JAMES BOND

James Bond, who is engaged in general farming in Mission township, is the owner of two hundred and twenty-six acres of valuable land. He purchased a part of this property in 1876 and has since resided upon the farm, his labors having transformed it into a very valuable tract. A very energetic and industrious man, he owes his prosperity entirely to his own labor and his success is certainly well deserved. His residence in Brown county dates from 1867. He was born in Somersetshire, England, about sixty-four years ago and is a son of Joseph Bond. His father was a native of Wiltshire, England, and was a shoemaker by trade. He married Miss Ruth Banks, also a native of Wiltshire and a daughter of John Banks, a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Bond became the parents of five children, namely: Elizabeth; James; Mary, now deceased; John and Anne. The father died in England and, when fourteen years of age, Mr. Bond, of this review, was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade, and just before completing his time he shipped in the English navy as a carpenter and in this capacity he followed the sea for nine years, visiting all ports of the world. About 1863 he came to this country and found employment at his trade in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, being among the first at Pithole, and later was located in Cleveland, Ohio. Subsequently he came to Kansas and located in Brown county and settled upon his present farm in 1876. He here purchased one hundred and forty-six acres of land, known as the William Hite farm, and as his financial resources increased he added to his property by the purchase of an eighty-acre tract, one-half mile south of that farm, so that his landed possessions now aggregate two hundred and twenty-six acres. His fields are under a very high state of cultivation and he is the owner of one of the best farms in his township; all the modern accessories and improvements are there to be found, together with high grades of stock, excellent farm machinery and good buildings. His labors have been attended with success and well does he merit his prosperity, for it has been honestly won and is the crown of continuous and well directed labor.

In April, 1879, occurred the marriage of Mr. Bond and Miss Eleanor Cowley, the wedding taking place in Hiawatha, Kansas. The lady is of good family, her parents being Hugh and Jane (Kelley) Crowley, who had a family of seven children, namely: William, now deceased; Anne, Jane, Toni, Mrs. Eleanor Bond, Catherine and Mary. The father died in Robinson township, Brown county, at the age of sixty-eight years, and Mrs. Cowley died in 1899, at the age of eighty-nine years. In his political views Mr. Bond is a Democrat, but seeks not the honors or emoluments of public office, although he keeps well informed on the issues of the day. He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist church and are deeply interested in its growth and progress. Mr. Bond deserves to rank high among the county's influential self-made men, for he is a worthy and enterprising citizen, frank and genial in manner, honorable and upright in all his business dealings.