Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 164

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

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high price of 25 cents a pound. He gave up the sheep business in 1913 because of financial difficul- ties, and in a duration of thirty-six months he dis- posed of 17,000 head at the average price of $1.98 a head.

After going out of the sheep business Mr. O'Neill turned his attention to the cattle industry and has since handled the Herefords under the "ON" and "3 bar gate" brands. He produces them for beef, and has become one of the most prominent cattle shippers of the region.

Mr. O'Neill entered his homestead at the mouth of Trail Creek, also an additional homestead under more recent legislation, and his domain now em- braces 1,100 acres along Powder River. His pio- neer home was built at the mouth of Trail Creek, a log structure now being used by the "TN" Cattle Company. The improvements where he now lives are of his own making and add materially to the appearance of the community. Mr. O'Neill is also interested with his brother in the wholesale produce business, and in his livestock interests he is associ- ated with his sister.

In Custer County, Montana, October 21, 1901, Mr. O'Neill was married to Miss Margaret C. Mc- Kenzie. Her father, John G. Mckenzie, brought his family from Stillwater, Minnesota, to Montana, in 1892, locating at Miles City. He engaged in the hotel business there. His death occurred, however, on the O'Neill ranch when he had reached the age of eighty-five years, and his widow passed away there a few years later. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters, namely: Mrs. Ken- neth McLean, of Miles City; Alexander G., whose home is at Salt Lake; Mrs. W. T. Perham, of Glen- dive, Montana; Mrs. O'Neill, who was born in Still- water, Minnesota; Fay W. and Royal Mckenzie, who are the two youngest of the family and are Powder River stock men. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill: Aileen, Thomas A., Robert, Margaret, Emmet and Roma.

Mr. O'Neill has always taken an active part in the civic and political activities of his community and his county, and as a democrat has made himself known and felt locally. He was elected to the Thir- teenth Montana Legislature, where he served under Speaker 'McDonald, and his committee assignments were appropriations and mileage, and his interests lay principally in livestock legislation in opposition to measures prepared in the interest of so called farming. He also introduced some road legislation, embracing the idea of contract and specified road work, but this measure failed of passage as a re- sult of lobbying against it. He supported Walsh for election to the United States Senate, and he was a friend of Senator Clark during the latter's political regime. Mr. O'Neill served as a committeeman for Custer County as a member of the State Demo- cratic Committee, continuing in that office for about ten years, and he has attended most of the state conventions of his party since 1892.

FRANKLIN J. MURPHY. Any gathering of old time Montana trailsmen and cattle men would be incom- plete as a representative convention if Franklin J. Murphy was absent. From his standpoint as a cow- boy and rancher he has known this country for forty years, and he has been in at the making of cattle range history over all the great range states and territories from Texas to the Canadian boun- dary.

Mr. 'Murphy was born at Orange, New Jersey, September 24, 1858. His grandfather, Dennis Mur- phy, an Irishman, was a laboring man in New York City, where he died. His only child was John Dennis

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Murphy, who was born in New York City and mar- ried Sarah C. Jacobus, a native of New Jersey and of Holland Dutch stock. In 1869 when Franklin J. Murphy was eleven years of age his parents moved to southwestern Texas, locating in Frio County. John D. Murphy was a farmer and rancher there until his death. His widow died at the home of her son in Miles City in 1914, at the age of eighty-four. Her children were: Mrs. Mary Hilliard, who lives at Billings; Sarah, her twin sister, who married Will Campbell and died in New Jersey; Mrs. Jennie Stephenson, who died in New Jersey; and Frank- lin J.

Franklin J. 'Murphy received most of his education in common schools before the family went to Texas. He grew up in one of the most remote districts of the Lone Star State, and just as naturally as a boy along the sea coast turns to the career of a sailor he took to cow punching. He got his earliest experi- ences in that industry fully as early as 1875. Besides riding the range for some of the immense herds that grazed over the southwestern Texas prairies he also drove the trail north to Dodge City for two trips, one trip to Fort Hayes, and made his final trip from the south to Julesburg, Colorado. From there he went into the Black Hills district of the Dakotas and joined a buffalo skin hunting outfit. It was .with this outfit that he made his original entry into Mon- tana in the month of October, 1879. He is one of the last survivors of the white men who were in Eastern Montana at that time. That fall after load- ing his wagons with hides and meat the buffalo hunters returned to Deadwood and spent the winter. In the spring of 1880 Mr. Murphy engaged in freight- ing as a "bull whacker" between Mandan and Dead- wood and Pierre and Deadwood, continuing that work until the summer of 1881. He was in the serv- ice of Jim Vance, who ran an outfit of thirty wagons with ten yoke of cattle to the wagon. His next ex- perience began at Sidney, Nebraska, where he boarded a train for Kelton, Utah, and then traveled by stage to Baker City, Oregon. In Oregon he joined the "N bar" outfit, which soon afterward started five herds of cattle over the trail towards Running Water, Nebraska, but diverted four of these herds to Montana to the newly acquired ranch on Powder River, while the fifth herd was sent for beef to the Pine Ridge Indian Agency. Mr. Murphy came into Montana with this outfit, and remained a cowboy for the old ranching concern along Powder River. Later for two years he worked for Billy Moses, manager of the "v v v" outfit, and still later for Rus Wilson on Grand River, the "E-6" outfit, and also for the Hash Knife outfit run by Billy LaForce. His last work as a cowboy was for Joe Scott on Powder River with the "G-H" outfit managed by Bud Burdette. That ended his employment by others, and he then began ranching for Franklin J. Murphy on the Yellowstone River at Shirley.

Mr. Murphy started his operations there with 150 head of common range cattle, his headquarters being on Brook Creek near Shirley. For several years he grazed the public domain. His "NF-quarter circle" became one of the well known brands of that vicinity. This ranch he exchanged for that of the Concord Cattle Company on Mizpah Creek, securing the com- pany's improvements and a squatter's right. The land had been only recently surveyed, and he filed a homestead claim to a quarter section. On this quarter his ranch headquarters and other improve- ments are now located. The old ranch and that which brings comfort and accommodations to trav- elers is the one he now occupies. Since then he has been engaged continuously in the cattle business. He added to his homestead a desert claim and also

a railroad section, giving him a domain of 960 acres in one body. Mr. Murphy is distinctly a cattleman, but has also become interested in farming owing to the change in climatic conditions and the need of winter feed for the stock.

He is one of the supervisors of the road district of Custer County, also one of the local appraisers of the Federal Farm Loan Bank, and he served as secretary of the local council for war work. He aided in putting his district over on all demands made by the Government for funds. Mrs. Murphy was also one of the energetic Red Cross workers, and she is a factor in the community life as post- mistress of Mizpah at the ranch headquarters. Mr. Murphy and family have for twenty years been resident of the locality at the mouth of the Mizpah on Powder River. Politically he has attended a num- ber of democratic conventions. He served as a deputy sheriff under Sheriff Hugh R. Wells, and at an earlier date was a deputy under Sheriff William Savage.

In Custer County January 10, 1893, Mr. Murphy married Miss Mary E. Smith, daughter of Dr. J. W. and 'Mary (Krohn) Smith. Her father was a veteri- nary surgeon, who moved from Louisville, Kentucky, to St. Peter, Minnesota, and a number of years later to Spokane, Washington, where he is still living. Mrs. Smith died in St. Peter. Mrs. Murphy, who was born in 1868, has an older brother, William C. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy have an adopted daughter, Elizabeth.

In 1882, when Mr. Murphy entered Montana as a cowboy, he saw about the last remnants of buffalo running at large. A few small bands were scattered about but disappeared altogether in a couple of years. The gray wolf roamed in bands over this region until a very recent time, and was very destructive to all kinds of live stock. The mountain lion, though not so numerous, was a dangerous pest, while the coyote was a menace only to the sheep.

JOHN HENRY HASTY. Both as a ranchman of the Yellowstone Valley and commissioner of Custer County John Henry Hasty is deserving of more than passing notice, having in both capacities won the respect of his fellow citizens because of his ability and effective ideas. He was born in Aroos- took County, Maine, January 24, 1857, a son of John Henry Hasty also a native of Maine, born in that state in 1832. The elder Mr. Hasty after completing a collegiate course went into lumber- ing, and followed that calling all of his active life. When the news reached him of the outbreak of the war between the North and the South he was engaged in driving logs down the Aroostook River, but he "hung up his drive," settled with his men, and immediately enlisted in the Union army as a member of Company C, Fifteenth Maine Volunteer Infantry, and was assigned to the Army of the Po- tomac. Enlisting as a private, he rose rapidly and was mustered out after three years of service as captain of his company. In 1870 ,he went to Minne- apolis, Minnesota, and continued in the lumber busi- ness until his health failed, principally operating in the vicinity of Grand Rapids, that state. He was a strong advocate of republican principles and doc- trines, and was equally staunch in his support of the Episcopal Church, of which he was a consistent mem- ber, and his wife also held to the same creed. His death occurred in 1909, but his widow survives him and lives in Minneapolis, although eighty-five years of age. Her maiden name was 'Martha R. Goss, and she is a daughter of Thomas Goss, born near Bangor, Maine, who spent his active years as a farmer and stockman. He married a Miss Chase, and they had

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thirteen children. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hasty, Sr., became the parents of the following children: John Henry, whose name heads this review; Martha R., who is the wife of D. M. Warner, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Lydia W., who married E. E. Wit- chie, of Minneapolis.

The Hasty family is a very old one in the United States, it being claimed that one of the name came to the colonies in the historic Mayflower. As far back as there are any definite records the Hasty family has been connected with lumbering interests. The paternal grandfather of John Henry Hasty of this review had the following children: John H., who was the father of John Henry, Jr .; Daniel, who spent his life in Maine, Minnesota and Montana, and is now living near Baker, of the last named state; and Lydia, who married William Winchell and died leaving a family now residing in Maine.

A defect in eyesight deprived John Henry Hasty of the usual amount of educational training, but being an unusually intelligent man he has remedied this by close observation and study. Before he reached his majority he was self-supporting, having entered the employ of the Minneapolis Street Rail- road Company and remained there for four years, rising until he was in charge of the main barn of the company. Leaving this employment, he went into a merchandise business and was doing well until he, like many other small dealers, was af- fected by the low-tariff policies of the Cleveland administration, and lost what he had invested. He then began handling grain and milling, and was so engaged at Minneapolis for nearly ten years. Too close application to business brought about a failure in his health, and acting upon the suggestion of his physicians he sought a change of climate. Mr. Hasty reached Terry, Montana, on April 7, 1900, and was so impressed with the improvement he felt almost immediately that he decided to locate here permanently and embark in the cattle business. Pur- suant to that resolution Mr. Hasty bought the ranch settled in 1883 by Watkins and Sons, located on Sandstone Creek, about fifty-five miles southeast of Terry, and lived on it for eleven years, raising horses, cattle and sheep. He ran his stock under the brand "Lazy P-hanging H," and his enterprise developed from a modest undertaking to one of large propor- tions, his cattle numbering thousands and being of the Shorthorn and White Face strains, while his horses were of the Percheron strain, and bred highly. Mr. Hasty not only was well known during this pe- riod as a shipper to the Chicago market, but also as an aggressive stock dealer.

At the expiration of eleven years he sold his ranch and coming to Miles City bought the W. B. John- ston ranch under the Yellowstone and Tongue River irrigation ditch, and since then his efforts have been devoted more to farming than to stockraising. Grain, alfalfa and potatoes constitute his main crops, and his accessibility to water insures his continuance in this line. His improvements have been added to by him in a substantial manner, including the modernization of his residence by the introduction of electric light, hot and cold water and sanitary conveniences, and the erection of a commodious barn.

As a citizen Mr. Hasty has ever taken an active part in public affairs. He learned from his father the principles advocated by the republican party, and adopted them as his own, casting his first presi- dential vote for James A. Garfield, and never since has missed voting at a presidential election, nor swerved from his support of republican candidates. His first official service was performed as commis- sioner of Custer County, to which office he was elected in 1918, his colleagues on the board being Joseph R. Mckay and P. S. Richardson. The board has

directed much attention to the development of good roads, and the district under 'Mr. Hasty's supervi- sion contains about 125 miles of post. roads and the Yellowstone Trail, and in addition to these the laterals have been worked and placed in commis- sion as available highways. A settlement of the business affairs between Custer and Powder River counties has been arrived at satisfactorily by this board, and it is considering a road project under the State Highway Commission which calls for an outlay of $11,000 on the part of Custer County.

John Henry Hasty was married at Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 5, 1879, to Jennie Crow, a daughter of George and Clarinda J. (Ellsworth) Crow, the latter being a cousin of Lieut. Elmer Ellsworth, the first man killed in the war between the states, his death resulting from an attack made upon him by a hotelman named Jackson at Alex- andria, Virginia. George Crow was born in Michi- gan in 1834, but went to the vicinity of Sandusky, Ohio, where he was engaged in farming at the time of his marriage. In 1858 he went to Minne- sota and was in that state at the time of the out- break of the Chippewa and Sioux Indians, and he and his family were driven from their homestead by the dusky warriors. In 1862 Mr. Crow enlisted in Company I, Seventh Minnesota Volunteer In- fantry, and died in the service of his country in December, 1864. His widow passed away in De- cember, 1884. She was seven years his junior. Their children were as follows: William A., Henry, Fred and Mrs. Hasty, the latter being the only survivor of her parents' family. She was born in Stearns County, Minnesota, on July 2, 1860, and was educated in the public schools of that locality. Mr. and Mrs. Hasty have a daughter, Ada Belle. She married N. A. Eggleston, of Ellensburg, Wash- ington, and they have the following children: Altha Bernice, Glen Hasty, Harlan John, Lola Jane, Ruth and Delberta. Mr. Hasty is a Master Mason, an Odd Fellow, Knight of Pythias, and also belongs to the Sons of Veterans, the Foresters and Ancient Order of United Workmen.

CHARLES H. MILLER. Few citizens of Carter County are more widely and favorably known than Charles H. Miller, of Piniele. His life has become a part of the history of the community in which he lives, and his active and honorable business career has brought him before the public in such a way as to gain the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens and give him a reputation such as few of his contemporaries have attained. Keen perception, tireless energy and honesty of purpose, combined with mature judgment and every-day com- mon sense, have ever been among his most prom- inent characteristics, and while laboring for indi- vidual success and for the material interests of the community he has also been largely instrumental in promoting the moral welfare of those with whom he has mingled.

Charles H. Miller was born in Boswell, Ohio, on August 9, 1859, and is a son of Noah and Sa- mantha (Grable) Miller. Noah Miller came of stanch old Dutch stock of Pennsylvania, from which state he came to Ohio, locating in Boswell, where he en- gaged in the mercantile business. He married there and spent the rest of his life there, dying at the comparatively early age of thirty-two years, while his widow passed away at the age of thirty-seven. The latter was the daughter of Jonathan Grable. Mr. and 'Mrs. Miller left three children, namely : Alice, who became the wife of J. N. Rickards and died at Beatrice, Nebraska; Alva M., of Oil Cen- ter, California; and Charles H., of this review.

After the death of his parents Charles H. Miller

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made his home with his mother's people, living with his maternal grandmother until her death, her home being in the Village of Aetna, Ohio. He received a good practical education in the public schools. When the time came for him to take up life's responsibilities on his own account he turned his face westward, his first location being at Beatrice, Nebraska, where he obtained employment as a clerk in a hardware store. Two years later he engaged in the hardware business for himself at Kearney, Nebraska, being so engaged from 1879 to 1891, when he went to Boise City, Idaho, where he spent eight years, engaged in the mercantile business. Then for a few years he was in business in Spokane, Washington, whence he moved into the Black Hills country, spending the following nine years in Dead- wood. Then for a year he was a resident of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, where he was engaged in business. On March 15, 1911, Mr. Miller came to the locality where he now lives and with which he has been actively and closely identified ever since. At that time he opened a mercantile establishment, which he conducted for six years, selling the busi- ness at the end of that time to the Piniele Mercan- tile Company. That was the pioneer store of this section of the county and it was a financial success from the beginning. Mr. Miller entered a home- stead in section 23, and upon a portion of his entry the Village of Piniele is located.

Piniele was promoted actively by Mr. Miller and his associates, and the fourteen acres devoted to the townsite were platted by him. He erected the first building on the site, which served as his first residence and store, and which is now the hotel, and the other buildings of the place have almost alto- gether come into existence through his assistance and aid. He is a stockholder of the Piniele Mill- ing Company, and aided in the erection of its build- ing, and is also a stockholder in the Piniele Mer- cantile Company and in the Piniele State Bank, of which he was a promoter and is the vice president. Mr. Miller was appointed United States land com- missioner soon after he came here and for seven years he has filled that office. It is through his court that filings of lands have frequently been made and through the same court that titles to lands have been passed to the actual settlers. He tries con- tests and all disputes over the rights of the settlers on the public domain and represents the Govern- ment in the taking of testimony and then submits the case to the Government for final decision.

In Kearney, Nebraska, on October 31, 1883, Mr. Miller was married to Clara B. Scott, who was born at Sheffield, Illinois, on April 13, 1864, the daugh- ter of Albert G. and Emily E. (Smith) Scott. Mr. Scott was born on June 12, 1825, at Barry, Ver- mont, and received a liberal education. He became an active business man in Sheffield, Illinois, but in 1879 he moved to Kearney, Nebraska, where he established himself as a grain dealer. He be- came prominent in public affairs, being World's Fair Commissioner for Nebraska and in many ways evincing a live interest in the public welfare. While a citizen of Illinois he served in the Legislature of that state. He was a republican in politics, a member of the Masonic Order and of the Congre- gational Church. His death occurred in Holdredge, Nebraska, on June 30, 1895, while his widow passed away in Spokane, Washington, on July 3, 1899. Their two children who reached maturity were Mrs. Miller and Herbert W., who was a grain dealer in Hastings, Nebraska, and died in 1908. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born three daugh- ters, namely: Laura Scott, the wife of Charles S. Einsel, of Piniele, Montana; Katherine Emily, the wife of Fred A. Porter, of Atlanta, Nebraska ;

and Alberta A., who is a graduate of the Spearfish Normal School and has spent two years as a teacher in the public schools.

Politically Mr. Miller is a stanch supporter of the republican party, having cast his first presi- dential vote for Gen. James A. Garfield. He joined the Masonic fraternity at Kearney, Nebraska, in 1882, and is now a member of the Blue Lodge at Deadwood, where he also belongs to the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, the Commandery of Knights Templar and the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. His career presents a notable example of those qualities of mind and character which overcome obstacles and win success, and be- cause of these things he enjoys to an unusual de- gree the confidence and good will of the entire community.

EDGAR C. BUSSERT. As a town community thor- oughly adequate in all its resources and with a citizenship far above the average, Forsyth is prop- erly proud of its schools and educational work. The city has been fortunate in having continuously the high class ability and services of Edgar C. Bussert as superintendent of schools for nearly ten years. Mr. Bussert is an exceptionally able school adminis- trator and has handled the local situation in a most admirable manner, co-operating with the progressive forces in the community, using his initiative and leadership where needed, and in every way possible re-enforcing and building up school standards that are a matter of just pride to the community.

Coming from a state that has contributed so many prominent men to the professions and states- manship Mr. Bussert was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, May 16, 1880. He comes of a family of farmers, and is a grandson of Solomon Bussert, who came from Maryland early in the history of Ohio and settled along the edge of the southeastern hills in Hocking County, a wooded and farming district adjacent to the rolling coal and mineral region of the state. There he opened a farm out of the timber, and from that locality his descend- ants have scattered to other points of the United States. Asher Bussert, the oldest of the nine chil- dren of Solomon, was fifteen years of age when his father died, and he had a limited education and early assumed serious responsibilities as head of the household. Though too young for front line duty in the Civil war, he belonged to the Squir- rel Brigade. His quiet and earnest efforts were in the main devoted to farming, and he lived in his locality until his death, at the age of sixty- nine. He married Mary Koch, whose people came out of Pennsylvania, and were, like the Busserts, of German ancestry. She is still living, the mother of three children, Mrs. Frank Reed, of Fairfield County ; Edgar C .; and Frank R., a Chicago busi- ness man.

Edgar C. Bussert graduated from the Fairfield Union Academy at Pleasantville, Ohio, at the age of twenty, and soon afterward began his career as a traveling salesman .for E. R. Dumont of Chi- cago. For three years he covered an important territory east of the Mississippi River, but in that time conceived that his talents and duties belonged in the field of education. He therefore entered the Ohio State University, acquiring his Bachelor's degree in 1908 and two years later, after an inter- val of teaching, his Master's degree. For a time he was superintendent of the public schools of New Lexington, Ohio, and came direct from there to Montana to assume his duties as superintendent of schools at Forsyth, the only town and position with which his work as an educator has been identified in this state. He has been constantly alert and busy

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 164

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