Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 117

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844

USA > California > Santa Clara County > Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California > Part 117

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James a. Hamilton.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

after Price, bringing up at Ironton. After stopping there some time, his command was taken down the Mississippi to Young's Point, opposite Vicksburg, and he worked for a time on the celebrated canal. His regiment was assigned to the tin-clad flotilla, two companies to the gunboat, and took part in the Yazoo expedition. He was at Milliken's Bend, and from there the command was started for Grand Gulf, and participated in all the principal engagements about the beleaguered city, including Chickasaw Bayou, and was also engaged at Arkansas Post. He participated with the command in the capture of Vicksburg, and on the fifth was among those sent to follow J. E. Johnston. They drove him across Pearl River, and then went into camp on Black River for rest. After Rosecrans' defeat at Chickamauga, his command was sent to Memphis, thence to Corinth. They partici- pated in the pursuit of Wheeler, Forrest, and Roddy as far as Tuscumbia, Alabama, and after the junction of the divisions of the Fifteenth Corps, marched to Chattanooga, Mr. Hartman's division arriving on the scene just too late to take part in the first portion of the engagement. He was in Hooker's victory at Lookout Mountain. After spending the winter at Woodville, Alabama, he started, May 1, 1864, on the march to Atlanta, and was with his regiment in all engagements up to Resaca. At Kingston, Georgia, May 22, 1864, he was captured, taken to Anderson- ville, and in September, at the time of Stoneman's raid, to Charleston, thence to Florence, where he was held until December 12, 1864, when he was exchanged and sent to Camp Parole, Annapolis, Maryland. He was discharged at St. Louis, February 15, 1865. He is a charter member of Phil. Sheridan Post, G. A. R., at San Jose, and of Garden City Lodge, No. 142, I. O. O. F. He has been Trustee of Oak Grove School District. Politically he is a Republican. He has a fine ranch of 140 acres, six miles from San Jose, adjoining Snell Avenue. Usually he cuts about seventy acres for grain, principally barley, which yields about twenty sacks to the acre. Hay averages two or two and a half tons to the acre. He has four acres in a thriving orchard, set out in 1883, and will plant ten or fifteen acres in 1889.

APT. JAMES A. HAMILTON, residing on Johnson Avenue, in the Cambrian District, is the owner of twenty-one acres, all in fruit-bearing trees, which he bought in September, 1882. The 79

orchard was then but a few months old, and comprised apricots, Bartlett pears, and French prunes. In 1887, from 537 apricot trees, 54 tons were gathered, and sold at $30 per ton-a result of which the Captain, considering the age of the trees, feels justly proud.

He was born in Portage County, Ohio, November IO, 1826. He is the son of Thomas and Almira (Austin) Hamilton. His father dicd before his birth, and his mother afterwards made her home in Connec- ticut. James was reared by Albert Austin, an uncle, receiving such school advantages as were common to the youth in those days, and also attended for three years the Suffield school. Early imbued with a desire to learn more of the world, and possessing in a large degree an adventurous spirit, he left home at the early age of eighteen years, and shipped as a sailor before the mast, at Sag Harbor, New York, on the old whaling vessel Italy. His first voyage was one of three and one-half years. Upon his return, he visited his mother, now deceased; but in love with a life on the "rolling deep," he had not a thought of becoming a plodding landsman again. Strong, trusty, and reli- able, he passed the grade of second mate, and in 1854 became master of a vessel. His second voyage was made in the Sheffield; his third, as boat-steerer on the Italy again; his fourth voyage was as second mate of the same vessel; his fifth, as second mate of the Republic; the next one, as Master of the Prudent; then of the Charles IV. Morgan, Sea Breeze, and Northern Light. The last-named vessel was partially wrecked in the North Pacific Ocean, on the twenty- second of March, 1883. Captain Hamilton received great credit for saving his dismasted ship. His last four voyages were made as master of the Emma F. Herriman, the last five years sailing from San Fran- cisco. On the twenty-seventh of July, 1887, he was prostrated with a sickness which at the time it was feared would prove fatal. He was obliged to leave his vessel in the Japan Seas, and returned to his pleasant home, in this county.

Having recovered his usual health, he is now one of the most enthusiastic horticulturists of Santa Clara Valley, and is firmly convinced that his seafaring days are over. He has been remarkably fortunate as a master, never having lost a vessel, nor made an un- successful voyage. To the furthermost seas, north and south, visited by the most energetic and daring of whalers, he has taken his vessels. Combining caution with splendid courage, his career as a master is one of which he may be pardonably proud.

At the Sandwich Islands, in 1868, Mr. Hamilton

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married Miss Anna W. Thrum, who was born in Aus- tralia, of English parentage. Their three children, Edith, Augusta, and Robert, all as yet make their home with their parents. The Captain is an ardent Republican.

est ICHEL DUBS, of Mayfield, one of the old settlers of Santa Clara County, is a native of France, born in Alsace on the twenty-seventh day of September, 1824, his parents being Francis Joseph and Teresa (Schembacher) Dubs. A brother of his father was a soldier in the army of France, and was killed in Tahiti. His father was a vineyardist, who died in 1857, and wife in 1868. The subject of this sketch was reared in Alsace to vine-growing. In 1843 he went to Paris, and en- gaged at gardening. The Revolution occurred dur- ing his residence at the capital. In August, 1848, he went back to Alsace, but returned to Paris in July, 1849. In April, 1850, he went to Havre, and there took passage on the steamship Zurig (Captain Thompson). He landed on the twenty-fourth of May at New York, and remained there for three and a half years.

On the fifth of September, 1853, he set out for Cal- ifornia, taking the steamer at New York, and mnak- ing the journey by the Nicaragua route. He landed at San Francisco about the middle of October, and the following day started for the mines. It was his intention to go to Stockton on the steamer New World, but mere chance caused him to take the Sophia instead. On arriving at Stockton, it was noticed that almost the entire population was at the landing, and he soon learned that the New World had been blown up, and its passengers killed. He went into the mines at Columbia and there remained be- tween two and three months, then returned to San Francisco. He had got down to his last half dollar before he obtained employment. He remained in this city until September, then came to Mayfield and bought out a squatter's claim in that vicinity of the town. He resided on it two years, but finding what he had supposed to be government land was claimed by other parties under a grant, he left the place and went to the Santa Gregoria Rancho, bought land, and settled on it in 1857. He then engaged in dairying and general farming, with success. He bought land where he now resides in 1868, and put up a substan - tial residence in 1871. The family has resided here ever since. He has 1,412 acres on the old Santa

Gregoria Rancho, and has an interest in other prop- erty besides his home, at Mayfield.

He was married, in San Francisco, in 1871, to Miss Lena Lutringer, a native of Upper Alsace, who came to America in 1864. They have four children living, viz .: Felicite, Adolph, Emma, and Xavier. Mr. and Mrs. Dubs lost three children by death from diphthe- ria, in 1879, within two days. Their names were: Maria Teresa, Matilda, and Josephine. Mr. Dubs, while leaning to the Democratic party, is yet substan- tially independent in his political views, being guided more by his judgment of men and principles than by strict adherence to party lines.

90 ILLIAM LE FEVRE, deceased, was born in Montreal, Canada, November 1, 1830. His fa- ther, Charles Le Fevre, was a native of the same locality, where he married Mary Riendo, a native of the same place. They raised a family of four sons and two daughters. He was a farmer, and died in 1866, aged eighty-two. His widow remained on the home place about two years, when she removed to California, and lived with her children until her death, July 5, 1878, at the age of eighty-four years. The Le Fevre family is of French descent, John, the father of Charles, having come from France and settled in Canada about the year 1780. William, the subject of this sketch, was raised in Canada and made his home with his parents till twenty-seven years old. He was there married, February 22, 1857, to Cezarie Dugas, who was born at St. John's, District of Mon- treal, Canada, November 15, 1832. Her parents, Nicolas and Marguerite (Betowmi) Dugas, were also natives of Montreal and of French descent. After his marriage, William removed to Franklin County, New York, where he bought a farm of 210 acres and lived there with his family until 1862, when, in July of that year, he sold his farm and moved with his family to California and settled in Santa Clara County. He first rented a ranch in Union School District, where he lived eleven years. In November, 1873, he purchased 150 acres near Los Gatos on the road to Saratoga (one mile from the town), where his family now resides. Some of the land has been sold off, so that the place now contains but thirty-five acres. Mr. Le Fevre died here March 18, 1882, leaving a wife and six children, all of whom are living, viz .: Zephire J., born March 10, 1861; Cyrille, June 12, 1863; Lizzie M., May 14, 1867; Ovid, October 6, 1869; Louie G., August 27, 1871 ; and Alfonso O., September 1, 1873.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

EORGE M. HALSEY, proprietor of the Enter- prise Carriage Manufactory, came to the Golden State in 1860, and has been engaged in his pres- ent line of business nearly a third of a century in California. He landed in San Francisco with thirty cents in his pocket as his cash capital; soon afterward he went to Dutch Flats, Placer County, arriving on the Fourth of July, 1860. He there learned his trade of carriage-making, and established himself in busi- ness, remaining exactly twenty-five years. He then sold out, and traveled over the State, seeking a desir- able location, and upon visiting San Jose concluded he had found the point sought for, and settled here three years ago. He first bought in as a partner, and later became sole proprietor, succeeding Mr. H. Prindle in the business, at 67 North Market Street. Besides making all classes of vehicles to order, he keeps a fine stock of buggies and carriages from the best Eastern manufactories. Repairing is also a prominent feature of his work. An average of fifteen skilled workmen are employed in the several departments of the factory. Under Mr. Halsey's active, energetic management the concern is doing a thriving, prosperous business. Mr. Halsey is a product of the Empire State, born in the town of Lancaster. His father carried on the carriage business success- fully for many years, then left New York for the Pa- cific slope, and settled in Dutch Flats, Placer County, where he still resides.

January 5, 1870, the subject of this memoir was joined in wedlock with Miss Ella Chamberlain, a Cali- fornia girl. They have had three children; a daugh- ter and a son are living.

OUIS LOUPE was born at Dover, Arkansas, May 5, 1850. His parents were Samuel and Rachel Loupe. In 1855 they removed to Paris, France, where they remained three years, when they returned to the United States and located in New York city. In the spring of 1861 they came to Gilroy, where Mr. Loupe, Sr., carried on a mercantile busi- ness for more than twenty years. He died in Febru- ary, 1887, and his wife in 1884. Louis received his education at Gilroy, and at McClure's Military Acad- emy, in Oakland, where he graduated in 1867. Upon his graduation he returned to Gilroy, and was engaged as a clerk for a few months, when he went to Walla Walla, Washington Territory, and run a pack train

about three years. He then returned to Gilroy and embarked in the mercantile business, which he carried on for many years. He has been engaged in the real- estatc business with Peter Donnelly since February, 1886, about the time the title was quieted to the Las Animas Rancho. Mr. Loupe has been Councilman two years; is a member of the Gilroy Volunteer Fire Department; a member of the Legion of Honor; a Director of the Gilroy Land and Trust Company; and at present Mayor of the city of Gilroy. In politics he is a Democrat. He was married, in July, 1881, to Emma Rea, daughter of Hon. Thomas Rea, and has three children: Leon Rea, Mary Ann, and George Lester.

LBERT LAURILLIARD, dealer in pianos, music, and musical merchandise, at No. 60 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose, was born in Hali- fax, Nova Scotia, in 1817, where he remained until nineteen years of age, receiving his education in the national schools, during which time he commenced to learn the piano-making business. In 1836 he came to the United States and settled in Boston, where he continued at his trade and then removed to New York, where he learned more of the business. He spent a number of years in Boston, New York, and in Hali- fax, Nova Scotia. While living in Halifax he did most of the repairing of pianos in that section of the British Provinces. In 1868 he removed to Chicago, Illinois, and engaged in the same business, his special interests requiring him to travel throughout the West- ern States. In 1872 he came to San Jose and estab- lished himself in his present business, which he has since conducted.

Mr. Laurilliard was married, in 1838, to Miss Mary Osborne, a native of Scotland. Five children were born to this marriage: Henry, in business with his father; Mary, the wife of George R. Bent, of San Jose; Osborne, who died in San Francisco in 1872; Arthur, in the piano business in Oregon; and Annie, the widow of the late John G. Gosbee, of San Jose. Mr. Laurilliard descends from a French Huguenot family, who removed to England from France during the Huguenot troubles, and afterward to America, and located in Nova Scotia, where his branch of the family received a grant of land from the British Government. Mr. Laurilliard's whole life has been devoted to music, and to the improvement and development of musical instruments.

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PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

ALTHASER KUNDERT has a ranch of 100 acres about three miles east of Gilroy, of which thirty acres are in wheat, twenty in barley, and twenty-five in hay; the balance is pasture for his cattle. His hay-field contains barley and volunteer oats. Some of his land will raise a good crop any year without sowing. He has an orchard of 100 trees, consisting of pears, peaches, apricots, prunes, etc. The residence was erected when he went on the place, but he has laid on a hard finish. He put up a windmill and tank in 1884, at a cost of $620, which will supply 1,000 head of stock. The well is eighty- five feet deep, but the water comes up within ten feet of the surface. He has put up all the barn buildings except one. He has a cow barn 40x24 feet, with facilities for twenty-six head, thirteen on each side.

Mr. Kundert was born in Switzerland, May 4, 1827. His parents were Abraham and Sarah (Fergele) Kundert. Balthaser was reared there, and in 1848 came to America and located in Green County, Wis- consin, where for one season he was engaged in dairy- ing with his brother. In 1849 he went to Illinois, where, and in Iowa and Missouri, he lived until 1853, when he came across the plains to California, cross- ing the Sierra Nevada Mountains with Massey Thomas. He came to Gilroy, and in the spring of 1854 engaged in the dairy business, which he has since followed. He has about 100 head of cattle, and rents land for pasturage. He made trips up to the mining camps with his Swiss cheese, weighing from thirty-eight to forty pounds each, and would usually take from 2,800 to 3,000 pounds at a load. It gener- ally took him from ten to twelve days to make the trip. Afterward he obtained a market for his prod- uct in San Francisco and San Jose.

He was married, in this county, to Miss Sarah Kane, a native of County Armagh, Ireland. They have one child, Abraham, born November 27, 1861. He was educated in Heald's Business College, and now resides in San Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Kun- dert are members of the Catholic Church of Gilroy.

EIL ANDERSON, who is extensively engaged in stock-raising and in butchering, at New Al- maden, is a native of Schleswig-Holstein, born November 12, 1850, his parents being Andrew and Katherina (Christianson) Anderson. He was reared at his native place, attending school from the age of six to fifteen years, and then engaged in clerking. In

1859 he emigrated to America, landing at Quebec June I. From there he went to Chicago, and a few days later to Marquette County, Michigan, where he was employed by the Iron Cliff Mining Company. For eighteen months he followed mining, and for one year ran one of the engines. From 1871 to 1873 he conducted a saw-mill, but then came to California, and has been at the New Almaden mines ever since. At first he was engaged in the furnaces, afterward in the machine shop. He ran the hoisting works of the Isabella shaft for eighteen months, or until leaving the employ of the company, in 1880. He engaged in farming and stock-raising, and in September took charge of the butchering business of New Almaden, and has a shop at the hacienda, and one on the hill. He runs from 100 to 150 head of stock, mostly cattle.

Mr. Anderson was married, at New Almaden, Octo- ber 5, 1879, to Miss Prudence Pan, a native of Cali- fornia. They have two children: Ada Louisa and Charles Andrew.

Mr. Anderson is a member of Lodge 34, I. O. O. F., and of Mount Hamilton Lodge, A. O. U. W., also of the Guaranty Fund Lodge, San Francisco.

JOHN A. FELLON was born in Santa Clara County, October 17, 1840, his parents being Mat- thias and Manilla (Briones) Fellon.

Matthias, the father of the subject, was born in Denmark, but came to America when about eighteen years old, and located in Monterey, California, and afterward removed to the San Ysidro ranch, where he lived for some years. He purchased 1,750 acres of land, and raised cattle, having as many as 1,500 head at times. In 1853 he removed to a house which he had built, not far from where John A. now resides. It was an adobe house, and he lived in it about nine years, when he removed to another part of the place. He owned land all the way from the foot-hills to San Ysidro. He built another good house there in 1861, and lived there until he died, February 16, 1868, a member of the Catholic Church. His wife died May 3, 1858. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom four grew to maturity, namely: Peter, now de- ceased; Simforiano, Adele, and John A.

The subject of this sketch was married, January 4, 1874, to Miss Blandina Ortega, a native of Santa Clara County, and daughter of Joseph Ortega, and are the parents of six children, named: Corinne, John Alexander, Belle, Louis, Peter, and Marianna. Mr.

Willum Today,

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

and Mrs. Fellon are members of the Catholic Church and do not mingle in politics. He has a ranch of 170 acres, about three and a half miles northeast of Gilroy. He removed to this place in 1870, but has owned it since 1868. He rents it out to those who farm it. He built a handsome residence on the place in 1883, at a cost of upwards of $1,500. He also has 219 acres of valley land in another tract, only one and a half miles from where he lives.

ILLIAM H. SCOTT, deceased, was born in Trenton, New Jersey, July 1, 1822. His father, a native of Ireland, settled in New Jersey, where he married Sarah Beaty, a native of that State. Her ancestry is from the Philadelphia Ger- mans. About 1839 the family, with three children, re- moved to Cedar County, Iowa, where Mr. Scott, Sr., died, in 1856. They had three more children born in Iowa. Of his children two are living in Iowa and two in California. Mrs. Scott lived with her children during the last years of her life, a part of the time in California, where she remained two years, when she returned to Iowa and died there, in 1871, aged seventy- three years.

Mr. Scott, the subject of this sketch, was apprenticed to the brick-laying trade in Philadelphia, and went with his father to Iowa, assisting him on the home place for some time, and then began work at his trade. He worked on the State House in Iowa City, at that time the capital of the State, which was the first brick building erected in that city. He also worked at his trade in St. Louis, Missouri, till the breaking out of the Mexican War, when he enlisted in Company A, St. Louis Volunteers, Captain Charles Allen com- manding, and served till after the Battle of Vera Cruz, when he was discharged and returned to St. Louis. From there he went to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he worked at his trade till 1849, when he came to California, where for two years he worked in the placer mines. He returned to Vicksburg, and was there married, December 29, 1851, to Mary A. Dun- ford. After his marriage he went to New Orleans and lived till the following May, when he returned to California and located at San Francisco, working at his trade there till 1859; then he removed to San Jose and lived there a year, when he bought a farm near Los Gatos and moved upon it with his family, making it his permanent home. For the next eighteen or nine- teen years he worked at his trade in San Jose and

put up some of the first brick buildings in that city. After being engaged with Michael Kenny in contract- ing for some time, he returned to his ranch and de- voted his time to improving it, when he died, January 26, 1879. Mrs. Scott, his widow, now resides on the place. She is a native of Richmond, Virginia, but was reared in Alabama and Louisiana. Her father, Dr. William F. Barrett, a Southern planter, died in 1847. Mr. and Mrs. Scott had one child, Mary A. Scott, who married John Bicknell. She died July 26, 1881, leaving two sons, whom Mrs. Scott has taken to raise. Their ranch has eighty acres, of which thirty-five are in fruit, viz .: 1,000 French prunes, fif- teen acres in vines, and the remainder in other kinds of fruit. Mrs. Scott also has forty-five acres of grain and pasture land.

MARTIN MCCARTHY, deceased, was born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1825. When he was a young man he emigrated to the United States, and was at New Orleans when the Mexican War broke out. He enlisted in the government serv- ice from that place in a company commanded by Captain Graham. After the close of the war he re- mained in the army until 1849. He then left his regiment in New Mexico and came to California, where he went into the mines and worked for seven weeks. He then settled where Saratoga now is, be- fore any town had started there. He erected a house the sa ne year, which was the beginning of the town, and other settlers soon after followed. A town sprung up and was called Mccarthysville, by which name it was known for some time. The house he built is now standing, and is a good, comfortable residence, occupied by his widow. He brought with him quite a sum of money, which he had saved from his earn- ings while in the army, together with a number of mules which he sold at a good price. During his short stay in the mines he made about $20,000. He took up about 320 acres of land, which he supposed at that time was government land; but ten months after his death it was found to have been a Spanish claim and belonged to some parties in San Jose. His widow, in making a settlement of the claim, bought 128 acres, a part of which still remains in her possession. Mr. McCarthy built a turnpike road, the one which now goes through the town into the mountains,. upon which he expended $12,000. After operating it as a toll-road for about a year, it was converted into a county road. He had obtained a charter from the

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Spanish authorities for a period of twelve years, but for some reason he never realized from it the amount invested. In the mountains he had a saw-mill, which he operated for three years.

He was married, in 1853, to Hannah Barry, a native of County Wexford, Ireland, who came to this country the same year, when she was seventeen years old. She lived in San Jose ten months before her marriage. Mr. McCarthy died in 1864, leaving a family of four children, of whom three are now living: William, court stenographer for San Benito County, which position he has filled for four years; Margaret L., wife of Matthew Wilson, residents of the same county; Daniel M., residing on the home place, now serving his second term as constable of Redwood Township.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 117

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 844

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844