Joseph Edward BadgerJoseph Edward Badger Jr. was born in Payson, Illinois, on October 10, 1848, and raised in Bellemont, Kansas. His mother was from a Pennsylvania-based Dutch family, and his father was from Massachusetts. Early in life, Joseph picked up skating and swiming. After finding the gold in California, his father and two uncles were among the first to travel there by land. In 1859, when Pike's Peak was in the news, Joe fled his house and boarded a ship bound for Denver. It is reported that one day when surrounded by five Indians, he fired his first shot. He was a Bryant's Business College student in 1867, only 19 years old and nearly six feet tall. "The Masked Guide," published in Dime Novel No. 203 on May 10, 1870, was his first long-piece story for Beadle. Later, he established a factory and store selling cigars while residing in Frankfort, Missouri. He relocated his business to Blue Rapids, Kansas, in 1901, although he only briefly operated his factory there. After suffering a major head injury from a fall that left him with severe headaches, his health eventually deteriorated. With his double-barreled shotgun, he shot himself in the heart to end his life. Read More Read Less