Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-05


paper business in Clarion, county seat
Of Wright county, Is the fact that the
editors and proprietors of the two
weekly newspapers there both are
named HARDWOOD and are not Of blood
relationship. The Monitor editor is q
nephew Of the w. S. Harwood who
thirty years ago was an editorial writ
er on the st. Paul Daily News a paper
owned and founded by three Iowa p,en,
Painter, McCracken and Duncombe son
of the late John +. Duncombe, of Fort
Dodge. The st. Paul editor in after
years became celebrated as a periodical
writer and author. Another Iowa man
who rose to fame as a writer on the
st. Paul paper was Franklin w. Lee,
a prolific news writer who afterward
wrote a book entitled Senator Lars
Erickson" true to the Minnesota type
Of politician. in those days and at the
same time an interesting story.
H. NJ. Harwood, of the Clarion Clip
per- by newspaper work earned his way
thru the State University of Iowa. For
a number Of years he was employed on
the Des Moines Register. He has been
admitted to the bar, and is making
success Of the two papers he owns and
personally conducts. the other one be-
ing the Rockwell City Advocate.
NJ. C. Lester, who now conducts
barber shop in Clarion, where he has
lived more forty years, Is one or the
young old soldiers, now being but 6S.
He was born in 10 Davis county, I'LL
nois and knew General Grant we'll
when he lived in Galena. Lester en-
listed in the Ninety-third Indiana in
fantry, Company E. and afterwards
was with the Fifty-fifth regiment OF
regulars. Both Lester and his father
served in the civil war. The junior
Lester disregarded the truth somewhat
in order to gain admittance to the
army. He is colored man of the hair
blood, is we'll educated by reading and
is associated in the choir work of the
Christian church Of Clarion. He has
been keen bible student, is a man OF
exemplary habits, and has never used
tobacco or drunk liquor. In the civil
war Lester had peculiar experience.
He was in eight battles, including
Vicksburg; was struck five times by
spent bullets, no one Of which drew
blood, but the one which caught him
on the crazy bone" Of his elbow made
him dance with pain for few mo-
ments.
About thirty-five years ago, when
Col George w. Balm. the noted tenn
perance lecturer and chautauqua orator
of Lexington. KY, was touring Iowa IN
the winter time, he organized a Good
Templars lodge in the home of Mr..
Lester at Clarion.
Mr.. Lester was in the mercantile
business in Clarion many years, but fl
nancial reverses forced him to return
to the trade he learned when as SOL
der boy he was detailed for hospital
work and care Of the sick in Vicks-
burg. It was then that he learned the
trade Of barber, and for some years
after the close Of the war he earned
his livelihood by his handicraft During
the late judge irdsalis life Lester
had free access to his ample library.
and there was deep friendship between
the two Clarion linen. The old soldier
barber also is familiar with the writ
ings Of the Jewish historian, Josephus,
and can tell on what page to find many
Of the famous passages OF his histosh
w. A. Stark, Of Clarion, a banker by
vocation and a farmer and stockrnan by
avocation, recently attained degree of
| success in the last named pursuit that
affords him more than an ordinary
mea sure of satisfaction, and which ne
relates with pleasure. A few weeks
ago, when hog values were dollar q
more better than they are now, ne
shipped to Chicago five head Of hogs
that brought him S446.o5 over and
above above the expense of shipment
and Transportation. This was $50
head, and he had dockage OF seventy
pounds at that. The animals were
reared on the Stark & White farm
near Clarion and the transaction
amounted TO a record price for mere
porkers. Mr.. Stark received the top
price on the days market. $17.6o per
hundred.
To have been in the Danish war In
1864 and 1856, with the present kaiser s
father as his division general. and to
have been under fire twenty two times,
is the experience of J. F. Grey, OF state
Center man Of German birth with
an English name. He now is rs years
old and is intensely American. He
used to see the kaiser when he was a
boy. and many a time drank from the
same canteen with the father Of Will
liam II.
Mr.. Grey served three years in The
German army, and was settled in the
happy employment of railroad man
in 1870, when he was also the head OF
a home consisting of wife and three
children. Just then the war clouds were
lowering ominously over Germany, and
so one day he got five-day leave OF
absence from duty. and the afternoon
of the day he departed for America
settling in an illinois town on his ar
rival in this country The afternoon
of the day he left for America his good
hausfrau got summons for her hus-