Daniel Thombs                                                                        March 1, 1997
Our Lady of Fatima  High School                                                   Grade 11-1
English

	Asa Bates born: April 12, 1797, died: September 16, 1887.
	Louisa , wife of Asa Bates, born: November 18, 1807, died: March 27, 1890.  Also wife of Christopher W. Mavis.

	Asa's life started like any other turn of the century child. Born onto a farm, he had to work long hours in the fields since he was old enough to endure the work. Having moved from Norway, his family did not have enough money to do much more than grow their own  food and buy the necessary clothes that they needed. Like him, most of his friends had to work on farms as children. Few went to any form of school, and no one he knew had gone beyond the sixth grade.  The government was still trying to manage the fact that they were independent and had to make the country run by themselves. 

	As Asa grew up, he  longed for a life outside of the farm. Tilling the soil and harvesting crops were too much to do every day. One day he left for the  south to  find an easier way to live. Using money that had saved for months, he boarded  a train due south.   Arriving in Atlanta Georgia, he found a job as an apprentice  in an ironsmith's shop. He learned all about making tools, and other items made of iron. He became so good at making things, he soon started his own business. Asa Iron Company was the name.  

	He worked in this company for years; until  a way to make steel was  invented which made it cheaper and easier to produce. This ruined him and forced him to close his business and move out. Asa needed a job; he had heard about jobs in the government and decided to see if he could get one. He  started to campaign for the local mayor in the next election. Honesty was the way Asa thought would get him any where. Unfortunately it didn't work this time. All the people  voted for the person who promised to help them and improve their life. Asa would have to wait for the next election to try again. 

	In the meantime, he had met a woman named Louisa O'Reilly. But she was already married to a man named Christopher Mavis. How could he get ride of him without anyone noticing. After two years, he ran for office again and won through lying. He used his influence to heavily tax Christopher into bankruptcy. After He went broke , Asa had Christopher thrown in jail for failure to pay taxes. Now he could marry Louisa. He did and continued his life as a greedy mayor, until his death in 1887. For his last wish, he wanted to be buried in his original  land plot with his wife. Unfortunately he had prospered on earth  and ended up burning in HELL.