Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1929-09-12
WelI-Known Capitalist Addresses
The ROtarians Here

The Rotary club was host at the
Kennebec to several GAINESVILLE Ro-
tarians last Friday evening. Mr.
j Orville Townsend, for years leader
in the business affairs of GAINESVILLE,
was the speaker of the evening. 9th
er guests were Henry Knoedler,
president of the old Citizens Ma
, tional bank, GAINESVILLE; Eugene Hill,
of the Purol Co., GAINESVILLE; Ray
McGovern, Logan; Ray Chandler,
West Lebanon, Ind, and George
Lowell, McConnelsville.
Mr.. Townsend was born near Mos
cow Mills, Morgan county. He mar
/ ried a cousin of the late r. K.
Brown. Rotarian Townsend discuss
ed his three Rotary classification
| farmer, oil developer and capitalist.
He believed that it would further
the cause of Rotary education to dis
cuss his experiences in these various
classifications, especially If he sur
veyed them from retrospect OF 70
years. One came away from the
meeting with feeling that the prin-
ciples of Rotary were excellently
exemplified in the career of Rotarian
OTNllI0 low uSSuQ, WIZ Ado pOOh q
Rotarian Is years
Mr.. Townsend started as a farmer
| on the grand scale characteristic OF
Kansas agriculture. BY the will OF
his father, who died in 1915, he was
designated trustee for himself and
two sisters, of $500 acre ranch in
Kansas. Here Mr. Townsend applied
the principles of business to agricul-
ture. So satisfactory were the re-
suits that in 1926-the end of the
trusteeship, the agreement was con-
| tinued. Under the terms of the will
! the estate could have been partition
ed, incorporated, or continued under
Mr.. Townsend's management. The
other heirs wished his trusteeship
continued. The ranch was valued at
$325,00O in 1916. Since that year
| its value has increased 500 percent.
| Twenty men are employed on the
ranch in the summer, ten in the
winter. The ranch is supervised by
| two foremen. Ten houses are neces-
sary to accommodate the workers.
Mr.. Townsend makes visits to his
ranch every May and November.
! The estate is located near Peabody,
Marion county, Kansas, and is on
the main line of the Santa Fe. The
ranch is devoted primarily to live
stock. The workmen use 1000 acres
to produce grain for the stock. They
reserve the remaining 1000 acres
! for pasture. Mr.. Townsend owned
at one time 1900 hogs and 1000
head of cattle. Now he specializes
| in cattle raising.
Mr.. Townsend's father was we'll
known contractor He moved to
GAINESVILLE in 1852 and taught
school. The elder Townsend built
| the GAINESVILLE court house, one at
Charleston, w. Va, and four others
| in Ohio. In 1871 he traded some
property in Beverly for a section OF
Kansas land, the nucleus of the
present ranch. The ranch took on >
new value when rich oil deposits
were discovered beneath it's surface
Offers were made to Mr.. Townsend
by the Standard Oil Co., and by the
Watchorn Oil Co. In 1919 Rotarian
Townsend leased 200 acres to the
latter company for 100000. The
income tax on this amount was paid
by the oil company. Forty-three
wells were drilled. At the present
time 21 wells are being operated.
The Phillips Petroleum Co. has ac-
quired the lease, and has paid the
Townsends an additional $450,000.
Xxx