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Snyder, and his mother, Celia Doll, both being born in Germany, and farmers by occupation.

     Our subject was reared on the farm in Illinois, where he was born, assisting his father with the farm work and receiving a good common school education. He remained on the farm until about 1878, when he started out to find employment for himself.

     Later in the year 1878 Mr. Snyder was married to Josephine Wasson, also a native of Bureau county, Illinois, being the daughter of Jacob and Elsa (Hoffman) Wasson, successful and influential farmers of that county. This marriage has been blessed with one daughter, Nelllie, who is a teacher, having taught in Ogallala, near which place Mr. Snyder moved later in life.

     Three years after his marriage, Mr. Snyder moved to Tama county, Iowa, where he bought a farm on which he lived for eight years. But poor health necessitated a change, so he moved to Peru, Illinois, where he engaged in the livery business for five years. His health requiring a greater change, he went south in 1894, spending three years in Texas, Arizona and New and Old Mexico; thence he removed to Arapahoe county, Colorado, where he lived for two years, and, in the spring of 1900, he moved to his present location in Keith county, Nebraska, buying his home farm in section 10, township 12, range 40. Our subject experienced all the hardships of pioneer days and yet has successfully coped with them all and built up his farm in fine shape. He has a fine large ranch of eleven hundred and twenty acres, thoroughly improved in an up-to-date manner, with a good home, barns, sheds, fences and other equipment necessary to the successful rancher. He cultivates about one hundred and fifty acres of his land, the balance being used for grazing purposes. He runs a fine bunch of cattle numbering about forty head, and about sixty horses of the Shire and Norman breeds, the latter to predominate in the future.

     Mr. Snyder has been deeply interested in all matters pertaining to the advancement of the community in which he lives and, as an old settler, has done his share toward the material development of the county. Owing to his fine ranch and to his excellent business qualities he is highly respected by all his associates and his judgment on all matters of vital importance is highly esteemed. He was formerly a Democrat but being in Mexico, then on a silver basis, during the campaign when that was an issue he became converted to Republican doctrines and has remained in that party every since. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, at Peru, Illinois.

     Mr. Whiting was born in Herefordshire, England, in 1847, a son of Thomas and Ann (Wheeler) Whiting, both of whom were natives of England. He was reared and educated in his native land, and as he grew into manhood, worked in the coal mines. In 1868 he was united in marriage to Ann Rowe, in South Wales. She was a daughter of Nicholas Rowe, a plate layer, and Grace (Jones) Rowe.

     Mr. Whiting came to America in 1881, landing in New York city September 26th. He went west into Green county, Iowa, his family following in 1882. Here he spent four or five years, working in the coal mines. In the spring of 1886 he came to Dawes county, Nebraska, taking a claim on pre-emption in township 30, range 48. He proved up his claim and built a log cabin. In 1888 he took a homestead in section 17 of the same township. He experienced the many hardships so familiar to the early settlers in western Nebraska, and lost different crops by hail. During the periods of drouth (sic) he helped to make a living by working in the mines. The years of toil and struggle which he spent in an effort to work out for himself and family a comfortable home have not been wasted, for his ranch of six hundred and forty acres on the Pepper creek is a model one of its kind. He has erected a substantial and commodious home, and has two good wells and windmills. Mr. Whiting is the father of five children who would be a credit to any parentage. They are: Henry, Elizabeth (married), Charles, Alice and Samuel.

     The subject of this sketch has always taken a leading part in the affairs of the locality in which he lives, and is looked upon as a man well worthy of the high esteem in which he is held. Through years of adversity and prosperity he has held the handles of the plow,

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working out for himself a comfortable home, and giving his energies to the upbuilding of the locality in which he resides. Upright and honorable in all his dealings, he has manifested a high integrity and a strict adherence to principle, and enjoys the respect and confidence of a host of warm friends. July 8, 1907, his wife died, and this sad event was the means of bringing together the entire family, including one of his sons who resided in the state of Washington.

     Mr. Adkins was born in Wayne county, Virginia, August 1, 1869, and reared on a farm where he learned to do all hard labor as a young lad. His father, Spencer Adkins, was a carpenter by trade, following farm work also. The mother was Matilda Johnson. In 1874 the family located in Kentucky, remaining there for five years, then going to Iowa and settling in Shelby county. At the age of fifteen years our subject started out in life for himself, following all kinds of work until 1889, when he began farming for himself in Keya Paha County, having made a preliminary trip in 1895. He took up a pre-emption of eighty acres, then let it go back to the government, and in 1890 took a homestead on section 27, township 35, range 17, and still occupies this place. He has fully improved this, putting up good buildings, fences, etc., cultivating a part of the land and using the rest for hay and pasture. He keeps about eight head of cattle, one hundred and twenty hogs and also raises a number of horses for market each year.

     When Mr. Adkins first came to Nebraska he had a hard time to get along, and after settling on his homestead he lost stock through having them stolen, his crops were destroyed by drouths (sic) and storms, and often did not know where the next meal was coming from. At these times he worked out by the day to support his family, and although they often became discouraged, he determined to stick to it, and is now very glad that he did so. He now has a comfortable home and fine farm, and is counted among the successful and influential men of his section of the country.

     Mr. Adkins was married June 20, 1885, to Miss Martine Larson, of Danish birth, who came to America in 1881 with parents, locating in Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Adkins have been born children, named as follows: Abraham, Matilda, Henry, Pearl, Bert, Mary, Iona, Bertha, Rickles, Jr., and Earl, all living at home at the present time.

     Mr. Adkins is Republican in political faith and a member of the Christian Adventist church.

     Our subject was born in Germany, November 11, 1863, and grew to the age of seventeen years there, receiving a scant education and the training usual to the children of the middle classes in that country, then started out for himself, taking passage on an emigrant steamer for America. He located at first in LaSalle, Illinois, and spent about six years in that vicinity, following farming the greater part of the time, then came to Nebraska and settled in Deuel county, landing here March 1, 1886. He was one of the original pioneers of western Nebraska, and passed through all the early experiences of the settlers in the region, homesteading a tract of land on which he proved up and later sold. After he had been in the United States about six months he sent for the rest of his family, father, mother, one brother and a sister coming over and joining him, and were pioneers with himself in Nebraska. He settled on section 17, township 13, range 45, and has lived on this ranch ever since, now having twenty hundred and eighty acres in the home ranch, which is fitted with a complete set of substantial farm buildings and first-class improvements of all kinds. He farms but little, using most of the land for stock raising and having extensive hay meadows, with sixty-five acres of alfalfa. He runs about two hundred and fifty head of cattle and a small bunch of horses, and has always been quite a heavy shipper of stock. Mr. Wiegand was married at Chappell, in February, 1892, to Mrs. Mary Gunn, whose maiden name was Mary Williams and who

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was born and raised in England, coming to America when a girl of seventeen. The parents of both our subject and his wife are dead. They have three children, all of whom live at home, namely: Jessie M., Lyle H. and Eunice.

     Mr. Wiegand is director of school district No. 9, and is a leading citizen in all affairs which tend to the betterment of his locality. Politically he is a stanch Republican and takes an active interest in party affairs.

     Mr. Wright was born in Henry county, Illinois, in 1856. His father followed farming in that state for many years, and our subject was reared and educated there, attending the country schools and assisting his parents in carrying on the home farm, remaining at home until he was twenty-one years of age. He then came west, locating in Boone county, Iowa, and there started farming for himself, but only remained in that locality for a short time, emigrating to Hastings, Nebraska, and worked on farms in that vicinity for about five years. In the spring of 1887 he came to Box Butte county, driving overland from Hastings in a covered wagon containing his household goods and bringing his family with him. He picked out a location in section 28, township 24, range 50, and at once went to work to make a home for himself and family. On the first of May of that year he had the bad luck to lose three horses in a snowstorm which struck the region, and for three weeks they wandered through the Sand Hills. His first building was a sod house. The nearest railroad station was Hay Springs, which was six miles from his homestead. His entire possessions consisted of a cow and calf and three horses, but he went to work with stout heart, begun to break land for crops, and while improving his place worked out as a freighter and doing construction work on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railway, which was then being laid through this section of country. Mr. Wright lived on that place up to 1901, and during that time succeeded in accumulating a nice property and adding many improvements in the way of good buildings, fences, wells and windmills. He then sold for a good price and moved to a tract of land consisting of four hundred acres, located on Snake creek, and lived there for six years, doing well, engaged in mixed farming and stock raising, then coming to his present place which he purchased. This farm contains six hundred and forty acres, situated five miles southwest of Alliance.

     Mr. Wright has done his utmost since coming here to make this part of the state a prosperous farming section, as he has really improved three different farms, also lending his aid in establishing schools in his locality. He has been prominent in every movement which has been started toward the bettering of conditions here, and has always been one of the foremost citizens of his community.

     Mr. Wright was married in 1880, while living in Iowa, to Mrs. Phoebe Robbins. Her father, Rufus West, was a farmer in Iowa, and her mother's maiden name was Lydia Corbett. Mrs. Wright has one son by a former marriage, Fred C. Robbins, who is a well-known ranchman in this state. Of Mr. Wright's marriage two children have been born, Arthur G., aged twenty-five years, and Albert C., aged twenty-two years.

     Our subject was reared and educated in his native land, attending an agricultural school, where he acquired thorough training as to farm methods and scientific and practical farming. This knowledge has been an important factor in his success in the western country. Mr. Peterson remained in Sweden until 1880, when he came to America, landing in New York city. From thence he want to Princeton, Illinois, where he worked at farming for three years during the hard times. He then found employment in the iron mills at Kewanee, Illinois, for ten years and then for about five years worked in the machine shops at the same city. May 15, 1884,

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he came west to see Keith county, Nebraska, and bought railroad land eleven miles southeast of Ogallala, paying six dollars per acre, but he returned to Illinois and did not come again to the county until 1894. He settled on his farm southeast of Ogallala and commenced building up a home. He had a good start--a team and wagon, household goods and about fifteen hundred dollars in money. This was sufficient to keep his family in good circumstances if the crops had been good. But for several years nothing was harvested and the family managed to get through the hard times by turning their attention to dairying and stock raising. But even with that, when the bad years were passed, our subject found his money all gone and nothing but his farm and a little stock left. In 1901 he moved to his present homestead in section 14, township 13, range 41, and later added a Kincaid claim, in 1907, in section 22. He has a fine farm of nine hundred and sixty acres, a quarter section of which lies south of the Platte river and is all under irrigation. Mr. Peterson gives most of his attention to stock raising and dairying and cultivates only about sixty acres.

     Our subject was married in Kewanee, Illinoise (sic), in May, 1892 to Mrs. Nellie Lundin (nee Johnson), a native of Skone, Sweden, who came to America with a girl friend in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson have had five children, four of whom are living: Ebba, Lawrence, Emmert, and Hazel; one son, Otto, is dead.

     Mr. Peterson is one of the old settlers of that part of the state and is well and favorably known over a wide territory. He is a member of the Republican party, and he is influential in promulgating the principles of the party to which he belongs. He is a conscientious and public-spirited citizen, and has come to occupy a high place in the regard of his fellows. He is a member of the Ogallala Camp, Modern Woodmen of America, and a Lutheran in religious faith.

     Mr. Kline was born in the Shenandoah valley, Rockingham county, Virginia, December 17, 1855, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Miller) Kline, both Virginians by birth, the former departed this life in August, 1906, while the mother resides on the old homestead in Virginia. Our subject grew up in his native state, emigrating to Keokuk county, Iowa, in 1877, and spent about eleven years in that part of the country. He first came to Nebraska in 1887, filing on a homestead and tree claim in section 18, township 13, range 48, which he later sold. Since then he has taken up additional land under the Kincaid law in section 30, township 14, range 48, and is now owner of a fine estate, of which one hundred and forty-five acres are devoted to dairy farming. He has erected good buildings on his farm lands, and has about fifty acres under cultivation, using the balance as pasture and hay land. He is quite heavily interested in the dairy business, keeps about seventy-five head of Holstein cattle, and runs a milk wagon for the Sidney trade. He is doing exceedingly well along these lines, and has a comfortable and pleasant home, all of which has been accumulated through his own unaided efforts and industrious habits. When he first landed here he was obliged to start his farm on a very small scale, and for a number of years was unable to lay by anything, as he suffered from failure of crops on account of the drough (sic) periods, but he stuck to his purpose and has been well rewarded for his labors, now being in comfortable circumstances. A view of his dwelling and barns are presented on another page.

     Mr. Kline is a Prohibitionist in sentiment, and votes an independent ticket. He is an active, public-spirited citizen, always standing for the good of his community. In religious sentiment he is one of the Dunkard Brethren.

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home in Germany as early as 1813. There the family remained, making their home at Bremen, in Saxony, until 1881. Christian E. Viertel, the father of Max E., sailed for America in October, 1880, the mother following with the family, sailing June 25, 1881, in the steamer Elbe, landing in New York on the 4th day of July. On his arrival in this country, Christian E. Viertel brought his family to Bowditch county, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming for two years, when he removed to Stevens Point to enter the employ of the Wisconsin Central railway, remaining until 1886. He then came to Crookston, Nebraska.

     Max. E. Viertel was born in Limbach, Germany, July 28, 1863. On reaching Wisconsin he secured a position on the Wisconsin Central in 1882, and three years later became store keeper of the company's supply shops. He was in the hotel business at Stevens Point until removing to Nebraska. In 1886 he came to Crookston and became clerk in the store of F. H. Baumgartel, established in July of that year, and long recognized as the leading store in this entire region. In 1899 Mr. Viertel had become so successful in his ventures, and so sure of himself that he bought out the establishment, and began a mercantile career that has proved remarkably successful. Mr. Viertel not only does a general mercantile business, but he also deals in farm lands, and as a reliable and trustworthy real estate dealer is widely known. He is also postmaster of Crookston, which office he efficiently fills. His years are still largely before him, and his friends are sure that his energy, ability and character will win for him a much larger measure of success than he has yet enjoyed. He possesses the confidence and trust of the community to a marked degree, and his word needs no bond to bind it.

     Mr. Viertel was married April 3, 1887, to Miss Lydia Baumgartel, a native of Saxony, Germany, her father being the founder of the store as noted above. She is the mother of a family of six children: Helena, Viola, Rudolph, Gladys, Margaret and Levon. The family are Lutheran in faith and Mr. Viertel is a member of the Crookston lodges of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of the United Workmen.

     Mr. Beede was born on a farm in Allamakee county, Iowa, in 1858. His father, John C. Beede, is of American stock, born and raised near Moosehead Lake, and was by trade a shoemaker. At the time the family located in Iowa, they were the fifth family to settle in Allamakee county, which was then practically a wilderness. Our subject is the eldest of a family of eight children, and he lived at home assisting his father in breaking up the new land and getting it in shape to raise crops. At the age of twenty-two he came west but did not settle permanently, and in 1880 he went back to Iowa, locating in Osceola county, where he worked on a farm for a year and a half. He went north then, landing in Chamberlain, South Dakota, and drifted around in that part of the country for about two years. In 1884 he struck Valentine, Nebraska, going all over this part of the state, and then traveled on to Kansas where he picked corn for a laving during the fall and winter months. In 1885 he came to Sheridan county, his first location being on a pre-emption two miles east of Rushville. This he soon afterward sold, and took a homestead in this locality. In 1897 he purchased his present home, comprising three hundred and twenty acres, of which he farms about one hundred acres, raising enough hay and grain on the balance to keep his stock. During the poor years he farmed at a loss, and when he came to figure up after going through many discouraging times, found that he was two thousand dollars in debt. He was about ready to quit then, but his wife was determined to stay and try to make this up, so they went to work again with a will and as times became better he was able to grow good crops, and things began to look brighter. He is now free from all debt, is the owner of a fine farm, well improved with good buildings and all fenced, and is classed among the substantial citizens of his locality. He has gained all this by dint of perseverance and hard work, as he had very little money to start with, and was obliged to do all kinds of rough work, such as freighting, teaming, etc., in order to make a living for his family in the early days.

     Mr. Beede was married in 1886 to Miss Mary E. Hughes, a native of Allamakee county, Iowa. Her father and her mother were both born and raised in Ireland and came to this country as a young married couple. They located in Iowa, where they re-

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mained until their children grew up. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Beede, who are named as follows: John, Roy, Nellie, Elizabeth, Angie, Thomas, William and Clarence, all born and raised in this locality. The family occupy a pleasant home, and is highly respected in the community. Mr. Beede was raised a Republican, voted the Greenback ticket in his younger days, and now his sympathies are with the Independent party. He keeps abreast of the times in all public matters, but has never had any time to devote to taking an active part in politics.

     Until the age of nineteen years, our subject remained on the farm with parents, and received a common school education. He then went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he entered the Jones Commercial College. Upon the completion of his studies there, Mr. Hunter went to San Antonio, Texas, where he purchased three hundred head of cattle and entered the stock business. After remaining here a short time, he trailed a herd of six thousand head of cattle, including his own, north into the Indian Territory. Here he remained until the spring of 1881, when he drove his herd on through to Nebraska. The journey through the Indian Territory (where he was quarantined for two months) and across the state of Kansas was marked by many trying experiences. For six months he was forced to camp out constantly, obtaining his supplies from the different forts along the route, not having seen a single house during this period, only his camp wagon.

     Mr. Hunter has been all over these western counties in the early days, the nearest postoffice being Pine Ridge, South Dakota, while Sidney was the nearest railroad station. Here he engaged in the raising of horses, and when the county first began settling, had quite a herd of fine animals. It was in 1883 or 1884 that Mr. Hunter filed on the claim which is his present home farm, and at once set about the task of reclaiming from the wild prairie a suitable home in which to pass his life. He now has what is one of the largest ranches in western Nebraska, comprising an area of fifty-three hundred acres of deeded land and about twenty-seven hundred acres of leased land. He has erected good buildings, and has his ranch well fenced. He has about four hundred acres which are irrigated. Mr. Hunter engages extensively in stockraising, and has fifty head of horses and seven hundred head of cattle. The many years which he has devoted to this occupation has made him an expert, and has gained for him an enviable reputation throughout the country.

     In 1888, Mr. Hunter and Miss Anna Harris were married. Her parents were Thomas and Grazell (Sheppard) Harris, prominent old settlers near Springfield, Illinois. Mrs. Hunter died in 1893 on the farm in Dawes county, Nebraska. One child was born of this union, Robert L. In June, 1897, Mr. Hunter contracted a second marriage with Nellie Harris, a sister of his deceased wife.

     The subject of this narrative is a Republican. He has worked hard and managed well, and his career is to be regarded as a marked success. While he has devoted himself very closely to his ranch, and has permitted nothing to come between him and that great interest, he has always taken a prominent part in everything pertaining to matters of local interest, and as an old settler he had done his share of the work of improving and developing Dawes county, and making it a home for thrifty and industrious people. He has held various school offices, and assisted in the building of the first schools in the county.

     Mr. Beatty is a native of Monahan county, Ireland, and* his mother still resides there. In 1895 he re-visited the home of his childhood and spent some time with his mother, who is now dead.* He spent his boyhood years with his parents, and at the age of twenty-two came

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to America, landing in New York in 1873. Two years later he came west, locating in eastern Nebraska, but only remained there for two years then came to Lincoln county, homesteading the place on which he now lives. He worked for the Union Pacific railway for twelve years after coming here, also superintending the working of his farm, and adding improvements gradually. He took up a tree claim near Gottenberg, which he has since sold. He added to his ranch, buying railway lands and other tracts, and now owns about three thousand acres in all. He does not go in for farming to any great extent; raises a little corn, and some small farm products, and nearly all his land is devoted to stock raising, with some portions of it in hay and grazing fields. He has on his place about three hundred to five hundred cattle, one hundred hogs, and from thirty-five to fifty horses. He shows a decided preference for the Hereford breed of cattle, and finds them the best for all purposes. His hogs are of mixed breeds, and his horses are all general purpose animals which he finds to be the best for his locality. He raises fine crops of hay each season, and this year his yield was about four hundred tons, and he feeds all of this on his farm, besides buying a great deal of grain, etc.

     Mr. Beatty is one of the most successful ranchmen in his community, and in character is intelligent and genial, admired and respected by all who know him for his many sterling qualities. He is president of the State Bank of Brady, and a man who takes an active part in everything that tends to the betterment of conditions in his locality. He states that as a boy in Ireland, all England seemed to think of or care for was to take all she could from the Irish people. When he returned to Ireland in 1895 he was amazed at the improved condition of things there. It now appears that England is doing all she can to aid the Irish. Anyone wishing to build a home there, can, by presenting an architect's certificate, borrow for twenty years two-thirds of the cost of the building, paying interest of two per cent, per annum. Any tenant wishing to buy the land which he has formerly rented can compel the landlord to sell to him, and the government loans the tenant the full purchase price of the land fixed by agreement or arbitration, at two per cent, for forty years. This certainly is a great improvement over the conditions which existed in years gone by, when the people were so bitterly oppressed by the English. Many were forced to leave their home country and take refuge in a foreign land to escape the hardships which they were obliged to endure in Ireland not many years since, and it was through this that many of our sturdy Irish citizens came to this country to taste of the joys of freedom.

     Mr. Beatty was married in 1883 to Miss Minnie Burke, a native of Iowa, and sister of the present agent for the Union Pacific railway, who resides at Maxewll, Nebraska. As a result of this union five children have come to bless their home, who are named as follows: William, Robert, Essie, Effie and Edyth, all of whom are living at home, the daughters attending school here. They have a pleasant and comfortable home, and enjoy a large circle of friends and are highly respected by all who know them.

     Mr. Beatty is an Independent in politics, and takes a deep interest in all local and state affairs, always keeping abreast of the times and being thoroughly conversant with public matters of importance.

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

     After leaving the army he returned to Iowa where he purchased a farm near Hopewell, Clark county, remaining on it up to 1885, put-