Henry C. Mayse, editor and owner of the "Clark County Clipper" and a member of the Clark county bar, is one of the most influential and useful citizens of Ashland, where for over twenty years he has been prominently identified, in one capacity or another, with its commercial activities and public life. Mr. Mayse was born on a farm in Clinton county, Missouri, July 6, 1861, a son of James B. Mayse and wife, nee Isabelle Everett. The father, a Virginian by birth, was born in the Old Dominion in 1823, and the mother was born in Missouri in 1840. They, with their family, removed to Kansas in 1886. After remaining in Winfield one year they located in Ashland, Clark county, in July, 1887, and resided there until their respective deaths, the mother passing away Nov. 18, 1903, and the father Feb. 23, 1904. They were the parents of twelve children, three of whom died in infancy. Those who reached maturity are: James B., Rebecca P., Henry C., Cora B., Andrew J., Joel W., Galen E., Sallie J. (who died in 1896), and Robert C.

Henry C. Mayse was educated in the public schools of Clinton county, Missouri. He was reared a farmer boy and gave his attention to agricultural pursuits until 1889, when he became teller in an Ashland bank. Very soon after accepting the position of teller, however, he was made deputy clerk of the district court, to the duties of which office he gave his attention during the remainder of 1889, and the years of 1890 and 1891, and in the meantime applied himself assiduously to the study of law. He was admitted to the bar of Clark county in 1891 and was elected county attorney of Clark county in 1892 to serve two years. He was reëlected to that office in 1908 for a term of two years and also served as city attorney of Ashland during the years of 1909 and 1910. During the session of the state legislature, in 1897, he was clerk of the live stock committee of the house. His political faith is indicated by the zealous support which he gives to the Democratic party, both as a citizen and through his paper, the "Clark County Clipper," the pioneer paper of Clark county, of which Mr. Mayse became owner and editor, in 1895, a relation he still sustains. Besides his official duties and his newspaper work he has enjoyed a very successful law practice since entering that profession, in 1891. His energetic and efficient labor in these several lines of endeavor have brought him a gratifying remunerative reward, and through the exercise of splendid business ability he has become one of the most successful and substantial business men of Ashland, where he has valuable property holdings.

On June 6, 1906, Mr. Mayse wedded Miss Harriett L., a daughter of Isaac N. Cassity, a pioneer farmer of Clark county, Kansas. Mrs. Mayse was born in Indiana, Feb. 22, 1880, and came to Kansas with her parents when quite young. Mr. and Mrs. Mayse have three children—Melvin, born May 11, 1907; Wilburn, born Sept. 9, 1908, and Helen, born Feb. 16, 1910.