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ern Nebraska is much better suited for farming, stock raising and feeding than either Illinois or Iowa, as the air is drier, the winters are not so damp, and the weather changes are less sudden and extreme, and the stock not being exposed to so much inclement weather hold to their feed more regularly than in those states. Also, the feed yards here are much drier and cleaner, and stock, like people, need this for perfect development. He is entirely satisfied with this part of the country, and would not return to Illinois or Iowa on any account, although he often visits both places. From the time of coming to this county until his removal to Holdrege two years ago, he raised from ten to twelve thousand bushels of corn on his farm, all of which he fed out, besides buying a great deal. He raises from two to three hundred hogs each year, and one year his crop reached four hundred. He also feeds over one hundred head of cattle every year, and altogether handles more stock than any other man in this locality. In 1903 he bought the Elk barn in Holdrege, and imported and sold horses, but sold this property two years ago. In 1894, when there had been a crop failure here, he went to Texas, and there looked the farming and stock conditions over thoroughly, and came back with his faith in western Nebraska stronger than ever, and since then has been constantly investing in land here. In 1902 he raised a crop of oats, which ran one hundred and six bushels to the acre. His wheat crop yield the same year was forty-two and a half bushels, and corn eighty. He is convinced that this is one of the best hog countries in the world, and that any breed except the white hog does exceedingly well, considering that there is not enough shade here for those to do well. He recommends raising the best breeds of hogs, as, if crossed, on second cross they lose the good qualities of the strain. He also has the best results from white-faced cattle and Shorthorns crossed, and of these he raises from seventy to eighty calves each year. Regarding feed, he says that the fourth cutting of alfalfa makes the best feed for hogs all winter, with best results, and this is a great alfalfa country. For seven years he has dealt in full-blooded Percheron and Clyde horses, and now owns some very fine animals.

     Mr. Danielson was married in 1887, but has no children. Some time since he bought and improved a very fine residence property in Holdrege, where he at present resides. He is director of the Farmers' Elevator Company, and was elected secretary of the concern when it was organized. For some time he served as treasurer of Prairie township, and is prominent in all public affairs. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in Holdrege, in which he is an earnest worker, and takes a commendable interest in all commercial and social matters in his community. In political sentiment he is a Populist.

     Mr. Vaughn was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1845. He is a son of John Vaughn, of French descent, his father having been born and raised in France. John Vaughn married Susanne Smice, a native of Pennsylvania, of German stock. When our subject was about a year old his parents emigrated to Iowa and were among the pioneers in Louisa county, where they lived up to the time of the Civil war, Ellsworth growing up on a farm, and received his education in the country schools. He enlisted in the Eighth Iowa Cavalry, entering the service in 1863, and went with his regiment through Tennessee and Georgia; was with the Army of the Cumberland. He was also with General Sherman in Macon, Georgia. At the close of the war he returned to Iowa, locating at Allamakee county, and made that locality his home up to 1886, farming a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, building up a good farm and doing exceedingly well while on the place. From there he came to Nebraska, settling in Box Butte county. His nearest railroad town from his location was Hay Springs, from which place he was compelled to haul all supplies. He came into this region by team, his first settlement being at old Nonpariel, now extinct, and he brought with him his personal effects, household goods, driving three horses and a colt, also two cows. He had one wagon carrying his family, consisting of his wife and seven children, and during the journey they were subjected to many exposures on account of the bad weather and the long, tedious trip. His first dwelling was a sod house, and during

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the first years he was obliged to do freighting through the country to help make a living for his family. He proved up on his homestead, improving the farm in good shape, and lived there up to 1903, then came to his present location, which is situated in section 27, township 25, range 48. He has developed a fine ranch, consisting of nine hundred and sixty acres, three hundred and twenty of which lie close to the town of Alliance. This is all fenced, and he farms about one hundred acres, all of the ranch being supplies with good substantial buildings and every improvement in the way of machinery, corrals, etc. He now lives on the ranch near Alliance, on which he raises cattle and horses, also does a little farming.

     Mr. Vaughn has succeeded in accumulating a fine property since coming here, and is one of the leading citizens and influential men of his community, always taking a commendable interest in local affairs. In political views our subject is a Republican.

     In 1870 Mr. Vaughn was married to Mary Jane Langford, daughter of James Langford, a farmer and old settler in Allamakee county, Iowa. They have an interesting family of seven children, named as follows: Elmer, Ellsworth, Jr., Frank, Alice and Alfred (twins), Minnie J. and Almeda.

     Mr. Iversen was born in Denmark in 1848 on a farm. His parents were day laborers there and very poor, and he grew up as best he could, working out from the time he was a small child, and when he reached the age of twenty-two left his native land and came to America. During the first ten years here he traveled through different states, working at anything he might find to do, spending some time in Texas; also was all through Washington, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and up and the Mississippi river. About the year 1874 his health began to fail and he then went to Colorado, where he worked in the mountains as a miner, and prospected there for several years. He bought a farm in that state a few years later and remained there until 1887, when he came to Dawes county, Nebraska, and settled on his present farm in section 30, township 29, range 48. This is close to the Niobrara river, the stream running through a portion of his farm. Here he put up one of the largest sod houses in the neighborhood, had fine horses, wagons and farming machinery, and quickly added many improvements to his place. As the poor years came on he lost a great deal of money, and as his health was not very good he was unable to work very hard. Hail destroyed two crops and the drouths (sic) damaged many, so that he was compelled to borrow money, for which he paid two per cent. interest per month, and he mortgaged his farm and personal property to buy calves; also bought a number of cows from which he sold butter for six cents a pound. He had quite a lot of chickens, and sold the eggs for six and seven cents a dozen, hauling this produce thirty-five miles to market, camping out nights under his wagon along the road, and managed in every way to get along, so that he would not be compelled to leave his homestead. After a time the years grew better and he was able to raise good crops, paid off his debts and bought more land, gradually working into the cattle business, and has made a great success of this line of work. His ranch now consists of eleven quarter sections of deeded land, and he also operates a section of school land. The family owns homestead land amounting to twelve hundred and eighty acres altogether, and their ranch is one of the best improved in that part of Nebraska.

     Mr. Iversen has a fine barn fifty by thirty feet, erected in 1906, and a beautiful thirteen-room house, all kinds of good sheds for his stock, one cattle shed being one hundred and fifty feet long, dipping tanks with every necessary improvement, his buildings altogether being worth over ten thousand dollars. He has one windmill which is used exclusively for irrigating purposes, covering a space of five hundred acres, and he has one of the finest gardens in his locality, all the land irrigated. He figures that his ranch is worth over thirty thousand dollars, and he is now clear of all debits, all of which he has accumulated in the last ten years.

     Mr. Iversen was married in 1881 to Christine Simonsen, who is a native of Denmark, where her parents were potato dealers. She came to America in 1880, locating in Iowa, where Mr. Iversen met and married her. Eight children were born to them, named as follows: Simon, Mamie, Mina, Andrew, Jr., Minnie, Christine, Sarah and Regina. At the age of eighteen each child is given a cow and calf,

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and when twenty-one they are presented with ten head of heifers, which makes a good start toward a fortune, and by owning an interest in the stock they are induced to take a greater interest in the ranch and are contented to remain at home and assist their parents in the work of operating it. Each child has his or her own special work to do, their share of the stock to look after on the ranch, and all are happy and contented in having something to take up their time and attention, and are one of the happiest families one meets in many a day.

     Mr. Iversen is an earnest believer in the Christian Science religion.

     John Henry Apolius is a native of Prussia, Germany, his birth occurring in the village of Pottolier, near Galantz, Province of Bromberg, October 41, 1863. His father, Fred Apolius, who died in 1872, was a farmer and laborer. The mother, whose maiden name was Minnie Berger, married Peter Wies and came to America, settling in Keith county, where the mother died in July, 1888.

     In 1882 our subject came to America, sailing from Bremen Haven on the Ohio, landing in New York the first of May, after a voyage of eleven days. Mr. Apolius came west to Muscatine, Iowa, where a sister resided and made his home here for three years, working on the railroad near Nicholas Station during the winter and performing farm labor during the summer months. Thence he went to Seward county, Nebraska, and lived there till the spring of 1892, engaged in farming.

     John Henry Apolius was married October 11, 1887, to Amelia Milka, whose parents were pioneers of Minnesota. This union has been blessed with eight children - Lena, Augusta and Emma, born in Seward county, and Marty, Emily, John, Theodore and Christine, born in Keith county.

     Mr. Apolius came to Keith county in 1893, living for the first two years on his mother's farm, after which time he took a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, his present place, and moved onto it. He has since secured a Kincaid claim of three hundred and twenty acres. His first crop was a failure, and as he had but little to start on, he was obliged to work out at anything that he could find to do, laboring from time to time on the railroad some five or six years. He located his farm in the valley because it was a region where well water could be easily obtained, and also for the reason that more rain fell there than back on the higher lands. He commenced horse and cattle raising, and although other cattle men tried to drive him out so they could have the use of his land, he clung to his farm and worked to make it a success.

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He has now a splendid ranch of twelve hundred acres, with about three hundred and sixty acres under cultivation, the balance being pasture, alfalfa and hay land. On the ranch are ten miles of fence, three wells, two windmills, a fine house and barn and a large dipping tank for cattle; there are thirty acres of hog pasture especially set apart for the raising of hogs. There is a fine grove of forest trees on the place besides fifty fruit trees and an abundance of small fruits and berries that do well in this climate.

     When one sees this splendid farm it is hard to realize that Mr. Apolius had to borrow money with which to pay his car fare to this western country. He lived at first in a sod house and kept his stock in a sod stable. He experienced many losses, among which was the destruction of his barn and windmill by a cyclone August 19, 1907, entailing a heavy loss. But in spite of all discouragements Mr. Apolius has developed his ranch and established a fine home and a prosperous business.

     Our subject is a stanch Republican in politics, showing an active interest in all matters of a public nature. He is widely known and respected as one of the strong financial factors in the growth and material development of the county,. With his family he is a member of the English Lutheran church at Baxter and of the Modern Woodmen of America.

     Mr. Zinkon was born in Coshocton, Ohio, in 1857. His father was John Zinkon, a native of Germany, who came to America in his young manhood and settled in Holmes county, Ohio, where he met and married Mary Hoover, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio when quite young. John Zinkon died in 1862, survived by his wife and a family of six children, of whom our subject was the fifth member. They were named as follows: Louisa, George, William, Anna, Martin and John. Mr. Zinkon lived in Coshocton county, Ohio, for twenty-three years, and in 1880 came west, locating in Otoe county, Nebraska, where he worked on a large farm for some time, and next moved to Custer county, and pre-empted a tract of government land, remaining there up 1889. At that time he sold out his holdings and went to Missouri. He only remained there for about two years, then returned to Nebraska, settling in Cass county and started a farm, operating it one year, when he moved to Lancaster county, Nebraska, and farmed there for two years. His next move was to Kansas, where he spent four years, then drifted back to the state of Nebraska, and since that time has lived here constantly. He has succeeded in building up a good home and productive ranch, consisting of six hundred and forty acres, which is located in Garfield county, his land being situated in section 35, township 23, range 13. He devotes a large portion of his ranch to the culture of hay and for grazing purposes, raising quite a number of cattle and hogs, but also does farming on a very large scale, raising corn, potatoes, vegetables, etc.

     Mr. Zinkon was married in 1884 to Miss Rebecca Burdick, born in Illinois and raised in Nemaha county, Nebraska. She is a daughter of J. P. and Deborah (Gray) Burdick. Mr. and Mrs. Zinkon are the parents of six children, namely: John P., Iva E., Voris I., Sylva M. D., Emma May and Edna Cora. Mr. Zinkon is a Republican in political views.

     Our subject's earlier days were spent in Wisconsin, where he received his education, attending the county schools. Until the age of twenty he lived with his parents, assisting his father in farming, gaining the experience which has made him one of the successful farmers of Dawes county. He spent several years of his early life running a sawmill. In 1886 his father came to Dawes county, and the same year our subject followed, the balance of the family, excepting one brother, following later. Mr. Stetson and his father proved up on government land and erected a log cabin.

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The same year our subject settled on the homestead which is his present home, and has continued to build up and improve his farm until at the present time he has eleven hundred acres of good land, one hundred and fifty acres of which are cultivated. He has equipped his place with many modern improvements. There are several good springs, running water, a windmill and plenty of fine timber and fuel. Mr. Stetson has been engaged in the threshing business for the past twenty-one years, and has threshed in all parts of the county. This business has enabled him to become extensively acquainted throughout the county, where by his honesty and fair dealings he has built up a reputation worthy of note. The period of drouths (sic) were witnessed by our subject, and during the hardships of these time it was barely possible for him to make a living.

     In 1889 Mr. Stetson was married to Miss Carrie Could, daughter of John and Jennie Gould, prominent old settlers of Dawes county. Seven children blessed this union, viz.: Jennie, Vernie, Ethel, Ershall, Alma, Vernon, and an infant girl, Geneva.

     Mr. Stetson is an independent voter. He is a prominent factor in local affairs having held the office of school director for nine years. From the time of his entry into Dawes county he has always been a faithful worker in the interest of the development of the schools. He is now the secretary and treasurer of the Independent Telephone Company, a rural line.

     A good ranch, a family of growing children that would honor any parentage, and a standing in the community as a thoroughly honorable and upright citizen, Mr. Stetson may well be satisfied with the result of his busy years.

     Mr. Anderson was born in Sweden on the 30th day of January, 1859, and grew to manhood there, coming at the age of twenty to the United States. His father, John Anderson, died in the land of his birth June 22, 1908. The mother, Anna L. Abrahamson in maidenhood, is still living in her native land.

     Oscar Anderson crossed England and sailed July 29, 1879, from Gottenberg to Hull, and embarked in the Britanica at Liverpool for New York, reaching his destination after a voyage of eight days. After a short visit with several brothers at Logansport, Indiana, he went to Henry county, Illinois, and spent about five years in that locality at farm labor, working one winter in the city of Rock Island. He then came to Nebraska, settling in Cheyenne county, and about the 16th of March, 1885, filed on a homestead in section 18, township 15, range 52. He spent many years on that ranch and built up a fine property, now being proprietor of fourteen hundred and forty acres, consisting of twelve hundred and eighty acres in ranch land on the tableland, on which he has erected the most substantial buildings of any ranch in the region, most of them being constructed of stone. His groves are the largest and most thrifty to be seen for miles around. He runs one hundred and thirty head of cattle and about one hundred horses, cultivating a quarter section of the fertile land. He also owns one hundred and sixty acres adjoining the village of Potter. The dwelling, built in 1884, is the oldest in the village, having been erected immediately after the section house. This dwelling, however, was remodeled and additions built in 1908, making it a most desirable and comfortable residence. The barns and other buildings are also of substantial construction.

     Mr. Anderson is an old-timer in this region, one of the earliest settlers in this section of the country. When he arrived here he had practically no capital, and from this humble beginning has become one of the well-to-do men of his locality. He is active in all affairs pertaining to his state and county, and has been a leading and influential citizen since first locating here. In political sentiment he is a loyal Republican, and has held numerous public offices. With his family he is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church. He is also a member of the Potter camp, Modern Woodmen of America.

     In July, 1885, our subject was united in marriage at Holdrege, Nebraska, to Miss Elizabeth Frantz, a daughter of Gustave and Marie L. (Norman) Frantz, who was born in Sweden December 31, 1862. The family came to America in 1880, settling at Geneseo, Henry county, Illinois, where the parents still reside. Eight children form Mr. Anderson's family: Frances E., wife of Joseph J. Johnson, who is the manager of the home ranch, "Prairie Grove

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Stock Farm," mentioned above; Edgar E., also a ranchman; Emma E., Anna M., Ella Freda, Ernest M., Henry W. and Edna Hilma, living at home.

     Mr. Anderson is a broad and liberal-minded man, one of the excellent class of citizens contributed by Scandinavia to the American re- (Article just ends in the middle of the sentence.)

     Clarence G. Lawrence, a son of Frank P. and Mary (Miller) Lawrence, was born near Racine, Wisconsin, June 14, 1876. His parents moved to Utica, Nebraska, about 1884, then for a time resided at Lincoln. Clarence and a brother came to Cheyenne county in June, 1892, where they began ranching, eventually securing two sections of land. This they sold in 1906, and Clarence having filed on a Kincaid homestead of six hundred and forty acres, comprising section 28, township 13, range 52, in 1904, engaged extensively in cattle raising, also running a small drove of horses.

     He now owns a whole section, which is well improved, about eighty acres in a good state of cultivation, with a fine garden under irrigation. The ranch has a splendid supply of good water, having one spring of living water which runs the year around.

     Mr. Lawrence is a fine young man, an earnest worker and of most upright principles, enjoying the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has to do. He is a conscientious member of the Methodist church. He is an independent in politics, takes a commendable interest in all local county and state affairs and is regarded as one of the leading citizens of his locality.

     Mr. Plum is a native of Iowa City, Iowa, born May 10, 1868. He is a son of Martin Plum, now retired and living at Lincoln, Nebraska. The mother before marriage was Miss Elizabeth Morgan. There are eleven children in the family, of whom our subject is the sixth in order of birth. He was reared at Shelley, Iowa, and all of his life excepting ten years has been spent in farming. He assisted his father in carrying on the latter's farm up to the time he was nineteen years of age, when he began teaching, which he followed six years, having fitted himself for the profession in the local schools. He later learned the plumber's trade, which he followed at Shelley some six or seven years and then for four years in Ponca City, Oklahoma, also engaging in the real estate business two and a half years at Anadarko.

     At the opening of the Rosebud reservation he visited that section of the country, but was not favorably impressed with the country and did not take up any land. He filed on his present homestead under the Kincaid law in September, 1904, and at once went to work at building up the place, and now has it improved with fences and good buildings erected by his own hands. This farm consists of six hundred and forty acres, on which he runs about fifty head of stock all the time, cultivating some sixty acres. He is well satisfied with the locality, being within three and a half miles of the town of Wood Lake.

     Mr. Plum was married May 15, 1900, to Miss Gertrude Dower, a native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a daughter of Charles and Bessie (Smith) Dower, who have been residing in Ponca City, Oklahoma, since 1899.

     In political faith Mr. Plum is a Republican.

     Mr. Maginnis was born in Ireland, January 6, 1867, and his entire family except two brothers, who live in Massachusetts, never left

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their native land, his father dying there in 1904, while his mother still makes their native country her home. When our subject was a boy of thirteen years he left his home and came to America, locating in Brown county, Illinois, September 2, 1880, and after spending about two years in that vicinity went to Hamilton county, Nebraska. About two years were spent in Aurora, and from there he drifted into the Sweetwater country, in Wyoming, finally coming to Kimball county in 1885, arriving here July 22. During his residence in the United States he had learned the blacksmith's trade, and on locating here opened up a shop in Kimball, which he has run ever since, and now has one of the best equipped blacksmith and machine shops in the west. He carries on a large business in the manufacture of extensible irrigation flumes and water troughs, building up a large trade throughout the western states, and which has made him a nice income.

     Mr. Maginnis was married at Kimball in December, 1888, to Maggie A. Marshall. Mrs. Maginnis was born in Indiana and came to Nebraska with her mother, who is now a widow and still resides in Kimball, about 1874. They have a family of nine children, eight of whom are living, named as follows: Arthur F., Alice Isabelle, Robert J., Edward Dewey, Hugh Marshall, Lizzie, Margaret and William P., all living at home. One son, Charles P., died in 1899.

     Mr. Maginnis is a Democrat and is an important factor in local affairs. He has been a member of the village council, also has served on the school board at different times.

     John W. Tidd was born in Dakota county, Nebraska, in 1863, and reared on a farm. His father, Charles Tidd, settled in eastern Nebraska when there were but two white settlers in the neighborhood.

     Our subject lived at home until he was fifteen years of age, assisting his parents in the farm work, then went to the western part of the state. His mother died when he was a lad of eight years, and this broke up their home and he was obliged to strike out for himself at a tender age. In 1878 he landed in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and secured employment as a cowboy, and also spent some time in the Big Horn basin on different ranches, living in that part of the country up to 1887. While there he spent the entire summer on the plains, and did not know what it was to sleep in a house for months at a time. Mr. Tidd came to Sioux county in 1887, where his father had located some time before, and he at once filed on a homestead and started to develop a ranch. His place was situated near Pine Ridge. There he went through hard times for a number of years in getting started, but managed to build up a good home and lived on the homestead for about thirteen years, then came to his present ranch. He purchased a tract of land and later took a homestead adjoining, now being owner of twelve hundred and eighty acres situated on Indian creek, eighteen miles west of Ardmore. His ranch is splendidly improved, and he engages exclusively in stock raising. There is plenty of timber and pasture, also a fine supply of running spring water for all his needs.

     In 1893 Mr. Tidd was united in marriage to Miss Martha Hixson, daughter of John Hixson, a well known pioneer of Sioux county, where Mrs. Tidd grew up. They have a family of three children, namely: Joseph W., James E. and Myrtle V., and they enjoy a pleasant home and all the comforts of ranch life.

     Mr. Tidd is a leading citizen of his community and is influential in public affairs. He has served for a number of years as deputy sheriff, also was assessor for one term, and stands firmly for the principles which he advocates.

     Mr. Huddle was born in Ross county, Ohio, September 24, 1856, and brought up on a ram. His father, Socrates Huddle, was of Holland descent, while his mother, Hope Jones, was

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of Welsh blood. They had a family of five children, Charles S. being the eldest. The family moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1860, where the mother died seven years later. Charles returned to Ohio, residing with his grandparents until fifteen years of age, when he came to Burlington Junction, Missouri, where he worked during the winter, spending his summers at farm labor. When eighteen years of age he began farming on rented land near Burlington Junction and was so occupied for nine years. In 1883 Mr. Huddle came to Keya Paha county, arriving here April 6, and settled on his present homestead, where he put up buildings and rapidly improved his farm. At one time he was three thousand dollars in debt, but is now clear of all encumbrances and owns four hundred and sixty-five acres of land, part adapted to farming, the balance being in hay and pasture. He keeps from thirty to seventy-five head of cattle, and raises two hundred hogs some years. He has accumulated this fine property from a start of one team and two cows, his sole capital when he arrived here. His farm is all fenced, and he has a fine orchard and everything to make a model country place. Mr. Huddle is a man of industrious habits and energy, and has always been a very hard worker. He has built six miles of wire fence on his farm, two miles of which are hog-proof.

     Mr. Huddle was married December 23, 1880, to Miss Flora McCrea, daughter of Duncan McCrea, an old settler, who lived in Nebraska for some years. Mr. and Mrs. Huddle are the parents of five children, namely: Floy E., killed in a railroad accident in Alaska in December, 1905; Claude S.; Eva, who died February 1, 1908; Martha A. and Forest C.

     Mr. Huddle takes an active part in politics, serving as a delegate to conventions and working for the best interests of the people. He is a Republican, and cast his first vote for J. A. Garfield. He is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Ainsworth and of the Modern Woodmen of America at Springview.

     Mr. Dalton was born near Carrick Suir, in the county of Kilkenny, Ireland, May 27, 1866. He grew to manhood there, following the usual life of persons in his class in that country, farming most of the time as a boy. He emigrated to America when he was but fifteen years of age. His parents, Patrick J. and Mary (Quinn) Dalton, spent their entire lives in their native land, the mother still living there. Sailing from Queenstown in the City of Chester, after a voyage of fifteen days our subject landed in New York May 1, 1881. He settled in Sac county, Iowa, where he spent six years, and in the spring of 1887 came to Nebraska, filing on a homestead and commencing at once to develop a farm. He went through the usual experiences of the pioneer in the west, working at everything that he could find to do in order to make a living and improve his place, and succeeded in proving up on his claim. He put up good buildings, planted trees and as he became better able, added to the original farm, until he now owns eight hundred acres, most of which is used for ranching purposes, with about one hundred acres cultivated. He runs one hundred and twenty-five cattle and a small bunch of horses. During the first seven years of his residence in this part of the state Mr. Dalton was employed on the old Pomeroy Ranch, where he became familiar with every phase of ranch life, roughing it for many months in the year.

     On October 9, 1902, Mr. Dalton married Miss Susan Ward in Denver. She is a daughter of Hugh Ward, whose wife was a Miss Keenan; both were native of Ireland. Mrs. Dalton was born and reared in Chicago. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dalton, Mary (deceased) and Margaret Susan.

     Mr. Dalton is Republican in politics, and a member of the Catholic church.

     Mr. Bowlby was born on a farm in Indiana in 1867, his parents being William and Mary (Burnhammer) Bowlby, farmers and influential pioneers of Polk county, Nebraska.

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The father was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the mother was born in Ohio.

     When our subject was five years of age the family came west to Polk county, settling on government land, where he was reared to manhood. He then started out for himself engaging in agricultural pursuits in Polk county up to 1901. He experienced the hardships of pioneer life and passed through the hard times occasioned by years of drouth (sic) and the grasshopper raids. He had but little to start on and he had to master his own difficulties and hew his own way to success. Possessed of a strong will and good staying qualities of character, he could not help but succeed, and he has laid the foundation for permanent and increasing prosperity. In the spring of 1904 Mr. Bowlby brought his family to Loup county and settled on a homestead on section 25, township 22, range 18. His first buildings were made of sods and his land was raw prairie. Now he has three hundred and twenty acres of good land with ninety acres under cultivation, has good buildings and other improvements and a fine fruit orchard containing one hundred apple trees. He has built up a good home and is considered one of the well-to-do farmers of the day. Since locating in the county he has established himself among the people as a successful business man and conscientious citizen.

     The marriage of John H. Bowlby to Miss Levada Hedge occurred in 1888, and the wife was a daughter of Crawford and Mary (Putman) Hedge, of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Bowlby have one daughter, Ella, born in Polk county, Nebraska.

     Mr. Ogden was a native of Menard county, Illinois, where he was raised until he was about ten years old. He farmed in Iowa for about ten years, and about 1868 came to Nebraska, settling in Johnson county, and carried on mixed farming and the raising of stock and grain since locating here. In 1902 he settled in Washington township, Harland county, purchasing a farm of two sections during this time. Some of this land was bought for ten dollars per acre, and is now worth fifty dollars, showing a splendid increase in this short time. Mr. Ogden added many improvements to his place and had everything in first-class shape and it is one of the show places of the county. Besides this farm he owned other land here. From his experience in this state and Iowa he much preferred Nebraska to the latter, as here one man and four horses can attend to one hundred acres where they could only take care of forty acres properly, and at the same time can raise as much grain to the acre. He was very successful in his farming operations in Iowa, but did much better here, and there the land cost double what it does here, and during a drive among the farms in his neighborhood one sees everywhere the prosperity of the people. He was engaged in the general real estate business for many years and had brought in many settlers from Mills and Pottawatomie counties, Iowa, and since locating here all have succeeded far beyond what they would have in Iowa. There they sold land at one hundred dollars and one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre, and came here and purchased farms for ten dollars up to forty dollars per acre, and as they were good farmers have made lots of money, and the farm residences, barns and roads all show prosperity and good farming. All of Mr. Ogden's work in this line was done personally by him, as he never advertised in any way, and every man he brought here was more than pleased with the success which came to him. There are good schools all through this country and every advantage and opportunity to advance the settlers who come. Mr. Ogden was interested in the local telephone company, and was foremost in installing telephone service through Washington township, and he also secured the mail route on a first petition where others had tried and failed. He was a stockholder and director in the Home Telephone Company, and was active in the work of getting good roads put all through this part of the county.

     Two sons of our subject, W. B. and David S. Ogden, are successful farmers, and own land with their father; also a son-in-law, Arby Mizell, owns a farm near Mr. Ogden. Mr. Mizell's parents came from Kansas, and bought four hundred acres of land in Reuben township, and are well known residents of that locality. Another son of our subject, Charles H., is now married and follows farming.

     Mr. Ogden was an active Democrat. In 1901, in his home county in Iowa he was a