Milton Higgins Clements, a veteran plainsman and Kansas pioneer, whose experience on the frontier has few parallels in real life. To such men as Milton H. Clements we owe a debt of gratitude for the services they rendered in the cause of civilization. Mr. Clements is now living retired at Sun City, Kans., near the scene of many of his pioneer adventures. He is a native of Kentucky, born in Bath county, November 7, 1834, a son of Roger T. and Nancy (Higgins) Clements, natives of Scotland. They were married in their native land and emigrated to America in 1834, locating in Kentucky where the father was acidently killed, by a falling tree in 1836. He was a cousin of Samuel Clements (Mark Twain), the well-known American author and humorist. Two years after the death of Mr. Clements, the mother removed with her family of small children to Macon county, Illinois, where she died in 1894. Milton H. Clements was one of a family of five children, as follows: Thomas, John, Jasper, William and Milton H. Milton H. remained at home assisting on the farm and attending private schools until the Civil war broke out, when he enlisted in Company E., Tenth Regiment, Illinois cavalry. He was promoted to sergeant and was in the service five years. He took part in many important engagements, and after being mustered out of service returned to his Illinois home. In 1866, he went to Pearce City, Mo., a town just being organized. He took part in its early organization and development, and served as the first town marshall. In 1870, he joined a United States surveying party who had the contract of surveying the Osage Indian Reservation in Indian Territory. In 1872, he joined a party of eleven who went to Western Kansas, for the purpose of hunting buffalo. This was purely a commercial enterprise, and they killed thousands of buffaloes for their hides. They established a permanent camp on Medicine river, where the town of Sun City now stands. That county was overrun with hostile Indians at the time, and the buffalo hunters had frequent encounters, and many thrilling adventures with the Indians. Their camp was a very substantially built affair and afforded ample protection against Indian surprises. In 1874, a regiment of State militia occupied the same camp while there, protecting settlers during an Indian uprising. Mr. Clements was a member of that regiment of militia, and served as quartermaster. January 8, 1875, while returning from a trip to Hutchinson, where he had gone in an official capacity, after supplies for the garrison at Sun City, his party which consisted of himself and three other soldiers, was caught in a blizzard. Two of the party were frozen to death, and Mr. Clements and the other survivor were so badly frozen that their feet had to be amputated at the ankles. He was granted a pension for this dissability[sic] by a special act of Congress in 1884, and the State made a special appropriation of $500.00 for him. He took up government land near Sun City, which he improved and still owns, in addition to other property in Barber and Pratt counties and Oklahoma. He is a Republican, and has been active in the public life of Barber county. He served on the board of county commissioners of Barber county four years, two of which he was chairman, and in that capacity signed the first issue of script of Barber county. It was for $2,500.00 issued in 1876, to Thomas P. Fenlon, attorney, for fighting the fraudulent bond issue, that had been perpetrated on the county in the early days. In 1882, Mr. Clements was elected sheriff of Barber county and served one term. He was door keeper of the State Senate during the sessions of 1893-5. In 1900, Mr. Clements retired. He was united in marriage August 9, 1869, at Pearce City, Mo., to Miss Elizabeth Jane Cochran, daughter of H. H. and Millie (O'Donnell) Cochran. Mrs. Clements was born on a farm in Greene county, Indiana, July 6, 1846. To Mr. and Mrs. Clements have been born seven children, as follows: Alfred; Lina, deceased; Caroline; Nettie; Orvell; Effie, and Homer. Mr. Clements is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having joined that order in 1857, and is past grand master.