USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego county, California; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 29
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His wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Elizabeth Brown, makes her home upon this farm.
Elbrige F. Osborne was reared upon his father's farm in Michigan and attended the public schools of that state. Coming west in 1886, he spent three years in Washington and Idaho, after which he returned to Michigan, where he remained until 1896. In that year he came to California and purchased six and three-quarters acres of land in National City, which constitutes a part of his present ranch. Later he added to this ten adjoining acres and is now engaged in raising lemons, garden truck and berries. Some idea of the amount of production may be gained from the fact that each year he picks from his six acres sixty tons of lemons and this average has been maintained for the past ten years. In a little corner of his holdings is a seemingly insignificant black- berry patch but from it he picked in 1912 ten thousand boxes of berries.
In 1892 Mr. Osborne married Miss Elizabeth O'Neill, a native of Michigan, and they have four children, all of whom, with the exception of the eldest, were born in California. They are: Florence, who is seventeen years of age; Marie, aged thirteen; Myrtle, who is eight years; and Lloyd, aged seven.
Mr. Osborne is prominent in the Masonic order in National City and has served one term as city trustee. Since 1896 he has made his residence here and during the time has been prominent in the development of an important industry. He not only keeps in touch with modern methods and standards but by his successful work has placed himself among the few who establish and develop them.
S. C. PAYSON.
The Santa Fe Railroad has in its service no more able, resourceful and enthusiastic business man than S. C. Payson, and San Diego no more loyal, public-spirited and enthusiastic citizen. In 1909 he came to the city as repre- sentative of the Santa Fe system and since that time has done unusual work for that corporation-work of development, of upbuilding and of general expansion.
Mr. Payson spent his childhood in New York and acquired his education in that state. From an early age he was intensely interested in railroading and soon realized the advantages which southern California offered along this line. Accordingly, when he came to San Diego in 1909 he put all of his fine enthusiasm and confidence into the work and took every means in his power to spread a more general knowledge of the aims and intentions of the Santa Fe Railroad. He has spoken before the boards of trade and talked to commercial associations not only in San Diego but in nearly every town and city in the southern part of the state. Largely through his efforts the business done by the railroad along all lines has expanded and grown and has reached unusually large proportions at the present time. Mr. Payson's principal assets are his enthusiasm and his imagination. Both are controlled and directed by shrewd business ability, fore- sight and judgment and are thus made doubly effective in the development of
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projects which require a mind capable of comprehending large affairs. San Diego is particularly fortunate in numbering him among its citizens, for he is a firm believer in the possibilities of the city, an active developer of its present resources and imbued with a fine enthusiasm as to its future greatness.
LEWIS E. DADMUN.
Lewis E. Dadmun, attorney at law, practicing in San Diego, and the legal representative of several important corporations, has remained in active con- nection with the bar here for about twenty years. He was born in Charleston, Illinois, July 23, 1872, and is a son of Daniel and Mary R. Dadmun. At the usual age, he entered the public schools, which he attended until 1881, when at the age of nine years, he accompanied his parents on their removal to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. There he resumed his education as a public-school pupil and attended the high school until 1889. He then came to San Diego, and for a year thereafter was a student in the Commercial College here, graduating therefrom. He then went to Chicago. While the daytime was devoted to his business cares and duties, he studied law at night, mastering many of the prin- ciples of jurisprudence. He afterwards went to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he devoted his attention to the study and practice of law until 1892. He then returned to San Diego, and the next year was admitted to the bar, after which he at once began practice.
His practice is large and varied, taking him into all the courts of the state, as well as the United States court. He has successfully defended some of the most difficult criminal cases to defend that have ever been tried in the courts of the county, including persons charged with murder, bribery and other felonies. While his experience has been great and varied in the prosecution and the defense of persons charged with crime, yet the major portion of his practice is civil, having appeared in many civil cases of importance, either as attorney for the plaintiff or the defendant.
Mr. Dadmun has been called upon by the county and city to appear as special prosecutor, where he successfully conducted the prosecution. He was the first attorney on the coast to question the right of the collector of port to levy a fine against a vessel, and to sell the same in payment of fine, contending that the collector of port's only authority was to seize the vessel, but that he had no authority or jurisdiction to levy a fine or make a sale of the vessel, until after the question of the fine had first been determined by the court. The point was raised for the first time, by him in the case of the United States vs. The Schooner Lou, and determined by the United States court, sitting in admiralty. The case was fought for nearly two years, he being successful in the litigation against the United States.
He is recognized as a thorough, careful, conscientious and able lawyer and in all litigations in which he is employed has always uppermost in his mind the interests of his clients, and is recognized as one of the most successful lawyers at the bar. He is regularly retained by a number of local corporations as their counsel.
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In addition to Mr. Dadmun's law practice, he has other interests, having from time to time, made judicious investments in real estate, until now he is the owner of considerable property in National City and San Diego. He also owns a large and valuable ranch in the county, which he has stocked with thoroughbred horses and cattle.
On the 3rd of April, 1895, Mr. Dadmun was married in National City to Miss Mary E. Annis, and they have become the parents of three children, Erving Emerson, Dorothy and Sarah Elizabeth. They are public-school students, the first two being now in the high school.
Mr. Dadmun gives his political allegiance to the republican party and keeps informed on the questions and issues of the day, but has never been active as an office seeker, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his law practice. His devotion to his clients' interests is proverbial, and he recognizes the fact that industry is as indispensable an element in the practice of law as in any commercial or industrial pursuit.
THEODORE F. JOHNSON, M. D.
Dr. Theodore F. Johnson is one of the public-spirited, enterprising and progressive men of National City as well as one of its most able, conscientious and successful physicians and surgeons. For twenty-five years he has been practicing here and the things which he has accomplished afford the best proof of his capabilities. He was born in Windsor county, Vermont, October 12, 1851, and remained in that section until he was ten years of age. At that time his family moved to Dane county, Wisconsin, and there Dr. Johnson pursued his education, supplementing a course in the public schools by some years' attendance at the State University at Madison. For some time he taught school in Wis- consin and in Pueblo, Colorado, before beginning his medical studies, which were completed at the Northwestern Medical College of Chicago in 1877. For nine years afterward he practiced in East Troy, Walworth county, Wisconsin, and then came to National City in January, 1887, and has been practicing here since that time. Dr. Johnson is known as a keen student of the underlying principles of medicine and an able worker in their practical application to the cure and prevention of disease. He has done some unusual work in his private practice and has also held some public offices connected with his profession. For seven years he was coroner of San Diego county and has been health officer of National City during almost the entire period of his residence here.
In 1878 Dr. Johnson married in Wisconsin Miss Marion Gray, a native of that state, and they have four children. Roy H. resides in Silver City, New Mexico. Myrtle E. received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of California. She is teaching in the Pasadena high school and is also zoologist for the Marine Biological Institute at La Jolla, California. Marjorie is the wife of George R. Livingston, of San Diego. The youngest child born to Dr. and Mrs. Johnson is Halbert, who is a civil engineer in the government reclamation service in Montana. Three of the children in this family are graduates of the State University at Berkeley.
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Dr. Johnson is recognized as one of the most truly loyal and public-spirited men of National City and it is known also that he possesses the power and force of character to make his public spirit effective. No movement which has for its object the general development or advancement or the promotion of increased municipal advantages seeks his support in vain. Especially is this true in movements of an educational character, for he has done some con- spicuously effective work on the local school board. It was largely due to his untiring efforts that the Carnegie public library was built in the city and this forms only one of the many useful things in which he has been actively inter- ested during his ten years of service as president of the library board. He has a wide acquaintance in National City, where his work for twenty-five years has been of a constructive and expanding kind, and his many fine qualities of mind and character have made of every acquaintance a firm friend.
GILBERT L. PRAUL.
A power of business discrimination intelligently directed, an energetic spirit ambitious for achievement and an ability which commands opportunities have been the contributing factors which have placed Gilbert L. Praul in the front ranks of the substantial and representative men of National City. He has been in California fifteen years and during the time has been identified with various business interests in San Diego county but has been especially successful in lemon growing, to which he has given systematic study and attention. At all stages of his business career his efforts have been ably supplemented by those of his wife, who has been of material assistance to him in the accomplish- ment of his success. Mr. Praul was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and went to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1869, where his ability and force of personality carried him forward into important business connections. Mr. and Mrs. Praul came to San Diego in 1897 to buy a lemon ranch, having been attracted by reports of the wealth to be made in the lemon growing industry in San Diego county. On arriving in National City they bought ten acres of land on High- land avenue, which they planted in lemons and oranges. Little by little they improved the place, set out new trees, laid walks and drives and added every- thing which would contribute to beauty. Both are lovers of flowers and Mrs. Praul planned most attractive gardens and planted and cared for her blos- soms assiduously. However, they found the ranch unproductive because there was very little water and also on account of the fact that lemons commanded a very low price upon the market. Accordingly they left their property and Mr. Praul went to Otay, where he established himself in the mercantile busi- ness, Mrs. Praul assisting in the store and teaching school in South San Diego, to which place she drove forth and back each day. Mr. Praul gradually became prominent in business affairs of Otay and added to his activities the conduct of another general store. Later, however, he, and his wife returned to their lemon ranch on Highland avenue in National City and remedied the former diffi- culty by having water piped to the property. Since that time their success has been rapid. The trees produced more abundant crops every year and the
ElizaA Praul
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land increased in value, as did also the price of lemons. True to their artistic instincts and love of beauty, Mr. and Mrs. Praul gave special attention to the attractive appearance of their home and grounds. They planted the Cal- ifornia eucalyptus trees and beside the winding walks laid out artistic flower beds, in which they planted native and foreign blossoms, which in the soft southern climate bloom in a profusion of color and give just the needed brilliant touch to the beauty of the bungalow set in the midst of a level lawn, in the shade of many fine trees. Visitors and sightseers in National City make the Praul home a particular stopping point and are rewarded by the sight of a really artistic home, the beauty of which cannot be duplicated in southern California. The material value of their ranch is seen in the fact that they recently sold five acres of the property for five thousand dollars.
Mr. and Mrs. Praul have three children: Walter W., a merchant in Otay; Charles S., of San Francisco; and Hattie E., who lives at home. Mrs. Praul is a firm believer in the principles of Christian Science and her faith is based upon personal experience. At one period of her life she was a hopeless invalid, barely able to walk, and she was cured by a healer of that religion. She studied the doctrines and teachings, embraced the faith and is now a successful prac- titioner. She is deeply interested in the early history of southern California and has done some important study and research work along this line. The following is an article which she wrote for the local paper in National City. It is a description of the old "adobe casa" which was built and occupied by one of the most honored Spanish dons of California's early days, Santiago Argu- ello, commanding officer at San Diego from 1830 to 1840.
"The old Spanish landmark stands on the crest of the hill, known as La Punta, about fifteen miles south of the city of San Diego and commands one of the broadest views of mountain, sea and bay to be found in southern Cal- ifornia. It was the ranch home of General Santiago Arguello (who was born at Monterey, California, 1791) and recalls the 'gala day' when the Spanish don was lord of California and his flocks and herds fed on a thousand hills.
"After the death of General Santiago Arguello, this property (including all of Rancho National, the Otay grant and south to the Mexican line, an area cov- ering, in 1846, fifty-eight thousand, two hundred and eight acres) passed to the general's son, Santiago E. Arguello, who was born August 18, 1813, made his home here and reared a family of six, two sons, now dead, and four daughters. Santiago E. Arguello's eldest daughter, Maria Antonio, married Captain A. H. Wilcox, who established and improved the ranch, now known as 'Fruitland Park' in Otay valley. Captain and Mrs. Wilcox died many years ago. The daughters now living are Mrs. W. B. Couts, of 'Mission Valley,' Miss Lolo Arguello, of San Diego, and Mrs. W. H. Hubbard, who lives near the old adobe home of her childhood. When the house was built Mrs. Hubbard does not remember.
"Santiago E. Arguello died in the old homestead, Rancho de la Punta, Octo- ber 18, 1857. His widow carried a burden of litigation, injustice and loss which lasted during her lifetime, and very recently the courts decided a suit in favor of her heirs, the Couts family. While the descendants of these great men, Don San- tiago Arguello, and his son, Santiago E. Arguello, are now living in quiet seclu- sion, they have not lost their fine culture and sweetness of manner which is charac- Vol. II-15
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teristic of the Spanish senora. They are living representatives of an age of romance, hospitality and courtesy, little understood by the present generation."
It has been Mrs. Praul's privilege to meet and know personally the daughters and granddaughters of Santiago E. Arguello and she found that in all things and at all times they were kind, generous and free from all unkind criticism of the people at whose hand they had suffered so much.
WILLIAM L. THOMPSON.
William L. Thompson, who since 1911 has followed the profession of civil engineering in San Diego, while evidences of his superior skill in this field are manifest in various parts of the country, was born in Albany, New York, September 17, 1870, a son of Charles M. and Olivia (Lee) Thompson. The father was formerly engineer in charge of the Cape Cod ship canal at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and at present has the supervision of the real estate belong- ing to the company and is the personal representative of August Belmont, who is at the head of the proposition. This canal was started in 1883 and will be completed in 1913, Mr. Thompson, Sr., having been associated with the project all through these years. He is an engineer of world-wide reputation.
His son, William L. Thompson, was educated at Sandwich and Boston, Massachusetts, and was with his father in business for a number of years, gaining valuable knowledge along engineering lines in that way. He also had a private practice in Winchester, Massachusetts, until 1900. He afterward became associated with various railroads on construction work in the eastern, southern and middle western states for five years and in 1905 he located at Ridgewood, New Jersey, where he became city engineer and superintendent of streets and sewers. He also practiced his profession independently there and he acted as municipal engineer for suburban towns. He made a specialty of road construction and of concrete work, and for a part of the time was employed by the Ridgewood Land & Improvement Company, one of the largest corporations of the kind outside of New York, being engineer in charge of their subdivisions. He laid out for them Prospect Park, Woodside Park and Godwin road. He also did engineering work for the largest corporations and the most prominent people in and near Ridgewood but at length he heard and heeded the call of the west and, believing that excellent opportunity for one in his line was offered in the rapidly growing city of San Diego, he located here in 19II and has since followed his profession, bringing with him a splendid reputation gained through the important work which he did in the east. Since his arrival here he has laid out Nordica Heights Nos. I and 2, Paradena Park and other subdivisions. Mr. Thompson has recently organized the San Diego Cement Gun Company, with offices at 451 Spreckels Building, occupying the position of vice president and general manager. The "Cement Gun" is the greatest addition to the concrete industry that has ever been introduced, and San Diego is to be congratulated on having an organization in her midst that without doubt will largely add to her commercial and industrial expansion.
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In 1902 Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Laura P. Bowditch, a native of Providence, Rhode Island. He belongs to Fidelity Lodge, No. 131, F. and A. M., of Ridgewood, New Jersey, and to the Order of Panama at San Diego. He is yet a comparatively young man who has made a notable reputation in his chosen calling and with the skill and knowledge that he has already acquired is steadily advancing with the passing years.
WILLIAM JAMESON.
Special efficiency is an excellent foundation for business success and upon it William Jameson has founded a degree of prosperity as a planing mill operator which places him among the representative business men of San Diego. He was born in Evansville, Indiana, May 31, 1866, and is a son of John C. and Mary A. Jameson.
After completing his education in the public schools of his native city William Jameson worked at various occupations until 1887 and then came to San Diego, where he obtained employment in a planing mill under G. M. Weatherby. For two and one-half years he held this position and at the end of that time went to San Francisco, where he worked in different mills of the same kind for three years. Returning to San Diego, he secured a position as mill hand in the San Diego Planing Mill and was then engaged under M. A. Graham until May, 1909. At that time, in association with two others, he bought out the San Diego Planing Mill, in which he holds a one-third interest. One of the most potent factors in the continued success of this enterprise has been Mr. Jameson's long former experience in mill operation and the energy and progressive methods which have always marked his business career.
In February, 1891, Mr. Jameson was married in San Diego to Miss Anna Koerner and they have one daughter, Irene, who is a student in Leland Stanford Junior University. Fraternally Mr. Jameson is prominent in the Masonic order and holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Twenty-five years' experience in his chosen line of work have given him a knowledge of the best methods and the most favorable conditions and this he has applied to the operation of the San Diego Planing Mill with the result that the volume of business done has materially increased and his personal success become assured.
GEORGE P. DAVIS.
George P. Davis, who since 1892 has owned a five acre lemon ranch in Otay, was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, November 14, 1858, and is a son of Thomas H. and Mary E. (Powell) Davis, natives of New York state. The father was a contractor and followed his chosen occupation in Iowa, whence he went to Dell Rapids, South Dakota, and engaged in farming and contracting. He was sheriff of Minnehaha county in 1873 and was otherwise active in local public affairs, serving as county assessor. He was a member of the Masonic order and
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had gained a place of prominence in that organization. He died in South Dakota in 1879 and was long survived by his widow, who passed away in 1909. In this family were six children: John H., of Connecticut ; James C., who makes his home in Montana; George P., of this review; Mrs. Kate Gifford, residing in South Dakota; Mrs. Sarah E. Hoyt, who is living in North Dakota; and Mrs. Julia E. Forrester, of Idaho.
George P. Davis acquired his education in the public schools of his native state and in South Dakota and he assisted his father with the work of the farm until he had attained his majority. At the age of twenty-one he took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres and carried on general agri- cultural pursuits successfully until he came to California in 1892. He settled in Otay, San Diego county, and purchased here a five acre lemon ranch, whereon he has since resided. He has been very successful in the cultivation of this fruit, harvesting fine crops annually, and his prosperity is due in a great measure to the progressive methods which he follows and the upright and straightforward business standards to which he steadily adheres.
In 1887 Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Dora N. Carr, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of William Carr, who settled in Iowa and later moved from that state to Minnehaha county, South Dakota. He was an excellent school-teacher and his ability was recognized by his election to the office of county superintendent of schools of Minnehaha county. When he came to Otay he settled on a ranch with his son-in-law and there died in November, 1903. He was well known in fraternal circles and held membership in the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife were the parents of three children: Mrs. Eda M. Metcalf, of South Dakota; Elmer, who also makes his home in South Dakota; and Mrs. George P. Davis. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have one son, Floyd H. Mr. Davis is ever loyal to the interests of his community and is a progressive and public-spirited citizen as well as an enterprising business man, and his active and hearty cooperation may always be counted upon to further any movement or measure to promote the general welfare.
M. M. LEWIS.
M. M. Lewis, a building contractor of San Diego, possessing also marked artistic skill, was born in Jay county, Indiana, August 9, 1840, a son of Syra and Sarah Ann Lewis, in whose family were eight children. At the usual age M. M. Lewis entered the public schools and when he had laid aside his text- books to learn the more difficult lessons of the school of experience he mastered the builder's trade, becoming an expert workman not only through his mechanical skill but also because of the possession of certain artistic qualities. He erected many of the largest and most attractive structures in his home city.
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