REDERICK BORCHERDING is the owner of a very fine and productive farm on section 3 of Delaware Precinct, and is one of the most worthy representatives of that usually most desirable class of citizens, viz., those who have emigrated to this country from Germany. He bears the national characteristics of intelligent, earnest, persevering and thrifty labor, and to this, doubtless, is owing the success that has attended his agricultural efforts.
   Our subject was born in Hanover, on the 22d of November, 1812. He came to this country with his father in the spring of 1860; a settlement was made in Clayton County, Iowa. The dawn of life in America was shrouded with gloom, overcast by the clouds of trouble and enveloped in the shadows of death, for within two weeks after reaching Iowa Frederick Borcherding, Sr., was taken sick and died.
   The subject of our sketch never was privileged to attend the American schools, but at the same time has obtained a fair English education. He came to this county in the fall of 1868, and lived in Berlin Precinct until the fall of 1879, when he came to his present farm, which he has since cultivated with assiduous care, seeing as a result thereof a continuously growing success.
   While residing in Clayton County, Iowa, our subject was married, on the 10th of October, 1866, to Eliza Abker. She was born in Clayton County, lowa, of German parentage, and remained with her parents until her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Borcherding have been given seven children, of whom six survive, vis: Maggie, Annie, Edward, Jennie, Alfred and Josie. Alfred had a twin sister, who died at the age of one year and a half; she bore the name Alice.
   The total acreage owned by our subject is 480, all well improved and utilized for farming and stockraising purposes. In starting our subject had practically nothing; what has been obtained is the result of hard work, good management and thrifty care. He now has a good farmhouse and an excellent barn that has recently been put up, standing 40x42 feet and 34 feet high from the basement, which is eight feet from floor to ceiling. The basement walls are all of rock, and stand upon a good foundation. The cost of this building, exclusive of his own work, was $1,400. The quarrying of the stone and the hauling of the same a distance of nine miles, besides other work upon the actual building, he did himself. Our subject and his wife are both members of the Lutheran Church and in good standing. They are well respected in the neighborhood, and enjoy the perfect confidence and esteem of all who know them.

HOMAS H. ASHTON, M. D., an able and popular physician of Syracuse, located in this city in the month of March, 1886. He is a native of Brown County, Ohio, and was born to James and Cassandra (Sly) Ashton, on the 8th of March. 1841. His father was a native of Bucks County, Pa., and his mother of Clermont County, Ohio. The great-grand father of the Doctor emigrated from Ashton, England, at an early day, and settled in Pennsylvania. There his son Samuel was born, brought up, and in early manhood married. He continued after that interesting event to follow the pursuits of husbandry until the year 1806. He then migrated to Ohio, and three years later settled in Clermont County, making it his home for the remainder of his days.
   The father of our subject was four years of age when his parents removed from Bucks County, Pa., and settled in the Buckeye State, where he grew to manhood. Upon leaving school he learned the trade of blacksmith, in connection with which he also followed farming. He removed to Defiance County in the same State in 1851, where he continued to live until 1886, when he died at a very advanced age. The longevity of this family has been perhaps one of the striking features connected with its history, for almost every member has attained more than the usually allotted term of life.
   The mother of our subject is of Scotch and Holland-Dutch ancestry, and the family may be traced for several generations in Virginia. The maternal grandfather of Dr. Ashton, Jacob Sly, with several friends and neighbors, migrated in the year 1791 to Cincinnati, Ohio. At the time of the Indian troubles of that region he was with Gen. St. Clair as a wagonmaster, and while thus engaged was in-

jured and left the service. Proceeding to Clermont County, he settled down to farming, and it was at that homestead the mother of our subject was born. There she made her home until her marriage. Her death occurred in the year 1883, in Defiance County, Ohio, when she had reached the age of about eighty years.
   The subject of our sketch was the seventh of nine children born to his parents. He was reared on the home farm, and pursued his early studies in the district school. At the age of eighteen he attended school at Defiance, and besides the studies of the prescribed curriculum also received instruction in Latin, the higher mathematics and literature. In 1861 he entered the university at Ann Arbor, Mich., and was graduated from the department of medicine in 1863. Soon after this he received a commission from Gov. Motion, of Indiana, as Special Surgeon to the Army of the Cumberland, and after thirty days of service was tendered a position upon the regular medical staff, serving thereon until the close of the war.
   During the time the Doctor was stationed at Nashville, Tenn., he attended the University in that city, from which he was also graduated. Later, and while stationed at Murfreesboro, he was taken with smallpox, and lay for several weeks battling with that dread disease. His splendid constitution now did him good service. and in due time he recovered and returned to duty, when he was given the charge of the pest hospital in that city, which contained usually upward of 100 patients. After holding this position for some time, he was transferred to the United States General Hospital No. 4, at Murfreesboro. This hospital contained 284 beds, and was full nearly the entire time of his service, which continued until November, 1865, when the hospital was closed, and our subject returned to Defiance, Ohio.
   Dr, Ashton now began to practice his profession in his native place, where he soon achieved an enviable reputation, and resided until 1882. He then went to Colorado to take charge of a health resort, but that not being a financial success, he came to Nebraska. Upon looking over the city of Syracuse and the surrounding country he was favorably impressed with the outlook, soon opened an office, and speedily had made a reputation, entering upon a lucrative practice.
   The Doctor was married in Ohio in 1865, and is the parent of two children--Merrill and Ethel, as a fair exponent of the intelligence and ability of the medical profession in Southern Nebraska, we give his portrait, which, with those of his compeers, will be looked upon in later years with no less interest than that of the present time.

EORGE B. HENDRICKS, of Hendricks Precinct, enjoys the distinction of being one of its earliest pioneers. He is pleasantly located on section 8, where he has resided for a period of over thirty years. His land, 160 acres in extent. has been carefully and skillfully cultivated, and yields in abundance the choicest crops of Southern Nebraska. Mr. Hendricks served as a soldier of the Union during the Rebellion, and his life has been that of the careful, conscientious and industrious citizen, one who has done good as he has had opportunity, and lived at peace among his neighbors.
   Our subject is descended from two excellent Southern families, his father having been Hiram Hendricks, a native of Virginia, and his mother, in her girlhood Sicily Thompson, who was born in Kentucky. Later they removed with their parents to Indiana, where their marriage took place. In the fall of 1847 they removed to Iowa, where the father carried on farming until 1856, and during that year cast his lot among the earliest pioneers of Southern Nebraska. Coming to this county he pre-empted 160 acres of land not far from its southwestern lines, and the new precinct then in process of organization was named in his honor. He was chosen Justice of the Peace not long afterward, in which office he served acceptably several years. He assisted in the organization of the Methodist Episcopal. Church, being one of its charter members, and his house was always open for religious services, and as the home of the itinerant preacher.
   This good man passed away in the fall of 1861, at the early age of forty-eight years. The mother is still living and has remained a widow for a period

of twenty-seven years. Site makes her home with her son at the old farm. Their children, eleven in number, were named respectively: Jane M., Louisa, David, Sarah; George B., our subject; Hannah, who died when about thirteen years old; Catherine; John who died at the age of about one year; Joseph, Maggie and Hiram. Those who survive, with the exception of two, are residents of Hendricks Precinct.
   The subject of this sketch was born in Delaware County, Ind., Aug. 7, 1842. He came with his parents to Iowa, and continued on the firm, pursuing his studies in the district school. He was a lad of fourteen years when the family came to this county, and has a clear recollection of the trials and hardships incident to pioneer life. In 1864, during the progress of the Civil War, he enlisted in a company of scouts sent out against the Indians under the command of Gen. Sully, and saw much of border warfare, being among other engagements in the battles of Bad Lands, which continued three days without intermission. At the close of the war he received his honorable disharge (sic), and was mastered out at Sioux City, Iowa.
   After returning from the army our subject took up a homestead claim of 160 acres in Hendricks Precinct, but later crossed the plains four times to Denver, and once went as far as New Mexico purpose of freighting. Upon his return to Nebraska he confined his attention closely to his farm, and in time effected the improvements which have made his home one of the most desirable in this section. He planted cottonwood, ash and elm trees, an orchard of 100 apple trees besides the smaller fruits, and quite an extent of hedge for fencing. He put up a neat and substantial dwelling, has a good barn and a vineyard. He keeps a goodly assortment of live stock, and has the improved farm machinery necessary for the prosecution of agriculture in a profitable manner.
   The lady who has been the close counselor and companion of our subject for a period of nearly twenty years, was in her girlhood Miss Melinda E. Allstot, and they were wedded on the 28th of August, 1870. Mrs. H. was born in Dubuque, Iowa, March 22, 1854, and is the daughter of George and Nancy (Morgan) Allstot, the father a native of Kentucky, and the mother of Virginia. They were married in Indiana. Mr. A. was a wheelwright by trade, which he followed in that State until his removal to Iowa, when he turned his attention to farming. In 1870 he came to Lancaster County, Neb., where he homesteaded 160 acres of land, but on account of failing health was obliged to abandon active labor. He was finally placed in the Insane Asylum at Lincoln, where his death took place in the fall of 1884. The mother is still living, and makes her home with her son in Lancaster County.
   The parents of Mrs. Hendricks had a family of ten children, namely: Susan, Kate, Sarah, John, George, James, Hannah, Melinda, Albert and Robert. The latter is now deceased. To our subject and his wife there have been born seven children: Laura, May, Charles, William, Raymond, Nettie and Frank, all of whom are at home with their parents. Both parents and children attend the Methodist Episcopal Church at Solon, and Mr. Hendricks, politically, gives his support to the Democratic party.

RANK P. HAZELTON, a well-to-do farmer of Hendricks Precinct, and pleasantly located on section 16, came to Nebraska in the spring of 1872, and purchased the eighty acres upon which he has since labored and made good improvements, His farm buildings are neat and comfortable. He has a stream of living water, with a good supply of shade trees and an orchard of apples and the smaller fruits, besides the other necessaries for the comfort of his family.
   Our subject is of New England ancestry, his parents, Otis and Melissa (Graves) Hazelton, having been born in New Hampshire, the father in Springfield, and the mother in Andover. After marriage they lived upon a farm in the Old Granite State until 1866, then migrated to Iowa, settling near the present town of Farmersburg, in Clayton County, where they remained five years. Thence, in 1871, they removed to Lancaster County, Neb., where the father homesteaded 160 acres of land, and where they now live.
   The father of our subject, in 1862, during the