(W. C. Harms)
Biographical Note:
William C. Harms was born in Lawrence County the son of Lutie and Dorathea (nee Markman) Harms on January 22, 1872. Lutie was born in Breddorf Hanover, and Dorthea was born in Madgeburg, in Germany. William was first married to Clara Malinda Vanatta, daughter of George Washington and Matilda (nee Middagh) Vanatta, on March 12, 1893. Clara was born in 1868. The following children were born to this union: Jasper W. (b. June 1894); Wilbur F. (b. Feb. 1896); Benjamin F. (b. abt. 1901); Russell I (b. abt. 1904). Clara died on January 12, 1913. William then married Mary Gould, daughter of Jerome and Lydia (nee Zimmerman) Gould on December 30, 1914. Mary died in August, 1958. William died February 23, 1953.
Editor’s Note:
Lathrop was once known as the Mule Capital of the World and was home to the Guyton and Harrington Mule and Horse farm that supplied horses and mules to the British Government during the Boer War from 1898 to 1901 and later to the Indian government. It was estimated that Guyton and Harrington supplied about 350,000 horses and mules during World War 1, making Lathrop, Missouri the Mule Capital of the world at that time.
Editor’s Note:
William added in a letter to the 1916 Press from Elkville, Illinois:
“I left Sumner and the “old homestead" (my birthplace) 10 years ago. Many changes have taken place in Sumner and the sacred old home church Beulah and in our own home since our departure to take up the work of our calling and of our Lord and Master as a Methodist minister.” “Our eldest son, Jasper, at present is in high school at Carbondale; our second son, Wilbur, is in Chicago in a cafe. “
(Mary Hester)
Biographic Note:
Mary was a seamstress in 1880.
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Lathrop, Missouri
February 1, 1917
L. M. Wood Sons:
Complying to your request, I submit a brief letter to your nonresident issue.
We are located at Lathrop Missouri, Clinton County, 40 miles from Kansas City and 300 miles from St. Louis. We have three railroads Burlington, Rock Island, and Santa Fe.
Lathrop is a thriving little town, population 1600, has splendid high school, five churches, including a colored Methodist.
We are a charge of the First Methodist Episcopal Church. The work moves on very encouragingly.
There are quite a number of Illinois people in this section and thus we do not feel we are low in Missouri.
The land here sells them $125-$165 per acre and his black soil, very productive, level, rolling land, high altitude.
Lathrop as one of the largest horse and mule markets in the world. There is constantly here from 25,000 to 40,000 head, which is a great site to witness. They ship in and out every week. The English have their headquarters established here and buy horses and mules for war purposes, shipping them to Newport News, Virginia, then to Europe. The report is the average life of these horses in the war is eight days.
Our oldest son, Jasper, has been in DeKalb County, Illinois, the past year. He is taking a course in civil service as a mail clerk. Our second son, Wilbur, has been in Chicago for three years, and is now manager of a large cafe.
We have had splendid winter weather, so far, no rain to speak of no sleet or snow storm.
We have a splendid class of people here, and so far, we are well pleased with our western location.
We get the Press weekly, thus hearing from our many friends in Illinois.
Sincerely yours,
in the service of the master,
W. C. Harms
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Mobile, Alabama
January 27, 1917
Dear Friends of the Press:
I am spending this year in Mobile, Alabama. I have been here five months and have been sick most of the time. The wind off the Gulf is hard on me. It is cold and very damp. Was in Jackson, Alabama last year and was well all of the time.
My maiden name was Mary Magdalene Doyle. Born in Clark County, Ohio January 30, 1840. Moved to Lawrence County, Petty Township, October 1845. My stepfather bought the Conway farm, almost due north of Sumner on the Shelbyville Road Mr. Conway lived there 10 years and we lived there 10 years, then myself and father sold it to his son, David Smith, and we went to Indiana, near Logansport.
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Ten years of my childhood days were spent in Illinois. It was called a new place and that it certainly was. Very few people had over 40 acres of land fenced mostly a cabin and a small patch. People did not have to raise much to live on in those days. Deer and turkeys were plenty and hogs fattened on mast. There was no market and farmers had easy times. All a farmer had to do was fence 10 or 20 acres of prairie, break it with oxen or horses, take an axe every four feet sink the axe to head, drop three of four grains of corn, press your foot on it and your work was done until gathering. Corn was cribbed in rail pens and you had from 7 to 20 pens, according to the size of your field, and your hay you just went to the prairie and cut it, put it in doodles and hauled it home. This was a glorious country. We children lived a charmed life for six or seven years. The prairie was gorgeous some three seasons of the year with flowers, a perfect paradise. There were disadvantages to contend with. Also, we raised sheep, had to for clothing in the winter. The wolves were so destructive on the sheep they had to be penned every night to save them. At dusk you could see droves of wolves leaving the prairie for the woods. Hunters made trouble by setting the prairie on fire. We had to fight fires for days to save our homes and then our beautiful prairie grass, that waived its plumes in the wind like a sea of glory was menaced by another foe, by immigration from Coshocton and Perry counties in Ohio. Many homes went up, farm were improved and civilization soon stamped out the virgin paradise, golden grain took the place of grass and today Lawrence County ranks among the best in southern Illinois.
I will never forget the vision of childhood. To me it was a garden of paradise, rich with beauty and delight where songs of sweet birds, the fragrance of flowers, the warmth of the sunlight and the glory of color made me feel like ascending the supernatural heights where the shadow of evil never falls and where the secrets of life are centered in the spirit of love.
I moved to Sumner over 22 years ago, leaving Christy Township until now. In the last 50 years the continents have been covered with a network of railroads, telegraph wires and telephones, running in every direction. It seems to bring distant parts of the earth near together. History tells us that at the beginning of the 19th century the great manufacturers of the world were in their infancy. It seems to me that they have jumped to perfection at a bound.
The motor cars and improved machinery have increased at a wonderful rate in this age and Lawrence County has availed itself to the opportunity at hand that it is one of the best counties in southern Illinois. We sure should be proud of it and Sumner also. We should pray for it’s future success and prosperity.
I expect to come back to Sumner I want to be buried there. I want to rest where I have lived the longest. This will be my last letter that I expect to write to my many friends of the Press. I will bid your farewell, hope to meet in heaven.
Yours,
Mary M. Hester
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Columbus, New Mexico
January 22, 1917
Editor Press:
Just a few lines for the Pink Edition, to let all my old friends know that I still remember them. Although it has been a long time since I called Illinois my home, yet I always think of my boyhood days, which were spent about nine miles southwest of Sumner, in eastern Richland County. In my roving around the country, my mind often goes back to the good old school days at Mulberry, and I often think of the boys and girls who were schoolmates of mine. Some have passed over to the other shore, and some are still living in the same neighborhood that was their birthplace.
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(Mary Hester)
Biographic Note:
(continued)
(Rolla W. Houser)
Biographic Note:
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