Autobiography of Robert Wilkinson Furnas. 149 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT WILKINSON FURNAS. 



Robert W. Furnas, whose death occurred on June 1, 1905, was 

 born on a farm, near Troy, Miami county, Ohio, May 5, 1842. His 

 father, William Furnas, and mother, Martha Jenkins, were both born 

 at Newberry, South Carolina, the father in 1804,, and mother in 1800; 

 his grandfather, Thomas W. Furnas, was born in Charleston, South 

 Carolina, in 1762; his great-grandfather, John Furnas, was born at 

 Standing Stone, Cumberland, England, date not known. The date and 

 birth of ancestors on mother's side of the house not known. Ancestors 

 on both father's and mother's sides were Friends, or Quakers. Robt. 

 W. was a twin; the brother died in infancy. Rachael, the only other 

 child of William and Martha Furnas, died at the age of 18 years. The 

 father and mother, William and Martha, died within a few days of each 

 other, of cholera, at Troy, Ohio, in the year 1832. 



Robert W. Furnas was raised by his Grandfather Furnas, until 12 

 years old; then until 14 years old was "chore boy" in the general store 

 of Singer & Brown, Troy, Ohio. At 14 years of age was apprenticed to 

 the tinsmith trade, with I. W. Hart, Troy, Ohio, serving four years as 

 tinsmith. At the age of 18 he was again apprenticed to Rich. C. Lang- 

 don, of the Licking Valley Register, Covington, Kentucky, where he 

 served a full four years' term, in detail, learning the art of printing. 

 After the expiration of his term as apprentice, he, with A. C. Sparhawk, 

 for some years conducted a book and job printing house in Cincinnati, 

 Ohio. During this time was publisher of several periodicals . While a 

 resident of Cincinnati, in 1845, was married to Miss Mary E. McComas. 

 Eight children were born to them — six boys and two girls. 



In the year 1846 he returned to his native county, purchased, 

 published and edited the Times at Troy, the county seat. After a term 

 -of years, he retired from the newspaper business, and engaged in clock, 

 watch, jwelry and notion trade in same town. Was also village clerk 

 and deputy postmaster. On the completion of the Dayton & Michigan 

 railroad to Troy, he entered into the employ of that company as rail- 

 road and express agent and conductor. 



In March, 1856, he came to Brownville, Nebraska, bringing with 

 liim a printing press and outfit, and again venturing in newspaper 

 business, he established, published and edited the Nebraska Advertiser, 

 still published in Nemaha county. In 185 8 he published and edited the 

 Nebraska Farmer, being the first agricultural paper published in Ne- 

 braska. In the fall of the same year he came to Nebraska he was 



