History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 96

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

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In March, 1853, Dr. Headen was chosen one of the trustees of the young and struggling Univer- sity of the Pacific, and with his soul full of ideals. the institution, for which he felt that there was great need, soon became the idol of his heart. For twenty years he served as trustee and in that re- sponsible capacity, he devoted much valuable time and hard labor to assist it to get well established. develop and grow. He was for years secretary of the board, and when the main college building was being erected, he was the treasurer. From his ad- vent here, Dr. Headen was a faithful and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in that body also he served as trustee and steward. When, therefore, he laid aside the cares of this life which he had done so much to make easier for others and to ennoble, on August 28. 1875, his remains were buried according to the ceremonial of the Masonic Order, of which he was a member, and followed to the grave by a large procession of devoted. admir- ing and mourning friends.

For some years following the Doctor's demise, Mrs. Headen, who was in maidenhood Henrietta Harvey, a native of Cornwall, England, occupied the splendid homestead, one of the most beautiful in the Val- ley, and with rare business acumen and understand- ing for a woman, successfully managed the vineyard

and orchard, which under her clever supervision yielded a fine income, to say nothing of the first prizes taken for products. Now that she, too, has passed to the great Beyond, Mr. and Mrs. Albert- son endeavor to take their place and have built an up-to-date country house which serves to maintain the status of the place in its palmy days. Dr. . Headen's pioneer work in the upbuilding of the coun- ty, both in agriculture and horticulture as well as his stand for righteousness and high morals, will never be forgotten and his memory will always be revered by thousands who appreciate his devotion and self- sacrifice in having opened up new paths where others feared or failed to tread.

RICHARD MCCARTHY .- The present comp- troller of the California Prune and Apricot Growers. Inc., who resides with his family on the Oakland Road in the suburbs of San Jose, is Richard Mc- Carthy. A native of New York State, he was born August 16, 1872, in New York City, the son of Cornelius and Mary Elizabeth ( Malone) McCarthy. The father was born and reared in County Kerry. Ireland, while the mother was a native of County Mayo, Ireland. Cornelius McCarthy came to Amer- ica and California in 1874 and settled in San Jose. when there were only two hotels in the place. He was engaged as warehouse foreman for the Southern Pacific and for many years had charge of the ware- house in San Jose.

Richard attended school in San Jose, later taking a course at the San Jose Business College. After finishing his business course, he was employed by the Standard Oil Company and in time became the special agent for the San Jose division. At the time he had charge of the work, it was a one-man job and Mr. McCarthy has witnessed its wonderful growth in San Jose. For ten years he was with this company and left to take a position as assistant cashier of the Safe Deposit Bank and worked in this capacity for eleven and a half years. On account of failing health, he gave up banking business and went to ranching. He purchased a five-acre place on the Milpitas Road and built a splendid house. In 1912, besides running his own ranch, he had charge of the 130-acre ranch belonging to his wife on the Alviso Road. After five years of outdoor life he felt sufficiently recuperated to accept the position of chief accountant with the Prune and Apricot Growers, Inc., in 1917, and was later advanced to his present position as comptroller.

The marriage of Mr. McCarthy occurred in San Jose on June 16. 1896, and united him with Miss Mary Elizabeth Bellew, a daughter of Michael and Elizabeth E. (Kinney) Bellew. Michael Bellew was a native of Ireland, and came to California in 1872 via the Panama route. He settled in Milpitas and in time acquired about 800 acres of land, which was devoted to the raising of grain and fruit, and he also kept quite an extensive dairy. There were five chil- dren in the Bellew family, Mrs. McCarthy being the third. Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy are the parents of three children: Gertrude E., a graduate of the con- vent of Notre Dame: Aloy C., a graduate of the San Jose High School and of the University of Santa Clara, and Richard I., a graduate of the law depart- ment of the University of Santa Clara. Politically Mr. McCarthy is a stanch Republican. and fratern- ally he is a member of the Knights of Columbus and served five years as financial secretary of the San

Dann Christian

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Jose lodge. For three years he was the treasurer of the State Normal School at San Jose. He is a firm believer in the continued prosperity and growth of Santa Clara County and is ready at all times to lend a helping hand to measures that tend to the ad- vancement of the state and county.

CHARLES W. CHRISTIAN .- More than one pioneer family with the most interesting history are represented in the life story of Charles W. Christian, the wide-awake manager of the John Christian Manu- facturing Company, at 1194 Lick Avenue, San Jose. He was born on August 8, 1869, on the corner of First and William streets, San Jose, on the very spot where the John Christian shop stood for so many years. His father, John Christian, a native of the Isle of Man, was born in 1840 and crossed the ocean alone at the age of fourteen, coming via the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco. He made his way to Stockton and worked for his uncle, Charles Chris- tian, a blacksmith. A year later, in 1855, he came to San Jose and served his appenticeship with Bonner & Mckenzie, pioneer machinists and blacksmiths. After completing his apprenticeship he worked at his trade; also working in the New Almaden quick- silver mines in Santa Clara County for six months; he then returned to San Jose, about 1861, and started in business for himself at the corner of First and William streets, building a shop on his own prop- erty. He began making steel teeth for threshers and was the first man ever known to make steel-laid teeth, and as California was then a great wheat country, his business grew rapidly. He was married in San Jose to Miss Sarah Pierce, who was born in Illinois and came with her parents across the plains with ox teams in 1851. The maternal grandfather, Col. George Pierce, was a pioneer farmer. He had served in the Black Hawk Indian war as colonel, and first came to California in 1848, crossing the plains; later he returned East for his family, bring- ing them out to California in 1851. He was a black- smith, owning and operating a shop in Stockton, and in 1848 he traded a block of land in the heart of Stockton for a team and plow to start farming. In those days he received as high as $80 for shoeing an ox on all four feet. He was an early settler in San Jose and bought a farm in The Willows. An active member of the Episcopal Church and a teacher in the Sunday School, he passed away in San Jose.

John Christian and his wife were married in 1864 in an old stone house at Fifth and St. John streets, San Jose, that is still standing. She was a member of the Baptist Church and passed away April 27, 1906, her husband surviving until June 1, 1909. They were the parents of nine children: Mrs. Laura Marchant, who resides in Oakland; Mrs. Dora Nagle of San Jose; Charles W., the subject of this sketch; Ada, Mrs. Maynard, passed away in San Francisco about eight years ago; Mrs. Sarah L. Martin of San Jose; George Lewis died at the age of eighteen years; Clarence Richard passed away when twenty-eight; Mrs. Alice Verser resides in San Jose, and Mrs. Mable Coleman in Oakland. All the chil- dren living are interested in the John Christian Man- ufacturing Company, so it is a "family affair."

Charles W. went to the public schools in San Jose and at the age of fourteen, in 1883, joined his father in the shop where he continued to work for thirty- four years, learning the blacksmith and machinist trade from the bottom up under his father. The first year after he started, they made 35,000 steel-laid teeth 30

and since then have made 450,000 in a season. To accomplish this it was necessary to invent machinery for their speedy manufacture. The steel-laid teeth are all forged under a triphammer, which they invented and built, and they have a capacity of 3,000 a day, all hand-made. In 1920 the factory, 60x80 feet, was built at 1194 Lick Avenue, with cement floor, electric power, for the manufacture of steel-laid teeth for harvesters. On January 2, 1906, the business was incorporated under the name of the John Christian Manufacturing Company, the father being president, and since his death Charles W. has taken his place as president and manager. The shop employs ten men, who make steel-laid teeth for harvesters, turn- ing out all the teeth required by the Holt Tractor Company, the Ventura Manufacturing Company, and a dozen other firms. The selection of the steel, its hardening and final tempering is a thing Mr. Chris- tian has acquired from years of experience, so that the steel-laid teeth made by this concern are more serviceable than any other in the market; people who know claiming that they wear 300 per cent longer. Such has been Mr. Christian's success here that he is naturally very much interested in the de- velopment and the future of both San Jose and Santa Clara County, and in the Chamber of Commerce.

In 1890, at San Jose, Mr. Christian was married to Miss Annie Leddy, born in San Jose, the daughter of Daniel Leddy, another esteemed pioneer; and their union has been blessed with six children, all of whom have reflected the highest credit upon the family name. Hazel is Mrs. C. McGraw of San Jose; Elmer served in the United States Army in the World War, and is now with his father as his right-hand man; Cecil has become Mrs. Orin Bryant, also of San Jose; and the others are Gertrude, Leslie and Elva. Mr. Christian is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and those who know his genial nature need not be told that there are few, if any, more popular.

JAMES T. BABB .- A member of the Babb fam- ily, well-known among the early settlers of Santa Clara County, James T. Babb, has spent all his life in this vicinity, where he is one of its highly es- teemed residents. He was born on June 9, 1872, at the ranch home of the family in Babb Canyon, near Gilroy, the only son of Thomas and Annie (Babb) Babb. He was deprived of a father's love and care, Thomas Babb having been drowned in December, 1871, in the rushing waters of Pacheco Creck, six months before our subject's birth. Mrs. Babb lived to be sixty-two, passing away in 1918, while residing at Redwood City. The Babb family were early set- ilers of Eastern Tennessee, having come to America from England in the eighteenth century, members of the family having come to California as early as 1857, when James Babb, father of Silas Babb and uncle of our subject, landed here.

James T. Babb attended the public school at Gil- roy and when only fourteen years old entered the employ of Eustice Brothers, blacksmiths there, to learn the trade, and he was with that firm for sixteen years. Early in 1908 Mr. Babb established the Gil- roy Agricultural Works, with Mr. Scofield of Gilroy as his partner, and after eight years he disposed of his interest to take a position with the Southern Pacific in the car department at Gilroy. Two years later he went to Morgan Hill and became the man- ager of the Telfers Blacksmith Shop, doing all kinds of iron and wood work. Thoroughly efficient and

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

practical, Mr. Babb has built up a splendid business there, conducting it in a most systematic way and employing five men to assist him.

Mr. Babb's marriage united him with Miss Bertha Dexter and they have a son, Harold James Babb, connected with the ticket sales department of the Southern Pacific at Ashland, Ore. A Republican in politics, Mr. Babb affiliates in fraternal circles with the Eagles, being a member of the order at Hollis- ter. For eleven years he was chief of the Gilroy Fire Department, and although his business keeps him at Morgan Hill, he still maintains his home at Gilroy, spending his week ends there, where he has a host of friends.

J. SAMUEL STAUB, M. D .- During the years that Dr. J. Samuel Staub has pursued the practice of medicine in San Jose, he has been known not only for his skill and assiduity as a physician and sur- geon, but also for his genial manners, literary taste and talent, making him a popular member of San Jose's social and fraternal circles. He has gained eminence as a family physician and has always sought to merit recognition by his knowledge and skill, as a true physician in the highest sense, rather than to gain prominence by methods through which less meritorious practitioners find a short cut to fame and fortunc. Coming of a family of medical men well known in their native city of Berlin, Ger- many, Dr. Staub was born there on May 23, 1885. the son of Morris and Etta (Goldberg) Staub. His father, who was an able practitioner of Berlin, came to America when Samuel was only one year old, and having brought with him considerable means, he retired from professional work and settled in Phil- adelphia, where he lived a comfortable life. Mrs. Staub passed away when Samuel was a boy of only six years; he has one brother and two half-brothers, but is the only one in the West. His grandfather. Dr. Staub, was a noted German physician and was very well-to-do; he continued actively in his pro- fession until he was seventy-five, passing away at the Staub home in Philadelphia.

J. Samuel Staub was reared in Philadelphia and attended the public schools there, finishing the first year of high school. He was then seventeen years old, and all alone, lie came out West, locating at San Jose, Cal., where he attended the Washburn school, later entering the College of the Pacific, where he was graduated in 1911 with the B. S. de- gree. being honored with the presidency of the Rhizomia Literary Society while there. Having chosen medicine as his future profession, that same fali he matriculated in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, and taking the regular four years' course, graduated with high honors in 1915 with the degree of M. D .: during his college course he was a popular member of the Omega Up- silon Phi fraternity. Having been tendered the post of resident physician at the Southern Pacific Hos- pital at San Francisco, he accepted and came hither, remaining there until the fall of 1916, when he came to San Jose and opened offices in the Garden City Bank Building and later in the Twohy Building. When the World War broke out, he enlisted in the Medical Corps of the U. S. Navy and was stationed at Mare Island, where his skill as a surgeon enabled him to make a valuable contribution to the hos- pital work there. He received a commission as

lieutenant. serving until March, 1919, when he was released from active duty. He then went East for a post-graduate course, studying surgery in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, also visiting Lon- don for clinic and post-graduate work. He returned to San Jose in September, 1919, and resumed his practice, occupying a suite in the Twohy Building.

Dr. Staub is a member of the American Medical Association and of the State and County Medical Societies. He is on the surgical staff of the O'Con- nor Hospital in San Jose, and as a medical and surgical authority of high standing he is often called upon to give expert testimony for the Southern Pacific Railroad in accident and damage cases. Fraternally he is very popular as a member of the San Jose Elks, the Odd Fellows, the San Jose Country Club, and is a prominent Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner, while he keeps up his military associations by membership in San Jose Post No. 89, American Legion.

CHARLES D. ROBERTSON .- A popular, effi- cient and genial official is Charles D. Robertson, the agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company at Morgan Hill, who is a native of San Jose, where he was born on November 5, 1871, the third son of John and Margaret (Curry) Robertson, both natives of Northern Scotland. An expert shoemaker, John Robertson emigrated to America in 1868, and coming to San Jose, he established himself in the boot and shoe business. Two years later, he sent for his wife and two children. In 1908, he passed away at the age of sixty-eight, honored of all who knew him; his devoted wife lived to be seventy-four years of age, and died at her home in Edenvale in 1917. Prior to his death, John Robertson had acquired a ranch of 100 acres, eight miles south of San Jose, a place formerly known as the Eight-Mile House, and there the family were reared.

Charles Robertson entered the public school at Oak Grove in 1876, and he topped off his studies in the upper grades in San Jose. In 1892 he began his association as an employe with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, and for a while served an ap- prenticeship at the Hillsdale Station. Then he he- came the operator at the Laurel Station, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and he also was assistant station agent at Santa Margarita and Redwood City, and was agent at Volta, and worked at times all through the Coast Division of the Southern Pacific Railroad. He opened the new station at Naples, and then for two years served as assistant agent at Gilroy. In 1902 he was given the agency at Morgan Hill, and he has discharged the duties there all these interven- ing years with exceptional satisfaction to the public. He has charge of the American Railway Express. the Western Union Telegraph, and the United States Mail delivery at Morgan Hill. He is a Republican, but first, last and all the time an American citizen. He belongs to the Order of Railroad Telegraphers and is a Mason.

In 1894 Mr. Robertson was married to Miss Annette Mae Donald, who was born in San Mateo, the daughter of John and Harriet Donald-the for- mer now deceased, the latter still living at Redwood City. Three sons have been born to them. Charles D., in the promising age of twelve, died from acci- dental drowning at Capitola; and John Butler and Welburn Edson are attending the public school. The family attend the Presbyterian Church of Mor-

Charles Beastan,

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

gan Hill, and live in their residence at the corner of Hatfield and Del Monte streets at Morgan Hill.

Mr. Robertson has always been public-spirited. and instrumental in bringing about various local modern improvements. He is a member of the Live Oak high school board of trustees, and at present is the clerk of the board. He owns thirteen acres of fine fruit ranch at Edenvale, part of his share of the family estate, and is thus an horticulturist as well as a railroad official, and deeply interested in Califor- nia husbandry as well as in the problems of California transportation.

MAJOR CHARLES PETTINGILL BRASLAN. In the death of the late Major Charles Pettingill Braslan, American agriculture lost one of its pro- gressive leaders, and the American nation one of its most public-spirited citizens. He was for years widely known in the seed world, and he was one of the far-seeing pioneers in commerce who secured the Panama Exposition for San Francisco. More than that, he was pleasantly associated by marriage with the family of a sturdy pioneer, who rose to become of great service to the American public in carrying important public projects already of blessing to other generations than his own.

Charles P. Braslan was born at Cambridge, Mass , on July 1, 186], attended the excellent schools of Boston, and while yet a lad went to work for John Breek & Son, the oldest and largest seed firm in the world, with whom he remained for eleven years. Then he became a member of the seed house of Northrup, Braslan and Goodwin, of Chicago, where he was general manager for thirteen years; but prior to that he had been in the same line in Minneapolis. While in Minnesota, Mr. Braslan was commissioned major on the staff of Governor Merriam, and ever afterward bore that title.

In 1898 he came West to California. Locating at San Jose, he sold seed as an agent for the growers. Then he embarked in seed growing for himself, and the well-known firm, the Braslan Seed Growers, was incorporated, July 13, 1902, and Major Braslan be- came the president and manager of this company, and in that responsible and honorable office he continued until his death. He has not only sold but grown seeds, inspecting growing crops and supervising the harvesting and cleaning of seeds in nearly every state in the Union, and had probably a keener knowl- edge of the seed industry in all its phases than any- one in the business. He possessed a wonderful busi- ness ability, a wide knowledge of public affairs and was a man of large caliber. He became the largest seed grower and wholesale shipper in the world, dealing extensively with all countries and handling many large government contracts. Major Braslan first grew seeds under contract, but by his incessant and untiring energy he built up a business that reached to all quarters of the globe. The company at the present time has some 5,000 acres devoted to seed raising in Santa Clara, San Joaquin and San Benito Counties, hesides enormous acreages under contracts in other parts of California. He began the business in a small way, and practically without any capital, but his success was rapid and continuous, and his name was known everywhere where seeds were sold; in fact his name stood as a counterpart for the best in the seed markets of the world.

At San Jose, in November, 1901, Major Braslan was married to Miss Olga Adele Pieper, a daughter of John H. Pieper, who was born in Germany in 1824 and educated at the celebrated Polytechnic Col- lege in Hanover. Patriotic and with a proper sense of the duty which he owed to the land of his birth, Mr. Pieper joined the engineering corps of the Ger- man army, and in a short time was made first a lieu- tenant and then an adjutant. Having thus honor- ably put behind him his military service, he decided to migrate to the United States, and having visited New Orleans, he went on to San Antonio, Texas. Pushing north to New York City, he was for three years employed as principal assistant of the Topo- graphical Survey of the State of New Jersey, and then he served as first assistant engineer in the lay- ing out of Central Park in New York City. After seven years in that very responsible position, where he discharged his duties with such credit as to re- fleet handsomely on his training, as well as on his own native ability, Mr. Pieper resigned to become a mining engineer and assistant manager of the Mari- posa Grant, in Mariposa County; and that position he held for two years. He then removed to San Jose and engaged in practice as a civil engineer and sur- veyor, and as early as 1867 he became city engineer of San Jose, and was instrumental in effecting many city improvements. Sewers and other channels, for example, passing through the city, were constructed according to his plans The excellence of his public works was generously recognized, and he never wanted for flattering recognition in the land and in the city of his adoption. He married Miss Adele Hoffman, by whom he had six children, and died on November 16, 1888, being survived by his widow, who passed away November 13, 1919.

Major Braslan, who was a member of the Repub- lican party and was by nature a leader, consented to work as one of the members of the Committee of Twelve in the Fifth Congressional District to look after the interests of California in securing San Fran- cisco as the site for the proposed Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915, and in company with Senator Ralston of San Francisco toured the large Eastern cities as Commissioner Plenipotentiary for the Pan- ama-Pacific Committee. He performed the service at the request of Governor Gillett and Mayor Mc- Carthy of San Francisco, and his very successful ef- forts in obtaining recognition from the railroads and great transportation companies, as well as influential financial houses of the country, are well known. It was his intention to follow up the work while in Washington during the session of Congress as he was deeply interested in the work and had the honor of being the only man appointed on the Commission outside of San Francisco. His aid was sought h >- cause of his wide acquaintance and influence with in fluential men all over the United States. While on his trip East he caught cold and on December 3. 1910, died of pneumonia, too soon to see and enjoy the wonderful creation of industry and art by the shore of the Pacific, for which he was in part so re- sponsible. He belonged to the Elks and the Family Club of San Francisco, and both within and beyond those organizations enjoyed a wide circle of friends. Mrs. Braslan, while maintaining an active interest in the company founded by her husband, also takes an

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 96

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