~ John P. Ramer ~

This prominent and wealthy citizen of Newton was born in Rhine, near Elberfeld, in the Kingdom of Prussia, September 7, 1832, being the son of Frederick William and Maria (Theman) Ramer, both of whom were born in the same province, the father in 1802. He is one of two children, the other being Frederick William, who remained in the Old Country and is now a wealthy farmer at Haspe, near Hagen, Westphalia. Our subject's mother dying when he was little more than a year old, his father afterward married again, and by his second union had one son and one daughter. He remained in Prussia, where he operated a small farm until his death in 1885.

At the age of thirteen our subject finished his schooling. At the same time he was confirmed in the Lutheran Church. He continued to assist in the work of cultivating the home farm until May 19, 1853, when he set sail for America, landing in New York, where for a time he was employed with a gardener. On account of suffering with the ague he was obliged to give up his position, and then went to Oneida County, NY, where he remained for one year. Thence he came west to Chicago, and later to the pineries of Wisconsin, where he built a cabin in the great forests of that state, and for the ensuing seven years kept bachelor's hall there, devoting his attention to the clearing of the land.

Disposing of his property in Wisconsin Mr. Ramer bought land in Illinois, and soon afterward purchased a tract near Newton, Iowa. In the fall of 1862 he went to the mountains and for four years was employed in the mines of Idaho, receiving $10 per day. This was a gold mine for him, and it is safe to say that he made more in that way than did the venturesome proprietors, many of whom lost all they had, instead of increasing their fortunes. For four years our subject continued in that position, meantime accumulating what in those days was considered to be a fortune. With the savings of these years he returned to Iowa and purchased land. Then he went back to Wisconsin and married Miss Susan M. Sterne, to whom he was betrothed before going to the mountains. Mrs. Ramer was born on the Rhine in Germany, and came to this country with her father when an infant. She was reared upon a farm near Waukesha, Wis., and received her education in a pioneer schoolhouse, which was built by her father and another man at their own expense.

Mrs. Ramer is one of a family of four sons and seven daughters, of whom all the latter survive and one brother, who went to the mountains with Mr. Ramer in 1862, and engaged in prospecting. Unfortunately he was not successful, and when Mr. Ramer returned home with his little fortune, his brother sent back word that he would never return until he had made his fortune, but his fortune probably never came. He died April 6, 1893. Mr. Sterne is deceased; Mrs. Sterne still survives and makes her home in Wisconsin. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Ramer came to their farm in Newton Township, Jasper County, to which they have since added many acres, until now their possessions in different places aggregate six hundred acres of well-improved land. After living on that farm for seventeen years they removed in 1883 to their fine farm adjoining the city of Newton.

In the winter of 1892-93 Mr. Ramer purchased one of the most elegant residences in Newton, as well as other valuable property, and at the same time he retired from the active duties of agriculture. From the time when he built his little cabin in the wilderness of Wisconsin to the present, he has met with wonderful success, and it has seemed as if everything he has touched has turned into money, until now he is recognized as one of the wealthiest men of Jasper County. He is generous with his fortune, kind to the poor and a friend to those in want. His tastes are not extravagant, for having gained his wealth by the most diligent self-ap

Mr. and Mrs. Ramer are the parents of two sons and two daughters, of whom only one daughter survives. Rudolph Richard, the eldest, died at the age of thirteen years. Nettie M. died at eight, and John Frederick at four years of age. Mary S., the only surviving child, is a young lady of seventeen years of age and is now being educated, special attention being given to the study of music, for which she lifts natural ability. Every advantage, which her father's wealth can bestow, is hers to enjoy, and she is a young lady of culture and many accomplishments.

Formerly a Republican, Mr. Ramer recently cast his lot with the Democratic party, but is not prominent in local politics, nor has he sought official honors. Socially he is identified with the Knights Templar, and no man in the community is more devoted to the Masonic order than he. He was reared in the Lutheran faith, to which he still adheres; his views on religious subjects are of a most liberal kind. His life has been that of a hard working, shrewd businessman, an upright citizen and an exemplary Christian., p. 122.

~ Samuel Reasoner ~

At the time he settled upon his present farm in Palo Alto Township, Jasper County, the subject of this sketch was surrounded by all the evidences of frontier life. His nearest neighbor was two and one-half miles distant. Improvements there were none, and of cultivation not a trace was to be seen. During the period covering about thirty years that has since come and gone, he has witnessed the growth of the county, the prosperity of the people and the gradual introduction first of the comforts, and later of the luxuries of civilization. He is now the owner of two hundred and fifty-five acres, upon which he has placed excellent improvements, including a neat residence and a substantial barn. The town site of the thriving village of Reasnor was platted on his farm and the place named in his honor, although for suitable reasons the spelling of the name was slightly altered.

A native of Muskingum County, Ohio, Samuel Reasoner was born July 28, 1822, being a son of Joseph and Mary (Paxton) Reasoner, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Virginia. His paternal ancestors were of French and German extraction, while his maternal forefathers are said to have been Irish. At the age of eleven years he accompanied his parents to Indiana and was reared to manhood in Grant County, of which he was a pioneer. His education was limited to such knowledge as could be gained in the subscription schools, which were held in rudely constructed log cabins, with seats made of oak slabs and writing desks consisting of boards resting on pins in the walls; greased paper answered the purpose of window panes, and the entire furnishings were of a crude character, while the and the method of instruction was equally primitive.

Not feeling satisfied with the knowledge gained in the country schools, Mr. Reasoner, at the age of eighteen, entered Muskingum College, at Concord, Ohio, where he prosecuted his studies with diligence for a period of eighteen months. He then taught school for a short time, after which he attended Hanover College, in Jefferson County, IN, for one year. In his youth he assisted his father in clearing the home farm, and later cleared a farm, which he purchased in Grant County, IN, and upon which he engaged in agricultural pursuits for a number of years.

In Indiana, August 15, 1844, Mr. Reasoner was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Parrill, a native of Ohio, and the daughter of Enoch and Esther (Sappington) Parrill. Twelve children were born of this union, of whom eight are now living, as follows; Joseph P., Henry M., William M., Robert A., Dorsey B.; Frances A., wife of T. J. Graffis; Mary E., who married William Rissner; and Clara A., formerly a teacher in the public schools of Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Reasoner are identified with the Presbyterian Church, and are a kind and worthy couple, exemplifying in their lives the sincerity of their religious belief.

In 1864, accompanied by his family, Mr. Reasoner emigrated to Jasper County, Iowa, making the trip overland with a four-horse team and a wagon loaded with household goods; also a mule team and a spring wagon, in which the family traveled. About four weeks were consumed on the road, and reaching Buena Vista Township; they sojourned there for a short time. From there in the winter of 1864-65 they came to the farm, which they have since occupied. Mr. Reasoner has become prominently connected with the history of Palo Alto Township and has served efficiently as its Trustee. He is a Republican in his political preferences, and always rejoices in the triumphs of his party. Mrs. Reasoner's grandfather Sappington was a native of England, and his wife was of Irish descent. p. 213.

~ D. H. Reed ~

D. H. Reed, who is numbered among the U prominent citizens of Colfax, was born in Washington, Iowa, in 1866, and is the son of pioneer settlers of this state. His parents, Oliver and Annie (Harris) Reed, were natives of Ohio, and in 1850 located in Iowa, where they established their home upon a farm. Throughout his entire life the father has followed the occupation of a farmer. Having retired from active labor, he now resides in the village of Keota, this state. Our subject is second in order of birth among five children, the others being Jennie, now Mrs. John Richardson; Myrtie, the wife of Lincoln Fry; Eva and Mary. D. H. received a common school education, and the information thus acquired has since been supplemented by systematic reading and close observation. After attaining his majority he embarked in farming pursuits, and for two years was engaged as an agriculturist, after which for three years he followed other pursuits. In 1885 he came to Colfax and has since resided at this place, having been at various times identified with nearly all the hotels of the city. For some years he was connected with the Grand Hotel as one of its managers, and being a young man of genial manners and pleasing address, as well as keen judgment, he is admirably fitted for the hotel business. In his political belief he champions the principles of the Republican Party, and never fails to cast his ballot for its candidates. Page 566.

~ Spencer H. Rees ~

Spencer H. Rees, a veteran of the Civil War, and one of the prominent agriculturists of Jasper County, resides upon section 23, Palo Alto Township, where he has a finely improved farm. The family of which he is an honored representative is descended from Welsh ancestors, and has for many years been identified with the history of the United States. Spencer H. was born in Hancock County, Ohio, August 4, 1847, and is a son of Thomas and Mary A. (Prouty) Rees, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Ohio. One of his maternal uncles was a soldier in the War of 1812. In November, 1848, Thomas Rees, accompanied by his fami1y, migrated from Hancock County, Ohio, to Jasper County, Iowa, by way of Cincinnati, down the Ohio and up the Mississippi Rivers to Burlington, from which place with an ox-team he came to Jasper County, where he entered a large tract of land from the Government, establishing his permanent home in Palo Alto Township, of which he was the first settler. Indians were numerous at that time, but were always on very friendly terms with Mr. Rees and family. Wild game was plenty, and many deer and wild turkeys were brought down by the unerring rifle of Mr. Rees, who was very fond of hunting.

Mr. Rees had been a resident of this township for four years before any other settlers located here, and as may be imagined, he was a witness of the early growth and development of this section of the country. The first winter Mrs. Rees did not see a white woman for over three months. The next settlers were Shelby Baker, who settled on the place now owned by Capt. M. W. Atwood, Stephen Guersford and Joel Guersford, and soon their father, Joshua Guersford, an old veteran of the War of 1812, and James Earley settled in the township. Then came J. R. Bain, David Pryor and Wakefield Trotter. The first white child born in the township was Miss Henrietta E. Rees in 1849. The first wedding was celebrated at the home of Shelby Baker, their daughter, Nancy Jane, being the bride and Henry Adams the groom. Either for luck or looks, the bride borrowed Mrs. Rees' shoes. Mr. Rees remembers the occasion by an immense stock of pumpkin pies on the end of the bench in one corner and numerous poles overhead full of rings of pumpkins in the process of drying.

This township showed its patriotism by furnishing twenty-live soldiers for the late war, who enlisted in the order given: James P. Livingston, Justice Dunn, Wakefield Trotter, Jr., Nathaniel Johnston, William Axtell, M. W. Atwood, D. L. Gibford, James Wilson, John Gibford, Lee French, L. D. Jones, James Haskett, John Myres, Frank Gibford, Samuel Hennings, William Oblemis, James Earley, S. F. Newcomber, B. Aydelotte, J. R. Bain, S. H. Rees, W. A. Livingston, William Eggart, William Hill and Eli Warren. The eldest at the enlistment was B. Aydelotte, who was forty-seven years old. The youngest was S. H. Rees, who was seventeen years old. Jonas Haskett and James Willson were killed in battle, William Axtell, William Oblemis, S. F. Newcomber and Nathaniel Johnston died in hospitals; the rest lived to return to their families. In the death of Mr. Rees, which occurred March 10, 1865, the county lost a representative citizen and well-known pioneer.

A Democrat in political opinions, Thomas Rees served in various township offices, and was recognized as a public-spirited and enterprising citizen. At the time of locating here, he was a poor man, but such was his success that at the time of his demise he was the owner of seven hundred and forty acres of valuable land. He and hid wife were the parents of nine children, of whom seven survive, namely Anson B., Spencer H., the subject of this sketch, Henriet E., wife of Henry McVeigh, Rowland; Franklin P., Estella M., wile of Dr. D. N. Johnson and Effie C., who married George W. Byington. After the death of Thomas Rees, his widow married Isaac G. Badfger and they became the parents of two children, Hannibal J., and Mary B., wife of S. A. Guessford.

Amid pioneer scenes of Jasper County, the subject of this sketch was reared to manhood, gaining the rudiments of his education in the subscription and common schools of Palo Alto Township. Afterward he conducted his studies in a private normal school at Newton, Iowa, where he remained for two terms. From youth his chosen occupation has been that of agriculture, and it was natural that when selecting a life calling he should choose that to which he had been reared.

October 24, 1877, was the date of the marriage of Spencer H. Rees and Miss Margaret E. Holmes. Mrs. Rees was born in Washington County, Ind., and at the age of ten years accompanied her parents, Ransom P. find Mary A. Holmes, to Jasper County, Iowa, where she has since resided. Her marriage has resulted in the birth of five children, three of whom survive, namely: Morris H., Edna G., and Floy N. Mr. and Mrs. Rees are active members of the United Presbyterian Church, to the support of which they are regular contributors. On the 21st of May 1864, Mr. Rees enlisted as a member of Company B, Forty-eighth Iowa Infantry, and as a member of Hooker's Division did garrison duty in Rock Island and Chicago. On the 20th of October 1864, he was honorably discharged, and is now in receipt of a pension of $24 per month as a partial compensation for his services. In politics he is a member of the People's Party, the principles of which he upholds by his ballot. He served as Trustee of Palo Alto Township for two terms, as Clerk for two terms and Assessor for three terms, Justice of the Peace one term and Weigher of Government Mails in 1887 on route No. 27,036. Socially he is identified with Garrett Post No. 18, G. A. R., at Newton, Iowa. He owns sixty-seven and one-half acres of land, which he has embellished with first-class improvements, including substantial buildings. Page 336.

~ L. D. Reeves ~

The record of the life of this gentleman affords a striking illustration of the results of decision of purpose, as well as the influence which an honorable character exerts upon others. Well dowered with stability and firmness, these attributes, together with persistent labor, have been instrumental in bringing about his present prosperous condition. A well-known agriculturist of Jasper County, he owns and occupies a farm located on section 8, Washington Township.

A native of Meigs County, Ohio, Mr. Reeves was born about ten miles from the county seat, Pomeroy, on the 3rd of March 1830. He traces his ancestry to England, whence his grandfather, Richard Reeves, immigrated to the United States in childhood, settling in Pennsylvania and removing thence to Ohio. The father of our subject, Richard Reeves, Jr., was born in Athens County, Ohio, in May 1803, and was reared upon a farm in that county. He married Miss Mary Douglass, a native of Ohio, who, after having become the mother of five children, died, when our subject was a lad of five years.

district schools of Meigs County, but his knowledge has been acquired principally by self-culture. At the age of twenty-four he left his father's home and commenced in life for himself. On the 7th of August 1851, he married Miss Elizabeth Stephens, who was born in Morgan County, Ohio, on the 18th of October 1834. Her father, Samuel Stephens, was supposed to be of Irish descent; he died when his daughter was quite small. Her mother, whose maiden name was Mary Harris, was descended from English ancestors. Mrs. Reeves was the eldest child of her parents, and was reared in the home of her grandfather, James Harris, in Meigs County.

After his marriage, Mr. Reeves located upon a farm in Meigs County, where he commenced the independent career of a farmer. His father gave him twenty-five acres, to which he added from time to time, as circumstances permitted, until his landed possessions aggregated one hundred acres. He disposed of his property in 1867, and two years later came to Iowa, where for a few months he operated a rented farm in Fremont County. Not being satisfied with the country, he sold the crop in the field and removed to Vernon County, Wis., where he bought a farm consisting of one hundred acres. After conducting general farming upon that place for five years, he sold the land and removed to Cherokee, Iowa, in the winter of 1874-76.

In the spring of 1875 came to Jasper County, and for one year rented a farm in Poweshiek County. He then bought forty acres in Washington Township, on section 9, where he remained for two years. He then purchased the farm where he has since resided. He is the owner of eighty-seven acres, all of which is in a fine state of cultivation, embellished with substantial buildings and all the improvements of a model farm. The air of thrift everywhere present bespeaks a good manager and successful man.

The union of Mr. and Mrs. Reeves resulted in the birth of nine children, as follows: Electa the wife of Dr. Milton Richey, a practicing physician of Plymouth County, Iowa; Minerva J., who is the wife of James Harris, a blacksmith living in Raymond, Black Hawk County, Iowa; Celestia M., who married Charles Scott, of Mitchellville, Iowa; Louisa M., who married Thomas Pearson, a hardware merchant of Earlham, Dallas County, Iowa; Ettie L., wife of David Pearson, who is engaged in the hardware business at Mitchellville, Polk County, this state; Odella M., who resides with her parents; Jesse L., a student in the schools of Des Moines; Charles L., who is conducting his studies in the Colfax schools; and Earl H., who is a pupil in the district schools. Page 284.

~ H. W. Robinson ~

A successful newspaper is generally representative of the people of the place in which it is located, and its value to a community is beyond estimate. In Colfax there have been a number of papers, which have aided in no small measure in promoting the interests of the place in every useful way. Prominent among these is the Colfax Clipper, which is in every respect a wide-awake and progressive journal, and exerts a potent influence in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the people of Jasper County. Its zealous advocacy of local interests has made it popular with the citizens of Colfax, whose progress it has materially aided. Its success is largely due to the editor and publisher, the subject of this sketch, who is an interesting writer and an intelligent advocate of all progressive measures, and whose journalistic religion is to treat all political parties with impartial candor and give every man a fair show.

A native of Franklin County, Ind., the subject of this notice was born January 13, 1845. He is a son of Rev. Richard S. Robinson, a native of Pennsylvania, who was reared in that state and in Indiana. He was for many years a prominent minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Coming to Iowa in 1854, he located in Keokuk, where he remained for a time. His death occurred at Oskaloosa, this state, at the age of seventy-nine. He was a man of honorable life, strict integrity and high piety. From his Scotch ancestors he inherited qualities of thrift and perseverance while his Irish forefathers bequeathed to him the qualities of facility and eloquence, which contributed to the success in his ministry. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Taylor, was a native of Indiana and died at the age of sixty-six years.

H. W. Robinson was the eldest of ten children, six sons and four daughters, nine of whom grew to manhood and womanhood and are now living. His rudimentary education was gained in the common schools of Carlisle, Ind., and at about nine years of age he accompanied his parents to Keokuk, Iowa, where he conducted his studies in the public schools. When in his seventeenth year he enlisted, in 1862, as a member of Company K, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry, in which he served as a private. He was twice wounded, but not seriously in either instance. In 1865, at the close of the war, he was mustered out at Washington, D. C.

Returning to Iowa, Mr. Robinson engaged in the newspaper business in Knoxville. In 1866, in partnership with B. F. Williams, he published the Republican, which one year afterward they sold. Later he worked at the printer's trade in Little Rock, Ark., Peoria, Ill., and Des Moines, Iowa, as well as various other places. In 1879 he founded the Colfax Clipper, which has been successful from its inception, and receives from the people abundant evidence of its popularity and worth. It is truth to say that the Clipper is a credit to journalism, to Colfax and Jasper County.

In Geneseo, Ill., October 8, 1876, Mr. Robinson was united in marriage with Miss Flora A. Jack, a native of Illinois. They are the parents of two sons, Frank and Edward. The family occupies a position of social prominence in Colfax. They have a comfortable home, where numerous personal friends are warmly welcomed. In his political affiliations, Mr. Robinson is a firm adherent of the principles of the Republican Party, in which he is one of the leaders in this community. He is identified with the E. D. Duncan Post No. 253, G. A. R. Page 280.

~ Ralph Robinson ~

Ralph Robinson, the able editor of the Newton Journal, was born in Washington County, Pa., September 1830. But little information is before the writer regarding the early history of the Robinson family. We learn, however, that they originated in the North of Ireland and were all Protestants, and by occupation, small farmers and weavers. The paternal great-grandfather was quite a leader in his community, and was at one time Master of the Grand Lodge of the Orangemen of Ireland.

The family was numbered among the early Methodists of Ireland, and John Wesley, when in the neighborhood, visited our subject's grandfather, to whom he wrote a number of letters. Large families have always been characteristic of the Robinsons. In his great-grandfather's family there were fifteen children; in his grandfather's thirteen and in his father's family nine, consisting of seven sons and two daughters. Of these last, two brothers and one sister are now living.

William Robinson, father of our subject, was brought to this country when a young man, together with two others bearing the same name as he, by an uncle whose name was also William Robinson. This uncle was a unique character, of liberal education and a bachelor. The object of his life was to free Ireland, and he came to America with the determination to make a fortune and eventually to use it in bringing about the accomplishment of the aim of his life. He possessed a remarkable memory, and in all his numerous business transactions never kept a book, depending on his memory for everything in this line. He was also very reticent, and never conversed with relatives or friends of his business transactions unless obliged to do so. It is believed that he accumulated a fortune of some two or three million dollars, and was doubtless preparing to devote it to the object for which it was made, when he was seized with a stroke of apoplexy and died without leaving any information to his relatives or friends of where his accumulations were invested, and the lawyers in the large cities where his interests were supposed to be, being discreet enough to keep silent in the matter after his death, neither Ireland nor his relatives received any benefit from his large fortune.

The father of our subject was one of a pair of twins, the tenth addition to the family. He settled in Washington, Washington County, Pa., where he opened a small weaving shop, and early in life married Miss Margaret Bushfield, of Greensburgh, Westmoreland County, Pa. Energetic and industrious, a man of keen intelligence and judicious management, be prospered in business, and at the time of his death, which occurred in Washington, Pa., in 1834, he was a wealthy man. While engaged in weaving, he employed many apprentices. Having always been a Methodist, he was among the first to join the Methodist Protestant Church after the division in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was a very devoted member of that denomination. To aid the cause, he made it a point to "graduate" preachers from among his apprentices at the weaver's bench, and in that way he added a dozen or more ministers to the pulpit of the church, the most prominent of them being Doctor McClintock, of Philadelphia.

Since coming to this country the Robinson family has been largely engaged in business enterprises more particularly in the weaving, paper and iron business. One of our subject's uncles built the Benwood Iron Mills, at Ben wood, three miles south of Wheeling, W.Va., and a brother was extensively interested in paper mills, owning an interest in several large concerns. Quite a number of his immediate family have been newspaper publishers. His eldest brother, Samuel, was for a time connected with the Washington (Pa.) Reporter. His brother James G., in company with D. R. Locke (the famous "Nasby"), first published the Advertiser, at Plymouth, Richland County, Ohio, afterward the Mansfield Herald, at Mansfield, Ohio, and then the Bucyrus Journal.

Subsequently the subject of this sketch purchased Mr. Locke's interest in the last-named paper, after which he and his brother published it for several years. Another brother, William T., learned the printer's trade in Washington County, Pa, and first published the Republican at Knoxville, IL, then the Journal at Leon, Decatur County, Iowa, and is now publishing the Opinion at Glenwood, Iowa, having been a publisher for nearly forty years. When the senior Mr. Robinson died, in 1834, our subject was a child of four years, and his mother was left a widow with seven children. Soon afterward financial reverses came, and in 1837 the family removed to Beverly, Washington County, Ohio, from which point the children began to scatter. In 1840 the mother and three children removed to Morristown, Belmont County, OH, thence to Cambridge, and finally returned to Beverly, where she died in 1841.

Very early in life the struggle for existence began with the subject of this sketch. At eleven years of age, he having determined to learn the trade of a printer, we find him at Meadow Farm, Muskingum County, Ohio, where he found a place with the Rev. Cornelius Springer, who was then publishing the Western Recorder, a Methodist Protestant paper. There he remained about two and one-half years, after which he worked for a time on the Zanesville Aurora, and from there went to Wheeling WV, where he entered the office of the Wheeling Times, then under the management of James E. Wharton. In that office his term of apprenticeship was completed, after which ho attended school in Wheeling for two terms.

We next find Mr. Robinson a teacher in the public schools for one year. This profession, however, did not suit his taste, for while he desired to be a teacher; he wanted to do his work through the columns of a newspaper and not in the schoolroom. Removing to Pittsburgh, he became a journeyman and reporter, and also filled the position of foreman in several offices in that city. He was a member of the second, if not the first, typographical union in this country. While engaged as foreman on the Chronicle in Pittsburgh, he gave to a man who afterward became famous his first work in a printing office. This was no less a personage than David R. Locke, who is noted as the author of the "Nasby Letters" and who made a great success as editor and publisher of the Toledo Blade.

As Mr. Robinson grew older and gained additional experience, he discovered that a more thorough education would be of advantage to him. Accordingly he went to Waynesburgh, Pa., where he entered a college and attended several terms but did not graduate. Later he became proprietor of a bookstore in Wheeling, which, after conducting for little more than a year, he sold. For a time he managed a straw paper mill, in which a brother was interested. On account of failing health, he removed from Wheeling to Fairfield, Huron County, Ohio, and returned to his "first love," the newspaper business. At that time he purchased an interest in the Fairfield Gazette, and continued its publication for two years. He then accepted a position as local editor on the Peoria (IL) Transcript, and after a short time thus spent he purchased the Republican at Middleport, Iroquois County, IL. The fever and ague drove him out of that town and he went to Bucyrus, Ohio, where he bought an interest in the Journal and remained for six and a-half years.

Meantime the Civil War was in progress. Mr. Robinson assisted in raising two companies of volunteers for Union service, notwithstanding the fact that Crawford County was relied upon for a Democratic majority of nineteen hundred, and the blue coat of the soldier upon the street, was often-times the signal for a knock-down. Though desirous of enlisting, Mr. Robinson realized that to do so meant to discontinue a Republican paper in Crawford County, and on consulting with Ohio's old war Governor, David Todd, he was told, "Stick to your paper, Ralph. You can do more good for the Union cause there than you can by fighting rebels at, the front." Therefore his fighting was done through his paper, and he did his full share of it, too. Moreover, he has the honor of a lieutenant's commission, having been commissioned in Company B, First Ohio Regiment, "Squirrel Hunters: at the "siege of Cincinnati" and partook of six-weeks rations of hardtack and "pig's bosom,"

While in Bucyrus, Mr. Robinson married Miss Fannie J. Hamilton, whose home was in Monroeville, Ohio. From Bucyrus he came to Iowa and purchased a half-interest in the Fairfield Ledger with W. W. Junkin, remaining there for six and one-half years. He then went to Clarinda, where he purchased the entire interest, of the Clarinda Herald, running it until 1877, when he came to Newton and bought a half-interest in the Newton Journal, and subsequently purchased the entire paper, in the publication of which he has since engaged.

Socially, he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a Royal Arch Mason, having taken the first three degrees in Wheeling Lodge No. 128 in 1855, when he lived in that city. He was made a Chapter Mason in McCord Chapter of Fairfield, Iowa, and received the Council degree at Newton.

In all his newspaper ventures and wanderings, Mr. Robinson has been successful as a publisher and has gained the respect and confidence of the people among whom he has resided; he has thrice been honored by being chosen a delegate to national editorial conventions. Since his residence in Iowa, he has visited all parts of the country, from Manitoba on the north to the old city of Mexico on the south, and from Boston on the east to San Diego on the west, travel being his principal recreation. In politics he has always been a Republican.

He is a member of an old Whig family, and his first Republican vote was cast for John C. Fremont, and every vote since has been cast for the nominees of the party he represents, without an exception or a scratch on the tickets. The great good accomplished by the party during all these years of his connection therewith furnishes him with reliable evidence that he has made no mistake in his political affiliations. From 1854 to the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, he was more or less identified with the "Old Liberty Guard" and knew much of the workings and passengers of the underground railway and of the travel of the latter from the slavery of the south to their Mecca of freedom in Canada.

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are the parents of two daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter, Margaret, is an enthusiastic and earnest worker in church matters and assists her father in local newspaper work. The elder son, Roy, is one of the proprietors of the What Cheer (Iowa) Patriot. The second son, S. Mona, is general assistant for his father on the Journal, and is a practical printer, as is also Roy. The younger daughter, Daisee, has not yet completed her studies at Iowa Agricultural College, where she is now a student. Mr. Robinson's fifty-two years of hard continued labor in and about a printing office is a limit few men have attained, and while not as vigorous as of yore, he may still he found in his printing establishment, guiding and directing, and at his editorial desk. His editorials attract no little attention. When he supports an enterprise, he does it with his whole soul and what he condemns through his paper, his friends are apt to let alone. p. 118.

~ James G. Ross ~

James G. Ross, Trustee of Elk Creek Township, Jasper County, and a successful farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Franklin County, Ind., February 14, 1842, and is one of five children comprising the family of Andrew Jackson and Sarah (Wright) Ross. The father was born in Virginia, as was also the grandfather, James Ross. When Andrew Jackson was a mere lad, the family moved to Indiana and located upon a farm, where he grew to a vigorous manhood. He spent his entire life in that state engaged in general farming, and passed away at the age of fifty-two. His wife was a native of Kentucky and died in early life.

The subject of this sketch resided in Indiana until the opening of the war, when he enlisted in the Fifty-second Indiana Infantry. He served for nearly three years, and was then discharged on account of disability. Later, he again entered the army, enlisting in the One Hundred and Forty- eighth Indiana Infantry, in which he served until the close of the Rebellion. He took part in numerous battles and many minor engagements, and was an active participant in the famous battles of Ft. Donelson and Shiloh.

The marriage of Mr. Ross occurred in l866, and united him with Miss Martha P. Apple, a native of Indiana and a daughter of William V. Apple. After their marriage, the young couple came to Iowa and settled in Marion County, but soon removed thence to Mahaska County, where they remained for four years. They then came to Jasper County and settled in Elk Creek Township, where Mr. Ross has since engaged in farming. The estate upon which he now lives, and which he bought in 1891, was formerly known as the Greenleaf Farm, and is located about a half- mile from the village of Galesburg. It consists of one hundred and eighty-five acres, and is devoted to the raising of cereals and stock. At present there are about sixty head of cattle and about the same number of hogs.

In politics Mr. Ross has always been a Democrat, and is deeply interested in the success of the party. He was elected Township Trustee in 1892, to serve for a term of three years. He has acted as Township Assessor, and for eight years has been Justice of the Peace. His marriage has resulted in the birth of three children, viz.: Frances C., who is at home; Anna Belle, the wife of Charles Kroh, of Elm Grove; and Lillie, who resides with her parents. Page 591.

~ Samuel G. Russell ~

Samuel G. Russell, a citizen of Jasper County, resides on section 8, Buena Vista Township. He was born in Highland County, Ohio, on the 23d of August 1834. His parents, Samuel and Mary (Price) Russell, were both natives of Virginia, and the ancestors of their families were English. The paternal grandfather was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary War.

The father of our subject was one of the pioneer settlers of Highland County, Ohio, having there located in 1832. Under the parental roof, Samuel G. was reared to manhood, and in the district schools of the community he began his education, which was supplemented by study in Hillsboro Academy. He afterwards engaged in teaching for two terms in southern Ohio, but he was reared to agricultural pursuits, and has practically followed that business throughout his entire life. In the spring of 1865, he with his family left the state of his nativity and emigrated westward to Iowa, locating in Jasper County, upon the farm which has since been his home. He now owns two hundred and seventy acres of good land, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation, and ill connection with his labors in this direction he raises a good grade of stock.

On the 20th of March 1856, in the Buckeye State, Mr. Russell was united in marriage with Margaret A. Mobberly, who was born in Highland County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Amos Mobberly, of that county. By their union they have become the parents of ten children, as follows: Franklin H.; Mary B., wife of Rev. S. J. Geddes, who is now President of the Iowa Annual Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church; Nettie P., who died October 26, 1893; Robert H.; Minnie A., the wife of Dr. E. H. Robb, of Mingo, Iowa; Catherine E.; Virginia S.; Fannie G., who is engaged in teaching in the public schools; Olivia M. and Lynn A.

In politics Mr. Russell is a Democrat. He is now serving his second term as Trustee of Buena Vista Township, and has proved himself a capable and efficient officer. For six years he has been President of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company in Jasper County. He is a prominent and faithful member of the Methodist Protestant Church, has been active in church and Sabbath-school work, and was President of the Sabbath-school Association of Buena Vista Township for two years. His influence is always found on the side of temperance and right, and he does all in his power for the good of the community. His life is in harmony with his profe88ions, and an honorable, upright career has made him one of the exemplary characters in the community. He is true to every public and private trust, and is honored by all. Page 624.