USA > Illinois > A history of southern Illinois; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests > Part 34
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Succeeding to the ownership of the old homestead the mill and the bank established by himself and his father, Andrew Jackson Webber became very active in the commercial world, and was identified with various enterprises connected with the development of the resources of Saline county, ineluding the Galatia Coal Company, one of the lead- ing industrial organizations of this part of the county. He carried on a substantial business, and through legitimate channels of industry, trade and finance acenmnlated property which at the most conserva- tive estimate is valned at a million or more dollars. As a banker, a miller, and a farmer he met with eminent sueeess, fortune smiling upon his every effort. Mr. Webber made a part of his fortune through the inerease of land values in Saline county, where he owned thousands of aeres, while the Bank of Galatia, the mill and the farms, brought him in handsome annual returns, and his large investments in town property were of great value. In 1876 Mr. Webber ereeted several business houses in Galatia, one of which, the two story brick building in which his store was located, having been burned in 1896. He im- mediately rebuilt it, and in May, 1911. that structure was destroyed by fire and is being rebuilt by the estate for store and hotel purposes. The death of Mr. Webber, which oceurred on the old Webber home- stead near Galatia, November 4, 1910, was a loss not only to his im- mediate family, but to the community. and was a eanse of general regret.
Mr. Webber married, March 20. 1875, his eousin, Annie J. Webber, a daughter of John Webber one of the leading supporters of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, as was his father. John M. Webber.
John Webber was born Jannary 24, 1819, in Philadelphia, and at the age of four years moved with his parents to Rutherford county, Tennessee. In 1830 he eame with the family to Saline county, and until nineteen years of age assisted his father in the pioneer labor of
John M. Burk hardh & Wife.
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elearing and improving a farm. Soon after attaining his majority he married Eliza Powell, who was born in Gallatin county, Illinois, in 1824. In 1844 he migrated to Phelps county, Missouri, and having purchased a tract of land near the present city of Rolla, built the first house erected in that vicinity and donated the site of Rolla. He met with great success as an agriculturist, and likewise became one of the leading merchants of Rolla. He gave a tract of land lying on the north side of the town on which Fort Webber was built, the site of the old fort being now occupied by the Missouri School of Mines. Ilis wife died in 1859.
Annie J. Webber was born in Phelps county, Missouri, on her father's farm, and well remembers many of the thrilling incidents connected with pioneer days in Missouri. She recalls when the city of Rolla was started. and has distinct recollections of the preeau- tions which the farmers had to take to prevent the destruction of eat- tle and stock by the wild animals that held nightly carnival near her home. During the Civil war she came to Saline county to complete her education in the Raleigh schools, and there became acquainted with "Jack" Webber, who wooed her ardently, followed her to her Missouri home, and brought her baek to Illinois to become his bride. They were married at Eldorado, Illinois. March 20. 1876. She is still living in Galatia, where she is held in high respect for her many vir- tues and charms. She has two children, namely : John Henry Webber. of Galatia, born December 28, 1877, and Mrs. May Olive Burns, of Thompsonville, born September 18. 1885. Another son. William Jack- son, died in infancy. Ile was born February 8, 1880.
JOHN M. BURKHARDT. Waterloo, Illinois, has several contractors whose operations are upon a very extensive seale, and whose work is known not only in the immediate vicinity of their home city, but throughout the southern part of the state. One of the best-known and most busily employed of these men is John M. Burkhardt, whose con- tracting is in well drilling, and whose activities have gained him more than a local reputation in his chosen line. Mr. Burkhardt was born November 14, 1861. near Renault, Illinois, and is a son of Conrad and Mary (Fanerbach ) Burkhardt, natives of Germany. John M. Burk- hardt has one brother. Phillip Burkhardt, and half-brothers and sis- ters as follows: Conrad. Theodore. Henry, Lottie, Sofia and Lena. The father came to the United States in 1842, settling at Renault Grant. Monroe county, where he became engaged in agricultural pursuits and followed that line until his death. Phillip Burkhardt now serves as superintendent of the Alms House at Waterloo.
John M. Burkhardt was educated in the public school at Renault. after leaving which he engaged in farming for a number of years. Machinery has always interested him, however, and he eventually be- came engaged in well drilling, building up a large business from a very humble start. He now employs a small army of men. and carries on his business throughout Monroe and the adjoining counties. One of the leading Republicans of his section. Mr. Burkhardt served as con- stable of Renault in 1894 and as sheriff of Monroe county from 1906 until 1910, and displayed much executive ability in discharging the duties of office. He and his family attend the German Evangelical church, and have been active in its work. Mr. Burkhardt gives a good deal of attention to the cultivation of his farm, a finely improved prop- erty of one hundred aeres in the American Bottoms, twenty miles south of Waterloo, which is principally devoted to corn. His hand- some residence, however, is located at Waterloo. Mr. Burkhardt has Vol. 111-15
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been prominent in fraternal work, and now belongs to the Masonic or- der and the Modern Woodmen of America.
In 1878 Mr. Burkhardt was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Wood, of New Design, Monroe county, Illinois, and they have four children, namely: William, Olga, Sofia and Armin. Mr. Burkhardt is a skilled machinist, and has been able to give his attention to every little detail of his business. This careful management is largely re- sponsible for the success which has attended his efforts, and he is now ranked among the stable and prosperous citizens that go to make up a stable and prosperous city.
JOHN HUEGELY, JR., is one of the successors of the founder of the Huegely Milling Company of Nashville, Illinois, and was born in this city February 25, 1858, his father being John Huegely, the pioneer industrialist of the place whose substantial achievement is reflected in the live and vigorous flouring mill whose management he sur- rendered more than a score of years since, and whose retirement from the activities of life came only after years of devotion to a purpose and the accomplishment thereof.
John Huegely was born November 11, 1818, in Hassloch, Bavaria, Germany, and after a limited edueation was called upon to face the stern realities of life alone at a tender age. Having reached his ma- jority March 9, 1840, he came to America, landing in New Orleans, and as his finances were at a low ebb he worked there sawing wood until the opportunity came to continue his journey further north. He made his first stop in Monroe county, Illinois, where he obtained work with Mr. Sauers, father of the gentleman now conducting the Sauers Milling Company at Evansville, Illinois. Two years later he found employment with Mr. Conrad Eisenmayer in his water mill, located at Red Bud, Illinois, where he received wages at the rate of twelve dollars per month and board. From Red Bud he removed to a farm near Mascoutah, Illinois, but soon after entered the employ of Ph. H. Postel, with whom he remained until 1853. In that year, in partner- ship with Ph. H. Reither, he bought the saw and grist mill located at Nashville, Illinois. Being quite successful, in 1860 they built the pres- ent mill, which then had two hundred barrels' capacity, and in 1871 Mr. Huegely purchased the interest of Mr. Reither. Prosperity con- tinuing, the mill was enlarged and remodeled from time to time, so that it is now an up-to-date mill of over five hundred barrels capacity. In 1890 Mr. Huegely retired from the active management of the busi- ness and was succeeded by his sons, John Huegely, Jr., and Julius Hnegely. and his son-in-law. Theodore L. Reuter, who are conducting the business along the lines established by Mr. Huegely and they also are meeting with his success in the undertaking.
Mr. Iluegely served the county as associate judge, and was dele- gate to the Republican National Convention in Baltimore in the year 1864, which nominated Mr. Lincoln for his second term as president. For more than sixty years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Now past ninety-three years, he is still in comparitively good health, and is fond of reading and enjoys look- ing after his farms. Ile takes a lively interest in the events of the day. and bids fair to round out his century. Mr. Ilnegely is a man of rugged, sterling character, kind of heart, with an open hand for all needing assistance, and is respected and admired by all who know him and that means the entire population of Washington county, one of whose villages bears his name.
John IIuegely, Jr., was aducated with the means at hand and pro-
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vided by the publie and while his training was not extensive it has proved ample for the demand made upon him through subsequent years of business. When he was through school he entered the office of his father's mill as a bookkeeper and his talents have been em- ployed in behalf of the industry sinee. When his father left the eom- pany as an active factor in its management John became one of the trio of new blood which has been responsible for the success of the plant for twenty-two years. As a citizen he has manifested a dispo- sition to perform whatever publie service to which his fellows called him, chief of which has been that of alderman of Nashville. lle has reared his family under righteous influences as a Methodist, and has equipped his children with educations more liberal than his own. He follows the example of his venerable father in his political ac- tions and has supported Republican policies at every opportunity.
On May 24, 1884, Mr. Huegely was united in marriage with Miss Annie S. Keller, who died September 1, 1892, having been the mother of two daughters: Ella C. and Florence. In September, 1894, Mr. Huegely was married to Miss Setta E. Weihe, daughter of Fred Weihe, and two children have been born to this union, namely : Olive and Homer.
HARVEY C. VISE. Probably no citizen of Franklin county has been more closely identified with conditions in the monetary and commer- eial fields than Harvey C. Vise, of Macedonia, and few have demon- strated their ability in as many different fields. Country bred. and reared originally for agricultural pursuits, he has been successful alike as farmer, merchant and financier, and has been educated for one of the professions. Today he is one of the leading capitalists of Franklin county, president of the Farmers Exchange Bank of Akin and of the Bank of Macedonia, and a worthy representative of an old and honored family. He was born in Hamilton county, Illinois, October 17, 1856, and is a son of Eliphas 11. and Ester (Choiser) Vise.
Ilosea Vise, the grandfather of Harvey C., one of the most renowned Missionary Baptist preachers the state of Illinois ever knew, was born in 1811, in the Spartanburg district of South Carolina, the seventh of the nine children of Nathaniel and Dorcas ( Meadows) Vise, the former of Welsh descent and the latter of English and descendants of Poca- hontas. His grandfather served with Washington at Braddock's defeat, and subsequently fought during the Revolutionary war at Eutaw Springs and Guilford Court House, as captain of the famed Virginia Blues. He died at the age of one hundred and three years, and his wife when one hundred and seven. In 1835 Hosea Vise moved to Posey county, Indiana, but a short time later came to linois and settled in Hamilton county, where he commenced farming and expounding the Gospel. In 1864 he established a general store at Macedonia, which he owned until his death, and which is now being conducted by his grandson. In 1861 he enlisted as a captain in an Illinois regiment, served therewith for twenty months, and on his return again took up merchandising, farm- ing and preaching. He served for twelve years as postmaster at Macedo- nia and for ten years as pension agent. In Is71 he sold his Hamilton county farm and purchased a traet in Franklin county, on which he lived until his death. He preached forty-eight years and during that time filled all of his appointments but four, was moderator of his district for a period covering thirty-eight years, during which time he missed but two meetings : delivered the first temperance lecture in the counties of Hamilton and Franklin, and organized more churches than any man in Southern Illinois. He east his first vote for Andrew Jackson, as a
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Democrat, but at the time of Lincoln's nomination became a Republican and so continued throughout the remainder of his life. Fraternally he was connected with Governor Yates Lodge of Masons, and was buried by the order at the time of his death, February 11, 1897. His wife, Lettie Moore, was a daughter of Ellsworth Moore, and was born in 1814 in South Carolina and died in 1886. Their son, Eliphas H. Vise, was born in the Spartanburg distriet, October 11, 1835, and died May 25, 1888, having been a successful farmer and merchant all of his life. He married Ester Choiser, daughter of William Choiser. The latter was born in Illinois and lived in the state all of his life, serving in the Black Hawk, Mexican and Civil wars, and dying at the age of eighty-six years, at Eldorado, Illinois. His father, also named William Choiser, was born in Canada and came to Kaskaskia, Illinois, later removed to Shaw- meetown, where he reared a family of fourteen children, and eventually removed to Saline county, where until his death he maintained a tavern on the road for the accommodation of travelers headed west.
Harvey C. Vise was educated in the common schools and Ewing Col- lege, and after studying law for some time was admitted to the bar. His tastes did not run towards the legal profession, however, and in 1872 he turned his attention to the operation of the store at Macedonia, where he has been a merchant ever since. He now has the largest stock of merchandise in Franklin county, and in addition owns a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres. He is president of the Farm- ers Exchange Bank of Akin and of the Bank of Macedonia, the latter of which was organized in 1897, with a capital of eight thousand dollars, and has a surplus of five thousand dollars, with annual deposits averaging fifty thousand dollars. Mr. Vise has been too busy looking after his busi- ness interests to engage actively in polities, but he supports Republican principles and has served as supervisor of his township. Fraternally, he is connected with Royal Lodge, No. 807, Macedonia, in which he has served as master, and belongs also to H. W. Hubbard Chapter, No. 160, R. A. M., Mount Vernon. As a member of Oddfellowship he has been noble grand of Macedonia Lodge, No. 315.
In 1872 Mr. Vise was married to Miss Sarilda Plaster, daughter of Jolın Plaster, an old resident of Franklin county, and she died in 1886, having been the mother of three children : John, an implement dealer of Macedonia; Nellie, who married J. W. Johnson, of this city; and Hosea A. On October 16, 1888, Mr. Vise was married to Miss Ellner MeGuyer, daughter of William MeGuyer, and a sister of John B. Me- Guyer, Mr. Vise's business partner. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Vise, namely : Ava, who became the wife of B. F. Sparks and lives at Mount Vernon, Illinois; Orrie A., at home; and Clyde H. and Evan H., who also reside with their parents. The family is connected with the Missionary Baptist church, and its members are well and favorably known in religious and charitable work. Mr. Vise during his residence in Macedonia has been active in almost every movement for the public good, and the benefit that the city has derived from his activities in the financial and commercial world eannot be estimated. His business ventures, however, have been conducted in such a manner that he has earned the reputation of being a man of the highest in- tegrity, and as a consequence he has the respect and esteem of a wide eirele of friends and well wishers.
WILLIAM ALBERT PERRINE. The man to whom all Herrin turns in gratitude for the prosperity which has come to her, largely through the work of his brain. started ont in life in a modest way, as a country school teacher, and now he is president of two mining corporations,
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handling an output of three thousand tons of coal a day. This is in brief the remarkable snecess of William A. Perrine. Aside from the leading part he has played in the industrial world he has been almost equally active in the politieal world, the long list of public offices with which he has been honored enlminating in his election as a delegate to the National Republican Convention in 1908.
William Albert Perrine was born only a few miles from Herrin, in Bainbridge Precinet, on the 17th of October, 1858. Ilis father, the ven- erable Daniel Perrine, was one of the ante-bellum settlers of the county of Williamson. He was of rural stock. his parents living in Mereer county, Pennsylvania, at the time of his birth in 1831. With commend- able energy he acquired enough education to make him capable of teaching a country school. When he came to Illinois this, therefore, was his first undertaking umtil the inpouring rush of settlers offered such a rich field of the carpenter that he abandoned the blue-backed speller for the hammer and saw. Later he returned to the simple life of the farm. and save for his absence during the Civil war, has been content to re- main a modest farmer. So for fifty-five years he has been an inthential member of that large body of sincere and high principled citizens who make Williamson county their home.
In his political alliance Daniel Perrine is a strong Republican, and in the election of 1860 was an enthusiastic partisan of Mr. Lincoln, hay- ing the distinction of being one of the three men in his precinet to east a ballot for the martyred president whom we have all come to almost worship. In 1862 Mr. Perrine enlisted in Company G of the Eighty-first Illinois Infantry, and his command formed a part of General Sherman's army, operating in Mississippi. In the engagement at Guntown, on the 10th of June, 1864, he was taken prisoner, and after undergoing many hardships reached the dreaded stockade at Andersonille, where much worse things than hardships had to be endured. Six months of this existenee had to be borne before he was exchanged and was enabled to rejoin his command and to take part in the last sad seenes of the fall of the Confederacy and the surrender of gallant Lee and his army. He was mustered out after the Grand Review at Washington, and visited his parental home in Pennsylvania before returning to his family in Illinois. For twenty-four years he has acted as justice of the peace, a long and faithful service. He is a Master Mason, belonging to a family noted for its strong Masonie allegiance. In religions matters he has been a member of the Missionary Baptist church since 1866.
Daniel Perrine married, in Williamson county, Illinois, December 10. 1857, Susan Reeves, a daughter of William and Mary P. (Moore) Reeves, of Robinson county, Tennessee. Mrs. Perrine was born there in 1833, coming to Illinois with her parents as a baby in 1835. She lived to witness the success of her sons, dying on the 18th of September, 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Perrine had three children, William A., of Herrin : George HI .. also a citizen of this eity ; and Melissa, who married Samnel Evetts and died on the 3rd of November, 1880.
William Albert Perrine grew up amid country surroundings, receiv- ing his education at the district schools. His first ambition to become a teacher was soon gratified, and for seventeen terms he led the strennous and disciplinary life of a country school teacher in the vicinity of Iler- rin. With this for a winter diversion, he carried on farming in season, but eventually abandoned both to take up what afterwards became his life work. Foreseeing in the development of the coal fields all about Herrin a source of future wealth and power. he turned his tireless energy towards making this development as rapid as possible, with the result that Herrin, with its wonderful growth, bids fair to rival the
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county seat for metropolitan honors. Mr. Perrine first engaged in the lumber business at Creal Springs, but only remained a lumber dealer for three years before turning to mining. He opened a number of the leading properties between Herrin and Marion, the list of mines em- bracing the Chicago-Herrin, the Carterville Big Muddy, the Hemlock, the Watson's Pittsburg and the Big Muddy. Having opportunities to sell at considerable profit, he disposed of all save the last two named, and he is the chief stockholder and president of both of these com- panies. He has handled the development and management of these companies alone until recently, when skilled successors reared in his own household and under his own direction assumed much of the re- sponsibility.
Mr. Perrine has taken considerable part in the actual building of Herrin, erecting many houses for renting, and, being shrewd enough to forsee the trend which real estate was likely to take, has bought and sold considerable land from time to time. He is financially interested in the First National Bank of Herrin, being a stockholder, and, knowing that in a growing town one of the greatest aids to its growth is a Building and Loan Association, he lends his support to the one in Herrin as one of its directors. He was the propelling force which brought the Coal Belt Electric Railroad into Herrin, and together with others secured about half the right-of-way between Herrin and Marion.
Mr. Perrine has been identified with political thought longer than he has been a voter. His Republicanism is as old as he is and his ae- tivity at conventions and as a member of the county committee eovers a period of more than twenty years. He has several times served his party as a delegate from his county to the Illinois State meetings. In 1908, as a delegate to the national convention, he had the honor of casting his ballot for the nomination of President Taft. On the 1st of April, 1909, he was appointed postmaster by "wire" and succeeded Mr. A. Gasaway in that office.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Perrine has shown his steadfast de- votion to a cause, for in spite of the many advantages which might ae- erue to him if he became a member of other secret orders, he has pre- ferred to give all his interest and attention to Masonry. He has filled all the chairs of the Blue Lodge, having been worshipful master seven terms. He was the first high priest of Herrin chapter, No. 229, and he is a member of the Metropolis Commandery, No. 41. He is also affiliated with the Chicago Masons, being a member of the Oriental Consistory and of Medinah Temple of that city. Three generations of his family have been members of the Herrin lodge and all have received the degree of Master Mason from it or its predecessor.
On the 1st of Angust, 1880, Mr. Perrine was married to Miss Mary A. Cruse, a daughter of John M. Cruse, of Tennessee, and of Rebecca A. (Sizemore) Cruse, of Kentucky. Mrs. Perrine is the oldest of eleven children. Of the children born to this successful capitalist and his wife, Bert E. is superintendent of the Watson Coal Company and is married to Sudie Tune; Cass C. is superintendent of the Pittsburg Big Muddy Coal Company, his wife being Meda Russell; Bessie May is the wife of W. A. Wilson, of Herrin ; Jesse J. died as a young boy ; Susie C. is Mrs. Chester Childress, of Herrin ; John D .; Melissa ; Me- Kinley and Effie, both of whom died in infancy; W. A. Jr .; and Joseph Edward.
The life of this man should be of especial interest to young men, for it shows how, unaided, a man with courage, perseverance and con- stant care can win a position for himself where he not only possesses great wealth and prestige, but where he has the chance to aid others
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on the upward journey. Mr. Perrine has always been so closely identi- fied with his town that Herrin would not be Ilerrin without him, but had he been born in some other section of the country, where there was no opportune mineral wealth to be developed, his ability would have found some other outlet, for his is the nature that never knows defeat, whose ealm optimism forces others to believe in him; in short he is a natural leader of men, a strong and forceful personality in whom other men naturally trust and believe. However, his is a leadership not through hate or fear, but from admiration and respect.
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