Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 57

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 57

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S. ROGERS, of the firm of Morey & Rogers in Gilroy, was born in Hardwick, Worcester County, Massachusetts, August 15, 1822. His parents were Obadiah and Lydia (Reed) Rogers, both of whom belonged to old Massachusetts families. They are both dead. In 1832, when ten years of age, his parents removed to Lenawee County, Michigan, where he received his education and subsequently taught school. In 1848 he went to Georgetown, in Scott County, Kentucky, and engaged in teaching there, and two years later crossed the plains to California, ar- riving at Placerville, September 2, 1850. Here he en- gaged in mining and also practiced dentistry. At the end of six years he returned to the Eastern States and practiced his profession for nine months, when he came again to California and located in El Dorado County, where he worked at dentistry and also engaged in the business of running a saw-mill. This mill was unfortunately destroyed by fire, whereby a heavy loss was sustained. Consequently, in search of fresh fields for his energy, he came to Santa Clara County, in 1866, and located his family temporarily in Santa Clara,

but removed to Gilroy September 4, 1867. About this time he entered into partnership with J. C. Zuck for the purpose of conducting a real-estate business, and later Mr. Hoover joined the firm, when the style of the firm became Zuck, Rogers & Hoover. He was largely instrumental in opening many of the promi- nent thoroughfares in Gilroy. The firm of Morey & Rogers was organized in September, 1887, to do a general real-estate and insurance business.

In his political affiliations, Mr. Rogers is a Republi- can. He was married October 23, 1856, to Dency C. Wilder, a native of New York, by whom he had three children, namely: Edward O., born . August 29, 1861, died September 17, 1863; Fanny W., born Au- gust 9, 1865; and Eugene F., May 15, 1868.

OHN MURDOCK was born in County Down, Ireland, October 23, 1832, his parents being James and Ann (McKee) Murdock, both of Scotch blood. At the age of seventeen he came to the United States with his brother, locating in Arkansas, where he remained until 1852, when he crossed the plains to Marysville, California, and found employ- ment in a bakery for a while. He next went to Sutter County, where he engaged in stock-raising, and in 1868 came to Santa Clara County, bringing eighty head of cattle with him. In 1876 he engaged in the dairying business, in which he has been successful. His present residence was erected in 1879.

Mr. Murdock was married in Sutter County, Janu- ary 10, 1867, to Miss Catherine L. Bostwick, a native of Ohio, and of Pennsylvania ancestry. They have nine children: William Henry, residing in Fresno; Mary Ann, wife of C. Doan, residing in San Benito County; David M., a resident of San Jose; Noble D., a resident of San Felipe; Sarah Jane, John C., Charles N., Robert Frederick, and Catherine L. Mrs. Murdock died in August, 1879.

In politics Mr. Murdock is a Republican. He is now, and has been for fifteen years, a School Trustee in Rhodes School District. He has a fine garden, and raises nearly all kinds of vegetables. Wild clover and oats were found growing on the place when he set- tled on it. The bur clover is the best feed he has, and the alfalfa also does well. He usually rents about 100 acres in the valley for feed for his stock, and runs his stock on that when he can. Mr. Murdock has a ranch of 879 acres, nearly eight miles due east from Gilroy, in the Cañada De Los Osos. He has from 100

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to 150 liead of stock cattle, and usually milks about forty cows, and makes 100 pounds of cheese per day, for which he finds a market in San Francisco. He has obtained as high as eighteen cents per pound for cheese this season. He manufactures the Young America cheese, which averages eight pounds each. He raises the Durham breed of cattle, preferring them to any other for dairy purposes.

ANIEL GARTELMANN was born in Bremen, Germany, September 29, 1829. His parents, Henry and Mattie Gartelmann, remained in Germany, where they died. They reared a family of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest. He lived on his father's farm until 1847, when he went to London, England. In 1849 he came to the United States, and first located in New York. He was employed in the mercantile business as a clerk, and afterward engaged in the business for himself, in which he continued until 1854. From New York he went to Savannah, Georgia, where he remained a short time, and then went to Phila- delphia, and was employed in a sugar refinery, having learned the business during his residence in London. From Philadelphia he went to New York, and soon after, in 1857, sailed from that port for California, via Panama, arriving in San Francisco in August of that year. He engaged in the mercantile business at San Francisco, purchasing a half-interest in a business at the corner of Dupont and Pine Streets, where he re- mained for two years. He then sold out and again embarked in business on the corner of Drumm and Jackson Streets, and continued there until 1864. He then came to Santa Clara County, but still retained his store in San Francisco, until it was destroyed by fire in 1865. This was quite a heavy loss to Mr. Gar- telmann, there being only a small insurance on the property. When he came to this valley he bought 320 acres of land, in company with a man named Henry Wilbern, which partnership continued for two years, when they dissolved, Mr. Gartelmann purchas- ing his present property in the Collins School District, Fremont Township. The place originally contained 160 acres, and in the course of three years he bought another 160 acres. The land was mostly in its wild state, being covered wit i chaparral and trees, with only a small part of it cleared. Mr. Gartelmann directed his attention to making improvements on the place, clearing the land, building fences, and getting

the ground in a state suitable for cultivation. It has cost him many a hard day's work, together with other expenses, and he has lived to see good returns for his labor in the products of the place, and the great in- crease in value of the property. About seven years ago he commenced selling off portions of the land, and at the present time has sixty acres, all in a high state of cultivation. There is a vineyard of forty-five acres that is seven years old, and an orchard of about 1,200 trees, consisting principally of cherries and French prunes, together with a smaller number of other kinds of fruit, some of the trees being twelve years old. In 1887 the vineyard yielded about 150 tons of grapes. The present year (1888) he sold $86 worth of cherries from three-fourths of an acre of ground, besides supplying the family with what they wanted for home use.

Mr. Gartelmann was married, in 1859, to Catherine Mary Vordman, a native of Germany, who came to California the same year. She died April 28, 1887, the mother of six children, of whom four are living : Matilda E., wife of Theodore Brohaske, of San Jose; . Katie M., Annie, and Daniel H., all residents of this county.

ALI ALMOND WILDER, son of Keyes and Tryphena Wilder, was born in Alexander, Gen- esee County, New York, September 13, 1815. His parents were natives of Massachusetts, and settled in New York in 1813 or '14. His father died in New York, and his mother in Wisconsin, a short time after removing there. Eli lived in New York until he was twenty-three years old, and attended the common schools, all that the country at that time afforded. In 1839 he removed to Wisconsin and en- gaged in farming for about five years, in Green Lake County. In 1844 he went into the mercantile busi- ness in the town of Mackford, and afterward in the village of Markesan. In 1858 he removed to Hum- boldt County, Iowa, and engaged in the mercantile business there till 1883, when he sold out and came to California and located in Los Gatos, where he has since resided. He purchased ten acres of what is known as the Almond Grove in Los Gatos, and laid it off into town lots in 1887. He was formerly a Whig, but is now a Republican; he was County Clerk of Marquette County, Wisconsin, two terms, Justice of the Peace in the village of Markesan for about fifteen years, elected a Justice of the Peace in Los Gatos in 1886, which

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position he still holds, and is also Judge of the Re- corder's Court of Los Gatos.

Mr. Wilder was married, September 17, 1851, to Julia A. Harkness, a native of Pennsylvania.

E. WILDER was born in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, October 6, 1853, where he lived until he was thirteen years old, when he moved with his parents to Iowa. He attended the public schools of Iowa and the Jefferson Liberal Institute of Jefferson, Wisconsin. His commercial education was received at Dubuque, Iowa. He came to California in 1882, and in the spring of 1885 was engaged as Assistant Cashier of the Bank of Los Gatos. In Jan- uary, 1886, he was promoted Cashier, which position he now fills. He was married in 1874, to Cynthia I. Tibbetts, a native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Mr. Wilder was interested in the Almond Grove Addition to Los Gatos, which was annexed to the city in Sep- tember, 1887. He was elected first clerk of the Los Gatos Board of Trustees when the city was incorpo- rated, and served one term. He is a prominent Odd Fellow, and has been connected with the order since 1877.

TAMES E. GORDON was born while his parents were on their way from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, October 12, 1846. His father, James Gordon, was a native of New Jersey, and his mother of New Orleans, Louisiana. They did not reach California until 1849, although when they left New Jersey their objective point was San Francisco, but remained in Mexico during the Mexican War, contracting and furnishing the United States Army with supplies, and this and other business delayed their arrival in San Francisco. At that time San Francisco was no larger than Los Gatos is to-day. The vessel on which they made the voyage was an old Dutch bark called the Alexander Von Humboldt, and among her passengers were many who subse- quently became prominently identified with the his- tory of California, among them being C. P. Hunt- ington, of the Central Pacific Railroad, and Isaac E. Davis, President of the Society of California Pioneers. In 1852, Mr. Gordon attended for a short time the pioneer public school of California, in San Francisco, taught by John C. Pelton, and in 1860 the Rincon

School, taught by the veteran John Swett; but the most of his education has been self-acquired. He went to the mines and participated as far as a boy could in the various mining experiences which made California's history interesting. He followed mining for about ten years, assisting his father a part of the time in extensive mining operations. His father lost heavily in this business, and died in 1859, leaving James to support himself and mother. In 1863 he entered the employ of L. B. Benchley & Co., wholesale hardware dealers in San Francisco, as errand-boy, at a salary of $20 per month, and left them in 1875 as manager, with a salary of $4,000 per annum. He then bought out the old firm of Marsh, Pillsbury & Co., a branch of the Boston house of May & Co., the oldest hardware house in America. He did business for five years as James E. Gordon & Co., when he incorporated as The Gordon Hardware Company, being the first jobbing house on the coast to incor- porate, an example which was soon followed by the heaviest houses in that line. In connection with the main house, branch houses were established at Seattle, Washington Territory, and at Los Angeles, under the same firm name. The management of the three houses telling upon his health at that time, he closed up his business in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and dis- posed of the greater portion of his interest in the Seattle house, and retired permanently from the hard- ware business. The Seattle house continues to do the largest business in that line in the Territory. In 1885, realizing that the fruit business would hereafter become the leading industry of the State, he decided to identify himself with it, purchasing the famous O'Banion & Kent orchard at Saratoga. The property consisted of eighty-six acres, all in bearing, for which he paid $72,000, which at that time was considered a ridiculously high price by those who were not aware of the profits derived from this class of property. At the same time he purchased a large interest in the Los Gatos Fruit Packing Company, of which institu- tion he is the financial director. In 1887 Mr. Gordon organized the Saratoga Village Improvement Asso- ciation, the object of which is to plant shade-trees, sprinkle roadways, cultivate social intercourse, and in other ways to make Saratoga a desirable place of residence. Milton H. Myrick, ex-Supreme Court Justice of this State, is its President, and has con- tributed much to its success already achieved. Mr. Gordon's orchard consists of nearly 10,000 trees, com- posed of 3,000 apricots, 2,000 French prunes, 2,000 almonds, 1,000 peaches, and the remainder in plums,

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apples, pears, and cherries. He is now erecting a series of buildings for grading and packing green fruits for the market, and also for canning, drying, and making glace fruit-a form of crystallized fruit. A portion of the buildings will be ready for this season's crop, with greater extensions to be made for the future. Shortly after coming to the place he organized a stock company, and had the orchard in- corporated under the name of the Saratoga Orchard Company, with a capital stock of $100,000, one of the objects being the acquiring of adjacent land and setting it out into orchards. Mr. Gordon spends half of his time at his orchard, and the other half at his office in San Francisco, where he is operating on his own account in real estate, These operations extend from British Columbia to Mexico, a business he has been engaged in since he earned his first $20 piece.

Mr. Gordon was married October 11, 1873, to Carrie S. Hooke, of San Francisco, a daughter of William H. Hooke, a prominent lumber dealer of that city. They have four children-three daughters and one son.

OHN W. BRYAN. The father of the subject of this sketch, Abner Bryan, was born in Saint Charles, Missouri, March 17, 1802, where he lived to be grown. He was married to Mary Thomas, and removed to Greene County, Missouri, where he re- sided until 1845. At this early date Mr. Bryan, with his family of five sons, and another family named Scott, started for California. The two families, num- bering seventeen persons, made the trip across the plains, taking six months, lacking four days, to make the journey, from the time they started until they landed at Sacramento. The party stopped the first winter at Sutter's Fort. Captain Sutter gave them an adobe house to live in during the cold weather. From there they moved ten miles up the American River, to a place called Leigedoff Ranch, where they stopped a short time. In the same spring they started out with the intention of going to Oregon. They went up the Sacramento River about ninety miles, to what is known as Stony Creek, where they located, and remained two years. They built a large adobe house, and made everything as convenient as possible. In the fall of 1847 they came down to San Jose, and went hence to the mines at Hangtown, now Placer- ville, where the discovery of gold was made. They remained there in the mines until the fall of 1849,

when they returned to San Jose, and removed from here to what is now Mountain View. It was not long before they went to Contra Costa County, thence to Salinas, Monterey County, and from there they returned to Santa Clara County, and to the town of Santa Clara. From here he went to what is now San Benito County, then Monterey County. He made one or two other little moves, and finally went to Santa Barbara County, where he now resides. His wife died while crossing the plains, and was buried on the way. Mr. Bryan was married again. The issue of this marriage was five children-three sons and two daughters.

John W. Bryan, the subject of this sketch, remained with his father until 1858. He was married, in 1860, to Mary E. Logwood, a native of Texas, who came to California with her parents in 1853. Soon after his marriage Mr. Bryan came to Santa Clara County, where he has lived ever since. In October, 1865, he settled on his present place in Fremont Township, which contains eighty acres of land. Sixty acres are in orchard, numbering about 600 trees, the youngest of which is five years old. There are thirty acres in vines, from four to seven years old. The rest of the place is in grain and hay. Mr. and Mrs. Bryan have three children : William, Josie, and Lilian Gertrude. They have also lost two children : Luella died April 9, 1888, aged twenty-seven years; and Katie died in 1865, at the age of three years.

FRANKLIN M. FARWELL was born in Morris- ville, Madison County, New York, August 8, 1834. His father, John W., was a native of Mansfield, Connecticut, where he was born Novem- ber 14, 1809, and, when quite young, moved to Madi- son County, New York, and was married there to Nancy M. Morris, a native of that county. Her father was also born in Connecticut, and removed at an early date to Madison County, New York. She was born November 12, 1812. John W. removed to New York city in 1846 and engaged in the mercantile business. In 1849 he came to San Francisco, and in 1856 moved, with his family, to the Farwell place near Saratoga. Previous to this date, in 1854, his son Charles took up some government land, and in 1855 built a house. His was a squatter claim, and the main house then built still stands. John W., the father, died September 6, 1866, and his wife died No- vember 20, 1885. They reared a family of six chil-

W.3 . Gang may

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dren, four of whom grew to maturity; two are now living. Charles T. Farwell was drowned in the Fraser River in February, 1864. William H. Farwell died in December, 1877. The children now living are Franklin M. and Jennie M. Farwell.

Frank M., the subject of this sketch, went to the California mines in Nevada and Sierra Counties in 1856, and mined there four or five years, when he came home and worked on the ranch till 1871; going then to San Francisco, he engaged in business there till 1878, when he returned to the ranch, where he has since lived. This ranch originally containcd 160 acres; of this, sixty acres are in trees, viz., thirty-four acres in French prunes, twenty-two acres in winter pears for shipping, two acres in peaches, and one acre containing a variety of fruits. The apple and peach trees in the old family orchard, planted in 1856, are strong and healthy; also some plum trees twenty-five years old. In 1884, from two of these, 700 pounds from one, and 500 pounds from the other, were gath- ered. In 1886 the same results were obtained. Mr. Farwell is one of the most enterprising and public- spirited men in his section, and is always found at the front in any movement that tends to the public good, or the relief of the unfortunate.

"ON. W. Z. ANGNEY, deceased. There is no career so brilliant but that an additional bright- ness attaches to it from the charm of honesty, and the possession and retention of this jewel, by a man in public life, assures him a lasting place in the esteem of his fellow-men. Brilliancy, stability, and honesty, all these and more, were the possession of the late distinguished man whose name heads this sketch. He was a native of Pennsylvania, born at Carlisle, the county seat of Cumberland County, on the third of October, 1818. He commenced his ed- ucation in the grammar department of the High School in his native borough, and at the age of seven- teen years commenced attendance at Dickinson Col- lege, at which institution he graduated with high rank, four years later. For his life vocation he chose the profession of the law, and commenced his legal studies under Mr. Alexander, of Carlisle, and was associated with that gentleman for two years. Rec- ognizing the fact that the place for a young man to obtain a foot-hold in professional life was in the new West, rather than in the over-crowded East, Mr. Ang- ney removed to Missouri and located at Jefferson

City, the State capital, where he was soon afterward admitted to the Bar. At the breaking out of the Mexican War, he offered his services in behalf of his country, and received a Lieutenant's commission. He soon rose to the rank of Captain, and in the campaign commanded a brigade of regular troops. Some time after the close of the war, Mr. Angney was elected as one of the delegates from New Mexico, to urge upon the general government at Washington the impor- tance of, and necessity for, a civil government for the territory of New Mexico. At the end of one year, his mission being completed, he returned to New Mexico. In 1851, however, he set out for California, at the head of a large party, and was the first man to drive sheep over that route.

For some months he traveled throughout California, then returned to his native State. He determined, however, to make the Golden State his future home, and for that purpose returned to the Pacific Coast, via Panama, and in 1853 took up his residence in San Francisco. He resumed his profession, and in a short time built up a large practice, but having con- scientious scruples about the practice of law in San Francisco in those days, he decided to retire from it. In pursuance of this purpose he purchased a herd of sheep, and, coming to Santa Clara County, established himself upon the fine ranch west of Gilroy, now known as the Scott and Hersey place. Though he had given up his chosen profession in obedience to the dictates of his conscience, he was too good a citizen to refrain from taking his part in the public affairs of the community, and in 1867 he was put forward and chosen by the electors of his legislative district to a seat in the General Assembly of the State. In the session of 1867-68 he was Chairman of the impor- tant standing Committee on Ways and Means, and of the special Committee on the Adoption of a Uni- form System of Fees for all the counties of the State. He was also a member of the standing Committee on Education.

In July, 1870, he was appointed by Governor Haight as a member of the State Board of Equal- ization, a position of honor and of great impor- tance. While a member of that Board, he was re- quested by Governor Haight to undertake the work .of the revision of the code, or that portion of it em- braced in the Revenue Law. In a matter of such importance but few men, however great their capa- bilities, are competent to take charge. Captain Ang- ney, with his clear head and studious habits, was pro- posed as the one man best fitted for the work. In

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compliance with the Governor's request, he undertook the work, assisted by Mr. Maslin, the Clerk of the Board. It required great labor and intense mental ap- plication, but he had the satisfaction to see that his revision was, for the most part, accepted by the code revisers. That satisfaction was, however, the only compensation he ever received, as he asked for and received no pay for his labors. The meed of credit should have been given, but this was scarcely done, and his name is known, in this connection, only by the few immediately identified with the work. He did not care, however; when a duty was done, a good accomplished, the reward of conscience satisfied him. In 1875 he was again called by the electors of his district to perform public duty, and was chosen by them to a seat in the State Senate. In this body he was chosen Chairman of the Committee on Finance. He was also a Chairman of the Committee on Pub- lic Lands, and a member of those on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Public Morals. He served through the first session with great distinction, and in his appear- ance at the opening of the session of 1877-78, it was noticed that his health was fast failing. When the Senate adjourned for the Christmas holidays, he went to his home, never again to leave it in life. His death occurred on the twenty-eighth of January, 1878. Great sorrow was felt on account of his death, not only at his home and in his family, but throughout the State, and among his public associates. Many of the leading newspapers of the State said that the Senate had lost its most profound scholar, and not one notice failed to speak of the proud heritage of an honest and noble name he had left to his widow. The committee appointed by the Senate to attend the funeral in an official capacity consisted of Senators Murphy, Montgomery, Flint, Fowler, and Evans. It was universally acknowledged that the State had lost one of its ablest and most conscientious statesmen. Captain Angney was indeed a noble man, whose chief aim it was through life to do good.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 57

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