Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/697

 X HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ^MISSOURI 617 with a son, who bears his father's name. A younger son, Pitkin, died at the age of three. They are members of the Presbyterian church and act in harmony with all salutary measures. Professor Fox's literary talent has been before alluded to. He has been successful as a magazine writer, being particularly gifted in the field of iictiou and he at one time assisted in the editing of the Iron County Register and the Potusi Independent. John J. jMauthe. Among the prominent and representative citizens of Pacific. Jolm J. Mauthe holds deservedly high place in pop- ular conlidcnce and esteem, his fellow towns- men having paid him the highest compliment within their power of considering him a worthy son of that splendid and honorable citizen, the late William Jlauthe. He holds the office of cashier of the Citizens' Bank of Pacihe, having held this position since 1909, and has proved himself an efficient, alert and well-trained banker, whose discrimina- tion and well directed administrative deal- ing have been of no inconsiderable value in building up its fortunes. He comes of Ger- man stock and in him are to be discovered those excellent characteristics which make the Teutonic one of our most admirable sources of citizenship. In addition to his banking interests he is identified with the mercantile life of the place. Mr. ilaiithe is a native son of Pacific, his birth having occurred here January 14, 1873, the son of William JMauthe, an ante- bellum settler who spent his active life as a merchant and who died in the harness. Jan- uary 18, 1901. The father was born in Ger- many, in 1826, and came to America to seek a home among a people more free and inde- pendent than the people of the Fatherland. He located in Pacific and built up a good mercantile business, and was identified, be- sides, in the most praiseworthy manner with the civic affairs of the i)lace. He served as postmaster during the Civil war and was at times connected with the town board. He was a Republican and was a loyal supporter of the cause of the Union in the troublous days of the great conflict between the states. William Mauthe married Susan Kiburz. who was also a native of (lermany, and this worthy lady is still a resident of Piicific. The issue of their union was as follows : iliss An- nie Mautiie, of Pacific, a member of the mer- cantile house of Mauthe & Company ; Wil- liam, who is engaged in the bottling business at DeSoto, Missouri, and who is president of the German-American Bank there ; August F., who was cashier of the Citizens Bank of Union, ilissouri and who died at that place in January, 1910; Louis F., who died at Pa- cific in January, 1905, and who was engaged in the bottling business, married ^liss Lena Burger and at his death left a family of six children, whose names were Raymond, Lor- ine, Dewey, Harold, Gertrude and Louise, Mrs. Gus C. Ran, of Pacific ; Louisa, who married Charles Ilufschmidt, of this place, and is deceased ; and John J., the immediate subject of this record. John J. ilauthe gained his schooling in the public schools of Pacific and when about seventeen years of age he entered his father's store as one of the fixtures of tliHt institution. He mastered the details of the retail mer- cantile business and when his father passed awaj' he became the active head of the con- cern. The firm of Mauthe & Company in- cludes himself and his sister Miss Annie, who is a most able and judicious business woman. Although Mr. Mauthe is not associated as in- timately with the business as in youth, he retains a connection with it and to him is largely due the fact of its permanence and the same confidence as under the old regime which it enjoys in the community. When the Citizens' Bank was brought into existence in 1909 Mr. jMauthe, who was one of the promoters, was invited to take the place of cashier. The bank was chartered in that year; buildings were erected, and it opened business on August 30 of the same .year, with a capital of fifteen thousand dol- lars. Its other officers are James Booth, president, and L. R. Dougherty, vice presi- dent, and it has already gained prestige as a sound and substantial monetai-y institution. Jlr. ;Iautiie is also one of the directors of the electric light company of Pacific and is a member of the board of directors of the Pacific Home Telephone Company. Like his father, he is identified with the Republican party, Imt unlike that well-remembered gen- tleman he has never been connected with of- fice. The fraternal order of Knights of Pythins knows 'Mv. ]lauthe as one of its memliers. but Inisiness connections preclude his giving liis time to the work of this or other fraternal societies. On December 28, 1904, :[r. :fauthc was