History of Colorado; Volume II, Part 61

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 944

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The last named, the youngest of the family, was educated in the public schools and the East Denver high school prior to entering the University of Denver, from which he was graduated on the completion of a law course in 1908 with the LL. B. degree. His course, however, was not continuous. Before entering upon preparation for the bar he had been employed at various pursuits, largely of a clerical nature, and thus in a way he paid for his tuition. He was ambitious to prepare for the bar and utilized every

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opportunity that helped him to attain that end. After his graduation he immediately entered upon the active practice of law, forming a partnership with L. J. Kavanaugh under the firm style of Kavanaugh & Morris. Later he became a partner of England, Morris & Stewart and since 1915 has practiced alone, giving his time and attention to general law work. His knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence is comprehensive and exact and he has been accorded a large clientage that has connected him with much of the important work of the courts, in which he is known as a deep thinker, a logical reasoner and a strong debater. In addition to his connection with the bar Mr. Morris is a director of the Great Western Alfalfa Milling Company, a Colorado corporation, and the Alliance Alfalfa Hay Company, also a Colorado concern.

On the 9th of December, 1916, Mr. Morris was united in marriage in Denver, Colo- rado, to Miss Cecil Isobell Walsh, a native of Illinois and a daughter of Sidney J. and Louise Walsh, both of whom are living and are of English birth.

In his political views Mr. Morris has always been a republican since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He belongs to the Lincoln Republican Club and he is a member of Kappa Sigma, a college fraternity. His aid is always given on the side of progress, reform, truth and right and in all the relations of life he holds to the highest standards.

WILBUR E. GRANT.

Among the younger agriculturists of Pueblo county is Wilbur E. Grant, who a member of an old pioneer family of his section of the state. He now owns a tract of eighty acres, near Avondale, of which fifty-five are in a high state of cultivation, and he also has six hundred acres in partnership with a brother, this land being devoted to the raising of cattle.

A native of Pueblo, Colorado, Wilbur E. Grant is a truly western man, imbued with the aggressive spirit of enterprise characteristic of all Coloradoans. He was born May 22, 1888, and is a son of Robert and Sarah J. (Waggoner) Grant. The family removed to this state in 1864, first locating near Boone, but later going to Pueblo. The father was engaged in agricultural pursuits and also organized the first slaughter house and butcher shop in Pueblo, which he conducted successfully for many years. His early labors have resulted in gratifying financial returns and he is now able to live retired, making his home in Pueblo and also in California.

Wilbur E. Grant enjoyed a good education, being a graduate of the graded and high schools of Pueblo. After having completed his schooling he entered the service of the Mercantile National Bank of that city and continued with that bank for about five years. At the end of that time he turned his attention to ranching and has been very successful in this line. He has installed modern facilities and in his agricultural labors follows progressive methods. He has put up suitable buildings, and in many ways has so improved the property that it is today considered one of the valuable farms of the neighborhood.

On May 15, 1913, Mr. Grant was united in marriage to Miss Roene Porter, the ceremony being performed in Pueblo. In his political affiliations Mr. Grant is a republican and fraternally belongs to the Elks of Pueblo. He is fond of outdoor life, his favorite pastime being hunting. By developing his interests he has not only attained individual prosperity but has largely contributed to the development of the Arkansas valley and is a public-spirited citizen, ever ready to give his support to movements undertaken for the betterment and uplift of the people. He has many friends in Pueblo county and all who know him esteem in him a man of high qualities of character.

ROBERT WILLIAM STEELE, JR.

Robert William Steele, Jr., who has but recently reached the twenty-seventh milestone on life's journey, is devoting his attention to the practice of law as a member of the firm of Reed & Steele. He was born in Denver, Colorado, April 8, 1891, and is a son of Robert W. and Anna B. (Truax) Steele. The mother is still living in Denver, but the father, who was one of the most eminent jurists that the west has produced, passed away in the year 1910. The son was at that time a youth of nineteen years. In the previous year he completed his public school

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education by graduation from the East Denver high school. He continued his studies in Princeton University, where he won his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1913. Determining to follow in his father's professional footsteps, he entered the Denver Law School and won his LL. B. degree upon graduation with the class of 1916. The same year he was admitted to practice and entered into partnership with B. F. Reed under the firm style of Reed & Steele. He is now concentrating his efforts and attention upon his law practice, which is continually developing in extent and importance. Endowed by nature with keen mentality, inspired by the example of his illustrious father, his friends have no doubt as to the outcome.

In 1916 Mr. Steele was married to Miss Alice Arundel, of Denver, a daughter of Professor Walter C. Arundel, a teacher of the East Denver high school, now deceased. Mr. Steele holds membership in the Denver Bar Association and his religious faith is indicated by his connection with the First Congregational church. He belongs to the Men's Club of that organization and when opportunity affords him leisure he turns largely to fishing for rest and recreation. His social position probably came to him through family connections but his personal characteristics and worth have been the means of bringing to him the popularity and warm friendship which he enjoys.

OLIVER PARKER FRITCHLE.

Oliver Parker Fritchle is the president of the Fritchle Automobile & Battery Com- pany of Denver, makers of the 100-mile Fritchle electric, in which connection a business of very substantial proportions has been built up. The Fritchle car has solved many problems in connection with motor travel, has introduced many improvements and as the years have gone by its business has steadily increased until this has become one of the important industries of the character in the west. Mr. Fritchle is a native of Mount Hope, Holmes county, Ohio. He was born on the 15th of September, 1874, of the marriage of Augustus C. and Ann (Parker) Fritchle, who were also natives of the Buckeye state, where the father spent his entire life. In early manhood Augustus C. Fritchle engaged in merchandising at Mount Hope. During the period of the Civil war he enlisted for active service as a private in an Ohio regiment and participated in many of the hotly contested engagements which led up to the final victory that crowned the Union arms but was never wounded. He died at Mount Hope in 1899, at the age of fifty-four years. His widow is still living and now makes her home in Denver. In their family were four children, of whom one died in infancy, the others being: Oscar, living at Colorado Springs; Mrs. May Kipner, of Denver; and Oliver P., of this review.

The last mentioned acquired his early education in the public schools of Ohio and subsequently attended the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, in which he remained as a student for five years. He next matriculated in the Ohio State University, in which he spent two years as a student, winning the Bachelor of Science degree on the 17th of June, 1896. He then took up chemical engineering with the National Steel Com- pany, with which he remained for two years. In the meantime he was busily engaged in the development of a storage battery for automobiles and after painstaking labor and considerable experimenting he perfected his battery, on which he was granted patents on the 15th of August, 1903. He continued at electrical engineering work for a year longer and became chief chemist for the Henry E. Wood Company, with which he remained for two years. He was afterward with the Boston-Colorado Smelting Company as chief chemist and assayer at Argo, Colorado, for two years and at the end of that time established an electric garage and storage battery manufacturing business. In 1908 he organized the. Fritchle Electric Storage Battery Company, which has de- veloped into the Fritchle 100-Mile Electrics, manufacturers of electric cars of all kinds and of storage batteries. After bringing the storage battery to its highest state of per- fection, Mr. Fritchle turned his attention to the machine itself, which he found had been much neglected, probably overlooked, in the clamor for an "inexhaustible storage bat- tery." In the building of his first machine he reduced the power consumption to one-half that of any other make, thus consequently doubling the mileage capacity. Since that time the company has continued to increase the capacity and life of its battery, and decrease the resistance and wear of the machinery, so that today the Fritchle electric stands supreme among all electric cars for long distance and durability. They have demonstrated the superiority of the car so often and so convincingly that it is said that there are no more electric auto races. In 1908, after perfecting the machine, Mr. Fritchle made a trip from Lincoln, Nebraska, to New York in order to test the car.

OLIVER P. FRITCHLE

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The course taken was not through the larger towns nor over the best roads, for his preference was for a direct route regardless of road conditions or charging facilities. The Fritchle electric can run one hundred miles upon a charge and he completed a tour of twenty-one hundred and forty miles and thus was thoroughly tested to his own satis- faction the durability of his electric automobile, away from the factory on country roads, at a season of the year when highways could not be in their best condition, and in cold weather when the battery is sluggish and does not give as high capacity as in the warmer period. In the building of the car several valuable devices have been intro- duced, superior to anything else in electric cars upon the market today. Every kind of car is made, including the Victoria phaeton, the four-passenger coupe, the roadster, the Stanhope runabout, the two-passenger torpedo runabout, the four-passenger electric roadster and the one thousand pound commercial electric. Among the many valuable patented features in Fritchle electrics not found in any other make of electric auto- mobiles may be mentioned the front, the child's seat, the controlling mechanism, the combination lock and safety brake ratchet. In Denver the company owns an extensive plant for the manufacture of its cars and a large garage and storage house.

On the 22d of February, 1900, Mr. Fritchle was married in Denver to Miss Blanche Niswander, a daughter of Eugene and Lucy P. Niswander, of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Fritchle have become parents of two children: Oliver E., who was born in Denver, March 31, 1905, and is attending school at Columbus, Ohio; and Stanton N., who was born in Denver, February 25, 1908, and is also in school.

In politics Mr. Fritchle maintains an independent course. He is a member of many technical and learned societies, among which may be mentioned the Society of Automobile Engineers, of which he is a full member. What this infers may be gleaned from the fact that there are only two members of this society residing in Colorado, the qualifications for membership being the ability to design and manufacture a complete automobile. He also is a member of the American Chemical Society and belongs to the Rotary Club of Colorado. He is connected with the Denver Civic and Commercial Associ- ation and is identified with Alpha Tau Omega, a Greek letter fraternity. Among his latest inventions he now has perfected one for the development of electricity through the utilization of farmers' windmills for the purpose of lighting suburban and country houses, furnishing the power through this novel source. His first consideration, how- ever, has always been the perfecting of the Fritchle electric, which he placed upon the market ten years ago and of which he has every reason to be proud. Through all the intervening period the work of improvement has been carried steadily forward, main- taining him in a position of leadership as a manufacturer of electric cars and storage batteries, when tested for durability and long distance drives. His is a nature that could never be content with second place and he has therefore always striven for per- fection, never stopping short of the successful accomplishment of his purpose.

EDWARD S. BAYLIS.

Edward S. Baylis, turning his attention to newspaper publication in early life by learning the printer's trade, is now proprietor of the Platteville Herald, published at Platteville. He was born in Rush county, Kansas, in November, 1876, a son of Edward and Ella (Stiers) Baylis, who were natives of Illinois and of Ohio respectively. The father was a carpenter by trade, which pursuit he followed throughout this entire life. At an early day in the development of Kansas he removed to that state and there his death occurred about the time of the birth of his son, Edward S. The mother died in 1879, so that Edward S. Baylis was only three years of age when left an orphan. He was reared by his mother's sister in Kansas and obtained his education in the public schools. After his textbooks were put aside he worked on a cattle range in western Kansas for a number of years, after which he started farming on his own account upon a tract of rented land, which he cultivated for a few years. During that period he carefully saved his earnings, actuated by a spirit of undaunted ambition and energy, and at length was able to purchase one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he continued to further develop and improve for five years. He then rented the place to others but still owns it. He turned his attention to the real estate and insurance business in Rushcenter, Kansas, where he remained for five years, and then went to South Dakota to the Rosebud Indian agency. A newspaper was started there and Mr. Baylis learned the trade. He conducted the paper for a year and a half and his brother-in-law still owns and edits it. In April, 1914, Mr. Baylis came to Platteville and purchased the

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Platteville Herald, which he has since owned and edited. He has a well equipped plant and his circulation list numbers four hundred. He also conducts a general job printing business and turns out excellent work in that connection. He is putting forth every effort to make his paper an interesting journal, devoted to the dissemination of local and general news, and it has become an excellent advertising medium.

In September, 1903, Mr. Baylis was united in marriage to Miss Anna Kirch and to them have been born two children: Fred E., whose birth occurred March 3, 1905; and Samuel K., who was born November 3, 1907.

Mr. Baylis owns a five acre tract of land in Platteville and a pleasant home. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen in Kansas. In politics he maintains an independ- ent attitude. He has become well known during the period of his residence in Platteville as a stalwart champion of measures for the general good and his aid and influence are always on the side of progress and improvement.

JOHN PHILEMON THOMAS, JR.

The legal fraternity of Canon City, Colorado, is well represented by John Philemon Thomas, Jr., who is there engaged in practice and already enjoys a considerable clien- tage although he is comparatively speaking a young man. He was born in Rockvale, Colorado, May 7, 1887, and is a son of John P. and Elizabeth (Davies) Thomas. The family came to this state in 1881, locating at Rockvale. The father is a mining man by profession, enjoying a considerable reputation as an expert, and has been connected for years with the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company as division superintendent. He is now located at Trinidad. Both he and his wife are living and in their family are two sons and four daughters, of whom John P. is the second child in order of birth.

In the acquirement of his preliminary education John P. Thomas, Jr., attended the public and high schools at Glenwood Springs, remaining in the latter institution for three years. He then entered Denver University, from which he graduated with the class of 1911. He was connected with Charles Hayden at Walsenburg, Colorado, for a short time, but since 1912 has been established in Cañon City, where he enjoys a continu- ally increasing practice.

On May 23, 1916, Mr. Thomas was united in marriage to Elsie May Kennedy, of Canon City, Colorado, and they have become parents of a daughter, Alice Elizabeth.

Politically Mr. Thomas is a republican and his prominence in his county is evident from the fact that he is at present serving as chairman of the republican county central committee. He is loyal to the principles of his party and stanchly supports its candidates and measures. Deeply patriotic, he gives much of his time to war service, being active in the Liberty Loan campaigns and other war measures. He was a member of the Colorado National Guard from August 24, 1915, until August 25, 1916, when he was discharged, and it is therefore but natural that he is deeply interested in the army. He is now serving as a Four Minute man and everything that pertains to the development of the state is near his heart. He is also clerk of the local draft board, rendering in that way valuable service to his country. His church association is with the Methodist organization and he is helpfully interested in its work, while fraternally he is con- nected with the Masons, being a past master of the blue lodge and high priest of the chapter. His unvarying interest in local affairs is evidenced by the fact that he is a member of the Business Men's Association, in the development of the plans of which organization he takes active part, and he also belongs to the Boosters Club. In a word, John P. Thomas, Jr., is a young attorney who has achieved some success in the practice of law and takes an active interest in many other things, pertaining to Cañon City and Fremont county, where he has been engaged in the practice of law for the past six years.

ROBERT Y. BERRY.

In the period of early western development stock raising constituted the source of the people's wealth, but great changes have come since that day and Colorado and other western districts have in more recent years owed their development in great measure to the utilization of the rich mineral resources of this part of the country, and now there has come into public recognition the fact that in many districts of the

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west are great oil fields which are being profitably operated, leading in turn to the development of many important business interests. It is along this line that Robert Y. Berry is putting forth earnest effort as manager of the Sinclair Refining Company and his wise direction is leading to the substantial development of the interests under his control. He was born in Versailles, Kentucky, March 9, 1879, a son of R. Y. and Sally (Ware) Berry, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. The father was well known in the milling business in that state and resided at Versailles to the time of his death, being a valued and representative business man of that locality. The grandfathers of Robert Y. Berry in both the paternal and maternal lines were soldiers of the Civil war, serving with officer's rank. R. Y. Berry, Sr., died in Kentucky in 1885 and is still survived by his widow, who yet makes her home in her native state. In their family were four children.

Robert Y. Berry, of Denver, the youngest of the family, began his education in the public schools of Versailles at the usual age and won promotion as he mastered the various branches of learning until he became a high school pupil. He made his initial step in the business world by entering the employ of the American Smelting & Refining Company, with which he was connected for a year. In 1900 he became identified with the Standard Oil Company and was its representative at Kansas City, Missouri, until 1910. In the latter year he entered the service of the Washburn-Crosby Company at Joplin, Missouri, with which he continued for a year and then returned to the Standard Oil Company, which he represented at Fargo, North Dakota, for a year. He was next manager for the Uncle Sam Oil Company at Wichita, Kansas, with which he remained for three years, and at the end of that time he entered into business relations with the Cudahy Refining Company and was afterward with the Sinclair Oil Company. Since coming to Denver in 1913 he has had the active management of the interests of the Sin- clair Refining Company in this city. He has spacious and handsomely appointed offices in the Central Savings Bank building and is developing an extensive business in this connection. His long experience in the oil trade has made him widely and favorably known and has brought to him a very thorough knowledge of everything having relation thereto. His judgment is sound, his discrimination keen and his enterprise unfaltering and these qualities are proving salient features in the continued development of the business interests under his direction.

On the 23d of March, 1915, Mr. Berry was united in marriage to Miss Jean L. Briggs, of Kansas City, Missouri, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Briggs, of that place. Mr. Berry votes with the democratic party and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day but does not seek office as a reward for his party allegiance. He belongs to the Denver Motor Club, also to the Denver Civic and Commercial Association and to the Christian church, connections which indicate the nature of his interests and the rules which govern his conduct. He is a fine man of splendid qualities and charac- teristics, commanding the goodwill and confidence of all who know him.

EDGAR EMERSON CLARK.

There has perhaps been no man in Greeley who has figured prominently in public life and has been so uniformly respected as Edgar Emerson Clark, now deceased. People might have opposed him politically and held views at utter variance with his, but they never doubted his integrity or ceased to respect him for his fidelity to what he believed to be right. In fact, all who knew him spoke of him in terms of warm regard, and his death was the occasion of deep and widespread regret when he was called to the home beyond. He was born in Baraboo, Sauk county, Wisconsin, August 3, 1851, and there attended school, remaining under the parental roof in Baraboo until 1867, when he removed with his parents and his brother, J. Max Clark, to Tennessee. He afterward left that state and went to Minnesota, where he was residing at the time the Union Colony was organized. His parents joined that colony in 1870 and in 1871 Mr. Clark joined them in Greeley, Colorado, thereafter remaining a resident of this state.

In July, 1877, Mr. Clark was married to Miss Adele Knowles and a few years later a son was born to them, named Frederick W., who practiced law in Trinidad, Colorado, for about fifteen years and then returned to his old home in Greeley, where for the past year he has practiced his profession, although at a very recent date he has joined the army.

Mr. Clark of this review was of a most energetic and enterprising disposition and was always ready for any active work that seemed to call upon him for aid. He was thus led to join his fortunes with the late N. C. Meeker at the White River Indian agency

EDGAR E. CLARK

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and by reason of a visit to his old home in Greeley he was absent from the agency at the time of the massacre in 1879. Mr. Clark also acted as foreman or superintendent in various heavy ditch enterprises in northern Colorado, notably the Upper and Lower Platte and Beaver construction, in which he was interested. He was also one of the builders of the Ogilvy ditch immediately below Greeley and the irrigation project of the Posthorse & Cattle Company of Wyoming. After the completion of these enterprises he removed to Eddy, New Mexico, where he superintended the construction of canals and reservoirs at that point, returning to Greeley after two years of activity there.

In the fall of 1893 Mr. Clark was a candidate for the office of sheriff on the populist ticket and was elected by a small plurality. After two years of service in that office he was again a candidate and once more was elected in the fall of 1895. Two years later he was elected for a third time, a fact which indicates most clearly his capability, his fidelity to duty and the confidence reposed in him. He was ever prompt and fearless and was one of the best officers who has ever served Weld county in that capacity. In fact his service as sheriff ranked him with the most competent men in that office in all Colorado. He was ever vigilant and efficient, prompt and fearless in the discharge of his duties and during his incumbency he broke up one of the most desperate gangs of cattle thieves that ever infested the county. The gang had completely terrorized the people of the community and adjoining counties in Nebraska, but Mr. Clark's efforts in this direction saved to the cattlemen and farmers thousands of dollars in live stock alone and made life and property safe in the district, which contributed in no small degree to his election for a third term.

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History of Colorado; Volume II, Part 61

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Number of Pages: 944

Author: Stone, Wilbur Fiske, 1833-1920, ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 944