597. . . On November 9, 1900, Mr. Jones married a second time and on this occasion Miss Pearl Bales, the sister of his partner, became his wife. She died January 3, 1901, at Boise, Idaho, where she was taken for treatment, leaving one child three weeks old, named Rolland Robert. Mr. Jones has his children living with him.

597Robert H. Jones was born on a farm one-mile north from Grangeville, on August 28, 1872, the son of Seth and Jane (Castle) Jones, of Grangeville. He attended the home schools until 1890, when he went east to Lombard University in Galesburg, Illinois, where he took a three-year course. Upon his return here he bought and sold stock, and did real well on several trainloads that he shipped to Chicago. On October 9, 1895, Mr. Jones married Miss Jessie, daughter of John and Jane Pollock of Lewiston, Illinois. Mrs. Jones died February 11, 1897. at her old home in Illinois, leaving one child five months old, Lillie Esther. On November 9, 1900, Mr. Jones married a second time and on this occasion Miss Pearl Bales, the sister of his partner, became his wife. She died January 3, 1901, at Boise, Idaho, where she was taken for treatment, leaving one child three weeks old, named Rolland Robert. Mr. Jones has his children living with him.

In 1899, Mr. Bales and Mr. Jones engaged in partnership in the stock business on the Salmon River and prosperity attended them in every detail, having in December, 1902, sold their large holdings there for twenty-seven thousand dollars. In December 1901, they had bought their present place, a mammoth estate of about fifteen hundred acres eight miles north from Grangeville. It is all choice land and is one of the best stock farms in the entire country. They have a good residence, excellent outbuildings, orchard, and a barn, second to none in the county. They do a general farming business and raise cattle and hogs. They are raising, buying and shipping more stock than any other firm in the entire northern part of the state and are veritable leaders in the stock business. Mr. Bales and Mr. Jones are wide awake business men of ability and are of the best standing, being young men to whom great credit is to be given for the financial success that they have achieved. Beginning in the battle of life without any property at all, they have steadily risen, by reason of sagacity and industry, to be leaders in this stock country and are the recipients of the esteem and good will of all. They were born on the same date and have made an excellent showing in their careers.

Mr. Jones is to be commended for the manner in which he has cared for his motherless children. Through his struggles he has at all times kept his children with him, securing a nurse to assist in looking after their welfare.

Thomas W. Bales was born in Greenfield, Missouri, on August 28, 1872, the son of Stephen H. and Matilda C. (White) Bales, natives of Indiana and Tennessee, respectively. They now both live near Greenfield, Missouri, aged fifty-seven, and fifty-eight, respectively. Thomas W. attended the public schools and then spent three years in the Ozark College. At the age of seventeen, he came west on account of poor health. He weighed ninety-seven pounds when he landed in Whitman county, Washington, but now tips the beam at two hundred and seven pounds. He soon engaged in farming in Washington and remained there until he came to Camas prairie in 1891. Then he took up stock raising on the Snake and did well. This was continued until 1899, when the partnership was formed.

THOMAS W. BALES & ROBERT H. JONES. In mentioning the salient points in the careers of these well known and leading business men of Idaho county, we desire to particularly note the items of importance in their individual lives and then relate together the labors of the partnership.