Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 207

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 207

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ing of the war, though he went through without wounds or capture and seemed to suffer no impair- ment of bodily vigor, since he attained a good old age. He was in the siege of Vicksburg under Gen- eral Grant, was in the Atlanta campaign under Sher- man, in the March to the Sea, fought at Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, and went up through the Carolinas until the surrender of Johnston's army at Goldsboro. He was with the victorious hosts that marched in grand review at Washington at the close of the war. He took a veteran's furlough at the end of his first enlistment, but returned to his command and helped finish the struggle and restore the Union. He was a strong republican, and in early life was identified with the Methodist Church.

In Iowa James L. Woodburn married Harriet Maria Cole, who was born in Indiana in 1844. She represented an old American family. Her grand- father Cole was with Commodore Perry at the bat- tle of Lake Erie in 1813. Mrs. Harriet Woodburn spent her last days at Bellefourche, South Dakota, where she died in April, 1910. Her children were William W. and Burl.

Burl Woodburn acquired only a limited educa- tion, his youth being spent chiefly in sparsely set- tled and new localities in South Dakota. As soon as he was old enough he was doing work as a clerk in a store on some ranch. He became associated with his brother in ranching and in merchandising from the time of his majority, and they have rarely heen separated since. In 1901 they left the Black Hills country with cattle and horses and came to the west end of North Dakota, where Burl Wood- burn filed on a tract of land, proving up, and the brothers have maintained ranch interests in that region ever since. Their brand is the figure ten above a quarter circle, the brand being on the right thigh. The brothers operated rather extensively, shipping to the Chicago and Omaha markets, and still have a number of horses grazing in that region.

William W. Woodburn became identified with Wibaux. in 1911, opening a stock of groceries in a frame building, one of the pioneer business houses of the town. In 1917 the present firm of Woodburn Brothers erected a brick two-story business house 100 by 30 feet, the upper floor being occupied by the Masonic Hall. There is a full basement for storage and warehouse purposes, and altogether this house has no superior as a mercantile center in Wibaux Center.

Mr. Burl Woodburn cast his first presidential vote in 1892 for Benjamin Harrison, and in 1896 was a follower of Mr. Bryan in his first campaign, . but has thoroughly eradicated that part of his record by his subsequent actions. He took his first degrees in Masonry at Bellefourche, South Dakota, and both he and his brother are members of the Lodge at Wibaux.

At Deadwood, South Dakota, July 29, 1910, Burl Woodburn married Mrs. Clara B. ('Myers) Wood. She was born in Illinois in 1875. Her father, Peter Myers, moved from Illinois to the Black Hills coun- try and was a farmer.

J. L. DOBELL has been managing editor of the Butte Miner for the past fifteen years. He has been active in the affairs of Montana during a more or less continuous residence here for over thirty years, He knows the world through many avenues of contact and experience, and before permanently identifying himself with journalism was a practicing lawyer.

Mr. Dobell was born at Loughborough, Leicester- shire, England, November 9, 1868. His father,

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Captain I. B. Dobell, was born in Derby, England, in 1829, and became an officer in the British army. After he retired he came to the United States and settled in Coffey County, Kansas, where he acquired a large amount of farming land. In 1888 he re- moved to Dade City, Florida, developed a fine orange plantation, and lived there until his death on Feb- ruary 4, 1911. In this country he was an inde- pendent in politics, and was a member of the Masonic fraternity. He married in England Miss True Ledham Robinson, who was born at Mans- field, Ohio, in 1839, and died at Dade City, Florida, in 1900. The oldest of their four children is I. B. Dobell, Jr., who was an American soldier in the Philippine war and is now living at Point Isabel, Texas. The next is J. L. Dobell. Alice True, un- married and a resident of London, is a talented pianist. She was in Brussels when the World war broke out, and with difficulty escaped to England. Recently she has completed a concert tour of South America. The youngest of the children, Harold H., is a wood carver living at Birmingham, England. J. L. Dobell attended public school at Lough- borough, England, also a private school at Notting- ham, and came to the United States in 1881, when he was twelve years of age. He lived in Kansas for a time, attended high school at Albion, Illinois, a year, and made his first acquaintance with Montana in the summer of 1886, when he visited Bozeman. In October of that year he returned to England, and in January, 1887, went to Leipsig, Germany, where he pursued courses in political economy and the German language. He was again in England a short time before returning to the United States in November, 1887. In the spring of 1888 he was again in Bozeman, where he studied law with Judge L. A. Luce and was admitted to the bar in Decem- ber, 1889. For one year he was in the law office of J. A. Savage at Livingston, and then for six months was with the law firm of Kimley, Witten & Foster at Kansas City, Missouri. That winter he went to Florida, and in the summer of 1890 again visited England, returning to the United States' in the spring of 1891 and entering the office of Charles S. Hartman at Bozeman, with whom he remained four months. He then formed a partnership with Mr. Sutton, under the name of Sutton and Dobell.

In 1892 the state capital fight came up and Mr. Dobell was a staunch supporter of Bozeman for the seat of government. It was his articles in the Bozeman Chronicle which brought him first into notice as a newspaper man, and he also traveled all over Eastern Montana in support of his home city. He remained with the Chronicle as city editor until the spring of 1893. He then became city editor of the Anaconda Standard, and later went to Liv- ingston and was with the Livingston Post until the summer of 1896. Returning to Anaconda, he and John McMurray established the Evening Recorder, which they published as a daily until 1898. In that year Mr. Dobell became city editor of the Butte Miner, in 1901 was made associate editor, and in the fall of 1902 became manager and editor of the Helena Independent, continuing until October, 1904, when he went on a visit to Florida. His present responsible position as managing editor of the Butte Miner began in July, 1905.

Mr. Dobell was a republican voter until 1896, when he became a democrat. While most of his influence has been directed through his work as a newspaper man, he served in the Legislature in 1912, sitting in the session of 1913. He was a member of the judiciary committee, chairman of the apportionment committee, member of the municipal corporations

committee, banks and banking committee, legisla- tive, health and attachees committee, and printing committee. 'Mr. Dobell is unmarried and resides at 30 East Broadway.

JUDGE CHARLES J. DOUSMAN, one of the judges * of the Sixteenth Judicial District, is a resident of Baker, and has rapidly earned distinction in the law and in public affairs since coming to Montana.

He was born at Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, April 12, 1881, and spent his early life along the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, at the different towns where his father was station agent. His Dousman ancestors were many years ago em- ployes of the Hudson's Bay Company, and settled about Mackinac Island long before the middle west was permanently settled. The grandfather of Judge Dousman was Dr. John Dousman, who for many years was a prominent physician at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He married Jane Paddock, and their oldest son, John, served in the Civil war. Their family consisted of four sons and one daughter.

The second son was Lyndsey W. Dousman, who was born at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 10, 1850, and is one of the veteran employes of the Milwaukee Railway. He is now living at Baker, but located there only recently, after four years' sojourn on the Pacific Coast. He was educated in Racine College and spent two years at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. From the Academy he took up railroading, and his life work for forty years has been devoted to the Milwau- kee company. He has been almost continuously on the payroll of that railroad. In politics he is a democrat, was brought up in the Episcopal Church, and is affiliated with the Lodge, Chapter, Com- mandery and Shrine of Masons. Lyndsey W. Dous- man married Kittie E. Joslyn, who was born at 'Marengo, Illinois, April 29, 1851, daughter of Charles Joslyn. She died at Sequin, Washington, in September, 1919. Of her two sons, Hila B. died at the age of sixteen, and Judge Dousman is the only survivor.

Judge Dousman acquired a common school edu- cation, attended high school at Northfield, Minne- sota, and later entered the law school of the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis. He com- pleted his three years' course in June, 1904, and on his diploma was admitted to the bar of Min- nesota, but he tried his first law suit at Parkston, South Dakota. From there he moved to Lemmon, South Dakota, and was appointed United States commissioner. He was in Lemmon from the date of the construction of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1907 until January 1, 1911. As United States com- missioner he did literally a "land office" business, 4,000 applications for land entries being made through him. His office was practically headquar- ters for all the entries made by settlers in that region.

From South Dakota Judge Dousman came to Mon- tana and practiced at Billings until April, 1913, when he removed to Baker and has since been a lawyer and citizen of Montana. sa lawyer he did general practice both at Billings and at Baker, and for six years was associated at Baker with Edwin S. Booth under the firm name of Booth & Donsman. This partnership was dissolved when Judge Dous- man was elevated to the bench. He was also elected county attorney of Fallon County, succeed- ing Martin Flasted. He took an active part in the creation of Fallon County, and was not only a candidate for county attorney but also a strong partisan for the location of the county seat at Baker.

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On that double candidacy he was elected, and was re-elected, serving four years. He was the first county attorney after Baker became the county seat. Judge Dousman has always been an active democrat, though he has made no attempt to main- tain his leadership in the party since going on the bench. He was appointed by Governor Stewart as one of the judges of the Sixteenth District on March I, 1919. His associate on the bench is Judge O'Hern. While technically the work of the two judges is coextensive, the district is in practice divided, Judge Dousman presiding over the courts of the several counties in the eastern part of the district. Both the bar and the public have accorded him the credit of being a very efficient and able judge.

While at Lemmon, South Dakota, Judge Dous- man met Ila Merle Blair, but they were married at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, June 14, 1910. She was born at Augusta, Wisconsin, October 21, 1888, and like her husband, is the one survivor of two chil- dren. Her parents were Charles E. and Laura M. (Horel) Blair, both natives of Wisconsin. Her father is now retired and living at Lemmon, and spent his active career as a stockman. Mrs. Dous- man finished her education in the Milwaukee Nor- mal School and was a teacher for a year before her marriage.

The Dousman home is one of the attractive bun- galows which adorn the south side of Baker. They have a home modern in every respect, containing six rooms. This home has entertained club mem- bers and other social functions of Baker in which Mrs. Dousman takes an active part. She is a mem- ber of the State Federation of Women's Clubs. Judge Dousman was the second master of the Masonic Lodge at Lemmon, South Dakota, the first master being his father. He is now affiliated with Sandstone Lodge of Masons and is also a member of the Royal Arch Chapter, the Knight Templar Commandery and the Mystic Shrine. Mrs. Dous- man is a member of the Eastern Star. Judge Dous- man is also affiliated with the Miles City Lodge of Elks.

JACOB STOLLER, one of the prosperous merchants of Plevna, is another instance of a foreign-born citizen of Montana who has been able to achieve more than ordinary success. and to win the respect of his associates. He was born near Odessa, Rus- sia, on November 29, 1864, a son of Domineck and Margaretta (Kost) Stoller. Although the Stollers had been established in the Odessa neighborhood for over forty-five years, the parents of Jacob Stoller, hearing of the better opportunities await- ing them across the ocean, decided upon making the great change, and embarked from Hamburg, Germany, on a steamer for the United States, when Jacob was eight years of age. The trip over was uneventful until the steamer came up with a lum- ber boat that had been rammed. The crew on this boat were in a deplorable condition, one of them dead, and the remainder starving. They were res- cued, put aboard the steamer and carried with the others to New York City.

The Stollers were ticketed for Sandusky, Ohio, but conditions there did not meet with the approval of the parents, and after spending a winter in that city, during which time the children attended their first English school, they came on west to Dakota, and in 1873 the father took up a homestead and claim in Yankton County, fifteen miles northwest of what was then the territorial capital. He died before he obtained a title, and his widow proved up the claim and also one to another homestead. There

she reared her children and saw to it that they were given the advantages of a public school education, living on that farm until her death in November, 1896, when she was seventy-two years of age. Her children appreciated their good mother, and her declining years were made comfortable by their loving care. These children were as follows : Henry, who lives in South Dakota; John, who lives at Leola, South Dakota; Jacob, whose name heads this review; Fred, who died in Yankton County, unmarried; George, who is a farmer near Quincy, Washington; Magdalena, who is the wife of Henry Schortzmann, of Scotland, South Dakota; and Eliza- beth, who is the wife of Jacob Kost, of the same neighborhood as Henry Schortzmann. Both parents had been previously married and had children, but all of them remained in Russia.

Jacob Stoller assisted his mother and remained with her until he was twenty-four years old, when he began working as a common laborer, doing what- ever honest work came to hand, for which he re- ceived the small wages of those days. At length he secured employment in a grain elevator, and there learned the fundamental principles of that line of business during the two fall seasons he re- mained with that concern. He then became a clerk at Eureka, South Dakota, and in 1889 went to Scot- land, South Dakota, to accept a similar position, and he held it for five years. Mr. Stoller then returned to Eureka and for four years continued working as a clerk. He then bought a grain ware- house and embarked in a business of his own, and paid $1,000 cash for it, all of which he had saved out of his small earnings. On account of crop con- ditions and subsequent hard times, although he made some money, the business did not net him the returns he had expected, and in 1900 he took two others into partnership with him and established a general merchandise business at Java, South Dakota, and moved his grain warehouse from Eureka over- land to Java and handled grain. Three years later he combined the two lines of business, using his original warehouse for the storing of merchandise and erecting an elevator for grain. In 1906 one of the partners dropped out of the firm, which then became Bauer & Stoller, which continued until Feb- ruary, 1915, when Mr. Stoller sold and came to Plevna. While living at Java Mr. Stoller con- nected himself with the affairs of the town, was a member of the town board and of the school board for a number of years, and also served as a justice of the peace, working always as a republican, and being sent by his party to represent his district in local conventions. For eight and one-half years he served Java as postmaster under the Roosevelt ad- ministrations, and was in every way a representa- tive citizen in good standing. Since coming to Plevna he has been placed on the town board. He cast his first presidential vote for Benjamin Har- rison.

After disposing of his interests at Java Mr. Stol- ler traveled through Oregon, Washington and Mon- tana, and found what he was looking for at Plevna. His store building is a single story structure 24 by 50 feet, and he has a warehouse 30 by 24 feet, with basement where he stores his surplus stock. Mr. Stoller also owns his bungalow of six rooms, which he erected himself. Since he established his present store he has advanced rapidly, and now enjoys a fine patronage not only from the people of Plevna, but the surrounding country. His stocks are fresh, up-to-date, and as low in price as is consistent with their quality.

On October 20, 1889, Mr. Stoller was married in Yankton County, South Dakota, to Miss Rosina

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Serr, a daughter of Michael Serr and his wife, Catherine (Ingel) Serr, all of whom were born in Russia, near the birthplace of Mr. Stoller. Mrs. Stoller is one of four sons and three daughters born to her parents, and she was the third in the family.

Mr. and Mrs. Stoller have the following children : Ida, who is the wife of W. P. Stoddard, of Ingo- mar, Montana; and Anetta, who for two years was a stenographer in a Miles City, Montana, bank, but is now Mrs. A. L. Morgan. Mr. Stoller belongs to the Knights of the Maccabees. In his religious be- lief he holds to the faith of the Reformed Church, and is generous to that congregation. A fine busi- ness man, he has known how to make money, and also how to win and hold the confidence of his com- munity. He has given of his best to his adopted country, and it would be difficult to find a man who is more generally respected all over Fallon County than he.

WILLIAM J. BRADSHAW is numbered among the early settlers of Custer County, and many years of his life have been devoted to the stock business. He arrived in Montana in 1885 as a trailsman from Texas, delivering cattle for the Matador outfit to the "777" company at Mingusville, now known as Wibaux, Montana. He joined the outfit on the plain of the Lone Star state, whose headquarters were at Balance Springs, and for two years he was employed by them in running cattle on the range.

Mr. Bradshaw continued with the "777" outfit in Montana for about three years at different times, and then went with the Ryan outfit on the Mussel- shell. At one time he took a herd of their cattle to the Standing Rock Indian Agency to fill out a Government contract for beef for the Indians, and on his return from that trip he went to work for the "E2" Company at Miles City, whose cattle were ranging over the region around Ismay and all over Fallon and Carter counties, spending three years with that company. He then took up his claim at his present location, the old "C7" ranch, which had been opened up by parties who suffered dis- aster in the winter of 1886 by the loss of their cat- tle and had abandoned the improvements, Mr. Brad- shaw acquiring them simply by taking possession.

He had acquired a bunch of fifteen head of cattle in 1892, but the cattle rustlers on the head of Whit- ney Creek took all but one of them during the first summer. This misfortune forced him to resume work for the "E2" Company, and he spent another year or so as a wage worker. Subsequently taking a bunch of cattle on the shares for A. B. Lindberg, he after a time purchased the herd and began what proved to be a permanent career in the cattle busi- ness. He has continued the "C7" brand through all the subsequent years, acquiring it from Mr. Cogshell, who in turn had obtained it with the remnant of the old outfit. His stock breeding has been carried on with the Shorthorn strain, in the belief that that animal produces a greater amount of beef than many of the more popular breeds of Montana stock.

Mr. Bradshaw entered his homestead at the old "C7," which forms a part of his present large ranch, eleven miles northwest of Knowlton. His wife's homestead, and where are located his building and most substantial improvements, was entered on Lo- cate Creek, and on this tract the first Bradshaw home in Montana was built. This pioneer dwelling was a log cabin of two rooms, with cedar poles for roofing and covered with dirt. It is a striking con- trast to the splendid modern home which has suc-

ceeded it, and the cement barn of today replaced the old stock shelter and marks the progress of time in Montana's history of development. Mr. Bradshaw has one of the most valuable hay ranches of the region, the natural meadows producing abun- dance of alfalfa hay for the stock during the winter months. His land embraces an area of almost twenty sections, the greater part of which is under fence, and now in the zenith of his career as a cattle grower about four hundred head are grazing under his brand.

During his life's history covering a period of a little less than sixty years Mr. Bradshaw has had more than the average amount of experiences and has traveled over many parts of the world. He was born in Lancashire, England, at Manchester, August 4, 1864, a son of Joseph and Mary (Stan- ton) Bradshaw. In their family were thirteen chil- dren, but William J. and a brother, Thomas, were the only ones of this large number to come to the United States. William Bradshaw completed his education in the Metropolitan Business College at Chicago in 1887, seven years after he had arrived in this country. When a boy he ran away from the parental home and made his way to Australia, stop- ping first at Melbourne and then going on to the island of Mauritius. He subsequently continued his wanderings to Bombay, India, where he met a. neighbor from England who owned a trading vessel, and the young lad worked for him during one year, trading about among the islands and over to Mad- agascar. He subsequently went on board a French schooner at Mauritius, and was caught in a hurri- cane off the Cape of Good Hope, which cleared the ship of masts and caused her to spring a leak. The crew were compelled to subsist on a cup of coffee a day, together with cognac and claret, and finally were obliged to abandon the vessel. They were picked up by another sailing ship and landed at Falmouth, England.

Returning home after an absence of two years and surprising his parents, for they had not heard from him in all this time, he declared his intentions of leaving the sea. In 1880, however, he sailed from Liverpool, intending to embark in the rubber busi- ness in Nicaragua. With a boy companion he landed at Galveston, Texas, where he had relatives living, and while riding Texas horses over the wide range of that region he became infatuated with the life of that open country and gave up the idea of con- tinuing the journey to Nicaragua.

For a time Mr. Bradshaw worked among his relatives, and then became associated with the Christian Brothers, gathering stock for them until he finally drifted on west and joined the Matador Company.

Mr. Bradshaw became a naturalized citizen of the United States at 'Miles City and began voting with the democratic party. His first presidential ballot was cast for Mr. Cleveland in Texas while yet an alien, and he again supported him in 1892. His only official public service has been as a school director in district No. 31, which he assisted in establishing.

At Miles City, Montana, in October, 1898, he was married to Miss Margaret Ross, who was born in Scotland and came to Miles City, Montana, to visit the McLean family. Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw, Joseph Ross and Alexander W. Bradshaw.

ROBERT M. HAMLIN is one of the older residents of that section of the Yellowstone Valley now em- braced in Prairie County. The work that has es-

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tablished his favorable business rating has been as a stock raiser and farmer. Mr. Hamlin has served as a member of the Board of County Commis- sioners of Prairie County since that county was created, and in the opinion of all concerned has handled those responsibilities wisely and well.

He was born in Todd County, Minnesota, Feb- ruary 7, 1873. This branch of the Hamlin family came to America in colonial times, the tradition being that three English brothers were responsible for the name on this side of the Atlantic. The father of Robert M. Hamlin was Charles F. Ham- lin, who was born at Clays, Onondaga County, New York, May 2, 1835. He grew up on a farm, had a common school education, learned the use of black- smith tools, and followed that trade to some ex- tent. Living in a timber country, he believed he saw an opportunity to make a fortune at lumbering, and to prepare himself for the business he went into a lumber mill as a common laborer. Eventually he became a mill owner, and followed that industry in Minnesota, where he located before the Civil war, for thirty years. When the Civil war came on he enlisted as a Union soldier in Company E of the Second Minnesota Cavalry, and though he was in the army two years he was never called to the fighting front, his duty being principally in patrol- ling the frontier. After the war he took a home- stead in Todd County, proved it up and made a home there for a dozen years and then moved to Morrison County, Minnesota. In the early 'gos he came to Montana and was associated with a son in a ranching enterprise south of Terry for ten years. The last dozen years of his life he lived at Terry, where he died September 19, 1919. He took a keen interest in campaigns and elections as a republican, and in Minnesota served as county commissioner of Todd County. In Walworth County, Wisconsin, he married Miss Phebe Bridges, daughter of Robert Bridges. She is still living, at the age of eighty-two. To her marriage were born five sons and a daughter, and those to reach mature years were: Hardy, of Todd County; Mrs. Georgie Coil, of Terry, Montana; Lewis, who died as a rancher in Prairie County, leaving a family by his wife, Alice Braley; Robert M .; and William H., of Terry.

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 207

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