Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/687

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST .AIISSOURI 609 convincing; he never advocates anything that he does not believe in, and thus he puts his whole force into what he says. It is very hard for anyone to listen to him and not agree with him at least while he is talking. He has great executive ability and is vice president of the Bank of Kennett. He stands high in the ilasonie order, being a member of the Blue Lodge and of tlie Chapter at Kennett. of the Council at ]Ialden and of the Commandery at Maiden. He is a past worshipful master in the Blue Lodge. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and to the Jlodern Woodmen of America. He owns farm lands to the ex- tent of twenty-two hundred acres, having cultivated a great proportion of this land himself, it being wild when lie bought it. He rents most of the land to tenants, ■ but oversees some of it himself. He is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church and in that as in everything else he has to do with he is an active worker. He has laid out two additions to Kennett, on which he has laid out lots and built residences. He only has fine homes on the addition, owning a beauti- ful place himself. All of these enterprises are in the nature of work, but Mr. Ely is just as enthusiastic about his recreations. He is of the opinion that his efficiency is in- creased by relaxation, which he takes prin- cipally in the form of hunting. He belongs to the club of West Kennett on the St. Francis river. Any man might be proud of the law practice that the Honorable T. R. R. Ely has built up and feel that that con- stituted k man's life work. His connection with education in the county would satisfy the amliition of the majority of people, while his political coiniections, both in the legis- lature and in the senate, would cause a less enterprising man to feel that he need do nothing else for the rest of his life. If he had not been such a successful lawyer, he would have made a reputation as a farmer. If he had done nothing but handle his addi- tion in Kennett he might still feel that he had done something for his county, Imt when all these different activities are combined in one man, the result is an all around man of whom his town, county and state are proud, whom his acquaintances are proud to know and to whom all are proud to take off their hats. There is no more useful member of the community than the Honorable T. R. R. Ely. Vol. 1—3 9 Orton Colm.vn Lynch, superintendent of the public schools of Farmington, deserves credit as a strong element in the educational progress of the county. One of the most progressive, able and enlightened of educa- tors, he presents the potent combination of fine ideals and an executive capacity which contrives to make realities out of them. Since the lieginning of his career in the judicial center of Saint Francois county — 1907 — a great improvement has been made in the local school system; a fine new high school building erected; and the higher department of the schools raised from an unrecognized condition to a fully accredited high school with full recognition. Professor Lynch was born in Harrison county. West Virginia, on the 20th day of April, 1874, his father, Hiram Lynch, hav- ing been a native of the same locality. The father, who was at different times in his ca- reer a teacher and educator, was reared on a large cattle farm which belonged to his father. He attended the public schools of his locality and period and also for two years was a student at a college in Lebanon, Ohio. He engaged as a school teacher for a short time and then adopted farming as his occu- pation, continuing permanently as an expo- nent of the great basic industry. He was married in 1868 to Eleanor Williams, of Sycamore, West Virginia, daughter of John Williams, who answered to the double calling of farmer and Methodist circuit rider. To this union were bom six children, three of whom are living at the present time. The first Mrs. Lynch died in the early '80s, when the subject was a small boy, and in 1883 the father was married to Miss Flora IMaxwell, of Weston, West Virginia. Four children were the fruit of the second union. In 1885 the father removed with his family from West Virginia to Missouri and located in Fraklin county, where he again engaged in farming and where he is today located, secure in the enjoyment of the respect and confidence of the community. He is one of the stalwart sup- porters of the "Grand Old Party," as its admirers are pleased to call it ; he is a pop- ular member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the American Order of United ' AVorkmen ; and he is a zealous and valued member of the IMethodist Episcopal church. Orton C. Lynch entered the Academy of West Virginia, at Weston, where he received