A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 86

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002

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Charles Myersick went to country school in this county, and at the age of thirteen became a wage earner in the capacity of a cattle-herder. He continued to work at this occupation until 1900, when he went to Kendall, the then famous gold mining centre, and worked for two years in the mine there. Here he was the victim of an unfortunate accident, in which he lost his left leg. It was necessary to amputate the limb above the knee, and when Mr. Myersick recovered from his wound, he pluckily prepared to take a place in some less active pursuit.

In the fall of 1902, the young man went to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he remained for the next two years as a student in a business college. In the spring of 1904, he came back to Lewistown and entered the recorder's office in the capacity of deputy clerk. At the end of two years, he was elected recorder, and held that position for four years, and then in the fall of Ig10, he was nominated for the office which he now holds, that of county auditor. His repeated election testifies to his popularity not only with the Democratic party, which has in him a stanch and an able supporter, but with the county in general. He is a person who be- lieves in cheating the evil one by the device of find- ing his own employment. Accordingly he runs a vaude- ville theatre and picture show, as a side line, and to further occupy his time, and increase his bank ac- count, he owns and operates a ranch. It might be supposed that all these undertakings would leave him no time for recreation, but he is much too sagacious a business man to work all the time. He is confessedly a baseball fan and a rooter of prowess. Another diver- sion of which he is fond is horse racing, and he bal- ances these lively tastes by a fondness for reading and a liberal indulgence in good books.

The advantages of Montana is a theme upon which Mr. Myersick is prone to become eloquent, but that is almost a universal characteristic of Lewistonians. He is a charter member of the Judith Club, and one of the prominent men in the Elks, in which body, he was at one time ruler.

Mr. Myersick is a self-made man in every sense of the word. Since he was thirteen, he has been finan- cially independent, and he has met every crisis with wisdom and fortitude.

MORRIS SELLERS LARGEY. Inheriting wealth and its heavy responsibilities, sons of notable fathers have not always been themselves men of power or prominence, and too often the sad spectacle has been presented to the

world of weak and futile descendants failing through the very advantages which they had never been re- quired to struggle to obtain for themselves. On the other hand, there are sons, one of whom, Morris Sellers Largey, of Butte, Montana, being in mind, who .not only have achieved for themselves and through study, con- centration and enterprise, have won their way and have proved faithful and efficient stewards of inherited trusts. Suddenly called upon to assume the direction of his late father's vast interests, Morris Sellers Largey, when a youth of eighteen years, possessed the poise, self-con- trol and good judgment that enabled him to carry to a successful conclusion pending responsibilities and to effi- ciently cont.nue enterprises that affect the vast family fortune and interests many and varied in different sec- tions of Montana. Morris Sellers Largey was born at Butte, Montana, March 18, 1880, and is a son of Pat- rick A. and Lulu (Sellers) Largey.

In County Armagh, Ireland, the grandparents, Pat- rick and Jane (Casilly) Largey, were born and from there they came to the United States in 1814. Their ob- jective point was Perry county, Ohio, and there they spent the remaining years of their busy lives, Patrick Largey being an industrious and successful farmer. Of their family of eleven children, Patrick A. was the youngest born, his birth taking place in 1836. He came first to Montana in 1865, but had led a busy life before this time, showing enterprise and initiative and over- coming more obstacles than usually stood in the way of ambitious youth. He had managed to secure through his own efforts a fair education, one that qualified him for teaching school, and included a knowledge of book- keeping and as a bookkeeper in a business house in Cincinnati he became acquainted with methods and peo- ple which led to his locating for some two years at Keokuk, Iowa, and such an appreciation of the state as a possible business field that he returned from the east in 1861 and embarked in the mercantile business at Des Moines. In the following year he disposed of his store and moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he became pur- chasing agent for the well-known freighter, Edward Creighton, and in 1865, as captain of one of Mr. Creigh- ton's trains of sixty wagons, he reached Virginia City, Montana. Again he saw business possibilities in this far western territory and in a short time he embarked in the grocery business at Helena. Although he sold his Helena business in the following spring, his responsi- bilities increased and he became concerned in many of the leading activities of the time and section, including freighting, cattle dealing and merchandising at differ- ent points, In 1880 he sold his hardware store that he had been conducting for some years at Virginia City and then came to Butte, organizing here the Butte Hardware Company. and in 1883 established a branch house at Anaconda. Prior to coming to Butte he had been otherwise interested than already mentioned, as early as 1867 having built a telegraph line for the Western Union Company from Virginia City to Helena, and in the following year extending it to Bozeman. In 1879 he built the line between Deer Lodge and Butte, being the leading stockholder of the company, which later became the Montana Central Telegraph Company, a part of which was subsequently bought by the United States government.

In 1891 Patrick A. Largey founded the State Savings Bank of Butte, Montana, became its president and con- tinued to control its policy and also built up banking institutions at Virginia City and Helena. He was ever ready to foster public-spirited enterprises and in every way to assist in the development of Butte, and mainly through his efforts was the electric light plant of the city built and sold to a company that gives the city most satisfactory service. His active mind led him into yet other fields, and while many were lamenting the want of a newspaper to give voice to public opinion and exploit this section, Mr. Largey founded the Butte

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Inter-Mountain, a daily, and served as first president of the company that issued it. He was so closely connected with affairs of magnitude in different parts of the state and was so universally recognized as a man of great ability and public usefulness, that the tragic closing of his life made a deep impression on the whole northwest. On January 11, 1898, he was assassinated by a maniac. His death was a calamity not only to his family, but to thousands of others who were connected with his nu- merous business enterprises and to hosts who were more or less dependent upon his bounty, for his gifts to charity were almost limitless.

On April 30, 1877, Patrick A. Largey was united in marriage, at Chicago, Illinois, to Miss Lulu Sellers, who was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, of Pennsylvania an- cestry. Four of their family of six children survive, namely: Morris Sellers; Lulu, who is the wife of Frank C. McKim, of Omaha, Nebraska; Edward Creighton and Mary Montana.

Morris Sellers Largey attended the public schools of Butte, Montana, spent two years in the Georgetown preparatory school and was graduated from the civil engineering department of the University of Michigan in the class of 1902. Immediately after graduating from the University of Michigan he was called to take his father's place at the head of the family affairs and has continued to manage the estate as noted above. He has innumerable business enterprises of his own, being an officer and director in twenty-eight corporations ; presi- dent of the Largey Lumber Company, of Butte, Mon- tana; president of the Coeur d'Alene Lumber Company, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho ; and president of the Speculator Mining Company, of Butte, Montana. In 1907, during the panic in Montana and the suspension of one of Butte's leading banking institutions, Mr. Largey proved the quality of his manhood and citizenship by coming forward and providing for the entire deposits, assuring against loss. When the State Savings Bank, which his father had founded, was reorganized, Mr. Largey be- came its president, which office he filled until July I, 1910, since when he has been vice-president and a member of its directing board.

Mr. Largey was married at Omaha, Nebraska, Sep- tember 19, 1908, to Miss Alberta Cressey, who is a daughter of Albert L. Cressey, of Modesto, California. Mr. and Mrs. Largey reside at the Thornton Hotel, at Butte, and he maintains his office in the State Savings Bank building. They are members of the Roman Cath- olic church. Mr. Largey takes no active part in politics and votes independently. He is identified with the Elks and with a number of social organizations, including the Chi Psi college fraternity; the Lambs Club, of New York City; the Rocky Mountain Club, of New York; the Detroit University Club; the Chicago Athletic Asso- ciation; the Montana Club, of Helena, Montana; the Silver Bow Club, the Country Club and the University Club, all of Butte, Montana.

JOHN S. REED. One of the prominent retired cit- izens of Billings, Montana, John S. Reed, 207 South Thirty-second street, was for a number of years iden- tified with the cattle and sheep raising industries, and for a long time was rated among the foremost ranchmen of the Yellowstone valley. He belongs to a family which traces its ancestry back to 1629, in which year the progenitor came to America from England, settling at a point in the colony of Mass- achusetts. John S. Reed is a native of Trinity, California, and was born April 12, 1859, a son of George W. and Emily (Porter) Reed.

George W. Reed was born in Boston, Massachusetts, June 10, 1829, the son of John S. and Emily (Allen) Reed, the father, also a native of Boston, removing to Dover, New Hampshire, when George W. was ten years of age. He remained in that state until his death, which occurred soon thereafter, having fol-

lowed the trade of a shoemaker. The mother, to whom was left the care of eleven children, was a native of New Brunswick. With a cheerfulness and courage that was characteristic of her family, she set about to give her. children all the advantages possible, but some of them had to be content with very little schooling, and early in life they began to look out for themselves. George W. Reed was six- teen years of age when he joined a rifle regiment for service during the Mexican war, under Colonel Loren, and he served his full enlistment of five years, being in action long after the close of the war. Following the declaration of peace his regiment went to Vera Cruz for some time, later went to Cali- fornia, and during the summer passed over into Oregon, building the barracks at Fort Vancouver. After the disbandment of the rifle regiment he was transferred to the dragoons, Gen. Phil Kearney com- manding, and this detachment made a pretty extensive tour of California, visiting nearly all the principal points. Mr. Reed also assisted in building Fort Kearney, Fort Laramie and Fort Hall, and for a time was member of the command of Col. Stoneman, who later served two terms as govenror of California. After being mustered out of the service, at Benicia, California, Mr. Reed returned to Fort Vancouver, where he located on a donation claim, but did not re- main long enough to perfect the title. For a period he followed mining and spent two years at Eureka, and in 1855 went from there to Arkansas Dam on Trinity river, where he mined two years more, but in 1859 crossed the mountains to Humbolt county and engaged in farming. Here he remained for twenty- one years and engaged in raising sheep, hogs and cattle, to quite a profitable degree, and at this point his children were reared and educated. On May 26, 1880, owing to ill health and feeling that a change would better his condition, Mr. Reed came overland by teams to Yellowstone county, settling three miles from the present city of Billings, a trip that occupied three months and fourteen days. Purchasing a squat- ter's right, he began ranching, remaining there four- teen years, and at the opening of the Crow Reser- vation he, with his son John S., located on Five-mile creek, on another ranch, which he made his home until 1902. In that year he retired from activity and settled in Billings, where his death occurred December 27, 1905. In 1848 George W. Reed was married at Oregon City, Oregon, to Miss Emily Porter, who was born in Knox county, Ohio, in 1828. With her parents, she crossed the plains to the Willamette valley, Oregon, in 1845, and it was in this vicinity that she was reared. Her death occurred March 1, 1895, having been mother of nine children, of whom seven grew to maturity: Alfonso, who died August II, 1906; Mary E., the wife of Lawton F. Simmons, living at Fromberg, Montana; George W., residing in Billings; Charles A., a resident of Livingston, Mon- tana; John S .; Delia, who died February 28, 1906, the wife of J. S. Kelley, of Lewistown, Montana; and Emily E., the wife of Charles E. Westbrook, of Bridger, this state. The life of George W. Reed was an active one, filled with the experiences of a thrilling nature. Three years of his life were spent in scouting during the Modoc war, and he was one of the party sent to rescue the Otney girls, whose parents had been killed by the Indians. After a terrible experi - ence in which the rescue party was lost in the desert, with no provisions, and when they had lost five men in the skirmish, one of the girls was rescued. The experiences of this child, who had been tattooed by her captors, were published in book form some years later and proved to be an interesting volume.

The boyhood days of John S. Reed were spent under the parental roof, and as a youth he attended school when he could be spared from the duties of the home

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place. When the Crow Indian Reservation was thrown open to the homesteaders he located on 320 acres of land and engaged in the sheep business, in which he continued successfully for a number of years. Subsequently he disposed of his six thousand head of sheep and moved to Billings to live, but later took up ranching again, and until October, 1911, was sit- uated on a ranch located about twenty-five miles north of Billings. Since the date mentioned he has not en- gaged actively in business. He has interested him- self to some extent in fraternal matters, belonging to Billings Star Lodge No. 41, I. O. O. F. He was first made a member of the Eureka Lodge No. 69, and sub- sequently affiliated himself with Horn Encampment No. 12, of which he is past chief patriarch, and Canton Big Horn No. 9. In political matters he is a Re- publican, but has not sought nor desired public office, preferring to give his time and attention to the de- velopment of his industry. His success in life has been due entirely to his own efforts, and he may be rated among the successful self-made men of Yellow- stone county, and one who has numerous friends.

CHARLES A. HARNOIS. The name of Mr. Charles A. Harnois brings to the mind, by the association of ideas, the thought of theatre, because he is the owner and proprietor of a splendid, modern theatre that is the equal in every way of the city houses of amuse- ment. It is not only Mr. Harnois' pride but the pride of Missoula as well because it is so up-to-date and weil- equipped that all first class theatrical attractions stop at this city because of the good theatre.

Mr. Harnois was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, October 31, 1857. He lived there until he was about nineteen years of age and then he started for the West. His first stop was made at Yankton, South Dakota, where he engaged as a cabin boy on the river steamer "Josephine" plying_

between Yankton and Fort Benton, Montana. He continued in this capacity for about three years and then he quit and settled in Montana where he has lived ever since. (1880).

He first settled in Maiden, Montana, where he con- ducted a restaurant for a short time when he was offered a good price for his business. So he sold out and moved to Helena, Montana. He remained here for three years, following various occupations.

Then he accepted a position on the railroad as news agent, running between Bismarck and Spokane. When the Bitter Root branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad started, he arranged with the railroad com- pany to run the news business for himself. He con- tinned this arrangement for two years. While he had this business of his own, he also took charge of the cir- culation department of two opposition newspapers, the Daily Missoulian and the Daily Gazette. In spite of the fact that these two newspapers were inimical to each other, he managed them both with absolute impartiality, being honest and fair in his dealings with them.

He continued this work for nearly four years and then he went back to Helena, and it was here that he conceived his first leaning toward the theatre and made the entering wedge, so to speak, into the pro- fession. He bought the business of the Bill Posting and Outdoor Advertising for Helena of the Mings Opera House.

He carried on this business with success for a num- ber of years, and then he went down to Butte and bought the Butte Bill Posting business and, a little later, the Anaconda business.

He finally sold out entirely, and returned to Mis- soula where he first leased the Bennett theatre and later, the "family theatre." He managed the latter until it was destroyed by fire. This cansed him to

meet with a very serious reverse as he lost a great deal of money when the theatre burned.

In spite of this blow, he was not disheartened en- tirely because he had confidence in himself and in lais ability to win out. He had great faith in the future of Missoula so he simply went ahead and planned to build a new playhouse in place of the one destroyed.

Mr. Harnois has always dealt honorably and justly with his fellow men, firmly living up to Alexander Pope's declaration that "an honest man's the noblest work of God." And because the people knew that he was a man of honor, they trusted him and therefore he had no difficulty in raising the necessary funds to rebuild his theatre. A few friends came to his rescue to the extent of forty thousand dollars and so he was enabled to build the present Harnois Theatre.

This theatre is a model of beauty and utility, abso- lutely modern in every respect and equal to any of the city playhouses. It is an institution that Missoula is very proud of, and it will stand as an everlasting monument to the ability and judgment of its founder. On the opening night of the theatre, the happy cit- izens of Missoula showed their appreciation of Mr. Harnois' efforts by giving him a ten thousand dollar house. That is to say he sold that number of tickets for the initial performance.

Mr. Harnois earned his first money as a boy when he was only about ten years of age. He got a job working on the fair grounds and his salary was to have been three dollars a week but unfortunately, he never received it because his boss skipped before he paid him. After this episode, he followed various occupations until he began his steamboat experience.

His early education was obtained in the public schools in Missouri. Then he took a course at Chris- tian Brothers' College at St. Joseph.

His religion leans toward the Roman Catholic church. He is a Republican and takes a very active interest in politics. He is now public administrator of Missoula.

Mr. Harnois belongs to several societies. He is a member of the Elks and has been an active worker in this organization. When the Elks moved into their new hall, they presented Mr. Harnois with a life membership certificate as a token of their esteem and love.

He is a member of the Ancient Order of the United Workmen, and has been through all the chairs in this organization. He is also a member of the Yeomen and Woodmen of the World.

Like most western men, he is fond of riding. He has a hobby for fine birds and chickens and raises a great many.

He is a lover of music and other arts but his very greatest pleasure and the thing that gives him the most happiness in life is to see other people enjoying themselves. If he can sit in his private office while a performance is going on and can hear the audience appland in satisfaction, then his happiness reaches its climax and he is perfectly contented.

Mr. Harnois entered the blessed bonds of matri- mony before he attained his majority, in fact when he was only nineteen years of age. In September 1876, at St. Joseph, Missouri, he married Miss Emma Marshall, the daughter of Thomas and Ella Marshall of Marysville, Kansas. Three children, all boys, came to bless this union. They are: Charles Oliver, married and resides in Missoula; John Thomas, single, and lives at home; Leo Marshall, married and resides in Missoula.

All the sons are associated with their father in the theatrical business; one is the treasurer, one is the stage manager, and the third is the electrician.

In regard to Mr. Harnois' parents, his father, Peter Harnois, was born in Canada. He came to these

David & Browne

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

United States and settled in Missouri, and followed the occupations of farming and occasional outside lines. He died at the age of eighty years in 1894, and is buried at St. Joseph, Missouri. He married Miss Sarah Holcomb who died at the age of seventy- five years and is buried beside her husband. There were eight children in the elder Harnois family, Mr. Charles A. Harnois being the seventh.

In spite of his high standing in the community and his popularity, Mr. Harnois is very modest and un- assuming. He has a pleasing personality, always cheerful and sunny and looking on the bright side of life. He never looks for trouble and consequently, never has any with anybody. Even in the early days of Montana's history, when tough characters were numerous and he had occasion to mingle with them, he never "carried a gun," in fact, never even owned one. He was never molested in any way. At one time, he traveled overland with his little family from Bismarck to Helena and the Indians and road agents were numerous and troublesome. However, nothing occurred to put them in danger and they landed in Helena safely with flying colors.

Mr. Harnois holds a deep affection in his heart for his home state, and says he would not give up Mon- tana for any other place in the world. He likes the mountains and the people and considers it the coming country. He thinks, too, that the opportunities it affords are even better today than when he first came.

ELMER JAY ANDERSON. The Buckeye state has laid claim to producing an unusually fine type of citizen and the prominent gentleman whose name stands at the head of this article has done all that could possibly be done by any one person to justify this claim. He is first and foremost a splendid citizen, of the type whose support is extended toward all measures which seem likely to result in the additional welfare of the whole of society. Of this he has given many proofs and several years ago as senator of Meagher county ex- erted a praisewo thy influence in the state assembly. In business and financial circles he stands a figure of powerful proportions, the Anderson-Spencer Mercan- tile Company, of which he is the head, being the largest concern of its kind in the valley and he is also head of the Central State Bank. A portion of Montana's great ranching interests are in his possession and he is familiar with the history and resources of the state as few men are.

Elmer Jay Anderson was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, November 20, 1854, and there resided until about the attainment of his majority. He then left home and traveled over various states of the Union, stopping where his fancy bade him and earning his living at various occupations for a time and then travel- ing on to new scenes. It was the adventurous spirit of youth, the "wanderlust," as the Germans term it, and when it was fully satisfied, he decided to settle down. He had consumed five years in his wander- ings and had acquired many experiences, wide in- formation, but not much money. In the spring of 1880 he came to Montana and was so favorably impressed that he decided to make it his permanent stopping- place, and he has ever since that time-a period of over thirty years,-resided in Meagher county. For the first two or three years he followed cattle-raising and ranching and in 1883, embarked in the mercantile business, organizing in that year the Anderson Brothers Mercantile Company, which grew rapidly. meeting from the first with the best of fortunes and was later merged into the Anderson-Spencer Company, which is by far the largest establishment of its kind in this section of the state. Nor have his energies been limited to this particular field of endeavor, for he was one of the organizers of the Central State Bank and has ever since held the position of presi-

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A history of Montana, Volume II, Part 86

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883- Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1002

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002