An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 117

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 117

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Recently Mr. Robbins has invested in several valuable gold mines located four miles northeast of Melrose. From one of these have been shipped eight car loads of ore which rau $60 to the ton. It is believed to be a very valuable property.

tained. Lieutenant Governor Rickards ruled that the point of order was well taken, and sus- tained it, whereupon Senator Thornton appealed from the decision of the chair. The chair ruled the appeal out of order. Senator Baker (Dem- ocrat) then betrayed the Democratic purpose by moving " that the senate recognize the house of which Hon. C. P. Blakely is speaker," that being the Democratic house. The chair ruled this motion ont of order, and when Senator Thornton (Democrat) again appealed from this ruling, his appeal was again thrown out of or- der, as subversive of the acts of the senate. Thus was thwarted the conspiracy that had been so carefully planned to reverse the action of the State senate. The firm stand taken by Lieuten- ant Governor Rickards, and so ably maintained, caused great excitement among the Democrats present, and threats against his life were freely made in the lobby of the senate. There is no question but that Lieutenant Governor Rick- ards took his life in his hands upon this and other occasions when he arose to the exigencies of the hour and stamped upon the Democratic conspiracy that threatened to overwhelm the rights of the people and prostitute the func- tions of government to personal ambitions.

The final card was played by Senator Baker

HON. ALEXANDER F. BURNS, of East Helena, Montana, having been a resident of Montana since 1866, is entitled to biographical mention as one of its pioneers.

Alexander F. Burns was born in Clay county, Missouri, December 7, 1832, of Scotch-Irish descent. Some of his ancestors came to this country and settled in Virginia previous to the Revolutionary war, and grandfather Burns was a soldier in that war. Jeremiah Burns, the father of our subject, was born in Virginia, April 12, 1798. He was married in Missouri in 1820 to Miss Jane Sampson, a na- tive of Kentucky, born May 7, 1802, and in Missouri they spent the residue of their lives and reared their family of nine children, four of whom are still living. By occupa- tion he was a farmer, and both he and his wife were Presbyterians. She died January 4, 1860; he, November 10, 1876.

Alexander F. Burns was the fifth born in his father's family, and was reared to manhood in Missouri. In 1852

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

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(Democrat), who moved that the senate adjourn sine die on Saturday night, Jannary 18, 1890. This motion was intended to destroy the possi- bility of any bill passed by the Republican house of representatives being acted upon by the senate in recognition of its legality. Being a motion to adjourn it was believed that it would necessarily have to be put, and the Dem- ocratie majority present would see that it was promptly carried; but the chair was equal to the occasion and held that a motion to adjourn sine die could not be entertained when the business in hand had not been completed. On motion of Senator Hedges the senate then ad- journed until Monday, January 20.

January 28 a resolution to take the joint rules from the table was passed, the eight Re- publican members voting aye and the Demo- crats refusing to vote. Baker appealed from the chair, when an affirmative decision was an- nounced, but the lieutenant governor was sus- tained by eight affirmative votes, the Democrats again refusing to vote. The following day the senate attempted to pass a bill, it being the sixty eighth day of the session. It was moved and seconded that senate bill No. 3 be read.

he crossed the plains to California, and for two years was engaged in mining in Calaveras county, meeting with fair success. Following his mining experience, he spent one year in agricultural pursuits in California, after which he returned to Missouri, taking with him a snug sum of California gold. Then he was for three years employed as a clerk in the store of Connard & Clark in Missouri, Mr. Conuard and Mr. Clark being now well- known merchants of Helena, members of the firm of Clark, Connard & Custen. Mr. Burns' next venture was in Nodaway county, Missouri, where he opened a store on his own account and which he conducted until the out- break of the Civil war.

In August, 1861, he enlisted in Company H, First Mis- souri Volunteer Cavalry, for the Confederate service, and with his command was on duty through Missouri, Arkan- sas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, re- maiuing in the service until the close of the war. IIe participated in the battles at Lexington, Pea Ridge, Corinth, Vicksburg, aud in all the hard fighting in the

Senator Hoffman (Democrat) called for the ayes and nays. Roll call resulted in eight ayes, nays none, the Democrats refusing to vote.

The president of the senate, Lieutenant Gov- ernor Rickards, stated that those who refused to vote violated one of the senate rules, and the secretary was ordered to read senate rule 26 and to call the roll of those refusing to vote, namely, Baker, Becker, Hennessey, Hoffman, McNamara, Parberry, Redd and Thornton. Those Democrats persisting in their refusal to vote, the chair declared the motion lost and the attempt to legislate was defeated. The policy of negation was pursued by the Democrats as to each bill introduced. For several days the Democratic members either absented them- selves or refused to vote, thus preventing either the enactment of laws or the final adoption of the joint rules which had been taken from the table. February 6, the seventy-sixth day of the session, every Republican senator was in his seat and every Democratie senator absent. Sen- ator Olds introduced the following resolution, which was adopted:

Whereas, Divers and sundry members of the senate of the legislative assembly of the State

campaign against Sherman through Georgia. Ile was in much of the very hardest fighting of that sanguinary struggle. November 30, 1864, he was captured at Frank- lin, Tennessee, and at the time the war closed he was a prisoner on Johnson's Island. On several occasions he was slightly wounded and at the battle of Atlanta he was shot in the foot. From the rank of private he was pro- moted from time to time on account of meritorious ser- vice until he was Captain of his company.

June 7, 1865, Mr. Burns removed from Missouri to Nebraska, but, not being satisfied with that country, re- mained there only a short time. In 1866 he crossed the plains to Montana, making the journey with ox teams and iu company with a small party of emigrants. At Fort Reno on the Powder river they were attacked by Indians, the loss of the whites being two men and a num- ber of stock, but the brave little party succeeded in driv- ing off the red men. Upon his arrival in Montana, Mr. Burns engaged in mining at Helena for a year, during which time he made fair wages. In 1868 he located 160

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

of Montana are absent, and whereas it is neces- sary to compel their attendance; now, therefore,

Be it resolved, By the undersigned, a minor- ity of the members of the senate, that any mem- ber of the senate who shall be absent on and after February 6, A. D., 1890, shall be fined for such absence, unless excused by the senate, for the first day $50, for the second day's ab- sence $100, for the third day's absence $200, for the fourth day's absence 8400, for the fifth day's absence $800, for the sixth day's absence $1,000; and that upon each succeeding day be- fore the adjournment of the senate for the day the roll shall be called and a resolution levying and confirming the foregoing fines against the absent members severally by name, who are not excused, shall be passed and placed on record by the secretary of the senate.

This was supplemented by the following, in- troduced by Senator Hedges, and adopted.

Resolved, That the president of the senate be authorized to issue duplicate warrants for the arrest of any one or all of the absent members, to the sheriff or other peace officers in the sev- eral counties of the State, as in his opinion inay be necessary to execute the will of the senate as expressed in the resolution this day adopted re- quiring their attendance on or before ten o'clock A. M., February 8.

acres of land in the Prickly Pear valley, devoted his time and energies to its improvement, and resided on it until 1887. That year he sold out aud came to his present location just south of East Helena, where he bought 160 acres, which he still owns. Here he erected a comfort- able residence and good farm buildings and has other- wise made numerous improvements, now having one of the richest and finest farms in the county. He has a good water right, and the chief products of his lands are small fruits, vegetables and timothy and clover hay.

Mr. Burns was married October 1, 1857, to Miss Aun E. Kinison, a uative of Virginia and the daughter of David Kinison. They have had eight children. Their oldest son, Edward B., is at Wolf Creek, Montana. Cora Eliza- beth married W. O. Hutchison. She died in her twenty- ninth year, leaving two children that are being reared by Mr. and Mrs. Burns. The rest of their children are at home, and are as follows: Jeremiah, William K., Albert A., Carrie E., Annie V. and Medora.

All his life Mr. Burns has been an advocate of the prin- ciples of Democracy, and on several occasions has ren-

Thereafter the Democratic senators absented themselves in a body and the fines prescribed were entered up in the records against them. The steps taken by the senate to procure the arrest of absentees through the intervention of peace officers when necessary, led the Democrats to understand that dilatory methods were at an end, and that the Republican members pro- posed to protect the interests of the State at all hazards and use the extreme measures placed in their hands by the law.

There was a hurried flight on the part of the Democratic senators to get beyond the jurisdie- tion of the State and out of reach of its peace officers. Five of the Democratic senators fled to Spokane; two, it was understood, hastened to St. Paul, where, fearing extradition, they are said to have gone in haste to Canada; while the eighth, Senator Becker, was captured at Glen- dive by the sheriff of Dawson county. At Miles City the senator was taken from the of- ficer on a writ of habeas corpus and released. Officer Parker, deputy sheriff and special ser- geant-at-arms, re-arrested Becker, and with his prisoner boarded the train at Miles City for IIelena, the seat of government. The Demo .

dered efficient service for his party and the public. He was elected to and served as a member of the Constitu- tional Convention that formulated the constitution for the State of Moutana. IIe was also elected a member of the first Legislative Assembly of his State. Such was the exciting status of affairs that year that the session has gone into history as the " Memorable Session." Mr. Burns is an industrious and successful farmer and an in- telligent, well-informed gentleman, and has by his own efforts earned the success which he has attained.

SAMUEL SCHWAB, a Montana pioneer of 1863, and one of Helena's successful business men, is a native of Ger- many, born August 28, 1836.

Mr. Schwab spent the first sixteen years of his life in his native land. In 1852, believing that America with her free institutions afforded better opportunities for an enterprising young man, he emigrated to this country, landing iu New York city A few months later he went to New Orleans and then to Natchez, Mississippi, where for a time he clerked in the store of his uncle. This uncle afterward employed him to run a branch house at Mead-

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cratic conspirators took alarm, there was an ex- change of telegrams, and Parker was arrested at Bozeman on a charge of kidnapping Becker. They were taken off the train at that point, and every possible scheme short of actual violence worked to get Becker out of the custody of the officer. It is not improbable that some of the plans laid by the Democrats to secure the per- son of Beeker would have suceeded but for the merve of several local Republicans in that eity, who went to the aid of Parker and gave the mob to understand that any illegal step on its part would be resisted by foree of arms.

The proceedings against Parker for kidnap- ping Becker resulted in his acquittal. In the meantime a special train had been sent to Boze- man from ITelena and the officer and his pris- oner were landed in the capital eity in safety. Renewed efforts to get Beeker away from the officer were made upon their arrival in Helena, taking the form of subterfuges and deceptions of various kinds, but Parker landed his charge in the senate chamber at 9:30 o'clock r. M., February 8, the seventy-eighth day of the session.

A recess of fifteen minutes was taken to en- able the committee on privileges and elections

ville, Missouri. Next he and a partner purchasd a store and stock of general merchandise at Union Church, Jef ferson county, that State, where he remained one year. At the expiration of that time he sold out and returned to Rochester, New York. Soon afterward, however, in company with three other young men, he again sought a location in the West, this time selecting Watertown, Wisconsin, where he was in business for a few years, and whence he went to Leavenworth, Kansas. Mr. Schwab was at Leavenworth when the Civil war broke out and while there witnessed some exciting events. From Leavenworth he went to Denver, Colorado. He was engaged in business in different places in Colorado until 1863, when he came by stage to Montana.

August 20, 1863, he opened a store at Virginia City, and until the fall of the following year he conducted business there. At that time he started East, but on ac- count of the Indian outbreaks he went no further than Denver that fall. In Denver he was in partnership with Herman & Lobe. In the spring of 1865 be continued his journey East, and returned with an ox train loaded with

to consider Becker's ease. Ile was purged of contempt and relieved of the fines imposed upon him. A quorum was now present, whereupon the joint rules, so long held in abeyanee, were adopted and a joint committee on enrollment appointed. A large number of appropriation bills, deemed essential to the support of the State and its institutions, were passed at that night's session. Unfortunately, through an er- ror or oversight in the house of representatives, the bills had not been properly enrolled by the house, and the action of the senate thereupon proved ineffective.

At a late hour it was deemed best to adjourn until Monday, February 10, rather than en- eroach upon Sunday. An adjournment was not taken, however, until Senator Becker had pledged his word of honor that he would attend the session of the senate on Monday. With Becker's solemn assurance that nothing but his death would prevent him from being present at the meeting of the senate on the 10th, that body adjourned. .

At a late hour the next night, Sunday, Sen- ator Becker stole ont the back door of his hotel in Helena and was driven with all possible speed

their own goods, the train being composed of twenty-one wagons, each wagon drawn by six yoke of oxen. They continued in business in Virginia City until 1866, when Mr. Schwab came to Helena. He afterward had a store at Elk Creek and one at Beartown, and from the latter place returned to Helena where he has since remained.

In his various business operations in Helena, Mr. Schwab has been in partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. Zimmerman. They purchased a frame building on Main street, called the Walla Walla, and did business in it until it was swept away by the great fire. While they lost heavily, they were not disheartened by their reverses. They rented the St. Louis and in a few days were doing a prosperous business. In 1880 they built the Cosmopol- itan hotel, a handsome brick block, four stories and base- ment, containing eighty rooms, and upon its completion rented it to John Ming. After a time Messrs. Schwab and Zimmerman took charge of the establishment, and conducted it successfully until July, 1891, at which time they leased it to H. C. Burgeart, the present genial land- lord. This hotel is in a fine location and is run on both

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to the Northern Pacific depot, where a special engine was in waiting to convey him across the Montana line into Idaho. Before the Republi- cans were apprised of this movement the special, traveling at a high rate of speed and having the right of way by special arrangement, had passed the limits of the State and Senator Becker was safe in Idaho, out of reach of his senatorial co- adjutors, who vainly awaited the redemption of his word of honor on Monday morning.

This cowardly and disgraceful incident, plan- ned and executed by the Democratic leaders, ef- fectually stopped any further attempts at legis- lation during the session. Thus the new State was not only deprived of appropriations essen- tial to its maintenance, but laws necessary for its well being were throttled upon the threshold of their passage.

The senate adjourned February 20, 1890, by limitation of law, passing the following resolu- tion in its closing hours :

Be it resolved, By the senate, as expressive of the views of every senator who was present at the opening, and is now present at the close of the first session of the senate of the State of Montana, that our presiding officer, Lieutenant- Governor J. E. Rickards, merits and receives

the American and European plans. Since leasing it Mr. Schwab and his partner have given their attention to mining and other interests, having invested largely in both gold and silver mines. Mr. Schwab had some ex- perience in the mines at Virginia City at an early day, and has ever since been more or less interested in both quartz and placer mining.

During his long residence in Helena, Mr. Schwab has done his part toward bringing about the present develop- ment of the city. He is a member of the Board of Trade; fraternally, is a Blue Lodge, Commandery and Council Mason; politically, has been a Republican ever since the war.

May 1, 1878, he was married, at Detroit, Michigan, to Miss Thekla Feigenbaum, a native of Germany; but their happy married life was of brief duration. Mrs. Schwab died May 12, 1879, leaving an infant son, Levi. Mr. Schwab has since remained single, and now has rooms in the Cosmopolitan hotel.

our fullest and warmest thanks for his untiring devotion to his official duties. Often under the most perplexing and exasperating circumstances, with courage and patience ready for any emer- gency and equal to any demand, he has been uniformly courteous, considerate and dignified. None ever tried more faithfully to do his duty and forward the business which the people ex- pected at the hands of their representatives. If we have failed it is not the fault of our presid- ing officer.

IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE.

Preparations were made by Sanders and Power, on the one hand, and Clark and Magin- nis, on the other hand, to contest for seats in the United States senate. The two latter con- testants had been named as the choice of a caucus of Democrats, comprising the Demo- cratic members of the State senate and house of representatives and the five claimants from Silver Bow county. All the data deemed es- sential was compiled in pamphlet form by each party to the senatorial contest and submitted to the committee on privileges and elections of that body. The contest was made in the first session of the Fifty-first Congress, the report of the committee being made thereon under date of March 24, 1890. The report of the commit-

CLATON RAMSDELL, a Montana pioneer of 1863 and a prominent mining-man and farmer of Deer Lodge county, has resided on his farm five miles north of Deer Lodge since 1869.

Mr. Ramsdell was born in Quincy, Illinois, June 20, 1853, son of Joseph Ramsdell, further mention of whom will be found elsewhere in this work. Claton is the older of the two children comprising his father's family, his sister being now the wife of James Talbott, of Butte City, Montana. At the time the Ramsdell family came to Montana the subject of our sketch was a lad of ten years. His first home here was at Alder Gulch, and his education was received in Deer Lodge county. He be- gan prospecting and mining when he was only fourteen years of age and he was with his father in most of their many enterprises. IIe has been a discoverer of numer- ous valuable mines, among them being the Alice, Great Republic, Flag, and the Joseph, and he was part owner of the Orphan Boy and the Ramsdell Parrot, all of which

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tee embraces 172 pages, covering the ground thoroughly in detail. While the merits of the precinct controversy were fully entered into in this report, and the attitude of the Republican party sustained, the committee maintained as a legal proposition that the State canvassing board, and not the county clerk, was authorized to issne certificates of election to representatives, giving its unqualified approval of the position taken by the Supreme Court of Montana in the determination of a like question in the Thomp- son case heretofore referred to.

Under the findings of the committee on priv- ileges and elections Sanders and Power were given seats in the Senate of the United States to represent the State of Montana in that body. In determining by lot who should be entitled to the long term and who the short, Power drew the long term, which expires March 4, 1895, and Sanders the short term, ending March 4, 1893.

SECOND LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

The elections of 1890 resulted disastrously to the Republican party in all sections of the Union, Montana not being exempt from the general landslide, although the percentage of

have been paying mines. The Alice sold for $12,000. Others sold for more, and the Davis estate now owns a number of these mines. The home farm, which Mr. Ramsdell owns and occupies, comprises 600 acres. Here he earries on farming and stock-raising extensively, be- ing largely interested in raising fine cattle and thorough- bred horses. He also raises race horses, is a lover of the turf, and on many oeeasions his steeds have won the prize.

Mr. Ramsdell was married November 26, 1882, to Miss Julia M. Sconton, a native of Ohio. Fraternally, he is identified with the K. of P. and the A. O. U. W. Ile is independent in his political views and votes for men and measures rather than party.

JAMES A. HENDRICKS, one of the honored and respected early settlers of Marysville, was born in Kentucky, May 14, 1833. His grandfather, Peter Hendricks, came from Germany to America when a boy, locating in one of the Carolinas. He was a farmer by occupation, became one of the pioneer settlers of Kentucky, and lived to the age 37

Democratic gain in this State was not equal to that in other States. The Democratic claim that the Republican party suffered from the course it had pursued relative to the Precinct 34 matter had no basis in fact. The general election in the State embraced only the election of a congressman, Thomas II. Carter being the Republican nominee and W. W. Dixon the Democratie nominee. The issues of the election were chiefly of a national character, and as neither Carter nor Dixon had in any way been associated with the precinct troubles, that ques- tion had no bearing upon the results of the campaign. A bitter warfare was made on Car- ter on the grounds that he had at a critical time in the house of representatives betrayed the interests of silver. Constant asseverations of this character, added to the powerful effort made in Dixon's behalf by his personal friend and political chaperone, Marcus Daly, brought about the defeat of Carter. The Democrats had an initial advantage over the Republicans in the senatorial elections of this year, and by ex- traordinary exertions, and the expenditure of large sums of money, succeeded in securing a majority in the Sate senate, that body compris-

of seventy years. His family consisted of two sons and three daughters. One son, James Hendricks, the father of onr subject, was born in one of the Carolinas in 1799. He married Miss Sarah Land, also a native of the South, and they made their home in Kentucky, where their six children were born and raised. Only three are now living.

James A. Hendricks, the youngest child in order of birth in the above family, was eight years of age wheu the family moved to Missouri. IIe continned to reside in that State until eighteen years of age, and then, in 1852, erossed the plains with ox teams to California. It was the year in which cholera made such ravages among the emigrants, and many new-made graves met the gaze of the weary traveler as he pressed forward to the land of gold, but to many of them a land which they never reached, and from which many others never returned. Mr. Hendricks reached California October 14, and went direet to the gold diggings on the South Yuba river; also mined on Washington creek. He found rich diggings

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 117

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