An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 135

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 135

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In 1866 Mr. Leggat had sent a steamboat load of mer- chandise, with his brother, R. D., in charge, to Highland Gulch, Montana, and this venture finally resulted in bringing him to Montana and in turning his attention to mining operations. In 1876 he made a tour of Montana, became convinced of the richness of its mines, returned to Michigan and settled up his affairs there, and since 1877 has been a resident of Montana. Iu 1877 he com- menced active mining operations and has since been assiduously engaged in the same. He began in the Vi- pond district in Beaver Ilead county. In 1880 he erected a mill for the reduction of the ores. This mill had been in operation only a few months when it was destroyed by Im, innl a- it was then too late in the season to rebuild le came to Butte City and began operations here and has -iner continued his business at this place. For two yea

Creek, Virginia City, the second capital of Mon- tana, with her 15,000 souls, creaking derricks, ropes like a fleet of stranded ships, roar of water flumes and dash and clang of pick and shovel? Gone! All gone! The grasshopper chirps in the untrodden grass on the hillsides, little alder trees are beginning to sprout up again where the busy streets ran up and down Alder creek, and silence is supreme. There is a touch of ten- derness in all this, and we leave the dear old dead city hat in hand and with bended head.

The population of the cities of the State, by the same census is as follows:

IIelena 13,834

Butte 10,723

Great Falls.

3,979

Anaconda 3,975

Missoula. . . 3,426

Livingston 2,850

Bozeman

2,143

Walkerville 1,743

Marysville

1,489

Deer Lodge 1,463

Granite

1,310

Meaderville. 1,075

Phillipsburg

1,058

Dillon 1,012

The miles of railroad in 1892 was found to be 2,662; number of roads, 29; assessed value, $9,287,532.

he owned and operated the Champion, which he sold for $20,000 to the Parrot Company. For the past six years he has been operating the Gambetta, which is 100 x 20 feet, and which has been developed to a distance of 565 feet. Thirty men are employed at this mine. Mr. Leg- gat has recently purchased, at a cost of $50,000, the Washoe, another valuable property, from which he wil no doubt make a large fortune.

In 1879 Mr. Leggat, his brother R. D., and Mr. Lee Fos- ter purchased and platted fifty acres of land, known as the Leggat and Foster addition to Butte City. Much of this property has been sold and greatly improved.

Fraternally, Mr. Leggat is both an Odd_Fellow and a Mason, having been identified with the former organiza- tion since 1854, and with the latter since 1862. In Masonry he has attained the Royal Arch degree. He helped to or- ganize the Republican party, of which he has ever been a stanch member.

Mr. Leggat was married in 1876, to Miss Clara Ament, of Owosso, Michigan. Her untimely death occurred after only five years of happy married life. She left two chil- dren, Alexander and Clarabel.

CHARLES ROWE, a prominent early settler of Montana, now proprietor of the Grand Union Hotel at Fort Benton, is a native of Cornwall, England, born August 8, 1842.

His parents, James and Julia (Williams) Rowe, both natives of Cornwall, had eight children, and with their family emigrated in 1845, to this country, locating in Chi- cago. Being a miner by occupation, the father worked

683

HISTORY OF MONTAN .1.

TAXATION STATISTICS BY COUNTIES, 1892.

NAME OF COUNTY.

TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE OF ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY.

TOTAL RATE OF STATE AND COUNTY TAXES.

ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BE COLLECTED FOR -

MILLS.

STATE PURPOSES.

COUNTY PURPOSES.

Beaver Head.

$ 3,280,559

161g

$ 7.955.36

$ 43,958.92

Cascade. ..

13,856,929

33,392.32

136,841.13

Choteau. .

6,076,348

14,500.00

81,200.00

Custer

6,926,506

17,316 00

76,191.57

Dawson.

3,396,341

1712

8,391.00

43,402.43

Deer Lodge

8,112.246

20,280 00

113,459.00

Fergus

4,571,180

161,

11,427.95

57,139.75

Gallatin

5,850,568

1516

14,630.37

68,986.83

Jefferson

4,272,447

16 6-10

9,880.00

55,328.00

Lewis and Clarke.

24.182,240

1013

60,455.60

145,093.44

Madison

3,001,870

7,504.27

46,666 48

Meagher

5,605,440

1713

12,333 60

69,335.73

Missoula

9,638,031

131,

24,095 00

67,466.00

Park

5,454,688

16 G-10

13,636.72

68.183 59

Silver Bow.

21,096,344

1517

53,740.86

232,059.78

Yellowstone

3,824,180

1913

9,513.36

53,355 60

Totals

$129 645,917

$318,052.41

$1,357,668 24

THE VOTE FOR PRESIDENT BY COUNTIES, ELECTION HELD NOVEMBER 8, 1892, WAS AS FOLLOWS:

COUNTIES.

Harri- Cleve-| Wea- ver. land.

Bid- well.

Beaver Head

729

463

155

Cascade.

1,295

1,184

337

Choteau.

788

676

Custer

680

537

Dawson

343

268

OCTOBER 21, 1864.

Samuel McLain, Democrat 3,899

Wilbur F. Sanders, Republican 2,666

Informal (rejected).

299

Madison

762

634

151

Meagher.

839

735

292

Missoula

2,045

2,340

706

Park.

1,192

1,048

123

Silver Bow

3,261

2,648

2,437

Yellowstone

479

369

Total

18,851

17.581

7,334

549

6,230

SEPTEMBER 2, 1867.

James M. Cavanagh, Democrat. 6,004

Wilbur F. Sanders, Republican 4,896

10,900

AUGUST 2, 1869.

James M. Cavanagh, Democrat.

5,805

James Tufts, Republican 3,745

9,550

a visit, but died at Fort Buford on his way. His good wife died three months later, aged fifty-seven years. They were Methodists, and active, faithful Christians, the salt of the earth. They had thirteen children, of whom only five are now living.

Charles, their youngest child, had but limited opportu- nities for an education. IIe was only thirteen years of age when he began to take care of himself, working for

in the lead mines near Elizabeth, Jo Daviess county, Illi- nois, ten miles from Galena, a few years, and then took a farm in the vicinity, which he worked during the sum- mer, and was employed in the lead mines during the win- ter. The two sons, Charles and his brother, turned the windlass for their father, who worked below. After Charles had located in Montana, his father, when seventy-six years of age, started up the Missouri river to make him

The following exhaustive table, compiled by Editor Adelphius B. Keith, gives the vote and congressional candidates of Montana as a Ter- ritory from first to last, 1864 to 1888, in- clusive:

1865.

Samuel McLain, Democrat

3,808

Gad. Upson, Republican 2,422

Deer Lodge Fergus

766

560

Gillatin

998

1,144

Jefferson

740

730

447

Lewis and Clarke.

2,014

2,093

1,073

100

6,864

1,930

2,152

1,319

This was Montana's first voice on a national matter. It will be curious to note that her cold- water vote surpassed, comparatively, that of a majority of the other States, giving my friend, General Bidwell, of California, the biggest half of 1,000 votes.

son.

684

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

SEPTEMBER 5, 1871.

Wm. H. Claggett, Republican. 5,274

Edwin W. Toole, Democrat. 4,861

10,135

AUGUST 5, 1872.

Martin Maginnis, Democrat 4,515

Wm. H. Claggett, Republican 4,196

AUGUST 3, 1874.

Martin Maginnis, Democrat. 4,144

Cornelius Hedges, Republican. 3,313

7,457

NOVEMBER 4, 1876.

Martin Maginnis, Democrat.

3,837

E. D. Leavitt, Republican 2,980

NOVEMBER, 1878.

Martin Maginnis, Democrat. 6,485

Sample Orr, Independent. 2,757

9,242

his own living. He was first employed by his brother-in- law two years, for his board and clothes; next he worked three years at a livery stable, at $10 a month, then a year at painting, in Galena. Next he hired out to the Minne- sota Stage Company and for four years handled the "rib- bons" for a four-horse stage.

April 11, 1867, he bade adieu to his friends, starting for Montana, and telling his parents that he would return when he "got rich." Leaving Omaha on the 25th of April, on board the Deer Lodge, he landed at Fort Benton June 3, his wealth consisting of $750, in greenbacks, worth at that time only half their normal value. Meals here were $1.50 each, and he made a lunch on crackers and cheese. He was offered $100 a month for driving stage, but this he declined, as he desired to work in the mines. Accord- ingly he proceeded to Helena, where he tried his luck in the mines but without much success Returning to Fort Benton he drove stage for the Wells-Fargo Company, at $75 a month, from July till May, and then opened a sa- loon, where the Grand Union Hotel now stands. In the winter of 1869 he purchased the Overland Ilotel and con- tinned the hotel business until 1876, when he bought a ranch twelve miles below Fort Benton, where he now has 472 acres of improved land, with a good residence. In 1883 he returned to the hotel business.

February 26, 1876, is the date of Mr. Rowe's marriage to Miss Anna Binkman, and they went to the farm to re- side. They had two sons; and January 7, 1880, Mrs. Rowe died: she was a most amiable wife and mother, and her loss was a severe blow to her husband and little boys, Charlie and Leslie. Mr. Rowe then left the farm and re- turned to Fort Benton, as already stated; and his sister came and kept house for him; but she had a son and daughter at Philipsburg; and her son, while on a pros- pecting tour, dropped dead. Being anxious to visit her daughter, she took the little boys with her, and during the

NOVEMBER, 1880.

Martin Maginnis, Democrat ... 7,779

Wilbur F. Sanders, Republican. 6,381

14,160

NOVEMBER 7, 1882.

Martin Maginnis, Democrat. 12,398

Alex. C. Botkin, Republican. 10,914

23,312

NOVEMBER, 1884.

Joseph K. Toole, Democrat .... 13,584

Hiram Knowles, Republican. 13,385

26,969

NOVEMBER 2, 1886.

Joseph K. Toole, Democrat. 17,990

Wilbur F. Sanders, Republican 14,272

32,262

NOVEMBER, 1888.

Thomas H. Carter, Republican. 22,486

Wm. A. Clark, Democrat. 17,360

Davis Wilgen, Prohibition 148

Scattering

40,014

visit they both died of diphtheria. After their mother's death their father's heart was all wrapt up in them, and this second bereavement was almost fatal to him. His sister returned to him, they took back the Overland Hotel and resumed the management of it. In 1884 the sister died, of paralysis, but he continued with the hotel until the spring of 1891, when he took the Grand Union, of which he has since been the host. Since July, 1894, the firm has been Rowe & Davis. This house is the first-class hotel of" the town. It is a brick structure, three stories high, has fifty-five rooms, and is managed in a most satisfactory manner.

Rr. Rowe has built a good residence in Fort Benton, is a half-owner with T. C. Power of the Flint Lock mines, in the Baker district. Also he has $50,000 worth of stock in the marble quarry at Sweet Grass Hill. The marble is of fine quality and the property is believed to be very valuable. Mr. Rowe has also other mining property.

In 1892 Mr. Rowe was married to Miss Annie Martin, who was born at Fort Benton, the daughter of James Mar- tin, a Montana pioneer. Two sweet, bright children have come to bless again the home of Mr. Rowe, named Mabel E. and Alfred Lewis.

Mr. Rowe is an active worker in the Republican party, has been a member of the Common Council of the city for eight years and is now serving his second term as Mayor of Fort Benton. He takes a deep interest in the welfare of the town, and is both liberal and public- spirited. He has a wide acquaintance and is well spoken of everywhere. He was prominent in securing the pass- age of the bill providing that Fort Benton might issue bonds to provide water-works,and this has been of immense valne tothe city. Mr. Rowe was made a Master Mason in 1881, and has since held various offices in his lodge. IIe is an exemplary member of society and a citizen of the com- monwealth.

6,807

8,000

685

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

HISTORY OF THE HELENA BANKS AND BANKERS-THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK IN MONTANA- SOME PRIVATE BANKS AND BAD MANAGEMENTS IN THE EARLY HISTORY-PRESENT SOLID BASIS OF HELENA BANKS-HOW BRAVELY THEY ENCOUNTERED THE FINANCIAL CYCLONE. BY D. G. EDGERTON.

1864 to 1894.

W ITHOUT again descending into the weary details of statistics, let it suffice to say that a careful polling of the counties of Montana finds them, old and new, practically out of debt; and when debt is found there is either a stately schoolhouse, courthouse or roads in a high state of perfection for a county so new; or, from whatever cause, or wherever debt of any degree prevails, there is something substantial to show for it. It would be of but dull interest, however, to set down details, for while work is going forward all the time a district or country that is not in debt to-day might be in debt to-morrow; and the reverse.

HUGH J. MILLER, one of the prominent citizens of Liv- ingston, Montana, and the Prosecuting Attorney for Park county, dates his birth in Genoa, Minnesota, December 31, 1866. He is one of the four sons of Hiram and Mary (Vaughan) Miller, his brothers being Harlan E., Herbert B. and Hiram A. Hugh J. and Herbert B. are twins, the latter being a traveling United States mail clerk. The Millers are of Scotch and English descent, while the Vaughans originated in Germany. Hiram Miller, the father of our subject, was a minister in the Freewill Bap- tist Church, and for many years was also engaged in the mercantile trade. Until he was eighteen years old Hugh J. was engaged in farm work and as clerk iu his father's store when not attending school. Then he taught several terms of school, after which he entered the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he received the degree of LL. B. in March, 1891. About that time Allen R. Joy, a prominent young lawyer, and then Prosecuting At- torney of Park county, Montana, wrote to the law faculty of the University of Michigan to recommend a graduate

The fall in the price of silver closed several mines during the years of 1893-4, and many good men were out of work. The financial em- barrassment and an effort at retrenchment of the great Northern Pacific system of railroads during these years also contributed to the number of idle but industrious men. Added to these came the usual drift of nomads found in all our States, new or old; and a crowd of a few hun- dred men, good and bad, but mostly the latter, set out for the national capital in 1894. But they did not start quite empty-handed as in other States at the same time. Their professed mission was in the interest of a wiser course of legislation in the interests of silver. What be-

of that institution who would be suitable for his associate. They immediately recommended young Miller, who at once came to Livingston and entered the office of Mr. Joy, becoming assistant prosecutor, and during Mr. Joy's absence having charge of the entire business, which was then large. He remained with Mr. Joy one year. His ability to dispatch business with accuracy and rapidity, together with his congenial and obliging manner, soon made him very popular. The Republican County Con- vention of 1892 nominated him as their candidate for County Attorney, he receiving sixty-four votes in the couvention to his opponent's eighteen. Ilis popularity was such, and was so conceded by his opponents, that they made no opposition whatever, and he was elected unanimously. Mr. Miller has indeed made phenomenal progress in his profession, and with his characteristic energy and push we feel safe in predicting for him a bright future.

For several years Mr. Miller was interested with his older brother in a mercantile business at Douglas, Min-

686

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

came of these misguided men is hardly known; but they did not go far. They probably melted away by degrees along the railroad lines and found work, such of them as wanted work, on farms that lie on almost every hand from Hel- ena to the lakes.

When we recall the vast army that set out for the same place and for similar impossible and vague purposes from San Francisco, under the lead of one Kelly, the 1,000 under a Mrs. Smith, of Sacramento, and the march under Coxey, of Ohio, and also the crowds from Colo- rado and other places, we see that Montana con- tributed less to the disturbing element of these two severe years of financial depression than almost any other State.

An inquiry addressed to the financial heads in Montana's money centers brought me the la- conic answer; "All solid in Montana;" and the substance of every one of the answers, ranging through the year 1894, was solid. Montana has a right to say for herself and all her chil- dren as well, young or old, in the language of the apostle, " I owe no man."

nesota, under the firm name of Miller Brothers. He has, however, recently disposed of his share in the establish- ment and his brother now carries on the business alone. Mr. Miller's father had four brothers in the Federal army during the late war, and his mother had five brothers in the Union ranks.

January 9, 1889, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Georgi- anna Cole, daughter of Oscar and Laventha (Gordon) Cole, of Iowa. Her mother is a niece of William J. Gordon, of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have one son, Vilroy, born March 4, 1890. Mrs. Miller is a member of the Congregational Church.

WILLIAM L. FARLIN .- Among the personages that were intimately associated with the early history of Montana was W. L. Farlin, of Butte, whose biographical history in brief is here published. He was a pioneer of 1862, and one of her citizens who has done his full share in the dis- covery and development of her rich mines, was born at Meadville, Penusylvania, of Scotch ancestry, his great- grandfather being one of the early settlers of Portlaud, Maine, and indeed the owner of the tract which became the original site of that great city. He sold his land and removed to New York; and the party who purchased the

I know nothing of banks or bankers, but have been most fortunate in securing from one of the earliest and ablest bankers of Montana a terse and compact history of Helena's banks and financiers. As Helena had the first na- tional bank, and as she is not only the capital and main money center, to say nothing of her repute as the wealthiest city in the world, I gratefully give this chapter up to the clever and compact history of the banks and bankers of Helena.

In western communities we have a better op- portunity than is presented in any other section of the known world to appreciate and thor- oughly understand by example the great devel- opment and improvement that has taken place in the world, in its exchange and interchange of values through the means of banking.

In the brief sketch that is purposed to be given in this article of the banking interests of Helena, it may be well to say that it is only thirty years since there was not an inhabitant in the town. During that thrty years we have seen developed from a barbaric interchange of

land platted the town of Portland. After residing in New York a number of years he was murdered for his money.

His son, Joseph Farlin, the father of William L., was born in New York and married Miss Lydia Thomas, a native of Connecticut and of Welsh-English ancestry; ou one side of the family she was a descendant of the Olcutts. They had two daughters and five sous. He moved to Iowa, where he was a farmer and a cabinet-maker, and died, in the fifty-third year of his age. His wife survived him twenty years, dying in her seventieth year. They were Baptists, but later in life he became a Universalist. Ile was a man of ability and took considerable interest in public affairs. Of their children ouly three now survive.

The subject of this sketch, the next to the youngest of the family, was brought up in Ottumwa, Iowa, and began the business of life for himself at the early age of sixteen years. He was carrying on farming, burning lime and mining coal, having a number of men in his employ. In 1862 the news of the discovery of gold at Florence had reached the East, and he at once determined to go there. He started from his home to take the steamer at Shreve- port, but it had passed Council Bluffs before he arrived; and he employed a party to bring him to the point where

687

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

commodities, representing money, a complete and thorough clearing house system, represent- ing all the modern ideas of interchange of val- nes of the most concise, condensed and advance practices of all modern metropolis cities of the known world,-a system that has all the re- quirements and safeguards that can be found in the great moneyed centers of the world, repre- senting, as it does, a larger amount of banking facilities than is possesed by any other town of similar position and size in the United States.

For some years after the discovery of gold in 1864, at or near the present site of this town, all the exchange and interchange of valnes was practically done upon a gold basis, the gold not even being refined or representing any manipu- lation of man whatsoever, being taken just as it came from the earth, having been separated practically from all other commodities by the action of nature, either by the washing of gravel, or, as is frequently claimed, by glacial action; and, after the establishment of banks, both private and national, for many years their chief business consisted in handling gold dust, which was the general accepted medinm of ex-

the emigrant trail to Oregon branches to go to the north mines; but the man was quarrelsome, and at Fort Kear- ney Mr. Farlin left him and came on alone, on a cayuse. He was often stopped by Indians, but they let him pass; and at one point, on the other side of Green river, a shower of arrows were shot after him, but he escaped uninjured by running his horse past the ambushed Sioux. At Green river he found friends, and they proceeded to Fort Lemhi where they learned that the Florence mines were overrun with men, and Mr. Franklin decided to go with a party on a prospecting tour to the Salmon river country. In August they discovered Pioneer Gulch and named it. It was not far from Gibbons' battlefield. It was the first paying gulch in the country, yielding from 86 to $18 a day in gold. Gold had been discovered at other places, but not in such paying quantities. Grass- hopper was struck about three weeks afterward and Ban- nack started, and they proceeded to that place, where Mr. Farlin located the first quartz mine that was placed on record in the whole northern country; it was called the Ottumwa. He worked it some, but not with paying

change of values, ganging the value per ounce by weight and degree of fineness. Twenty dol- lars was taken as the standard of valuation per ounce, which value varied according to the fine- ness, the average price for which gold was sold then being $17.60 per ounce.

There was no provision made in the Territo- rial law for the organization of banks, which gave rise to the fact that the Montana banks for many years were either national banks or pri- vate banking houses; and it is only in Montana since she became a State that provision has been made for the incorporation of State banks.

The first national bank organized in Helena was the First National Bank; its original char- ter dated from March 17, 1866, and its number was 1,649. This was followed by the Montana National Bank, organized by James King and W. Gillette. The operations of this bank were somewhat brief and not entirely certain, and, owing to some technical failures to pay capital in in cash, it came in contact with the comp- troller's requirements, and settled the difficulty by dissolution. Then followed the People's Na- tional Bank, which, according to the memory

results. Ile remained there over winter, working placer mines during the fall, and rocked out from $10 to $75 per day.

He planned to go with Stuart's company to the Yellow- stone, but was unable to find his cayuse and they went on without him. But five days later a company of twenty- one persons was formed to go to Snake river, and Mr. Farlin sold ground there that afterward made the pur- chasers a fortune. They started on the 16th of April, 1863, and when they reached Snake river they went up the north fork until they reached the snow. Returning, they went to the south fork and up the canon, finding some prospects. Mr. Farlin was the youngest of the company and only a boy, and a part of the company were very dishonest men, while a portion were honorable. As the war was raging the desperate men of the company were waiting to capture a train of goods, and Mr. Farlin was approached by them on the subject, being urged to take a part in the scheme. IIe of course declined and for a while heard nothing of it; but one night soon after he had made his bed, a little aside from the rest, he was

688

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

of the early settlers, also came to grief with its associate bank at Bozeman, which was largely eaused by its capital stock having been contributed by notes rather than cash.

These early attempts at financiering were perhaps excusable, having been, undoubtedly, more the result of misapprehension than any intentional wrong, except in the subsequent management of the People's National Bank, which had many marks of raseality.

The First National Bank was organized with ex-Governor S. T. Hanser as president and T. HI. Kleinschmidt as cashier. This institution has continually held the front rank in the bank. ing efforts of the town, and was the first na- tional bank organized within the confines of the Territory as well as the city.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 135

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