La Junta tribune., 1911-07-08
eleArv.r4aEE YEARS YOUNG.
Dad Stephenson Celebrates the Eieh.
ty-third Anniversary Of His Appear
anee on This Mundane Sphere.

Not many Of US will ever be able
to celebrate our eighty-third birth
day. but that was the distinction that
fell to the lot of Dad Stephenson
last Saturday. He enjoyed every min.
ute Of the great day. and his friends
more enjoyed II with him at the re-
ception given at his home Saturday
afternoon and evening, from 4 to 10
o'clock. Friends commenced arriving
shortly after I O'Clock and were com.
ing and going until the closing hour
at 10 O'Clock. Dad and his good wife
met their guests on the roomy front
porch, IN which Dad takes great pride
and around which seats were provid-
ed for those who desired to tarry for
q few minutes, and where a cooling
punch, with Ice cream and waters.
1as served Dad, OF course. expects
tbs to be his last birthday. but he
ms been thinking that with each sue
ceeding year ever since he came TO
La Junta, and his friends are now In
be with us forever and day. and
that at least is what some OF us
hope.
Dad is an old-time newspaper man
and OF course. like most of the rest
OF them. has had quite checkered
career. Dad was born way down
south in Clinton. Miss, July |, 1929
and that of course accounts for
his having been a democrat all his
life. He came north to Indiana when
he was only nine years old. and there
his father died in 1871. His mother,
with three children. migrated to Ohio
in prairie schooner in 1872. and II
was here at the age OF fourteen years
Dad has the exact date. April 10.
lSi2-that he started upon his ca
reer as printers devil. the place
being Springfield. Ohio. Four or
five years later he started out in the
newspaper busine SIS on his own ac-
count, publishing the Clark County
Democrat. In lSt7 and ls+s. and ad'
vocating the election OF Lewis Cass
for president. Shortly after he sold
out to syndicate. which CONSOLE
dated all the papers OF the congress
sional district at one point-urbana.
Ohio.
After selling out all he possessed
in the state OF Ohio he ventured upon
the state OF matrimony for the first
(time, the date being December IL,
1850. In 1851 he published a demo
cratic paper-aiways democratic In
Springdeld. Ohio. and successfully
boosted Franklin Pearce for presi-
dent In 1855 he moved to Bloom
ington, ILL.,. where his wife died short.
iy after his arrival In 1856 he pub
lished a democratic paper In the
interest OF James Buchanan for pres
ident. In Atlanta. ILL.,. and on Decem-
Der %. 1856. was married to Chris
tiana G. Odell. In 1855 he
moved to Lincoln. III. and supported
Stephen a. Douglas for United States
senator. In 1861 he returned to Ohio.
and In February. 1862. enlisted In
Company 4. sixtieth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry. serving until November.
1862.
In 1863 he went To Carthage. ILL.,.
and two years later returned 10
Bloomington. where he was employed
In different newspaper offices until
1872. when = cooperative company
Was organized to run u democratic
newspaper and Of course Dad could
not stay out OF the game. ms long
rs II was democratic. In iss2 he
went to Chicago and after a short
residence In the windy city returned
10 Ohio. and In 1857 emisrated to
Kansas. where he engaged In sew
erni newspaper enterprises In ysri-
Gus parts Of the siate-among them
IGardcn City. where ne was located
for five years.
In 1857 he came To La Junta. since
which time he has been one Of the
leading features Of the landscape IN
the vicinity OF the court house park.
and everybody knows OF his cominss
and goings.
Among the sons. daughters. grand.
daughters and grandchildren from
out OF town Who helped Dad e.lc.
bratc wer. : r. l.. Stephenson. Of
Fairfield. la: Mrs X. u. Chatter.
Denver. Colo: Mrs. Ola Collins. Of
Springfield. Ohio - granddaughter.
Mrs. Gertrude Smith. Of Dayton.
Ohio-granddAughter. Edwin Collins.
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