J. F. WATHEN, merchant and hotel-keeper, Tallula; the first thing to point out to the traveling pubic is a place at which to stop and satisfactorily replenish the wants of the inner man, and this can truthfully be said of the Wathen House, which is new and elegantly furnished, and the table well supplied with delicacies Mr. and Mrs. Wathen take pleasure in supplying the wants of guests, and making everything appear homelike and pleasant. Mr. Wathen was born in Shawneetown, Ill., June 18, 1838, and is a self-made, practical business man; he was thrown upon his own resources without parental care and advice at the early age of 12 years; he came to Menard Co., Ill., in 1851, and engaged as a farm laborer for a time; then, in 1854, he removed to Peoria, where he served a regular apprenticeship at the trade of a tinner; he saved up a little money, and, in 1860, came to Tallula and opened a small tin-shop, and Dec. 2, 1869, married Miss Nancy A., daughter of Lewis and Martha A. Martin, who wee early settlers of this county; she was born in t his county July 3, 1840; in 1862, he enlisted with the 114th Ill. V.I.; he served in the army some three years, during which time he participated in many of the most severe battles and sieges of the war; was wounded at the siege of Vicksburg, which disabled him for a short time; after the war he returned to Tallula and re-opened his stove and tin-shop. Mrs. Wathen, being of an industrious turn of mind, desiring to assist in accumulating property, for a time opened a small millery store, ad from that to the present time they have worked with that energy and industry which is sure to be crowned with success in due time, and to-day Mr. Wathen is one of the leading merchants of the county; they have one child, promising daughter of 12 years.