Tekamah and Vicinity, Noteworthy Men of

ty interests. To recount the changes which he has witnessed since coming to Nebraska would fill a volume. In those first years corn bread was the staff of life. Wages were fifty cents a day, paid in potatoes or meal. Twenty-five cents looked as big as a dollar and a dollar as big as a cart wheel. The woman who possessed a bacon rind wherewith to grease her griddle was happy. Mr. Goodwill laughs until the tears run down his cheeks in recounting the incident of his landlady, her cat and her bacon. The lady was engaged in frying cakes when she suddenly rushed from the room, leaving them to the mercy of the fire. Supposing that she had suddenly become insane he rose to investigate, but, at that moment the lady appeared, bearing aloft in triumph the precious bacon tied to a stick. The family cat had tried to appropriate the precious morsel, but had failed to escape the cook's watchful eye. Mr. Goodwill was united in marriage October 19, 1871, to Miss Mollie Ray, of Muscatine, Iowa.

JOHN SHARTEL was born at Dayton, Ohio, Jan. 15, 1827. Here he was married to Miss Catherine Whirtler Sept. 17, 1848. In 1853 they moved to Fairfield, Ia., and four years later came to Burt county, where they arrived Jan. 22, 1857. They were the first family to move into the "Block House" and lived in it for one year, when they took a claim down in the timber tract. One year later they returned to the "Block House" remaining for a year and a half. At the expiration of that time they removed to what is now a part of Geo. A. Rock's farm. Eight years after they took as a homestead the place now owned by E. B. Shutt. Here a $2,200 house was built and many improvements made. They left this place and returned to Tekamah where they built the house now owned by John Goodwill. In time, they returned to the Rock farm, but left that for their present home.
Mr. Shartel and his wife have experienced many hardships. Others have reaped where they did the

sowing. At Newtontown Mrs. Shartel taught the first school in Arizona. But they are still hopeful and enjoying a comfortable old age.

   CHARLES E. BARKER was born in Franklin county, Ohio, December 19th, 1836. He moved with his parents to Henry county. Iowa, in 1847, and two years later his father, going to the gold fields of California, caused the family to return to Ohio. In 1853 they again started for Iowa, but cold weather compelled them to stop in Illinois where they remained three or four year (sic) before continuing their journey. When the war broke out in 1861 he was painting a house near Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. His material becoming exhausted he went to town for a fresh supply and found the government calling for three month volunteers. He enlisted and did not return to his job. August 10th he re-enlisted in Co. H. 25th Iowa, Infantry, and was in seventeen battles and at the siege of Vicksburg. At Resacca, Georgia, he was wounded in the right leg. During the march to the sea Mr. Barker had charge of a forage detail and participated in many daring adventures. He entered the army as a drummer boy and was mustered out with the rank of first lieutenant.
   At the close of the war he returned to Oskaloosa. Iowa, where he was joined by his wife and after purchasing a team and wagon, loaded up his personal effects and started overland for Nebraska, landing on the bank of the Missouri river, two miles east of W. B. Newton's, September 5th, 1865. He lived there for ten years until his farm of 253 acres was washed away by the Missouri river. He then moved to Summit township, one and one-half miles west of Tekamah, where he has since lived, with the exception of two years spent in Keya Paha county.

   JESSE SPIELMAN was born in Blair County, Pennsylvania, September 18th, 1831. At the age of six years, his father having died, his mother removed with her family to Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania.


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