Biographical Sketches
JAMES H. HARKLESS
Of the firm of Harless, O'Grady & Crysler, attorneys at law, Kansas City. A study of the lives of the successful men of all ages and climes has been one of absorbing interest, and especially in this broad western land of ours, where so many opportunities are offered for the ambitious young man to rise, do we find the study of biography an interesting one. Indeed, the only bar to success in this land is lack of will power. It is needless to say that Mr. Harkless is a self-made man. “Every man is the architect of his own character as well as his own fortune.” “Honor and fame from no condition rise; act well your part; there all the honor lies.”
Mr. Harkless was born in Belmont county, Ohio, May 15, 1856, and is a son of James and Sarah (McConn) Harkless, natives of Morgan county, Ohio, and Ohio county, West Virginia, respectively. Both families are of Scotch-Irish origin. In his earlier life Mr. Harkless was a successful and well-known railroad contractor. He and his partner, Mr. McCartney, had the contract for the construction of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad between Hagerstown, Maryland, and Grove Creek, West Virginia, a distance of 32 miles. In 1860 Mr. Harkless came west, temporarily locating at Charleston, Illinois. Here he resided during the war period, having been connected with a local military organization that did good service in preserving the peace and suppressing defiant treason that here reared aloft its hideous head.
In 1866 he moved to Barton county, Missouri, and located in Lamar. Here he and his son, James H., then a lad of 10 years, engaged in freighting in Sedalia, Missouri. In this business they were engaged until the organization of the Southwestern Stage Company, in which Mr. Harkless became a stockholder. Subsequently he retired from the activities of a business life and settled on a farm near Lamar, where he died in 1883. Mrs. Harkless preceded her husband to the unknown world, her death having occurred in 1881. They were parents of 5 children: James H.; Thomas W., of the firm of Harkless, Allen & Company, merchants, Lamar, Missouri; Ella, wife of Monroe Billings, superintendent of bridge construction of the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf railroad; George A., member of a merchantile firm at Lamar; Cora B., wife of W. B. Moudy, of Fort Scott.
The subject of this review was reared on the farm. In the public schools he received an elementary education. At the age of 10 years he drove a freight wagon for his father from Lamar to Sedalia, Missouri, a distance of 160 miles, taking 8 days to make a trip. He also drove stage on the Southwest Stage line, and herded cattle on the prairies of Missouri. Thus was life passed until his 19th year, gaining an experience that has been of the greatest advantage to him. His natural bent was not for a life such as he had followed up to this time. He had for some time been predisposed to the law as a career most to his liking.
In 1875 he entered the law office of Hon. R. B. Robinson, of Lamar, under whose able direction he diligently read until April, 1877, when passing a highly creditable examination, he was admitted to the bar. He was immediately taken into partnership by his preceptor, with whom he practiced at Lamar till 1886, when they both came to Kansas City, where their association was continued. In 1887 John O'Grady was admitted to the firm, and in 1892 Mr. Robinson retired, since when the style of the firm has been Harkless, O'Grady & Crysler.
Mr. Harkless was chairman of the Republican county committee and was president of the State Republican League, which met at Sedalia in 1892, and wad made his own successor by the convention of 1894 that met at Springfield. He has been honored by appointment to the position of assistant city counselor, and was twice tendered the nomination for congressman - all of which honors he declined. His activity in politics has not been for personal gain or aggrandizement. He believes the interests of the people are best subserved by republian principles of government, and this reason alone has prompted his advocacy of these principles. The ability, sterling integrity and undaunted courage shown by Mr. Harkless, and his stalwart republicanism, tempered by a just conception of the equities of public good, command for him both voice and influence in the councils of his party. Possessed of rare mental attainments and accurate knowledge of law, with keen perceptions of fine points and nice distinctions, his power of language and oratory have won for him an enviable place at the bar of his state.
He was united in marriage with Miss Cad M. Kiser, a graduate of Otterbein College, Ohio, and a young lady of rare accomplishments. They have 2 children - Fay and James.
This page was last updated August 2, 2006.