LIFE SKETCHES OF A 

 JAYHAWKER 



CHAPTER I. 



From all information obtainable my great great grandfather came to 

 this country from Wales, but the date is unknown. He settled in Morris 

 County, New Jersey. His name was Jacob Stephens, and to him was born 

 a son, Richard Stephens, born on the same day as General George Wash- 

 ington, February 22, 1732. Richard Stephens had a son, Samuel Stephens, 

 my grandfather, and he took part in the War of the Revolution, as did my 

 grandfather Addis on my mother's side. At the close of the war they both 

 returned home and took up agricultural pursuits. 



In the year 1820, my grandfather Addis moved from New Jersey to Illi- 

 nois and was a pioneer of that state. I have heard my grandmother tell of 

 Chicago at that time. It consisted of one log house and a small ferry where 

 they crossed the Chicago River going South. They passed but two or three 

 settlers between Chicago and Lewiston, a distance of a hundred and eighty 

 miles. 



Grandfather purchased thirty-six sections of land, equal to twenty-three 

 thousand acres, in what was called the Military tract. After his death the 

 heirs neglected to pay the taxes, so it was sold over and over for the amount 

 of the taxes. 



Just before the Black Hawk War my father, Richard Stephens, son of 

 Samuel Stephens, with his family moved from New Jersey to Illinois. At 

 Canton, then the front of civilization, he built the first frame house in that 

 town, all others being constructed of logs, laid pioneer style. About 1832 the 

 country became much disturbed from the Black Hawk War, and a move was 

 made to Ohio. After remaining about six years the family returned to Illi- 

 nois and settled near Galesburgh. 



By his marriage to Eleanor Addis, who was bom. in New Jersey, there 

 was born five children, all of whom attained mature age, and of whom but 

 two are now living. The youngest of the family bom near Hacketstown, 

 New Jersey, September 29, 1827, was the only one to come to the Western 

 Coast. While he was reared on a farm and acquired agricultural knowledge, 

 he was also taught the carpenter trade under his father's able instructions. 

 The most memorable events of his youth, and indeed his whole life began 

 when the news of gold discovery arrived from California. He was anxious 

 to try his fortune in the mines, and joined an Illinois party bound for Cali- 

 fornia. On March 28, 1849, the expedition started on its long and too many 

 fatal journey. 



The outfits generally consisted of three to four yoke of oxen, good 

 strong wagons well loaded with provisions, bedding and clothing. In fact 

 we found later that we were too heavily loaded. Let me say here that the 

 hardest pull we had was the leave-taking. We were leaving behind home, 

 all that was near and dear, all the friends among whom our youthful days 



