JOHN G. KENDALL. On the fourth day of the month of May, in the year 1845, the pioneers of this county received a valuable acquisition in the person of this gentleman, who has since been no unimportant factor in advancing the mater8ial prosperity of this section of Illinois, and has greatly aided its development from its original wild state. During these forty-five years his attention ahs been given to farming and stock-raising, and on section 30, of Hallock Township, he has built up a home in which comfort reigns supreme. Here he has a farm comparing in cultivation and improvement with the best in the neighborhood, and which formerly comprised two hundred acres of land, but he ahs recently reduced its acreage by giving some of it to his children.

Our subject was born in Columbia County, Pa., January 3, 1814, to Andrea and Cornella T. (Wagner) Kindler. The family name, as we see, was Kindler, instead of Kendall, but in the case of our subject it was accidentally changed by the man made out his shipping papers, and the error being noted too late for the name to be altered, from that time he has been John G. Kendall. Andrea Kindler was born among the beautiful hills of Switzerland, of a worthy Swiss ancestry, and there he was reared to manhood, and married his wife who was a native of the same part of Switzerland as himself. After the birth of two or three of their children, they emigrated to the United States in 1809 and settled among the pioneers of Columbia County, Pa., passing their remaining years on a farm in that county. The deaths occurred when they were a little past middle life. They had not a very large family of children, and our subject is the only one now living.

Mr. Kendall left home at an early age and unfortunately never again saw his parents, as he did not revisit his early home until after death had removed them. The early years of his life were passed in Columbia County, and at the early age of fourteen years, the bright active lad left the parental home to carry out his inordinate desire for a seafaring life, he being of a roving disposition and for many years his life was passed principally on the ocean; he visited many countries and saw a great deal of the world. Commencing as a cabin boy he soon provide that he had not mistaken his calling, and from time to time was promoted until he became first mage; he served with great skill and credit on merchant vessels, and for there years he was in the United States Navy, entering the service of this Government, in 1837. He circumnavigated the globe in the United States frigate, “Columbia,” Commodore George C. Read commanding. The vessel sailed from Hampton Roads May 16, 1838, and arrived at Boston, Mass., June 20, 11830, after a voyage of twenty-six months. While in the navy our subject was for three months on the receiving “Java,” and during the trip he saw many important places, touching Africa at several different points, and doubled the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. He also served three years on the United States ship “Pennsylvania,” the larges man-of-war in the world. It was on his last voyage on the bark “Oceola,” sailing from Rio De Janeiro to New Orleans that he wrote the following beautiful lines:

These lines are respectfully dedicated to my dear devoted children. Written at sea, on board the bark “Oceola,” of Philadelphia, on a passage from Rio De Janeiro to New Orleans, March, 1845.

John G. Kendall,

Southampton, Peoria County, Ill.

THE LAST CRUISE

Along with pleasant breezes our ship sails o’er the main

With every prospect pleasing our native shore to gain,

I walked the deck in silence, the playful clouds did view;

Beheld the glorious planets, in their orbits as they flew.

My watchmates sleeping stretched upon the deck

The helmsman keeping the ship upon her track

The watch below reposing in pleasant dreams of home

Of sweethearts, love, and duty, and many Joys unknown.

My heart involved in sadness, I walked the deck alone

And thought of days in childhood, and many sports at home

When all was joy and gladness, my fancy then would soar

To hills, and vales oft’ traveled in happy days of yore.

Thoughts of home come fondly, as friendless now I roam

To grieve is only sadness, the heart still holds it own

The pleasures blighted, the friends since dead and gone

The love so warmly plighted, but now I’m left alone.

As sailing o’er the ocean, in foreign climes, to roam

Where all is new and pleasing, but find no place like home,

Soon my cruising will be ended, time leaves changes on my face,

O, ye stars above, shine oh my resting place!

Ye winds and waves around me, O, waft me to the shore,

In truth, and love abounding, and friends will part no more!

To sail no more the ocean, where storm, and breakers roar

And think no more of dangers past, or days that are no more

September 23, 1882.

After his arrival in port at New Orleans, La., from a long ocean voyage, Mr. Kendall decided to try life on land and having many favorable accounts of the beauties of the Prairie State and its wonderful agricultural resources, he decided to locate here and came to this county, as before mentioned, and has since devoted himself to farming, He was married in this county and township to Miss Amelia Merrill, who lived in Ross County, Ohio, September 22, 1822. She came West when six years of age with her parents, Samuel and Nancy (Houston) Merrill. They located on a farm two miles north of Chillicothe, in this county, and there she grew to womanhood. Her parents were early settlers, and being farmers by occupation, improved an excellent farm and here rounded out their lives at a good old age.

Mr. and Mrs. Kendall have five children living, as follows: Helena M., wife of Joe Brown, a farmer in Nemaha County, Kan.; Kent K., a resident of Nemaha County, Kan., and who married Lizzie Harrington; Reubie K., who married Lucy Wilcox and is a farmer of this township; Eugena M., wife of George Cramer, a farmer of Dunlap, this county; Edward E., a farmer of this township, who married Alice M. Cline.

Mr. Kendall possesses a clear mind, and quick powers of observation, and as we have seen, has decided literary talent, and a keen appreciation of the beautiful. His wide experience has given him a large outlook on life, and an extensive fund of information and has broadened his ideas. Independent, sagacious, and liberal in his views, political and religious, he is generously high-minded in his dealings with all with whom he comes in contact. He is a prominent member of the National Liberal League, of Philadelphia, Pa.

In connection with this review of the principal events in the life of Mr. Kendall we present a portrait of him on another page.

(page 581)