Page:Pen Pictures of Representative Men of Oregon.djvu/88

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and for three or four months lived upon boiled wheat. Although the widow felt the loss of her husband deeply, she was enabled to live and get along Avell with the assistance of young Jasper and his industrious brothers, and after the lapse of a few years she was again married to Mr. J. C. Geer, a gentleman well known to old Oregoniaus, and died in 1854. About three years ago Mr. Smith went to Tillamook county, where he has since remained on his farm. He was married in 1866 to Miss Sarah Abigail Harper, and now is the happy father of eight children, seven of whom are boys. In pol- itics Mr. Smith is a Republican.

HON. JOHN W. SAPPINGTON.

The world, as Emerson says, " is no longer clay, but rather iron in the hands of its workers, and men have got to hammer out a place for them- selves by steady and rugged blows." This is true, indeed, of the present age, as men can no longer go at one leap into eminent positions, but must work on steadily in such a way as to prove by the stutt" that is in them their capabilities and fitness. This might be said of him whose brief experience we are considering. He is a stout, fine-looking and full-bearded man, who has seen some of the ups and downs that follow in the wake of adventure. He was born in Montgomery, county, Kentucky, in the year 1837. His parents removed to Missouri in 1838, and he attended the village school. He left Missouri in 1845 and came to Oregon, locating in Yamhill county. When the Yakima Indians commenced their depredations upon the white settlers in that county, yoimg John was one of the first to tender his Ser- vices and joined the Oregon volunteers, under command of Colonel Oor^ie- lius; he did good service until the suppression of that troublesome tribe Avas accomplished, when he returned to his home. In 1859 he moved to Wasco coimty and remained there until 1861, when he removed to Yamhill and remained till 1865, at which time he changed his residence to Washing- ton county, where he now resides and is engaged in the healthful and inde- ■ i^endent business of farming and stock-raising. Mr. Sappington was elected Justice of the Peace in Washington county in 1878, and was elected to the House of Representatives this year by a large majority. He was married in 1857 to Miss Lucinda Laughlin.

HON. JOHN LONG.

This gentleman is one of the Representatives from Lane county. He is of very j^leasing address, and, in his social relations, is the embodiment of courtesy. In personal appearance, Mr. Long is more fortunate than some of his colleagues. He is six feet in height, and weighs 180 pounds, with an elastic frame, and a pleasant, though penetrating, blue eye. In his legisla- tive work he has seemed rather to devote his closest attention to a con- scientious study of the merits and defects of the measures proposed in the House, and the result of his earnest scrutiny is apparent in his votes. It is safe to say that the voting record of Mr. Long is as consistent as any ever made in the halls of legislation in this State. He does not express himself much in debate, but the quiet influence he exerts among the conser