History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 107

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

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that year he removed to Colorado and settled in Pueblo County, where he has since lived and engaged in ranching. He is now a large stock owner, and is one of the most substantial and highly respected citizens of the country. In 1878, Mr. Kramer was elected one of the County Commissioners of Pueblo County, which office he nows holds.

CAPT. JOHN J. LAMBERT.

John J. Lambert, proprietor of the Colorado Chieftain at Pueblo, was born in Wexford, Ire- land, January 26, 1837. When ten years of age, he moved with his parents to America. They settled at Dubuque, Iowa, where young Lambert afterward learned to be a printer. He worked at the trade until the beginning of the late war. He entered the Federal army in 1861, and served through the war, first as Lieu- tenant, and later as Captain of a company in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry. His regiment was mustered out in the spring of 1866, immediately after which, Capt. Lambert was commissioned Lieutenant in the Fifth United States Infantry. He was for five years Post Quartermaster and Commissary at Fort Reynolds, Colo., twenty miles below Pueblo. During that time, in the fall of 1868, he purchased the Chieftain, a paper which had been established at Pueblo the June previous. His brother then came West and took charge of the Chieftain, continuing with it until 1872, when Capt. Lambert resigned his commission in the army and took charge of the paper in person. Under his management the Chieftain has grown rapidly, and increased largely in value. The elegant office, a two-story brick, was erected in 1879. The Chieftain is a daily and weekly. It has an extensive circula- tion, and has become one of the most impor- tant journals in Southern Colorado. Capt. Lam- bert has the confidence and esteem of his fel- low citizens. He was married at Dubuque, Iowa, in December, 1873, to Miss Sue E. Lorimier.

JAMES LIVESY, B. A.

Owing to the difficulty of obtaining more particulars, this sketch of Mr. Livesy's life is much shorter than it is wished it were, for the history in detail of a gentleman of his pure tastes and delicacy would, it is believed, be read with great interest by the perusers of this book. He is the son of a wealthy cotton deal- er of Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and was

born March 15, 1850. He attended the public schools of Blackburn till 1867, and then, after having been engaged a year and a half with his father at Uppingham in the cotton business, he became a student of Cambridge University, and graduated in four years, and had the degree of Bachelor of Arts conferred upon him. His father desired him to make theology his pro- fession, but having a strong love for agricultural pursuits, he attended the agricultural college at Cirencester, Gloucester, a year, with a view to making farming his calling in life, and came to America, in 1875, in search of ground to farm. A six months' search in Colorado, failing to find ground on which he wished to locate, he went to New Zealand, but having learned that he could invest money in Colorado to better advantage than there, he returned in 1876, and in partnership with his brother, bought what is known as the Goodnight and Cresswell property, a large tract of land ten miles from Pueblo, and has since been engaged in dealing in stock, cattle, sheep and wool.

THOMAS J. LIVESY.

Mr. Livesy is an educated gentleman and the largest land-owner and stock-dealer in Pueblo County. Though of a retiring disposition and no desire to come into public notice, his wealth and large business transactions have made him a noted and prominent man. He was born in Lancashire, England, November 16, 1847. He received his education at the English public schools, a preparatory school for the army, and in Switzerland. An army life would have been his chosen profession, but for circumstances transpiring which changed the whole direction of his mind and brought him, in 1869, to Texas. After residing in Texas a year. he returned to England to buy cotton, which, being a more hazardous business than he cared to follow, was discontinued at the end of three years, and an- other trip to America planned and made. A location to suit him was not found, and he ex- tended his journey to British Columbia, New Zealand and Australia, and returned to En- gland, to again come to America. He came to America the third time, and bought steers .ou the Pan Handle, Texas, then settled in the Ar- kansas Valley, ten miles above Pueblo, on the Goodnight and Cresswell property, an eight thousand acre tract of farming and grazing land, which he and his brother purchased, intending

THE HUMBOLDT MINE, ROSITA, COLO.

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to raise beeves. Sheep proving more profit- able, they sold off much of all other stock, and now raise, buy and sell sheep. An idea of the purchases and sales he makes can be formed when it is read that he has constantly on his range from ten thousand to eighteen thousand sheep, several thousand head of cattle, and buys and sells by the hundreds and thousands. He sheared 50,000 pounds of wool last year and will increase the amount next year.

ED J. MAXWELL.

Although Mr. Maxwell is comparatively a new man in Colorado, yet he has become prominently known as a lawyer at Pueblo. He was born in the city of New York April 21, 1841. He attended Union College, graduating there in 1863. After finishing school, he en- tered the Federal army, and served to the close of the late war, being Captain of a company in the Irish Brigade. He was also for a time on Gen. Miles' staff. After the war, he returned to New York and began the study of law. He graduated at the Albany Law School, at Albany, N. Y., in 1867, after which he was admitted to the bar and entered upon the practice of law. He was married, in Albany, in 1866. During the years 1872-73, he was Assistant Adjutant General of the New York National Guard. In 1875, Mr. Maxwell went to South Carolina where, during the political canvass of the fol- lowing year, he stumped the State for Tilden and for Hampton. After the election, he was one of the counsel for Hampton in his cele- brated contest with Chamberlain for the Gov- ernorship. In the spring of 1880, he came to Pueblo, Colo., where he at once entered upon the practice of his profession. He has rapidly established himself, and is doing a lucrative' practice, the people having soon discovered in him a man of unusual ability and business acumen. Mr. Maxwell is at present associated with Mr. E. Brayton.

JOSEPH McMURTRY.

Mr. McMurtry is a well-known lawyer of South Pueblo. He was born in Hardin County, Ky., November 27, 1848. He attended school at Litchfield, Ky., and when sixteen years of age he quit school and began clerking in a store. He studied law at the same time, and when twenty-one years of age, in 1869, was ad- mitted to the bar at Elizabethtown. At the age

of twenty-three, he was elected Judge of the Police Court of Elizabethtown, which office he held two years. Mr. McMurtry's health began to fail during his term of office, and he con- tinued to decline until 1875, when, in the fall of that year, hoping to be restored by the salu- brious climate of Colorado, he came West. He spent several months in the mountains, and, in spring of 1876, located at South Pueblo, where, his health being much improved, he has since resided and practiced his profession. Besides doing a good law business, he is now dealing considerably in real estate.

JOHN D. MILLER.

This gentleman, now a prominent merchant at Pueblo, was one of the earliest settlers of Colorado. He was born in Danby, Tompkins Co., N. Y., in 1836. He came West in 1857, as far as Kansas, where, locating a quarter-section of land, he engaged in ranching about a year. His prime object in going to Kansas was to join the movement to suppress slavery there. In May, 1858, young Miller started with a party for the Rocky Mountains. The summer of that year, they spent in prospecting for gold along the foot-hills. They surveyed and located the town of Mortana. In September, Mr. Mil- ler returned to his ranch in Kansas, and the following winter he went to New York, where he procured means to purchase a stock of goods. He bought his goods in Leavenworth City, the following May, and started for Den- ver, arriving there in June. From Denver he went to Deadwood, taking with him his stock of goods, but on the way he had the misfortune to lose most of his stock by accidental burning, and disposing of the remainder in Deadwood he afterward engaged in mining, which he continued to follow in different parts of Colo- rado for about two years. He served three years in the late war as a soldier of the First Colorado Cavalry. In October, 1864, his time expiring, he left the army and went to New York, where he remained until the next spring. In May, 1865, he again returned to Colorado and went to Pueblo, at which place he has since lived. For about two years, he engaged in various employment, driving a team for a while, and clerking for a time in a store. In 1867, he was elected County Clerk for the county of Pueblo, which position he held four years. He was married, at Pueblo, December 2, 1869,

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to Miss Lizzie Dodson. In the fall of 1871, he embarked in the grocery business with Thomas W. Sayles as partner. The partnership was continued till 1876, when Mr. Miller bought Mr. Sayles' interest, and since then he has continued the business alone. Mr. Miller has been emi- nently successful in business. He now has one of the largest and best assorted stocks of goods in the the general grocery and queens- ware line in the city, and in point of custom he is second to no merchant in Pueblo.

DAVID C. MONTGOMERY.

The subject of this sketch is descended from one of the oldest families of Pennsylvania. His ancestors came from Ireland to America in 1732, and settled in Pennsylvania. Their de- scendants have become quite numerous, and are now among the prominent people of the State. David C. Montgomery was born in Northumberland County, Penn., March 20, 1833. He received his education in the high school at Wyoming, Penn. In 1855, he went to Minnesota, where he entered a body of land and engaged in farming. He was married, at St. Paul, Minn., in 1855. In 1864, he returned to his old home in Pennsylvania, where he lived for years and pursued farming, until com- ing West, in 1877. In November of that year, he located at Pueblo, Colo., where he has since resided. Mr. Montgomery has been liberal in investing his means. He now owns much valuable property at Pueblo, having himself erected a number of buildings.

HON. WILLIAM MOORE.

On the 31st day of October, 1827, the sub- ject of this history was born on a farm at Car- rollton, Carroll Co., Ohio. Up to the age of fifteen, he attended a district school and there obtained the education which, in after years, was to become an invaluable aid to his modest, yet resolute mind, in the direction of a uniform and unfailing success in all affairs of a business nature with which he had to do. A moment is spared to go back to his youth-to see him a boy persevering in all his undertakings and precise in all particulars-to see him with that noticeable precision which is conspicuous in the strong features of the gentleman of fifty- four, and which doubtless has been instrument- al, as much as any other trait, in obtaining for him the position and influence of one of the

wealthy men of the county of Pueblo. At fif- teen he left school, laid away his books, and be- gan on a farm in his native State, the active life which has resulted in his popular and financial aggrandizement. With excellent re- sults, he gratified in Ohio his love of farming until he was twenty-five, when he removed to Kansas to farm, and improved on his Ohio suc- cess. During his residence in Kansas, he made several visits to Ohio on pleasure and business, and bought and sold many tracts of land and town properties, having engaged in the real estate business soon after his arrival in the State. In 1860, with an ox train of ten teams, he came to Colorado, intending to remain only a year and then return to Kansas, but Colo- rado's climate, people and business opportuni- ties pleased him so much more than he expected they would, that he did not hesitate to pronounce them superior to any he had elsewhere met with and to decide to make his permanent home within her borders. Mining was the business to engage in in 1860, and Mr. Moore per- ceiving at once its sure returns if properly managed, turned his attention to prospecting and employing prospectors, and received grati- fying and satisfactory returns. In 1866, to see the Territory as to the business advantages, he made a trip to Montana with the freight outfit of J. N. Carlile, but not being pleased with the country or its business prospect, he returned to Colorado, content to " let well enough alone," and to follow mining, which he followed until 1868. His mining record records the sale of a number of mines at moderate prices, yet for an amount sufficiently large to allow him to re- flect with pleasure on the seven years he de- voted to Colorado's chief industry, and the old- timers of the Central City and Blue River placer mines, who read this description of his life will readily recollect him and place him among the lucky placer miners of their acquaintance. The railroad contracting done by Mr. Moore reaches a large amount when brought down to a total in dollars and cents. In 1868, he aban- doned mining and entered into partnership with J. N. Carlile, under the firm name of Moore & Carlile, for the purpose of taking rail- road contracts to build railroads. The first mile of railroad built in the State of Colorado was built by them on the Denver & Pacific Railroad. He was interested in contracts to build forty miles of the Denver & Pacific Rail-

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road ; to build the Colorado Central from Den- ver to Golden ; to build the greater part of 230 miles of the Kansas Pacific Railroad from Sheridan to Denver, and in contracts to build the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad from Den- ver to Pueblo, and ninety-seven miles of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. The Orman Brothers were admitted to partnership with Moore & Carlile, in 1874, before the tak- ing of the contract on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and the firm given the title, Moore, Carlile, Orman & Co. In order to give his whole attention to real estate and building in South Pueblo, he drew out of the firm of Moore, Carlile, Orman & Co., in 1877, and en- gaged exclusively in his choice pursuit. In 1878-79, he made a number of transfers and erected several buildings, but, in 1880-81, the transfers he made and buildings he erected ex- ceeded those of any two years previous-were on a larger scale and more in harmony with the scope of his intellect adapted for real estate negotiations. The most costly and finest build- ing built by him is the Moore & Carlile Opera Honse, J. N. Carlile assisting. At the time of gathering of this data, he was interested in build- ing a large block, to be called the Moore & Orman Block. Independent public enterprise is one of Hon. William Moore's most promi- nent qualities as is illustrated by the fol- lowing : Pueblo, or North Pueblo, as it is some- times called, and South Pueblo, are separated by the Arkansas River, and each controlled by its own city government. Mr. Moore conceive of the project of building a street railway from city to city, and in opposition to the honest fears of the public for the success of the enter- prise, he organized the Pueblo Street Railway Company, and built a street railway from the limits of one city to the limits of the other. Stating that the enterprise was a success, when it is known that he was the organ- izer and manager, is seemingly super- finous, yet necessary to complete the his- tory. The road paid from the day of its com- pletion, and the stock is in demand at a figure considerably above its par value. The build- ing of the road is a benefit to each city which will long be remembered by both. The origi- nator and his co-worker in it and other public enterprises, the Hon. James N. Carlile, are two of South Pueblo's most public spirited men, and entitled to the respect and public honors so

generously bestowed upon them by the grateful citizens of the recipient city. In the fall of 1873, Mr. Moore was persuaded, against his ex- pressed wishes, to be a candidate for election to the last Territorial Legislature held in Colo- rado and convened January 1, 1874, those who urged him to accept the nomination well know- ing that as soon as he should consent his elec- tion was insured. He was elected by a large majority, served his full term and to-day wears a legislative lanrel which grows as time in- creases. When the interview to obtain some of the particulars for this history was had, he was a hale gentleman of fifty-four, with the vigor of a much younger man. He was direct and dig- nified, but pleasant in conversation. His por- trait can be found in this volume, and any one examining it cannot fail to be struck with the earnestness and sincerity which marks every lineament of his face.

HON. JAMES B. ORMAN.

This gentleman was born November 4, 1848, in the State of Iowa, at Muscatine, from which place be removed at an early age to Winterset, Madison County, and at the age of twelve to attend school from Win- terset to Chicago, Ill. At Chicago he at- tended school, public and select, as long as he desired-about four years-and returned to Winterset to extensively farm, deal in and raise stock on a large farm owned by his father. The next four years was passed in successful farming and speculation in stock. The infor- mation of the opportunities for business pre- sented by Colorado attracted his attention in 1866, and induced him to close his unsettled business, and take the stage for Julesburg, Colo. From there he traveled with the mule teams of his brother, W. A. Orman, to Denver. In the early day of 1866, the shipping into Denver on wagons nearly all supplies for man and beast used in Colorado, created a constant demand for freight animals of all descriptions, particularly for heavy mules and horses, the Mexican mustang, California broncho and In- dian kuise, with which the country was stocked, being too light for serviceable freighters. With characteristic foresight, he took advantage of this demand, and for several years he brought large numbers of mules to Denver from Kansas City and St. Louis, and rapidly disposed of them. Railroad contracting has been his busi-

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ness for the past twelve years. It is a busi- ness for which he is naturally qualified, and he is as well known by the name of "the railroad contractor" as by the name of Or- man. He began railroading, in partnership with his brother, by taking contracts on the Kansas Pacific Railroad, when that road was being built from Sheridan to Denver, a dis- tance of 230 miles, and helped to complete it into Denver. He and his brother then began contracting on the Denver & Rio Grande Rail- road. He has been contracting on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad from the grading of the first mile to the present time. In the different firms of Orman & Co .; Moore, Carlile, Orman & Co .; Carlile, Orman & Crook, and Orman & Crook, he has helped to build five-sixths of the main line of the Denver & Rio Grande from Denver to Leadville, and nearly the whole of all its extensions, which are El Moro, San Juan, Del Norte and Wagon Wheel Gap; Silver Cliff, Kirber Creek and Kokomo Extensions, and the Iron Mine Branch, twelve miles out from South Arkansas to a rich and productive iron mine owned by the railroad company. Orman & Crook, in June, 1881, bought the interest of the Hon. James N. Carlile in all railroad contracts they were interested in together, and now carry on the work alone, and have added to their other contracts a contract to build fifty miles of the Kokomo Extension down Blue River. He has accumulated a fortune. He owns a large number of building lots on the mesa, and on several of them he has built fine dwellings, which he rents to tenants. A view of his resi- dence is presented in this volume. He owns stock in the celebrated mineral water artesian well, and in partnership with his former railroad contracting partner, the Hon. William Moore, he is putting up the Moore & Orman Block, a large block in South Pueblo. Mr. Orman has had many public honors thrust upon him. He is Vice President of the Pueblo Street Railway. He has been City Councilman since the city's in- corporation, and was Representative from Pueblo County to the third State Legislature, held in 1881. The J. B. Orman Hose No. 1, honored him by giving his name to their company. The loss of his brother, W. A. Orman, by death, on the 19th of March, 1880, will be a sorrow to his sympathetic nature till his own occurs. His portrait speaks the energy and ready action he possesses.

DR. WILLIAM R. OWEN.

Dr. Owen is a popular and well known phy- sician of Pueblo, and he is, perhaps, the oldest resident homoeopathist in Southern Colorado. He was born in Indianapolis, Ind., April 23, 1844. When eleven years of age his father moved to Marshalltown, Iowa, where he re- ceived his education, being brought up in a drug store. He began to read medicine at an early age, and attended lectures at the regular schools of medicine in St. Louis and Chicago ; but subsequently becoming a convert to homœo- pathy, he took a course at the the Missouri School of Homoeopathy at St. Louis. He prac- ticed his profession in Iowa about two years. He was married at Marshalltown, Iowa, in 1865, to Miss Mattie Andrews. In June, 1872, Dr. Owen came to Colorado and located at Pueblo, where he at once entered upon an excellent practice, being the first doctor of homoeopathy in the place. He returned to St. Louis in 1876, and took his last course of lectures, graduating in homeopathy. Afterward resuming his practice at Pueblo, he has since remained steadily at that place. The Doctor has estab- lished a wide reputation, and is now doing an extensive and lucrative practice, having even more patronage than he can well respond to. He has been peculiarly successful, and at the time of this writing, is building for himself an elegant residence in the city of Pueblo.

AUGUSTUS B. PATTON.

Mr. Patton has been many years in Colorado, and is now a prominent citizen and attorney of Pueblo. He was born in Fayette County, Penn., January 13, 1846. His parents moved in 1851 to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where he received his education, which was first-class. He came West when but seventeen years of age, in 1863. For a number of years he lived in different parts of Colorado, mining most of the time, and in 1869, he returned to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, for the purpose of reading law. He graduated in the Law Department of Wesleyan University at Mount Pleasant, and was ad' mitted to the bar in 1872. He practiced for a short time in Iowa, and in the spring of 1873, he came to Pueblo, Colo., where he located, and has since engaged in the practice of his profession. He was elected Superintendent of Public Schools for the county of Pueblo in December, 1877, and was re-elected to the same

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office, which he now holds, in December, 1879. He has recently associated himself in business with Mr. D. F. Urmy. The firm of Patton & Urmy have an excellent law practice in Pueblo and adjoining counties. They also deal considerably in real estate. Mr. Patton is one of the enterprising and best established citizens of Pueblo. He was married October 21, 1875, to Miss Ada L. Glisan, of Mount Pleas- ant, Iowa.

HENLY R. PRICE.

This gentleman, the present Sheriff of Pueblo County, was born in Montgomery County, Va., November 10, 1831. He was raised on a farm and received a common-school education. He immigrated West to Missouri in 1855. In the spring of 1860, he came to Colorado. After living about three years in different mining camps, he located, in the fall of 1863, at Pueblo, where he has since made his home. He was married on Mount Lincoln, September 10, 1861, to Miss Delaine Rowe. He was elected Sheriff of Pueblo County in 1869, which office he held three years. He afterward filled the office of Constable, and was also at one time City Mar- shal of Pueblo. He was again elected Sheriff in 1877, and was re-elected to the same office in 1880. Mr. Price has acquired extensive means, and is now one of the most prosperous and influential citizens of Pueblo County.

CAPT. JAMES RICE.

The town of Pueblo was yet, as it were, in its infancy when Capt. Rice came there in 1868. He built the first brick storehouse in the place, and was himself the first Mayor of the town. The Captain was born in the State of Vermont, at Hartford, December 29, 1830. After his school- days, he learned the trade of a machinist. subse- quently working at his trade at various places in Vermont for several years. He was married in Greensboro, Vt., July -9, 1861, to Miss Carrie E. Stevens. He served through the late war; first as a musician in the Fifth Vermont Volun- teers, and latterly as a Captain in the Eleventh Vermont. After the close of the war, he locat- ed in business at Providence, R. I., where he lived until coming West in 1868. In April of that year he settled at Pueblo, where he opened a tobacco store. In 1870, he began the busi- ness he is now engaged in-dealing in books and stationery. He then erected the building which he now occupies, and which also contains

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History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, Part 107

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author: O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080