Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/762

 664 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI who spends his years in unremitting efforts to develop the capabilities of others, for which abnegation, as a rule, the educator re- ceives none of the credit. John McKay was twice married, his first wife being iliss Mary Adams, like himself a native of Georgia, who had come to Missouri with her parents when she was a young girl. She died in 1865, leav- ing two children to be the companions of their father. Virgil and Fernando. The latter died in 1884 and Virgil is a prominent attorney of Kennett, of whom mention is found elsewhere in this work. His second marriage was to Mary F. Adams, a native of Missouri, who died in 1879, leaving four chil- dren : Annie L., wife of J. H. Ham; John T. ; Benjamin A. ; and Ola 0., wife of V. J. Allison. John T. McKay, one of the four children mentioned, spent the first four years of his life in New Madrid county, where he was born, his father then moving to Stoddard county, Missouri. When he was eleven years old his mother died and the same year his father brought his family to Dunklin county. There John T. McKay attended the public schools and afterward entered the normal school at Cape Girardeau. Without any de- liberate planning on his part, it seemed natural that he should follow in his father's footsteps and enter the educational field, and when he was only eighteen he commenced to teach. Before long, however, he discovered that he had not the inclination to follow teaching, but was possessed of very decided tastes and capabilities in other directions. All his tastes seemed to point towards law as the calling in which he could best find scope for his talents. As he did not possess the funds to take a regular college course, he began to read law during the time he could spare from his teaching, working far on into the night in his eager desire to become pro- ficient. His progress was not as speedy as it would have been if he could have devoted his whole time to study, but after ten years of teaching and of close application to his legal studies he was admitted to the bar be- fore Judge Wear, in September, 1897. The success which was the immediate result of his admission to the bar and the commencement of practice was ample justification of ]Ir. McKay's choice of a profession. On April 4, 1910, he formed a partnership with John H. Bradley. Mr. McKay has gained distinctive recognition and high rep- utation by reason of his broad and exact knowledge of jurisprudence and his ability in applying this information effectively, both as a trial lawyer and as a counselor. On the 28th day of June, 1894, Mr. :Ic- Kay was united in matrimony to Miss Lucy Laden, the daughter of R. A. Laden, an in- fiuential resident of Kennett. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. iIcKay one child was born, AVeltha. Airs. McKay died January 8, 1901, and on January 28, 1902, Mr. jMcKay was married to Miss Ethel McHaney, whose birth had occurred in Tennessee, but her educa- tion had been obtained in Kennett, where slie lived until she was married and has since continued in the town where she has passed most of the years of her short life. If we were called upon to decide which profession is the more worthy, that of a lawyer or a teacher, we should be utterly at a loss, but comparisons are unnecessary ; both are noble professions and both call forth the highest quality of ability and endeavor. Mr. ilcKay, as an influential lawj^er, holds the power to do an immense amount of good for the state of Missouri, and being a loyal ilis- sourian, he is availing himself of every op- portunity. He is especially devoted to Dunk- lin county, where he has spent practically his entire life and where he has a great fu- ture before him. Carr Hartshorn. It is indeed a pleasure to the publishers of this work to offer in its pages an appreciation of the young men of southeastern ]Iissouri, to whom this portion of the state must look for its future prosper- ity and prestige. Among the able young men of Saint Francois county is eminent C'arr Hartshorn, cashier of the Bank of Elvins and former iiostmaster of the place. Mr. Harts- horn is a man of varied abilities and he pre- ceded his present manner of usefulness as a teacher, clerk in a grocery establishment, as- sistant postmaster and then incuml>ent of the office. Carr Hartshorn, whose name inaugurates this review, was born August 13, 1877, and is a son of John Hartshorn, who was born in St. Louis county, Missouri. December 20, 1830. The senior Mr. Hartshorn came to Saint Francois county in 1872, a few years previous to the birth of the subject. In March, 1875, he was united in marriage to Susan Adeline Evans, and to their union were born three children, namely: Carr, David, of Kansas City. Missouri, and Susie, deceased. The mother was a daughter of David and