USA > Missouri > Jasper County > A history of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people, Vol. II > Part 13
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After leaving the army he returned to Terre Haute, Indiana, and during the next two years was employed by the St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Railroad Company. When he quit the service of the railroad company he took up his residence at Litchfield, Illinois, where he built the first and only woolen mill ever operated in that city. In 1870 he moved his equipment to Carthage in this state, and with his father, put up the Carthage woolen mills, which he conducted until 1895. In that year he turned his attention to dealing in lime, stone and other building materials, having acquired the ownership of valuable stone quarries at Carthage.
In 1900 he changed his residence to Joplin and organized the Joplin Cement Company, Incorporated, of which he has ever since been presi- dent, and which he has operated in connection with his lime and stone business, continuing the latter until 1910, then giving it up in order to devote his whole time to the affairs of the Cement Company and other claims upon him which he felt he could not justly ignore or negleet, but
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which he was unable to attend to properly with so much other business on his hands.
In the public affairs of the community around him Mr. Myers has al- ways been deeply interested, and he has earnestly aided in efforts to have them properly administered. While he is allied with the Republican party in political affiliation, he has never been a very active partisan, and during the last few years has taken almost no part in political con- tentions. In former days he was more active, and during his residence in Carthage served two terms as mayor of the city with credit to him- self, and acceptably to the people. Wherever he has lived he has been devoted to the public weal and always done his full share in promoting it.
His fraternal relations are with the Order of Elks, in which he takes an active part and which values his membership highly. He keeps the memories of his military service fresh and fragrant, without any of the bitterness of feeling that attended the actual experiences of the war, by zealous membership in the Grand Army of the Republic. On December 31, 1868, at Sycamore, Illinois, he was united in marriage with Miss Emma A. Dustin, a daughter of General Daniel Dustin of Civil war fame, and a descendant of Hannah Dustin, the heroine of the Indian attack on Haverhill, Massachusetts, in March, 1697. Her husband and seven of her eight children escaped from the Indians, but she and her week-old infant, with its nurse, Mary Neff, were carried off and put in charge of an Indian family consisting of two men, three women and seven children. The Indians killed the infant to get rid of the trouble of caring for it, and on the way to a large Indian town the party was halted for a night on an island in the Merrimac river, about six miles above the site of the present city of Concord, New Hampshire. During the night, while her captors were in deep sleep, Mrs. Dustin and the nurse, assisted by Samuel Leonardson, an English youth, killed all the Indians in the family except one squaw and a small boy, who got away, and carried the scalps of their victims home with them as proof of their achievement. They reached their home in safety after a difficult journey, which brought them many hardships and much suffering. The island has ever since been known as Dustin Island, and the name was given it as a memorial of Mrs. Dustin's heroic conduct on it.
Mrs. Myers was born at East Corinth, Vermont, on July 28, 1845. She and her husband are the parents of four children, all sons: Harry D., who came into the world on October 1, 1869, at Litchfield, Illinois ; Carl C., who was born on the 15th October, 1871, at Carthage; Frank M., whose life began at Carthage, Missouri, on the 5th of June, 1874; and W. D., who is also a native of Carthage, and was born on September 15, 1882.
ARTHUR B. FREEMAN, M. D .- Among the representative physicians and surgeons of the city of Joplin, Missouri, is Dr. Arthur B. Freeman. He was born in Metcalf county, Kentucky, May 24, 1859, and is a son of Albert L. Freeman, likewise a native of the Blue Grass state. The identification of the Freemans with Joplin dates from 1890, the father accompanying the subject here at that time. The elder gentleman, during the major portion of his career, devoted his attention to agricultural pur- suits and was a good and public-spirited citizen. At the time of his de- mise in Joplin in 1902 he was seventy-three years of age. Dr. Freeman is of English descent, the original progenitor of the name in America having immigrated to this country in the early colonial epoch of our national history, and his paternal grandfather was a loyal colonist who carried a musket in the Revolutionary war. After the termination of
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the war he removed to Kentucky, where he spent the elosing years of his life. The mother of Dr. Freeman was Juliette S. (Morisson) Free- man, who was born in Kentucky, of Virginia parents, her aneestry being Seoteh-Irish.
Dr. Freeman was the eldest in a family of five children and was reared upon the homestead farm in Metcalf county, Kentucky. After finishing the public schools, he became a student in Cumberland Univer- sity at Lebanon, Tennessee, and subsequently, having deeided upon his life work, he entered the Louisville University, from which he was grad- uated in 1886, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Immediately after graduation he went to Wellington, Kansas, where he began his practice of the profession he had chosen as his own, and in that city maintained his home and headquarters until 1890, when he came to Joplin, as previously noted. Here he enjoys general esteem, as a worthy citizen and honest and able practitioner. He is associated with those or- ganizations caleulated to advance and unify the profession to which he belongs, such as the Jasper County Medical Society, the Southwestern Medical Society, the Missouri State Medieal Society and the American Medical Association. Fraternally he is a Royal Areh Mason and ex- emplifies in his own living those ideals of moral and social justice and brotherly love for which the order stands. In his political advocacy he is in harmony with the Democratic party, being a loyal supporter of the Bryan faction. Although active and influential politically, he is by no means an office seeker.
At Louisville, Kentucky, in 1898, Dr. Freeman was united in mar- riage to Miss Anna Smith, who was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and is a daughter of Hannibal A. Smith, of an old Virginia family. Two sons have been born to this union-Arthur B., Jr., born July 3, 1904; and Smith, born August 14, 1906.
DANIEL K. WENRICH .- Among the essentially representative and pub- lic-spirited citizens of Jasper county, Missouri, Daniel K. Wenrich holds prestige as one whose interest and participation in public affairs have ever been of the most insistent order. He was born on the 17th of March, 1848, the place of his nativity being Burks county, Pennsylvania, and he is a son of David and Kathrine (Kinports) Wenrich, the former of whom was long as well known and decidedly popular minister of the United Brethren church. The father was likewise a native of Burks county, Pennsylvania, where he was born on the 18th of December, 1828. He was reared and educated in his native place, where he was a minister for a number of years. Ile removed from the old Keystone state of the Union to Jones county, Iowa, in the year 1849, and in connection with his ministerial duties he operated a large farm. He was one of the early western circuit riders, having come to Aurora, Missouri, when that place had but one store. He resided in Missouri for a short time in 1868, and in 1870 he went to Elgin, Kansas, where he entered a tract of government land. His farm was supposed to be in the southern part of Kansas, but when the government survey was made it was found that he was not in Kansas and as a result he lost his entire property. He then returned to lowa, where he continued to maintain his home until a short time prior to his death, which oceurred in 1901. As he felt the eneroaehment of old age David Wenrich decided to pay a last visit to each of his children, " and just as he had completed the round, the last one being a resident of Pullman, Washington territory, he was stricken with heart failure and passed away at the advanced age of seventy-three years. Mrs. Wenrich, whose maiden name was Kathrine Kinports, was born and raised in
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Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, where was solemnized her marriage, and she died near Muscatine, Iowa, in the year 1859.
Daniel K. Wenrich was a child of but one year of age at the time of his parents' emigration from Pennsylvania across the plains to Iowa. He received his preliminary educational training in the district schools near Burlington, Iowa, and early became identified with the work and management of the farm, continuing to reside on the farm until he had attained to the age of twenty-four years. He then became interested in the pedagogic profession and began teaching near Mount Vernon, Law- rence county, Missouri, in 1869. Subsequently he taught at the Zion school house, then at Spring River, one mile south of Verona, and still later at Verona. Mr. Wenrich had been afforded a thorough musical education and he suddenly conceived the idea of introducing music into the schools, teaching the pupils to read notes. As he was the only teacher in that section of the country who included music in the school work, he became eminently successful as a teacher and had no difficulty whatever in securing good schools. In addition to his other duties he took up church work, drilling the choirs, etc.
He gave up teaching in 1871, and on his birthday, March 17, 1871, he removed to Joplin, Missouri, where he has resided during the long intervening years to the present time. Like many another young west- erner in those days, he was practically stranded in the way of financial backing but he did not lack in pluck and perseverance and was willing to turn his energies to any work that was honest and somewhat remunera- tive. In due time he secured a position in the smelter run by Corn & Thompson, one of the concerns which smelted the ore for the miners in this district. Later he entered the employ of Moffit & Sergeant and worked for that company until a strike broke out among the miners, who held that Corn & Thompson did not pay them enough for their ore. An arbitration committee was appointed by the miners and Corn & Thomp- son submitted to an arrangement whereby Mr. Wenrich should smelt the ore for the miners for one week. This was done at Moffit & Sergeant's smelter, where Mr. Wenrich erected a board on which was written the name and amount of ore brought in by each miner, just as it was weighed. He then figured out and gave each miner his percentage in figures. This was an entirely new method at Joplin and it immediately struck favor both amongst the miners and with the smelting companies. He turned out twenty-one thousand pounds of lead ore during the week he worked, as per agreement, and so great was the faith of Messrs. Moffit and Sergeant in him that they accepted his word for everything done during that week. Mr. Wenrich was then approached by Mr. Moffit who told him that he ought to have a cashier to keep track of the bus- iness. Mr. Moffit offered him the position. Mr. Wenrich accepted the proffered position and had an office erected in one corner of the smelter. In a short time, however, the business increased to such extensive pro- portions that it became necessary to have a separate office, which was opened on Main street and Broadway. He remained incumbent of the position of cashier for Moffit & Sergeant for the cusning three years, at the expiration of which he decided to go in for mining on his own re- sponsibility. Accordingly, he selected a lot on Parr Hill, where he sunk a shaft. It proved a bonanza and became the largest producer in the district, Mr. Wenrich becoming very wealthy. For twelve years Mr. Wenrich was engaged in mining in different sections of Jasper county and he always struck "pay dirt," in due time realizing a fortune from his ventures. He was held in high esteem by his recent employers, Moffit & Sergeant, and continued to buy considerable ore for them. They had then removed from West Joplin to Lone Elm, just west of the city. For
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three years Mr. Wenrich was paymaster for them, he being the only man they were willing to trust with so tremendous a responsibility, their pay roll amounting to as much as five thousand dollars per week. Mr. Wen- rich carried that sum from Joplin to Lone Elm every Tuesday morning, before daybreak and during the three years he was incumbent of the position of paymaster he was never once molested. About the year 1886 this company disposed of their property to the Pitcher Lead Company. Mr. Wenrich had invested his savings in numerons enterprises and in due time he lost everything.
Not at all disheartened, he abandoned his mining projects and turned his attention to local politics. His first office was that of city clerk, which he filled with all of efficiency and satisfaction for some three years. As political offices were not very remunerative in those days, Mr. Wen- rich, in order to make both ends meet, served also as secretary of the board of education and as acting secretary of the Commercial Club, re- taining the latter position for three terms. During President Mckinley's administration he was appointed postmaster of Joplin, and it was during his service in this capacity that he accomplished many needed improve- ments for Joplin and Jasper county. He is possessed of considerable literary and musical ability and he has written many campaign songs. which are still preserved by many of his numerous friends. He has in his possession many letters from leaders in the Republican party, in- cluding the late Mark Hanna and President Mckinley. He sets par- ticularly high value on these manuscripts and no amount of money could induce him to part with them. In 1902 he retired from the office of postmaster and he has also retired from active participation in business affairs. He stands as one of the living monuments of those sterling pioneers who blazed their way into the new west and who were so in- strumental in the upbuilding of the present splendid and beautiful city of Joplin.
In 1876 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wenrich to Miss Mary L. Ray, the ceremony having been performed at Joplin. Mrs. Wenrich was born in Barry county, Missouri, in February, 1860, and she was called to her reward on the 19th of August, 1910. She was a woman of the utmost refinement and intrinsic graciousness and her death was uniformly mourned throughout Joplin by the many friends and acquaint- ances who had come within the sphere of her gentle influence. Mr. and Mrs. Wenrich became the parents of three children, concerning whom the following brief data are here incorporated. Ray Wenrich was born in the city of Joplin in the year 1878 and he is one of the most prom- inent dentists at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where he has resided since 1907. Percy Wenrich, born in Joplin in 1880, is devoting his entire time and attention to music. He is head composer for the Remick Music Publish- ing Company, of New York City, the same being known as the largest music publishing house in the world. Mr. Wenrich is widely renowned as a popular song writer, having written such famous airs as "Rainbow," "Put on Your Old Gray Bonnet" and many others, the words and music of which are used by band orchestras and phonograph records in all parts of the world. The third and youngest child is Nellie, who was born in April, 1890, and who is now the wife of Leon R. Snyder, of Battle Creek, Michigan.
As already intimated, Mr. Wenrich is a stanch advocate of the prin- ciples and policies of the Republican party in his political proclivities and he has ever done all in his power to advance the general welfare of the .community. His religious faith is Unitarian, in which faith he reared his children. He was at one time a member of most of the rep- resentative clubs and societies of Joplin but of late years he has led a
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quiet, retired life. His children have begged and implored him to come and spend the declining years of his life with them, but Mr. Wenrich's devotion to Joplin and her various institutions makes it a practical im- possibility for him to sever the ties which binds him to this city, in whose progress and development he has ever been so conspicuous a factor. He is a man of broad mind and generous impulses and in all the relations of life he has so conducted himself as to command the unalloyed esteem of his fellow citizens. Though somewhat advanced in years he still re- tains in much of their former vigor the marvelous physical and mental qualities of his youth. His has been a life of activity and he has never neglected a single opportunity to do the best he could for his friends and for the prosperity of his home city.
MERCER ARNOLD .- It is gratifying to note that many of the native sons of Jasper county have here found ample field for successful en- deavor along varied lines of professional work, as well as those of indus- trial and commercial enterprise, and of this number is Mr. Arnold, who is engaged in the practice of law in his native city of Joplin and who is recognized as one of the representative younger members of the bar of this favored section of the state.
Mercer Arnold was born in Joplin on the 20th of May, 1878, and is a son of Philip and Henrietta N. (Mercer) Arnold, the former of whom was born in Shelbyville, Kentucky, a member of one of the old and honored families of that state, and the latter of whom was born in Indiana, in which state was solemnized her marriage. Philip Arnold, a man of fine intellectual gifts and for a number of years a prominent and successful factor in educational work, came to Joplin in the early '70s, and he had the distinction of being at the head of the first public school here established, the present thriving city having been at that time an obscure village. He did much to build up the excellent system of schools here and he has never abated his interest in the same, though for several years past he has here given his attention principally to the insurance business, in which he now controls a prosperous enterprise. He and his wife are numbered among the best known and most popular residents of Joplin, where their circle of friends is coincident with that of their acquaintances. He has been influential in local affairs of a pub- lie nature and has served as a member of the city council. Both he and his wife are zealous members of the Episcopal church and his political proclivities are indicated by the staunch support given by him to the cause of the Democratic party. Of the children two sons and two daughters are living.
Mercer Arnold is indebted to the public schools of Joplin for his preliminary educational discipline and he was gradnated in the high school as a member of the class of 1895. He was then matriculated in the University of Missouri, at Columbia, in which he completed a full academic course and was gradnated as a member of the class of 1900. receiving at this time the degree of Bachelor of Letters. In 1902 he was graduated in the law department of the same institution, which confer- red upon him the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and he was forthwith admitted to the bar of his native state. Mr. Arnold initiated the active work of his profession in the city of St. Louis, where he gained wide and valuable experience in the various departments of legal work and where he continued to reside until February, 1905, when he returned to Joplin. where he has since been engaged in successful practice of general order and where he has gained indubitable precedence as one of the resourceful and representative members of the bar of his native county. He retains an important clientele and has been identified with
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much litigation in both the state and federal courts in this part of the state. Soon after his return to Joplin he formed a professional partner- ship with Horace Merritt, under the firm name of Merritt & Arnold, but since 1907 he has conducted an individual professional business. Mr. Arnold is an effective and zealous advocate of the principles and policies for which the Republican party stands sponsor and he has been an active worker in behalf of its eause. He was appointed city coun- selor of Joplin in April, 1909, and was reappointed in April, 1910. In this position he has given a most careful and effective attention to pro- tecting the interests of his native city and incidentally has added ma- terially to his professional laurels. His second term expired in April. 1911.
Prior to entering professional life Mr. Arnold had been actively identified with the Missouri National Guards, and in 1898-9, at the time of the Spanish-American war, he was with his command in the government service. as sergeant of Company G. Fourth Missouri United States Volunteer Infantry. He is now serving on the military staff of Governor Hadley. with the rank of colonel. Mr. Arnold is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Wood- men of America, the Knights and Ladies of Honor, and the Sigma Chi college fraternity. He is a communicant of the Protestant Episco- pal church, in which he is an active member of the local parish of Saint Philips church.
On the 18th of April, 1906, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Arnold to Miss Vera C. Frederick, who was born in the state of New York but who was a resident of Columbia, Missouri, at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold are popular factors in the leading social activities of their city and their home is known for its refined and generous hospitality. They have two children,-Julia, who was born on the 19th of July, 1907, and Burton W., who was born April 25, 1910.
CHARLES HENRY CRAIG, M. D .- Throughout almost the whole of his life of fifty-four years to this time (1911) the interesting subject of this brief narrative has been a resident of Missouri. and during the last twenty-one years has lived in Webb City and has actively engaged in a large and representative general practice of medicine. He has, there- fore, had an extended and pregnant opportunity to aid in advancing the development of the state and to minister to the comfort and general welfare of its people. That he has used his opportunity to the fullest extent of its fruitfulness and his own powers in full measure in ren- dering such aid and ministrations is proven by the high esteem in which he is universally held and the widespread popularity he enjoys.
Dr. Craig is a native of Callaway county, Missouri, where he was born on June 8, 1857. IIe is a son of Joseph L. and Mary E. (Jones) Craig, the former born in West Virginia in 1832 and the latter in Cal- laway county, Missouri, in 1831. The Doctor's great-great-grandfather. Rev. John Craig, was a distinguished clergyman and the founder of the Craig family in America. He came from Scotland and arrived at Newcastle, on the Delaware river, on August 17, 1734. The Rev. John Craig was later sent to the colony of Virginia by the Presbyterian church, and founded the two churches of Augusta and Tinkling Springs, and was installed their pastor and remained as such during most of his life. The Doctor's grandfather, George Craig, migrated from what is now West Virginia to Callaway county, Missouri, in 1835, with his family, and Joseph L. Craig was then a small boy four years of age. The latter was a farmer for more than forty years in this state, and stood well in the estimation of the people among whom he lived and la-
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bored. He was of Irish ancestry, although, as above stated, for some time prior to the settlement of any of the family in this country his fore- fathers lived in Scotland. His inherited traits were derived from bothi the Irish and the Scotch races, and they were combined in him in a happy medium, which enabled him to win success in his business and the regard and good will of all who knew him. In the spring of 1888, when he was fifty-six years old, he moved to the newly admitted state of Washington, where he remained several years. He then moved to Idaho, and there he died in 1905. The mother, whose forefathers came to this country from Scotland and lived for several generations in Kentucky, was a daughter of parents who came from that state to Mis- souri and located at Fulton, in Callaway county, at an early period in the history of that part of the commonwealth, and it was at this place she was born. She is living, and her home is in Seattle, Washing- ton. Although she has reached the age of four score years, she is still strong, active and in excellent health. Of the ten children born to her and her husband Charles H. was the first and the one who shared most of the trials and privations of their early married life and struggle for advancement.
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