Springfield-Greene
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ANDREW THOMAS HART. The attitude of the general public toward the farmer of today is somewhat different to that during the century preceding the present. All now realize the fact that with the advanced methods of scientific farming it requires more brains than brawn to make a success as an argiculturist and stock man. The tiller of the soil can no longer follow the methods employed by his grandfather when he worked the virgin soil, when the climate was different, the land different, in fact, most everything different. One must not only "be up and doing, and learn to labor and to wait," as the poet, Longfellow, admonished, but one must be a close student of literature bearing on agricultural and horticultural and live stock subjects, but also a keen observer and a logical thinker. Nature has given most men sufficient natural ability to succeed in farming, but so many are indifferent, apathetic and unwilling to put forth the proper amount of physical and mental exertion to reap large rewards in this greatest of all callings.
Andrew Thomas Hart, of Wilson township, Greene county, is a good example of the thoughtful, energetic and successful twentieth century farmer. He was born in this vicinity on April 4, 1867. He is a son of Maj. R. K. and Mary Jane (Beal) Hart. The father was born in North Carolina and when nineteen years old emigrated to Christian county, Missouri, settling on a farm near the town of Clever, with his parents, with whom he remained until he was about twenty-eight years of age, and assisted with the general work on the farm. After his marriage he bought a farm near the present village of Battlefield and there devoted himself to general farming. During the Civil war he enlisted in the Union army and proved to be such a gallant and efficient soldier that he was promoted to the rank of major, and was honorably discharged at the close of his term of enlistment. He devoted his active life to general farming and is now living in retirement on South Market street, Springfield, Missouri. His family consisted of seven children, namely: Alvoree, Samuel K., Mrs. Nannie C. Hendrix, Mrs. Hollie A. Alexander, Andrew Thomas, of this review; William H., and the youngest child died in infancy.
Andrew T. Hart grew to manhood on the home farm and he received a somewhat limited education in the district schools, later taking a course in business college, also attended the old Ash Grove College, and finally secured a very good text-book training. He has devoted his life principally to general farming, but during the year 1913 and 1914 he was for some time engaged in the real estate business with J. E. Walton on South street, Springfield. However, farming appealed to him most and he returned to rural life. He is owner of one hundred and sixty-acres of well-kept and well-tilled land in Wilson township, and in connection with general farming he carries on stock raising and buying and shipping live stock on a large scale, and is one of the successful and well-known stockmen of the western part of the county. He has made all the present improvements on his lace. He has a good home and good buildings in general.
Mr. Hart was married on October 31, 1888, to Nannie C. Putman, a daughter of Joseph E. and Mary Jane (Moore) Putman, both natives of Greene county, this state, and here Mrs. Hart was also born, grew to womanhood and was educated in the public schools. She had no brothers or sisters.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hart two children have been born, Herman E. and Roy P. The latter is a civil engineer. He was graduated from the Columbia University, and is at present employed in the engineering department of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, with headquarters at St. Louis. Herman E., who received a good high school education, is a traveling salesman for the McDaniel Milling Company, his territory being in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Politically Mr. Hart is a Democrat. He is a member of the Masonic Order and the Knights of Pythias, and religiously he belongs to the Baptist church.
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