A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 47

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

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

praise but also as an executive, for the practical work- ing out of his plans for the hospital have resulted in the high reputation which the institution bears.

Not content with the practical experience he was getting, realizing that in his profession, as in no other, was it necessary to keep abreast of the times. in 1899 Dr. Spelman made a special trin to Europe and Eng- land for the purpose of study. While in London he entered St. Bartholemew's Hospital and took a special course in surgery which lasted for six months. He en- deavors through constant reading and study to keep informed of the improved methods of surgery which are each day being advanced, and his patients need never fear any thing bordering on old fogyism from Dr. Spelman.

In politics he is a member of the Democratic party, though he has never cared to take a very active part in the political game. . His , interest in education led him to accept an office as member of the school board, and for one year he served as its very efficient presi- dent. In his own profession he has been honored with the office of president of the Montana State Medical Association, serving during the year of 1895. He is a firm believer in the value of Montana real estate and is the owner of considerable valuable property in the city of Anaconda and elsewhere. His beautiful home is a silent witness of the doctor's modern and pro- gressive ideas.

In March, 1895, Dr. Spelman was married to Miss Isabelle Coburn, a native of New York. Three chil- dren have been born to this marriage. The eldest, James Rewalt Spelman, now aged fourteen, is attend- ing high school, and the younger two are Mary Belle and Francis Coburn Spelman. Mrs. Spelman is the daughter of Francis Coburn, who was a native of Scot- land, and a railroad engineer by profession. His wife was Mary Cross, who was born of Irish parentage. Both are now deceased.

The visitor to Anaconda is certain to be shown the hospital of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company among the first sights of the city, for the citizens of Anaconda are proud of this institution, and well they may be. It is seldom that outside of the big cities of the east one finds so splendidly equipped and well managed a hospital. Dr. Spelman's name is well known throughout the state on this account, but fame and reputation mean little to him, for his heart is wrapped up in his work, and perhaps this is the very reason why he is so successful.

WILLIAM A. SELVIDGE. Every department of mercan- tile business has its high class representatives in Bill- ings, Montana, and in the hardware line a conspicuous example of this fact is exemplified in Mr. W. A. Sel- vidge, president and manager of the Billings Hardware Company. He has spent his entire commercial career in some department of the hardware trade and is thor- oughly acquainted with its peculiarities and points of advantage and especially with those features of the trade which require expert knowledge.

Mr. Selvidge was born in Jasper county, Missouri, on his grandfather's old homestead, June 24, 1867, the son of William Lee and Margaret (Cummings) Selvidge. His mother was a native of St. Louis, where she was born March 22, 1849, and her demise occurred in this city May 5, 1906. Mr. Selvidge, senior, claims Knox- ville, Tennessee, as his native home, and December 28, 1846, was the date of his birth. He was taken by his parents to Missouri when very young, and attended school in Casper county until sixteen years old, when he enlisted in the Sixteenth Regiment of Volunteer Cavalry of Missouri, and remained in the conflict until the end of the war. Returning to the pursuits of peace, he followed his trade as machinist until 1892, when he went west and settled at Lewistown, Montana, on a ranch and remained at that place during the succeeding ten

years. He then took up his residence in Rosebud county, locating near Forsyth, and is still living at that place, following the occupation of ranchman. A well known and highly respected citizen of that community, he is interested in all departments of life necessary to the well being of the people of any such locality. Politically he is an advocate of Republican party principles, he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and is fraternally affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

W. A. Selvidge spent his early life on his father's farm in Casper county, Missouri, and in his boyhood days attended the district school of that community. He early decided upon the business which he would adopt as a life career and as a young man went to Cedar county, in the same state and there found opportunity to learn the hardware business. From there he went to Guthrie, Oklahoma, which then, although the first capi- tal of the territory, was but a small town, and Mr. Selvidge's hardware store which he opened at that point was the first of its kind in town. He remained in Guthrie for two years and in 1890 disposed of his busi- ness there in order that he might seek a better location further to the west. His choice settled upon Livingston, Montana, and he preceded to conduct a hardware busi- ness there. From then until 1895, Mr. Selvidge con- ducted hardware stores successively in Castle and Lew- istown, then retired from the retail hardware business and accepted a position as traveling salesman for a large wholesale hardware house, and thenceforward made his home in Billings. In 1904 he again decided to engage in business for himself and organized the Billings Hardware Company. This firm purchased the business of the A. L. Babcock Hardware Company, wholesalers, and under Mr. Selvidge's energetic manage- ment the concern's trade has increased very extensively and the Billings Hardware Company is rated as one of the most substantial and prosperous in this section of the state.

Mr. Selvidge is a liberal, public spirited citizen and is deeply concerned for the commercial, industrial and civic welfare of this city, being ready at all times to land the weight of his influence to such projects as have for their object the further development and up- building of this section. He has numerous prominent lodge connections, holding membership in Judith Lodge, No. 3, Knights of Pythias, Lewistown, Montana ; Guthrie (Okla.) Lodge, No. 3. Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and Billings Lodge, No. 394, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Mr. Selvidge was married September 24, 1890, at Kansas City, Missouri, to Miss Emma Rahner, who was born in Kansas City. They have one son, George Byron.

WILLIAM P. MURN. Possessed of a broad and com- prehensive knowledge of the principles governing the operation of railroads and all the rules and regulations pertaining to railroad traffic, William P. Murn, dis- trict roadmaster of the Yellowstone division of the Northern Pacific Railroad, is recognized as a railroad operator of superior capacity and ability throughout the northwest. Having begun his career as a railroad man in the humble capacity of water boy to a section gang, he has thoroughly familiarized himself with all the details of the business and management, and has won promotion through hard work and thorough honesty, in- telligent effort and efficient services. Mr. Murn was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, August 19, 1863, and is a son of Thomas and Dora (McGorlick) Murn, natives of County Leitrim, Ireland.

Mr. Murn's parents left their native Erin in 1850 on a sailing vessel and after a voyage of six weeks landed/in Quebec, Canada, where for about fifteen years Thomas Murn followed the sea for a livelihood. He then en- gaged in farming, on a property about forty miles north

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of Quebec, but in 1871 moved to St. Cloud, Benton county, Minnesota, and was there engaged in farming up to the time of his death in 1906, when he had reached the remarkable age of ninety-nine years. Mr. Murn was a man of remarkable memory, and could recall scenes and reminiscences of his boyhood in the old country, one of his favorite remembrances being of the time he saw the soldiers returning from the great battle of Waterloo. His wife passed away in 1898 at the advanced age of eighty-six years, and they were the parents of ten children, four of whom died in infancy. Six lived to maturity, and five still survive. The second in order of birth was Paul, who died at the age of fifty-seven years. He was engaged in railroading dur- ing the greater part of his life, being roadmaster on the Northern Pacific for about twenty years, but at the time of his demise was engaged in farming in Min- nesota. Margaret, one of Mr. Murn's sisters, is the wife of Peter Conley, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Katherine is the wife of William Lavis, of Anaconda, Montana; Mary, resides in Dickinson, North Dakota; and John, Mr. Murn's surviving brother, makes his home in Benton county, Minnesota.

William P. Murn attended school in Quebec until he was ten years of age, at which time he moved with his parents to Benton county, Minnesota, and there finished his education in the public schools. His first employ- ment was as water boy for track hands on the Great Northern Railroad when he was fifteen years or age. and he later became a section hand. Faithful and intel- ligent work won him the foremanship of a gang when he was only nineteen years old, and in 1883 he went to Mandan, North Dakota, and entered the service of the Northern Pacific Railroad as assistant foreman over an extra gang. He was then made foreman of a section gang, and in 1887 resigned his position and turned his attention to braking on a freight train for one year. Returning to his position of foreman, he was engaged in laying steel rails, and in March, 1890, was promoted to the position of acting roadmaster of the Yellowstone division. In October of the same year, having proved his ability in this capacity, he was appointed district roadmaster, a position which he holds at the present time, his headquarters being in Glendive. Mr. Murn was pilot of the first through passenger train over the Northern Pacific from Taylor, North Dakota, to Glen- dive, and in various ways has participated in the growth and development of transportation facilities in this sec- tion. He is widely known in railroad circles, and is popular alike with officials and employes. In political matters he has maintained an independent stand, re- serving the right to vote for the candidate he deems best fitted for the office at stake, irrespective of party connections. He is an active member of the Roman Catholic church, being identified with St. Julian's con- gregation at Glendive, and belongs to Miles City Coun- cil, Knights of Columbus.

Mr. Murn was married to Miss Annie K. Reuther, who was born in the southern part of Germany, and they have had four children. of whom two died in infancy, the survivors being Thomas and Ottilia. The former is attending Georgetown University at Washing- ton, D. C., a student in the law department.

DONALD L. BLACKSTONE. A rising young lawyer of Chinook, where he has a fine practice, Donald L. Blackstone is fast winning for himself an honored and prominent name in the legal profession of Blaine county. Gaining success through his own efforts, he is eminently deserving of the high position which he has won, not only as an attorney, but as one of the most popular and esteemed members of the community. A native of Wisconsin, he was born of pioneer stock on a farm in Shullsburg, Lafayette county, April 4, 1881.

Theodore E. Blackstone, his father, was also born

in Wisconsin, and there spent the earlier part of his life. For many years he followed the profession of a civil engineer, but after coming with his family to Montana, in 1890, was also engaged to some extent in agricultural pursuits. He was a prominent member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and was a veteran of the Civil war, in which he fought valiantly, taking part in many important battles. He died at Helena, Montana, in 1890. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Hardy, was a native of Pennsylvania, and is now living in Chinook, Montana. Nine chil- dren were born of the marriage of Theodore E. and Mary E. (Hardy) Blackstone, as follows: Harry R., a ranchman, living in Chinook; John D. and Mary B., both engaged in ranching at Chinook; Edith J., of Chinook, widow of a Mr. Wescott; Daisy I., living at Fort Benton, superintendent of the Chouteau county schools ; Theodore C., a stenographer in Helena; Kath- erine, wife of James Gilpatrick, of Seattle, Washington; Ernest, a wholesale druggist at Portland, Oregon; and Donald L.

Previous to coming with his parents to Montana, Donald L. Blackstone attended school in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. The educational advantages in Chinook, where the family located, being exceedingly limited, in the fall of 1890 he was sent to Helena to continue his studies, going first to the grammar schools, and being graduated from the Helena High School with the class of 1899. Four years later, in the spring of 1903, he was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and in June, 1903, was admitted to the Michigan bar. Return- ing to Montana, Mr. Blackstone was admitted to the bar at Helena in July, 1903. He then began the prac- tice of his chosen profession in Chinook, being for a few months associated with W. S. Towner. The partnership, however, was dissolved in 1904, and Mr. Blackstone has since continued his legal work alone, through his own efforts having built up a splendid legal practice.

Taking a prominent part in town and county affairs, Mr. Blackstone was appointed United States commis- sioner in 1905, and reappointed to the same position in 1909. He has also the distinction of having been elected county attorney of Blaine county, which was formerly a part of Chouteau county, in the first year of its existence.

On August 22, 1906, Mr. Blackstone was united in marriage with Sarah H. McKibban, of Detroit, Michi- gan, and they have one child, Donald L. Blackstone, Jr. Mrs. Blackstone is a woman of culture and refine- ment, and a valued member of the Presbyterian church.

WILLIAM H. DAVEY, proprietor of the Butte Grill, former mayor, and one of the well known and pro- gressive citizens of Butte, was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, on the first day of August, 1862, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Gilmore) Davey. Thomas Davey was a native of Ireland, served as a Union soldier in the Civil war, and later was the proprietor of a grocery business in St. Lawrence county. He also conducted an hotel in that pleasant rural region for a number of years. At the time of his death, in 1896, he was residing on his farm, which had been his home for some years previously. His wife, the mother of our subject, was a Canadian by birth, and died when but twenty-two years of age, and is buried in York state.

William H. Davey received his education in the public schools of his native county, and for several years after leaving school was engaged at various occupations. In the year 1890 he came to Butte, and for three years worked at first one thing and then another until he could find some line of business into which he wished to establish himself. In 1893 he established a catering business, of which the pres-

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ent Montana Catering Company is the outgrowth. In 1912 he became proprietor of the Butte Grill, which he is successfully conducting along the same high stand- ard that has always marked his business efforts.

In political matters he has for many years been one of the foremost members of the Democratic party in his city, and has been called upon to fill positions of honor and trust. In 1895 he was elected alderman from the sixth ward, and in 1901 was elected mayor of Butte, serving until 1903. Mr. Davey is a well- known member of the Masonic order, having attained the thirty-second degree, and also belongs to the Elks, as well as the Eagles.

His public spirit, like his loyalty to Butte, has never been questioned, as no movement of benefit or along the lines of progress has ever appealed to him in vain. He represents a high type of a business man whose success has come from his own efforts and the practice of giving to his patrons service, quality and full measure of value. He is one of the best known men in the state in his line of business. He was married on November 13, 1893, to Miss Sophia Cogler.

NEIL COLLINS. One of the most influential and popu- lar labor leaders of Montana is Neil Collins, the pres- ent city weighmaster of Anaconda. He has been identi- fied with Montana practically ever since it became a state of the Union, and has been active and well known in the industrialism which has produced so large a share of the wealth of the Treasure state.

Mr. Collins was born in Ireland, on the 13th of January, 1865, and spent the first twenty-four years of his life in his native country. His education was obtained in the national schools of Ireland, and his first wages were earned as a lad of fifteen when he secured employment in a mercantile house of Bel- fast. This continued to be the general line of his work until he came to America.

His parents were Neil and Rose (Sweeney) Col- lins, both of whom spent all their lives in the old country and now rest under the green sod side by side. The father, who died in 1889 at the age of seventy-four, was a farmer by occupation, took an active part in Irish politics, and was connected with the Land League movement. The mother passed away in 1886, when about sixty-eight years old. Of their eight children, Neil was the sixth and the youngest son, and he has two sisters and one brother in Mon- tana, namely: John A., of Anaconda; Katie, the wife of W. A. Deeney, of Butte; and Rose, who is unmar- ried and keeps house for her brother Neil.

On leaving Ireland for America Neil Collins came direct to Montana, where he arrived January 1, 1890, locating in Anaconda. The first four years he was sampler in the local smelter, and then did similar work at Salt Lake City for one year. During the next three years he was employed in the mill at Wood River, Idaho, and during this time participated in the Thun- der Mountain stampede, but remained there only a few months. Since that time Mr. Collins has been a continuous resident of Anaconda. His work in the skilled departments of mineral production had re- sulted in his acquiring a position of influence among his associates, and he has for many years been active in organized labor. On his return to Anaconda he was again connected with the smelter until his elec- tion as financial secretary of the Mill and Smelter Men's Union, an office which he filled for five years. He was appointed to his present office, that of city weighimaster, in April, 1911. As a labor leader he has enjoyed the confidence and respect of both sides, and gained the reputation of being a fair and trustworthy counselor in all difficulties. Citizens of all classes ad- mire Neil Collins.

Mr. Collins is a member of the Catholic church, and

fraternally is affiliated with the Knights of Colum- bus, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, of which he is now county president, the Woodmen of the World, of which he has been one of the managers, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. In politics he takes an active interest in the work of the Democratic party, and has a broad- minded, public-spirited attitude toward all social and civic activities.

Mr. Collins states the views of a laboring man toward the Treasure state: "From the standpoint of a work- ing man, for conditions, wages, etc., I know Montana is the best state in the Union. The main cause for this is that labor organizations have established con- ditions on a basis that is solid and fair to both sides. To my mind there are no clouds to obscure the fu- ture." Mr. Collins is unmarried and resides at 5II West Sixth street.

MORTIMER M. DONOGHUE, president of the Montana State Federation of Labor, was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on January 17, 1867, and is the son of Malachi and Katherine (Garfield) Donoghue, natives of Ireland. The father came to the United States when he was twenty years of age, the mother also coming over in her early years. They were married in Connecticut, where they located soon after their arrival in this country, and the father is still a resident of New Haven, now in his sixty-eighth year. The mother died in Ireland in 1879, during their sojourn there of a few years, and in later years the father contracted a second marriage in the state of Connecticut, when Mary Day became his wife.

When Mortimer Donoghue was seven years old his parents returned to Ireland, taking him with them, and they settled at Cahirceveen, County Kerry, their former home, and there he spent seven years of his life. He was educated in the schools of Ireland and his native state, Connecticut, and when he left school began to learn the plumbing trade under the instruc- tion of a Mr. Duffy, one of the leading plumbers in Hartford, to whom he was apprenticed for that pur- pose. He remained with Mr. Duffy until he had gained a thorough mastery of the trade, and then came west to Denver, Colorado, where he worked at his trade until 1890.

The Centennial state offered him prosperity, but he looked upon Montana as a better field for his advance- ment, and in the year last named he moved to Helena, where he was engaged in business as the partner of Jeremiah McCarty for a year and a half. At the end of that period he was appointed deputy sheriff of Lewis and Clark county by Gen. Charles D. Cur- tis, who was then sheriff, and served in that capacity as long as General Curtis held the office. When his official term was over he moved to Anaconda, which was then attracting nation wide attention to its smelt- ing interests.

Mr. Donoghue, however, did not become absorbed in mining, as he found plenty of work at his trade as a plumber and for three years lie worked at that. At the end of that time he was elected a justice of the peace, but soon after he assumed the office he resigned to accept the position of under-sheriff, tendered him by John Fitzpatrick, then county sheriff. He served as under-sheriff through 1897 and 1898, and at the end of his term moved to Red Lodge, removing in 1899 to Butte, where he continued to work at his trade.

Mr. Donoghue was president of the Building Trades and Labor Council for two years and was a member of the council for six years. For two years he was chairman of the arbitration committee of the Build- ing Trades and Labor Council, and under Mayor Corby's administration he was plumbing inspector for two years. He was vice-president of the Montana State Federation of Labor for two years, and in August,

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1909, was elected president, since when he has given his time and attention to the duties of that office. Mr. Donoghue is an interesting speaker and writer on the subject of labor, and in an article by him which appeared in the Inter Mountain of Butte in 1910, he says in part: "The Montana Federation of Labor has been instrumental in passing most of the laws now in vogue which are beneficial to the masses of the people. They maintain a legislative committee at the state capital, and many a pernicious bill introduced in the legislature has met defeat solely through the watch- fulness of our committee.

"The Montana Federation of Labor demands that which is right and condemns that which is wrong.

"We demand shorter hours and better sanitary con- ditions for the mothers and future mothers of our state, who, through force of circumstances, are obliged to work for day's pay.

"We demand better conditions for all who toil. "We are endeavoring to fight the battle of the people in our own way as we see it."

The incumbency of this leading place in the labor movement of Montana lias made it necessary for Mr. Donoghue to attend meetings of labor organizations in all parts of the United States, and in all of them he has proven himself a worthy representative of the labor unions and central labor bodies of the Montana state, and one of the wide-awake, capable and pro- gressive adherents of the labor movement. He is well versed in all that pertains to labor matters. He is not radical. He seeks the uplift of the working man and asks for justice and no more.

In the annual convention of the American Federa- tion of Labor held in Atlanta, Georgia, in November, I911, which lasted over two weeks, and was the most imposing and important assembly of the representa- tives of organized labor that ever convened in the world, Mr. Donoghue was a conspicuous figure. He was up to date and ready for discussion of all matters affecting the interest of the organized toilers of the land, and he also had many problems growing out of his own experience in the labor movement to present for the consideration and action of the convention.

On September 6, 1893, Mr. Donoghue was married to Miss Katherine Hogan in Helena, Montana. She is the daughter of Lieut. Martin Hogan, one of the early pioneers of that part of the state, and during the Civil war was a lieutenant of the Twenty-first Montana Infantry, and was assigned to scout duty and stationed at Fort Shaw in this state and Fort Buford. He was killed in Missouri after the close of the war, during the reign of terror that lasted some- time after the contending armies in the great conflict returned to the pursuits of peaceful industry. Mrs. Donoghue came to Montana in 1867, during the period of her father's location at Fort Shaw, coming by boat from Indiana to Fort Benton, prior to the days of steam trains. Mr. and Mrs. Donoghue have four chil- dren; the eldest being twins, Mortimer and Marguerite, who were born in Helena on June 24, 1894, and who are now students in the Butte high school; the others are Kate, born in Anaconda on August 30, 1897, also attending high school, and Nellie, born in Butte on April 22, 1902, and now enrolled as a student in the Mckinley public school.

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A history of Montana, Volume III, Part 47

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