for its coal mines and iron working establishments. He then visited Norway, remaining three months at Christiania, returning to London, and thence journeying to Lisbon, Portugal. In 1879 he went to St. John's, New Brunswick, and from that point attended an exploring party 200 miles inland. He then visited Liverpool, in England, and Dublin, in Ireland, thence sailing to Baltimore, Maryland, and thence to St. Nazaire, France, where he made a stay of two months. In 1880 he returned to the United States, and was employed for a time with the Thompson Steel Company, of Jersey City, New Jersey. In 1881 he went to Carthage, Missouri, and assisted in developing the now famous Pleasant Valley zinc mines. In 1883 he laid out the town of Boxley, Newton County, Arkansas, and organized the Carthage (Arkansas) Mining and Smelting Company, built the necessary works, and carried on lead mining and smelting for eighteen months, when the company made an assignment, the business proving unprofitable on account of the long wagon haul of ninety-five miles to a railway shipping point. He then went to Lehigh, He then went to Lehigh, Jasper County, Missouri, and successfully superintended zinc mining until the ore was exhausted, when he became superintendent of the Sherwood Mines. In 1890 he entered upon a five years' engagement as superintendent of the Roaring Springs Mining Company. During that period of service he opened the Gordon Hollow Mines, in the northwest corner of Newton County, Missouri. These now famous mines led to the opening of nine other paying mines in the vicinity, induced the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway to build a mile switch to the properties, and built up in a wilderness a prosperous town with 900 inhabitants, a postoffice and a number of stores. In 1895 he visited the lead mines in Tennessee and Iowa, and made an expert report of the same. In 1896-7 he opened the Leadville and Chettwood Hollow Mines, in Jasper County, Missouri, and organized the Chicago Consolidated Company. In 1898 he organized the Narragansett Mining Company, of Webb City, with a capital of $150,000. He has now a permanent office in the Columbian Building in Joplin, Missouri, and gives attention solely to his profession as a mining expert and organizer, lines in which he has established a high reputation. His volunteer and unrecompensed Vol. III-14 labor has been of great value to the commercial and scientific world. In 1896 he wrote for the "Chicago Engineer" a profusely illustrated series of articles descriptive of the various kinds of machinery used in the Western mines. In 1898 he wrote twelve illustrated articles for the "Mines and Minerals," of Scranton, Pennsylvania, giving a complete history of Joplin, its geology, the mining, milling and smelting of lead and zinc, with plans and cost of production. He has also written an illustrated pamphlet on "Lead and Zinc Mining," which is a recognized authority upon these subjects, and has reached an issue of 20,000 copies in the East alone. His professional attainments are recognized by the American Institute of Mining Engineers, a scientific body having representation in all mining countries, of which he is an active member; and by the National Association of Steam Engineers, of which he is deputy president. During his early residence in America he was a Democrat, being personally acquainted with General Hancock, Democratic candidate for President when he came to the country, and having an intimate friend in Colonel J. M. Tower, who expected the appointment of Minister to Sweden, and sought his services as interpreter. In the campaign of 1896 he became a staunch Republican on account of the Democratic party favoring free silver and other dogmas which he could not approve. He is a member of Fellowship Lodge, No. 345, A. F. & A. M., of Joplin. Mr. Hedburg was married, in 1884, at Carthage, Missouri, to Miss Sophia J. Anderson, who was born in Warmland, near Philipstad, Sweden. Three children have been born of this union, George, Nora and Lillie Hedburg. Heege, Theodore, merchant and banker, was born November 15, 1834, in Brunswick, Germany. His parents were William and Frederika (Bierman) Heege. He received his education in the common schools of his native town. In 1854, when twenty years of age, he immigrated to America, locating in St. Louis, where he carried on the shoemaking trade until 1860. He then removed to Kirkwood, where he was similarly occupied until 1865, when he established a grocery store on the site which he yet occupies. By diligent attention to his concerns and careful economy he has developed his business until it has reached the sum of $50,000 per annum, and he has acquired a handsome competency. He was among the organizers of the Bank of Kirkwood, and from its foundation has been its vice president. During the Civil War he assisted in the organization of Company F, First Regiment of Missouri Infantry Militia, and held a commission as second lieutenant in that command. In 1888 he was called upon to serve as presiding judge of the county court of St. Louis County, and his acceptance of the position was in the nature of a response to a popular demand and expression of confidence, rather than as the gratification of personal ambition. His service in that position was so eminently creditable to himself and satisfactory to the community that he was twice re-elected, his terms of service covering the long period of ten years. He was also elected a town trustee for Kirkwood, and re-elected, serving in that capacity for four years. In political concerns he is a Republican, and has always taken an active part in the affairs of the party throughout the county and district, as well as locally. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Royal Arcanum, and of all the leading German societies in the county. He was married, April 9, 1857, to Miss Louisa Albrand, of St. Louis, who died July 22, 1894. Of this union were born eight children, William; Emma, wife of Leith Decker, of St. Louis; August, who is associated in business with his father; Frederick; Lena, wife of Charles Hilderbrand, of Buffalo, New York; Ida, wife of Joseph Fansler, of St. Louis; George, of St. Louis, and Eliza, wife of Frank Witerow, of Brantwood, Missouri. He was married, March 2, 1899, to Miss Johanna Rogall, of St. Louis. Beginning life as he did, in a strange land, with little knowledge of the people he came to dwell among, or of the language they spoke, and without means, the success which has crowned his efforts evidences the sterling qualities of which he is possessed. In the community in which he lives he is regarded as an entirely upright, substantiai and public-spirited citi zen. He is an excellent type of the best German-American character, and the unusually large relationship by which he is 3117rounded, descended from him or allied by marriage, are worthy of him. Heer, Charles H., merchant, was born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, April 30, 1820, son of Gerhardt W. and Mary E. (Klecker) Heer. The elder Heer, who was a landed proprietor and public official in Germany, died three months before the birth of his son. The latter passed the years of his early youth in Germany, and was well educated with a view to his entering the Catholic priesthood. In 1835, however, his mother married again and later came with her husband and family to America. This event changed the course of Mr. Heer's life, and made him a merchant instead of a priest. After landing at Baltimore the family journeyed to Wheeling, West Virginia, in a large old-fashioned Pennsylvania wagon, the journey occupying three weeks. From Wheeling to St. Louis they came by river, and in the last named city they established their home. The family then consisted of seven persons, namely Louis Heer, the stepfather; Mrs. Heer, Charles H. Heer and his half-brothers and sisters, Edward, Francis, Mary and Agnes Heer. Soon after they settled in St. Louis Charles H. Heer obtained a position in a wholesale and retail queensware house, with which he remained until he was twentytwo years of age. By this time he had received a thorough business training, and having saved some money, he determined to begin merchandising on his own account, and forming a partnership with R. Heitcamp, he engaged in the grocery and provision trade in St. Louis. Two years later he sold his interest in this establishment and became a partner with D. L. Myer in the grocery trade, expanding this business later so as to include a fine general stock of goods. Close attention to business and overexertion caused Mr. Heer's health to become impaired, and to bring about its betterment he abandoned merchandising operations temporarily, spending some time in the South, and later going to Illinois. In Illinois he purchased a large farm near the home of his mother and stepfather, who had removed to Monroe County in that State. This farm he conducted personally until 1850, when he placed it under the care of a tenant, and engaged in general merchandising at Waterloo, Illinois. He continued in business at Waterloo until 1871, but in 1868 visited Springfield, Missouri, and purchased the lot now occupied by the build |