Gilpin observer., 1910-10-13
SECRETARY OF STATE.
Voters Should Reflect James
to This Office.

Our present secretary of state
James B. Pearce, was born Angus
30. 1865, at Macarthur, O. He receiv
ed his education in the public schools
of Macarthur. His first regular occu
patton was as a messenger boy fol-
the Columbus, Hooking Valley & Tol
edo railway, he then being Is years
| of age. At the same tender age he
| became telegraph operator relief agent
| and operator at various points on the
Hooking Valley railway. When 81 he
took Greeley's advice and set his
face to the west. Here he entered
the employ Of the Santa Fe railway
filling such responsible positions as
telegraph operator, station agent, re-
lief agent, and doing office work for
ten years. In 1894 he resigned the
station agency at Rocky Ford and
engaged in the newspaper business
He received the appointment of clerk
of the district court of Otero county
in 1895, which position he held for
IA years, until he assumed the bur
dens of secretary of state. He is
president of the Winchell-Pearce Alb
stract Co., with offices at La Junta.
Mr.. Pearce is a past eminent com.
mander Of Palestine Commandry No.
%, past high priest of Royal Arch
Chapter No. 20, of La Junta, and has
been prominent in Masonic circles
for the past 20 years. He is also a
member Of the Elks, Knights of Py-
thias and w. o. w
On October 8, 1888, he was married
to Willie Whitman, at Mumfordville
KY. Their only child, James Will
lam Pearce, 1S years old, attends the
School of Mines at Golden. His faith
er, Alexander Pearce, was of Eng
lish descent, and also a printer and
newspaper man. He was Democratic
member of the Ohio legislature al
the beginning of the war, and ser.
we'd during that struggle as lieuten
ant and captain of Co. D, 18th Ohio
Volunteer Infantry. His mother, Am
anda Ward. was of Virginia-Irish an
cestry, who called America thei1
home for $50 years.
No finer or more deserved tribute
| than this extract, from the pen o.
George Greel, has ever been writer
OF public official:
I'm the office of secretary of state
, one James B. Pearce is conducting
the office as though it was a private
business. The reforms and improve
ments that this one man has brought
about are as many as remarkable
1t used to be that the main office
was also the public record room, peo
pie and clerks jostling, pulling ant
hauling without system and order
important departments were inacces
sible; everybody had authority with
out responsibility; favoritism ant
even venality obtained; and lack o
system lost the state money ant
made for muddle.
"Mr. Pearce, first off, cleaned up.
He arranged all the departments witt
reference to their Importance, pu
chief clerks in charge of them, ant
flatly announced that the office woult
henceforth be run on strictly, bust
ness basis, without regard to polite
or pull
THE man has worked unceasingl
ever since taking office. He ha
| worked honestly and intelliyently An,
not only has he saved thousands o
dollars to the state, but stands a
an adequate answer to the old Ii
that the peoples affairs cannot b
administered as a business man ad
ministers his affairs"
His stewardship has been homes
and faithful-the people ask no more