sense of honor and honesty is held in such high respect by those with whom he has dealings that his word is as good as a bond. He avoids all politics, except so far as duty calls him to the polls, where he votes with the Republican party, He is prominent socially, and is a K. of P.

HARLES H. WARNER, of Plattsmouth Precinct, came to this county without means in 1876, but is now the possessor of a good property embracing a fine farm of 150 acres, which he has brought to a good state of cultivation, and upon which he has erected neat and substantial frame buildings. He is a man highly esteemed in his community, a Republican in politics, and with his estimable wife a member in good standing of the United Brethren Church. He has been quite prominent in local affairs, serving as School Treasurer in his district two terms, and is at present a Director.
   Mr. Warner is a self-made man in the strictest sense of the term, having been thrown upon his own resources when a mere child, and obliged to look out for himself. He was born in Woodford County, Ill., Dec. 25, 1853, and is the son of Calvin and Nancy A. (Clark) Warner, who were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Ohio. The paternal grandfather, John S. Warner, was a native of Pennsylvania, and the great-grand father of our subject a native of Germany. The latter emigrated to the United States at an early day, settling in Pennsylvania, where it is supposed he spent the remainder of his life.
   John Clark, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was of Scotch ancestry, and possibly born in the land of the thistle. It is known, however, that he was one of the earliest settlers of Wayne County, Ohio, where he spent his last days. Calvin Warner took up his abode in Woodford County, Ill., when his son Charles H. was a small boy. He was born in 1817, and departed this life at his home in Woodford County, Ill., May 15. 1862. Mrs. Nancy A. (Clark) Warner survived her husband a period of twenty years, and also passed from earth at her home in Woodford County, in 1882, at an advanced age. The parental household included five sons and two daughters. Six of these children are living.
   Our subject was the fifth child of his parents, and was only seven years of age at the time of his father's death., He was then taken into the home of his uncle, Reuben Skinner, who married a sister of our subject's father. The boy lived with them until fourteen years old, then starting out for himself, made his way across the Mississippi to Nebraska Territory, and thence a short time later to Texas. He was a resident of the Lone Star State a period of five years, employing himself at whatever he could find to do, and then returned to his old haunts in Illinois. From there he came back to Nebraska in 1876.
   Mr. Warner was married, Dec. 25, 1879, to Miss Barbara E., daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth (McCorkle) Wiles, of Plattsmouth Precinct. They commenced the journey of life together here, and are now the parents of three children -- Altia G., Millie M. and Frederick M. The eldest of these is seven years of age, and the youngest two.

ETER PETERS. The name of this gentleman is entirely familiar among the leading farmers and stock-growers of Cass County, with whose agricultural interests he has been closely identified for many years. His history is not widely different from that of many of the prosperous men around him, he having crossed the Mississippi poor in purse and dependent upon his own resources. He now represents a fine property, and during his twenty-five years' residence in Cass County has continuously made his home in Avoca Precinct, and has built up a reputation second to none in the county as a skilled agriculturist and an upright business man. His farm of 160 acres is under a high state of cultivation and improved with substantial buildings, while his live stock is first-class, including horses, cattle and swine, he making a specialty of the two first mentioned.
   Prior to becoming a resident of Nebraska Mr. Peters had sojourned in Lake County, Ill., for

some years. He had emigrated to the Prairie State from Missouri, where he located when coming a stranger to a strange land. He was born in the Duchy of Holstein, Germany, in 1833, and was the fifth child and fourth son of Teis and Sophia Peters, the latter of whom died when he was a small child, and he consequently knows very little of her family history. The parental household consisted of five sons and three daughters. Teis Peter, also a native of Holstein, was reared in the agricultural districts, and upon approaching man's estate was in the Government service of Denmark for some time, and during the progress of the Danish and Prussian War. He spent his entire life afterward in his native Holstein, where his death took place when he was about fifty-five years old.
   Young Peters, in common with the youth of Germany, was placed in school at an early age, where he acquired the rudiments of a practical education in his native tongue, and being a bright and observant boy, he early in life began to lay his plans for the future. Not being satisfied with the prospects in the Fatherland, he before attaining his eighteenth year set out alone for the United States, embarking on a sailing-vessel from the port of Hamburg, and arriving sixteen weeks later, in 1850, in New York City. Thence he proceeded to Chicago, Ill., by water and rail, and soon found employment on a farm in Cook County. He remained there long enough to have his heart ensnared by Miss Magdalena Schomaker and they were married in Cook County, Aug. 16, 1858.
   Mrs. Peters, like her husband, was a native of Holstein, and born Feb. 23, 1826. She was the youngest of half a dozen children, the offspring of Michael and Anna (Johaken) Schomaker, who are both now deceased. The father died in Germany when his daughter, Mrs. Peters, was a child five years of age. Later the mother emigrated to America with her little family, settling in this county. Her last days were spent at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Timm, in Avoca Precinct, where she died when nearly seventy-five years old. Both parents were Lutherans in religion.
   Mrs. Peters was reared to womanhood in her native Empire. and was about eighteen years old when coming to this country with other members of the family. She has become thoroughly Americanized, and is a lady in every respect praiseworthy as a wife, mother and neighbor. Of her union with our subject there have been born eight children, all of whom are living: Sophia C. W. is the wife of Richard Francen, a farmer of Valley County, this State; T. J. William married Miss Sophia Buck, and they live on a farm in Avoca Precinct; Herman O. F. B. married Miss Anna Betts, and is conducting a saloon in Avoca; H. C. Louis married Miss Ettie Bozard, and resides at Cook Station in Otoe County; A. Amelia H. is the wife of Louis Lence, a farmer of Valley County; P. George A. remains at home assisting his father in the management of the farm; Emma C. C. and Alvina A. M. (twins) are also at home with their parents.
   Mr. Peters upon becoming a naturalized citizen identified himself with the Democratic party, and cast his first Presidential vote for Douglas. He has held the various local offices and signalized himself as a member of the community, thoroughly interested in its progress and welfare. Both he and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the German Lutheran Church, attending services at Avoca.

ENRY F. TAYLOR is one of the most prominent of the energetic and successful farmers and stock-raisers who have been instrumental in placing Cass County among the first counties of the State by the development of her wonderful resources, and he is now among the foremost in sustaining her material prosperity. He has a large and very valuable farm, lying partly on section 25, and partly on section 36, Liberty Precinct, his residence being on the former section. Everything about the farm shows the presence of the master mind and hand, and in all its appointments it is a model estate. Mr. Taylor came to Cass County in 1864, and after being employed for a year in breaking prairie and teaming logs, he made

his first purchase of 160 acres of land included in his present farm, and has ever since been actively engaged in improving and adding to it. His home farm comprises 500 acres. and the sum total of his land is over 1,000 acres. In 1876 he turned his attention to raising mules, and has since been extensively and profitably engaged in that branch of business, keeping three animals of choice breed for the purpose all of the time, and he can boast of supplying the county with as fine a lot of mules as there is in the State.
   Mr. Taylor was born in Bedford County, Va., Sept. 11, 1837, and his father, Henry Taylor, was also a native of the Old Dominion, coming of Scotch parents, who were American-born. The father of our subject was reared in Bedford County, his place of birth, and was reared to the calling of farmer. He was married to Jane Agnew, a native of the same county as himself, and although her parents were American-born, they were undoubtedly of Scotch descent. After marriage Henry Taylor and wife lived in Bedford County until 1848, when, with their family, they took up their abode in Meigs County, Ohio. They settled on a farm in that county, and there some of their children were born. At the time of their settlement Meigs County, especially the part in which they located, was still in a wild state, and theirs was the pioneer task of aiding in its development by clearing a farm from the surrounding primeval forests, and in the home in Salem Township that they thus built up, with the attendant hardships and struggles of pioneer life, Henry Taylor and his wife died, he April 13, 1863, at the age of sixty-five, and she March 1, 1884, aged seventy-six. Their old farm is still in possession of their sons.
   The subject of this sketch was the fourth child and third son of the family of ten sons and two daughters, nine of whom lived to maturity, six of whom are yet living, and five of these are now married. He was reared on the old homestead in Ohio, having been a boy of nine years when his parents left their Virginian home for the one in Ohio. He was a quick, self-reliant, helpful little lad, and he was obliged to assist his father in developing his farm, so that his school privileges were very meager, but he managed, nevertheless, to pick up enough of an education to make him a good business man, and make life a success. After he became of age he left Ohio, and started for the West in 1860, and arriving at St. Joseph, Mo., he and seven others formed a company to cross the plains to the Rocky Mountains in search of gold. He and his comrades crossed the Missouri River April 20, 1860, and after a long and weary journey over the plains reached their destination in Colorado Territory. Mr. Taylor worked at mining in Russell Gulch for one season, and in the vicinity of Pike's Peak the rest of the time, where he had an interest in the Lode claims. He met with fair success, but owing to Indian troubles springing up, he having considerable property in teams and wagons, considered that his chances of retaining them were very slim on the plains or in the mountains, where the redskins might seize them at any moment, so he disposed of them, and selling out all his interests in mines and claims, retraced his way back until he arrived in Nebraska, and, as we have seen, subsequently settled on his present farm.
   That same year, 1864, our subject was married in Liberty Precinct, October 23, to Miss Barbara A. Lynn. She was born in Pennsylvania, Aug. 24, 1849, and is a daughter of Joshua and Sarah (Truax) Lynn, who are now living near Union, in this county. Mr. Lynn is a well-known, prosperous old settler of this county, he having crossed the Missouri River about 1857 or 1858, and has ever since made his home where he now lives on section 23. Mrs. Taylor was only a year old when her parents moved from her native State to Ohio, and later to Southern Illinois, where they lived five years. From there they moved to Fremont County, Iowa, and one year later to Nebraska, and began life on an unimproved farm, her parents then being very poor. Mrs. Taylor was trained to a thorough knowledge of domestic work, is a fine housekeeper, looks well to the ways of her household, and is a devoted wife and mother. To her and her husband twelve children have been born, two of whom, Thomas and Ida, are dead. Those living are: Emma J., the wife of Charles Morton, a farmer in Liberty Precinct; Eva L., wife of A. L. Becker, a farmer in Liberty Precinct: the others are all at home, and are receiving good educations in the public schools, their

names being as follows: William, Mary, Andrew, Louisa, Callahill, Luella, Minnie and Elsie B.
   Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are among the active and energetic people of this county, have done their share toward its improvement, and have had no unimportant share in its present wonderful development. Mr. Taylor is a sound Republican, and takes an active interest in local politics.

SAAC N. APPLEGATE is prominently identified with the local interests of Liberty Precinct, and is one of its leading farmers and stock-raisers. His farm on which he resides is undoubtedly as well improved and under as good a state of cultivation as the best in the neighborhood, and its broad, fertile acres yield him a fine annual income.
   Our subject was born in Mason County, Ky., March 17, 1832, being a descendant of some of the brave, sturdy pioneers of that State. Richard Applegate, the grandfather of our subject, was a patriot of the Revolution, and also fought in the War of 1812. He was a native of Virginia, and a farmer by occupation. He was reared to a strong and vigorous manhood in the Old Dominion, and was there married to a lady whose maiden name is thought to have been Wall. They afterward moved to near Washington, Mason Co., Ky., and were very early settlers of that part of the State. They improved a farm in the wilderness, and after many long years they died of old age, and all that is mortal of their remains is reposing in the old family graveyard on the old homestead, which is still in possession of some of their descendants.
   Their son Vincent, the father of our subject, was the youngest son of a family of four sons and three daughters, all of whom are deceased. He was reared to manhood in Mason County, and after he attained his majority he went to Ripley, Brown Co., Ohio, and was married to Ann Lemon. She was a native of Maryland, as were her parents, who had moved to Ohio when she was young. Her father, Hugh Lemon, and her mother spent their declining years in Brown County, where they died at an advanced age. After marriage Vincent Applegate returned to his native county in Kentucky, and lived there for some time. He subsequently went back to Ohio with his family, and settled in Brown County, and there he and his wife lived to build up a comfortable home and to rear a family of eight children. In November, 1869, the father closed his eyes to the scenes of earth, having rounded out a busy life of seventy-four years. His wife survived him until May 12, 1881, when she too passed away, having attained the venerable age of seventy-seven years. They were both upright, Christian people, the mother being a member of the Methodist Church.
   Our subject was the fourth child and third son of those worthy people, and he was quite young when they took up their residence in Brown County, Ohio. He was there reared and educated, and after he became of age, attracted by the many inducements for settlement in the Great West, held forth to stalwart, energetic, self-reliant young men like himself, who wished to build up comfortable homes, he made his way to Iowa, and the next fourteen years of his life were spent there, three years in Fremont County and eleven years in Montgomery County. In the latter county he improved a farm, which he sold on coming to this State. In 1866 he visited Cass County and purchased his first land (160 acres, which he has given his son), but did not live on the place until 1868, or attempt any improvements until that time. His farm now comprises 320 acres of land, nearly all well watered, and admirably adapted in every way to raising stock, to which he pays special attention, with great success, and he has his farm well stocked with cattle of good grades. He has provided it with comfortable buildings.
   During his residence in Iowa Mr. Applegate was married, Nov. 28, 1855, to Miss Margaret Carlisle. She was born in Highland County, Ohio, May 23, 1837. Her father, James Carlisle, was born in Virginia, of Virginian parentage; he was reared in his native State. He was married there, in Adams County, to Miss Abigail Wade. and they subsequently began their wedded life in Highland County, where he engaged in farming. In 1852 they moved to Iowa with a family of eight children, and settled permanently in Montgomery County, being among the early settlers of that part of Iowa. Mr. Car-

lisle pre-empted land, and with the assistance of his wife, built up a home from the wild prairie. They died on the homestead, the mother Aug. 13, 1869, at the age of sixty-six years, and the father in December, 1878, being then fourscore years old. Mrs. Applegate was in her girlhood when her parents moved to Iowa, and there she became of age. Since their marriage she and her husband have devoted their earnest efforts to making a comfortable, happy home. They have one child, LeRoy, who is at present engaged at his trade of blacksmith, at Nehawka, where he has a smithy, and is carrying on a flourishing business. He married Ida F. Warfield, and they have three children -- Joy R., Clee and James C. Mrs. LeRoy Applegate was born in Rochester, Mo., Dec. 9, 1861, and is the daughter of Samuel and Emma (Elkin) Warfield, now residents of Broken Bow, Custer Co., Neb., where Mr. Warfield is conducting the tinner's trade. Our subject is gifted with much sagacity, foresight and practical tenacity of purpose. In his political views he is an independent Democrat.

YRUS RODNEY ANDRUS, a homesteader of 1869, took up the southeast quarter of section 26, in Tipton Precinct, in the fall of that year, and has since given to it his best efforts in the construction of a farm. In noting his surroundings to-day the traveler is impressed with the fact that the labors of Mr. Andrus have met with ample reward. His land has been brought to a good state of cultivation, and improved with neat and substantial buildings, and the whole premises very nearly approach the modern idea of the complete country home. Mr. Andrus has now reached his fifty-first year, but is strong and robust, as the result of temperate living and correct habits, and would pass for a man many years younger.
   The career which our subject marked out for himself in his early manhood and which he has endeavored to follow has been such as to commend him to the good opinion of his fellow-citizens, who regard him with the highest confidence and esteem. He comes of an excellent old New England family, being the son of Thomas and Eliza (Beardsley) Andrus, the father a native of Rutland, Vt., and born in 1803, and the mother born in Hartford, Conn., in 1808. The paternal grandfather, also Cyrus Andrus, was a Vermont farmer in good circumstances, but finally left his native State and migrated to Pennsylvania, where he continued the pursuit of agriculture until his death, after he had arrived at the advanced age of eighty-six years. The great-grand father of our subject was a man of property, being owner of the entire marble quarry at Green Mountain, Vt. On the mother's side Grandfather Isaac Beardsley was born in Connecticut, whence he migrated to Pennsylvania, engaged successfully in farming, and rested from his earthly labors at the age of eighty-four years.
   Thomas Andrus, the father of our subject, leaving New England when a boy, settled with his parents near Seneca Lake, New York State, and was reared to manhood on a farm. At this period of his life he became interested in the lumber business, engaged in making shingles, and otherwise became identified with this industry in the Empire State. There also he was married to Miss Beardsley, and not long afterward they removed to Pennsylvania, joining the parents on both sides of the house. Mr. Andrus took up a tract of timber land in Bradford County, and before leaving the Keystone State had cleared three farms.
   In the fall of 1867 Thomas Andrus decided to go beyond the Mississippi, and see something of the Great West. The end of his journey found him in Muscatine County, Iowa, where he settled and remained two years. Not quite satisfied with the prospect, he again changed his residence, coming in the fall of 1869 to this county, and homesteading eighty acres of land in Tipton Precinct. He was fairly prosperous in his labors of opening up a farm, and operated with his usual industry until advancing years admonished him it would be wise to retire. He, with his estimable partner, made his home with his son Cyrus, our subject, where he died Dec. 27, 1888, aged eighty-five years, seven months and sixteen days. Prior to coming to this State they had been for many years identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Andrus was a chief pillar, officiating as Class

Leader, and holding other positions of trust. Since coming to Nebraska they have been connected with the United Brethren.
   To the parents of our subject there were born eight children, namely: Jane and Mabel, who died when eighteen and forty-six years old; Marietta, a resident of Pennsylvania; Truman, living in Oregon; C. Rodney, our subject; Thomas J. and Hiram, deceased; and Susan, a resident of Nebraska. Truman and Thomas served as Union soldiers in the late Civil War, the former three years, and the latter nearly four, Thomas died from the effects of hardships and exposure in Pennsylvania.
   The subject of this sketch was born near Canton, Bradford Co., Pa., March 17, 1838, and spent his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons. He attended the brief winter season of the district school until seventeen years of age, and continued a member of the parental household until reaching his majority. At this period, desirous of starting out for himself, he purchased seventy-five acres of timber land in the vicinity of the old homestead, a part of which he cleared, made good improvements, and remained upon it until 1867. He had in the meantime visited the State of Iowa, and after that could not get rid of the idea that he was or the wrong side of the mountains. He accordingly, in 1867, disposed of his property in Pennsylvania, and returning to Muscatine County, Iowa, operated on rented land there two years. In the spring of 1869, deciding to push still further westward, he gathered together his family and personal effects, and started overland with two mule teams for the young State of Nebraska. Mr. Andrus made the journey to Nebraska in better style than many of his compeers, having sent his household goods by rail, therefore to the family it was rather a pleasure trip than otherwise. They crossed the Missouri River at Plattsmouth, and proceeding to the southwest corner of this county our subject pitched his tent in Tipton Precinct, and in February, 1869, homesteaded eighty acres of his present farm. Upon it there had been no attempt whatever at improvement, and he could not even see a human dwelling from his place. His first business was to put up a shelter for the family, and for this he was obliged to haul lumber from Plattsmouth, thirty-five miles away. There were then no paved streets or even a macadamized road, and the task of transporting building material over the country can better be imagined than described. The men of that time, however, were well equipped with resolution and perseverance, and Mr. Andrus was in nowise lacking in these qualities. It never occurred to film to look back after he had put his hand to the plow, and he surmounted this as well as the scores of other difficulties which presented themselves from time to time.
   After effecting the most urgent arrangements for the comfort of his family our subject began the cultivation of his land, the planting of fruit and forest trees, the fencing of his fields, and the erection of additional buildings as he had need. He has now a flourishing apple orchard of 380 trees, and a fine grove. The land is plentifully watered by a running stream and enclosed with hedge and wire fencing. Mr. A. in due time added to his real estate by the purchase first of eighty acres, his father's homestead, and later 160 acres of well-improved land besides. The farm is largely devoted to stock-raising, Mr. Andrus having good grades of cattle, horses and swine.
   Our subject prior to leaving his native State provided himself with a wife and helpmate, Miss Anna Matson, their marriage taking place at the home of the bride in Bradford County, Pa., Feb. 1, 1860. Mrs. Andrus was born in May, 1841, in Ohio, and is the daughter of James and Mary (Kels) Matson, who were natives of Vermont, and are now in New Jersey. Of her union with our subject there were born, in 1861, twins. who died not long afterward. They have since had no children. They have, however, performed the part of parents to a boy known as John Andrus, who is now living on his homestead claim in Lincoln County, Neb. In that county also Mr. Andrus has a tract of 160 acres of timber claim.
   The first Presidential vote cast by Mr. Andrus was for Abraham Lincoln. In view of this fact it is scarcely necessary to add that he is a Republican of the first water, and he has assisted in the election of every Republican President since that time. He has been active in the support of the principles of his party in this section, officiating as a delegate to the county conventions, and laboring as he has had