Among the bright and promising young attorneys of Christian County, Missouri, is Walter A. Long, who has secured a satisfactory degree of worldly success by reason of his personal traits and the exercise of unmistakable business ability. His natural acumen, added to the thorough education he received in his youth, makes him judicious in law, and his desire to reach the highest possible position in the profession keeps him ever on the alert to add to his knowledge by observation and study. For the past six years he has practiced his profession in this and other counties of the State, and his career thus far before the bar illustrates how admirably adapted he is to prosecute this most exalted of professions. Mr. Long is a native of this State, born near Westville, Chariton County, October 2, 1856.
He is a son of L. D. and Nancy (Reagan) Long, and grandson of John S. Long. The Long family is of Irish origin, and the family tree took root in Virginia at an early day, some members of this family serving in the Revolutionary War. Later the Longs emigrated to Kentucky and settled in Madison County, where the members took up large tracts of land. In this State the father of our subject was born in 1810, and there grew to mature years. He was married there to Miss Reagan a native of that State, and together they emigrated to Missouri in 1847, settling in Chariton County, where they made their home until July 22, 1864, when the father was killed by a band of bushwhackers. He had enlisted in the Union Army, was a strong Union man, and was killed on his own farm. He had always affiliated with the Republican party, and was a public-spirited and most worthy citizen. Both he and wife were members of the Christian Church, and he was deacon in the same. He was one of the early pioneers of Chariton County, became the owner of a good farm, and was enterprising and industrious. He was well known by all as Capt. Long. Mrs. Long lived until 1883, and died in Iowa, while visiting a son. She was the mother of fourteen children. The farther of our subject had one son by a former marriage, who was named William T. Long, and he is now a successful farmer of Nodaway County, Missouri He was a soldier during the Rebellion, in the Sixth Missouri Cavalry, and fought bravely for the “Old Flag.” In politics he is a Republican. The remainder of the children were named as follows: Mary, married Frederick Noldge and died leaving a family; Richard, also a soldier in the Civil War, died about 1866 (he was single); Cynthia, died in childhood; Robert, a soldier in the Sixth Missouri Cavalry, was probably killed at Lone Jack or some other battle of the war, for he was among the missing; Napoleon, died in 1876 (he was single and a farmer); John D., single and a farmer, resides in Lynn County, Missouri; Nathan H., a prosperous farmer and stockman of Nebraska, is married and has a family; Albert W., is a well-to-do farmer, residing ten miles west of Ozark (he is a man of a family, and a public-spirited citizen; in politics he is a Republican); Julia A., residing in Sioux City, Iowa, is the wife of S. Parrish, who is a prominent merchant of that place; Maggie J. and Bettie, twins (the former is the wife of J. W. Park, and resides nine miles west of Ozark, and the latter, who was the wife of S. W. Park, died in 1888); Fannie, married George Thomas, and they reside on the old home place in Chariton County; Andrew J., a railroad man, is married and resides in Webster County; and Walter A., our subject.
latter spent his early life in his native county, and was educated in the common schools of Nodaway County, whither he moved when about thirteen years of age. Leaving school, he became a teacher and followed this occupation up to 1885, studying law in the meantime. That year he was admitted to the Nodaway county bar and began practicing at Marysville, where he remained until 1887, and then came to Ozark. Since then, he has practiced all over Southwest Missouri. He is careful in the preparation of his cases, and is considered an accurate adviser and an earnest and conscientious advocate. Like all the members of his father’s family, he is a Republican, and although he was too young to take part in the Rebellion, he was with the Union and the cause of his father. The mother’s people were slave owners, but she was with the Union also. Mr. Long is a self-made, self-educated man, and by his own industry and application is now one of the prominent attorneys of the Southwest. As an educator he was well liked, and as an attorney he stands in the front rank of the Missouri bar. In 1890 he was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney of Christian County, and in 1892 was reelected to that position. Mr. Long selected his wife in the person of Miss Mattie E. Alday, a native of Stark County, Illinois, born April 16, 1861, and the daughter of A. and Edith (Dixon) Alday. Mr. and Mrs. Long have had three children: Walter G., Ward and Emile. The last two died young. Socially Mr. Long is a Mason, a member of Friend Lodge at Ozark, No. 352, and has held some of the offices of the order. He has his office over Robertson’s store at Ozark, and owns a handsome residence in that city.