ne is a member of all the 1.66 dcb is a Noble of the Mac Se with Ararat Temple of Sasas tay also identified with the Ir dependent of Odd Fellows, and the Roy 1 Tribe of seph. In religion he is a i res, terian, a a deacon in the church of that denominau at Rich Hill. Though a firm believer in R. publican principles, he has never consented to fill public offices. Mr. and Mr. Aceatners are the parents of two cai ren, Claude, aged seventeen, a student present time (1900) in the Kemper Institute at Boonville, Missouri, ani Lulu, aged fifteen, who is attending the lic schools at Rich Hill. Mr. Weathers. of the most influential citizens of Rich and a public-spirited, g, nerous-hearted.

Weaubleau.-An unincorporated to in Hickory County, seventeen miles so east of Hermitage, the county seat, th of Weaubleau Institute. The "Standard. Democratic newspaper, is published there In 1899 the population was estimated at 2; The town was platted by Lumerson Bad a Christian minister, the founder of Wea.. bleau Institute, and the first postmaster, at a was originally known as Haran; it takes s present name from the stream near by.

Weaubleau Institute.-An academy for both sexes, under the patronage of the Christian denomination, situated at Weanbleau, in Hickory County. It wa founded in 1871, with the Rev. Emmerson Karber as the first president. In 1898 there were four teachers and ninety-six pupils; the property was valued at $17,000, and the library contained 600 volumes.

Webb, Elijah T., banker, was born An gust 24, 1851, in Overton (now (lay) Comm Tennessee. He was the eldest son of Jo's and Ruth F. (Davis) Webb, his rather be the founder of the city which bears his man i The son, Elijah T., was reared upon a fa and as a young man assisted his father in. making of a home in Missouri, before tune came to him. For three years, d' the Civil War period, his father being ab in the military service, he performed labor of a man in caring for family conc He had just reached his majority when

been president and secretary. Fraternally he is a member of all the Masonic bodies, and is a Noble of the Mystic Shrine, affiliating with Ararat Temple of Kansas City. He is also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Royal Tribe of Joseph. In religion he is a Presbyterian, and a deacon in the church of that denomination at Rich Hill. Though a firm believer in Republican principles, he has never consented to fill public offices. Mr. and Mrs. Weathers are the parents of two children, Gilbert Claude, aged seventeen, a student at the present time (1900) in the Kemper Military Institute at Boonville, Missouri, and Clara Lulu, aged fifteen, who is attending the public schools at Rich Hill. Mr. Weathers is one of the most influential citizens of Rich Hill and a public-spirited, generous-hearted man.

Weaubleau.—An unincorporated town in Hickory County, seventeen miles southeast of Hermitage, the county seat, the seat of Weaubleau Institute. The "Standard," a Democratic newspaper, is published there. In 1899 the population was estimated at 275. The town was platted by Emmerson Barber, a Christian minister, the founder of Weaubleau Institute, and the first postmaster, and was originally known as Haran; it takes its present name from the stream near by.

Weaubleau Institute.-An academy for both sexes, under the patronage of the Christian denomination, situated at Weaubleau, in Hickory County. It was founded in 1871, with the Rev. Emmerson Barber as the first president. In 1898 there were four teachers and ninety-six pupils; the property was valued at $17,000, and the library contained 600 volumes.

Webb, Elijah T., banker, was born August 24, 1851, in Overton (now Clay) County, Tennessee. He was the eldest son of John C. and Ruth F. (Davis) Webb, his father being the founder of the city which bears his name. The son, Elijah T., was reared upon a farm and as a young man assisted his father in the making of a home in Missouri, before fortune came to him. For three years, during the Civil War period, his father being absent in the military service, he performed the labor of a man in caring for family concerns. He had just reached his majority when the

discovery of lead upon his father's farm was made, and opportunity was afforded him to lay aside his tasks and complete his education. He received his first instruction in the common schools in the neighborhood. In 1877 he entered the University of Missouri, where he completed a three years' course. The year of his leaving the latter institution. he went to Quincy, Illinois, where he became a student in the Gem City Commercial College, from which he was graduated with the highest honors of his class, and a testimonial from the principal, Professor Musselman, certifying him as "one of our very best graduates, thorough in all branches." His first engagement after the completion of his commercial education was as deputy county collector of Jasper County, at Carthage, a position which he filled with the highest credit to himself for two years. Various promising business openings were now presented to him, but he preferred to resume association with his father. Accordingly, the two-father and son-in January, 1882, organized the Webb City Bank, opening its books with a capital of $10,000. From the first the management of the bank was practically in the hands of the son, as cashier, the father being busily engaged with his land interests, his large holdings occupied by many tenants, and the number augmenting constantly. The senior Webb died the year following the establishment of the bank, and the son found himself burdened not only with its business, but with the settlement of the great paternal estate, comprising many diverse interests and transactions with a large number of leaseholders and debtors. His equable disposition, methodical habits and splendid business training specially adapted him to care for these intricate concerns, and he performed the work with no appearance of effort. In 1890 the banking interests had reached such magnitude that it became necessary to incorporate, and the capital was increased. The Webb City Bank has long been one of the leading financial institutions of southwest Missouri. At the close of the fiscal year ending December 1, 1898, the resources amounted to $404,347.00, and the deposits were $367,125.88. It occupies a building erected for its purposes, one of the ornaments of the city, provided with double timelock safes and safety deposit vaults. Besides the management of this large business, Mr.

Webb gives his personal attention to his landed and mineral interests, which are leased to numerous operators. At times he has served as city treasurer and as a member of the board of education, and, had he so chosen, the path to political preferment lay open to him, but as his business cares increased he found it necessary to decline all public positions. He holds membership with the Methodist Church, South, and is exceedingly liberal in its support. His society relationship is restricted to the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Webb was married, in October, 1892, to Miss Mayme R. Corpeny, daughter of F. J. and Sallie E. Corpeny, of Neosho, the father being a prominent banker of that city. The only child born of this union is Grace Webb, aged five years. By a former marriage Mr. Webb has a son, Earnest Webb. The family occupy a beautiful home, on a commanding site overlooking the prosperous city occupying the ground not many years ago tilled as a farm. Immediately opposite is the church which the elder Webb erected and presented to the congregation, modernized somewhat, but in appearance much as its donor left it. Mr. Webb enjoys the highest esteem of the community as a capable man of affairs, a warm-hearted neighbor and exemplary citizen, whose many excellent qualities find completion in his unassuming modesty.

Webb, John C., founder of Webb City, one of the wealthiest and most important cities in the great mineral field of southwest Missouri, was born March 12, 1826, in Overton County, Tennessee. His parents were Elijah C. and Martha (Johnson) Webb, natives of North Carolina and early immigrants to Tennessee. The paternal grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. John C. Webb was the second child in a large family. In his youth educational advantages were limited to those afforded by infrequent short term schools taught by teachers whose sojourn was brief, and his learning at that time. was confined to the simplest branches. He remained on the home farm, assisting his father, until he was twenty-three years of age, when he married and worked a tract of ground for himself. In 1856 he came to Missouri, locating near the head of Turkey Creek, where he remained but a short time. In 1857 he entered two hundred acres of land,

upon a part of which Webb City now stands, and afterward added 120 acres; of this he put in cultivation about 100 acres. There were then no markets for farm products and little encouragement to labor except to produce grain and stock for family food. When the Civil War began he became a member of the State Guards called out by Governor Claiborne F. Jackson, and went south with the army of General Sterling Price, with which he remained during the greater part of the war. He then returned to his farm and cultivated it industriously until June, 1873, when the discovery of lead upon his property gave his life new direction. his life new direction. The circumstances attending this important moment are variously related. One version, and probably the correct one, so regarded by his son, Elijah T. Webb, now president of the Webb City Bank, is to the effect that while plowing, and on arriving at the end of a field near a branch, he found a nugget of lead. About this time, one Murrell, a wandering miner, came along and fully identified the metal. Mr. Webb engaged him in partnership to sink a shaft, but not much progress had been made when it was filled with water, and the discouraged miner counseled abandonment of the enterprise. In this strait, Mr. Webb sought an old neighbor and friend, William A. Daugherty, who, at his solicitation, bought Murrell's mining outfit-a spade, pick and tamping iron-paying twenty-five dollars therefor. Webb and Daugherty knew nothing of mining, but they prosecuted the work for about a year, doing their own digging and hoisting. Mr. Webb now withdrew, and Daugherty associated with himself Granville P. Ashcraft, the two leasing land for mining purposes from the former named. They were successful in their operations almost from the outset, taking out nearly 20,000 pounds of lead in sinking their shaft, and afterward reaching a cave deposit which yielded as much more. The fame of this success spread rapidly, and that summer there was a large influx of population from the adjoining country, and the ground became a great mining camp. Mr. Webb, realizing his want of knowledge of practical mining, held aloof from these operations, but opened his ground to all applicants on the most liberal terms, opening the way to fortune to many. In the same summer he platted Webb City upon his land, and a municipal organization