Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc, Part 33

Author: Hollibaugh, E. F
Publication date: 1903]
Publisher: [n.p.
Number of Pages: 938

USA > Kansas > Cloud County > Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc > Part 33

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Mr. Short was married October 7. 1877, to Miss Belle F. Hale, of Jewell county, Kansas. Mrs. Short left Nova Scotia, the place of her nativ- ity, when twelve years of age and became a citizen of Kansas. To their union have been born two promising sons, Rial A., born September 1, 1878, and Floyd L .. born June 16, 1881, and a little daughter, Garnett E., born January 27. 1892.

THE DEPARTMENT STORE OF SCOTT & LINTZ.

The history of Concordia would be incomplete if particular attention were not called to the far-seeing sagacity and business acumen of the two young men, M. D. Scott and F. W Lintz, who have overleaped obstacles that would have seemed to many more experienced merchants insurmounta- ble. They are successors to Kennett, Matson & Scott, who laid the founda- tion for what has become one of the most complete and up-to-date enter- prises in Cloud county. They draw a large patronage from the surrounding towns even beyond the limits of their own county. The firm was organized in 1896. Homer Kennett, who had been a prominent lawyer for some fifteen years in Concordia, Mr. Matson, who had been associated with him in the profession for about five years, and M. D. Scott, the junior member of the combination, who was employed as clerk in the Bon Marche, discovered there was an opening for a first-class dry goods and general merchandising establishment in the city of Concordia, and accordingly opened a store in the building formerly occupied by John Harkness. They first carried an exclusive dry goods stock and occupied one room only. One year later they

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INTERIOR VIEW OF SCOTT & LINTZ'S BIG DEPARTMENT STORE.

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added shoes. The house prospered and gradually grew in proportions until in March, 1899, they were compelled to purchase the E. T. Dunning stock of groceries, thus enabling them to enlarge their capacity. This firm also conducted a general merchandise store at Cuba, Republic county, Kansas. In October, 1902, M. D. Scott and F. W. Lintz formed an association and bought the entire interests of Kennett & Matson. From this date began a revolution of affairs. While the old firm was built on a solid financial foundation, the day and age demand modern establishments, and the new combination, not lacking in taste for the beautiful and artistic, as well as business ability, closed out their stock of groceries at retail within sixty days, threw out the partition, remodeled the entire interior and filled the one extensive room with a complete stock of dry goods, shoes, gents' furnish- ings, carpets and matting. Their stock invoices in the vicinity of thirty thousand dollars and is turned about three times annually. Their patron- age is constantly increasing and requires the services of twelve people reg- ularly and an additional force during special sales.

The capital stock in the beginning of this organization was small, but not limited, however, for the senior member of the firm had ample funds. while Mr. Scott furnished the experience which ultimately proved a win- ner, and to all concerned a good financial investment. The following biog- raphies of the present firm will be of interest to their patrons as well as their legion of friends, for they are both exceedingly popular socially as well as in the business world :

M. D. Scott is proud to herald the fact that he is a native Kansan. having been born in Americus, Lyon county, in December, 1870. His father, W. C. Scott. homesetaded in Lyon township, Cloud county, just over the line from Ottawa, in 1871. In 1885 his parents removed to Con- cordia, where Mr. Scott was educated and began the clerkship that was but a stepping stone to an important mercantile career. His father's family are now residents of Oklahoma. Mr. Scott is one of three children, a brother in Aurora, Kansas, and Mrs. L. E. Abbott, of Concordia, is a sister. Our subject's mother died when he was a small lad and by a sec- ond marriage there was one child. The fifth day of the fifth month in the year 1895, Mr. Scott was married to Miss Louise Crumrine, who for three years had been a popular teacher in the Concordia city schools. One child has been born to gladden their home-a little daughter, Frances, aged one and one-half years.

F. W. Lintz, the junior member of the firm, although several years on the sunny side of middle life, has had years of experience. He began battling for supremacy at the age of ten years. After following various minor vocations of uphill sailing he signed as clerk for the Burnham-Hanna- Munger Dry Goods Company, of Kansas City. Mr. Lintz began at the foundation-that of a stock boy-piling overalls; but his genius was ver- satile and two years later found him on the road as a special salesman. His activities in this line were a success, and subsequently he was placed

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in charge of the northeast Kansas territory with a general line of dry goods. Mr. Lintz, starting out in life before finishing a regular college course. exemplifies the recent statements made by Louis Stern, the great self-made New York merchant: "The youth who starts on the lowest rung of the ladder in a great business house has every chance of reaching the top if he shows energy and will power." In whatever line Mr. Lintz turned his atten- tion he succeeded, and although identified with a firm of fine business men he decided to locate permanently. After a year at Beatty and Kansas City, Kansas, Concordia, giving much promise, was the town of his choice ; hence the association as heretofore mentioned. Mr. Lintz was born in the state of Michigan in 1876. He came to Kansas City in 1895. Ile with his sister Nellie, now with her brother in Concordia, visited Denver with an idea of locating there prior to his services with the Burnham-Hanna-Munger Dry Goods Company. Ilis father. William II. Lintz, located at Beatty, Kansas, but later removed to Kansas City and subsequently returned to their old Michigan home. There are three sons and four daughters in the Lintz family : A brother, Henry Lintz, succeeded to our subject's position as travel- ing salesman and is also possessed of a combination of traits that lead to success. A sister. Miss Nan Lintz, is a stenographer in the employ of the Geiser Manufacturing Company, of Kansas City, Missouri. A younger brother and a pair of twin sisters, aged ten years, remain in the home of their parents.

I. W. COFFEY. M. D.

When a youth fifteen years of age, Doctor Coffey visited an uncle who was living near Delphos, Ottawa county, Kansas. His ambitions asserted themselves early in life, and although his advantages had not been very auspicious he was resolute and worked his way through the High school, beginning with 1883. He taught school alternately for five years as a means to gain an end; in the meantime took a one year's course in the Campbell University of Holton, Kansas. He then came to Concordia, entered the office of Doctor J. H. McCasey and began reading medicine. The office of Doctor MeCasey is where our subject is now and where he has continued since he went in as a student. Doctor Coffey is another of the hundreds of self-made western men. His surplus of cash when he finished his college course was eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents. He graduated from the Kansas City Medical College in 1893. He became associated with Doctor McCasey, but two months later the latter was appointed superintendent for the

insane asylum at Topeka, and Doctor Coffey continued alone. He is a gen- eral practitioner and devotes considerable time to diseases of the eye and fitting of glasses, having taken a special course in optics while in college.

Doctor Coffey was born in Greenburg. Decatur county, Indiana, in 1866. He is the only member of the family absent from the home circle. His father. Granville Coffey. is a wealthy farmer and stockman : also owns a tile

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factory and a brickyard and is noted as a man of affairs. His residence is sit- uated twenty miles from the center of population of the United States, accord- ing to the census of 1900. Doctor Coffey is one of four children, two sons and two daughters. Doctor Coffey has been successful as a practitioner and is an esteemed citizen. He was married in 1893 to Miss Zoa Wheeler, the only daughter of Mayor and Mrs. S. C. Wheeler. They are the parents of one little daughter, Louise, aged seven. Politically he is a Populist, has served as coroner two terms and is secretary of the Cloud County Medical Society.

GEORGE W. BURROUGHS.

Both in the field of journalism and as a citizen George W. Burroughs. the subject of this sketch, has represented the interests of Cloud county. He has championed with his pen all measures promoted for the advancement of education, morality and religion, without regard to political issues. public opinion, or denominational societies.

Mr. Burroughs came to Concordia in 1900 to take possession of the Blade, which he found low in the scale of prosperity. In the spring of 1902 he formed an association with George A. Clark, ex-secretary of the state of Kansas, and purchased the Empire, which they consolidated with the Blade, under the title of the Blade and Empire. On an unhope- ful foundation, success due to untiring efforts and journalistic qualities made it possible to conduct a daily paper in connection with the weekly, which is steadily gaining in popular- ity, not only because its local columns are replete with items of interest, but as an ad- vertising medium for the business people of Concordia and vicinity. The large subscrip- tion lists afford substantial evidence that both the Daily Blade and the Blade and Em- pire are largely distributed among the read- ing public. The equipment of the mechanical department of this office is one of the most complete in northwest Kansas and is an item worthy of remark. The new press on which these papers are now printed, is the latest in- proved Babcock Reliance, a machine largely GEORGE W. BURROUGHS. used in the better class of printing offices. It is built to cover a special field-newspaper, book and job work. The press can be run at a speed of two thousand an hour, as noiselessly as a bicycle, and so smoothly that a full length lead pencil set on end on the frame is not jarred off. It occupies a floor space of five by eight feet and weighs three and a half tons.

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The Eclipse is a machine that abolishes the old method of hand fold- ing : folds, pastes. trims and delivers either four, eight, ten or twelve pages with a speed and accuracy that is wonderful. The presses of their job depart- ment are also complete to a degree seldom found in the smaller cities. This conveniently arranged office is located on Sixth street, between Washington and State streets.

Mr. Burroughs, the editor-in-chief and manager of this enterprise, is a native of the "Hoosier" state, born in Lafayette in 1858. He was reared and educated in that city and began his newspaper career on the Lafayette Times shortly after leaving school. From 1881 untit 1888 he was city editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal and later was identified with the Louisville Commercial as editorial writer. After having been con- nected with various papers in the south, Mr. Burroughs established the Cen- tral City Republican at Central City, Kentucky, the only Republican paper in the thirteen counties that comprises the third congressional district. Ile came to Kansas late in the 'eighties and located in Dickinson county, where he became the first publisher of the llope Herald, and subsequently the Abilene Daily and the Weekly Chronicle. Mr. Burroughs was married in 1881 to Miss Clara Covert, of Lafayette, Indiana. Two children have been born to them: Covert G., who is a druggist by occupation, and a little daughter. Dorris, aged eleven. Mr. Burroughs has pursued his chosen field with a rare singleness of purpose and takes a pardonable pride in the suc- cess he has attained, and more especially in Concordia, where he practically resurrected one paper, and through the combination of the two sheets has developed a paper thoroughly alive.

CHARLES EDWIN SWEET.

C. E. Sweet, one of the old residents and best known business men of Concordia, is a native of Hornellsville, New York, born in 1848. His father, E. D Sweet, came from New York, his native state, to Kansas in 1872, and located in Greenleaf, Washington county, Kansas, where he lived until his death in 1895. His mother died in 1872. Both his paternal and maternal antecedents were of New York.

Mr. Sweet's early education was limited to a few months' schooling. When a youth of seven years he drove a team on the canal, where his father owned two boats and from this occupation he went on to a farm. When he came to Kansas in 1872, he carried the mail from Waterville to Washing- ton, and later bought the stage line that operated between those two points, which he drove for several years. He then employed the services of a driver but retained the line until the railroad was built through in 1878, when he came to Concordia and formed a partnership with Mr. Burtis, under the name of Burtis & Sweet, and established a general stock of hardware and implements. Two years later Mr. Burtis sold his interests to J. A. Wyer and the firm became Sweet & Wyer, and continued under this man-

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agement for a period of ten years, and were succeeded by Robinson & McCrary. Mr. Sweet was then on the retired list for about nine years, but retained his residence in Concordia. In connection with Mr. Bloom he opened a hardware store in his present quarters on the corner of Sixth and Broadway in 1884, under the firm name of Sweet & Bloom. Mr. Sweet bought Mr. Bloom's interests in 1888, assuming control and has conducted the business continuously and very successfully ever since.

When the firm of Wyer & Sweet retired from the hardware business they organized a bank at Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, and also purchased a flour and grist mill as a sort of speculation, and retained their principal interests there for about five years. He was also interested for a number of years in a foundry, the firm of Sweet & Crider. These enterprises were not a financial success, owing to the approaching hard times and inability of men in their employ. Mr. Sweet erected the building occupied by his present business in 1880. It is a large, two-story brick structure, one hun- dred and thirty-two by forty-four feet. He carries an extensive stock of shelf and heavy hardware, implements, harness department, paints and oils, tin shop and plumbing. He is 'interested largely in real estate and owns several business blocks and residences in the city of Concordia. Mr. Sweet is a self-made man but has not gained his wealth without his share of early struggles.

Mr. Sweet was married in 1873 to Emma Height, who was deceased in 1880. In 1893 he was married to Clarissa Coleman, of Bridgeport. Con- necticut. Mr. Sweet is a believer in Republican principles and always votes that ticket. They are members and active workers of the Methodist Episco- pal church .- [ Shortly after the above article was prepared, the Sweet Hard- ware Company went under the control of Foote & Ossmann, Mr. Sweet withdrawing from the firm. ]

THE SWEET HARDWARE COMPANY.

Among Concordia's numerous firms with young men at the helm, per- haps none have engaged in business under more favorable auspices than the proprietors of the Sweet Hardware Company. E. D. Foote and Karl Oss- inann, successors to Sweet & Browning.

This house was widely known under the name of Sweet Hardware company, and the new members thought it advisable to retain the familiar title. Since Foote & Ossmann assumed control in November. 1902. they have been closing out the extensive line of farm implements heretofore car- ricd in stock, but have doubled their facilities for handling chicles and are opening up the most modern up-to-date class of goods in this line ever shown to the trade of Concordia and Cloud county. They carry shelf and heavy hardware and make a specialty of plumbing. Edward Rose, the mechanic they employ in this department, is an expert plumber and was with Mr. Sweet four years. The extended line of harness that occupies

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nearly half of their large storeroom is all of their own manufacture, under the supervision of that very competent workman, Emile L'Ecuyer. They have a large patronage in this line, as the quality of work and material used are superior. Mr. Foote has been a valued employe of the firm for six years, hence is familiar with the requirements of the business and favorably known to the patrons. He is a Kansan, born and reared in Washington county. and received his education in Washington, the metropolis of his native county where his father, the present clerk of the court, has lived for more than a quarter of a century. Mr. Foote's mother is a sister of C. E. Sweet. Mr. Foote had an experience of six months as a traveling salesman for the United States Supply Company of Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. Ossmann is a German product, born in the Kingdom of Wurten- burg in 1870. He came with his parents to America when fifteen years of age, and with them settled in Leavenworth, Kansas. Mr. Ossmann did not become a permanent fixture, however, and vacillated considerably. Reared in the wagon and vehicle business, he was employed by a St. Louis firm four years. He traveled two and a half years in Massachusetts, selling his line to the trade in northwest Kansas and southern Nebraska. Mr. Ossman was married in the summer of 1902, which had a tendency to make him renounce the road and in November he became associated with Mr. Foote, as before mentioned. They are men of the highest integrity and superior capabilities, at the same time conservative in their transactions, and these traits united with the determined spirit inherent in these young men invariably lead to success.

LESLIE E. ABBOTT.

The subject of this biography is Leslie E. Abbott, proprietor of the Concordia Steam Laundry, and successor to Abbott Brothers, having pur- chased the interest of R. J. Abbott in 1901. This enterprise is one of Con- cordia's most successful industries, both from a financial view and from the character of its work. In February, 1896. Robert J. and Leslie E. Abbott purchased the machinery of the Barons House laundry and removed it to a building on West Sixth stree. In 1898 they erected a commodious stone building on Fifth street, near Washington, forty-four by seventy feet in dimensions, with a basement in the rear. They had grown out of their quarters on Fifth street, and when they established their new plant the facil- ities were increased about one-half. But a short time had elapsed, however, when their growing trade called for another increase of capacity and an addition was built, new and modern machinery added and among other improvements a cistern of five hundred barrels' capacity-a very important feature, because this enables them to exclude the use of chemicals or acids. The plant is thoroughly equipped for the highest grade of laundry work. Their service is uniform in excellence and approaches perfection as nearly as can be done by experts operating the latest improved machinery. A

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large portion of their trade comes from the outside. They receive ship- ments of laundry bundles regularly from many of the surrounding towns, and also draw trade from the country districts. The annual cash receipts of this progressive business exceeds ten thousand dollars. They employ about one dozen people.

Mr. Abbott is a native of Hamilton county Kentucky, but when a youth his parents emigrated to Ottawa county. Kansas, and settled on a farm near Delphos, where they lived until coming to Concordia in 1889, eight years later. Mr. Abbott began his career as a printer and after work- ing in various offices at Bennington, Minneapolis and Concordia, he engaged in the laundry business, being prompted because of the growing need of that enterprise in the city. Prior to venturing into business for himself he had been manager of the Barons House laundry for about three years, which was the means of rendering him competent to assume the responsibility of a plant of his own, as he had gained five years of experi- ence, having worked in the laundry two years before assuming the manage- ment.

Mr. Abbott was married in 1892 to Miss May Scott, a daughter of W. C. Scott, and a sister of M. D. Scott, of the enterprising firm of Scott & Lintz. They are the parents of one child, a little son, born in November, 1803. Politically Mr. Abbott has followed in the footsteps of his father and is a Democrat. Ile is a member of the Concordia encampment of Odd Fellows. Mr. Abbott has one of the most pleasant cottage homes in the city, situated on Washington street near Eighth. Mr. Abbott has invested much of the proceeds of the business in the improvement and equipment of the plant and with the precedence he has gained it is doubtful if another laundry could establish a trade in the city.

W. R. PRIEST. M. D.

The skill of Dr. Priest, as a physician and surgeon, is acknowledged by all who know him and has placed him in the front rank of not only the medical fraternity of Cloud county but of the state. He owes his success in some degree, perhaps, to the fact that his life has been spent in the two greatest commonwealths of the country, Ohio and Kansas. Ohio is the place of his nativity and the latter his adopted state since 1886. Dr. Priest began the study of medicine in the Ohio Medical College, which is located in the city of Cincinnati, and graduated from there the same year and just prior to com- ing to Kansas in 1886. He is a post-graduate from the Chicago Post-Grad- uate Medical College in 1895. It may be a revelation to many of Dr. Priest's friends to learn that, as a youth, he had aspirations and strong tendencies toward a ministerial career, being inclined in that direction for several years, or until he had reached his majority.

Had the visionary idea ching to him Dr. Priest would, in all probability, have discharged his duties as conscientiously and labored as indefatigably to

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have promoted the welfare of the souls of his parishioners as has been dom- inant in his character toward saving the lives of the patients entrusted to his care. At the age of twenty-two our subject began reading medicine and in the meantime taught several terms of school very successfully. In the city of Concordia Dr. Priest laid the foundation of a practice that has increased steadily until it extends far over this section of the country. The success he has attained as a skillful and expert surgeon has elicited favorable comment from all classes of people, and his time and strength are taxed to the utmost in attending to his professional duties. For several years Dr. Priest has sup- plied the only hospital service in Concordia, which will be discontinued inas- much as he will be identified as the attending physician and surgeon at the hospital now being instituted by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Dr. Priest takes a profound interest in all the plans for the usefulness of this long needed enterprise. Besides his general practice Dr. Priest is the physician for the Ancient Order of United Workmen of the State of Kansas, examining surgeon of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and has filled the same position for the Santa Fe Railway for about a dozen years. He is vice-president of the National Railway Surgeons and ex-president of the Kansas Medical Society. Dr. Priest has recently added fresh laurels to his career by being elected general medical examiner of the Fraternal Aid Society during the ses- sion of their national convention, which convened in Topeka in May. 1903. and this honor was not won without rivalry, for there were six candidates in the field.

Dr. Priest was married in 1887 to Miss Mary Fitzgerald. To their union a son has been born, an extremely precocious and interesting little fel- low. J. Michael Priest, aged five. Socially Dr. Priest is identified with almost every lodge and order except the Woman's Relief Corps. Coupled with our subject's acknowledged ability as a professional man are other qualities that render him popular among his friends. He is genial. frank and honorable. with a generous sprinkling of humor that has been transmitted from his Irish ancestry, for the grandparents of Dr. Priest, both paternal and maternal, were emigrants from the Emerald isle.

Dr. Priest has three brothers, one of them a prosperous merchant. another an attorney and the third a successful member of the medical fra- ternity, of Emerson, Iowa.

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Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas: biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc, Part 33

Author: Hollibaugh, E. F Publication date: 1903] Publisher: [n.p. Number of Pages: 938

Author: Hollibaugh, E. F
Publication date: 1903]
Publisher: [n.p.
Number of Pages: 938