56                  HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

America when but ten years of age, making the voyage across the ocean
alone, in a sailing ship. His youthful days were mostly spent in Pitts-
burg, Pennsylvania, where he worked in a blast furnace and iron mines.
Though far from home and native land, at the time of the Civil war in this
his adopted country, he enlisted as a member of Company A. Thirty-
fourth Ohio Volunteer Regiment, for the term of three years, of the war.
He was stricken with paralysis at Pomeroy, Ohio, and this prevented fur-
ther service in the army. He was a devout member of the German
Lutheran church and voted the Democratic ticket.
    When thirteen years of age, William C. Prince, the subject, began
the real work of life in a rolling mill at Portsmouth, Ohio, receiving
thirty-five cents a day. He continued in one mill up to July 3, 1878.
He commenced work as a “pull-up boy,” but later worked at shearing,
when he received seventy cents a day. July 5. 1878, he went to Terre
Haute, Indiana, where he worked in the old Wabash rolling mill, remain-
ing in that plant until 1884. There his work was that of roughing on an
eight-inch mill, for which he received three dollars and a half a day, and
sometimes as high as four dollars. He next went to Brazil and was
employed by the Central Steel Company until June 12, 1898, when he
was elected city marshall, taking that office the first Monday in Septem-
ber of that year. He performed the duties of that office up to September
7, 1902. From that time until November, 1906, he was employed in a coal
mine,and left that position to take the office of sheriff of Clay county,to
which he had recently been elected and which he still holds.
    Be it said to his credit, that the subject of this memoir was a dutiful
son to his widowed mother, who was left with three children, which she
supported as best she could until William C. was able to earn wages,
though small at first they were. He gave her all he could and support
himself, and in later years, when fortune had smiled on him more truly,
did he care for his mother in her declining years.
    Mr. Prince is interested in fraternal societies as a member of Brazil
Lodge, No. 264, A. F. and A. M.; Brazil Chapter, No. 59, Royal Arch
Masons; Brazil Council, No. 40, R. & S. M. He is also a member of
Brazil Lodge, No. 215, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; is a Past
Grand and delegate to the State Grand Lodge. He holds membership in
the Iron City Encampment, No. 118, and Canton No. 47, and has been a
delegate to the State Encampment. He is a member of Indianola Tribe,
No. 61, of the Order of Red Men, and belongs to Indianola Hay-makers,
No. 61-1/2, and the United Mine Workers of America—Billtown Local
No. 2011. Politically, Mr. Prince affiliates with the Democratic party.
    He was united in marriage November 27, 1889, to Forest Stough,
born in Van Buren township, Clay county, Indiana, August 30, 1865, a
daughter of Jesse G. and Catherine M. (Reynolds) Stough. Her father
was born in Crawford county, Ohio, September 17, 1840, and died
September 2, 1902. The mother was born in Putnam county, Indiana,
August 3, 1848, and is now living with her son-in-law, Mr. Prince.
Jesse G. Stough and wife were the parents of four children, three of
whom still survive, and are as follows: Mrs. Prince, Edward, Charles H.
and Mary E., who was the wife of Charles Gilmore, and she died at the
age of thirty years. Mr. Stough was a carpenter and contractor in
Brazil for the last twenty-two years. He supported the general principles
of the Democratic party, and in church connection was identified with the
Presbyterian denomination.