DEDICATORY



        When I was a little over 12 years of age I left home to
     clerk in a store for my uncle Captain J. H. Wissler who was
     manager of a cold blast iron furnace at White Rock, Va.
     Of course I know but little about the real man of my father.
     These recollections may not be true but after fifty years I
     am giving them for what they are worth.  He was the oldest
     son of George Lantz and was given the Lantz mill tract of
     land.  It was there I was born and raised until 12 years old.
     He had gone security and these debts wiped out all his
     property.
        I remember when a boy of about 10, going to Wood-
     stock, where the county court house was located, and on
     court day I was generally at the court house.  On one certain
     day after our real estate our home had been sold but
     bought by my mother with money she had gotten from my
     grandfather Wissler. (Hite Byrd and M. L. Walton who
     were the commissioners appointed by the court to sell this
     property.)  While in Mr.  Byrd's office I remember father
     telling him that his personal property had been overlooked
     and he should come and get it.  Mr. Byrd evidently had a
     kind feeling for father and told him no, his creditors told
     him not to sell this.  Father told him he did not consider the
     security debts were just but he had been unable to get proof
     that he had the debts scaled from over $80,000 to about
     $50,000 and the personal property was no more sacred than
     his home and demanded that they be sold.  Of course the
     household property was mother s. (General Sheridan's
     Army had burned father's.) They did sell some horses,
     sheep, cattle, and hogs but when mother put in a bid at the
     public auction no one bid against her.
         He was a smart man when you consider the chances for
     education over 100 years ago.  He was the leader in his
     church-the German Reformed Church-for many years
     and attended the Synods frequently if not every time.
         He was a justice, the highest elective office I ever knew
     a Lantz to hold, and this probably paid him $5.00 or $10.00
     a year but it was a great pleasure to him.  In his day and
     time I think the Justices of the county met and elected one
     to try the important cases probably appealed from the
     regular justices and to this he was elected or appointed.

                                iv

 NEXT