An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 91

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 91

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Our subject was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Beard, a native of Nebraska, but a Montana pioneer of 1864. To this union have been born three children,- Frank, who died during the year of his birth; Emma, de- ceased at the age of four months; and Alonzo, born May 23, 1883, is still living. In his social relations, Mr. Foster is a member of the A. O. U. W. In political matters he allies himself with the Republican party, and has served his county as Commissioner. He is a man of integrity, and a worthy representative of the Montana pioneers of 1863.

DR. JOHN W. GUNN, prominent in the medical pro- fession of Butte City, was born in the city of Phila- delphia, on the 17th of March, 1856, of English parent- age, his father, John Gunn, having been born in that coun- try, and married there to Miss Caroline Barham, a native of the city of London. Soon after their marriage they emigrated to America and settled in the city of Philadel- phia. In 1861 they removed to Salt Lake City, where they have since resided. Mr. Gunn is a gardener and employs a number of men beautifying the grounds of the residents of that beautiful city. He has had five sons and four daughters, of whom only three survive; but both the

abont 8 A. M. the command was in the valley of one of the branches of the Little Big Horn. By this time Indians had been seen, and it was cer- tain that we could not surprise them, and it was determined to move at once to the attack.

Previous to this no division of the regiment had been made since the order was issued, on the Yellowstone, annulling wing and battalion organizations. General Custer informed me he would assign commands on the march. I was ordered by Lieutenant W. W. Cook, adjutant, to assume command of Companies M, A and G; Captain Benteen, of Companies H, D and K; Custer retaining C, E, F, I and L, under his immediate command, and Company B, Cap- tain McDongall, in rear of pack train. I as- sumed command of the companies assigned to me, and without any definite orders moved for- ward with the rest of the column, and well to its left. I saw Benteen moving further to the left, and as they passed, he told me he had or- ders to move well to the left, and sweep every- thing before him.

parents are living. Mrs. Gunn is an Episcopalian in her religious belief, while her husband is liberal.

The subject of this sketch, their eldest child, received his education in St. Mark's Episcopal School, and after- ward was employed with the firm of Godbe & Company, druggists. In 1875 he went to Tybo, Nevada, where he was engaged in the drug and general merchandise busi- uess, and in the meantime read medicine under Dr. J. S. Hammond, now of Butte. In 1882 he entered Cooper Medical College in San Francisco, where he graduated November 1, 1884. After practicing a short time in Salt Lake City and in Nevada, he came, in 1887, to Butte, where he at once established himself in the practice of his profession, and, being both capable and worthy, soon secured a good number of patrons, and his practice has been increasing to the present time. In 1892 he received the appointment of Health Officer, in which position he is now serving his third term. Under his administration good sanitary measures have been adopted, and the con- dition and health of the city is good. Personally, the Doc- tor is a gentleman pleasing in manner, and professionally he is thorough, painstaking and reliable. He was secretary of the Medical Association of Montana from August, 1888 to February, 1892, and President of the Silver Bow County Medical Society from May, 1891, to May, 1892. He is Past Noble Grand of the I. O. O. F. of Butte, and Past Grand Medical Examiner of the A. O. U. W., Secretary of the National Union and a member of order of Maccabees. In politics he is a Republican.

In Tybo, Nevada, Dr. Gunn was married to Miss Jessie Clayton, the daughter of Prof. Clayton, mining expert, who was accidently killed at the Coeur d'Alene. Dr. and Mrs. Gunn have the following children: John W., Jr .; Nelson T., Wintield II. and Lois C .; besides Clayton and Jessie I .. , who are deceased.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

Custer had cnt his force into three parts. Benteen says Reno had orders to sweep every- thing before him, to the left. Reno was to drive right at the enemy ; Onster, it would seem, meant to head him off afterward. Reno had flushed him. It is plain that Custer not only laid his plans well to win the fight, but to gather the fruit of it and at once.

From the position in which the dead were found it is also clear that, having found them- selves entirely outnumbered and beyond the reach of help, they took position as best they could in a sort of triangle on the rough, hot hillside and stood there ready to die in battle harness. Custer's brother, Colonel Tom. Cus- ter, hield one corner of the triangle, and down nearest the river, his brother-in-law, Calhoun,

HON. T. E. COLLINS, one of the most prominent citi- zens of Montana, residing at Great Falls, has been a resi- dent of this State ever since 1864, and is one of her most widely known and influential business men and states- men.

He is a native of county Cork, Ireland, born April 25, 1854, of Irish ancestry as far back as traceable. John Col- lins, his father, was born in Ireland and was married there to Miss Julia Holland, a native of the same county. They had two children,-Timothy Edward and Jeremiah. The latter is now Receiver of the United States Land Office at Helena. In 1852 the family emigrated to America, set- tling at Wabash, Indiana, where Mr. Collins was engaged in railroading and finally died, in 1863, in the fifty-fifth year of his age. His wife had died some years previous- ly, in the forty-eighth year of her age.

Mr. T. E. Collins, the elder son, was eight years old when the family came to this country, and he was edu- cated in the public schools of Wabash, Indiana, graduat- ing at the high school there in 1859. When he started out in the world to earn his own livelihood, the first four years were spent in school teaching. In 1864, becoming impressed with the possibilities afforded in Montana for the accumulation of wealth, he crossed the plains to the then wild country, with a company of twenty men, who had twelve wagons, drawn by oxen. The Indians being very hostile that year, attacked the party in large num- bers on Platte river, during the night; but the emigrants, anticipating such an event, were prepared for them and succeeded in repulsing them at every charge, with a re- sult to themselves of only one wounded. The hostility of the Indians, however, caused the emigrants to change their course to Denver, where Mr. Collins remained two months, prospecting.

another, while the General held the higher ground, so as to see and direct the battle to the end. The men fell almost in line. The officers, Calhoun and Crittenden, fell in their places, as if on parade.

When I appealed to the father of young Crittenden some years after for any facts he could give, he told over and over, in a sad, quiet way, how his boy had fallen in battle line, just as if on parade at West Point; but that was all he knew. That was all that any one had to tell of that bravest battle that has been fought since Thermopylæ.

Let us make a few selections from Custer's letters and little paragraphs that show how gen- tle was his brave soul, and close the chapter; for this is sacred ground and we must proceed

He left that city in July and came to Bannack, and thence to Virginia City, and engaged in mining in the gulch near Nevada City, meeting with only moderate suc- cess. In the spring he went to Last Chance, and worked for $6 a day in Grizzly Gulch. After remaining there a season he went to Confederate Gulch, where he was one of the discoverers of the Upper District, and had several claims, and took out considerable gold, that being the richest mining district ever discovered in Montana, not less than $10,000,000 in gold-dust being taken out there within a distance of half a mile. Mr. Collins, having be- come an expert miner, was paid as high as $1 an hour for drifting. After making a great deal of money there he engaged in a mining speculation at the lower end of the gulch, putting in a flume, which, however, proved a fail- ure, and he thereby " dropped " a large portion of what he had accumulated.

In 1869 he was elected, on the Democratic ticket, a member of the Lower House of the Territorial Legislature, and in 1872 to the Senate. After serving a term he was re-elected. During his three years of public service be demonstrated to his constituents, the citizens of Gallatin and Meagher counties, that he was a capable and efficient representative and legislator. In 1872 he was admitted to the bar as an advocate, and for a time practiced law. Being elected County Clerk of Meagher county, he filled that office in a most satisfactory manner for four success- ive terms, by re-election. He was Probate Judge until 1880, meanwhile practicing law, and then he resigned his public positions there in order to go to Fort Benton and organize the Bank of North Montana, in partnership with L. H. Hershfield and Charles E. Duer. The banking business continued there in that form till 1889, when the institution was made a national bank.

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silently across it. If those who stood nearest the dead knew nothing, why should I presume to know or say more?

And who was to blame? I blame no one; but look at this from Mrs. Custer:

"With my husband's departure my last happy days in garrison were ended, as a pre- monition of disaster that I had never known before weighed me down. I could not shake off the baleful influence of depressing thoughts. This presentiment and suspense, such as I had never known, made me selfish, and I shut into my own heart the most uncontrollable anxiety, and could lighten no one else's burden. The occupations of other summers could not even give temporary interest.

" We heard constantly at the fort of the dis- affection of the young Indians of the reserva- tion, and of their joining the hostiles. We knew, for we had seen for ourselves, how ad- mirably they were equipped. We even saw on

While at Fort Benton he was elected a member of the Legislative Council of the Territory, and also a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1884.

At the inception of the founding of the city of Great Falls, Mr. Collins became identified with it, building the first house on Center avenue, and also the first brick business building in the city ; and he has since erected other buildings. He came here to reside in 1887. In connection with Colonel Broadwater, L. G. Phelps, A. E. Dickerman, C. M. Webster and others, he organized the First National Bank of Great Falls, when Colonel Broad- water was elected president. In October, 1887, Mr. Col- lins was elected president, and had the responsibility of its management until 1893, and he is still connected with the bank.

While in the Legislature, in 1887, he introduced a bill to organize the county of Cascade (of which Great Falls is the county seat), which met with strong opposition, but he championed its cause with so great ability that all oppo- sition was overcome, and its organization perfected. In both the Constitutional conventions held in the Territory he had the honor of being chairman of the committee on finance, and he was active and efficient in the delibera- tions of those two important conventions. Ilis best pow- ers and thorough knowledge of the Territory and her needs were brought to bear upon the formation of Mon- tana's most admirable State constitution. In 1892 he was chosen by the Democratic party to stand at the head of their ticket as their nominee for Governor of the State, aud in this capacity he made an enthusiastic and power- ful campaign, failing of election by a few hundred votes.

Mr. Collins bas continued his mining interests to the present time. He owns and is developing mines at Nei-

a steamer touching at our landing its freight of Springfield rifles piled up on the decks en route for the Indians up the river. There was unquestionable proof that they came into the trading-posts far above us and bought them, while our own brave Seventh Cavalry troopers were sent out with only the short-range car- bines that grew foul after the second firing." -- From " Boots and Saddles," by Mrs. Custer.

I merely call attention to the last line, from which it seems that Congress arms the Indians with better pieces than the soldiers.

Another thing: you cannot send men hun- dreds of miles in the saddle, over rough roads, especially recruits, and have any fight left in them. A man new to the saddle grows stiff as a stick, spiritlesss, dogged and dull. The only way is to keep mounted police among those restless red men, such as are along the border

hart and Baker, and he has various other mining inter- ests. He was one of the first to engage in the sheep industry in the Territory. For years he was connected with the Severance Company, owning large flocks of sheep, and demonstrating Montana's possibilities in this direction.

Mr. Collins is an active member of the Masonic frater- nity and of the order of Knights of Pythias. Politically he has always been a decided Democrat, giving much of his attention to the maintenance of his party during the whole of the history of the Territory and State, attending the conventions of bis party, and giving his time and in- fluence to the cause. Thus he has been a potent factor in the councils of his party and in the affairs of his State.

In 1874 Mr. Collins was married to Miss Lovina A. Higgins, daughter of Jonas Higgins, who was a pioneer merchant of Diamond City and one of the locators of White Sulphur Springs. Mrs. Collins is a native of Wis- consin, and came to Montana in 1873. They have four children: Mabel H., Lottie H., Walter E. and Timothy E., Jr. Mr. Collins has built a substantial and commo- dious residence on a beautiful site on the West Side, com- manding a fine view of the city and surrounding coun- try. He and his family are held in high esteem by the citizens of Great Falls and vicinity.

ANGUS A. McDONALD, a Montana pioneer of 1864 and now one of the prominent business men of Phillipsburg, is a native of Glengarry county, Canada, born near Alex- ander, August 15, 1844.

Mr. McDonald's great-grandfather, John McDonald, was born in the Highlands of Scotland and was a descend- ant of the noted McDonalds of that country. At an early

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of the British Possessions. This would be cheap- est, since Congress constantly insists on saving money,-aye, infinitely cheaper in the end! The final Indian battle has not been fought. We love and are learning peace. They love and are continuously learning war. The four great Indian battles have all been in the North. The Indians in the enervating South may keep the peace; but these of the North were born to war, and to war they will devote themselves to the end. I repeat it: the great Indian battle is still to be fought; and it will be fought in or near Montana!

Custer was all man, all soldier, and a liard student and a hard worker in all ways. See what rides he could take, fifty miles in a day, and crossing rivers dozens of times, yet feeling fresh, as in the morning:

day he emigrated with his family to the new world and settled in Glengarry county, Canada. He was a farmer and lumber dealer and lived to the advanced age of ninety-nine years. Both he and his wife were devout Catholics and in that faith they reared their family. They had five sons and three daughters. Four of their sons, John, Phineas, Maleum and Archie, were prom- inent members of the Hudson Bay Fur Company, and one of these four, Archie, was the grandfather of our subject. Archie McDonald was a boy when he came with his par- ents to America. He spent his life in Canada and he and his wife reared four sons and two daughters, and he, too, lived to a good old age. His son, Angus, our subject's father, was born at the old home place, in Glengarry county, in 1810. He and his wife, whose maiden name was Christie MeDonald, but who was not related to him, had four children, three sons and a daughter, all of whom are living except the latter. His wife died at the age of forty-six years, and he lived to be seventy-six.

Angus A was their second-born. He spent the first eighteen years of his life at his native place. Then he went to Ohio, where he had charge of a number of men, grading and making excavations for the line of the Great Western Railroad. Later he was engaged in the same business in Pennsylvania, remaining with the company until the road was completed. In March, 1864, he went to St. Panl, Minnesota, and purchased an ox-team outfit and on the 15th of the following month started across the plains for the far West. The train with which he trav - eled was composed of 350 men and as many wagons, and the company was under command of Captain Townsend. This journey progressed in safety until the 5th of May, when they were attacked by a large number of Cheyenne Indians. The assault was made at seven o'clock in the

"I suggested to General Terry to send out a strong scouting-party np the river to find out all that could be ascertained. He left the mat- ter to me, and I took four companies of cavalry and a part of the scouts, and at five o'clock we were off. The valley of the river averages about one mile in width, hemmed in on both sides by impassable Bad Lands. The river crooked be- yond description.

"To shorten the story, we marched the fifty miles and got back before dark, having settled the question beyond a doubt that all stories about large bodies of Indians being here are the merest bosh. None have been here for six months, not even a small hunting-party. We took pack-mules with us to carry feed for the horses. When we lunched, all the officers got together and we had a jolly time.

"Only think! we found the Little Missouri river so crooked and the Bad Lands so impass- able that in marching fifty miles to-day we forded the river thirty-four times. The bottom is quicksand. Many of the horses went down,

morning and lasted till half past fonr in the afternoon. The result was four whites killed and one wounded, and sixteen Indians killed and about thirty-four wounded, the red men withdrawing fully satisfied that they could not capture the train. Without further molestation the ' emigrant party continued on their way, and on the 15th of Angust landed at Alder Gulch.

At the time of his arrival in Montana Mr. McDonald's worldly goods consisted of four working cattle and a wagon and $60 in currency, worth fifty cents on the dollar. He purchased a claim in Bevin's Gulch, but the ground had been worked over and he lost all he had put into it. After this he turned his attention to hauling lum- ber and teaming, which he continued until winter set in. He then went to Silver Bow, where he was for a time engaged in contracting and building, putting up a number of log houses, and making some money. Then he went on a prospecting tour to the Bitter Root mount- ains,-carrying his provisions and blankets on his back, but did not discover the yellow treasure for which he sought. In June, 1865, he went to German Gulch, where he and his partners had a claim and where he took charge of the work, taking out $5,000 in three months. We next find him at French gulch, where, after fonr months of hard work, they lost $3,000. The following winter Mr. McDonald spent at Deer Lodge, and in the spring went to Reynolds City, in Bear Gulch, and pur- chased lots and built houses, buying and selling property there and again making some money. He then em- barked in another mining enterprise and again sank about $3,000, after which he went to Harver Gulch and lost still more money. Returning to Beaver Gulch, he purchased mining gronnd, and the two years following he and his partners operated their mine and took out

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frequently tumbling their riders into the water; bnt all were in good spirits, and every one langhed at every one else's mishaps.

"General Terry just left my tent a few ino- ments since, and when I asked him not to be in a hurry, he said, 'Oh, I'll leave yon, for you must be tired and want to go to bed.' I did not tell him that I was going to write to you before I slept.

" Bloody Knife looks on in wonder at me be- cause I never get tired, and says no other man could ride all night and never sleep. I know I shall sleep soundly when I do lie down; but actually I feel no more fatigued now than I did before mounting my horse this morning."- Custer, to his wife, in Mrs. Custer's " Boots and Saddles," page 306.

As for the man's heart, hear this from a let- ter to his parents, which I copy from Whita- ker's "Life of Custer:"

" You do yourself injustice when you say you did but little for me. You may forget it,

about $10,000. Mr. McDonald then bought seventy-five head of cattle, paying from $40 to $50 per head, and took them to the Willow creek ranch, seven miles above where New Chicago is now located. There he engaged in farming and stock raising and dealing in cattle, and in five years of close application to business he made about $15,000.

In August, 1875, Mr. McDonald came to Phillipsburg and opened a meat market, which he conducted success- fully for eleven years, and he has ever since made Phil- lipsburg his home, thoroughly identified with its in- terests and doing everything in its power to promote its welfare. After he closed out his meat market he again turned his attention to mining. For three years he was one of the owners and operators of the West Granite mine. They did considerable work on it without making it pay. It has, however, since become very valuable. Mr. McDonald is also interested in the Iron Mountain, a mine which has paid over $500,000. He is also an owner in the Diamond Hill, another valuable property. Mr. McDonald still continues his stock-raising, and at this writing is the owner of 2,500 acres of ranch land. Be- sides this he owns a large amount of real estate in Phil- lipsburg, having an interest in the Pardee and MeDonald addition to the city. Ile built his residence in Phillips- burg and has also erected numerous other buildings, among which is the block occupied by the Miners and Merchants' National Bank and the Opera House. On this block and the fixtures of the opera house he has expended a large amonnt of money. No town of its size can boast of a finer opera house than can Phillipsburg, this delightful resort being a credit alike to the city and to its builder. Ile was one of the organizers of the

but I never can. There is not a day but I think with deep gratitude of the many sacri- fices, the love and devotion you and mother have constantly bestowed upon me. You could not have done more for me than you have. A fortune would be nothing to me with what I am indebted to you for. I never wanted for anything necessary, and if you did not give me a fortune in money, you did what was infinitely better. You and mother instilled into my mind correct principles of industry and honesty, self- reliance; I was taught the distinction between wrong and right; I was taught the value of temperate habits; and I now look back to my childhood and the days spent under the home roof as a period of the purest happiness; and I feel thankful for such noble parents. I know but few, if any, boys are so blessed as I have been, by having such kind, self-sacrificing par- ents to train and guide them as I have had. I know I might heap millions of dollars at your feet, and still the debt of gratitude on my part would be undiminished.".

Miners and Merchants' National Bank of Phillipsburg, of which he has since been president, and which has already attained a prominence among the financial insti- tutions of the county.

Mr. McDonald was married in 1886 to Miss Susie Hogan, a native of the State of Iowa.

In his political affiliations Mr. McDonald is Democratic. He has rendered his county efficient service as one of her Commissioners. He and his fellow officers found the county without funds, and so ably did they manage its affairs that at the expiration of their term they left $140,000 in the treasury.

GEORGE KIRBY, one of the enterprising and successful business men of Marysville, was born at Eagle Harbor, Michigan, June 30, 1853, a son of William and Dora (Tracy) Kirby, natives of Ireland. Soon after their mar- riage the parents came to America, locating at Copper Harbor, Michigan, where they remained for many years. The father was a farmer and miner by occupation. His death occurred in 1880, and his wife survived him only two years.

George Kirby, the fourth of six children, was reared to manhood in the Lake Superior country, received a good public-school education, and began learning the black- smith's trade when only fifteen years of age. His first work was in the mining camps of Michigan, where he re- mained until 1878, worked at the Penobscot and Belmont mines, Montana, from that time until 1880, and in the latter year came to Marysville. Mr. Kirby's first work in this city was for Thomas Cruse, as blacksmith for the great Drum Lummon mine. In 1883 he opened a black- smith shop in this city, and by promptness, good work- manship and liberality has acquired the good will of the

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 91

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