An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 287

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 287
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 287
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 287
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 287

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later and is now operating the Sunset beer hall. MIr. Daxon is one of the old timers and is well acquainted with all the early prospectors and is informed as to the various properties in this district. Mr. Daxon has two brothers, William, a large property holder in Mul- lan ; James, a farmer in Kansas. Mr. Daxon and his brother, William, have a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres in Kansas, which they rent.

On July 1, 1900, Mr. Daxon married Miss Eliza- beth, daughter of August and Elizabeth Yeager, re- siding at Fletcher, Idaho. Mrs. Daxon has the fol- lowing brothers and sisters, August, in business in the Philippines ; Christena, whose husband, Fred In- man, is engineer in the Sunset brewery ; Laura, a school girl; Emily Goetz, in New York; Anna Smith, whose husband is with Stewart & Welch, railroad contract- ors in Spokane; Emma, a school girl. Mr. Daxon is a member of the F. O. E., Wallace Aerie, No. 54: of the Coeur d'Alene Court, No. 9, Foresters of America ; Lakota Tribe, No. 13, I. O. R. M.

FRANK F. JOHNSON. Without peradventure the financial institutions of our land exert the most potent influence upon the country as to its standing, its progress, and its prosperity. Hence it is that public sentiment demands that men of the finest ability and unswerving integrity and intrinsic worth be at the head of these institutions. The gentleman of whom we now have the pleasure of speaking is and has been for years among the most substantial of banking men in the northwest and the magnificant growth of the First National Bank of Wallace, at the head of which he stands, being president and prominent stockholder. demonstrates without uncertainty his ability in the fi- nancial world. He has built up an institution here that has the perfect confidence of the entire Coeur d'Alene country, which stands high among the bank- ing institutions of the northwest, and that does an en- ormous business. A detailed account of Mr. John- son's career will form an important part of Shoshone county history and therefore we append the same.

Frank F. Johnson was born in Shawano, Wiscon- sin, on November 15, 1862, being the son of Albert and Elizabeth S. (Fisk) Johnson. The father was a native of Massachusetts and came from a prominent and old New England family. The mother was born in Wis- consin but also descended from a leading New Eng- land family in colonial days. Frank F. was reared in Colorado, whence his family went when he was five years old. After a thorough high school course in Denver, he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and there took a course in mining engi- neering. Following this, Mr. Johnson was engaged in government land surveys for two years and then took up the cattle husiness with his father for two years. It was 1887 that he came to Murray, where for two and one-half years he was engaged in the bank. Then Mr. Johnson opened the Bank of North Idaho and in 1892 he organized the First National Bank of Wallace and since that date he has been at the head of the in-

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stitution. Mr. Johnson has one sister, Mrs. Annie R., wife of Dr. W. A. Jones, a leading physician in Minne- apolis.

On April 17, 1888, Mr. Johnson married Miss Ma- rie L. Gieson, in Colorado. Her father is a retired farmer in Wisconsin and her mother is deceased. To this happy union three children have been born: Al- bert D., Clara L., Ellsworth E. Fraternally Mr. John- son is affiliated with the A. F. & A. M., Shoshone Lodge No. 25 : with the Wallace Chapter No. 9, of the R. A. M .: with the Coeur d'Alene Commandery of K. T .; with the B. P. O. E., Coeur d'Alene Lodge No. 331. Politically he is allied with the Republicans and in 1891-2 he held the important office of treas- urer of Shoshone county. Mr. Johnson has given of his time in the city council for four years and has aided by excellent sagacity and shrewd business ability to place its affairs in good shape. In addition to all these matters mentioned, Mr. Johnson was a moving spirit in furnishing the city with its excellent system of lights and water. He and his associates bought in the stock of the Wallace Manufacturing, Electric & Water Company, reorganized matters, placed all in good shape and sold to the present company, and Mr. Johnson is retained in the responsible position of pres- ident. He is also president of the Shoshone Club and an active member of the board of trade, all of which profit much by his wisdom and executive ability. In social circles Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are leaders and are the center of a large circle of admiring friends. Their pleasant home is a center of refined hospitality and is presided over with grace and dignity by his charming wife, while Mr. Johnson, by his pleasant ways, kind treatment of all, integrity and sound prin- ciples, has placed himself in a very enviable position in the city and wherever he is known.

THEODORE F. JAMESON. The gentleman of whom we now speak is not only one of the oldest pio- neers in the Coeur d'Alene country, but is a thorough pioneer in every sense of the word and well acquainted with the various districts of the mining part of the United States and especially the northwest and has had great experiences in his career on the frontier. He is a man of geniality and affability and is now con- ducting a resort which is headquarters for the old timers of the country and his place is well known all over this part of the state. Mr. Jameson has a good bar, always stocked with fine liquors, operates a neat and quiet billiard hall, and has his place embellished with valuable curios and collections of minerals.

Theodore F. Jameson was born in Paris, Kentucky, on November 3, 1843, being the son of William W. and Nancy (Luckie) Jameson, natives of Kentucky. The father dicd in 1853. Both the families are of old co- lonial fame and stanch American sentiment. Our subject was educated in the public schools and when he was sixteen the family went to Missouri. He re- mained on a farm with his parents until he was twenty and then in 1870 we find him in San Francisco and the

next year in Pioche, Nevada. In 1878 Mr. Jameson went to Leadville and there and in Rosita he engaged in the liquor business. In 1878 we see him in the fa- mous Black Hills of South Dakota and in 1881 he went to the Wood river country, Idaho. In the fall of 1883 he was in Walla Walla, and in February, 1884, Mr. Jameson came to Eagle City, Idaho. A few weeks later he went to Murray and opened a saloon. This he conducted until 1886, when a move was made to Ward- ner, whence he came to Wallace in 1889. He then opened his present place and has since given himself to his business. He is located near the business center of the city and his place is orderly and neatly equipped. Mr. Jameson has no brothers and but one sister, Mrs. M. J. Cluster, of Mexico, Missouri. Mr. Jameson is a wid- ower and has no children. He is a member of the Eagles, being treasurer of Wallace Aerie No. 54. He is an active member of the board of trade and a pro- gressive citizen who stands well.

ABRAHAM P. HORTON was born in Canada about 1856 and was raised in New York state. He first started for himself in 1870 and had an experience of losing his money on another man's game in the great city and he returned to peel hemlock bark for another start. Later he went to Ontario and in a short time was in St. Paul, Minnesota, whence he went to the Black Hills in 1875, having trouble with the Sioux Indians. He spent several years digging gold, con- tracting in the mines and returned to Bismarck and piloted a train over to the Black Hills, being chosen captain. In 1880 he fell eighty-seven feet in the King Solomon mine, and it took him a year to get over the effects of the accident. In 1881 Mr. Horton went to Alaska and after great hardships returned to Tacoma, whence he went again to the Black Hills. In 1883 we find him in the Wood river country and at the time of the rush to Murray he was on the crest of the wave and found good diggings. He was also in the Big Horn country in 1877, but found no prospects worth opening. In 1893 Mr. Horton went to the World's Fair and also made a visit to his old home and returned to the mines again and since that time has been active in the various interests of the Coeur d'Alene country. He is well known and a pioneer, having been connected with various properties.

JAMES M. ADDLE is a well known attorney at law in Wallace, where he has practiced steadily since he came to the city in 1900. Shortly after his arrival he was nominated for county attorney and failed by only fifty-three votes to carry the day, being on the Democratic ticket. He is active in political matters and is of the old Jeffersonian stamp.

James M. Addle was born in Meadville, Pennsyl- vania, on October 8, 1851, being the son of Amandus and Margaret (Shartle) Addle, natives of Pennsyl- vania, and the father is living in Meadville now. He

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served in Company H, One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania Infantry, under Colonel Kane. The pa- ternal grandfather of James M. was a patriot in the Revolution. The mother of our subject came from an old German family and her father fought for the Amer- ican cause in the war of 1812. She died in 1893 at Meadville, aged eighty-six. James M. was raised in his native town and was educated in Allegheny College there situated. Thence he went to Texas, read law, rode the range in that state and in New Mexico and in April, 1874, in Texas, he was admitted to the practice of law. He practiced there some and a few years later we find him in the profession in Great Falls, Mon- tana, whence he went to the Cripple Creek district in Colorado and practiced and did a mining business and in 1896 Mr. Addle returned to Texas, in which state and in Utah, Wyoming and Arizona he traveled and did business. In 1898 he enlisted in the Rough Riders, went to Florida and after discharge he returned to practice and in 1900 he came to Wallace. In the in- tervening time Mr. Addle has given himself to the practice and handling of mining business.

On May 5, 1873, Mr. Addle married Miss Clara O'Brien, of Franklin, Pennsylvania. Her parents, An- thony and Sarah O'Brien, are now deceased. Her fa- ther was a prominent man and was sheriff off and on in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, for forty years. One child has been born to this union, Maude, single. Mr. Addle is a member of the K. P., Manila Lodge No. 13, in Wyoming, and he is past C. C .; of the La- kota Tribe of I. O. R. M., being past sachem.

JESSE W. TABOR is a prominent one of the old pioneers who came with the first influx to the Coeur d'Alene country and has made this his home since that time. He is also a leading business man and an in- fluential citizen of Wallace, handling at the present

time a large establishment in the Holohan and Mc- Kinley building, where he carries a choice stock of sta- tionery, books, toys, novelties, cigars and so forth and does a first-class business.

Jesse W. Tabor was born in Kentucky, on June 24, 1855, being the son of Henry and Anna (Meri- dith) Tabor, natives of Kentucky. The father's an- cestors came from Virginia and he died in 1862. The inother of our subject came from a prominent and old southern family and two of her brothers fought with the Union army. Two brothers of our subject's fa- ther served in the Union army, although the family held slaves. Jesse W. was reared and educated in Ken- tucky and when eighteen went to Texas with his step- father and mother and the balance of the family. The stepfather died soon after landing there and the mother the next year. Our subject took charge of the farm and held the family together until his sister married and then he went to high school for nearly two years, after which he opened a feed corral in Dallas and then mined in Colorado. In January, 1884, Mr. Tabor came to Eagle City, did some building, prospected and in June, 1885, went to work on the Tiger. In 1887 we find him in the Bell mine and the next year he was in a grocery in Burke. It was in 1889 that Mr. Tabor came to Wallace and opened his present business and snce that time he has been eminently successful and is favored with a fine patronage. Mr. Tabor has one brother and one sister, James and Lizzie Pinson.

On January 23, 1894, Mr. Tabor married Miss Catherine Robertson, whose parents are natives of and reside in Scotland. Mrs. Tabor has one sister, Mag- gie, in Spokane. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Tabor, George and Catherine. Mr. Tabor is affiliated with the A. F. & A. M., Shoshone Lodge No. 25; with the Lewiston Consistory No. I, of the Thirty-second degree Scottish rite; El Katif, Mystic Shrine, in Spokane; with the B. P. O. E., Coeur d'Alene Lodge No. 331 ; and with the K. of T. M .. Sil- ver Tent No. 3, at Wallace.

ADDENDA

CHAPTER I.

THE PRESS OF NORTH IDAHO.

There has been no more potent factor in the de- velopment of northern Idaho than its press-its news- papers. With unswerving faith and tireless zeal they have labored for the settlement and advancement of this region, ever enthusiastic, never weary of ad- vertising the region's wonderful resources and possi- bilities. Who can gainsay the fact that north Idaho owes to its press and the neighboring press in other states a debt of gratitude which it can never repay ? The press has been the key that has unlocked the treas- ure vaults of northern Idaho and exposed their contents to the world, conveying the information to the people of other states and lands, drawing them hither. They read, they came, they have stayed, they have brought their friends. No other human agency could have achieved such a triumph as has the press in this civi- lizing work. At home the disheartened, the discour- aged, the faltering, the unseeing have been filled with new life. with enthusiasm. The film has been plucked from their eyes and the glories and opportunities of the state revealed to them. By means of the press the individuals. the communities that make up the country, have been kept in close touch with one an- other with the natural result-encouragement, new ideas, new life, co-operation.

Like most other benefactions, however, the press is not appreciated by the masses. Because its powers have been abused by unscrupulous, selfish individuals and corporations, the press is condemned ; because it strikes from the shoulder without fear it is branded as harsh and unfeeling ; because it holds up to the world a mirror reflecting the wickedness of humanity it is abused as vile. Its faults, to be sure, are many, but they should not be allowed to. blind us to its numerous virtues, its true worth.

To the Golden Age belongs the honor of pioneer- ship in north Idaho journalism. In fact, it is believed that the Golden Age was the first newspaper published in the interior Northwest. Lewiston was its home,

and August 2, 1862, the date of its birth. It lived in a golden age, indeed, for the Idaho mines were then in the zenith of their producing powers. A. S. Gould possesses the distinction of having been the founder and editor of this pionecr paper. He was attracted to "he bustling city of Lewiston by the mining excite- ment which prevailed in 1862. Mr. Gould, we learn, remained with his paper only a year, being succeeded by John H. Scranton the following August. Then Frank Kenyon assumed charge. But the gold seekers evidently did not give the paper their support, for the little sheet finally suspended publication in January, 1865. Ultimately the plant was removed to Boise.

But the field did not long remain vacant, now that the path was broken. for during the summer of 1865 the Radiator was established at Lewiston by Thomas Favourite. It was a four-page paper, independent in politics. It was published until the spring of 1866, when a mining excitement in Montana induced Mr. Favourite to remove his plant to a new gold field. Then for several months, or until the Lewiston Jour- nal was established on January 17, 1867, north Idaho was again without a paper. C. G. Kress, of Lewiston, say that Seth S. Slater and William Mahoney were the founders of this paper. The following fall Alonzo Leland & Son were its publishers and editors. In size the Journal was a five-column folio; its news matter was attractively written and set up in type and its editorials were refreshing and timely. Politically the Journal was a staunch advocate of Republicanism. Material and labor were evidently high-priced in those days, for the Journal sold for eight dollars a year, or fifty cents a copy, exclusive of postage. Like its predecessors, it was a weekly.

It is in connection with the Journal that we first meet Alonzo B. Leland, one of the ablest newspaper men that northern Idaho has ever had. No man has been more prominently identified with the upbuilding of northern Idaho, and none has been more faithful

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or loyal to his home. Born in Vermont in 1818 Mr. Leland was left an orphan at a very early age and spent his boyhood upon a typical New England farm. His early education was such as could be obtained in country villages in those days, but he labored earnestly, making the most of his advantages, and at the age of sixteen engaged in teaching. Later he entered the State Academy of New Hampshire, where he spent three years, after which he entered Brown University, graduating from that institution in the class of 1843. While in school he supported himself by working at the carpenter's trade. After leaving college he taught for several years in Massachusetts and Maryland. In 1849 he was induced to the far west by the dis- covery of gold in California, and October, 1850, found him in Oregon. His first work in Oregon was that of a civil engineer, and it fell to him to assist in surveying and platting the present city of Portland. Subsequently he entered the newspaper field in that city, founding the Portland Standard in the spring of 1854. In 1858, with an associate named Mallory, Mr. Leland established Portland's first daily, the Adver- tiser. Later he became interested in the Daily News and the Times, in which latter paper he gave not a little attention to the mining discoveries made in Idaho in 1860 and 1861. In June, 1861, he entered the crowd of gold seekers and became one of the pioneers of Florence. That fall he returned to Portland, but in 1862 again journeyed to Idaho, where he resided until his death in 1891. Individuality is stamped on all his newspaper work. His ability as a writer was much above the average ; his penetration and foresight were keen ; his grasp of every situation masterly. No greater compliment was ever paid to this pioneer editor than that from the lips of one of Lewiston's foremost citi- zens, who said: "Mr. Leland's only fault was that his thoughts were twenty years in advance of the times."

Mr. Leland was the acknowledged promoter and leader of the annexation movement and a tireless ad- vocate of railroad building in north Idaho.

THE IDAHO SIGNAL.

On March 9, 1872, the Idaho Signal flung its ban- ner to the breeze at Lewiston, succeeding the defunct Journal. Henry Leland, son of Alonzo, and Robert A. Rowley were the publishers and editors of the new paper, but the elder Leland occasionally contributed to it. The home of the paper was situated on Third street, between C and D streets, in a small frame build- ing. The subscription price was fixed at five dollars a year, or twenty-five cents a copy. The Signal was a neatly printed, five-column folio, creditably edited. The editors disclaimed any previous experience in edi- torial work, saying that their knowledge of journalism had been gained solely in the composing room.

In saluting the public the Signal says: "We deem the field a good one in which to test ourself, and we enter upon it with a hearty good will toward all who may become our patrons, and with a firm resolve that, if our zeal and energy to meet their wants and reason-

able expectations will make up for what we lack in experience, that zeal and energy shall be devoted to our enterprise. We shall be independent on all sub- jects. Thus we let our Signal be known."

The material used in printing the Signal was the same as that used in printing the Journal, although the enterprise was a distinct one. November 1, 1872, Mr. Rowley was compelled to retire from the business on account of ill health, his interest being transferred to John M. Dormer Esq., who assumed editorial charge. Mr. Dormer remained with the Signal only a year, when he, too, retired, leaving Henry Leland in full possession. The Signal was doomed to meet with fail- ure as had its predecessors, and in September, 1874, the property passed into the hands of the Idaho Print- ing & Publishing Company. Immediately W. C. Whis- ton and J. M. Dormer leased the material and launched another craft, the Northerner, upon the stormy sea of journalism. Adversity soon overtook this little craft, also, for it was wrecked as soon as the "hard times" squall struck it. Then came the present pioneer of north Idaho newspapers.

THE LEWISTON TELLER.

Mr. Leland now enters the field in earnest, asso- ciating with him his son Henry, formerly one of the publishers of the Signal. The enterprise was engaged in with great earnestness, and year by year the Teller rose by sheer force of merit. By this time the country was beginning . to settle rapidly, and the field was, therefore, a larger and more important one than it had previously been. The first issues of the Teller were of the same size as the Signal and the Northerner, but the subscription price was reduced to three dollars a year. There was no wasted space in the Teller, its advertising and news columns being full to overflow- ing. Success smiled upon the venture, and in April, 1878, the paper was enlarged to a six-column folio, all home print. Through the succeeding decade and a half the Teller led the van of progress in north Idalio. In 1882, the Ist of February, the old fashioned hand presses were replaced by a power press. In time Henry Leland withdrew from the paper and was succeeded by his brother, Charles F., who brought to his work much energy and ability. For awhile before his death Alonzo Leland was alone in the management of the paper. When, on March 1, 1890, declining health and advancing age forced him to retire, the property passed into the hands of Carl Foresman, superintendent of the Lewiston schools.

Mr. Foresman took up his labors with energy and ability, enlarged the Teller to an eight-page paper, increased the amount of reading matter and made other improvements, which hespoke the fact that he was a capable newspaper man as well as a teacher. The Teller kept its high standing among the journals of the state and increased its circulation in the home field. It also espoused the cause of Republicanism (it had been non-partisan theretofore), and has re- mained true to that party ever since. In 1894 Editor Foresman was signally recognized by the Republicans

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of Idaho, who nominated him for the office of state superintendent of public instruction. He was vic- torious in the campaign which followed, and for two years held the position with credit to himself and the state. In 1896 he returned to his newspaper work. By December, 1898, the business had grown so as to warrant a twice-a-week edition, instead of a weekly, as theretofore.

February 9th, 1889, is the date of a great dis- aster to the Teller, its old office at the corner of Main and Second streets being destroyed by fire. The flames broke through the roof of the one-story building about half past five o'clock in the afternoon, and before the alarm was fairly sounded, the enclosed space in the garret was afire. The fire apparatus was frozen, and the nozzle of the hose clogged with ice. Before these difficulties could be overcome the building was doomed. The office fixtures and stock were generally saved, though damaged somewhat by water. Willing hands carried all of the machinery except the big press and engine out into the street, so that the loss was not as heavy as it might have been. Fortunately a portion of the loss was covered by insurance.

Business was re-opened in the present office on C street, near the city hall. Here a large cylinder power press was erected for news purposes and job- bers, latest improved paper cutter, and other machin- ery and printing materials were installed, fitting out the office in a complete and modern manner. The facilities of the office for job printing are excelled by none in the city, and the assortment of type is one of the largest in northern Idaho. During the campaign of 1900 the Teller issued a daily edition, having ab- sorbed the Daily Patriot. At present Mr. Foresman is engaged in making preparations for the establish- ment of another daily.

THE NEZ PERCES NEWS

Long since laid away in the journalistic graveyard of north Idaho, was many years the Teller's rival in the local field. It was established at Lewiston in Septem- ber. 1880, by a local publishing company, and placed in charge of W. H. Brooks, an experienced newspaper man. Brooks became involved in trouble late in the fall and was forced to leave the country. Then, in January, 1881, Aaron F. Parker, a brother of Frank Parker, editor of the Boise Statesman, took charge of the paper and steered it through the many difficulties which beset it into a position of influence in the state. Mr. Parker, who is till living at Grangeville, very early in his career as editor of the News attained promi- mence by forceful expressions of his opinions and by his power in descriptive writing. Not less attentive than the Teller to the needs of the community nor less faithful to its public trust, the News rapidly won its way to a high standing at home as well as abroad. At first Mr. Parker was an annexationist, but only a few years elapsed before he took up the battle for a united territory, and made the News and later the Ida- ho County Free Press the spokesman of the anti-an-

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An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 287

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524