owner of one hundred acres, which is a large amount of land for one not an English lord of lands to own in that country. It was in 1866 that the father of the subject and his family emigrated to the United States and located in Scott county, Iowa, where he purchased eighty acres and there he continued to reside five years, then moved to the farm of one hundred and sixty acres where his son, John S., of this review, now resides, in Mariposa township, Jasper county, Iowa. The father became well fixed here, owning a good farm and he was an extensive cattle feeder in his day. Prospering by hard work and good management, he added to his original purchase until he owned nine hundred acres of valuable land in Hickory Grove and Mariposa townships. He was long regarded as one of the substantial and public-spirited men of the county and he was influential in public affairs. He was a Republican and he served as township trustee for some time. Religiously, he belonged to the Presbyterian church. In 1888 he left his home place and moved to Hickory Grove township on a farm, remaining there seven years, then moved to Gilman, Iowa, and retired, living at that place for a period of seven years, having accumulated a competency and enjoying the fruits of his earlier years of toil. After the death of his wife he went to live with a daughter in Hickory Grove township. His death occurred on April 8, 1910, after an honored and successful career. William J. Paul and wife were married on February 20, 1852, and to this union two sons and four daughters were born, named in order of birth as follows: Mrs. Matilda Parker, who lives in Hickory Grove township; James; Mrs. Nancy Clark, of Jefferson county, Nebraska; John S., of this review; Mrs. Margaret Jane Mcllrath lives in Tama county, Iowa; Mary died when fifteen months old. John S. Paul was four years old when he accompanied his parents to America and he grew up and was educated in the schools of Iowa, attending district school No. 1, Mariposa township, Jasper county. He was but a small lad when he began helping his father on the home place, having begun herding cattle when he was seven years old; in fact, he spent the major part of several years on the open prairie about the homestead. When twenty-four years of age he began renting one of his father's farms. Then he purchased eighty acres of his father. To this he continued to add land from time to time until he became the owner of four hundred and eighty acres in sections 1 and 2, Mariposa township. He has placed his land under a high state of improvement and cultivation and here has met with a large measure of success as a general farmer and stock raiser. He pays much attention to the raising of full blooded shorthorn cattle and Percheron horses, and he feeds annually a few car loads of hogs and cattle. In 1910 he built what is generally conceded to be the finest residence in Mariposa township. It is modern in every appointment, attractive, convenient and commodious and is neatly furnished. He has substantial outbuildings and up-to-date farming machinery, in fact, everything about his place indicates thrift, prosperity and good management. He has kept well abreast of the times in all matters pertaining to modern agriculture and stock raising. Politically, Mr. Paul is a Democrat and manifests considerable interest in public affairs. He is at present very worthily discharging the duties of township trustee. In religious matters he is a member and liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church. On April 21, 1886, was performed the ceremony which united in marriage John S. Paul and Mary Jane Green, a lady of many praiseworthy personal traits. She was born in Hickory Grove townhsip, this county, on August 12, 1867, and she is the daughter of William Alonzo and Catherine (Taylor) Green, a highly respected and influential early family of this county. Here Mrs. Paul grew to womanhood and received her education. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Paul, named as follows: Ralph Edwin, born July 10, 1887; Harvey John, born April 7, 1889; Seymour Roscoe, born April 5, 1891; Roy Leslie, born June 16, 1892; Elmer Elgin, born July 29, 1894; George Warren, born July 13, 1896; Marion Harlow, born November 9. 1899; Perry Donald, born February 17, 1902; Myron Hazen, born January 30, 1904; Mary Evelyn, born March 3, 1907. Personally Mr. Paul is a pleasant gentleman to know, genial, hospitable and honorable in all the relations of life. W ADOLPH GEISE. Scientific methods of farming disseminated through the medium of the agricultural schools throughout the country have come as a great blessing to those pursuing agricultural callings. Yet the farmers of a generation or two ago had no such advantages. They had to depend upon their own judgment, their own foresightedness, their own intuition, as it were, to overcome many a perplexing agricultural problem. Their success was more often than not almost phenomenal; and we can pardon them if they look askance upon our newer methods. One of the progressive farmers of Malaka township, Jasper county, is Adolph Geise, who never attended an agricultural school for the purpose of learning "intense" farming, but he has always farmed scientifically nevertheless, being a close observer, and his well cultivated land today shows that his efforts did not go unrewarded. Mr. Geise was born in Malaka township, this county, on the farm where he still resides on March 26, 1866, and here he grew to manhood, received his education in the public schools and has always been identified with agricultural pursuits. He is the son of Henry and Louisa (Wagner) Geise, both natives of Germany, the father born in 1832 and the mother in 1833; there they grew up, were married and from there emigrated to America and located in Jasper county in an early day, residing in Newton the first two years and here they became well established, owning a good farm in Malaka township. The mother died in Baxter in 1903, at the age of seventy years, and there the father's death occurred in January, 1907. Their family consisted of six children, namely: Mrs. Etta Shirk, who lives in Iowa City; Henry A., vice-president of the State Savings Bank of Baxter; Fred also lives in Baxter; Adolph, of this sketch; Mrs. Minnie Diehl lives in Baxter; Edward lives in Newton. Adolph Geise was married on September 20, 1892, to Pearlina Harre, who was born in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, October 3, 1864. She is the daughter of Fred and Wilhelmina (Mierkort) Harre; the father, a pioneer of Jasper county, is now deceased, but the mother is living in Baxter. There were eight children in the Harre family, all living, namely: Mrs. Kracht, of Baxter; Fred lives near Kearney, Nebraska; Pearlina, wife of Mr. Geise, of this sketch; Otto lives in Marshall county; Albert is agent for the Chicago Great Western Railroad Company at Waverly, Iowa; Mrs. Mattie Kanne lives in Malaka township; Clara, wife of Fred Hager, president of the State Savings Bank of Baxter; William lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. To Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Geise one daughter has been born, Delia Martha, whose birth occurred on September 20, 1894; she has received a good education, having completed her work in the German parochial schools of Independence township. Mr. Geise is the owner of a well kept and well tilled farm of one hundred and twenty acres in sections 20 and 21, Malaka township, and here he carries on general farming and stock raising in a most successful manner, and he has a modern home and good outbuildings. He has secured a competency through his close application and good management. Politically, Mr. Geise is a Republican, and he has been a member of the school board of Malaka township. The family are members of the German Reformed church of Independence township, and stand high in the congregation of the same. HERMAN SAAK, JR. One of the enterprising young agriculturists and stock raisers of Malaka township, Jasper county, who possesses the respect and good will of all who know him and is classed with the representative men of the township in which he lives is Herman Saak, Jr. The sturdy German element in our national commonwealth has been one of the most important in furthering the substantial and normal development of this country, for it is an element signally appreciative of practical values and also of the higher intellectuality which transcribes all provincial confines. Well may any person take pride in tracing his lineage to such a source. Although the subject is an American by birth, he is only of the second generation in this country, his parents claiming the fatherland as their place of nativity, and in his life he has displayed the strongest and best traits of character of the German nation. Mr. Saak was born in Malaka township, Jasper county, Iowa, on July 30, 1876. Here he grew to manhood, received his education in the common schools and has always followed agricultural pursuits in his home community. Mr. Saak is the son of Herman, Sr., and Elnora (Reineke) Saak, both born in the province of Lippe-Detmold, Germany. There they spent their childhood days and from there emigrated to the United States, located in Jasper county, Iowa, where, through industry, economy and thrift, they became well established and are now living in their pleasant home in Baxter. They became the parents of seven children, five of whom are living, named as follows: Mrs. Minnie Wehrman died in Marshall county; Louis, born September 15, 1876, lives in Malaka township; Herman, of this sketch; Edward died in Malaka township; Mrs. Anna Tinnemier lives in Malaka township; William lives in Marshall county; Henry lives in Malaka township. These children were all born in Jasper county. Herman Saak, Jr., was married on March 5, 1902, to Sophia Kanne, who was born in Malaka township, this county, on October 23, 1877, and here she grew to womanhood and was educated in the common schools. She is the daughter of Henry and Louisa (Paul) Kanne, natives of Germany, the father born on September 19, 1834, and the mother on November 17, 1840; they came to America in early life and located in Jasper county, where they became one of the foremost families, owning a large body of valuable land and for many years farming on an extensive scale, and here they spent the balance of their days, the father dying on October 14, 1901, and the mother on October 17, 1911. They were among the early arrivals in Malaka township and before |