George Musgrave Binks Biography

	This biography appears on pages 445, 447-448 in "History of 
Minnehaha 
	County, South Dakota" by Dana R. Bailey and was scanned, OCRed 
	and edited by Joy Fisher, http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031
.

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BINKS, GEORGE MUSGRAVE, was born in Castle Bolton, Yorkshire, England, 
April 16, 1836; attended school forty-two days; when seven years old 
became apprentice to a butcher and remained there two years; then 
commenced to work in a lead mine, and later became superintendent and 
manager of the Keld Helds mining works, England; in 1867 emigrated to 
the United States and located in Bureau County, Illinois, and was 
employed in the coal mines for two years; in 1869 went to Iowa and 
became a Methodist preacher; in 1871-2 was located at Vermillion, 
Dakota; in 1873-4 went to England, urging emigration to Dakota, but 
returned in 1874, and since then his home has been in Sioux Falls; took 
up a homestead and a tree-claim in Split Rock township, and now has 
four hundred acres of land in this county, besides some city property.

Professor Binks is a unique character, and well known all over 
Northwest; and notwithstanding his early surroundings being so adverse 
to the development of literary tastes, he has become a popular 
lecturer. He is a keen observer of man and nature, and is at home upon 
his theme - human nature.  He was an early student of George Combe and 
is a phrenologist of acknowledged ability.  It is rare that one meets 
with a person endowed with so many gifts.  As a public speaker he is 
humorous, pathetic, and forcible, as occasion may demand; and what is 
more, his whole life has been a constant endeavor to elevate the 
standard of correct living among those with whom he has come in 
contact.

We will close this sketch with an incident in his life that needs no 
comment. When the professor first arrived in western Iowa he was in 
great need of an overcoat, and having earned $20.50, purchased one for 
$20.  He put it on and went to the post office, where he received a 
letter from his mother in England asking him to send her $20 to pay 
rent. He returned to the street, sold the overcoat, and sent her the 
money.