Biography of W F Carloss, Mississippi Co, AR ********************************************************************* USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free Information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. Submitted by: Michael Brown Date: Sep 1998 ********************************************************************* Bibliography: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas. Chicago: Goodspeed Publishers, 1890. W. F. Carloss' name has become a familiar one to the people of Mississippi as well as the surrounding counties, and his genial, sincere nature, no less than the business in which he is engaged, has tended to bring about this result. His birth occurred in Phillips County, Ark., in 1859, he being the second of four children born to A. C. and Elizabeth (Harkleroads) Carloss, the former of whom was a prominent farmer and miller of that county, whither he moved in 1848, beginning his career as a farmer on a very limited scale indeed. He now owns 2,000 acres in one body, 600 being under cultivation, and as he has held the office of justice of the peace there for many years, he is very well known, and has been given the cognomen of “Squire Carloss.” Upon growing up, W. F. Carloss was instructed in all the details of farm life, and received his elementary education in the common [p.481] schools of Phillips County, which was afterward supplemented by one and a half year's attendance at the Christian Brothers' College of Memphis, Tenn., acquiring in that well known institution an education of more than ordinary thoroughness. Upon reaching the age of twenty-one, he began as fireman, but was soon afterward promoted to the position of conductor on the Arkansas Midland Railroad, serving in the latter capacity for two years. He then filled the position of station agent and postmaster at Marvel, Ark., from 1880 to 1883, and at the latter date was married to Miss Mittie Hudson of Phillips County. He soon after became interested in well-boring, purchased a set of tools, and began drilling wells in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and California, and did so well at the business that he is now operating six sets, two of which are run by steam. He has had extensive experience in this business, and agrees that if, after the well is sunk, the water-supply is exhausted, he will charge nothing for his work. He sinks his well to a great depth in order to obtain water from coarse white sand and gravel, and not one has ever been known to fail; a well at Osceola supplies two forty-horse power engines. They are becoming very popular in this part of the country, as they are lasting and cheap, and are spoken of in a highly flattering manner by every one. In 1887 this business was organized as the Carloss Well Company, their main office being at 254 Second street, Memphis, Tenn. Mr. and Mrs. Carloss have a son named Leslie.