Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 140

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1126

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"When it's moonlight on the prairie, When the night winds softly blow, And the sweet strains of the bugle, From afar come soft and low, Then our fancies swiftly wander, Back to home, to hearth, and friends, And we try to pierce the future, To see where our journey ends.

In the whirling of Fate's spindle, Our short lives are swiftly spun, And at times the thread is cut off Ere the web is scarce begun. So as soldiers in our manhood, We live each day for that day,

Worry not about what's coming Feeling sure we'll find the way."

While the chorus runs :

"It seems, while our dreams Take us back to the scenes Of our past, that our future untold, Like a scroll will unroll, And show us our goal, Friends we left in the dear days of old."

CHARLES MATTHEW LAUER, whose progressive business career has led him stage by stage from Massachusetts west to Montana and the Pacific Coast, is manager of the Butte business of Hemen- way & Moser Company, wholesale dealers in cigars, controlling the largest volume of business in that line in Montana.

Mr. Laner was born at Rochester, New York, October II, 1874. His father, Matthew Lauer, was born at Frankfort-on-the-Rhine, Germany, in 1848 and was a child when his parents came to this country in 1842 and settled at Rochester. He was reared and educated in that city, and spent the rest of his life there. He became a skilled cabinet maker, and was in the employ of several large wood working concerns. He died at Rochester in 1884. He was a democrat and a member of the Catholic Church. Matthew Laner married Mary Stupp, who was also born at Frankfort-on-the-Rhine, in 1846, and is still a resident of Rochester. She is the mother of four children: Carrie, wife of Frank Hil- bert, a farm owner at Rochester; Charles M .; Wil- liam, an employe in the Eastman Kodak Company's factory at Rochester; and May, unmarried and liv- ing with her mother.

Charles M. Lauer attended the parochial schools

of Rochester, and has been dependent upon his own exertions to earn his living and create his useful position in the world since he was thirteen. At that time he began working as cash boy in a whole- sale and retail dry goods store at Rochester. Event- nally he was promoted to bookkeeper of its whole- sale department. In 1895 he left that firm and be- came bookkeeper for Michael, Doyle & Company of Rochester, and in 1900 went to Boston as their representative, remaining there three years. From Boston he came west as far as Denver, Colorado, where he was employed to represent the Colorado Condensed Milk Company one year. For another year he filled a similar position for the Utah Con- densed Milk Company at Richmond, Utah. Mr. Laner has been a resident of Montana since 1904. With headquarters at Spokane, he traveled out of Butte, covering all of Northern Montana, Eastern Washington, and the Coeur d'Alene Country of Idaho, representing the Louis S. Cohn Company, wholesale cigars. In August, 1913, Mr. Laner was selected by the Hemenway & Moser Company to establish the wholesale cigar house at Butte, now one of the largest branches of the main company at Salt Lake City. The officers of this company are: W. G. Moser, of Salt Lake City, president ; Fred Murphy, of Pocatello, Idaho, vice president ; John Milan, Jr., of Salt Lake City, secretary and treasurer. The business managed by Mr. Lauer at Butte is at 122 West Broadway, where they have a finely equipped plant and offices, with much storage space in the basement and a warehouse on East Front Street. This firm does the largest wholesale cigar business in the state of Montana. Mr. Lauer is a director in the Company, and under his active supervision are three traveling salesmen covering Montana, two city salesmen for Butte, and the gen- eral office organization.

Mr. Lauer owns some mining interests and has a beautiful modern home at 908 West Diamond Street in Butte. He is a republican, a member of the Catholic Church, and is affiliated with Butte Lodge No. 240 of the Elks. January 7, 1905, at Bozeman, Montana, he married Miss Blanche Reynolds, daughter of Charles W. and Katherine (Switzler) Reynolds. Her parents are now de- ceased, her father having been a pioneer farmer in the Bozeman district. Mr. and Mrs. Lauer have one child, Engene, born November 7, 1906.

RAYMOND LESTER RUHLE. In writing of the ener- getic and progressive men who have taken a prom- inent and influential part in developing and promot- ing the highest interests of Butte, special mention should be made of Raymond Lester Ruhle, a live, wide-awake business man, known far and wide as vice president and general manager of the James A. McKee Printing Company, the largest firm of the kind in the State of Montana. A son of the late L. T. Ruhle, he was born September 7, 1881, in Leadville, Colorado, of German lineage.

Born in Germany in 1853, L. T. Ruhle came to the United States in 1865, and at the home of his brother, Robert Rnhle, in New York City completed his early education. Rumors of the vast mineral wealth of Nevada reaching the east, he joined the tide of migration surging westward, and was en- gaged in mining in Nevada for some time. Coming from there to Montana, he continued as a miner in Butte until he had accumulated quite a sum of money, and then, in partnership with Henry Nickel, established the first meat market in Butte, operat- ing it for fifteen years, in the meantime meeting with very satisfactory results. He subsequently traveled extensively throughout the United States, visiting

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all the principal cities and points of interest. Being appointed inspector of meats in Butte in 1913, he held the position until his death in the spring of 1919. He was a republican in politics, and a highly esteemed citizen. His wife, whose maiden name was Carrie Mensenger, was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and is now a resident of Butte. They were the parents of two children, as follows: Ray- mond Lester, the subject of this sketch, and Hazel, who resides with her mother.

Brought up in Butte, Raymond Lester Ruhle was graduated from the Butte High School with the class of 1898, and in 1901 was graduated from the Rolla, Missouri, School of Mines with the degree of Engineer of Mines. Going directly to Old Mexico, he remained there a year as mining operator and prospector. Returning to Butte, he was for two years associated with the North Butte Mining Company, then known as the Largey & Craighton Company, beginning as an underground miner and being promoted to the assay office. Mr. Ruhle was subsequently superintendent of the county poor of Silver Bow County for two years, ably and faithfully filling the office.

In 1907 Mr. Ruhle became a member of the James A. McKee Printing Company, which was established in 1904, its officers being as follows : James A. McKee, president ; R. L. Ruhle, vice presi- dent and general manager; Louis Dreibelbis, treasurer ; and Bruce Kremer, secretary. This en- terprising firm is carrying on business on an ex- tensive scale, having two retail stores in Butte, one in Billings, and one in Great Falls, and a manu- facturing plant in Spokane, Washington. The com- pany does a general printing, embossing and engrav- ing business, and has won an extended reputation for its artistic work. Its offices, situated at 138 West Granite Street, Butte, are among the busiest places in the city. Mr. Ruhle has acquired much valuable property, having large mining interests in Butte and other parts of the state, and owning a modernly constructed residence at 125 North Ex- celsior Street.

Mr. Ruhle married in 1911, at Butte, Miss Jessie Budd, who was graduated from a girls' seminary in Chicago, Illinois. She is a daughter of H. O. and Lizzie. Budd, the former of whom died on his ranch near Butte, and the latter lives in Butte. Mr. and Mrs. Ruhle are the parents of three children. namely : Mary Lou, born in November, 1913; June, born in June, 1915; and Raymond, born in Novem- ber, 1919. Politically Mr. Ruhle is identified with the republican party. Fraternally he is a thirty- second degree Mason, being a member of Silver Bow Lodge No. 48, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Butte Consistory, and of Bagdad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; he is also a member of Butte Lodge No. 240, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; and of the Butte Rotary Club.

WILLIAM J. McMAHON, who was born in one of the great mining centers of the west and is almost a lifelong resident of Montana, is a competent and successful mining engineer, being employed in his professional capacity by the Anaconda Copper Min- ing Company at Butte.

Mr. McMahon was born at Virginia City, Nevada, September 13, 1879. His father, Alexander McMa- hon, was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1850, and came to the United States at the age of eighteen, in 1868. While at Holyoke, Massachusetts, he learned the trade of plasterer. He went to Califor- nia in 1872, working at his trade at San Francisco. On moving to Virginia City, Nevada, in 1876, he

took up mining, and followed the same occupation after coming to Butte in 1882. For many years he was an employe of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, and died at Butte honored and respected in 1905 He was a democrat and a Catholic, and was a member of Butte Miners Union No. I. He and Johanna Bresnahan were married at Virginia City, Nevada. She was also born in County Kerry in 1850, and died at Butte in 1917. William J. is the oldest of their children. Alexander is a machinist at San Francisco. Mary V. is a teacher in the public schools at Butte. Thomas F. is a Butte miner. Brandon P. is a mining engineer with the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, and lives at Butte. Edmund S. is now in the junior year of his studies in the medical department of Creighton University at Omaha, Nebraska.

William J. McMahon as a boy attended public schools, is a graduate of St. Patrick's High School at Butte, and spent three years in the Missouri State School of Mines at Rolla. His practical experience in the mining industry covers a period of twenty years. In 1900 he became assistant mining engineer for the Parrot Silver & Copper Company of Butte. He was with that corporation ten years, but since I910 has been in the service of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company as mining engineer and surveyor. He is the surveyor of the Steward Mine at Butte. His offices are in the Anaconda Copper Mining Company's Hardware Building at 300-302 North Main Street. Mr. McMahon is a member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical En- gineers and the American Association of Engineers.

Along with his professional work he has rendered some valuable service as a citizen and in politics. During 1909-10 he was county surveyor of Silver- bow County. In 1912 he was elected from Silver- bow County to the Legislature, and re-elected in 1914 and 1916. In all three sessions he was chair- man of the mines and mining committees. In the 14th and 15th sessions he was chairman of the com- mittee on rules, and in his last term was majority floor leader. In the 15th session he was vice chair- man of the important committee on appropriations. Mr. McMahon is a democrat, a member of the Catholic Church, and is a fourth degree Knight of Columbus, being affiliated with Butte Council No. 668, of which he is past grand knight. He is also a member of Butte Aerie No. II, Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Mr. McMahon, who enjoys the comforts of a modern home at 216 South Jackson Street, married at Butte in 1904 Miss Theresa Courtney, daughter of Dennis C. and Emma (Staples) Courtney. Her mother is still living at Butte, where her father, who died in 1915, was for a number of years active as a merchant, being associated with his brother, the late Senator Thomas E. Courtney. Mrs. McMahon is a graduate of St. Patrick's parochial schools of Butte and also received a normal school training and was a teacher in the Butte public schools before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. McMahon have a family of four children: Marcia, born October 7, 1905, a student in St. Patrick's school; Lois, born August 15, 1907, in the same school; Theresa, born April 23, 1909, a student in the Lincoln public school ; and William A., born October 9, 1910, also attend- ing the Lincoln school.

CAPT. THOMAS COUCH. The time to have cele- brated the achievements of Capt. Thomas Couch was during his life, when he could appreciate it, but it is a satisfaction to know that so many of his dreams came true, so many plans were carried out and with such benefits conferred upon all even re-

Druck.

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motely connected with them that he must have been contented with what he had done and felt in some measure at least the appreciation of his fellow citi- zens. Those who knew and understood him and his work have not failed to credit him with having been one of the greatest constructive factors not only in the development of Montana but the entire West.

An Englishman by birth, Captain Couch seemed always most typically American in mind, heart and manner. He was born December 29, 1843, at Braiz- Camborne, Cornwall. After a life filled with ad- venture, crowded with discovery and invention and paved with good deeds, he passed away February 5, 1902. He died in Lane Hospital at San Fran- cisco, having gone to that state in search of the one asset that his own great efforts could not bring him-abounding health. The quest was in vain. His body was carried back to Montana, the state nearest his heart, where every citizen knew his name and many had reaped the benefits of more intimate knowledge of the man himself. His body rests in Highland Cemetery, Great Falls, the town that he finally chose for his home.

Even in his boyhood the mysteries of the earth held for him a great fascination. When twenty years of age he left England for America, attracted here by rumor of the wonderful treasure beneath our soil. On landing he went at once to the Lake Superior or copper district. The great finds in Cali- fornia, however, soon lured him to the coast. His first trip was made by way of the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco. For five years he worked in the gold fields of California, spending most of his time at the Grass Valley mines and on the properties near New Almaden. In 1868 he pushed on into Nevada, two years later assuming the control of the Hidden Treasure mine at White Pine, the most important find of that vicinity, and 1871 found him temporarily in Camp Floyd, Utah. From there he went to Tintic to become the man- ager of the Mammoth Copperpolis, a gold and silver mine of national reputation. Bingham next claimed his attention. Here he operated successfully the Neptune and Jordan silver and lead mines, leaving Bingham to become superintendent of the Hidden Treasurer of Dry Canyon, an exceedingly rich find that was soon exhausted. The last property with which he was connected in Utah was the Horn Silver at Frisco.

Through study and experience he had now be- come a scientist, versed in the difficult branches of mineralogy, geology and metallurgy, as well as a practical mine operator. In the interests of eastern capital he traveled through the entire western por- tion of the United States and Canada, examining a mine here and opening one there as the case might be.

Immediately upon arriving in Montana Captain Couch had been employed as a mining expert by Col. C. A. Broadwater. Almost his first work in the state was the examination of the Broadwater properties at Neihart. Almost a year was devoted to the examination of other mines in which Colonel Broadwater was interested. It was under his direc- tion that the important mines at Castle were de- veloped.

On reaching Montana in 1883 Captain Couch located in Butte. No mining expert of his day commanded greater confidence and was entrusted with greater interests. Within a very short time he reported on properties in Deer Lodge, Lewis and Clark and Meagher counties. He was instrumental in developing and managing some of the greatest mines of the state. With Capt. John Daniels of Michigan he examined and reported upon a group

of mines embracing the Mountain View, Colusa, Liquidator and West Colusa. These were owned by Mr. C. A. Larabie and the Montana Copper Com- pany. His' favorable report resulted in the pur- chase of these properties, their consolidation and the formation of the Boston & Montana Copper and Silver Mining Company, of which he was made general manager. One of the greatest min- ing corporations in the wold, it was the skillful management of Captain Couch that in no small degree contributed to the magnitude of the enter- prise and the enormous dividends paid to its fortu- nate stockholders. The smallest detail in connec- tion with the development of this huge property failed to escape his notice. He personally super- vised the opening of each mine, the working of the smelters and concentrators and the control of the men employed above and below ground.

Largely upon his advice the company decided in 1889 to erect the huge smelters at Great Falls. Min- ing men generally had no confidence in the plan, but the work was rushed to completion. Within two years after the smelters were completed the company began to pay dividends. From that time so long as Captain Couch remained in control divi- dends, output and employes all increased to gether. In 1896 a new feature in the company's affairs so displeased the captain that he handed in his resig- nation.

At this time he undertook a tremendously big scheme for the development of a low grade quartz property on the mother lode of California at Coul- tersville. Considerable capital was expended in exploration work, but the first mill tests were dis- appointing in values, and, although the property was worked on a smaller scale, the original project was abandoned. This was one of the greatest dis- appointments of his life, although in later years he was requested by men who were interested in the property to return and carry out his original scheme, and he was considering the matter seriously when ill health intervened and stopped his career of development.

The low lying gravel beds on the Feather River near Oroville claimed his attention in 1898. These gravel beds had been known to carry gold in small quantities since the days of "49" and all sorts of schemes had been tried for reclaiming it, but with- out success. Captain Couch interested the neces- sary capital to construct a gold dredge, after a plan that had originated in New Zealand. This was the beginning of the development of gold dredging, the first successful boat for dredging placer gold being built at the mandate of Captain Couch. The enter- prise proved a success from the first turn of the wheels and developed into one of the big enter- prises of California and has extended to all parts of the world where placer mining is possible.

While the mines were incidental to his bigger work as a mine operator, the ranching activities of Captain Couch were in the nature of a public serv- ice to the cause of agriculture and livestock hus- bandry. He developed a model ranch, and invested thousands of dollars in blooded cattle and horses, and many farm owners in Montana today take pride in the fact that some of their stock came from the original Couch herds.

For several years Captain Couch was recognized as the leader of the republican party in Montana. He had but to reach out his hand to grasp the high- est office it was in her power to bestow. In 1892 he was urged to accept the nomination for governor, but declined the honor with decisive kindness. His iron will and great personal magnetism, combined with his love of the human race, made him always a leader of men whether in a political campaign or

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a mining community. Although his political satel- lites were willing to obey the slightest beck of his hand, he never used his power for his own aggran- dizement nor for that of his personal friends. After 1894 he gave little time to politics, although in 1896 he was a strong advocate of the free and unlimited coinage of silver. It was a great disappointment to him that the party to which he had given such loyal service could not embrace this principle to which the local conditions of Montana lent such impor- tance. Even so, the captain was never anything but a stalwart republican.

Captain Couch earned some of the finest rewards of good fortune, measured not at all by wealth, but by the possession of an ideal home and family, many stanch and tried friends, and a great consum- ing desire to do justice and make his life worthy of the good fortune which attended it. Perhaps the best summing up of his personal life is found in the words of the address delivered at his funeral :

"Captain Couch was not an ambitious man in the usual sense. He set a high standard of action and attainment for himself, but worldly ambition was not his aim. He was a power in the political field of Montana, but that power was never wielded for his personal benefit. He served the cause of many a friend though. Rather than politics he chose the home, and here it was that the charm of his char- acter was felt. He was ideal in the home circle. The hero of his half dozen boys-and hero worship was no sin here-it was the expression of a filial love and obedience to one who proved himself love- able.

"Captain Couch was a man of large financial and executive ability. To his genius is due the develop- ment of mining properties which run into the mil- lions. He was among a half dozen best mining men in Montana. In our own city there stands a monu- ment to his genius and toil, the great interests of the B. & M. Smelting Company, and many public enter- prises have received substantial aids from his brain and liberal hand. While not a man of learning he was a man of culture. He was broad and liberal minded, having a knowledge of men and measures that fitted him for the responsible positions held. Always cool and level-headed yet not slow to decide and quick to execute. Few men in the state had a better knowledge of its affairs, political and finan- cial, and he was always among the inner circle of counsellors."

December 28, 1873, Captain Couch married Miss Rachel Webber, daughter of John Webber, of Goshen, Utah. She was a native of Wales and her father was a pioneer miner in Utah and Nevada. Captain Couch's family joined him in Butte about the time he became manager of the Boston and Montana Company. Mrs. Couch is still living, and six of her seven children survive. The names of these children were Thomas, Jr., Edward G., Fred- erick M., Rachel Mary, wife of Lee M. Ford; Al- bert C., John D., and William. The second genera- tion have not been lacking in the stanch qualities that dominated Captain Couch. Three of the sons, Albert, John and William, were participants in the World war. Albert C. was with the Three Hundred and Sixty-Fourth Infantry, Ninety-First Division, was in the battle of the Argonne, and was severely wounded in Flanders on the 4th of November, 1918. John served as a lieutenant with the Twelfth In- . fantry and was also in France. William finished his training as an aviator at Miami, Florida, and sailed with the Fourth Flying Squadron of the Marine Corps, but died on board the transport Lapland Sep- tember 28, 1918.

THOMAS COUCH, JR., son of the late Capt. Thomas Couch, is a resident of Great Falls, though his busi- ness interests have a wide range over the state.

A resident of Montana since he was five years of age, he was born at Goshen, Utah, June 14, 1878. He was educated in the public schools of this state and early became associated with his father in busi- ness. He assumed the management of the ranch interests in 1898, and enlarged the land and live- stock holdings. Shortly after his father's death he organized the family into a corporation and placed the entire capital of the estate into land and real estate. The land holdings have been increased to 25,000 acres of the choice lands of Cascade and Teton counties.

The son of a man of unsurpassed initiative and constructive genius, Mr. Couch has identified him- self with a number of the progressive enterprises of his city and state. He was one of the organizers and president of the Great Falls Automatic Tele- phone Company, and has thus been instrumental in building up the splendid exchange and automatic telephone system at Great Falls. He was active in the organization of the Montana Life Insurance Company and is still on its board of directors.

He was an organizer and is president of the Northern Flax Fiber Company. While this industry is in its infancy in the West, and this is the first company undertaking the production of fiber in all the western states, the fact that Montana is rapidly taking the lead among the flax growing states of the Union opens wonderful opportunities for the growth and development of the company to a posi- tion among Montana's leading industries.

Thomas Couch, Jr., married Miss Gwendolyn Black, daughter of H. N. Black, a prominent Mon- tana architect. They have one daughter, Gwen- dolyn.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume II, Part 140

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 1126

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1126