The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-26

A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Dated from Topeka X an.
A SELF-NADE MAN.

| William Alfred PfcfTer hiss lived s
life oftoil ana hardship 10 similar to
that OF Lincoln aud G.ftieli n,tof.
they came into public notice. He
has net sll the common vicis-ltQde-
that beset tue human family. suct
as pfovsrty, poor crops, unfortunate
Investments and imEesred health
He has been poineer farmer, a ped
agogne, soldier, a lawyer a logis-
lstor, q lecturer and sn editor,
Mr.. Pfefer was horn in Cunber.
land County, Pa, on September 10,
1881 his parents being farm people
ot small means. Locality offered
limited advantages for education
and training, and young Pfefer nad
90 opportunity for advanc, ment ex~
cept such as he could make for him>
self He attended the little neighnor-
bood school In the winter months he
tween ;Le age o. 7aud Il. He was
close stadic-5 ader, and at tbe
age of Is had teachers certificate.
j and was gwen cuarge Of a district
| schoo! at SIC a month, from which
| ne paid for bis b0aed and clotaIng
and sayed something for books ana
papers. He taught school for sew
erGi winters and worked on the
farm 10 the summer, and employed
! every spare hour in rea6lngs At 19
| be possessed u miscellaneous library
of one hundred vulumes, was ready
deeater, aud snme of his communica>
tlons had been published by the anti
salsery aud temperance press.
! AS A HoosIER FARMFR.
He married ~ December 1852
and removed 10 st. Joseph County.
Ind, where he bought q small Jracs
! Of timher-land and began on it fer. q
farm. He was not successful 10 the
undertaking and in 1859, hs went
to Southwest Missouri and purchased
farm in Morgan County. Iheo
the war tf0unle came on, and, as he
had expressed strong Union sentl-
ment-, 1T became prudeut for hiLn to
| make another moye-t1is tine 10
" arren Cocrty, Ill. where he rent~
ed farm. put il q geaeras crop, and
IN August, 1862, he enlisted q, Il
private IN company f, OF the o3t reg
Imen', Iliiaois Infantry.
Psiyste Pfeffer Was commissioned
second lieutenant, and was sao-
sequeutly depot quartermaster ID tie
engineer department at NASHVILLE,
nanGling the supplies for tue military
divisions OF of III sslssippl undel
General Sherman. He served wlln-
out sick leave or furlpugh uutii June
26, 1868, when be was honorably
discharged,
Such as leisure came TO hin in the
army he had devoted to stGdy, ana
after Dis discharge be opened law
office IN Carkesville, Tenn. He
secured number Of important cases
growing out Of the war, and pros
ecuted tuem successfully. La the
work of re-establishing peace and
gsod will in the South he took Issue
with tbs extreme radicalism of Coy
ernor BroHnlow and labored for the
organization. Of ConservatiLive-U L n
Ion party IL halmpny with the Nat
ionai Republic q party. After
four years residence at Ciarksville
he grew tired of the social and politl
cal condition, and sacrificing bis
properly there, he rem o4ed to Wilson
county, Kan, 1870 There be located
claim and again engaged in agri
culture. He also established a news
paper and opened law Office at ths
, county seat. He was in the legis
lature OF 1874 as Senator frou
9 Wilson and Montgomery counties.
-. ASA JOURNALIST
He met with financial reyerses il
1875. and changed his location t.
Cotfe. vile, Montgomery county
where be started the Cofeyville Jou
nal and abandoned his law practic
on account or failing health. Ii
: was Republican Presidential elec
i tor ia 1880, and gave up part
politics with the elactloa Of CARTEL
: and removed to Topeka IN 1881, an
subsequently, accepted the edlto!
4 ship Of the Kansas Farmer. and oe
\ came special editorial writer for Uh
v Topeka Daily Capital.
? HIS HOBBIES