Page:Pen Pictures of Representative Men of Oregon.djvu/59



REPRESENTATIVE MEN OP OREGON. 19

He atteaded the common schools in the old country when not busy on the farm. He came to this country in 18.58, and one year later arrived in Ore- gon, settling in Polk county, where he remained until the f;ill of W.l, when he went up into the Walla Walla valley with a band of cattle, and in the spring of 1862 settled in the John Day valley, in Grant county. He helped to open the first milling claim in that county and erei-ted the first house, and there he has resided ever since, engaged in farming and stock-raising, a portion of the time being in partnership with Hon. T. .T. Brents, now dele- gate in Congress from Washington Territory. His early life is replete with incidents of pioneer life, frequently interspersed with romantic incidents of Indian warfare. He is a staunch Republican and was elected Ctnint> Com- missioner in 1878, and at the last general election was chosen to ref. resent liis county for four years in the State Senate. He returned to England in 1871, and while there was married to Miss Ellen Killick, of Hungerford. He is an Odd Fellow and a consistent member of the Methodist Church, having been connected therewith for a period of thirty years. He is t'.on- sidered one of the solid men of Grant county, and has made friends with every member of the Senate by his paramount integrity.

HON. ROBERT H. TYSON,

Who represents Washington county on the tloor of the Senate, is one of the most distinguished-looking members of that body. He is of ordinary height, well-proportioned, and is always neatly dressed. His face is smooth shaved, with the exception of a very heavy mustache. His eye is keen and his forehead exparssive. Mr. Tyson was born in Macomb county, Miciii<:an, -January 7, 1840, his early life being divided between scliool and clerkship in a store. He moved with his parents to Springfield, Illinois, in 18.5{), and with his father went into the lumber trade, where he remained until lS(i'2, when he came to Oreg(m " the plains across." He settled in Polk coiiuty, and, during the next six years, was engaged in teaching scliool and farming. He returned east in 1868 and remained there until 1870, when he returned to Oregon and resumed school teaching, and for about two years and a half was editor and publisher of the Oregon "Republican" at Dallas. He was also publisher of the Roseburg " Pantagraph" for about a year, closing it out in 1874. He moved to Washington county and taught school for about eighteen months, and then opened a general merchandise sto*p at Middle- ton. His business being such that he could, without detriment, l°ave it in charge of others, he consented to become a candidate for the House in 1878 and was elected. In 1880 he was elected a member of the State Senate, and took a prominent part in the proceedings of that year. As a legislator, he is active, energetic and painstaking. He is a fluent speaker and partici- pates frequently in the debates; he is a hard worker and guards carefully the interests of the county he represents and the State at large. He is a IMason, an Odd Fellow and a Granger, and prominent in each. He lias been twice married, the first time in 1863 to Miss Emily Hatrood, of Polk county, who died in 186S. He afterwards, ui August, 187.5, was nuirried to Miss Hattie E. Olds, of Middleton, their family consisting of five chiu^ren-