quarter sections. His first place of abode was a sod house 11 x 15 feet, in which he and his family lived for almost six years. He now has a good residence, well-improved grounds and a fine orchard of one hundred trees which he planted himself, but since the death of his faithful wife—December 3, 1896—he has taken up his residence with his son, William C., in Parker township. Mr. Walker is a strong Republican in politics and a prominent member of the Presbyterian church, in which he was a deacon for many years. He is a devout Christian and regular attendant at church.

RUMAN AMES,  official abstracter and attorney-at-law who has his office and residence located in Elk Point, is a native of Lake county, Ill., and was born in 1851. He is a son of Elijah and Phoebe T.

Ames, natives of Vermont and Pennsylvania, respectively. Elijah Ames was a farmer by occupation, and came to Illinois at an early date, being one of the first settlers in the region of Lake county, where his death occurred in 1886. He was originally a Whig in politics, and subsequently a Republican, and both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Ames still resides on the old homestead in Lake county, 111. They were the parents of eight children, viz.: Walter W., Lydia W., Edmund, Rizpah, Truman, Watie M., Lillie P. and Luella.

The subject of this personal history was raised on the home farm and educated in the common schools of his native county. At the age of twenty years he went to Tioga county, Pa., and worked on his uncle's farm, attending the district school the first year and then the state normal school at Mansfield, from which he graduated in 1874. After his graduation he went to Williamsport and taught one year in a private school for boys, then he returned to his home in Illinois, and remained a year during which time he was engaged in farming. On his return to Pennsylvania again he entered the office of his elder brother Walter W., and studied law for six months, but his health gave out and he went back to Tioga county, Pa., again where he secured employment on a farm in summer and taught school in the winter. From there he went to Williamsport, and read law in the office of his cousin, H. T. Ames, till 1880, when he was admitted to the bar. After his admission to practice he settled in Dubois, Clearfield Co., Pa., where he resided and followed his profession for a period of ten years. In that city he was elected mayor twice, and was appointed to fill the same vacancy twice, and he also held many of the minor offices of the town. While a resident of Dubois he was married to Miss Nellie Doyen, a native of Tioga county, Pa., and a daughter of Warren and Diantha (Grandy) Doyen. Mr. Doyen was a dentist, and his daughter received her education at the state normal school of Mansfield, after which she taught school for several years.

Mr. Ames left Pennsylvania in the fall of 1891 and came with his wife and two sons, Jay H. and Howard T., to visit his parents in Illinois. In the spring of 1892 he removed to South Dakota, and settled at Elk Point, where he engaged in the practice of his profession and at the same time opened a set of abstract books. Since his