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JOHN P. STELLE, editor of the Progressive Farmer, of Mt. Vernon, and national lecturer of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association, was born in Calhoun County, ILL., April 16, 1843. His father was reared in New Jersey, and his iiother in New York. They became acquainted in a pioneer locality in Illinois in 1825, and were married the next year. The father had made the journey westward mostly on foot, crossing the Alleghanies and traveling through the forests of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois with a guide. He located in Hamilton County in 1817, but after about two years returned to New Jersey and brought back with him a brother and his family. Later he pushed on to the Mississippi, but after a short time spent in Calhoun County, returned to Hamilton County. The family, however, was living in Calhoun County at the time of the birth of our subject, but when he was a child of six months they again went to Hamilton County and located upon wild land. There the mother died in 1863, while the father passed away in 1870. Our subject still lives within seven miles of the old homestead and there has a good farm, well stocked with horses, cattle, sheep and poultry, but his special business is in Mt. Vernon. When four years old he was stricken with infantile spinal paralysis, which disabled his right leg and made him a cripple for life, but from his earliest child hood he was a great lover of books and papers and eagerly studied everything which he could get hold of. His educational opportunities, however, were very limited and books were not accessible to poor families. His mother taught the boy to knit, furnishing him with yarn spun by herself on the old spinning wheel. He knit a pair of socks which was exchanged at a country store for a copy of McGuffy's First Reader, the first book he had ever possessed, and outside of the Bible and a hymn book, about the first he had ever seen. This book he thoroughly studied until he knew it word for word from beginning to end. He first entered a school in 1855, when the free schools were established. He was then thirteen years of age. Four years later he became the teacher in that school, where he taught for eight consecutive terms. When the War of the Rebellion broke out, Mr. Stelle espoused the Union cause, and in 1864 cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. That year, against his protest, he was nominated for Circuit Clerk, but on account of the strong Democratic majority was defeated, although he ran ahead of the ticket. About this time the Republicans of the county purchased a printing outfit and established a union paper in McLeansboro, the Union Eagle. Mr. Stelle, who had previously learned something of the business, was chosen editor and thus served until the paper was sold. He then resumed teaching, but in 1872, in company with some friends, established the Golden Era of McLeansboro. He became its editor and the paper secured the largest circulation in the county. When the Credit Mobilier, Whiskey Ring, etc., were developed, and the granger agitation was begun he espoused the latter cause and organized the farmers' movement in his county, which in 1873 entirely defeated the Democratic party. Mr. Stelle was nominated for County Superintendent of Schools and was elected over the Democratic candidate by a vote of two to one. On the expiration of his term he was re-nominated, but at that election the Democratic forces were successful. In 1876 he was a delegate to the national convention in Indianapolis which nominated Peter Cooper) and has since been an advocate of the cause of reform. In 1878 he sold his interest in the Golden Era, and going to Murphysboro, ILL., took charge of the editorial work of a new reform paper, which attained a large circulation. In 1866 Mr. Stelle married Miss Eliza E. Coker, and to them were born ten children, nine of whom are yet living. Mr. Stelle was prominent in organizing the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association, and was elected its National Secretary, to which position he was annually re-elected until 1892. He then declined to serve further and so was unanimously elected National Lecturer, which position he still fills. In the fall of 1893 he was elected President of the State Assembly. In 1888 some members of the Farmers' Organization organized a stock company to publish a paper in Mt. Vernon, the Progressive Farmer, in the interest of the new movement. Mr. Stelle was chosen its editor and soon was made sole business manager, which position he still holds. This paper has been very successful financially and otherwise. It had no capital on the start, but has never failed to meet a bill on maturity or to pay the employes each week. New and improved material has been purchased, including a steam engine, and the building occupied is now also the property of the stockholders. Mr. Stelle has declined several nominations for Congress tendered him by the new party, and against his wish was run to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Hon. R. W. Townsend and polled a surprisingly large vote. In the celebrated Senatorial contest in 1890, until he requested otherwise, he received the united Populist vote, and near the close of the contest the Republicans offered to give him their one hundred votes solid if the Populists would also support him, but two of them had already promised to vote for Palmer and would not recede. The farmers everywhere acknowledge him as a leader of the party, and he is undoubtedly an untiring worker in the interest of reform.
Source: "Portrait and Biographical Record Clinton, Washington, Marion and Jefferson Counties, Illinois" |
For corrections or additions, please contact me: Sandy Bauer