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Christopher J. Crahan, night foreman of the roundhouse of De Soto, was 
born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1856.  His father, Byron Crahan, was born in
Ireland, and came to the United States in his youth.  He located in St.
Louis, where he was second engineer of Beecher Sugar Factory.  In 1858
the factory blew up, and Mr. Crahan, together with four others, was
killed.  Mrs. Catherine (Biggy) Crahan, mother of our subject, was born
in Ireland in 1827, and after the death of Mr. Crahan, in 1867, she 
married Joseph Burk; the latter was born in Ireland in 1840, came to 
the United States in 1856, and in 1869 located in De Soto, where he has
since been in the employ of the Iron Mountain Railroad.  Christopher J.
Crahan was educated in the Christian Brothers' school at St. Louis, and
at the age of thirteen came to De Soto, where he began working in the
railroad shops, wiping engines.  In six years he was given a position 
as fireman of a locomotive engine, and after eight years was promoted 
to the position of engineer.  For the past five years he has been night
foreman in the roundhouse.  In 1882 he married Miss Jane Ball, daughter 
of John Ball, of De Soto.  Mrs. Crahan was born in Rio de Janerio, 
South America, in 1860.  Three children have blessed this union, viz.:
Katie, John and Christopher.  Politically, Mr. Crahan is a Democrat. 
He is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.  Mr. and
Mrs. Crahan are members of the Catholic Church.