An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 93

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 93

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which the great chief always avoided open bat- tle. In October General Miles managed to engage and drive Sitting Bull across the Mis- souri, killing some Indians, capturing two thousand men, women and children, and de- stroying much stores. His few remaining warriors, scattered and beaten, lost heart and skulked back as best they could to the reserva- tions or to their old haunts in the mountains; while Sitting Bull, with a small following, crossed over into the British Possessions. Meantime the Cheyennes, with General Crook in their rear, confronted Miles as he turned about from pursuit of the Sioux. He fought and vanquished Crazy Horse, as the year drew to a close, on the Rosebud.

Mr. Latimer was married in 1873 to Miss Eliza Bills, a native of Fort Shepherd, Washington. They have had ten children, of whom six are living: Thomas died when four years old; Mary Jane, at the age of three months; and Alice and Clarisa, twins, died in their fourth year. Their surviving children are: Frank, Ralph, Harvey, John R., Jr., Lavina and Julia Mamie.

Mr. Latimer is Past Master of the Masouie lodge at Missoula. Politically he is a Republican He has served for twenty years as a member of the School Board, and has also served as a member of the Board of County Commissioners.

MILTON P. CHAFFIN, a respected Montana pioneer of 1864, and now a retired farmer of Corvallis, was born in Tennessee, March 6, 1830, a son of Boalim and Naney Williams (Roberts) Chaffin. The parents were married in Jackson county, Tennessee, and had nine children, of whom four are now living. In 1840 the family moved to Missouri, where the mother died in 1863, and soon after- ward the father, accompanied by his sons and two daugh- ters, crossed the plains to Montana. His death occurred the following year, at East Bannack.

Milton P. Chatlin crossed the plains with ox teams in 1864, spending four months on the road, and came direct to where Corvallis now stands. At that time there were only about six white children in the county of Missoula, but it was thiekly settled with Indians of the Flathead tribe, and the Nez Perees and other tribes also frequently passed through the county. Mr. Chaffin has frequently seen caravans two miles in length moving through this locality. He secured 160 acres of land from the Govern- ment, built a small log cabin without a floor, and subsist- ed on potatoes and beef. The first year he sowed twelve acres to wheat and potatoes, and sold the former at $6 per bushel and the latter at five cents a pound. In that

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

An Indian ceases, or begins to cease being an Indian, only when he gives up his superstitions belief in the ghost dancers, or dreamers. The chief who wishes to go to war uses the dreamer or prophet, as Tecumseh used his brother. So long as an Indian believes in the dreamer he listens to his chief. The fame of Sitting Bull now, at the death of Custer, set chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe wild for the warpath. I say this advisedly. The Indian world is a world within itself. Their traditions, their laws, their inherent love of war, and their helplessness in protreeted war and their child- ish thoughtlessness of results,-these things are theirs. We do not comprehend them. Had there been no Sitting Bull to destroy Custer,

early day Mr. Chaffin paid $66.50 for 100 pounds of sugar, and his first flour cost him thirty cents a pound. In 1866 he went to the mines on Flint Creek, in Deer Lodge county, soon afterward purchased teams and began freighting from IIelena to all the mining camps in the county, and five years afterward embarked in the stock business. In 1879 he turned his attention to the sheep industry, and continued in that for eight years, often owning as many as 7,000 sheep at one time, and during that time also owned a farm of 480 acres. In 1888 Mr. Chaffin sold his land and stock, and purchased property in Corvallis, on which he has built a good and commodi- ous dwelling.

Mr. Chaffin was married early in life, and raised an intelligent family of sons and daughters. January 23, 1882, he was united in marriage with Miss Emma J. Hunt, a daughter of Elijah Hunt. Our subject and wife are worthy members of the Christian Church at Corvallis, aided materially in building the beautiful church edifice, and have been active and efficient helpers in extending the religious interests in their community. Mr. Chaffin has been a Republican since the organization of the party. He is a good representative of the Montana pio- neer of 1864, has secured a competency by his own efforts, and is widely and favorably known.

THE GAFFENY MERCANTILE COMPANY, of Boulder is the leading and largest mercantile house in Jefferson county. The company was organized and began busi- ness under its present name January 1, 1891, by Messrs. W. B. Gaffeney, J. C. Berendes & John McDonald. Previous to that time the business had been purchased by Mr. Gaffeny from T. F. Murray in October, 1887, and had been successfully conducted by that gentleman up to the time of the organization of the present company.

Mr. Gaffeny is a native of Rochester, New York, and

there never would have been any Chief Joseph fighting his way across Montana.

Chief Joseph had no more cause for war then than he had at any time since he became chief. This he, in substance, answered to General O. O. Howard, the wise, christian gentleman and old soldier who was the soul of the commission sent to treat with him before his ontbreak in Idaho, which led to his exodus through Montana. He even consented to getting his people together within thirty days and making no more trouble. IIe used the thirty days of grace in loading his guns and listening to sino-hal-la, dreamer. On the last day of grace his butcheries began, to the north of Mount Idaho; then the White Bird battle, in which nearly half the company

also learned the mercantile business in that city. IIe came to Montana in 1870, entering the store of his uncle, Owen Gaffeny, at Gaffeny Station, Madison county, and for a time also had charge of the Jefferson Mining com- pany, at Quartz Hill, Beaver Ilead county. He was after- ward engaged in business at Dutch Flat, next at Melrose, and closed his interests at the latter place to buy the store at Boulder, which was located in a small building fifty feet deep. As the business increased under his successful management the store proved too small, and they accord- ingly built the First National Bank block and the adjoin- ng store, which is a brick structure 150 feet deep. They keep a large stock of general merchandise, their busi- iness methods are liberal and honorable, and they have a large trade in Boulder, also extending thirty miles in the surrounding country.

Mr. Berendes, the second member of the company, has had a long and successful business experience. In addi- tion to his mercantile interests, he is also cashier of the First National Bank.

Mr. McDonald, the third member of the company and its secretary, was born in New York, and learned the mercantile business at the Settlers' store at Camp Douglas, Utah, in 1862. He had made the trip to Cali- fornia in 1854, where he followed mining for several years, or until the great Civil war commenced. In 1861 he enlisted in Company G, Third Regiment California Volunteer Infantry, was principally engaged in gnarding the emigrants on the plains and in keeping the Indians in check, was promoted to the position of First Sergeant Major, and was mustered out of service in October, 1864. In 1866 Mr. McDonald came from Utah to Montana, where he afterward found employment in the mercan- tile store of Mr. Gaffeny, and is now a stockholder and secretary of the Gaffeny Mercantile Company. The

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

of soldiers under one of Howard's captains fell. Finally, after much brilliant maneuvering and many sharp skirmishes, Howard fought him on the banks of Clearwater river. Joseph was badly beaten, losing twenty three killed and twice as many wounded, while Howard lost but three killed; and pushed the pursuit into Mon- tana.

No one can say with what fighting force Joseph entered Montana on the last of July, but it could not have been great. Indeed, it was much larger some days than others. In- dians are very merenrial; a trifling thing per- suades these strange and wandering children, when on the war-path, to come and go as the

company are large stockholders in the First National Bank, of which Mr. Gaffeny was the first president, and served in that capacity for several years. They are also interested in mines and mining. The members of this firm are competent, enterprising and reliable business men, and by good judgment and close attention to busi- ness have been eminently successful. In his social rela- tions, Mr. McDonald is a charter member and Secretary of the Masonic lodge at Boulder.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN PIPER, one of the successful mining men of Pioneer, Montana, was born in Ohio, Sep- tember 4, 1839.

Mr. Piper is of German origin. His people, however, have long been residents of America, his great-grand- father Piper having served in the Continental army during the war for independence. Grandfather John Piper was born in 1786, served through the war of 1812, and lived to be over ninety-seven, his exact age at time of death being ninety-seven years, three months and twelve days. He reared a family of ten children, his second child, John, being the father of our subject. This John Piper was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, in 1818, and his first wife, whose maiden name was Catharine Resler, was born in 1819. She died, leaving six children, of whom William Franklin is the eldest. The father died in 1892, at the age of seventy-four years. He had two other wives. The second wife had one child, and the third had six children.

William F. Piper was reared near Wooster, in Wayne county, Ohio. When he was eleven years old he began to earn his own living by working for his board and clothes. He worked in this way and attended the dis- triet school in winter up to the time the civil war broke out. Then, young as he was, his patriotic nature was fired with enthusiasm and he went forth to defend the same flag under which his grandsires had served. The date of his enlistment was September 7, 1861, and as a

winds come and go. He had many women and children with him. His fighting force was anywhere between three and five hundred. Howard followed with 700, and Joseph was met in Montana by Gibbon with what force he could afford from the single regiment then in Montana. He attacked him in camp on August 9th, and a long and bloody battle followed. The Indians retreated, leaving eighty-nine dead. Gibbon lost twenty-nine killed and had forty wounded, and was burying his dead when How- ard, in hot pursnt, came up. Joseph, it would seem, was influenced by his dreamer, in his movements, for he retreated to Idaho for a brief time, set his face this way and then that

member of Company C, Sixteenth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try, he went to the front. At the battle of Cumberland Gap he was taken prisoner. Four months later he was exchanged and joined his regiment, and was under Gen- eral Grant at the capture of Vicksburg. He was in the following battles: Thompson Hill, Raymond, Champion Hill and Big Black, for fifteen days being constantly under fire. He was then with the forces that were sent to watch General Johnston on the Big Black. After the capture of Vicksburg he was one of the party that fol lowed Johnston to Jackson and retook the place and de- stroyed it. He was also in the Banks campaign on Red river, after which he was in camp on the Mississippi river. His term of service covered a period of three years and two months. He. was then honorably dis- charged. The bursting of a shell near his head, while engaged in the assault upon Vicksburg, affected his hear- ing, but this was the only injury he sustained.

After his return from the army, Mr. Piper was for one year engaged in work at the cooper's trade in Ohio. In 1867 he started for Montana, making the journey by rail to St. Louis, and from there coming up the Missouri river to Fort Benton. This trip up the river was made on the steamer St. Johns, the time required being sixty-one days. From Fort Benton he came across the country to Ilelena, arriving there fourteen days later. He remained at Helena five months, and during that time helped to put up the White Latch quartz mill, and also the Blue Cloud. He then crossed the divide of the Rocky mount- ains and went to Phillipsburg. That was in November. In June of the following year he first landed at Pioneer. The winter of 1869 and summer of 1870 he spent at Cedar Creek, and in the fall of 1870 he settled permanently at Pioneer. Here for nearly a quarter of a century he has been engaged in placer-mining. His first move was to purchase a piece of mining land. On it he sank all his money, and soon found himself $2,000 in debt. After

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way, and not until after two months of march- ing and countermarching did he seem quite de- termined where to go or what to do. True, this may have been strategy, the old Roman method of war, and much has been written to prove Joseph a great general. But the facts do not accord him any degree of greatness above that of great courage, authority, energy and endur- ance. As for his skill in escaping capture so long, it must be remembered that he was all the time on his boyhood's play ground; and the disaster to Custer was not to be forgotten in a single year by his pursuers.

Finally, Sherman, who chanced to be in

that he was in the employ of the old Pioneer Company for ten years, paying up all his indebtedness and accu- mulating some money. Then in 1884 he and four others bought out the old company, water rights and all, and they have since mined the property successfully.

March 29, 1867, Mr. Piper married Miss Mary E. Horn, a native of Ohio, and they have four children, all natives of Montana, namely: Bessie Agnes, Lydia Pearl, David Guye and Blanche May. He owns one of the pleasant homes of Pioneer.

Mr. Piper's political associations are with the Republi- can party.

DR. EMIL HENKE, late of Missoula, was for many years one of her honored citizens.

He was born near Berlin, Germany, June 15, 1837, son of Judge Earnest Ludwick Henke, a native of Germany, and by profession a lawyer. Judge Henke took a deep interest in the education of his son. The Doctor's uncle was president of the Berlin University, and in this insti- tution our subject was placed and had every advantage, chemistry and medicine being his specialties. Having completed his studies in the university, Dr. Henke came to America in 1861, settled in New York city and there practiced his profession in the hospitals, continuing in New York until 1869, with the exception of one year spent in Williamsburg, New Jersey.

In 1869 Dr. Henke came to Montana, his first location in the Territory being at Virginia City, where, with Dr. Reins, he was interested in mining, and also conducted a drug business. In 1870 he came to Missoula, bringing his stock of drugs with him, and opening his business on Main street. At that time there were two other stores on Main street, Mr. Worden's general merchandise store and the hardware store of Mr. Reinhard. In the drug busi- ៛ ness Dr. Henke was in partnership with Mr. Ross, the firm name being Henke & Ross. At length the Doctor disposed of his interest in the drug business in order to give more of his attention to the practice of medicine.

Montana, threw Miles in his way as he neared the British line, and on the last of September a four days' battle was fought on the north side of Bear Paw mountain, at the end of which, Josepli, after losing twenty-five killed and twice as many wounded, surrendered to General How- ard, who came up at the close. Miles lost twenty-three killed and had forty four wounded, and had the honor, through the generons cour- tesy of Howard, of receiving the white flag of surrender from the hands of Joseph. The de- luded followers of the foolish Indian were mostly removed to the Indian Territory; but he was sent to Washington and lionized.

He conducted a successful practice here until 1880. Dur- ing that time he practiced all over the city, and also went for miles into the surrounding country, traveling both day and night, through storm and sunshine, and when called to see a sick or injured person never stopping to consider the question of pay, remuneration always being a second consideration with the kind-hearted Doctor. In 1880 Dr. Henke disposed of all his property in Missoula except his home, and he and his family went East to Pennsylvania. Subsequently they went to Tennessee, expecting to make their home in that State; but their eldest child,Earnest, took sick and died there,and after this bereavement they decided to return to Missoula. Here he again engaged in the drug business, opening the City Drug Store, on Higgins avenue, with Mr. Wilson Moore as his partner. He continued his interest in this establish- ment until 1886. He had also resumed the practice of his profession upon his return to Missoula, and this he con- ducted up to within a few weeks of his death. During his professional career he secured a good name and won many warm friends.

Dr. Henke was married in 1872 to Miss Sarah C. Swa- ney, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Thomas Swaney. Her father was born in Virginia, but had removed to Ohio and was engaged in farming there. Mrs. Henke's sister, Mrs. William Kennedy, was the first white woman at Great Falls. In 1868 Mrs. Henke came up the Missouri river to see her sister, landing at her destination after being three months en route. She and sister at one time did not see a white woman for three months. She was in Helena when there were not to exceed thirty-five fam- ilies in the town, and when she first came to Missoula there were only twenty families here. She became the mother of three children: Earnest, who died in Tennes- see, and Walter and AIfred. Mrs. Henke is a lady of in- telligence and refinement, and is an esteemed member of the Presbyterian Church. The Doctor was reared in the Lutheran faith. His death occurred March 10, 1890.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

This Indian had led Howard a race and chase of 1,600 miles, he had cost the regular armny more than a hundred lives and the civil State as many more, to say nothing of the butcheries and the prodigions bill of costs; he had wrecked the fortunes of his best followers, and all with- out reason or excuse, so far as we can see, ex- cept that he wanted to imitate Sitting Bull. He had great advantages even from his birth, and his small tribe always had good mission- aries and gentle teachers from our first advent among them. It is elaimed that the very first printing press west of the Rocky mountains was set up here by the beloved missionary, the late Reverend Dr. Spaulding.

When I first saw these people, in 1852, they were no longer " blanket Indians," but were

HON. JOHN W. POWER, of the firm of the T. C. Power & Brother Company, of Fort Benton, is one of the most widely known and highly esteemed pioneers and busi- ness men of the city.

He was born in Dubuque, lowa, April 6, 1844, of Irish ancestry. His father, Michael Power, emigrated from the mother country when a boy, settling at St. Louis, Missouri; he moved to Iowa and was married at Peru, that State, to Miss Catharine McHeer, a native of the State of Pennsylvania and also of Irish ancestry, who had long resided in America. He was for years a successful merchant, and both himself and wife were faithful ad- herents of the Catholic Church. He died at the age of fifty years, and she at the age of seventy-six. Their chil- dren, four in number, are all living. Senator T. C. Power was their eldest child.

John W. Power, the second child, was educated in the public schools and at Sinsinawa Mound College, Wis- consin. June 11, 1867, is the date of his arrival in Mon- tana, from Sioux City, Iowa, coming by steamboat and bringing with him a stock of goods with which to engage in trade with the Indians and miners. In 1871 he formed the partnership with his brother, T. C. Power, which has since continued. Their business became very extensive and lucrative, having thirteen establishments on the north border of the United States and two on the Canada side of the line. They purchased all kinds of furs from the Indians, paying them in trinkets, blankets and supplies. Buffalo robes cost about $2 each. By the year 1875 the business had grown to such magnitude that the purchase ot buffalo robes amounted to 36,000. They sold their fnis in New York and Chicago, where also they obtained the commodities which they exchanged among the Indians for their furs and buffalo robes.

dressed better than the whites, as a rule, and they claimed to be Boston " til-a-e-ums" (white people). But they were not Boston people; for they still had their smo-hal-la.

Meantime seven commissioners went to Sit- ting Bull in Canada, but were treated with dis- dain, and the Sioux war in Montana still went on. In May, 1875, Sitting Bull sent to ask of General Miles permission to return and live in peace if he could keep his horse and gun. A few months later he asked General Sheridan for terms on which he could return, as the Cana- dian Government did not care to be any longer responsible for him or his depredations. Fin- ally, after six years, Sitting Bull came back to the United States, still proud and imperions but almost destitute of followers or influence.

After the destruction of all the buffalo the trade went down, and the company continued in general merchand- ising, both wholesale and retail, selling large quantities of goods to the miners and stockmen of the country con- tiguous to the store at Fort Benton.

In 1879 Mr. Power became one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Fort Benton, and in 1887 the Stockmen's National Bank, with $100,000 capital stock. He has been president of the latter institution ever since its organization. He is also one of the organizers of, and a stockholder in, the American National Bank at Helena, of which Hon. T. C. Power is president; and they are also interested in the Bank of Fergus County ; and they were the organizers of the Bismarck Bank of North Dakota.

For a number of years the citizens of Fort Benton and the surrounding country suffered much inconvenience for the lack of a bridge across the Missouri river at this town, and it was finally decided to build it by private en- terprise; and Mr. Power has been an active factor in that movement, aiding in the organization of the company and taking his full share of the stock in it; and thus be aided in building the splendid iron draw bridge that now spans the Missouri, at a cost of $68,000. The Power Brothers were also prominent, in connection with the I. C. Baker Company, in establishing and building a line of steamers on the Missouri below Fort Benton; and above town they were the owners of nine steamers. In some instances these steamers go as far down the river as St. Louis. They still have two steamers plying below Bismarck, but the advent of the railroad has to a large extent superseded steamboating. They are also largely interested in cattle and sheep raising, and in mining in various localities in the State,-Fort Benton, Helena and

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HISTORY OF MONTANA.

The Indians all along the line had progressed in every way, but he was still the same absolute savage. He had now been a famous warrior for nearly twenty years, having fought Sully in the Black Hills in 1863-4 with marked success, and it was not in his nature to remain idle or without influence, even though that influence should be exerted only for evil. He was kept as a sort of State prisoner at Standing Rock agency, and generally as a sort of priest or dreamer, rather, than as an armed warrior now, and slowly but surely began to gather strength and influence.

The one best thing that marked the vigorous policy and the giving place to sense for senti- ment, was the appointing of Indians to take care of Indians. Some of them had long since

other towns. Also they have extensive real-estate inter- ests, have erected a large number of valuable buildings, and have a large proportion of the stock of the firm of Wackerlin & Company, in the hardware business at Fort Benton, who also have a large branch establishment at Neihart.

Both the Power brothers are prominent, active Repub- licans. T. C. is now United States Senator, and John W. was elected to the State Senate in 1890, and is now serv- ing in that office, giving his constituents and his State the full benefit of his large business ability, in a very un- assuming and business-like manner. He is enterprising and liberal in all the enterprises intended to build up his town and county. He is quiet in his manner, easy of approach, and, notwithstanding his business career lias been attended with striking success, he never indulges in anything that would resemble display. He resides in a very modest but commodious cottage near his store at Fort Benton. He is an exemplary member of the Catlı- olic Church, rendering his church valuable aid in all its enterprises,

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An illustrated history of the state of Montana, containing biographical mention of its pioneers and prominent citizens, Part 93

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