Joseph Calvin Bradley of Rossville, Kan., proprietor of the Bradley Elevator and a dealer in grain, feed, seeds and coal, is a native of Indiana, having been born on a farm near Decatur, that state, on Sept. 12, 1862. His parents were John and Elizabeth (Miller) Bradley, the former a native of Ohio, who fought in defense of the Union in the Civil war, being a private in Company H, Eighty-ninth Indiana infantry. He enlisted in 1863, took part in the defense of Kansas during the Price raid, and saw active service until the spring of 1865, when he took dysentery while at New Orleans and died there in March of that year. He was the son of John Bradley and accompanied his parents to Indiana when young, and there was reared to farm life. He and his wife became the parents of two sons: Joseph C. of this review, and John M. Bradley, who is now chief clerk in the passenger department of the Colorado Midland railroad, with headquarters at Denver, Col. The mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Bradley Norris, is still living and resides in Topeka.

Joseph C. Bradley was but two and a half years old when his father lost his life, in defense of the Union, and for a time he made his home with his maternal grandfather, Samuel Miller, of Decatur, Ind. But as soon as he was old enough he began working for his board and clothes and in that way aided his widowed mother all he could in providing for the support of the family. He secured but little schooling in early life, for at the age of twelve he began working for wages, receiving $6 per month. He was a hard working, industrious youth, and as he grew older his wages were advanced. When sixteen years old, he went to Decatur, Ind., and secured employment in a bakery to learn that trade, but though he learned the art, he never followed it and after two years he returned to farm work. He was thus employed until 1881, or until nineteen years of age, when he accompanied his mother and brother to Kansas and located at Topeka. Soon after his arrival in Topeka he secured a clerkship with T. J. Kellam & Company at $10 per month, and by strict attention to business he received rapid promotion and an increase in salary so that by the fall of 1882 he was receiving $5O per month for his services. He then entered Washburn College and equipped himself for business by taking the commercial course, and on completing it he accepted the position of bookkeeper for the W. B. Norris grocery firm in North Topeka. He was thus employed until Sept. 1, 1883, when he resigned to engage with the J. Thomas Lumber Company as manager of their yards at Lake and Rossville. He remained with that company until 1899, when he severed his connection with it to engage in the same business for himself at Rossville. This he successfully conducted until 1901, when he disposed of his lumber interests and purchased the S. R. Bagwell elevator and grain business in Rossville. Under Mr. Bradley's able management the business has constantly grown since he took charge of it, and he now practically controls the grain, seed, feed and coal trade of Rossville.

On Nov. 24, 1886, Mr. Bradley was united in marriage with Miss Ida Magill, the daughter of Dr. A. G. Magill of Silver Lake, Kan., and this union has been blessed by one child—Effie May, who graduated from the Topeka High School in 1911. Politically Mr. Bradley is a Republican and has twice served as mayor of Rossville, besides having served several terms as a member of the city council. Fraternally he is a Knight Templar Mason and a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Royal Neighbors. Both he and Mrs. Bradley are members of the Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Bradley is also an elder.