mond, this county; J. Edward remains at home with his parents; Mattie is the wife of Henry Hammond, of Hamilton County, while Effie and Ida are at home with their parents.
   Mr. Reynolds cast his first vote for William H. Harrison, and since the organization of the Republican party has been its devoted adherent. Mrs. Reynolds died April 22, 1880, aged fifty-six years, nine months and nine days, in this county.

OHN MINGES of Yankee Hill Precinct, and who devotes the greater portion of his time to farming and stock-raising, has a good property on section 27. He settled here in 1876, and operates 160 acres of good land, which he has brought to its present condition mostly by the labor of his own hands. His accumulations are the result of his own industry, as he started out in life without means, and with nothing to depend upon, having to trust to the health and strength that Providence had kindly bestowed upon him. He is now in the enjoyment of a good home, with the prospect of spending his old age in the ease and comfort to which he is justly entitled.
   Our subject was born over fifty-six years ago, on the 19th of July, 1832, in Lycoming, County, Pa., of which State his parents, Christopher and Hannah (Shobbell) Minges, were both natives. His paternal ancestors were of Scotch descent, while his mother's people were of French. In the family of the latter, one Shobbell is accredited with having been a General in the War of 1812. Our subject is one of a family of nine children born to his parents, seven of whom still survive. The eldest, Eliza, is the wife of Elijah Lester, of Calhoun County, Mich.; Abraham is also a resident of that county, likewise Phebe, Mrs. Alexander Rothrock; Catherine lives with our subject in this county; Hannah lives in Calhoun County, Mich.; Margaret, Mrs. Joseph Lester, resides in Kansas.
   The father of our subject, who was a farmer by occupation, died when the latter was an infant of five months. He was reared by his mother until a lad of fifteen years, then began to work for himself, as the employe of his brother-in-law, Alexander Rothrock, with whom he lived for a period of six years. In 1866, after spending some time in the lumber regions of Northern Michigan, he went to Fillmore County, Minn., where he carried on farming ten years. Thence, in 1876, he came to this county, locating on his present farm, where he has since resided. The faithful portrayal in the illustration which accompanies this sketch, will, we are sure, help greatly to give a comparatively clear conception of the comfortable home and fine farm buildings of our subject.
   Our subject, after taking up his residence in this county, was married, May. 4, 1880, to Miss Mary E. Loomis, who was born in Racine County, Wis., June 5, 1850. Her parents, Theron and Elizabeth (Ballard) Loomis, were natives of New York and Massachusetts, and are now residents of Waukesha County, Wis. To our subject and his wife there has been born one child, a son. George, Nov. 28, 1881. Mr. Minges is a solid Republican, politically, and for four years he served as Treasurer of School District No. 6. His early education was somewhat limited, but he has kept himself well informed, upon general topics by reading the leading journals of the day, and is a very intelligent man to converse with.

AMES H. WELSH, Postmaster of Prairie Home, Stevens Creek Precinct, is of Irish birth and parentage, coming to America with his parents when two years old. He spent a portion of his early manhood as a soldier in the Union army, assisting to fight the battles of his adopted country, and after the war was over continued for a time with the regular army, being stationed about three years on the frontier of Kansas and Dakota, and holding the rank of Sergeant. On the 16th of July, 1868, he received his honorable discharge and was mustered out. Locating in the vicinity of Salem, Wis., he engaged in agricultural pursuits until coming to Nebraska in the spring of 1875.
   Our subject was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, July 1, 1846, and is the son of David and Margaret (Dermody) Welsh, who were natives of the same county as their son. In 1848 David Welsh,

ambitious of doing better for his family and himself, left his native land, and with his wife and seven children sailed for the United States, soon after arriving on American soil. They made their way directly westward and settled in Chicago, Ill., where the mother died of cholera, in 1855.
   The parental household originally included eight children, of whom the oldest and youngest died the same week with the mother. Patrick died in Chicago when forty-one years old, and Thomas, who lived to manhood, died at Grand Haven, Mich.; he was a Captain on the lakes, and for a time commanded the "Alpena," but changed to the "Muskegon" a few days before the wreck of the "Alpena." Mary became the wife of John Furlong, died July 25, 1888; and was a resident of Chicago at the time; Ellen married John Conley, and also lives in that city. Bridget is the wife of John Neil, of Grand Haven, Mich. The father died in the latter place about 1876.
   James H. Welsh was a lad of twelve years when he and his brother Patrick left Chicago and settled on a farm near Richmond, Ill. There they worked together until after the outbreak of the late war.
   Our subject, on the 4th of August, 1862, enlisted in Company H, 95th Illinois Infantry, and first saw the smoke of battle at Champion Hills. He was subsequently in the engagements at Black River bridge and other encounters with the enemy in that region. During the siege of Vicksburg he was wounded, May 22, 1863, by a minie ball in the left arm, and for six weeks was confined in the hospital at Milliken's Bend. He was able to rejoin his regiment before the fight at Natchez, Miss., and after several more engagements with the rebels at various places was taken prisoner, June 10, 1864, at the battle, of Brice's Cross Roads, and held until the close of the war, being paroled April 16, 1865. He returned to Illinois for a brief visit with his father's family, then re-enlisted in the regular army.
   The property of our subject embraces eighty acres of good land, well developed and with convenient buildings, a goodly assortment of live stock and improved farm machinery. The lady who has presided over his domestic affairs for a period of seventeen years was formerly Miss Harriet Garland, and their wedding took place at the home of the bride in Salem, Wis., Sept. 17, 1871. The parents of Mrs. Welsh, Thomas and Jane (Marsh) Garland, were natives of England, and are now deceased. Mrs. W. was born in Kenosha County, Wis., Nov. 24, 1846, acquired a common-school education, and resided with Mr. Booth, her brother-in-law, until her marriage. She is now the mother of eight children, the eldest of whom, George H., makes his home with an uncle in Kenosha County, Wis. The others, Lilly E., Rosa Belle, Jessie Ann, Clive A., Mary E., Guy and James L., are at home with their parents.
   Our subject, politically, votes the straight Republican ticket, and has served as Assessor and Justice of the Peace, besides holding the other local offices. He was appointed Postmaster of Prairie Home in 1884. The mail comes to this place semiweekly, and the post-office is located at his residence. Mr. Welsh belongs to the I. O. O. F. and Mitchell Post No. 38. G. A. R.

OBERT PICKEL has been a resident of this State since he was fourteen years of age, and coming at once to this county has been a witness of its wonderful growth and development. Nor has he been an idle witness, but he has taken in active interest in the State of his adoption, and has given conclusive evidence that he possesses the sterling qualities which characterize the successful pioneer farmer. He has a fine farm of eighty acres of excellent land, made valuable and beautified by fruit and shade trees, and has also erected a good residence, with commodious out-buildings.
   The gentleman of whom we write was born in Stephenson County, Ill., Nov. 30, 1852, while his father, Samuel Pickel, was born in Union County, Pa., Dec. 3, 1821. His father, Simon Pickel, was born in New Jersey, and was the son of a German who emigrated to the United States and settled and died in New Jersey. Simon Pickel purchased a small farm in Union County, Pa., anti resided there until 1850, when he removed to Illinois, and spent his declining years with a son in Stephenson County. The father of our subject was reared to manhood in his native State, and after receiving a