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braska, is an old settler in that region, and a gentleman of intelligence and enterprise, who has acquired a good property and the esteem and respect of his fellowmen. He has made section 5, township 29, range 54, his home for many years, and owns and occupies a pleasant home and farm.

     Mr. Hamaker was born in 1863, in Andrew county, Missouri, His father, Daniel, was a farmer and mechanic, and one of the earliest settlers in Kansas, where he lived with his family for many years; the father died there in 1871, and the following year our subject with his mother went to Iowa to reside. They located in Marshall county, and there he grew to manhood, working at whatever he could find to do during those years to help support his mother and the younger children. In 1884 he returned to Kansas and spent four years in Dickinson county, where he worked on a farm, then came to Nebraska and started to work at Fort Robinson. He soon afterwards secured employment as a cow boy and followed that occupation during the years 1890-'91, traveling on the range near Whistle creek. He next took up a tree claim situated three miles south of his present location, and remained on it for several years, coming to the ranch he now occupies in 1900, which he filed on as a homestead. Here he started to improve, putting up good buildings, fencing it, and gradually was able to buy land adjoining until he acquired a nice tract consisting of six hundred and forty acres, all good land, and this he has well stocked with cattle and other stock, horses and the best breed of Hereford cattle and he has quite a large bunch of both.

     Mr. Hamaker has done splendidly since locating here, and is a thoroughly industrious and energetic ranchman, employing modern methods in operating his place, from which he derives a nice income each year. He has always been active in local affairs of importance, serving as precinct assessor for two or three terms, always standing for the best interest of his community.

     As a lad of twenty-two he emigrated to America in 1872 and arrived at Chicago on May 24, 1872, where he remained one year. Not liking the life in a big city, he remained in Chicago one year only, and went to Racine, Wisconsin, in 1873. There he remained about six years, but even there the country was not to his tastes and he concluded to try his luck in Iowa, and in 1879 he removed to Pottawattomie county, where he remained until 1887.

     This proved to be the year which should decide his future life. He came to old Cheyenne county (now Deuel county), Nebraska, and took up a pre-emption of one hundred and sixty acres and also one hundred and sixty acres of timber claim, he also homesteaded on the southwest quarter of section 23, in township 18, range 43, which up to the present date is considered the home ranch. Mr. Peterson having in the meanwhile acquired one thousand five hundred acres of land, of which about five hundred acres are under cultivation.

     Mr. Peterson has had a varied experience since he settled in western Nebraska, and success did not come immediately; he had to undergo all the hardships of an early settler while on the Blue creek and Antelope Valley, being compelled to haul his supplies fifty-five miles, get his mail from Ogallala, and when he built his cabin he had to haul the wood for that purpose a hundred miles or more.

     Hard labor and persistence led to Mr. Peterson's success; he has run large herds in the past and to-day his sons, Henry and Clarence, have the handling of about seven hundred head of cattle and fifty horses in their own right and title.

     Mr. Peterson was married to Lena Hanson, she being the oldest of eleven children, and was born in Denmark coming to America with her parents when seven years old. Her parents are living at present in Racine, Wisconsin.     

     The wedding ceremony took place in Chicago, July 3, 1876; they have five children, of whom George, Henry and Clarence are married, while Dora and Charlie are single. All of them live in Deuel county.

     Mr. Peterson's farm is well improved, while he himself is well and favorably known, and is one of the respected citizens of western Nebraska, while Mrs. Peterson is holding the office of postmaster of Hutchinson, which is located on the Peterson ranch.

     Mr. Peterson has retired from the active operation of his ranch, a large part of it is leased and Mr. Peterson is enjoying a well earned rest. George, his oldest son, owns one thousand acres of land and it is improved with good and modern buildings, fenced and well equipped. He has fifty head of cattle and five horses. He has done his full share in the community, taking an active part in all ques-

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tions of public interest and through industry and perseverance now owns one of the most desirable ranches in western Nebraska.

     Cornelius Fenwick is of English birth, his nativity being in the village of Appleby, Lincolnshire, where he was born December 24,1843. His parents, Edward and Ellen Fenwick, lived and died in England, where the father followed farm labor during his entire life.

     Our subject was reared in the land of his birth, remaining there engaged in farm labor until 1869, when he came to America, sailing from Liverpool in the City of Wisconsin; the voyage was a long one, three weeks, owing to terrific storms and delay owing to rescuing the crew of a sinking vessel they encountered on the way. He landed in New York and for a time worked in the mines near Dover, New Jersey; in the spring of 1870 he went to Will county, Illinois, where he resided three years, performing farm labor for two years and then, after marriage, farming on rented land. Thence he went to Indiana, where he made his home in Newton and Jasper counties, renting a farm until the spring of 1880, when he went to Polk county, Nebraska, where he lived on rented land near Stromsburg until the fall of 1883, at which time he came to Keith county, taking a homestead three and a half miles south of Ogallala. There our subject lived about four years and then "commuted" on his farm. In 1887 he came to the North Platte river valley and located on a pre-emption, which he later changed into a homestead on which he proved up and received a patent to his land. The homestead was the southwest quarter of section 30, township 15, range 37, and here our subject lived until 1906, when he moved to Keystone, building the first house in the village. Mr. Fenwick's earliest residence in the county was built of sod, and as with all the early pioneers he witnessed many hard times owing to drouth (sic) and other adverse causes. On his farm south of Ogallala, he had the first deep well in that whole region. He cut the first grain ever cut in that county in 1885, this being a crop of rye that threshed eighteen bushels to the acre. He also shelled the first corn in the vicinity of Ogallala, running the small sheller all over the country, and was the pioneer in many things in that region. Mr. Fenwick was first appointed postmaster of Keystone when that office was established in 1891 and he has held the position ever since. He has sold his leases of range land, retaining only six hundred and forty acres and his purpose is to spend his declining years in Keystone, living a somewhat retired life. When in active ranching Mr. Fenwick ran as high as high (sic) as three hundred cattle at times.

     April 6, 1873, was celebrated the marriage of Cornelius Fenwick with Miss Mary Ann Fell, a native of Canada and the daughter of James Fell, a native of England. Mr. and Mrs. Fenwick have six children, - Ellen, married Joseph Jones, now residing at St. Johns, near Portland, Oregon; James E., ranching five miles from Ogallala in Conduit Valley; the well on his place is four hundred and thirty-five feet deep; Amy, married Alonzo Jones, residing between the North and South Platte rivers; Charles R., conducting the old home place; William purchased land in Saskatchewan, Canada, and removed there in 1909; and Pearl May, wife of Fred Dean, also an immigrant to Canada.

     Cornelius Fenwick was one of the very earliest pioneers of Keith county and throughout the years has taken an influential place among the thrifty and progressive citizens, performing well his part in the onward march of material development. He has held various offices of trust within the gift of the people, always serving with fidelity and righteous purpose. He has been road overseer and county assessor three or four terms, and has been a great factor in the establishment and maintenance of the schools where he has lived. Mr. Fenwick is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Episcopal church. On another page we are pleased to present a view of Mr. Fenwick's ranch buildings and also his dwelling in Keystone, together with the library and chapel, both of which he was instrumental in establishing and which he liberally helps to maintain.

     Mr. Olesen was born in Denmark, May 1,

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1859, and was reared and educated there. His father and mother were old country farmers, and have never left Denmark, the father dying in 1907. In 1903 they celebrated their golden wedding, and our subject was one of the guests at that reunion. His boyhood days were spent on his father's farm until he started out for himself. Sailing from Glasgow, having crossed to Scotland, in an Anchor line steamer, he landed in New York March 1, 1884, locating in Iowa. He went to work on a farm at a salary of sixteen dollars per month, and remained there for two years. In 1886 he came to Sheridan county and settled southeast of Gordon. After a short time he sold this, buying and selling other property for a number of years, until in 1892 he bought his present home of eighteen hundred acres. This is partly range and partly farming land, and he now has under cultivation about two hundred and fifty acres, runs one hundred head of stock and has his place well improved with good buildings and fences. During the dry years he was unable to do much farming, and this time was spent in the hills, getting started in the cattle business, of which he has made a marked success.

     Mr. Olesen was never married, and his experiences during the years he has "batched it" have been many and varied, but he now employs a man with his wife on his farm, which relieves him of many of the smaller details incidental to the proper working of a farm home.

     Mr. Olesen is an Independent voter, with a leaning toward the Republican party, and a Lutheran in religious faith.

     The father of our subject, James Halligan, a farmer all his life was a native of Ireland. His wife, Elizabeth Cassel, was also born and raised in that country. They came with their family to Otoe county, Nebraska, in 1868. George was raised in Nebraska on the frontier, assisting his parents in carrying on the home farm from the time he was a small boy, receiving a limited education by attendance at the district schools in the vicinity of his home. He started for himself at the age of twenty-five years, when he, with a brother, John J. Halligan, came to Keith county, arriving in 1884. Their trading point during their early residence here was Ogallala, and there our subject carried on a land agency to some extent, traveling through the surrounding country, making that town his headquarters. He took a homestead in 1886 two miles southeast of Ogallala, and succeeded in developing a good farm, going through all the pioneer experiences while living there, but remained in the vicinity up to 1904, when he moved to his present location on section 26, township 13, range 40. Here he has a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he has put good improvements in the way of buildings, fences, wells and windmills. He engages in farming principally, although he has a small herd of stock.

     Mr. Halligan first married Miss Nora Hendershot, who was the mother of a daughter, Lottie, now teaching near Wallace, in Lincoln county. The second wife, Mary Glynn, was born in the village of Balltore, Ireland, She is the mother of four children - Francis, Lila, Henry and Deloris.

     They have a comfortable home and are highly respected as good neighbors and worthy citizens, Mr. Halligan taking a commendable interest in local affairs. He is a Democrat politically and a member of the Ogallala lodge, Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Halligan was reared a Catholic while the good wife is a member of the Episcopal church.

     Mr. Johnson was born in Caldwell county, Missouri, in 1859. His father, John, was of English birth, a farmer by occupation, and followed that calling all his life. He married F. A. Wilkinson, also born and raised in England. They came to American in 1856, settled on a farm in Missouri, moving to Illinois in 1860, and there our subject was reared and educated. He lived at home with his parents until he was eighteen years old, then started for himself, locating in Harrison county, Iowa.

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There he learned the mason's trade and followed that work in Iowa, and later in Nebraska for many years. In 1888 he came to Nebraska and settled in Alliance, where he worked at his trade up to 1884, then came to his present location. This ranch is situated eighteen miles northwest of Alliance. During the first two years the family occupied a sod house, and he worked faithfully improving the place, putting up good farm buildings, fencing the land, etc. He met with pretty good success from the start, both in farming and stock raising, and is now owner of a fine estate consisting of five thousand acres, running a large herd of cattle and sheep. He cultivates about one hundred acres, and raises splendid crops of grain, and altogether has one of the finest improved farms in this region.

     In 1882 Mr. Johnson was married to Julia Arion, daughter of John Arion, a farmer who spent many years farming in both Illinois and Iowa. Seven children have been born to Mr. Johnson and his estimable wife, who are named as follows: Ira E., Clyde T., Bryce L., Hazel J., Fern, Teddy Rexford and Pearl. They form a most interesting and congenial family group and their home is one of the pleasant and bright spots to the traveler in the county. Mr. Johnson had the sad misfortune to lose his wife the 25th of January, 1908.

     Politically our subject is a Republican.

     Mr. Kernan was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1840. His father, Michael, Sr., was a hatter by trade and never left his native land, while his mother died when he was a young lad and of whom he has but a faint memory. Our subject was married in 1865 and came to America with his bride, who was Miss Mary Savage, reared in the vicinity of his home, where they were schoolmates during childhood. The young couple sailed from Dundock for Liverpool and thence on the Royal Hybernia for New York, and after a voyage of fourteen days they made a temporary landing at Portland, Maine, which at that time contained only a half dozen houses. From New York, they went to Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, where he worked in the coal mines, receiving fifteen dollars per week, and continued at this for three years. They then went to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, where he again entered the coal mines, and spent nine years there, coming to O'Neill, Nebraska, in 1876, when there were but two houses in the town. They lived there for two years, enduring grasshopper raids and drouths (sic), then came to Rock county, Nebraska, settling on Long Pine creek, where he put up a log house in which they lived seven years. There he went through many pioneer experiences, freighting his provisions from O'Neill to Long Pine. They lost several crops by grasshoppers and drouths (sic), withal having a hard time to make a living. In 1885 he left his first homestead and located on his present farm in section 9, township 30, range 20, where he has built up a good home and farm of three hundred acres, all good land, and engages principally in raising small grain and stock. He has good buildings and fences, together with a fine grove of forest trees on the place, having taken it up as a timber claim. Besides the forest trees he has about two hundred fruit trees, including apples and small fruits.      

     Mr. Kernan's family consists of himself and seven children, namely: Maggie, Lizzie, Bridget, Nora, Josie, James and Julia. Mr. Kernan's wife died May 1, 1905, and he has also lost three children, Michael and Mary, who were killed in a hailstorm which swept their locality while still living at O'Neill, about the year 1873, and Katie, whose demise occurred in Rock county.

     Mr. Kernan is one of the leading old-timers of this part of the state, and has been most active in assisting in the development of his community. He is a strong Bryan man, and hopes to see that gentleman president at some near future date. The family are all adherents of the Catholic church.

     Our subject was reared on a farm in his native country and came to America in March, 1882, sailing from Esbjerg to Newcastle, England, and thence to Liverpool, where he em-

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barked, landing at Boston after a stormy passage of seventeen days, having put into Halifax en route. Without delay he came west to Nebraska, having read something of the state when a boy at school. A man who had worked for the father was somewhere in the western part of the state, so Silas came to North Platte and found the man for whom he sought. He later came on to Lincoln county and worked on the John Bratt & Company's ranch as a cowboy. He worked for this company in what was then a very new country for twelve years up to 1896. During this time, in 1888, he took a homestead in Lincoln county, on which he proved up, but continued working as a cowboy, roughing it and camping out both winter and summer, his duties requiring him to ride all over southwestern Nebraska and into Wyoming. In 1896 he settled on his present fine farm in section 4, township 14, range 37, on the North Platte river, where he now has six hundred and forty acres. He owns first-class improvements and has an establishment of which he may well feel proud. He was the first in this part of the country to purchase railroad land at ten dollars an acres, the price seeming too high at that time, but his judgment has proved to be good. He was the first, too, to purchase twenty-dollar land.

     Mr. Sillasen was married in 1891 to Miss Ella Graham, but his good helpmeet died in 1894, leaving a son, Andrew, a fine, manly lad, who resides with his grandmother at Pleasantville, Iowa, where he is caring for her in her extreme old age, as she did for him in his infancy. He has developed a talent for business and has, although but sixteen, earned a horse and buggy by his own efforts.

     Our subject has had many hard experiences during his pioneer life, has fought prairie fires many times day and night in order to save his property from utter loss, but he has worked his way to success and a comfortable competency, a creditable showing for a foreign-born lad who had nothing but his hands and brain for his beginning. He has done his share toward the material development of the community and is respected by every one as a generous and public-spirited citizen. He is a Democrat in politics and was reared in the Lutheran church. He is a member of the Ogallala lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Five of the family have come to the country and have filled honorable station in life. Silas, the eldest, was first to come. Andrew died by accident while on the range. Jens, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this work; Louis, who is assistant cashier in the Citizens' Bank of Ogallala has served as deputy county treasurer. He has attended the University of Lincoln. John is engaged in railroad work in Laramie. Peter, a cousin, is engaged in the meat business at Keystone.

     Christopher Abbott was born in Tipperary county, Ireland, in 1824, *and his parents were born in Ireland, passing their days there, and died in New Zealand, their native land.* Our subject lived in the vicinity of his birthplace until he was twenty-one years of age, then came to America, taking passage on an emigrant ship and landing in Quebec in 1838. He came directly to Chicago, Illinois, and spent about ten years in that city, working at fishing on the lakes mostly.

     Mr. Abbott was married there to Mary Woods, who was of English descent, and in 1867 the family moved to Iowa, settling in Woodbury and Fremont counties, where they passed through pioneer experiences. They moved to Wabasha county, Minnesota, spent a short time there, then went to Montana, where he was engaged in the mining business for a time. He finally returned to Iowa, spent a few months there, then with his family moved to western Kansas in the spring of 1875.

     In 1885 our subject came to Nebraska and took up a location in the sand hills. He drove from Kansas through the wild country to his new home, the family riding in the covered wagon, also containing their household goods and driving a few head of cattle, The trip took many days, and they camped out at night along the way, cooking their meals over campfires and suffering many inconveniences and exposures due to changes in the weather, etc. Their first settlement was made southwest of

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where Whitman now stands, and he started to open a farm, putting up a rude shanty, in which they lived for several years. He succeeded in raising several crops and did fairly well, occupying the place up to 1890, and accumulating a comfortable property.     

     In 1899 Mr. Abbott moved to Hyannis and has made that his residence since, having a pleasant home and sufficient means to enable him to enjoy the declining years of his life in comfort, satisfied in the knowledge that he has done his full share in the building up and developing of the country, and has also helped in a large measure to bring many new settlers into this region.

     Mr. Abbott has had four children - Harrison, killed by the Indians in Kansas in 1878; Arthur, Fanny and Francis, all of whom are married and settled in homes of their own. His daughter's husband, J. M. Gentry, is at present in charge of the old ranch, and one son, Arthur, owns and operates a nice ranch in the same locality, with many lakes and flowing wells on it, where he puts up many thousands of tons of hay each year.

*Portion between the two asterisks in the above bio appears exactly as it is in the original book. Interpretation is left to descendants.

     Mr. Gormly is a native of New Castle, Pennsylvania, born in 1865. His ancestors came from Ireland and located in that state in the early days, his father being born in America. His mother, who was Miss Meluzenia Clemons, was born in Steubenville, Ohio in 1826. Mr. Gormly was reared in Pennsylvania, lived there until twenty-one, and in about the year 1883 came to Kearney county, where he took up a homestead south of Lowell, on which he lived for a number of years. In 1894 he bought two hundred and ten acres, on which he now resides, and has been engaged in mixed farming, raising large crops of grain and alfalfa, also having plenty of pasture for his stock.

     In 1883 Mr. Gormly married Miss Alice Bloodgood, daughter of Jason Bloodgood, who in 1877 homesteaded the farm located on Fort Kearney reservation. He came from northern Pennsylvania, in Bradford county, and was a veteran of the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Gormly are the parents of the following children: Jason, Meluzenia, wife of Boyd Radford, whose father, W. H. Radford, is the subject of a sketch in this work. Amy, the second daughter; William, Glenn and Ruth are all at home. Jason, aged twenty-four, is his father's helper in the work of carrying on the farm, and all are bright, intelligent and good workers.

     Mr. Gormly is a Woodman and a member of the Ancient Order United Workmen lodge. He is influential in county public affairs, and of sterling character, and offhand, genial manner, well liked by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance.

     Our subject was born in Sullivan county, Missouri, April 14, 1863, and there grew to manhood. At the age of sixteen years he left home and went to Denver, Colorado, spending one year painting and working in that vicinity, then came to Cheyenne county and worked as a freighter all over this section until he engaged in cattle and horse raising. He has three high bred registered horses at the head of his herds, and has of late years engaged extensively in mule raising. Mr. Glidewell is well known as a skilled veterinary, and is an excellent blacksmith and wagon

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maker. For years he was called upon to do the fine iron work for all this region.

     January 7, 1897, our subject filed on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in section 2, township 13, range 50, in Sidney precinct, and still occupies this ranch. He has erected good stone buildings of all descriptions, his milk house with concrete cooling being especially worthy of mention. A reservoir adjoining furnishes water for irrigating a very productive garden. He farms about thirty acres and keeps over three hundred head of stock. A quarter section farther west also has a good building and furnishes good range for his numerous herd. Since coming here he has prospered well, and is numbered among the wealthy men of his locality. His ranch is situated on Lodgepole creek, a short distance from the town of Sidney. A view of the residence, with the new barn and enclosed farm yard, all of stone and concrete, are to be seen on another page.

     Mr. Glidewell's father, now deceased, was a native of Kentucky. His mother, Delilah Morgan, was born and reared in Alabama, and now resides in Sullivan county, Missouri, Our subject is a Republican in political views.

     Mr. Tryon was born near Richmond, McHenry county, Illinois, February 18, 1859. He is a son of L. J. Tryon, of English descent, a miller by trade, who lived on a farm, where his family of three boys were reared and educated. In 1860 the father moved with his family to Buchanan county, Iowa, where he bought an eighty-acre farm, which in 1865 he traded for a mill in Black Hawk county and continued to reside there some eight or ten years. Wallace L. followed in his father's footsteps, learning the miller's trade at the age of nineteen years, and continued at this work for about twelve years, but did not find it sufficiently remunerative in Iowa, so decided to move farther west, coming to Nebraska in 1882 and engaged for six months at milling in Creighton, then rented a farm near that place, which he operated two years. On April 9, 1885, he came to Cherry county and took up cattle raising on a tract of land owned by his mother, operating this for seven years. In the meanwhile he had pre-empted a claim in Edmunds county, Dakota, which he disposed of at a profit in 1905. He then moved to Butler county, but remained only a year, returning to Cherry county, where he then took a homestead and other claims of three hundred and twenty acres located in section 10, township 31, range 27, to which he has added one hundred and sixty acres situated in sections 14 and 23, his present residence being on the latter section. Here he has built up a nice home and farm, and now owns four hundred and eighty acres, all of which is fine hay land. His son, Horace L., owns four hundred and eighty acres of hill land lying between his own tracts, making a solid body of nine hundred and sixty acres under one management. Mr. Tryon is extensively engaged in the stock business, keeping about two hundred head of cattle and a number of horses. His land is nearly all fenced and he has a good house, barns, and a fine flowing well, which furnishes a bountiful supply of water for his stock and family. During the drouths (sic) in this section he lost several crops, but was well supplied with stock, but the times were so hard he sold his corn-fed beef as low as three dollars and fifty-five cents per hundred, which was the highest market price in Omaha at that time. He often met with discouragements, but by pluck and perseverance succeeded in the end and has accumulated a fine farm, which has well repaid for his efforts. He has lost over three thousand dollars' worth of cattle from different causes since coming here, which was a severe drain on his finances, but conditions have changed and he has been more fortunate of late years, with little to note on the wrong side of the ledger.

     Mr. Tryon was married to Miss Carrie M. Rice, born in Black Hawk county, Iowa, a daughter of Horace and Eliza (Jackson) Rice. They have five children, namely: Earle, Horace L., Estella, Pearl and Charles, the two oldest born in Iowa, and the younger three in Nebraska.

     Mr. Tryon devotes his entire attention to the work of carrying on his farm and home, and has never had time to take active part in politics, although he is keenly alive to the best interests of his community and gives his aid and influence to its advancement. He votes the Republican ticket and stands firmly for the principles of his party. During the threatened Indian uprising in 1891 Mr. Tryon sent

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his wife with the little ones to Butler county for safety, but remained with the two elder boys on the ranch, to which the exiles returned within six weeks. Life in Nebraska has had no terrors for them since.

     Mr. Peckham is a native of Wisconsin. His father, Joshua Peckham, came to Nebraska from Crawford county, Wisconsin, and is an large and successful ranchman residing near Gothenburg, Lincoln county. He engages principally in stock raising on his farm, which is composed of about twenty-five hundred acres, and also does some mixed farming. He runs annually about three hundred head of cattle, and keeps a large number of hogs. A brother of our subject, Elmer Peckham, is proprietor is a six hundred and forty-acre farm near Gothenburg, and raises cattle and hogs on a large scale. Another brother, Fremont, resides in Dawson county, and also owns and operates from fifteen hundred to two thousand acres, using this land for mixed farming and stock raising. Mr. Peckham's father and mother celebrated their golden wedding in October, 1906, and a large reunion was held at their residence in this county, over eighty relatives being present, their guests numbering in all over eight hundred. The Peckhams are highly esteemed all over western Nebraska as among the most successful and influential citizens.

     Mr. Peckham came west and located in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1890. In 1896 he began business on his own account, purchasing about eighteen hundred acres situated south of Brady Station, on Brady Island. Here he has been engaged in raising, buying and shipping stock. He has a large number of thoroughbred Berkshire hogs, and deals largely in cattle, feeding for the market. He now has three hundred head of cattle on feed, and formerly fed two or three cars each winter. He has a number of pure-bred Duroc Jersey hogs on his place, but shows a decided preference for the Berkshire breed, as they are sensible, strong and active animals, and if properly bred and fed are usually found to be market toppers.

     He owns besides this ranch two grain farms on which he raises wheat and corn, and his yield in 1906 in these grains was thirty bushels of wheat to the acre and forty-five of corn. His hay crop this year reached a total of five hundred tons, and all of his grain and hay is fed out on his farm. He also has one hundred and seventy-five acres of alfalfa, which cuts a large crop each season. On his island farm he has over sixty acres sown to brome grass.

     Mr. Peckham was married in 1897 to Miss Stella Rich, a native of Missouri, Her father, Lewis D. Rich, is a farmer in Lincoln county. Mr. and Mrs.. Peckham have three children, named as follows: Golda, Harlan K., Jr., and * (No third name is given in the article.)

     Mr. Marchant spent the early years of his life in his native country, and as he grew to manhood worked in the mines. When he had attained the age of twenty-one years, realizing that in the new world the opportunities for the ambitious young man were very inviting, he decided to seek his fortunes in America, and landing in New York in 1879 went to Boone county, Iowa, where for five years he worked in the mines. While in Iowa he purchased a farm in Pocahontas county, and after remaining there for two years, sold his place and came to Dawes county, Nebraska, where he pre-empted a claim and located on land near the Pepper creek. He proved up on his claim and built a log cabin, hauling all his supplies from Chadron, Nebraska.

     For fifteen years during the periods of drouth (sic) and the many hardships familiar to the early settlers in this western country, Mr. Marchant helped to make a living by working in the mines in Wyoming during the winter. In 1887 he took a homestead in section 18, township 30, range 48, which is his present home. In 1899 he took his family to Wyoming, living in Aladdin, where he remained for five years, returning in 1904 to his farm in Dawes county. He secured adjoining lands, and now has a ranch of eight hundred acres, all of which is fenced and cross fenced. He has greatly improved his place, and has a good orchard and alfalfa fields. He has erected a comfortable home, and has two good wells,

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