USA > Illinois > Christian County > Past and present of Christian County, Illinois > Part 30
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William E. Sands, whose home is on sec- tion 21, Mount Auburn township, belongs to that class of men whom the world terms self-made, for commencing life empty-hand- ed he has conquered the obstacles in the path of success and has not only secured for him- self a good home and competence but by his efforts has materially advanced the interests of the community in which he lives.
Mr. Sands was born in Clermont county, Ohio, September 27. 1838, a son of Reuben and Elizabeth (Irwin) Sands, who were also born in the cast. The father died be- fore the birth of our subject and the mother subsequently removed to Kentucky, where she passed away in 1849. Thus Mr. Sands was left an orphan at the age of eleven years and having no relatives to care for him he went to live with strangers for whom he worked as a farm hand. He had. accompa- nied his mother on her removal to Kentucky but at the age of fifteen he returned to Ohio and located in Bethel, where he worked at grinding bark in the tanyard belonging to the father of General Grant, receiving three dollars per month for his services.
After three years spent in this way Mr. Sands came to Illinois with the hope of col- lecting money which his mother had left with people living in Schuyler county but he never received a cent of what was due him. He then located in Cass county, this state, where he worked on a farm during the summer and attended school for about two months during the winter, working in the early morning and at night for his board. He remained there until 1862 and for one year engaged in farming on his own account upon rented land. Coming to Christian county, he rented land of James C. Conklin through- out the greater part of the time until 1881,
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operating a farm on section 12. Mount Au- burn township, where the village of Mount Auburn is now located. He took up his residence upon his present farm in 1881, having the year previous purchased one hun- dred and twenty acres on sections 21 and 22, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings, which stand as monu- ments to his thrift and enterprise. He has a nice home, where surrounded by all the com- forts which make life worth the living, he is now living retired, having laid aside the active duties of the farm about thirteen years ago.
Mr. Sands was married in 1861 to Miss Jane Dunn, a daughter of Thomas Dunn, who was one of the early settlers of Mount Auburn township, having located there in 1856. She is one of a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, the others being Mary, Joseph and Anna, who all died in England ; John, a resident of Mount Att- burn township, this county ; and Richard, a resident of Mosquito township. Mrs. Sands was born in Cornwall, England, February 4. 1836, and was twenty years of age when she came with the family to Illinois. She was visiting a cousin, Luke Dunn, in Cass coun- ty, when she became acquainted with Mr. . Sands. They have three children : Edwin, who is married and follows farming in Ricks township, this county ; Charles, who is mar- ried and is a member of the firm of Sands, Miller & Company, of Stonington ; and Cora Belle, the wife of J. W. Coleman, who now rents and operates our subject's farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Sands are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are most estimable people. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and is iden- tified with the Republican party, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. In 1858
he drove across the country to Rushville in order to hear Lincoln speak. A black flag floated over the courthouse in which he made his speech, it being called the emblem of the Republican party by the Democrats at that time. For twenty-one years Mr. Sands filled the office of school director and has ever taken an active interest in those measures calculated to advance the public welfare. He is a man respected and honored wher- ever known and most of all where he is best known.
FRANKLIN P. SAILSBERY.
Franklin P. Sailsbery, whose well improved farm on section 3. Stonington township, is . the indication of the life of thrift and enter- prise which he has led, was born April 30. 1852, in Ohio. His parents were Elias and Sally Ann (Clemons) Sailsbery. both na- tives of Ohio, and the latter a daughter of Chesterfield and Fannie Clemons, who were born in New York. In 1867 the parents of our subject came to Illinois, locating in Christian county, where Mr. Sailsbery, Sr., purchased eighty acres of land. Later he bought twenty acres of timber land and also one hundred and sixty acres in Kansas. In his business affairs he prospered, enjoying the success which comes as a reward of en- ergy, diligence and determination. Unto him and his wife were born ten children, of whom our subject is the sixth in order of birth. The mother is still living at the ad- vanced age of eighty-one years and yet en- joys good health. She makes her home with her son Franklin.
In the district schools of Indiana and Illi- nois Franklin P. Sailsbery acquired his edu- cation and under the parental roof he spent the days of his early boyhood. He started out to earn his own living, however, when a
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young man of nineteen years, working by the month as a farm hand. He was thus employed for three years, at the end of which time he purchased eighty acres of land, where he now resides. As his financial resources have increased he has added to his property from time to time until he now owns four hundred acres of very valuable farming land, all of which is well improved. At one time he engaged in operating the land upon which the town of Stonington now stands, farm- ing that property for four years. He had but forty-five dollars when he was first mar- ried and with this meager capital he started out in life gradually working his way up- ward until he is now one of the prosperous and enterprising agriculturists of his coun- ty. He has just completed a fine large barn upon the home place and the other improve- ments there are in keeping with this struc- ture. When his farm came into his pos- session the land was all raw and unimproved, but with characteristic energy he began its development and as the years passed he has made his farm one of the best in all this section of the state.
On the 28th of January, 1875. Mr. Sails- bery was united in marriage to Miss Eliz- abeth Deckert and unto them were born twelve children: Willie C., who married Miss Sarah Ellen Durbin and is now en- gaged in farming in Burkhart township, Christian county ; Oscar, deceased ; Franklin E., who is married and resides near Green- ville, Illinois; George V., who died at the age of two years; Evert M., who is living at home: Pearl E., the wife of Chester L. Diveley, who is engaged in the confectionery business in Chicago, Illinois; Bemine D .. Stella R .. Milas P., Roy and Ray, twins, and Rogers E., all living at home. The mother passed away on December 12, 1893, and on May 10, 1804, Mr. Sailsbery was again
married, his second union being with Miss Harriet Beihl, who was born May 3, 1863. a daughter of John and Margaret ( Powels) Beihl, both of whom were natives of Ger- many, whence they came to the United States in 1842. They first located in St. Louis, but after six months removed to Beardstown, Illinois, where Mr. Beihl pur- chased eighty acres of land and engaged in farming. He died July 30, 1876, while his wife, long surviving him, passed away September 22, 1902. By the second marriage of Mr. Sailsbery there are two children : Hazel M., born October 4, 1896; and Fern Viola, born September 4, 1900.
Mr. Sailsbery and his family are members of the Reformed church in Stonington and he belongs to the Modern Woodmen Camp. His is a most creditable life record and he receives the respect of his fellow men be- cause of what he has accomplished. In all his business dealings he has been strictly hon- orable, never taking advantage of the neces- sities of his fellow men in any trade trans- action. Moreover, he has been extremely diligent, laboring earnestly year after year with unremitting zeal in order to win suc- cess. He started out with no family or pecuniary advantages to aid him and placed his dependence upon earnest, persistent ef- fort, which is the real foundation of all .pros- perity. In this way he has gradually ad- vanced until he now occupies a very credit- able and honorable position among the most substantial farmers of his county.
Z. F. BATES.
With the farming and stock-raising inter- ests of Locust township this gentleman has been identified for over a third of a cen- tury and is to-day numbered among the leading agriculturists of the community. His
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home is on section 30. A native of Illinois. he was born in Sangamon county. on the 12th of January, 1836, and is a son of Oli- ver and Charity (Buckman) Bates, who were natives of Massachusetts and Vermont. respectively. In 1833 they came to Illinois and continued to make their home in this state until called to their final rest, the father dying in April, 1865, and the mother in March. 1873.
The district schools of this state afforded our subject the educational privileges he enjoyed during his boyhood and youth. After leaving school he worked on his fath- er's farm and took care of the stock during the winter until thirty-three years of age. Ile then located on his present farm in Lo- cust township, where he first purchased three hundred acres of land in 1866. Since then he has extended the boundaries of his farm and now has three hundred and forty-two acres. The well tilled fields yield abundantly and the neat and thrifty appearance of the place indicates the supervision of a careful and painstaking owner.
Mr. Bates was married in 1868, the lady of his choice being Mrs. Joanna S. Ellis, a daughter of J. H. and Catherine Murry, of Ohio, and to them have been born the following named children : Roxanna C., now the wife of Lyman G. Gundy, of Taylorville: Mary M .: Josephine, the wife of Brace D. Shrantz, now living in Calcutta, Indiana; Z. F., Jr. ; Oliver C .: Edward H. ; Harriet H., who is attending high school in Taylorville: Charles C., who died at the age of twenty years ; and Elizabeth A., who (lied at the age of one year. Mrs. Bates is an earnest member of the Methodist Epis- copal church and Mr. Bates holds member- ship in the Masonic lodge, No. 623. of Owaneco. The Democratic party finds in him a stanch supporter of its principles and
he has held many public positions of honor and trust, having filled most of the township offices. For seven or eight years he served as supervisor and his official duties were al- ways performed in an able and satisfactory manner.
DANIEL DOYLE.
Daniel Doyle is a retired farmer of Tay- lorville and one of the extensive landowners of Christian county, his property possessions aggregating nine hundred acres. His has been an active and useful career and one that should serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, for it proves what can be accomplished by one who starts out in life empty handed if possessed of earn- est purpose and unfaltering determination.
Mr. Doyle is a native of the Emerald Isle, his birth having occurred there in June, 1831. His parents were Patrick and Margaret Doyle, and the former died in Ireland in 1844. The mother afterward came to this country with her son Daniel, who settled in Sangamon county, Illinois, the year of their emigration being 1851. He had ob- tained his education in the schools of his native country and he started out upon his business career by working by the month. He was thus employed for a number of years and when he felt that he could profit- ably engage in farming on his own account he rented land in Sangamon county, where he lived for eighteen years. He then came to Christian county in September, 1868, and purchased one hundred and forty acres of land in Stonington township. As his finan- cial resources increased he added to his property from time to time until his landed possessions now aggregate nine hundred acres, which are very rich and valuable. For many years he continued farming and
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his methods were progressive, prac- tive stage. He has taken an active part in tical and therefore were crowned with public advancement along agricultural lines and while winning a splendid success for himself his efforts have been also of value in promoting the general welfare. Strictly honorable in all his dealings he has won his prosperity by methods that will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny. good results. In 1896, however, he decided to put aside further business cares and spend his remaining days in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. He had devoted his attention to the raising of grain and to feeding stock and in both departments of his business he gained success. On leaving the farm he took up his abode in Taylorville, where he now re- JAMES H. DOWNS. sides-one of the respected and esteemed citizens of the county and state.
In 1858 Mr. Doyle was united in marriage to Miss Mary Kerwin, who was born in Ireland in 1836, and at the time of her mar- riage was a resident of Waverly, Illinois. This union has been blessed with eight chil- dren : Patrick, now deceased: James, who is married and lives in Springfield, Illinois ; . Margaret and Johanna, who have also passed away ; Lawrence, who resides in Stonington, Illinois : Jerry J., who is married and lives at home: Daniel D., who is married and is located in Stonington : and Mollie, the wife of Tony May, a resident of Morrisonville.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Doyle hold member- ship in the Catholic church. In politics he is an earnest Democrat and has been hon- ored with several public positions by his fellow townsmen, who recognize his worth and ability. For nine years he served as road commissioner, was for nine years a school director and is now serving as alder- man in Taylorville from the third ward. He was well acquainted with both Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas while a resident of Sangamon county. Mr. Doyle is numbered among the early settlers of Illi- nois. When he first went to St. Louis, Mis- souri, there was no railroad there and the work of progress and improvement in this portion of the country was still in its primi-
No history of Christian county or this portion of the state would be complete with- out mention of James H. Downs, for many years a leading agriculturist and now living a retired life. He was identified with the state in pioneer times, shared in the hard- ships and privations incident to the estab- lishment of a home upon the frontier, and to-day, having gained prosperity through well directed and honorable effort, he is enjoying the well carned rest from further labor and owns and occupies the most beau- tiful home in Assumption-a residence which would be a credit to any city.
Mr. Downs was born in Delaware county, Ohio, on the 4th of May, 1837. His father Electious Downs, was born in Virginia, Oc- tober 13, 1803, and soon afterward the fam- ily removed to Maryland and later to Ohio. The grandfather died at the home of his son Electious in Ridge township, Shelby coun- ty. Illinois. The latter resided successively in the different states mentioned and became one of the pioneer settlers of Shelby county. He married Miss Mary Ann Stiffler, who was born in Washington county, Maryland, Oc- tober 26, 1800. Her mother, who bore the same name, lived to the very advanced age of one hundred and four years. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Downs resided for a time in Hagerstown, Maryland, and then removed to Delaware county, Ohio, where
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they resided until 1845, when they settled in Ridge township. Shelby county, Illinois. For many years the father carried on farm- ing there and assisted in the pioneer de- velopment of the locality. He died August 18. 1873, and his wife passed away July 29. 1881.
Our subject was the seventh in order of birth in their family of eight children and was eight years of age at the time of the removal of the family to Illinois. He was educated in a subscription school, held in a little log building, attending for about three months in the cold season of the year, while throughout the remainder of the year he worked on the home farm. The country was all wild and his father entered his first land. a quarter section, at a dollar and a quar- ter per acre. He had to go fifty miles to Springfield to mill and drove his hogs to the St. Louis market, it being necessary to take some teams in order to haul feed for the hogs. Often on these trips they had to camp out in the snow at nights. Mr. Downs has used a wooden moklboard plow and reap-hook when working in the fields in an early day. The family raised their own flax, made their own thread, sheared their sheep and carded and spun the wool and wove the cloth from which the dresses of the girls were made. Game of various kinds was plentiful and Mr. Downs has seen as high as twenty-four head of deer at a single time. He has killed two wild geese with a single shot and has also brought down prairie chickens in the same way. There were also many wolves on the prairies. The home farm which his father secured is still in possession of our subject, also the land which was entered by his wife's father in 1840. Besides these tracts he owns an in- terest in two coal shafts in Christian county, twenty lots in the city of Decatur, and prop-
erty in Ridge and Flat Branch townships. Shelby county, together with one thousand acres on the Mississippi river, his holdings aggregating twelve hundred and thirty acres in Shelby and Christian counties, exclusive of his property interests in the south.
Mr. Downs was united in marriage to Miss Jane Oller, a daughter of William and Eliza (Johnson) Oller. The father was born in Virginia, May 5. 1818, and the mother in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. September 22. 1821. In 1840 he settled in Shelby coun- ty. Illinois, where he entered a quarter sec- tion of land at a dollar and a quarter per , acre, adjoining the tract on which the Downs family settled. He, too, underwent all the experiences of life in a frontier district. He plowed his land for his first crop of corn with but a single ox, but the fields yielded fruitfully as he harvested from sixty to sev- enty bushels to the acre. He died July 31, 1874, and his wife passed away in Shelby- ville, Illinois, April 6. 1899. In the family were eight children, six of whom reached adult life. while five are still living. Henry. the eldest, died May 18, 1903. Eunice died in early girlhood. Mrs. Downs is the next younger. Margaret is the wife of John N. Warner, of Illinois. Olive F. is living in Fort Worth, Texas. Mrs. Downs pursued . her education in a log schoolhouse, seated with slab benches, and she, too, became fa- miliar with pioneer conditions and experi- ences such as came to the Downs family.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Downs were born four children : Jennie, now the wife of Dr. A. P Rocky, of Assumption, by whom she has one daughter, Stella, born on the 18th of May, 1886; William E., who died in infancy ; Dora .A., the wife of John J. Smith, of Ridge township. Shelby county, and the mother of three children-Ruth. Daniel, named for his grandfather, and John J., for his father ; and
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Ora B., now the wife of W. S. Ridgely, of Taylorville.
While residing in Shelby county Mr. Downs served for six years as township trustee and was always actively interested in measures for the public good although his attention was chiefly directed to his farming pursuits. He always had his pastures filled with a good grade of stock, and he developed one of the finest farms of his part of the state. He built thereon a splendid brick residence at a cost of five thousand dollars- one of the most magnificent country homes in Shelby county. At length, however, wish- ing to spend his remaining days in retire- ment from labor, he removed to Assumption, where he built a modern home. It might well be termed a palatial residence. The house, which is surrounded by a large veran- da, is the finest in Assumption. It is finished throughout in hard wood, is lighted by elec- tricity and has all the modern improvements of the most advanced home of the city. The plans were drawn by his daughter and sub- mitted ,to an architect and builder of De- catur. The interior decorations are most tasteful, including everything that wealth can secure and refined taste suggest, and the walls of the house are adorned with many beautiful paintings which are the work of his daughter. Concrete walks are around the house and the lawn is splendidly kept and adorned with beautiful flowers and trees. Such a home does Mr. Downs and his estimable wife well deserve, for he has led a very active life, characterized by integrity and straightforward dealing, and she, too, has borne her part in managing the house- hold affairs.
EDWIN RUBY.
Edwin Ruby is a resident farmer of Tay- lorville township, his home being on section
16. He was born in this township in 1855, a son of John Ruby, who came to Christian county in the spring of 1851. He removed to Ohio from Pennsylvania eleven years prior to that time and located near Spring- field, that state, whence he came to the farm on which his son Edwin nof resides in Chris- tian county, Illinois. His wife bore the maiden name of Leah Klindfelder and she, too, was a native of Pennsylvania. In his farming operations Mr. Ruby was very suc- cessful and was the owner of the farm of two hundred and twenty-two acres of rich land upon which Edwin Ruby now resides. He used frequently to tell tales of how wild the country was when he first entered it, also of its swampy condition. for the work of cultivation and improvement had scarcely been begun. There were many wild deer to be seen on the prairies and wild game of various kind was to be had in abundance. It was the work of such enterprising and dili- gent early settlers as Mr. Ruby that led to the present prosperous and improved con- dition of the county as we find it to-day. In the family three sons who served in the Union Army gave their lives for the Union cause. Henry was killed at the battle of Chickamauga : Washington, after being in- carcerated in Andersonville prison for eighteen months, was paroled and started home, but ere reaching his destination he became ill and died and his family have yet been unable to discover where he was buried ; Levi while serving in the Union cause, be- came ill and died at Franklin, Tennessee. There are also four living sons of this fam- ily : Edwin, J. W., Albert and Zachariah.
In taking up the personal history of Ed- win Ruby we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Christian county for he has always lived within its borders. He was reared to
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farm work, no event of special importance occurring to vary the routine of that life for him in his boyhood days. In December, 1878. he was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Hill. a native of Bloomfield, Davis county, lowa. Her parents were at one time residents of Gallia county, Ohio, living near Rodney, whence they emigrated west- ward about 1843 and cast in their lot with the early settlers of Iowa. In 1874 they re- moved from that state to Kansas. The father was a farmer and brick maker and by fol- lowing these pursuits provided for his fam - ily. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ruby have been born four children who are yet living, while two have passed away. Those who still sur- vive are Orvil, who has spent three years as a student in the high school of Taylor- ville : Effie, at home; and Elmer and Ela- nora, who are in school.
The parents hold membership in the Meth- odist Episcopal church, contribute liberally to its support and take an active and help- ful interest in its work. Theirs is a most congenial marriage relation and their home is largely an ideal one. The interest of both Mr. and Mrs. Ruby centers there and it seems that neither can do too much to en- hance the personal welfare and happiness of the other. Politicaly Mr. Ruby is a Demo- crat and keeping well informed on the ques- tions and issues of the day is thus enabled to support his position by intelligent argu- ment. He has served as a school director since 1897 and the cause of education finds in him a warm friend. He belongs to the AAnti-Horse Thief Association, to the Fra- ternal Army, to the Court of Honor and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a man of strong purpose, fearless in advocacy of his honest convictions, active and straight -. forward in business and loyal in citizenship.
W. T. BRIDGES, M. D.
In the ranks of the professional men in Christian county stands W. T. Bridges, who occupies a foremost place as a representa- tive of the medical fraternity. He has al- ways kept abreast with the times. having a zealous and active interest in his profession and as the years have advanced he has con- stantly increased his efficiency through read- ing, investigation and experience. He was born March 21, 1860, in Fayette county, Il- linois, a son of James and Sarah Jane (Stur- geon) Bridges. The father was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and in 1850 came to Illinois. He was a farmer by occupation and for many years engaged in agricultural pursuits, but is now living retired in Ram- sey, Illinois.
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