The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-10-26
James M. Jefreries.

James M. Jefferies.
James NJ. Jefferies was born in Mentz,
Cayuga Co., N. Y, May 2, 1918, and
died at the home Of his daughter in Jack
son township, Ashland county, August
10th, 1893, aged S5 years, three months
and eight days.
The deceased with his brother Guilbert,
came to Ohio in 1882, coming through
what is now Cleveland, but which then
contained only few cabins. They con-
tinued farther west and settled at Spen-
Ger Mills, In Spencer township, Medina
county. At that time this section Of the
state was one vast forest Of heavy tim
Der and wild deerIand turkeys were plenty
Spencer center was nothing but woods
and there was no road cut through to
this point. In 1884, Mr.. Jefferies return
ed to New York state, remaining three
years, when he again came back to Ohio.
+. September l, 1889, he married Clarri-
sa Marsh, daughter Of John P. Marsh,
the first pioneer settler Of Spencer town.
ship and who built The first log cabin in
that vicinity, and whose youngest SON.
Samuel was the first white male child
born in the township.
After spot had been cleared In the
forest and o cabin erected and the
trials and hardships Of pioneer life
began to tighten, death entered his cabin
and took from him his beloved wife, who
died on June 18th, 1847, leaving him
with three small children, the youngest
but babe, which died when nine
months old. 80
He lived widOwer until his two sur
viving children were grown up, and re-
married in June 1867, to Mrs. Delilah
Landon, who died in 1889. Two child
rem survive him, Edgar G. Jefferies, of
Wellington, Ohio, and Ruth Ann Myers,
Of Jackson township, Ashland county,
Uncle Mat, as he was called in late
years by his neighbors and those wht
knew him, had quite a varied experience
through life. When but ten years ole
he road horse on the Erie canal, running
from Buffalo to Albany. He saw Gen
eral Lafayette when he visited thi
country in 1894. In 1850, with com
pany Of six in q covered wagon drawn
by pair of Indian ponies, he started TO-
the gold fields Of California by the over
land route,
At Council Bluffs he left the compan.
and travelled the rest Of the distance OF
foot, crossing what was then called tn
great American desert, passing through
Salt Lake City and over the Rock,
mountains and Sierra Nevada range
arriving at the diggingS several day
before the wagon, After working in tn
mines about year and securing fai
share Of the shining dust he starte
for home taking sailing vessel at Sa
Francisco for Panama.
In some manner their vessel got int
the trade winds prevalent on the Pacifi
and they were carried past the equatC
In longitude 1902 west and 2,0O
miles from land. There under the burr
ing sun they were becalmed sixty-fOu
T days, the crew and passengers wei
placed on ratiOns Of ounces of met
and one sea biscuit per day. The
finally landed at Panama, crossed I'll
lsthmus in July under u brOiling su
i and shipped aboard All ocean steamshi
! for New York city. touching at Kingston
Jamaica Island, finally after endurin
many hardships Oh both land and sea,
arrived home, after nearly two yea
absense.
Mr.. Jefferies was, in the best sense
the word, good man. During Il
sixty'Odd years he lived in Spencer al
" vicinity, he built for himself a charact
= honorable and upright and unquestion
v by his fellow men, and when ripe o
> age bent and dropping sinks to the sile
a tomb, it is but the payment of that gre
y debt we all must pay to nature.