N. A. Yeager, a leading member of the Butler county bar, who has been successfully engaged in the practice of law at Augusta since 1883, is a native of Indiana. He was born in Kosciusko county May 21, 1853, a son of Joel and Rebecca (Pray) Yeager, the former a native of Pocohontas county, Virginia, and the latter of New York City. They were the parents of the following children: V. C., an optometrist, Marion, Ind.; C. E., retired and living at Warsaw, Ind., and N. A., the subject of this sketch.

N. A. Yeager was educated in the public schools of Indiana, the Springfield Academy, South Whitley, Ind., and the Ohio Wesleyan University, graduating from the latter institution in 1878. He taught school for a time in Indiana and later served in the capacity of teller in a bank at North Manchester, Ind. He came to Kansas in 1881 and on May 1, of that year reached the State. It will be remembered that that was the day on which prohibition went into effect in Kansas. In July of that year, Mr. Yeager settled at Augusta, and opened a loan office with T. O. Shinn. He read law and was admitted to the bar in 1883, and he and Mr. Shinn practiced in partnership under the firm name of Shinn & Yeager until 1891, when Mr. Yeager took over the business.

Mr. Yeager has always had an extensive practice and during the first years of his practice here he carried on a general law business, but for the past fifteen years has devoted himself exclusively to the civil side of the courts, refusing to take any criminal business. In the conduct of his practice today it can be truthfully said that he represents more important interests than any other attorney in the county. He is a close student of the law, well posted in its intricacies, the possessor of a well balanced legal mind, and an able trial lawyer.

In addition to his extensive law practice, Mr. Yeager has figured conspicuously in the politics of Butler county for a number of years. He was a candidate for prosecuting attorney in 1890, and again in 1898, the first time on the Republican ticket and the second time on the Democratic ticket. He was defeated in 1898 by the narrow margin of thirteen votes. In 1900 he was a candidate for the State legislature on the Democratic ticket, but was defeated by a majority of sixty-five, and in 1908 he was a candidate for judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District and was defeated by a plurality of only eighteen votes. He carried the counties of Butler and Greenwood, carrying his own county by a majority of 162, but the other two counties, Chautauqua and Elk, turned the scales against him. He was postmaster at Augusta from 1884 to 1888 and served as mayor of Augusta one term. Mr. Yeager affiliated with the Republican organizations for a number of years, but in recent years has acted independently, politically, having cooperated with the Independent and Democratic parties, largely. He is fearless in his views on

politics, as well as other matters, and is equally unprejudiced, always giving the opposition credit for being honest and sincere.

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