A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 100

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 970

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B. C. Douglas, himself a son of Connecticut, was one of the noble veterans of the Civil war. Enlisting in the Twenty-sixth Company of Connecticut Volunteers, he fought throughout that period of national struggle. At the battle of Fort Hudson, he was wounded in the leg, the enemy's bullet having been ever since preserved as a relic of Mr. Douglas' patriotism. The latter part of his life was spent in farming in Wisconsin. He and his faithful wife, both ripe in years, died in 1904 and

1905 respectively, at their home near Wonewoc, Wis- consin.

Postmaster Douglas, when a boy, first attended the country school near the farm at Voluntown, continu- ing his educational progress at the high school of Bara- boo, Wisconsin, after the family came west. Very soon after his graduation he showed his youthful enterprise by going into the mercantile business at Wonewoc, Wisconsin. In 1880 he won as his life companion Miss Alice Graham of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, and their life together has been blessed by three children, now all grown to maturity.

Mr. Douglas remained in Wonewoc. developing his mercantile enterprise, for twenty-five years, ultimately selling his property there and settling in Polson. Throughout his years of commercial activity, the sub- ject of this account has not been content to narrow his activity to more personal efforts. His interest in the public weal led to his election, while in Wiscon- sin, to membership in the Juneau county board of supervisors, which office he held for seven years. He was also a deputy sheriff for a term of years, in addi- tion to holding various other political offices. Such was his faithfulness in service and such his unswerving integrity as a member of the Republican party that many anticipated and all approved his appointment as postmaster of Polson, by President Taft, in 1911. He still holds and adequately discharges the duties of this office.

Of Postmaster Douglas' three sons, one, Lee, born in Redfield, South Dakota, August 29, 1887, died in Wonewoc ten years ago. Mr. Fred Douglas, who was born in Redfield, South Dakota, August 22, 1885, re- sides in Polson and is engaged in farming. He was married to Miss Iola Harrison, of Polson, October 13, IgII. His brother, Voir, born April 21, 1896, is still in school. The daughter of the house, Mrs. Mable A. P. Gale, now lives in Wonewoc, Wisconsin, her little son, Douglas Gale, being the postmaster's only grandchild. Her husband, A. P. Gale, who is highly respected by all who know him, is president of the largest bank in Juneau county, at Wonewoc, although but thirty-two years of age.

The Douglas family are valued supporters of the Methodist church of Polson. Both in and out of organ- izations, Mr. Douglas is a prominent figure in a large circle of friends and influential acquaintances, being a member of the M. W. A. and having attained to all chairs in the I. O. O. F. The conquest of game and large fish constitutes his favorite diversion.

CHARLES W. JUNGBERG. The state forester of Mon- tana is not a man who brings to the task of looking after the enormous timber resources of the state merely a theoretical knowledge of forestry, for he has had experience both as a lumberman and as a lumber inspec- tor ; has been game warden and county surveyor; and so knows the situation from various standpoints. With so large a proportion of the state's area in the national forest reserve and with the enormous inroads upon the national supply of timber, it is of the highest importance that our foresters be men who can intelligently carry out the policy of conservation, and who have the will to make their knowledge practical. For this reason Mr. Jungberg is especially adapted to the position he is now filling.

Charles T. Jungberg, the father, was born and raised in Sweden of German parentage and came to this coun- try in the early forties. He caught the gold fever of the "forty-niners," and spent some time in the Califor- nia gold camps, but he gained nothing but experience from his operations there. He was by profession a mechanical engineer, and settled in Chicago, where Charles, Junior, the eldest of the four children in the family, was born on January 29, 1862. The mother was Pauline Lawson, a native of Gottenberg, Sweden. She

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was born on June 1, 1839, and is now a resident of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Her husband has been deceased for some twenty years.

The Jungberg family removed from Chicago to Ithaca, New York, and here Charles attended school until he was sixteen. His parents moved to a farm in Wiscon- sin and for two years Charles followed farming, being the sole support of his mother and younger sisters dur- ing this period. He took up the study of civil engineer- ing, and in a short time was able to make this his means of livelihood. For three terms he was county surveyor of Sawyer county. Durng this time, he was also learn- ing the lumber business, and he worked at that when not engaged in surveying. It was during this period that he held the office of district game warden, and later of lumber inspector.

In 1900 Mr. Jungberg came to Montana, locating in Kalispell, where he was superintendent of the Summers Lumber Company. This concern is the largest in the Flathead district, and for nine years he directed the operations of the company. It was while holding this position that Mr. Jungberg was appointed state forester, and he came from Kalispell to Helena in January, 1909. Ever since 1877 forestry has been a matter of study with Mr. Jungberg, and he has had a wide practical experience in this line of work. He is rightly regarded as an expert in forestry, and since he has been in office he has proved his claim to such reputation by the revis- ion of the forestry laws of the state. These changes have been brought about by Mr. Jungberg's efforts, and have been of the highest benefit to the cause of forestry.

Mr. Jungberg is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America in Wisconsin, and in the same state he maintains his affiliation with the Knights of Pythias. At Kalispell, he belongs to the Masonic order, being a member of both the chapter and commandery.

All the members of Mr. Jungberg's family are natives of Wisconsin. His wife, Mary Ella Gillette, was for- merly a resident of Superior, Wisconsin, in which city her marriage to Mr. Gillette occurred on September 7, 1891. The two daughters, Mary Pauline, and Una F., were both born in Hayward, Wisconsin; the former on December 4, 1892, and the latter on April 17, 1894. The family are members of the Methodist church.

Mr. Jungberg belongs to the Progressive wing of the Republican party, and he is naturally specially inter- ested in their policy of conservation of natural re- sources. He has the sound judgment combined with initiative which is the fruit of a thorough course in the school of experience. He has worked his own way in this great university, which bestows no empty diplo- mas, and has received "honorable mention" for work already done. He has by no means finished his course, and no one who knows him doubts that he is one who will receive still higher honors.

JOHN W. LUSHER. An eminent business man of Dillon whose integrity has never been questioned and whose dealings are conducted in harmony with the ethics of commercial life is John W. Lusher, pro- prietor of the Lusher mercantile concern, a modern and splendidly equipped establishment. Indiana has contributed many fine men to the upbuilding of Mon- tana and Mr. Lusher is one of them. His birth oc- curred in LaPorte, that state, February 2, 1866, and he lived within the boundaries of the state until about seventeen years of age, most of the time being spent in Elkhart, whence the family removed when he was four. In early manhood he went to Sac City, Iowa, and there resided until his thirty-fourth birthday. He then fell victim to the lure of the west and went to Colfax, Washington, where he spent one winter be- fore coming on to Dillon, where he has ever since made his home. The date of his arrival in Dillon was February 28, 1900.

Mr. Lusher had been in mercantile business in Jowa

for seventeen years and naturally he took his place in the world of affairs in this state as a merchant. His first store was established in the building now occu- pied by Lovell's barber shop and Brown's tailoring shop in Bannack street. In comparison with its pres- ent proportions it was then a small concern. In three years the business outgrew the 1,500 square feet of floor space that the store offered and he was forced to move to more capacious quarters. He moved to his present location at 14 and 16 North Montana street, which at that time had 3,300 square feet of floor space. Business continued to grow and in 1909 he added an- other room of 1,500 square feet, which gives him nearly 5,000 feet at the present time. The store has a fine and widespread reputation in Beaverhead county for fair dealing and is a popular trade center for both town and county custom. The stock includes men and women's wearing apparel, dry goods, shoes and milli- nery. The standard makes in every line are in stock and the Lusher goods have stood the test of service and the critical judgment of style. Mr. Lusher is everywhere accounted one of the enterprising and pro- gressive business men of Dillon and is one who, it is safe to say, has no peer in his knowledge of the dry goods business. As one intimately concerned in a line of industry which has important bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of the community he occupies a representative position in business circles.

Mr. Lusher's father was John Lusher, who was born at Muhen, Canton Argau, Switzerland, November 9, 1840. Thus the subject is from the stock of the brave little republic which has sent many hardy citizens to America since the Revolution, the Swiss-American peo- ple being among the most intelligent, patriotic, in- dustrious and upright of our great and wonderful cos- mopolitan population. John Lusher came to the United States when a 'boy of eleven, settled first in Clyde, Ohio, and finally removed to Elkhart, Indiana, where he engaged in mercantile business for over thirty-five years. He is now leading a retired life in Chicago. The mother, Cynthia J. (Garland) Lusher, was born in Rochester, New York, in 1842, and was united to John Lusher in Clyde, Ohio, in 1859. She died at Huron, Ohio, August 20, 1888, at the age of forty-six years, and is there interred. There were six children in the elder Lusher family, two boys and four girls, the subject being the fourth in order of birth. He has one brother in Montana-Charles R. Lusher. He is married and resides in Conrad, where he is engaged in mercantile business.

Mr. Lusher, immediate subject of this brief bio- graphical notice, is a Republican in politics, but is in- terested in public affairs only as an intelligent voter. He is, however, very loyal to Republican policies and principles and will do all in his power to assist its cause. Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the Elks and the United Ar- tisans. He is a lover of good music and finds much pleasure in lectures and public speaking of high order, also in hunting. He is a thoroughly self-made man and accordingly self-reliant and thrifty. He earned his first money as a boy of ten working for Will J. Davis, the famous actor, who was in the sewing machine business at that time in Elkhart. He next found employment in a knitting factory, receiving for his services the modest sum of two dollars and a half a week. His training in the mercantile business was in his father's store and under the able tuition of that gentleman. His education was secured in Elkhart's public schools, but that early discipline he has ma- terially supplemented by good reading and the like. He has seen Dillon develop from a small town to the present, thriving, hustling city and believes that this has been but the beginning of its development.

Mr. Lusher was happily married in Sac City, Towa, September 15, 1887, the lady of his choice being Nettie

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A. Baxter, daughter of Anson and Marie Antoinette Baxter, of Sac City. Mr. and Mrs. Lusher are held in universal confidence and esteem and maintain a hospitable and attractive home.

CHARLES A. SMITH. There never yet was a citizen of Dillon or of Beaverhead county who did not know, either personally or by reputation, Charles A. Smith, or, as he is far more generally known, "Charlie" or "Horse" Smith. He gets the latter nickname from the fact that he has dealt in horses from his youth up and is now the largest independent live stock and real estate operator in all the state of Montana. He is a splendid democrat in every sense of the word save the political and allows no "Misters" to be attached to his name. He is a very interesting personality and Dillon is fortunate in the possession of a citizen so alert, progressive, loyal, honest, breezy and independent-in fact, he fairly embodies in himself the meaning of the west.

Charles A. Smith is a product of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Dixon, that state, on July 4, 1862. Anyone born on such a date could not fail to be a good American. His life by no means began under auspicious circumstances, for before he was born his father and two sisters died and a certain family in Dixon offered to adopt and rear him. He did not see his mother again until he was twenty-two years old. Until he was seven years of age he remained in Morri- son, but at the end of that time his foster parents re- moved to Yellow Medicine county, Minnesota, and there the subject resided until about twenty years of age. He then went to Decatur, Illinois, where he stayed one winter, and went thence to Profitstown, Illinois, where he remained three years, during which time he bought and sold horses. His next change of residence was to Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, where for three years he followed the same business, and in connection with it contracting. North Dakota next claimed his interest and within its boundaries he lived for about a dozen years. He was the first independ- ent stock buyer in Cavalier county, North Dakota, and while in that state he plunged deeply into the real estate business, and in so doing received his first real set-back. He bought the townsite of Osnabrock in Cavalier county, North Dakota, and had erected sev- eral excellent buildings, when the panic and drought of 1897 came on, and, to couch it in his own language, he had to "sell out at a sacrifice to avoid going broke."

Mr. Smith's residence in Dillon dates from the year 1900 and his residence here of more than a decade has given him no reason to regret his identification with the commonwealth. As mentioned in a preceding paragraph, he is the largest independent real estate and live stock operator in Montana and his famous semi- annual midwinter auction sales have attracted national attention, drawing to Dillon people from over all the United States.

It is unnecessary to state that Mr. Smith .began the battle of life at an early age. In fact he has made his own way from about the age of twelve years and he is as self-reliant as his training would warrant. He first experienced the peculiar joy of being a wage- earner at about the age of eleven, when he worked on a farm for six months at ten dollars per month and thien gave the entire sum to his foster parents. He showed that he was a hustler then and he has been hustling ever since. When still a small lad he drove a harvester and made two dollars and a half a day, which sum likewise went into the family exchequer.

His first real venture in business was at about the age of seventeen years. He bought five calves at seven dollars per head, having ground sorghum and cut corn at seventy-five cents per day until he paid for them. He then traded until he had seventeen head, upon which he sold them all and bought others, and in this

fashion kept on accumulating until he had made enough to pay off a seven hundred and fifty dollar mortgage on his adopted father's farm. He had the unerring commercial instincts with which the true business man is born, and these manifested themselves very early. After the above affair he bought cattle for Baxter & Whitman, of Granite Falls, Minnesota, and subse- quently started on the course which eventually brought him to Dillon. He received his education in the public schools of Illinois and Minnesota.

Mr. Smith laid one of the most important stones in the foundation of his success by his marriage at Park River, North Dakota, in the year 1894, to Belinda C. Anderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Anderson, of Osnabrock, Mr. Anderson having been a farmer and prominent politician of that locality. He was born in Canada, March 3, 1836, and died in 1893. Mrs. Ander- son was also born in Canada in 1836, and died in 1884. To the union of the subject and his admirable wife have been born three sons and a daughter. Three are deceased. Charles Stanley, the eldest of the children, was born at Osnabrock, North Dakota, and died in Dillon ; Minnie C., born at Osnabrock, died when seven weeks old; George Allen, born at Osnabrock, October 22, 1899, is now attending school at Dillon; Clarence Smith, born July II, 1903, died the next day, July 12.

Mr. Smith finds great pleasure in several fraternal and social connections. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Beaverhead Social Club, being one of the board of directors and virtually the father of that new and flourishing organization. He is also chairman of the advisory committee of the Beaverhead Commercial Club. Since 1906 he has been a member of the Percheron Society of America. He is a Repub- lican in political conviction, but takes no active part in politics, and though, on account of his popularity and standing, frequently solicited by his friends to run for office, has steadfastly refused. He is a celebrated baseball fan and his favorite diversions are racing, good plays and music. Both the subject and his wife incline toward the Methodist Episcopal faith and the latter is actively interested in the affairs of the church. His real mother, whom he found when he was twenty- two years of age, is now a beloved member of his household in Dillon. His father is interred in Dixon, Illinois.

Mr. Smith is one of the leading citizens of Montana. commanding the confidence, respect and good will of the entire community. Everybody likes him and seeks his company ; he is wonderfully entertaining, a natural comedian, and an inimitable story teller. It is safe to say that he knows more excellent anecdotes than any other man in Montana. He is one of Dillon's most energetic boosters, a real "live wire," and, as some one has said, "When any thing is needed they always send Charlie. He is the go-get-'em man, he DOES things." He is kindly and whole-souled and would go out of his way any time to do a man a favor. He bears no ill-will towards any one and is always smiling.

EDWIN A. J. JESSE, born in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Feb- ruary 18, 1879, and now a prominent resident of Round- up, Montana, is a man of action, a man who has worked hard for what he has gained and who has never been a quitter. Educated in the public schools and the high school of Pewaukee, every experience, no matter how hard or how unpleasant, he has had since he has ac- cepted as a continuance of the training begun then, as playing a necessary part in his development. Efficient and capable, his neighbors expect him to play a lead- ing part in Montana's future. He is now a member of the city council of Roundup.

Mr. Jesse's father, Frederick Jesse, was born in Ger- many and came to this country and settled in Wis-

Alice Hope O' Leary

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consin when he was fourteen years old. A blacksmith by trade, his strongest outside interest has always been politics. He now lives in Milwaukee, and nothing that he can accomplish for the good of his city is ever left undone. A lack of civic pride is a crime to him. He is also an Odd Fellow, and a prominent man among them. His wife, Antonia Pomplitz, was also born in Germany, and came to the United States to settle in Wisconsin, where their marriage took place. They had nine chil- dren, of whom Edwin A. J. is the second child. The children are now scattered all over the United States, with only one brother, Arnold P., in the real estate business at Ingomar, besides Edwin A. J. in Montana.

Edwin A. J. Jesse lived in Pewaukee until he was eighteen years old, when he moved to Star Lake, Wis- consin, to follow the lumbering business. He remained there over a year, and then became a traveling sales- man. After a year at this latter occupation he started west. Wyoming claimed him as a citizen for one sum- mer while he was employed there by a railroad, but he was still restless to go farther west. He arrived in Montana in 1900, and has been a permanent resident of the state ever since. He lived in Butte for a few years, occupying his time at mining and work which his in- terest in several properties demanded. He then came on to Roundup and opened a cement plant. After a year as a contractor he sold out his business to his partners and bought out the Jones Land Company, which operates extensively in the Musselshell valley and in the Judith Basin. He is still engaged in this business.

Mr. Jesse is interested in church work, particularly in the charitable side of it, and is also an active Repub- lican. He is a member of the Roundup Commercial Club and of the Pioneer Club. He has never married.

JOHN J. O'LEARY. One of the most successful drug- gists of Butte is John O'Leary, a Canadian by birth, and one of the seven children of Michael and Katherine (Gallagher) O'Leary. Both of the parents were born in Canada, the father at Ontario in 1844, and the mother at Veil Lake in 1862. The elder O'Leary was a miner and smelter, and for a number of years before his death, in 1903, followed his occupation in this city. His wife died at Anaconda in 1901. All of the children, James, Thomas, Michael, Peter, Mary and Annie O'Leary, are still living. John is the second eldest of the family and was born at Ottawa on December 20, 1876. When he was but three years of age his parents moved to Saginaw, Michigan, and after six years' residence in that state they again moved, this time to Tacoma, Wash- ington.

Mr. O'Leary attended school in Tacoma, and later went to college at Spokane, where he took a general course. While a school boy in Tacoma he served his apprenticeship in the drug business, with Mr. Walter St. John, and afterwards he clerked for him for four years. After this he came to Butte and clerked in the store of Mr. Newbro, and also worked in the store of Paxton & Rockfeller, and for several other leading druggists of Butte. After four years spent in the northwestern territory of Alaska, where he was quite successfully engaged at gold mining, he returned to Butte and re-established the store at 601 West Park, which was very much run down at that time. It was up-hill work to instill new life into the old establish- ment, but Mr. O'Leary had confidence in the future of his undertaking so that even the indebtedness of $4,500, which he incurred in re-stocking and generally improv- ing the business did not appall him. He simply put all his attention to the building up of his trade and as he has an unfailing supply of energy, coupled with a thorough knowledge of the business, he soon built up a good trade and paid off all indebtedness on this store. His next move, in June, 1907, was to buy out the estab- lishment at 1017 Talbot avenue. This, too, he re-

stocked, incurring obligations of $18,000, and made into an up-to-date drug store, and ever since that time his success has been uninterrupted. The returns from his business have been large, and Mr. O'Leary has judiciously invested his surplus, after ridding himself of all indebtedness and putting a generous share back into his business to keep it up to the top notch of efficiency. He is a member of the Pharmaceutical As- sociation of Montana, of the National Pharmaceutical Association, of the National Retail Druggist Associa- tion, and of the Silver Bow Druggist Association.

On July 25, 1904, occurred the marriage of Mr. O'Leary and Miss Alice M. Hope, of Butte, Montana, a native of Empire, Nevada, daughter of James Hope. Mrs. O'Leary completed her schooling at Held's Busi- ness College, San Francisco, and previous to her mar- riage was chief operator at the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone exchange at Butte. No children have been horn of their union. Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary are mem- bers of the Catholic church, and in politics Mr. O'Leary is independent. Horseback riding is one of the favorite pastimes of both Mr. O'Leary and his wife. He is the owner of several valuable blooded horses, and so takes a double pleasure out of that delightful exercise. He is fond of hunting and fishing and he does both with characteristic energy. Like most really capable men, he can put his entire attention to the matter in hand. whether it be work or recreation. This is one of the secrets of his successful achievements in the realm of business. Personally he is of a sociable temperament and his unusual business talents have not in the least detracted from those which make for friendship and popularity.

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A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 100

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883- Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 970

Author: Sanders, Helen Fitzgerald, 1883-
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 970