Hutchinson County

Biographies

William J. Babbidge
William J. Baldwin
David Bellon
C. E. Bludorn
J. C. Boyles
C. J. Branch
Frank I. Bunn
S. M. Daboll
F. J. Eisenmann
Thomas Furlong
C. F. Fennel
Samuel George
Garret Hanlin
Henry Heil
Fred Heiser
A. Sheridan Jones
James Kays
S. H. LaMunyan
E. C. Maxwell
J. G. Piper
Jacob Schnaid
Elliot Thynne
Thomas K. Thynne
William B. White
Karl Winter

Olivet

WILLIAM J. BABBIDGE, FARMER, P. O. Olivet, was born in Maine in 1825. When eleven years of age he went to sea, and for twenty years followed merchant shipping. In 1856 he located in Michigan and was there until 1874. In the meantime he served eleven months and a half in the twenty-sixth Maine Infantry, during the rebellion. In 1874 he came to Dakota and took a homestead in Hutchinson County, in the Jim River Valley. He was among the early settlers of this county, there being no railroads within thirty miles, and but few settlers in the country. He served four years as Constable of his township. In 1848 he was married and has five living children - Cynthia, Clara, Phoebe, Lucy and Lillie.

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W. B. BALDWIN, stock raiser, P. O. Olivet, was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1846, but was raised in Cuyahoga County, living there until 1867. From there he went to an adjoining county and engaged in farming until 1874, when he came to Dakota, locating in Hutchinson County. He was among the first settlers in the county, and located on the prairie, where he took a homestead and a timber claim, and then secured another claim of 160 acres. Yankton, the nearest town, was thirty-five miles distant, where he had to market his produce and get supplies, after taking three days with an ox team to make a trip. Mr. Baldwin has sixty acres in cultivation, and forty acres planted in timber. He is engaged in farming and has stock of fifty head of cattle and six horses. His farm is admirably adapted to stock raising. Mr. Baldwin served as County Commissioner for three years. He was married in November, 1869, to Miss Louisa A. Shaw, of Ohio. They have five children - Jennie A., William A., C. B., J. H. and Anna F.

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J. C. BOYLES, Clerk of the Court, Olivet, was born in Dubois County, Indiana, in 1851, where he resided until 1864, when he settled in Illinois. In 1874 he came to Dakota, locating in Hutchinson County. The county having few settlers there was plenty of vacant land, and Mr. Boyles secured 320 acres near the town of Olivet, working on his land in the summer and teaching winters, up to 1877, having taught the first school in Hutchinson County. He now has his place in a high state of cultivation. In 1875 at the first session of court in the county, he was appointed Clerk of the Court, which position he has held continuously since, with credit to himself and satisfaction to the people. In the summer of 1883 he was chosen a delegate to the Huron convention for the purpose of calling a constitutional convention to draft a constitution for the coming State of Dakota. September 4, 1878, he was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Havnes [Haynes? - JRF]. They have three children - Ada, Ida, and Joseph C.

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C. J. BRANCH, farmer, was born in Miegs County, Ohio, in 1846. When seven years old he located in Wayne County, Illinois, with his parents, where he remained until the winter of 1875, when he came to Dakota and located in Hutchinson County. Here he secured 320 acres of land in homestead and timber claims two miles from Olivet, the county seat of Hutchinson County. He has the place well improved for the length of time he has been here, and has a very desirable stock farm with good water and rich grass lands. He has ten acres of timber planted, good buildings, etc. In the fall of 1876 he was appointed County Surveyor and the following fall was elected to fill the same office and has held it continuously since, except one term. He also served as deputy clerk of district court and one term as deputy sheriff. He was married in 1870, in Wayne County, Ill., to Miss Louisa Harmon, of that county. They have seven children - Newton O., C. F., Maria O., Virginia B., Willie, Walter and Harry.

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S. M. DABOLL, County Superintendent and farmer, was born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., in 1823, where he was raised and lived until February, 1875, when he came to Dakota, locating at Olivet. Here he secured 320 acres of land by homestead and timber claims, which he at once began to improve. He has sixty acres in cultivation, has planted forty acres of timber, put up a house, formed a large pasture, and made various other improvements. He also built a hotel in Olivet the same year he located, and has carried on the house with his other business. In the fall of 1875 at the general election, he was elected to the office of Superintendent of Schools, and has done good work in establishing schools and improving the same. In June 1883, he was chosen a delegate to the Huron convention for the purpose of calling a convention in the fall to draft a constitution for the State of Dakota, and was then chosen a delegate to the Constitutional Convention held in September 1883. Mr. Daboll has devoted his time and energy to the improvement of the county, and is one of her first citizens. He was married in 1848 to Miss Lucy A. Rittel, of New York. They have two children, Seneca A. and Malvina.

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F. J. EISENMANN, Register and County Clerk, was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1840. He emigrated to America with his parents the same year and was raised in Milwaukee, Wis. About 1855 he located at Barton , Wis., thence to Chicago, where he remained about fourteen years. During the fire of 1871 he was burned out and returned to Wisconsin, and in 1876 located to Dakota, securing a farm of 320 acres in Hutchinson County. The county had but few settlers and the nearest railroad point was Yankton, about thirty miles distant. For a year or two he was eaten out by grasshoppers, and had his crops destroyed by hail, but he still remained on his farm, which he has by hard work and close attention to business brought under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Eisenmann soon became a prominent leader in politics and in 1878 was elected County Clerk and Register of Deeds, which offices he has held for three successive terms. In 1869 he was married to Sophia Leitheiser of Barton, Wis. They have nine children - Otto, Helen, Eddie, Robert, Tressy, Anna, Clara, Rose and Josie.

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THOMAS FURLONG, farmer, P. O. Olivet, one of the pioneers of Dakota, was born in Ireland, in 1830. In 1841 he emigrated to America and lived in New York City twenty-two years, when he settled in Brown County and engaged in farming. At the end of four years he went to Iowa, remaining there until 1873, when he came to Dakota and became a citizen of Hutchinson County. He secured a farm by pre- emption, near the Jim River, and although he was nearly driven out by grasshoppers, braved it through, and secured more land until he now has an extensive stock farm; is one of the most enterprising stock men in his section of the county, although his capital consisted of only a team and $7.50 in money when he arrived in his adopted county. He used $2.00 for filing his pre-emption, $5.00 for a sack of flour and 50 cents for fishing lines and hooks. He owns a quarter section in Section 1, Town 97, Range 58, and a quarter section in Section 11, same town and range; also a timber claim of eighty acres in Section 11. His farm is watered by the Jim River and he has a large amount of stock. He was married in 1857 and has six children, three of whom are living, Elizabeth, Margaret and William. He had four children by a late marriage, three living, Frank, Helen and Mary.

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SAMUEL GEORGE, proprietor of Hutchinson County "Record", was born in Tennessee in 1824, but was raised in Wayne County, Illinois. When old enough to do business for himself, engaged in farming, remaining in Wayne and Clay counties until about 1874, when he came to Dakota, located in Hutchinson County, where he secured a homestead and timber claim, and until 1882 was engaged in improving his land and farming. Since 1882 he has been proprietor of the "Record" to which he has given his personal attention, and runs the paper in the interest of the Republican party and the best interests of the county. He is also serving as Deputy Sheriff of the county. In 1849 he was married to Miss Griffith, of Clay County, Illinois. They have nine children - Mohala M., Believeretta C., Valeria G., Charles F., Elmer, Clara, Elizabeth, Cora G., E. F., E. C. and Samuel E.

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GARRET HANLIN, farmer, P. O. Olivet, was born in Ireland, in 1842. He emigrated to America in 1858, and was a resident of New York for five years, going from there to Ohio, where he remained about nine years. In 1873 he came to Dakota, located in Hutchinson County, becoming the first settler in Township 98. He was thirty-five miles from Yankton, which was the nearest town or railroad point. Mr. Hanlin took a homestead and planted the first crop in his township. He has a fine farm in a good state of cultivation, with a fine creek running through it besides several fine springs. He has done well here and thinks there is no country like Dakota. In 1868 he was married to Miss Mary Davis of Ohio. They have four children - Nellie E., Nathan A., Mary Belle and Grace.

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A. SHERIDAN JONES, attorney, was born near St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1840. His father died when he was four years of age, and his mother returned to Euclid, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, her former home. Here he spent his younger days, and after receiving a common school education, attended Shaw Academy several terms, then went to Hiram College, and under the tutorship of James A. Garfield, afterwards President of the United States, completed his education, at the age of eighteen years. After teaching school several terms he went to Dodge County, Wisconsin, in 1860 and taught for some time. In April 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Third Wisconsin, Infantry, and served in that regiment till nearly the close of the war, being engaged in over one hundred battles and skirmishes. He was wounded several times, and now has only the partial use of his right arm from a gun shot would received at Antietam. From 1865 to 1868 he was employed as a teacher of penmanship in Bryant & Stratton's College at Cleveland, Ohio, at the same time devoting all the time he could to the study of law, and for a time attended the Ohio State and Union Law College, at Cleveland; but owing to ill health, did not complete his studies. In 1872 he came to Dakota, locating in the Jim River Valley, Hutchinson County, which at that time contained but five families, where, in the autumn of 1873, he founded the town of Olivet, now the county seat. Eastern papers were indebted to Mr. Jones for many fine descriptions of this beautiful valley, in the settlement and development of which he took a deep interest. In 1874 he was elected Territorial Auditor, serving two years. Mr. Jones again took up his law studies, and in 1876 was admitted to the Bar, and at once began the practice of of his profession, and with the exception of two and a half years spent on the Pacific Coast has been at the home he first made when settling in the Territory. In 1872 he was elected District Attorney, and to the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, establishing the first schools in the county. In February 1873, he was appointed on the Board of County Commissioners and at the general election in the fall was elected to the same position, which he held for a term of four years, being chairman of the Board. In 1876 he was re-elected District Attorney, which office he held until the office was abandoned by law. Mr. Jones was one of the organizers of the county and has always taken an active part in all county improvements; is also Commissioner of Insane of the County. In the summer of 1883 he was chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and was one of the active members framing the new constitution for the coming State. Since his residence here he has written numerous articles for the papers, among which which are several fine poems, "Dakota Comes", "The Dakota River" and "Farewell, Honored Friend" (on the death of Garfield) being the finest. In 1865 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary B. Ross, of Frederick City, Maryland, she having done much towards saving his life through her care while he lay wounded in the hospital at that place. They have three children - Mary Letitia, Clara Estella and Sheridan.

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JAMES KAYS, farmer, P. O. Olivet, was born in Washington County Kentucky, in 1848, where he lived until twenty-one years of age. He then moved to Indiana and remained nearly eight years. In 1876 he came to Dakota, locating in Hutchinson County and was among the first settlers in Township 98. Here he secured a homestead and timber claim. There were no settlers near him, and Yankton was the nearest town of any consequence, some thirty six miles distant, where he went for all supplies and to market his produce. Mr. Kays has a choice stock farm, well watered by running water and several nice springs, and has a fine lot of stock. His place contains 400 acres of choice land. He was married in 1865 in Washington County, Kentucky, to Miss Susan C. Reed. They have seven children - Jessy Victoria, Nancy A., Susan K., Luther M., Rosetta A. and James W.

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S. H. LaMUNYAN, farmer, P. O. Olivet, was born in Michigan, in 1840, but was raised in Ohio. He enlisted in 1862 in the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Infantry and served three years. After coming out of the army, he bacame a resident of Lake County, Ohio, until the spring of 1873, when he came to Dakota and settled in Hutchinson County. He was one of the early settlers of the county and took land on the prairie; in fact he was the first settler on the prairie from Olivet. He had to go to Yankton, thirty-five miles, for all supplies. He now has a good farm, with a nice stream of water and several springs; has also a fine grove of growing timber, which he planted. He was married in 1865, at Paynesville, Ohio, to Miss Lora M. Benedict. They have six children --Joseph S., Roy L., Ervey F., Lila M., George W., and Elva J.

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E. C. MAXWELL, proprietor of Maxwell's Mills. P. O. Olivet, was born in Canada, in 1850, where he lived until twelve years of age, when his parents came to the States. In 1870 he came to Dakota and located in Hutchinson County, being one of the first settlers in the county. He pre-empted land and also made a timber claim. Sioux City was the nearest railroad point and Yankton was the nearest postoffice. In 1875, in company with his brother and another party, he built a flouring mill on the Jim River, 22 by 46 feet, with two run of burrs. This was the first mill out of Yankton and when built was the largest in the Territory. They used a 52 - inch Turbine wheel of Lofell's make and were able to turn out fifty barrels a day. The mill has always done a nice business and in 1833 [typo - probably 1883 --- JRF] was remodeled and enlarged and is now one of the best mills in the Territory. In 1879 he was married to Miss Louisa S. Morris, of Morriston, Davison Co., Dakota. They have one child, Fannie L.

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J. G. PIPER, farmer, P. O. Olivet, was born in England in 1836, and lived there until 1851, when he emigrated to America and located in Chicago, and engaged in blacksmithing. From there he moved to Henry Co., Illinois. He engaged in blacksmithing, remaining there until 1873. He then returned to Chicago and remained there until 1878, then came to Dakota and located in Hutchinson County. He took a homestead and a timber claim and also built a blacksmith shop. This was the first shop built outside of the town of Olivet on the prairie, and some thirty-five miles from from Yankton. Mr. Piper has a good farm well improved, and is well pleased with his settlement in the Territory. In 1856 he was married to Miss Lucinda A. Gilbert, of Jacksonville, Illinois. They have five children - Mary E., Fred., John, Cora M., and Estella G.

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WILLIAM B. WHITE, Postmaster and merchant, Olivet, was born in Scotland, in 1840. He emigrated to America in 1847, his parents locating at Burlington, Vermont, where he was raised. In 1847 he went to Michigan and in 1861 enlisted in the Third Michigan Battery, serving over three years. He was Sergeant of Battery C, in which he had command of a detachment. After coming out of the army he became a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, remaining there and at other points in the State until 1873, when he came to Dakota and located in Hutchinson County, where he was among the first settlers, taking a claim that was known as Maxwell City. There were but four houses between his place and Yankton, thirty miles distant. In 1874 the town of Olivet was platted by Mr. Jones, Mr. White laying out twenty acres as an addition. He then built a store and put in the first stock of goods in the place and the first stock above Yankton. In 1874 he was appointed Postmaster, which position he has held continuously since from 1874 to the present time. Mr. White served as County Treasurer, and from 1876 to 1879 as Probate Judge and Justice of the Peace. Mr. White has a small farm well supplied with fruit, which he has planted since he came here, and has a fine grove, besides good buildings, etc. He was married in the fall of 1866, to Miss Mary Carlton, of Ohio. They have eight children - Alice, Fred., John, Matilda, Bessie, Minnie, Willie and Grace.

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KARL WINTER, County Treasurer of Hutchinson County, P. O. Olivet, was born in the province of Bessarabia, Russia, in 1839. He emigrated to America in 1873, and came directly to Dakota. In 1874 he came to Hutchinson County, and located 320 acres of land, being one of the pioneers. He at once set about improving his farm, which he has done by putting 100 acres in cultivation, planting ten acres of timber, and erecting good buildings. He is also engaged in stock raising. When he settled on his place Yankton was the nearest town and railroad point, a distance of over thirty miles; there were no improvements and the county was wild and barren. In the fall of 1875 Mr. Winter was elected County Treasurer, and he is now serving his fourth term. He is also trustee of his school district and was chosen a delegate to the constitutional convention held at Sioux Falls in September, 1883, to draft a constitution for the new State of Dakota. He was married in 1862, before leaving Russia. His first wife dying in 1866, he was again married to Miss Mary Fischer. They have two children, Pauline and Albert, besides two by his first wife, Otto and Adolph.

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MENNO


FRANK I. BUNN, dealer in real estate, was born in Bohemia in 1839, and emigrated in 1859, landing in New York City where he remained two or three years. He went from there to Chicago, and remained about seven years, engaged in lithographing. In 1868 he came to Dakota, locating in Yankton, having been sent there as emigration agent, and located a large settlement of his people in Bon Homme and Yankton counties. He was engaged in this work for four years and gave his whole attention to helping his people get homes. He then located a claim and engaged in farming in Yankton County. He also served a commission as Postmaster at Tabor, which he held for five years. In 1882 he moved to Scotland and engaged in selling farm machinery. At the end of one year was appointed Deputy County Clerk and Register of Deeds. From there he came to Menno where he is engaged in real estate, loan and insurance business and makes out final proof papers for Yankton District. He also received an appointment from Gov. Burbank as Immigration Commissioner. Mr Bann [sic -- JRF] is one of the leading men in the county.

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HENRY HEIL, merchant and Postmaster, Menno, was born near Odessa, Russia [Rohrbach -- JRF] in 1847. He emigrated to America in 1873, and went to Lincoln, Nebraska, but soon after located in Yankton, Dakota, where he engaged in the mercantile business. After remaining there six years he came to Menno, Hutchinson County, and on December 1, 1879, opened the first general store in the place. He also built the first building, a store room, 20 by 50 feet, but has since added 20 by 50 and 12 by 50 feet, also a building for postoffice, 14 by 16 feet, in 1882, when he was appointed Postmanster. Mr. Heil is one of the most enterprisiong men in the place and has been very successful in his business. He was married in 1871, in Russia, to Miss Margaret Jesser. They have seven children - Margaret, Rose, Henry, Willie, Pauline, Edward and Albert.

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FRED HEISER, farmer, P. O. Menno, dealer in farm implements and grain, was born in Germany in 1842, and came to America in 1869, locating in Chicago. In 1876 he came to Dakota and located a claim in Hutchinson County, being among the first settlers in the county. Yankton, twenty-six miles distant, was the nearest town and railroad point. For a time he was engaged in running the Wolf Creek Flouring Mills and then began improving his farm where he has since made his home. He has a fine farm of 500 acres, well improved, situated near Menno, and since the town was located in 1880, has been engaged in buying grain. Mr. Heiser is a pleasant gentleman and has been elected Justice of the Peace and to several minor offices. He was married in 1869 to Miss Louisa Brondt, of Germany. They have six children - Frederick, Victoria, Otto, Willie, Alma and Karl.

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JACOB SCHNAID, merchant, was born at Odessa, Russia [Kassel --- JRF], in 1847, and emigrated to America in 1873, locating at Omaha. From there he located in Yankton, Dak., where he remained seven years, engaged in the hardware business. When the railroad was built through Hutchinson County, in 1880, he located at Menno, and built a large store in which he put the first stock of hardware in the place. He is also engaged in the lumber business and has been one of the most active men in the place to make a good trading point and a live town. Mr. Schnaid is a thorough business man and is very popular. He was married in 1859 to Miss Catherine Mehlhoff, of Russia. They had two children - Jakob and Christoph. In 1875 he was married again to Miss Caroline Kaiser. They have three sons - Emil, Henry and Edward.

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FREEMAN


C. E. BLUDORN, farmer and stock raiser, southeast quarter of Section 24, and southeast quarter of Section 35, Town 99, Range 56, P. O. Freeman, was born in Canada near Niagara Falls, December 25, 1852. He became a resident of Dakota in 1879, and has since been prominently identified with the interests of Hutchinson County. For the past few years he has been in the grain business in Freeman.

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WITTENBERG


DAVID BELLON, Sheriff and farmer, P. O. Wittenberg, was born in Germany in 1842, and emigrated to America in 1857, locating in Pennsylvania. In 1861 he enlisted in the Fiftieth Pennsylvania Infantry and served four years, was captured at Spottsylvania Court House, and was in prison ten months. After the war he settled in Illinois, and from there went to Iowa, where he resided for eight years. In 1876 he came to Dakota, locating in Hutchinson County, and secured 320 acres of land by homestead and pre-emption claims. He was the first settler in this part of the county, and it was forty miles to Yankton, the nearest town or railroad point. Mr. Bellon is one of the enterprising men of the county, and soon after succeeded in getting the postoffice of Wittenberg established, of which he is Postmaster. He has made some extensive improvements on his place, and has erected some of the best buildings in the vicinity. He has a fine grove of timber. In 1882 he was elected Sheriff of Hutchinson County and is an efficient officer. He was married in 1868 to Miss Wilhelmina Fischer, of Boone County, Iowa.

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P. O. SCOTLAND, BON HOMME COUNTY


C. F. FENNEL, farmer, P. O. Scotland, Bon Homme County, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1851. When six years of age his parents came West, locating in Iowa. He was a resident of Davenport, Iowa for two years going from there to Mendota, where he remained sixteen years, and went from there to Des Moines. In 1876 came to Dakota and was among the first settlers in Hutchinson County. Yankton, thirty miles distant, was the nearest point where supplies could be obtained. After securing a homestead and getting some land in cultivation, he engaged in the culture of sugar cane, which he manufactured into syrup, this being the first enterprise of the kind in the country. The amount manufactured at present is about 2500 gallons each year, which for quality has no superior and for which he finds ready market at good prices. In 1877 he was married to Miss Emma Woodson. They have four children - Pearl, Annie, Maggie and Mary.

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ELLIOT THYNNE, farmer, P. O. Scotland, Bon Homme County, was born in Scotland in 1843. He emigratd to America in 1854, locating in Canada, where he was raised and educated for a teacher, which profession he followed for eighteen years. In 1880 he emigrated to Dakota and located a homestead in Hutchinson County, and engaged in farming. He has done some extensive improvements for the length of time he has been here, and has a choice stock farm with plenty of running water. In future he will devote his time to stock raising. In 1875 he was married to Miss Helen Scott of Ontario, Canada.

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THOMAS K. THYNNE, farmer, P. O. Scotland, Bon Homme County, was born in Scotland in 1848. He emigratd to America in 1853, locating in Canada, and came to Dakota in 1876 and pre-empted 160 acres of land in Hutchinson County. He was one of the pioneers of the county, and when he located there were no settlers. He was thirty-three miles from a railroad point, Yankton being the nearest place where supplies could be obtained. He has fifty acres in cultivation, good barns, fences and other improvements. Mr. Thynne has taught four terms of school in the county and is an active worker in all educational matters. He was married in 1874 to Miss Jane Brown, of Ontario, Canada. They have three children - John A., Barbara E. and Robert Scott.

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