Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 10

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1144

USA > Montana > Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III > Part 10

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Howard G. Bennet was the fourth in a family of five children, three of whom are still living. He acquired his early education in the public schools of Port Jervis and is a graduate of the University of New York with the class of 1896. In the same year he was admitted to the New York State Bar and engaged in a busy practice in his native town until 1901. In that year on coming to Great Falls he was connected with the Boston & Montana Smelter Company about four years. He was then appointed and served as chief deputy county assessor of Cas- cade County during the years 1905-06. On retiring from his official duties he took up general law prac- tice, being a member of the firm Berry & Bennet of the City of Great Falls, serving for two years. In November, 1918, he was elected county attorney, and has given most of his time to the duties of that office since January 6, 1919. He is a member of the County and State Bar associations, and a republi- can voter. Mr. Bennet is affiliated with Rainbow Lodge No. 28, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Cataract Lodge No. 18, Knights of Pythias; Great Falls Lodge No. 214 of the Elks, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He and his family are Congrega- tionalists.

November 22, 1905, he married Miss Bessie Bal- stad, a native of Norway. They have one daughter, Elizabeth.

WILLIAM E. JONES is a practicing attorney at the City of Harlowton, State of Montana. He was born November II, 1884, in Butler County, Iowa, a few miles from the Town of Nashua in Chickasaw County. He is the son of Warren and Rachel Amanda Jones and was the youngest of a family of seven children.

At an early age he went with his parents to the Town of Nashua and was educated in the public schools at that place. Later he attended the State University of Iowa, from which he was gradnated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1908. After his graduation from the State University he served as an instructor in the high school at Cedar Falls, Iowa, for one year, and during the next two years was a member of the faculty at the State University of Iowa, occupying the chair of public speaking. In 19II Mr. Jones resigned his position at the Uni- versity of Iowa and entered the University of Chi- cago to complete his legal studies. In 1912 he was

graduated from the law school of the University of Chicago with the degree of J. D. (juris doctor ). After practicing a short time in the City of Chicago he moved to Harlowton, Montana, and formed a partnership with Robert N. Jones, under the firm name of Jones & Jones, which firm has existed ever since.

In November, 1916, he was elected to the Montana State Senate on the republican ticket, and while serving in that body was instrumental in introducing and passing the law which created the County of Wheatland.

On October 4, 1917, Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Frances M. Baxter, who is a native daughter of Montana and the daughter of E. C. Baxter, a rancher and banker of the City of Harlow- ton.

Mr. Jones is a member of the Wheatland County Bar Association and of the Montana State Bar As- sociation. He is a member of the Acacia fraternity and of the Greek letter fraternity of Phi Delta Phi. He became a member of the Masonic Order in Brad- ford Lodge No. 129, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Nashua, Iowa, but upon taking up a residence in Montana he transferred the membership to Musselshell Lodge No. 69, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, at Harlowton, Montana. During the year 1919 he was master of Masonic Lodge No. 69. Mr. Jones is also a member of Harlowton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons; Palestine Commandery No. 18, Knights Templar; Algeria Temple of the Mystic Shrine at . Helena, Montana. He is also an active member in the Knights of Pythias at Harlow- ton and in Lewistown Lodge No. 456, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, at Lewistown, Montana.

SHERBURNE MORSE. Among the men of influence in Northern Montana who have the interest of their community at heart and who have led consistent lives, thereby gaining definite success along their chosen lines, is Sherburne Morse, who has Jong been regarded as one of our most progressive farm- ers, stock raisers and public spirited citizens. His well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his own business inter- ests, and his sound judgment have brought to him prosperity, and today he enjoys ' the well earned esteem of all who know him.

Sherburne Morse was born in Bath, Maine, on April 1I, 1870, and is descended from sterling old Yankee stock, his parents being Albion W. and Car- rie (Sherburne) Morse. The father was a native of Sagadahoc County, Maine. They were the par- ents of four children, those besides the subject of this review being Rose Jane; Shirley Louise, the wife of Roy L. Estus, a ranchman in Teton County, Montana, and Bessie B., the wife of Oliver C. Dur- land, also a ranch owner in Teton County. Albion W. Morse was educated in the public schools of Sagadahoc County, Maine, and on attaining mature years he followed the vocations of his father, farm- ing and shipbuilding. He was energetic and suc- cessful in business, having a large shipyard on the Kennebec River and a sawmill at Winnegant. Later he became a contractor, getting out large timbers for shipbuilding, and his death was the outcome of a cold which he caught while engaged in that work. Politically he was a republican and stood high in councils of his party, though never a seeker after the honors or emoluments of public office for him- self. He was a man of fine personal qualities and was a leader in his community.

Sherburne Morse attended school at Pitch Pine Hills, Sagadahoc County, Maine, and Arkansas City,

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

Kansas, he having removed to the latter place with his widowed mother soon after the death of his father. As soon as old enough to take up active work on his own account Mr. Morse went to Lynn, Massachusetts, and entered the expert department of the General Electric Company as a student, tak- ing a full course in the business and becoming an expert in its various phases. In that capacity he be- came a traveling representative of the company in the Eastern states. In the fall of 1890 Mr. Morse re- turned to Arkansas City, Kansas, and engaged in the cattle business in that state, later going to Okla- homa, where he was employed as a cowboy, riding the ranges for an uncle, J. H. Sherburne, whose business was known as the X-H-X Cattle Company, their range being on the Salt Fork and Arkansas River. In the spring of 1897 Mr. Morse came to Browning, Teton County, Montana, and entered the employ of another uncle, Joseph H. Sherburne Morse, to look after the latter's cattle and horses. In 1905 he engaged in the cattle and horse business for himself, meeting with satisfactory success. In 1909 he filed on a homestead in Teton County, near Bynum, where he has since resided and which he has developed into one of the best farms in that part of the state. He is now the owner of 1,800 acres of land, a part of which he devotes to the rais- ing of grain and hay, and a part is reserved for graz- ing land for his live stock. 'Mr. Morse has given considerable attention to the raising, buying and selling of cattle and horses, of which he has handled enormous numbers. Most of his cattle are shipped to the Chicago market, while his horses go to St. Louis, North and South Dakota, Omaha, Nebraska and to Canada. He breeds White Face and Short- horn cattle, selling many of these animals to other ranchmen, and now has on hand between 200 and 300 head of cattle, having shipped 950 head of cattle during 1919. During the years 1907-8-9 Mr. Morse shipped to horse men in Ward County, North Da- kota, 5,200 head of horses. He is undoubtedly to- day the best known horse buyer in the Northwest, and during the recent World war he furnished about 1,500 head of horses to the governments of the United States, France and England.

On March 15, 1916, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mr. Morse was married to Minnebelle Wiard, who was born and reared in Louisville, Kentucky, and to them have been born two children, Sherburne, Jr., and Caroline Louise.

Politically Mr. Morse has given his support to the republican party and has taken a commendable interest in public affairs, though not in any sense a seeker after public office. Fraternally he is a member of Conrad Lodge No. 80, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and his religious connection is with the Episcopal Church. He possesses a strong and vigorous personality and all who come within range of his influence are profuse in their praise of his admirable qualities. He is a most companion- able gentleman and has a host of warm and ad- miring friends throughout Northern Montana.

HENRY S. KLINE was born in Amsterdam, New York, on May 6, 1871, and is the son of Howard and Phoebe R. (Birch) Kline. Both of these parents were also natives of New York State, the father, born in 1844, having died in 1908, at the age of sixty- four years. The mother, who was born in 1846, is still living. The subject of this sketch is their only child. Howard Kline was a merchant during a por- tion of his active life and retired from active busi- ness pursuits about two years prior to his death. Politically he was an earnest supporter of the demo-

cratic party, while religiously he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Henry S. King secured his elementary education in the public schools of Amsterdam, afterward at- tending the Amsterdam Academy, the Union Clas- sical Institute and Union College, graduating at the last-named institution with the class of 1893. He . then read law with Judge C. S. Nisbet and Louis H. Reynolds at Amsterdam, and in 1893 he was ad- mitted to the New York State bar. He entered upon the practice of his profession at Amsterdam, but shortly afterward he moved to North Dakota, locating first at Fessenden, where he remained about eighteen months, followed by a location for some years at Anamoose, North Dakota. In January, 19II, Mr .. Kline came to Havre and at once resumed the practice of his profession. During the intervening years to the present time he has handled a large share of the legal business before the local court, and has been employed in the courts of adjoining counties. By a straightforward, honorable course he has built up a large and lucrative legal business and financially has been successful to a gratifying degree. In 1902, while a resident of McHenry County, North Dakota, Mr. Kline was elected judge of the County Court and was re-elected in 1904 and 1906, thus serving six years. He is president and attorney for the Havre National Bank and is also interested in other local business enterprises. He has been a consistent "booster" for Northern Mon- tana, and has been a firm believer in this section of the country. He gives his active support to every movement having for its object the advancement of the best interests of the community.

Politically Mr. Kline is an earnest supporter of the republican party, while fraternally he is a mem- ber of the Masonic order, in which he has attained to the degree of a Knight Templar, and is also a member of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

On August 21, 1906, Mr. Kline was married to Elizabeth M. Payne, who was born at Towanda, Pennsylvania, and to them has been born a daughter, Eleanor Ruth. Mr. Kline to a notable degree enjoys the confidence and good will of his fellow citizens.

EDWARD T. BROADWATER. A stock of merchandise under a tent was the first visible evidence of com- mercial activity in the City of Havre. One of the proprietors of that store was Edward T. Broad- water, who had been in Montana for nine years prior to coming to Havre, and whose interests as a merchant, stockman and banker have made him one of the prominent figures in Northern Montana.

Mr. Broadwater was born at Memphis in Scotland County, Missouri, November 22, 1861, son of Thomas J. and Martha A. (Smoot) Broadwater. His father was a native of Virginia, and at the age of nine years went to Missouri with his sister, Mrs. Ann M. Elgin, who lived at St. Charles, where he fin- ished his education. In 1849 he and another young man from that community started overland for Cali- fornia with a mule team, joining a caravan that crossed the plains. He was absent about two years, and had many of the experiences in the gold fields that have been subject for history and romance.

He returned to the East by way of the Isthmus of Panama and New York City, and thence back to St. Louis. His chief business was as an architect and building contractor, and in 1859 he moved to Memphis, Missouri, where he continued his pro- fession and business under the name of Legg & Broadwater. This firm did a business over practi-

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

cally the entire State of Missouri. One of their contracts was the construction of the new wings of the State Capitol at Jefferson City. Thomas J. Broadwater after he retired from business frequently visited his son at Fort Assiniboine, and took great pleasure in hunting big game and fishing in the territory. While so much of his life's energies were expressed in practical action, he was fond of books and literature, and composed some very creditable verse. He was a democrat but had no thought of public office. He died at Memphis, Missouri, February 28, 1908, aged eghty-three years, five months and seventeen days. His widow, who was born in Scotland County March 26, 1841, is still living at the old Missouri homestead.

Edward T. Broadwater earned his first money off- bearing brick in a brick yard at 75 cents a day, boarding himself. He was only twelve years of age when he performed that strenuous toil. He did this not out of necessity, but from the impulse of a restless, independent spirit that has made him a constant worker regardless of his prosperity meas- ured in terms of money. He acquired a good edu- cation in the schools of his native town, and at the age of fifteen began clerking in a clothing, boot and shoe store there. He continued in that work for five years, and it gave him a detailed knowledge of mercantile transactions that served him well after he came to Montana.

Mr. Broadwater left St. Louis helping to take a bunch of horses to St. Paul, went from that city to Bismarck, North Dakota, and came up the Mis- souri River to Coal Banks, as far as the hoat could go. He reached Fort Assiniboine in May, 1882, and was soon employed as a clerk in the post trad- ing store. He was with the Fort Assiniboine busi- ness ten years, four years as clerk and six years as bookkeeper.

In the spring of 1891 Mr. Broadwater, associated with Simon Pepin, introduced their stock of goods to the present site of Havre and thus established the business long conducted by the Broadwater- Pepin Company. Their tent store was on ground subsequently occupied by the Great Northern Rail- way yards, and when the railway right of way was . secured they made arrangements to surrender their land on condition that the railway company should make Havre a division point. That arrangement has been one of the biggest influences in the up- building of the City of Havre. The store building erected by the firm and Mr. 'Broadwater's private residence were the first permanent buildings on the town site. The Broadwater-Pepin Company did much more than a local business. They supplied commodities over a large area of Northern Montana, having a branch store on the Blackfoot-Indian Reservation and another at Harlem, Montana.

Since then Mr. Broadwater has been chiefly en- gaged in ranching and banking, and has had cattle and landed interests in Montana since 1891. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Havre in 1903, and remained a director when the bank was merged in 1907 with the Security State Bank. In 1914 he was elected president of this institution, and most of his business hours are spent in the bank's offices. He is a democrat, but like his father, without political aspirations. though he served four years as postmaster at Havre during Cleveland's administration and for four years was an alderman of the city. He is affiliated with the Elks.

October 22, 1890, a few months before he came to Havre, Mr. Broadwater married Miss Sadie Móon, a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and daughter of Dr. Henry B. Moon, a dentist. Her brother was

Maj. H. G. Moon, a regular army officer, who was wounded at the capture of Santiago during the Cuban war, and for a number of years was stationed at old Fort Assiniboine. Mr. and Mrs. Broadwater have two daughters, Marian Louise and Kathlyn E., the latter a member of the junior class of the Mon- tana State University. Marian, who also finished her education in the State University of Minnesota, 'is the wife of Capt. Max P. Kuhr. Captain Kuhr at the beginning of the war with Germany entered the Officers Training Camp at Camp Lewis, was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Heavy Ar- tillery, and during his service in France was pro- moted to captain.

COMMODORE B. ROBERTS has been a prominent lum- ber manufacturer and banker in Montana for over fifteen years. He has recently established his home at Great Falls, where he is president and principal owner of the Cascade Bank. He is a former state senator from Lincoln County, where he had ex- tensive timber interests.

Mr. Roberts was born in Fulton County, Indiana, on the farm of his grandfather, December 9, 1875, a son of George W. and Lovina (Eley) Roberts, be- ing the oldest of their four children, three of whom are still living. His father was born in Logan County, Ohio, and his mother in Knox County, Ohio, both in 1849. The mother died in 1918. George W. Roberts, who is still living, is a farmer and carpenter and followed both occupations in Ohio and Indiana. From 1884 to 1888 he was in the general merchan- dise business at Tippecanoe, Indiana, and during that period was postmaster under Cleveland's first administration. Since then he has given his chief time and attention to farming and stock raising. He is a democrat in politics.

Commodore B. Roberts acquired his early educa- tion in the public schools of Knox, Indiana, and earned his first money driving a grocery wagon at fifty cents a day. Later he was chief clerk in W. A. Pierson's grocery store at Knox, and left that posi- tion to go on the road as a traveling salesman for G. E. Bursley & Company, a wholesale grocery house of Fort Wayne. He was in the restaurant business at Knox for some time, and afterwards went to Chicago and engaged in the grocery busi- ness with J. W. Swartzell. On selling out to his partner he became chief clerk in the Chicago yards of the Nickel Plate Railway. For a time he was floorwalker in a Chicago department store, but was called from that position to resume his former re- sponsibilities with the Nickel Plate Railway Com- pany.

This is a brief survey of his business experience prior to coming to Montana in March, 1902. At Kalispell Mr. Roberts was engaged in the abstract, farm loan and general insurance business until 1909. He sold his business and took active charge of the logging of a tract of 2,300 acres of timber in which he was interested at Warland, Montana. Since 1906 Mr. Roberts has been interested in a valuable tract of timber land at Fortine, Montana, where he built a sawmill, constructed a logging railroad between the timber and his mill, and was busily engaged in manufacturing lumber there until November 1, 1917. In the meantime he and D. R. Peeler organized the Bank of Commerce at Kalispell, Mr. Roberts being vice president. He also organized the Security State Bank at Devon, Montana, and was its president. He bought the Cascade Bank at Great Falls on Novem- ber 15, 1917, and has moved his residence to Great Falls and gives much of his time to his duties as president of the bank. He has also organized a chain of country banks.

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

'Mr. Roberts represented Lincoln County in the State Senate from 1915 to 1919. He is a member of all the Masonic bodies, including the Scottish Rite Consistory and Algeria Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Helena. He is treasurer of Great Falls Lodge of Perfection. He is also a member of the Great Falls Lodge of Elks and is a past chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias. Politically Mr. Roberts is a republican,

August 30, 1903, he married Miss Annis Elliott, a native of England. They have two children, El- liott J. and Gladys L.

CHARLES B. ELWELL. The legal profession in Hill County, Montana, has an able representative in the person of Charles B. Elwell of Havre, one of the leaders of the younger members of the bar, whose success since locating here has won him many warm friends and admirers in the city and country. In the broad light which things of good report ever invite, the name and character of Mr. Elwell stand revealed and secure, and though of modest demeanor his career has been signally honorable and useful. He is recognzed as a man of strong mentality and as one who honors the community by his residence there, so that there is peculiar con- sistency in incorporating in a work of this kind a review of his life and labors.

Charles B. Elwell was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 28, 1888, and is the young- est of the six children, all of whom are now living, born to John B. and Hannah (Day) Elwell. John B. Elwell was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and is still living, at the age of sixty-eight years, and his wife, who was born at Beverly, Massachusetts, is living at the age of sixty-four years. The father was reared and educated at Salem, and later en- gaged in the railroad business, becoming identified eventually with the East Louisiana Railway, first as master mechanic but eventually became superin- tendent of the road, which position he held for some years. He then returned to Salem, Massachusetts. and engaged in contracting and building up to 1908, when he retired from active participation in busi- ness. Politically he is a republican, while his frater- nal relations are with the Knights of Pythias.

Charles B. Elwell pursued his elemental studies in the public schools of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Salem, Massachusetts, and then, having determined to make the practice of law his life work, he en- tered the law department of Georgetown University, where he was graduated with the class of 1912. He was admitted to the bar of the District of Co- lumbia in 1912, and in that same year was also admitted to the bar of Massachusetts. In 1913 Mr. Elwell came to Montana, was admitted to the bar and at once located at Havre, where he has ever since been identified with not only the legal profes- sion, but also with many other phases of the com- munity life. On January 1, 1915, he entered into a law partnership with Henry S. Kline, under the firm name of Kline & Elwell, and they make one of the strongest and most successful law firms of this section of the state. In 1915 Mr. Elwell was appointed United States commissioner, which posi- tion he is still filling.

During the World war Mr. Elwell enlisted in the service of his country, being assigned to the artillery branch, in which he received a commission as second lieutenant in November, 1918. He was mustered out on December 5, 1918, at Camp Taylor, Kentucky, and at once returned to his professional duties.

Politically Mr. Elwell is a stanch republican, while fraternally he is a member of Havre Lodge No. 55, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

On the 28th day of August, 1913, Mr. Elwell was united in marriage with Harriett E. Jarvis, who was born in Hancock County, Tennessee. Mr. El- well is essentially a man among men, moving as one who commands respect by innate force as well as by superior ability. As a citizen he is public spir- ited and enterprising; as a friend and neighbor he combines the qualities of head and heart that win confidence and command respect, so that in all things worth while he stands as a representative citi- zen of his community.

GEORGE W. GLASS received a good practical educa- tion in the public schools of Canada, and remained at home until after the family moved to North Dakota. There his first money was earned in 1880, as the driver of an ox team, for which he received $20 per month. Later he went to St. Paul, Minne- sota, where for eight years he was employed in a wholesale saddlery and hardware store. In 1909 he came to Montana, engaging in the lumber busi- ness at Dunkirk, in which he met with a gratifying degree of success. In the meantime he took a leading part in the organization of Hill County and on March 29, 1912, he was appointed clerk of the court, being regularly elected to the office in the following November. So eminently satisfactory was his discharge of his official duties that in No- vember, 1916, he was elected to succeed himself, and is thus the present incumbent of that office. He thoroughly understands every detail of the county official business and is courteous and obliging to all who have business to transact in his office, being a firm believer in the principle that "public office is a public trust." Therefore one does not have to seek far for the explanation of his popularity in that community.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 10

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 1144

Author: Stout, Tom, 1879- ed
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 1144