History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 82

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934

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Yuma, Ariz., was the destination, on a route pass- ing the Imperial Valley, then waste and arid in its entire extent; and for a short time they tarried at Gold Rock, the first all-American mine our author had ever seen, a joy to behold. Removing to Tucson, the family arrived from San Jose and joined them; and a new home was established; but James Fellom soon became dissatisfied, for he was not by nature a miner. He, therefore, returned North to San Fran- cisco in 1899, where he sought employment; and he soon identified himself with the Pinkerton Detec- tive Agency. He was sent north to the mines in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, at the time of the labor up- risings; and after having accomplished some re- markable detective work there, he barely escaped with his own life at the hands of the strikers.

The story of the life of our subject for the next fifteen years is more or less the record of the history of the San Francisco earthquake, and the story of life in the mining camps of Inyo, Tuolumne, Teha- ma. Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Kern and Los Angeles counties. In San Francisco, during 1902, 1903, 1904, and 1905 he made his livelihood by various occupa- tions, and late in April, 1906, while the bay metropo- lic lay smouldering in ashes, he set out to Goldfield and Tonopah, Nev., to win enough fortune to make up the amount which the family had suffered in re- verses. As early as 1903, Charles Rhorhand, who was art critic on the San Francisco Call, praised his first story, a yarn which appeared in the Call May 24. 1903, called "He, of Brent," and two years later he met with success in the publication of "Hoodoo's Mine." He had been a faithful reader of the "Nick Carter" stories by E. T. Sawyer, the historian of this history of Santa Clara County, and the hanker-

ing after writing was in his very soul. In company with his brothers, Roy and Landon, he removed to Goldfield, Nev., and from there James Fellom started on a rampage of adventure in the mines, which ended some ten years later. His finances dropped down to the lowest ebb, and he was forced . to pass many a mealtime without a dinner. Much time was spent in the mining camps of Goldfield, Tonopah, Bullfrog. Rhy-o-lite, Lida, Seven Troughs, Rawhide and Bogart, and for four months he was in charge of the Tonopah and Tidewater commissary at Ludlow, and seven times he crossed Death Val- ley, apparently for no other reason than to gather the material for the stories penned by him in the last three years. Walking, riding the trails and the railroads of the Southwest, Mr. Fellom has played the part of the genuine hobo for the time he was in it, and known from first-hand experience the life of the wanderer. Naturally he had many an ad- venture, often discouraging; but while laying up in Mojave, Cal., he took new courage and wrote the "Ways of Nan Humtottle," resting his back up against an adobe building as he sunned himself. This brought him the means to reach San Francisco, where he continued his literary work.

In 1913 he marketed "Gold and Water," which was published by the Frank Munsey Company, and was his first story to appear in the Eastern maga- zines; and after that eighteen novelettes were sold to the same publisher, and here begins the story of the successful author. However, the slump in the market of fiction in 1914-15, caused him to seek otlicr temporary employment, and he associated him- self with the San Jose Mercury-Herald and the San Francisco Call at Camp Fremont during the war. Early in 1919 he renewed his efforts at fiction writ- ing, and has scored such success that he has since marketed over forty stories. These have been con- tributed to Munsey's Saucy Stories, the Western Story Magazine, the Popular Magazine, the Picto- rial Review, Argosy All-Story, Peoples, McClures and Short Stories magazines, the People's Home Journal, and many others. The two complete novels, "The Wherewithal" and "The Complex Mrs. Belden" are just being published in octavo form. Mr. Fellom is the founder of the "Plotwrights," a literary club in San Jose.

At San Francisco, in 1899, Mr. Fellom was mar- ried to Miss Lelia Gruby, a native of Oregon, by whom he had one son, Noel Valentine, who was at- tending Santa Clara College when in 1918 he en- listed in the U. S. Marines, and since his honorable discharge he has located in San Francisco, where he is engaged in newspaper work. He has written numerous short stories and has recently completed his first novel, "The Night Riders," which gives every promise of success. Not long ago, James Fellom married a second time, taking for his wife Miss Ruby Esther Byler, the daughter of Tyra A. Byler, who was a native of Alabama and had mar- ried Miss Fannie Maria Collins, of Kentucky. Tyra Byler was a successful and well-known marine en- gineer, and with his devoted wife spent his last years in San Jose. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Fel- lom has been blessed with one child, James Byler Fellom. Mrs. Fellom was born in Sacramento and obtained her education in the schools of San Jose and Oakland. Displaying a natural talent for music, she studied with the Worcester School of Music

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of San Jose and with Benjamin Moore of San Fran- cisco. She is a cultured woman and intensely in- terested in her husband's literary work and enters heartily into it acting as his critic and reviewer. Mr. Fellom is the treasurer of the Markham Home Landmark Association of which Henry Meade Bland is president.

CHARLES F. W. HERRMANN-A finely- trained. experienced and thoroughly practical civil engineer and surveyor is Charles Herrmann of San Jose, for three terms the surveyor of Santa Clara County. He was born in Germany in April, 1846, the son of A. Herrmann, a German by birth, and his English-born wife, who was Eliza Purgold be- fore her marriage. Charles attended the Polytechnic Schools at Hanover and Carlsruhe, and in 1865 was gradnated as a civil engineer. Then he ac- cepted the post of mechanical engineer on the steam- er Saxonia, and made about twenty trips between New York and Germany. In 1867 he took up civil engineering and surveying in his native land.

In the spring of 1869, Mr. Herrmann came out to California by way of the isthmus of Panama, and having a brother, A. T. Herrmann at San Jose. he came here and spent a couple of years at which time they established the firm of Herrmann Bros., civil engineers and surveyors. Later he was in the employ of the Southern Pacific at Sacramento for a year as mechanical engineer and on returning to San Jose he devoted his time to the interests of Herrmann Bros. He and his brother made the first complete map of Santa Clara County, which gives each subdivision of land with the owners' names, school districts, roads and other very desirable data; it took two years, and the assessments for 1873-74 were based on this map, and from it all later maps of the county have been made. During his public service as surveyor of Santa Clara County-for three years-Mr. Herrmann and his brother laid out Lick Avenue, popularly known as the Mt. Hamilton Road, to Lick Observatory.

At Sacramento on April 14. 1872, Mr. Herrmann was married to Miss Helen Hoerst, a native of Ger- many, but who was reared in this country from the age of four years and with whom he has trav- eled life's journey in the eventful intervening years. A Republican given to standing by the party in mat- ters of national moment, Mr. Herrmann is still so deeply interested in Santa Clara County and all that may pertain to its promising future, that he never favors partisanship as a local issue. He owns a sum- mer home at Saratoga, but has always lived in San Jose. He remains active in the Germania Club, and belongs to Schiller Lodge No. 105, I. O. O. F. of Sac- ramento, and lives the exemplary life of a patriotic American.

LAWRENCE RUSSELL .- The pioneer cooperat- ive fruit packer of the Santa Clara Valley, Lawrence Russell, of the Saratoga district, has been associated with the fruit industry as an orchardist ever since his advent in this county, whither he removed in 1888. A native of the land of Burns, he was born at Cal- derbank, Scotland, on August 5, 1850, the son of Andrew and Isabella (Arthur) Russell, both born, reared and died in their native land. The father was a baker by trade, following that until his death. Lawrence was educated in the public schools of Cal- derhank and the Airdrie Academy of Airdrie, Scot-

land, and when he was through with his studies he be- came office boy for the Monkland Iron and Steel Com- pany at Calderbank and remained with this firm for sixteen years, advancing from one post to another until he became cashier, and during the time he read law and became a chartered accountant while in their employ.

Having left the employ of the steel company he secured a position with the Arizona Copper Company of Edinburgh, and in 1883, came to Clifton, Arizona, where in 1885 he was joined by his family. He held the post of cashier for the Arizona Copper Company, later was made its president and manager. He was also president and manager of the Arizona and New Mexico Railroad, owned by stockholders of the Cop- per Company, running between Clifton, Arizona and Lordsburg, New Mexico. During 1888 he came to California and to San Jose, but stopped for only a few months in the city, when he went to the Saratoga district, and on the Mountain View road, in 1889, he purchased eighty acres of orchard, which is now set to prunes and apricots. This was about the time that the transformation of the country from grain farming to fruit raising was in progress, with no markets for the fruit, or when marketed, with the prices so unstable as to discourage development of orchards. There was no coordination among any of the growers and each individual did the best he could to advance his own interests. Mr. Russell circulated among the growers of his district and finally or- ganized a cooperative association of three men for the packing and marketing of fruit, with his sons to aid him in his work. They secured the best method of commercial packing of good fruit and from their first year, when only two car loads were sent out. they steadily advanced until now an average of thirty cars are sent to the markets of America annually. During the years intervening from 1889 to the present time, Mr. Russel's forceful personality has been felt in the orchard and packing industry, and though practically retired from active duties he is still acting in an advisory capacity in the plant that he founded thirty years ago. They still retain among their cus- tomers people who bought their fruit at the beginning and the "Russell Brand" of first class packed dried fruit stands for quality in all the markets of the East. As a fruit grower, Mr. Russell utilizes every up-to-date method to be found on all first class ranches and his industry and perseverance have been the main factors in his success.

In Scotland, on December 19, 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary MacVicar, born in that country, and they have become the parents of eight children: Andrew, connected with Richmond-Chase Company in San Jose, and the father of two children, Dorothy and Norman A .; Hamilton, on the ranch with his father, formerly a garage owner at Saratoga; Jessie, the wife of A. L. Cilker of Los Gatos; Isa- bella, at home with her parents; Alexander, a civil engineer in the employ of the state and living in Berkeley, and has two children, Alexander and Mary Inez; Margaret, also at home; Mary, the wife of A. E. Stewart, of Berkeley; while Lawrence, widely known among a large circle of friends, died at the age of twenty-four.

Mr. Russell is a stalwart Republican and alive to the interests of his party in national issues, but in local matters he is above partisanship and supports the men and measures for the greatest good to the

Chaus. J. 10. Herrmann

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greatest number. He is a stanch advocate of edu- cation and has served as a member of his local school board for many years. He is a member of Liberty Lodge No. 299, F. & A. M. of Santa Clara. He is public spirited to a high degree, giving freely of his time and means to promote movements for the moral and social uplift of his adopted state and county. He has witnessed the steady growth and development of Santa Clara County and now in the evening of his days, with his good wife by his side, and surrounded by his children and grandchildren, enjoys life to its full, a well-deserved reward for his busy years.

JOHN R. LOCURTO .- In the path of an orderly progression, each step being made at the cost of earnest labor and close application, John R. Loeurto has reached an enviable place in the business circles of San Jose, being now closely associated with its commercial interests as proprietor of the Consoli- dated Garage, one of the leading enterprises of this character in the city. He also has other business interests here and in the management of his affairs has displayed sound judgment, energy and enter- prise. He was born in New York City, November 22. 1888, a son of G. B. and Lucile Locurto, the former a native of Palermo, Italy. When a young man the father emigrated to the United States, es- tablishing his home in New York City, where he resided until 1901, when he responded to the call of the West and came with his family to California. He established his home in San Jose and soon after- ward identified himself with its business interests, opening a grocery store on West San Carlos Avenue. He has now reached the age of seventy years but is still aetively at work. Mr. and Mrs. Locurto be- came the parents of three sons and three daughters.

John R. Loeurto acquired his education in the publie schools of New York City, which he attended to the age of thirteen years, and a year later started out in life on his own account, going to San Fran- cisco, where for two years he was employed in the Union Iron Works. He then returned to San Jose and for the next three years worked for the Cali- fornia Fruit Canners' Association, afterward opening a butcher shop on West San Carlos Street. This he continued to successfully conduct until the spring of 1920, when he withdrew from its active manage- ment, although he still retains the ownership of the shop. He then bought out the Consolidated Garage and took over the Santa Clara County territory for the Kissel, Maxwell and Liberty cars. He carries at least one of each of these machines in stock all o' the time and his aggressive business methods have resulted in a large volume of sales. He is now con- ducting his interests in a fine modern garage, 50x250 feet, at 355 South First Street, which was especially erected for this purpose. He carries a full line of automobile accessories and parts to the amount of $11,000 and also maintains a well-equipped repair shop capable of meeting all of the demands of the trade. Under his able management the business has enjoyed a remarkably rapid growth and he now gives constant employment to from eighteen to twenty men. He was formerly the owner of a twenty-aere ranch on the Fox-Wertly Road, but sold the property on May 22, 1920, and invested the proceeds in his automobile business.

In October, 1914, at San Jose, Mr. Locurto was united in marriage to Miss Lina Petrina Garnise, a native of Texas and a .daughter of Antone and Mar- garet Garnise. Her parents removed to San Jose during her girlhood and her education was acquired in the schools of Texas and this locality. Three sons have been born of this union: John, Jr., Antone and Joseph. Mr. Locurto is a valued member of the Italian-American Club of San Jose, and his political allegiance is given to the Republican party. His career has been marked by steady advancement, due to his close application, industry and unquestioned reliability, and he deserves classification with the successful and public-spirited citizens of San Jose.

KARL R. FREDERICKS .- An aggressive, pro- gressive young man who is fast rising in the busi- ness world and enjoying the fruits of intelligent in- dustry and a well-merited popularity, is Karl R. Fredericks, among the proudest of American citizens from the fact that he has just received his citizenship papers. He was born in the ancient city of Augs- burg, in the province of Sehwahen-Neuburg, in Bavaria, on July 27, 1890, the son of Ferdinand Fred- erieks, an artist and an interior decorator, who was much in demand for churches, public auditoriums and large buildings; he died when only forty years old. He had married Miss Margaret Kurgess, and she is still living in Vienna.

Karl went to the primary schools and the gym- nasium at Augsburg, and when fourteen years old started to make his way in the world. In 1906 he went to South America and worked in a broker's office, putting in a year at Santos and a year at Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in 1908 he came to California. He stopped only a short while in San Francisco, and soon came inland to San Jose; and for three years he worked for the Flickinger Fruit Canning Com- pany. He then took a post in the Star Grocery, and in the six years he was with that line of mercantile trade, he mastered the business. He next joined Messrs. Richmond & Chase, with whom he remained for two years; and after that he worked for a year at Cook's Oil Station at the corner of Sixth and Santa Clara streets. By this time Mr. Fredericks had saved enough to go into business for himself, and he bought out Mrs. Lingua's store on Terraine Street, and conducted a grocery store and soda foun- tain, and sold school supplies. His anticipation of the wants of his customers as well as his untiring efforts to please, have brought him many patrons.

At San Jose on October 18, 1915, Mr. Fredericks was married to Miss Angela Lavagnino, a native of San Jose and the daughter of Joseph and Margaret (Rieger) Lavagnino, who came to California in 1876 when she was twenty-two years old. Joseph Lavag- nino, who is still living here at the age of sixty-five, hailed from Genoa, Italy, although his wife came from Bavaria. Angela attended the grammar and high school of Notre Dame, and she also studied music and graduated in that subject in 1914. She has two children: Karl J. and Margaret A., a joy in particular to Grandfather Lavagnino, who is now one of the old-time residents of San Jose and who by industry and elose application to business ac- quired a competence so that he now lives retired, enjoying the fruits of his iabor.

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ALEXANDER J. HART .- Prominent among the merchants of San Jose who have contributed largely toward the rapid and magnificent development of the city as a great commercial center, is, undoubtedly, Alexander J. Hart, the president of the L. Hart & Sons Company, one of the oldest business houses in this section of the state. He was born at Santa Clara on July 23, 1869, the son of Leopold Hart, the famous pioneer who had the first brick store building in San Jose, having come here in 1856 and ten years later founded the house which bids fair to perpetuate his name. He married Miss Hortense Cahen and for nineteen years was a storekeeper at Santa Clara; and when he came to San Jose he bought the old Corner Cash Store. He died on April 12, 1904, widely known and greatly respected.

Alexander Hart attended the grammar and the high schools of San Jose, and when a mere youngster joined his father in the conduct of the business. For some time he had practically managed the store; and on his father's death, he assumed charge. Concerning this succession, of such importance to the San Jose public, the representative newspaper, the "Mercury," well said:

"Absolute integrity and business authority of the highest type are represented in A. J. Hart, and the record of the growth of L. Hart & Son Company indicates that as a business leader he is rapidly realiz- ing the ambition of his father for the firm's expansion. The space now covered was formerly occupied by twenty different concerns. L. Hart & Son Company now occupy two-thirds of the entire block bounded by Santa Clara, Market, Lighston and Post streets, and there are thirty-five complete departments in the store. The apt slogan of L. Hart & Son Company is: 'California's Fastest Growing Store,' It has grown from a shop occupying 2,500 square feet to an estab- lishment occupying approximately 50,000 square feet: and from a store employing only four clerks to one having over one hundred fifty employees." The "Mer- cury Herald" of November 22, 1912, carried thirty-two pages of advertising space for this firm, and this journal said editorially: "Perhaps never before in any city of the United States has a single advertiser occupied with the contents of his own establishment thirty-two pages of space." In 1922 A. J. Hart com- pleted the purchase of the balance of the site now occupied by the establishment.

Mr. Hart was married at New York, on March 5, 1910, to Miss Nettie Brooks, an accomplished lady of Washington, D. C .; and their fortunate union has been blessed with the birth of four children: Leopold Brooks, Mariam Hortense, Allese Josephine, and Alexander J., Jr. Mr. Hart is a member of the Elks, the Native Sons of the Golden West, and the Sainte Claire, the Country and the Commercial clubs. He was one of the originators of the plan to organize the Commercial Club and he is a director and its vice- president. He called the first meeting of the Mer- chants Association, he originated the "Booster Trips," and he has long been an active member of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce. A man above partisan- ship, he served for several years as police and fire commissioner, and he took a very active part in the Rose Carnival of 1910, and was chairman of the finance committee.

BENJAMIN FLINT-WILLIAM R. FLINT .- The personality and career of Benjamin Flint present a fascinating study to the analyst of character. He was a man of extraordinary mental versatility, un- usual resourcefulness and organizing skill and while he won for himself place, power and position, he also became a dynamic force in the development of Cali- fornia, with whose history his name is inseparably associated as one of its upbuilders and honored pio- neers. His birth occurred at New Vineyard, Mainc. February 21, 1827, and he was the third in a family of ten children. A representative of an old and prominent New England family, he was accorded liberal educational advantages for those days, at- tending the grammar and high schools of Anson, Maine, and afterward completing a course in civil engineering at the academy of North Yarmouth, Maine. He secured a position in the office of the Maine Central Railroad at the time that line was built in the state and he also taught school for a while in Maine.

Attracted by the opportunities of the West, Mr. Flint secured passage on a vessel which left New York City on the 15th of March, 1849, and arrived at San Francisco, Cal., on the 29th of August of that year, going by way of the Isthmus of Panama. In search of the precious metal, he went to the mines of Amador County, Cal., where he remained for a year, meeting with average success. He then embarked in the cattle business at Volcano in order to meet the demands for fresh meat in the mining camps and from its inception the venture proved a success. In order to restock his ranch he returned to the East, purchased a fine band of sheep, which he drove across the plains to Southern California, arriving there on the first of April, 1853. As his business grew he admitted as partners Thomas Flint, a brother, and Llewellyn Bixby, a consin, the enter- prise becoming known as the Flint-Bixby Company. They acquired over 100,000 acres of fine pasture land in Los Angeles County on which they raised large numbers of cattle and sheep, conducting an extensive and lucrative business in wool, hides and fresh meat. Subsequently Benjamin Flint became associated with Jotham Bixby and they purchased 40,000 acres of good grazing land near Los Angeles, and at a later period the Flint-Bixby Company be- came the largest exporters of wool in the state. At one time he was interested with James Irvine, Sr., in the San Joaquin Ranch, now in Orange County. Mr. Flint also became president of the Guadaloupe 1s- land Company, located off Mexico and engaged ex- tensively in breeding high-grade Angora goats, hav- ing an average herd of 7,000 head a season. In the control of his business interests he displayed marked ability and energy, and became a dominant figure in business circles of the state. He was elected president of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, but owing to the heavy demands upon his time was obliged to decline the offer, although he subse- quently accepted the office of vice-president of the road, being instrumental in securing from the city of San Francisco the franchise which enabled the company to complete its line. Before the advent of the railroad the Flint-Bixby Company operated a line of stage coaches from San Francisco to Los Angeles and they also became important factors in the development of the sugar beet industry, in ad- dition to various cinnabar and quartz mines. During

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 82

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1934

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934