Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 379 - 380 

EDGAR V. WELCH is editor and proprietor of the Mt. Hope Mentor, a seven-column folio, Republican in politics, and devoted to the interests of Mt. Hope and vicinity. This youthful editor is conducting his paper with the skill and tact of a veteran journalist. It has a good circulation, and meets in every respect the requirements of a good local paper. It was founded March 27, 1885, by Mr. Frank Anderson, who, six months later, disposed of it to Mr. Stephen M. Johns, and he, in turn, sold it to the present proprietor. 

            Mr. Welch was born in Marion County, Iowa, Aug. 11, 1863, and is the eldest of the four children born to John A. and Mary E. (Haines) Welch, natives respectively of Paris, Ill., and of New Jersey. His father was for several years engaged in business as a merchant in Knoxville, Iowa, but in 1881 disposed of his property in that State, and removing to Kansas, located in Burton, where he now holds the position of cashier in the Merchants' and Farmers' Bank of said place. He is a man of shrewd judgment and good business habits, well deserving the trust and confidence of his employers. 

            Our subject received a substantial education in the public schools of Iowa, and in January, 1879, he entered the printing-office of the Marion County Reporter in Iowa as a compositor, where, as he was intelligent and quick, he soon grasped the details of his new work, and subsequently became conversant with the art of printing. In 1881 he came to Kansas and worked for some time on the Newton Republican. In 1884 he returned to his native State to take the position of manager of the Vinton Telephone Exchange. In June, 1885, he gave up that office, and returning to Kansas clerked for awhile in a general store in Burton. In December, 1886, he bought a job printing outfit and established himself in business at Lyons, which he conducted until August, 1887, when he came to Mt. Hope and purchased the Mentor. Our subject is a young man of decided character and ability, possessing a good fund of general information, and is undoubtedly destined at no distant day to take a prominent place among the journalists of this great commonwealth of Kansas. 

            Mr. Welch was married, July 3, 1882, at Knoxville, Iowa, to Miss Ella J. Bowers, a most estimable young lady. She was early left an orphan and was reared in the family of D.C. Foster, of Knoxville. Of this union two children have been born - Helen and Elsie.

[ Home ]