The Carbondale Independent Osage County Thursday April 5, 1883 A Carbondale Man and His Business. James DICKENSHEETS, during the past week has had an addition to his shop twenty-by-twenty-five feet by sixty feet in size and the largest exclusive blacksmith shop in the State. It has now three forges but will have another as soon as it can be built. Mr. Dickensheets came to Kansas in March, 1869, and settled near Topeka, and went to work in a stone quarry. In the fall he moved to Wakarusa, where he remained three years, having but a very poor business, when he sold out. In the fall of 1873 he came to Carbondale, all his worldly wealth consisting of $100, less than ten years ago. He commenced work at the blacksmithing business in a shop with one forge on a leased piece of land where J. M. Curry's livery stable now stands, where he remained until the spring of 1876, having to put in an additional forge in the meantime on account of increasing business. He then built the old part of his present shop on the west side of Second street, with but two forges, but added the third forge in 1879 and now adds another, while the ring of his hammers are ever heard. >From that $100 with which he came to Carbondale, has sprung the business in which four hands are employed, as fine a residence as there are in the city, the presidencey and an interest in the bank, and still there is more. When he came to Kansas there had not been a rail laid on the Santa Fe road, and in the spring of 1879 he was called from his slumbers on numerous occasions to make repairs on its solitary engine. What is the road now? Twenty-six hundred miles of raod and three hundred and sixty engines. And yet at that time Mr. D. could tell you the name of every man connected with it.