many. Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser are the parents of twelve living children and two dead: Augusta, born in 1873; Louis, born in 1875; Adolph, born in 1877, now dead; Edward, born in 1879; Etta, born in 1881; Louise, born in 1882; Emma, born in 1883; Mollie, born in 1885; Lizzie, born in 1886; Franz, born in 1887, now dead; Mary, born in 1888; Magdelina, born in 1890; Max, born in 1892; and Minnie, born in 1896.

     Mr. Kaiser came to America in 1885, and, coming westward located for four years at Columbus, Nebraska. In 1885 (sic) he came with a team of ponies and a covered wagon to his present farm in section 15, township 24, range 22, in Blaine county, and located a homestead. He had almost nothing to start with and had to live in his covered wagon most of the time during the first summer. He slept on a straw bed under his wagon, and had many a fight with bull snakes that sought to sleep in the straw of his bed. He had many hardships to undergo and one of the hardships was the death of one of his ponies, which left him badly crippled to do the work of the farm. His first small house was built of sods of the prairie and later built a larger one of the same material. But now he has a splendid farm home - has four hundred and eighty acres of the best land in what is known as German valley. He has beautiful trees and his farm is thoroughly improved and up-to-date

     Mr. Kaiser had many hard trials in the pioneer days, but his native grit and his hang-on qualities and his persistent purpose to make a good home and farm have brought him success and prosperity. He is a man of sturdy, strong character, and merit's the good esteem in which he is held by his friends and neighbors.

      Harvey H. Knight, one of the representative ranchmen of Keith county, Nebraska, resides in White Tail precinct, where he has a valuable estate and is one of the leading men of the community

     Mr. Knight was born near Quincy, Illinois, November 17, 1866. His father, James F. Knight, was a native of Kentucky, while the mother, Columbia A. (Wright), was born in old Virginia. Mr. Knight was a pioneer farmer in Coffee county, Kansas, settling there with her family about 1869, where our subject grew to manhood, attending the country schools during his boyhood, and was accustomed to all kinds of hard farm work and life on the frontier.

     Remaining in Kansas until 1887 he came to Keith county and filed on a homestead in section 12, township 15, range 38, and opened a farm. He built a sod house and sod barn, and about the only start he had was a pair of old mules and one wagon. At first he had a hard time to get along and make a living, but he worked at whatever he could find to do in the vicinity, and proved up on his claim, remaining there for about six years. During the dry years he was unable to raise crops of any kind, so he quit trying to farm and began in the sheep business, and carried that on with good success for eleven years. He moved to his present location in 1892. This now a ranch of four thousand acres, on Section 1 and surrounding sections, township 14, range 37, and is devoted to cattle raising, principally, at the present time, although this is comparatively a new departure for Mr. Knight, he having started this branch only in 1901. The ranch is admirably located for the purpose, lying in the valley of the North Platte river, and is well equipped with good buildings, fences, wells and windmills, also has a number of natural springs furnishing an abundance of good clear water and year round. There is a good grove of trees, and Mr. Knight has planted different varieties of fruit trees and small fruits

     Since locating here Mr. Knight has met with severe losses from different causes, the principal one being the burning of a bunch of sheep and other property in a prairie fire, this having occurred in 1893; but through all the good, bad and indifferent times, Mr. Knight has kept up good courage, and is now rewarded for his efforts in the possession of one of the best improved and most valuable ranches in the region

     On May 9, 1886, Mr. Knight married Miss Rosa Miller, born in Anderson county, Kansas, a daughter of Adam and Annie (Guy) Miller, natives of Ohio and Indiana respectively. The father was a pioneer farmer of Kansas, and settled in Keith county in 1887. Two children have been born to our subject and wife, Herman Henry and Annie May. The family have a pleasant home, surrounded by every comfort of rural life, and all are highly esteemed in the community. Mr. Knight is a Republican in politics and a member of the Ogallala Lodge, Modern Woodmen of America. Associated with him in all his cattle and sheep enterprises is a brother, William F. Knight, who was born near Quincy, November 15, 1861. He came to Keith county in 1888 and has since been one of its substantial citizens.

      One of the pleasant homes in Camp Clarke precinct, Morrill (formerly Cheyenne) county,

is owned by Andrew W. Anderson, a well and favorably know citizen of that community, who has spent the past twenty years of is career there

     Mr. Anderson was born in the village of Jarsos, province of Skone, Sweden, May 23, 1848, coming to the United States with his parents at the age of six years. Their first sojourn was at Galesburg, Illinois, where they spent one year, then moved on a farm at Andover. Here they lived for ten years, the father buying first ten acres, which he later increased to one hundred. They next moved to Iowa, settling in Garden township, Boone county, where the father bought one hundred and sixty acres, and here he died. Andrew Anderson was for twelve years a merchant in Slater, Iowa: selling his store in 1889, he came to Alliance, Nebraska, arriving here on April 19: he filed on a homestead on section 6, township 20, range 51, and proved up on a quarter section, later taking a timber claim, all of which he improved. He now owns over five hundred acres, all under the Alliance ditch, and has over one hundred acres cultivated, raising good crops of grain. He runs quite a bunch of stock, and has about twenty-five acres of fine alfalfa, with plenty of hay land. A large tract of his farm is set apart as an orchard, in which he has planted trees as follows; One hundred and sixty-five cherry trees, one hundred and twenty-five apple trees, one hundred and fifty plum trees, one hundred currant bushed and one hundred gooseberry bushes, all in fine growing condition

     Mr. Anderson has three brothers and two sisters living, both parents being dead. On July 5, 1876, he was married at Madrid, Iowa, to Miss Ulrica Cassel, who was born and raised in that state. They have no living children. Mrs. Anderson's remote ancestor, Baron Von Cassel, of Germany, came to Sweden under Johan Baner after the close of thirty years' war and remained to become a citizen of that country

     Mr. Anderson is one of the leading men of his locality, taking an active part in all matters for the public good. He is a treasurer of school district No. 44, also treasurer and secretary of the Alliance Irrigation Canal Water Power Company

     In politics he is a Republican and stands firmly for the principles of his party. Both Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are members of the Lutheran church. An omnivorous reader, Mr. Anderson has stored his mind with a wide range of knowledge, taking delight in branches of scientific learning little sought by the general reader. He is ingenious with tools, having built part of their neat cottage home. He is a man of broad, liberal views and intellectuality, far above the average man of this section of the country. A view of his pleasant home, with its grove and orchard, is to be found on one our illustrative pages.

      Jerome B. Haiston, one of the most extensive and progressive ranchmen of Davison precinct, is an old settler of Cheyenne county. He is a man of wide experience, and by his good management and industry, supplemented by honest dealings, has acquired a valuable property and become recognized as one of the substantial and worthy citizens of his community

     Mr. Haiston was born in Henry county, Iowa, on March 1, 1853. His mother, Catherine (Davison) Haiston, died when he was a small boy, and his father Henry Haiston, was supposed to have died when he was thirteen years of age. At the age of three and a half years Jerome was taken into the family of J. B. Comerford, in Adams county, Illinois, and lived with them until he was twenty-one years of age, when he started out in life for himself. His sole capital consisted of a horse and saddle and a good suit of clothes; he began to work as a farm hand in Adams county, remaining there for several years.

     He was married there on the 8th of October, 1874, to Miss Mary D. Huff, who was a native of Augusta, Hancock county, Illinois, born May 16, 1856. Her parents, Abraham and Christina (Eckles) Huff, are now both dead. The young couple spent several years in Adams county, and in 1885 came west, settling in Cheyenne county, Nebraska, where they filed on a homestead in section 34, township 16, range 50, on which they have made their home ever since. There they went through pioneer experiences, suffering many hardships and privations in getting their home started, but sticking to their determination to succeed, and have been richly rewarded for their efforts, as one can see b glancing at the beautiful fields and broad acres surrounding their comfortable home residence. Mr. Haiston owns altogether eight hundred acres. He cultivates one hundred and sixty acres, raises small grains with splendid success, having good yields each season and a good quality of each variety of grain. He keeps about seventy-five head of cattle and twenty horses. During the early years he suffered severely by drouths, but had no losses from prairie fires nor from hail. An elegant new dwelling was erected in 1907, which was destroyed August 11 before being fairly completed. With true western grit, Mr. Haiston rebuilt a seven-room two-story house in the sum-

mer of 1908, and now has one of the finest country residences in the county

     Mr. and Mrs. Haiston are the parents of the following children: John A., William F., Thomas O., Zilla T. (deceased), Minnie A., Mary E., Frank E., Charolette M. and Mabel D., J. A., W. F., T. O. and Millie A., the wife of Edward A. Mayer, are all married and well settled in homes of their own, and all are filling honorable positions in the world.

     Mr. Haiston is a stanch Republican, and takes a leading party affairs. He is chairman of the board of county commissioners and was re-elected in November, 1908. He is at present serving as postmaster of the Higgins post office, which is located on his ranch. He is a member of the Frank Welch lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Mason, of Sidney. On another page of this volume will be found a picture of Mr. Haiston's residence.

      William Welch, residing on section 17, township 24, range 42, Sheridan county, is one of the men who settled in the sand hills a number of years ago, and through persistent efforts and industry has acquired a nice property and enjoys a pleasant home. He is a great admirer of this section of the country, and is contented to make Nebraska his home during the future, as he is satisfied with conditions and the opportunities which are within the easy grasp of anyone of energetic mind and industrious habits

     Mr. Welch was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1861, coming to America with his parent when he was nine years of age, the family being among the early settlers in Nebraska. William was the third member in their family of seven children, and at the age of twenty he started out for himself, working on farms in Sarpy county, Nebraska, up to 1884, then came to Cherry county and took a homestead located twelve miles east of Gordon, just in the edge of the sand hills, remaining on that place for twelve years. He farmed there, keeping a few head of stock, and accumulated a ranch of four hundred and eighty acres of good land, but the dry years hit him and for two years he had three hundred acres in crops and did not raise enough to pay for threshing, so he eventually lost his land and stock through these failures.

     He then went to work for the Spade ranch outfit, and remained with that concern for eight years, and in 1901 got started again for himself, buying one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sheridan county. He had some stock and went to work in that business, as he has had enough of all farming. He had thirty head of cattle when he took this place, purchasing them with money he earned in working for others in this vicinity, and he increased his herd until he now has two hundred head or more, and also has taken an additional four hundred and eighty acres of land. His place is partly fenced, and he raises some grain, but has to buy part of his hay for his stock, although he has a good piece of ground seeded to alfalfa and expects to make a success of this grass. When Mr. Welch came to Cherry county in 1884 he drove through from Sarpy county, Nebraska, and at that time there was not a broken road in the country

     Mr. Welch was married in 1883 to Miss Katherine Donahue, a native of the state of Nebraska. Her father, John Donahue, was born and raised in Ireland, as was also her mother, both living in this state. To Mr. and Mrs. Welch have been born the following children, both born and raised in this locality: Ellen, aged twenty-four, and Patrick, age twenty. Our subject is an independent voter, Democratic in national affairs, but does not dabble much in politics. His post office is Bingham, Nebraska.

     Hans S. Hansen, whose pleasant home is locate in section 3, township 26, range 49, where his genial countenance and friendly spirit have made him host of well-wishers, which his manly character and genuine worth have long retained, was born on a farm in the southeastern part of Norway in 1865. He spent the earlier years of his life in his native land, where he received his education and was reared to manhood

     After the death of his father, which occurred in the old country, our subject, in the company of his mother, started on the journey across the ocean to America, while on this trip his mother died. He landed in New York city in 1885, and coming west located in Wisconsin, where he spent some time working in Oconomowoc and farming

     In 1888 Mr. Hansen came to Box Butte county, Nebraska, and settled on a homestead about five miles from Hemingford. Alliance was the nearest railroad station. Here he erected a sod shanty, and for five years lived a bachelor, working his place without the assistance of a team. He spent ten years at bridge construction work for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, and traveled through parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. In 1889 our subject purchased his present farm.

During the years of drouth he experienced re-

peated failure of crops, but continued his work with a determination which never failed. He now has five quarter sections of good land, all of which is well fenced. He has a pleasant house on his land, good farm building, wells and windmills, and he has eighty acres under cultivation

     In 1905 Mr. Hansen and Miss Annie Nortness were married. She was born in Norway, a daughter of O.C. Nortness, a prominent old settler of Nebraska

     Mr. Hansen votes the Republican ticket. From the beginning he has taken an active interest in the affairs of the surrounding community, and as an old settler has done his share of the work toward the development and improvement of the country in which he resides. He is a man whose career is a striking illustration of the persistence, pluck and energy of his native blood, and show what possibilities this new western country has opened to men of that hardy race, who could see an opportunity and had the courage to embrace it.

      Peter Kruse, one of the wealthy an influential agriculturists of Dawes county, Nebraska, resides on one of the fine estates in his township. He has accumulated his fortune by his push and energy, and his high station as a citizen and farmer is well deserved

     Mr. Kruse was born in Schleswig, Germany, in 1846, on a farm. His father, Jacob Kruse, was a farmer, who lived and died in his native land. Our subject was raised there, coming to the United States in 1869, and, after landing in New York City, traveled west to Clinton county, Iowa, and there followed farming for five years. He next moved to Goose Lake, Iowa, where he run a hotel and saloon for seventeen years, building up a good business, and made a good deal of money in that place. He was obliged to leave the town on account of serious sickness in his family, so sold out and came to Dawes county in 1889. Here he bought a farm n section 17, township 33, range 47, which at that time was perfectly unimproved prairie land, with scarcely an improvement on the place. He at once put up a house and began farming, and for a time went through hard times, witnessing the drouth years, when some season he was unable to raise even for seed the following year. He made a living by hauling and selling wood and hay from his farm, and as the times grew better was able to build up his farm and home. His ranch now comprises four hundred and eighty acres of good land, and he has a complete set of substantial farm buildings, and cultivates one hundred and twenty-five acres, with the balance in hay and pasture for stock, of which he runs quite a number. He has been unfortunate in many things, having lost his barn in 1902 by fire, including two set of good harness, and even this was a very serious setback to him; but he has built a fine new barn, completed in the year 1908. Mr. Kruse makes his dairy pay him well, and has regular customers who take his output of butter at twenty-five cents per pound the year around

     Mr. Kruse was united in marriage in 1873 to Miss Anna Berrickson, of German descent, who came to this country when a young girl. Mrs. Kruse died in 1889, when the children were small, leaving a family of five, named as follows; John, Emma, Pete, Annie and Minnie. The two oldest are married. The other three still help the father with his farm work

     Mr. Kruse has always been prominent in local public affairs, and served on the school board as director of his district for ten years. In political sentiment he is a Democrat.

      In compiling a list of the prominent business men of Kimball, Nebraska, who have been intimately identified with the up building of the commercial interests of that locality and are widely and favorably known, a foremost place must be given E. Gus Linn. This gentleman has been engaged in business in Kimball for many years past, handling different enterprises, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances

     Mr. Linn was born in Sweden, December 6, 1862, and was the third child in his father's family of five, the father still living in his native land, while the mother is dead. At the age of twenty Mr. Linn left Sweden and came to America, settling in Pennsylvania in June, 1882, where he spent six months, then went to Michigan and secured employment in the lumber mills.

     In 1884 he came to Nebraska, locating in Omaha, and was connected with a lumber company in that city for two years, then moved to Kimball to take charge of the Kimball Lumber Company, which was then managed by the W. T. Robinson Company. He remained in the employ of the concern up to 1893, then purchased the business, soon afterward adding hardware, implements, etc., to the stock. In 1907 he sold the lumber branch to the Foster Lumber Company, and he now has the largest hardware, implement, wagon and buggy establishment in

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