HISTORY OF .CLAY COUNTY	273

racks; left an orphan at at age of six years, he went to live with his pater-
nal grandfather in Kinkintillock, Dumbartonshire, Scotland, who, being
a hand-loom weaver, put the grandson to work at the loom at the age of
nine years. In 1854, he went to live with his paternal uncle, in Ayrshire,
Scotland, who was a coal miner, and went to work with him in the mines
at the age of eleven years. On the 31st day of December, 1860, he mar-
ried Isabella Wilson, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Gibson) Wilson,
in Gaiston, Ayrshire, Scotland. In the month of April, 1870, he came to
America and worked several months in the mines of Pennsylvania and
Illinois, then came to Clay county in October of the same year, stopping
at Knightsville. The following year (1871) he sent for his family and
has lived at Knightsville ever since. In 1872 he declared his intention
to become a citizen and affiliated with the Republican party, casting his
first presidential vote for General Grant. While yet in his native country
he took a leading interest in the affairs of his craft, and on coming to
this country naturally drifted into the same channel. He has held the
highest positions in every Miners’ Union that has been organized in this
district and represented District 14 in the General Assembly of the
Knights of Labor, held in Philadelphia in 1884. In 1888 he was nomi-
nated by his party for representative in the state legislature and was
elected, serving at the session of 1889, on the committees on public ex-
penditures, foreign relations, statistics and emigration, supporting all
reform measures in legislation irrespective of party, including the uni-
form school-book law and the Australian ballot. He introduced some of
the most beneficial mining, laws pased at that session, which are still on
the statute books and have been ruled constitutional by the Supreme
Court.
	To Samuel Anderson and wife have been born fourteen children.
of whom three sons and three daughters were born in Scotland, and three
sons and five daughters in this country, one son and four daughters sur-
viving, three children dying in Scotland and six in this country. Mr.
Anderson is esteemed a good, conservative and worthy citizen, and is a
representative, useful member in the counsels of the mine workers or-
ganization. He has frequently contributed to the county and the state
press well written articles on important questions pertaining to the con-
ditions and welfare of his craft.

	Dennis C. Gilfillan, native of Clay county, son of John C. and Sarah
(Zenor) Gilfillan, natives, respectively. of Ohio and Indiana, born Decem-
ber 22, 1862, at the family homestead, adljoining the town of Center
Point. In his boyhood he attended the public schools of his native place
and of Bowling Green. In 1878 he entered the State University at
Bloomington. Having taught for several years successfully in the schools
of the county. in i888 he was nominated for county recorder by the
Democratic party an(l elected. In the month of July previous to his elec-
tion he married Miss Nannie Miller, daughter of farmer Nicholas Miller,
of Posey township. Succeeding his term of office, he returned to the
old homestead at Center Point, and later located on a part of the Miller
estate in the south part of Posey township, where he still resides.

	John Z. Macdonald. native of Scotland. born in Saltcoats. Ayrshire,
June 13, i86o. During the years of his boyhood and youth he worked in
the mines of his native country, and at twenty-one years of age came to
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