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Progressive Men of
Iowa
1899
 FURNAS, Elwood, was born February 22, 1840,
in Montgomery county, Ohio. His father,
Benjamin Furnas, was a noted advocate of temperance,
whose death occurred in Louisa county, Iowa, in
1879. His great-great-grandfather, John Furnas, was
born near Standing Stone Meeting House in England, and
came to this country in 1768, settling in North
Carolina. Among the more noted of his descendants may be
mentioned ex-Gov. Robert Furnas, of Nebraska, Sarah
Furnas Wells, M. D., author of "Ten Years' Travel Around
the World," and Rev. W. Furnas, a noted physician, of
Newton, Ohio.
Mr. Furnas' early education
was one of the old log cabin kind, on the subscription
plan. The desk at which he sat was an inverted slab, but
Mr. Furnas thinks that the influence its rough surface
afforded was for the good, in that it was not conducive
to sleep during study hours. A college education was a
luxury not so easily reached in Mr. Furnas' boyhood as
now, although in many respects the common schools then
were nearer to the required conditions of a college
education than the common schools of today. Class honors
were not recorded then, but Mr. Furnas at one
time received a prize for his progress in grammar, a
thing seldom bestowed upon a scholar in his days.
In 1857, together with his
father, he located in Louisa county, upon a farm. Later, Elwood
Furnas and wife removed to Story county for the express
purpose of securing a stock farm, and in that vicinity
the family has ever since resided. Mr. Furnas is now
one of the most prosperous farmers in Story county, and
is authority upon all matters pertaining to
agriculture.
He holds a responsible position on the auditing
committee of the Farmers' Fire and Lightning
association, of Story county, and is vice-president of
the same; is secretary of the Local Alliance, president
of the Farmers' Progressive Reading circle, president of
the Story County Farmers' institute, president of the
National Farmers' alliance, secretary of the State
Farmers' Mutual Protective association, and is one of
the honorary members of the Commercial Travelers' fair
that was opened at Madison Square Garden, New York,
December 16, 1896, by that honorable body, and is a
valuable contributor to various agricultural periodicals
throughout the United
States.
The steps of advancement to
the many positions of trust and honor held by Mr. Furnas were not
attained without physical exertions and great mental
research. He is not only a practical farmer, but is a
student of political economy as well. He was married
February 10, 1859, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Sunderland, a
descendant of Capt. Richard Sunderland, of revolutionary
fame, and whose meritorious character is well known by
all students of history. Mr. Furnas is a republican, and
takes such active part in all campaigns as the duties of
the many positions he fills will allow. He has held all
the offices in the township in which he resides except
school director and assessor. It is his belief that to
be a successful farmer requires the strictest and most
intelligent application of one's time and best energies,
consequently matters political, however important, must
be secondary to the avocation which, if properly
pursued, yields up in abundance the staff of
life.
 HARRIMAN, Wilbert Eugene, college surgeon and
professor of pathology, histology and physiology, at the
Iowa State Agricultural college, is one of those young
men who have learned early to appreciate the value and
necessity of thorough, systematic training, and by
improving every opportunity to secure this training, he
has attained success much earlier in life than would
otherwise be possible. He is a son of Hon. W. F.
Harriman, (Franklin County) whose biography is printed
herewith. Dr. Harriman's mother was formerly Ellen E.
Mitchell, who was born in Illinois, where her parents
were early settlers, but who moved to Wisconsin when she
was quite young and afterwards to
Iowa.
Dr. Harriman's ancestors on
his father's side came from a long line of New
Englanders, while his mother's people were of Scotch and
German descent. The doctor's great-grandfather, on his
mother's side, was an officer in the war of 1812 and his
great-great-grandfather was a soldier in the
revolutionary war.
Dr. Harriman was born at
Cherokee, December 4, 1871, and when 5 years old removed
with his parents to Hampton, where he attended school
regularly until the time of his graduation from the high
school in June, 1890. He entered the Iowa Agricultural
college in July, 1890, and selected the scientific
course. He was always popular as a student, for he was
wide-awake and generous. He was prominent in all the
activities of the college, a loyal member of the
Welch-Eclectic Literary society, captain of Company E in
the college battalion, manager of the baseball team, and
during his sophomore year was chosen class president. At
the close of his sophomore year, he began the study of
medicine in the office of Dr. W. A. Rohlf, of Hampton,
continuing this work through the winter vacation of
1891-2, and at the close of his junior year, in
November, 1892, he entered the medical department of the
State university, and at the close of this year's work
had the satisfaction of winning the prize offered for
the best examination in histology. Returning to Ames in
the spring, he completed his course, graduating in
November, 1893. In May, 1894, he passed the examination
of the state board of medical examiners, and began the
practice of medicine at Gilbert, Story county, where he
remained until October, 1894, when he entered Jefferson
Medical college at Philadelphia, graduating May 15,
1895. He located at Ames the month following, and on
July 16th was elected to the position which he now
holds. Dr.
Harriman is the secretary and treasurer of Story county
medical society, a member of the Central District of
Iowa Medical association, of the State Medical
association, of the American medical association and a
fellow of the American Academy of Medicine, and is
health officer of the city of Ames. He holds a
commission from the governor of Iowa as cadet
captain. He
has never voted anything but the republican ticket He is
a member of no church.
The doctor was married
October 4, 1894, to Miss Mary E. Wormley, of Newton,
Iowa, with whom he became acquainted while in college at
Ames, she having been a member of the class of 1895.
They have two children: Loretta Marie, born December 11,
1895, and Walter Franklin, born November 10, 1897. They
represent the fifth of five generations now
living.
 THOMPSON,Walter
H. W. H. Thompson, as he usually subscribes himself,
cashier of the Bank of Collins, is a splendid type of
the hustling, progressive and successful young Iowan. He
is but 31 years of age, yet has for years been at the
head of a large mercantile establishment, has served two
terms as mayor of his city, and at this time fills a
conspicuous place in the financial circles of that
section of the commonwealth.
He was born in Jasper county,
Iowa, November, 1, 1866. His father, John Thompson, is a
man who has made a complete success of agriculture, and
though now retired from the management of his farm, is
serving as president of the Bank of Collins. The
mother's maiden name was Ann E. Angelo, a family name
that is mentioned in connection with the early history
of the country. Although the younger Mr. Thompson
received a common and high school education, he did not
have the advantage of a collegiate course. He resided on
the farm until he had reached his nineteenth year, at
which time his father exchanged stock owned by him in
the Wolf Creek Coal company for the general store of R.
H. Hampton & Son, at Collins, and he was placed in
charge of the same. With a proper appreciation of the
services rendered him, the father gave the young man a
one-half interest in the business, he remaining upon the
farm and permitting his son to manage the concern in his
own way.
Events proved that Walter H. was equal to the
task, for in 1890 he purchased his father's interest and
conducted the business in his own name in a very
profitable manner until 1896. At this time he found a
customer in J. M. Hall, so disposed of the store to good
advantage. Previous to selling out, he and his father
had founded the Bank of Collins, with the father as
president and the son as cashier. This institution still
continues to flourish, and its stability goes
unquestioned in that section of the
state.
The junior Mr. Thompson was
appointed postmaster at Collins by President Cleveland,
and he creditably discharged the duties of the office.
He was elected assessor of the incorporated town of
Collins in 1892-3, and mayor of the same city on the
citizens' ticket in 1896, being re-elected in 1897. He
joined the order of Odd Fellows in 1890; has filled the
office of noble grand four terms and was appointed D. D.
G. M. for
the Seventy-seventh district in 1894; is also a member
of the A. F. and A. M., having held the office of
worshipful master for several successive terms, and is
prominent in the Modern Woodmen of America. He was married
to Miss Luna May Crabb in June, 1887, and two children
have come to them-Forest G., aged 8, and John B. Thompson, aged 2
years.
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