USA > California > A history of the new California, its resources and people; Vol II > Part 58
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On the 25th of June, 1896, occurred the marriage of Mr. Heyer and Miss Wilhelmina S. Wehr, the wedding being celebrated in San Francisco. Mrs. Heyer is a native of Germany and came to the United States in her maidenhood. The hospitality of the best homes of Haywards is extended to them, and their own household is noted for its pleasing social func- tions. Mr. Heyer belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Native Sons of the Golden West, the Foresters of America, the Hermann Sohns and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His influence has been a potent element in shaping political interests of his city, and he is known as a stalwart defender of Democratic principles. He takes a very active part in local politics and has also been a representative of his party in county and state conventions. For fourteen years he has served as a trustee of Haywards and for three terms of four years each has been elected mayor, being re-elected in April, 1904. His administration has been char- acterized by all that is business-like and progressive and practical. He conducts the affairs of the municipality with the same system and fairness that he does his trade interests, bringing to bear upon the questions which affect the welfare of the city wise counsel, sound judgment and keen dis- crimination. Therefore, in a record of those who have been prominently identified with the development and progress of the west it is imperative that definite consideration be granted to Mr. Heyer, for not only is he a prominent representative of business and political interests of this favored section, but has the distinction of being a native son of the Golden West, with whose fortunes he has been identified during his entire lifetime, con- cerned with various industrial pursuits, and so ordering his life as to gain and retain the confidence and esteem of his fellow men.
BUCKNER K. COLLIER.
Buckner K. Collier, a well known attorney at law of Yreka, Siskiyou county, has been prominent in the legal circles of California for the past ten years, and throughout his career has been a leader in public and professional
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affairs. He entered upon the legal profession before he had attained years of maturity, and for a number of years before coming to the west carried on a large practice and was the holder of offices of great trust and responsi- bility in his native state of Alabama. He comes of an old and prominent southern family. the ancestors going back to early American history, and the Confederacy found in them stanch and loyal supporters throughout the great rebellion.
Mr. Collier was born at Opelika, Alabama, March 29, 1857, a son of Thomas and Sarah ( Killigrew) Collier. His father was born in North Caro- lina, and belonged to a family which came from England in 1670, and his grandfather served as a captain of a Virginia company during the Revolutionary war. He was a farmer by occupation, and followed that pur- suit during many years of his residence in Alabama. He was a member of the Georgia legislature, was a supervisor for Lee county and held other offices. He was an ardent secessionist, and served through the war, leaving with the rank of major. He was a well known and representative citizen of Lee county, where his death occurred in 1883. His wife was born in Ten- nessee and died in 1872. Her family was of Scotch descent and came to America in 1797. Her uncle, General Williams, was a general in the war of 1812. Mr. Buckner K. Collier had five brothers in the Confederate army, and though some were wounded, none were killed. The eldest, Thomas, was a physician at Atlanta, Georgia, and served as city physician for years, and died in 1902; John and George are farmers, one in Oklahoma and the other in Alabama; Andrew is United States marshal in the middle district of Alabama. The one sister living is the widow of S. M. Moore, of New Orleans.
Buckner K. Collier was reared and educated in Alabama, finishing his. literary education in the Alabama Agricultural College at Auburn. He had already before leaving college taken up the study of law, and in 1876 was admitted to the bar by the superior court of Lee county, and in 1878 was admitted to practice in the supreme court of the state. He was engaged in a successful practice in Alabama until 1893, when he moved to San Fran- cisco, where he practiced five years, and has since had his office at Yreka and has built up a large business. In May, 1903, he formed an abstract and title company in partnership with L. F. Coburn, and does an extensive business in that line.
Mr. Collier, though a born and bred southerner, is a Republican in poli- tics. and was especially active in party work during his residence in the south. He was elected district attorney for Lee county for 1878-79, and was chosen commissioner for the settlement of the public debt of Lee county, for the years 1880-81. In 1885 he was appointed United States commis- sioner for the middle district of Alabama, and held that office till his resig- nation in 1890. In the latter year he was nominated by the Republican and People's parties for attorney general of the state, but was defeated, although he ran nineteen thousand votes ahead of his ticket. Under Gov- ernor O'Neal of Alabama he held the rank of major of the cavalry of the state troops, and was also assistant adjutant general of the state. While a
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resident of San Francisco he was nominated for congress, but was defeated by James G. Maguire.
Mr. Collier was married at San Rafael, California, August 8, 1896, to Miss Tamahine Hecht, who was born at Tahiti, in the Society Islands, and her parents were natives of Vienna, Austria. They have three children, Randolph, Virginia and Miriam.
DAVID B. FIELDS, M. D.
David B. Fields, M. D., physician and surgeon of Weaverville, Cali- fornia, has been a recognized leader in the professional, social and political circles of this city ever since locating here five years ago. He is a physician of broad experience and generous training and equipment, and at the age of thirty-five has only fairly entered upon the career of great usefulness which lies before him. Besides attending to the large demands upon his professional services, he has proved himself one of the public-spirited citizens of Weaverville, and is also one of the influential Democrats of this part of the state.
Dr. Fields comes of a prominent old southern family, of Irish and English lineage on his father's side, and among his ancestors was the famous Lord Baltimore. He was born at Manor, Texas, August 22, 1869, being a son of Dr. J. D. and Frances Mary (Raney) Fields. His mother was the daughter of the late Colonel J. E. Raney, a very prominent planter of Manor, Texas. His father was born in Virginia, and is one of the influ- ential and wealthy citizens of Texas. He is a leading Democrat of the state, although not desiring political eminence, and in 1888 refused the nomina- tion for governor. He is president of the National Association of Red- polled Cattle Raisers, and is the owner and active manager of large cattle ranches at Manor and Sonoma, Texas. He is also still practicing medicine. He was a soldier in the Confederate army, being chief scout under General J. H. Morgan, and after the latter's death lie was transferred to General Williams' command.
Dr. D. B. Fields was reared in Texas, and received his education in the public schools of that state and in the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, which he attended four years and of which he is a graduate. He then entered the Tulane Medical College at New Orleans, taking the three years' course, and was graduated in 1893 with the degree of M. D. He then returned to his old home and practiced with his father for five years. During that time he was local surgeon for the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. In 1898 he retired from his practice in his native place, and for several months traveled about California. On April 19, 1899, he located permanently at Weaverville, Trinity county, and has built up and carried on a very profitable practice during the subsequent time. Within a month after locating there he was appointed county physician and superintendent of the county hospital, which positions he still holds. In 1904 he was appointed county health officer. He is also surgeon for the Fairview Mining Company at Minersville, Trinity county, and is chief examiner for all the
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old-line life insurance companies in the county. He owns a fine home on Main street of Weaverville.
Dr. Fields is an ardent and hard-working Democrat, and a member of the Democratic state central committee. He is active in fraternal work, being a member of the following: Trinity Lodge No. 27, F. & A. M .; Chapter No. 19, R. A. M., and Red Bluff Commandery No. 17, K. T., and is a life member of Islam Temple of the Mystic Shrine at San Francisco. He is past chancellor of Manor Lodge No. 210, Knights of Pythias, and is a member of the Texas grand lodge of the Knights of Pythias.
WILLIAM JAMES RAMAGE.
William James Ramage, of Haywards, who continuously filled the position of city marshal from 1889, up to April, 1904, when he was elected to a four years term of city trustee, was born in New York, January 14, 1852. His father, James Ramage, was born in Scotland and was a repre- sentative of a prominent family of that country. He was a machinist by trade, but his brothers were sea-faring men. In the year 1848 James Ram- age came to California, where for more than half a century he made his home, his death occurring in Haywards in 1899. He established a copper- smith business in San Francisco, being the pioneer in that industry in the city and the only one in that line of business for a number of years. In the early days he engaged in the manufacture of copper plates, bolts, sheets and sides of vessels, and also did a general business in the manufacture of copper utensils. He continued in that line until 1854, when he sold out to Jim Mackey, his place of business being located on Fremont street about a half block from the water front. He married Miss Ellen Clementina, who was born in Scotland and died in 1868. They were the parents of five sons : Charles, a fireman residing in Newman, California; George A., a horse-developer, who had the honor of training Lou Dillon, the famous trotting mare; Andrew, a hardware merchant of Haywards; and E. R., who is conducting a dairy business at San Leandro.
William J. Ramage pursued his education in the public schools of Ala- meda county, continuing his studies until sixteen years of age. In 1864-5 he was working on the Sothers farm as a vacquero, being thus employed for eighteen months. He afterward engaged in farming in Livermore for two years, and on the expiration of that period went south, where he was engaged in the freight business for ten years, but when the railroads were built through this part of the state he discontinued his efforts in that line. During that period he made Anaheim his home.
Mr. Ramage was married while there and then returned to his old home in Haywards in 1879. After his return he spent three years in charge of the Daniel Luce ranch, and in 1883 he purchased a farm of five hundred and seventy acres, constituting the old Brophy place, which he con- tinued to cultivate and improve for about four years. He then sold out to James Spier, a member of the shipbuilding firm of Hinckley, Spier & Hayes. Mr. Ramage next engaged in the express business in Haywards
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from 1887 until 1889, and in the spring of the latter year he was elected marshal. At the close of his term his incumbency had continued for fif- teen years and five months. During the two years he was engaged in the express business he also dealt in real estate. During all the time that he has been city marshal he has also served in other local offices. He has been township constable all of the time that he was city marshal, and has been ex-officio sanitary inspector and superintendent of streets, and for the past ten years has been ex-officio tax and license collector. As an officer he has made many important captures, and has between thirty-five and forty long and short-termed men in the penitentiary. In the discharge of his duties he had several narrow escapes from death, the desperadoes having attempted at different times to take his life with knives or bullets, but he fortunately escaped these ruffianly attacks, and continued in the discharge of his duties in a most brave and fearless manner and entirely without par- tiality.
In his political views Mr. Ramage is a stalwart Republican, having supported the party which has ever been the promoter of progress, reform and improvement. He is recognized as one of its active representatives in Haywards, and his efforts in its behalf have been effective and far-reach- ing. During his residence in Palamores he served for two terms as a trus- tee of the schools there, and he was also road overseer for five years. He has been a trustee of the Haywards schools for two terms, from 1890 until 1896, and was a member of the board of high school trustees for one year, during which time the Union high school of Haywards was erected. The cause of education finds in him a warm and loyal advocate, as he regards it as the basis upon which rests loyal American citizenship. Mr. Ramage has also done much to encourage the establishment of industries in Hay- wards, and, in fact, has given tangible support to many business enterprises which have contributed to the welfare and prosperity of this locality.
On the 24th of October, 1874, in Los Angeles, California, Mr. Ram- age was married to Miss Isabella Hunter, who was born in Canada, and is a daughter of J. J. Hunter, a lumber merchant and millman, who con- ducted a gristmill for several years. He also carried on a large mercantile enterprise and owned several thousand acres of timber. In public affairs he was prominent and served as magistrate in his adopted city for several years. The family was of Scotch descent. To Mr. and Mrs. Ramage have been born eight children, two of whom are now deceased. The living are William Arthur, who is in the employ of C. J. Eastman, a merchant of East Oakland; Walter Henry, who is yet in school, but has also become well known in business circles in Haywards, having been employed in different mercantile establishments here; Mary Hunter, who is a nurse in the Wom- en's Hospital in San Francisco and who for four years was in the Hay- wards postoffice: Nellie, who is a graduate of the State Normal School in San Francisco; Myrtle, at home: and Lorain, who is in school. Mr. Ram- age is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and has served as its chief officer. He is also a past master of the Woodmen of the World and holds membership relations with the Foresters of America. As a citi-
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zen he has manifested a public-spirited interest in municipal progress and improvement, and as an official he has rendered service to his fellow towns- men that has been indeed valuable and indicates his loyalty to the general good.
PROFESSOR EDWARD MULLER.
Fortunate is the man who has back of him an ancestry honorable and distinguished, and happy is he if his lines of life have been cast in harmony therewith. In person, in talents and in character Professor Müller is a worthy scion of his race. He is a representative of a family noted for strong intel- lectuality and for certain artistic powers, especially in the musical line. He was born in the city of Friedberg, in the grand duchy of Hesse, Germany, on the 3d of June, 1823. His father, Peter Müller, was a native of Harmau, Germany, and was a professor in the theological seminary at Friedberg. He represented an old German family of prominence, and was connected with educational and musical circles up to the time of his death, which occurred in Staaden, when he was in his eighty-seventh year. He was the author of a number of works written in Greek, was the composer of considerable music, including church music, also operas and quintettes for instruments. After his death a monument was erected to his memory by the citizens of Friedberg. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Jeanette Braubach, was also born in Harmau and belonged to an old and distinguished German fam- ily. Her grandfather was the postmaster of Frankfort-on-the-Main for many years. Professor Müller of this review had two brothers. Adolph is now a pensioner of the German government. For a long time he had charge of the forests and game for the government, and both he and his brother Carl have published many illustrated works in natural history. In recognition of their scientific labors they received decorations from the Em- peror of Austria and the King of Prussia, and were complimented by Bis- marck upon their literary productions, one of which was dedicated to the Iron Chancellor. Adolph Müller is a painter of more than local note, and although now eighty-four years of age is engaged in painting Acquarell. He began painting when seventeen years of age, and his works have been exhibited in Berlin, Darmstadt, London and Paris, where he commands excellent prices upon the work of his brush. Carl Müller, the brother, is now bishop of Als- feld. He possesses superior poetical talent and is the author of a volume en- titled " Religious and Worldly Poems." There was one sister in the fam- ily, Marie Müller, who died in 1903. She was also the author of a number of poems and of children's stories which were published. Her husband held an office equivalent to that of superior judge in this country.
Professor Edward Müller acquired his early education in the gymnasium at Friedberg, and afterward studied English and French under private in- struction as well as music. Subsequently he attended the University of Gies- sen, and afterward went upon a farm in order to learn practical agriculture. A year later he accepted the position as foreman of a farm, and served in that capacity at different places for several years, thus meeting some old friends from the university. He concluded to take charge of a number of
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emigrants on their journey to the state of Texas. A company was organized in Germany called the Aristocratic Company, with the King of Prussia at its head, and its object was the betterment of the conditions of the poor rep- resentatives of aristocratic families. Professor Müller made a contract with the company to bring twelve hundred families of Germany to a grant of land in Texas, the company agreeing to give alternate sections of land to settlers. They left Hamburg in 1847, and on reaching their destination they had to make a treaty with the Comanche Indians in order to be left in peaceable possession of the lands lying between the Llano and Sansaba rivers. Professor Müller and his friends took the emigrants to the land and established four little cities. They remained there for a year and a half or until the Comanche Indians drove them all away. About this time the gold excitement of 1849 was attracting universal attention, and Profes- sor Müller, upon a mule and with one hundred dollars in his pocket, left Texas accompanied by Major, afterward General, Howard. They went to Paso del Norte and joined a company of sixteen men traveling to California through Chihuahua, Sonora, Arizona, to San Diego, making the trip on his. mule. There were many hardships and dangers to be borne during the jour- ney, and it was surprising to all that the party reached their destination in safety. They arrived at San Diego, however, without money, clothing or provisions and went to the United States quartermaster, to whom they ap- plied for work. He put the newcomers at work upon the building of a two- story barracks for the soldiers, but Mr. Müller had no experience or adapt- ability for carpentering, and in two weeks he lost his position. He did not have money enough to pay his fare to San Francisco, so he hauled the balast upon a boat. The captain, however, seeing how he was cut up by the rock, kindly took him to San Francisco without forcing him to work his way in this manner, and he arrived in the Golden Gate in April, 1850. He afterward worked at the north end of Montgomery street at blasting rock for five and a half days, during which time he earned money enough to take him to Marysville by steamer. He afterward went to different min- ing camps, and subsequently accepted a clerkship in a general mercantile store at Marysville, and later was employed as a salesman in a grocery store at Downieville. He likewise interested himself in mining in Sierra county, and, in fact, improved every opportunity that he believed would advance his business interests. At one time he was proprietor of a store at Downieville, but it was destroyed by fire in 1853. The following year he returned to Marysville and thence went to Nevada City. He was engaged then in min- ing and teaching music and foreign languages.
In 1860 Professor Müller went to Virginia City in Nevada, leaving his family in Nevada City, California. There he took part in the campaign against the Piutes and afterward returned to Nevada City. In 1862, how- ever, he went to Austin, Nevada, where he was engaged in mining silver ore until 1864. He then again came to Nevada City, where he has made his home continuously since, largely devoting his time and attention to the teaching of music, French and German. He has likewise carried on mining
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to some extent and has had marked influence over the intellectual develop- ment and musical culture of the city.
In 1857 Professor Müller was married in Nevada City, by Judge Cas- well, to Miss Ismeri C. Talcot, a native of France, who came to California by way of Cape Horn in 1851. They have two sons and two daughters : Dr. Carl Müller, a physician of Nevada City; Adolph J., who is a mining engineer in West Africa, now mining the mines for the Ashantee Gold Fields Corporation; Marie and Fernande, both at home.
Professor Müller belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was formerly identified with the Red Men and with the Legion of Honor. Long a resident of Nevada City, he has a wide and favorable ac- quaintance here, and has had marked influence in promoting advanced edu- cation and the musical culture among his fellow townsmen.
FRANK H. SHORT.
Frank H. Short, a successful lawyer of nearly twenty years' active prac- tice in Fresno, has followed a career since coming to this section of the state which is entirely worthy of the high esteem in which he is uniformly held. He has achieved his own success, having made his beginnings in this city when a young man and with only his own talents and energies for a capital on which to build. He has been engaged in much important litigation, has a large clientage among the corporate interests of this vicinity, and has also been concerned to a considerable extent in public affairs and in politics.
Mr. Short was born in Shelby county. Missouri, September 12, 1862, a son of Hamilton and Emily (Wharton) Short, the former a native of Dela- ware and the latter of Ohio, and both of old American families. His father was a farmer by occupation, and his early death resulted from injuries re- ceived during the Civil war, in which he had served as a non-commissioned officer.
The family moved out to Nebraska when Frank H. was nine years old, and his limited early education was received in the public schools of Nebraska. At the age of nineteen he came out to California with the rest of the fam- ily, and settled at Fresno, where during the first year he taught school and read law. In 1884 he began his public career by being elected to the office of justice of the peace, serving for two years. In 1885 he was admitted to the bar, and has been engaged in a successful practice during the subsequent pe- riod to the present. He early gained considerable reputation as a criminal lawyer, and is also the attorney for most of the canal companies in the central San Joaquin valley and the following corporate interests, amongst others : Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company ; Miller and Lux estate; San Joaquin Canal Company : Fresno National Bank; Fresno County Abstract Company ; Fresno Street Railway Company and Fresno Traction Company ; the Fresno Water Company and San Joaquin Power Company ; and in several important suits has been employed as attorney by the railroad commissioner on behalf of the state. He was a member of the state board of trustees for the San
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José Normal School from 1899 to 1903, and has been a member of the Yo- semite Commission since 1899.
He affiliates with the Masonic order, having reached the Knight Tem- plar degree, and with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. For a num- ber of years he has taken an active part in local and state Republican poli- tics, being sent as delegate to county and state conventions, and in 1896 served as a delegate to the national convention at St. Louis, and was also a delegate to the national convention at Chicago in 1904 and served on the committee on platform and resolutions, acting as a member of the sub- committee by which the platform was drafted. In the state convention of 1896 he introduced a resolution opposing the funding bill then before Con- gress, and succeeded in getting it carried against the adverse report of the committee on platform resolutions.
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