USA > Illinois > Massac County > History of Massac County, Illinois with life sketches and portraits > Part 20
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John T. Cummins, D. D. S., son of Lewis Cummins, was born in Grantsburg township, Johnson county, Ill., Aug. 30th, 1852. He labored on the farm, attended the early schools and two terms at the seminary, clerked in his father's store and began the practice of dentistry in 1875, continuing until the present. He took a seminary course in dentistry at Terre Haute, Ind., and further pursued the work at Ann Arbor, Mich. In 1877 he graduated at the Chicago Dental college, and to further improve himself took a practitioner's course in 1890, and a post graduate course in 1895. With 32 appli- cants he stood examination before the United States post graduate association and was one of thirteen who passed. He
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HISTORY OF
was treasurer of the southern branch of the State Dental society, has appeared on the program before that body in "demonstration work" several times and is at present librarian of the society. In 1891 he was one of the dental examiners for five counties in southern Illinois and a member of the World's Colombian Dental college in 1893.
For a number of years he has maintained an office at Golconda as well as Metropolis. He will, however, discon- tinue the former because his practice in his home city has gradually increased, demanding his whole time. No more elegant apartments are to be found anywhere than the suite of dental parlors in the Temple building.
Dr. Cummins was married to Miss Luella Rankins, daugh- ter of Captain Benjamin Rankin, in 1875. She was born in Massac county, Ill. They have had two children, both dead. He is an Odd Fellow, Knight of Honor, and Knight of Pythias. He was re-elected alderman of Metropolis in 1900 by an in- creased majority.
REV. EBEN MUSE.
The subject of this sketch was born Oct. 31, 1839, in Alle- gheny county, Pennsylvania, took his college and seminary course at Danville, Kentucky, was licensed by the presbytery of Ebenezer April 11th, 1863, and ordained by the presbytery of Chilicothe, May, 1864.
He was stated supply of the Mount Vernon church, 1883, and of the Metropolis church 1885-1886, when he was called to the pastorate of the Presbyterian church, Quincy, Mass., a suburb of Boston. This was perhaps the largest New Eng- land church, numbering about 1,700 communicants, and Rev. Muse occupied the pulpit until his death, which occurred July 23rd, 1891. July 25th he was interred in Mount Wollaston cemetery, overlooking the ocean. Of his services the Quincy Ledger said: "He was eminently successful in establishing a strong church, particularly in numbers."
Rev. Muse's grandfather was a private in the Revolu- tionary war and his father a soldier in the war of 1812, while
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REV. EBEN MUSE.
[WILLIAM MARTIN.
MRS. WILLIAM MARTIN.
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MASSAC COUNTY.
our subject, raised under Southern skies, early enlisted in the Union army in 1861, fought until disabled, was sick for a year after being discharged and gave $1,000, all his money, to aid in crushing the rebellion. In his lecture delivered be- fore many Grand Army posts, we find this noble sentiment: "Don't forget the dead and don't forget the dying. While this is not the land of the living, but of the dying, and pre-emin- ently so of the soldier. With muffled drums, with impaired bodies and aching, honest hearts we're marching to the grave, and we trust that as in this cradle of American liberty (Bos- ton) citizens cherish the memories of men who died by that cradle in centuries past, so they will, too, cherish the memory of the men who suffered or died to disenthrall the manhood evolved from that cradle of American liberty and regenerated it in the second birth of tears and woe."
In April, 1871, Rev. Muse and Miss Laura Jones of Cen- treville, Indiana, were married. They have two sons, R. Courte and Earnest E., who with their mother reside at Metropolis, Il- linois.
WILLIAM MARTIN.
Isaac Martin, father of William, was born in Virginia December, 1802, early left an orphan but carefully reared and educated by a good Quaker family at Vincennes, Indiana. In 1818 he went to Lebanon, Ohio, and learned the trade of a stone mason, which he continued for a number of years. In 1828 he located in Adams county, Ohio, purchased heavily wooded real estate, cleared the same, erected a log cabin, farmed, prospered and entered Illinois land also. He married Miss Amanda, daughter of Amsiah Davidson, to whom ten children were born: John, James, Andrew J., and Isaac C., farmers in Ohio; Jane and Robinson, deceased; Amsiah, a farmer of Iowa; Saralı, widow of J. C. Cockerel; William and Mary, wife of John Hannah. William Martin was born in Adams county, Ohio, Jan. 27th, 1842, on the farm, learned to work, secured a good common school education. At 18 he en- listed in company F, First Ohio Light Artillery, and saw hard service at Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga and Deca-
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tur. August, 1865, he was discharged and in 1866 came to Illinois to occupy land given him by his father. Spring, sum- mer and autumu were spent in clearing and improving the farm, while for twelve winters he taught school. Mr. Martin is a practical surveyor and served one term as county sur- veyor. He has always been a zealous member of the Metho- dist ehureh, holding lieense as an exhorter. Fraternally he is a Mason, Odd Fellow and Grand Army man, and was an F. M. B. A.
February 15, 1866, he married Miss Marion Ellen, daugh- ter of William L. Blair, of Ohio. They were parents of two children, Miss Annie M. and William I., now deceased. Mrs. Martin was born Feb. 15, 1841, and died Feb. 19, 1900. She was a most lovable woman and an exemplary member of so- ciety and church eircles.
HON. GEORGE W. PILLOW.
Hon. George H. Pillow was born in Metropolis, Illinois. May 15, 1850, the son of Captain P. B. Pillow, then a prom- inent citizen of Massac county, who bore the distinction of holding a commission from the governor of Illinois as captain of the Regulators organized to suppress concerted violators of the law.
When George was only two years old he was taken by his parents to Gallatin county, where he has since resided. In early years he lived on the farm and attended the rural schools. In 1868 he was apprenticed to Karcher and Scanland, spend- ing fourteen years at the bench and during the latter years he read law at odd hours during the day and late into the night.
He was admitted to the bar in 1882, since which time he has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession, which has reached far beyond the limits of his own county, and he has won an enviable reputation as a strong practitioner in criminal eases.
An eloquent and forceful speaker, an enthusiastic repub- lican, he wields a decided influence in each campaign. He was the nominee of his party for congress in 1890 in the nine-
GEORGE W, PILLOW.
1
OLIVER A. HARKER.
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MASSAC COUNTY.
teenth district, overwhelmingly democratic, was the nominee for state's attorney of Gallatin county, solidly democratic, in 1896, running 147 votes ahead of his colleagues, and in 1898 was nominated for the legislature, but was defeated. Mr. Pil- low has many friends in this county and he has always loved his birthplace.
HON. OLIVER A. HARKER.
CIRCUIT JUDGE.
Hon. Oliver A. Harker is the son of a Methodist minister and was born in Wayne county, Ind., fifty-three years ago. He attended the public schools and entered college, but left to serve in the Federal army in the war of the Rebellion for nine months as a private in company D, 67th Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, and ou detailed service in the quartermaster's depart- ment at Nashville, Tenn.
Entering McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill., he graduated in 1866, was principal of the Vienna, Ill., public schools from 1867 to 1868, read law in the University of Indiana and prac- ticed his profession eight years at Vienna.
Governor Cullom appointed him circuit judge in August, 1878, and the republicans have nominated and elected him successively in 1879, 1885, 1891 and 1897. In June, 1891, he was appointed one of the appellate judges for the second dis- trict of Illinois, in which capacity he now serves.
Miss Siddie A. Bain of Vienna became his wife in 1870, and they have two sons, George M. and Oliver A., Jr., and one daughter, Winifred. Their home is in Carbondale but the judge has many warm friends in this county from long asso- ciations at the bar.
JUDGE JOSEPH P. ROBARTS.
Joseph P. Robarts, circuit judge, was born March 2, 1849, in Godfrey, Madison county, III., the son of Dr. James Robarts, formerly of Philadelphia. His father was born May 5, 1814, graduated at Jefferson Medical College in 1836, moved to
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Brownsville, then the county seat of Jackson county, from thence to Godfrey, and in 1858 to Carbondale, Ills., where he died in 1890. He was originally a whig, was the anti-slavery candidate for the legislature against Dr. John, father of John A. Logan, became a pronounced republican, enlisted in the rebellion as brigade surgeon and rendered valuable and faith- ful service. His wife was Sarah M. Crandall, married 1848. She was born in 1824 in Rhode Island, reared in Rochester, New York, in 1842 moved to Brighton, Ill., and died in Carbon- dale, Ill., in 1891.
Joseph P. Robarts, their son, attended the public schools and the Illinois Military Academy at Fulton, Whiteside coun- ty, Ill. He was sent to the military academy to prevent his following the army, as he attempted to enlist at 13 years of age. In 1864 he held a commission from Governor Yates as first lieutenant in the academy. When he left school he served tliree years apprenticeship under John H. Barton, publisher of the New Era, Carbondale, worked as journeyman on the Cairo Daily Bulletin, John H. Overby, publisher, and in 1873 established the Jackson County Era, Murphysboro, Illinois, with great success.
Having read the "Burr Trial" he decided to become a lawyer, read law under Hon. A. R. Pugh, Murphysboro, and was admitted Feb. 1880. He at once removed to Mound City, Pulaski county, III., practiced law, was elected county judge, and in 1891 was chosen one of the circuit judges of the First judicial circuit and re-elected in 1897.
Besides the judicial honors conferred upon him he vas in 1873 elected assistant door keeper of the House of Represen- tatives, state's attorney for Pulaski county in 1881, and in 1883 was appointed commissioner of the Southern Illinois peniten- tiary by Governor Hamilton. Always an ardent republican, he has served in many campaigns, and has been a delegate to almost every degree of party conventions, in 1892 represent- ing his district in the national convention at Minneapolis.
October 21, 1875, he married Miss Lillie Ozborn, daughter of Colonel Lindorf Ozborn, commander of the Thirty-first Illi-
JUDGE JOSEPH P. ROBARTS.
GEORGE W. YOUNG.
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MASSAC COUNTY.
nois Volunteer Regiment. She is also a second cousin of General John A. Logan. Fraternally Judge Robarts is Mas- ter and Royal Arch Mason, Knight Templar, Knight of Pyth- ias, Knight of Honor and Odd Fellow. He stands six feet in height and weighs 300 pounds. He is cordial, broad minded and has many friends.
JUDGE GEORGE W. YOUNG,
MARION, ILL.
Judge George W. Young was born February 8, 1845, in Williamson county, Illinois; left an orphan at the age of 2 years; was raised by a farmer of limited means, who died in 1859 leaving him at the age of fourteen without a preceptor or anyone to care for him. He learned to read and write at a subscription school. He left his native heath in 1860, and went to Cairo, Ills., where he remained for a few days and shipped on board a steamboat as deck sweeper and roustabout; afterward he became a cabin boy and Texas tender on a boat plying between St. Louis and New Orleans. In January, 1861, he went ashore at Columbus, Ky., and worked on a farm near Milburn, Ky., for a while, when soon the war sentiment became so strong and violent that he was compelled to seek other quarters on account of his loyalty to the Union cause. He be- came attached to the Union army early in 1862 and was mus- tered in as a private in Company L, 8th Kentucky Cavalry, Colonel (afterward General) James M. Shackleford command- ing. Was promoted for meritorious conduct in December, 1863, to a first lieutenant Company E, 30th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Volunteers; afterward breveted captain command- ing the company; served until the close of the war; was mus- tered out in June, 1865. Came back to Williamson county and attended the common schools two years, taught school and read law; was admitted to practice March 3, 1869, but did not open a law office on account of poverty until July, 1870. Hle was compelled to teach school, and acted in the capacity of deputy assessor in 1869 and 1870.
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Prior to 1865 there was no regular organization of the republican party in Williamson county, and it was in Septem- ber, 1865, that Colonel Young with a dozen others of the stal- wart republicans and ex-soldiers met in a back room in Mar- ion and completed the first organization of the republican party that put forth a straight republican ticket to be voted for at the coming November election, and it is to the credit of the returned soldiers, who, under the inspiration of Colonel Young, took up the question of politics, and for the first time in all the history of Williamson county the whole republican tieket was elected by a handsome majority; and from that time until the present he has been identified with, and worked fer, the success of the republican ticket in Williamson county and in southern Illinois.
The next year, 1866, the Grand Army of the Republic was organized and became a powerful factor in the politics of the nation. Colonel Young assisted at the organization of three posts in that year, and has the two copies of the first ritual that was used in the organization of the G. A. R., and his inter- est in that organization has never abated. He has always been recognized as a leading exponent of the rights of the sur- viving veterans of the late war.
He was elected justice of the peace in 1873; was elected county judge of Williamson county in 1877; was elected state's attorney of Williamson county in 1884; was elected circuit judge of the First judicial circuit to fill the vacancy caused by the promotion of Judge Baker to the supreme beneh in November, 1888, and served until 1891. He was a candidate for congress before the republican convention in 1882, competing with Captain John R. Thomas, George W. Smith, T. T. Fountain and C. N. Damron, Thomas receiving the nomination. He was again a candidate for nomination before the republican convention in 1898 against the Hon. George W. Smith and ran a most creditable race and pulled a most surprising vote, but on account of the midwinter snap convention and the strong combination of the machine politi- cians of the district being against him he was defeated. He
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was again a candidate for nomination before the republican convention in 1900, which came off June 2d of that year. The history of that convention is too recent and fresh in the minds of the republicans to permit of much comment here; enough is known, however, to say that while the great rank and file of the republicans throughout the district regarded Colonel Young as the most available candidate and whose nomination would be most satisfactory to all factions of the party upon the ground of merit and good politics, still by the liberal use of money thrown into the canvass by the two great machines of the party recognized as the state administration and the national administration government machine-the former ad- vocating Judge Joseph P. Robarts and the latter George W. Smith-Colonel Young not having the money to compete with them in the hustings, the main interest in the canvass cen- tered in the contest between Judge Robarts and Mr. Smith; Mr. Smith was successful.
He was made a member of the Grand Army of the Repub- lic September, 1866. He was made an Odd Fellow July 17, 1869. These are the only two secret organizations to which he ever belonged. He is recognized as one of the foremost and best posted Odd Fellows in this end of the state, having a thor- ough knowledge of the lodge work, as well as of the laws of the order. He has been a member of the grand lodge since 1874, and has held several important and responsible positions in that body, and is regarded as one of its most vigilant and active members.
He was married -September 24th, 1871, to Miss Martha A. Spiller of Williamson county. Four children have been born unto them; three girls and a boy (the hoy died in infancy), Ora, Ida and Eva. Ora married Mr. Richard Trevor. who is in the merchandise business in Marion; Ida married Mr. William B. Rochester, who is in the hardware business in Marion, and Eva, the youngest daughter, who is not married, still lives with her parents. He and his good wife have raised and educated three orphan children.
He represented the 20th Congressional district on the
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military staff of Governors Cullom and Hamilton from 1879 to 1884 with the rank of colonel.
Colonel Young is now 55 years old, and for 38 years he has been in active military and civil life; and has always been re- cognized as one of the leading exponents of republicanism, loyalty to law and good government in this end of the state, and from his personal appearance one would think that there are many years of usefulness yet before him. He has many loyal friends and enthusiastic admirers in southern Illinois, who are ready and willing to stand by him in any of his landa- ble undertakings.
In the limited sphere of his operations we kuow of no man to whom the country and the republican party are so much indebted for real substantial achievements and lasting results as they are to Colonel George W. Young.
WALTER SAMSON.
Frederick W. Samson, the father, was born in Prussia, Germany, Feb. 19, 1838, and emigrated to St. Louis; was a vol- unteer in Fifth Missouri Infantry, coming to Massac county, and settling in Washington precinct. Miss Mary Rahen, the mother, was born in Prussia, Germany, came to St. Louis be- fore the war,, lost a brother at Pittsburg Landing, and was married to Mr. Samson at the close of the war and with him came to this county.
Walter, the oldest of two sons, was born in Washington precinct, Sept. 25, 1863; educated in the rural schools, worked on the farm, bought an elegant farm of 200 acres in Brook- lyn precinct, moving thereon December, 1885. He has a nice home with every convenience.
September 25, 1887, he married Miss Lucy, daughter of Joseph C. Douglas. She was born Feb. 18, 1867, in Massac county. They have four children, two girls, Ora L., born June 29, 1888, and Anna G., born Nov. 23, 1889; two boys, Freder- ick W., born Nov. 20, 1893, and C. Earl, born June 15, 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Samson are both influential members of the
MR. AND MRS. WALTER SAMSON.
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MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM BONIFIELD.
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MASSAC COUNTY.
Waldo Baptist church and he is a member of Pellonia lodge No. 621, I. O. O. F.
WILLIAM H. BONIFIELD.
The great-great grandfather of our sketch emigrated from Scotland in the beginning of the sixteenth century to Cul- pepper county, Virginia, and had four sons, Samuel, Arnold, William and Henry. Arnold is the paternal and William the maternal grandfather. The former died in Culpepper county about 1846 while the latter emigrated to Ohio in the latter part of the seventeenth century and settled near the site of Zanes- ville, and died 1852. He was major to Colonel Lewis Cass. Both grandfathers and their brother served in the Revolution- ary war.
William H. Bonifield was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, Sept. 2, 1834, and with his parents came to Massac county in 1849, where he has since resided. Before the war he farmed and taught school. August, 1862, he enlisted in the 131st Illinois Volunteer Infantry at Fort Massac, engaged in all the Vicksburg campaign, when it was consolidated with the twenty-ninth Illinois Volunteers at Vicksburg and he was a member of company K until discharged in 1865.
While sitting on the upper deck and leaning against the pilot house of the transport Iowa, opposite Greenville, Miss., a regiment of rebels fired a volley into the pilot house from behind the levee as the boat passed within fifty yards of them. Thirty-six bullet holes were made in his clothing, one bullet grazed his head and knocked him senseless, and another glanced from a gun, which changed its course enough to miss him. At Vicksburg the concussion of a bursting shell de- stroyed an ear drum and partially paralyzed his left side, from which he has never recovered.
In 1857 he married Miss Sarah N. Baley, to whom were born Martha J., David B. and Henry A., all married; Martha J. is dead, David lives in Mississippi county, Mo., Henry A. lives in Indian Territory. His first wife died 1878 and in 1881 he married Victory Golightly, nee Thomison, and to them have
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been born two children, Eva and Clay. They live on their ele- gant farm three and one-half miles from Brooklyn, Ill. All are members of the Christian church and since the second election of Lincoln, 'Squire Bonifield has voted the straight republican ticket. He is broad and liberal minded.
CHARLES W. TEITLOFF. (DECEASED).
Charles W. Teitloff was born in Germany, 1842, and was brought to New York City at the age of 12 years by his par- ents in 1854, where they remained one year; came to Pope county, Illinois, and entered land. Here both parents died.
Mr. Teitloff enlisted in company B, Fifteenth Illinois Cavalry Volunteers, in 1861, fought in many severe battles and was honorably discharged Aug. 25, 1864. He returned to Pope county and began farming. On March 26, 1865, he was married to Clementine Hopson, daughter of John R. Hop- son, a pioneer of Massac county. He entered land in 1838 on which he died, 1851. He tanght in winter and farmed in sum- mer. Clementine, his daughter, was born in Massac county and joined the Methodist Episcopal church at 16 years of age.
Mr. Teitloff and wife lived two years in Pope county with her memberhsip in the Cave Spring M. E. church. They moved to Miland, Tenn., and engaged in the butcher business, and after three years removed to Pope county, where they re- mained two years and came to Massac county, purchasing a farm in 1872 in Brooklyn precinct, on which he died in 1899, re- spected by all. In 1888 he was elected by the republicans as county commissioner, which office he filled with credit. Both were members of the Powers M. E. church and he was a member of Tom Smith post.
CAPT. WILLIAM H. TINDALL.
The paternal grandfather of Mr. Tindall was a soldier in the war of 1812, went to Indiana and settled in Harrison coun- ty. His son, Samuel Harrison, was born in that county in 1814 or 1815. Phoebe Madden, wife of Samuel Harrison, was
MR. AND MRS. C. W. TEITLOFF.
MT. STERLING CHURCH. (See page 329).
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born 1818, in the same county, of Virginia ancestry. They were married in the spring of 1839.
William Henry Tindall, their son and oldest child, was born May 31, 1840, in Harrison county, Indiana, and when seven years of age, was brought by his parents to Massac county, Ill., on a flat boat, landing at Brooklyn, Ill., before there was any town there. They settled in what is now Brook- lyn precinct for two years, when land was secured in what is now Washington precinct, by land warrant and here the fam- ily lived for years.
Mrs. Samuel Tindall died Dec. 20, 1865, and Mr. Tindall passed away in the spring of 1871, in Pope county. Young William attended subscription schools a little and says he re- ceived most of his early education of Rev. Samuel Atwell, at night by the fire light. He lived on the old homestead until Jan. 11, 1877, when he sold it and purchased the farm on which he now lives and which he has highly improved. February 2. 1860, he married Miss Elizabeth Berry, a native of Rhone coun- ty, Tennessee, born May 10, 1841. They have but one child, Nannie, wife of S. O. Brockett, and they live at home with the parents. She was born Feb. 15, 1869, and has a little son, William M.
In 1862 the captain enlisted in Company C, 131st Illinois Infantry, and was made sergeant. After the seige of Vicks- burg the 29th and 131st regiments were consolidated, Mr. Tin- dall being attached to Company K, 29th. He saw hard service and passed through every position from private to captain, and was mustered out in November, 1865.
Returning home he retired to the farm, managing the same with skill. November 3, 1874, he was elected sheriff for a term of two years, and his record so commended him that he was again elected in November, 1886, and always guarded the interests of the county. Unfortunately, while operating a binder in the harvest field, June 22, 1899, he was caught in the machine and lost his right limb from just below the knee. He patiently bore his severe trial and recovered. He is kind- hearted, honorable and respected. Politically, he is a republican.
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