JOEL T. GRIFFEN.

The following biography was prepared by his daughter, Mrs. L. G. Egbert:

JOEL T. GRIFFEN was born in Otsego county, New York, May 22d, 1817. His parents (Rachel Willson and Stephen Griffen) were of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, American born, his father being of Welsh descent. He carried on a small farm, beside running a grist mill, at which on mill days all the farmers congregated for a friendly chat and to procure their monthly flour and meal. It was proverbial of him that he was never heard to utter an oath or laugh out loud. Joel was the third son in his father's family, having two brothers and two sisters older, and a brother and sister younger. He was educated in the common or district schools of these times. He with his elder brother, Stephen, learned the trade of millwright, and spent several summers in building mills in the western part of New York and Northern Ohio. In 1835 his father removed with his family to Washtenau county, Michigan, which was then considered the far West. There he performed great labors in felling the immense forest which encumbered this portion of the state. And here in this malarial district was sown the seed of the fatal disease which attacked him in his later years. Returning to New York he married Miss Juliette Cobb Griffin, June 11th, 1840, and for a year or two owned and run a boat on the Erie canal. Yielding at length to the entreaties of his mother, he returned to Michigan and engaged in farming. After the death of his mother, in 1852, he removed to Oakland county, where he turned his attention to fruit raising and nursery gardening, also farming in a small way. He resided here until 1856. In May of that year he came to Nebraska, and located on the highest hill in the county, about three miles from the city of Omaha, then a very insignificant village. He returned to his home in Michigan for his family, consisting of three sons and two daughters. On his way to his new home he made (in St. Louis) the purchase of a stock of provisions and a house already framed and ready to put up, so that when he arrived in Omaha with his family July 20, 1856, he also brought his house and provisions to stock it. This house built of pine was known the country round as the pine house. At that time

the country was overrun with claim hunters, and as the inhabitants were few and far between night often overtook them, and any one who has traveled a prairie country after dark knows that with the most experienced it is an easy matter to lose the trail, and by his direction a whole candle was placed in a safe position in a western window before the family retired, and often the belated traveler has found shelter, guided by the light from the pine house. In fact, often after the beds were taxed to their full capacity he would jocosely remark that they were welcome to the widest board in the floor, and the floor would oftentimes be well occupied. In the prime and vigor of life, confident of his success and of the future of Nebraska, he gave his best energies to opening a farm, which was soon second to none in the country. He began immediately to plant trees, and urged others to do so, recognizing the fact that what Nebraska most needed was wood. His example was of great value to those around him, especially in this tree planting, which was attended with many drawbacks and much labor, and about the success of which everybody seemed in doubt. Now a grand tall forest covers sixty acres which in 1856 was bare prairie, innocent of tree or shrub. He was a staunch republican, and held a prominent place in the politics of his state. He was elected several times to the territorial legislature. He was elected to represent Douglas county in the first state legislature in 1867 and again in 1869. Omaha owes him a debt of gratitude for his efforts to secure the donation of Capitol Square for school purposes. He was postmaster of Omaha during 1870 and 1871. He resigned this office and engaged for some years previous to his death in the stock business, in which he had great success. He was a man of great executive ability and indomitable will, and once started in an enterprise would never give up until his end was accomplished. He was generous to a fault. I do not think any one ever turned away empty handed who applied to him for aid. He was fond of his home and children, and though not demonstrative, was a man of deep feelings, and his domestic afflictions had a marked effect on him. The loss of a son seven years of age, in 1856, and his daughter Ettie (a very bright and promising girl of eighteen), in 1875, each in turn bowed him down with a burden of grief and years. His health failed entirely in the summer of 1883, and he was persuaded to spend the winter in Southern California. Accompanied by his daughter Mary, he reached Los Angeles

November 1st; on November 30th he received the sad news of the death of his son Jay, who was killed on the Utah Northern R. R. This was the crowning sorrow of his life, and he never rallied from the shock. Weak as he was, he came immediately home, and slowly failed until, on March 10th, 1884, after much suffering, he passed away from this life to the life beyond. He is survived by only two members of his father's family, his younger brother and sister, who are at this time residents of Nebraska. He was buried under the auspices of the Masonic order, of which he was an honored member.

BISHOP CLARKSON.

The Rt. Rev. Robert H. Clarkson, Episcopal Bishop of Nebraska, died at his home on St. Mary's Avenue, Omaha, Monday, March 10, 1884.

The following biography of Bishop Clarkson was an editorial in the Omaha Herald, written by Dr. Geo. L. Miller, editor.

"This morning's sun looks down upon a stricken city, and its grief brings a whole state to the ground in woe.

"At the hour of twelve-thirty of the clock yesterday morning, Bishop Clarkson breathed his last breath of mortal life. In the midst of this great calamity, could we be left to our own hearts we would sit with our personal grief in silence. But a few words must be written for the public record.

"ROBERT HARPER CLARKSON, was born at Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania, on the 19th of November, 1826. He was of an old and honored family. His grandfather, the Rev. Joseph Clarkson, D.D., was the first clergyman ordained by Bishop White. He was rector of St. James' church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, until he reached a great age, and he now lies in the church yard there. The Bishop's father was, during his son's boyhood, a man of extensive business and of great public esteem. Afterwards he lived in retirement. Many people in Omaha remember him, a genial, hearty, good old man. He died here several years ago.

"The Bishop's academic education was received at Pennsylvania College in the town of his birth, where he was graduated B.A. in

1844. Shortly afterwards he became tutor at the college of St. James, in Hagerstown, Maryland. The head of this interesting institution was the Rev. Dr. Kerfoot, afterwards bishop of Pittsburg. While there, young Clarkson studied theology under Dr. Kerfoot, and was ordained deacon, June, 1848.

"In some of its circumstances his early life was most happy. Far beyond what falls to the lot of most young men, he enjoyed the advantage of love and care and association of very rare men. While at the college of St. James, he learned to love, and was in turn greatly loved by the Rev. Dr. Mulenburg, whose memory still lives and will always live in St. Luke's hospital, New York, which he founded, and in the lines of the hymn, 'I would not live alway,' which he wrote. He was the immediate successor of the elder Dr. Clarkson as rector of the church in Lancaster; a tie which bound him to the young man, and in his long life of many labors our bishop was to him as a son. Dr. Bowen, also rector of the same church, and afterward Bishop of Pennsylvania, was his uncle. For his piety, learning, and great labor, his name is a treasure in the Church to this day. He gave his kinsman his solicitous affection and assistance. Dr. Kerfoot lavished upon him the vast stores of his great learning, and made known to him not only the beauty of godliness, but the power and joy of exquisite literary graces. His cousins, the Passmores, were nearly of his age, and their poetic and highly spiritual natures quickened his own. And there were others who cannot here be named. And so it was that, by inheritance and education both, he was made for such a life as now on earth is ended.

"While at Hagerstown, in 1849, he won the hand of a daughter of the house of McPherson-a great name in those parts—and ever since she has shed on his pathway the raidiance of wife's affection and the help of wife's care. On the day of their marriage, before the sounds of festivity were over, the young couple took up their long and weary way to Chicago; he to be the rector of St. James church, and both to be to their death the most cherished objects of the affection of the people there. It was a great venture. With little knowledge of men, and no experience in affairs, they came to the new, raw western city. Almost children, they were to be as leaders of the aggressive and vigorous manhood that was impatient of weakness and heedless of failures. But they proved themselves worthy son and

daughter of their great inheritance. Hardly were they settled in their new home than the cholera came to mercilessly scourge the city. Others in the sacred office fled before the terrors of the plague; they were steadfast through the whole period of its ravages. Day and night the young deacon held his way among the stricken, nursing the sick, helping the poor, holding up the hearts of the afflicted, holding the cross before the eyes of the dying, and burying the forsaken dead. Stricken down himself, he conquered the disease by his indomitable spirit, and weak and weary as he was, he went out again to the utter misery all about, never stopping to rest, never heeding the cries of fear. The record of Christian heroism tells no more affecting tale of devotion and self-sacrifice. He came out of the ordeal a conquerer, for he had conquered a city. Known of all for what he had been in the hour of agony, as ever afterwards he went in the streets and the houses there, all men paid him a loving, and almost worshipful homage.

"He was ordained priest January 5, 1851. Seventeen years he lived among that people. He built a great church, in its beauty surpassing all others in that city. He gathered a great congregation from all conditions of men. He set on foot, and nursed, and made secure many charities. Every young man coming there, of whom he could hear, was sought out and helped, and encouraged, and put in the good way. Every poor, or sick, or afflicted, or friendless person found a hand stretched out, a heart open wide for him, and the more he needed of any sort of help, the more was pressed upon him. The whole was a life of arduous work; a joy and a blessing to every body. The friendships then formed still live-their strength unrelaxed and the gratitude to-day all it was when the service was rendered. And now the city of his first love mourns, and mourns with the city where he rests forever.

In 1857 he received his doctorate in Divinity from his alma mater and also from Racine College. And there, in that young school, he had his place. It was he who named the sainted DeKoven for its head, and by much persuasion, secured the appointment. And his unswerving devotion and unremitting service did much to make the college the great Rugby of America. In 1872 our own university honored itself by conferring upon him the very first of all the degrees of doctor of laws.