USA > Iowa > Shelby County > Past and present of Shelby County, Iowa, Vol. 2 > Part 16
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After two years and seven months of Philippine service, Captain Gibbs was returned to San Francisco, but at the end of three months he was selected to build the government telegraph line through north central Alaska, where he had many thrilling adventures and suffered many severe hardships, during which time he constructed some five hundred miles of line and traveled on foot with a dog team and sled over three thousand miles, the work occupying two years and two months' time. On February, 1901, he was appointed first lieutenant of the Signal Corps in the Regular Army, and was promoted to the grade of captain March 2, 1903. He was then ordered to Washington, D. C., and was on duty in the office of the chief signal officer of the army for nearly three years.
When the disturbance arose in Cuba in 1906, Captain Gibbs was sent
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there in command of the signal troops of that army, and for two years, until April 1, 1909, was the chief signal officer of the Army of Cuban Pacification. As such he was adviser to the department of telegraphs of the provisional Cuban government and superintended the installation of a chain of high- power wireless telegraph stations. He then went to Fort Omaha as post and constructing quartermaster, commissary, etc., for one year, followed by two years at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. When the Mexican situation became threatening in the spring of 1911. he was sent to San Antonio, Texas. to command the field company of signal troops with General Carter's division. Returning from Texas in the fall of 1911, he completed the course at the Army Signal School in the class of 1912. In September of the same year he was transferred to the command of the field company of signal troops at the Presidio of San Francisco. In May, 1913, that command was hurriedly trans- ferred to the Hawaiian islands for permanent station, and upon arrival at Honolulu Captain Gibbs, in addition to his duties as commander of the field signal troops, was detailed as department signal officer of the Hawaiian de- partment. and officer in charge of the fire control installation at the coast defense fortifications.
For his skill in laying and concealing wires by means of which com- munication might be made between points of the field, Captain Gibbs was especially complimented by General Funston. It is safe to say that no one in the magnificent fortifications which the United States has established on the Hawaiian islands is better acquainted with them and their practical opera- tion than Captain Gibbs who once marched his boys' company on the streets of Harlan.
JOHN KUHL.
John Kuhl is the son of Valentine Kuhl and Clara ( Kramer) Kuhl, pioneers of Westphalia township, where they settled in 1874. John Kuhl was educated in the public schools of Harlan. and was graduated from the commercial department of St. John's University, and attended Notre Dame University for one year. After his mother's death in 1885 he worked on the home farm and in the spring of 1886 he accepted a position with a harness and implement dealer of Earling, buying the business in the fall of 1889 and selling it in 1801, immediately thereafter, locating at Randolph, Nebraska. In company with others, Mr. Kuhl operated a line of harness stores at Ran- dolph, Pender. Belden, Wausa and Bloomfield, Nebraska. After 1896 he gave his attention to buying and selling of fari lands and the supervision of his own lands in Nebraska and Oklahoma. He was elected director of the
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Randolph State Bank in 1911 and director of the Indian Territory Building and Loan Association of Durant. Oklahoma. He was a passenger on the steamship "Carpathia." in April, 1912, and witnessed the rescue of the pas- sengers of the "Titanic," after which he continued his trip to Europe. He visited Brazil, Argentine, Chile. Peru and Panama in 1913. In the fall of 1906 he was elected to the Nebraska State Legislature as a Democrat, the Legislature at that time being Republican. He was a member of the com- mittees on judiciary. revenue and taxation, and banks and banking. Subse- quently Mr. Kuhl was chairman of the committee on privileges and elections. While in the Legislature he was a member of the joint committee of the House and Senate to draft new banking laws, embodying the principle of guaranty of deposits, which feature had been promised in the Democratic platform of Nebraska. This law was subsequently upheld by the supreme court of the United States without division. Mr. Kuhl also made a motion in caucus looking to the taking of appointment of standing committees from the speaker, and giving the selection of committees to a committee on com- mittees, selected by the caucus of the dominant party, a rule which was subse- quently adopted by the national House of Representatives and first suggested there by Senator Norris of Nebraska, then a member of the national house. following its adoption by the Legislature of Nebraska. His highest political honor came to him when he was chosen speaker of the thirty-second session of the House of Representatives of Nebraska. He organized thie Nebraska Legislative League, was elected first president of the league, composed of members of territorial and state legislatures of Nebraska, past and present, also governors, past and present. The society holds a reunion every year and is in a flourishing condition.
REV. JOHN W. GEIGER.
Rev. John W. Geiger for a number of years was probably the best pulpit orator of Harlan. where he filled the pulpit of the Congregational church. Since leaving Harlan he has become very prominent in the Woodmen of the World. and in 1912 was elected head consul for the state of Iowa. He has lectured widely.
F. W. HANNA.
F. W. Hanna is the son of James S. Hanna, of Defiance, and brother . of. Mayor James R. Hanna, of Des Moines. Mr. Hanna for a number of years was a resident of various parts of Shelby county, subsequently study-
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ing civil engineering. He now holds a very important position as civil engineer in the United States reclamation service.
C. DURANT JONES.
C. Durant Jones for a number of years was a pastor at Irwin, Iowa, and soon became prominent in the national Prohibition party, in 1912 re- ceiving the nomination for governor of Iowa on that ticket. He is also largely interested and the leading spirit in a large system of chautauquas. which he manages successfully. There are four hundred of these. known as the "Jones System." He now resides at Perry, lowa.
GEORGE A. LUXFORD.
George A. Luxford. the son of Mr. and Mrs. James T. Luxford, of Harlan, was born in LaSalle county, Illinois, November 16, 1876. His edu- cation was received in the country schools of Shelby county and in the De- fiance town schools, one year of preparatory work at Drake University and in the State University of Iowa. where he was graduated from the law school in 1909, and from the liberal arts department in 1910. While in the uni- versity, Mr. Luxford took much interest in debating and was a member of two victorious teams, that which won the decision unanimously for Iowa against the University of Illinois in 1907 and that which won the debate unanimously for Iowa against the University of Wisconsin in 1908. Mr. Luxford was county superintendent of schools of Shelby county for two terms, following J. B. Shorett, now a prominent attorney of Seattle. Mr. Luxford is now assistant attorney of the city and county of Denver, Colorado.
HON. GUY H. MARTIN.
Hon. Guy H. Martin was born August 1, 1866, in Lancaster. Keokuk county, Iowa. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Martin. Coming to Shelby county. he attended the country schools and did two years' work in the Harlan high school. working for his board in the Carl furniture store part of the time and teaching the sixth grade in the Harlan schools the re- mainder of the time that he attended school. He taught slightly more than five years in the schools of Shelby county. The last of his school work was as principal of the Irwin schools.
Under the direction of attorneys Smith and Cullison, he devoted his
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spare time for a period of two years reading law. He afterwards engaged in the practice of law at Spencer, lowa, becoming county attorney of Clay county, Iowa. From 1894 to 1899 he was mayor of Spencer, and in 1906 he was candidate for district judge of the fourteenth judicial district of Iowa, and was defeated by the narrow margin of two votes. For the pur- pose of bettering the health of his family and of practicing law in a country where growth and development were on a large scale and where litigation promised greater remuneration, he removed to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1907. In 1912 he assisted in the organization of the Progressive party in Idaho and became its candidate for governor of the state. Notwithstanding the fact that the supreme court of Idaho denied the Progressive electors a place on the ballot. and despite the fact that there were no legislative and county tickets of the party nominated, he polled over 26,000 votes in a total of ninety thousand, carrying his own county by a handsome majority, and de- feating his Democratic opponent by a one thousand six hundred majority in the home county of this opponent, and his Republican opponent by a two thousand five hundred majority in his own county. His campaign extended over a period of thirty-eight days only and in it he championed particularly the creation of a public utilities commission, higher valuation of utility properties, the exemption from taxes on a part of the improvements upon real estate, the short ballot, the initiative, referendum and recall, and the one- house legislature, composed of a small number of legislators.
Neither of the old parties in Idaho championed any of these reforms. He was confronted in the last part of the campaign with the combined fight against him of both the Democrats and Republicans.
EDWARD P. NOBLE.
Edward P. Noble, now a resident of Chicago, Illinois, has been long associated with many of the important movements having for their purpose the betterment of Harlan and Shelby county. He. for many years, bought grain in the county, and subsequently resided on his farm a mile south of Harlan. For many years he has shown unusual ability and skill as an artist. He it was who furnished all of the designs for the decorations on the Shelby county court house. For the last few years Mr. Noble has devoted himself exclusively to the designing of special letter heads, coats of arms, book plates, trade marks, monograms and lodge work, in all of which departments of art he excels. He now fills orders for many of the leading men of Chicago as
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well as for patrons all over the United States. The special design constitut- ing the frontispiece of this history is one furnished by Mr. Noble.
REV. H. F. PORTERFIELD.
Rev. H. F. Porterfield was for some time a few years ago pastor of the First Baptist church of Harlan. He subsequently became Democratic candidate for the Legislature in Page county, making an extraordinary good race. Having had some acquaintance in Indiana with Vice-President Mar- shall, he secured the appointment of deputy internal revenue collector for the southern district of Iowa, with headquarters at Council Bluffs.
CHESLEY ROGERS.
Chesley Rogers, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Rogers, of Harlan, was brought up in Harlan. He attended the Harlan schools and became inter- ested in drawing and art when these subjects began to be introduced in the schools. He followed up his special taste along these lines securing a posi- tion with a Cedar Rapids firm and subsequently going to the city of Des Moines, where he now resides. He is engaged in different phases of com- mercial art and is making a fine reputation for himself, doing work for many leading business men of Des Moines and for patrons widely scattered over the country.
C. II. WHITNEY.
C. H. Whitney was brought up in Union township, Shelby county. He taught the country schools. subsequently entering the law department of the State University of Iowa, from which he was graduated in 1890. He entered upon the practice of law at Harlan with his brother, J. B. Whitney, under the firm name of Whitney Brothers, later moving to Hartington, Nebraska. He became county judge, a position which he held for several years. He became prominent in Democratic politics of the state of Nebraska and was nominated for attorney-general of the state. He now resides in California.
RAY F. WEIRICK.
Ray Floyd Weirick, after graduation from the Harlan high school. entered the Iowa State College at Amnes, where he took the degree of Bachelor of Science, later entering Harvard University, taking a specially arranged
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course in the post-graduate school of landscape architecture. In the spring of 1914 he was granted the professional degree of Civil Engineer by the Iowa State College. In 1911 he made a tour of five and one-half months under commissions of the governor of the state and mayor of Des Moines, through practically all of Europe, to investigate the matter of city planning and landscape architecture. Previous to entering college, Mr. Weirick spent most of his time in nurseries, part of the time with W. M. Bomberger, of Harlan, and also in engineering service for about a half dozen different rail- ways. Leaving college. he was employed for a time in the office of the park commission of Kansas City, Missouri. Later he was private secretary to Ira G. Hedrick, an eminent consulting engineer of Kansas City. One winter he spent traveling through the South, making investigations along the line of his work. For four years he served the city of Des Moines as consulting landscape architect, at the same time maintaining a private practice covering the entire state. At present he is engaged exclusively in private practice with offices in the Citizens National Bank building of Des Moines, Iowa.
DEMAIN LEDWICH.
Demain Ledwich, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ledwich, was educated in the city schools of Harlan and in the Harlan high school. Mr. Ledwich early exhibited fine talent as a business man, accountant and bookkeeper. re- ceiving his training in the pioneer lumber yard of his father, Thomas Led- wich, at Harlan. Later he went to the city of Omaha, where he became the head of a very large wholesale and retail lumber yard which he yet owns and manages. He has been very successful in his business, which he fol- lows steadily and with a broad view of its future.
W. A. YODER.
WV. A. Yoder is a son of Rev. Yoder. a former pastor of the Dunkard church located about four miles east of Harlan. Mr. Yoder was brought up in Center township, attended the country schools and later became a student in the University of Nebraska, from which he graduated. Coming to Omaha. he was elected county superintendent of the schools of Douglas county. in which the city of Omaha is situated. He has held the office successfully for ten years and was re-elected last fall. He started his educational career by holding the position of superintendent of schools at Florence, Nebraska.
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MISS FLORA GROAT.
Miss Flora Groat is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Groat, of Irwin. Iowa. Miss Groat was brought up in Shelby county, attended the rural schools here, taught school in the country and in the city schools of Harlan. Subsequently she secured a position in the Seattle schools at the time that A. B. Warner was superintendent at Tacoma, Washington, and through whose efforts. to some extent. she secured her position. Miss Groat was recently re-elected: at a salary of one thousand two hundred dollars per annum, to a position that is unique, at least so far as Iowa schools are con- cerned. She deals with delinquent and backward children only, who can not properly be cared for in the regular departments of the city schools of Seattle. She has taken special work in New York City, and perhaps elsewhere, to fit her particularly for her duties.
HON. H. P. BURKE.
Hon. H. P. Burke, son of John T. and Clara J. Burke, was born in Monona county, Iowa, April 28, 1874. When six years old Judge Burke's parents came to Shelby county, where he grew to manhood. He attended the country schools of Douglas township until fifteen years of age, then entered the Harlan high school and graduated in the class of 1893. He thereupon taught country schools in Shelby county in 1894-95 and at the same time read law in the office of Byers & Lockwood, of Harlan. In January, 1896, he was admitted to the bar of Iowa and in July, 1896, to the bar of Colorado. He again taught school in Shelby county in 1896-97. He was employed in the law offices of Byers & Lockwood and G. W Cullison until June 1, 1898, when he enlisted in Company Twelve, United States Volunteer Signal Corps, where he served as corporal, until mustered out October 17, IS98, at Lexington, Kentucky. He then came back to Mr. Cullison's office where he remained until July, when he was called to Rocky Ford, Colorado, by the death of his father. After arriving there, he began the practice of law in December of that year. He was appointed clerk of the district court of Logan county, Colorado, in January, 1901, and served until January, 1903. when he returred to the practice of law. He was married on March 6. 1904, to Miss Rose Sanner at Wyoming, Illinois. They have no children.
Mr. Burke soon attracted attention as an attorney and quickly made friends. In November, 1906, he was elected judge of the thirteenth district of Colorado, including the counties of Logan. Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick.
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Washington and Yuma, for a term of six years. He was elected by one thousand three hundred majority on the Republican ticket, running far ahead of the other candidates and when he took his seat he had the honor of being the youngest judge in the state. He was re-elected in November, 1912, run- ning three thousand votes ahead of his ticket. He ran on the Republican ticket, which was the minority ticket of the district, his opponent running on the Democratic and Progressive tickets. The three parties polled a total of 12,502 votes in these counties, and only 3.669 of these were Republican, hence approximately 3.000 votes or one out of every three who voted either the Progressive or Democratic tickets, must have scratched for Judge Burke. In two counties his vote exceeded the combined strength of the Democrats and Progressives. Ile was elected by a majority of two hundred and forty- six. In 1910 and 1912, and in 1914. he was urged by many influential lead- ers of the Republican party to become a candidate of the party for governor of Colorado, and could undoubtedly have had the nomination. He abso- lutely refused, however. much preferring the work of a trial judge. It is also interesting to know that in a primary of its own held by the State Bar Association of Colorado to select a candidate for judge of the supreme court, out of eighty-four candidates voted for. Judge Burke, on the first ballot, stood seventh. As a judicial official he is noted for the great speed with which business is cared for consistent with justice and he is always "boss of the court."
DR. THOMAS A. BURCHIAM.
Dr. Thomas A. Burcham was born July 6, 1881, at Harlan, and is a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Burcham, his mother being a daughter of J. W. Chatburn, the famous pioneer miller of Shelby county, prominent in the early political and religious life of the county. Entering the Harlan high school, Doctor Burcham graduated in June, 1902, and in the fall of that year entered Drake University, from the medical department of which he was graduated in June, 1906. While Doctor Burcham was in Drake University, he was president of the freshman class and a famous member of the football teams of the university for four years, beginning in 1902. He began playing foot- ball on the Harlan high school team. In 1905 he was captain of the team. In one of the games against the University of Michigan he had the honor of making, by a drop kick from the field, the only score made by his team. He was a member of the spring track teams of the university for four years, beginning in 1903. After he graduated from the university he served one year in the Iowa Methodist Hospital as interne from June, 1906, to June,
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1907. In 1908-9 he served as county physician of Polk county and also did general practice in medicine and surgery. After serving as county physician, he pursued the general practice of medicine and surgery in the city of Des Moines. At the present time he has charge of the X-ray department at the lowa Methodist Hospital and is also a member of the staff of physicians of that hospital, which position he has had for three years. In 1911 he took the examination for the Medical Reserve Corps of the United States army and in June, 1911, received a commission in the army. When the Sixth Cavalry, stationed at Fort Des Moines, was ordered to the Mexican border in February, 1911. he was ordered on active duty as surgeon at Fort Des Moines, which position he yet holds.
Following his graduation from Drake. Doctor Burcham studied in and visited the larger clinics in Chicago, and took some special work in X-ray at St. Mary's Hospital. Rochester, Minnesota. under the celebrated Doctors Mayo, and also attended their surgical clinics. Doctor Burcham is a member of the Polk County, lowa, and American Medical Associations, and is now living at Ft. Des Moines as a surgeon of the United States army.
B. S. ASQUITH.
B. S. Asquith, the son of Mr. and Mrs. T. G. Asquith, was brought up in Lincoln township and attended the country schools there. Subsequently he was graduated from the State Normal School at Cedar Falls, taught for some time in the Harlan schools and later in eastern lowa. Entering the State University of Iowa, he was graduated from that institution, soon after being chosen to a position as teacher of history in the Council Bluffs high school. He was very successful in his work, so that in a few years he became principal of that high school. a position which he now holds successfully.
ALLAN PETERSON.
Allan Peterson was born in Shelby county, October 11, 1877. and at- tended the rural schools of Shelby county and a normal school at Atlantic. In 1898 he began teaching in the rural schools in Monroe township. He taught two years in district No. 2 and three winters in district No. 3. his home district. In 1900 he entered the lowa State Teachers' College at Cedar Falls, Iowa, and graduated there in 1903. He was then elected superintend- ent of schools at Randolph. Iowa, where he remained for three years. He
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came to Des Moines in the fall of 1906 to take charge of the de; of physics at East Des Moines high school, to which he had been ele which position he yet holds. This is one of the largest high schod state, with an enrollment which this year will be over one thous hundred, in what is undoubtedly the finest high school building in t costing six hundred thousand dollars, and thoroughly equipped in partment.
MISS ELIZABETH REYNOLDS. 1
Elizabeth Reynolds. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Reyn tended the public schools of Harlan and graduated from the Har school in the class of 1891. She subsequently taught school and la to Washington, D. C., where for some time she was secretary to a of the House of Representatives. At present she is employed in of the permanent headquarters of the Democratic national committo it is her duty to look after the office, take care of callers, dictate wo stenographers, plan their work for them, and in many other ways n self useful in the work of the national committee.
BISHOP JOHN W. ROBINSON.
Bishop John Wesley Robinson is a son of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. I early pioneers of Harlan and Shelby county. He was born January at Moulton, Iowa; attended the public schools of Harlan; later beca ested in journalism, entering the printing establishment of the Shell Republican, where he became exceedingly skillful and useful in the ical department, holding the position of foreman for a number of earning for himself the reputation of being a very careful, earnest a trious workman. At eighteen years of age, he was converted, and a one, being firmly convinced that he was called to preach, he attended Biblical Institute. In 1890 he was admitted to the Des Moines c of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1890 he preached as a stude at Chapman, Nebraska, and in 1891-2 at Cass, Illinois. Three ye he went to India, having in the meanwhile obtained his divinity di Northwestern University. Evanston, Illinois. Bishop Thoburn fou for him in north India, and he set sail for India from New York. 1892. For eight years he preached in the English-speaking church now, at first assisting Bishop Parker in the work of the press, for experiences at Harlan stood him in good stead, and later doing ev
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