LANE, Michael W. - Putnam

Michael W. LANE, farmer and stock raiser, Ladoga, was born in Kerry County Ireland Aug 20, 1840 and is a son of Timothy and Julia HANIFAN Lane. He received a common English school education and was reared a farmer. At the age of 12 years he emigrated to America, and late in the fall of 1852, after a perilous voyage of 9 weeks, arrived in NY City. The following Feb he went by the way of Indianapolis to Bainbridge, Putnam County in search of his mother and two brothers who had preceded him. On finding his brothers he then, to his sorrow, learned that his mother had been dead 6 months; this was truly sad news to a young boy hunting for his mother in a strange land. After coming to Indiana he engaged in working out at $12 per month, then in ditching with a spade, which he followed till the age of 17, through the fall and winter months, farming on shares in the summer. In his 18th year he gathered up his earnings which besides a horse and saddle, amounted to $842 and on July4 started on a trip through the southern states as far as Texas and from there turned his face homeward and arrived in Carpentersville Indiana on Christmas night of that same year. In Feb 1857, he bought a renter's crop, stock and outfit and engaged in farming in Scott Township, but one year later left and went to Putnam County, and there rented a large stock farm for a term of years, of Stephen Burk, where he invested $1800 in stock, etc. and here engaged in farming and stock raising, and in a fair way for making money, but through the dishonesty and trickery of his landlord and others he lost all he owned. He then returned to Scott Twp and rented a piece of land; this he farmed with one horse, which he bought on credit from a friend, and for a cow his wife traded her glassware and best dishes, which she had bought and received as presents at the time of their marriage. Soon after, through the recommendation of Mr. Robert Lockridge, he became stock purchaser for a firm near LaFayette, which he followed about 3 years, and then began buying and selling stock on his own account. He next sold his personal property and engaged in the liquor traffic, at the same time running a tannery, but for the sake of humanity and his family's future benefit he abandoned the former and returned to farming. In the seventh of 8 years, he bought and sold some three farms, trading the last for his present home a farm of 175 acres, located on Sec 34, Twp 17 (*Scott) R 4W where he permanently located. June 1, 1859, he married Miss Ellen, daughter of Thomas and Hanorah (FITZGERALD) WELSH. She was born in the County of Kerry, Ireland but was principally reared in London. They have 7 children: Julia J; Thomas W; Henry M; Charles T: Margaret H; Michael A and Mary E. His fine farm and stock, with the aid of a most faithful and industrious wife, is all earned by hard labor and close attention to business   --- kbz