Rev. James Hayes.—The reverend gentleman whose name introduces this sketch has been actively identified with Butler county for the past ten years, and his efforts in behalf of the spiritual welfare of the communicants of his denomination, as well as of the community in general, are of the kind that makes this a better world in which to live, as well as inspiring a confident and abiding faith in the future. Father Hayes is a native of England, born in Preston, Lancashire, in 1865. After obtaining a good preliminary education, at the age of thirteen, he entered St. Cuthbert's College, Durham, England, where he received a thorough education, especially in the classics, theology and philosophy, common to the lot of him who would aspire to the sacred obligations and responsibilities of the priesthood.

Father Hayes comes from well-to-do and prominent families, both on his maternal and paternal sides. His father, Robert Hayes, was a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, and his mother, Sarah Duckett, was of English birth, having been born in Lancashire.

At the close of his college career of thirteen years, Father Hayes was ordained to the priesthood, after which he was engaged in missionary work in Liverpool, England, for fifteen years. In 1900 he came to America and was located at Custer, S. D., and after having spent six years in the Black Hills, came to Augusta, Kans., and since that time, has been active in his parochial work here, and in addition has charges or missions, at El Dorado, Cassoday and Spring Branch. He is an untiring worker and invariably gets results. Since coming to Butler county he has built a new church at Augusta and other churches at El

Dorado, Cassoday and Spring Branch. He also has had a fine parsonage erected at Augusta, and a parochial school and a residence for the sisters. All these improvements mean a vast amount of work and great sacrifice on the part of the priest who successfully promotes such enterprises and carries them through to a successful completion, but Father Hayes feels amply repaid, in the fact that his efforts have been successful and in the satisfaction that his work has not been in vain.

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