Francis D. Lacy

Francis D. Lacy, of Nirvana, Lake Co., Mich., was born in Western, New York on the 5th day of May 1838. He is the youngest son of Eli Lacy, who raised up a family of six boys and four girls. His father moved to this State in the year 1840, and settled in the wilds of Oakland County upon 120 acres of land, marsh and lake, about one-third of which was upland of an inferior quality, and the remainder entirely worthless.Eli Lacy ws a man of respecability and fair intelligence, but his financial abilities were lacking, and had it not been for the wonderful qualities of his wife, her good physical health and untiring ambition, it is hard to say what would have been the result in raising up a family of ten children, and in what condition they would have been launched out upon the world. As ot was. the family passed through many privations and was forced to exercise a frugality which has scarcely a parallel on record. Thousands have passed through a more degraded poverty, but the cases where a family of such high order of intelligence has been forced to so low a condition of destitution, are certainly uncommon. Imagine what a burden of anxiety must have rested upon the inadequate abilities of parents, struggling to their utmost to furnish food and raiment and educate so large a family, and at the same time somebody standing ready to snatch the last dollar at hand to pay the interest on an old calloused mortgage which held a death grip upon the freedom of the household! Children attending school in cold winter weather, wearing blue drilling trousers without lining or drawers, and otherwise lightly clad, and suffering with the cold as the children of this family were often compelled to, have learned to demonstration what "hard times" mean. An older brother, now a wealthy citizen residing in Reed City, went bare-foot the winter through, and did chores in the barn, and often slid down hill as a pastime; and in rlating the fact, remarks that it was not so much a matter of romance as of stern reality. This brother, V.E. Lacy, always born his privations with fortitude, and labored for the comforts of others, denying himself; being half way from the oldest to the youngest, he was last to be provided for; and yet he doubtless did more for the comforts of home than all the others together; and even since leaving home for himself, he has rendered much for the comforts of parents and sisters, as also has Francis, of whom we are narrating. these blessings have doubtless been showered back upon both of them, as they are both well situated in life, with happy families around them. In those boyhood years, it required but little to constitute a luxury. A toy like a penny jewsharp, a slate pencil or goose-quill pen, or stick of candy, were all worthy of remark, and well relished by children of such poverty. A new garment made by that industrious mother, or a new pair of shoes, would make the lucky wearer the center of attraction for a time, and let those only who have experienced the situation judge how "good" the red leather "looked."

Francis was mentally bright and physically active. He became a good scholar, and at the age of 16 engaged as a teacher. This vocation he followed for several years, "until," as he expressed it, "he became unfit for anything else, and a few more terms would make him totally unfit for that!" At intervals, during the years of his teaching, he learned the printer's trade, and having a taste for literature, indulged in writing considerable for the press, and acted at times in the capacity of the editor. Having quite a fondness for poetry, he wrote occasional pieces, and in the year 1860, published his first pemphlet, entitled "Leisure Hours." In 1862 he published "The Ray of Light," and in 1863 a treatise on mental philosophy, to be used as a phrenological chart in giving delineations of character. Engaging in this profession, he followed lecturing for a time, but having an opportunity of studying more carefully the anatomy of the human brain, and the nature of its convolutions, he rather concluded that the old theory of phrenology as advocated by Fowler & Wells was somewhat a farce, and therefore dropped the subject to engage in the study of legerdemain. In this he soon became proficient, and, being without money to start with, constructed his own apparatus, and bought on credit a horse, buggy and harness. He now boldly struck out in his new profession, and, meeting with good success, soon paid for these, and contracted for 80 acres of land, costing $1,400, mear Laingsburg in this State.

Wearying of this business, after following it for about three years, he engaged as a partner with his brother, V.E. Lacy, near Lapeer, this State, in the manufacture of shingles. This business prospered, the same as anything else the V.E. ever took hold of, and at the end of three years they dissolved partnership, each buying a mill for himself; and in the year 1874 Francis shipped his mill and household goods to Nirvana and established himself there for making shingles, and also engaged in merchandise, where he will be found comfortably situated at the present time. Since he has been at Nirvana he has suffered some severe losses. His mill was burned, and at the time when the loss fell most heavily upon him, and in other ways has had numerius financial set-backs; yet he has passed through them with scarcely a riffle tio disturb his good humor; and being surrounded by a beautiful wife and four sparkling eyed children, he has but little to regret. He still continues to ply the pen, and within the last two years has published two works, - "Nature's Harmony, " a philosophical treatise, and "Star Lake Romance," a poetical story - both of which do credit to the author. And thus we have narrated the history of one who commenced in the lowest degree of poverty, and has risen to a fair height in both fame and fortune.

When he had made some progress in the accumulation of property, and was standing well in society, he thought favorably of taking a wife. some there were of the gay and fashionable circles, and some who were wealthy, among the ladies, whom he flattered himself that he could win; but being interested with a beautiful child 13 years old, Eunice A. Stevens, the daughter of William and Delilah Stevens, who lived far back in the lowest of poverty, he took pleasure in providing her with nice clothing and furnishing her with books for intellectual culture. She bore the appellation of "The Rustic Angel" and "Lacy's Gypsy Princess" until 1872 at which time she had reached her 14th year; and on the 8th day of November, of that year, in the presence of a pleasant circle of friends at Lapeer, Mich., he married her. She was arrayed like a princess on the occasion, much to the admiration of those present, but greatly to the contempt of many who envied her.

Eunice A., nee Stevens, the wife of Francis D. Lacy, was born on the 28th day of October, 1858. On the 19th day of August, 1874, she gave birth to her first child. Lately before this ordeal, they moved from near Lapeer to Nirvana, and it is thought her fatigue proved fatal to the child: it lived but 12 hours. His name was entered upon the family register as Herbert Emmanuel. Arthur Jay, the second son, was born Sept. 30, 1876; Rollo Guy was born Jan. 27, 1879; Plato Ray, April 17, 1881; and Florence May, March 17, 1884.

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