History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 88

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

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

high and lofty ideals of the spirit which should actuate the journalist in his every effort in his chosen profession. We predict that the new chair will be- come a most popular one, and that the name of Charles D. South will prove to be one of the bright- est ornaments of the college which bears among its alumni many of the most forceful and brilliant men who have ever served in the literary or public life of the Pacific Coast."

While in San Francisco Mr. South did much dramatic work as a side issue. He finished "Con- stantine," a Roman drama, while at the University of Santa Clara, and this play was produced at the university with brilliant success in 1909 by a cast of two hundred actors-students and professionals. In recognition of the composition of the play of "Con- stantine," and its production under the auspices of the institution, the faculty of the University of Santa Clara presented Mr. South with a magnificent gold medal, set with diamonds and appropriately inscribed in commemoration of the initial production at the university auditorium-a literary event in the history of the famous school. Mr. South is the author of "Captain Blunt," a comedy, "Santiago," a drama of the Cuban War, and of a drama, "Longwood," deal- ing with the career of Napoleon the Great. He has also written a number of clever short stories for newspapers and magazines and he now has in press a volume of poems. In the "Morning Times" of October 26, 1913, appeared a page of editorial com- ment signed by Mr. South, containing facts of pecul- iar historical interest; for there he reviewed, as per- haps no one before him had done, the history of the San Jose press, with its financial ups and downs, its motley assortments of politics, its able, upright or adventurous journalists, and the long line of head- stones in the newspaper graveyard founded with the California commonwealth. This review of the pioneer journals and scribes, made while it is yet possible to reach back and grasp the fast evanescing data, is of such historical value that general appreciation has been accorded to Mr. South's comprehensive essay.

At San Francisco, Mr. South was married to Miss Jessie R. Barrington, a young lady of artistic talents and charming personality, who was born and reared in that city, a member of a prominent pioneer family. Three children have blessed their union. William B. South, Charles D. South, Jr., who was commissioned a first lieutenant in the late war, and Warren J. South, all engaged in business pursuits. A Democrat of the progressive type Mr. South has always taken a live interest in politics, and he is a leading spirit in all local, as well as general progressive movements. He is a member of San Jose Lodge No. 879, K. C., having served as grand knight for several terms.

W. K. ROBERTS .- A highly-esteemed, and there- fore, very influential, progressive and public-spirited gentleman, who is inspired with broad humanitarian sentiments and, although not wealthy, is able to ac- complish much for others as well as for himself. is W. K. Roberts, newspaper man, editor and justice of the peace at Sunnyvale. He was born at Mexico, Mo., on January 22, 1856, and when eighteen mi- grated westward to the Rocky Mountain States, try- ing his fortune first in Colorado, then in New Mex- ico and Colorado, and afterward in Texas. From there he came to San Francisco, where he spent five years in the drug trade; and next he crossed the Pa-

cific to Hawaii. He was there while King Kalakaua was on the throne, and he met him, attended several of his feasts, and later met Queen "Lil," as she was popularly called. William T. Roberts, the father of our subject, was a native of Kentucky, who married Miss Fannie Sims, a native of Virginia, thus blend- ing English, Irish and Welsh blood.

Growing up under poor schooling conditions, Mr. Roberts led a kind of cowboy life for some time, after leaving home, owing to disagreement with his father, who was a Mexican War veteran. He first came to California in 1881, and in the Bay City ob- tained work as a clerk in W. Mayhew's drug store, 144 Fourth Street, and attended evening schools to pursue general studies. He studied surgery under Dr. L. C. Lane, and took a commercial course at Heald's Business College. In 1886, he went to Ha- waii, and the following year pushed on to China, en- tering the Imperial Maritime Customs Service, and for fifteen years was in the employ of the Chinese Government. He had the honor of serving under Sir Robert Hart, who was then Inspector General of Customs for the Chinese Government; and while not becoming a Chinese subject, he attained to man- darin civil rank of the fourth class. He was thus employed for fifteen years at Canton, Swatow, Shang- hai, Nanking, Kiu Kiang, Han Kow, Shasi, and Chungking, the latter city being fifteen hundred miles up the Yang-tse-Kiang River. He learned to speak and write the North China language. During the Boxer War he was in charge of the Port of Shasi and held it for the Manchu Government during the period of hostilities.

Having obtained two years' leave of absence, Mr. Roberts returned to California; and at Sonoma City, in 1903, he was married to Miss Ethel Hunter, a Sonoma County girl. He also bought a ranch near Sonoma, and in 1905 returned to China; and soon after he resigned his position at Shanghai and came back to Sonoma County. Mrs. Roberts had remained in California, where her first child was born.

From Sonoma County Mr. Roberts moved down to Sunnyvale and bought the Sunnyvale Standard, which had been founded by J. H. McCarthy, who had sold it to G. B. Tuley, who in turn disposed of it to our subject; and this newspaper he ran as a six- column, four-page weekly, from 1907 to 1921-ex- cept for three years, when it was managed by R. S. Crow1. On August 21, 1921, Mr. Roberts relin- quished control as both publisher and editor, handing over the reins to the new proprietor, A. T. Fetter. During this period of journalistic activity, Mr. Rob- erts served as Sunnyvale's first justice of the peace, first taking office through appointment by the county supervisors. In 1914, he was regularly elected jns- tice by his fellow-citizens; and four years later he was reelected. He is also the town recorder, and is the first and only occupant of that office, having commenced when Sunnyvale was incorporated in 1914. Mr. Roberts not only invested in the "Stan- dard" and its office building, but he bought residence and other property, including a number of vacant lots, and had worked hard, through his newspaper, in favor of incorporation. He has been equally as- siduous in forwarding the commercial and general development of the town, and for years he has been, as he still is, the efficient secretary of the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce.

Horatio W.Gr.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

During Mr. Roberts' first leave of absence from his post in China, in 1895, he joined the International Colonization Society, whose offices were at Birming- ham, Ala., and made a voyage to Liberia, on the West Coast of Africa, as assistant medical officer on the ship "Laurada," which carried over 360 Afro- Americans to that colony; and he wrote, as the re- sult, "An African Canaan for the American Negro." Since then he has written several other works. As a confirmed apostle of the theory and practice of right living, he wrote "Health From Natural Foods," and he is also author of a treatise on "The Mongolian Problem," and a book entitled "Divinity and Man." In matters of religion he prefers the Unitarian form of faith; and in national political affairs, he works as an Independent Republican. His pen has also done good service in helping to organize the South Shore Port Company, for the development of a south bay port near Sunnyvale, which is to be available for deep-water ships.

Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have two children. Wilma M. is a junior in the Santa Clara high school; and Alexander H. is a pupil in the eighth grade of the grammar school. Mr. Roberts has been an active member of the Pomona Grange, and is now serving his third year as its chaplain.

HORATIO W. ORR .- A prominent resident of Palo Alto whose wide experience, thorough knowl- edge of realty conditions, and valuable connections make him invaluable as a representative, influential dealer in real estate, is Horatio W. Orr, a native son of Santa Clara County, having been born at May- field on January 21, 1867. His father, Horatio Orr, was born in Vermont; and having come out to Cal- ifornia by way of Panama in 1859, he first located at San Francisco, where he married Miss Mary G. Pickett, a native of Ireland of Scotch descent. From the Bay City he came to Mayfield, and in 1862 he rented land from Mr. Seale, the acreage being the site of South Palo Alto. He bought the first town lot sold in Mayfield, and in going in and out between San Francisco and the new town, he traveled over an old Spanish horse-trail. For many years he en- gaged in farming and dairying, and he spent the last years of his life at Mayfield, dying in January, 1920, at the age of eighty-three. He was always an active member of the Methodist Church, and having long marched with the Republican party, he eventually joined the ranks of the Prohibitionists. Four chil- dren had been granted this worthy couple. Horatio W. Orr is the subject of our review; Electa is the wife of Joseph Birkett and lives in Grass Valley; James Orr lives at Mayfield, and Newton in Colorado.

Horatio W. Orr attended the public schools of May- field, and studied for a year at Stanford. Then, until 1897, he engaged in contracting and building. still re- siding at Mayfield, but carrying on his extensive op- erations in Palo Alto and other towns as well. Then he removed to Palo Alto and opened an electrical establishment; and for ten years he continued there in that field of activity. In 1907. he embarked with T. J. Floyd in the wall paper and paint trade; but in December, 1917, he sold his interest to Mr. Floyd, and he is now engaged exclusively in buying and selling real estate. With his long residence and continued activity in one line or another having to do with the development of this section, Mr. Orr is particularly

qualified to advise the person seeking either town or country property.

Mr. Orr was married at Boulder Creek in Santa Cruz County, on August 10, 1904, to Miss Julia E. Tompkins, a native of Santa Cruz County and a step- daughter of Joseph W. Peery, who died at Boulder Creek, March 14, 1910, being one of Santa Cruz Coun- ty's most honored pioneers and business men. He had been very active in building up the tannery, the saw mill and the shingle mill at Boulder Creek. He was born in Caleb County, W. Va., (then Virginia) Oc- tober 2, 1830. His father, Hiram Peery, was in the War of 1812, and at its close engaged in farming in West Virginia, later moving to Kentucky, when he became a planter. In 1850 Joseph W. Peery crossed the plains and tried his luck at mining, but in 1853 returned to Missouri. In 1859 he went to Nebraska and in 1862 returned to California and spent three years at Stockton, then removed to Santa Cruz County. In 1869 he settled at Boulder Creek and bought out the sawmill and became a large land owner. Mr. Peery's first wife died crossing the plains in 1862. His second marriage in Santa Cruz County, united him with Mrs. Alvira Mercy Tompkins, who had seven children by her first husband, Daniel D. Tomp- kins: Willis E., Josephine, Jennie, Walter, Julia, Alice and Elmer. She died at her home at Boulder Creek in her sixty-sixth year.

Mr. and Mrs. Orr have one daughter, Dorothy Jane. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Orr is a Royal Arch Mason and a Native Son of the Golden West.

W. W. HARTLEY .- An excellent example of the results of an active, well-directed life will be found in W. W. Hartley, who at the age of seventy-three is still active and heads the Hartley Hardware Com- pany at Mountain View. Throughout his useful life he has been active in promoting measures for the general good of the community, and his natural gift of leadership places him among the leading business men of his locality. Born in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, he first saw the light of day near Fredericton, situated on the beautiful St. Johns River, August 18, 1849. His father was Edward W. Hartley and was a farmer of New Brunswick. The ancestors on both sides were either from England or were of English descent. Mr. Hartley's early boyhood was passed in his native province up to twenty-one years of age, and he received a sufficient education to be duly licensed as a teacher, and he tanght school for several terms. Upon his removal to the United States, he was first employed by the Borden's Milk Condensing Company at Elgin, Ill., but this line of work was not to his liking; his next move was to Brainerd, Minn., arriving during the year of 1870, just at the time the Northern Pacific Railway was in course of construction. His ability and leadership was instantly recognized and he was elected county auditor; and in addition to this was appointed clerk of the court; and at the same time was probate judge, register of deeds, coroner, de- puty treasurer of the county, deputy sheriff, and justice of the peace; later he served one term as police judge. It was largely through the efforts of Mr. Hartley that Senator W. D. Washburn received his first nomination for Congress. Mr. Hartley went to the convention at Minneapolis as the delegate from five counties, Crow Wing, Cass, Wadena, Itasca and

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Aitken, and casting his vote for Washburn gave him the majority over his opponent. Senator Washburn never forgot the efforts of Mr. Hartley in his behalf, and through his influence Mr. Hartley was appointed postmaster at Brainerd by President Hays and served through his administration and that of Presidents Garfield, Arthur, and a part of Cleveland's adminis- tration up to 1889. He was also interested in the hotel business and a book and stationery store, and was for some time the proprietor of the Villard Hotel at Brainerd. Minn. In 1889 he removed to Tacoma, Wash., and was in business there for eight years, and in 1897 came to California and engaged in mining in El Dorado County, Cal., and also in the state of Oregon, where he continued for two years. During 1910 he removed to Mountain View and pur- chased the hardware store, which has engaged his attention ever since. His son, Charles F., is asso- ciated with him in the business, and by strict atten- tion to business they have built up a fine patronage and the quality of their goods is beyond question.

The marriage of Mr. Hartley, July 22, 1874, oc- curred in Michigan and united him with Miss Mary E. Moorman, the daughter of Francis Moorman of Belding, Mich., and they became the parents of five children: Clara E. is now Mrs. T. D. McLean, a hardware factory representative of Seattle, Wash .; Alfred W. is chief engineer in charge of the Ham- mond Lumber Company at San Pedro, Cal .; Hattie M. is the wife of M. J. Bacon, of the comptometer company at Seattle, Wash., where they reside; James E. is a marine engineer with the Hammond Lumber Company; Charles F. is the partner of his father in the hardware store at Mountain View. There are nine grandchildren. In 1915 a family residence was built at 333 Franklin Street, Mountain View. Mr. Hartley is a stalwart old line Republican and his activities in politics have borne good fruits. Mr. Hartley and his entire family have the respect and esteem of the community. Mrs. Hartley departed this life on March 27. 1922, and rests in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, San Francisco, beside her father.

VARGAS BROS .- Wide-awake as self-made. en- terprising and successful dairymen having one quar- ter of a thousand well-selected cows, Vargas Bros. are equally serviceable to their community, and pro- portionately prosperous, as proprietors of the finely- stocked store at 899 Franklin Street, the principal general merchandise establishment in Santa Clara. The firm is composed of M. J. and F. J. Vargas, both Santa Clara County boys, for they saw the light of day near the San Francisquito Creek, in the vicinity of Palo Alto. M. J. Vargas was born on December 15, 1879; and F. J. Vargas joined the family circle on October 26, 1881. Their father was the late Joseph P. Vargas, a successful rancher farm- ing near Palo Alto, and he had married Miss Anna Gloria Duarte. Both parents are now deceased; but three of their daughters are living in Santa Clara County. Miss Anna J. Vargas was an overseas Red Cross nurse, attached to Unit 30, who was privileged to return safely to California, after splendid service in France. Rose is the wife of Frank Scimas, the rancher, at Sunnyvale. Flora is Mrs. Joe W. Angelo. and she resides at Sunnyvale, where they have a ranch. her husband clerking for Vargas Bros.

These ambitious boys were reared on the Santa Clara County farm. while they attended the Palo

Alto grammar school, and later Heald's Business Col- lege at San Jose; and then they were employed by their uncle, Manuel Vargas, whom they bought ont in 1904. M. J. Vargas married Miss Leonore Mar- shall, of Ross, Cal., and they have three children. F. J. Vargas married Miss Anita Dorsey. Both are members of the Saint Claire Roman Catholic Church of Santa Clara, and they also belong to the Native Sons of the Golden West and the U. P. E. C. They have erected at generous expense ornate and com- fortable residences for themselves, and also four handsome cottages, which they rent.

As merchants, Vargas Bros. deal in the best of everthing within their line, which they endeavor to offer at the lowest possible price, so that their large and varied stock keeps moving. As dairymen they are the principal owners in the enterprise of Vargas Bros. & Mendonza, who milk 250 head of high-grade Holstein cows, and have 450 acres rented and de- voted to this dairy. They are members of the Cali- fornia Milk Producers' Association, and they are among the most welcome members of the Chamber of Commerce of Santa Clara. M. J. Vargas is a stockholder and director in the Santa Clara Branch of the Bank of Italy.

A. RAY ANDERSON .- A native son of Santa Clara County who has been associated with its prog- ress during all his years, A. Ray Anderson is well known for his constructive work on the highways of the county, adding greatly to the comfort and con- venience of its inhabitants. The son of Phillip and Rebecca (Cahill) Anderson, he was born at Ber- ryessa, July 8, 1884. Phillip Anderson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and when a young man crossed the ocean to Nova Scotia, settling for a time at Amherst. Leaving the Maritime Provinces, he came to San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama, remaining there for six months. Coming from there to Santa Clara County, he opened up a blacksmith shop at Berryessa, being a pioneer smithy of this locality, and his shop was known far and wide for the excellence of his work. Mrs. Anderson was a native of Nova Scotia. of English descent, and she also came to California by the Isthmus. She passed away in 1888, Mr. Anderson surviving her until 1919. This worthy couple were the parents of seven chil- dren: Margaret Alice of Berryessa; William W., a rancher at Berryessa; Mabel V. of San Fran- cisco; Leslie C., who died in March, 1917: Roscoe A. of Los Angeles; A. Ray and Emily Oressa.

A. Ray Anderson attended the Berryessa school and finished his schooling at the San Jose high school. When he was twenty years old he took up the machinist's trade, learning it thoroughly in every detail until he became a competent engineer. For the past ten years he has been associated with the Santa Clara Road Commission as an engineer hand- ling the steam roller and grader, and the tractors used in the road leveling work. An expert in this line he has covered a great share of the mileage of the county, both in construction and maintenance work. A Republican in politics, Mr. Anderson is a member of the Eagles and of San Jose Parlor, N. S. G. W. Many years ago his father purchased a ranch of 252 acres in the hills east of Berryessa, on the Berryessa Road, and Mr. Anderson is now an owner of part of this ranch, which he inherited.

LLinehan

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

PETER L. LINEHAN-Broad experience, close application, enterprise and natural mechanical ability have brought Peter L. Linehan to a foremost position in the business circles of San Jose and Santa Clara County. He is one of the pioneer plumbers of San Jose and so comprehensive a knowledge has he of that trade that he wrote the original plumbing ordin- ance that was adopted by the board of health and that is now a municipal law. A native of New York, Mr. Linehan was born in Rensselaer County, Jan- mary 28, 1865, a son of James and Mary (McGann) Linehan, both natives of County Clare, Ireland. They came to the United States and located in New York, and from there came to California in 1869. They took passage on the S. S. Alaska for Panama and from the Isthmus boarded the Golden City for San Francisco, arriving there the last day of December. The Golden City was lost on its return trip to Pan- ama. Three days after arriving in this state, Mr. Linehan came to San Jose, and with the exception of about two years spent on a ranch at Half Moon Bay, they spent their remaining years here. Mr. Linehan died in his eighty-fourth year and Mrs. Linchan at the age of seventy-six. They reared a family of nine children: T. J., who died at the age of forty; Della, now the widow of A. H. Volkers, and living in San Jose: James H., who was a plumber by trade, married and died, leaving two children; Peter L., of this re- view; Mrs. Alice Carmichael, deceased; Mrs. Mar- garet MeDonald died, leaving one son, Emmett, now an attorney in Washington, D. C .; Jennie, the wife of George Scott, died in December, 1921, in San Fran- cisco; and Katie and Anna, both died single.

Peter Linehan received a common school educa- tion and at the age of fifteen went to work on the Murphy cattle ranch and continued for two years. He next served an apprenticeship at the plumbing trade under James A. Hagan and when he had mastered the details of the business he continued with that firm after Mr. Hagan turned the business over to his son, Charles A. Hagan. The last four years that Charles A. was in business, during his ill- ness, and until his death, Mr. Linehan was manager of the establishment, serving in all for eighteen years and ten months under the Hagans. It was just be- fore Charles A. Hagan died that Mr. Linehan pur- chased the business and for six years was sole owner. Then he sold a half-interest to Joseph W. Delaney and they carried on the business under the firm name of Linehan & Delaney for eighteen months, when Mr. Linehan sold out to his partner. The following three years were devoted to perfecting an acetylene gas generator and burner, known as the Star Gener- ator, on which he secured patents. He then turned his attention to making gas from crude oil and cold compressed air for heating furnaces. After this ven- ture he again turned his attention to his old trade and has continued active up to the present, doing a gen- eral plumbing business. keeping busy mostly with emergency calls. Mr. Linehan was one of the organ- izers and the first president of the San Jose Plumbers' Union and at the time of the Federated Trades pro- cession held here in September, 1889. he acted as Grand Marshal.

The marriage of Peter L. Linehan in San Jose, January 31, 1887, united him with Miss Lydia Esther Smith, daughter of the late Thomas and Esther ( Patterson) Smith, and a native of Boston, Mass. Mr. Smith went to Virginia City, Nev., at an carly

day and followed mining until he came to San Jose. and it was here that he became a well-known figure about the county buildings, serving as superintend- ent for twenty years, Mr. Linehan now has in his possession the first elock that was put in the crimi- nal courtroom, presided over by the late Judge Bel- den and others, and which was given to Mr. Smith when the new clocks were installed. This clock is still keeping excellent time. Mr. and Mrs. Smith both died in San Jose. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Linehan one daughter, Lydia Esther, was born. She is now the wife of Otto Rapp, a rancher living at Morgan Hill. Mrs. Linchan passed away in San Jose on September 24, 1891.

It must not be presumed that Mr. Linehan has de- voted his entire time to his own affairs; for two terms he served as president of the Y. M. I. of San Jose and has given liberally of his time to assist in the promotion of various movements for the betterment of society in general. He possesses a fine tenor voice and for twelve years was first tenor in St. Pat- rick's Catholic Church, where for eight years his gifted wife was first soprano. While he was leading the singing there he and Miss Sullivan, later Mrs. O'Connell, arranged the music for the centennial celebration of Mission San Jose. He was an active member of the Wilkins Glee Club of this city during the two years of its existence; also a member of the Acme Literary and Musical Society and took part in many amateur theatricals. He is a personal friend of Eugene T. Sawyer, editor of the History of Santa Clara County, and acted with him in several pro- duetions in the early days. In fact where there was musical or literary entertainment Mr. Linehan could always be counted upon to do his share in carrying through the interesting programs that were ar- ranged for the entertainment of the many who de- lighted in that line of social uplift. He is an inter- esting talker and is widely and favorably known throughout the county where he has lived for a period of more than fifty years.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 88

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