Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/624

 562 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI Three years ago, Governor Folk appointed Mr. Burton to fill out four mouths of J. K. Clubb's unexpired term as county commis- sioner. In the spring of 1909 he was elected a county commissioner and in August, 1909, Mr. Burton qualified as county superintend- ent. In 1911 he was again elected to the su- perintendenej' without opposition. ]Mr. Bur- ton has unusual equalities both as a man aud as an instructor. He is a born teacher and an eminently progressive one. His efforts to elevate the standard of the Wayne county schools are unremitting. Under his regime some of the rural schools have added the first year of high school work to their course of study, and the high school graduates are ad- mitted to several colleges vithout examina- tion. Mr. Burton's educational training be- yond the common schools has been acquired bv his own efforts. " On Christmas day of 1896 Mr. Burton was married to Miss Lula Bell Shelton, of Irou county, Missouri. Four children have bless-^d this union, all of whom are still in their par- ents' home; Celeste Cynthia, Inez Emory, Donald Clarence and Marjorie Florence. Both Mr. and Mrs. Burton are members of the Methodist church. South. In politics ^Mr. Burton is a Democrat and in a social way, a member of the IModern Woodmen's lodge of Piedmont. In a business way Mr. Burton has been a successful dealer in real estate. He is also a property holder of some prominence in the county.' His holdings include a residence in Fiedn'iont and two hundred and ten acres of land near the town, on which he has a sum- mer cottage. In addition to this he has a residence in Greenville. Luther P. Tatum, a succes.sful merchant of Kennett, was born in Howard county, Mis- souri. January 3, 1863. He is the son of A. C. and Susan Franklin Tatum, who were natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. L. P. Tatum, after acquiring an education in the schools of his native county, came to Kennett while a young man and immediately engaged in business. He had even then the natural ability which makes men successful merchants and was successful from the first. The Ken- nett of that day was very different from the city of today. It was a struggling town of four or five hundred people and only a few men among them. Mr. Tatum, however, saw the great possibilities of the town. In 1883 he formed a partnership with an older brother, James F. Tatum, under the firm name of Tatum Brothers. This soon became one of the leading mercantile firms of Dunk- lin county. It acquired the most desirable corner in the town, erected a commodious brick building, and was in a position to profit by the great growth of the town and its in- creased prosperity which followed the build- ing of its first railroad. The business is still conducted by Mr. Tatum under the firm name, although the senior partner is dead. Out of this business Mr. Tatum has acquired a com- fortable fortune and is a man of influence in his community. In September, 1893, he was married to JIiss Sallie il. Baldwin, daughter of Judge Tliomas Baldwin, one of the most prominent and in- fluential men of the county. They live in one of the most beautiful and costly homes in the county, and have the respect and esteem of all their acquaintances. . Lee Shelton. One of the most successful aud enterprising merchants of Southeastern Missouri is Lee Shelton, of Kennett, a member of the firm of Shelton & Companj-. He was born at Kennett, January 11, 187.5, and is the son of Joseph Jackson Shelton, who was born in 1836. He was educated in the public schools, in Bellevue Collegiate Institute at Caledonia, in college at Farmington and St. Louis and received a good business training at a business college in Quincy, Illinois. Mr. Shelton 's father died many yeai-s ago and he was reared by his uncle, W. F. Shel- ton, the shrewdest and most successful busi- ness man of Dunklin county. Under his train- ing Lee Shelton acquired a knowledge of actual practical business which has enabled him to carry on the large establishment of his firm in a most successful manner. This firm probably sells as many goods as any other in the soiitheast and probably buys more cotton than any other. In addition to his interest in this mercantile business he is heavily in- terested in many other enterprises, many of the larger undertakings in Dunklin county being financed by his firm. He has recently erected a large office building on a prominent corner in Kennett, which is as well equipped as those found in the large cities. Mr. Shelton finds time from his large enter- prises to give attention to public matters. He has served as a member of the board of alder-