John W. Moyle.—It is a conceded fact that we are now living in an age of successful organized effort, and it is not a difficult matter for the casual observer to determine the various towns where progressive harmony, organization and cooperation are found among its business men and leading citizens. Augusta is preeminently one of the towns which in recent years has shown great commercial activity and municipal improvement, and it is not an exaggeration to say that this condition has been brought about in a large measure through well directed efforts of the local Commercial Club and, as secretary of that organization, John W. Moyle is entitled to no small degree of credit for the many results that have been accomplished. Mr. Moyle has also taken an active part in the commercial life and industrial development of Augusta.

John W. Moyle was born in Augusta, Kans., and is a son of Henry Moyle, a native of Cornwall, England, born in 1845. Henry Moyle's father was the American manager for the London Development Company, a company which was heavy investors in American land and mining interests. He was drowned at Gold Hill, N. C., in 1857, and at the time the incident was given considerable publicity by the press throughout the country, an extensive article appearing in Harper's magazine with a portrait of the victim of the accident. His wife also died in North Carolina.

Henry Moyle served in the confederate army during the Civil war, being one of the first to enlist under the colors of the lost cause, and took part in the battle of Big Bethel which was among the first engagements of the Civil war. He is now a member of the Confederate Veterans' Association of Wichita, which is the only organization of its kind in the State of Kansas. At the close of the Civil war, Henry Moyle went to Omaha, Neb., where he secured employment on the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad and was engaged in that work until the golden spike was driven near Ogden, Utah, which marked the connection of the eastern and western divisions of that, the first trans-continental railroad. Shortly afterwards Mr. Moyle came to Kansas and on May 20, 1869, homesteaded 160 acres of land in Augusta township about four miles northeast of Augusta. In 1873 he and Ed Boyle engaged in the hardware business at Augusta under the firm name of Boyle & Moyle. A few years later this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Moyle engaged in the grocery business which he successfully conducted until

February, 1913, when he retired from active business after a commercial career marked with unusual success. He is one of the pioneer merchants of Augusta and during the course of his long years of business activity built up a reputation for honesty and square dealing which made for him many friends as well as customers.

Henry Moyle was united in marriage at Augusta in 1873 with Miss Josephine Sanders, of Augusta, and the following children were born to this union: Mrs. Grace V. Skaer, Augusta; John W., whose name introduces this sketch; Mathew T., Augusta; Mrs. Beulah Alexander, Burkburnett, Tex.; William H., Augusta, and Fannie A., Augusta. Jacob Moyle died at the age of two years; Frank Moyle died at the age of one year.

John W. Moyle attended the Augusta schools and was graduated from the Augusta High School; he then entered the Salina Normal University where he was graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts. He then returned to Augusta and shortly afterwards went to Oklahoma when that territory was opened to settlement and homesteaded 160 acres of land, which he still owns. He then returned to Augusta and since that time has been active in the development of his native town.

He has always had faith in the natural resources and future greatness of Augusta. He is an optimist but not of the optimistic type that sits down, and hopes for something to happen. Since he had become associated with the Commercial Club of Augusta, many enterprises have been brought about by the cooperation of that organization in the way of public utilities. Augusta has been given a good water system, natural gas and an electric light plant, a complete sewer system, and through the efforts of that body one of the extensive glass factories of the country has been located at Augusta, and the impetus given to the industrial life of the city by the recent developments of oil and gas is equalled by few cities in the country today. Mr. Moyle is an active factor in the development of the Augusta oil fields in an individual way, and is the dominant factor of the Moyle Oil and Gas Company, which has eleven producing gas wells.

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