Joseph Wellington Howe, a successful newspaper publisher and the editor and owner of the "Dickinson County News," at Abilene, claims the Sunflower State as the place of his nativity, born at Gypsum, Kan., Feb. 5, 1881. He is the second son of Joseph and Emma (Alles) Howe, the former born in England Feb. 17, 1828, and the latter was born in Germany. The father was a farmer by occupation during his active career. He came to the United States in 1852, making the journey via the Isthmus of Panama to California, in the time of the gold excitement. He engaged for several years in gold mining and amassed a fortune. He left California in 1870 and came to Kansas, locating in Saline county, where he purchased land belonging to the old Union Pacific grant. He acquired 800 acres, on which he is now living retired. In 1862 he was married in Califonia to Miss Emma Alles, whose parents were Germans and never came to the United States. She died in Abilene, Kan., Dec. 31, 1903. The father is a Mason and gives his support to the Democratic party. Of the union of this honored couple were born four children: Alice Tamer, born Nov. 22, 1864, is the wife of Thomas Walker, a farmer of Saline county, and the mother of one child; Cora Ruth, born June 6, 1867, is the wife of Daniel Lehman, a farmer and stockman of Saline county, and the mother of three children; John Adam, born July 30, 1871, died Feb. 7, 1894, at Gypsum, Kan.; and Joseph W. is the youngest.

Joseph W. Howe secured his educational discipline in the public schools of his native county, completing the course in the Gypsum High School, after which he entered the Saline Normal University and graduated in that institution with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1901. After graduation he taught school two years in Saline county. In May, 1903, he came to Abilene and purchased the plant and good will of the "Dickinson County News," a weekly county newspaper, and he has built it up until it is an influential paper with an extensive circulation, being the official Democratic paper of the county. Mr. Howe has been successful and prominent in his chosen vocation and is held in high regard as a citizen and business man. He has been chairman of the Democratic county central committee since first coming to the county and has served as secretary and one term as chairman of the Fifth district Congressional committee. He has also served as president of the Kansas State Democratic Club and was a candidate for presidential elector in the campaign of 1908. He is now serving his fifth term as secretary of the Kansas State Democratic Editorial Association. He is a Knight Templar Mason, and at the present time is a member of the Abilene board of education, being the first and only single man ever elected to that office in Abilene. Mr. Howe is known as a friend of youth. In 1907 he organized a boys' club, known as the Knights of Honor, and served three years as its head and guardian. The club is composed of boys and is for social and moral advancement. He is a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, in which he teaches a class of twenty young men at Sunday school. Although active in politics he has not sought political preferment, but has held many honorary positions.