Dr. J. W. Cannon, allopathic physician, although a new man in this county, has been successful as a practitioner and has gained the confidence of the people. He was born in Hancock county, Illinois, April 15, 1849, and is the son of Arthur M. and Elizabeth (Gibson) Cannon, who are natives of South Carolina, and of Scotch-Irish descent. His early life was spent on a farm receiving a common school education during that time, and attended the college at Abingdon, Illinois, during the year 1864, and in 1867 and 1868 attended the Branch institute, at Macomb, and afterwards graduated at the Quincy Commercial college. He entered the Medical institute at Keokuk in the winter of 1872-3 from which place he afterwards graduated and practiced in Sac county until 1876, when he took another course at Keokuk. He again returned to Sac county, where he remained until October, 1883, when he came to Atlantic. He was married in Sac City, October 2, 1878, to Miss Jennie Dobson, a native of Tippiary, Ireland, but of English extraction, her parents having removed to Ireland prior to her birth. They have one child - Ray, who is five years of age. The doctor is a member of the county and state medical associations, and owns considerable property in Sac county, having been very successful there.

George H. Carpenter was born in Tompkins, county, New York, May 27, 1856, and is a son of Daniel and Betsy (Shepard) Carpenter. He was educated in the district school, and afterwards attended a graded school, in the village of Groton, Tompkins county. He completed his education at the State normal school, at Cortland, in Cortland county, where he spent two terms. He then, at the age of seventeen years, began teaching school. At the age of twenty-one he went to Bureau county, Illinois, and engaged in teaching, which he continued fourteen terms. He was subsequently employed in clerking in the store of J. A. Russell, and also had charge of an elevator. October 10, 1882, he was married to Nora, daughter of J. A. and Sophronia (Barrett) Russell. In March, 1884, Mr. Carpenter came to Cass county, and settled on section 28, of Pleasant township. The farm which he owns and occupies contains two hundred and forty acres of land, and was formerly the property of the late Captain J. A. Russell, of Bureau county, Illinois. This is a highly improved and desirable farm. All of the improvements were made by Captain Russell.

J. S. Crawford, principal of the public schools of the city of Lewis, was born in Broomfield, Ohio, December 20, 1853. In 1855 his parents removed to Allamakee county, Iowa, where his childhood and youth were spent. He began his school days in the district schools of that county, and in 1873, went to the Upper Iowa university at Fayette, where he spent three months in attending that school. Subsequently he became a student at the State University at Iowa City, where he remained some time. In 1876, he attended the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and on his return from that city, taught school one year in Allamakee county. He then went to Colorado and there engaged in mining two years, after which he returned to Iowa and located in Cass county where he has since been identified with the interests of education. In 1882 he assumed the principalship of the Lewis schools, which owe their present highly prosperous conditions to his untiring industry. Mr. Crawford is well qualified, both by nature and education, for his responsible position. Socially he is highly popular and enjoys the respect and esteem of both old and young. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, also of the I. O. O. F.