Biographies from "History of Alexander, Union & Pulaski Counties", Illinois, edited by Wm. H. Perrin, published by Baskin, Chicago, 1883. Pages 135-136 W. P. MESLER, box mill, Cobden, was born in Western New York in September, 1842. In 1862 he came to Pulaski County, and was in the employ of James Bell at Ullin until 1870; then was in the West for two years. In 1872 he went into the Cairo Box Mill; was superintendent and also partner in the mill. In 1876 he came to Cobden, and in 1877 started in the present box factory three and a half miles west of Cobden. As he was well acquainted with the business and the consumers, W. P. Mesler & Co. have been doing a good business since, and one which has rapidly increased. He and his partner, James Bell, also have a box mill in the south part of the county, started in 1882. They manufacture all kinds of fruit and vegetable boxes and baskets not patented. The number of employees, of course, varies at different seasons of the year, but through the strawberry season they require about 50 persons in the mills and in Cobden; also keep from 15 to 20 teams at work all the time. When first starting in business here they could sell the green material, but now all want the seasoned material, so they have to keep a large supply on hand. They ship to all States west of Pennsylvania, except on the Pacific Slope, and have the largest trade of any other company in the same line in the West. Supply all the largest fruit-growers in the Mississippi Valley - Parker Earle of Cobden, B. F. Baker & Co. of Chicago, the Drs. McKay of Madison, Miss., etc. In their work annually they use 3,000 pounds of two-ounce tacks, about 200 kegs of three-penny fine nails, etc. They make material up ready for using when desired, and ship it so. One day's orders for immediate shipment amounted to 275,000 quart boxes, and the sales of quart boxes for 1883 will exceed four million boxes, about one million being for use in the county. Previous years the sales have been over three million quart boxes. This one industry has been a source of great profit to Cobden and Union County, making a demand for all timber fit for boxing material, and giving employment to so many persons. ======== Page 136 A. J. MILLER, merchant, Cobden, was born January 8, 1845, in Jonesboro, Ill. His parents, Henry Miller, a native of North Carolina, and Catharine (Cover) Miller, a native of Maryland, were in comfortable circumstances, and his educational advantages were as good as could be furnished in the schools of Jonesboro. At the age of 17 years he began clerking for Adam Buck, then a merchant of Cobden. From the day of his taking service to the final withdrawal, he enjoyed the confidence of his employers, and to a large extent participated with them in the management of their affairs, and at the age of 26 years he was taken as a partner and thus did business for five years. In 1878 he formed a partnership under the firm name of Miller & Loomis, which is now recognized as one of the leading enterprises of Cobden. In February, 1880, he married Allie, a daughter of Capt. I. N. Phillips, the result of which is two children, viz.: Henry and Nettie A. He is proprietor of Miller's Opera House; owns his present business room and the adjoining one in which Mr. L. T. Linnell is doing a banking business and keeps the post office. He is a member of the A.F.&A.M. chapter of Anna, and of the K. of H. [Knights of Honor] fraternities. His efforts, politically, are with the Democrats. His estimable lady is a member of the Presbyterian Church. The father of our subject is deceased, while the mother survives in a very pleasant home in Anna, blessed with plenty of this world's goods to make her comfortable the remainder of her life. She blessed her husband with eleven children, nine of whom are living, viz.: George N., A. J., Alice S. (the wife of Arthur Moss), John C., Frank P., David W., Mary M. (the wife of James Dickerson), Caleb and Kittie. The parents were early identified with the German Reform Church. ============= Pages 136-137 WILLIAM E. MOBERLY, retired attorney and real estate, Cobden, was born in Garrard County, Ky., near Lexington, in 1822, to John and Mahala Moberly. He was from Maryland, and died when our subject was young. She afterward married. By first husband she had two sons - our subject, and John Moberly, who has been a member of the Georgia Senate for some time. The complete history of William E. Moberly would occupy a volume in itself, but a few of the leading facts in his life will be given. He was raised on a farm and, when a young man, went to Missouri to seek his fortune. He was educated in the common schools of Kentucky, and after going to Missouri studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1849, and in 1850 commenced the practice of his profession at Brunswick, Mo. He very soon stood at the head, and for several years had one side of every important case in the county. He continued in his practice until 1860, when he was elected President of the North Missouri Railroad, a road in which he was largely interested. He continued as president for over three years, and owned the controlling interest in the road before selling out. During the time, he platted the town of Moberly, Mo., and it was named in his honor. In 1846 he was elected to the Missouri State Legislature from Macon County as a Whig. He served for two terms, then declined to run for any office afterward if he thought he could be elected, but several times was a candidate for the sake of keeping the party alive, although he knew he could not be elected. For three years during the war he was colonel of a regiment in Missouri. They were located around the old home of Gen. Price, and their work was to keep down the bushwhackers. Previous to the war he was a large slave-holder, and although his friends protested, he was ready to uphold his nation, although he knew that in its success he would lose his slaves. Among the slaves in his house was a sister of Senator Bruce of Mississippi, and it was in his kitchen that the future senator received his first lessons in reading. For two years he was the bodyguard of our subject. In the latter days of 1864, after quiet had been restored in Missouri, Mr. Moberly moved to St. Louis, Mo., and engaged in the real estate business, and has had his office there since. By his keen business faculties, he added to his already large property. Before the war, he had about 25 or 30 thousand acres of land, but when locating in St. Louis he transferred it mostly into city property. At one time it was estimated that he was worth half a million dollars, but he sold his railroad stocks and invested over $300,000 in the North Missouri Insurance Company, thinking it was in good hands. He did not give the insurance business the attention that he should, and before he was aware of it the officers had made a blunder, and the credit of the company was lost. He put in $40,000 more to try saving the company, but to no purpose - its credit was destroyed, and all was lost. About the same time, other property declined in value, so his losses were great, outside of the insurance. Although Mr. M. had made a success which but few attain, he lost most of it, but through no fault of his own. In 1880 he bought his present beautiful residence north of Cobden, and will here end his days in quiet, away from the excitement of a busy city life. In 1840 in Missouri he was married to Martha A. Collins. She was also a Kentuckian by birth and education; daughter of Joseph and Mary (Woolfork) Collins, an old and wealthy family of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Moberly never had children of their own, but have adopted and raised a large family, and have well educated them. This is, they consider, the best investment they ever made, for it cannot be taken away. Mr. Moberly is a member of the I.O.O.F., and in early life was Deputy Grand Master of the State of Missouri, and represented the state lodge in the national lodge. From early life he and his wife have been members of the Christian Church, but are also Spiritualists - not those, however, that believe in mediums. He now takes no part in political life. ============================================================================ ==============