An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 113

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Montana > An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 113

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With respect,

Yours very truly, J. E. RICKARDS, Governor of Montana.

For want of space we permit our editor's introductory notes, in the preceding chapter, to take the place of the first few (and less important) pages furnished by Mr. Keith.

THIRTY-FOURTH PRECINCT MUDDLE.

HE Republicans contested the legality of the returns sent in from precinct 34 before the canvassing board of Silver Bow county, showing that the plain provision of the law had been violated in the matter of certification. The law requires that the returns from a precinct shall be certified by the clerks of election and attested by the judges of election. The alleged returns from precinct 34 had been certified to by the judges of election and attested by the clerks. On these grounds the alleged returns were re- jected by the board of canvassers. Thereupon the Democrats commenced mandamus proceed-

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ings before a Democratic judge to compel the board to canvas the vote as indicated by these returns. Before these mandamus proceedings were completed, and the question of an appeal from the order of the judge requiring the count to be made to the Supreme Court had been de. termined, the time fixed by the law for the State canvassing board to complete its work arrived.

On the 31st day of October, 1889, the State board of canvassers met to canvass the returns from the various counties in the State, and hav- ing no returns in from Silver Bow county, a messenger was sent to its county seat, Butte City, to obtain a properly certified abstract of the votes cast in that county. Information from the county clerk of Silver Bow county to the special messenger sent by the State board, was to the effect that the county canvassing board

WILLIAM BROWN, of Silver City, Montana, was born in Strumstead, Sweden, May 6, 1832. In 1850, when eighteen years of age, he emigrated to America, arriving in New York without money and with no knowledge of the Eng lish language. For two years he sailed to different ports of the world from New York, and in 1852, hearing of the California gold excitement, sailed for San Francisco. IIe first mined at King's Camp, near Stockton, afterward fol- lowed the same occupation at different places with good success, and in 1858, during the Klamath river excite ment, went with others to that place, but while there lost his previous earnings. For the following three years Mr. Brown mined in Josephine county. From 1861 until 1862 he mined at Oro Fino, Idaho, spent a short time at Boise City, next resided in Virginia City, Montana, and May 1, 1864, arrived at Silver creek. After arriving here Mr. Brown immediately discovered gold and began mining, and in four months he and his companions had taken out $17,000 in gold. They continued mining until 1868, and during that time miners came to the creek in large num- bers. The Indians, however, made them much trouble in stealing their horses, and their lives were also constantly in danger. When Mr. Brown came to the creek there were two or three squatters living here in tents, with In- dian wives, and in 1868 he purchased a claim of one of them, for which he paid $1,500. Since then he has added to his land until he now owns 230 acres of valuable farm- ing land, and is also the owner of the old town of Silver City. He raises large quantities of hay, is also a promi- nent stock dealer, and for a number of years conducted a butcher shop at Marysville. Mr. Brown still retains his interest in mining, and is now a stockholder in the Pigeon

had met, and, as provided by law, on the 14th day of October, to canvass the vote of that county, and that in making such canvass the vote of pre- cinet 34 had been rejected as false, fraudulent and void. Thereupon the State board, having exhausted the authority vested in it by statute in its endeavor to secure an abstract with the vote of Silver Bow county, acted in line with its elearly defined duty by declaring the result from the best information obtainable. The vote of Silver Bow county, with the exception of precinct 34, which had been rejected by the county board of canvassers, was counted and the results of the election in the State announced.

The rejection of precinet 34 gave the entire Republican legislative ticket of Silver Bow county a majority, whereas the counting of the alleged returns from that precinct would have

Mining Company. Their mine is located near Marysville. In 1872 our subject was united in marriage with Miss Anna Falset, a native of Norway. They have had eight children, five now living, Andrew, Saloma, Albert, Eliza and Josephine. Mr. Brown is a life-long Democrat, and has held the position of School Trustee of his district for many years. Ile is esteemed by his neighbors as a man of responsibility, and is a good representative of the pio- neers of the now great State of Montana.

HERMAN T. ENGELHORN, M. A., LL. D., principal and proprietor of the Engelhorn Business College, and one of Montana's most enterprising and competent educators, forms the subject of this article.

Herman T. Engelhorn was born in Iowa, February 29, 1856, son of John E. and Anna E. (Bartlet) Englehorn, and of German descent. IIis father located in Iowa in 1849, where he was for many years a prominent archi- tect and builder, and where he died at the age of sixty- three years: the mother still survives, now in her seventy- sixth year.

The early education of Herman T. was received in his native State under a private tutor. Then he attended the high school at Lansing, Iowa, and afterward the Iowa College, at Grinnell, graduating in the latter institution in 1880 with the degree of A. B., and three years later receiving from the same college the degree of A. M. After this he attended the Davenport Business College, where he completed the business, penmanship and art courses. After his graduation he was retained at Daven- port for two years as an instructor in the college, and the following year taught in the Milwaukee Excelsior Busi- ness College.

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given five members of the delegation to the Democrats by majorities ranging from nineteen to twenty-one votes, in addition to the five Dein- ocratie candidates whose election was not dis- puted, thus giving that party the entire delega- tion from that county and control of the legis- lative assembly on joint ballot. Had correct returns been made from that precinct, and the nominees of that party are believed to have re- ceived from all the light attainable, no question as to the political complexion of the legislative delegation could have been raised.

In the contest between Lloyd and Sullivan for the office of sheriff of Silver Bow county, here. tofore referred to, which came before the Su- preme Court of Montana on an appeal from the second judicial district, all the facts material to determining the question of fraud at precinct 34, and the legal questions involved, were fully brought out and incorporated in the opinion of

Returning to his home in Iowa, he was married at Lansing, February 25, 1882, to Miss Emma A. Lenz, a native of Iowa and a daughter of Dr. Fred Lenz. Soon after their marriage they decided to make Montana their home, and they accordingly came out here, first to Butte City and soon afterward to Helena, and with Ilelena Professor Engelhorn has since heen identified. Previous to the establishment of his business college here he ac- cepted a position as teacher of penmanship in the publie schools, where he had the best of opportunity to become acquainted with the educators and citizens of Helena. October 1, 1883, in the Dr. Blake building on Broadway, he opened his business college, and two years later moved to his present quarters in the Horsky building, where he has ample room and all the needed appliances for the highest interests of the college. Ilis thorough fitness for the business he has undertaken, together with the close attention he has given it, have brought the institu- tion to a state nearing perfection and put it on a footing with the best educational institutions in the country, East or West. To a thorough business training this school supplements opportunities for finished education in all the branches taught in less grade than the great univer- sities. An able corps of professors are employed, each especially qualified in the studies assigned to his charge, ind over all Professor Engelhorn gives his personal at- tention. The success and excellence of the college have been assured from its beginning, and it has received the patronage of the best people from all over the Northwest.

that body written by Chief Justice Henry A. Blake. (See Ninth Montana Reports: also Ap- pellant's brief, herewith submitted.) It was held that the alleged returns from precinct 34 should not have been admitted in evidence in the lower court for the following reasons:

(1) They were not made out by the proper officers-the clerks of election. (2) The clerks of the election did not participate in the canvass of the votes, and were not present at any time during the canvass of the votes. (3) The clerks of election did not certify to the correct- ness of the returns. (4) Two judges of elec- tion only canvassed the returns. (5) The poll- ing places where the so-called canvass was be- ing conducted by two of the judges was not in public, the door was kept locked and the wit :- dows covered so that the public could not and did not witness the canvass. (6) The returns were not certified as by statute required. (7)

The enrollment of pupils has continued to increase from the start. The first year there were less than sixty, the second year nearly 100, the third year about 140, and in 1889 about 300. Up to the present time its enrollment exceeds 3,000.

One of the attractive features of Engelhorn Business College is that Professor Engelhorn has an elegant and refined home, over which Mrs. Engelhorn gracefully pre- sides. Here the student stranger can find all the com- forts and refining influences of a home, surrounded with ladies and gentlemen of education and culture. Professor Engelhorn is the editor of a spicy and interesting quar- terly, entitled Engelhorn's Business Educator, an eight- page paper devoted, as its name implies, to practical education. It is now in its eighth volume. Another in- teresting feature of the college is that its proprietor and his family are fine musicians. He plays seven different instruments.

Professor Engelhorn and his wife have four children, Clara Laura May, Esther Anna, Wesley Theodore and an infant, all natives of Helena. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he is a Deacon.

JOHN D. THOMAS, of Helena, has been identified with the interests of Montana since 1865. A brief sketch of his life is as follows:

John D. Thomas was born in Wales in 1828, and in 1851 emigrated to America. After spending one year in the State of Pennsylvania he located in Illinois, where he re-

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The clerks of the election signed their names to the returns, as attesting, two days after the al- leged canvass of the votes. (8) The clerks should have certified and not attested. (9) Three judges certified the returns, only two be- ing present at the canvass. (10) The third judge, one O'Regan, not being present at any time during the canvass, certified to them not- withstanding. (11) One of the judges, Penny- cock, made out the alleged returns. (12) Pennycock and Morrison, two of the judges, conducted the canvass alone and secretly.

The Supreme Court held that the evidence showed that great frauds had been perpetrated by the judges of election at precinct 34, as fol- lows : (1) Morrison, one of the judges, en- deavored to induce a person named Omo, not a voter at said precinct, to vote in the name of an absent registered voter at that precinct. (2)

mained from October, 1832, until April 1, 1833. IJe then went to California, making the journey by water, and for ten years thereafter was engaged in mining in Tuol umne, Sierra and Placer counties, and during that time got plenty of gold but expended it in unprofitable invest- ments. In the fall of 1863 he went to Nevada, and at Virginia City worked by the day in the mines for twenty months. Ilis next move was to Montana. For three years he mined on Grizzly Gulch, and in two years of that time he cleared $5,000. In the fall of 1867 he went to Oregon, and mined there until the spring of the follow- ing year. Next, we find him engaged in stock-raising in the Willamette valley, purchasing thirty-five head of cattle to begin with, and continuing thus occupied there until 1870. Theu he brought 100 head of cattle with him to Ten-mile valley, near Helena, where, with Mr. Gehr- ing as his partner, he purchased 166 acres of land, on which, in connection with their stock-raising, they culti- vated wheat, barley, oats and vegetables. Produce was high, and their enterprise prospered. In 1871 Mr. Thomas bought his partner's interest and under the pre-emption and homestead laws also secured adjoining lauds, finally becoming the owner of 400 acres. In 1890 he sold 260 aeres of this tract for $115 per acre and 100 acres for $100 per acre. His wisdom in securing and holding so much land near the city resulted in his now having a snug fortune to enjoy iu his declining years.

Mr. Thomas has been a Master Mason for many years. During the Civil war he was a Republican and a strong Union man, but he is now a stanch Democrat. lle is un- married.

Ballots were marked by one of the judges for identification when handed by a voter to be placed in the ballot box. (3) A large number of ballots were destroyed, and others stamped with the "official stamp " and marked for the Democratic candidates. (+) The returns show 172 votes for the constitution and two against the constitution-the whole number of votes cast at the precinct being 174. (5) The evidence shows five voters who did not mark their bal- lots for or against the constitution, unimpeached and uncontradicted. (6) The returns show 171 votes for the Democratic candidates, and but three votes for a majority of the Republican can- didates. The evidence shows five voters voted for the Republican candidates at said election. (7) The evidence shows a clear disregard for the mandatory requirements of the election laws, with actual fraud as makes the true result doubtful.

IlON. A. F. BRAY, one of the representative business men of Butte City, was born iu Cornwall, England, Octo- ber 21, 1854, of ancestry established in that country from time immemorial. Ilis parents were Absalom Francis and Jane Bray, who had six children. The occupation of the family was that of farming, and in their religious relations they were members of the Methodist Church.

The subject of this sketch, named after his father, was educated in his native town, served a number of years learning the dry-goods business, and in 1876 came to America to attend the Centennial Exposition. After spending the most of his money he decided to cast his fortune in this country, the land of opportunity. First he was employed on a railroad in Texas, at $1.25 a day; then for nine years he was employed in the construction of levees in Mississippi as a contractor for the Government, and finally, in 1885, after a year's sickness and the conse- quent loss of considerable money, he came to Butte, with only $2,200, and opened a small grocery store on npper Main street, where Murray's bank now stands. After following the business there for a year, he purchased the stock of goods owned by Craddock & Company, and moved down Main street to a point opposite the post- office, where his trade increased under his judicious man- agement. About a year after opening business at this point he purchased the stock and business of E. J. Maul & Company, and continued to prosper for another year, when, on account of ill-health, he sold out aud spent a year at Oakland, California.

Returning to Butte, he bought out Battiger & Company and opened out at the northeast corner of Wyoming and

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Judge Blake's opinion, concnrred in by the entire bench, recites at length the facts con- firmatory of the foregoing statements. One of the most interesting facts brought ont in this opinion is that the names of the voters appeared on the poll-books at precinct 34 in alphabetical order, after the names of the three judges and two clerks had been entered therein. As the law requires the name of every voter to be spoken in an audible voice by the judge receiv- ing his vote, and the clerks of the election to write down the name and number of the vote at the time, it was, to say the least, a remark- able circumstance that so large a body of voters entered the booths and voted in alphabetical or- der, without any pre-arrangement or drill in such an unnecessary procedure.

Notwithstanding the action of the State cat- vassing board and the findings of the highest

Park streets, naming his establishment the Butte Cash Grocery, and here he is now conducting a successful business. He owns most of the stock and his wife the remainder. The place is one of the best for such a store in the whole city. ITis business has grown to large di- mensions, and besides he has a branch store at Centreville. The total amount of stock in the two establishments at present is over $100,000. He is a close buyer and an ex- cellent judge of goods. In addition to his retail trade he also sells at wholesale, the territory of his operations in the latter capacity extending out for 300 miles or more. He also owns some mining interests. He is a rapid worker, executive, and is constantly engaged either di- rectly in the work or in passing from point to point su- perintending it. His manner inspires all his employes with the spirit of industry and good cheer. Ile is an ex- cellent salesman, and every one patronizing him feels satisfied with his transactions of business with him. He has erected a fine residence at 303 West Granite street.

Mr. Bray was married October 9, 1856, to Miss Nellie Copeland, who is a daughter of John Wesley Copeland, a native of the State of Illinois, and they have two children, namely: Absalom F. and Nellie. Mr. Bray enjoys fra- ternal relations in the A. O. U. W., K. of P., the Forest- ers and the Sons of St. George. In his political princi- ples he has been an active Republican, and as such was elected to the State Legislature, but afterward he es- ponsed the cause of the Populists, and by that party he was elected to a second term in the Legislature, where during the last session he had the honor of being the Speaker pro tem. Mr. Bray is a gentleman of good gen-

judicial tribunal in the State, the Democrats re- fused to submit to the rejection of precinct 34, and immediately began obstructive proceedings of the most determined type. Party spirit ran high. Democratic leaders talked bloodshed and violence, and for a time it looked as if the new State would be degraded by murder and assas- sination, growing ont of the incendiary utter- ances of men who refused to tamely submit to the inevitable conclusions of law and fact, when party ambitions were in issue. The signal fail- ure of its last great plot to retain Montana with- in its political control, agitated the Democracy into extremes of speech and action that east a blight upon the early hours of Statehood and greatly checked the prosperity of the common- wealth. The Democrats organized to resist Re- publican control of the legislative assembly, Joseph K. Toole, who had been elected governor

eral information, of independent, close, analytical thought, and is disposed to be a progressive man in the highest and best sense of the term.

DR. H. H. HANSON, one of Missoula's most prominent and successful physicians, comes of Puritan stock, his an- cestors being among the early settlers of Massachusetts. It is recorded that there were four IIanson brothers who removed from Massachusetts to New Brunswick and were among the first settlers and founders of the town of St. John. One of these brothers, Benjamin Hanson, the Doctor's great-grandfather, built the first cabin in St. John. He was the father of eleven children, and it is said of him that he attained the great age of 103 years. IFis son Benjamin, the fourth in the family, was born at St. John, and when he grew up was extensively engaged in the lumber business, owning and operating a sawmill on the Nashwaak river. Edgar, the next to the oldest in his family of seven children, was Doctor Hanson's father. Edgar Hanson was born in 1835. He married his cousin, Miss Helen Hanson, a native of his own town, and they have had seven children, all of whom are living except the oldest. For the past twenty years Mr. Hanson has held the office of Deputy Provincial Secretary of the Prov- ince of New Brunswick. One of his duties is to dis- pense all the marriage licenses for the Province. A noted fisherman, many of the most renowned men of the eountry visit him and go with him on his fishing excursions. He and his wife are members of the Episcopal Church.

Dr. IJanson was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, April 30, 1858, which was the year after the siege of Luck- now and its rescue by General Horatio Havelock, and in

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over Thomas C. Power, the Republican nomi- nee, being a party to this plan and converting his official power, as chief executive of the State, to its accomplishment.

LEGISLATIVE DEAD-LOCK.

As the time drew near for the convening of the first legislative assembly of the State of Montana, it became evident that trouble was brewing. The "Big Four," representing the wealth, influence and to a high degree the polit- cal ambitions of the Democratic party, either in its own personnel or by proxy, foresaw the in- evitable control of the legislature on joint bal- lot by the Republican party, and the election of two Republicans to the United States Senate, unless measures were resorted to that would counteract the official action of the State can- vassing board in the elimination of the alleged returns for precinct 34. Thereupon the Demo-

honor of this distinguished general the Doctor was named Horatio Havelock Ilanson. Dr. Hanson was ed- ucated in King's College, receiving the degree of B. A. in 1876, and M. D. in 1881. After his graduation he spent some time in looking for a desirable location, all the while being engaged in the practice of his profession. He was at Gibson, New Brunswick, one year; spent about the same length of time at Van Buren, Maine; was three years in Andover; and in 1886 came to Montana. His first location in Montana was at Townsend, where he remained from 1886 until 1889, and whence he came to Mis- soula. Here he has since remained, being pleased with this location and meeting with eminent success in his practice here. Without question, he has the finest office and the largest assortment of the most modern instru- ments of any physician or surgeon in the town. While he has met with signal success as a physician, it is as a sur- geon that he excels, to this subject having given much careful study and having a large experience in it. Hle has removed from the abdomen 113 tumors, and without losing a patient,-a record of which few young surgeons can boast. As a specialist on the diseases of women he has also attained notoriety for successful treatment.

Dr. Hanson was married March 2, 1879, to Miss Hattie Elizabeth McKeen, a native of the town in which he was born, and a daughter of William McKeen, of that place. They have two children, Pearl Gladis and Nellie.

The Doctor is a member of the Royal Arcanum, the A. O. U. W,, the Mystic Tie and the Masonic order. In poli- tics he is a Republican.

cratic leaders, big and little, organized a move- ment that had in view the seating of the five Democratic candidates for the legislature who would have been entitled to seats had the al- leged precinct 34 returns been returns in fact, reflecting the honest results of the ballot. Sharp practice was relied upon to accomplish that which the law did not sustain. Large sums of money, conservatively estimated at $500,000, had been expended by the Democratic commit- tees and politicians during the campaign, in a desperate effort to retain political power in a commonwealth which they realized was rapidly passing out from under their control. As a net result of their combined and united efforts to stein the tide of Republicanism, they had suc- ceeded in electing Joseph K. Toole to the gubernatorial chair. Events following the elec- tion justified the belief that this measure of

IION. W. J. MCCORMICK, deceased, was one of Mon- tana's most worthy pioneers and one of the founders and most liberal and enterprising citizens of Missoula.

He was born in Muncie, Delaware county, Indiana, in 1835. His grandfather, John McCormick, emigrated from Dublin, Ireland, to this country and settled at HIar- risburg, Virginia. From him are descended a large fam- ily, many of whom have occupied honorable positions in life. The late Hon. James G. Blaine and the late Hon. Cyrus H. McCormick were of this family. Rev. William McCormick, the father of our subject, was born in Har- risburg, Virginia, and was a talented Baptist minister. After his marriage, which event took place in his native town, lie removed to Indiana, where for many years he was in the work of the ministry, and where he reared his family of seven children, Washington J., the subject of this biography, being the youngest of the family.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 113

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913. cn
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1216