An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 68

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 68

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

better. General Crook more than once drew the attention of the Indian department to this re- currence in the case of all Indians; whenever an Indian war was on, little matter how far away, these weak-minded and war-loving Ishmaelites went out on hunting expeditions from all or nearly all the reservations up and down the land. When the war was on, or when, as in most cases, the army got well in the field, the Indians melted away from before them like snow, and one by one reported to the agent at the reservation for back rations and ammunition. General Howard, than whom there never was a kindlier-disposed officer to-

plains on the 5th of April, 1864. They were three months on the way, their journey being fraught with many priva- tions, and on the 22d of June they landed in Virginia City.

Upon their arrival in Montana, Mr. Cohen and his part- uer opened up their stock in Nevada City (near Virginia City) and at once began selling goods. He was there during the flour riot. His stock of flour consisted of 100 sacks, all of which the committee took, allowing him cost for it. Ile was also there through the exciting times of the " Vigilants," and saw Slater hung. In the spring of 1865 he removed to Helena, sold out his stock soon afterward, and returned to Denver, being there at the time of the killing of the men at Julesburg. Martial law was declared in Denver, and such was the excitement throughout the West that it was considered unsafe to at- tempt to return to the States; so he concluded to fit out an ox train at Denver, which he did, and started back to Montana about the last of August. His return trip was attended with many difficulties, the Indians being hostile, the cold weather setting in, and half of their oxen dying, but with the aid of cattle they hired they finally reached Virginia City in November. Again Mr. Cohen opened up in business in Nevada City, and prospered greatly. He had a mining claim in the gulch, which he operated and which also proved a success. A year later he returned to Leavenworth, and attended the wedding of his sister Aus- tina, who married Mr. Copenis, and after this event he set sail for Paris. He spent some time on the Continent, visiting his old home and friends, and the Paris Exposi- tion in 1867, and in 1870 was married in Berlin to Miss Rosalie Engel, a native of that place.

Soon after his marriage Mr. Cohen returned with his bride to America, and again took up his abode in Mon- tana. He opened a store at Deer Lodge and was doing a prosperous business, when, a year and a half later, he and others were visited by a disastrous fire, in which he lost all his accumulations. This was a severe blow to him,

ward the Indians, continnally reported in line with General Crook's complaint, about having to fight Indians who were fed and cared for by the Government .* In his war with the semi- civilized Indians of Oregon, Indians that had been born and bred along with white children and in sight of schoolhouses and churches, went on the war-path and betrayed those who had been their schoolmates, even those who were members of the same church, under the direction of their dreamer as a duty to their race. They simply cannot overcome, in one or two genera- tions at least, this love of blood and plunder if reasonably tempted to take the field. Let us, in

but with courage undaunted he soon started up in busi- ness again, he and his brother, Alec Cohen, being part- ners and doing a successful business there until 1877, at which time he removed to Butte City. In 1880 he bought out his brother's interest and continued in the business alone.

In 1883, when Anaconda was started Mr. Cohen was, through the influence of Marcus Daly, induced to come to this place, and with his characteristic push and energy he established the first business house in the town. This store was located on lot 9 and block 7, on the west side of Main street. He conducted a prosperous business here until 1889, when he retired, and until November, 1891, he

*From the few prisoners taken the story was confirmed that some Klamaths and several Columbia river Indians had already joined the Bannacks and Pi-Utes; and that a body of Umatillas had come southward, perhaps filty or sixty miles from their reservation, and gone into camp. They were evidently in sympathy with the hostiles.

After examining all sources of information, I concluded that our enemies under Egan after their fight and brief subsequent halt had turned northward, following up Sil- ver creek, and were making for the south fork of John Day river. They would certainly follow this fork as far as possible, and then go up Grand or Bridge creek to join the Umatillas, or Cayuse Indians, as we named them, who had come southward to meet them. This was a new move, and like a snowball, the rolling mass certainly in- creasing in size .- Gen. O. O. Howard in Overland Maga- zine, San Francisco, August, 1887.

Still it is next to impossible for a commander success- fully to follow Indian raiders or locate Indian camps without Indian scouts. We sought earnestly to obtain them in this war; first from the celebrated Captain Smith, the agent of the Warm Spring tribe. They were offered the privilege of furnishing their own horses, twenty-five of them, and they were to meet us cn route at the Dalles,

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

charity to these red children, see what they have to fight with in their own fierce natures, and then we will understand what we must do in the way of protecting them from themselves. Let us take this same Flathead tribe the tradi- tional, kindly and gentle Indian; certainly, as said before, the most gentle savage of all the Montanese. Here is one picture drawn by Ross Cox, an English gentleman of culture and versatility, who came to what is now Montana by way of the Columbia, after the fall of As- toria. He, being at the head of the fur-trading company, brought with him quite a force of Canadians and Kanakas, arms, ammunition and

was not engaged in any active business. Then he and his son-in-law, Mr. Katzenstein, formed a partnership and opened a large clothing and gents' furnishing goods house at the corner of Cherry and Commercial streets, where they keep an elegant stock of goods and have an extensive trade.

During the whole of his residence in Montana Mr. Cohen has been more or less interested in mining opera- tions. He now has large mining interests, is president of the North Cross Company, and is ranked with the capi- talists of the State. He is also largely interested in Ana- conda real estate, has erected a number of buildings here, and has done much to advance the growth and prosperity of the town.

Mr. and Mrs. Coheu have had six children, four of whom are living, namely: Anna, wife of Mr. Katzenstein; Oswald D., Charles C. and Jessie.

With fraternal organizations Mr. Cohen is prominently identified. He is Past Chief Patriarch of the Encamp- ment, I. O. O. F .; Grand Master of the Exchequer, K. of P., for the State of Montana; Past Master Workman of the A. O. U. W., and has served as a delegate to the Grand Lodge a number of times; and served as the First Treas- urer of the National Union. Politically, he has been a Republican all his life. While he has frequently been

or afterward. No inducements, however, could procure them. Similar efforts were made to secure scouts From the Umatillas, the Walla Wallas, the Nez Perces and other Indians, but for quite a time without success. These failures indicated beyond a doubt that there was a secret understanding among a score of tribes; in fact, among all those who range through Idaho, Oregon and Wash- ington Territory. No matter how advanced any of them were in knowledge and civilization, their "Dreamers,' or Tooats, had over their minds a wonderful influence. and the hopeful predictions of ultimate success had for a time many ardent believers .- Ibid.

supplies, not to mention fifteen gallons of rum, and thus equipped, sat down to spend the first Christmas (1813) ever reported by any white man in Montana, if we except Lewis and Clarke hovering about the mouth of the Yellowstone nearly a decade earlier. He says:

" We spent a comparatively happy Christ- mas, and by the side of a blazing fire in a warm room forgot the sufferings we endured in our dreary progress through the woods. There was, however, in the midst of our festiv- ities a great drawback from the pleasure we should otherwise have enjoyed. I allude to the unfortunate Blackfeet who had been cap-

requested to accept nominations for positions of trust in city and county, he has always declined such honor, pre- ferring to devote his time to his own private interests.

Such is a brief sketch of the life of one of Montaua's enterprising and successful business men.

HON. H. R. COMLY, a Montana pioneer of 1865, and for almost a third of a century prominent in her affairs, both as a lawyer and a statesman, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Philadelphia, March 12, 1841.

Henry Comly, the progenitor of the Comly family in America, was an English Quaker who settled in Phila- delphia in 1681, and in that city all the generations of the family were born and resided up to the subject of this sketch. His great-grandfather, Joseph Comly, fought on the Colonial side in the Revolution, and because of this was turned out of the Quaker meeting; and later, while bearing dispatches from Philadelphia to Long Island, was captured and shot by the Tories. James M. Comly, the father of our subject, was born in Philadelphia, March 22, 1805; married Miss Sarah L. Retzer, also a native of Philadelphia, and a descendant of a German family who settled there in 1750. They had tive children, three of whom are still living. The mother died in her thirty sixth year, and the father in his seventy-second.

IIarry R. Comly, whose name heads this article, receiv- ed his education in the schools of his native city, grad- nating in the Central High School, with the degree of Master of Arts. Choosing the law for his profession, he entered upon its study, and April 10, 1863, was admitted to the bar. He began practice in Philadelphia and con- tinued there until the spring of 1865, when he came to Montana, and here he has spent the prime of his life in the practice of his profession, and in holding various

* Ross Cox's Columbia River: or Scenes and Adven- tures During a Residence of Six Years on the West- ern Side of the Rocky Mountains Among Various Tribes of Indians. Third Edition, London, 1832.

HISTORY OF MONTANA.

tured by the Flatheads. Having been informed that they were about putting one of their pris- oners to death, I went to their camp to witness the spectacle. The man was tied to a tree, after which they heated an old barrel of a gun until it became red hot, with which they burned him on the legs, thighs, neck, cheek and stomach. They then commenced entting the flesh from about the nails, which they pulled out, and next separated the fingers from the hand, joint by joint. During the performance of these cruelties, the wretched captive never winced, and instead of suing for inercy he added fresh stimulants to their barbarous ingennity by

offices of importance in the State. He has during his history in Montana been interested iu mining and in the development of gold, silver, lead and copper mines. He has also been interested to some extent in Helena real estate. All his life he has been an active member of the Democratic party, but always noted for honesty and ac- tuated by the utmost fairness he has all along won many friends outside of his party. IIe was elected to and serv- ed in the fourth, fifth, seventh and thirteenth sessions of the Territorial Legislature, and was Chief Clerk of the fourth and fifth sessions of the Territorial Council. In 1871-2 he was Speaker of the House, and was a member of the first and second State Legislative Assemblies and Speaker of the House up to November, 1892. Thus it can be seen that he has held a most important position during all the great excitement attending the admission of Mon- tana as a State. He has the honor of having been the compromise Speaker of the joint House, and did his full share in reconciling the discordant factions which at times seemed so liable to result in greatest disaster. In 1879 Mr. Comly was by an act of the Assembly appointed a Commissioner to codify the laws of the Territory. This office he performed in a most satisfactory manner, and, in fact, it can be justly said of him that in all his public life as well as in his professional career he has been actuated by the highest conscientious views.

In the Masonic fraternity Mr. Comly has also taken an active part. He has the honor of being Past Grand Mas- ter, Past Eminent Commander, Past High Priest and Past Illustrious Master of the Council. At this writing (1893) he is an active member of the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scot- tish Rite for the State of Montana. IIe has attained the highest degree in the great Masonic fraternity.

Mr. Comly was married in October, 1882, to Mrs. Bea- trice J. Hornbuckle, daughter of John B. Seykora, a na- tive of Bohemia. Mrs. Comly came to America with her parents when she was two years old, and was reared and

the most irritating reproaches, part of which our intepreter translated as follows: ' My heart is strong; you do not hurt me; you can't hurt me; you are fools; you do not know how to torture; try it again; I don't feel any pain yet. We torture your relations a great deal better, because we make them cry out loud, like little children. You are not brave-you have small hearts, and you are always afraid to fight.'

"Then addressing one in particular he said: ' It was by my arrow you lost your eye,' upon which the Flathead darted at him and with a knife in a moment scooped ont one of his eyes, at the same time cutting the bridge of his nose

educated in this country. She and Mr. Comly have two children, James R. and Harry S.

Mr. Comly has recently purchased a tract of land at San Diego, California, which he is having planted to fruit, and where in the future he expects to make bis home.

CHARLES ANGUS, Clerk and Recorder of Park county, Montana, was born -in Rotherhithe, England, in 1844, son of William Angus. His boyhood days were spent in his native land, and in 1860, at the age of sixteen, he came to the United States and located first in New York city, where he remained for a short time. From there he went to Canada, but in 1864, when the Civil war was raging, he returned to the States, resolved to fight for the country of his adoption. He accordingly enlisted in the First Delaware Infantry and served in the Army of the Potomac. After the war closed he came West and enter- ed the Regular Army, Second Cavalry, in which he serv- ed for a term of three years, taking part in all the Indian troubles in which his regiment was engaged. At the ex- piration of his term of service, he followed other pursuits for four years. Military life, however, still had its infatu- ations for him, and he again joined the Second United States Cavalry, and shared its camp life and Indian fight- ing for more than seven years.

In 1882, the Indians having ceased their hostilities, and military life becoming dull, Mr. Angus retired from the army and came to Livingston, Park county. That was about the time the village of Livingston was christened. Here he was for a number of years employed as clerk in mercantile establishments, and became well and favor- ably known, his popularity being attested in the fall of 1892, when he was elected County Clerk and Recorder of Park county.

Mr. Angus has two children, James B. and Effie M. IIis wife is deceased. Politically, he is a Republican: re- ligiously, an adherent of the Episcopal faith; and frater- nally, a member of the I. O. O. F., being Noble Grand of Park Lodge, No. 17.

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almost in two. This did not stop him; with the remaining eye he looked sternly at another and said, ' I killed your brother, and scalped your old fool of a father.' The warrior to whom this was addressed instantly sprung at him and separated the scalp from his head. He was then abont plunging a knife in his heart, until he was told by the chief to desist. The raw scull, bloody socket and mutilated nose now presented a horrible appearance, but by no means changed his tone of defiance.

"' It was I,' said he to the chief,' ' that made your wife a prisoner last fall; we put out her eyes; we tore out her tongue; we treated her like a dog. Forty of our young warriors' --

HON. LEE MANTLE, of Butte City, is a native of Bir- mingham, England, born on the 13th day of December, 1853, springing from one of the old English families.

His parents were Joseph and Mary Susan (Patrick) Mantle. The youngest of their seven children was the subject of this sketch, born after the father's death, which left the family in limited circumstances. The great bur- den of caring for a family of young children the widow bore courageously and successfully. They all came to America when Lee was in his tenth year, settling at Salt Lake City. He was " placed out " to work for his board and clothes, and for four years he was employed in herding cows and on the farm. At the age of sixteen he was still working on the farm and received $50 for that year's ser- vice, including his board.

The Union Pacific was then completed 10 Utah, and he proceeded to the point where the men were at work on the road, and obtained a job of driving team, hauling ties, and he was thus employed when the Union and Central Pacific railroads met, at Promontory, in Utah, and were completed, in 1869. The following year he packed his blankets and walked to Malad City, a distance of one hundred and twenty-five miles, where he met B. F. White, since the Governor of the Territory of Montana, who gave him a job in driving oxen, hauling salt from his salt works in the mountains of Eastern Idaho to Virginia City,

Montana, and to Boise City, Idaho. After following this occupation for two years, he chanced to meet on one of the trips W. N. Shilling, now a banker in Ogden, who at that time was telegraph operator at Malad, Idaho, and young Mantle made an agreement with him to learn telegraphy, on condition that he (Mantle) should keep the line in repair through the winter. He learned rapidly and acquired considerable reputation on the line for his ca- pability, energy and promptness, and finally was given the position of general repairer on the main line between Ogden and Green river on the Union Pacific Railroad for

" The chief became incensed the moment his wife's name was mentioned; he seized his gun and, before the last sentence was ended, a ball from it passed through the brave fellow's heart and terminated his frightful sufferings. Shock- ing, however, as this dreadful exhibition was, it was far exceeded by the atrocious cruelties practiced on the female prisoners. We remon- strated against the exercise of such horrible cruelties. They replied by saying the Black- feet treated their prisoners in the same manner; that it was the course adopted by all red war- riors, and that they could not think of giving up the gratification of their revenge to the fool- ish and womanish feelings of white men.

the Western Union Telegraph Company. After serving in that capacity four months, the company gave him an office on the overland stage line between Corinne, Utah, and Helena, Montana. His station was the old Williams Junction, just across the Idaho line, where he was also the local agent for the Gilmore and Salisbury Stage Com- pany. During the following summer he returned across the line to the old Pleasant Valley Home station, on the apex of the Rocky mountain range, where he purchased the station and was telegraph operator, Postmaster and stage agent, and also acquired an interest in the old Beaver Canon toll road.

Io 1877 he sold out his interests there and came to Butte City, and opened the Wells-Fargo express office. Two years later he was given charge of the first telegraph office opened at Butte, and also became the first insurance agent there. Hard work in all these responsible positions caused his health to fail, and, being advised to enter some out door employment, he became a partner of William Owsley (afterwards Mayor of Butte) in the liv. ery business. In 1880, he became an active participant in the affairs of Butte City, and one of the champions who fought through all the opposition and secured the incor- poration of the city. Accordingly he was made one of the first Aldermen. He organized the Inter-Mountain Publishing Company, and began the publication of the daily Inter-Mountain. There had been no Republican daily paper on the west side of the mountains in western Montana, and he became the business manager of the in- stitution, which he has since filled in a manner that has secured the complete success of the undertaking and which has had much to do in shaping the policies and ad- vancing the public interests of the western portion of his State. Mr. Mantle has all along been the principal owner of the paper, and is still at the head of its management. occasionally doing editorial duty.

In 1852 he was elected a member of the Lower House

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"Shortly after this we observed a yonng female led forth, apparently not more than fourteen or fifteen years of age, surrounded by some old women, who were conducting her to one end of the village, whither they were fol- lowed by a number of young men. Having learned the infamous intentions of her con- querers, and feeling interested for the unfor- tunate victim, we renewed our remonstrance, but received nearly the same answer as before. Finding them still inflexible, and wishing to adopt every means in our power consistent with safety, in the cause of humanity, we ordered our interpreter to acquaint them that, highly as we valned their friendship and much as we es-

of the Territorial Legislature. In 1884 there was a great struggle in this Territory for the choice of delegates to the Republican national convention at Chicago. Gov- ernor Schuyler Crosby and Colonel Wilbur F.Sanders were on one side, and Mr. Mantle and Major G. O. Eaton on the other. The contest was very severe, and resulted in the selection of Mr. Mantle as an Edmunds man and Colonel Sanders as a Blaine man. In the autumn of 1984 he was nominated for the Lower House of the Territorial Legis- Iature, and was defeated by a combination of the gam- bling element, which demanded a pledge that Mr. Mantle would not interfere with their calling,-which pledge he declined to give. The majority against him, however, was very small.

In 1885, when Governor Crosby was male First Assist- ant Postmaster General, under President Arthur, his office as Governor of Montana was left vacant, and Mr. Mantle's name was presented for the place, but the contest be- tween the eastern and western portions of the Territory occasioned his defeat. In 1886 he was again candidate for the Legislature, was elected, and took an active part in behalf of a registration law to secure honest elections. In 1897 the Northern Pacific Railroad Company sought to secure from the Government patents to large grants of the valuable mineral lands in this Territory. The peo- ple being aroused on the subject, held a mass convention at Helena to devise means for the prevention of such gi- gantic fraud. The Mineral Land Association was formed and Mr. Mantle was made its permanent president, and such a vigorous fight was made that the issuance of pat- ents to the railroad company was stopped, and has never since been revived. Subsequently the supreme court of the United States sustained the people against the rail- roads in this matter.

In 1888, Mr. Mantle was again elected to the Lower House, and had the honor of being elected its Speaker. This was the Sixteenth and last Territorial Assembly.

teemed their furs, we would quit their country forever unless they discontinued their unmanly and disgraceful cruelties to their prisoners. This had the desired effect, and the miserable captive was led back to her sorrowing group of friends. Our interference was nearly rendered ineffectual by the furious old priestesses who had been conducting her to the sacrifice. They told the young warriors they were cowards, fools, and had not the hearts of fleas, and called on them in the names of their mothers, sisters and wives to follow the steps of their forefathers and have their revenge on the dogs of Blackfeet. They began to waver, but we affected not to understand what the old women had been say-

During this session he was very active in passing a regis- tration law and the Australian ballot law. In the suc. ceeding autumn, Mr. Mantle had the honor of nominating Thomas H. Carter for Congress, who was elected by a large majority. In 1889, Montana was admitted into the Union. In 1890, Mr. Mantle was a candidate before the first State Legislature for the United States Senate, and was defeated in the caucus by only two votes, Senator Thomas C. Power being his successful competitor. In 1890, he was made chairman of the Republican State convention, held at Butte.

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 68

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