at the age of seventy-four years, after coming with her son to Ray county, Missouri. Ever since the year 1859, our subject has been devoting especial attention and care to raising, feeding and shipping live stock. He has made the business very successful and profitable. He is a member of Myrtle Ledge No. 338, A. F. & A. M., at Millville, and also of Cyrus Royal Arch Chapter, No. 36, at Richmond.

SILAS C. ROBINSON.

This gentleman is a native of Kentucky. He was born October 24, 1832. His father, Michael Robinson, was a native of Virginia. He was born December 14, 1804, and died December 27, 1861. His mother, Margaret Robinson, was born in Kentucky, on the 1st day of April, 1812, and is still living in that state at this time-April, 1881. Our subject lived in Kentucky until after he had acquired his education, and attained manhood's estate. In the spring of 1854 he came to Missouri, and, locating in Jackson county, remained there for about three years. He then went back to Kentucky, but, remaining there only a few months, came to Ray county, Missouri, in the spring of 1857, and bought land here. Soon after he went again to Jackson county, Missouri, and lived there about eighteen months. Returning to Ray county in 1860, he located upon his present farm, section ten, township fifty-three, range twenty-six. Here he owns two hundred and seventy acres of good land, two hundred and forty acres of which is in cultivation, under good fences of rails and hedge. The farm is well watered, having one running spring and a half dozen wells. Mr. Robinson has a handsome and commodious dwelling house, a good barn and other buildings; also, a fine bearing orchard, and an abundance of small fruits and berries. He is devoting his attention largely to raising and dealing in the best classes of live stock. Mr. Robinson was married on the 17th day of January, 1861, to Miss Margaret J. Bright, a native of Lincoln county, Kentucky. They have seven children, named as follows: Lillian, William F., John Bright, Mollie M., Lucy May, Lottie Belle, and Charles Edgar. Mr. Robinson is a member of Wakanda Grange, No. 935, P. of H. He is a successful, prosperous farmer and stock-raiser, and a valuable citizen.

REUBEN VANTRUMP.

Is a native of Rockingham county, Virginia. He was born in the year 1826. He was reared and lived on a farm till he was twenty years old, and then learned the blacksmithing trade, though he never pursued it, as a business, in after life. In the year 1854, he went to Indiana, and engaged in farming there for about six years, and then, in 1860, began operating a saw-mill, and followed that business for eight years. He then sold his sawmill property and bought a farm, and lived upon it until the fall of 1875,

when he came to Missouri. He stopped the first winter after coming to the state, in the town of Norborne, in Carroll county, but the next spring came to Ray county, and settled where he now resides, section fifteen, township fifty-three, range twenty-six. Mr. Vantrump was married, in the year 1848, to Miss Diana Carnes, a native of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Vantrump have three children living: John C., Americus V., and Medici Belle. John Vantrump, father of our subject, was a native of Virginia; born in 1799; died in 1870. He was a member of the German Reformed Church, for a great number of years prior to his death. The grandfather of our subject came across the Atlantic in the same ship with Peter Stuyvesant, the "last and best governor" of New Amsterdam (now New York). Reuben Vantrump's mother was a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and was born in 1806. She died in 1874. Mr. Vantrump is a member of the I. O. O. F. He owns a valuable farm of very productive land, which he manages very successfully. He is a good neighbor, and a very valuable citizen.

BENJAMIN B. GENTRY.

Benjamin B. Gentry was born in Columbia, Boone county, Mo., in the year 1828, and lived there until ten years of age, when his parents removed with him to Monroe county, Missouri. There he received his education and lived about twelve years. Mr. Gentry was married in the year 1847, to Miss Narcissa E. Wallard. Three children were born of this union: Susan F., Nancy Jane, Mary C. In the spring of 1850, he came to Ray county, and leaving his wife at Richmond, started overland to California. He was one of a large company, and they made the journey to the land of gold, in just four months from the date of starting, reaching their destination on the 1st day of September. They had the good fortune to escape the cholera which was raging at that time in a very virulent form throughout the country, and especially on the route to the west. Mr. Gentry remained in California, mining, for about fourteen months, and then returned to Missouri by water, reaching Richmond Christmas night, 1851. He soon after bought a farm just west of Russellville, and lived there eighteen years, engaged in farming and stock-raising. He then moved to his present location, section four, township fifty-three, range twenty-six, where he owns five hundred and ten acres of excellent land, nearly all in one body, well watered and the principal part of it in cultivation, well improved, handsome comfortable residence, two fine orchards, a very convenient, large roomy barn, other out-buildings, and everything necessary to the full equipment of a first-class modern farm. Mr. Gentry devotes a great deal of attention to raising and feeding live stock, and has done so for many years. His first wife died in 1858, and he afterwards married Miss Sarah McKenzie, a native of Virginia. The result of this union was

nine children, named as follows: Alelia E., Benjamin Mc., James S., Alice Belle, David J., John S., William Edward, dead, Charles N., and Effie Maud. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gentry are leading members of the Christian Church. He is also a member of Myrtle Lodge, No. 338, A. F. & A, M. at Millville, and of Wakanda Grange No. 935, P. of H. He is a prominent farmer and an influential citizen.

CHARLES L. BOWEN.

Charles L. Bowen was born in Ohio, in the year 1830. He received a liberal education in his youth, and continued to remain at home until the commencement of the civil war. He enlisted about the first of June, 1863, and by the middle of the month was commissioned captain of company F, 7th Ohio volunteer infantry. In July following, he was promoted to a lieutenant-colonelcy and assigned to the same regiment, and remained with the 7th Ohio until their term of service expired. He was discharged from the army in April, 1864. He suffered an injury to his right eye while in the service of the Union. At the close of the war he went back to farming in Ohio, and continued that business there until the spring of 1869, when he came to Missouri, and first stopping for a few months in Carroll county, settled permanently where he now resides, in Ray county (section five, township fifty-three, range twenty-six). Here he owns a good farm of one hundred and fifty-two acres of land, mostly in cultivation, with an orchard of about two hundred trees bearing choice varieties of fruit. Charles L. Bowen was married in the year 1858, to Miss Almina Slough, a native of Ohio. They have seven children, named as follows: Annie A., wife of Armstead Waters,) Susan J., Ida May, Albert Wilmot, Pauline M., Mary Almina, and Maud Bertha. Mr. Bowen's father, Robert W. Bowen was a native of Maryland. He died in March, 1865, aged seventy-two years. His mother, Susan L., was also a native of Maryland. She died in 1863, aged seventy-two years. The father of Mrs. Bowen, Frederick Slough, was a native of Ohio. He died March 11, 1846. Her mother, Mary, was born in Ohio; died July 14, 1853, aged forty-one years. Mr. Bowen's father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and his grandfather served seven years under General George Washington, in the war for American independence. He was with the army on their terrible march to Valley Forge. Our subject has been postmaster at Willmott ever since the office was established, in 1874. He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows.

REV. E. W. CATO.

This gentleman was born in Wayne county, Mississippi, in 1819. When eight years old his father moved with him to the state of Alabama, and there he was educated and grew up. He pursued farming and other

branches of business in Alabama for a number of years. In 1858 he began working at the wagon-making trade, and continued that business, but with some interruptions, until 1865. He enlisted in August, 1864, in company, 4th regiment of Alabama reserves, and served in the Confederate army until the close of the war. After the war he began working at his trade, and also conducted a farm in connection with it. In the spring of 1868 he left Alabama, and came direct to Missouri. He stopped first for a few months in St. Louis county, and then went to Lafayette county, where he remained about a year, at the expiration of which time he came to Ray county, and has made his home here ever since. In the month of February, 1877, he removed to his present location, section 32, township 54, range 26. Mr. Cato has about two acres in orchard and vineyard, and intends devoting his attention to grape-growing and winemaking. He was married in the year 1840, to Miss S. A. Booker, a native of Alabama. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cato are members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, and he is a minister of that denomination. Mr. Cato's father, Allen Cato, was a native of North Carolina. He died a few years ago, aged eighty years. His mother has been dead for a long while; she was a native of Mississippi. Mrs. Cato's father, Willis Booker, was a native of North Carolina. He died in 1866, aged about seventy years. Her mother, Sarah, died a few years ago, at the age of seventysix years. Mr. Cato is very popular as a preacher among his people, and is much esteemed and respected.

GEORGE W. CLEMENS.

Was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, in the year 1845. He is the son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Clemens. His father was born in Pennsylvania, and his mother in Kentucky. They are both yet living, in the state of Illinois. At the age of nine years our subject left Virginia with his parents, going to Madison county, Illinois, where he remained until 1864, and then removed to Putnam county, Illinois. He began farming on his own account in 1865, and continued it in Illinois, until the year 1870, when he removed to Ray county, Missouri, and located upon the farm where he now resides (section thirteen, township fifty-three, range twenty-six.) This farm comprises four hundred and thirty-four acres of rich land, improved with a comfortable residence and good barn, and abundantly watered with good springs and wells, besides running streams. The farm is enclosed by hedge fences chiefly. Mr. Clemens is largely engaged in raising live stock, and has his farm principally in pasture for that purpose. He intends in future to make a specialty of raising fine-bred sheep. Mr. Clemens was married on the 8th day of February, 1865, to Miss Elizabeth Larcher, a native of Ohio. They are the parents of six children: Joseph, Mary Elizabeth (dead), Emma Jane John,

Wesley, Jeremiah and Matthias. Mrs. Clemens' father, Mr. Matthias Larcher, is a native of Germany. He came to this country at an early day. He and her mother, Elizabeth, are now living in the state of Indiana, both at the advanced age of about seventy-one years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Clemens are consistent and leading members of the German Baptist Church.

S. V. ENDSLEY.

Son of John and Hannah Endsley, was born in Ray county, Missouri, in the year 1836. His parents were both natives of North Carolina. His father was born October 26, 1796, in Gifford county, North Carolina; died . September 26, 1874, aged almost seventy-eight years. His mother died in March 1880, aged seventy-two years. Our subject was reared on a farm and received the advantages of the district schools in acquiring an education. He continued farming until the year 1859, when he went to California, arriving in the month of September, after having been about five months on the way, and remained there and engaged in mining until the month of March 1865, when he went to Nevada and remained in that state eleven months. He then returned to California, but remaining only a short time started to the Frazer river country in the north. He succeeding in getting only as far as Victoria, and returned to Portland, Oregon. Thence he went to the Blackfoot country in Montana, and after mining there for a time, returned to Missouri in October, 1868. Remaining but a short time in this state, he returned to Montana, via New York and San Francisco, and followed mining until the fall of 1869. He then returned again to Ray county, Missouri, and located permanently here. Early in the spring of 1870, he removed to the place upon which he now resides, section fifteen, township fifty-three, range twenty-six. Here he owns five hundred and fifty-one acres of good farming pasture and timber lands, well watered and under good fencing. He has a handsome and comfortable residence, erected in 1876-7, at a cost of more than $2,500, a good barn and other buildings, and also a fine thrifty bearing orchard. He is devoting much attention to raising cattle and mules, and is also engaged in feeding stock for market. Mr. Endsley was married in 1871, to Miss Jennie Brown, a native of Carroll county, Missouri. Mrs. Endsley's father, William Brown, was a native of Tennessee. He died October 17, 1880, aged seventy years. Her mother, Sarah A., is a native of Salem, Stokes county, North Carolina. She is now in her sixty-eighth year, and is living with her daughter, Mrs. Endsley. Mr. Endsley is a very prosperous farmer and a prominent citizen.