James E. Carrithers

JAMES E. CARRITHERS. Having as a Hamilton County ranchman accomplished a satisfactory work in his free and independent occupation, James E. Carrithers has acquired a competency and is now living comparatively retired from active pursuits in Syracuse, where he located in 1916. A son of John A. Carrithers, he was born October 18, 1862, in Sullivan County, Indiana, not far from Shelburn. His grandfather, Adam Carrithers, was a typical representative of the brave pioneer settlers of Indiana, and was known throughout the length and breadth of Sullivan County as one of the leaders in the democratic party and an active churchman. He married Kittie Ann McClure, and they reared the following named children: William McClure; John A.; Stephen P.; James Ochiltree; Samuel T.; George, of Los Angeles, California; Charles M.; Adlai C.; Mrs. Jane Miller; and Margaret, widow of Daniel Sherwood, late of Los Angeles, California.

John A. Carrithers spent his early life in Sullivan County, Indiana. He subsequently moved with his family to Coles County, Illinois, where he continued life as a farmer for several years. From there he came to Kansas, and after living awhile in Hamilton County he settled in Stanton County, where his death occurred in 1909, at the age of seventy-six years. He married Sarah J. Beek, the eldest child of William Beek, a prominent farmer of Sullivan County, Indiana, who reared seven other children, namely: Nan, widow of William McClure Carrithers, Mrs. Maggie Morris, James, George, Mortimer, William and Flora. Mr. and Mrs. John A. Carrithers reared six children, as follows: James E., the special subject of this brief sketch; William T., who died in Stanton County, Kansas; George A., Frank M., Jesse A., and Frederick O., all of Stanton County.

As a lad of thirteen summers James E. Carrithers went with the family to Coles County, Illinois, where he finished his country school education, and likewise acquired an excellent knowledge of general farming. Coming to Kansas in 1884, Mr. Carrithers took up a pre-emption claim in Kiowa County, near Greensburg, and proved it up, the first season that he was there raising on sod a crop of corn that yielded thirty-five bushels an acre. In 1885 Mr. Carrithers located in Hamilton County, and in the southern part of the county entered a homestead claim on section 24. He immediately embarked in farming and stock raising, and for a time during the '90s his wheat crop ranged from 10 to 18 bushels an acre, but later the climatic conditions proved unfavorable for the development of that grain, and the farmers gave up growing it.

In 1903 Mr. Carrithers moved to the northern portion of the county, and having purchased a large tract of land ran cattle on the open range. In this region his experience shows that he has had but one entire crop failure since coming here, always getting some feed, although some of his neighbors may have had more failures than he, owing at times to the lack of local rains. In 1916 Mr. Carrithers bought a small farm in Syracuse, and in his pleasant home is living retired from the activities of business life.

On January 3, 1897, in Stanton County, Kansas, Mr. Carrithers married Ethlyn Heinlen, a daughter of Reuben Heinlen, who came from Ohio to Kansas in 1886, and is now a resident of Kendall, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Heinlen reared four children, as follows: Charles; Mrs. Carrithers; Mrs. Inez Adams, deceased; and Merlin, deceased. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Carrithers has been blessed by the birth of three children, Sarah Caroline, Esther May and James Merlin. In his political affiliations Mr. Carrithers is a democrat. He has been especially active in educational matters, having served as a member of the school board in both the southern and northern ends of Hamilton County, and also in Stanton County, He likewise served a term as trustee of Mitchell Township, and one term on the township board in Hamilton County. While in Stanton County he was a candidate for county commissioner, but, tying his opponent, he lost on a "straw draw." He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but is not identified with any fraternal organization.