for Panama in 1885; in 1886 he was elected Assessor of Panama, and was re-elected to that office in 1887. He is at present Clerk of the elections of Panama, and is also School Director of his district. Religiously, he is identified with the Presbyterians, was a charter member of the First Presbyterian Church of Firth, and is at present Ruling Elder. He is also an active Sunday-school worker., and has been Superintendent of the Sunday-school for several years.
   Mr. Hoffstradt was married to his present wife Aug. 2, 1887. She was formerly of Wilber, Neb., although she was born and reared in Germany. Her maiden name was Diana Smith, and the date of her birth was Feb. 14, 1861. Site received an excellent education in the far-famed schools of her native land. She came to America when she was twenty years old, coming to Nebraska in 1881. She is a good housewife, and makes home cozy, attractive, and a pleasant abiding-place.

UGENE H. ANDRUS, an extensive dealer in real estate in the city of Lincoln, is looked upon as one of the most enterprising and prominent business men of Nebraska. A native of New York State, he was born near the town of Castile, in Wyoming County, Sept. 10, 1846, and was the elder of the two children of Martin and Clarissa (Huntington) Andrus. His father was a native of Vermont, and at one time extensively engaged as a railway contractor, and dealer in grain and produce in Baltimore, Md. The mother, a native also of the Green Mountain State, was the only daughter of Daniel Huntington. She died when her son Eugene H. was a lad ten years of age. Martin Andrus is still living, retired from active business, and makes his home in Perry, N. Y.
   The subject of this sketch acquired his rudimentary education in the common schools, and at the early age of twelve years began his business career as clerk in a store, where he remained three years. Being ambitious to complete his education, he went to Rochester, N. Y., and became a student in the college them diligently pursuing the prescribed course of study until the outbreak of the Civil War. Although then but fifteen years old his patriotism overcame every other consideration, and throwing aside his books he enlisted in the defense of his country, becoming a member of the 24th New York Batterry (sic). His services, however, were required only a short time when his regiment was mustered out, and young Andrus received his honorable discharge and returned home.
   Our subject now assumed charge of his father's business in Baltimore, and was thus occupied for two years. Thence he went to Perry, N. Y., and engaged in merchandising on his own account, carrying on business at that point three years. Then taking up his residence in Warsaw he became proprietor of the Andrus Regulator, and in connection with this carried on a very extensive business, selling on an average $150,000 worth annually. Finally, owing to unavoidable business complications, he was compelled to close out, and after settling honorably with his creditors, had but $50 left. Undismayed, however, by his ill fortune, he set to work with characteristic energy to retrieve his position in the business world, and devoted that small sum of money to the purchase of thirteen acres of land adjoining the town of Warsaw, and laid it out in town lots, from the sale of which he realized over $3,000.
   In 1872 Mr. Andrus entered into a contract to go to Corning, Iowa, and take charge of the landed interests of A. & G. W. Frank, whose property lay mostly in Iowa and Missouri. In the performance of his duties he found it necessary to make surveys, and operated under the experienced eye of A. B. Smith, the well-known Burlington & Missouri River Railroad surveyor. Later Mr. Andrus assisted in the platting of Creston, and other important towns along the line of this railroad. This accomplished, he entered the employ of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company, as land agent, taking charge of its land in Southwestern Iowa, which extended over several counties. After the grasshopper scourge he was sent to Nebraska to make things satisfactory with the settlers, and to arrange other contracts. He at this time had his headquarters at Harvard, Neb.
   Two years later, in 1878, Mr. Andrus was appointed general land agent of the Burlington &

Missouri River Railroad Company, having his headquarters at Kearney, and while there he established offices at different points in the Republican Valley, one being at Loup City, which was then forty-seven miles from any railway. From the year 1878 to 1880 he sold 1,400,000 acres of land for this company. In 1882 Mr. Andrus moved to Lincoln and opened an office for the purpose of engaging in a general land business, handling State and school land, and also Lincoln city property. The town then included about 8,000 inhabitants; the attention of Eastern capitalists had already been attracted to it, and their efforts were being put forth to promote its growth. Mr. A., with that keen foresight and business sagacity for which he is noted, discovering in the little city the great metropolis of the future, invested largely in city property, which he held for a time, then sold, disposing of the most of it during the year 1887. Upon this he realized handsome profits, thus placing himself among the substantial men of this locality.
   One of the most important purchases of Mr. Andrus was 800 acres of land near the city, and a part of which is now designated as Cushman Park. This he fitted up as a pleasure resort for the people of Lincoln, and it has become the most important institution of its kind in the West, having been visited by over 60,000 people during the short season of 1888. A railroad runs from the city into the grounds. It has a mile and a quarter of boating, with an average depth of thirteen feet of water, and a beautiful spot of ground known as Mascott Island, covered with a dense growth of trees. The park contains ninety acres of solid timber, comprising elm, hackberry, ash, black-walnut and maple.
   The principal features, however, of Cushman Park are its springs, which include the Giant Iron, and the White Sulphur, the wonderful Magnesia Springs, and the thirteen fresh water springs. These are yet to be developed, and a beautiful and commodious hotel will be erected in the near future. The Traveling Men's Association of Nebraska and Colorado will hold their grand camp-meeting of the Knights of the Grip the last week in June of the season following. Probably not less than $15,000 will be expended in improvements. People visiting the West should not fail to take in this great resort. Cushman Park lies three miles west of the city of Lincoln, and has an altitude of fifty-six feet above the city. It is the monopoly of all the resorts in this section of the West, and is one of the fairest monuments to the zeal and enterprise of its founder that could be named.
   Mr. Andrus was married, in the twenty-first year of his age, to Miss Florence E. Buxton, of Warsaw, N. Y.. a daughter of Otis Buxton. She presides over their commodious and well-appointed home with a genial hospitality. Two children, Clinton B. and Lottie H., have been born of this marriage. The son is in business with his father, and the daughter is a student in the State University. Mr. Andrus, politically, is one of the leading Democrats of this State. He was nominated in 1880 by his party for the office of State Land Commissioner, but Nebraska being largely Republican, he was defeated. His great popularity, however, carried him considerably ahead of his ticket, and indicated in a marked manner his standing in the State.
   The view of Cushman Park given in connection with this sketch not only adds to the embellishment of this work, but reflects due credit upon its projector, who has left nothing undone to render it an attractive and restful resort for the people who here seek recreation.

AMES B. HALE. The subject of this biography is owner of one of the finest farms in Saltillo Precinct, on section 30, which embraces 560 acres of land, and which has been brought to a high state of cultivation. Upon it have been erected neat and substantial buildings, a comfortable and convenient residence, good barns and outhouses, everything adapted to the comfort of the proprietor and his family, the storing of grain and the shelter of stock. Adjacent to the dwelling is an apple orchard of 600 trees in good bearing condition, and contiguous to this are the smaller fruit trees in abundance. The household comprises the parents and a blooming family of eight children, namely: Robert M., John C., Emma Josephine, Amos, Eric Edgar, Edith S., Bessie and Stewart Grant. They all continue to abide under the home

roof, are attending school, and are being carefully trained in the manner becoming their station as the offspring of one of the leading families of the county.
   Our subject traces his ancestry to Sir Robert Hale, brother of Sir Matthew Hale, Chief Justice of England. The first representatives of the family in this country crossed the Atlantic during the reign of Charles II. Amos H. Hale, the father of our subject, was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., and his wife, Mrs. Mary J. Hale, was born in Davis County, Ind. After marriage they settled in Lawrence, the latter State, where the father occupied himself as a civil engineer and master mechanic, and in due time became Superintendent of the Indiana & Madison Railroad. He was a man of fine capabilities and master of his profession. Desirous of a change of occupation, however. He severed his connection with the railroad company, and in 1866 came to Nebraska and purchased a section of land, upon which he began to make improvements. His career, however, was cut short five years later, his death taking place in 1871, at the age of fifty-one years.
   The mother of our subject is still living, being sixty-eight years old, and makes her home at Roca, Neb. The paternal family included nine children, three sons and six daughters. Of these James B. was the second child, his birth taking place Oct. 25, 1847, in Springville, Lawrence Co., Ind. His early education was quite limited, being in a new country with good schools few and far between. He, however, was trained to those habits of industry and principles of honor which have attended him all through his career. He became familiar at an early age with the various employments of farm life, and when ready to establish a home of his own was married to Miss Lucy A., daughter of John C. Sanford. The latter was a direct descendant of Gen. John Clark, of Virginia, and the parents of Mrs. Hale settled in Indiana, where the father carried on farming until his death. The mother, Mrs. Hannah Sanford, an own sister to the famous civil engineer, Capt. Eads, of St. Louis, is still living there.
   Mrs. Hale was the eldest of a family of thirteen children, four girls and nine boys, and was born in 1849, in Davis County, Ind.; she acquired a common school education, while receiving careful home training. Mr. Hale, since the time of his voting days, has upheld the principles of Republicanism, and when a boy hurrahed for John C. Fremont. Later he imbibed the deepest admiration for Abraham Lincoln, and had his innate love of liberty strengthened by the perusal of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which made him one of the strongest anti-slavery men of his time. The patronymic was in former times spelled "Haile", but changed to the shorter method of Hale by the father of our subject.
   The view of the Hale homestead, which appears on another page in this volume, will be recognized as that of one of the most energetic and successful men of Saltillo Precinct, one who through the exercise of his own industry and perseverance has enlarged the talent conferred upon him by a kindly Providence. In the development of one of the finest tracts of land in this county he has contributed thus far toward its wealth and prosperity, enhancing not only the value of his own possessions, but adding to the importance of the real estate around him. A man public-spirited and interested in whatever is calculated to benefit this County and community, he has thus erected for himself a monument which will be looked upon in later years by his descendants who may revert to his career as one of which they have reason to be proud.

AVID R. LILLIBRIDGE. One feature of the progress of the present era is the drifting of every department of trade and profession into specialty. Any trade or calling in life, or subject of investigation, is too vast, its details too multitudinous, to be grasped by one mind. We have, therefore, the whole broken up into lesser parts that they may be the more quickly and perfectly handled. Not many years ago it was supposed that one or two masters taking charge of our youth in a school could so train and instruct them that upon leaving the institution they would be thoroughly equipped for any and every calling, excepting, perhaps, a very limited number of special professions. But this is no longer true, and to-day there are found institu-

tions which take the young man or woman fresh from the Commencement platform, the proud owner of High School or academic diploma, and provide such instruction as is absolutely necessary to success in the line of their chosen occupation. It may be stenography or book-keeping or languages or music, but whatever may be the specialty desired, some such course is recognized as being more than advisable.
   In the present sketch is offered a brief outline of the life of one who has risen to the "chief seat" in his special profession, which is that of preparing young men and women for business life, and whose success in his specialty has been the occasion of much remark in the city of his residence. The subject of this writing comes of a family known in the East chiefly in connection with the remarkably successful ministrations of the eloquent Baptist clergyman and learned author, Rev. David Lillibridge of Willington, Conn., whose son Amos was the father of our subject, Mr. D. R. Lillibridge, who was born in Willington, Tolland Co., Conn., on the 9th of February, 1839. As soon as his age would warrant he entered the public schools of his native town and began his education, which was thorough and complete so far as it was possible. In 1858 our subject taught a school for a term of six months at Imlaystown, N. J.
   Citizenship has always been reckoned as of great value. The Roman citizen would often plead his citizenship as the reason why certain punishments for legal offenses should not be assigned to him; favors and positions were often pressed for and obtained under the power of the same plea. The American citizen, if he be worthy the name, values the treasure highly and cares for it with affectionate solicitude. But there is another side to the question: for every privilege conferred there is a responsibility incurred, and when that responsibility has been accepted and borne, the citizenship is doubly dear. This is the reason why some of the veterans of 1861-65 feel impelled upon all National occasions to tell how battles have been fought and won. Our subject is one who accepted the responsibility, and when the flag was in danger of being rent asunder enlisted in its defense. He served in the 11th Rhode Island Infantry. He saw much active service, and followed the fortunes of the regiment until it was mustered out of the service at Providence, R. I., in August, 1864, when he was discharged. Our subject entered college at New York City, and took the entire course, graduating with honors in December, 1864. Shortly afterward he entered into a partnership with Bryant and Stratton, under the firm name of Bryant, Stratton & Lillibridge, and from that time has been increasingly prominently identified with this department or specialty of education. Mr. L. came to the city of Lincoln, and became the partner of F. F. Roope in the Lincoln Business College and Institute of Penmanship, Shorthand and Typewriting, which is now the largest in the West. This institution has become a recognized factor in the educational world of the State, and our subject is very popular with his students, who recognize in him a thorough business man, perfectly competent, possessing an aptitude for imparting instruction, and one who is a true friend to the diligent and persevering student.
   The above institution is quite largely patronized, but by no means exclusively by the people of Lincoln. The students come from all parts of the State, and the surrounding States. Our subject is also the author of one of the most popular practical and widely used works on book-keeping that has ever been published. It is issued under the title of "Modern Book-keeping," and is used by the National Union of Business Colleges, of which association Mr. Lillibridge is the honored President. The above work is also in use by a very large number of public and private schools throughout the land.
   Our subject is a resident of the city of Lincoln, and is the possessor of an elegant and beautifully situated home, his family circle comprising himself and wife with their three daughters, who have doubtless done much to make it the abode of culture refinement and true aesthetic beauty. Mr. Lillibridge was fortunate in being an admitted acquaintance of Marie D. Walters, the youngest daughter of the Hon. William Walters, for many years proprietor of the State Register, at Springfield, Ill. Their union was consummated upon the 24th of December, 1867, at Springfield, Ill.