal Dover, Ohio; Harvey L., proprietor of a department store, Maryville, Mo.; Forest H., subject of this sketch; Annie, married Walter C. Hardesty, manufacturer, New Philadelphia, Ohio: and Ethel, married Albert F. Young, proprietor of a department store, Lake City, Minn. Forest H. Haines was reared in Sabetha, Kans. and was educated in the public schools, and began his mercantile career February 9, 1894, at the age of seventeen, at which time he entered his father's store at Sabetha as a clerk. He remained in that capacity until 1900 when he and his brother, Harvey L., came to El Dorado and opened up a new store under the firm name and style of Haines Brothers. This partnership continued until 1912 when Forest H. became the sole proprietor and Harvey L., engaged in a similar enterprise at Maryville, Mo., where he is now located.

The business has had a constant and substantial growth and its many modern features places the business in a class with the modern department stores to be found in the larger cities, and the general appearance of this great mercantile institution bears conclusive testimony of the enterprise and progressiveness of Mr. Haines. In 1914, he saw the necessity of meeting the demand for a special line of goods and promptly added an annex to the general department store, where he carries a popular priced line of goods. This innovation has proved popular with the public and has fully met with the patronage which Mr. Haines anticipated. The Haines department store is located, perhaps, at the best business point in El Dorado, on the east side of Main street, near the center of the block between Central and Fourth avenues. The store has a frontage of seventy feet and is a substantial two-story brick building, ninety-five feet deep, which building he owns. There are about fifteen employees in the store and the place usually presents a busy appearance.

Mr. Haines was united in marriage June 1, 1905, to Miss Mary, daughter of T. C. Ellett, president of the Ellett-Kandall Shoe Company, Kansas City, Mo. To Mr. and Mrs. Haines has been born one child, Irene, now a student in the El Dorado schools. Mr. Haines is a York Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine, and was the youngest man to become a member of the Shrine at the time he joined. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 411-412)

LAMB, ZELLA

Zella Lamb, the capable and efficient register of deeds of Butler county, is a native of Morgan county, Indiana, and a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (McKinley) Lamb, both also natives of Morgan county. Joseph Lamb was a son of Alfred and Rebecca (Tarry) Lamb, both natives of North Carolina. Alfred Lamb accompanied his older brother from North Carolina to Indiana when he was five years old. He grew to manhood in that State where he met and married Rebecca Tarry, a native of Indiana.

Alfred Lamb was a son of Cyrus Lamb, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and prominent in the political affairs of North Carolina in the early days of the Republic. He served as United States senator from that State shortly after the establishment of the Government. The Lambs are of Scotch-Irish descent, coming from the north of Scotland and the name Lamb was applied to the early members of the family on account of their vocation, they being shepherds in the highlands of Scotland.

Miss Lamb's mother, Elizabeth McKinley, was a daughter of George and Mary (Packwood) McKinley, both natives of Indiana. George McKinley was a son of William, a native of Ireland, who settled in Indiana, or what is now Indiana, when it was a part of the Northwest Territory. He was a soldier in the War of 1812.
Joseph Lamb was reared and educated in Indiana, and when the Civil war broke out, he was one of the first to respond to President Lincoln's call, and enlisted in Company I, Thirty-third regiment, Indiana infantry, and served his country faithfully and well for a period of four years, or until the close of the war. He was with Sherman on his historic march through Georgia and to the sea, and at the battle of Atlanta was severely wounded by a piece of exploding shell which struck him on the forehead, leaving a scar about two and a half inches long which he carried throughout life. At the time he was wounded, he was unconscious for several hours and supposed to be dead, and was carried from the field of battle. After recovering from his wounds, he joined his regiment and served until the close of the war and after receiving his honorable discharge, returned to Indiana where he engaged in the mercantile business and farming until 1874, when he came to Kansas. A short time afterward he returned to Indiana and in 1879 was married to Elizabeth McKinley, and to this union were born five children, as follows: Herbert A.; Zella, the subject of this sketch; Ernest; Belva and Zora, the two last named being deceased.

In 1886 the Lamb family came to Butler county and settled on a farm near Chelsea where the mother died in 1889 and the father died November 8, 1911. He was a man well posted in current events, a great lover of history and a student throughout his life. While serving in the Civil war he kept a complete diary of each day's doings, which is not only interesting and instructive but a masterpiece of narrative composition. He was an active supporter of the policies and principles of the Republican party but never held political office.

Miss Lamb was educated in the public schools of Butler county and the Kansas State Normal School at Emporia, and for twelve years taught in the public schools of Butler county and is considered one of the successful educators of the county. During the administration of county superintendent W. H. McDaniels, she served as a member of the county board of examiners. In 1911 Miss Lamb was appointed deputy register of deeds and in 1914 received the republican nomination for that office and was elected by a very satisfactory majority and took charge of the office in January, 1915. Her administration of the affairs of that important office has been very satisfactory as all those who have business with that department of the county's affairs can testify. Miss Lamb is a capable, courteous and obliging public official and conscientious in the performance of her duties. She is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps and the Methodist Episcopal church, and is a Republican. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 412-413)

STEIGER, CHAS. W.

Chas. W. Steiger, the present capable county attorney of Butler county, is a native of Kansas. He was born at Hollenberg, Washington county, Kansas, October 14, 1884. He is a son of J. W. and Thursia (Hazlett), the father a native of Germany, and the mother of Iowa. J. W. Steiger, the father, located in Washington county, Kansas, when he was a young man, and in 1890, he came to Butler county with his family, and located at Whitewater, where he is engaged in the drug business and is now a leading druggist of that town.

Chas. W. Steiger attended the public schools and the Kansas State Normal School at Emporia, and was graduated from the Newton High School in the class of 1902. He then entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Mich., and was graduated from that institution in the class of 1905. He then engaged in the practice of law at Topeka, where he was associated with R. B. Welch, and later Galen Nichols. He practiced his profession for four years in Topeka, when he located at Whitewater, and was successfully engaged in practice there until January, 1915, when he came to El Dorado to assume the duties of the office of county attorney, having been elected in November, 1914.

The industrial development of Butler county within the last year has materially added to the duties of the county attorney, and today, Mr. Steiger finds himself confronted by the task of prosecuting malefactors in a great industrial county of the State, where hundreds of men of all character and conditions are employed, instead of the peaceful agricultural community that Butler county was when Mr. Steiger took the office. However, he is equal to the occasion, and has ably coped with the new conditions. He is a close student of the science of his profession, and an able lawyer, and as a public prosecutor, he is fair and fearless, and plays no favorites in his policy of law enforcement.

Mr. Steiger was married at Newton, Kans., June 2, 1910, to Miss Lulu Walt, a native of Walton, Kans., and at that time, a resident of Newton. Mrs. Steiger is a daughter of H. M. Walt, who now resides at Kansas City, Mo. To Mr. and Mrs. Steiger has been born one child, Walt A. Mr. Steiger is a thirty-second degree Mason. He belongs to the A. F. and A. M., Brainard Lodge, No. 280, Whitewater, Kans.; Wichita Consistory, No. 2, and he is also a member of the Mystic Shrine, Midian Temple, Wichita, and he also belongs to the Knights of Pythias, at El Dorado, Kans. Mr. Steiger is a Republican, and has always supported the policies and principles of that party, and he and Mrs. Steiger belong to the Presbyterian church.

Mr. Steiger is a conscientious public official, and since he has held the office of county attorney, the public business falling within the scope of his official duties, have been given prompt and careful attention, and he is a lawyer well qualified to represent the State of Kansas in court in a way that not only reflects credit upon himself, but upon the people of Butler county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 413-414)

SINCLAIR, HECTOR

Hector Sinclair, of El Dorado, is a native of Stamford, Delaware county, New York. He was born April 23, 1846, and is a son of Hector and Anna (More) Sinclair, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Delaware county, New York. Anna More, the mother, was a granddaughter of John More, who was the first settler in the vicinity of Grand Gorge, N. Y. He kept a tavern at that point for a number of years, and the place was known as Moresville for a century. Hector Sinclair's father died when Hector was five weeks old, and shortly afterwards the mother with her five small children went to Walton, N. Y., where they made their home with Mrs. Sinclair's father, David More, for sixteen years.

When sixteen years of age, Hector Sinclair became an apprentice to S. H. White to learn the marble cutter's trade and served three and one-half years. He received a good common school education in the village schools and was graduated from Walton Academy. He worked at his trade in many of the principal cities of New York State, and in 1883 went to Iowa, locating at Corroll, where he remained one year. He then went to Appleton City, Mo., and remained there three years. In 1887 he came to Kansas and located at El Dorado where he has since been engaged in the marble and monument business, and is the only dealer in granite and marble monuments in El Dorado. He has an extensive business which extends over a large territory.

Mr. Sinclair was married at Nunda, N. Y., in 1875, to Miss Carrie M. Page. Two sons and one daughter have been born to this union, as follows: Page, resides at Walton, N. Y.; Hector, Jr., Oklahoma City; and Mabel, married George J. Benson, El Dorado, Kans.

Mr. Sinclair is a member of the Masonic lodge and prominent in fraternity circles. He joined the Walton, N. Y. Lodge, No. 559, in 1867 and took the capitular degree in Steuben Chapter, No. 101, at Hornell, N. Y., and also the order of knighthood at the same place in De Molay commandery No. 22 and the Scottish Rite degree was conferred upon him in the Corning Consistory in 1874. He joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Dansville, N. Y., in 1872 and the Knights of Pythias at El Dorado. Mr. Sinclair is a progressive citizen and one of the substantial business men of El Dorado. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 414-415)

HOLFORD, ORVILLE

Orville Holford, the efficient county clerk of Butler county, was born near Leon, this county, July 22, 1888, and is a son of Francis D. and Margaret (Lingenfelter) Holford. The father is a Civil war veteran, and he and his wife now reside at Augusta, Kans. Francis D. Holford is a pioneer of Butler county, and came to this county with his father, John Holford, in 1869. They homesteaded in Logan township, upon coming here, and were among the very early settlers of that section. The Holford family comes from Revolutionary ancestry.

Orville Holford spent his early boyhood days in Leon, Kans., where he began his educational career in the public schools. Later his parents removed to Augusta, in 1900, and he attended the public schools there and was graduated from the Augusta High School in the class of 1907. He then took a course in the Iola Business College, Iola, Kans.

On June 1, 1909, he began his duties as deputy county clerk, under county clerk M. L. Arnold, and served in that capacity until January, 1913, when he assumed the duties of the office of county clerk, having been elected at the preceding election. In the fall of 1914, he was reelected to succeed himself, and his term of office expires in January, 1917.

Mr. Holford was married February 22, 1911, to Miss Minnie A. Clark, of Augusta. She is a daughter of Robert Clark, now deceased. Her mother resides in New York City. To Mr. and Mrs. Holford have been born two children: Robert and Francis.

Mr. Holford is prominent in Lodge circles. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge, Patmos Lodge, No 97, A. F. and A. M.; El Dorado Chapter, No. 35; Royal Arch Masons, El Dorado Commandery; Knights Templar, No. 19; and the Mystic Shrine, Midian Temple, Wichita, and is past master of the El Dorado Lodge, for the year 1915, and is district deputy grand master of the Thirty-fourth District of Kansas. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America at El Dorado, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No.. 74, El Dorado. He and his wife are members of the Christian church, and he is a Republican.
During his seven years of public service in the county clerk's office, Mr. Holford has won the reputation of being one of Butler county's courteous, capable and obliging public officials, and his genial manner has won for him many friends and stanch supporters throughout Butler county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 415-416)

HAZLETT, ROBERT H.

Robert H. Hazlett - Success in any occupation, in any avenue of business, is not a matter of spontaneity, but represents the result of the application of definite subjective forces and the controlling of objective agencies in such a way as to achieve desired ends. Mr. Hazlett has realized a large and substantial success, not only as a banker, farmer and breeder of cattle of pedigree, but as a lawyer; and his career has well exemplified the truth of the foregoing statements. He occupies a prominent place in the financial circles of Kansas, is the controlling force in one of the leading banks of Butler county, owns and operates one of the largest agricultural enterprises in the State, and is one of the most prominent breeders of Hereford cattle in America. Progressive and energetic in the management of these varied affairs, loyal and public-spirited as a citizen, he holds a secure position in the confidence and esteem of the community, and is recognized as one of the first citizens of southern Kansas.

Robert H. Hazlett was born on his father's farm in Christian county, Illinois, his paternal ancestry dating from colonial times, with residence in North Carolina. His grandfather, Robert Hazlett, was a native of Virginia, who came to Illinois in 1828, and located near Springfield, where he was one of the pioneer settlers, followed farming as an occupation and became a prominent and influential citizen. The parents of Robert H. Hazlett were William Phe and Zerelda (Haggard) Hazlett, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Kentucky. William Hazlett was a farmer. He was identified with the early development of Christian and Sangamon counties and realized a substantial success in his pursuits. He died at the advanced age of eighty-one.

Robert H. Hazlett was educated in the public schools of his native county, in the Springfield (Ill.) High School, and spent two years, 1868 and 1869, in the literary department of the University of Illinois, at Champaign. He then taught school two winters, in the meantime devoting his spare moments to the study of law and was graduated in the law department of the University of Michigan with the class of 1872. He was admitted to the bar at Springfield, Ill., in the same year, and practised his profession in that city from 1874 to 1885. As a Democrat he was elected State's attorney of Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1876, and was reelected in 1880. During the early eighties, Mr. Hazlett had purchased lands in Kansas and Nebraska, and when his second term as State's attorney expired, in January, 1885, he came west and located in El Dorado, where he engaged extensively in the real estate business, buying and selling lands, and also practiced law. In 1887, he associated himself with the Hon. C. L. Harris, under the firm name of Hazlett & Harris, a partnership which continued until 1889, when he removed to Leadville, Colo., where he had important mining interests. He took active charge of these properties, developed them successfully, and in the fall of 1892, sold them for a highly satisfactory figure. He returned to El Dorado in January, 1894, and began investing the comfortable fortune he had acquired from his Colorado mining properties in adding to his previous holdings in Butler county lands, and also made his initial banking investment. He purchased a large interest in the Merchants State Bank, was elected president, and shortly afterward converted it into a National institution, under the name of Farmers and Merchants National Bank of El Dorado. He was elected president of the new, organization and remained at its head, except for one year, until June, 1909, when he disposed of his holdings. On July 1, 1909, he was elected president of the El Dorado National Bank, of which he had purchased a majority of the stock, and under his management, it has grown to be one of the strong financial institutions of southern Kansas.

Mr. Hazlett is known to the banking world as an able and discriminating financier and has brought the administrative policy of his bank up to the point of highest efficiency. He was the organizer of the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of El Dorado, and has served as its president for many years. As an owner of farm lands Mr. Hazlett ranks first in Butler county and among the leaders in the State. His Butler county holdings embrace over 10,000 acres, operated under his personal supervision. "Hazford Place," the summer residence of the family, is situated two miles north of E Dorado, and here he maintains the large breeding establishment devoted to registered Hereford cattle. A private water system furnishes water for all purposes; electric current is obtained by a private wire from El Dorado and is used for light and power, the residence, tenant houses and barns being equipped with this light. The lands lie along the Walnut river, and the hill slopes contain an abundance of limestone, which gives added strength to the natural grasses and the fertile bottom lands. The silt from the hillsides is not surpassed elsewhere, and doubtless much of the success in the development of the Herefords is due to the limestone grasses and the aflalfa.

In 1898 Mr. Hazlett made his first purchase of pedigreed Herefords. A lover of fine stock, his purchase was from a desire to have, in a small way, a breeding establishment, where he could, during his spare hours, enjoy the pleasure of ownership and improve his herd. That he has succeeded beyond his expectations is in all probability true. Among those who should know, he is credited with having the best herd of Hereford cattle in America. Beau Brummel 10th, No. 167719, is the sire of most of the females in the herd. Beau Beauty, No. 192235, and Caldo, second, No. 260440, have also added to the strain. The herd numbers some 200, only those animals being retained which show high class. Mr. Hazlett is a director of the American Hereford Cattle Breeders' Association, is a member of the executive committee, and served as president of the association, in 1908-09. He is also a director and president of the American Royal Live Stock Show, and has done as much, if not more, to draw attention to Kansas cattle than any other breeder in the State.

On January 7, 1884, Mr. Hazlett married Miss Isabella, daughter of Col. James Bradford, of Springfield, Ill. They have no children, but have reared a nephew of Mrs. Hazlett, Robert Hazlett Bradford, cashier of the El Dorado National Bank. The town house of the family is the largest and most substantial residence in the county. It was built of native limestone, and is finished in hardwoods, grown on the home farm, "Hazford Place." (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 416-418)

SANDIFER, JAMES H.

James H. Sandifer, owner and proprietor of the El Dorado Transfer Company, and local agent for the Standard Oil Company, is one of the progressive and enterprising business men of El Dorado. He is a native of Somerset county, Kentucky, born September 6, 1869, and is a son of George M. Sandifer. (For a more complete history of the Sandifer family see sketch of W. H. Sandifer, which appears in this volume.) James H. Sandifer was about eight years of age when he came to Butler county with his parents and here grew to manhood and was educated in the public schools. He began life in the employ of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, and in that connection also worked for the express company. He was located at Wichita about a year, during which time he was employed in the ticket office of the Missouri Pacific Company and for nine years he was employed in the El Dorado office of that company, during which time he worked under Russell R. Harding, A. H. Webb and William T. Kyle.

After being in the railroad service for ten years Mr. Sandifer resigned and engaged in the transfer business at El Dorado, and about the same time, he became local agent for the Uncle Sam Oil Company, and after that firm went out of business, he was agent for the Sunflower State Oil Company until 1909 when he became local agent for the Standard Oil Company, and has since capably filled that position. During all this time he has conducted his transfer business which has had a substantial growth and development and has become one of the important business enterprises of El Dorado. Mr. Sandifer uses six teams and a motor truck in connection with his transfer business and employs a great many men, never having less than six on his pay roll and frequently several times that many.

Mr. Sandifer was married to Miss Bertha C. Allen, a daughter of Chris and Ellen B. Allen. Mrs. Sandifer was born in Burlington, Iowa, and came to Butler county, Kansas, with her parents when she was a child. She was reared and educated here and is a graduate of the El Dorado High School. Her father was successfully engaged in the plumbing business here for a number of years, and is now deceased, and her mother resides in El Dorado. To Mr. and Mrs. Sandifer have been born six children, as follows: James, a student in Kansas University; Robert, collector for his father, and is a graduate of the El Dorado High School; Ellen, a student in the El Dorado High School; Carrie Ethel, died at the age of two years; Mary Bell and Winifred. James is taking the electrical engineering course and Robert has given special study to wireless telegraphy, and is one of the experts in that line of work in the State. He has constructed a wireless apparatus and sends and receives messages over a large scope of territory.

Mr. Sandifer is a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is local manager and past member of the council. He is one of the substantial citizens of El Dorado and Butler county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 418-419)

HARVEY, C. W.

C. W. Harvey, who is successfully engaged in the real estate and loan business, specializing in oil properties, has spent most of his life in Butler county. Mr. Harvey was born in Appanoose county, Iowa, in 1868, and is a son of Elijah E. and Malla (Flynn) Harvey, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Indiana. A sketch of the father, Elijah E. Harvey, appears in this volume. The Harvey family came to Butler county in 1872 when C. W. was four years old. They settled in Logan township where the father homesteaded a claim. C. W. Harvey was one of a family of seven children, five of whom are now living. He was educated in the public schools of Butler county and Garfield University of Wichita.

After leaving college Mr. Harvey was engaged in the drug business at Deighton, Lane county, Kansas, for five years. He then entered the employ of Charles Selig at El Dorado where he remained one year, and after that was in the employ of W. Y. Miller for six years. In the spring of 1900, he engaged in the drug business for himself in El Dorado and three years later sold out, and again engaged in the drug business in 1913, and in the spring of 1916 he disposed of the drug business and engaged in the real estate and loan business. The real estate business is not a new venture for Mr. Harvey, as he has been more or less identified with that line of work for years. He makes a specialty of handling oil properties, and in this respect is on the ground floor of the great oil and gas development of Butler county, and has handled some important deals in that line.

Mr. Harvey was united in marriage in June, 1897, to Miss Cora Taylor, of El Dorado. Mrs. Harvey was one of Butler county's successful teachers prior to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Harvey have been born two children: Charles Wallace, Jr., aged eighteen, and Alice Carolyn, aged eight years.

Mr. Harvey is a Republican and takes an active part in the political affairs of Butler county, and has been chairman of the Republican County Central Committee, which position he resigned in 1912 to become chairman of the Progressive party in Butler county, and still holds that position. He is a member of the Knights and Ladies of Security and the Fraternal Aid, and he and Mrs. Harvey are members of the Christian church, and he has been identified with that denomination since he was nineteen years of age. Mr. Harvey is one of the progressive business men of El Dorado and one of Butler county's substantial citizens. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 419-420)

HARVEY, ELIJAH E.

Capt. Elijah E. Harvey was a soldier of two wars, the war with Mexico and the great Civil war. In the latter he was captain of Company B, Sixth Kansas cavalry. His company was enlisted in Appanoose county, Iowa, and they were assigned to the war on the border of Kansas and Missouri through the war, and was honorably discharged.

After the war was over, he returned to his home in Appanoose county, Iowa, and engaged in the mercantile business at Bellaire, Iowa, and Unionville, Mo. Following financial losses in these places he decided to go west, and in October, 1872, in company with several other families, we left Numa, Iowa, and came, by wagon train to Butler county. We were three weeks on the road and, like Abraham of old, brought with us our flocks and our herds, seeking "a land flowing with milk and honey."
We reached our destination in October, and first settled in a two-story, frame house on what was then the Smith claim in Bloomington township. My father began his work, as a pioneer preacher of the Church of Christ, during our stay in this house. Some of his first preaching was done in the home of J. C. Riley. Father went where ever he was called, and preached in private houses, school houses, halls, churches or groves as time, season and circumstances permitted. The outdoor meetings were held in groves, and were notable gatherings where the brethren and sisters came from all over the county, and sometimes from adjoining counties, with well filled baskets of fried chicken and other good things, such as could be obtained in those early days, to spend a day of worship, under the whispering trees of the groves, which William Cullen Bryant so fittingly designated as "God's First Temples." "Dunn's Grove," near the mill of that name, at Douglass was one of the most popular places for such gatherings. My father was a pioneer in spirit and loved the broad prairies, the flowing streams, the shady groves and the blue skies of Sunny Kansas.

In the spring of 1873 he moved into his own house, built of native lumber, on his claim in Logan township on Muddy Creek, and started in to wrest from the soil a living for himself and his family. His farming was mostly done by proxy for he was no farmer; his preaching was the work of his heart.

He was in the truest sense a soldier, and served his country well; he was known in Grand Army and political circles as Captain Harvey, and his sword and sash have graced the forms of more than one marshal of the day in civic and political parades. He was a good citizen and served as registrar of deeds of Butler county through two terms; but the greatest battles of his life were those fought against unrighteousness, under the command of the "Prince of Peace." His work in Butler county resulted in the establishing of Churches of Christ at El Dorado, Augusta, Douglass, Leon, Haverhill, and Benton in Butler county. He did not confine his labors to that locality, but ministered to the churches in Winfield, Udall, Wellington, Belle Plains, and Eureka. In El Dorado, he baptized many people, among whom I recall Mrs. John Betts, Mrs. N. F. Frazier, Mrs. Dan Bronson, Mrs. Josh Lambdin, Mrs. Donnelly, Mrs. M. I. Morgan, Mrs. John Shelden and Charles Selig. He was held in high esteem by men of affairs of all creeds and shades of faith and by those who accepted no visible church fellowship. Like all men who accomplish good work for humanity, he had at times, heart aches over the unkind acts of false friends and unjust criticisms, from those who did not see from the same view point; but, through it all he kept himself pure and honorable in life and deed, a man generous to those in need, sympathetic with youth, open handed, sincere, hospitable and forgiving.

He died at Wichita, Kansas, May 7, 1906, at the ripe age of four score years, and his body rests in the Hillside Cemetery at El Dorado, where so much of his life work was done. His soul is returned to God, who gave it and whom he served. The old stone church on North Main street, El Dorado, is his memorial, more than the stained glass window in the new Church of Christ on Central avenue, which bears his name. He rests from his labors and his works do follow him. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Page 420)

SHARP, JOSEPH

Joseph Sharp, of El Dorado, Kans., was for a number of years one of the extensive contractors and builders of Butler county, but in recent years has not been actively engaged in that work, although his sons, operating under the name of Sharp Brothers, are the largest contractors and builders not only in Butler county, but probably in the State of Kansas.

Joseph Sharp was born in New York in 1851. His parents, John and Zella (Payne) Sharp, natives of Yorkshire, England, died when Joseph was about eighteen months old. He had one brother, Frank, who was reared by a family named Tipton, near Columbus, Ohio, and Joseph, the subject of this sketch, grew up in the home of his cousin, near Worthington, Ohio. Joseph learned the mason and stone cutter's trade when a youth and in 1870 he and his brother came to Kansas, locating in Butler county. Frank took a claim and after proving up on it, went to Wichita, where he became a successful carriage and wagon manufacturer within a few years. He died at the age of thirty-six.

When the two brothers came to Butler county they came by rail as far as Emporia and from that point came by stage to El Dorado, landing at the latter place August 13, 1870. At that time the old trail which the stage coach followed crossed what is now Mr. Sharp's front yard, and the early supplies and building material for El Dorado were hauled over this trail. At that time El Dorado was a small hamlet, there being practically no settlement west of the Santa Fe railroad and a part of the present court house square was occupied by a cattle corral, and the old El Dorado Hotel, remembered by early day wayfarers, stood on the corner now occupied by the Citizens Bank.

Upon arriving at El Dorado, Joseph Sharp engaged in the butchering business, his shop being located on South Main street, where Seth Frazier's office now is. Mr. Sharp also homesteaded a claim in Fairview township and managed to spend enough time on that, in connection with his butchering business, to comply with the homestead law, finally proving up and receiving his deed from President Grant. In the meantime he had been engaged in building, his first work in that line being on the construction of the Farmers and Merchants Bank building. During the last forty years he has erected a number of important buildings in El Dorado and has also built a great many bridges in Butler county. He built the Central school building, which was later destroyed by fire, the opera house drug store building, the Smith building on North Union street, the I. O. O. F. building, which was built in 1881, the Conley building and the building occupied by Ora Wyant and also a great many private residences. He built the arch bridge on North Main street, and also the bridge on South Main street, and furnished stone for the bridge near the pumping station, as well as a great many stone and concrete bridges throughout this section of the State.

In addition to his activities as a contractor and builder, Mr. Sharp is one of the pioneer horticulturists of Butler county. He has been very successful in raising small fruits, including cherries, graps and a variety of berries, and also peaches. He started out to demonstrate that small fruit can be profitably grown in this section and has succeeded beyond a reasonable doubt. He probably holds the record as a strawberry grower in Kansas, having raised 206 bushels on one acre, which he sold at $2 per bushel. He has twenty acres under fruit culture and his vineyard and other small fruit should act as an object lesson as well as an inspiration to the average Butler county farmer.

Mr. Sharp was united in marriage April 13, 1879, with Miss Rosa L. Burnham, who at the time of her marriage was a resident of El Dorado, but was born in Indiana and came to Kansas with her parents when she was a girl. Twelve children have been born to this union, as follows: Earl J., who was county register of deeds of Butler county for two terms, ending in 1915, resides at El Dorado; John E., a member of the firm of Sharp Brothers, contractors and builders, El Dorado; Zella, married Will Opperman, El Dorado; Charles H., a member of the firm of Sharp Brothers, El Dorado; Ray W., a member of the firm of Sharp Brothers, El Dorado; Mattie, married Nat Scribner, El Dorado; Hazel married Ernest Elson, El Dorado, Kans.; Nettie, married Elmer Neilson, El Dorado; Nina, Russell, Theodore, Ruth and Mildred residing at home.

The Sharp Brothers are known throughout the West as one of the extensive and reliable firms of general contractors and building engineers. They were brought up in this line of work with their father, and since the withdrawal of the senior Sharp from the active conduct of the business, the sons have gone on with the work and each year has added new developments and extended their sphere of operations. They have erected a number of large concrete bridges, doing a great deal of this class of work in Colorado, and in recent years they have built a great many expensive and modern school buildings in the State of Kansas, and at the present time are building a State college at Hays, Kans., which will cost $100,000, besides over $150,000 worth of other work on hand. Their experience and financial standing give the Sharp Brothers a standing in the building world equaled by few in their line.

During the forty-six years of his residence in Butler county, Mr. Sharp has seen a great many changes take place. When he came here buffalo were plentiful just a little west of El Dorado, and in the early days he frequently went buffalo hunting, and during his time killed a number of buffalo. He has killed these animals in Sumner county and his last trip was as far west as Medicine Lodge, in 1877. Antelopes, wild turkeys and prairie chickens were to be found in great numbers in Butler county when he first came here.

Mr. Sharp has been a Republican since he was a boy and has taken on active part in the local affairs of his party, and at the present time is a member of the Republican Central Committee, having served in that capacity for a number of years. He has been a delegate to most of the county conventions and has been an important factor in the local councils of his party, and for a number of years was a member of the El Dorado city council. In the early days Mr. Sharp was interested in Wichita county and recalls the county seat fight there between Coronado and Farmer City, where, as he says, they moved one hotel back and forth between the two towns until they wore it out.

Mr. Sharp is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been a member of that lodge since 1882. He also belongs to the Anti-Horse Thief Association and the Kansas Fraternal Citizens. He is one of the men who can look with pride on what he has accomplished since coming to Butler county, and he has the additional satisfaction of seeing the work which he commenced carried on in such an efficient manner by his capable sons. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 421-423)

HARSHMAN, J. N.

J. N. Harshman, a prominent Butler county farmer and stockman, was born near Niles, Mich., November 29, 1854. He is a son of Moses and Elizabeth (Everharding) Harshman. The father was a native of Preble county, Ohio, and of German descent, and the mother was a Virginian. The Harshman family removed from Michigan to Indiana when

J. N. was thirteen years old. The father was a miller in early life and worked at his trade in Michigan and Indiana for some time but afterwards followed farming. In 1880 the Harshman family came to Kansas, settling in El Dorado township, south of the city of El Dorado, on the place where W. B. Thompson now lives. The place had a substantial stone house upon it which was built by a man named Snow. Here the father engaged in farming and spent the balance of his life on that place. He died November 11, 1902, and the mother passed away March 4, 1907.

J. N. Harshman has made farming and stock raising his life's study and occupation. He began farming on his own account with eighty acres and has added to his acreage from time to time and now has one of the best farms in Butler county which consists of 320 acres, a large part of his farm being fertile, productive bottom land, and he has met with a great deal of success as a grain farmer as well as a stock raiser. He is an advocate of mixed farming both as a means of soil conservation and as a means of avoiding a complete failure in any one season or in other words he is not a believer in having all his eggs in one basket.

Mr. Harshman has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Martha Smith, a native of Indiana, to whom were born three children, as follows: Addie, married Oscar Berner, Latham, Kans.; Eva, married Leslie Covert, Mulvane, Kans., and Willard, resides near Hopkins Switch, Fairview township. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Harshman married Miss Jennie Bless, a native of Illinois.

Mr. Harshman is a Republican, and takes a commendable interest in local as well as State and National affairs and is a man who keeps himself well posted in the events of the times. He has served as a member of the school board and is a member of the United Brethren church. He is public spirited and progressive, and is well known in the community for his uprightness and substantial citizenship. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 423-424)

AIKMAN, GRANVILLE P.

Granville P. Aikman, El Dorado, Kans., former judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District, is not only a leading lawyer of Butler county, but is recognized as one of the able representatives of the legal profession throughout the state. He is a native of Laurel county, Kentucky, and a son of William A. and Martha A. (Graves) Aikman, both natives of Kentucky and descendants of colonial ancestors. William A. Aikman was a pioneer of Butler county, coming here in 1871, with his wife and three children, locating in Benton township. Later the family removed to Towanda township, and in 1898 the father retired, and spent the sunset of his life in El Dorado, where he died December 16, 1906, and his wife now resides in El Dorado.

Granville P. Aikman was studious from his boyhood days, and the foundation of his mental attainments was laid while he was a student at London Seminary, one of the most thorough educational institutions of the Blue Grass State. After coming to Butler county with his parents, he continued his studies for five years, when he entered the law office of Sluss & Hatten, where he read law, and was admitted to the bar in Wichita. He immediately began the practice of his profession in El Dorado. Shortly after his admission to the bar, he was elected judge of the probate court of Butler county, and has the distinction of being the youngest man ever elected to that position in the county. He served in that capacity for four years and discharged the duties of that office in a capable manner.

Later, Mr. Aikman was elected judge of the Thirteenth judicial district, and was re-elected to that office for two terms, serving twelve years in all. As a judge he made a record equalled by few and excelled by none. His decisions evinced a profound knowledge of the law, and the supreme court frequently paid him the highest compliments for his ability as a trial judge. William Allen White said of him, "That his decisions made, necessarily upon the spur of the moment, have been sustained by reviewing courts, after months of close examination and deliberation, prove him to be an able lawyer, as well as a just judge. Few Kansas judges have such a creditable record." During the time that he was district judge, many important civil and criminal cases were tried in his court, including one of the most famous criminal cases ever tried in the country, which not only attracted wide attention in this country, but in foreign countries as well.

Since retiring from the bench, Judge Aikman has been engaged in the practice of his profession at El Dorado, where he has a large practice, and is recognized as one of the ablest lawyers of the state. Judge Aikman is recognized as a capable trial lawyer, as well as a profound jurist, and has won the reputation of being a fighter, and uses every ethical and honorable means in behalf of his clients' interest. He stands high in the councils of the Republican party, and has been active in politics for years, and bears the distinction of having written and offered in a Republican state convention, the first resolution endorsing women's suffrage in Kansas. He did this against the advice of many leading Republicans in the state, who opposed the measure and predicted that such a course would ruin him politically, but Judge Aikman presented the resolution in pursuant to his honest conviction, and it carried. He not only fought for the resolution in the convention but returned to Butler county and canvassed the county in behalf of women's suffrage, and was the only political speaker in Butler county who took that position during the campaign.

Judge Aikman married Miss Carrie Sandifer, a daughter of the late George M. Sandifer, a well known citizen of El Dorado. A more extended history of the Sandifer family appears elsewhere in this volume. To Judge and Mrs. Aikman have been born two children: Harriet and Eleanor. Judge Aikman is a member of the time honored Masonic lodge, and also holds membership in the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. Judge Aikman is a genial and courteous gentleman and has many friends, social, political and professional. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 424-426)

ARMSTRONG, J. H.

J. H. Armstrong, a Civil war veteran and one of Butler county's substantial and well-to-do farmers and stockmen, is a native of New York. He was born near Deposit, Delaware county, New York, January 26, 1846, a son of Samuel and Hannah (Mills) Armstrong, natives of New York, and who spent their lives in Delaware county, that State.

Before J. H. Armstrong was eighteen years old he became imbued with a patriotic desire to participate in the great Civil war, which was being waged at the height of all its fury about that time, and in January, 1864, he ran away from home and enlisted at Norwich, N. Y., in Company H, Second New York heavy artillery. The organization to which he belonged was changed to infantry the following spring and in that capacity served with the Army of the Potomac. They received their baptism of fire at the battle of the Wilderness, and also participated in the battles of Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor and in the operations in front of Petersburg. They were in the battle of Hatches Run and Farmsville, and at the latter engagement half of a division was killed or wounded. Mr. Armstrong was with his company in front of Appomattox when Lee surrendered and they helped guard Lee's army until it was paroled. Mr. Armstrong had several narrow escapes incident to the life of a soldier who participated in some of the hardest fought battles of the Civil war, but escaped without a wound.

After the surrender of Lee, he went to Washington, where he was discharged by reason of a general order from the war department. He then returned to his home in Delaware county, New York, where he remained until 1872, when he went to Kalamazoo county, Michigan. After remaining there six years, he came to Kansas in 1878, locating in Spring township, Butler county, where he bought land. Shortly afterwards he returned to Michigan, when he came back to Kansas the following spring and engaged in farming and stock raising on his Spring township farm. He first bought eighty acres and from time to time added to his original holdings until he now owns four hundred and twenty-five acres of some of the finest land in Butler county. In 1898 he removed to El Dorado, where he has a fine modern residence, but he also retains his residence in Spring township, where he spends a part of his time. Although he rents his land, he continues the general supervision of the place.

Mr. Armstrong was united in marriage in New York State to Miss Henrietta Groat, now deceased, to whom were born three children: Lewis, farmer, Spring township; Nicholas, who resides in British Columbia, and Edith, now the wife of Rev. Arthur McVeigh, an Oklahoma minister. Mr. Armstrong's second wife was Mrs. Jennie Fisher, a resident of Kalamazoo county, Michigan. Two children have been born to this union: Roscoe C., a bookkeeper, Calusa, Cal., and Mildred, the wife of H. C. Ray, Wichita, Kans.

Mr. Armstrong is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and he and his wife are members of the Christian church. He is independent in local politics, but on National issues he supports the policies and principles of the Democratic party. He is a director in the El Dorado National Bank and one of the progressive men of Butler county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 426-427)

GEDDES, KARL MARSHALL

Karl Marshall Geddes, of El Dorado, one of Butler county's ablest lawyers and a member of the law firm of Leydig & Geddes, was born at Fountain Green, Hancock county, Illinois, April 13, 1882, a son of Cyrus M. and Lisa (Marshall) Geddes.

The Geddes family is of Scotch origin and was founded in America by James Geddes, who came with his wife and three sons to America about 1752, settling at Derry Church, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. Karl M. Geddes, our subject, is descended from James Geddes through the following persons: William Geddes, son of James, born in Ireland in 1735, died in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, in 1789; Paul Geddes, son of William, born near Carlisle, Pa., June 9, 1768, died October 22, 1832. His brother, James, was a prominent man in Onandago county, New York, a district judge, member of Congress, and one of the promoters of the Erie canal, called Geddes' canal at the inception of construction; Thomas Geddes, son of Paul, born at Path Valley, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, July 7, 1805, removed to Fountain Green, Hancock county, Illinois, was commissioned colonel of the Eighty-seventh Illinois militia and served during the Mormon troubles; Cyrus M. Geddes, son of Colonel Thomas, was born at Fountain Green, Ill., February 26, 1842, and is the father of Karl M. Geddes.

Cyrus M. Geddes spent his earlier career in his native State. He came to Kansas in 1900 and settled in Butler county, where he has lived, and retired from active business cares since 1906. He gave loyal services to the Union cause during the Civil war as a member of Company A, One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois infantry. Companies A, B, C, E and H were all formed from Hancock county volunteers and responded to the president's call of July 2, 1862. The regiment was mustered into the United States service for three years in November, 1862. Alexander Geddes, a brother of Cyrus M., was commissioned captain of Company A and served with his regiment until killed at the battle of Champion Hills, Miss. On the request of Cyrus M. to the colonel for permission to send his dead brother's sword home to his parents, he was told, "You can carry it until the end of the war," and was promoted to the captaincy of the company. This regiment saw much hard and active service. One of the most serious engagements in which it participated was the siege of Vicksburg, and it was at Champion Hills during that siege that Alexander Geddes lost his life. The regiment was mustered out of service October 1, 1865, and Mr. Geddes received his honorable discharge as captain.
Karl Marshall Geddes was educated in the public schools of Hancock county, Illinois, and at the Kansas State Normal School at Emporia. From 1900 to 1904, inclusive, he taught school and in the meantime read law in the office of Hon. G. P. Aikman and E. B. Brumback, of El Dorado. Upon his admission to the bar at Topeka in 1905, he formed a partnership with his roommate and fellow student, R. B. Ralston, under the firm name and style of Ralston and Geddes, and opened a law office at El Dorado. In 1908 both were nominated to office by the Republican party. Mr. Ralston was nominated for probate judge and Mr. Geddes for county attorney and both were elected by flattering majorities. They were the youngest men in the State holding similar offices. In 1910 they were re-nominated and re-elected without opposition and served two terms in those offices. Mr. Geddes' administration of the affairs of the county attorney's office was pronounced in the enforcement of law without fear or favor. On January 1, 1910, Mr. Geddes formed a partnership with Judge C. A. Leland. In 1913, Mr. Ralston became a member of the firm of Leland, Geddes & Ralston, and on March 1, 1916, Mr. Geddes and Mr. Leydig formed the present partnership, and the firm of Leydig & Geddes is recognized as one of the leading law firms of southern Kansas and commands a large and lucrative practice.

Mr. Geddes is a member of the Kansas State Bar Association and of the Kansas County Attorneys' Association. He served as secretary of the Butler County Republican Congressional convention at Wichita in 1906. He was vice-president of the Kansas Day Club in 1911 and 1912, and in 1912 and 1913 was president of that organization. He affiliates fraternally with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America, and is a member of the Presbyterian church.

On December 24, 1905, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Geddes and Miss Gertrude Blankinship, the daughter of Asbury A. Blankinship, of El Dorado. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 427-428)

MUNSON, M. S.

M. S. Munson, now deceased, was a Butler county pioneer business man whose activities in the industrial world, perhaps, did as much to develop Butler county in the early days as any other man. M. S. Munson was born in Sheffield, Mass., July 5, 1842. He was a son of Stephen and Nancy (Nash) Munson, natives of Massachusetts, who spent their lives in that State and the old Munson homestead, which has been in the family for generations, is now owned by a brother of M. S. Munson.

The Munson family is of English descent, and they trace their ancestry back to the peerage of that country. The first record that we have of the Munson family in America is at Hartford, Conn., in 1637, where a record of Thomas Munson, who was the founder of the family in America, appeared. He was prominent in the Piquot war and a number of his descendants were conspicuous for their service in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war. Members of the Munson family have been prominent as soldiers, statesmen and professional men. Nancy Nash, the mother of Mr. Munson, was born in Connecticut, although a descendant of old Virginia stock, Governor Nash, one of the colonial governors of Virginia, having been a direct ancestor of hers.

M. S. Munson grew to manhood in his native town in Massachusets and was attending school when the Civil war broke out, and on September 22, 1862, he enlisted and on October 28, 1862, he was mustered into service as a member of Company H, Forty-ninth regiment Massachusetts infantry. He served throughout the Civil war, being located at New Orleans for a time, and his regiment was discharged and mustered out of service, September 1, 1863.

In June, 1869, he went to Chicago and later engaged in the commission business for S. P. Brownell, South Water street, Chicago, and for seven years was a member of the Board of Trade of that city. For several years he had the contract for furnishing the street car company of Chicago, of which John Lake was president at that time, with grain and hay for their horses. He first came to Kansas in 1875 in connection with his Chicago business. He came here to arrange for pasture for broken down street car horses, and was at Burlingame for a time and in 1876 operated in Council Grove, where he was buying corn for the Chicago market. In 1877 he came to Butler county and engaged in the lumber business at El Dorado in partnership with Capt. J. T. Anderson. At that time there were no railroads in Butler county and all their lumber had to be hauled from Florence. However, the railroads were built the following year and about one year later Mr. Munson bought his partner's interest and conducted the business alone until he retired. He also handled coal as well as lumber and general builders' supplies and bought grain.

In addition to his vast business enterprises he owned a farm of 640 acres in Chelsea township, where he made a specialty of raising Galloway cattle. His widow still owns this place. He exported the first car load of kafir corn ever shipped from Butler county. This was in 1900. He was also active in the introduction of alfalfa, which has proven to be one of the most profitable crops in Butler county. During his business career in Butler county, when many of the settlers were hard up, Mr. Munson sold them lumber with which to build their homes and waited for his pay. He also loaned a great deal of money to the settlers and in that way made it possible for many a poor man to get a start in life that in many instances led to the accumulation of a fortune. In his dealings he was lenient with his delinquent customers and often waited for a number of years and never foreclosed a mortgage. He had the confidence of the people and his losses from bad accounts were very few, notwithstanding the fact that he was not inclined to press his claims. He bought the land for the Santa Fe Railroad Company where the depot is now located, and it was through his efforts that the Santa Fe switch east of the depot was put in. The railroad company had been making an effort to place this switch there for several years and failed. Mr. Munson completed this piece of track one morning before breakfast, and it is still there. He was one of the right-of-way appraisers of the Orient railroad at the time of his death. He was an unusually successful business man. He loved horses and always kept the best. He was a close student of men and affairs. He was a thorough home man and a great reader and had a style of dry humor which sparkled with philosophy. He was a man of keen foresight and good judgment and his judgment was recognized by those who knew him, he often being called upon to arbitrate differences which arose between his acquaintances. He died October 10, 1906. The estimate in which he was held by those who knew him is best expressed in the language of Edward P. Ellett, an old friend and associate, who said of him, "He was a good fellow, a good citizen and a square man."

On April 9, 1878, M. S. Munson and Genevieve Mather were united in marriage at Council Grove, Kans. She was born in Kansas City, Mo., while her parents were temporarily residing there enroute to Kansas. Mrs. Munson belongs to one of the historic pioneer families of Kansas and is a descendant of colonial ancestry. She is a daughter of J. P. and Sallie (Deming) Mather, natives of New York, the father of Jefferson county and the mother of Otsego county. The Mather family is of English descent and trace their ancestry back to the twelfth century in the mother country. This family was founded in New England, according to the first official record, in 1623, and many conspicuous members of the Mather family appear in the early history of New England, among them being Cotton Mather, a prominent figure in American literature during colonial days.

J. P. Mather and Sallie Deming were married at Spring Creek, Warren county, Pennsylvania, February 11, 1841. They lived in Erie county, Pennsylvania, and owned land on the present site of the city of Corry, making their home in that locality until 1857. The father was extensively engaged in the lumber business and rafted lumber down the Ohio river to Cincinnati for a number of years. In 1857 he had a great amount of lumber on hand, owing to his inability to run rafts on the river the two preceding years on account of low water. Being unable to sell his lumber in Cincinnati when he reached that point, he went on down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi, and after selling most of his lumber at St. Louis, he went up the Missouri river to Leavenworth, where he sold the first shingles to be sold in Kansas, and after disposing of his lumber he bought machinery for a flouring and saw mill, which he shipped from St. Louis by river transportation to Westport, which is now the site of Kansas City. He had determined to haul his mill machinery to Council Grove and build a mill near the Kaw Indiana reservation, but when he reached Westport the Border war was raging with such fierceness that he decided to remain there for a time. However, the following year, or in 1860, he continued his journey with his mill machinery and erected a mill at Council Grove, according to his plan. This was the most distant mill west located in Kansas and the third one to be built in the State, the other two being at Lawrence and Fort Scott.

The Mather mill at Council Grove on the Neosho river was a substantial three story building, built of brick, and was located near the old Kaw mission, the brick being manufactured on the east side of the river. When this mill was built it was a great wonder to the 3,000 Kaw Indians who lived on the reservation there and they called Mr. Mather Ta-poos-ka. Mr. Mather also built a twelve-room house in the vicinity of the mill, which in those days was considered a mansion. The house is still standing and is in a good state of preservation. This is one of the historic places in Kansas. Mrs. Mather, who was active in the early suffrage movement in Kansas, entertained in this house, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Kady Stanton and other prominent women of the times. J. P. Mather spent the last six years of his life in Emporia, where he died on May 8, 1905, aged ninety years, and his wife departed this life December 13, 1908, aged eighty-eight years.

To Mr. and Mrs. Munson were born the following children: Wilbur, operating the Chelsea township ranch; Elmer, also on the Chelsea township ranch; Arthur, an electrician in the employ of the Pacific Electric railway in Los Angeles, Cal.; Inez, at home, and Mahlon A., a student in Leland Stanford University, Palo Alto, Cal.
Mrs. Munson had an opportunity to observe much of the early life in Kansas, living in such close proximity to the Kaw Indian reservation, she had an opportunity to study the "Noble Red Man" in his native heath, and she has had many exciting experiences with Indians. She has seen three thousand Cheyenne redskins on the warpath, and at one time a drunken Indian came to the Mather home and threatened to scalp her, demanding $5 and some flour. Her sister covered the Indian with a revolver, whereupon the inebriated child of the forest departed. Mrs. Munson could speak the Kaw language fluently, and knows a lot about the traits of Indians. When she was a girl she owned an Indian pony and was some rider, too.

Mrs. Munson is a woman of unusual ability and takes a prominent part in the social and civic life of El Dorado and Butler county. She is a member of the W. M. B. Club and has been president and also treasurer of the local club and was the first recording secretary of the Eighth District Federation of Woman's Clubs. She was auditor of the State Federation of Woman's Clubs. She was the first to introduce civic beautifying in El Dorado, offering prizes for the best results and through her efforts the Chautauqua was established here. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and is a Republican.

Mrs. Munson served on the first woman's jury in the District Court of Butler county. This jury returned a verdict after three hours of deliberation on a case which had been previously tried before a jury of men who had failed to agree. Thus the theory of the dark ages that women do not agree as well as men was exploded. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 429-432)

SCHUMACHER, HENRY W.

Henry W. Schumacher, a prominent member of the Butler county bar, has practiced law in El Dorado for thirty-two years, and during that time he has established a well earned reputation as an able, conscientious and successful lawyer. Mr. Schumacher was born in New Richmond, Clermont county, Ohio, March 19, 1858, and is a son of Henry W. and Magdalena (Wetzel) Schumacher. The father was a native of Oldenberg, Germany; he was a sea faring man, and made his first voyage to America about 1825, and about 1840 settled permanently in Philadelphia, Pa. Magdalena Wetzel was a native of Wurtemburg, Germany, and immigrated to America with her parents who settled in Philadelphia when she was three years of age. She was reared in that city, where she was married to Mr. Schumacher, and in 1840 they removed to Ohio, settling at New Richmond, Clermont county, where they reared their family and spent the remainder of their lives. The mother died in 1883, and the father survived about one year, when he passed away.

Henry W. Schumacher, whose name introduces this sketch, was one of a family of eight children, three of whom are now living, as follows: Lena, unmarried, resides at New Richmond, Ohio; Mrs. Mary Yeager of Leavenworth, Kans., and Henry W. Mr. Schumacher spent his boyhood days in New Richmond, Ohio, and was graduated from the New Richmond high school, May 17, 1878. He then attended the Clermont Academy, Clermontville, Ohio, after which he taught school and read law at Batavia, Ohio. He was admitted to the bar, September 10, 1879, and engaged in the practice of his profession at New Richmond, Ohio, and while thus engaged he served one year as city attorney. In the fall of 1882 he came to Kansas and taught school that winter in Morris county; in 1883 he came to Butler county, and during the school year of 1883-84, he was principal of the Douglass schools, and in 1884, he located at El Dorado, where he has since been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession.

Mr. Schumacher is a close student of the law and is the possessor of a well balanced legal mind. He has gone on the theory laid down by eminent legal authorities, that, "The law is a jealous mistress," and has never taken on any side lines, but has devoted himself exclusively to the practice of law, and his career is an exemplification that his theory was correct. Mr. Schumacher has served two terms as county attorney of Butler county and has served several years as city alderman and is a member of the El Dorado city council at the present time. He is a Democrat, prominent in the councils of his party, and for years has taken an active part in local politics; he has served as chairman of the Democratic central committee, and has been a delegate to many county and State conventions. In 1913 he was his party's candidate for district judge of the Thirteenth judicial district, and made a remarkably good showing in that he reduced the normal Republican majority to about one-half.

Mr. Schumacher was united in marriage at El Dorado, Kans., to Miss Minnie L. Lafferty, a native of DeWitt county, Illinois, and a daughter of James and Julia (Feris) Lafferty. Mrs. Schumacher came to Butler county, Kansas, with her mother, who later returned to Illinois, her father having died when she was a small child in DeWitt, Ill. To Mr. and Mrs. Schumacher have been born two children: Allene, married R. W. Brown, an El Dorado merchant, and Julia, cashier and circulation manager of The El Dorado Daily "Republican." Mr. Schumacher has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for thirty-three years, and also holds membership in the Modern Woodmen of America, Knights of the Maccabees, Royal Neighbors, and the Kansas Fraternal Citizens. He is a member of the German Lutheran church. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 432-433)

TOLLE, GEORGE W.

George W. Tolle, secretary of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Butler county, has been a resident of this county for forty-six years and has seen many changes since he was a passenger on the old stage coach that landed him in the little town of El Dorado in 1870. When he came here there were only two or three houses west of where the Santa Fe railroad is now located, in the settlement of El Dorado. George W. Tolle is a native of Illinois. He was born at the old town of Nelson, now extinct, Coles county, in 1849, and is a son of C. J. T. and Mary (Wheeler) Tolle, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Virginia. On his paternal side Mr. Tolle is a descendant of colonial ancestry of English origin. His great grandfather Tolle was a Revolutionary soldier and his grandfather served in the Black Hawk war. C. J. T. Tolle, George W.'s father, was a Methodist minister and spent his life in the ministry in southern Illinois. His wife also died in that State when George was a child.

George W. Tolle was educated in the public schools of Illinois and McKendry College, Lebanon, Ill. He left college at the close of his junior year and would have graduated the following year had he continued his course. In 1870 he came to Kansas. At that time the Santa Fe railroad was not completed as far west as Emporia. He came directly to El Dorado by way of Emporia, and was first employed as a clerk for J. C. Fraker & Company. Charles Folks was the junior member of that company and had charge of the El Dorado business, Mr. Fraker residing in Emporia. Mr. Tolle remained with them about two years, when he went to Douglass, Kans., and six months later returned to El Dorado and entered into partnership with H. H. Gardner, now deceased, under the firm name of Gardner & Tolle. They conducted a general mercantile business on South Main street in what was known as the stone store, near the corner of Central avenue, where Hitchcock's store is now located. This partnership continued to do business four or five years, when Mr. Gardner engaged in the banking business, and Mr. Tolle conducted the business alone until 1899, when he was elected county treasurer for a three-year term, and re-elected for a term of two years. He then served as deputy county treasurer for four years, when he was again elected county treasurer for a term of two years. About a year after finishing that term of office he engaged in a real estate and farm loan business in El Dorado and has built up a very satisfactory business in that line. In 1914 he accepted the secretary ship of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Butler county, and since that time has capably conducted the affairs of that office in connection with his private business. He is also a justice of the peace, having been appointed by Governor George Hodges and elected to that office at the expiration of the term for which he was appointed.

Mr. Tolle was married in 1875 to Miss Mary E. Newbury, of Milton township, Butler county. She is a daughter of Walter Newbury and was born at New Albany, Wis. Her parents were natives of New York and early settlers in Butler county. The father died in 1911, aged eighty-three years, and her mother is well and active at the age of eighty-six years. To Mr. and Mrs. Tolle have been born eight children: Rena, wife of Dr. R. B. Earp, El Dorado; Ralph Preston, teller of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank, El Dorado; George W., Jr., conductor on the Orient & Mexican railway, and resides at Wichita; Harry M., salesman for a wholesale millinery house, St. Joseph, Mo.; Mary Esto, wife of W. H. Noble, El Dorado; Beth, married W. E. Bryant, Wichita; Ruth is teacher in the El Dorado schools, and Luther is a clerk in a furniture store at El Dorado.

Mr. Tolle is a member of the Masonic lodge and is a Republican. He and Mrs. Tolle are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 433-434)