USA > Kansas > Cloud County > Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc > Part 69
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Mr. Smitley was living in Ohio when the war cloud arose over the country and at the age of forty years he enlisted in the Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain James and Colonel Alexander Piatt. Ile entered the service in 1861, and served three years. . He was in the army of the Shenandoah, which confined its principal operations to the states of Virginia and West Virginia. The hardest warfare he ever encountered was on Hunter's raid at Lynchburg. They were without rations and when retreating were on the verge of starvation. Raw potatoes, raw onions and green apples no larger than hazel nuts were staple articles of food for several days. He was in the two battles of Winchester, Charleston (South Carolina ), Fayetteville, Salem, Martinsburg, Chapmanville ( West Virginia, Long Bridge, second battle of Princeton, Cotton Hill, Charlestown ( West Virginia ). Manassas Gap. Wytheville, Cloud Mountain, Cove Mountain, New River. Panther Gap. Piedmont, Buffalo, Lexington, Buckhannon, Otter Creek. Lynchburg, Liberty, Monocacy. Snickers Gap, Snickers Ferry, Kern- town, Summit Point, Halltown, and Berryville. His regiment was known as the Piatt Zouaves. They were mustered in September 2, 1861, at Den- nison, Ohio, by T. W. Walker, captain of the Third Infantry United States Army, and were mustered out in July, 1865. His company was in the enemy's land the entire time and saw continued and active service.
After the war Mr. Smitley returned to Ohio, where he farmed until coming to Kansas. He has never claimed any other home than these two states. He took up a homestead in Arion township, where he now lives with his son, who practically owns the farm.
Mr. Smitley was married in 1873. to Sarah Francis Custer, of Ohio. To them have been born four children, two daughters, Mary and Grace, who were bright and promising young girls, died at the ages of sixteen and seventeen years. AAllen G .. was born in Mercer county. Ohio, in 1878, and came with his parents to Kansas when an infant six months old, and has
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
grown to manhood on the farm where he now lives. He received his edu- cation in Glasco, and began life by making egg cases at one and one-half cents each, when about nine years of age. He then worked on a farm by the month and secured a team: from this he has grown to be a successful man and one of the most useful citizens of Arion township. June 24, 1901, he married Miss Mary Owen, a most estimable young lady and an excellent housewife. She is a daughter of Nefi and Elzira Owen, who came to Kan- sas from Indiana, and settled on a farm in Mitchell county, where Mrs. Smitley was born. Her mother died in 1882. Iler father and sister, Opal D., aged fifteen, are residents of Topeka.
GEORGE SHAFER.
The subject of this sketch, the late venerable George Shafer, one of the old pioneers of Cloud county, came to Kansas in the autumn of 1867. and was in the Solomon valley during the turbulent Indian raids. He was born in the "Keystone" state in 1818, and has always been a tiller of the soil. He was of German origin. His parents were John and Susan ( Kellar) Shafer. When one year old his father moved from his native town, Hamil- ton, Pennsylvania, to New York, and settled in Allegany county. In 1850, Mr. Shafer emigrated to Illinois, and later in the same year entered land in the state of Iowa, when that country was very sparsely settled.
Seventeen years subsequently he came to Kansas and homesteaded the land upon which he resided at the time of his demise. With his wife and nine children he lived in a dugout until the Indian raid on the 14th day of August. He had lumber on the ground for the purpose of erecting a dwell- ing. As the militia, that had been formed to protect the settlers, rode up the building burst into flames. They could get no water as the Indians had cut the well rope, and their dugout and its contents, including the lumber on the ground were destroyed. A large can of kerosene was supposed to have been poured over things which aided them in burning more rapidly. The family of E. J. Fowler was with the Shafers' when they discovered the band of marauders roaming around, and, knowing there was immediate danger. threw a supply of bedding and provisions into a wagon, huddled together in the one vehicle and drove rapidly away. As they did so they saw five Indians approaching and the fire was the result of the latters' visit to the dug- out. The two families joined the stockade at Minneapolis, thankful to have escaped with their lives. Mr. Shafer lost property to the amount of $1,200, including a horse stolen by the redskins. This was a severe blow to the family's prospects, and it was several years ere Mr. Shafer regained what he lost in the raid. Later the settlers established another stockade on Gilbert creek. where they would club together, plant and till their crops and return to the place of safety at night.
Mr. Shafer was married, October, 1848, to Laura Belcher. They lived forty-eight years and seven months of happy wedded life together, and to
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this union fourteen children were born, all but one of whom are living .- ten daughters and three sons .- viz. : Alpha J., wife of J. G. Lancaster. a farmer and stockman of Lincoln county; Eliza Ann is her father's house- keeper, and is an industrious and excellent woman; Mary Lovina, wife of J. Harshbarger, a farmer and stockman of Lincoln county; Susan Helen, died at the age of five years in lowa; Lucy Elmira, wife of W. P. Doty, a farmer of Cloud county: Olive Adell, wife of J. R. Clarke, a farmer, stockman and railroad man, and at the present time depot agent at Milo, Lincoln county, Kansas: George Washington; Rachel Irene, wife of J. B. Sage, an extensive farmer and stockman of Lyon township; Emma Lucretia, wife of O. C. Harris, a miner of Jamestown, Colorado: Frances Arvilla, wife of .I. C. Greeley, a farmer near Longmont, Colorado: Oliva Amadella, wife of W. M. Clark. a farmer and stockman near Delphos (Mrs. Clark was the first child of the family born in Kansas ) : Laura Luna, wife of E. C. Greely, a miner of Goldhill, Colorado: William Henry, a farmer of Lincoln county, Kansas, married Emma Jones: John Freeman, the youngest child, is a farmer and married Bertha Diehuel.
The Shafers were members of the Congregational church, but when they settled in lowa the church of their choice did not exist there and they joined the Methodist Episcopal church. After locating in Kansas they joined the congregation of United Brethren. It became disorganized and they united with the Christian church, and are regular attendants and active workers.
By the death of Mr. Shafer a long and useful life has been brought to a close. He was a man of many admirable traits of character. He lived an honorable life of four score and four years ere he joined the hosts of the un- known where many of the snowy-headed pioneers have gone on before, and where his wife preceded him on June 7. 1898. He was a devoted friend of every good cause and in his passing the community lost one of its most highly respected citizens.
J. P. STUDT
An old landmark of Solomon township, who emigrated to the Solomon valley in the spring of 1867. and settled two and one-half miles south of where Glasco now stands. is J. P. Studt. He and a brother. Jacob Studi, who was with him. took up homesteads and "bached" together in a dugout fourteen years, where they endured many hard experiences. They were compelled to go to Minneapolis to get their plows sharpened and to Solomon City to mill. and upon their return would distribute their breadstuff among their neighbors, who were far apart
During the Indian raid of 1868, J. Studt was out hunting horses and came near being captured. During this raid the savages approached within a quarter of a mile of their dugont. Mr. Studt and his brother as- sisted in the burial of the victims of the massacre.
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
Mr. Studt was born in Danish Prussia in 1843, and when ten years of age came to America with his father's family and settled in Monroc county, Illinois. Although Mr. Studt did not attend school in America, he reads and writes English and has a good German education. He learned English by reading the Junction City Union. He was interested in what the papers said of the new West, its railroad prospects, emigration, Indian troubles, etc. A desire for procuring this information led him to pursue English literature.
Mr. Studt's father died in Illinois on October 7, 1864. His mother died in Germany when he was a youth nine years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Studt were the parents of eleven children. only two of whom are living. The brother who came to Cloud county, died in January, 1892. Mr. Studt was married in 1879, to Miss Augusta Wislimsky.
Their family consists of five children, viz. : Phillip, a young man of twenty. Charlie, aged eighteen. Henry, aged sixteen. Anna. a young girl of fourteen. Fred, a boy of thirteen years. Mrs. Studt was born in Germany and at the age of twenty-four years came to America. Her father died when she was two years of age. The mother came to America in 1884, and died in 1898 at the home of Mrs. Studt, where she had lived for several years. Mr. Studt owns three hundred and sixty acres of fertile land. In 1891 he sold the homestead and bought his present farm, upon which he keeps from fifty to sixty head of native cattle. He votes the Republican ticket. The family are members of the Lutheran Church.
DODDRIDGE F. SHEFFIELD.
D. F. Sheffield, a farmer and stockman of Lyon township, five miles east of Glasco, is a native of Indiana, born in 1861. in Kosciusko county, twelve miles from Warsaw. When nine years of age he came with his father's family to Kansas, and settled in Linn county, and in 1876 came to Cloud county. His parents are Charles and Cynthia ( Funk) Sheffield. His father was born in Rochelle, New York. in 1833, and came to Indiana with his parents when a lad. He farmed in Indiana, but in his earlier life was a school teacher. He took up a homestead in Cloud county, four miles north of Glasco, where he lived nine years, sold and then went to Topeka, where he worked in the repairing department of the Santa Fe railroad shops, and the last three years of his life was foreman there. He died in April. 1901. He was a bright and educated man. He was a Republican in politics and when the Santa Fe had any business to transact they had confidence enough in his ability to make him their representative and sent him out to campaign for them. He was an old and popular employe ; had been with them thirteen years and by his kindly disposition made many friends, who were shocked to hear of his demise. He died suddenly of heart trouble after a few days of indisposition. Fle was of English parentage. His ancestors were seafaring men, his paternal grandfather having been captain of a British merchant-
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man. Charles Sheffield moved to Indiana when a boy and received a high school education. Ile was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and a great reader. Ile was connected with the Cloud County Empire as a solicitor for subscriptions and advertisements and contributed articles to the news- papers which won for him commendation. He served in the Union army as a private in the Thirty-first Indiana Infantry. He was a member of the Second Presbyterian church of Topeka, of the Grand Army of the Republic and a Mason. The Monday prior to his death six children and ten grand- children and a number of friends assembled to celebrate their forty-sixth anniversary.
D. F. Sheffield's mother is a native of Ohio, of German origin. He is one of seven children, viz. : Mrs. W. C. Scott, of Oklahoma; Mrs. F. H. Ilood, of Topeka: Mrs. J. N. Hughes, of Kansas City; Charles Sheffiekl, of Kansas City, a conductor on the Fort Scott & Memphis railroad; J. S. a carpenter in the Santa Fe shops of Topeka; and R. E., a painter with resi- dence in Topeka.
D. F. Sheffield has always been a farmer. He began by renting land, and in 1894 bought the splendid farm where he now lives. It then consisted of one hundred and sixty acres, but in June. 1901. he bought an adjoining quarter section, built a nice little cottage of four rooms, good cellar, ice house, etc. He has a good young orchard and fruit of every description started. Ile has been very successful in growing evergreen trees and has a fine lot of them started. His ground is mostly wheat land. He keeps a herd of about forty Hereford and Shorthorn cattle. In 1887. he married Frances N., a daughter of A. Newell ( see sketch ). Mr. Sheffield is a Re- publican in politics and is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge. He is one of the rising young farmers of the Solomon valley.
SUSANNAH BOND.
Miss Susannah Bond. the subject of this sketch, settled in the Solomon valley, when it was in its primitive state and is one of the oldest remaining settlers.
Miss Bond is a native of Lawrence county, Indiana, born in 1825. Her parents were John and Alice ( Nelms) Bond. Her father was a native of North Carolina and her mother of Georgia. They both died in Orange county, Indiana, her mother in 1854, and her father in 1857.
Miss Bond is the youngest and only living member of a family of four- teen children. She emigrated to Kansas with two brothers and a sister and all lived together. Nathan was deceased December II, 1871, Sarah M., in 1889. and John N. in 1891. They came to Kansas in 1866, and filed on the land included in her present farm in 1867. The year previous they spent in Dickinson county, and during the Indian uprisings they located in Daviess county, Missouri. In the meantime other parties made an effort to secure
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her claim and in 1869 she returned, contested her right, and again returned to Missouri.
In 1870 she again came to Kansas, settled on her homestead and has since resided in Cloud county. Miss Bond was here during the first Indian raid, and witnessed some of the results of their depredations-the dead and wounded settlers. She lived in a dugout until her present residence was erected about fifteen years ago. She has experienced the hardships incident to life on the frontier. One-half of her dugout fell in during a heavy rain storm, and her efforts were many times seemingly baffled trying to keep the wolf from the door.
Miss Bond has always taken a great interest in church work and has lived the life of a consistent Christian woman. She has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church during the greater part of her seventy-seven years. Her father was a local Methodist Episcopal preacher. The Methodist Episcopal church of Glaseo was organized in 1870, and Miss Bond was the first to unite with the congregation. Mrs. Adrastus Newell, William Abbott, Miss Bond's two brothers, her sister and herself composed the entire membership at the time of organization. Miss Bond lives on the old homestead and a niece, Mrs. D. D. Hannum, and family live with her.
CONRAD ROMEISER.
Conrad Romeiser, like all the old pioneers of Cloud county. has made interesting history. He landed in Solomon City. March 3, 1869. He was born in Hessen. Nassau, Germany, in 1846, and has inherited the thrift of his nation. His father, Nicholas Romeiser, served twelve years in the service of his native country, entering the army when but seventeen years of age, and remaining until discharged on account of disability. He then followed farming and later engaged in the butcher and meat market business. He died August 20, 1866. Mr. Romeiser's mother died when he was an infant, leaving himself and brother, Peter M., who has risen from obscurity to prominence as a eitizen and enterprising man of Belleville, Illinois, where he is a wholesale and retail merchant, doing an extensive business. Their father by a previous marriage had two children and by a third. five children.
Mr. Romeiser was educated in the schools of his fatherland and just prior to attaining his majority set sail for America. His destination was St. Louis, where his brother had preceded him. He arrived in Chicago with one dollar and a ticket to St. Louis, and borrowed one dollar from a stranger he had traveled with. He had served an apprenticeship as butcher in Germany, but not speaking English it was difficult to secure work at his trade, and he resorted to the country, where he became a farm hand near Waterloo, Illinois, and where he earned his first salary on American soil. He shook with ague for many months, was bitterly discouraged and would have returned to his native land could he have paid his passage.
In 1869 he and his brother came to Kansas. They had heard many
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY. KANSAS.
fabulous stories of the homestead lands and through correspondence with the Studt brothers and a friend they were induced to try their fortunes in the "New West." They selected claims in the Solomon Valley, returned to Solomon City, walked from there to Junction City, filed on their claims and walked back to their new lands feeling like kings and princes.
As soon as spring opened Mr. Romeiser walked to Junction City, where the Missouri. Kansas, & Texas railroad was in course of construction and found work, remaining until the railroad was finished within three miles of Emporia. He owed his brother one hundred and twenty-five dollars, and much of his wages went to meet this obligation. In the winter of 1860-70 he lived with the Study brothers,-Phillip and Jacob,-who were "baching" in the dugout on their claim. Mr. Romeiser says, "he had no place to lay his head and they took him in for God's sake." The following spring he again went to Junction City, where he worked at all sorts of jobs-on the streets, made bologna and was a general "roustabout."
In the summer of 1870 the country was rapidly filling up with settlers and he built a dugout on his claim. He would return occasionally and build a big fire so that the emigrants and neighbors could see the spiral smoke curling upward from his chimney and know that "Cooney" was home and would not jump his claim. In 1870 he hired Mr. Misell and Mr. Grittmann to break some prairie land. At that time these men were not as expert with the plow as they became later in life, and, with their oxen as animal power, made very crooked rows. This same Grittmann walked and carried a gallon bucket of lard all the way from Junction City to his claim on the Solomon. He was slightly weary, perhaps, but as he thought of the delicious gravy they could make, it became a precious burden and comparatively light. Mr. Romeiser paid four dollars per acre for the turning of his sod. The next year he traded and succeeded in getting more done. For five years he did not have a horse or animal of any description and operated his farm by working for his neighbors, and in return getting their horses or oxen with which to till his ground.
Five years from the time he homesteaded he bought at forced sale an old mare, so balky at times she would not pull "the hat off his head." For this. his first article of stock, he paid sixty-six dollars and fifty cents. Charles Horn loaned him part of the money for his investment, which after all proved a good one. she being an excellent brood mare and from her he raised fine colts. In 1874 Mr. Romeiser began to prosper. He traded around and got two ponies, took a trip. and was flourishing when the grass- hoppers and drouth overtook the country. But the grasshopper year proved the "fattest" for him as he left his homestead that winter, went to Marys- ville, where he had friends, and secured a place to work where he could get all he wanted to eat and drink, returning to his claim in the spring with his face as round and slick as an onion.
On account of the grasshoppers and drouth he sold to AAllen Teasley seventy-five dollars worth of hogs and donated some poultry for good meas-
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ure. In the meantime Mr. Teasley died and Mr. Romeiser was sorely dis- tressed, thinking the deceased might not have made provision for the pay- ment of this bill or it might not be understood by the wife and sons. But upon inquiry he found the good wife had saved the money for him. With this he bought plows and other things needed on the farm.
He now began to add other land to his homestead. in the meantime borrowing four hundred dollars for one year, paying fifteen per cent inter- est. He engaged in stock raising and has made his money in feeding and shipping hogs and cattle. He now owns three hundred and twenty acres of fine land, and in 1894 built a commodious house of six rooms and two wide halls. He has a large bank barn 36x80, one of the finest in the county. He lived in a dugout for about eight years and in 1882, built a small stone house over the cellar which was then considered a pretentious home. His first dugout was on the bank of the creek. During a wet season he was drowned out. It had been raining several days, but he did not anticipate an overflow and was sleeping soundly. He was awakened by D. W. Teas- ley shaking the door of his hut and hallooing. He inquired the meaning . of their excitement and as he looked about, saw the dugout was flooded with water several feet deep, his trunk and "baching" utensils floating around the room, and the creek, a roaring, booming river. Mr. Romeiser at once repaired to the little hog pen, kicked the boards loose and let the hogs out. The struggling and half drowned swine were sticking their noses upon one another's back to keep from drowning.
Mr. Romeiser was married in 1878 to Caroline Gnatkowsky, a native of Germany, who came with her parents to America in 1871 and settled in New Baltimore. In 1877 they came to Kansas and took up a homestead on the divide, where her mother died in 1895, and her father in 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Romeiser have a family of six children, viz: Herman, a farmer ; Henry, with his father on the farm; and four exceedingly bright little girls, Margaret. Mary, Louise and Lenore.
Now while looking over his little home Mr. Romeiser can have some satisfaction in recalling the hardships endured while procuring it.
JOHN EBERHARDT.
The subject of this sketch is John Eberhardt, a farmer and stockman of Lyon township and a native of Germany, born near Frankfort-on-the-Rhine i11 1834. He had not yet attained his majority when he touched the soil of the Western Hemisphere in 1848, and settled in Washington county, Wisconsin. His father was Valentine Eberhardt, a thrifty German farmer. He emigrated from Wisconsin to Kansas in 1874, and bought a farm adja- cent to the city of Salina, where he died in 1890. Mr. Eberhardt's mother was Anna Maria Steele; she died when our subject-their only child- was a small lad. His father then married Catherine Artz, a half- sister of his first wife. To them were born six children, five sons and one daughter, four of whom are living.
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HISTORY OF CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS.
Mr. Eberhardt removed from Wisconsin to Illinois, and at the call for volunteers he enlisted in Company 11, Eighth Ilinois Cavalry, under Captain Hooker and General Stone. They were most actively engaged in Virginia. lle served three years and during that period was under fire fifty-four times. Mr. Eberhardt was in the hospital for one year, suffering from an accident occasioned by his horse falling while crossing a creek near Mexandria. Vir- ginia, and disabling him; in fact, he has never fully recovered from the effects : has been a physical wreck since the war and at times suffers intensely. Receives a pension of but eight dollars per month. He is entirely deaf on the right side from a blank cartridge fired against his ear by an Irishman.
Mr. Eberhardt emigrated to lowa in 1808, and from there to Kansas in 1873. where he took up a homestead and later traded for the place he now lives on. Mr. Eberhardt is a horticulturist and has one of the finest peach orchards in the county, and a fine bearing apple orchard of two hun- dred trees. His farm consists of one hundred and sixty acres and is under a high state of improvement. The beautiful wooded little stream, Chris creek, runs through his place.
Mr. Eberhardt was married in 1857 to Eveline Mellorn, and in 1867 to Miss Mary Ann Surgeon. By this second marriage there are five boys and two girls: Frank C., a farmer of Bourbon county, Kansas; Albert MI., a farmer of Lyon township; Valentine, Grant and John 11. are interested in the farm and stock at home: Lizzie, the widow of Clint Cossell, and Leola May, aged fourteen.
Mr. Eberhardt is a man esteemed for his worth and strict integrity, being possessed of many worthy traits of character, he has a large circle of ardent friends.
JAMES H. NEAL.
AAmong the early settlers who came to Kansas in the fall of 1870 is J. H. Neal, who lived during the winter of that year on the Solomon river near Solomon City, in the spring time of 1871, moving to Cloud county and home- steading the farm where Charles Pilcher now lives. During the grasshopper year he was forced to return to Ohio in order to make a living for his family. He worked in the Champion shops at Springfield until the autumn of 1878, when he again returned to Kansas, remaining two years, returning the second time to Springfield. In the meantime he decided that with the drouth and grasshoppers there was no better place than Kansas, and accordingly returned in 1886. In 1875 he traded his homestead for the place where he now lives, which is one of the best farms in the community. Much of it is wheat land and in 1901. he had eighty-five acres which yielded twenty-two bushels per acre, and the year prior the average was twenty-eight bushels per acre.
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