There is a proverbial saying that opportunity knocks once at every man’s door, and a classic has been written by a great Kansas statesman, since departed from among us, which tells in musical language that Kansas spells opportunity for the young man. Opportunity presented itself to John E. Duncan, Missouri Pacific agent, at Shannon, Kan., and Mr. Duncan seized it, and held on for all he was worth, and made a success of his venture. His ambition first was to become a railroad man and telegraph operator, and probably in the early stages of his career the post of telegraph operator seemed to him to be the great height of attainment. He realized his first dream, and when he came to Shannon, Kan., to take charge of the Missouri Pacific business at that place, he conceived the idea of engaging in the buying and shipping of grain. This idea grew and he became a grain buyer and shipper, built an elevator, established a general store, opened an implement establishment, and became a prosperous and trusted business man of his adopted county. It is a fact that more grain is shipped from the little village of Shannon through the agency of Mr. Duncan than any other point in Atchison county, outside of the city of Atchison. Mr. Duncan enjoys the respect, esteem and confidence of the prosperous farmers of the section tributary to Shannon, and they trade with him because of this confidence in his squareness. A few years ago, when real hard times struck Kansas as a result of the droughts, Mr. Duncan showed his hearty good will and confidence in the eventual betterment of conditions by placing his trust in his farmer friends, and supplying such of those who were not blessed with ready cash, with credit for supplies at his store, and carried them until they were able to pay. This kindness has been appreciated, and the most cordial relations exist between Mr. Duncan and his patrons.
John E. Duncan was born March 21, 1863, in Moro, Madison county, Illinois. He is a son of John and Mary (Hooley) Duncan, who had eight children, three of whom are now dead. The father was born in December, 1818, in Ireland. He left his native land in 1846 and sailed for New York. He engaged in farming in New York State, and was married two years later. In 1851 he came to Illinois and remained there until 1891. The mother of John Duncan was born in Ireland, also, in 1827. In 1848 she left there with a brother, William, and came to America. She died in 1907. Both parents were members of the Catholic church. The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm of his father and attended the grammar schools of Madison county, Illinois. When he grew to be a young man the long days of labor on the farm palled on him and he longed to get into different work. He had always had an ambition to become a telegrapher and when he was twenty-one years old he had a chance to learn that work. He worked as telegrapher for the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company until 1887, when he went to Everest, Brown county, Kansas, to become night operator for the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. In the fall of 1887 he was sent by the same company to Shannon, Atchison county, Kansas, to become the agent for the Missouri Pacific there. In 1892 he went into the grain business. He bought and sold grain for eight years, and at the end of a successful business period he erected the grain elevator at Shannon. This proved a profitable investment, and in 1907 he invested in a general merchandise store which he conducted until August, 1915, when his store building and stock were destroyed by fire, which was caused by lightning. Mr. Duncan has recently completed a handsome new store building of cement blocks, 36×56 feet in size, which is attractively finished throughout and is well stocked with goods. In the fall of 1915 Mr. Duncan installed a line of agricultural implements and is the real merchant prince of his section of the county. Besides his business interests he is the owner of 200 acres of land in Macoupin county, Illinois, a nice residence in Shannon, and several town lots.
Mr. Duncan was married in 1890 to Margaret V. Clark, and to this union the following children have been born: John, associated with his father in business; Kathrine, aged sixteen years; Margaret, eleven years old; Bernadette, aged nine; and Dorothy, four years of age, all of whom are living at home with their parents. Mrs. Duncan is a daughter of Mathias and Katherine (O’Grady) Clark, both of whom were born and reared in Ireland, and emigrated from their native land to America. She was graduated from the school of telegraphy at St. Louis, Mo., in 1889, and assisted her husband in his work at Shannon. Mr. Duncan is a Democrat and he and his family are members of the Catholic church. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, of Atchison, Kan.
WILLIAM SCHAPP.
William Schapp, a Civil war veteran and an Atchison county pioneer, is a native of Germany. He was born in Wyler, Germany, January 26, 1840, and is a son of Peter and Margaret (Bonns) Schapp. The Schapp family immigrated to America in 1854, landing at New Orleans, La. They remained there but a short time, however, when they came up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers by boat and located at Weston, Platte county, Missouri, where a brother of Mrs. Schapp had located some time previously. Here the father entered the dairy business and prospered and the parents moved to Atchison, Kan., in 1868 and died in Atchison.
William Schapp received a common school education and grew to manhood in Platte county. He entered the employ of James Steele, an extensive land owner, as overseer of his estate, and was thus employed when the Civil war broke out and soon after the beginning of hostilities, Mr. Schapp was drafted into the Confederate service. Four days after he became a Confederate soldier, his company was encamped on the banks of the Missouri river near Iatam, Mo. Young Schapp began to lay plans to escape, as he was a Union man at heart, and he had made up his mind that if he was going to serve in the army that he would serve under the stars and stripes. On the night he escaped the lieutenant of the company was killed accidentally while showing the men how to use a gun, and during the excitement incident to the killing, Mr. Schapp made his escape. During the night he secured a boat with one oar and drifted down the river, landing at Ft. Leavenworth. Here he lost no time in enlisting in Captain Black’s company which afterwards became a part of Company B, Eighth Kansas regiment. The following night he piloted this company across the river to Iatum where they surprised and captured the Confederate company of which he had been a member the day before. This act won from him the intense hatred of the members of the Confederate company, and even after the close of the war members of that company attempted to take his life. After serving about a month in Captain Black’s company, he joined Company H, Eighteenth Missouri regiment and participated in a number of important engagements. After the battle of Shiloh he was promoted to sergeant major. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea, and during that campaign, while at Decatur, Ala., his term of enlistment expired and he received special permission to accompany General Sherman’s army through the campaign. On arriving at Savannah, Ga., he was placed in charge of fourteen soldiers whose term of enlistment had expired and was the first to arrive in New York City, where they were met by bands of music and were treated royally by the people. He then returned to his former home in Platte county, but the secession spirit was so strong and so much antipathy was shown him on account of his loyalty to the Union that he decided not to remain, and accordingly, came to Atchison. The second night after arriving home he was warned by a friendly member of the Confederate company he had deserted to leave at once, as plans had been made to hang him. He left at once on the next train. He had saved about $800 during the war and loaned it to his uncle, John Bonns, who was engaged in the brewery business, and through a failure, Mr. Schapp lost every dollar of his savings. He then entered the employ of Julius Holthaus, who conducted a saloon and a grocery store. About a year later he engaged in the manufacture of brick in partnership with Jacob Nash. About five years later he engaged in the ice business, which he conducted about six years. He then bought a farm north of where the orphans’ home is located, where he remained for twelve years, when he sold his farm and removed to Atchison, and engaged in the real estate business and has since been engaged in that business. Mr. Schapp has been very successful and has accumulated considerable property.
He was married in February, 1865, to Miss Margaret, a daughter of Gearhardt Kunders, a pioneer settler of Weston, Mo. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Schapp, as follows: Peter P. resides in California; Dora F. resides at home; Mrs. Theodore Geritz, Atchison county; Mrs. Theodora Arensberg, Atchison; Mrs. Henry Wersling, Atchison county, and Albert A.; William H., deceased; Maggie, deceased.
Mr. Schapp is one of the old timers of Atchison, and has seen that town develop from a little settlement on the bank of the Missouri river to the great prosperous commercial center that it is today. He has taken an active part in the political life of Atchison, and for seven years was a member of the city council, and served two years on the Atchison school board. Mr. Schapp cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln for President, and has been a stanch adherent to the policies and principles of the Republican party since that day. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
THOMAS LINCOLN BLODGETT.
The passing of a good, industrious citizen from this mundane sphere to the realms of a higher and better life beyond the grave is always saddening, especially if his demise occurs while yet in the prime of his vigorous manhood. Such a one was Thomas Lincoln Blodgett, late of Mt. Pleasant township, who, though not permitted to dwell upon this earth the allotted time decreed for mankind, accomplished in the brief time he was actively engaged in agricultural pursuits more than the average man, and will long be remembered for his many excellent qualities by those who knew him best.