USA > Kansas > A biographical history of central Kansas, Vol. I > Part 33
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At the age of twenty-one Mr. Ebbert took to himself a wife, who has been a true helpmate through all these years and who is still spared to enjoy with him the success which she assisted him to attain. Her cheer- ful companionship, loving care and wise housewifery did much to encourage and help him in his endeavors. She was Miss Eliza- beth Schuman, who was born in Fulton county, Illinois, where she was reared and educated. She was a daughter of George and Annie ( Baer) Schuman, both of whom were born in Bavaria, Germany, the latter being reared and educated in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Schuman moved to Schuyler county, Illinois, in 1858, and the father died there at the age of seventy years. Mrs. Schuman is still a resident of that place. Their children were as follows : Leonard, John, George, Michael. Henry. Samuel. Noah and Elizabeth. The latter is now Mrs. Ebbert. A family of nine children 'was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ebbert, these be- ing: George, who assists his father : Anna, who is a student in McPherson College : Amanda, who lives at home, and her twin sister, Mary, is a student at the above named college : Ella, who is at home, as are also the younger members .- Inez, Samuel S .. Jessie May and Goldie A.
In politics Mr. Ebbert has been more or less active, being an ardent Republican, and exerts considerable influence in the county. Of the German Baptist church Mrs. Ebbert is a member and in that faith her children have been reared. Few citizens have taken
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a deeper or more sincere interest in educa- tional matters in this township than Mr. Eb- bert, and he has been a patron of progressive ideas which have been of value to the cause of education. Mr. Ebbert is a well read, in- telligent man, who by no means devotes all of his time to his large farm and stock busi- ness, great as they are, but is an important factor in almost every enterprise which promises to be of benefit to his county and state. In fact Mr. Ebbert has faith in the great future awaiting Kansas, and Kansas has every reason to feel just as much faith in this, her representative adopted son.
JOHN H. BROMLEY.
John H. Bromley is one of the pioneer merchants of Kingman county now success- fully carrying on business in Waterloo. He hecame a resident of Galesburg township in 1877. but for almost twenty years has been identified with the business interests of the city, and his industry, enterprise and hon- urable dealing have secured to him a liberal patronage. Widely and favorably known, the history of his life cannot fail to prove of interest to many of our readers.
Mr. Bromley was born in Tennessee, representing an old and respected family of that state, living just across the division line from Lafayette, Kentucky. His natal day Was November 3, 1837. His father, John Bromley, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, while the grandfather .of our subject, John Bromley, Sr., was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war and aided in laying the corner stone of the capitol of Tennessee. His son, the father of our subject, was exten- sively engaged in dealing in stock, handling cattle, horses and mules. He also carried on farming and was a man of extensive business ability. He married Rebecca Mul- lin, who was born in Tennessee, but her father was of Irish lineage and her mother was of Scotch descent Mr. and Mrs. Brom- ley had a family of eight children, namely : Jefferson ; Tennie C. : Jessie : John H. : Jack- son ; Jason : Thomas ; and Laura E. Of this
number, Jason served in the Confederate army for two weeks, but the service was compulsory, and managing to make his es- cape at the end of that time he journeyed to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where he enlisted in the Union army, serving for three years as a gallant soldier in defense of the stars and stripes. He is now a resident of Mont- gomery, Tennessee. The father of our sub- ject gave his political support to the Democ- racy, but was a strong Union man who op- posed the secessionist attitude of the south. Both he and his wife died when seventy-four years of age. They were people of the high- est respectability and were valued residents of the community in which they made their home.
John H. Bromley, whose name intro- duces this record, was reared in Tennessee, and early became inured to the work of the farm. His education was acquired in the schools there and has been largely supple- mented by reading, experience and observa- tion. Leaving the farm, he learned the trade of an engineer, spending three years at Nashville, after which he was employed in that capacity on the river. He later gave his attention to blacksmithing for a number of years, and his work along that line brought to him a fair degree of prosperity. In public affairs he also took an active inter- est and while living in Henderson county, Kentucky, he served as deputy sheriff, mak- ing a competent and trustworthy officer.
After his removal to Illinois Mr. Bront- ley was married at Shawneetown, that state, on the 7th of October, 1873, to Miss Sarah Warren, who was born in Christian county, Kentucky, and spent her maidenhood days in that state. Her parents were Booker and Martha ( Ladd) Warren, and both died in Tennessee.
In 1877 Mr. Bromley and his wife came to Kingman county, settling in Galesburg township, where for five years he carried on general farming and blacksmithing, but for the past nineteen years he has been an en- terprising merchant of Waterloo. He car- ries a large and complete line of general mer- chandise and his earnest desire to please his patrons, his honorable dealing, and his un-
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flagging enterprise, have secured to him a large trade, which is constantly increasing and which brings to him a merited financial reward for his labor. He has ever been a citizen of worth, public-spirited and progres- sive. When in Tennessee, he was connected with military affairs as captain of the Home Guards, and became quite familiar with the art of arms and General Hardee's manual of drilling. He has a soldierly bearing, in manner is frank and genial, and his cour- teous address and generous hospitality be- speak a true southern gentleman. Waterloo numbers him among its popular citizens, and he well deserves representation in this vol- ume.
SAMUEL SPICKARD.
Samuel Spickard, one of the wealthy and honored residents of Hutchinson, was born in Harrison county. Kentucky, on the 12th of June, 1864, a son of John and Mary J. (McClure) Spickard, the latter of Scotch descent. The father, who followed farming as a life occupation, was accidentally killed soon after the close of the Civil war.
When the subject of this review was but a lad of ten years he was bound out to a hard master, with whom he remained for three years, and soon afterward he went to Lawrence county, Indiana, where for the following four years he was engaged at farm labor during the summer months and in the winter seasons he attended the district schools. In 1884 he came with friends to Reno county, Kansas, locating at Hutchin- son, but a short time afterward he went into the country and for six months was engaged in the tilling of the soil. In the following fall he removed to Edwards county, where he secured employment on a ranch until the spring of 1885, when he purchased a claim of one hundred and sixty acres, but after residing on his land for six months he re- linquished it and for a time thereafter was engaged in the livery business at Garfield. Pawnee county. For two years, from the spring of 18877, he rented a farm of one hun- dred acres in that county, on the expiration
of which period he went to Montgomery county and for the following year was em- ployed on a ranch. Returning thence to Reno county, for the succeeding two years he followed agricultural pursuits in Clay township. Mr. Spickard then formed a part- nership with R. H. Holton, a progressive and enterprising young farmer and stock- raiser and a sketch of whose life will be found on another page of this volume, and together they purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, the southeast quarter of section 8. Valley township. This rela- tionship continued through a period of about eight years, during which time they were engaged in both farming and the stock busi- ness. In the latter line they soon built up a large trade, which rapidly increased to such enormous proportions that they began in- vesting the proceeds in farming lands, and the rapidity with which they made money and added to their landed possessions was a marvel to their friends and acquaintances. For a number of years they did the largest business in buying and shipping cattle of any firm in Reno county, their shipment in one season often running as high as four thou- sand head, while they usually wintered about one thousand head, and thus they fed about five thousand bushels of grain annually. They usually cultivated from eight to nine hundred acres and also rented about five thousand acres of pasture land. During this time they made many improvements on their place, including the erection of an excellent barn, sixty by forty-eight feet, large cribs and other outbuildings, and they also added to their landed possessions until they were the owners of about ten hundred and forty acres of fine farming land, located in Clay and Valley townships, besides several hun- dred acres of grazing land in Sumner town- ship. In 1901, however, Mr. Spickard sold his interest to his partner, who carries on business under the name of R. H. Holton. Since disposing of his interests our subject has made his home in Hutchinson, where he is engaged in buying and shipping stock.
On the 24th of November, 1886, occurred his marriage to Maggie B. Reger, who was born in Hancock county, Illinois, a daugh-
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ter of P. C. and Susan ( Booth ) Reger. When fourteen years of age she left the place of her nativity and accompanied her parents on their removal to Bates county, Missouri, and from there the family went to Pawnee coun- ty. Kansas, where her marriage occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Spickard now occupy a beau- tiful residence at No. 724 East Sherman street. Hutchinson, where hospitality reigns supreme. In matters of political importance our subject supports the Democracy, but at local elections he casts his ballot in favor of the men whom he regards as best qualified to fill positions of honor and trust. He is one of the successful and self-made men of central Kansas, but the height which he has reached in the business world is due to his own individual efforts. In studying the lives of both Mr. Spickard and his former partner it is interesting to note the many points of similarity in their lives. Both practically of the same age, thrown upon their own re- sources at an early age, each following the same line of work and residing in many lo- calities, shifting from state to state until both eventually located in Reno county, and by a happy chance these kindred spirits be- came united in a partnership that made them the most famous stock men in this section of the state and secured for each a handsome competence.
JOHN GILMORE MALCOLM, M. D.
Prominent among the original thinkers and progressive and scholarly professional men of Kansas was Dr. John Gilmore Mal- colm, who won much more than a local rep- utation. He was born in Aberdeen, Scot- land, in 1830. His father, Francis Mal- colm, was also born in Scotland, where he resided until early in the year 1832, when he came with his family to Ontario, Cana- da, locating in Oxford county. He was a man of education and progressive ideas, and was instrumental in a large degree in the establishment of schools in his neighbor- hood, and contributed liberally to the Bap- tist church, of which he was a member.
He was married to a Scotch maiden, Janet Mitchell, and four sons were born to them, our subject's eldest brother being the only survivor. The death of the father was in 1866, but the mother survived until 1878, and possessed almost the vigor of youth, although she had reached her ninety-third year. During her last years she enjoyed the walk of nine miles through the woods to the market at Woodstock.
The educational advantages of our sub- ject were those obtainable in the country schools and the Normal school of Toronto. Undecided for a time what vocation in life to adopt, he at length decided to be a farmer, and it was only the un- warranted advance in the price of desirable land that prevented him from becoming a tiller of the soil instead' of the leader of many lines of modern research, both in and out of his profession. His first instruction in the science of medicine was under a phy- sician in Woodstock, and later in London, Canada. At the latter point he remained one year and then went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and later to the Homeopathic College of New York, at which he graduat- ed in the spring of 1866. Dr. Malcolm first located for practice in Michigan, and continued practice there for the succeeding eighteen years, at the end of which period the failing health of his wife induced him to try the effects of the climate of Kansas. This advantage caused the location of our subject, in the fall of 1884, in Hutchinson, Kansas, and he remained in active and successful practice here until the time of his deatlı.
The marriage of Dr. Malcolm occurred in 1861, to Miss Margaret Mathewson, a daughter of Joseph Mathewson. Her death occurred in October, 1892, her two chil- dren being: Oliver F., who is a broker in New York city : and Margaret, who is the wife of Frank V. Barton, of Hutchinson.
As previously noted, Dr. Malcolm was an original thinker as well as a convincing speaker. While not a follower in full of Henry George, he believed. in the truth of many of his theories. On financial questions
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he held advanced ideas, and one of these hie claimed would do away with the incentive to crime and the accumulation of riches by the few at the expense of the many. He ad- vanced some excellent arguments in support of this theory, and did a great deal of writing along this line. He was but a boy when, in experimenting, he proved the principle which has been later demonstrated of use in wire- less telegraphy. He was a correspondent for a number of medical journals and issued a number of works which met with marked approval by the profession. In 1895 he brought out a work entitled "A Regional and Comparative Materia Medica," which has a classification concerning the use of medicines in use in certain cases, different diseases and medical agents, and in 1898 he issued a supplement, which covers new ma- terial in the same line. Dr. Malcolm's death occurred December 22, 1901, and in this connection the Detroit (Michigan) Times, of December 28th, contained the fol- lowing in its telegraphic news :
" Dr. J. G. Malcolm, a former resident of this city, is dead at his home in Hutchinson, Kansas. He became prominent in Michigan medical circles by diagnosing the location of the bullet which was fired into the body of President Garfield and caused his death. When the post mortem was held Dr. Mal- colm's statement as to the location of the leaden mis- sile of death was found to be correct. He was the author of several medical works."
GEORGE F. HAUSER.
Banking interests are the heart of the commercial body and indicate the healthful- ness of trade. In times of financial depres- sion the bank which continues business along safe yet progressive lines does more to estab- lish public confidence than any other agency, and at all times it is a power in the business world whose influence can scarcely be exag- gerated. One of the reliable financial con- cerns of central Kansas is the Bushiton State Bank, of which George F. Hauser is cashier, and in his official capacity he has become widely known, commanding uniform con- fidence by his straightforward methods. He
has been a resident of Bushton since 1887 and of central Kansas since 1874.
Like many of the leading citizens of this portion of the state Mr. Hauser is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in the village of Langenau, Baden, on the 22d of November, 1858. He is a representative of a good family whose salient characteris- tics are integrity, industry and morality. His father, Fritz Hauser, was born in Baden, July 6, 1822, acquired his education there and after arriving at years of maturity mar- ried Elizabeth Obser, who was born July 8, 1826, and whose childhood was also passed in Baden, the place of her nativity. Their son George was a lad of ten summers when the family came to the United States, settling at Columbus, Platte county, Ne- braska, in the spring of 1869, where they re- mained until 1874, when they came to cen- tral Kansas, locating at Ellinwood, Barton county. The father was a farmer by occit- pation and carried on that pursuit in Barton county until his death, which occurred July 31, 1884, when he was sixty-two years of age. His wife died in Ellinwood, October 6, 1900, when seventy-four years of age. Both were honored and respected for their many good qualities and for their fidelity to the principles of right living. Five children survived the mother : Ernest, of Ellinwood ; William F., a resident of McMinnville, Ore- gon ; George F., of Bushton; Ludwig F., a resident of Nashville, Kansas; and August F., of Bushton. They also lost one daugh- ter, Elizabeth, who died at the age of seven years and is buried at Columbus, Nebraska.
Leaving the fatherland at the age of ten years, George F. Hauser was principally reared in Nebraska and Kansas, pursuing his education in the schools of the two states and gaining practical experience in farm work by assisting his father in the field. At the age of eighteen he began teaching school in Barton county, Kansas, and later he was employed as a clerk in the postoffice at El- linwood. He afterward went to New Mex- ico in the service of the Santa Fe Railroad Company and was also employed by the Adams and Wells-Fargo Express Compan- ies, while later he had charge of the freight
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department of the Santa Fe Railroad at El- linwood. This was followed by a period de- voted to the real-estate business, and in 1887 he came to Bushton, where he was interested in a hardware and implement store. On re- tiring, in 1893, from that line of trade, he managed a private bank in Bushton, and in 1898 took up his abode upon his farm of two hundred and forty acres adjoining that village. The place is known as Cedarlawn Farm and is one of the best places in Farmer township, improved with an attractive resi- dence, large barns and outbuildings and all modern improvements. There is a granary, a windmill, an orchard and a beautiful grove of cedars, from which the place takes its name. Everything is neat anl thrifty in appearance, indicating the careful supervi- sion of an enterprising owner, who in addi- tion to his agricultural interests fills the office before mentioned-that of cashier of the Bushton State Bank. Also, he is specially interested in his orchard and select herd of shorthorn cattle. During the years 1874-6 he herded cattle on the plains in the sum- mer, being in the saddle day after day, rain or shine, and attended school during the winter months.
March 28, 1883, when twenty-five years of age, Mr. Hauser was united in marriage to Miss Bianca Volkland, who was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, June 17, 1858. a daughter of William and Pauline Volkland. She died near Bushton, August 12, 1887, leaving two children: Willie E., born in Ellinwood, February 9, 1885; and Lola Florence, born in the same city February 27, 1886. On the 29th of November, 1888, in Bushton, Mr. Hauser was again married, his second union being with Emma Swartz, who was born in Bettsville, Sandusky coun- ty. Ohio. January 9, 1859, and she is a lady of intelligence who has made his home very pleasant and attractive. She is the second daughter of the Rev. S. and Sarah Swartz, the former and honored pioneer and well known minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was for many years a leading and influential citizen of this community, but is now living in Oklahoma. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hauser have been born two sons :
Ernest S., born June 17, 1897, and Theo R., born July 22, 1901. In his political opin- ions our subject is a Republican, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, in which he is serving as one of the trustees. His name is synonymous with honorable dealing in all business af- fairs : he is uniformly courteous and consid- erate, and wherever known is esteemed for his genuine worth of character. He, how- ever, gratefully acknowledges that whatever success he may have attained in life is largely due to the teachings of Professor J. R. Bick- erdyke, his former preceptor, whom he holds in high regard and gratefully remem- bers as a teacher and a proven friend.
M. FINLEY.
M. Finley is a prominent and represent- ative farmer and stock-raiser of Rice coun- ty, where he located at an early day, and throughout the intervening years he has been known as an enterprising business man of the community. He was born in Ross county, Ohio, November 30, 1846, and was reared to the honest toil of the farm. His parents were Isaac and Mary (Henness) Finley, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Virginia. The paternal grandfather was John Finley, a native of the Green Isle of Erin, in which country he was married, and all of his six children were there born with the exception of the father of our sub- ject: By occupation John Finley was a farmer, and in following that pursuit pro- vided for the support of his wife and chil- dren. The following is the list of his sons and daughters, -- John. Moses, William, Mary, Jane and Isaac.
The last named was reared to manhood in the Buckeye state and learned the car- penter and cooper's trades, which he fol- lowed for many years. In Ohio he married Miss Mary Henness, and there they spent the residue of their days, the father passing away in 1862. He was a Whig in his po- litical affiliations in early life and afterward joined the ranks of the new Republican
M Finley
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party. However, he never aspired to office, preferring that his attention should be given to his business affairs. His wife survived him only a short time, passing away the same year. It was the mother who practi- cally reared the children and instructed them, for the husband was away from home working at his trade in order to provide for their support. She was a devoted and lov- ing wife and mother, whose gentle counsel and kind words had marked influence over the lives of her children. She early im- pressed upon their minds lessons of integ- rity and industry, and they have become an honor to her name. Of the Baptist church she was a consistent and honored member, and her Christian faith permeated her entire life. John Finley, her eldest son, was among the first to enlist at the call of the president for troops to aid in crushing out the rebellion. He received a wound and then returned home on a furlough, but after recuperating his health rejoined his com- mand and continued at the front until after the close of the war. He then once more took up his abode in Ohio, where he after- ward died. William, the second son, en- listed as a member of the Twenty-sixth Regiment of Ohio Volunteers and was killed at the battle of Chickamauga. James also served as a Union soldier, and, becom- ing ill, was brought to his home, where he died not long afterward. The next of the family is he whose name introduces this review, and the younger members are Scott, who also wore the blue in the Civil war; Isaac, who is living in Ohio; Mrs. Mar- garet Guess ; Nancy, who died at the age of eighteen years; Mrs. Martha Wilson, of Ohio: Mary, who died in childhood: and Mrs. Ida Hurst.
Mr. Finley acquired a knowledge of the elementary branches of English learning in the public schools, and by reading and study, as well as practical experience in later life, he has added largely to his knowledge and is now a well informed man. He is the only member of his father's family who left Ohio. His father died when he was quite young and he was then thrown upon his own re-
sources, being strictly a self-made man. Soon after the death of his parents he was employed by the month as a farm hand, and continued to serve in that capacity until his marriage, except during the period when he aided in the defense of the Union. He was only seventeen years of age when. in 1864, he enlisted in the Ohio militia, and after serving there for a short time he joined the United States volunteer service as a mem- ber of Company E, One Hundred and Forty- ninth Ohio Infantry. . This regiment was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, un- der the command of General Thomas, and saw some hard service. The troops were sent on long and difficult marches and were almost daily engaged in skirmishing with the Confederates. Mr. Finley participated in the battle of Frederick. Maryland, where the Union troops were repulsed and made a retreat of forty miles. After his second- en- listment he was engaged in guardng the White House at Washington, and on the expiration of his term of service he received an honorable discharge, in September, 1864.
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