Robert G. Scholz is a Kansas pioneer and prominent stock man. He was born at Schlazen, near Leidenpal, Germany, April 15, 1850, and is a son of Charles F. and Amelia (Munskie) Scholz. The father was engaged in the milling business in the Fatherland and in 1858 the family immigrated to America and settled at Fort Madison, Iowa, and the following year came to Kansas and preempted Government land in Marshall county. The farm was located six miles north of where Frankfort now stands. The county had just been surveyed before they located their homestead, but had not been organized. Their nearest railroad was at St. Joseph, Mo., where the settlers had to drive for provisions, and some went to Atchison or Leavenworth. Their nearest postoffice was at Barretts, ten miles distant, and their nearest school house was five miles. The only way to get to school was to walk, or drive a team of oxen. His mother, who is a well educated woman, taught the children at home, and later Robert walked the five miles to school. It is needless to add that the boy did not require physical culture exercises after and before his five-mile walks. This was in the days of the "pony express," an institution familiar to the pioneers of that time. It was the ox-team age and the "pony express" was considered a wind splitter at that time, but the "fast mail," with its clatter of hoofs, served its time and lives only in the memory of the past. The Scholz home was built of logs gathered from the creek and the roof was made of home-made shingles. Doors, window frames and lumber for the finer grades of workmanship were obtained by hauling logs to Barrett's mill, ten miles south, where they were sawed into boards. There was also a grist mill at that point, where the settlers had their corn ground into coarse meal. The year following the settlement of the Scholz family in Kansas there was a total crop failure, and the father went east to obtain employment in order to get corn for his family to live on, and for three years they ground their own corn meal by wind-mill power in order to save the toll required by having it ground at a mill. There were several Indian scares after they settled here and the Indians did some damage on a few occasions, the most serious being when the Sioux Indians pillaged the Government road in southern Nebraska and massacred a great many immigrants who were on their way west. The settlers frequently flocked to Marysville for protection, and during the Civil war there were frequent rumors of guerrilla raids, and at one time volunteers were called for to protect the settlers, but the guerrillas never operated very extensively this far north in Kansas. In 1874 the grasshoppers ate every growing thing, and even the blankets that were put over vegetables for protection. After passing through the various phases of Kansas pioneer life young Scholz was sent to Leavenworth, where he attended school for a time, after which he remained home with his father, assisting on the farm until 1872. He then engaged in life for himself, with an independent working capital of $2.50, all in cash. He worked as a farm hand in Missouri and traveled for five years, during which time he visited twenty-six States of the Union, nearly all there were at that time, and in 1878 returned to Kansas. The following year his father died, and he remained at home after that. In 1875, when he was in California, he shipped to his Marshall county home the first alfalfa that was ever seen in this section of Kansas, and he also has the distinction of being the first to introduce the Duroc hog in this section, which he shipped in from New Jersey. He has made a specialty of this breed of hogs, raising the pure-bred stock. He also raises purebred Hereford cattle and has a large herd of both cattle and hogs. He also raised horses and mules, but principally for his own use. He has been a very extensive cattle feeder, and during the last thirty-four years, with the exception of two years, he has shipped out several car loads of fat cattle annually, and at the present time is an extensive feeder. He has a large farm in Rock township, which is thoroughly equipped with all modern improvements for handling cattle and hogs on a large scale. He has been very successful in this line of business and has made considerable money.

Mr. Scholz was united in marriage, October 12, 1879, to Miss Mary Schreiner, daughter of Elias and Anna (Harms) Schreiner, both natives of Dahrmstadt, Germany, who came to America with their respective parents when children. They met and were married in Wisconsin. Elias Schreiner settled in Kansas with his family in 1864, locating in Marshall county, and took a homestead in Clearfork township, which is still in his possession. When he came to this State he drove in a wagon and, after arriving, hewed the logs with which to build his house. This house has long since been supplanted by a commodious modern residence. Mrs. Scholz, the wife of our subject, attended the first private school, which was taught by a neighbor's daughter, and later she attended the district school, which was a mile and a half from her home. To Mr. and Mrs. Scholz have been born three children: Alvina A., married Herbert Feldhausen, who resides in Marshall county; Walter T. is manager of the Frankfort Telephone Company at Frankfort, and Sadie S., who resides at home.

Mr. Scholz is a Democrat and served as trustee of Rock township one term. He and his wife are members of the Knights and Ladies of Security and the Presbyterian church. Mr. Scholz has been successful and prospered in all his undertakings. He has made money, and today is a man of independent means. He has seen Kansas grow up and has grown up with it.