CRAWFORD COUNTY, Part 6

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES (MASON - RUSHTON).

W. Y. MASON, marble works, was born in Kentucky in 1850; he was raised on a farm and received a business education. He began business for himself at the age of twenty-two, carrying on a farm in Kentucky until 1869, at which time he came to Kansas and located in Crawford County. He remained on a farm in that county until 1877, and was then in Missouri; and on a farm in the stock business two years, and then came back to Kansas and lived on his farm until July, 1881. He then spent one winter in Texas, and then returned to Kansas and located in Girard, and engaged in the stock business two years, going into the marble business in July, 1882. He was married to Miss Cordelia Hatfield, of Kansas, in 1877. They have one child - Arthur W. Mrs. Mason died July 7, 1880; Mr. Mason was married again in July, 1881. They have one child - Myrtle I.

HON. WILLIAM H. MERRIWEATHER, register of deeds, was born in Clark County, Ohio, in 1838, and removed with his people in 1839 to Springfield, Ill., where he was reared and educated. He was identified there with farming and stock-raising until 1872, when he located here, and has carried on that industry successfully since coming here. In 1860, he married Miss Sarah J. Bateman, a native of Springfield, Ill. They have a family of five sons and two daughters - Elmer E., Sherman, Maria, Fred, Kate, Edward and Leonard. At the breaking out of the late civil war, Mr. Merriweather enlisted his services in defense of the Union, in Company G, One Hundred and Fourteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and did active service until 1864, when he was honorably discharged. In 1875, he represented this district in the Legislative Assembly of the State, and has served in minor official positions. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. Society, and Select Knights, the K. of P. and the G. A. R. Himself and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His farm contains 160 acres of improved land in Section 32, Crawford Township. He has a fine orchard of 400 fruit trees of a nicely assorted variety, a good dwelling and stables.

W. D. MESECHER, farmer, Section 12, P. O. Girard, Kan., was born in West Virginia in 1834; was raised on a farm and received a medium education; went to Ohio at the age of nine, and then to Illinois in 1856, where he resided four years on a farm. He came to Kansas in 1860, and located in Franklin County for a short time, then to Crawford County before the survey was made, and located on 160 acres, where he remained for a short time, then returned to Illinois. In 1861, enlisted in Company C, Seventy-eighth Illinois Infantry. Served to the close of the war, and returned to Kansas in 1866, and located in Lyon County, where he remained eighteen months. He came to Crawford County in 1868, stopped in the valley of Cox's Creek for a short time, then settled on his home of eighty acres, which he has improved and runs as a grain farm; has sixty acres under cultivation, and raises a variety of fruits, etc. He is a member of the Baptist Church and is a Trustee of the same. He was married to Miss Margaret Martin, of Kansas, June 13, 1861; They have three children living - Francis M., Charles W., Hartwell E.

MRS. M. MICINHAMMER, milliner and dress-maker, was born in Kentucky, august 13, 1842. She received a liberal education, and at the age of sixteen was married to Mr. Mitto Micinhammer, of North Carolina, and resided in Missouri four years, and for a short time in Indiana. Having lost her husband, she returned to her home in Kentucky, and remained two years, going from there to Evansville, Indiana, where she staid three years, and then located, in 1871, in Girard, Kan., and commenced business. By her energy and industry she has bought a house and lot, besides taking care of her invalid mother for the past eleven years. Mrs. Micinhammer is a member of the Order of Good Templers.

A. R. MOORE, grocer, was born in Ohio April 3, 1845; was raised on a farm in Illinois, received a business education, and began farming for himself at the age of eighteen years, continuing that occupation five years. He came to Kansas in 1869, and located on a farm of 160 acres, which he improved and run as a grain, stock and fruit farm. The farm is nicely fenced with hedge, and has two good wells of water. Mr. Moore continued on farm five years, and then went to Osage Mission, and carried on grocery business six years, and in 1879 came to Girard and built his store and residence, and opened present business. Mr. Moore is Select Knight, and member of A. O. U. W. He was married to Miss Frances Stinnett, of Illinois, March 8, 1874. They have two children - Nettie May and Walter. Mrs. Moore was educated at a high school, and taught school in Kansas.

ANDREW MURDOCK, farmer and stock-raiser, Sections 9 and 16, P. O. Girard, was born in Noble County, Ohio, June 21, 1838, and was identified with farming there till the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in Company F, Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and did active service till he was disabled by sunstroke from active duty. He then remained in detail service till August, 1863, when he was honorably discharged. He then returned home but soon after located in Perry County, Indiana, where he remained til 1865, when he came to Kansas, and located here, and has been actively identified with the farming and stock business since. In 1863, he married Miss Louisa Craig, of Noble County, Ohio. They have one son and five daughters - John William, Hattie L., Lillie J., Ella May, Mary Ida and Louisa Verne. Mr. Murdock has worked actively in the growth of the public and social life of his locality since coming here. He has been a member of the A., F. * A. M. society for the last sixteen years. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His farm contains 120 acres of improved land, well fenced and watered and stocked; a nice orchard of three acres of nicely assorted variety of fruits; dwellings and barn and stables.

GREENBERY MURDOCK, farmer and stock-raiser, Sections 9 and 16, P. O. Girard, was born in Frederick County, Va., in 1833, and was reared in Ohio, his people having moved there in 1839. He learned the trade of carpenter, and followed it in Ohio till the war, when he did two years' service in it, enlisting in Company H, One Hundred and Sixteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was honorably discharged from the Sixty-seventh, December, 1865. He then returned to Ohio, and remained there till 1867, when he came to Kansas and located upon the present homestead, where he has been actively identified with his present industry since, meantime carrying on carpentering for several years. He married, in 1855, Miss Henrietta Craig, of Ohio, by whom he has nine children, five sons and four daughters. They are - William and Washington, farmers in Colorado; Alice, Leonard, Laura, Cornelius, Irenius, Florence and Loretta, at home. He has always taken an active interest in the development of his locality since coming here, and has filled, for several years, important municipal and school offices. the family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The farm contains 120 acres of improved land, containing a nice orchard of five acres of assorted fruits; good dwellings and barns and stables.

JACOB NUTT, farmer, Section 21, P. O. Girard, was born in Indiana in 1829, raised on a farm, received a business education, farmed in connection with carpentering in 1857, at the end of which time he came to Kansas, located in Johnson County, on a farm of 160 acres, and which he improved and run as a grain and stock farm until 1863. Then went to Indiana, where he remained until 1867; then to Missouri, at the carpenter's business three years; then to Kansas on his present home of 160 acres, which he improved, and has since run as a grain and stock farm. Has 115 acres under cultivation, good line of fruits, and carries from seventy-five to 100 head of stock, which he raises, buys, feeds and sells; is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church; was married to Miss Emily Campbell. They have ten children - Mary E., John C., Daniel, James, William L., Margaret A., Dora E., Freddie, Bertha, Eva.

THOMAS PAINTON, butcher, was born in England February 16, 1840. He received a business education, and came to the United States in 1857. He remained in Minnesota on a farm six months, and was afterward in Iowa on a farm four years. He then served three years in the army, and was then at school one year. He came to Kansas in 1868, and located at Girard, where there were but five houses and ten persons in the place. He began butchering in 1868, and has continued it to date. He built a business house in 1870, and a dwelling in 1872. In 1874, he built a stone and brick house, and in 1879, a brick block, containing two stores, lower story 23x80 feet, and a hall above 47x80 feet. He owns twenty acres of pasture and a slaughter-house near Girard. He is a Freemason, and helped to organize the lodge at Girard, of which he is a charter member. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was Deputy Sheriff in 1869. He was married to Miss Philena Elliott, of Pennsylvania, in 1872. They have four children - Elizabeth F., Mark J., Asa and Ralph.

COLUMBUS C. PARKER, M. D., was born in New York City in 1842; a lineal descendant of Admiral Theodore Parker. He received his literary education in Central College, N. Y., after a thorough course of four years, in which he graduated ably by his own unaided exercises financially. He then began the study of his profession, in which he succeeded in graduating, and began the practice of it in New York City, where he was successfully connected with it for many years. In 1878, he located here, and has been active in the practice of his profession since. In September, 1875, he married Miss Kate Latshaw, of Victory, Vernon County, Wis. She was a grand-daughter maternally of Harvey Sterling; paternally of Admiral Porter, both of Kentucky pioneer celebrity. They have a family of one son and two daughters - Earl C., Clare and Ethel. Dr. Parker has worked actively in the development of the social, public and industrial life of his locality since coming here. During the civil war he did active and honorable service in Company I, Eighteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, from 1862 until the end of the war. He has worked actively in connection with the Eclectic Medical Association of Kansas, of which he is an honored member. Religiously, he is a Deist. He has invented five useful inventions, on all of which he has been granted letters patent. He is an original thinker, and dares to advocate his views socially, politically and religiously. As a phrenologist, he has no equal west of New York.

C. D. PATTERSON, proprietor and owner of the Crawford County Mills, was born in Willsborough, Essex County, N. Y., In 1826, and was identified in his native state with the profession of millwright and mill-building for several years. In 1859, he located in Wisconsin, and was principally employed in milling and farming until 1869, when he came to Kansas, and has been identified with the milling industry here since. June 7, 1852, he married Miss Sarah E. Scott, who departed this life August 29, 1874, and is buried in the Girard Cemetery, leaving a family of two sons living - Fred D. and Frank W., associated with their father in his business. In June, 1876, he married Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Miller nee Fernett. They have one son - Charles K.

THEODORE T. PERRY, real estate, loan and insurance agent and farmer, was born in Pennsylvania October 10, 1841. He was raised on a farm, and began teaching school in Pennsylvania in 1862, being engaged in attending and teaching school until 1867. In 1868-69, he studied law in Illinois, and was admitted to the bar in July, 1869, and came to Girard in 1869. He was Clerk of the District Court one year, then practiced law two years. In 1875, he was selected by the Gulf Railroad Company to dispose of the railroad lands, and traveled East, and ran excursion trains for the company. In 1876, he became a local agent for the railroad land department, and has continued in the same position since that time. In the meantime, has done a large amount of real estated business for private parties and for himself. Mr. Perry has laid out three additions to the town of Girard and built many residences and business houses and improved a large number of farms, having had as many as 200 farms, and among them some of the finest farms in Crawford County. He is also the largest real estate holder in the county; owns from 250 to 300 town lots. He was married to Miss Mary A. Chapin, of Galesburg, Ill., in 1870. She graduated in the class of 1870 at Lombard University. They have four children.

AUGUST A. PHILLIPS, druggist, was born in Ohio in 1857. In 1870, he came to Kansas, and was employed as clerk in a drug store until 1876, at which time he bought the business of Mr. Scott, and continued it about eighteen months. He then sold out, built a new store 20x64 feet, bought a new stock of goods, and commenced business in the store which he now owns and occupies. Mr. Phillips also owns an interest in a boot and shoe stock at Pittsburgh. He was married, in 1878, to Miss Louella Turner, of Iowa, and has one child - Maude M.

CAPT. THOMAS PING, law and real estate business, was born in Somerset, Pulaski County, Ky., July 30, 1815, and received his education in the old-time subscription schools of his nativity. In 1831, his father's family settled in Bartholomew County, Ind., where they carried on a farm until 1839. His father died here in 1833. In 1839, he and his mother and a brother settled in Burlington, Iowa, where they carried on farming and stock-raising until 1843, when he settled in Ashland, Wapello County, Iowa, and in connection with farming he added to his business the practice of law and banking and merchandising. It was from his bank, "Farmers' and Merchants'," that the first paper money of the State was issued. He carried on his business actively until February, 1862, when he organized and took command of Company E, Seventeenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and did active service until the end of the war, when he was honorably discharged, retaining his rank. During his war service he participated in all the principal battles of his campaign. At the siege of Fort Hill, near Vicksburg, he was wounded in the side and lost his hearing in his left ear and impaired that of the right; at the battle of Tilton, Ga., he was wounded and captured, remaining in rebel prisons for six months, returning after Lee's surrender. After the war he returned to Ashland, and continued the practice of law there until April, 1870, when he located here and established his present business, which he has successfully carried on since. He married, in 1841, in Burlington, Iowa, Miss Sarah A. Wright, a native of Brown County, Ohio. They have a family of two sons and two daughters - Peru I. B. (attorney), Kate, Frances and John E. W. (telegraph operator). Capt. Ping has been actively engaged in the development of the public, social and industrial life of this place since coming here. In 1872-73, he served his city in its council. In 1874, he served as Mayor, retiring from that office in the fall to accept the Probate Judgeship, which he held for two years. He has been an active member of the I. O. O. F. Society for over thirty-five years. The family are members of the Episcopal Church. The great grandfather of Capt. Ping was John Ping, who came to America from India in 1740, where he had done a thirty years' service in the East Indies. After coming here he took an active part in the colonial and Indian wars, and served under Braddock, and afterward Dunbar, and later on in the Revolutionary war; eventually settled in Northumberland County, Va., on the shores of Chesapeake Bay and followed farming. Capt. Ping's grandfather, John Ping, also did service in the Revolutionary war, and was an active and representative farmer of Virginia. Capt. Ping's father, William Ping, was born in Virginia; was captain in the war of 1812 under Gen. Jackson at New Orleans, but eventually settled in Pulaski County, Ky.

J. C. PRICE, manager for William Lyons & co., dealers in saddles and harness; was born in Illinois in 1857; was raised on a farm; received a business education; he went to work for himself in 1871 on a farm and continued two years, then came to Cherokee County, Kan., and was on a farm two years, then farmed in Missouri two years, then back to Missouri, and returned to Cherokee County and farmed until 1879, at which time he began work at the harness business at Girard, and continued until June, 1882, at which time he took charge of the above business. He was married to Miss Mattie F. Price, of Illinois, in 1879. They have one child - Bessie.

GEORGE PRIESTLY, butcher, was born in England in 1846, and came to the United States in 1867. He farmed in Illinois until 1877, at which time he came to Kansas, settled in Girard and opened his present business. He bought a business house and residence and owns twenty acres of land near Girard used as pasture. He is a Select Knight, and belongs to the Order of Red Men and Ancient Order of United Workmen. He was married to Miss Caroline Peterson, of Illinois, in 18873, and has one daughter - Ada, born in 1874.

MORGAN A. RANSOM, marble works, was born in Michigan, 1849, February 10; received common education; was in Indiana until 1869; was then in Iowa three months; then came to Kansas; located in Crawford County, and remained eight years; then began marble business, 1878; is a member of the Methodist Church; belongs to Order of Odd Fellows. Was married to Miss Louisa Smith, of Illinois, 1874, March 28. Has on child living, - Annie E. Phebe, deceased. Mr. Ransom owns house and lot in Girard.

PHILANDER A. REED, farmer and stock-raiser, P. O. Girard, was born in Harrison County, West Virginia, September 28, 1838, and was identified then with farming business till December, 1864, when he located in Kosciusko County, Ind., where he was engaged in farming business till September, 1870, when he came to Kansas and located in this county, and has been actively identified with his present industry here since. He married in October 12, 1859, Miss Lucinda Eurit of his native county. They have a family of four sons and two daughters - Emory L., farmer; Llewellyn D., merchant; Mary V., Alice C., Ed. T. and Jerome W. The family are members of the Methodist Church. He is an active member of the A. O. U. W., the Grange and G. T. societies. His farm contains eighty acres of land, good buildings and a nice young orchard. Besides this, he owns considerable town property in Girard, the county seat.

A. P. RIDDLE, one of the editors of the Girard Press, and Senator for the Thirteenth Senatorial District, was born in Pennsylvania August 16, 1846. He lost his mother in infancy, and his early life was spent in a country town, where he received such an education as the common schools of the vicinity could afford. His father joined the army in 1861, and he was thrown upon his own resources, and left to struggle with the world as best he might, when he was a lad of fifteen years. A year later he went into a printing office as apprentice, where he remained until 1866, when he visited Kansas on a prospecting tour. He was sufficiently pleased with the country to determine to make it his home, and carried his resolution into execution two years later, returning to the State in 1868, to become a permanent resident. His first year spent in Kansas was in the office of the Mirror, at Olathe, and from that place he removed to Girard just as it was made the county seat of Crawford County. Mr. Riddle moved to Girard, intending to start a paper, but found that some other person had anticipated him in his purpose, and therefore, after working for the new paper a short time, he returned to Pennsylvania and soon came back to Girard, and bought Dr. Warner's interest in the paper in June, 1873, since which time it has been published by himself and Mr. Wasser. Mr. Riddle was Journal clerk of the State Senate from 1877 to 1881, and was elected Senator from the Thirteenth Senatorial District in 1880. He is now Secretary of the Crawford County Agricultural Society. He was married to Ada Fuller, of Springfield, Ill., in 1878, and has two children - Estelle and Mary. Mr. R. is a member of the I. O. O. F., K. of P. and Red Men.

JOHN W. ROSS, blacksmith, was born in Tennessee, in 1838. He commenced blacksmithing in his native State and continued until 1862, when he moved to Kentucky and worked at his trade in that State ten years. In 1872, he came to Kansas and located in Girard, where he started the same business in connection with a repair shop, and has also manufactured wagons and buggies, and where he now owns both business and residence property. Mr. Ross is a member of the Baptist Church. He was married in 1864, to Miss Elizabeth Crook, of Kentucky. They have six children - William H., Thomas A., Sallie A., Willard E., Green E., and Charles H.

JOHN RUSHTON, farmer, Section 1, P. O. Girard, was born in North Carolina, 1821; raised on a farm; received common education; went to Indiana in infancy; remained there until 1879, in the grain and stock business, at the end of which time he came to Kansas; located on his present home of eighty acres; is a member of the Campbellite Church. Was married to Miss Alice Horn, of Ohio, in 1843. Have ten children - Emma, Mary, Joseph, Kate, Frank, Renia, George and John (twins) Charles and William. Mrs. Rushton is a member of the Christian Church.