USA > Illinois > Williamson County > Historical souvenir of Williamson County, Illinois : being a brief review of the county from date of founding to the present > Part 36
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The boyhood of Dr. W. H. Ford was spent on a farm in Jackson Co., near Makanda, where he helped his father farm until the Fall of 1895, when he entered a medical college at St. Louis, Mo. He pursued the stuly of medicine until the 10th of March, 1898, at which time he grad- nated, receiving the degree of Dor- tor of Medicine. He immediately came to Herrin, established a Drug Store and began the practice of his profession.
On the 10th of January. 1900. he was married to Nora Stotlar, daugh- ter of Thomas and Louisa Stotlar. and immediately after his marriage he established him a comfortable home in Herrin, where he still re-
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
sides. He is one of the directors of the Herrin State and Savings Bank, and has identified himself as one of the substantial citizens of the ('onnty.
BANK OF JOHNSON CITY.
Bank of Johnson City, Williamson County, Illinois, was organized by .]. S. Lewis and M. Ozment in 1901, with a cash capital of $10,000 and individual responsibility between $75.000 and $100,000, opening their doors for business in a small frame building July 26, 1901. Business started with great promise, the first day's deposits being $1224.12, which has 110W reached the neat sum of $57,000,00, and is gradually in- creasing.
On the 7th day of November, 1903. the bank moved into its own home, a substantial brick and stone building of two stories, erected at a cost of nearly $10,000, and fur- nished with the latest banking con- veniences in the way of vault and furniture. Mr. Ozment is shown in the picture, at the Cashier's win- dow. Messrs. Lewis and Ozment own also the Bank at Stone Fort in Saline County, with Mr. C. B. Oz- ment as cashier.
Mr. J. S. Lewis was born in Ken- tucky August 6, 1851. After his school days he attended medical col- lege, graduating in 1878. On Oct. 28, 1878, Mr. Lewis was married at Metropolis, Ills., and has five chil- dren. Myrtle, Roscoe, Mabel, Fern and Orman. In 1885 Mr. Lewis abandoned the practice of medicine for business, coming to this part in 1901. He is a Universalist, a Re- publican and a Mason. Mr. Lewis has been very successful.
Mr. M. Ozment was born in Saline Co., 111., October 8, 1868. Follow- ing his school days he graduated in' the business course of the Gem City Business College August, 1893, and March 3, 1897, was married at Stone Fort, Ill. Their two children are named Arel and George. Mr. Oz- mient taught school in Saline and Williamson Counties for six years, coming to Johnson City July 17. 1901. In politics he is a Democrat. is a member of A. F. & A. M .: R. A. M .: 1. O. O. F. and M. W. of A., and also a member of the Baptist church since 1887. Mr. Ozment has been successful and has a bright future.
SAMUEL B. BAKER, Farmer. West Frankfort, Franklin Co., Ill.
Samuel B. Baker was born near Missionary Ridge, Hamilton County, IN .. December 28, 1837. His fath- er dying when he was but eight years old. the support of his mother and two younger brothers devolved largely on him. He worked for 25
cents a day in the corn, cotton and tobacco fields of the South. When 20 years old he had saved up a little money, and going to Memphis went to buying furs in company with Jim Walker. They bought principally in Arkansas and sent their goods to a Memphis house.
Being of Union sentiments, how- ever, he found the atmosphere too sultry for him about 1861. After the breaking out of the war he went to St. Louis and joined a company of scouts and guides under Capt. J. H. Johnson. They served under Gen. N. P. Banks until his death and then followed the fortunes of Gen. Franz Sigel. They fought at Pea Ridge and in company with Capt. Johnson, L. Jenkins and others, and saw Gen. McCullock, of the Confederate army shot from his horse. Capt. Johnson was mortally wounded at Lang De- Bayou, north of Helena, Ark., under Gen. Curtis on his raid when Helena was captured in 1862. Baker took him to Cape Girardeau and staid with him until he died. After the death of Johnson he served for a time under Gen. Powell Clayton, and then joined Co. D., 13th Ill. Cavalry at Carbondale, where he remained until the close of the war. Two of the Tanner boys were in the same company with Baker, James Mc Tan- ner and Frederick. Frederick died July 7. 1864, and Baker helped to bury him at Pine Bluff, Ark. On or about August 30, 1865, Baker was mustered out at Pine Bluff, and re- turned to Williamson County and his family.
While the war was in progress he had married Miss Sarah Robinson, at Carbondale, November, 1863. She gave him nine children and died February 1, 189%. On his retmin from the war they spent four years farming at old Bainbridge, and from there moved to Grassy Precinct, where they lived until July, 1961. when they moved to their present. home. For a second wife My. Baker took Nancy C. Jourdan. His living at children are George L. Baker. Chamness; Mrs. Josephine Kelby, Marion: Mrs. Lida Ogden, at Herrin: Jonathan A. Baker, Carterville; Mrs. Lum Maann, Cottage Home; Mrs. Rhoda McGill, Marion, and William Baker, Marion. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.
THE BLACK DIAMOND POULTRY YARD, J. A. LAUDER. Prop., Carterville, 111.
Mr. Lander is a very successful "hicken fancier and makes a spe- cialty of the single-comb black Mi- norcas. He belongs to the Black Minorca Club of Amreica, and his birds have won prizes whenever and wherever exhibitel. The fine bird
shown in the half-tone herein is called "Champion of Illinois," and has never failed of the blue ribbon whenever exhibited. He won five first prizes in 1899 to 1900, and scored 93 1-2 points at the Illinois State show at Quincy in January, 1900, before Judge Theo. Hewes. He scored 95 1-2 points at Peoria in 1899 by Judge B. N. Pierce, and the same year won first prize at Nashville and O'Fallon, 11]. Mr. Lauder ships birds and eggs to all parts of the United States, and has been the judge of poultry at Marion, the county seat, for several years.
THE HERRIN STATE-SAVINGS BANK.
This new candidate for public fa- vor came to the front last year and under the careful management of its official board will soon be recognized as one of the most solid financial in- stitutions of the county.
It has a paid up cash capital of $25,000, a surplus fund of $4,000, and deposits of over $53,000.
The new banking house erected for the use of the bank last year does credit to the town and county and is fully written up elsewhere in this volume.
THE WILBORN STORE CO.
Is a firm composed of W. R. Wil- born, of New Denison, and C. L. and C. W. Wilborn, of Attila. From a very small beginning it has grown to respectable proportions in a brief period and now controls the trade of the district where the two houses are located. Careful management and skillful buying based on the solid foundation of honest dealing are the elements of the substantial progress made.
The plate shows the New Denison Branch with Mr. W. R. Wilborn standing in front of the store.
FRED GARDNER,
Vice-President and General Manager of the New Ohio Washed Coal Company.
Was born in Chicago, March 31, 1867. He is of English parentage on both sides, his father, Robert H. Gardner, being born in London, Eng., January 20, 1829, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary A. Leavey was also born in London, July 20, 1835. Both are still living and show by their vigor the pure blood and steady habits of a long-lived ancestry.
Their son had the early training of the Chicago public schools and entered Racine College, Wisconsin, in 1879. After graduating in 1883. he took up the lumher and coal busi-
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
ness with which he has been con- nected ever since. His wife's name was Lillian W. Upton, a native of Salem, Mass., to whom he was unit- ed in marriage December 25th, 1890. They have one son, Robert F. Gardner, who was born in Chi- cago, March 10, 1899. The family are Episcopalians in their church relations and he is Republican in politics. He was a member of the Illinois Nat'l Guard from 1885 to '89 and is now a member of the A. F. & ' A. M., the National I'nion and the Royal Arcanum.
J. G. APPLEGATH, Herrin, IN.
Manager of the White-Ash Branch of the Elles Store Co.
Was born at Albion, Ill .. October 10, 1867. He remained in his na- tive town until he had completed his school education and then turn- ed his attention to railroading. At the age of 17 he was at work for the old L. E. & St. Louis Ry Co., now the Southern Ry. Co., and for seven years served them as Agent and Telegrapher in various places. He then secured a position with the S. W. Little Coal Co. at Little, Ind., where he remained for thirteen years. He began as bookkeeper and for the last five years of the period had charge of the mine.
He then moved to the new town of Herrin and in December, 1904, went to work for the Elles Store Co. He was very soon placed in charge of the White Ash Branch, which he now runs.
His wife was Miss Fannie Nelson, the daughter of John and Sarah Nel- son, of Winslow, Ind. They were married March 16, 1887 and have had one son, Carl G., now IT years old. He is a Presbyterian, a Repub- lican and a Royal Arch Mason.
THE NEW VIRGINIA COAL CO. Near Johnson City, 111.
This mine is a hustler, a money maker, a fortunate and well regu- lated and managed institution. It was incorporatel under the laws of the state of Illinois in 1900, and be- gan to hoist coal in December, 1901. Its shaft is 120 feet deep and it has a nine foot vein of coal. The roof is exceptionally good and there is absolutely no gas in the mine. That it is carefully managed is shown by the fact that for the five years it has run there has never been a fatal accident. The company own or lease 600 acres of coal land and when running it full capacity em- ploy 300 men with a daily output of 1500 tons. They work at the present time 160 men and 15 mules and ship from 800 to 900 tons daily.
They have four switch tracks con- nected with the C. & E. 1. Ry. line, covering two miles, and can load four different kinds of coal at the same time from the tour tracks. They are fully equipped with first motion hoisting engines, Shaker Sorens and Christy Box Car Loader, woo en tippie, seventy feet high. The output for the past year has been used by the C. & E. 1. Ry., giv- ing perfect satisfaction.
The company has a cash capital of $60,000 and the following gen- tlemen constitute their official board: Silas D. Moore, President ; Edwin G. Rarbach, Secretary and Treasurer; John W. Mitchell, Super- intedent of Mine. Their Chicago onice is at No. 670 Old Colony building. Mr. Rarbach informs the writer that he and his associates sank the second mine in Franklin County, which they afterwards sold to the Dearing Coal Company. It is located at West Frankfort and is proving one of the largest and best in the district. A well filled gen- eral store serves to furnish the need- ed supplies and happiness and con- tentment reigns. Good wages and steady work is the rule and no note of dissatisfaction has ever been heard in their midst. The proprie- tors are thoroughly just and Christ- ian gentlemen who recognize in each worker a man and a brother with rights as sacred as their own, and prove both when labor troubles arise and how they can be avoided. The company, with an eye to beauty and the comfort of their family of employes, have erected forty beau- tiful cottages in a group for their use. forming a well-laid out and picturesque little town as unlike the unsightly herd of shells which dis- figure the surroundings of most mining towns as black differs from white. The cottages and the well kept gardens about them are an in- dication of the character both of the proprietors and their help, which explains the absence of labor troubles in their midst.
CARTERVILLE DISTRICT COAL
COMPANY.
This Company was formed in the year 1902, and is one of the most modern mines in the Carterville Coal fields, having acquired 820 acres of thick vein coal lands lo- cated within a few miles of the city of Marion in Williamson County, Illinois.
The work of opening anl devel- oping was pushed rapidly from the start and by the latter part of 1993, entries had been driven and coal was being taken out. Practically all mining is done with the Sullivan
Punchers, run on compressed air. This coal is mined after the ma- chines, produce large block and is very handsome in appearance.
The Tipple is seventy feet high and is equipped with Bond cages Shaker screens, four loading-also one passing track. Litchfield en- gines are used in hoisting. 1 Sul- livan high speed fan is used in ven- tilation. There is also a Chiisty Box Car-loader. Every foot of mine track is laid with steel rails and the pit cars large and serviceable. With their complete and serviceable equipment, the Carterville District Mine is enabled to prepare a num- ber of grades of the finest domestic and steam coals.
The officials of the mine are: Sam H. Goodall, President and Gen- eral Manager; 1 .. C. Goodall, Secre- tary; A. Q. Mitchell, Treasurer and Assistant General Manager; Mr.
Johnson, Superintendent ; George Calhoun, Bookkeeper: J. E. Corel, Sales Agent, 303 Fisher Building, Chicago, Il1.
JOHN ADAM SEIDLA.
First Engineer Culp Coal Co., Car- terville, Illinois.
The subject of this sketch is a na- tive of Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co., Indiana, where he was born April 11. 1853, and where he worked with his father on the farm until he was fifteen years old. His father, John Adam Seidla, Sr., was born in Wit- tembury, Germany, Martin Luther's old town, in 1822, and emigrated to America in 1833. He went into farming and stock raising and still lives and farms on the old home- stead in Indiana. He tried to raise his son to the same business, but he was a natural mechanic and took to building and running mills, partic- ularly saw mills, which he followed mostly in Southern Illinois, for twenty years. He ran a saw mill in the beavy timber of Southeastern Missouri, for two years for his pres- ont employer. John Culp.
Feeling the need of a better prep- aration for his work than the limits of a common district school provided he took a course as hoisting engin- eer in the Scranton Correspon 'ence school in September, 1904. The following March he went to Spring- field, Ill., before the State Board of Examiners and took his certificate.
His wife was Melissa Rogers, the daughter of Elijah Rogers to whom he was united in marriage Septem- ber 23, 1878. They have had four children of whom two are living. They have two grandchildren. He is an Odd Fellow and a Woodman of the World, and a Republican in politics.
3 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA
Q.977.399W64H C001 HISTORICAL SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY
3 0112 025400380
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