Shawnee County KS Archives Biographies.....Clemens, Gasper Christopher 1849 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 20, 2006, 10:57 pm

Author: James L. King (1905)

GASPER CHRISTOPHER CLEMENS.

    GASPER CHRISTOPHER CLEMENS, who occupies a leading position as a member of
the Topeka bar, is a notable example of the self-made man. He was born April 23,
1849, at Xenia, Ohio, and is a son of William E. and Eliza J. (Barnes) Clemens.

    The father of Mr. Clemens was born in Virginia, and the mother in Kentucky,
the latter being a daughter of Henry Barnes, who was a lieutenant of dragoons in
the War of 1812. William E. Barnes was a pioneer in Ohio, where he was first a
farmer and latterly a merchant. Both he and wife were active members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.

    Family misfortunes brought about conditions which threw life's
responsibilities upon our subject when he was a lad of 13 years. With only a
rudimentary education, but with a far-reaching purpose to attain success, the
child took up his burden, working at first as a laborer in a brick-yard during
the day-time and spending his evenings in study. He thus mastered the English
common branches, unaided and alone and, still ambitious, secured for himself an
enviable classical education.

    In 1886 he began teaching a country school and in the following year took up
the study of the law, providing for his necessities by continued teaching, and
on January 5, 1869, he was admitted to practice by the Superior Court of Ohio.
He practiced in his native city for a period of 14 months, but March, 1870,
found him established at Topeka. Here he at once entered upon a successful and
lucrative practice which he has maintained and increased up to the present time.
That all of his energies have not been devoted to the practice of his profession
was demonstrated by the issuance of a valuable work published in 1877, which is
entitled "Corporate Securities," the only work on that subject extant. It has
been most favorably received by the best law authorities of the country and has
met with a heavy sale. It was favorably reviewed by law publications, meeting
hearty commendation from the American Law Review and the Chicago Legal News, the
standard journals of law.

    Mr. Clemens has not sought political favor, his tastes being literary and
professional. The deep scholarship which he possesses he has secured by his own
efforts, but in addition to this he combines the practical qualtities [sic] and
the professional ability which have brought him ample success and a large
measure of public esteem.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

EDITED AND COMPILED BY
JAMES L. KING
TOPEKA, KANSAS 

"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples"

PUBLISHED BY
RICHMOND & ARNOLD,
GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1905.

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