USA > North Carolina > Watauga County > A history of Watauga County, North Carolina. With sketches of prominent families > Part 31
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Asa Reese, Pioneer .- Valentine Reese came from Germany to America about 1750 and married Christina Harman, settling at the old Bowers Place, now called Trade, Tenn. Their chil- dren were: John, born in 1770 and married Sarah Eggers, John dying at age seventy and his wife at age ninety-six. They reared ten children: Hiram, born in 1798, married Rhoda Smith and settled in Watauga. They had six children, and after Rhoda's death Hiram married Martha McCall, six children hav-
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ing blessed this union. A divorce followed, and two years later Hiram married his third wife, Jane Widby, by whom he had one child, a daughter. Hiram died July 9, 1872, aged seventy-four years. Asa, son of Hiram and Rhoda, was born May 9, 1820, and married Catharine Wagner February 27, 1845, settling two miles from what is now Mountain City, Tenn. His wife joined the Baptist Church in February, 1872, and he in December, 1876. They had ten children, one of whom, a girl, dying in childhood. Asa died November 27, 1898, and was buried near his home and daughter, Rhoda. Asa's children were Jehiel, Asa, John, Nelson, Cinderella, Mahetebel. After the death of his first wife Hiram Reese moved his family to what was known as the old Jim Reese house, below Phillip Greer's on Cove Creek, in 1830. In 1832, during a cold spell, a family named Hutchinson, with their team, were added to the family of fourteen already at the small house, where they remained till warm weather, without money and without price. During this time Asa and his brother had to sleep on the open porch, with a snow coverlet frequently to keep them warm. In copartnership with Samuel Reese, of Buncombe, Hiram Reese lost much money wagoning to South Carolina, and the sheriff sold him out for debt about 1834-35, and the family was broken up. In the fall of 1838 Asa, with Alfred Adams (father of T. P. Adams) and Sarah Mast, took a trip to Sequachy Valley, Tenn., near Collins River, Warren County, Asa's father having consented that the boy should keep all he earned after reaching nineteen years of age. In the fall of 1840 Asa, with Hiram McBride, Riley Wil- son, two of Asa's uncles, a girl named Roland, and two daugh- ters of Jacob Reese, went to the Platt Purchase, Mo., 300 miles west of the Mississippi River, where he stopped with his uncle, James Webb, crossing the Platt River at New Market. But McBride got home-sick and returned. Asa returned to this State in the spring of 1844 in company with John Ellington and Reuben Sutherland, going to his uncle, Bennett Smith's, and his cousins, George and Polly Hayes. In the summer of 1844 he worked for awhile with the Fairchild ladies on Howard's Creek, where he flirted with a girl named Winkler whom these ladies
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had hired to weave for them, much to their disgust. But Asa concluded that "old maids are the most jealous, superstitious, whining old things that belong to the human family." He de- cided not to enlist for the Mexican War, visiting his father in Russell County, Virginia, and finding him in poverty, but he declared he loved him as much and reverenced him more than if he had given him a couple of thousands of dollars, adding that children who are aided by their parents often forget them, and sometimes their God, as well. While Asa was a small boy he and his brother attended Sunday School in a small old log house which stood at the mouth of a hollow, just below where the widow, Ann Farthing, used to live on Beaver Dams. This must have been about 1828, and was undoubtedly the first Sunday School of which there is any record known to this writer. Thus, to the many other good deeds, the Farthings have the glory of having instituted Sunday Schools, now universal, then unknown. The house in which Asa was born stood on a branch of Sharpe's Creek and was built of logs, with puncheon floor, the chimney of which was built of stone inside and of wood outside to the top of the mantelpiece, above which it was of sticks and clay. It was covered with old-fashioned clap-boards. His father had a smoke house for his meat, though many hung their meat in the gables of their homes, thus giving all kinds of meat a chance to become smoked yellow, including hog, beef, bear, venison, coon, etc.
Col. J. J. T. Reese, eldest son of Asa Reese, was born near Mountain City (then Taylorsville), Tenn., June 21, 1849, where he was educated, and afterwards taught school at Butler and elsewhere. He was in the mercantile business at Butler in co- partnership with L. L. Maples, afterwards moving to his farm on Beaver Dams, N. C., where he remained three years. He married Margaret N. Wagner, daughter of N. T. Wagner, Esq., near Shouns, Tenn., April 19, 1880. She was a granddaughter of David Wagner, who came from Davie County, North Caro- lina, partly cutting his way through the mountains to Roan Creek, where he settled and became owner of a thousand acres of that fertile land. After his marriage, J. J. T. Reese moved
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permanently to his Beaver Dams farm, where he farmed and dealt in live stock for a time, afterwards engaging in the lumber and timber business. He has refused all offices except that of justice of the peace, preferring a quiet life to politics. Five children bless this union, the entire family being members of the Baptist Church.
Rivers Family .- Dr. James Gray Rivers was a son of Samuel and Rebecca Rivers, who were Virginians by birth. Rebecca Rivers was born Grey, while Samuel Rivers was a descendant of one of three brothers who came to America from England, land- ing at Edisto Island, S. C., one of them having been named Horace, as is evidenced by his name engraved on a heavy silver ladle now in the possession of Rev. Dr. Murray and wife, of Spencer, N. C., Mrs. Murray having been a Rivers before her marriage. Dr. James Grey Rivers married Miss Lucretia Jane Rhea, who was born at Clarksburg, W. Va., near the Ohio River. Her father was R. P. Rhea, also born in West Virginia, and a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. He became a teacher of great note, and had the honor of having taught Gen. T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson, as will be seen from any authentic life of that great Confederate soldier. He was a dull student, according to Mr. Rhea. Dr. J. G. Rivers refugeed from Carter County, Tennessee, to Watauga County, North Carolina, during the Civil War, serving in the Home Guard till the capture of Camp Mast in February, 1865. He suffered many hardships and lost much property, living as he did on the border line between Tennessee and North Carolina. He moved to Boone in 1865, where he practiced his profession of medicine till his death in 1878. He left four children, all of whom are living except one. R. C. Rivers, Miss Nannie Rivers and the wife of J. W. Farthing survive.
Sands Family .- David Sands was born April 4, 1791, and died June 30, 1884. His father was Joseph Sands, who was born in 1743 and died October 15, 1821. He came from Scotland. The Sands family lived about three miles east of Boone, and a postoffice of that name still recalls the family name. David was a son of Joseph. Of David Dr. Elisha Mitchell has this to say in letters to his wife, published by the University of North
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Carolina, 1905 (p. 56) : "Rode from Shearer's down to David Sands, Esq., a bachelor with three or four sisters, and his mother with him. He showed me some ore from Tennessee which he supposed to be antimony, but which proved to be micaceous oxide of iron. Walked with him to see a white substance in the creek on his land. It was the porcelain clay. Sands rode down with me to Esquire Miller's. We passed through a meadow, beauti- ful like those of Yankeeland." This was David Miller's.
Shearer Family .- Robert Shearer the first was a Scotchman and came to Ashe before the county was formed from Wilkes. He settled near Three Forks Church, to the left of the road and at the foot of a hill still called Shearer's Hill. Just when he was born or the maiden name of his wife are not known now. He lived to a great age and his grave is in the graveyard of Three Forks Baptist Church, of which he was a consistent member. There were eight children: John Shearer, born August 9, 1792; died January 2, 1858. He married Mary Greene, April 27, 1815. She was born August 15, 1797, and died August 30, 1868. Louisa Shearer, born May 7, 1817, married Thomas Cottrell and died January 31, 1896. Susannah Shearer was born December 10, 1818, married William Cot- trell and died December -, 1896. Robert Shearer was born July 24, 1823; married, first, Myra Coffey, November 26, 1854, and, second, Martha Estes, February 19, 1860. He died Decem- ber 2, 1895. His widow survives. John Shearer was born May 5, 1828; died January 1I, 1908. William Shearer, born June 28, 1830, and moved to the West. Sarah Shearer, born March 7, 1843, and moved to the West. Hannah Shearer was born May II, 1838; married Milton Brown, who is dead, but she survives and lives on New River. Mary Shearer, born May 15, 1843; died April 25, 1844. The daughters of the first Robert Shearer were: I. Elizabeth, who married Joseph Greene; 2. Sallie, who married Gilbert Hodges; 3. Polly, who married Richard Greene; 4. Nancy, who married Daniel Greene, brother of Richard. Robert Shearer's sons were: Jack, who married Mary Greene, sister of David and Richard; Thomas, who married Patsy Farthing, daughter of Rev. William.
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Children of Robert Shearer, the Second .- Milton Shearer was born September 4, 1855; married Mary Ann Estes, Sep- tember 25, 1884, and lives in Lenoir. Mary Shearer was born October 31, 1861; married L. N. Perkins, May 18, 1889, and lives at the old Shearer homestead, near Boone. Myra Shearer, born November 8, 1863; married J. G. Pulliam, July 24, 1888, and lives in the West.
Sherrill Family .- William W. Sherrill was born January 23, 1828, in Caldwell County, and he married Mary Hartley, who was born August 14, 1830, in Caldwell County. William W. died January II, 1903, while his widow still survives. They were married in 1849. Their children were: George P., who was born December 9, 1850, at Deals Mills, Caldwell County, and married Mary Grider, March 28, 1869. Their second son was David, who went to Texas, where he died; Louisa married Wade Sherrill; Jason married Titia Wilson; Vienna married William Edmisten; Zeb Vance married Free Love Cole; George M. married Rebecca Payne and went first to Cherokee and then to Kansas, where he married a second time; William, who mar- ried Mary Hartley; Thomas, who married, first, Polly Wilson, and, second, a Satterwhite, and, third, a Sherrill; Sarah, who married William Wilson; Amanda, who married Miles Bow- man. Still another married a White and moved to Cherokee. The father of David was William, who was born in 1733 and died in 1829. He had at least two children, David and William. Tradition says these were English people who came first to New York and thence to North Carolina, settling on Catawba River, at Sherrill's Ford, below Newton. William was a farmer and wagonmaker and a man of all work.
Shull Family .- From the genealogy of Simon Shull and family, taken on Watauga River, Ashe County, North Carolina, January 30, 1814, the following is culled: Simon was son of Frederick and Charity, born in Lincoln County October 24, 1767. Mary Sheifler, daughter of Philip and Mary Ormatenfer Sheifler, was born May 5, 1772, in Loudoun County, Virginia. Simon Shull's children were Elizabeth, born on John's River, March 6, 1791; the rest were born on Watauga River; Mary,
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born March 19, 1793; Sarah, born March 2, 1795; Phillip, born February 15, 1797; John, born March 24, 1799; Joseph, born April 22, 1801 ; Temperance, born October 16, 1804; Eliza- beth, born April 10, 1808. Simon Shull married Mary Sheifler on Upper Creek of Catawba River, March 25, 1790, Wm. Pen- land officiating. Elizabeth Shull died February 15, 1794, two years and eleven months old; Joseph died April 7, 1886; Eliza- beth died January 2, 1897; Adeline Taylor died April 15, 1894. Joseph Shull married Lizzie Mast October 28, 1835; W. F. Shull married Mary Brown September 28, 1869; Temperance Shull married W. H. Horton March 24, 1861; N. S. Shull mar- ried Mary Gilmore; P. P. Shull married Cindy Gragg March 26, 1866; B. C. Shull married Ollie Berry; John T. Shull mar- ried Chaney Hayes November 5, 1874; J. M. Shull married Sarah Greene January 12, 1882, and after her death he married Allie Baird August 30, 1888; John T. Taylor married Addie Shull March 28, 1878; Mary married David Mast; Sarah mar- ried James Ward; Phillip married Phobe Ward; Joseph mar- ried Lizzie Mast; Temperance married Ben Councill; Elizabeth married Noah Mast. Joseph Shull's children were: William F., born September 18, 1836; Temperance C., born August 7, 1838; Noah S., born April 15, 1840; Phillip P., born July 20, 1842; Ben. C., born October 23, 1845; John T., born October 27, 1853; James M., born May 23, 1859; Mary Adeline, born March 28, 1861.
Phillip Shull's Family .- Phillip married Phoebe Ward and their children were: Elizabeth, who married Wm. Cannon ; N. Canada, who married Elmyra Green; Matilda, who married Jesse Gragg; Thomas, who married Polly Spainhour; Polly, who married James Edmisten; Rhoda, who died unmarried; Sarah, who married Phillip Duvall; Temperance, who married A. J. Baird; William, who married Eugenia Campbell; Carolina, who married Alexander Ward; Simon, who married Martha Baird; Joseph Carroll, who married Eliza I. Mast; Phœbe Sophina, who married Peter Dana.
Smith Family .- George Smith was the first of this family to come to these mountains, arriving about 1780. According to his
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Bible, he died April 30, 1838, aged ninety-one years and fifty days. Elizabeth, his wife, died March 8, 1842, aged ninety-two years and - days. Their children were: Abner, died May 20, 1850, aged sixty-nine years. He had two sons, Bennett and Jehiel; Bennett died November 15, 1844, aged forty-two years, eight months and twenty-two days; Abner. Mehetabel was the wife of Abner. She was born Fairchild and died March 3, 1855, aged eighty-four years, nine months and sixteen days ; Bennett Smith married Elizabeth Moody December 23, 1824. Bennett Smith's children were: Abner, who married Chaney Green; Polly, who married George Hayes. Abner's children were: Bennett, who married a Kimes; Polly, who married James Rayfield; Elijah, who married Emma Austin; Elizabeth, not married; Sally, who married Pink Henson; George, who married, first, Emma Price, and, second, Mary Bingham; Rebecca, who married Julius Isenhour. The daughters of the first Abner were: Rhoda, born August 27, 1799; Mary, born February 27, 1802; Elizabeth, who married Jacob Reese, March 17, 1825; Susannah, who married Jacob Moody April 28, 1831 ; Rebecca, who married Jacob Norris March 27, 1835; Mary, who married Wm. Roland June 6, 1835. Jehiel was born Sep- tember 16, 1806, and died January 10, 1885. He was twice married, his first wife having been Rachel Adams and his second wife Elizabeth Dugger, whom he married September 15, 1835.
Jehiel's children were: Ebenezer, born March 3, 1828; Ben- nett, born January 29, 1835, and married Jane Green December 6, 1856; Wiley, born June 27, 1836, never married; Carolina, born January 5, 1838, never married; Rhoda, born March 22, 1839, married Finley P. Mast; Henry, born March 3, 1841, never married; William, born September 18, 1842, never mar- ried; Mary, born October 9, 1845, married Tillett Combs ; Martha, born June 15, 1847, and Jehiel, born October 27, 1849. Martha married D. J. Lowrance.
Bennett Smith married Jane Green December 6, 1856, and their children were: Carolina, born May 3, 1857, and died April 26, 1859; John C. Smith, born January 28, 1861, and married Sarah C. Mast January 2, 1881. Abner and Bennett
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Smith settled at Silverstone, Abner having been in the legislature in 1821 and 1825, while his great-grandson, Abner W., was sent there in 1914.
Story Family .- This name is also spelt Storie. The first of the family who came to Western North Carolina was Jesse, who settled on King's Creek. He came from Pennsylvania and mar- ried Frances Bradley. Their children were Joshua, John and Eli, all of whom married and reared large families, Eli moving with his family to Missouri many years ago. About 1815 Joshua and John were living on the old Thomas Lenoir place on the Yadkin River, both having married Greens, but about 1825 they removed with their families to Ashe County, follow- ing members of their wives' families, one of whom settled at the Wm. Gragg place and the other at Blowing Rock, near the present store of Mr. Holtshouser, while a third settled at what is now Green Park. The Storys, however, settled at what is now known as Bailey's Camp, where Thomas H. Story, son of Joshua, was born. The nearest mill to their home at that time was what is now known as Winkler's, two miles south of Boone. The children of Joshua were: Elvira, William, Thomas, Lucy, Channie, Jesse, Amos, Isaac, Rufus, Martha and Noah. John's children were: Walter, Bettie, Ann, Jonathan, Rachel, Eliza, Sena, Mary and Jesse. William, Noah and Jesse (son of John) were in the Federal army in the Civil War, while Walter, Jona- than, Rufus, Jesse (son of Joshua) and Amos were conscripted into the Southern army. Isaac was in the Home Guard. Some of the others tried to enlist in the Federal army, but could not get through the lines. The homes of the Storys were open to the Federal soldiers and sympathisers, and the women of the families often waded the streams to carry food to outlyers, Bettie and Lucy once taking a wounded Yankee to Coffey's Gap in the night on an old horse, while on another occasion they hunted and found the body of a man named Hines, who had been killed by the Home Guard, and buried it decently. Jesse, son of John, is the only survivor. It is said that the Toledo Blade a few years ago stated that the Story family came to America on the Mayflower in 1620, but afterwards moved to
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Pennsylvania. This is a very prolific family, the single school district of Aho having out of 105 children of school age, twenty- nine Storys. Of the present family, Mr. G. L. Story has been active in promoting good roads in Watauga County.
Swift Family .- Samuel Swift came from Germany and set- tled where Joseph Johnson now owns on Cove Creek. His chil- dren were: Samuel, who married -; Hila, who married Berryman Fletcher; Rhoda, who married James Lewis; Polly, who married Jack Horton, sheriff; Sarah, who married William Proffitt; Emily, who married Bartlett Hilliard; Massy, who married Calvin Moody, and Nancy, who married Hugh Harman; Thomas, who married a Greene; Elias, who married an Adams, a daughter of Squire Adams.
Thomas' children were: Richard, born in 1845 and died in the Civil War; Enoch, born in 1847 and married Martha Mc- Bride; Clarissa, born in 1849 and married J. C. Davis; George, born in 1851 and married Jane McBride. Enoch is the father of Wiley, the distinguished friend of factory children. Samuel Swift deeded the land for the Cove Creek Baptist Church.
Tatum Family .- Elijah Tatum was born April 16, 1816, and married a cousin, S. Goodin Tatum, November 21, 1852, near Old Fields, in Ashe. She was a daughter of Joseph Tatum and wife, Sarah Pearson. Joseph was reared in Ashe, but Miss Pearson came from Burke. Elijah's father was George and was reared in Ashe and was a brother of Joseph. Their home was what is now Riverside. George married Delphia Jennings, of Old Fields. The father of George and Joseph was James and a soldier of the Revolutionary War. James' wife was a Miss Shep- pard, of Ashe. James was born in Rowan County, from which he came to Ashe before the Revolutionary War when he was about fourteen years old. His father had come to America from England. Elijah had nine children. Only two of his boys lived to be grown-George and John. George married a daughter of Jacob Walters, of Burke, and John married Zora C. Tugman about 1880. Her father was Thomas Tugman and his wife was Anzanette Davis, daughter of W. S. Davis. Elijah's children were: James, who married Julia, and Senter, who married
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Evelyn Tatum, sisters, and daughters of Joseph Tatum. George Tatum had two brothers, Joseph and Buckner, the latter having married a Miss Sheriff of Ashe. John Lee Tatum is a son of Elisha, and has an old sword which tradition says was used by James Tatum in the Revolutionary War. James is buried in Ashe County, near Riverside, the new railroad station. James and Senter, sons of Elijah, moved to Newtonia, Mo., where James died about 1907. Buckner moved to Georgia about 1845.
Tester Family .- Samuel Tester came from Scotland and set- tled at the mouth of Cove Creek before 1840. His wife was a Miss Foster. Their children were: Robin and Ransom, Jennie, who married Hiram Hix; Ellen, who died young, and another who married a man in Tennessee. Robin married first a daugh- ter of. David Hix and their children were Finley, Harman and Elizabeth. Robin's second wife was Katie Ward, daughter of Duke, and their children were Robin, Duke, James and Samuel ; Sarah, who married Councill Harman, and another daughter who married Waightstill Davis; Celie, who married a Panther, and still another who married Link Pressly. Ransom married Fannie Hix, daughter of Harman, and their children were Harman, Samuel, Ellen and Polly.
Thomas Family .- William Thomas was the first of the name and was born in Salem, N. C., and married Sarah Sutherland, of Ashe County. Their children were Alfred, Margaret, Sarah, Joseph, Steven and William. By a second marriage to Mary Greer, there were the following children: William K., Thomas, Wiley and Elizabeth. Alfred was born in 1823 and married Malinda Wilson; Joseph was born in 1825 and married Sarah Wilson; Stephen was born in 1837 and married Lidia Porter; Sarah was born in 1828 and married Alexander Osborn; Mar- garet was born in 1821 and married Reuben Potter; William, born in 1834, married a Miss Potter; Alexander, born January 26, 1830, at Sutherland, and married Elmira M. Ward in 1853. Alex. ran away from his uncle, Joseph, when the former was about eighteen years of age, going to Missouri, where he re- mained about eighteen months, and then crossed the plains to California in 1849. He returned via the Panama route in 1853.
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He married Elmira M. Ward in 1853 or 1854 and settled at the old Samuel Baker farm on lower Watauga River, where Samuel Baker had lived till about 1909. (Ashe County Deed Book D, pp. 207, 210.) He died December 13, 1909, and was buried at St. John's Church.
Col. Joe B. Todd .- He was born September 2, 1822, and died December II, 1903. From the old Todd family Bible, printed in Edinborough by Mark and Charles Kerr, MDCCXCI, it is learned that James Todd was born July 31, 1757, and Margaret Erwin, his wife, October 14, 1759. These were married March II, 1784; and that John Sharp Todd, father of James, was born December II, 1724, and his wife, Nancy, was born June 7, 1739. James Todd died November 17, 1814. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and Mrs. Lizzie McGhee, of Boone, has the old powder-horn he used in that war.
Col. Joe B. Todd's first wife was Caroline McGhee, a daugh- ter of the first Jordan Councill, and wife of William McGhee, who was born December 5, 1830, and died September 1, 1873. Two of their children are buried in the cemetery at Boone: Joe C. Todd, born November 8, 1855, and died November I, 1858, and Maggie E., born July 7, 1853, and died February 12, 1858. James Polk Todd and Mary, wife of F. P. Moore, and William G. Todd, three of his children, survive him.
Colonel Todd's second wife was Mrs. Eliza Edmisten, widow of Harrison Edmisten and a daughter of Mr. Dancey, of Wilkes County.
Colonel Todd was a non-commissioned officer in the Mexican War, having first volunteered in Boone, but, there being delay in calling out the volunteers from Ashe County, he went to Cabar- rass County, joined a company there and went to Mexico with them, participating in several battles. He received a pension till the Civil War, and it was restored long after the close of that struggle. He was colonel of the 98th North Carolina militia.
He was a candidate for clerk of the Superior Court in August, 1852, but was defeated by George M. Bingham, who, however, resigned, owing to an impediment in his speech, and a young lawyer named Clewell was appointed in his place. Upon
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Clewell's removal from Watauga, Col. Joe B. Todd was ap- pointed by the court, and he was sent for in the night, his resi- dence then being at Dugger, now Penly Postoffice, east of the Blue Ridge. He was first lieutenant in Company D of the Ist North Carolina cavalry in the Civil War, but resigned on ac- count of heart disease and returned home. He re-entered the service soon, however, joining the 37th North Carolina Infantry. After the close of the war, he was elected clerk of the Superior Court and served till the arrival of Judge J. L. Henry, when he was removed because he could not take the iron-clad oath. He was elected to the legislature in 1872, and then in 1882 to the office of clerk of the Superior Court, which office he held for twelve years after the close of the Civil War. With his ten years' service before the Civil War, this makes the longest service of anyone in this office in Watauga County. Colonel Todd was highly esteemed by all. He was a fine sportsman, delighting in hunting and fishing.
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