is also devoted to this art, and is a teacher of rare merit; John, who is pursuing his studies in the State Normal School, at Peru, and Ellen, who has graduated from that institution. It will thus be seen that the children of Mr. Campbell are a remarkably bright and interesting group, and have been given all the advantages suitable to their station in life. The parents and daughters are active members of the Christian Church, and Mr. Campbell, politically, casts his lot with the Prohibition party. He has built up for himself the record of an honest man and a good citizen, and enjoys in a marked degree the confidence of all who know him.

[The above material was copied by the cc & sent in response to a researcher's request. The recipient then typed & contributed the text back to NEGenWeb Project. Thank you, Robyn Prime <RPrime1048@aol.com>]

ILLIAM R. HARRIS, whose beautiful and extensive nursery, a view of which is given on the opposite page, has brought him into prominent notice in that department of trade, is one of the enterprising and wise business men of the county. He has some twenty acres of splendid land, well laid out and planted in flowers, shrubbery, shade, forest and orchard trees, and is the proprietor of undoubtedly the finest nursery in Southeastern Nebraska. The whole is so arranged, subdivided and laid out as to strike the visitor with pleasurable surprise. The arrangement of the various beds and groves is most artistic, and one is immediately impressed most profoundly with the idea that the proprietor of the nursery is no tyro in his chosen calling. In addition to this Mr. Harris has seventy acres on section 34 of Nemaha Precinct, upon which his beautiful residence has been erected. Twenty-five acres of the above have been brought to a very high state of cultivation, and as rapidly as possible the remainder of the property will be the same. Here, as in the nursery proper, it is one pleasing picture of true artistic arrangement of form, shade and tone of coloring. The above property is situated about one-half mile from the limits of Tecumseh, and therefore readily accessible at all times from the city.
   Although there is every appearance that this gentleman has occupied the nursery grounds and his other property for many years, as a matter of fact, in the spring of 1883 Mr. Harris came to it and found it in nowise differing from the surrounding prairie. It was in a virgin state, and not a furrow had ever been turned upon it. No house was there, nor improvement of any kind; everything that has been done he has effected since that time. His exhibit at the State Fair has taken the first and second premiums, and also at the County Fair year after year. His home is in keeping with his other property. Substantially built, of good design and artistic finish, its interior presents nothing whatever incongruous with the surroundings, and indeed is such as would be an honor to a much older and more wealthy city than Tecumseh. He has now over 100,000 apple trees and at least forty varieties of shade and ornamental trees. His stock is very large, and includes ninny varieties of plants, flowers, and trees not to be found in the average nursery. Only those who have seen the plane and been enabled to spend sufficient time to take in the situation will be able fully to appreciate the picturesqueness and value of this property. It is a very dream of beauty.
   William R. Harris, the subject of this biography, was born in Logan County, Ky., on the 7th of March, 1842. In the schools of the county he was educated and was brought up on the farm of his father. He remained at home until 1861, when on the outbreak of the Rebellion his native county was overrun with the rebel soldiery and their sympathizers. They tried to force him into their ranks, but he was a strong Union man and did not propose to be forced into supporting the cause of those who sought to disrupt the best Government on earth. He, with a party of other young men, took advantage of a dark night, and piloted by one thoroughly acquainted with the region, made their way through the rebel lines and safely reached the Union Army. By request of his father he did not at that time join the Union Army as he desired to do. The rebels in his native county had threatened to destroy or confiscate the property of Union men, who themselves, or their sons, entered the National Army. Our subject remained with an uncle in Illinois until the fall of 1862, when he returned to Kentucky, at the time when the rebel Bragg made his raid into that State. Buell's army

fell back to Louisville, and our subject remained at Bowling Green, employed in buying supplies for the army. During 1863 and 1864 he was in the secret service and did some independent scouting, rendering very valuable service to the Government. On account of this, and to punish him, the rebel guerrillas made a raid on his father, robbing and maltreating him and threatening his life. Raising a party our subject rescued his father and his property and conducted him to Illinois. He then returned to the scene of his labors in Kentucky. Rebel guerrillas had by this time become very numerous in that part of the State, and his untiring energy in ferreting out their rendezvous and bringing the Union troops on them so annoyed them that in their usual barbarous style they offered a reward of $1,000 for him, dead or alive. His operations were mainly in the district lying between the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers, and he was in a number of engagements in that region. He was employed in watching the movements of Morgan, Adam Johnson, Dave Thomas, Pink White, and other of the raiders who infested that part of the country, and was in many exciting scenes and had many close calls. For months at a time he never slept in a house, lying out in the woods, always on the lookout for the enemy. His principal and best work at this time was in going alone at night to hunt up the rendezvous of the squad of guerrillas. Making a discovery he would take a squad of men and often succeeded in bagging the entire gang.
   On these lonely reconnoitering tours he was liable at any time to run into a hand of the enemy, and had to travel constantly with pistol in hand and ready for either fight or flight at a moment's notice, it took an iron nerve, but our subject never haltered or wavered. He traveled over 4,000 miles on horseback carrying despatches. He was at various times attached to the 35th Kentucky mounted infantry and the 26th and 8th Kentucky Cavalry. Once he was taken prisoner by the Louisiana tigers, and twice by the guerrillas, but was not recognized as the noted scout on whose head a price was set, and he was released. These and many other hairbreadth escapes and thrilling incidents our subject experienced during his valuable and trying service for the country of his fathers.
   Mr. Harris, Sr., was operating a general stock and grain farm when our subject rejoined him on the return of peace, and he also took land and went to farming. He was there until March, 1873, when he sold out to good advantage and came to Nebraska. While in Illinois he celebrated his marriage with Miss Amanda Boling, of Mackinaw, in the same county. This occurred on the 1st of February, 1865. Upon coming to this State Mr. and Mrs. Harris settled in Center Precinct, about six miles northwest of Tecumseh. There he purchased a quarter-section of prairie land and speedily set about the work of improving the same. When he left it he had succeeded so well in his endeavor that it had the finest orchard and the best shade trees of any farm in the district. He had planted about fifteen acres of orchard and grove, and the fourth year after planting out his orchard gathered over 500 bushels of apples from it and the same amount of other fruit. The subsequent years he obtained from 800 to 1,000 bushels of peaches, and thus from his fruit alone, exclusive of all that came to him from his farm proper, was making money.
   Beyond a doubt Mr. Harris has both the knowledge and energy, supplemented by the means, to make money out of Nebraska soil, as every succeeding year abundantly testifies. He continued on the above farm until 1882, when, meeting with most advantageous terms from a financial point of view, he sold it. The following year he purchased his present property, since which time, as mentioned above, he has wrought the transformation at once so brilliant and pleasing. It is hardly necessary to remark that being the only nursery in the vicinity of any pretensions, and situated so near the city, it is a very valuable property. Mr. Harris is exceedingly particular to keep his stock pure, and with his own hands does the cutting from the most perfect trees. and all his own grafting, and is enabled therefore to warrant all stock, knowing exactly every point connected with its culture.
   The subject of our sketch is an active member of the State Board of Horticulture, and is the first vice-president of the same. He has filled the Presidential chair of the Johnson County Agricultural Society, is Secretary of Johnson County Horticultural society, also President of the Johnson County