USA > Missouri > Macon County > General history of Macon County, Missouri > Part 48
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HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY
and are: Manfred, Leander, Erskine, William E. and Beatrice, the last named being the wife of Samuel Still, of Kirksville, in this state. His wife died February 11, 1901.
SIMEON HARRISON EPPERSON.
Adhering, from boyhood, to the occupation of his forefathers for generations and pushing his industry with all the power of attention and intelligence at his command, Simeon Harrison Epperson, of Walnut township, in this county, has made a pronounced success of his career and is now enjoying the reward of his steadfastness of purpose and persistency of diligence in a comfortable worldly estate and an excellent reputation in the township and county of his home. He has done well the things he has known well how to do, and not been enticed from his chosen vocation by any temptations in other lines of endeavor, how- ever alluring or gilded they might have appeared to be. With excel- lent judgment he measured his own tastes and inclinations, and with manly self-reliance he has followed them greatly to his own advantage and considerably to the benefit of the community.
Mr. Epperson is a native of this county, and was born on January 16, 1875. He is a son of Simeon G. and Mary (Mayfield) Epperson, the former born and resident for a few years in Iowa, and the latter a Kentnekian by nativity. They came to Missouri when young and located in Macon county. Here they were married and engaged in farming industriously and profitably until death ended their labors, when they were well advanced in years. They had four children, two of whom have died. The two living are Docia, the wife of R. O. Lovern, of Montana, and Simeon H., the subject of this brief review. The father died in 1899 and the mother in 1903.
Simeon H. Epperson grew to manhood on his father's farm and obtained his limited scholastic training in the public schools located in the neighborhood. He realized early in life that almost his only depen- dence for success and advancement in life was himself-that on his own capacities and efforts rested his only hope for a name and respectable standing among his fellow men, and also his only chance for worldly acquisitions. He accepted his destiny with cheerfulness and entered with alacrity on the task of working it out. As soon as he left school he began farming and he has ever since been actively engaged in the same occupation, raising live stock in increasing numbers in connection with his agricultural work. The scale on which he started was a small one, for he was careful to keep within the boundaries of his means and facilities, and rely on his profits for the enlargement of his operations.
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The course he adopted was a wise one and has resulted as he intended it should. He steadily increased the body of his land and enriched its improvements until he now owns a farm of 157 acres, well equipped with good buildings and all the other needs of a first rate modern farm, owning, in fact, one of the most valuable and desirable country homes in the township. His land is skillfully and vigorously cultivated and yields abundant returns for the faith and industry he bestows upon it. His stock industry has also expanded as his fortunes have improved, and is now a considerable one.
Mr. Epperson's political faith and fidelity are pledged to the Democratic party and he works for its welfare with devoted energy and capacity because he believes in its principles and not for distinction ; for he has never yet been induced to accept an office of any kind. Fra- ternally he is connected with the order of Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica. On February 10, 1894, he was married to Miss Dilla Wright, a native of this county. They have three children, S. Marie, Leslie and Ruby. The family stands well in the township and all its members are held in the highest esteem.
V
WILLIAM T. BAILEY.
Farming and raising live-stock became staple industries in North- eastern Missouri with the dawn of civilization in the region, and for a long time were almost the only occupations of the great bulk of the population. The other great industries that now engage so much attention and employ such vast numbers of men and aggregates of capital in the state had not yet come into being, and the materials and forces that form the base of their operations were lying dormant, waiting for the voice of their master, the commanding might of mind, to call them forth to enrich and bless mankind. But even with their advent and growth to mammoth proportions, the earlier avocations of this section of the state did not lose their importance, and they are today, as they have always been since the history of civilization began here, among the leading pursuits of the people.
One of the men who has given them distinctive power and magni- tude in the present day in Macon county is William T. Bailey, of Wal- nut township, who lives near the village of Elmer and carries on exten- sive operations in both farming, of a progressive character, and rais- ing stock of superior quality. Mr. Bailey was horn at Elmer on Novem- ber 12, 1864, and represents at least the second generation of his fam- ily native to the soil of Missouri. His father, Joseph Bailey, was born in Pike county and passed the greater part of his life there.
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The son, William T. Bailey, was reared in the family household and obtained his education in the schools near his boyhood home. When he left school and began the struggle for advancement among men for himself he first tried his hand at merchandising, which he followed for two years in the town of Marceline, in Linn county. At the end of the period mentioned he sold his store and turned his attention to pho- tography. This occupied him for one year, during which he was feel- ing his way to the vocation for which nature had destined him, and was not long in determining what it was. At the end of the year's experi- ence which he had as a photographer he located near Elmer and started the enterprise in farming and raising stock, which he is still conduet- ing. He began on a scale of safe magnitude and has enlarged his operations as suecess has brought him prosperity until he is now one of the leaders in these two interesting and profitable lines of effort in the township in which his business is carried on.
Early in his career as a stockman, Mr. Bailey began specializing in western horses for the eastern markets, and this is still one of the leading elements of his business. He has built up a considerable trade in this line and his output has a very high standing among the jobbers and retailers in horses in the east and well deserves the reputation he has won for it. For he is studions and careful in every step of his work and omits no effort necessary on his part to secure the best results in every particular. He also handles cattle extensively and has the land necessary for a vigorous and successful prosecution of his under- takings. He owns over 400 acres of land, all of which is under advanced cultivation except what is required for grazing purposes.
To the public affairs of the township and county of his residence Mr. Bailey has given careful attention and the most helpful support at all times. He applies to them the same excellent judgment and clearness of vision that distinguish him in his private affairs, and the people know and acknowledge the weight and worth of his opinion in reference to all that concerns their welfare, and they value his advice as they do his more material assistance in connection with all their projects of public improvement and the elevation of the standard of living.
Mr. Bailey is an active working Democrat in political relations, but his service to his party springs from his conviction that it embodies in its principles the best theories of government and strongest safe- gnards of the rights and interests of the people, and not from any ambition for official distinction for himself. Except membership on the school board, on which he has served for over sixteen consecutive years
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for the good of the community, he has steadfastly refused to accept any office and to allow the use of his name as a candidate for any political position of any kind, whether elective or appointive.
His interest in the fraternal life of the community has been long- continued, energetic and productive. He belongs to the Masonic order, its adjunct, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Modern Woodmen of America, and is constant and zealous in the service of them all, help- ing to guide them to the best results by his counsel and to the highest development by personal and material aid of the most practical kind. In 1889 he was married to Miss Maggie Sivaton, a native of this county. They have two children, their daughters, Buella and Edna, who are the light and life of their home and give it a special feature of attraction for their hosts of friends who make it a popular resort and find it a cen- ter of refined and genuine hospitality, always beaming with social sunshine and bountiful in resources for high-toned and elevating enjoy- ment-a characteristic and representative Macon county home of the best class.
HENRY MILLER.
Henry Miller, of Elmer, is one of the progressive men who have caught the spirit of the great West, absorbed it into their being, or found it native within them, and fixed its expression in enduring form in substantial improvements and contributions to the welfare of the people who inhabit it. Their works are monuments to their own enter- prise and foresight and they contribute vastly to the enjoyment, sub- stantial comfort and lasting welfare of the communities in which they stand. Mr. Miller has placed the fruits of his capacity and progressive- ness at the service of the people of Elmer, doing more, perhaps, than any one other man in building up and improving the town and giving it its fair name among the municipalities in the county.
Mr. Miller was born on March 2. 1844, in Lafayette, Indiana, and came to Missouri with his parents when he was eleven years of age. His father, T. S. Miller, was a native of Pennsylvania. and Henry's mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Isely, was also horn and reared in that state. They were married in 1816 and had eight children. Five of the eight are living: James L., a resident of the state of Oklahoma; John E., who also lives in that state; Susanne, the wife of D. Gunnels, of this county; Henry, the subject of this sketch, and Ellen, the wife of Herman Westfall, of California. Their mother died in March, 1885, and their father on July 4, 1891.
Henry Miller obtained only a common school education and his
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opportunities for even this were limited and subject to frequent inter- ruptions. He was obliged, while growing from boyhood to manhood, to help his father with the work of the farm, and under the conditions of this part of the country, as they were then, this was exacting and took precedence over everything else. Schooling was considered an excellent thing, and to be had if it could, but the farm work was neces- sary to the support of the family and it could not be neglected, no mat- ter what else had to suffer. Mr. Miller went to school when he could and made the most of the advantages available to him. In the glimpses into the great domain of intelligence and book-learning which he then got he laid the foundation of the fund of general information which he has since acquired by his own studious habits and industry in reading, observation and reflection.
He has adhered during nearly all of his subsequent years to the pursuit he mastered under the direction of his father, farming success- fully and profitably until 1901, when he retired and turned his atten- tion to the real estate business. Ile now owns a number of briek blocks and residence properties in Elmer, and also owns and manages the opera house, through which he contributes largely and essentially to the enjoyment of the community and the elevation and improvement of its people. They hold him in the highest esteem for what he has done in the way of building up the town, and also for the elevated and pro- gressive character of his citizenship in every respect. He is not only one of the most substantial but one of the most popular and influential men in the township.
Mr. Miller was married in 1865 to Miss Rhoda Craig, a native of Iowa. They have three children, their daughters, Via Ward and Minnie, the latter the wife of T. L. Freed, and their son, J. H. In polities the father is a Republican with a loyal devotion to the interests of his party and great zeal and activity in promoting them. But he has never accepted a political office, either by election or appointment, having no taste for official life. He does his part for the welfare of the community in other ways of manifest value, and leaves public affairs to the administration of those who have a taste for that sort of work.
DANIEL R. HUGHES.
It has been the subjective prerogative of this well known and pop- ular citizen of the city of Macon to gain distinctive success and prestige as a member of the bar of his native county, and he is one of the repre- sentative attorneys and counselors at law in the attractive county-seat. He is a member of one of the old and honored families of Macon county,
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being a son of the late John R. Hughes, of Bevier, to whom a memoir is dedicated on other pages of this work, so that further review of the family history is not demanded in the present connection.
Daniel R. Hughes was born in the village of Bevier, Macon county, Missouri, on the 17th of November, 1868, and there was reared to maturity, in the meanwhile duly availing himself of the advantages offered by the public schools. At the age of seventeen years hie assumed the position of assistant postmaster of his native town, retain- ing this incumbency two and one-half years, under the regime of Thomas Williams. Within this time he devoted sufficient of his leisure time in the evenings to the study of telegraphy to become a competent operator, having gained the requisite discipline by studying under the direction of Lewis, Nowlan, Agent at the Bevier station of the Burling- ton Railroad. Through the kindly consideration and instruction of Mr. Nowlan the subject of this review familiarized himself with the practical work of a station operator, and at the age of twenty years he secured the position of night operator in the Bevier station of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, being thus employed about nine months and then being promoted to the position of day operator. Thereafter he was engaged as operator and station agent at various points along the line of the railroad mentioned for a period of about five years, at the expiration of which, in the autumn of 1894, he resigned his position and made ready to carry out his well formulated plans of preparing himself for the legal profession. With this end in view he at that time was matriculated in the law department of the celebrated University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, in which he completed the pre- scribed curriculum and was graduated as a member of the Law class of. 1896, on June 25th of which year he received his diploma and his well earned degree of Bachelor of Laws. In September 1896, at Macon, he was admitted to the bar of his native state, and in the ensuing Decem- ber he initiated the active practive of his profession by entering the office of Hon. William H. Sears, of Macon, former state senator, with whom he was associated, under effective preceptorship, for the ensuing two years, since which time he has conducted an individual professional business in this city.
Mr. Hughes has proved an able and versatile trial lawyer and well fortified counselor and has appeared in connection with much important litigation in the courts of Macon and other counties, having a large and appreciative clientage and being unswerving in his devotion to the work of his profession. He has never sought nor consented to become a candidate for public office, either elective or appointive, though he takes
Dandy Hug Les
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HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY
a loyal interest in public affairs and keeps well informed on the ques- tions and issues of the hour. His first vote was cast in support of Grover Cleveland for the presidency, in 1892, and he continued to give his suport to the Democratic party until its adoption of the free-silver doctrine, in 1896, when he found his convictions utterly at variance with the policy of the party and consequently, with the courage of his opin- ions, transferred his allegiance to the Republican party, of whose prin- ciples and policies he has since been a stalwart advocate, and in whose cause he has rendered effective service. He and his wife hold mem- bership in the Presbyterian church of Macon. He is a member of the Masonie fraternity, he is affiliated with Censer Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; Macon Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and Emamal Commandery, Knights Templar. Hle is one of the most popular and influential members of Macon Lodge, No. 999, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, which he joined at the time of its organiza- tion at Macon, and of which he had the distinction of being chosen the first exalted ruler. He was also the first representative of the 'local lodge in the national grand lodge, at the meeting held in the city of Denver in 1906, and in the following year he was again its representative in the grand lodge at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a member of Macon Camp, No. 27, Woodmen of the World, and was delegate of the same order at the meeting of the national organization of the fraternity, in the city of Milwaukee, in 1903. He is well known throughout his native county and his circle of friends is limited only by that of his acquaintances.
On the 18th of October, 1899, Mr. Inghes was united in marriage to Miss Cora Alderman, who likewise was born and reared in Macon county, being a daughter of Wesley W. Alderman, a representative farmer of Hudsen township. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes have had two chil- dren, Daniel Shelton, who is now nine years of age, and Dorothy, who died in April, 1906, at the age of three years.
JAMES BAILEY.
For more than threescore years this excellent citizen and indus- trious and progressive farmer has been a resident of Macon county, and during the whole period of his activity has been busily and product- ively connected with the industries that formed the foundation and have aided materially in building the superstructure of the county's wealth, commercial greatness, and intellectual and moral standing. His whole life to this time has been passed in the county and he may safely be taken as a representative of its people, for he is thoroughly imbued
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HISTORY OF MACON COUNTY
with their spirit and in line, actively and practically, with all their worthy aspirations.
Mr. Bailey was born in Macon county on February 26, 1849, and is a son of Joseph and Elvira (Lovern) Bailey, natives of Virginia and early residents of this state. The father came to Missouri in 1830, and located in Macon county in 1846. He was married on March 25, 1848, and by his marriage became the father of ten children, nine of whom reached maturity, and eight of these are still living: James, the subject of this memoir; Elizabeth, the wife of E. A. Fletcher, who lives in Iowa; Rebecca, the wife of W. S. Hawkins, of Clarence, Mis- souri; Susan, the wife of D. W. Edwards, whose home is at Ethel, Missouri; Angeline, the wife of Henry Busher, who resides in Spring- field, Illinois; J. M. and W. T., citizens of Elmer, and Lula, the wife of Angus Teskey, of Boulder, Montana. The father died on January 28, 1895, and the mother on April 14, 1905.
James Bailey grew to manhood on his father's farm, and when lie could be spared from its exacting claims and duties, attended the dis- triet school in the neighborhood. The country was yet somewhat in the condition of the frontier and its reduction to productiveness and a systematic yield of the fruits of farming, which would contribute to the sustenance of the people and had a market value, required every force that was available and left the boys and girls of the time very limited opportunities to attend even the common or local schools, to say nothing of those devoted to what is called higher education. After leaving school Mr. Bailey still continued to work on the farm with his father until he attained his majority. He then tried his hand in mercantile life by working as a elerk and salesman in a store for one year, devoting himself earnestly to the duties of his position and try- ing to get up sufficient enthusiasm over it to make it overcome his inclination to farming, which he still felt potential and urgent within him.
But Nature had fitted him well for one kind of a career and she stubbornly resisted his attempts to work himself up in another. The store experiences, full of variety and incident as they were, did not satisfy him, and after what he considered a fair trial of them he abandoned the effort to make them attractive and again turned his attention to tilling the soil and the pursuits allied with that. IIe has adhered to them ever since, and they have rewarded his fidelity with a competence for life and high standing in the county as a farmer of capacity and progressiveness and a citizen worthy of general esteem and commendation.
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Mr. Bailey is a Democrat in political faith and he makes his faith show in steady, effective and appreciated service for his party. He is always expected to take the field for its candidates when the tocsin sounds, and he never disappoints the expectation. In party work and in his general demeanor he has shown capacity for public affairs and this has led to his being called to the administration of several township offices of trust and responsibility. He was township col- lector and township clerk for several terms, and was also a member of the school board for about three years. His services in these several positions were beneficial to the township and received the approval of the people. He based them on intelligence and breadth of view and condneted his work in rendering them with vigor, regularity, strict integrity and a considerate regard for the interests and feelings of all who were concerned in them.
In the fraternal life of the community Mr. Bailey has also taken an active and helpful interest. His religious connection is with the Chris- tian church. On September 7, 1875, he was joined in marriage with Miss Honor Williams, who was born and reared in this state. All of the children born to them are living. They are: Amanda, the wife of J. D. Green, of Ethel; Allan, who resides at Eher; Rebecca .J., the wife of W. C. Sears, who lives in the same town; Stella, the wife of Otis Wright, of Elmer, and Paul, who is still at home with his parents. In January, 1910, Mr. Bailey became the owner of the only hardware stock in Elmer, to which he is now giving his attention in connection with his farming.
1
JAMES C. PATTERSON.
AAlthough an eastern man by birth, training, association and activ- ity during the early years of his manhood, James C. Patterson, of Elmer, has lived in Missouri thirty-one years and throughout the whole of that period has taken an active part in the industries and been a force of value in the public affairs of the state. He is, therefore, thoroughly imbued with the spirit and aspirations of its people and in full sym- pathy with all their proper wishes and undertakings. They acknowl- edge with pleasure his worth as a man and his usefulness as a citizen, and freely accord him the esteem these high qualities of merit deserve.
Mr. Patterson was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, on Febru- ary 19, 1835, and is a son of Uriah and Katharine (Groover) Patter- son, the former a native of New Jersey and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father was born in 1799, and early in his manhood moved to the neighboring state of Pennsylvania, where every industry was thriving,
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and there worked diligently at his trade as a tinner until his death, which occurred in 1885. The mother died eight years earlier, passing away in 1877. They had thirteen children and eleven of them grew to maturity. Those living now are only James C. and his sister, Adeline, who is the wife of L. M. Coovert, of Harmony, Pennsylvania. Both have lived useful lives and are comfortable in their advanced age in a worldly way, and cheered by the universal regard and courteous attention of all who know them.
James C. Patterson was reared in his native city and obtained his education in the district schools that flourished in its midst. After leav- ing school he was apprenticed to a wheelwright and learned the trade in several years of faithful and industrious attention to the instructions of his preceptor. After completing his apprenticeship he worked at his trade until the beginning of the Civil war. He was cordially attached to the Union of the states and deemed it his duty to aid in preventing its dismemberment. He therefore enlisted for the war in the Eighteenth Ohio Battery of Artillery and was soon at the front. His command was a busy one during the whole period of the momentous conflict. It was constantly on the march or in the field, and in numerous bloody bat- tles paid its full tribute to the cause it was defending in the blood and lives of its valiant members. Mr. Patterson took part in the battles of Chiekamanga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and many others of varying degrees of importance. He escaped the fate of many of his comrades and returned from the deluge of death unharmed.
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