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candidate for sheriff, and succeeded in reducing the Republican majority from eight hundred to one hundred and sixty at the time he made the run. He was also an Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias and member of the Modern Brotherhood of America.

     Mr. Ogden died here on his farm December 20, 1907, mourned by a large number of friends all over the county. He was a public spirited citizen and is greatly missed in local affairs.

     William Kruger, whose fine farm consisting of eleven hundred and twenty acres in and adjoining section 32, township 14, range 48, Colton precinct, Cheyenne county, one of the valuable estates in this locality, has been a resident of the county since 1884. Here he has developed a good ranch and enjoys the comforts of rural life and the respect and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances.

     Mr. Kruger is a native of Racine county, Wisconsin, born February 25, 1861. His father, William, was born in Germany and came to America when a young man, settling in Wisconsin, and in 1879 removed to Nebraska, where he remained up to 1900, then returned to Wisconsin, where he shortly afterward died. The mother, Caroline (Brandt) Kruger, was also born in Germany, her death occurring at Sidney, Nebraska, about 1898. After locating in Cheyenne county, Mr. Kruger went through many bitter experiences in establishing his home and starting his farm, suffering financially from the failures of crops due to the drouth seasons and panicky times of the nineties, but persevered, and in spite of all difficulties succeeded in building up a good home and accumulating considerable property. Six years were spent in Sidney, where he worked at the carpenter's trade as well as being engaged at market gardening and running a nursery. His homestead, on which he filed in 1882, is situated on section 32, township 14, range 48, and here he has made his home for a number of years. Our subject's home farm is beautifully located on Lodgepole creek, all well improved with good substantial buildings. He devotes part of it to grain raising, and runs quite a large herd of stock. A view of the house is printed on another page of our work.

     Mr. Kruger was married August 25, 1888, to Miss Anna Luck, born in Germany. Together they enjoyed a pleasant home, and were blessed with two children, Edna and Herman. The mother died in 1899. Mr.. Kruger was married the second time in May, 1900, to Maggie Kurth, a daughter of Fred M. Kurth, mentioned on another page of our work. Three children were born to this union, named as follows: Charles, Pearl and Ida.

     Politically Mr. Kruger is a Republican, and stands firmly for his principles. He is a member of the Sidney Camp, Modern Woodmen of America.

     Fred E. Pease, one of the wealthy ranchmen of Keith county, Nebraska, is an old settler in that region. He has developed a fine property, and in building up a fine estate for himself has incidentally aided materially in the development of the commercial and agricultural interests of that section and enjoys an enviable reputation as a citizen.

     Mr. Pease was born in the town of Ripon, Wisconsin, May 16, 1863. His father, Edmund Pease, was a wagonmaker by trade and for years owned a wagon shop in Charles City, Iowa. He was of Yankee birth, a native New York, and married Katherine Webs also born in New York state. Mr. Pease came to Wisconsin about 1860, married at Ripon and moved on to Iowa about 1865, locating in Floyd county, at Charles City, ahead of the, railroads. They were among the pioneers, and here our subject grew to manhood, receiving a good education at the schools in Charles City. He lived at home until he was about twenty-three years of age and in 1886 came west to Lincoln county, Nebraska, remaining for about a year. He then went into Keith county, engaging in the livery, business, establishing his first barn in Paxton, which he run up to 1891. At that time he bought a farm seven miles southeast of Paxton, and operated that place for about a year and a half, then moved to his present location, about half a mile east of Paxton. He at once began ranching, for a time having practically free open range for his cattle as the hard times of the previous few years had driven nearly all of the settlers out of the locality. He began raising high-grade Shorthorn cattle and draught horses. His ranch contains three thousand acres of deeded and leased land, with good improvements, fences, buildings and fine groves. He has five hundred acres of hay land all under fence, and raises an immense crop of hay each year. He has planted a fine orchard, raising apples, plums, cherries and other small fruits, his place being one of

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the best equipped farms and ranches in the county. A view of the home with its substantial surroundings is presented for your inspection on another page.

     Mr. Pease was married April 10, 1890, to Miss Mary Greenough, born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She was a daughter of Captain James Greenough, a commander of river steamboats, and grew up in that city, coming west in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Pease have three children, namely: Edmund, Grace and Arthur.

     Mr. Pease has always been prominent in local affairs. He was county commissioner from 1897 to 1900, and in 1903 was elected county assessor, having held the office of precinct assessor previous to that time. Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, of Paxton.

     Nick Gehrt, who resides in section 19, township 31, range 44, of Sheridan county, Nebraska, is one of the prominent citizens of this locality, and a man who has done his full share in the upbuilding of the community in which he chose his home.

     Mr. Gehrt was born in Germany in 1862, and came to America with his parents when but ten years of age. The family, consisting of five children of whom our subject is the youngest, located in Grand Island, Nebraska, where the mother is still living, his father having died several years since. At the age of seventeen he began working out by the month on different farms near his home, and in 1884 came to this locality and took the homestead on which he is now living. He at once engaged in farming and erected a set of sod buildings, constantly raising and buying stock in addition to working his farm land. At the beginning of the dry years he was quite extensively engaged in farming, and this was quite a setback to him, as he lost several crops which made hard times for him. However, he still stuck to farming, as he knew better times were coming, and after experiencing much hardship and privation, conditions changed for the better and he was able to raise good crops and added to his property until he now has fourteen hundred and forty acres of good land all fenced and well improved with a complete set of substantial farm buildings which cost him over two thousand dollars. He has three hundred acres of his land in a high state of cultivation, and keeps about one hundred and twenty-five head of stock. All the work of the farm is done by himself and son, and they have one of the best paying estates in the locality.

     Mr. Gehrt was married in 1890 to Miss Carrie Zeigler, born in Illinois, where her parents still live. They have one son, Albert, born in 1891, who is of great assistance to his father in operating his farm. Mr. Gehrt and his family never left their home during the Indian scare in 1891, and although they were threatened many times and in danger of being killed or their home burned over their heads, they escaped without having suffered any injury to themselves or loss of property.

     In political sentiment Mr. Gehrt is a Republican, but never votes a straight ticket. He has never held any office, as he says he has not the time to devote to politics which a man must have if he seeks political favor.

     Among the successful and prosperous citizens of Maxwell, Nebraska, and a man who has through industry and perseverance gained a comfortable competence, the subject of this review deserves a prominent place.

     Mr. Geise is a native of Westphalia, Germany, where he was raised and received a good education. His parents were typical old country people, and he was brought up to know what it was to work and take care of himself at an early age and when he reached the age of eighteen he struck out for himself, coming to America in 1886, and here he found a large field for his labors, and many fine opportunities, which he was quick to take advantage of. He settled in Lincoln county, Nebraska, in 1888, taking up land in the hills, where he tried ordinary farming, but conditions were not favorable, and after spending much hard labor and meeting with many failures he became discouraged and quit farming for a time, going to work by the month and continuing at this for several years, saving his earnings, and imbued with the spirit of German thrift and perseverance determined to get a start and seven years ago he again took up farming in the hills, this time starting in the dairy business, using his farm of one hundred and sixty acres for this purpose. He first started in with twenty-nine cows and during the past five years has increased his herd to one hundred and seventy-five head, of which forty-two are milch cows. He has been very successful in this line of work, and has purchased and paid for two sections of railway

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