Biographies Index

BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS

BIOGRAPHIES

EPPERSON, C. G.

C. G. Epperson, a pioneer merchant of Walnut township, who now conducts the leading mercantile establishment and is also postmaster at Gordon, is a native of Tennessee. He was born in Hamilton county in 1854, and is a son of John R. and Emma (Good) Epperson, natives of Virginia. They were the parents of five children, only two of whom are now living: C. G., the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Caldona Woodan, Georgetown, Tenn.

C. G. Epperson was reared to manhood in his native State, and received a good public school education in the schools of Georgetown, Tenn. He remained at home with his parents until 1880, when he went to Macon county, Illinois. Here he followed farming three or four years, when he came to Kansas, locating in Walnut township, Butler county. He was engaged in farming about four years and was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad Company about a year. He then began his mercantile career as a clerk in the store of Mr. Farrow. Later he clerked for Lou Myers. While in the employ of Mr. Myers he was appointed postmaster of Gordon by President Cleveland, and served in that capacity for three years. He was then in the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad Company again for one year, when he embarked in the mercantile business for himself, opening a general store at Gordon, Kans. His first store building was an unpretentious affair, 12x20 feet, and he began with a small stock of goods, only about $90 worth. He paid cash for his. goods, and at first bought in small quantities, and often carried his goods from Augusta to his place of business on a bicycle.

His business gradually developed, and in a short time wholesale houses were anxious for his patronage and willing to ship his goods when they discovered that his business was being conducted along the lines of sound business principles. By his honest methods and square dealing, he has built up a large patronage and won the confidence of the public and is one, of the live and progressive merchants of Butler county. In 1912, Mr. Epperson was appointed postmaster of Gordon by President Taft, and is still serving in that capacity.

Mr. Epperson was united in marriage in 1889 with Miss Ida Cooley, of Rose Hill. She died two years after her marriage, and in 1904, Mr. Epperson was married to Nora Shreve, of Augusta. Notwithstanding his busy mercantile career, Mr. Epperson finds time to do considerable writing, for which he possesses a natural aptitude. He is local correspondent for a number of newspapers and has produced much interesting and well written matter, and he has also written considerable poetry of merit. In 1912 he visited his old Tennessee home, and some of the letters which he wrote to the Butler county newspapers at that time concerning his travels and Tennessee life and conditions are surely entitled to a place among the journalistic classics of Butler county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 752-753)

TUYL, JAMES VAN

James Van Tuyl, a prominent farmer and stockman of Clifford township, is a representative Butler county pioneer. Mr. Van Tuyl was born in Green county, Illinois, February 16, 1838, and is a son of Jonathan and Jane (Pennington) Van Tuyl. The mother was a native of Newark, N. J., and of English descent, and Jonathan Van Tuyl, the father, was born near the city of New York, and was of Holland ancestry, the family probably settling in New York when that section was colonized by Hollanders. Jonathan Van Tuyl was a plasterer and brick and stone mason, learning his trade in New York. He came West at an early day, locating in Green county, Illinois, near Whitehall, remaining there only six months when he went to Macoupen county, Illinois. He bought land there, and after remaining a few years, went to Montgomery county, Illinois, where he bought a half section of land.

James Van Tuyl, the eldest son, remained at home, and worked on the farm, and also learned the plastering trade with his father. His early educational advantages were fair. In 1868, he was united in marriage with Penina J. McElroy, a native of Washington county, Indiana, born September 12, 1849. She was a daughter of Nimrod and Elizabeth (Hubby) McElroy. The mother was a native of Indiana and of North Carolina parentage, of Holland ancestry. Nimrod McElroy was born in Lee county, West Virginia, and was a son of George and Mary (Gil-strap) McElroy of Scotch-Irish descent. After their marriage, James Van Tuyl and his wife lived on a farm in Montgomery county, Illinois, for four years, and, in September, 1872, they took their belongings, and with four horses and a prairie schooner, came to Kansas, the trip requiring four weeks. They remained in Harvey county the first winter they spent in this State, four miles north and eight miles west of Newton, and the next spring, went fourteen miles north of Newton, and bought a relinquishment on a claim and proved up on a quarter section of land, and afterward got another quarter section through a timber claim. In 1883, they sold their Marion county property and came to Butler county, buying a quarter section in Clifford township.

To Mr. and Mrs. Van Tuyl have been born the following children: Cora, wife of Joel Corfman, California; James F., North Dakota; William E" New Mexico; Myra E., married C. R. Doty, Orville, Wash.; O. L., resides at home; Maggie, at home; Guy W., Butler county; Ralph L., Peabody, and Nina, wife of Aaron C. Thomas, Whitewater. Mr. Van Tuyl is one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Butler county, and is one of the men who had the judgment to foresee the future possibilities of this section of Kansas, and he is entitled to his full share of credit for its development. He has made a study of the cattle business and understands it, and a large measure of his success is due to the fact that he made a careful study of his business, and understands the minor details, as well as the general plans. He is one of the extensive alfalfa raisers of the county, usually producing about fifty acres of alfalfa. There have been many changes since the Van Tuyl family came to Kansas, and they have kept well abreast of the progress. One of the interesting relics of the early days to be found on the Van Tuyl place, is the old wagon with which they made the trip from Illinois to Kansas in 1872. It was second hand when Mr. Van Tuyl bought it in Illinois, but was an unusually substantial wagon, having been made especially for hauling freight from Hillsboro, Ill., to St. Louis, Mo. Mr. and Mrs. Van Tuyl are members of the Christian church, and Mr. Van Tuyl is a Democrat. He is a close student of current events, being an extensive reader, and takes a deep interest in political affairs. He is recognized as one of the best posted men in Butler county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 753-754)

PAULSON, PEDER

Peder Paulson; a prominent farmer and Butler county pioneer is one of the large land owners of this county, and it may be said that all of his vast acres have been accumulated by his own industry and unaided efforts. Mr. Paulson was born near the city of Alborg, in the southern part of Denmark, October 4, 1849, and is a son of Paul and Anna (Neshbey) Anderson. According to the Danish custom Peder Paulson was named Paulson, that being the Christian name and a part of the surname of his father.

In 1867, when Peder Paulson was seventeen years old, he immigrated to America with his father, and after landing here went directly from New York to Chicago. Here young Paulson obtained employment, working on the streets. At that time he was unable to speak a word of English, and he met a number of his countrymen who had been in this country for ten or twelve years, who understood the English language no better than he. This condition did not appeal to him, as he realized that to make progress in this country it was necessary to learn the language. Accordingly, he left Chicago and went to Wilmington, Ill., and got employment from a man who spoke English, working for him about a year at $15 per month. During that time he applied himself to the study of English in conversation, as well as making use of school books, until at the end of the year he was able to speak English quite well.

He then secured another position at an advanced salary and in 1870, he and his brother came to Kansas; coming by rail as far as Emporia, and taking the stage from there to El Dorado. He came here for the purpose of getting some land, and after working a short time on a hay farm, he homesteaded a quarter section in Towanda township which he owns. lie engaged in farming and stock raising, and as prosperity came he bought more land from time to time, and now owns 2,000 acres and is one of the large farmers and cattlemen of the county. His land is well improved with fences, buildings, etc., and most of it is under a high state of cultivation. He has raised cattle and hogs extensively, as well as followed general farming, and is one of the large wheat growers of the county.

Mr. Paulson was married in 1873 to Miss Ida Margon, who died in February, 1886. In the following December, he was united in marriage with Miss Martha Jones, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Braden) Jones, the former a native of Kentucky, who when a boy migrated to Indiana with his parents and settled in Decatur county, and later removed to Green county, where he grew to manhood and met and married Elizabeth Braden. She was a native of Ohio and a daughter of Edward Braden of Tennessee. There were nine children in the Jones family. They came to Butler county in 1876. The following children were born to Mr. Paulson's first marriage: William J., Pearl A., C. H., and Anna May, now the wife of A. W. Tierle, and Emmet P., all of whom reside in Butler county.

Mr. Paulson is not only a successful farmer and stock raiser but he is active and influential in local politics. He is a Republican, and in 1904 was elected county commissioner of Butler county, and served on that board when the splendid new court house was built at El Dorado. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 754-755)

LONG, J. P.

J, P. Long, an early settler and one of the substantial citizens of Clifford township, is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born in Mercer county, February 14, 1845, and is a son of John J. and Isabel (Griffith) Long, natives of Pennsylvania, the former of Irish and the latter of English descent. In 1855, when J. P. Long was ten years of age, the family left their Pennsylvania home and went to Schuyler county, Illinois, where they made their home until 1870 when they came to Kansas. When they came from Pennsylvania to Illinois they made the trip by boat down the Alleghany and Ohio rivers and up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to La Grange. When they went from Illinois to Kansas they drove overland, crossing the Mississippi between Quincy and Hannibal when it was at flood stage; they drifted down stream in thp ferryboat for a distance of seven miles, landing at Hannibal. After coming to Kansas they remained in Montgomery for a short time, and the same year came on to Butler county. John J., the father, homesteaded a government claim in Butler county in 1870, and the following year, J P., the subject of this sketch, homesteaded a claim in Clifford township, on section 30. He immediately proceeded to make moderate improvements and built a cabin which served as his home until 1876 when he built a substantial stone house which is still his home.

Mr. Long was married in 1877, to Miss Harriet Spencer, a daughter of J. W. and Mary (Stephens) Spencer. Mrs. Long was born in Connecticut, May 10, 1858, and her parents are also natives of that State. The Spencer family came to Kansas in 1872 and settled in Clifford township, near where the Long family lived. To Mr. and Mrs. Long have been born the following children: LeRoy, born October 3, 1878, died August 21, 1879; Mary, born January 15, 1880, died February 27, 1881; John J., born April 25, 1881, farmer, Butler county; Louis L., born January 13, 1883, resides on the home place; Margaret A., born September 25, 1884, married Charles T. Edwards, Marion county; Winifred, born March 2, 1887, married D. C. Ashenfelter, Butler county; Esther M., born October 9, 1889, married H. E. Hoss, farmer, Butler county; George P., born July 9, 1891, resides on the home place, and a son born in 1894, died in infancy. The wife and mother departed this life in February, 1894.

Like many of the other early settlers of Butler county, when Mr. Long came here, his financial means were limited, and Tie was compelled to make every effort to get by the early years of failure. After his crops were destroyed by the grasshoppers in 1874, he spent the following winter in Joplin, Mo., where he drove a team in connection with lead and zinc mines there. He returned to his Butler county farm in the spring of 1875, and prosperity gradually came to him; and for years he has been one of the substantial and well to do farmers and stockmen of Clifford township. His farm is well improved with good buildings and is one of the fertile and productive farms of Butler county.

During the early days on the plains, Mr. Long endured many hardships and inconveniences. At one time he was caught in a blizzard and narrowly escaped being frozen to death, but fortunately reached the home of Charles Cain in time to save his life, but was not able to continue his journey homeward until the next day. Game was plentiful when he came here, and he has hunted buffalo just west of Wichita. He went on a hunting trip there in 1872, returning in about a week with a plentiful supply of buffalo meat. He did considerable freighting between Emporia and Old Plum Grove in the early seventies. It required five days to make the round trip between these points. He would camp by the wayside, roll himself up in his blanket, and it was not an uncommon thing to find himself completely covered with snow in the morning when he awoke.

Mr. Long was affiliated with the Democratic party for a number of years, but recent research and investigation of political policies of different parties have convinced him that the policies and principles of the Socialist party are more in harmony with his personal views. Me is an extensive reader and a close observer, and has been a student of men and events all his life. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 755-757)

EATON, EDWARD T.

Edward T. Eaton, one of the sturdy pioneers of Butler county and a veteran of the Civil war, comes from an old and distinguished Colonial family. Mr. Eaton was born in Hancock county, Illinois, March 14, 1841, and is a son of David J. and Agnes (Avise) Eaton, the former of New Jersey, and comes from an old New England family of English descent. A number of the Eatons came to this country in the early Colonial days. Francis Eaton came on the Mayflower in 1620, and John Eaton landed in New England after making the voyage on the Elizabeth Ann in 1635; William came on the Hercules in 1637, all of whom were brothers, and Edward T., the subject of this sketch is a descendant of one of these brothers. Isaac Eaton, who lived at Hope-well, N. J., and died in 1776, was the great grandfather of Edward T.. and founded the first Baptist school in America, at Hopewell, N. J.

David J. Eaton, the father of Edward T., was a wagon-maker, and he and his wife were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of thiss ketch was the oldest, and Isaac was the youngest. Isaac also served in the Civil war, being a member of Company I, Sixteenth regiment, Illinois infantry. He had some difficulty in getting into the service on account of being under age and under size, but he was deter-mined to pass muster, and after being rejected once by the recruiting officer, he went to the nearest shoemaker and had high heels put on his shoes, and, the next time, was successful in passing. He served throughout the war, and at its close was mustered out of service and honorably discharged.

Edward T. Eaton worked at the carpenter's trade in early life, and, during the Civil war, enlisted in Company C, Fiftieth regiment, Illinois infantry, and served until the close of the war. He was with Sherman on his great march to the sea, and in the campaign in North Carolina, when Johnson surrendered. He acted as brigade headquarters clerk while in the service, and participated in the grapd review at Washington, after the close of the war. He was mustered out of the service, July 13, 1865, and then returned to Illinois, and resumed work at his trade, and also followed contracting.

Mr. Eaton was married, in 1863, to Miss Rebecca Welsh of Fulton county, Illinois. Her parents were Thomas J. and Jennie (Baldrich) Welsh, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of South Carolina. To Mr. and Mrs. Eaton have been born four children, as follows: Curtiss Powell, deceased; Minnie B., deceased; Edith A., deceased, and William E., born February 28, 1880.

In the spring of 1870, Mr. Eaton came to Kansas, first stopping at Humboldt. He started to walk from that point to Butler county, but was fortunate in getting a ride with an emigrant who was driving through. After reaching Butler county, he worked at the carpenter trade in various places while his wife and children remained in Quincy, Ill. When he came here he had less than $5, and after saving his money for a season, he was able to bring his family to their new home in Butler county, which was a one room affair, 12x14 feet, located on his claim on section 20, Milton township. Here the little family began life on the plains and joined the struggle of the early pioneers to make a home for themselves and develop a new country. Notwithstanding they experienced many hardships in the early days, they were always satisfied with Kansas and never once thought of retracing their steps. Mrs. Eaton taught school for three or four years after coming to Butler county, and bears the distinction of having taught the first school in Milton township. Money was scarce in those days, and Mr. Eaton says his entire income, in cash from all sources for one entire year, was twenty-five dollars. Provisions and various articles were used for barter, and he frequently would take in trade articles for which he had no immediate use.

Mr. Eaton was postmaster at Holden for twelve years. This was the first postoffice in Milton township. He is a member of the Masonic lodge and the Grand Army of the Republic, and he and Mrs. Eaton are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Whitewater, and Mr. Eaton has been chairman of the building committee. Mrs. Eaton is a charter member of the Woman's Relief Corps, No. 178. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 757-758)

SPANGLER, J. B.

J. B. Spangler, a Butler county pioneer and one of the most substantial citizens of Fairmount township, has been a resident of this county for forty-five years He has contributed his share towards converting this section of the State, from an unpeopled plain, the future of which at times seemed uncertain, to one of the populous and prosperous counties of Kansas.

J. B. Spangler was born in Carroll county, Indiana, January 30, 1844, a son of Samuel and Katherine (Louther) Spangler, both natives of Indiana, where they spent their lives. He was reared in Indiana, remaining in that State until 1886, when he went to Minnesota and was, shortly afterward, married to Miss Julia Olinger. She was born in Carroll county, Indiana, March 25, 1840, a daughter of George and Mary (Ferguson) Olinger, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Tennessee, and of Scotch ancestry. The father died in Indiana, and the mother spent the last few years of her life at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Spangler, and died in 1881.

Mr. and Mrs. Spangler remained in Minnesota about two years, but were not favorably impressed with that section of the county on account of its rigorous climate. In 1870, they drove from Minnesota to Missouri, settling at Pleasant Hill, Cass county, and remained there until April, 1871, when they came to Butler county, driving across the plains from Missouri with two yokes of cattle and a wagon, the trip requiring two weeks. They homesteaded eighty acres of land in Fairmount township, which has been the family home since that time, and an unusual thing in connection with the record of this place, is that it has never been in-cumbered by a mortgage or any other form of lien, and it is the only place in Fairmount township of which this can truthfully be said. Some years after settling here, Mr. Spangler bought eighty acres more, three quarters of a mile north of his homestead, and his son now resides on that eighty.

When the Spangler family came to Butler county, their earthly possessions consisted of their two yokes of cattle and the covered wagon with a few household goods; and from March 22 to April 22, they camped on the bank of the Whitewater, while they were building a little shack on their claim into which they moved on the latter date. They endured many hardships and inconveniences in the early days, but with all, they have never had reason to regret taking up their home in Butler county. They have prospered and are now of the influential and well to do people of this county, and recognized leaders in their locality. When the Spanglers settled here the country was in quite a primitive condition; prairie fires were frequent and their little cabin home was threatened on numerous occasions by the flames that swept over the plains. During the first few years here Indian stragglers frequently happened along the trail, begging for food at the few cabins along the wayside, the Wichita trail being within half a mile of the Spangler home. In those days great herds of cattle were driven over this trail, and the cowboys on their ponies and the cattle as they moved across the plains presented a picturesque sight which is still fresh in the memory of the early pioneers

To Mr. and Mrs. Spangler have been born the following children: Mary Ellen, married B. D. Cooper, lives in Butler county; Amy, married Scott Kelsheimer of Marion county, Kansas; Lewis F., farmer, Fairmount township, and Ida J., married S. R. Holden, Elbing, Kans. Mr. Spangler is a Democrat and since casting his first ballot, has steadfastly supported the policies and principles of that party. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 758-759)

NELLENS, J. K.

J. K. Nellens, now deceased, was a prominent farmer and stockman of Fairmount township and the pioneer thresher of northwest Butler county. Mr. Nellens was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, February 25, 1846, and was the oldest of eleven children, born to Moses and Lucinda (Strosnider) Nellens, both natives of Ohio. Moses Nellens was a son of Patrick Nellens, a native of Ireland, and an early settler in Ohio. He came to that State when a young man, and married a Miss Tipton, a native of Pennsylvania, of German descent. Moses Nellens grew to manhood in Ohio where he was married, and in 1847, removed to Fulton county, Indiana, and he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives there. J. K. Nellens was reared on the farm in Fulton county, Indiana, and in 1875 he was united in marriage with Miss Emeline Myers, a native of Stark county, Indiana. She is a daughter of Jacob and Temperance (Dipert) Myers, natives of Ohio. The parents were married in that State, and removed to Stark county, Indiana, where they spent their lives. In 1876, J. K. Nellens came to Butler county, Kansas, to operate a section of land which his uncle, Thomas Nellens, had purchased in 1873. He had bought the place for his children, but they were not favorably impressed with this part of the country, and refused to remain on the farm.

J. K. Nellens came here with his wife and two small children, coming by rail to Peabody. The day he reached here, was one of those windy days of the early times, and his first impression of Kansas was unfavorable. He thought wind was bad enough, but when it was mixed with sand, as it was on that day, he felt that he would never get used to it. However, he proceeded to the farm in Fairmount township and soon got busy, and forgot about the wind. The first year he raised a splendid crop, his corn making seventy-five to eighty bushels per acre, and oats made from seventy-five to 100 bushels. That fall his uncle was here when he threshed, and insisted that he could measure the oats by putting it in sacks as fast as it came from the machine, but when he started to accomplish this feat and take care of an eight inch stream of oats in the old fashioned way, he soon discovered that he was not a Kansas farmer. Indiana methods were too slow here, even in those days, and he gave up the task, and saved himself from being buried in oats.

Mr. Nellens operated this farm for two years and in 1878 bought the northwest quarter of section 3 for $5.50 per acre, going into debt for the entire purchase price. When he came to Kansas his working capital was limited to $26 in money and a span of mules. He now owns one of the best farms in Fairmount township, for which he has re-repeatedly refused $100 per acre. His place is well improved with commodious, modern residence, lighted with acetylene gas. His barns are of the most modern type, with concrete floors, and his corn crib has a capacity of 3,000 bushels.

In addition to his farming operations, one of the first enterprises in which Mr. Nellens engaged after coming to Butler county was threshing. In 1876 he bought a threshing outfit and that fall his engine exploded. He then discontinued threshing for a time, and in 1880 he bought another rig, and he and his sons have been engaged in threshing every season since that time. He owned the first threshing rig in Fair-mount township, and the first wind stacker in northwest Butler county. He and his sons met with unusual success in the threshing business. They operated as many as three threshing outfits during a season, with a total value of $6,200, and for a number of years they were the only threshers in northwest Butler county. To Mr. and Mrs. Nellens were born the following children: George M. conducts a garage at Newton, Kans., and also follows threshing; Benjamin F. lives in California; Stella M. married Charles Spangler, Walton, Kans.; Mary M., married John Cunningham and lives in Harvey county; Charles R., Potwin, Kans; James F., Butler county, Kansas ; John C, Butler county, Kansas; Brodies, at home; Jacob J., farmer, Butler county; Andrew J., at home; Delta E. married Milton Kimberlin and lives in Butler county. The sons all possess a natural aptitude for mechanics and all of them are expert engineers like their father, and all are following mechanical pursuits except Benjamin F., who is a minister. The Nellens family is well known and highly respected.

On February 26, 1916, as J. K. Nellens was driving to Elbing in his automobile, he was struck by a Rock Island train. The car was completely demolished, and Mr. Nellens received injuries from which he died the following day without ever regaining consciousness. The exact details will never be known, as there was no one close enough to tell how it happened. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 759-761)

WORLINE, MARION

Marion Worline, now deceased, was a Butler county pioneer in the truest sense of the word. He came to Kansas at a time when the westbound trail almost vanished when Butler county was reached. Marion Worline was born in Delaware county, Ohio, February 1, 1847, and was a son of Abraham and Susanna Magdalena (Worline) Worline. While the parents bore the same name they were not related. The patents were both natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent; Abraham Worline's father was rearer in Pennsylvania, and his father came from Germany. Abraham Worline was born December 25, 1815 and was married to Susanna Worline, August 6, 1844. He died February 16, 1885. They were the parents of twelve children, and Marion, the subject of this sketch, was the third in order of birth. He grew to manhood on the pioneer farm in Ohio, where his parents had settled at a very early date in the history of that State. When he was twenty-one years old, in 1868, the Worline family migrated to Cass county, Missouri, and here the parents spent the remainder of their lives. The father died February 16, 1885, and the mother passed away August 28, 1893.

Marion Worline remained with his parents until November 3, 1870, when he was married to Miss Harriet Eyestone in Fayette county, Illinois. Harriet Eyestone was a native of that county, born March 11, 1850, a daughter of Martin and Nancy (Lock) Eyestone. Her father was a native of Baden, Germany, and came to America when a young man, and Nancy Eyestone was a native of Ohio, where they were married. About a year after their marriage, they removed to Michigan and after remaining there about two years, went to Illinois, and settled in Fayette county. Like most pioneers they were poor and endured many hand-ships on the plains of Illinois. They needed a cow and the father traded his only pair of boots for one, and the first wheat that they raised the mother fanned the chaff from the grain with a bed sheet. These are some of the incidences in the early life of that family. However, prosperity soon came, and at the time of his death, the father owned 900 acres of Illinois land. He spent his life in Fayette county, Illinois. He died April, 1898, aged eighty-six years, and his wife died October 22, 1897, aged eighty-two years.

Two weeks after his marriage, Marion Worline and his wife went to Cass county, Missouri, and remained with Mr. Worline's parents until April, 1871, when they loaded their earthly possessions into a wagon, or prairie schooner, and started for southwestern Kansas. They joined a pary of other emigrants and the outfit consisted of five wagons, hauled by oxen. It was a long and tedious trip and frequently after their oxen had trudged all day through the mud, the party could look back and see where they had camped the night before. After reaching Butler county, Mr. Worline filed on eighty acres of land in Fairmount township and built a little shack which afforded meager shelter, during the first year, but in the fall he built a more substantial cabin, 12x16 feet, which served as the family home for a number of years. When they came here they were poor. About all they owned was their oxen, and when Mr. Worline started for Kansas he had $15 in money, but lost his pocketbook, which contained this money, and he landed in Butler county penniless. However, his money was found by a freighter along the trail, who afterward returned it to Mr. Worline. Mr. Worline, after having passed through the trials :and various vicissitudes incident to the settlement of a new country, finally met with success and was one of Butler county's prosperous and most substantial citizens. At the time of his death, August 4, 1914, he owned 280 acres of land, and for years had been a prominent farmer and stockman of his community. He took an active interest in political affairs and during his lifetime supported the principals of the Democratic party, and took a deep interest in its policies. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge at Peabody. Marion Worline and wife were the parents of the following children: Edna C. and Addie G., died in infancy; Nora W., married J. B. Moore, of Butler county; Vely Perry, farmer and stockman, Plum Grow township; Frederick Morton, traveling salesman for the International Harvester Company, resides at Peabody, Kans.; Robert Hite, attorney-at-law, resides at Kansas City, Kans.; Corby Olin, farmer and stockman, Fairmount township; Bonnie G., married Ernest Weaver, Clifford township, and Charles Ross, living on the home farm with his mother. All of the Worline sons are successful and prosperous and representative citizens of worth and responsibility. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 761-762)

ROBINSON, JAMES O.

James O. Robinson was one of the sturdy pioneers who, although stricken by the hand of death at the age when he had just passed the prime of manhood, contributed his part in laying the foundation for the future development of this county. His unfinished work as a pioneer was taken up by his faithful wife when his task of life was ended. She now resides in her cozy home at Whitewater and is recognized as one of the pioneer mothers of Butler county. James O. Robinson was born in Belfast, Ireland, May 18, 1829, and was a son of Robert Robinson, a native of Scotland, who went to Ireland when a young man, where he married an Irish girl and remained in Ireland the balance of his days. James O. Robinson was the youngest of a family of eleven children. When he was fourteen years of age he went to sea, and was a sailor on the Atlantic ocean until he was twenty-five years old, when he came to America. He remained in New York City a short time, when he went to Buffalo. His natural inclination to life on the water soon led him into employment as a sailor on the Great Lakes. His early training and natural ability were readily recognized, and rapid promotion followed. He soon became first mate and later captain, and sailed between Chicago and Buffalo until 1871. In the meantime he and his wife were living in Cook county, Illinois, near Chicago. In 1871 they came to Butler county, Kansas, and home-steaded a quarter section of land in section 34, Milton township, where Mr. Robinson was engaged in farming until his death, December 17, 1886.

On July 17, 1854, James O. Robinson and Miss Harriet Raymond were united in marriage at Chicago, Ill. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, December 12, 1837, a daughter of John and Louisa Raymond. The Raymond family immigrated to America when Mrs. Robinson was six years old. A short time after landing in New York, they went to Illinois, the father buying eighty acres of school land in Will county, where the parents spent the remainder of their lives. The father died in 1853 and the mother passed away in 1887. To James O. Robinson and wife were born the following children: Emily, married John Miller and resides in Butler county; Elizabeth, married Edward Baiter and resides in Texas; Jennie and Robert, twins, the former now being the wife of George Johnson, both residing in Butler county; James, resides in Texas; Mrs. Marha Smith, of Wichita, and Lucinda, who resides with her mother at Whitewater.

Lucinda Robinson is a woman of unusual qualities, and much credit is due her for the part that she has taken in the development of Butler county, and her co-operation with her mother. She is a prominent member of the Rebekah lodge and at present is treasurer of the local organization, also past noble grand. She was a representative of her lodge at the assemblv of the grand lodge at Topeka in 1915. She is a capable woman of high business ability. After the death of the father she and her mother practically took charge of the place, under great disadvantages and discouraging conditions.

The life and the lot of the Robinson family in the early days were not unlike the experiences of the average pioneer. When they came here they had very little capital, and their first years were a struggle with crop failures, grasshoppers and all the other obstacles incident to the early years in Kansas, and they were not by any means started on the road to prosperity when the great calamity of the father's death fell on the family. Undaunted by these discouraging conditions the mother and daughter set to work with brave hearts and a determination to win, and they did. By industry and self-denial they succeeded in paying off the mortgage and property followed until, by their accumulation, they rank among the well-to-do people of western Butler county. In 1909 the mother and her daughter, Lucinda, removed to Whitewater, where they have a comfortable home and rank among the leading families of Butler county. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 762-764)

RAMSEY, A. C.

A. C. Ramsey, one of the extensive cattlemen of Butler count}- at one time, and now one of the large land owners of the county, has had an unusual career. Mr. Ramsey is a native of Ohio, and was born in Coshocton county, June 7, 1837, of Scotch-Irish descent, his parents being natives of the northern part of Ireland. A. C. was one of a large family, and his parents were poor, and thus his opportunities to obtain an education were limited. When he was quite young his father died and his mother removed from Coshocton county to Guernsey county, Ohio, and A. C. went to western Ohio, where he was employed by a fur trader for one year, receiving for his services for the year $roo, and at the end of that time he had saved $80 out of his earnings, after which time he was engaged in the merchandise trade. He was a keen, close observer when a boy, a faculty which he has not only retained throughout life, but developed to a marked degree, and during the time he was employed by the fur dealer, there were few details in connection with that business but what he learned thoroughly. A. C and his brother opened a general merchandise store at Belle Center, Ohio, and in connection with the mercantile business engaged in buying furs. A. C. Ramsey rode through the wilderness of western Ohio and eastern Indiana buying furs from hunters and trappers and establishing agencies, and for fifteen years did a large and profitable business in the fur trade, while his brother looked after the management of their store at Belle Center, which had developed into a large mercantile institution. They also bought and sold grain, seeds, wools, etc., on a large scale.

Mr. Ramsey disposed of his interests in Ohio in 1883, with several thousand dollars to the good, and then began to seek fields of investment with greater possibilities. He saw an opportunity in the West, and became interested in Butler county. He and four other gentlemen organized the Buckeye Land and Cattle Company. This company acquired something like 7,000 acres of land, most of which was located in Lincoln township, Butler county, and it extended into Sycamore and Chelsea townships. The land cost from $3 to $8 an acre. The principal idea of the company was to pasture Texas cattle here. The price for pasturing cattle in those days ranged from $1.25 to $2 per head for the season, beginning April 20 and ending on the middle of October. The company did a large business, but after a time unforseen obstacles developed, and the company was discontinued as an organized unit, and since that time Mr. Ramsey has been operating in the cattle business independently, after having been manager and a heavy stockholder in the Buckeye Land and Cattle Company for several years.

A. C. Ramsey married Margaret Clark, a native of Ohio, and seven children, five boys and two girls, were born to this union. Mr. Ramsey has divided a part of his place among his sons, who are now conducting the stock business on an extensive scale. A. C. and George A. operated in partnership from 1905 to 1912, but are now carrying on business independently. The Ramsey ranch consists of twelve sections in Lincoln township, and is one of the large ranches remaining in Butler county. A. C. Ramsey has retired from the cattle business. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 764-765)

CAIN. W. H.

It is almost impossible for even the student of history to conceive of the great work that has been accomplished in the last half century by the pioneers who opened up and developed the West, much less for the casual observer to have any understanding of this great work of founding, building and bettering a new country. It is possible that these pioneers of the plains "builded better than they knew." At any rate, it is hoped that a review of the careers of some of them, whose experiences were similar to the career of W. H. Cain- men and women who paid the "Price of the Prairie," and who were factors in the "Winning of the West"-will not only give the present and future generations, much valuable information, but furnish an inspiration for better citizenship.

W. H. Cain, a Civil war veteran and a Butler county pioneer, was born in Elmira, Chemung county, New York, February 10, 1839, a son of William and Lucinda (Valleau) Cain, the former a native of Herkimer county, New York, and the latter of Chemung county. Lucinda Valleau was a daughter of Theodore and Elizabeth (Linderman) Valleau. The Linderman family is of German descent and the Valleaus came from France, and the original spelling of the name was De Valleau.
When W. H. Cain was a small boy his father died at the age of thirty-five, leaving a widow and four children. The mother and the children lived in Elmira, N. Y. When W. H. was growing up he was something of a turbulent youth, and was much given to running the streets, and it was a problem for his mother to know what to do with him. A relative in northern Illinois offered him a home if he would come there and stay. He willingly accepted and when he was nine years of age he was shipped West and remained there for four years, when he returned to New York, and after remaining three years, went to Rockford, Ill. He was nearly seventeen by this time and obtained employment in a reaper factory at Rockford. In the meantime his mother had also moved there, in 1856.

At the outbreak of the Civil war, Mr. Cain was one of the first to offer his services in response to President Lincoln's call for volunteers. However, Mr. Cain received an injury which prevented him from entering the service at that time, but in the fall of 1862, he enlisted in Company K, Seventy-fourth regiment, Illinois infantry, under Captain Ward and Colonel March. Mr. Cain's regiment was attached to the Army of the Cumberland, under General Thomas, and participated in the battles of Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Perryville. Stone River and the campaign against Atlanta, and Mr. Cain was under fire with his regiment for a hundred days during the Atlanta campaign. On June 10, 1865, he was mustered out of service and honorably discharged, after having obtained the rank of second lieutenant.

At the close of the war Mr. Cain returned to his home at Rockford, Ill., and on February 1, 1866, was married to Miss Lucy Marsh, a native of Winnebago county, Illinois. Mrs. Cain is a daughter of Russell and Mary Ann (Hayes) Marsh, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Canada, of Vermont parentage. Mr. and Mrs. Cain lived near Rockford, Ill., after their marriage until 1869, when they went to Iowa, locating near Fort Dodge, where they farmed rented land for fifteen years. In 1884 they removed to western Nebraska, and the same year came to Butler county, Kansas, settling in Lincoln township, were they bought the northwestern quarter of section 5. Mr. Cain borrowed $200 to make his first payment. The place was unimproved, and Mr. Cain built a stable, 14x32 feet, which they used as a residence during the first summer and in the fall built a home and turned the stable over to the horses. When the Cain family settled in Lincoln township it was a wild, unbroken country, covered by a luxuriant growth of blue stem. Mr. Cain says that people told him that he would starve to death out there on the plains, and he also adds that there were times in the early days when it looked as though the guess would come true. He engaged in general farming and stock raising, making the stock business the principal feature, and has prospered and made money. He bought additional land, adding three quarter sections to his first purchase, and now owns 640 acres and is one of Butler county's well-to-do citizens, and is, perhaps, one of the best known men in the county. He says he always managed to get along pretty well, even from the start, although during the first few years dollars were not as numerous as the "leaves of the forest." He has an ideal stock farm, well watered, fenced and improved, with two good windmills.

To Mr. and Mrs. Cain have been born the following children: H. E., Lincoln township; Mary L., married E. S. Rogers, Pueblo, Colo.: W. R., on the homestead; Carrie E., married E. D. Stalnaker, Peabody, Kans.; Dora V., resides at home; Lula J., married Preston L. Beard, and they are both deceased; Nina E. married G. V. Beard, Douglass, Kans.; Charles R. Lincoln township, and George M., resides at home with his parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Cain are representative pioneers of Butler county, and they have a broad acquaintance and many friends. Their golden wedding anniversary was celebrated February 1, 1916, and their many friends and relatives joined to make of this an eventful occasion. Among the many presents which they received was a set of spoons from Mrs. Carolina P. Brazee, of Rockland, Ill., from whom Mr. Cain purchased 480 acres of his Lincoln township farm.

Mr. Cain is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, J. Y. Smith Post, No. 377, Potwin, Kans., and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a stanch Republican and bears the distinction of having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln for President of the United States. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 765-767)

MAGILL, SILAS

Silas Magill, a Butler county pioneer and prosperous farmer and stockman of Bruno township, is a native of Pennsylvania, born January 16, 1841. He is a son of Charles and Sarah (Courson) Magill, the former a native of Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, and the latter of German descent, and a native of Pennsylvania. Charles Magill was born in Venango county, Pennsylvania, January 6, 1806, and died in Illinois, October 21, 1888. In the early days Charles Magill was engaged in the lumber business in Pennsylvania and followed that vocation for thirty years. At that time it was the custom of lumbermen to raft their lumber down the Alleghany and Ohio rivers to market at Pittsburg or Cincinnati. Charles Magill was a son of Arthur Magill, a native of Belfast, Ireland, who immigrated to America when a young man. Charles Magill was a deeply religious man and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Silas Magill was one of a family of eleven children. He grew to manhood in Pennsylvania, and was educated in the public schools. On April 2, 1868, he was united in marriage with Miss Olive Morrison, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of G. W. and Mary Ann (Jacobs) Morrison. The mother, Mary Jacobs, was a native of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. Mrs. Magill was born November 6, 1848, and was one of a family of two children born to her parents.

To Silas Magill and wife have been born the following children: George, Vaughn, N. M.; Charles M., deceased; W. E., Eads, Colo.; Arthur, at home; J. V., Canton, Ohio; Clyde, Clearwater, Kans., and Ollie O., at home.

A few days after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Magill left their Pennsylvania home and went to Illinois, where he rented land from his father, remaining there until 1871. They then came to Kansas, at first going to Neosho Falls, and Mrs. Magill and her four months' old baby remained at a hotel there while Mr. Magill came to Butler county and filed on a claim in Bruno township. Here he pre-empted the southwest quarter of section 2T, and returned to Neosho Falls for his wife and child. They came to Butler county by stage, a distance of about 100 miles. The roads were bad and the trip required two days. After coming to Butler county the family made their home temporarily with a sister of Mr. Magill's until a little cabin, 12x16 feet, was built, when they moved into it and began life on the plains of Butler county in a very humble way. Like many others of the early settlers, Mr. Magill says that while he was getting on fairly well in the world, he would have left Butler county during the first year, but that he was too poor to get away. and that after he became financially able to go if he wished, neither he nor Mrs. Magill wanted to go. On the whole, they have prospered and made money and today are among the substantial citizens of Butler county. Their first farming in Butler county was done with a yoke of oxen, which they frequently drove to Augusta, a distance of eight miles, but now when they go to Augusta it is only a matter of a few minutes with their Overland automobile instead of an all day's drive with the oxen of the early seventies. (History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 767-768)

CARNAHAN, S. P.

S. P. Carnahan, of Douglass, Kans., is a Civil war veteran and one of the substantial old pioneers of Butler county, who comes from a line of revolutionary ancestors, arid a representative of that family has served in every war of importance in which this country has been engaged since the foundation of the republic.

S. P. Carnahan is a native of Pennsylvania and was born in 1837. His parents were Robert C. and Jane (Berry) Carnahan, natives of Pennsylvania; the father was a soldier in the War of 1812 and took part in most of the important engagements of that conflict. He was a son of John Carnahan, who served as a captain in Washington army during the Revolutionary war. He was a native of Ireland, coming here before the Revolutionary war, and served, at that time, with the Pennsylvania troops.

S. P. Carnahan was reared in Pennsylvania, educated in the public schools and was engaged in farming until the Civil war broke out, when he responded to President Lincoln's call and served throughout the war. In 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Josephine S. Huff, a daughter of Dr. John Huff, who was a pioneer physician in Illinois, and the following children were born to this union: August B., George A., resides on the home farm in Douglass township, and Jerome R., resides in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mr. Carnahan came to Kansas in 1871 and settled on 160 acres of land in Douglass township, Butler county. He later added eighty acres to his original homestead, where he successfully carried on farming and stock raising for a number of years and accumulated a competency of this world's goods. Recently he has deeded all his land to his son except 100 acres which he has reserved as a sort of a rainy day emer-gency place.

Since locating in Butler county, Mr. Carnahan has taken a prominent part in local affairs and has held a number of local offices of trust and responsibility. He served as clerk of his district for four years and has been township trustee and township clerk for a number of terms. He is prominent in fraternal circles, being a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Mr. Carnahan has seen Butler county develop from an unimproved State where the blue stem waved and the buffalo roamed to one of the most prosperous and highly developed counties in the great commonwealth of Kansas. To such men as he who paved the way for this great development and higher civilization, the present and future generations owe a debt of gratitude which can never be paid.

Mrs. J. H. Carnahan is a woman of rare literary ability and has written many poems of real merit, among which is the following beautiful little poem, a striking example of the style of her verse:

OCTOBER.
The sun flings over thee a veil, mellow and lambent! For thee the earth is arrayed in vivid colors! Plant, leaf and flower are sun-kissed and radiant; All in beauties race tawny leaves and lovely flowers.

Thine own maid-of-honor, the Goldenrod greets thee, By brook-side and by-path, in orchard, meadow and lane, Tall Canna lilies are flaunting their beauty- All sweet in the sunshine, the dew and the rain.

The Harvest is here! and the Corn King is waiting- With titled cereals, to crown thee Queen of the feast. The Banquet is spread; there is nothing more wanting- Save to ask the Great Giver our harvest to bless.

To thee, Queen of Harvest! lovely October! We bring all our treasures, and fruits of the land; Prince Wheat, and his kinsman, the wonderful Kafir, Place the strong "Staff of Life" in thy beautiful hand.
(History of Butler County, Kansas, by Vol. P. Mooney, 1916 Pages 768-769)