Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 73

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 73

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After two years at old Centerville in the Mis- souri Valley the Bedfords moved to Jefferson County, at Radersburg, where David bought land and ran his stock until 1882. He then moved to the Judith Basin, continuing in the stock business. The family home was about twenty miles from Lewistown. His stock had access to a wide range of country now divided among wheat fields. In 1899 the Bedfords drove their stock into Eastern Montana, to Valley County, and located near the site of old Medicine Lake.

When asked what was in this country before he came Mr. Bedford replied "mosquitoes." He was

the first to build a house north of Culbertson, the house which has sheltered him ever since. In the absence of government surveys he was a squatter, and subsequently filed on a desert claim included in his present ranch. He developed his stock in- dustry here, and, as noted above, has never taken kindly to the business of actual farming. While in the Judith Basin his stock brand was the "row lock," and after coming to Sheridan County he recorded the brand "Y bar lazy M." The principal reduction in his stock raising came in the fall of 1919, on account of the shortage of feed.

Mr. Bedford is one of the stockholders of the Farmers Elevator and owns a rooming house in that town. As an old soldier he has been identified with the republican party, casting his first presi- dential vote for General Grant in 1872. The only order he ever joined is the Grand Army, and while not a member of any church he believes in them and all other things which contribute to the bet- terment of a community.

Mr. Bedford has never married. He lived with his mother and for her until she passed away, and was then too old to think of forming an alliance and establishing a different home. His niece, Mrs. Etta Polson, formerly Miss Etta McArthur, has lived in his home for twenty-six years. Her hus- band, Albert Polson, has been associated with Mr. Bedford in ranching for twelve years. Mr. and Mrs. Polson have a son, whom they named in honor of Mr. Bedford, David Jasper.

DANIEL CHARLES KENYON. Blaine County has no more representative man and good citizen than Daniel Charles Kenyon of Chinook, who after an exceptionally successful ' career along several lines has entered the profession of law, and has achieved even more noteworthy results in this calling than before. He has served in several important pub- lic offices, including that of mayor of his city, and in every way has proven himself most able and enterprising.

The birth of Daniel Charles Kenyon took place in Orleans County, New York, March 21, 1868, and he is a son of Charles W. Kenyon, also a native of Orleans County, New York, where the family was established many years ago by Samuel Ken- yon, who came to the Empire State from Rhode Island. He marreid Anna Eggleston, and one of their sons married Julia Chaffee and became the father of Charles Kenyon. The Kenyons, Eggles- tons and Chaffees all were established in the Amer- ican colonies at an early day and had representa- tives in the Revolutionary war. Charles Kenyon was one in the family of five sons and six daughters born to his parents, and was the third son.

During the war between the North and the South Charles Kenyon enlisted in the Union army in 1862, in the Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, but was later transferred to the Twenty-fifth New York Infantry, and served until the close of the war, as corporal of his regiment. He was wounded at the battle of Chancellorsville and taken prisoner. After a period of confinement in Libby Prison he was exchanged, and it was while he was home on a furlough that General Lee surrendered. Following the close of the war he connected himself with the Grand Army of the Republic, and was a mem- ber of Tomah Post, Tomah, Wisconsin. He always voted the republican ticket, was postmaster of Tun- nel City for several years, and also held the offices of justice of the peace and township assessor. Both he and his wife were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Charles Kenyon was married to Adelaide F. Purdy, a daughter of Dan-

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iel C. Purdy, and they had the following children: Louie A., who is a resident of Tomah, Wisconsin ; Daniel Charles, whose name heads this review; Cora, who is the wife of William Heser, of Tomah, Wisconsin; and Edward W., who is a resident of Unity, Wisconsin.

When he was four years old Daniel C. Kenyon was brought as far west as Greenfield, Monroe County, Wisconsin, and spent his youth up to his twenty-second birthday on the farm, acquiring dur- ing this time a public school education, completing it in the Sparta High School. While he was at- tending school Mr. Kenyon was preparing for a business career by learning telegraphy from an old telegrapher named S. P. James, who was at Tunnel City, Wisconsin, so that when he left the farm he was able to secure a position as station agent and telegraph operator for the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad at Dexterville, Wisconsin. He remained there for three years, and at Junc- tion City, Wisconsin, for five years. Failing health then forced him to enter another field, and for some months he was a solicitor for life insurance.

In May, 1898, he came to Montana and entered the service of the Great Northern Railroad at Malta, but six months later he left the employ of the road to become proprietor of the Malta House, and conducted it for wo years. On Jan- uary 1, 1900, Mr. Kenyon bought the Malta En- terprise and edited it for over three years. In the meanwhile he had entered a homestead near Malta, and occupied it while he was in newspaper work, so he was able to prove it up. Selling his paper Mr. Kenyon returned to the service of the railroad, and after a short time in the station at Malta he was made relief agent and worked all over this division. In the fall of 1906 he was of- fered and accepted the position of traveling freight agent of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail- road, in the live stock business in the territory of the Great Northern Company of this region. With the closing of his first season, Mr. Kenyon went to Spokane, Washington, and for nearly a year was identified with the real estate business of that city. Returning to Montana, he re-entered the service of the Great Northern Railroad as station agent at Dodson, and held that position for four years, and he was also agent for the Ruby Gulch Mining Com- pany, handling its business at Dodson in the matter of gold bullion shipments.

When the County of Blaine was created in 1912 Mr. Kenyon was elected its first treasurer, and he was elected again in 1913, serving two terms. Brought up a republican, he followed Colonel Roosevelt in 1912 into the progressive branch of that party, and as such was elected to office. While he was serving as county treasurer he studied law, and on July 5, 1915, was admitted to the bar at Helena, Montana, by the Supreme Court of the state.

In that same year Mr. Kenyon opened an office as United States land commissioner and began the practice of his profession. His first district court case was in defense of a Turk, George Tom, charged with forgery, and he won it, although there was no doubt of the guilt of his client. He has carried on a general practice and has never had a partner.

In 1916 Mr. Kenyon was elected mayor of Chi- nook, and succeeded B. F. O'Neal. He was re- elected, and during the time he was in office street improvements and the liquidation of some water works bonds formed the principal achievements of his administrations. Had it not been for the calls to the people for contributions to the war activities he would doubtless have pursued a more

aggressive policy with

reference to public improvements, but realized that it was more patri- otic to economize in every way, both in labor and money. Personally he did his full part in war work, serving on the Legal Advisory Board, was a Red Cross director, and was appointed a member of the committee in charge of the Liberty Bond sales. He became one of the Four Minute speakers of the county, belonged to the American Council of De- fense and was fuel administrator for Blaine County.

On December 14, 1896, Mr. Kenyon was married at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, to Miss Anna Elizabeth Scott, who was born at Stevens Point in 1872. After graduating from the high school there she became a teacher and taught school for six years in Portage County, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon have the following children: Lloyd Scott, who is as- sistant cashier of the First National Bank of Chi- nook; Grace, who is attending Chinook High School; and Dorothy Ann, who is the youngest. Lloyd Scott Kenyon was the first young man to enlist at Chinook for service during the great war, going into Company L, Second Montana Infantry, imme- diately following the entry of this country into the conflict. He was trained at Fort Harrison, Helena, and sailed for France on the transport Leviathan in December, 1917, as a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-third Regiment, American Expeditionary Forces, and was at Bordeaux, France. He was made corporal of his company, then sergeant, and finally sergeant major. His service abroad con- sisted of training soldiers around Mont Richard.

Mr. Kenyon belongs to Malta Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Malta Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is junior warden. He also is a member of Malta Chapter, Royal Arch Masons. A man of unusual capabilities, Mr. Kenyon has known how to make use of them and in developing them has made himself a more valued member of society, as well as a producer of additional income. Having been so intimately connected with the history of Blaine County, he is naturally intensely interested in its further growth and development and can always be depended upon to give his full support to it and its well being.

JAMES Q. LASWELL. Whatever may be the real cause, about which political economists and philan- thropists and social workers widely differ, in every community there exist certain individuals so deter- mined on lawlessness that restraint is necessary in order to protect the innocent. Hence laws have to be formulated and officers elected to carry them out, and in the choice of these officers lies in great part the efficacy of the laws. This is particularly true in the selection of the men to fill the dangerous and responsible office of sheriff of a county, and comparatively few men possess every desirable re- quirement for such a position. Physical strength and endurance must be combined with calm judg- ment, a high order of personal courage, a keen in- tellect and dexterity and adroitness that will enable him to meet any possible advantage taken by the lawless, with which class much of his duty is con- cerned. Thus endowed is James Q. Laswell, sheriff of Blaine County.

Sheriff Laswell was born at Berryville, Arkansas, February 14, 1875, a son of Elijah Laswell, born in Indiana. Early in life Elijah Laswell was a school-teacher, but later in life became a farmer, and went into Carroll County, Arkansas, and died on his farm at Berryville when he was about sixty years of age. He married Elizabeth Baker, and they had the following children: Samuel H., who lives in Brown County, Texas; Lentie, who married

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B. S. Tate of Water Valley, Texas; William A., who is a resident of Kalispell, Montana; and James Q., who was the youngest born. After the death of his first wife Elijah Laswell was again married, and by this union had a daughter, Mertha E., who is married and lives near Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Only three years old when he lost his mother, Sheriff Laswell was entirely orphaned two years later when his father died, and when he was seven years old he was taken to Texas by his brother Samuel and was reared in that state. He never went to school further than the fourth grade, and he began to be self-supporting when only fourteen years old.

At that youthful age James Q. Laswell went to work as a farm hand in Fannin County, Texas. Cotton was the staple crop of that region, and wages ranged from $9 to $20 per month, and he received the lower one. Remaining there until af- ter he reached his majority, Mr. Laswell then sought better opportunities and went to the Choc- taw and Chickasaw country of Oklahoma, and from there into Indian Territory. For a time he worked around Coalgate and Lehigh as a ranch hand, and then returned to Texas, and back again to Indian Territory for several years. During this period he was married, but lost his wife soon afterward and then went into Pottawatomie County, Indian Ter- ritory, rented land and farmed it for a time. Sub- sequently he bought a farm near Chouteau, that state, but in the winter of 1905 sold his substantial interests and came to Montana.

Upon his arrival in this state Mr. Laswell es- tablished his home at Harlem, and for a time was a laborer about the village, subsequently becoming a ranch hand on a sheep ranch. Mr. Laswell then went into the draying business, and conducted it until the village was incorporated, when he was made its first marshal, assuming the duties of that office in October, 1910.

In August, 1911, he frustrated an attempt of three robbers to hold up the First National Bank of Harlem in broad daylight. Quoting from the Chi- nook Opinion on his action, we have the following:

"Three men rode into Harlem from the South Monday morning. They dismounted at the side of the First National Bank, where they were prac- tically unobserved. Two of them went in while the third man stayed and held the horses. While inside one of the men held up the cashier and the bookkeeper, Messrs. Hatch and Rassmussen, with a gun, while the other proceeded to the office of attorney Collins, who has rooms on the same floor, and compelled him and another gentleman to line up with the others. While one of the men held the four with his gun, the other emptied the till. He had laid his gun on the floor while doing the work, but returned and picked up the gun and in so doing discharged the weapon accidentally. He rushed into the vault and looted it of the gold and paper money to the amount of $8,000, placed it in a sack and started out of the vault. Marshal Laswell was across the street in front of the New England Hotel, and, hearing the shot, he started over to investigate. He entered the bank at the door lead- ing into Collins' office, and as he got near the vault door he heard steps inside, and was waiting for the robber when he came out. The robber pulled his gun and began action, but the Marshal's gun spoke first and sent a bullet through his hody, which passed through his heart and dropped the man.

"The smoke of both guns obstructed the view of the Marshal so that he had to duck to see what the robber was doing, and, under the smoke of hattle, he saw the bandit preparing to continue the

fight and he sent other bullets into him and fin- ished him without any injury to himself. The robber holding the people in front saw his pal go down in front of the vault door, fired a shot or two toward Laswell, and then fled toward the horses, and the two live ones fled the town with- out further casualties.

"When the Marshal fired his last shot and was satisfied that the robber was lifeless, he came out the door he had entered the bank and came up the walk toward the front loading his pistol. At the corner of the bank he met the cashier, who threw his gun into his face, believing him to be one of the robbers, and as the Marshal ducked he slipped and rolled off the sidewalk, and may thus have escaped the vengeance of the gun in the hands of the cashier."

When the inquest was held over the body of the slain bandit nothing was found by way of identification. Some time later the bandit who had held the officials of the bank lined up was cap- tured, a jury convicted him and sent him to the penitentiary, but the third one was never caught.

When Mr. Laswell retired from the marshal's office in October, 1912, he found that the fame of his bravery and coolness had gone oyer the state, and he was appointed a guard at the penitentiary at Deer Lodge, and served there for two years. In January, 1915, he was appointed under sheriff by James Buckley, and served as such during the four years of Mr. Buckley's administration, and was the logical candidate of the democratic party for the office of sheriff, and was elected by a majority of over 400.

Sheriff Laswell took over the responsibilities of his office at the beginning of the nation-wide pro- hibition era, and his administration so far has been marked by nothing more important than the serving of papers in local jurisprudence. He feels that the effects of the enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment have been very beneficial, for it has tended to make pacific the locality and to prevent the occurrence of many disturbances which used to be of almost daily happening.

Sheriff Laswell was married to the present Mrs. Laswell at Wanette, Oklahoma, in 1903, she hav- ing been Miss Julia Ann West, a daughter of W. I. West, and a native of Arkansas, where she was born in 1877. She is one of seven daughters and two sons born to her parents, and is the only one of them living in Montana. Sheriff and Mrs. Las- well have the following children: Cecil E., Pearl L. and Beulah.

During the World war Sheriff Laswell was chair- man of the local selective service board, and was especially active in looking after the propaganda- promoters and the rounding up of "slackers," and he spent many hundreds of gallons of "gas" in the performance of this duty alone.

ALBERT C. BERRY. There are several distinct periods in the history of Montana, the opening up of the public domain overthrowing the supremacy of the state as a cattle producing commonwealth, but when the readjustment had taken place the new era was found to bring to it just as much distinc- tion. Some of the men who are now towering fig- ures in the agricultural life of the state lived here in the days when the open range afforded unlimited pasturage to great herds of cattle, and took part in the transformation of these ranges into individual ranches. One of them is Albert C. Berry, who has been associated with the Bebee locality of Custer County since 1908 and Montana since 1893, progress- ing during the more than twenty-six years he has

A la Benny and family

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HISTORY OF MONTANA

been in the state from cowboy to owner of a 7,000- acre ranch and cattleman of state-wide reputation.

Albert C. Berry was born at Saco, Maine, July 10, 1865, a son of Seth and Ellen (Rhodes) Berry, both of whom were born, 'reared, married and died at Saco, Maine, he passing away at the age of eighty-seven years and his wife when seventy-nine. Their children to reach maturity were as follows: John, who lives at Saco, Maine; Lucy, who is the wife of Alonzo Kimball, of Saco, Maine; Seth, who was killed by the caving in of a gravel pit in which he was working; David, who also lives at Saco; Richard, who is a machinist of Saco; Abbie, who married Albert Swett, of Saco; Albert C., whose name heads this review; and William, who is en- gaged in farming at Saco. Seth Berry was a demo- crat, but aside from exercising his right of suffrage took no part in politics. All of his life he was engaged in farming on a small scale.

Albert C. Berry grew up at Saco, and obtained a limited education in its schools. Opportunities were few in that neighborhood and the ambitious lad found that the best he could do was chopping cordwood in the woods or farm work, for which he received wages ranging from $8 to $15 per month. This outlook so discouraged him that he determined to strike out into a broader field, and borrowing the necessary amount of money for the trip from a friend who had already gone west to River Bend, Colorado, where he owned a ranch, he joined him and worked out his indebtedness as a cowboy. This ranch was eighty-five miles east of Denver, and he remained on it until he was out of debt, and then went to what is now the "O W" Ranch of Sheridan, Wyoming, on the Hangingwoman. After a year there as a cowboy Mr. Berry, who was then twenty- five years old, came to Montana and went to work for Charley Daly, herding sheep along the Little Pumpkin, being thus engaged for two and one-half years. He then spent a winter at Vickers Sawmill on Greenleaf Creek, driving a team and hauling logs of pine from the mountains surrounding the mill. The next spring he became a shepherd for George Horkan, and for fourteen months renewed his acquaintance with the sheep wagon. During all of this period of hard work Mr. Berry saved his earnings and when he left Mr. Horkan he was able to buy a few head of cattle and began running them on Lost Soldier Creek, squatting on land there on which he erected a log shack shelter. At the begin- ning his bunch of cattle numbered but eighty-five, and he ran them on the open range under the brand capital "C" on the left shoulder. After a few years in that region he disposed of his improvements and changed his location to Big Pumpkin Creek in the vicinity of Bebee, buying the Clarence Bebee entry, deeded land and improvements, and the old log shacks now standing served him as a home and for other purposes during the subsequent four years. He then dropped down the creek and entered 160 acres of land, built a log house and subsequently proved up his claim. This log house he ultimately moved to Bebee and put it at the site of the road ranch of Bebee, and it is now the chicken coop of the Bebee ranch. After living in it for four years Mr. Berry erected on his present site, 11/2 miles be- low Bebee, his handsome and modern seven-room frame house, with full basement and laundry- room, bathroom and hot and cold water, which is lighted by the Main system of electric light. About this home he has developed a ranch of 7,000 acres which he uses for the production of beef with range cattle. Having sold his pioneer brand, Mr. Berry is using the AP brand on the left ribs. He be- came a shipper early in his career as a cattle grower

and is in the zenith of his business life in this in- dustry. His stock is graded up much beyond that of the pioneer cattle he handled, and the blooded Whiteface males are introduced into his herd every year. His force of men varies from two to five, with extra help in the house during the heavy work of the summer.

In addition to his ranch Mr. Berry has invested capital in the Miles City Flouring Company, of which he is a director; is a stockholder of the Miles City National Bank, of which at one time he was a director ; and he is also a stockholder of the Billings Mortgage and Loan Association. At one time Mr. Berry invested in sheep, and for three years was in this business on Pumpkin Creek, but hard winters and lack of winter grain brought about losses which so discouraged him that he abandoned that industry and centered his attention on raising cattle, his pres- ent success proving the wisdom of his action, al- though no doubt if he had gone into the business of raising sheep as extensively as he has that of raising cattle he would have prospered, for he is a man who accomplishes things when he sets his mind to it.

On March 27, 1897, Albert C. Berry was united in marriage with Miss Eva Burns, of Custer County, Montana, a daughter of Mrs. Mary (Kelley) Burns. The children in the Burns family were as follows: Alexander, John, Samuel, Neal, Mrs. Jennie Har- vey and Mrs. Berry, and she was born at Latrobe, Pennsylvania, September 8, 1865, where her girl- hood was spent, and where she obtained a common school education. Mr. and Mrs. Berry have no children of their own, but have adopted a son, Albert, now six years old, to whom they are giving the love and devotion that would have been accorded off- spring had such been vouchsafed them. Under their fostering care the little lad will receive a training that will fit him for any position in life to which he may be called. Mr. Berry cast his vote in Colo- rado for republican candidates, and has followed this custom ever since, but aside from voting, like his father, does not participate in public matters. His record is one deserving of more than offhand men- tion, for he has prospered more than the usual ranchman, and yet all of his success has come of his own effort. It is a far cry from cowboy to ranchman, and yet Mr. Berry has thus risen, and has made his ranch and brand known all over this part of the West.

WILLIAM SKILLEN is numbered among the Mon- tana pioneers who came into the state as a soldier and after leaving the army remained in the com- monwealth as a settler. He was drawn into the locality of the Little Rockies by the gold excite- ment of that locality in 1884, and was a placer miner there for three years, years that were profitably spent.

History relates that the bandit element of the North Moccasin country and of the adjacent locali- ties was the indirect cause of the discovery of gold in the Little Rockies. Just prior to this discovery a number of thieves were dispatched by the aroused and exasperated citizens of the genuine type, and as Dutch Lewis had harbored this bad element about his ranch he felt himself unsafe because of the recent action of the vigilanters and left his ranch and went into the Little Rockies, where with Pike Landusky and Frank Aldrich he began prospecting the gulches for gold. They sifted the sands of the creek in what they dubbed Alder Gulch, and the sands appeared to be fabulously rich. Pike Lan- dusky carried the news to North Moccasin and Maiden, and a party was formed at North Moc- casin and outfitted at once for a stampede into the

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Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, Volume III, Part 73

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