BIO: John BARKLE, Huntingdon County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: 
Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, 
Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. 
Runk & Co., 1897, pages 334-335.
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  JOHN BARKLE, Orbisonia, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born November 1, 
1842, at Littlebeside, near St. Day, Cornwall, England, son of Mr. and 
Mrs. Richard Barkle. His grandfather, Samson Barkle, was also a 
Cornishman, a miner and farmer, who raised his children on his own 
farm, and lived and died in his native land. He left a family of sons, 
as follows: Samson; John; William; Richard; Stephen; Thomas; and James. 
Richard Barkle was a miner. He came to the United States in 1852, 
leaving his family in England; worked in the copper mines on Lake 
Superior for about three years; then engaged as manager of mines with 
the Black Bear Mining Company, of Klamath, Cal., and continued in that 
position until his death in 1875, at the age of fifty-five. He is 
buried in San Francisco. Mrs. Richard Barkle, after the death of her 
husband, came to America, and has ever since made her home with her 
son, John Barkle; she is now seventy-five years of age. Their children 
are: Mary (Mrs. William Buzza), Orbisonia, Pa; Eliza (Mrs. William 
Moyle), came to America before her marriage, and during her married 
life resided in Bedford county, Pa.; Richard, died in Bedford county, 
Pa.; and Elizabeth (Mrs. George Sandow), Walkersville, Mont.
  In the boyhood of John Barkle a good education was not as easily 
attainable in England as it is to day; he was, however, a pupil in 
private schools until about his fifteenth year, when he began to be 
employed in the copper mines. His wages were at first small, but were 
gradually increased up to the time when he emigrated to Nova Scotia. He 
sailed from Liverpool on the "Mozart," a sailing vessel, April 28, 
1866, and after a very stormy passage of twenty-eight days, landed at 
Halifax, N.S. A disastrous conflagration was raging in the city at the 
time of his landing. The country was also in a turmoil over the Fenian 
difficulties. For three weeks Mr. Barkle accepted any kind of work that 
offered itself. He then went upon the Dartmouth fort, under engagement 
at tunneling beneath the fort. That labor being completed, in the same 
year he went to Boston, Mass., thence to the Schuylkill county mines, 
in Pennsylvania, where he worked for a short time, and thence to Eagle 
River, Mich., where he was employed for one winter in the Phoenix 
copper mines. After an interval of idleness, Mr. Barkle returned to 
Pennsylvania; here for five years he worked as contractor for the 
Morgan Iron Company, Lewistown, Mifflin county. Removing in 1874 to 
Orbisonia, he worked under contract with the Rockhill Furnace Company 
until, in 1892, he gave up that line of business, and for some time had 
no special vocation. In the spring of 1895 Mr. Barkle purchased a farm 
of 102 acres in Cromwell township. He has built a fine residence for 
his family in Orbisonia. Mr. Barkle is a respected and serviceable 
citizen. He is a Republican in his political views; has served for a 
three years' term in the school board.
  John Barkle was married at Lewistown, Pa., in 1870, to Mary Jane, 
daughter of John and Elinor (Steel) Strong. Their children are: 
Beatrice (Mrs. G. M. Enyeart), Orbisonia, Pa.; Maud; Elinor; Egbert; 
Raymond Paul; and Eugene. Mr. Barkle has served several years in the 
council of the Methodist church, of which he is a member.

Note: John's mother was name Eliza, according to census.