274                HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

America, landing in New York on the 11th day of August, 1881. On the
14th day of September, 1882, he married Miss Cuthbertson. Having
come to Clay county and located at Brazil, he was elected city clerk,
on the Republican ticket, in 1891, and was subsequently re-elected. In
1898 he was nominated by his party for county treasurer and elected, and
two years later was nominated for re-election, but was not successful.
Endowed by nature with a liberal share of musical talent, the author of
several compositions set to music, he applied himself professionally to
the tuning of pianos and organs, locating at Terre Haute; where he now
lives, having a patronage extending over the adjacent territory.
    At the age of twenty-nine years the subject of this sketch lost a leg by
amputation. From the diseased condition of the entire thigh-bone, ampu-
tation at the hip-joint was the only life-saving remedy, which was per-
formed by Dr. J. F. Smith, of Brazil, on the 20th day of May. 1889, the
first successful hip-joint amputation known in the practice and history of
surgery in the state of Indiana, full reports of which were published in
the professional journals of the country. On the fourteenth day follow-
ing the operation, by the aid of a crutch, Macdonald walked out onto the
streets of the town.
    The “Z” in the name of the subject of this sketch was no part of the
christening, hut the creation of an after-thougbt. Living at a time in the
same neighborhood were two John Macdonalds, between whom it was
agreed, for identification, to “part their names in the middle” by the use
of the first and the last letter of the alphabet.

    Preston Morgan, native of Clark county, Kentucky, born February
17, 1799, his father, William Morgan, having been a companion of Daniel
Boone in many of his adventures and thrilling experiences. In his boy-
hood days he attended such schools as the state of Kentucky then afforded,
staying on the farm with his parents until March 6, 1827, when he mar-
ried Miss Rhoda Chinn, of Lexington. Having accumulated in early life
enough money to purchase government land, he came to Clay county,
Indiana, in 1834, and entered 120 acres, on the National road, near Croy’s
Creek, where he located and resided all through life. The succeeding year
(1835) he was elected justice of the peace, one of the first within the
territory of Van Buren township, filling the position satisfactorily for
several years. During the time of his service in this capacity he was
called on at various times to perform the marriage ceremony, when he
was usually accompanied by his eldest son, John T. Morgan, then but a
small boy, on some occasions riding a number of miles, all the way
through the unbroken forest.
    In 1831 Mr. Morgan made a trip on horseback from Kentucky over
into central Illinois, passing through what is now Brazil, on the site of
which there were then but two cabins to be seen. In a brief talk at an
Old Settlers’ meeting. at Center Point, in 1873, he related that in 1835
he wagoned a load of lumber from his home to the Springfield, Illinois,
market. After the death of his wife, he made his home with his son,
James H. Morgan, on the old family homestead, until his death, April 30,
1888, aged 89 years, 2 months and 13 days.

    George I. Kayser, native of Ohio, born of German parentage, at
Zoar, Tuscarawas county. February 5, 1850, family moved to Wines-
burg, Holmes county, when George was but a small child: came to Owen