Mervin O. Cissel, editor and owner of "The Clipper," of Argonia, Kan., was born March 13, 1851, at Rensselaer, Ind. His father, Osborne B. Cissel, a merchant by occupation, was born in Baltimore, Md., in 1810 and died in Indiana May 6, 1856. His mother, who was a Miss Elizabeth R. Walton prior to her marriage, was born in May, 1817, and died in February, 1884. To Osborne B. and Elizabeth R. Cissel were born eight children, as follows: Rev. John H., Benjamin W., Isabella B., George, Martha, Samuel, Talford, and Mervin O. Of these children, all are deceased except Mervin O. of this review and Isabella B., who is now the wife of D. W. Strong, a retired farmer of Anthony, Kan. She is the mother of ten children.

Mervin O. Cissel was educated in the public schools of Jasper county, Indiana. At the age of twelve he entered a printing office at Rensselaer, Ind., to learn the trade and remained in that office eighteen years, or until thirty years of age. He then, in 1880, established the "Standard" at Rensselaer but sold the publication in 1883, and in the spring of 1885 removed to Kansas. In August of that year he established at Freeport, Harper county, the "Leader," which he published five years, then removed the plant to Argonia, Kan., in January, 1891, and there established the "People's Press." In August of the same year he removed his plant to Milan, Kan., where he published the "Milan Press" several years. On the suspension of the last named publication he removed to Winfield, where he established a church paper. In 1898 he traded the Winfield paper for the "Argonia Clipper," his present paper. It is a prosperous weekly which retains the original title under which it was established in 1884 and is now the oldest paper in Sumner county.

On March 13, 1878, Mr. Cissel wedded Miss Florence G. Pegan, the daughter of Dr. E. and Sarah E. (Strawse) Pegan, of Mexico, Ind. Mrs. Cissel was born Dec. 9, 1858, at Hardin, Ohio, and has but one brother, P. C. Pegan, a railroad man at Denver, Col. Mr. and Mrs. Cissel have three children, viz.: Alice Belle, born Dec. 11, 1878, now Mrs. B. F. Michael, D. D. S., of Anthony, Kan., a graduate in music and art, which she taught two years, and is now a leader in music and art at Anthony; Benjamin F., born Nov. 8, 1883, now a printer at St. Louis, Mo., is an expert in his line of work, which he began to learn at the early age of nine; Charles M., the youngest son, born June 2, 1887, is now associated with his father in his newspaper work. Mr. Cissel deems thirteen a lucky number for his birth and marriage occurred on the 13th day of the month and two of his papers were established on the 13th but, nevertheless, throughout all of his career success has attended his efforts and he has acquired valuable property in both Anthony and Argonia. Mrs. Sarah E. Shields, the mother of Mrs. Cissel, is seventy-four years of age and in point of membership is one of the oldest Rebekahs in the United States. Mrs. Cissel is associate editor of "The Clipper."