settling on a homestead about six miles south of the town of Grant. Our subject was reared on the farm, as a boy attending the district schools, and later was a student at the Fremont Business College, graduating from that institution in 1903, and in the same year was made deputy county treasurer, served his term and then returned to the farm. He remained for two years, then was nominated and received the election to the office of county clerk, entering upon his duties as such in the fall of 1907, and has made a good record for himself in the position.

    Mr. Edwards was married in 1904 to Miss Lillie May Williams, whose father is a prominent Nebraska, (sic) settling in Omaha as early as 1873, and he has been identified with the affairs of that part of the state for many years. One child has been born to our subject, Herbert. Both Mr. Edwards and his charming wife are popular members of the younger social set of Grant, and their home is one of the hospitable places in the town.

   Nathan E. Fay was born in March of 1833 on a farm in Canada, sixty miles east of Montreal and within fifteen miles of the north line of the state of Vermont. His father, Alvie Fay, was born in Vermont and his mother, Augusta (Ellis) Fay, was a native of Massachusetts.

   Mr. Fay was reared on the farm in eastern Canada, receiving a common school education, until 1853, when the family immigrated to Wisconsin, where for seven years our subject was engaged in farming.

    In 1856 Nathan E. Fay and Miss Emily J. Calkins were united in marriage. The bride was a native of Canada, where she was born in the year 1839. Her father, Stephen Calkins, was an old pioneer of Wisconsin, having settled in that state in 1840.

   Mr. and Mrs. Fay have had seven children, four of whom are living and married: Elnora, Stephen, Herschel and Alberta. Those deceased were Emma, Eugene and Etta.

   When the family of our subject came to Minnesota in 1853 they traveled in a covered wagon, crossing the Mississippi river at LaCrosse, where they had a dangerous experience crossing on the ice, which was not frozen very thick. They had to string the teams and loads out as far apart as possible, and then the cracking of the ice threatened to give way at any instant. No severe mishap occurred, however, other than the breaking through of one mule, which was soon recovered. But the nervous strain of the experience will never be forgotten by Mr. Fay. Our subject went on west to Fillmore county, Minnesota, and settled on a rented farm in the timber and prairie country and he also owned one hundred and sixty acres of land. Later he lived in Waseca for several years and joined an expedition against the Indians after the New Ulm massacre. He then went south and was a mule teamster in Missouri for some time and later settled in the Loup river valley in Nebraska, three miles east of Taylor. He drove through from Minnesota with a bunch of cattle, was three weeks on the road, living in a tent and camping out along the way. Mr. Fay lived on his land east of Taylor for seven years and in 1886 went by team to the Black Hills country and was in Custer City in Custer county and up into South Dakota. He remained here in the hill country for about six and a half years and then returned to Loup county and stuck to his farm through all the years, regardless of the drouth (sic) and total crop loss in 1894, or any other hardship, and now he has a fine farm of two hundred acres, all improved in nice shape with house, barns, fences, groves, etc. In 1903 he moved to Taylor and bought his present pleasant home.

   Mr. Nathan E. Fay is one of the old-times and has had a most interesting history. He was one of the first members of the Republican party in Wisconsin in 1856; he has been through the Indian excitement; has lived the life of a pioneer in a sod house and dugout; experienced the hard times of the years of drouth (sic); but he has gotten in a position where he can take life easier. In the early days his home was the stopping place of travelers and freighters and he thus became acquainted with all the settlers for miles up the Loup river. He is a Republican in politics and has held the office of county commissioner. He was active in having the county seat located in Taylor and participated in all the county seat fights. Mr. Fay is a man of wide experience and mature judgment and is held in high respect by all who know him. He has been one of the most influential of the early pioneers.

   L. C. Huck, who has filled the office of clerk of the district court of Phelps county for the past eight or ten years, is one of the most whole-souled men in the county. Mr. Huck

is a cigarmaker by trade, and shortly after his arrival in Holdrege, many years ago, opened the first cigar factory in this section. Being a student of economic questions by inclination, and a true sympathizer with the man who earns his bread by the sweat of his brow, he at once became identified with the old Union Labor and Alliance movements, and subsequently the Populist party. Mr. Huck was born in Germany.

   In 1891 Mr. Huck was nominated for the office which he now holds, and has since administered uninterruptedly, proving one of the capable and popular public officials of the county. While devoid of ostentation, Mr. Huck is a courteous gentleman, and the administration of his office has been beyond criticism of even political opponents. During the past couple of years he has been ably assisted in his duties by his daughter, Miss Laura, whom he appointed his deputy.

   The gentleman whose name heads this review is one of the wealthy and progressive agriculturists of Garfield county, who has succeeded in building up a valuable farm and home through hard labor and persistent efforts. He is a loyal Nebraskan, enthusiastic in his praise of this part of the state, considering it one of the finest farming countries to be found anywhere.

   Mr. Buhlke was born in Germany, October 4, 1852, and grew up there, coming to the United States in 1881. He first located in Illinois, where he remained for a year, then came to Nebraska, and has lived here ever since. He first settled in Hall county and followed farming, building up a good home. In 1893 he removed to Custer county, locating forty miles southwest of Garfield county, and lived there for five years. During 1894 and 1895 he suffered a total loss of his crops and had a hard time recovering from this loss. In 1898 he came to Garfield county and purchased six hundred and forty acres of land, which is his present homestead. He owns besides this farm one hundred and sixty acres on the table lands ten miles northeast of Burwell, and has a very valuable property. He engages in grain raising, growing wheat, corn, oats and rye, and finds ready sale for all his products direct to the stockmen, who run large bunches of stock on ranches north of his place. He has never hauled a load of grain to town since coming here, and this saves him much time, and is much more satisfactory in every way. In 1905 he had a field of fifty acres of oats, which averaged seventy bushels per acre, and his corn crop showed a yield of forty-five bushels per acre, which is a fair average annually. He also raises quite a good deal of stock each year, running a good bunch of cattle and hogs for market. About half of his farm is devoted to raising hay and for pasture.

    Mr. Buhlke has a pleasant and comfortable home, all good buildings and modern improvements, well fenced and cross fenced. The farm is well supplied with water, having two deep bored wells and supply tanks at different points on the place. During the year 1907 Mr. Buhlke donated several acres of land for town sites in the new town which is being built a short distance from his home, which is in section 7, township 22, range 15. This town is named Deverre, and there are already several store buildings going up and one general store in operation. The place promises to be a good business center, as it is situated in the midst of a rich farming community.

    Mr. Buhlke was married in Germany in 1875 to Miss Katie Heintz, of German descent. When he came to this country he was accompanied by his family, consisting of his wife and two children, Bertha and Julius. There are now seven children, named as follows: Bertha, Julius, August, Ella, Ermina, John and Anna.

   Mr. Buhlke is well satisfied with this part of the country and believes it offers many advantages to a poor man, and he has proven this by building up a comfortable fortune since coming to this country without much capital other than willing hands and a strong heart. He is highly respected and has held different local offices of trust, serving as road overseer for several years, and has also been a member of the school board for six years. Politically he is a Democrat, but does not take an active interest in politics at the present time.

   In the person of the gentleman above named we find one of the substantial and worthy citizens of Perkins county, who has spent the past twenty-three years in this region and watched its development from a wild tract of land into its present high state of cultivation, and has been instrumental in a large degree in this progress. Mr. Mowry is now a residena (sic) of Grant, where he is engaged in the milling and carpenter business. A portrait of him will be found on another page.

   Our subject was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, in 1860. His father was a native of Vermont and his mother of English descent, they settling in Pennsylvania when young people and raised their family there. As a boy Mr. Mowry learned the carpenter's trade and followed the work from the time he was fifteen years old almost constantly. He came to Hastings, Nebraska, in 1885 and worked in the vicinity for one year, then moved to Perkins county, locating in the old town of Grant at first. He soon afterwards took a homestead situated six miles northeast of Grant, and while working at his trade managed to improve his farm considerably and proved up on it, living on it for about eight years. There he went through many hard times, witnessing the drouths, (sic) severe storms, etc., and having a hard time to get ahead through losses and discouragements, and in 1897 left the place and spent one year at Cook, in Johnson county; also in Keith county for two years, following his trade, and finally returned to Perkins county and again went on a farm, operating it up to the spring of 1908, when he moved to Grant and established his present grist mill, also started doing contracting work. He has done much of the building in Grant, putting up both churches in the town, and is well and favorably known throughout the locality.

    Mr. Mowry was married in 1884 to Miss Lorena Pierce, born in Pennsylvania, daughter of David and Nancy (Andrus) Pierce, who were old settlers of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Mowry died in February, 1891, mourned by a wide circle of friends. She was a pioneer here and witnessed many of the trials of pioneer life. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Mowry was blessed with two children, Vance and Hilda, both bright and intelligent young people, and popular in their community.

    Our subject is a Democrat politically and has served as county assessor of Perkins county. He is active in local affairs, also takes a commendable interest in the schools and has held office and been on the school board at different times.

   Of the many prominent and leading old settlers of Sheridan and Cherry counties, Nebraska, none are held in higher esteem by their fellow-men than John H. Jacobson. He has spent many years in this region, is a gentleman of wide experience and excellent business judgment, and is deservedly popular as a good neighbor and worthy citizen.

   Mr. Jacobson was born in the Province of Bergen, Norway, near the city of Bergen, in 1853. His parents immigrated to America with their family when he was but one year old, settling at Ottawa, Illinois, arriving there on July 8, 1854. After spending a short time there they moved to Dayton, remained a while, then to Otter Creek, Illinois. Their next location was Pontiac, Livingston county, Illinois, and at this place our subject grew up and attended the country schools up to his fourteenth year. In 1867 the family came to Benton, Iowa, and there John grew to manhood and was married on February 6, 1876, to Dora Tow, also a native of Norway, born near the city of Stavanger, on the seacoast, coming to this country at the age of thirteen, landing in New York in 1866. The young couple settled in Story county, Iowa, soon after their marriage and farmed on rented land for ten years. In April of 1885 our subject came to Sheridan county, Nebraska, driving through the country with a team from Valentine by wagon containing their goods and personal effects. At that time the country was overrun with Indians, and many wild beasts roamed the woods and prairies. He made settlement eight miles northwest of Rushville, taking a pre-emption and tree claim, and in June of that year his family came to join him, they traveling on the construction train from Valentine to a point west of Merriman, and from that place came the balance of the journey in a wagon, camping out along the way until they reached their destination. Their first buildings were of logs, which were cut and hauled by our subject himself, and the house was all of native timber. One of the first articles of furniture he made after coming here was a cupboard of native timber, and this is still in his possession and among his most highly prized treasures. They occupied that place for fifteen years and succeeded in developing a good farm, although meeting with many discouragements and suffering many hardships in the loss of four or five crops by drouth (sic) and other causes. For eleven years during the early times he ran a threshing outfit, and in following that work became thoroughly familiar with every part of the country and gained many friends.

    In the spring of 1900 he came to Cherry county and settled on his present ranch, which is in section 25, township 26, range 32, twelve miles north of Mullen. The place was then all wild prairie, and his first house was a dugout and shanty combined. He soon put up

good buildings, got quite a large piece of land under cultivation, and has done exceedingly well, owning at the present time six hundred and forty-three acres, and the entire ranch is fenced and cross fenced and improved in every way. He has engaged to quite an extent in stock raising, and his start on coming to this region was sixteen head of cattle. He began to rent out pasture to other settlers and in that way managed to get a little money together so that he constantly enlarged his own herd and was able to build up his ranch in good shape.

   Mr. Jacobson has a family of six children, namely: Henry C., Julia, Jessie (deceased), Ella, Arthur J., John E. and Alma. The first four mentioned were born in Iowa and the others in Nebraska.

    Since coming to this part of the state Mr. Jacobson has aided in a large measure in its development, helping to build up the schools and promote the general welfare of his locality. He has always been a stanch (sic) Populist and has taken an active part in political matters. For a number of years he served as justice of the peace in Sheridan county, and holds the same office now in Cherry county. He is also director of his school district, and has filled the office of president of the Farmers' Alliance in this and Sheridan county. In 1895 he was elected a member of the central committee on the Populist ticket.

   Gilbert V. Anderson up until January, 1908, resided with his father, A. J. Anderson, on the latter's well improved farm in section 4, Sheridan township, Phelps county. Father and son operated this place together, and the latter also rented land adjoining, running in all a farm of over three hundred and twenty acres. Our subject and his father were among the most successful agriculturists in this region, and are well and favorably known throughout the locality in which they live.

    Mr. Anderson was born in 1885 on his father's farm in Phelps county. His father is a native of Sweden, coming to America in 1874, settling in Chicago, where he worked for a time, then came west and located in Nebraska, where he took up a homestead, taking advantage of the liberal laws of this country to secure a farm equal to the best in the country, which is a competence for his old age and a good inheritance for his children. How wise this was in comparison with the course of so many thousands of his countrymen who remain as toilers in the great cities is shown by contrasting their condition today with that of our subject and his family. The family first came here in 1883, and during the first years experienced all the reverses and toils of the pioneer settlers, but with the development of this section he has enjoyed the goodly measure of success which has attended all careful farmers in Phelps county who had the pluck and judgment to keep their land through the hard times.

    Our subject, Gilbert V. Anderson, although only just past his majority, has, ever since he was old enough, been an able second to his father and has relieved his parents of the great responsibilities of tilling the three hundred and twenty acres. While at home he has also taken the greater part of the work upon his own shoulders. He is a bright, intelligent and clean-cut young man, a good son and citizen of the right stamp, pointing to success in the future that shall be an ample reward for his labors. He is an active Republican, alive to the requirements of the day in agricultural pursuits and general citizenship. Their farm is well improved and stocked in good shape.

   The family are members of the Swedish Mission church here. Our subject sold his farming interests in January, 1908, and has gone to contracting and building in Holdrege. Cement work is his specialty, having the contract for building the First Baptist church of Holdrege. This is to be one of the finest churches in Holdrege when finished.

   Albert Wiker, one of the old-timers and representative citizens of Alliance, Nebraska, was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1847. He is a son of John Wiker, a miller by trade and an old settler in Iowa, and the family came to Muscatine county, Iowa, when our subject was a child of four years. There they went through the usual pioneer experiences, and he grew up on the home farm, enlisting in the army in 1862, with the Eleventh Iowa Infantry. His regiment was ordered south at once, and he saw service in the western army, participating in the battle of Shiloh and also in the siege of Vicksburg. He re-enlisted in 1864 and was with Sherman's army all through Georgia and around Atlanta, taking part in the grand review at Washington. For three years and a half he followed

a soldier's fortunes, going through all the suffering and hardships which fell to lot of those brave boys in blue.

   After the war closed our subject returned to Iowa, remaining there until 1866, then went west, traveling through Colorado and spending some time in Denver, also visiting Wyoming, Texas and southern Kansas in his journey, and for many years followed the life of a cowboy. In 1872 he went back to the old home and remained there for fourteen years, engaged in different enterprises. He first settled in Box Butte county, Nebraska, in 1886, coming in here from Sidney, driving the distance with a team and wagon. He took up a pre-emption located southeast of Alliance and proved up on the ranch, living there for four years, then moved to Alliance, and has since made that his home. Here he has been one of the leading citizens, taking an active part in the development and growth of the commercial interests of his community, and is well known and highly esteemed throughout Box Butte county. He was elected sheriff in the fall of 1905, and again in 1907, and is now serving in that capacity, this being his second term. Mr. Wiker has also been town marshal for a number of years. For several years our subject was proprietor of the Wiker Dining Hall.

   In 1872 Mr. Wiker was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth J. Gladstone, daughter of Thomas Gladstone and Rachel Johnson Gladstone, both born in Ireland. To Mr. and Mrs. Wiker were born the following children: John, Mabel and Arthur. Mrs. Wiker died in 1889, and in her death the family suffered a severe affliction, as she was a lady of the most estimable character, beloved by all who knew her. Mr. Wiker was married again in 1901 to Miss H. M. Frazier.

   Colonel J. H. Hart is numbered among the leading business men and prominent citizens of Ainsworth, Nebraska. He is a man of active public spirit and one of the best known and most highly esteemed residents of that thriving city. Colonel Hart was born near Jacksonville, in Morgan county, Illinois, May 16, 1840. He is a son of Millington E. Hart, a farmer, of American blood, native of Kentucky. His mother is also a Kentuckian, and her maiden name was Mary C. Majors. Our subject is the eldest in a family of four children, and was reared in Sangamon county, Illinois, and educated in the common schools of Auburn. At the age of eighteen years he started in the stock business and has followed in that line of work continuously ever since. In 1868 he went to Missouri and taught school in Pettis county for four years, remaining in that state until 1873, when he returned to his old home and engaged in the mercantile business at Auburn for two years. Then he engaged in farming in Sangamon county, which he followed for two years, after which he bought an elevator at Auburn and was in the grain business for six years. In 1890 he came to Nebraska and located in Ainsworth, going into the stock business, and in connection with this followed the auctioneer's calling, crying sales all over the county. He has been an active and industrious business man all his life, having been engaged in many large enterprises and has gained a large measure of success through his earnest efforts and strict attention to duty. He lost his father by death when he was but six years of age, and has had to depend entirely upon his own efforts and been obliged to hustle for himself since his boyhood days.

     Mr. Hart was married at Auburn, November 5, 1865, to Miss Mary Stone, a native of Kentucky, who was reared and educated in Missouri. She was a daughter of Dr. Peter H. Stone, also a Kentuckian by birth. Two children have been born to Colonel and Mrs. Hart, namely: Virginia (now Mrs. Jesse D. Cook, of Otsego county, New York), and Stella, who died in 1892. Mr. Hart and his wife both belong to the Rebecca Lodge, and take an active part in the work of that order. He has been a member of the Masonic Lodge since 1861, serving as master of the lodge and attending grand lodge in Omaha. He has been an Odd Fellow since 1872. Since the Douglas campaign he has been a Democrat, voting the party ticket every campaign since that date.

   The gentleman above mentioned needs no introduction to the people of Cheyenne county, Nebraska. He is one of the early pioneers of that locality, is one of the extensive landowners, and a man who enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know him.

    John. P. Fischer was born in eastern Tennessee on the 15th of November, 1858. The family moved to Illinois in the spring of 1863, where our subject grew up and received a common school education, and in 1885 came

to Cheyenne county, landing in this region on March 3d, of that year. He homesteaded on section 14, township 12, range 50, proved up on the land and has added to it since, now owning half a section additional and one hundred and sixty acres under Kinkaid law. He has about one hundred and twenty acres under cultivation, and deals extensively in the stock business, running fifty head of cattle at the present time, also has twenty horses. Mr. Fischer has his farm well improved with good buildings and every kind of modern machinery for the proper operation of his farm, and has a fine residence, plenty of trees and a good water supply.

    In March, 1881, Mr. Fischer was united in marriage to Mary Kutzmann, who was born in Highland, Madison county, Illinois, on January 6, 1863. Seven children have been born to them, all of whom are living, named as follows: George M., born September 7, 1881, now proprietor of a fine farm which he took as a homestead, located in section 30, township 12, range 50; Louise, now wife of Henry Laaker, residing in Colorado; Katie, Ida, Minnie, Mary and Margaret. Mr. Fischer is active in public affairs and a loyal Republican in political views.

   J. L. Duffin is one of the prominent ranchmen in Deuel county, Nebraska, his home ranch being located on section 17, township 17, range 44. Mr. Duffin was born in Canada, March 15, 1852, and came to the United States with his parents in 1854. They located in the eastern part of the state of Iowa and our subject remained there until 1881. He then came west to Greeley county, Nebraska, and in 1886 came to Deuel county, taking up a homestead. He has been very successful in Deuel county and now controls about one thousand one hundred and twenty acres. He is unmarried.

   Industry, persistent effort and integrity go hand in hand toward success. To become proficient in any walk of life requires all of these characteristics, and but comparatively few men possess them in marked degree. By constantly having this aim in view one is bound to succeed, and the gentleman above mentioned is starting out in his profession with the right ideas. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, receiving his diploma in 1905, and began the practice of medicine in his native place, Alma, Harlan county, Nebraska. He was educated at the Alma high school, class of 1896, and here received a good foundation for his later studies.

    Dr. Conklin is a son of Thomas J. and Mary E. (Brown) Conklin, who came to Nebraska from La Salle county, Illinois, locating in Harlan county in 1872, where they were among the first settlers here. They homesteaded in Prairie Dog township and farmed there for thirteen years, and in 1886 removed to Alma, where Mr. Conklin followed the building and contracting business up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1887, since which time his wife has resided here. He left a family of two children, the subject of the sketch and one daughter, Blanch, now deceased, who was the wife of the late Ed L. Willits, a merchant and banker of Alma, always referred to as the most enterprising and helpful business man of Alma.

    Dr. Conklin was married in 1905 to Miss Jessie Riley, of Fairbury, Nebraska, a daughter of E. L. Riley. One child has been born to Dr. and Mrs. Conklin, named Robert Earl Conklin, Jr.

    During the short time that Dr. Conklin has been established in Alma his practice has grown to large proportions, extending all over this and adjoining counties, and his skill as a surgeon places him at the head of the profession among physicians in this section. A portrait of Dr. Conklin appears on another page of this volume.

   Charles Fuller, a substantial farmer and a worthy citizen of Loup county, resides on section 11, township 21 range 17. He is one of the pioneers of that locality and has materially assisted in its development and advancement.

    Mr. Fuller was born in Windham county, Connecticut, in 1841, and, on his father's side, his ancestry is traceable back to the Mayflower stock of Puritans. His parents were Solomon and Margarette (Black) Fuller, the latter born in Brooklyn, New York, and of English decent.

    Our subject was reared near Hartford and attended the common and high schools. When the war broke out he enlisted in Company D,

Twenty-second Connecticut Infantry, for nine months' service, after which he returned home, remaining until coming to Nebraska.

    Mr. Fuller was married in 1863 to Miss Elizabeth Phelps, daughter of Julius and Cordelia (Steel) Phelps, the father being of old Connecticut stock. Mr. and Mrs. Fuller have two children, Margarette and Albert. Mrs. Fuller died in 1871 and was sincerely mourned by her family and a very large circle of friends.

   In 1883 our subject came west to Nebraska, first stopping in Colfax county, where he remained for about a year. Then he came to Loup county, settling on a homestead and tree claim, where he now lives. His first buildings were built of sod, facetiously called "Nebraska brick" by Mr. Fuller. He set out a great number of trees and made other improvements as rapidly as his limited means would permit, and, for the first ten years, worked out a great deal of the time at the carpenter trade.

    Mr. Fuller has a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres with about half of it under cultivation, and the place is thoroughly improved in an up-to-date manner. The trees that he planted in the early days have developed and now make beautiful groves for shade and shelter. Mr. Fuller was the first in the locality to experiment in the growing of alfalfa, meeting with splendid success. He does a great deal of gardening, raising vegetables of all kinds, and also small fruits in great profusion. In one season he picked between five hundred and six hundred quarts of strawberries, and has also quantities of grapes and blackberries, thus showing that the soil of Loup county is excellent for the growing of all kinds of small fruits and vegetables. Mr. Fuller also raises a fine lot of hogs every year and now has one hundred head in his pastures.

    Mr. Fuller has made a fine record as a successful farmer and has placed himself in a very comfortable circumstances. He has taken part in all matters of local interest and is widely known and universally respected as an honorable citizen.

   Richard H. Watkins, who for many years has been known by the sobriquet of "The Old Scout," is a prominent citizen of Alliance, Nebraska, where he has resided since 1889. He was born in Mahaska county, Iowa, in 1857, and reared on his father's farm. His parents were both natives of Wales, and were early settlers in Iowa.

    Our subject lived in Iowa up to 1882, then came to Greeley county, Nebraska, where he pioneered there for a time, building up a farm and home. He left that county and moved to Holt county in 1883, traveling through the country on horseback, and helped his brother to drive a large bunch of cattle into Cheyenne county. He next settled on Indian Creek, eight miles from Camp Clark, there engaging in freighting, driving bull teams to Fort Robinson, Rosebud Agency, Pine Ridge and the Black Hills, continuing at this work for five years, and roughed it all that time, camping out wherever he happened to be, exposed to all sorts of weather both winter and summer. Part of the time he worked as a cowboy and worked on large ranches in that part of the state. In 1889 he came to Alliance and opened a meat market, his capital being just one dollar and fifty cents. He bought the business of his brother, who was the first man to start a butcher shop in the town. Our subject ran the market for five years, then obtained a contract from the government for putting the stock on the Indian reservation, which he filled, and the following year returned to his butcher business and carried it on for a year and a half. In 1897 he began in the sheep and cattle business, buying, selling and shipping stock, and for a number of years carried on that trade, handling stock all over the western states, and is still in that business, associated with a firm which handles more stock annually than any other concern in western Nebraska. Mr. Watkins is an authority on Texas cattle, and handles these exclusively.

    In 1889 our subject was united in marriage at Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Miss Lola C. Foster, who died the following year. He was married again at Los Angeles, California, in 1905, to Miss Charlotte Hill.

   Mr. Watkins was engaged in the real estate business here for a time. He also has taken an active part in local politics since his residence here, always voting the Republican ticket and standing firmly for the principles of that party.

   Mr. Watkins is an interesting gentleman in every way and has a host of warm friends among all classes. He is a genial, whole-souled gentleman, esteemed by all who know him. Among the interesting experiences he relates of the early days is the following incident: During the time when the "gentleman's game" was largely played in Alliance, Mr. Watkins and a few "pals" were passing a few pleasant hours settled on a tree claim and homestead, and in this manner, with the game getting stronger constantly. Finally all "stayed," each man at-

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