Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 196

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 196

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About this time the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company began extending its road westward, and Mr. Comstock followed in its wake, having in mind the project of homesteading some- where. He secured his claim adjoining the town site of Marmath, North Dakota, and in conjunc- tion with his brother, William R. Comstock, or- . ganized the Comstock Brothers Lumber Company and conducted its yard for two years, during which period he was proving up his land, for which in due time he received his patent. His first home on this land was a frame structure 16 by 24 feet, of two rooms, and in it he sheltered his family while he engaged in business at Marmath. At the expiration of the two years the brother sold their lumber yard to the Carpenter-Webster Lumber Company, an organization they helped to perfect, and Mr. Comstock located permanently at Baker, while his brother continued in charge of the yard at Marmath. In addition to his lumber interests Mr. Comstock is vice president of the First Na- tional Bank of Baker, which he assisted in organiz- ing, and he owns a ranch in the vicinity of Baker.

On September 6, 1899, Mr. Comstock was united in marriage with Gertrude Weden at Ladd, Wis- consin. She is one of four daughters born to her parents. Mr. Weden, who was a farmer for a number of years, died in Southern Minnesota, but his widow survive's and is now living at Minneapo- lis, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Comstock have one daughter, Gertrude R., who was born September 29. 1904. She is now attending school at New Haven, Connecticut.

Mr. Comstock is a republican, and cast his first presidential ballot for William Mckinley. He is a member of the Mississippi Valley Lumbermen's Association, and attends its annual meetings. Ba- ker Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, has him as one of its charter members, and he has passed all of its chairs and also belongs to the En- campment, and has sat in the Grand Lodge upon two occasions. Both he and his wife belong to the Rebekahs. ' A Mason, Mr. Comstock belongs to Sandstone Lodge No. 84, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons; was made a Chapter Mason at Miles City, Montana, and also a Knight Templar, and then was made a Noble of the Mystic Shrine at Helena, now belonging to Algeria Temple, An-

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cient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Order of Eastern Star. A man of experience in his line of business, Mr. Comstock is able to conduct it in a manner that reflects credit on himself and yields profit to his company. Having centered his interests at Baker, he is one of the boosters of the city, and can be depended upon to give an active and effective sup- port to all measures looking toward its further advancement.

GEORGE E. HOUGH. Among the business men of Baker who identified themselves with the town in its infancy is Hon. George E. Hough, mayor of the town and founder and builder of the Baker telephone system and exchange. He came into Montana in 1909 and in December of that year cast his lot with this place. The immediate object of his settlement here was to engage in the telephone business, and within six months the exchange was in operation and the people of Baker put into ver- bal communication with the outside world. The sys- tem started operation with thirty-five phones and the plant grew with the forward movement of the town until 1917, when 'Mr. Hough sold it with 200 phones on the exchange. With the sale of this plant went also the plant at Ismay, Montana, which was installed by Mr. Hough in 1916 and developed into a system with forty phones.

Mr. Hough came to Montana from Stickney, South Dakota, where he installed a telephone plant four years before he parted with it and abandoned the state. The construction of that system marked his first connection with the business and marks also his entry into a successful business life. Prior to this he had proved up on a claim which he drew in the Government lottery of the Rosebud Indian Reservation lands, his claim being but a half mile from the Town of Gregory, South Dakota. When he entered upon the work of complying with the law regarding homesteads there he built a house of frame of one room, and in this maintained bache- lor quarters until he married, and this roof shel- tered himself and wife until he parted with his land. Two years after he occupied his claim he acquired title to it, and the sale of it provided the capital with which he entered the telephone business.

George E. Hough was the first child born at Ha- warden, South Dakota, his natal day being Septem- ber 28, 1882. His father was James Hough, who immigrated from Indiana to that region about 1871 and spent some ten years as a railroad contractor on different lines of railroads in the Dakotas. He had a contract between Mitchell and Chamberlain, build- ing grade for the Milwaukee company, and another contract between Sioux City and Hawarden for the . Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. He subsequently purchased a farm in Cedar County, Nebraska, and cultivated it with his sons for a few years, but moved finally to Minnesota, and at present is a resi- dent of Shakopee, that state. James Hough was born in Indiana in 1857, one of the five children of a native of England who immigrated to the United States, fought as a soldier during the Civil war, and spent the rest of his life in Indiana. James Hough married Margaret Falstroff, daughter of John Fal- stroff, of German blood, and to this union there were born: Charles, of Minnesota; James, of Wabasha, Minnesota; Daniel, of Tindall, South Dakota; George E., of this notice ; Lloyd, of Hutchinson, Min- nesota ; and Harry. of Shakopee, Minnesota.

George E. Hough's education was acquired in the public schools, and his first important achievement was the proving up of a homestead, his early labors

being those connected with work on a farm. The cap- ital from his homestead was the starting factor in his connection with the telephone business, leading him into a channel that gave his career an agreeable flavor among business men. When he first saw Baker it was a hamlet with three stores, a bank, three lumber yards, a hotel and two restaurants, and when South Baker was only a cow pasture separated from the future county seat by a deep and wide draw. Feeling a vital interest in the welfare of the infant city, he became eventually one of its substantial builders. Four dwellings in Baker proper, besides his own residence, a bungalow in beautiful South Baker, have come into being by his investment and under his direction.

Mr. Hough became connected with the government of Baker as a member of the city council in the spring of 1916. He served with colleagues Lewellyn Price, William O'Loughlin and Edward C. Lentz, and resigned to take the mayoralty to fill a vacancy in April, 1919. During his administration the install- ment of the water works has been accomplished and bonds for the extension of sewers were voted in December, 1919. Since retiring from the operation of the telephone system Mr. Hough has been Baker's sales agent for the Buick and Dodge automobiles. He purchased and converted into a garage the old Baker Opera House, where his salesroom is now maintained.

Mr. Hough was married while proving up on his homestead in South Dakota, July 10, 1905. His wife was formerly Christine Nelson, a daughter of Clem- ens Nelson, a carpenter and contractor of Danish birth. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson reside at St. Helena, Nebraska, and their surviving children are: Mrs. Kate Jones, of St. Helena ; Mrs. Hough; and a son, James, at St. Helena. Mr. and Mrs. Hough have a son, La Verne, who was born August 6, 1907, and is attending school.

EINAR HAMILTON TRANDUM, who has been a resi- dent of Baker since 1910, is contributing to its com- mercial importance by conducting a first-class groc- ery, and he also owns a fine ranch property not far from Baker. Mr. Trandum was born at Grand Forks, North Dakota, on May 1I, 1892, a son of Marcus E. Trandum.

The birth of Marcus E. Trandum occurred in Nor- way, but he came to the United States when he was a boy, accompanying his brother Olaf Trandum on the trip: They were without money, but were am- bitious and being afforded the wonderful advantages this country has always accorded its people, they succeeded in life. After his arrival in this country he married Helena A. Arnaberg, who died in 1915. when about fifty years of age, her husband dying at the age of fifty-one. They were born on the same day of the same month, June 18th, but a year apart. They had six children, namely: Einer H., whose name heads this review ; Pearl K., who lives at Miles City, Montana; Clarence M., who served as a mem- ber of the Thirty-second Division in the World war, going to France as one of the first 10,000 men sent abroad, was wounded through the abdomen by a machine gun while taking Fismes, France, on the famous Chateau Thierry drive, still carries the bullet in his liver, and was sent home as a casual after the armistice was signed; Holger M., who was also in the war, as a member of the Second Regiment, Mon- tana National Guard, was sent in the same contingent as his brother to France, and into Germany as a part of the Army of Occupation, being stationed near Coblenz, was returned to the United States in May, 1919. and discharged at Fort D. A. Russell without wounds, and is now on the Trandum ranch; Clara,

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who is attending school; and Alf, who is the young- est, is also attending school.

Einar H. Trandum attended school in his native city, completing the high school course, and then came in 1908 to Montana, and for two years lived at Miles City, where he was employed by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. He and his father then entered homesteads at Webster, Montana, and occupied them for the necessary time to prove them up. Mr. Trandum built the usual claim "shack" on his homestead, broke the land, dug a well, and made the other improvements so as to comply with the Government regulations. This little pioneer shelter has been replaced by a comfortable residence, the outbuildings are modern, and his original claim has been expanded into a ranch of 1,000 acres. From the beginning he has been very successful as a grain producer.

In 1910 Mr. Trandum was appointed deputy treas- urer of Fallon County under Emil F. Lentz, serving as such until the retirement of Mr. Lentz, when he was appointed to the vacant office and filled out the unexpired term to the satisfaction of all parties con- cerned. Mr. Trandum then bought the stock of the old Baker Mercantile Company and since then has conducted a grocery, handling a high grade of goods and earning a reputation as a fair and honorable dealer who can be trusted implicitly. His trade is a large one and extends over Baker and the territory contiguous to it.

On January 14, 1918, Mr. Trandum was married in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Miss Mildred A. Wag- ner, born at Ottumwa, Iowa, on January 14, 1897. During her girlhood she lived in Iowa, Texas and South Dakota, and attended the public schools of all three states. Mr. and Mrs. Trandum have two daughters, Helen Ann, who was born on March 5, 1919, and Mildred Lorraine, born May 2, 1920.

On national issues Mr. Trandum votes the demo- cratic ticket, but in local affairs gives his support to the man he deems best suited for the office in ques- tion. He belongs to Sandstone Lodge No. 84, An- cient Free and Accepted Masous, of Baker, of which he is now secretary. He is also a past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, and has sat in the Grand Lodge of Montana of that order. Having lived at Baker through the most important years of its exist- ence, Mr. Trandum is naturally interested in its further progress and can be counted upon to support all measures promulgated with that idea in view. Although still a young man, his energy and fore- sight have brought him a material prosperity many do not acquire in an entire lifetime, and he is rightly numbered among the alert young men of his times who are regarded as so typical of the true spirit of the West.

WILLIAM J. R. MARSTON, a rauchman on Powder River in the Powderville community, came into this locality and to Montana in 1898. He was a con- tribution from England to the United States that same year, and was then a young man aged twenty, having come out at the instigation of W. G. Payne, an uncle, and one of the early English settlers of Custer County. He had been around stock as a boy and fancied the stock industry, in which some of his relatives were engaged, and accordingly came to America with his mind determined as what course he should pursue.

Mr. Marston was born in April, 1878, and went to boarding school in Lincolnshire, England, until twelve years of age, then spending four years in a private school and finally going to a high school at Wiggeston, Leicester, where he studied in the direc- tion of architecture, in the belief that that voca-

tion would be his life work. He next served his apprenticeship at the building trade for 47/2 years, but gave up all this to engage in ranching and farming in the United States. He sailed from Liver- pool to New York on the steamship Servia on the Cunard Line, bearing chiefly German and Swed- ish passengers, but on his subsequent return to England took passage on the Lusitania the same year she was launched, and the sinking of which by a German submarine so fired American patriot- ism and hastened this country's entrance into the great world war some years later. This ship, on Mr. Marstou's journey, made a record trip over, being but five days and five hours from dock to dock. Upon his return to New York Mr. Marston went up through Canada from New York City on his journey west, which trip was delayed by the blow- ing up of the engine, one of the unfortunate trains sometimes found equipped with bad engines, for this one blew up and a freight engine had to be sub- stituted. Coming on west, he crossed into the United States before reaching St. Paul and from there home on the Northern Pacific. Aboard his train a man was either murdered or committed suicide, as he was found in the lavatory with the arteries of both wrists severed and he was dead before dis- covered. Prior to this two young fellows had been seen drinking with this old German, but both had left the train before the discovery of the tragedy.

Mr. Marston brought some capital with him on his maiden trip, and the first summer, that he was on his uncle's ranch worked for his board and clothes for experience. He then bought a third interest in his uncle's ranch and added twenty head of cows to the stock. In June following they borrowed money, pledging all their cattle, and purchased twenty-seven head more, and to tide himself over young Marston helped to put up hay, broke wild horses and did other ranch jobs for a living and to pay expenses. After five years he sold his interest in the ranch stock to his uncle and entered a home- stead where his home now is, and established the beginning of his present ranch. That year was a dry one and no hay was cut and, as he had 175 head of cattle, in the winter he borrowed the money and bought out the horses and feed of a small ranch- man on the head of Poker Jim Creek, giving $1,000 for it. For a number of years following all went well with him and he prospered by additions to his herd, developed a small ranch, and when he sold his cattle in 1918 and leased his ranch he turned over 276 head at $85 "around." retained his brand "Four Swinging X (4x)." He was in the horse business, too, and sold much of his horseflesh for many years to the United States Government for artillery use. His twenty-one years' experience in Montana has convinced Mr. Marston that farming alone, when carried on so far from market as he is, would prove an uphill and unprofitable business, but with carrying stock along with it to feed the prod- uct of the farm this region will always give a good account of itself. His own experience has proven this to him to his satisfaction. Coming as he did with a modest capital, as above noted, in a score of years his independence financially has been achieved.

Mr. Marston first entered a desert tract of land, later bought an isolated tract, a railroad section, and then took an additional homestead, making with his wife's entries and additional property a ranch of 2,080 acres, all deeded land. Mr. Marston's first home upon his ranch was a one-room house of logs with a lean-to, and to this in the course of years have been added rooms until his three-room ranch house resembles the proverbial ranch home of this

William J. R. Marston

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region. His barns and other improvements of re- cent years are of logs as well. Recently he began farming, see that a ranchman is compelled to raise something for his stock for winter. In his experi- ence rye has seemed to be an almost "sure crop," and in 1918 his 210 acres of various kinds of grain and millet made an extraordinarily splendid yield, an indication of the fertility of the soil, in a dry year. Fourteen and one-half tons of rye hay were cut from 472 acres of land, a yield almost unprece- dented. He has threshed forty-five bushels to the acre of macaroni wheat, a yield of fifty bushels of oats per acre-his best crop, and the Blue Victor and Rose potatoes under his cultivation have grown to Mammoth proportions, a sample of one potato weighing three pounds.

Until April, 1919, Mr. Marston was a resident of Custer County, but with the creation of Powder River County his ranch fell into the new county and he was commissioned the first constable of his part of the county. He became a citizen of the United States by naturalization, cast his first presi- dential vote for Colonel Roosevelt, supported Mr. Wilson both times, and is rather independent in poli- tics otherwise.

Mr. Marston is a native of Leicestershire, Eng- land, and a son of John R. Marston, a native of that shire, and the brief tenure of whose life was passed as a hotel man. He died in 1885, at the age of twenty-nine years. His wife was Mary Flavell, who is now the wife of James Drake a ranchman below Powderville, Montana. The Marston chil- dren were: William J. R., of this notice; Mrs. Madge Fanshaw, wife of Bert Fanshaw, and who died in 1918 in Leicestershire; Percy, a ranchman on Pow- der River below Powderville; and Walter Douglas, of Anchorage, Alaska. William J. R. Marston was married at Miles City, Montana, November 21, 1916, to Miss Alma E. Bergum, who was born and reared in Dane County, Wisconsin, a daughter of Eric Ber- gum, a native of Norway and a farmer by voca- tion. Mrs. Marston was educated at DeForest, Wis- consin, and after her graduation from the high school there was a merchant's clerk at Miles City until her marriage to Mr. Marston. She is one of six children of her parents, including: Nelson, with the Petroleum Oil Company of Haker, Montana; Bessie, the wife of W. H. Hogan, of Powder River; and Miss Jose, of Baker, Montana. Mr. and Mrs. Marston have one son, William Eric, born December 17, 1917, who already has given evidence of follow- ing in his father's footsteps as a ranchman.

CHARLES E. CLARK. After many years of strenu- ous endeavor as a ranchman and a promoter of in- ternal development of this region, Charles E. Clark, of Baker, is now enjoying some of the fruits of his labors, although he has not lost any of his interest in his various enterprises. Mr. Clark was born in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1862, a son of George A. and Rachel (Blanchard) Clark. The latter, a native of Pennsylvania, died in 1870, leaving four children, namely: Herbert, who lives at Baltimore, Maryland; Charles E., whose name heads this review; Susie, who is the widow of Frank Thayer, lives at Kansas City, Missouri; and Fred, who is a stockman on Boxelder Creek, Carter Coun- ty, Montana. George A. Clark was born in either New York or Pennsylvania, and became a boatman on the Erie Canal, his father owning and operating quite a number of canal boats, but the building of railroads through this region caused George A. Clark to leave the canal and go west to Iowa, where he took up land in Clay County, and proved up his homestead. He has continued to live in Clay County,

and is now a venerable gentleman of eighty-four years.

Charles E. Clark was fifteen years old when his father moved to Iowa, and soon thereafter he ran away from home. His schooling was limited to what he obtained as a youth, but he has added to his knowledge by close observation and is a well in- formed man in every respect.

Although but a lad in years when he left home, Charles E. Clark was strong and willing to work, and when his money gave out and he found himself stranded and winter coming on he did not relinquish his determination to be independent, but went to work hunting and trapping and not only lived well, but saved some $400. He then went on further west to Powder River County, Montana, where he was employed by the Iowa-Montana Live Stock Company, whose headquarters were at Powderville, and rode the range and experienced the hardships of a cow- puncher's life for three years. Mr. Clark then went to the ranch owned by Governor Carey in the vicinity of Cheyenne County, Wyoming, and spent a year. He was also employed by the civil engineering force at Sioux City, Iowa, and was on the city engineering force of that place during the period the first bridge was built over the Missouri River at that point. In 1891 he left Sioux City and returned to Montana.

In the latter year he joined the 101 ranch, now owned by Elijah Mulkey, but then the property of the Standard Cattle Company, and was a cowpuncher and shipper of their beeves. After being with this ranch one season he changed employers, becoming a rancher for C. D. Newberry, whose ranch was about twenty miles west of Ekalaka, remaining with him

during three successive summer seasons, during the winters building up a ranch of his own near Chalk Buttes. Out of his wages he had saved enough to buy some stock and his next thought was to provide himself with a place to run his cattle. Eventually he engaged in ranching on his own account, running his cattle under the brand "KLN" around the Buttes for three years, then changing his location to Pennell Creek, now in Fallon County, and there he bought railroad land, built up a permanent ranch, and grazed cattle, horses and sheep for a number of years. As a stockman of this region Mr. Clark made himself widely known because of the extent of his sheep operations. As many as five bands of them roamed the prairies under his brand, and a large herd of cattle and hundreds of horses also yielded him large profits during his highwater mark. Finally he went out of the sheep industry, decreased his cattle holdings of the Hereford strain, and dropped his horse stock down to a few head at the present time. He developed a ranch of six sections and improved his property with a modern ranch resi- dence, all being located seven miles northeast of Plevna, Montana, where Mr. Clark continued to live until in October, 1919, when he moved to Baker.

However, his activities were not confined by any manner of means to his stock ranch. He was one of the original stockholders of the First National Bank of Wibaux and has since continued to be one of its directors. His next venture in banking was as an original stockholder of the Fallon County Bank at Baker, and he is a director of it as well, and also of the Wibaux Cattle Loan Company, which he in con- junction with several other stockmen organized sev- eral years ago.

Outside of his business connections Mr. Clark has not cared to participate very actively in the history of this region, aside from taking a good citizen's in- terest in seeing that his vote was cast for capable men for office. He cast his first presidential vote for Benjamin Harrison in 1892, and for Major McKin-

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ley in 1896. Mr. Bryan has never appealed to him, but he was an ardent supporter of Colonel Roosevelt in everything our "Greatest American" ever advo- cated. Needless to say, he is a republican, and had no sympathy with the slogan "he kept us out of war."

Mr. Clark was made a Mason at Wibaux, Mon- tana, and belongs to Wibaux Lodge No. 81, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He took the higher degrees of the chapter and commandery and other work at Miles City, and was made a member of the Mystic Shrine at Helena, Montana, on December 5, 1919.

On September 17, 1885, Mr. Clark was married at Sibley, Iowa, to Olive M. Spencer, a daughter of David and Annie (Bivens) Spencer. Mrs. Spencer was born and reared at Baltimore, Maryland, and Mr. Spencer was a native of New York. While liv- ing at Sibley Mr. Spencer was engaged in mer- chandising, but is now living at Sioux City, Iowa. Mrs. Clark was the second child in a family of five born to her parents. She died at Chalk Buttes in 1897, having borne her husband the following chil- dren : Cecile, who married Thomas Breen, a ranch- man of Fallon County, and is the mother of Nellie, Aleen, "Iky" and Jack; Dulcie, who married Eldon Elliott, of Custer County, has three children; Marie, who is the wife of a Mr. Ferris, of Baker, has two children; and Lula, who is Mrs. J. E. Foster, of Spokane, Washington.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 196

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