A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 2

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

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As the family was not in very prosperous circum- stances, John A. Collins spent the greater part of his boyhood in the hard, unremitting work of the home farm, and his education was therefore necessarily some- what limited. Until he was fourteen years of age, . however, he spent a part of each term in the district school, and after he had finished his schooling returned to the farm, where he continued to work until he was nineteen years old. At that time he decided to strike ont for himself, and having managed to borrow a small capital in the spring of 1885 he came to Montana, first settling at Anaconda. There he secured employment as a carpenter's helper in the construction of the Mill Creek flume for the Anaconda Copper Smelting Com- pany, for which concern he worked during the sum- mers of 1885 and 1886. ' On the completion of this work he accepted a position in the smelter, and in all remained in Anaconda for more than a year and a half, in the spring of 1887 going to Granite, Montana. where he worked in the forests at wood chopping until the fall of 1887. At that time he came first to Great Falls to go to work in the silver smelter as a pipe fitter, but later took a position with Hotchkiss & Haw- kins, the pioneer plumbers of Great Falls, in whose employ he continued until 1892. In the fall of that year he formed a partnership with Frank F. Goss, in the plumbing business, and in the year following pur- chased his partner's interest in the establishment, oi which he continued to be the sole proprietor until 1896. Mr. Collins then became associated with Frank Huy in the hardware and plumbing business, and in 1898 W. F. Brown purchased Mr. Huy's interest, the firm of Collins & Brown conducting the business until 1903, under the name of Western Hardware Company. At that time Mr. Collins sold his interest in the hardware department, but retained the plumbing business, which he has continued to conduct to this time. His execu- tive ability and business acumen have made this one of the leading enterprises of its kind in the city, and the store at No. 306 First avenue, South, is equipped with all modern improvements.

A stanch Republican in politics, Mr. Collins was elected mayor of Great Falls in 1899, when the voters of the city decided upon a business administration, and so ably did he discharge the duties of his high position that he was returned to the mayoralty chair in 1901. On January 1, 1909, he took the office of sheriff, to which he was elected in 1911, and he still acts in this office to the entire satisfaction of the people of the community. He is a popular member of the Electric and Athletic clubs, and has been prominent in fraternal circles, belonging to Euclid Lodge No. 58, A. F. & A. M., of Great Falls, to the Knights of Pythias and to the Odd Fellows, and served as grand master of the state of Montana, and in 1900 was grand representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge at Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. Collins was married January 26, 1905, at Spokane,

Henry Mueller

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Washington, to Miss Mary Kaina, of North Dakota. The Collins residence is located at No. 313 Third ave- nue, South, and is a center of social refinement, where the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Collins often con- gregate.

HENRY MUELLER. "God's finger touched him and he slept," was the almost universal thought in Butte and many other locations in Montana after the untimely death of the late Henry Mueller on June 29, 1908, at the early age of fifty-seven vears. For Mr. Mueller was one of Montana's prominent, influential and most useful and progressive citizens, every activity in his life having been employed directly or indirectly for the general welfare, and his every heart throb having been in sympathy with the righteous aspirations and efforts for elevation and improvement among his fellow men. The people everywhere who knew his worth, his public service, his high character, his benignant disposition and his great and commanding business enterprise, felt that a good man had been called to his final rest, and while all mourned the great loss suffered by the com- munity in his early departure from the scenes of his serviceable activity, there was not one who did not do his memory reverence and account him altogether worthy of the high esteem in which he was held by all classes of the people of the state.

Mr. Mueller's life story contains little that is spec- tacular and, outside of his early death, almost nothing of the element of tragedy. It is a record of fine and continuous business success due to unusual ability and force of character; of continual willingness and much more than ordinary capacity to serve the public where his services were needed for the general weal, and of the steady flow of a calm, full current of active . goodness toward mankind in general and his immediate associates in particular, with every energy and faculty guided by lofty ideals and dominated at all times by a strong sense of duty.

Mr. Mueller was born in the busy industrial and commercial city of Cologne, in the Rhenish province of Prussia, on April 23, 1851, and came to the United States with his parents in his childhood. The family located on a farm near Milwaukee, and some little time afterward moved to Menasha, Winnebago county, Wisconsin, where Henry took up the battle of life partially for himself, going to work in a factory at the age of fourteen, for the purpose of helping to provide for the household, as the parents were in very moderate circumstances, and the family was large, consisting of six sons and one daughter, Henry being the first born of the seven.

After working in the factory for some time he saw an opportunity to do better for himself and the family by going into the lumber and saw mill region of Michigan. He did not, however, confine his in- dustry to the lumber business, but passed one year of his stay in Michigan working in a mine, and another of his .absence from home as a sailor on the great lakes. When he reached the age of twenty-one he returned to Menasha and found employment in a general merchandising establishment as a clerk, which position he held for three years, rendering both the firm and its patrons such satisfactory service that he was highly commended for his astuteness and fidelity.

He was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Trilling, the daughter of Henry Trilling, a prom- inent merchant of Menasha, and soon afterward took charge of his father-in-law's business, which he con- tinued to manage until 1884, when he moved to Chi- cago and engaged in the commission and produce business on his own account. Chicago did not entirely suit him and in 1885 he sold his interests in that city and changed his residence and the seat of his activities to Butte, Montana.

On his arrival in this city he secured employment

as a bookkeeper for Messrs. Schmidt & Gamer, owners of the Centennial brewery. Two years later he pur- chased Mr. Gamer's interest in the business and the new firm was incorporated under the name of the Centennial Brewing Company. The business was growing, and the introduction of Mr. Mueller's en- ergetic spirit into its management accelerated its prog- ress to such a degree that the erection of a larger plant and the installation of new and improved machin- ery soon became necessary, and when this require- ment was provided the brewery was admitted to be one of the largest and most completely equipped in the whole northwest, and was in a condition to com- pare favorably with any establishment of its kind any- where.

Mr. Mueller remained in active management of the brewery until failing health forced him to take a much needed rest. He was also connected with other profit- able enterprises, among them mining interests of con- siderable value. To all his various business claims he gave close and studious personal attention, and they all felt the quickening impulse of his clear brain and ready and vigorous hand. But numerous and exacting as were the demands on his time and attention in a business way, they were not . sufficient to abate in the slightest degree his great and abiding interest in the progress and improvement of his home city, courity and state, for which he was ever zealous in desire and energetic and effective in action.

He was a firm believer in the principles and govern- mental theories of the Democratic party and held to it through life with unwavering loyalty. While living in Menasha, Wisconsin, he served as town clerk, chairman of the town board of directors and on the county board of supervisors. In 1889 he was elected a member of the city council of Butte and in 1891 mayor of the city, filling both positions with decided credit to himself and benefit to the community. In addition he took an interest, cordial and helpful, in the organization of the National Guard of Montana and joined Company F in Butte as a private in the ranks. His efforts to promote the welfare of this company resulted in his being elected its captain in 1889. Later he was elected major of the First regiment, and held that office when Harry C. Kessler was the colonel in command. He was also elected a member of the school board in 1899 and served two terms as its chairman.

In the fraternal life of the community Mr. Mueller was a generous and potential factor. He belonged to the Butte Lodge of Elks, the Royal Arcanum, the National Union, the Ancient Order of United Work- men and the rank of Select Knights in that order, and gave to each of these fraternities careful and earnest attention and excellent service, directed by intelligence and inspired by ardent and unflagging zeal. What- ever he put his hand to was stimulated to more active life and higher and better achievements. He founded one of the most interesting and appreciated, because one of the most instructive and encouraging, features of the high school work in the city. This is the Mueller Declamation contest for pupils of the high school. Its entertainments are given annually, and Mueller gold medals are awarded to the young man and young lady of the school who deliver the best declamations in the contests, which are public and always attract wide attention.

Mr. Mueller's health began to fail several years before his death, and in the course of his decline a stroke of paralysis weakened him considerably for a time. But he rallied from this and regained a large part of his former health and vigor. In March pre- ceding his death he made a trip to southern California. for the benefit of his health, and seemed much im- proved by his stay in that region. But on his way home disastrous occurrences robbed him of all he had

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gained, and gave him a decided setback from which he never recovered. Floods had so impaired railroad travel that he was forced to make a wide detour to reach Butte, and this wearied him by its lengthy ad- dition to the journey. Then, when the train had al- most reached its destination, a land slide necessitated the transfer of the passengers to another. This addi- tional trouble served to further exhaust him and gave him a cold besides. He apparently gained in strength after reaching his home, but a reaction set in, and his family and friends soon realized that his death must soon occur.

By his marriage with Miss Trilling, Mr. Mueller became the father of three daughters and three sons, all but one of whom are living and all reside in Butte except one danghter, Mrs. Collins West, whose home is in Billings, Montana. The daughter and the sons who live in Butte are: Mrs. Albert Rochester and Arthur H., Walter and Henry Mueller, all of whom are well known and highly esteemed in the city of their home. Mr. Mueller is survived also by five brothers and one sister, and his aged mother was at his bedside at the time of his death. His brothers are: Andrew, who lives in Butte; Paul, who is a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia; William, whose home is in Billings, Montana; and Matthew and Joseph, residents of Menasha, Wisconsin, where the sister, Mrs. Philip Gardner, also lives.

Enterprising, progressive, energetic and far-seeing in regard to matters of public interest, Henry Mueller was also generous in private benefactions and added to their value by the unostentatious manner in which they were bestowed. He had the confidence and re- spect of everybody who knew him or of him. Few men have ever stood as high as he did in general es- teem in Butte, and no one would say that he was not worthy of every degree and evidence of popular regard ever given him, or that the state of Montana had during his life a better representative of all that is best in its citizenship.

At the time of Mr. Mueller's death the Butte Miner of June 30, 1908, said editorially : "Butte has sustained an irreparable loss in the death of Mr. Henry Mueller. Few men have ever stood as high in this community, and he was justly esteemed by all classes. He was a public-spirited citizen, ever ready to devote his time and money in the cause of the general welfare; he was generous to a fault and his private charities were legion. He had the respect of every one who knew him, for he was one of those men in whom all felt confidence. He was progressive and yet conservative, that is to say, he could always be interested in civic enterprsies, which in his judgment told him were legitimate and needed. Mr. Mueller's advice was con- tinually sought by business men and others, because, being most successful himself, he was recognized as a man of exceptional capacity. Several times he was called upon to serve his fellow citizens in different positions, such as mayor and president of the school board, and he had the highest sense of that duty which an American citizen owes to his country and com- munity.

"For the last two or three years his friends noticed with sorrow that Mr. Mueller was failing in health, but to even the last those who met him and talked with him felt that he must belie his appearance, for he retained a cheerful disposition and took the same sympathetic interest in the affairs of others that was always one of his marked characteristics.

"Although a very sick man for some time, before the final summons came he bore his suffering with rare fortitude and always had a pleasant smile and word for "his friends. His death will bring sorrow into every household in Butte, and the deepest regret will be ex- pressed that this kindly man could not have been spared for many years to come. All the members of

his family will have the heartfelt sympathy of every citizen of Butte, and in scores of homes throughout the state his death will bring sadness."

CHARLES P. COTTER. Finely educated, and possess- ing veritable talent and a comprehensive knowledge of the technicalities of law, Charles P. Cotter, of Town- send, occupies a noteworthy position among the rising young lawyers of the city, and is well known as county attorney of Broadwater county.

Born in Townsend, March 14, 1885, he acquired his rudimentary education in the elementary and high schools of the city. Desirous from youth up of entering the legal profession, he continued his studies at the State University, at the University of Chicago, and at Columbia University, in New York City, where, in 1910 he was graduated with the degree of B. A.

Returning then to Townsend, Mr. Cotter began the practice of his profession, and is meeting with excel- lent success. In the fall of 1910, although he is a steadfast Republican, living in a Democratic strong- hold, he was elected county attorney, running far ahead of his ticket at the election, his victory over his opponent showing his popularity as a lawyer, a man, and a citizen. He is financially interested in the Townsend elevator. He is enthusiastic in regard to the development of the mineral resources of the state, being more especially optimistic regarding the gold producing mines of Broadwater county. Mr. Cotter is a member of two college fraternities, belonging to the Sigma Chi, and to the Phi Alpha Delta. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Thomas H. Cotter, father of Charles P. Cotter, was born, reared and educated in St. Lawrence county, New York. Coming west at the age of twenty-one years, he engaged in ranching and mining in Broad- water county, and at one time carried on a livery business in Townsend. He has holdings in this county, and is now one of the leading farmers of this part of the state, his entire time being devoted to that industry. He married Rose Durnen, a native of Wisconsin, and to them four children have been born, namely: Will- iam C., a mining engineer, spent two years at the Montana School of Mines, one year at the Utah School of Mines, and is now engaged in mining and ranching in the vicinity of Canton, Montana; John E., engaged in agricultural pursuits in Broadwater county; May M., a graduate of the Townsend high school and now attending the State Normal School, and Charles P.

SANFORD DAIGLE. A business man of prominence and influence at Dixon, Montana, is Sanford Daigle, who is here engaged in the blacksmith and wagon- making business, being the owner and operator of a finely equipped shop, in which he spends his working hours. Mr. Daigle has traveled throughnot the west and declares Montana is the one best state in this sec- tion of the country.

A native of Maine, Sanford Daigle was born in Restock county, that state, July 13, 1867, and 'he is a son of Richard and Flora (Bulger) Daigle, both of whom were born and reared in Maine, where was solemnized their marriage and where they still reside. Mr. Daigle is engaged in the lumber business and in his younger days he was a great traveler, having toured the west and Montana in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Daigle became the parents of eight children, of whom San- ford was the fifth child and youngest son.

Sanford Daigle was reared to the age of eighteen years in his native county in Maine, where his educa- tional training consisted of such advantages as were offered in the district schools. In 1885 he came to Montana, locating in Missoula, where he was engaged in the lumber business for three years, at the expiration of which he went to Butte, where he resided for the en- sning five years and where he learned the trades of

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machinist and blacksmith. In 1893 he went to Cho- teau and there opened a blacksmith shop, which he con- ducted for two years. He then went to British Colum- bia, where he followed blacksmithing for seven years and whence he went to Republic, Washington, there engaging in the same line of enterprise for the next two years. In 1903 he took up a government homestead in Washington and subsequently engaged in business at Loomis, that state. One year later he went to Wal- lace, Idaho, where he followed mining for three years and he then returned to dear old Montana, settling at Dixon and engaging in the blacksmith and wagon- making business here in March, 1911. Mr. Daigle says: "I have traveled in many places and came back to Montana the second time more fully convinced that it beats them all. This is my permanent home from now on."

In politics Mr. Daigle is a stalwart Republican but he does not participate actively in public affairs. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, in which he has passed the various official chairs, and Mrs. Daigle is a valued member of the Daughters of the Rebekah. He is very fond of hunting and fish- ing and Mrs. Daigle says he will miss his meals, sleep and all else in order to go fishing. He is likewise fond of horses and driving and both he and his wife are greatly interested in music, reading and theatricals. Mr. Daigle earned his first money as a boy digging potatoes back in Maine. He earned fifty cents a day and with his savings purchased his first ready-made suit.

At Colville, Washington, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Daigle to Mrs. Susan Scrafford, of British Columbia. The wedding occurred October 22, 1895. Mrs. Daigle's father was Medders Vanderpool, an old . western pioneer, who crossed the plains and came to Flathead lake in 1830. Later he returned to his native state of North Carolina but in 1846 came again to the golden west, going as far as Oregon, where he re- sided during the rest of his life. He died in 1896, at the patriarchal age of ninety-eight vears. Mr. and Mrs. Daigle have no children. Mr. Daigle is a com- municant of the Catholic church, while Mrs. Daigle is a Protestant. They are popular and highly respected citizens in Dixon, where they are beloved by all with whom they have come in contact.

DAVID M. TREPP is a well-known newspaper man of Lewistown being himself a writer of much ability. At present, he is the president, chief stock holder and managing editor of the Lewistown Daily News, the only daily newspaper of that thriving city.

His father. Martin Trepp. was born in Nufenen Canton, Graubunden, Switzerland. As a lad he came to America, settling in Connecticut. 'In 1864 he made the overland journey to Montana. The trip was fraught with hardship and exciting incident but his early life as a mountaineer had prepared him for the former while his love of liberity and freedom, so natural to his countrymen, made him welcome all adventure. Like all of the western emigrants he was attracted to Moritana by the tales of her great mineral finds and himself hastened to begin a search for precious ore. After a brief sojourn in the Treasure state, however he began to realize that for him her cattle might as- say a higher percent of gold than her ore. So soon as he began to prosper, his dreams of a return to the fatherland took form. When he had made a little home for himself in the new state he journeyed back to his land of eternal hills in search of the Swiss maiden who was to reign over it. The girl whom he sought was Anna Fimian who gladly returned with him to face her future in an unknown country. They lived in quiet and comfort on their ranch home until 1893 when Mr. Trepp suddenly passed away-a man

in his full prime and vigor. Of the family who was left to mourn him, his wife now lives in Lewistown with her daughter Margaret who is the chief book- keeper in the office of the Lewistown Daily Nere's of which her brother is president and general manager. The oldest of the family, Lizzie Trepp Klinkman, is the wife of Henry Klinkman who resides in Billings. Elsie, the youngest of the girls, has completed her schooling and is filling a position of trust in the Yegen Brothers bank of Billings.

David M. Trepp, the second of the four children, is the only son of the family. He was born in Town- send, Montana, on the 30th day of October, 1885. When he was four years of age, his parents moved to their ranch in the Judith Basin. Upon the death of his father, the lad, together with his mother and sisters, made their home in Lewistown. While attend- ing school, at the age of thirteen, he earned his first money by acting as janitor of the building. For his services he received the sum of eight dollars a month. That same year he entered the Lewistown high school, completing the course of that institution while still in his sixteenth year. After being graduated from the Montana State University at the age of eighteen, he taught school in Fergus county, working on a ranch in the summer and holding for a portion of the time a clerkship in a mercantile establishment. In this way he was able to acquire a portion of the means with which to take a course in the State University of Minnesota situated at Minneapolis. After finishing his work in Minneapolis, he returned to Lewistown and became reporter on the Fergus County Democrat. Neither the position nor the politics of the paper greatly pleased him and in 1907, upon the establishment of the Daily News, he was pleased to accept the position of city editor on that paper and to assume full charge of the department of general news. Here he invested the remnant of his savings.

Mr. Trepp's interests are not confined to journal- ism alone athough he has given much of his best effort to his editorial labors. He is connected with Al Heinecke, a theatrical manager who is making a name for himself. They are in control of theaters in Lewistown, Moore and Harlow and have obtained an interest in several others.

On the 16th day of January, 1911, Mr. Trepp was united in marriage to Miss Ruth E. French, the daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. S. B. French, well-known resi- dents of Lewistown.

LESLIE SULGROVE. One of the prominent citizens of Helena, Montana, is Leslie Sulgrove, who has spent thirty-two years of a busy, useful life in this state, hav- ing identified himself with its growing interests, and in many ways has contributed to its development and pres- tige. In public life he is known as a strong and aggres- sive worker in the uplift of the community. He has al- ways been an active practical reformer and all of the varied responsibilities which he has assumed since com- ing to Montana in the territorial days, have been ad- vanced by his accurate, vigorous efforts.

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A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 2

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