retained his residence in Baylis up to the time of his death, owning and cultivating a fine farm near the village. Mr. and Mrs. Hill have four children: Myrtle, who is the wife of Fred Stauffer and lives upon a farm in New Salem township; Grover, who is the manager of the creamery, which is one of the best business enterprises of Baylis, having a trade which amounts to about fifteen thousand dollars a year; Alva and Kline both at home. Mr. Hill is a democrat and is a member of the town board of Baylis. He is a popular citizen with good business qualifications, of energy and enterprise in public affairs and at all times is interested and helpful in promoting the welfare of the community.                                                         ______________                                                     THOMAS  A.  GAY         Thomas A. Gay, who is engaged in farming and fruit-raising not far from Baylis, is one of Pike county's native sons, who has spent almost his entire life within its borders. He was born May 19, 1860, on the old family homestead, and is a son of John and Sarah (Bowman) Gay. The father came to Pike county at an early day in company with his father, Simon Gay, and settled where Thomas A. Gay now resides. They took up land from the government which was entirely destitute of improvements and at once began to clear the tract. Later they built a log house in which Thomas A. Gay resided until 1897. It was a large double log house containing two immense rooms and a double fireplace. With characteristic energy John Gay continued the work of cultivating and improving his property and spent his remaining days upon the old homestead farm, his death occurring about 1865. In the family were five children, of whom two sons and a daughter are yet living, namely: Thomas A., of this review; Frank, who resides in Hannibal, Missouri; and Mrs. Rebecca Coss, who is living in southwestern Kansas.      Thomas A. Gay is indebted to the public-school system of Pike county for the educational privileges he enjoyed. His time was divided between the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the home farm during the period of his boyhood and youth and he has spent the greater part of his life on the old home property although in 1890 and 1891 he was in California and for a time lived in South Dakota. He purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres near Mitchell, South Dakota, in 1883, and took up a claim there, but having a stronger attachment for the county of his nativity than for his new home he returned to Illinois. He now rents land and engages in farming. He owns forty-one acres of the old homestead which is well improved and he has built thereon a fine residence and substantial barns. The place is also well fenced and in addition to the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he also raises fruit, which finds a ready sale upon the market because of size, quality and flavor. He also has a few cattle and horses and about fifty head of hogs and for eight years he has engaged in the operation of a hay press.      In June, 1882, Mr. Gay was united in marriage to Miss Melissa McKinney, who was born in New Salem township in 1865 and is a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Burkhead) McKinney. The father was a native of Pennsylvania and came to Illinois at an early day when few settlements had been made. He took up land from the government and shared in the usual hardships and privations of pioneer life. As the years passed by he prospered and is now the owner of two hundred acres of rich farming land. He has now reached the age of eighty-three years. In his family were nine children, of whom seven are now living.      Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gay have been born two children, Myrtie, who was born November 20, 1884, married Florence Hill, whose birth occurred March 27, 1885. They have one child, Glenna Hazel, born March 6, 1903. Daisy, born May 25, 1887, died September 18, 1899. The family home is situated upon forty-one acres of the old homestead property which belonged to Mr. Gay's father. This is a well improved tract of land and he has erected a fine residence which forms one of the attractive features of the landscape. There are also good barns upon the place and the farm is well fenced, while everything is neat and