A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 44

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

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Gilbert Arthur Chevigny was educated primarily in the public schools of the old Bay state, in Holbrook.and Brockton. Beginning life for himself at the age of eighteen years, he was for eight years employed in the shoe factory of Emerson & Weeks. Desirous of chang- ing his occupation, Mr. Chevigny, on May 4, 1889, came to Butte, Montana, to enter the employ of his uncle, J. S. Chevigny, with whom he remained for three years, being engaged in architectual work. Going then to Pocatello, Idaho, he had charge of the Pocatello Lum- ber Yards for a year. On his return to Butte, Mr. Chevigny became associated with the Miners Lumber Company as a collector, but was not content remaining in the position. Entering then the office of Dr. W. H. Wix, he took up the study of dentistry, and when he had completed his apprenticeship, established himself on his own account beginning his professional career in 1896, on a modest scale. Dr. Chevigny met with suc- cess from the start and since developed his professional

ability to such an extent that he is now one of the fore- most dentists of Butte having a large practice.

The Doctor is a member of the State Dental Society and a member and ex-president of the Butte City Dental Society, and also is a member of the Montana State Board of Dental Examiners having been appointed by Gov. Edw. L. Norris on March 2, 1908, and has served as treasurer and president and is now secretary. He also belongs to the Silver Bow Club, a social organiza- tion in which he takes great interest. Fraternally Dr. Chevigny is a member of Silver Bow Lodge No. 48, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, in which he has taken the York Rite degrees and is past master of his lodge which he served as master in 1906 and in 1910; he is likewise a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and of the Modern Woodmen of America.

On January 31, 1898, Dr. Chevigny was united in mar- riage with Cora Edna Wells, who was born in New York state, and came to Butte with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Wells. The Doctor and Mrs. Chevigny have two children, Charles Wells Chevigny, born March 6, 1903, in Butte, and Gilbert Arthur Che- vigny, born April 30, 1912.

JOHN H. HANLON, founder and proprietor of not only the oldest but, as well, the leading business of its kind in Montana, that of gravel roofing and dealing in roofing material, is one of the well known business men and citizens of Butte, where he has been identified with the business interests of that city for nearly a quarter of a century.

Mr. Hanlon was born in New York City, on April the first, 1868, and was deprived of the care of his mother when he was but three years of age, and the same year in which she died the father disappeared, and the child was placed in a house of refuge. At the age of five he assumed the burden of self-support, selling papers on the streets of New York and living in the Newsboy's Home. At the age of seven he was sent with nineteen other youngsters to Dixon, Illinois. Homes were to be found for the children on the fertile farms of the beautiful Rock River valley. Young Han- lon was transferred to the neighboring town of Mor- rison, in Whiteside county, where he was bound out to a farmer. The boy was to work for this man until he was twenty-one, and for that fourteen years' service he was to receive one hundred dollars, two suits of clothes and a Bible. He never came into possession of this equipment, for the work was so hard that he was unable to do what was expected of him, and at the age of fourteen he went to work on another farm, where he received nine dollars per month. He spent a month on this place, and then went west into Dickinson county, Kansas, and for another year was employed on a farm there, then returned to Illinois for the same length of time. His next move was to David City, Nebraska, where he spent two years at farm work. At the age of nineteen Mr. Hanlon went to Denver, where he learned the roofing business, to which he has ever since given his attention. He thoroughly mastered the business while residing in Denver, and soon was able to com- mand the wages of an expert. Although he was bent upon learning this trade, he did not hesitate to work at other things when the building industry was having a dull season. On one occasion, some trouble about supplies threw the whole force in which Mr. Hanlon was working out of employment during the summer time, when building is most active. Loafing is against his principles, and so he promptly secured a job pick- ing strawberries, and thus prevented the troublesome adversary who provides mischief for the idle from taking him into service. Mr. Hanlon early acquired the habit of work, and he has never lost it nor even mis- laid it temporarily.

In 1890 Mr. Hanlon came to Butte and began busi- ness for himself. The circumstances were far from pro-

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pitious, as he had but a limited capital, no acquaintance and much competition. He, however, knew that there is always place for good and honest work, and that it must find its market in time. He had the courage that is born of confidence, and of the knowledge that his work would prove itself, and time, that great sifter of the fit and unfit, has established him among the over- comers. The beginning was discouraging in the ex- treme, for it was almost impossible to get a foothold in the business, amid so much competition, but per- sistence is one of Mr. Hanlon's notable characteristics, and eventually he secured a patronage among the people he desired and since he was fairly started everything has gone smoothly. He has now a large and prosperous establishment, and is one of the leading exponents of the trade he follows.

The union of Mr. Hanlon and Alice B. Single took place in Idaho, in 1897. Their only child, John Henry, Junior, was born in January, 1899, and is attending Butte Business College. Mr. Hanlon's only other rela- tives were two brothers, James and Peter, but the latter died in Denver in 1882.

In matters of national policy Mr. Hanlon believes in the principles advocated by the Democratic party, and to this he gives his support. In local politics he is not a partisan, but votes for the best candidate put up, irre- spective of political affiliation. He has been often urged to run for various offices, but has always refused, as his business takes all his time, and he is unwilling to neglect it. He is a member of the lodges of the Eagles and the Modern Woodmen of America, was one of the founders of the Pastime Athletic Club, in which he was an active worker until the organization disbanded, and is a charter member of the Butte Curling Club, Whatever Mr. Hanlon undertakes he works at with unflagging energy, and the success which has come to him has been no result of chance, but the outcome of painstaking work and workmanship, of unremitting in- dustry, and of indomitable fortitude and patience.

ROBERT T. FURNISH. Among the truly self made men of Custer county, Montana, whose boyhood was shadowed by the death of his father and the conse- quent placing of heavy responsibilities on his young shoulders, is Robert T. Furnish, one of the repre- sentative business men of Miles City, and chairman of the board of county commissioners of Custer county. It seems a far cry from the little bound boy, who was expected to do a man's work with his childish strength, to the man of affairs, fortune and importance of the present day, but this change was entirely brought about through his own unassisted efforts.

Robert T. Furnish was born at Warsaw, Gallatin county, Kentucky, July 4, 1869, and is a son of Crit- tenden and Eliza (Baxter) Furnish. The father was also a native of Gallatin county, born in 1832, and died in 1877. The mother belonged to one of the old county families, the name still being well known in Galla- tin county, and she survived until 1875. Four of the family of six children are living, namely: Fannie, who is the widow of A. Foster; and Lee, Robert T. and William T. Crittenden Furnish was a man of bril- liant parts. He had few early educational advan- tages, nevertheless he succeeded in preparing himself for the law, on several occasions was elected county attorney of Gallatin county and made so profound an impression at the bar that his services were some- times called for in different parts of the state. His life closed early, however, his death occurring when he was but forty-five years old and before he had been able to provide adequately for his young family.

Thus it came about that when Robert T. Furnish was only nine years of age he found himself an orphan and dependent upon his own efforts for support. A neighboring farmer secured papers that indentured the lad to him for a term of years, but his brutality caused the boy to take advantage of the first op-

portunity to escape. He knew no way, however, by which he could make a living except by farm work, and engaged for a summer with another farmer and again found out that there are men who willingly take advantage of the helpless and when the long summer was over refused the wage he had promised to his young helper.

Mr. Furnish then determined to learn a trade or business of his own, one in which his skill could make him independent, and in the offices of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, at Glencoe, Kentucky, he learned the art of telegraphing, so diligently applying himself that he became an expert at the key and easily se- cured remunerative positions. From being telegraph operator with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Com- pany, he went to Kansas and became an operator in the offices of the Missouri Pacific, and from there came to Montana, becoming agent and operator at Springdale for the Northern Pacific Railroad Com- pany, later coming to their offices at Miles City and remaining in the employ of that corporation for seven- teen consecutive years. After serving for three years as railroad agent at Miles City, Mr. Furnish decided to turn his attention to another line of business and, in partnership with Mr. Knutson, established the pres- ent grocery firm of Furnish & Knutson, which is a leader in the grocery line in this place.

On November 19, 1893, Mr. Furnish was united in marriage with Miss Carrie H. Thompson, who was born in West Virginia and is a daughter of George P. and Mary M. (Massie) Thompson. Both parents of Mrs. Furnish are deceased. The father was a phy- sician at St. Albans, West Virginia, for many years. Of his family of seven children there are but three survivors : Mary L., Mrs. Furnish and George P. Mr. and Mrs. Furnish have four children : Margaret, Hazel, Robert and Gordon.

Mr. Furnish has always been identified with the Democratic party, as was his father. He has taken an active part in public affairs in Custer county, both political and otherwise, and in 1908 was elected a county commissioner of Custer county, for a term of six years, being made chairman of the board, and in 1911 was elected vice president of the Custer County Fair Association. He belongs to several fraternal organizations, including the Knights of Pythias.

MAX JACOBS was born in the German Empire on the fourth day of November, 1865. His father, Hyman Jacobs, became a merchant prince among the pioneers both in California and Montana. A native of the liberty-loving little state of Poland, he first came to America in his twentieth year. Until his eighteenth birthday, he was a school boy in his native state, at which time, having, in the eyes of his countrymen, obtained his majority, he left Poland for London. One year in England sufficed to prove to him that the small island did not offer the opportunities for which he sought. He set out for the new world alone. Land- ing in New York, he engaged in a small mercantile business there. Hardly was his trade established when there came to his ears rumors of the magic California where yellow gold lay shining in her white sands, only waiting for the hand of man to gather it up. Selling his newly formed business, Mr. Jacobs started overland for the Golden Gate city, arriving in California in the autumn of 1850. The only free gold that attracted the eye of the newcomer was the gold of the Cali- fornia sunshine. Being a man of sound judgment and unusual business acumen, he wasted only a few months in a vain attempt to gain sudden wealth. Many people were flocking into California, all in quest of the shin- ing ore; few there were to supply the immediate and practical needs of the many. Mr. Jacobs was quick to grasp this fact and opened a small store or trading post. So popular did the little post become that he soon joined forces with his brother-in-law and estab-

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R. J. Furnish

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lished a series of general mercantile houses. The first were in St. Louis, San Francisco and Marysville. Mr. Hyman Jacobs acted as general purchasing agent for all the stores, selecting all of the stock. So willing were the miners about him to exchange their nuggets for his merchandise that in 1858 he was able to sell out his share in the business at a figure sufficiently large to permit him to return to his native land, a wealthy man. Poland seemed not to appeal strongly to him as a permanent home, and he settled in Thorn, Germany, where he met and married Rosalie Engler. Eight chil- dren were born of the union, four sons and four daugh- ters; Louis, Julius, Max and Adolph ; Ernestine, Rosalie, Hattie and Jennie. All lived to reach maturity, except Julius, Rosalie and Hattie.

Although a well-to-do and respected citizen of Ger- many, Mr. Jacobs longed for the life and bustle of the new world. The good frau seemed not averse to accom- pany him; thus, in 1871, he brought his young family to Nevada, where they made a home for themselves at Pioche. Here the father once more established a mercantile business. Under his skilful hands it grew and prospered for twenty-one years, when he sold out to enter the same line of trade in East Helena, Mon- tana. Here he passed away in 1901, and with his going Montana lost one of the most successful and trusted of her pioneer merchants. His faithful German wife, unable to long endure the loneliness his passing had brought to her, was laid at his side in 1902.

Mr. Jacobs had been a witness to the organization of the first vigilante company in Neveda, the company papers having been formed in his place of business, in the year 1870.

One of the sons and heirs of the senior Mr. Jacobs, and the successor to his large business, is Mr. Max Jacobs, a young man now, and himself prominent in the commercial circles of East Helena. Although born during his parents' residence in the fatherland, he re- ceived his early education in the schools of Pioche, Nevada. For two terms he taught in the schools of Hiko, Nevada, and later at Bullionville of the same state, before engaging in the mining and milling busi- ness at Pioche and Bristol. This last venture, though promising so well in the beginning, proved most dis- astrous, owing to the slump in silver at about that time, the new Pennsylvania district being known for its silver ore.

Mr. Max Jacobs then returned to East Helena, where, with his brother Adolph, he formed a mercantile com- pany which was quite successful until 1890, when, owing to the closing of the smelters and the mines, the young men were obliged to temporarily shut down. They then moved to Helena, where they engaged in mercantile business, returning to' East Helena on the resumption of work in the smelters and mines and this time joining with their father in conducting the business. Since the death of the elder Mr. Jacobs, the son has carried on the large mercantile interests unaided and with marked success, the profits accruing therefrom being even larger than of old.

Mr. Max Jacobs is a well-known Republican of his district, having much influence in local politics. At present, he has the honor of being postmaster of East Helena. He is a member of the Lambs' Club, the Knights of Pythias lodge and the Woodmen of the World. He was married on the twelfth of January, 1905, to Miss Jean Houston of Londonberry, Ireland. Miss Houston having been for several years a resident of Montana. This union of the blood of a Pole and a German with that of a daughter of Scotland is indeed an unusual combination. If it unite the German thrift with the Scotch acumen and the loyalty of the Pole the two young daughters will have an heritage of which they may well be proud. The oldest of the two girls, Maxine, was born in 1907 and is now attending the East Helena schools. The younger sister, Margaret, was born on the seventh of March, 1909. Vol. III-10

Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs are possessed of more than comfortable means, yet if it had not been for a mis- taken estimate placed upon a piece of property which Mr. Jacobs received from his father they would now be many-times millionaires. Young Mr. Jacobs was at one time sole owner of the mining property now known as the Golden Prince, in Ely District, Lincoln county, Nevada, which since its change of owners has developed into one of the greatest gold and silver producers of the district. Such is the uncertainty of life in the ore fields.

JUDGE J. MILLER SMITH, a distinguished and able jurist of the first judicial district of Montana is of German ancestry on his father's side. When Emperor Alexander, sometimes called the ablest of the czars, brought on, through his ambition, the Crimean war and the vessels of the allies, forming the mightiest fleet that had yet been launched upon the sea, appeared off the coast of Crimea, many of the Russian subjects fled in terror, especially those living in subjugated Poland, not being in sympathy with the Russian government. One little party of these subjects, stealthily crossed to the German border in the dead of night and the follow- ing day, without other property than that which they had been able to carry with them, took ship for America. Among these emigrants was Lewis M. Smith, the father of J. Miller Smith, who was then living in Russian Poland, the son of whom is now district judge of Montana.

The grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Schmidt, emigrated to Russia from Germany during Napoleon's great Russian campaign. Mr. Schmidt, on reaching maturity had become blacksmith to the czar. Their son, Lewis M. Smith, was born in Russia on the first day of September, 1833. On reaching America, after fleeing from Russia, he settled in New Jersey and almost at once engaged in the manufacture of leather. His first factory was established shortly after the Civil war, and the business grew in volume from year to year until Mr. Smith became known as one of the largest whole- sale leather manufacturers of the country. He was among the pioneers in the patent leather industry. Dur- ing the Civil war he enlisted as one of the New Jersey volunteers to go to the front, that he might repay, if necessary, with his life, the land that had brought to him peace and prosperity. The fates, however, decreed that his period of usefulness was not yet over and after serving throughout the entire period with that devotion known only to the grateful foreigner, he was mustered out and returned to continue his life work in Newark. His wife, Mary Miller Smith, born in Oxford, Pennsylvania, on the seventeenth day of April, 1836, passed away at their Newark home in 1876. Her father, James Miller, was of Irish birth, having settled in Pennsylvania in the early part of the nineteenth century.

Mr. Smith survived his wife until the spring of 1908. He left a very large estate to be divided among his heirs. The leather business, still carried on by the two sons who remained in the east, goes under the firm name of L. M. Smith & Sons.

The son who has made himself so much a part of Montana history, J. Miller Smith, was born at New Brunswick, New Jersey, on February 10, 1862, being only an infant in arms when his distinguished father volunteered his services in the cause of his new-found home. The lad, after attending the public schools at Newark, completed a course at the New Jersey Com- mercial College, in Newark. Later he attended Park College in Missouri, and after graduation went to the national metropolis to begin his study of the law at the University of New York City. In 1890 he entered the law office of Massena Bullard at Helena, Montana. Mr. Bullard was conceded to be one of the leading members of the Helena bar. Judge Smith was admitted to the Montana bar in 1892 and for seven years practiced with his preceptor.

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In 1899 Mr. Smith opened an office in his own name and had a lucrative practice from the beginning. He devoted himself to an increasing general practice until 1904, when he was appointed assistant United States attorney. During the next four years he acted as prose- cutor for the government, but resigned to become a candidate for the district judgship. Judge Smith was elected by the Republicans at a general election by a good majority. He is a careful and conscientious jur- ist, whose rulings are upheld by the highest tribunals of the state. His first term is nearly finished, but there is little possibility of his being permitted to retire at its expiration, as he has been renominated for a second term.

Mr. Smith was married the year that he came to Helena, the woman of his choice being Viola E. Wynne of Lyndon, Kansas, a graduate of Park College, Mis- souri. Her father, Robert Wynne, of Lyndon, Kansas, having passed away some years ago from injuries received in the Civil war. The mother still resides in Kansas.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith were married on the seventeenth day of October, 1890. They are the parents of six chil- dren, four boys and two girls. Lewis Kelsey Smith, born on the eighteenth of December, 1892, is now a stu- dent in the Wesleyan University. His next brother, Paul Wynne, two years younger, has not as yet com- pleted his high school course. David Robert Smith, born September 5, 1896, is attending the Helena high school, and J. Miller Smith, Jr., now thirteen years of age, is attending the grade schools of Helena, as is the little sister, Verna Ruth, who was born on the ninth day of March, 1903. Viola Emiline is the baby of the fam- ily, being but five years of age.

The large family of little ones have prevented Mrs. Smith from being as active as she otherwise might have been in the public life of Helena. She and the judge are, notwithstanding, among the working mem- bers of the Presbyterian church.

The judge cares little for so-called social life, pre- ferring to spend his evenings in the family circle when not engaged in reading and study. Politics naturally absorbs a portion of his thoughts, though he believes that the judiciary of the country should be raised above political issues. In lodge circles, he is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and of the Royal High- landers.

Mr. Smith is well prepared, in inheritance, education and general trend of mind, to occupy the seat of honor to which he has been chosen. His understanding of the law is clear and concise and his judgments fearless.

STEPHEN B. CHAPPELL. Probably no citizen has been more closely identified with the business interests of the city of Wibaux, Montana, than Stephen B. Chappell, the extent of whose operations as hotel keeper, stock- man, financier, and progressive business man have made him a leading figure in the commercial and industrial life of Dawson county. Although the early years of his life were spent in his native south, Mr. Chappell's real career as an important factor in the business world began in 1890 when he came to Montana, and this state has since been the scene of his activities. He was horn March 31, 1856, in Mississippi, and is a son of George and Katherine (Jacks) Chappell, also natives of that state.

George Chappell spent his boyhood days in Missis- sippi, and was there educated in the public schools and reared to the life of an agriculturist. He was there married, and in 1857 took his wife and children to the state of Texas, where he engaged in the cattle and horse business on the range, and had many thousand head of cattle and sheep. During the Civil war he enlisted for service in the Confederate army in a Texas regiment, as his sympathies were entirely with the South, he hav- ing been an extensive slave owner, and participated in all the battles and skirmishes of his regiment, which

belonged to the command of Gen. Robert E. Lee. He was twice wounded in battle, and was present at the surrender of the noted general at Appomattox. On his return to Texas he resumed his business, but in 1866 sold his stock and removed to Louisiana, where he had about five hundred or six hundred acres of land devoted to corn and cotton on the Red river, one hundred miles below Shreveport, and there he continued to carry on operations until his death in 1871, when only forty-two years of age, the last illness having probably been hastened by the wounds and exposure to which he was subjected during his army life. His widow, who is seventy-one years of age, resides in Texas, and has been the mother of three children: Stephen B .; James, who died at the age of twenty-two years; and Wiley. living at Floresville, Texas.

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A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 44

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