Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 118

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

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Falls, and it was a matter of the greatest satisfaction to him in after years that his choice was vindicated through the upbuilding and expansion of the city around his plant. Industry was maintained with steadily increasing growth, overcoming the normal adversities of business, and today the industry is one requiring the services of 100 or more employees. It was practically the only iron works in Montana which was assigned an important government con- tract during the World war.

L. S. Woodbury founded and developed the busi- ness, and at the same time helped promote the growth and upbuilding of Great Falls. After several years of feeble health he passed away, November 22, 1918, at the age of eighty years.

He was a notable figure in mining and mechanical industries. He was a member of the American In- stitute of Mining Engineers and the American So- ciety of Mechanical Engineers. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and was a Royal Arch Mason and Knight Templar Mason, be- ing initiated as a Mason when a very young man in the town of his birth. He was a republican, but he had never taken an active part in political affairs. A public-spirited citizen, energetic and progressive. He numbers a host of friends and was esteemed and respected by all.

Mr. Woodbury was married at Nashua, New Hampshire, May 1, 1861, to Mary Elizabeth Davis, who died September 3, 1867, leaving three children, Frederick Elwell, Mary Cerula and Laurieta Atilda. His second marriage, also at Nashua, was celebrated July 26, 1868. Emma E. Wayne was his second wife. She died May 21, 1920. The two children of this union were. Josephine Adele and Florentine Harriet.

The Great Falls Iron Works was practically a Woodbury family institution. Apart from its great productive capacity, its unique distinction rests in the fact that it is one of the few such institutions any- where of which a woman is directing head. For many years before the death of the founder many of the executive responsibilities had devolved upon his daughter Miss M. Cerula Woodbury. 'Mr. Wood- bury's daughters had taken stock in the business soon after it was incorporated in 1892. Miss Cerula Woodbury was elected a director in 1896, and in 1898 was made secretary-treasurer. In 1907 when her father's health and strength began to fail she gradu- ally assumed the duties which had been wholly dele- gated to his care, and even during the period when he was nominally president, she was the real execu- tive head. Then on the reorganization following her father's death she was chosen president, and also still holds the office of treasurer.

Miss Woodbury mastered every detail of the in- dustry and was associated with its business manage- ment in the times when she and her father had many adversities to contend with. For years she has kept in close touch not only with the business offices but with the machine shops, foundry, struc- tural and blacksmith shop and other departments of the works. She is president of the works because she has earned that right and responsibility, and in the best sense of the word is a business woman of sterling qualities with character beyond reproach and is thoroughly devoted to her work in life and with little time or inclination for society functions. Her hours of recreation are spent outdoors, and walking and mountain climbing are two of her favorite recreations.

FREDERICK ELWELL WOODBURY was a mining en- gineer and metallurgist of national distinction. While his great work was accomplished in the iron and copper districts of Northern Michigan he was

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financially interested in and at one time vice presi- dent of the great Woodbury institution in Montana, the Great Falls Iron Works. His career in part may therefore be claimed to the credit of Montana, and it is appropriate that a record of his life should be preserved here in connection with that of his honored father.

The work of his life has been described in a num- ber of scientific and other publications. He was for ten years a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, and it is from the May, 1914, Bulletin of the institute that the following article is largely taken.

'Mr. Woodbury, who among other interests at the time of his death was vice president of the Newport Mining Company, was killed by an accident at Iron- wood, Michigan, January 21, 1914. He had just reached that period in life when knowledge and capacity were at the peak of development and effi- ciency. He was born at Nashua, New Hampshire, April 7, 1862, only son of Leander S. and Mary (Davis) Woodbury. In 1870 his family moved to Burlington, Vermont, where he attended the public schools, graduating with honors from the high school in 1880. After a year in the civil service he went to the Lake Superior copper country, where his father was then engaged as superintendent of motive power for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company.

Mr. Woodbury entered the service of the same company in the civil engineering department, remain- ing there until 1884. He then spent two years as a special student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Returning to Calumet he was employed as assistant mining engineer by the Calumet and Hecla for about two years, when he was transferred to their smelting works as chemist, where he re- mained until 1890. From 1890 to 1892 he was em- ployed by Ferdinand Schlesinger of Milwaukee as mining engineer at the Chapin mine, Iron Mountain, Michigan. He then returned to the Calumet and Hecla, where for about four years he did special work as an expert in milling and concentrating. From 1896 to 1898 he was again associated with Mr. Schlesinger as mine manager at Ironwood. In 1898 he accepted a position as expert in charge of experi- ments at the Calumet and Hecla Stamp Mills. His work there resulted in greatly modifying and improv- ing milling practice in the Lake Superior copper country. The Woodbury system of concentration was developed during this period; but this system, unlike previous practice and in opposition to the then ac- cepted theories, the mixed sizes of ores are treated, thus largely eliminating the preliminary sizing. For this work he designed the Woodbury slime classi- fier, middling and bull jigs, now very largely used throughout the country. The Woodbury mortar- discharge jig, an ingenious device for removing large pieces of native copper from the stamp mortars, is among his valuable contributions to the development of the copper industry.

In 1900 Mr. Woodbury finally severed his con- nection with the Calumet and Hecla and renewed his connection with Mr. Schlesinger, which continued until his death. During these years he was technical adviser in all the various Schlesinger enterprises. He took an active part in the development of the New- port mine. He was an important factor also in the development of the coke-oven plant of the Milwaukee Coke & Gas Company from the time of its inception. Perhaps the most important work which he under- took in this connection was the design and installation of a plant for the preparation and mechanical load- ing of foundry coke into box cars. The successful solution of the problems met with was specially diffi- cult, due partly to local conditions, and because of

Mr. Woodbury's determination to improve upon all plants which up to that time had been in use for the purpose and which, in his opinion, only partly accom- plished the desired results. After much experimental work it was clear to him that it would be necessary to abandon practically everything which had been used and to begin anew. The development work covered several years, during which time many un- expected obstacles were encountered which would have spelled failure to a man of less determination. However, in accepting each new, unsatisfactory de- velopment in the light of a lesson, success finally at- tended his efforts, and he gained for himself the 'reputation of having developed the most complete mechanical arrangement for preparing and loading foundry coke in the United States.

He made careful investigations of many mining properties in this country, Canada, and Mexico, for which work he was especially well fitted. Under his supervision preliminary plans for the development of a coal property in Kentucky had recently been com- pleted.

Mr. Woodbury was married December 29, 1887, to Helen Grant Duncan, daughter of John Duncan, superintendent of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, Calumet, Michigan, who survives him.

Mr. Woodbury's personality was well described by one who knew him intimately for many years: "He was as a young man, intellectually keen, with a zest for life, yet generous, considerate, and of a peculiar- ly clean mind. The passing years with their respon- sibilities and trials seem to have developed the strong fiber of this man without producing anything of harshness. His character was marked by a most unusual blending of gentleness and strength. The world needs such men and his untimely loss is a great one; still he lived much and well, in the best sense, in his allotted time. He did much more both professionally and personally for his generation than is given to most men to accomplish in many more years. Those who knew him best most fully appre- ciated his worth."

Other opinions of friends and associates who knew intimately his daily life contained the following significant tribute : "He was a hero whose glory was not diminished by intimate association. His capacity for work was enormous and he worked untiringly. In character and achievement he was one of the great, good, noble men of our time."

Miss M. CERULA WOODBURY. In the years not long since folded into the history of the past, woman at the executive head of commercial business was re- garded with suspicion as to ability, and criticised as outside the sphere of her sex. Time has changed such things, however, and judgments have softened, while with the advent of woman as a factor in politi- cal and public affairs, the critics have retreated, and members of the gentler sex stand upon their merits in the field of business, politics and the professions. This has been made possible because of the type of women who have stepped into the business arena and have so creditably deported themselves as to com- mand respect and win recognition from their co- workers of the sterner sex. It is of this type that Miss M. Cerula Woodbury of Great Falls, Montana, must be classed, for she has, in her position as presi- dent-treasurer of the Great Falls Iron Works, proved her peculiar fitness for the trying position and has, through her years of experience in the iron foundry business so intimately informed herself as to its detail that she is recognized through the business Northwest as an expert in her line.

Miss Woodbury may be said to have been born to the business, for the iron works over which she pre-

M. Cenula Woodbury

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sides and which at capacity employs more than 150 men, was founded by her father, the late L. S. Wood- burv, some thirty years ago. She comes not only of a family trained in the manufacturing business, but of sturdy New England stock, having been born among the "Granite Hills" at Nashua, New Hamp- shire. Her schooling there and at Burlington, Ver- mont, gave her the educational advantages of that vigorous and patriotic section of the country and moulded her mind along lines of loyalty and ambi- tions attack that were destined to make her a useful citizen wherever she located. So it happened that when her father determined upon an iron works at Great Falls, she was to be one of his ablest and chiefest lieutenants and his logical successor to carry forward the work to greater limits when he was compelled to lay down the burden and respond to the call of the Great Reaper. Miss Woodbury, in the four years she has been president of the institution, has practically doubled its capacity, although those have been years of unsettlement and uncertainty due to effects of the World war. She is an optimist. Her eyes portray faith in her business and are cast to the future. She believes in the justice of service and maintains the most friendly relations with the employes in her factory. She aims to make her plant a benefit to the community both in its opportunity for those who labor to earn full return for their work and in the output that it sells on the market, being exactly what it is sold to be. Her time is given to her business without division, although when she finds business charts clear, she turns to such recrea- tion as suits her taste and finds flowers and other things of Nature her greatest attraction. Her camera affords her happiest pastime and on hikes and oc- casional mountain climbing, this stores away for her many pleasant memories on the printed film.

Her sincere and faithful attention to business and * her loyalty to friends has cemented for her a broad circle of friendships and were she inclined to turn her ability to politics, she would find a cordial wel- come in that field, as she has frequently been urged to enter the contest for mayoralty honors in her home city where she is so favorably known. She is a liberal giver to worthy charities and a loyal supporter of all civic enterprises, as well as a discriminating supporter of concerns intended to add to the indus- trial welfare of her state. She is a member of the Congregational Church, the Order of Eastern Star, the White Shrine of Jerusalem, the Business Wom- en's Club, the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's clubs, and the American Min- ing Congress. Her parents, a sister, and an only brother are deceased. She has two sisters, Mrs. A. I. Jones of Maplewood Avenue, Rochester, New York, and Mrs. Warren S. Blauvelt of Norway Road, Ann Arhor, 'Michigan.

GUSTAV OIE, who was the first banker at Scobey, represents many of the finest ideals of the business and social service that are more and more coming to be the accepted standards of good banking. His own prosperity is only a very modest reward for all the work he has done, the influences he has thrown out to help the community and the individuals in it, and any locality is fortunate that can count among its citizens such men as Gustav Oie.

Mr. Oie, who was one of the original settlers of the Scobey locality and came here with a banker's experience, was born at Madison, Minnesota, March 15, 1887. His father, Swen E. Oie, born at Trond- jem, Norway, in 1857 married at Madison, Minne- sota, Serena Gunderson, who was born at Stavan- ger, Norway, in 1864. At the time of their marriage they were people in very modest circumstances and

started life on their homestead at Madison with a limited equipment and practically no capital. They developed a farm, and after selling the homestead moved to Roseau, where he again entered and proved up a homestead. His 200-acre farm there is close to the town, and he still gives his active attention to its grain and other crops. He has taken a lead in building up the creamery industry, and in fact is interested in all matters for general development. Swen Oie is a republican, a member of the Lutheran Church, and has held several local offices in Minne- sota. He and his wife had the following children : Lizzie, wife of Olof Hildahl, of Greenbush, Minne- sota ; Clara, wife of S. T. Holdahl, of Roseau; Evan, of Kalispell, Montana; Gustav; Selmer, who paid the supreme sacrifice as an American soldier dur- ing the Argonne campaign in France, and his name is now honored by the Selmer Oie Post of Veterans of Foreign Wars at Scobey; Josie, wife of John Gunderson, of Halstead, Minnesota; Oscar, asso- ciated with his brother at Scobey; Elmer, a student in the Fargo Business College at Fargo, North Da- kota; and Mollie and Helen, both at home.

Gustav Oie grew up from the age of twelve at Roseau, Minnesota, attended public schools and a business college, and acquired his education beyond that of the common schools by his own work. He left home at the age of fourteen, clerked in a country store at Ross, Minnesota, subsequently was employed as a clerk by his brother-in-law at Green- bush, and at the age of nineteen entered the First National Bank of Roseau as bookkeeper and assist- ant cashier. He rapidly mastered the principles of banking and distinguished himself by his keen finan- cial judgment, so that he was well qualified to become associated with men of capital in promoting the banking business.

Mr. Oie came to Montana in 1909, and for about a year was looking over various sections of the state in search of an opening for a new bank. At that time his ambition and previous experience consti- tuted his chief capital, and the big success of his life has been a matter of ten years.

He identified himself with what is now Sheridan County in November, 1910, and the following March began his connection as a banker at old Scobey, as member of the firm T. Anderson, Oie & Company, private bankers, who operated with a capital of $10,000. Mr. Oie was the cashier. The firm built their banking home at old Scobey, and subsequently removed it to the new town and it is still sheltering the Citizens State Bank. The institution grew and developed until it had resources of about $60,000. The new Town of Scobey was planted on the rail- way, and the bank was one of the first concerns to leave the old town and locate at the new, its present location being lot 1, in block 6. Since June, 1916, it has been under a state charter. The Citizens State Bank has a capital of $25,000, surplus and un- divided profits of $35,000, and the deposits aggre- gate $500,000. The bank has paid regular annual dividends notwithstanding severe adversities due to conditions of recent years. The officers are: T. An- derson, president ; T. Lundevall, vice president ; Gus- tav Oie, cashier; and E. A. Lund, assistant cashier, these officers comprising also the board of directors.

Mr. Oie helped organize in 1916 and has since been secretary of the Citizens Loan Company of Scobey, employing a capital of $25,000 and total re- sources of $200,000. The officers are: T. Lundevall, president ; Mr. Oie, secretary and treasurer. Another important enterprise in which Mr. Oie is deeply interested is the Citizens Realty Company, which was organized with a capital of $15,000. Mr. Oie is president and Mr. Lundevall secretary. This is a

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land-holding corporation, and has resources of $50,000. Mr. Oie helped organize the Scobey Drug Company, capitalized at $25,000, with Doctor Collin- son as president and Mr. Oie as vice president. This company does the leading retail drug business throughout this section of Sheridan County. Mr. Oie was one of the organizers of the Fifelake Se- curity Company, a private fiduciary institution, intended as a farm loan and general banking concern.

The ownership of the Scobey townsite was. vested in Mr. Oie, and he supervised the sale of the lots on easy payments, and handled the matter in a way to promote the most substantial development of the town. Altogether about 8,000 acres around Scobey are under his ownership, and some 3,500 acres are being farmed under lease to tenants. He has ex- erted his influence directly toward bringing much of this land under cultivation. Recent years have been a real test to the character of a local banker and business man, and it is a matter of community pride that Mr. Oie has so completely exemplified the character of a public spirited and generous citizen. He lent a helping hand toward helping many farmers who out of necessity required some aid in order to stay in the face of adversity, and he showed his faith in these men and also in the substantial re- sources of the country by many acts of practical helpfulness which will never be recorded except in the hearts of the recipients.

Mr. Oie was honored by election as the first mayor of Scobey, filling that, post from 1913 to 1915. He is a director of the local Commercial Club, and dur- ing the World war was chairman of the Four- Minute men of the locality, and effectively aided the Liberty Loan drives and was a working member of the County Council of Defense. Personally and as a banker he put the resources of the institution at the service of its customers in handling Liberty Bond purchases and in promoting other drives for funds.

Mr. Oie was reared in a republican home, and cast his first presidential vote for Colonel Roosevelt. His home at Scobey was moved from old Scobey and is one of the modest and comfortable residences of the new town. Mr. Oie has been liberal of his means in the promotion of churches and other en- terprises depending upon the general support of the public for their success.

At Marshalltown, Iowa, November 10, 1912, he married Miss Addie Bell, who was born at Mar- shalltown, a daughter of S. C. Bell. Mrs. Oie died January 4, 1919, leaving two children, Sanford and Gustav, Jr.

C. EARL VARCO. Many men enter the mercantile arena, but all do not remain, especially in these strenuous days of fierce competition and changing values. In order for a man to succeed in conducting a large concern which depends upon the good will and patronage of the neighborhood he must possess characteristics which will enable him to form de- sirable connections with sources of supply so that he can keep up his stocks and offer them at a reasonable figure. He must be able to estimate accu- rately the demand of his section and meet it promptly and satisfactorily, and he must also have that quality which will induce others to render a whole-hearted return for the remuneration received, for without the latter it is impossible to give a high class service. The successful merchant must also be an excellent judge of men and the motives which govern them so he may extend credit only to the man who is worthy of it and not accumulate a pile of bad debts. In fact, when any man is able to establish and successfully carry on for a definite period a flourish-

ing mercantile concern his ability is pretty conclu- sively proven beyond any question of doubt. Such a man is C. Earl Varco, managing head of the Yel- lowstone Mercantile Company of Sidney.

Mr. Varco was born in Mower County, Minnesota, April 16, 1883, a son of Charles R. Varco and grand- son of Thomas Varco, a native of England, who came to America and for a number of years lived in Ontario, Canada, where he was engaged in farm- ing. Late in life he came to the United States, and was one of the pioneers of Mower County, Minne- sota, and where he rounded out his useful life and is there buried.

Charles R. Varco was born in Ontario, Canada, but was brought to this country by his parents when he was three years of age, and was reared and edu- cated in Minnesota. In young manhood he embarked in a mercantile business at Austin, Minnesota, and for a third of a century was occupied in operating it. He is still residing at Austin, where he is re- garded as one of the community's most representa- tive citizens and public spirited men. Voting the republican ticket, he has always given the principles and candidates of his party a conscientious support, and although never permitting the use of his name on the ticket, he has given his time and energies toward forwarding the measures which in his judg- ment would work out for the good of the majority. Charles R. Varco was married to Miss Isabel Gem- mel, a daughter of Andrew Gemmel, a native of Scotland, who married a lady of Canadian birth after coming to America. Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Varco became the parents of the following children: Ray, who lives at Miles City, Montana; C. Earl, whose name heads this review; Lynn, who lives at Fair- view, Montana; and Walter, who is associated with his brother in the Yellowstone Mercantile Company.

C. Earl Varco was reared in Austin, Minnesota, where he attended the public schools and high school." Graduating when he was seventeen years old, he went into his father's business and there learned its details thoroughly. In August, 1906, Mr. Varco came to Sidney, Montana, for he realized that he had gone as far at Austin as the limitations of the com- munity would permit. His common sense suggested that in the less congested sections of the country there would be better openings for a young man of ambitious ideas, and subsequent events have proven the wisdom of his decision to locate at Sid- ney. Immediately upon his arrival here he took steps to secure the establishment of the present large mercantile house he is so ably managing.

Mr. Varco began in a modest manner, housing his concern in a frame structure he now uses as a warehouse. It was one of the early store-rooms built on the main street of Sidney, and it served until 1915, when Mr. Varco erected his present busi- ness home, a one-story buff brick building 75 by 108 feet, in which he has one of the leading department stores of Richland County. Mr. Varco associated with him several of the substantial men of the city and incorporated the enterprise under the name of the Yellowstone Mercantile Company, with himself as president and general manager. Believing in en- couraging local concerns, Mr. Varco has invested quite heavily in the First National Bank of Sidney. A strong republican, he was elected on the straight party ticket a member of the Sidney City Council, and while serving as a councilman he encouraged and supported the measure providing for the instal- lation of a water plant and a system of sewerage, and lent his vote to the preliminary work of organ- izing a lighting plant.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 118

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