Biographical Sketch of Hon. Matthew Long, Webster County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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Hon. Matthew Long, one of the prominent and successful farmers of Web-
ster county, Mo., was born in Columbus, Ohio, August 3, 1824, being the
son of William and Rebecca M. Long.  The father was born in 1781, and 
died in Columbus, Ohio in 1851.  He built the third house on the pres-
ent site of Columbus, Ohio, in 1813.  Mr. Long's father was one of the 
leading men of Columbus for many years, and filled many positions of
honor and trust.  He helped to make Franklin county what it is.  The
mother of the subject of this sketch was born in 1791, and died at
Columbus, Ohio, in 1861.  Hon. Matthew Long received his educational
training in the public schools of Columbus, and at Central College, of
that county.  At the age of eleven years he entered the treasurer's
office of Franklin county, and for six years was deputy county treas-
urer and collector under his father, spending his winters in the office
and his summers in school.  For seven and a half years he was a clerk 
in the book store of Whiting & Huntington, in Columbus, afterward for
two years in the same business and at the same place, under the firm
name of Randall, Aston & Long.  Always having a desire to be a farmer,
and his health failing him, he sold his interest in the store and 
purchased a farm in Licking county, and for ten years followed agricul-
tural pursuits on the farm.  In 1863 he removed to Iowa county, Iowa,
where he continued farming for ten years.  Five years of that time he
was president of the Iowa County Agricultural Society.  He is a Repub-
lican in his political views, and represented Iowa and Poweshiek 
counties in the State Senate for a term of four years, to the entire
satisfaction of his constituents.  In 1873 he removed to Des Moines,
Iowa, where for twelve years he was secretary of the State Insurance
Company, and under his management it was very successful, having in 
that time increased its assets over $600,000.  In 1884 Mr. Long resign-
ed his position with the State Insurance Company to accept the 
secretaryship of the Southern California Insurance Company, at Los
Angeles, Cal., where he was equally successful.  Finding he had over
taxed his strength, after filling this position for over a year he
resigned, but was again unanimously elected to the same position, with 
a large increase of salary and a two months' vacation.  Mr. Long feel-
ing the great need of change again offered his resignation, which was
accepted, and he was then immediately presented by the company with
$500 in gold, which was in addition to his regular salary.  In 1886 he 
came to Webster county, settling on his farm of 320 acres, and is now
engaged in farming, making Short Horn cattle and Berkshire hogs a
speciality.  He is also a practical farmer, and is president of Wabash
College, at Crawfordsville, Ind.  Mrs. Long was born in New Jersey,
November 6, 1821.  Four children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs.
Long: William L., Jacob T., Margaret E. and Ellen.  Mr. Long is a mem-
ber of the Masonic fraternity, Royal Arch, and K. T.  He is a Presby-
terian, but as there is no church of his faith in Marshfield, he is now
connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is one of the 
representative men of this portion of Missouri.

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