The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-11

He was born in Belmont county,
Ohio, October %. 1928. He was the
son of John and Mary (Dibet) Knox
OF Scotch-Irish ancestry. He has
been identified with all that has work
ed FOR TOpeka's education and moral
advancement since coming here.
The dead man bore a noted his
tOrlcal name, one which has been con-
nected with religious work and faith
full adherence to conscious duty for
| several generations. His ancestors as
far back as John Wesley were Metho-
dists.
He Enters Church Early
He spent the greater part of his
youthful days at Freeport, Harrison
county, Ohio, where he attained his
early education. He also was a stu
dent at Franklin college and gradu
ated from a commercial college in
Pittsburg- He entered the Methodist
church in his seventeenth year In
compliance with the desires of his
parents, he became a student under a
well known practitioner of medicine at
Cadiz Ohio, but it was soon discovered
that he was only half-h earted in his
study He desired to study theological
works. On account of this inclination
he took up this study in Franklin col
lege.
A few months after entering this
college, he was licensed to preach as
local preacher on his home circuit.
At the next annual conference he was
recommended to the Pittsburg annual
conference.
Nursed Cholera Sufferers.
Accordingly, in June. 1850. he was
continued in this work for fifteen
years and it was during the fearful
ravages of cholera in Pittsburg in
1854 that he attracted attention by his
preachings. Regardless for his own
safety and comfort, he nursed the
sick, comforted the dying and cared
for the dead until he himself became a
victim to the dreaded scourge.
A remarkable constitution and a
previous abstemious life brought him
safely through. His experiences dur
ing the solemn time when 1900 peo-
pie in Pittsburg persisted in two
months and when there were forty
dead and unburied persons in the
vicinity OF his church he never for
got.
breaches Seven Sunday Sermons.
In 1854 he served the Christian
Plain, Falmouth station and other
points. One Sunday while in Frede-
ricksburg, he waited on sick and
wounded soldiers in two hospitals un-
til 10 o'clock IN the morning and then
preached seven different sermons be-
tween that hour and 10 o'clock at
night.
He was transferred to the Kansas
conference in 1866 and was stationed
in Topeka for three years. Later he
was appointed presiding elder of the
Fort Scott district, but work and ex-
posure, with attacks Of fever and
ague. caused him to request to be re-
ieved from duty. Since then he has
made his home in Topeka and has Wit
messed the wonderful development of
this community
Later, Mr.. Knox become an extern
sive traveller in search of health. For
twenty years did not travel less than
5000 miles annually and sometimes
10000 miles He has twice been
through continental Europe. Scotland
and England, once in Ireland, Egypt
and Palestine and has lectured extern
sively.
He has contributed regularly to the
Pittsburg Christian Advocate, for four
years WIS editor of the Kansas Meth
odist and was the author of a book
which was circulte1 extensively. It
was entitled Paths to wealth. He
has served as chaplain of the Masonic
organizations, Odd Fellows and Sons Of
Temperance. He has served as super
intendent of public instruction for
Shawnee county, and for some time was
treasurer of the Kansas Freedmen's
Relief association AS such he was
summoned to Washington to appear be-
fore the committee to investigate the
causes that led to the immigration of
the negroes from the southern to the