JOHN SCHLYER.

John Schlyer was born in Kings county, New York, in January, 1849. At the age of twenty he started for Kansas arriving at Hays City in the

spring of 1869, adopting the vocation of hunting as a means or livelihood. For three years the range of the buffalo was his ever shifting habitation. In he returned to Buffalo, New York, and was married. One year's restraint incident to life in a city, was sufficient, after his three years' enjoyment of unrestricted freedom of Kansas frontier life. He came back to Kansas and located in Johnson county. In the spring of 1874 he moved to Ellis county and established himself permanently four and a half miles southeast of Hays, on Big Creek, engaging in farming and stock raising. For twenty years he contended with the unrequieted promises of the early farmer in Ellis county. In 1877 he was erected sheriff. After two years of official life he returned to his farm. In 1881 he engaged in the mercantile business at Munjor. The same fall he was elected county treasurer and re- elected in 1883. In 1884 he was elected delegate to the Democratic National convention from the Sixth Congressional district. In 1888 he was appointed receiver of the United States Land office at WaKeeney, but resigned before the expiration of his term of office, and engaged in the agricultural, implement and machine business at Hays City. In 1894 he was elected to the legislature from Ellis county and in 1890 was appointed postmaster at Hays City and was elected delegate to the

Democratic National convention from the Sixth district to be held at Kansas City, July 4th, 1900. He has been prominent in the management of Democratic party affairs in the state and singularly successful in all his business ventures since coming west.