An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 16

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 16

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Ella & Knowles

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

heaps of ground quartz on Fremont's Mariposa grant, and farther yet to Governor Waterman's mines in the San Bernardino range.

" But the great, warm, rich bosom of Cali- fornia is torn to the heart no more now. The transition from the placer mine to the vineyard and orchard is complete. The placer mine with all its pathos has passed into history. The dark

ELLA L. KNOWLES, the first woman admitted to prac- tice law by the Supreme Court of the State of Montana, is a native of the State of New Hampshire, born at North- wood, July 31, 1860. Her ancestors emigrated from Eng. land to New England early in the settlement of this country. Several generations of the family lived in New Hampshire, among them being farmers, mechanics and professional men, and all filling their respective positions in life in a way to bring respect to their name. They settled in New Hampshire when it was a wilderness, and that part of the country in which they resided was called the " Knowles District." named in their honor. There. at the old homestead, David Knowles, her father, was born. Her mother, whose maiden name was Louisa Bigelow, was a native of Vermont, descended from a family equally early as settlers of New England. The Bigelows were Presbyterians, and the Knowles family belonged to the Baptist Church. David Knowles, now in the sixty-seventh year of his age, still resides at the old home where he was boro.

Miss Knowles is an only child. As a little girl in school she was a good student, and when only fifteen years of age graduated at Northwood Seminary. Then she was for three years engaged in teaching to earn money with which to secure a higher education, and in the meantime studied Latin and Greek. She then entered Bates College, where she graduated with the class of 1884, receiving the degree of A. B Later, after she had attained some fame, her college conferred upon her the degree of A. M .; but Miss Knowles says she prizes far more highly the degree which she secured by persistent study. She was one of the first woman graduates in that college, and had to struggle through the foolish prejudices against co-education. To her belongs the distinction of being the first girl who took a prize in debate, the first girl to take a prize for composition and oratory, and the first girl on the editorial staff of the college magazine.

After her graduation she was obliged on account of ill health to remain at home and recuperate ; but during this period she was not idle, her attention being given to the study of law. From Burnbam & Brown, of Manchester, New Hampshire, she procured her law books and was nominally their student. After partially recovering her health she accepted the Professorship of Rhetoric and Elocution in Western Normal College, Iowa; but, her ill health continuing, her physician advised her to make her home in a mountainous country in the West. She accord-

and mysterions gnomeland under the earth is narrowing year by year. Let us hope that the brave men there may come up to the light of day soon and to remain. For California has so many things better than gold. Were our mines in a land like that of Russia, life might not be so intolerable in their depths. But in a clime like this of ours, man's place is surely on the

ingly came to Ilelena and accepted a position as teacher in the Helena Central School. At the end of the year she was elected principal of the West Side School, and later resigned in order to resume the study of law. In this she met with much opposition. The idea of her becoming a lawyer seemed preposterous to her friends. They tried to ridicule her out of it. The bar, too, scoffed at the thought of a lady in court, but against all this she per- sisled. There was no law in Montana permitting a woman to practice in the courts, and she set herself stoutly to work to get a bill passed to that effect, which was finally accomplished in 1889. January 1, 1890, she was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court; April 18. 1890, was admitted to practice at the bar of the United States Dis- trict Court. and on the 28th of April following was ad- mitted to practice in the Circuit Court of the United States, Thus she became the first woman lawyer in Mon- tana, and is also still the only woman lawyer in the State. She is, 100, the first woman in Montana to receive the ap- pointment of Notary Public.

But her struggle for success was not yet over. The idea of her trying a case before a judge and jury was laughed at by the bar at which she was to practice; but when she began to try cases, her thorough knowledge, her keen per- ception of tine points and nice distinctions, her power of language aud fine oratory, won the day. She gained hard- contested cases from the best of them, her reputation as a capable lawyer was soon established, and those who at first scoffed at her now concede her marked ability. Soon she found herself in the midst of a good law practice, handling cases for both men and women, a large majority of her clients, however, being men.

In 1892, when the Populist party of Montana beld its State convention, Miss Knowles was greatly surprised by receiving from the convention a dispatch asking her if she would accept the nomination for At orney General of the State of Montana. When she received it she at first supposed some one was trying to perpetrate a joke at her expense, but on learning the truth she at once replied, " Yes." She was nominated without an opposing candi- date. Up to this time she had not given any attention to politics, and she at once began to inform herself on the political questions of the day, especially on the money and silver questions.

The appearance of Miss Knowles in the campaign, ad. vocating Populistic principles from the rostrum, was an innovation in politics which fairly startled the politicians

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

surface of the earth, in his orchard, in his gar- den, in the path that leads back to Paradise." -From Muir's Picturesque California.

Let us take a bird's-eye glance at the long line of gold discoveries which pointed continu- ally toward and had their final climax in the richest placers ever found in the State, -- Alder creek, Montana.

of Montana, and excited such curiosity among the people that her presence at a meeting was sufficient to insure her a crowded house. Curiosity gave place to interest, and those who had attended her meetings on account of their novelty were happily disappointed by being treated to speeches replete with reason, giltled with rhetoric and clothed with eloquent passages which stamped them as efforts creditable to the most gifted of Montana's orators. At a moment's notice she sprang to the front as a political speaker, and the young lawyer of two years' practice be- came the acknowledged orator of the Populist party. The press universally gave her notices which were of the highest order and second to no speaker upon the stump. Receptions and notices were given her, which might well have turned an older head than hers, but her ordinate sense of propriety and womanhood stood well the test, and the modest little blonde, with blue eyes set deep under a fine, full brow, indicating rare reasoning power, scored such a victory that the press, irrespective of poli- tics, accorded to her the title of the "Portia of the Peo- ple's party," and yielded to her ungrudgingly the exalted position which her eminent oratorical abilities justly en- titled her to, and placed her in the foremost ranks of her party leaders. It was a just tribute to womanhood, and marked an epoch in the lives of women in the West; for this little lady clearly demonstrated that women are capa- ble of taking an active and able part in the discussion of the affairs of the State and the nation. Her participation in politics is hailed as a rift in the clouds of political ex- clusiveness. During the campaign she traveled over 3,000 miles and stumped the entire State, making some sixty or more speeches. When she spoke at Helena the citizens gave her an ovation. The Auditorium was crowded and her audience was full of enthusiasm. She spoke one hour and fifty-five minutes without showing the least sign of exhaustion. The result was that she carried the most populous counties in the State, running 5,000 votes ahead of her ticket and polling 12,000 votes. Since then her law practice has greatly increased. She has had many important cases, both criminal and civil.

In 1893 she received the appointment of Assistant At- torney General from Hon. H. J. Haskell, one of her op- ponents in the campaign of 1892, who was elected Attor- ney General of Montana on the Republican ticket, which appointment she now holds.

In September, 1893, she was intrusted with an important case then pending in the Department of the Interior. Her

Prescott, in his "Conquest of Mexico, " tells us that Cortez and his men found in a sealed-up chamber of the temple to the sun, where the president's palace and the great cathedral of Mexico now stand, great heaps of virgin gold. So we must know that gold dust had been dng from the earth on this continent from time immemorial. We know also for a fact that gold

appearance before that department at Washington, accred- ited to Montana as its Assistant Attorney General, was a new departure from the ordinary custom or routine, as she was the first lady to appear before the heads of bureaus in that department or in any other. Being introduced to Secretary Hoke Smith by Senator Thomas C. Power, of Montana, she was accorded most gracious treatment by his assistants, before whom she presented the claims of the State in the case of the appeal of Paris Gibson vs. State of Montana, which involved the title to school lands near Great Falls worth at least $200,000. This important case was under her control, and she acted without in- structions from the Attorney General, except to do the best she could in the premises. That she was successful in her endeavors is evidenced hy the fact that hefore she left Washington the Secretary of the Interior rendered a decision awarding the lands in question to the State of Montana. This was a most important ruling for the State, as the Secretary laid down the rule that school land could not be taken up for a stone quarry under the placer min- eral act. She is the only lady who ever went to Wash- ington as the accredited representative of a sovereign State on official business. Her success in that case was noted by the press of Montana and as well as by other papers.

Miss Knowles boards at the hotel, and finds recreation in riding horseback and driving. She has a fine library and office in the Masonic Temple, and there she sits, pre- paring her briefs, with her lady typewriter near her. On the door hangs a neat little sign, "Ella L. Knowles, At- torney at Law."

ROBERT W. NEILL, one of Helena's successful business men, was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, May 12, 1852. He resided in his native land until he was twenty years of age, receiving his education there, and in 1872 came to the United States. Ile spent five years in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, at the end of which time he returned to Canada. In the fall of 1885 he again came to the United States, this time to Montana. During his sojourn in the Eastern States he learned the trade of harnessmaker and saddler, and on coming to IIelena he eugaged in the harness business, which he has since continued. The success he has attained here is ample evidence of his business ability.

Mr. Neil was married June 11, 1889, to Miss Nellie Doughty, of Helena.

Ile is a member of the Queen City Lodge, No. 42, I. O.

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

had been dug by the Spanish Indians not far from Santa Fe, the third white city, in date of foundation, on the continent, more than a cen- tury before New Mexico, along with California, was ceded to the Union by our sister republic. We know, also, that as far back as the time " when the memory of man runneth not to the contrary " the traditions of old trappers of Taos,

O. F., of Helena, in which he has passed honorably through all the chairs and is now Deputy Grand Master. Having considerable musical ability he is highly es- teemed in the social as well as the business circles of Helena.

FRANCIS S. READ, now a resident of Helena, has been identified with Montana since 1866. Following is a brief sketch of his life:

Francis S. Read was born in Stanford, Lincoln county, Kentucky, December 27, 1840, his parents also being na- tives of that State. When he was six months old he was taken by them to Platte county, Missouri, where they settled and where he was reared and educated, remain- ing there until he was twenty years of age. During the civil war young Read was for four years in the Confed- erate service, under General Price. He was promoted from a private to the rank of Second Lieutenant, and was in command of his company in one battle in which he was severely wounded.

When the war ended Mr. Read was mustered out at St. Louis, in April, 1865, aud returned to his home in Platte county. There he remained until the spring of the following year, when he came to Montana. His first location here was on a ranch in the Prickly Pear valley, near Helena. Subsequently he removed to Cascade county, where he still has extensive stock interests and valuable ranch property in the Chestnut valley. Ile is also largely interested in Helena real estate, having erected numerous residences in the east part of the city, where his family reside, their home being on Eighth ave- nue. He spends his winters with them and his summers on his stock ranch in Cascade county.

Mr. Read was married in Montana, October 27, 1869, to Miss Laura T. Thoroughman, and they have five daugh- ters and one son, all at home. He and his family are prominent and active workers in the Christian Church, and he is also a member of the A. O. U. W.

HENRY J. BLUME, who is ranked with the enterprising and successful men of Butte City, Montana, is eminently a self-made man.

A study of the lives of the successful men of all ages and elimes has ever been one of absorbing interest, and especially in this broad western land of ours, where so many opportunities are afforded for the ambitious young man to rise, do we find the study of biography an inter- esting one. Indeed, the only bar to success in this land is the lack of will power. In this connection, it is with

Santa Fe, El Paso, Del Norte, and other like lodging posts of these white nomads of the wild Southwest told of battles with the Apache and Comanche wherein gold sIngs were used for bullets.

Giving personal recollections, the author will, for convenience' sake, now adopt the style of the first person.

pleasure that we present a sketch of the life of Henry J. Blume.

He was born in Toledo, Ohio, March 25, 1856, and from his third year was reared in Chicago, Illinois. When he was ten years old he began earning his own living by doing such work as he could in a brick yard. Later he obtained employment in the office of the Northwestern Christian Advocate. In the meantime he attended school whenever he could. He attended a German school three years and also took a course in a business college-all before he was sixteen. After that he learned the heat- ing and ventilating business, and in 1877 came to the Ter- ritory of Montana to get a business start. Three hundred and fifty miles of the journey hither he made on foot, was siek a portion of the way, and it was under the great- est difficulty that he reached his destination.

In Helena Mr. Blume obtained employment with the firm of Clark, Connard & Curtain. Subsequently he worked at Mcclellan Gulch in the placer mines of his uncle, Harmon Blume. In the spring of 1878 he came to Butte City and the two years following he was in the employ of Kinna & Jack. Then he spent one year in freight- ing between Dillon and Butte City. In 1881 when the Butte Hardware Company was organized he became one of its stockholders and took charge of its tinning, plumbing and heating department. In this position he continued until 1884. That year he invested all he had saved at Coeur d' Alene; but the effort that was put forth to boom that place proved a failure and he not only lost all his savings but also soon found himself $3000 in debt. That same year he come back to Butte City and with nothing save his good name and his energy he established himself in business, at tirst in a very small way. Soon he began to prosper, and from the little shed he at first occupied he removed to a better room, 32 west Park street, where he had eight feet front and where he continued for two years, having all the work he could do. At the end of that time his business had outgrown his quarters and another move was necessary, which was to 19 west Park street, where his room was 15 x 40 feet. This sufficed for a year and then he moved into No. 20 west Park street which was 14 x 100 feet, and from which three years later, he came to his present location, No. 78 west Park. Ilere he occupies two floors, each 20 x 100 feet, which are well stocked with stoves of all descriptions and with shelf-hardware, stoves, however, being a specialty. He does a large heating and plumbing business, ant also

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

Mountain Jo, one of Fremont's old guides, was devoted to the perpetuation of the roman- tie traditions. In 1854 he showed me a gold bullet which he said he had cut from the neck of his horse after a fight with the Comanches years before gold was found in California near Sutter's Fort. He was a remarkable man in many ways, of great culture and good family,

handles bicycles. He has the right of manufacture and sale of the Champion roaster for the States of Montana and Washington and receives large orders for this article from various points of both States. His business in stoves is both wholesale and retail. While his establishment has had a marvelous growth and while he now employs a number of men in its various departments, he himself has not forgotten how to work but gives his personal supervision to its every detail and is found at his place of business every day from early morning till late at night.

Although Mr. Blume has from time to time enlarged and extended his hardware business, he has by no means kept all his money in it, but has made some valuable in- vestments in mines and other property. He has invested in no less than fourteen mining claims, has been the owner of several fruit orchards and land in San Luis Ob- ispo county, California, and has also built a nice residence in Bntte City.

Mr. Blume was married in 1881, and has one son, George H., who is now being educated in the Montana University at Helena.

For many years Mr. Blume has been identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He aided in the building of the Mountain View Church, has served as Trustee of the Church, and for years has been an active Sunday School Superintendent. His political views are those ad- vocated by the Republican party.

HON. WILLIAM DYER, Helena, Montana .- It is not a matter of surprise that the rich mines of Montana should draw many of its successful operators from the enterpris- ing and experienced men of the mining regions of the Old World. Cornwall, England, has long been famous in mining annals. It has furnished brain and brawn to develop the mineral wealth of every known land.

Hon. William Dyer, one of Montana's most successful operators, dates his birth from St. Austell, Cornwall county, England, February 28, 1853. His ancestry were of pure old English stock, long settled in that part of the country. Young Dyer grew up under parental care, and had the advantage of an English training, and then, when twenty years of age, in 1873, he emigrated to the United States.

It was but natural a Cornwall man should seek em- ployment as a miner after landing in this country ; so we find the young Englishman, first engaged in the iron mines of New Jersey; and as, when a young man of

and, though a sad drunkard when in the settle- ments, was at all times counted truthful. He was a friend of my father's and took me entirely under his wing when I, a lad, found my way to California. It was while I was with him at his wild mountain ranch on the south base of Mount Shasta that he showed me this gold bullet and told me traditions out of which I wrote " The

muscle and energy leaves parents and native land to carve out bis fortune in a new country, he is not satisfied with less than the best opportunities that country can afford, after three years spent in the iron mines of New Jersey, young Dyer, then twenty-three years of age, turned his face toward the rich mining regions of the West. He first stopped around Central City, Colorado, and there engaged in mining, contracting and kindred occupations suited to his skill and experience. After two years spent in Colorado, Dyer pushed forward to the richer fields of Montana, arriving at Butte about the 1st of March, 1878 For a number of years he worked for wages around Butte as a miner in various capacities. His skill and experience enabled him to command a good salary, and he was saving and careful of bis earnings, which were judiciously invested in Butte City property, the rapid advance in which proved the soundness of his judgment.

In September, 1884, after an absence of more than ten years, Dyer paid a visit to his old home in England. One year was there spent in renewing old acquaintance- ship and revisiting the scenes of his early youth ; he re- turned to Montana and again resumed his former occu- pation in Butte.

Whilst Mr. Dyer's skill and experience as a miner enabled bim to command high wages, he was still to lose all prospects of becoming a mine owner himself; so, as early as 1879, having made the acquaintance of Michael Connors, a prospector in whose judgement he had confidence, he entered into the usual "grub-stake" arrangement with him; Dyer furnished the means and Connor prospected on joint account. To show how much pluck and perseverance ar- necessary for suc- cess, even in the rich mining regions around Butte, it may be stated, that this arrangement was continued right along for a period of seven years. In 1886, they discov- ered and located, the now famous Ontario mine. Dyer's experience as an expert miner, now served him to good purpose. A proposition was made by his pariner, Con- nors, to give or take $60,000 for the half interest. It was a big price for a partially developed mine, but Dyer ac- cepted this proposition and gave his parmer, Connors, his notes for the amount, and shipped ore enough from this mine to meet his payments at maturity. The first car-load of ore shipped from th's mine neited $1,566, at the United States sampling works, in Helena Mr. Dver continued lo work the Ontario mine on ind vidual ac-

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

Arizonian, " the first piece in " The Songs of the Sierras." My first battle with the Indians was directly under him. This was the fight of Castle Crags, where I was fearfully hurt with an arrow in the face. He died in Oregon City about the time of Fremont's death; his moun- tain ranch having long before become the fam- ous Castle Crag Tavern and property of the

counts, until about one year ago, realizing about $117,000 net profits on ore shipments up to that date.

Having other mining properties adjoining, he then concluded it best to incorporate a company to develop and work the whole property on a large scale, and with the best and most improved machinery. This resulted in the organization, January, 3, 1893, of the Ontario Mining Company, with Mr. Dyer as president and principal stockholder. The company was stocked at $300,000, and is probably the only mining venture in Montana the stock of which commanded par from its organization, and before the company had taken out a pound of ore. Mr. Dyer's associates in the Ontario company are: Judge Cornelius Hedges, vice president; Hon. A. C. Logan; C. A. Southmayd, secretary and treasurer; and Wm. Joob, superintendent.

Born and reared in Cornwall, and having followed mining all his life, Mr. Dyer is essentially a miner; still it must not be inferred that he is a one-ideaed or narrow- minded man. He has given the politics and welfare of his adopted country, careful thought, and has ever been an earnest and consistent advocate of the tenets of the Republican party, and in favor of protection for the American laborer. In 1889, when Montana was prepar- iug to assume Statehood, and her citizens, with no par- tisan bias, were seeking the best-minded and cleveres' heads in the Territory, to meet and frame her State con- stitution, Mr. Dver was chosen as one of the delegates, and his work, with that of his associates, met with the unqualified endorsements of his fellow citizens.

Mr. Dyer is also prominent in Free Masonry and Odd Fellowship, and has taken the highest degrees in these orders.

A sketch, such as this, is intended merely to present the facts in a plain and simple manner, of the successful career of one, who, unaided and by bis own skill and industry, has raised himself from poverty and obsecurity to a position of influence and independent wealth.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 16

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