THE GOIiItECTORS' JflONTHIiY. 



Devoted to Ornitholoy, Oology and Natural History. 



Biography of Col. IV. s. Goss. 



Colonel N. S. Goss, the ornithologist 

 and naturalist, wa,s bora in Lancaster, 

 N. H., June 8, 182(5, the youngest of four 

 children, two sisters and a brother, Capt. 

 B. F. Goss, of Pewaukee, Wis. His 

 parents were of old Puritan stock. While 

 N. S. Goss was yet in his teens his father 

 lost his property and removed to Pewau- 

 kee, Wis. Thus, in a new country, and 

 without ample means for a collegiate ed- 

 ucation, Mr. Goss began his life's work, 

 with only a common district school and 

 academy to assist him in his pursuit of 

 the natural sciences. From childhood 

 he had a deep love and admiration for 

 birds and made them a study. He 

 worked through the day, and studied 

 during the evenings; and at idle times 

 during the day, even, whenever there 

 was a lull for a few minutes, he was at 

 his books. Thus our Kansas Audubon, 

 naturalist, scientist a,nd taxidermist, be- 

 gan his education. 



He entered business for himself, and at 

 the age of twenty -eight, he married Miss 

 Emma F. Brown, of Pewaukee. He 

 moved to Waverly, la., with a view of 

 entering into the banking business. 

 While looking about him and making 

 arrangements for the location of his bus- 

 iness, his young companion was taken 

 from him. Death had robbed him of his 

 bride of only two years. Overcome by 

 the loss of his beloved wife, the place no 

 longer seemed like home to him, and in 

 the spring of 1857, in a buggy, accom- 

 panied by a friend, he sought a home in 



Kansas, not knowing or caiing where it 



might be. After following the Neosho 

 river for some distance, they selected the 

 spot where Neosho Falls now stands as 

 their new home. Only two or three fami- 

 lies were along the river for miles. A 

 town was laid off and Colonel Goss be- 

 came its first postmaster. In 1858 a 

 grist mill was established and Colonel 

 Goss sold flour and meal to the Indians, 

 receiving in return for the same, Indian 

 ponies, buffalo robes and some money. 



A public spirited man, and a leader, he 

 has been rightly called "The Father of 

 Neosho Valley. 7 ' He selected the grounds 

 for the first county fairs and had them so 

 attractively arranged that they were fa- 

 vorably spoken of by the press of other 

 counties. During these years he was 

 searching for birds along the streams 

 and prairies of Kansas 



He was elected and commissioned ma- 

 jor in 1860, and lieutenant-colonel in 

 1803 of the Sixteenth Kansas militia 

 cavalry; was in active service during the 

 "fourteen days' call" and the Price raid: 

 and, being familiar with the Indian ter- 

 ritory, acted on several occasions as a 

 scout for U. S. soldiers stationed at 

 Humboldt. 



He was appointed register of the land 

 othVeal Humboldt in 1867 and in 1869 

 resigned to become land attorney for the 

 Missouri, Kansas A: Texas Railway, with 

 headquarters at Neosho Falls. It was 

 through his exertions that the road built 

 through the Neosho Valley, and at a 

 meeting of the stockholders of the road, 

 held at Emporia, May 10, 18(56, Colonel 



