a story of Firman JAMES, a son of Evan JAMES and wife Lydia WOLF of Maryland. Firman born ca 1813 extracted from a book from Edgar Co. and Vermilion Co., Ill. biographical and portrait/sketches of history from an 1890's circa publication date. Firman JAMES moved (finally) and died in Edgar Co, Illinois. " A native of Allegany County, Md., our subject was born Dec. 27, 1813, and is the son of Evan and Lydia (Wolf) James, who were natives respectively of Maryland and Virginia, the father of German descent and the mother of Welsh and English ancestry. In 1815 the parents, leaving Maryland, emigrated to Muskigum County, Ohio, where they sojourned for a period of twenty-five years. There our subject acquired his education in the common school and worked with his father on the farm until a young man of twenty-one years. In the meantime the father operating as a saw-log contractor, Firman occupied much of his time in hauling logs from one place to another, and remained a member of the parental household until his marriage. " The above-mentioned interesting and important event in the life of our subject took place in 1839, the bride being Miss Mary A. Hanks. Mrs. James was born in Virginia, Oct. 18, 1817, and was taken by her parents to Ohio when less than a year old. Her early education was acquired in the Buckeye State where she lived with her parents whose family consisted of thirteen children, she being the third in order of birth. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. James settled on a farm in Muskingum County, where they lived one and one-half years then turned their faces to the farther West. They arrived in this county on the 18th of October, 1842 and settled on a very new farm just opposite where they now live and which comprised 240 acres of land. " Mr. James and his estimable wife lived in true pioneer style and labored industriously for many years until they had obtained a firm foothold financially, and could partially lay aside life's sterner duties. Mr. James wisely invested his surplus capital in additional land and is now the owner of 1800 acres, lying in Clark and Edgar counties, this State, and in Muscatine County, Iowa. The whole is fairly improved and under a high state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. James have no children. Linda M. Thank RAOGK Washington