USA > Wisconsin > Sheboygan County > History of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, past and present > Part 25
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
Hon. Michael Kirwan in 1899 followed Judge Gilson and is still the pre- siding judge of the fourth circuit. He is the first judge of that court to be selected from the Manitowoc bar. It is perhaps too early to write all his history as a judge, but not too early to comment to some extent upon that which has been. The fact that his repeated elections have been practically unanimous, at least without opposition, are strong indications of his success as a judge. He has a firm grasp on the underlying principles of the law and his strong sense of what is right, good common sense and integrity of pur- pose is unquestioned. He is still in the prime of life and apparently has many years of useful work in prospect.
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY BAR
Perhaps no body of men, not excepting the clergy, may exercise a greater influence for good in a community than those who follow the pro- fession of the law, and it must be admitted that to no other body, not even to the so-called criminal classes, are committed greater possibilities for an influence for evil. What that influence shall be depends upon the char- acter of the men who constitute the bar of the community-not merely on their ability or learning but on their character. If the standard of morality among the members of the bar is high, the whole community learns to look at questions of right and wrong from a higher plane. If the bar consciously or unconsciously adopts a low standard of morality, it almost inevitably con- taminates the conscience of the community. And this is true not only in the practice of the profession itself, not only because of the influence of mem- bers of the bar as men rather than lawyers, but in the effect upon other pro- fessions and occupations to which the bar acts as a feeder. The members of the legislature are recruited largely from the legal profession. How can legislation, designed solely for the welfare of the public, be expected from one whose honor as a lawyer has not been above suspicion? And since law- yers, outside of the legislature, have a great influence in shaping the law, how can the people expect that influence to be exerted in their behalf when the bar itself is unworthy? Still more does the character of the bar affect the judiciary, which is supplied from its ranks. It is not always, perhaps not generally, the case that members of the bench are chosen from those lawyers who have attained the highest rank in their profession. If a judge be industrious and honest, but not of great ability, or if he be able and hon- est, though lacking industry, the rights of the litigants are not likely to suf- fer seriously at his hands. But there have been instances where judicial office was bestowed solely as a reward for political service; and while it is sometimes realized that one who has been a strenuous and not too scrupu- lous politician up to the moment of his elevation to the bench, has thereafter
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forgotten that there was such a trade as politics and has administered justice without fear or favor, the experiment is a dangerous one. No one need be surprised if in such a case the old maxim holds true: "He who buys the office of judge must of necessity sell justice." Let our judges be men who are subject to other influences than those of the facts submitted to them and the law applicable to those facts, let them lack that independence which is an imperative requisite to one who holds the scale of justice, let a well founded suspicion arise that their decisions are dictated by something outside of their own minds and consciences, and the confidence of the people in the mainten- ance of their rights through the agency of the courts is destroyed.
It has been the good fortune of the city and county of Sheboygan that the members of the bar here have been, for the most part, men of high character as well as of ability and learning, so that its bar has won a high and honorable reputation throughout the rest of the state and because of the high character of the bar it has followed that those of its members who have been elevated to the bench have enjoyed the confidence and respect of the public and have been honored not only in their own locality but in many cases throughout the state and in other states.
Yet the preparation of the history of the bar, so far at least as that part of it which lies back of one's own generation is concerned, is attended with considerable difficulty. Probably few men who in their time play important parts in the community or even in the state or nation, leave so transient a reputation as lawyers do. A writer on this subject who took for his text the Lawyers of Fifty Years Ago, said: "In thinking over the names of these distinguished men of whom I have been speaking, the thought has come to me how evanescent and limited is the lawyer's reputation, both in time and space. I doubt very much if a lawyer, whatever his standing, is much known to the profession outside of his own state." Those who attain high rank in the profession must realize that with rare exceptions their names are "writ in water." One may turn over the leaves of old reports and find repeated again and again as counsel in different cases the name of some lawyer who must have been in his time a power in the courts, only to wonder if he has ever seen that name outside of the covers of the dusty reports in which it appears. Hamilton, in the conventions, in the Federalist and in the treasury, and Webster, in the senate and in public orations, have perpetuated and increased the fame of lawyers Hamilton and Webster; but were it not for their services outside the strict limits of their profession one might come upon their names at this date with much the same lack of recog- nition as that with which one finds in a reported case the names of some counsel, great perhaps in his own time, but long since forgotten.
And there is another difficulty in preparing such a history as this; brief and therefore necessarily limited to a few names, and that is that some may be omitted who are quite as worthy of mention as those whose names ap- pear. It is not often that any one man stands as a lawyer head and shoul- ders above the other members of the profession; and the same may be said of any half dozen men. In many cases the most careful measurement would fail to disclose a difference of more than a fraction of an inch, if any. Lives of eminent men who have at some period been practicing lawyers
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have contained the assertion that while they were engaged in the practice of their profession they were the "leaders of the bar;" but there is almost always room for doubt as to whether the title is now a brevet bestowed by the biographer alone. Therefore the mention in this article of certain law- yers must not be taken as any disparagement of those who are not men- tioned, and, finally, it is to be observed that this article, so far as the bar is concerned, will treat not only of those members who are past and gone but will make mention of some of those now in the flesh.
As to the first lawyers to practice at this bar and their personalities, but little, if any, information is left to the historian to relate. No one has been found who knew them and all that has been learned concerning the pioneer lawyers of the Sheboygan county bar is only "hearsay" and must be taken for what that kind of evidence is worth. One Dr. Coela, who settled at Sheboygan Falls in 1844, was credited by the pioneers as a lawyer but whether he was entitled to the distinction or not is hard to say. If he was, then Coela was the pioneer of the legal profession of Sheboygan county.
Cyrus P. Hiller was clerk of the circuit court in 1847 and was early in partnership with David Taylor.
Harrison C. Hobart became a resident of Sheboygan in the early '40s and was one of the first members of this bar. He represented the district in the senate in 1848 and was a member and speaker of the assembly in 1849. He represented Calumet county in the assembly in 1859 and was a member of that body from Milwaukee later on. Hobart went into the army as captain of Company K, Fourth Regiment Infantry, and was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Twenty-first Wisconsin in July, 1862. He re- ceived his commission as colonel of the same regiment in 1863 and was brevetted brigadier general in 1865. General Hobart was taken prisoner by the Confederates in September, 1863, and was one of the fortunate ones to escape from Andersonville by digging a tunnel under and out of the stockade.
One of the ablest lawyers at this bar was J. R. Sharpstein, who was dis- trict attorney in 1848. He later removed to Milwaukee and became the candidate for governor on the democratic ticket.
E. Fox Cook was a good lawyer and maintained a lucrative practice in the '40s. The records show he was district attorney in 1849 and state sena- tor in 1857-8. Mr. Cook later moved to La Crosse and from there to Mil- waukee, where he died.
James McMullen Shafter was one of the early practitioners at this bar and a leader here in his profession. He was speaker of the Wisconsin as- sembly in 1852. Some years later he went to California and was elected lieutenant governor of that state.
George S. Graves was practicing at the Falls as early as 1852. He was district attorney in 1855-6.
Among other early lawyers were P. H. O'Rourke, who served the dis- trict in the state senate; Albert Phalen, W. R. Woodbury and Edward El- well. The latter was district attorney in 1853-4. Crosby W. Ellis was dis- trict attorney in 1857-8; E. B. Treat in 1863-4; J. H. Jones, 1865.
Conrad Krez was one of the ablest and most widely known German citi-
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zens of Wisconsin. When a young man he entered the law department of the University of Heidelberg and in 1848 escaped to France, as a political refugee. He came to the United States in 1850 and to Sheboygan in 1854, where he immediately began the practice of law. He was district attorney eight years, and in 1885 was appointed collector of the port at Milwaukee by Grover Cleveland. After retiring from office he resumed his practice, forming a partnership with his son, Paul T. Krez, the present county judge.
John E. Thomas began the practice of law at Milwaukee in 1858, and in 1865 opened an office in Sheboygan Falls. In connection with his prac- tice he engaged in banking and journalism, buying the Sheboygan County News in 1878.
William Henry Seaman is a son of William and Arlisle Seaman, early settlers of Sheboygan county. He came to Sheboygan with his parents in the winter of 1845-6, and was educated in the public schools. After serv- ing his country he returned from the Civil war and resumed the study of law, which he had undertaken while a typo in the office of the Evergreen City Times. His early preceptor was C. W. Ellis, a prominent lawyer of that day, with whom he studied several years. Later he placed himself under the .tutelage of J. A. Bentley, one of Sheboygan's eminent lawyers. He was admitted to the bar in 1868. Seaman then entered into partnership with Mr. Bentley, which connection continued until the latter was appointed commissioner of pensions under President Grant. A partnership was then formed with Francis Williams, which was dissolved in 1893, when Mr. Seaman was appointed United States district judge for the eastern district of Wisconsin. He is now one of the justices of the United States court of appeals.
John H. Williams was one of the early attorneys at law to locate at She- boygan. He was a native of New York, his birth occurring in 1836. At an early age he read law with Hon. John H. Olmstead, of Coudersport, Penn- sylvania, and was admitted to the bar in 1857. That same year he came to Sheboygan in company with C. W. Ellis and commenced the practice of his profession. This partnership lasted until 1862, when Mr. Ellis left the city. Mr. Williams held the office of district attorney for several years. In 1870 he was state senator and in 1875 his death occurred.
Charles A. Dean was born in Sheboygan Falls in 1851. He taught school for some years, studied law with George W. Foster, and was admit- ted to the bar in Washington county in 1879. He practiced law at Port Washington one year and came to Sheboygan in 1881, entering into a partnership with Dennis T. Phalen, who had been admitted to the bar at Sheboygan city.
Edwin Clark was a comparatively early attorney, practicing at the She- boygan county bar after locating in Sheboygan Falls in 1872. He was a native of New York and was admitted to the bar at Binghampton in that state in 1859.
M. D. L. Fuller was born in the state of New York and came to Wiscon- sin in 1854 with his parents. He graduated from Milton College in 1871, was principal of the Sheboygan Falls high school during that year, and superintendent of schools for Sheboygan county in 1874-5; was a member
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of the general assembly in 1881; and opened a law office in Plymouth in 1885, becoming one of the prominent lawyers of the county.
Major C. Mead was born in the town of Lyndon in 1858. His parents came to Sheboygan county in 1848 from the state of New York. Mr. Mead was raised on a farm and attended the public schools. He taught in the district schools and later was principal of the ward schools at Sheboygan, meantime reading law. In the fall of 1880 he entered the law depart- ment of the Wisconsin State University and graduated in 1881. Mr. Mead then opened an office at Plymouth and became successful in his chosen pro- fession.
There were other lawyers of more or less distinction who practiced at the Sheboygan county bar whose names can only be given. Bille Williams was for many years county judge; Eugene Carey, H. H. Conklin, William Taylor, George T. Sumner.
The members of the Sheboygan county bar at the present time are the following : Sheboygan, Otto A. Bassuener, Felix Benfey, Theodore Benfey, E. R. Bowler, T. M. Bowler, Joseph W. Collins, W. B. Collins, F. H. Denison, Henry A. Detling, John M. Detling, Simon Gillen, George Heller, Jr., Paul T. Krez, A. C. Prescott, D. T. Phalen, Otto J. Trilling, E. R. Veech, Charles Voigt, Ed. Voigt, F. Vollrath, Francis Williams, Oscar Wolters, Allen D. Young, Miss E. A. Zufelt; Sheboygan Falls, J. H. James; Plymouth, M. C. Mead, H. J. Rooney.
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CHAPTER XIII
JOURNALISM
THIS COMMUNITY ABLY SERVED BY THE PRESS-NEWSPAPER PLANTS IN THE FRONT RANK OF PRESENT DAY EQUIPMENT, QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF NEWS AND MAKE-UP-EDITORIAL WRITERS OF ABILITY-LIST OF NEWS- PAPERS OF THE COUNTY PAST AND PRESENT. '
SHEBOYGAN DAILY PRESS, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Daily. Founded December, 1906, by A. H. Friese; continued until June, 1908; then sold to Chas. Weisse and incorporated as Press Publishing Co. same year. Continued with C. E. Broughton, editor, until March, 1912, then succeeded by Roland B. Rathbone as editor. Democratic.
THE SHEBOYGAN TRIBUNE, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. German. Founded by Alfred Marschner in Fond du Lac and removed to Sheboygan, April, 1875. Published by him until his death, Sep- tember 16, 1875; continued by his son Alfred Jr. until December, 1881 ; then discontinued. Republican.
THE FREEMAN, SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WIS.
Weekly. Founded by Joseph A. Smith in 1852; continued one year, then removed to Fond du Lac and continued as Commonwealth.
THE SHEBOYGAN DAILY JOURNAL, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Daily. Founded by Thos. H. Lynch and H. W. Bolens under the firm name of Bolens & Lynch, February, 1887. In 1888 the Journal Printing Co. was incorporated with Mr. Lynch as editor. Sold in 1890 to M. T. Stokes and Ed. Heyn, who continued until January 11, 1895, when it was purchased by W. M. Root. Root sold half interest in 1904 to L. E. Reed. In 1907 E. R. Veech and Fred C. Hotchin bought Root's remaining half. In 1909 Mrs. L. E. Reed and Mrs. S. W. Reed bought out E. R. Veech's interest and the Sheboygan Journal Co. was incorporated by L. E. Reed, Mrs. L. E. Reed and Mrs. S. W. Reed as sole owners of the stock. Democratic until present owners took charge. Now independent.
THE SHEBOYGAN REPUBLIKANER, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. German. Founded by Alfred Marschner about October, 1851. Continued by him until 1857; then purchased by Carl Zillier who commenced the publication of the National Demokrat. Democratic.
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DEMOCRATIC SECRETARY, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Founded June, 1853, by Jacob Quintus. Edited by C. E. Mor- ris. Suspended June, 1854, "for lack of an editor."
ZEITUNG, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. German. Established by August Pott, June, 1860; conducted by him (Conrad Krez, editor in 1860-61) till his death, September, 1872; then suspended. Revived (June, 1880) by his son, August W. Pott. Ab- sorbed Nieuwsbode, May, 1861 ; and Tribune, December, 1881. Republican.
EVERGREEN CITY TIMES, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Successor of Chronicle which was purchased by Hector N. Ross, January, 1854, and styled as above; title again changed (Jan. 1869) to Sheboygan Times ; conducted by Ross (with F. M. Porter, August, 1854- February, 1855; then with W. R. Stoddard till March, 1861; with W. R. Finch, 1870). Independent, till 1856; thereafter Republican.
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY NEWS, SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WIS.
Weekly. Founded at Sheboygan in 1876, by Flavius J. Mills; removed to Sheboygan Falls, May, 1878 .. Sold September 11 by Mills to J. E. Thomas; continued by him, assisted by W. C. Thomas as business manager until February 1, 1901. Then bought by W. C. Thomas who became sole proprietor and who has continued as publisher to the present time. Succes- sively Democratic, Greenback Democratic, and Independent. Has become a prominent exponent of the dairy interests of the northwest.
THE INDEPENDENT, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Daily. Founded by E. H. Dwight, March, 1890. Continued in connec- tion with the Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin on a clubbing arrangement. Suspended after a few months. Independent.
THE SHEBOYGAN AMERIKA AND SHEBOYGAN ZEITUNG, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Daily. Purchased by Sheboygan publishing Co. in 1905 and merged with the semi-weekly Zeitung and published since as a daily under above heading. Republican.
SHEBOYGAN ZEITUNG, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly until 1897; after that time semi-weekly. German. Founded by A. W. Pott in 1880. Conducted by him until December, 1904. Since then by Sheboygan Publishing Co., J. N. Ellenbecker, manager ; edited by O. F, Huhn. Republican.
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NORTHWESTERN RECORD, SHEBOYGAN FALLS, WIS.
Weekly. Founded March, 1867, by S. D. Littlefield, J. A. Straub and W. H. Connor. Burned out within three weeks but resumed in June. Purchased in Aug. by Chas. S. McCausland but suspended after two weeks. Devoted to temperance, agriculture, moral reform, etc.
THE PLYMOUTH SUN, PLYMOUTH, WIS.
Weekly. Established in Plymouth, Sept. 6, 1879, by L. K. Howe. Con- tinued by him until Nov. 10, 1882, when it was removed to Sheboygan and merged in The Sheboygan Herald and styled Sun and Herald. Republican.
PLYMOUTH REPORTER, PLYMOUTH, WIS.
Weekly. Established by C. D. Wells, October, 1872. After three years sold to A. F. Warden. Continued by him until August, 1890 (in partnership with H. W. Hostman after 1879) ; by Hostman and Otto Gaffron until Jan- uary, 1890; by Gaffron alone until October, 1895. Then sold to A. J. Strass- burger who continued as publisher until August, 1902, when the paper was sold to Reporter Publishing Company under which management it con- tinued until December, 1904, when the Reporter Company was dissolved and the paper sold to Gus W. Schiereck who has since continued it. Demo- cratic (except under Strassburger, Republican).
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY HERALD, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Successor (September, 1867) of Northwestern Record. Pur- chased October, 1868, by L. B. Noyes. Removed from Sheboygan Falls to Sheboygan January, 1870. Conducted by Noyes and J. L. Marsh until May, 1870. Continued by J. L. and George Marsh, and afterwards styled The Sheboygan Herald. Republican.
LAKE SHORE ADVOCATE, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Established by Carl Zillier, March, 1859. Continued by him nearly a year (with H. S. Ehrman after August). Democratic.
THE SHEBOYGAN HERALD, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Continuation of The Sheboygan County Herald by J. L. and George Marsh. The Sheboygan Herald was published by the Marshes for about eleven years, a part of which time J. L. Marsh was postmaster, the post office being under the office of publication, northwest corner Pennsyl- vania avenue and Eighth street. On May 6, 1881, they sold to Mrs. Au- guste Marschner & Son who continued until November 10, 1882, when they sold to L. K. Howe who combined the Plymouth Sun and the Sheboygan Herald under the name of Sun and Herald. Continued under this name until October, 1883, when the name Sheboygan Herald was resumed. Practically without change except in name only, the paper was published by
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Howe from November, 1882, until July, 1905. A stock company was then formed called The Herald Publishing Company that has continued the paper. Republican.
SHEBOYGAN LAKE JOURNAL, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Successor (July 1851) of Sheboygan Lake Democrat; con- ducted by F. J. Mills (with various temporary suspensions) until July, 1865 (with W. R. Woodbury, January-May, 1852; with E. E. Sharpe, De- cember 1856-December, 1858) ; then suspended. Styled Sheboygan Journal after 1856. Revived by Sharpe, August, 1865. Continued till about Octo- ber, 1868; then suspended.
VOLKSBLATT, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. German. Founded 1895 by Volksblatt Publishing Company, and conducted by them until 1905. Labor.
THE LAKE BREEZE, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Published semi-monthly by the Sheboygan High School. Founded April 15, 1896. Continued to the present time with yearly change of editors and managers. The founders and first editors and business managers were as follows: Editor-in-chief, W. C. Howe. Associate editors, literary, Katharine Buchanan, '97; Lydia C. Hoehle, '97; Adrian Wedemeyer, '99. Personal and local: Ella Becker, '96; Lottie Buchanan, '99; Georgia Lieu- rance, '99; Bertha Maurer, '96; Alice Squire, '98; John Walvoord, '96; Athletics : Henry Detling, '97; Wm. Faulkes, '96. Exchanges: Marie Kohler, '96; Frank Detling, '96. Business manager : Geo. Sheer. Assistant business manager : Wm. Zierath.
SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Established May or June, 1848, by Frank L. Goodrich; office burned out soon afterwards, but paper continued until April, 1849. Suc- ceeded in July following by Sheboygan Democrat, founded by A. D. and J. La Due; conducted by La Dues until spring of 1851 ; in June, purchased by F. J. Mills and merged in Sheboygan Lake Democrat (published by Mills and H. C. Hobart) ; continued as Sheboygan Lake Journal. Issued daily edition of Democrat in June, 1850.
SHEBOYGAN TIMES, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Continuation of Evergreen City Times; Conducted by Hector N. Ross, 1854-'97; then by Times Publishing Co., till suspended at close of 1898. Files of Times, also Mercury and Evergreen City Times purchased by L. K. Howe. Republican.
PLYMOUTH REVIEW, PLYMOUTH, WIS.
Weekly. Founded November, 1895 by F. Carroll and L. W. Bowers. They sold to Otto Gaffron on August 1, 1900. Mr. Gaffron sold to Herald
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Publishing Co. and Review Publishing Co., April, 1907. Democratic till 1900; since then Republican.
THE PLYMOUTH POST, PLYMOUTH, WIS.
Established October 2, 1886. German. C. F. Wandersleben and H. F. T. Wandersleben, editors and publishers. Established as a weekly; now semi-weekly. Independent.
SHEBOYGAN MERCURY, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. First regular paper in Sheboygan; founded February, 1847, by by J. M., G. W., and G. M. Gillett, and continued by them till suspension, November, 1852. Sold to Henry F. Eastman, January, 1853, and title changed to Weekly Chronicle; continued by Eastman through January, 1854 (with H. Lyman, during first six months), then succeeded by Evergreen City Times, edited by H. N. Ross, in 1848. Issued daily during summer of 1852. Whig; under Eastman, non-partisan.
NIEUWSBODE, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Weekly. Dutch. Founded October, 1849, by Jacob Quintus as "organ of Netherlanders in North America;" claimed to be the first Dutch paper in the United States; conducted by Quintus (with E. Verburg, during 1854) till May, 1859; sold to August Pott, March, 1858; suspended May, 1861, and merged in Zeitung. At first Democratic; 1856-October, 1857, Republi- can; then Democratic, for a time; but Republican, May, 1860, and after.
THE SHEBOYGAN TELEGRAM, SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Daily. Founded by R. W. Billett in September, 1887. Billett subse- quently organized the Telegram Publishing Company. Continued by this company until July, 1891, when the paper became the property of Wm. H. Burk and Wm. Bornefeld. Continued by Burk and Bornefeld until about 1900. They sold to W. E. Tallmadge who published it for about one year when it was purchased by Frank A. Zufelt, February, 1901. Continued by him to the present time under name of Telegram Printing Co., Frank A. Zufelt, editor. Republican.
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