Paul W. Light

PAUL W. LIGHT, head of the firm Paul W. Light & Company, lumber, building material, etc., at Liberal, is all but a native of Kansas, since he was only three years old when his parents crossed the wide prairies of Kansas and came to a halt in Seward County.

He was born in Linn County, Missouri, September 20, 1881. His educational preparation for life consisted of a few terms in the public schools and a course in commercial college. Other experience qualified him, even before he put on the dignity of majority, to play a useful part on the home ranch, where for some years he was member of the firm George W. Light & Sons. While handling the management of the crops on the homestead he was busy in developing water wells on the home ranch and over all this section, and such was his energy that he became widely known as "Paul Light, the well driller." He was also spoken of as "the sure-shot" on water, and it was a line of work from which he never parted company until he left the ranch altogether. In partnership with his father and brother he was instrumental in creating an estate of between four and five sections of land.

From the country he became bookkeeper and yardman for a lumber firm at Liberal, and at the end of eighteen months was manager for the J. E. George Lumber Company. Another two years passed, and he and his brother bought the business, establishing the firm under the title above noted, a co-partnership. Paul Light is also vice president of the People's Bank of Liberal, is a partner in the C. M. Light Grain Company, is on the board of directors of the Liberal Light, Ice & Power Company, and retains some interests in lands and farming. He helped organize the People's State Bank and has been a member of its board of directors ever since.

National politics have found him exercising his franchise as a democrat, supporting Mr. Bryan and Mr. Wilson both in 1912 and 1916. His has been a conscientious and high-minded course in local affairs. He was elected and served on the City Council under Mayor Miller. The council had some hard problems, especially reviving credit so as to put warrants at par. The council also dealt harshly with "the smokehouse evil" and the pool-hall nuisance, and otherwise took advanced ground on moral questions. It was due to his firm stand for civic righteousness that brought about Mr. Light's defeat when somewhat later he was nominated for mayor. He and wife are members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is one of the stewards and on its board of trustees.

In Rice County, Kansas, August 16, 1905, Mr. Light married Miss Clara Asher, whose parents were early settlers in Kansas. The father left the following children: Mrs. Bertia Stevenson, Mrs. Arthur Jordan, Mrs. Light and Mrs. Bonnie Bean. The widowed mother, Mrs. Amelia Asher, afterward married G. W. Hodson, a Rice County farmer. Mrs. Light was born, reared and educated in Rice County. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Light have six young people in their home circle, namely: Carrol C., Wilford D., Lucile, Paul Asher, Helen R. and Charles Edward.

Pages 2237-2238.