Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 84

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 84

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Mr. Cropley married, in 1879, Miss Henrietta Abel, the daughter of George H. and Mary Ann (Marks) Abel, who were natives of England, but residents of Stockton, California. Mr. and Mrs. Cropley have four children: Henry H., Marshall F., James, and Reece T.

The subject of our sketch is a man of energy and ambition. He is a practical agriculturist, and carries on, successfully and profitably, not only his large farming operations on the lands which we have noted, but also on property in other parts of the county. He is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of Mission Peak Lodge, No. 114, of Alameda County. He is a strong Re- publican, and yet liberal in his political views.

RS. GEORGIE McBRIDE established her home on Plummer Avenue, between Curtner Avenue and the Foxworthy road, in the Wil- low District, in January, 1881. Here she lives with her family of four boys, the eldest of whom was

then in his fifteenth year. She came from St. Louis, Missouri, and commenced improving what was then a naked wheat field, buying fifteen acres and paying $125 per acre.

Mrs. McBride has, in her life here, illustrated what a woman of energy and executive ability can accom- plish, in this land of sunny sky and fertile soil. Her first care was to build a house and plant a few trees around it. The first season the fifteen acres were planted to prune, cherry, and apricot trees, with the first in predominance. The third year, from five acres, she gathered six tons of prunes. In 1883 Mrs. McBride added seventeen acres to her purchase, pay- ing from $150 to $200 per acre; this also was in a state of nature. She now has, excepting the portion occupied by buildings, thirty-two acres in trees. Twenty acres of these are bearing, and ten acres are in trees three and four years old. In 1887 her apri- cots yielded $260 per acre, while her total receipts from fruit in that year were $1,800.

Mrs. McBride is a daughter of B. S. and Maria (Meason) Hollingsworth. Her father was a native of Virginia and her mother of Kentucky. She has four sons : John G., born in July, 1865; Charles, in March, 1867; David E., in January, 1870; and Smith E., March, 1871.

Mrs. McBride has, by the aid of her sons, managed the place, and except in the hurry of fruit-growing, has not expended for labor more than $100 during the seven years she has owned it ! By her success in creating a home in a strange land, and without assist- ance, Mrs. McBride has proven herself a woman of more than ordinary ability. The healthy condition of her orchard is a sure indication of good management, and a refutation of the charge that a woman cannot conduct a paying business. She is most fortunate in her sons, who have their mother's energy, and are of the greatest assistance to her in caring for their pleas- ant home.

THOMAS OSBORN, of the Willows, was born in Franklin County, Indiana, January 1, 1824. He is the son of Daniel and Rebecca (French) Osborn, who are natives of Ohio. His grand- parents, Cyrus and Esther (Baldwin) Osborn, re- moved from Newark, New Jersey, to Butler County, Ohio, during the latter part of the last century. Cyrus Osborn was one of the party who went to the scene of

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

St. Clair's defeat, to bury the dead. He lived to re- turn to his home, but died soon after. Daniel Osborn served under General Harrison in the War of 1812. When his son Thomas was but a few months old, he became a pioneer settler of Fountain County, Indiana, locating there two years before the county was or- ganized. There the subject of this sketch was reared, assisting in his youth in clearing a farm in the dense forest. His schooling was limited to a few weeks' attendance, each year, at subscription schools. On the twentieth of October, 1847, he was married to Miss Margaret Harbaugh, who is a native of the State of Pennsylvania. They have eight children, four of whom were born in Indiana, and four in Wisconsin, they having removed to Dane Township, Dane County, of that State, in 1849. There they lived un- til 1858, thence returning to Fountain County, Indiana. In 1868 they removed to Vermillion County, Illinois, and again, in 1872, to Veedersburgh, Indiana, - Here Mr. Osborn conducted a hardware business for one year, and in April, 1873, became a Californian, settling in Tulare County, where he bought a ranch, which he stocked with 6,000 sheep. This business he followed for about six years, when he sold his sheep and engaged in cattle-raising at the same place. His ranch contained 800 acres, while his range covered thousands of acres. Selling his property, Mr. Osborn established himself in his present home, in January, 1885. It is situated in the Willow District, near the junction of Lincoln Avenue and the Almaden road. For this property, which had been previously im- proved by John W. Badger, he paid $450 per acre. It contains fourteen acres, devoted to fruit, consisting principally of apricots and Silver prunes.

The names of their children, in order of their birth, are: Alice, wife of Isaac Waldrip, of Fountain County, Indiana; Joel S., engaged in stock business in Tulare County ; Oliver D., a resident of Los Angeles; Eve, wife of William Duncan, a resident of Danville, Illinois; Elizabeth, living at her father's home, at the Willows; Daniel, an employe of the Southern Pa- cific Road ; Mary M., a teacher and a member of the home household, as is also Butler, the youngest mem- ber of the family.

Mr. Osborn, a man of kindly, honest nature, has devoted his life to agriculture, and has made a suc- cess in that line, as his surroundings prove. He is a Republican of long standing, having been one of the organizers of the party, in Dane County, Wisconsin. In religion he is a Baptist, with which denomination both he and his wife are identified.

OHN W. BADGER, of the Willow District, owns a home on Plummer Avenue, between Curtner Avenue and Foxworthy road. He has been a resident of this neighborhood since 1880, in which year he bought forty acres, between Lincoln Avenue and the Almaden road. This tract he changed from its natural state into one of the finest fruit farms in the district, planting about 4,000 trees, principally prunes. The purchase price was $200 per acre. In 1884 he sold fifteen acres, at $450 per acre, to Thomas Osborn, and in 1885 twenty-five acres, at $500 per acre, to Hugh L. Cameron. While the trees were developing, Mr. Badger planted about twenty acres to rhubarb, realizing from the product $1,000 per year, on the average. After selling to Cameron, he bought his present home, where he and his father to- gether own eighteen acres, all devoted to fruit. They paid $500 per acre, the trees being five and six years of age. In 1887 $2,200 were realized from the prod- uct of thirteen acres, four acres being covered by re-grafted trees.

Mr. Badger is a native of Meredith, Belknap County, New Hampshire, dating his birth August 16, 1847. He is the son of George G. and Frances G. (Whidden) Badger, both of whom are natives of New Hampshire, the father of Meredith, and the mother of Portsmouth. John W. is the eldest of four chil- dren, two sons and two daughters. He was reared to a farm life, although his first labor in youth was in his father's tannery. Although but seventeen years of age, he enlisted, in 1864, in the First New Hamp- shire Heavy Artillery, and served in the Twenty- second Army Corps in the defenses of Washington, being discharged at the close of the war. His father enlisted, in 1862, in the Twelfth Volunteer Infantry of New Hampshire. He served with great honor, being severely wounded at the battle of Chancellors- ville, when a musket ball passed through both hips. This wound necessitated his discharge from the army. In compensation for his services to his country, he receives a pension of $12 per month.

In 1872 John came to California, having borrowed the money with which to make the journey, and en- gaged himself as a laborer on a ranch owned by his maternal uncle, William Whidden, of Alameda County. Here he earned $40 per month during the summer and $30 per month during the winter. At the end of four years he bought four horses and a gang-plow, and, renting land, commenced work for himself. He worked this place for three years, pay- ing one-fourth of the crop for rent, and clearing one

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PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

year about $800. He came, in 1880, to the Willows, where, by industry and good management, he suc- ceeded far beyond his expectations. In 1880 Mr. Badger was joined by his parents, who, until that time, had lived at the old home in New Hampshire.

Mr. Badger is a Republican in politics, and a mem- ber of John A. Dix Post, G. A. R., No. 42, San Jose.

HARLES F. BOPP, one of the horticulturists

of Hamilton District, resides on the Los Gatos

℮

road, near the western terminus of Fruit Vale

Avenue. His property, of thirty-four acres, was in pasture land when he purchased it, in the spring of 1884. He commenced tree planting the first year of his occupancy, setting the whole place to orchard; but as the work was done late in the season, much had to be replanted. His orchard is noticeable for its thrifty condition, the principal fruits being apricots and French prunes. However, almost every variety, in- cluding pears, peaches, plums, apples, cherries, and figs, is found there. His pleasant residence Mr. Bopp erected in 1886.

Mr. Bopp is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, where he was born September 1, 1834. When nine- teen years of age he left his native land and came to the United States, the land of the free. The first few years he spent in Virginia and Maryland, and in 1859 came as far west as Indiana. While living in this State the war called him to the defense of the land of his adoption, and he went to the front, enlist- ing July 14, 1861, in Company K, Twenty-second Indiana Volunteers. In August following he was transferred to the Regimental Band. His service was in the Southwestern Department, first under General Fremont, and later under General Curtis. He was honorably discharged from the service in July, 1862.

In 1864 Mr. Bopp left Indiana, and made the jour- ney across the Isthmus of Panama, settling in Napa County, this State; thence he removed to Gilroy, Santa Clara County. He was engaged in blacksmith- ing during his residence in California until, in 1869, he bought 240 acres of undeveloped land, in Colusa County, when he became a farmer. In 1874 he added 160 acres to his already large farm, making a fine property of 400 acres, which he devoted to wheat and barley raising. He made this farm his home until 1884, when he returned to Santa Clara County, and bought his present fruit ranch, to the im-

provement of which he has since devoted his time, with the best of results.

Mr. Bopp married Mrs. Hattie Hammond, formerly Miss Hattie Schallenberger. By a former marriage, Mrs. Bopp has two children, viz .: Louisa Frances and Ralph Hammond.

In politics Mr. Bopp is identified with the Repub- lican party, and in religious affairs is connected with the Methodist Church. As a horticulturist, Mr. Bopp's success is evidenced by the good condition of his trees, and the results obtained from his fruit in- terests.

HOMAS KERWIN is the owner of a beautiful farm of 100 acres, on the Saratoga and Mount- ain View road, in the Lincoln School District, about five miles southwest of Santa Clara. Sixty-five acres are in vineyard, producing the follow- ing varieties of wine grapes: Cabernets, Malbec, Golden Chasselas, Grenache, Carignan, Matero, Zin- fandel, Trousseau, and Charbano. The remainder of the farm, with the exception of a small orchard, is devoted to the production of hay and grain and to stock-raising.

Mr. Kerwin was born in Galway County, Ireland. His parents were Michael and Mary (Coulin) Kerwin. His mother dying when he was but nine years of age, and his father being a commercial agent and almost constantly away from home, he was left almost en- tirely to his own resources. At the age of thirteen years he left home and went to Liverpool, England. In that city he obtained employment as a messenger in the Harbor Police Inspector's office. After hold- ing that position for more than two years, he secured employment as a collector for teamsters and draymen. He was engaged in this work for several years, in fact until he determined that he would come to the United States.

He put this plan into action in 1849, and, landing at Boston, at once started for the country. He spent about ten months in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in gardening. Returning to Boston, he engaged in many different occupations, among them teaming. Later he was employed as a salesman in the furniture store of Russell & Co. He remained in their employ until, in 1854, he came to California.

Mr. Kerwin sought the country, rather than the city, and soon came to Santa Clara County. He worked at orchard cultivation on the Gould place in Santa Clara for about a year, when he took up his rcs-

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

idence upon the place where he now lives. He has devoted over thirty years to the improvement and cultivation of his lands, taking them in their wild state, while covered with chaparral, and inhabited by California lions, coyotes, and wild-cats. Thanks to his energy and perseverance, he has been most suc- cessful in labors. He has acquired a large amount of land, owning at one time about 600 acres, 320 acres of which he himself cleared and cultivated. He sold 280 of it several years ago in its wild state, and in 1881 and 1882 he disposed of 220 acres of cleared land.

The subject of our sketch received very little school- ing in his youth, but in later years, while earning his living, he managed to educate himself to a certain ex tent. But his success in life has been due, not to early advantages, but to his own indomitable will and steady perseverance.

On the twenty-ninth of August, 1858, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine McGauren, daughter of James and Ann (Gorman) McGauren. Six chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kerwin: Mary Ann, who married John A. Dollard, a sea captain and a resident of San Francisco; Catherine Philomena, James Patrick, who died February 5, 1867; John B. M., Louis Joseph, and Ignatius Thomas.

EORGE NICHOLSON is the owner of a fine tract of land lying 400 yards east of the San Jose and Alviso road, in the Alviso School District. This farm of 100 acres is within easy reach of San Jose and Alviso, being three miles south of the latter place and six miles north of the former. Only so much of it is used for orchard purposes as will fur- nish a generous supply of fruit for domestic use. Twelve acres are devoted to the culture of straw- berries of the Sharpless and Cheney varieties, and about ten acres to the growing of asparagus. The re- mainder of the farm is devoted to the production of hay and grain, and to the raising of stock. There are to be found upon the place two artesian wells, one of which is 500 feet in depth and flows about five inches above a seven-inch pipe.

Mr. Nicholson is a native of Ireland, in which country he was born in 1826. His parents, Stephen and Mary (Connors) Nicholson, were natives of the same country. He was early taught the duties of a farm life, and has put into practice this practical knowledge through all his life, as agriculture has been

the chief business of his manhood years. His educa- tional advantages were very limited, and he worked at farming in Ireland until 1854, when he crossed the ocean in search of better fortune.

Landing at New York, he sought work in Onondaga County, and, obtaining it, he remained there for about three years. In 1857 he came via steamer route to this State, landing at San Francisco. He soon came to Santa Clara County, where he spent the next ten or eleven years in farm work and other occupations. In 1868, with the accumulations of these years of hard labor and economy, he purchased the land upon which he now resides, and in the cultivation of which he has been very successful.

Mr. Nicholson married, in 1857, Miss Elizabeth Kelley, daughter of William and Elizabeth Kelley, of Roscommon County, Ireland. From this marriage five children have been born, of whom three are now living, all at the homestead. Their names are: George E., Eliza, and Mollie F.

Mr. Nicholson is a practical cultivator of the soil, and a man who believes in the future greatness of his section, whose interests he is ever ready to advance. He has been more successful in the winning of a good home and a competence than many a man who had the help of more fortunate circumstances and greater advantages. His energy and native intelligence have supplied the lack of these advantages. In politics he is identified with the Democratic party, and in relig- ion with the Roman Catholic Church.

OHN C. ARTHUR became a resident of Califor- nia in December, 1861. His pleasant home is on Hicks Avenue, in the Willow District.

He was born in Westchester County, New York, November 29, 1847. His father, John D. Arthur, was a cousin of the late President Arthur. His mother was Dorinda H. Nelson. Both parents were from a long line of American ancestry, of English extraction. John D. Arthur, the father, aged eighty-five years, is now a resident of Oakland. He was among the earli- est settlers of California, coming to the State in the spring of 1850. He was also one of the first business men of San Francisco, opening an agricultural ware- house on the corner of Washington and Davis Streets. He was thoroughly identified with the city's interests, being engaged in active business there for over twenty years. From time to time he was joined by different members of his family, which he had left in the East.

456

PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

His wife arrived in 1860, and in 1862 the family circle was complete with the exception of one son and one daughter, Charles S. and Emma J., both now de- ceased. Mrs. Arthur died in April, 1876, at the age of sixty-three years. Of their children who came to California, William N. died in San Francisco, in April, 1865 ; George N. lives at the Willows; Gertrude is a resident of Oakland; and Edward M. makes his home in Portland, Oregon.

John C. Arthur is the youngest of the family. He came to the State at the age of fifteen years, and spent six years of the next eight in his fa- ther's establishment in San Francisco. In 1870 he bought the first real estate that he ever owned, a ranch south of San Felipe, on the edge of the Las Animas grant, of 179 acres. There he engaged in stock-raising, until 1875, when he sold the property. In 1877 he bought the property where he now makes his home. It contains six and one-half acres, and was then part of a grain field. The substantial build- ings which are now found there are mainly the work of his own hands. In November, 1882, Mr. Arthur bought twenty-two acres in the same neighborhood, which was covered with brush and timber. This he cleared and planted with fruit-trees the following year. That property he has since sold, realizing a handsome sum. Mr. Arthur owns a one-third interest in a fine fruit ranch of thirty acres near Campbell Station. For the home property he paid $200 per acre. It is now a fine productive orchard of prune, cherry, peach and apricot trees. Mr. Arthur has realized as much as $1,100 for one year's product of this orchard, sold green. The owner of a pleasant home and several fine fruit orchards, Mr. Arthur is one of the many prosperous citizens of the Willows. Politically, he is an independent, with Republican antecedents. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. On the fifth of October, 1874, he married Miss Eliza J. Gardner, daughter of William Gardner, who resides on Delmas Avenue. She was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, May 12, 1855. Three daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur, but all of them have passed to their heavenly home. Nettie died at the age of seven years, Alice at the age of two and one-half years, while one daughter died in infancy.

RANK R. SHAFTER, who resides on Stevens Creek road, in the Meridian District, three miles from San Jose, owns a very finely improved property of forty acres, which he purchased March 2,

1883. It was originally part of 160 acres entered as government land by Asa Gruwell. The place was in a sad condition when bought by Mr. Shafter, and had nothing to commend it but the superior quality of its soil. Three hundred trees had been planted, but neglect had greatly decreased the number, and the house, though quite large, has been almost entirely rebuilt since Mr. Shafter purchased the property. The other fine general building improvements are en- tirely his work. With the exception of a few acres, which are reserved for drying purposes, the property is now all in fruit-trees, the orchard covering thirty- six acres. At the present time (1888) there are 2,000 French prune trees, four years old, 850 apricot trees of the same age, 450 peach trees, and 76 Bartlett pear trees, besides a general variety of fruits for do- mestic use. Some idea of the thrifty condition of this large orchard may be obtained by the following estimate : In 1887, the apricot trees (then three years old) produced $781 worth of fruit, and in the same year, and at the same age, the 450 peach trees yielded a crop which sold for $611, while the peach crop of the preceding year realized the sum of $254.

Mr. Shafter is also extensively engaged in fruit- drying, handling his own fruit and buying of others. The dimensions of the building in which he conducted the business in 1887 are 24x48 feet, and for the pres- ent season he has added a building 30x48 feet, with a six-foot porch nearly encircling the building. With these increased facilities for the business, he will add largely to the profits thereof.

The subject of our sketch dates his birth in Athens, Windham County, Vermont, September 19, 1854. He is the son of J. D. and S. G. Shafter (whose history appears elsewhere in this book), now residents of San Jose. He was brought by his parents to this State in 1859, they living from that time until 1869 in Marin County, whence they removed to Hall's Valley, in Santa Clara County. There they made their home for thirteen years before becoming residents of San Jose. Mr. Shafter married, April 26, 1882, Miss Frances Phipps. Two daughters have been born to them, Lottie Ruth and Bertha Ray.

Politically Mr. Shafter is identified with the Re- publican party. A thorough master of his business, he is bound to make a success of it, financially and in every way. The same energy which has enabled him to convert the neglected, uninviting place into a thriving fruit ranch, profitable to its owner, and pleas- ing to the eye of every passer-by, he carries into every branch of his growing business. The rapidity

SCHLOSS

Lamia Schloss.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

and thoroughness with which he has wrought the great change augurs well for the future prospects of the ranch and its owner.

OUIS SCHLOSS is one of the representative real-estate men of the Santa Clara Valley. He came to San Jose in 1885, and engaged in the boot and shoe trade. Disposing of his interest in that business to his partner, in February, 1887, he opened a real-estate office over the Bank of Santa Clara in the town of Santa Clara; but, finding the town too small for the business he wanted to do, he removed his office under the St. James Hotel, which he still oc- cupies, and has always used a trade-mark, which is a castle with his name printed across the face of it. It is very appropriate, and entirely original. "Castle," translated in German, is Schloss. By liberal but ju- dicious advertising, indomitable energy, and honorable dealing with customers, he stepped right to the front, and has done a large and prosperous business as a dealer in all kinds of city and country property, most of his transactions being in the Santa Clara Valley. For the further enlargement of his business, Mr. Schloss opened a branch office, May 1, 1888, in San Francisco, at 624 Market Street, opposite the Palace Hotel, where the wants of customers for the sale, purchase, or rent- ing of property in all parts of the State are carefully and thoroughly attended to. Being unacquainted with the real-estate business when he started in, Mr. Schloss' friends had some doubts and misgivings about his success; but by bringing to bear his fine business qualities, and adhering strictly to the princi- pal of not misrepresenting to a customer in any case, even if he missed a sale thereby, he soon won confi- dence, which, with unremitting industry, assured a large volume of business. As an illustration, the largest sale Mr. Schloss ever made was negotiated and completed before seven o'clock one morning, and the customer left the city on the 7:15 train.

Mr. Schloss was born in Columbus, Indiana, July 7, 1859. His father, Moses A. Schloss, was a native of Germany, and his mother of Indiana. After attend- ing school at Hanover College he studied law a year and a half in the office of Colonel Stansiler and Judge N. R. Keyes. Being offered a partnership with his brother-in-law in a large dry-goods business, in 1879, Mr. Schloss accepted, and continued in it until 1883, when he sold out and became interested in mining in

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 84

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