Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 108

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1374

USA > Montana > Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1 > Part 108

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Mr. and Mrs. Adams had five children, namely : James E., Richard E., Elmer C., Thomas F. and Alma Zay. Mrs. Adams died February 26, 1886, and on November 9, 1887, Mr. Adams consum-

mated a second marriage, being then united with Miss Laura B. Morrow, who was born in Colorado, the daughter of Malcolm and Jeannette Morrow, natives of Scotland, whence they migrated to Canada and thence removed to Iowa, where they remained several years; and thereafter residents of Colorado for six years. From there they came to Montana, locating in Virginia City, where the father engaged in stockraising until his death, which occurred. June 13, 1891, his wife having passed away in 1880. He was a Republican in politics and both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church. Of their thirteen chil- dren five are deceased-John, Kennett, Mary, Ag- nes and one who died in infancy. Those living are Belle, Malcolm, Davis, William, Jeannette, Kate, Laura B. and Martha. Mr. and Mrs. Adams are the parents of two sons and two daughters, namely : James C., Barbara B., Prudence K. and Wesley H.

JOHN W. BROOK .- Among the pioneers of the great west who can recount many interesting tales concerning life on the frontier in the early days is Mr. Brook, who has been a resident of Montana since 1865. He was born on April 29, 1837, in DeKalb county, Ill., the son of Thomas and Hannah (Holenback) Brook, both of whom were born in Maryland, while their marriage oc- curred in Ohio, to which state Mr. Brook early removed, and thence to DeKalb county in 1832, where he was one of the pioneer farmers until his death. The maternal grandparents of John W. Brook were born in Wales, and emigrated to America in an early day. Thomas Brook was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was in service as a private in the Black Hawk war, in Illinois. Of his nine children John W. was the youngest.

John W. Brook, after such education as the public schools could give, in October, 1852, left Illinois for Iowa, and, having learned the car- penter trade under the direction of his father, found employment at this trade and also did some farming in Iowa. He remained in Marshall county one year, in Appanoose county two years, and next passed a year in the pine woods of northern Wisconsin. While in Iowa his work had been in connection with bridge building on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and to that state he returned from Wisconsin, and, a year later, went to Missouri, where he again became a railroad

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carpenter, and for two years worked on the line of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. The Pacific Railroad had been built from Elwood, Kan., about twelve miles west and abandoned. In 1861 a locomotive was sent out this line to transport it across the Missouri river, and Mr. Brook, as one of 200 men, assisted in loading the engine on the ferry-boat and also in unloading it and placing it on the rails on the west side of the river. This was the first locomotive west of the Missouri. That spring Mr. Brook started for Pike's Peak, Colo., in company with three others, outfitting at St. Joseph, Mo. They stopped at Box Elder, Utah, where Mr. Brook assisted in putting up hay for the Mossman pony express. He went on to Colorado, arriving in Denver in July. With his companions he went to the Blue River placer mines, where he remained until fall of the next year, when he returned to his old home in Illinois. In the spring of 1863 he again started for Colo- rado, his equipment consisting of four four-horse wagons, the freight being groceries, canned goods, flour, etc. The party started from Fort Scott, Kan., and when they had passed the Indiana ranch they were overtaken by a man who informed them of a massacre perpetrated by the Indians at that ranch, and they were ordered to either halt or push on and overtake a train, so that they might have protection. They decided to push forward, and overtook and joined a large train. Just out- side of Denver they met soldiers who had found a man scalped and left with his wagon, and learned that a woman and her children had been killed on Plum creek. These events caused much excite- ment in Denver, and an attack by the Indians seemed imminent. The men were provided with arms, and one night great fear was caused by two drunken Mexicans who built a fire on the hills not far away and began singing loudly. The set- tlers supposed them to be Indians making ready to attack, but the danger was fortunately imagin- ary. Mr. Brook, in the spring of 1862, walked the long distance from Montgomery, Colo., to Breck- enridge, packing his blankets on his back. He was accompanied by the late Nicholas Kessler, long one of the prominent citizens of Helena. In the spring of 1863. with three others, Mr. Brook started for the North Star quartz mine, above the timber line in the mountains. They placed their outfit on wagons used in hauling ore and started up the mountains. After passing the timber line they found the snow deep and heavily crusted, and,

as they continued the difficult and hazardous climb- ing, one of the party slipped, and, sliding down the mountain side, only saved himself from falling over a precipice by catching hold of a small fir tree. They finally reached the mine at Silver Lake, and found the ore was taken out at a depth of 135 feet and was frozen. As they could not work in the mine they turned their attention to build- ing a house. They selected a site, cut logs for two houses, and began to throw out snow to make the ground the foundation of their structures, they dug until they could no longer throw the snow to the surface, and then, running a ten-foot pole down in the snow below without striking ground, they abandoned the work. When spring came they found that their logs had been cut off the trees twenty-five feet above ground; this shows that the snow must have been over twenty feet deep.

The party returned to the Blue river, and there found snow from six to eight feet deep over their ditch. This ditch was six miles long and every six feet they dug holes down to it and then made a channel from one opening to another by pushing holes through, thus they succeeded in getting water from the creek to their placer grounds two months earlier than any other operator in the diggings. In going from the ditch to their camp they would slide down the mountain side on shov- els, traversing the snow at the rate, as Mr. Brook says, of a "mile a minute," and one of his partners was severely injured while coasting in this unique way.

On October 24, 1864, Mr. Brook started for Montana, but was caught in a severe snow storm and compelled to pass the winter at Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to leaving Granger for Salt Lake City he met parties coming from the mines, and to one of them sold a sack of flour for $210. The same night he visited their camp and was shown a sack of gold dust too heavy for one man to lift, many private pouches and one nugget worth several hundred dollars. In the spring of 1865 Mr. Brook and his party started for Montana, ar- riving in Nevada City on the 13th of April and here Mr. Brook joined the stampede to Silver Bow, where he engaged in placer mining and also had stock running on the hills that are now the site of Butte. In the winter of 1866 he joined the Sun river stampede, but returned to Silver Bow creek, and continued placer mining until August, 1867, when he sold out and went to. freighting between

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Fort Benton and Helena and Virginia City. Late in the fall he went to Utah returning in Decem- ber with a stock of apples, eggs and vegetables, which he sold at phenomenal prices. Apples pur- chased for $2.25 a bushel sold for forty-five cents a pound. He purchased wheat at $1.00 per bushel, had it ground, and sold the flour for $9.00 for 100 pounds, and eggs, bought for twenty-five cents a dozen, sold at $1.50. In 1869, in Utah, Mr. Brook traded old wagons for live stock, with a view to engaging in ranching. He returned with the cattle, but soon sold them, and in 1870 pur- chased more, which he drove through to Montana, then taking up land on the Beaverhead river, in Madison county, where he now has two finely improved ranches comprising 720 acres. Here he has worked at diversified farming and stockraising. His home ranch is located eight miles southwest of Twin Bridges. He also owns a fine residence prop- erty in Twin Bridges, where the family lives dur- ing the winter. Mr. Brook also has some fine gold prospects in this locality, as yet undeveloped but of indubitable value. In politics he has been . an active worker in the cause of Democracy. He is a member of the board of trustees of the state orphans' home, at Twin Bridges, having recently received an appointment for a second term. On March 12, 1884, Mr. Brook was united in mar- riage to Miss Eleanor Brown, born in Illinois. They have two children-Thomas B., born April 15, 1890, and Gladys M., born March 20, 1892.

T "HOMAS BUGGY .- One of the sterling pio- neers of Montana and an able representative of a profession which has important bearing on the great industry which first gave prestige to this section of the Union, Mr. Buggy merits spe- cific consideration. He is a native of the Emerald Isle, having been born in County Kilkenny in 1845, the fifth of the six children of John and Julia (Hickey) Buggy, both of them born in Ireland, where the father was engaged in agriculture until his death in 1870. Thomas Buggy, in the national schools of his native land, completed an aca- demic course and left school in 1861 and was identified with farming in Ireland until 1863, when he determined to seek his fortunes in the United States and in 1864 he came to Montana, then on the frontier of civilization. He remained for a

time in Virginia City and thence removed to Last Chance gulch, and engaged in placer mining in Lewis and Clarke and Deer Lodge counties for a number of years. In 1878 Mr. Buggy came to Butte, having devoted careful study to assaying, so as to make it a business.

In Butte he secured a position in the assaying department of the Silver Bow mill, the largest and oldest establishment of the sort in the camp, and there he was employed for two years, becoming an expert assayer through practical work. In 1886 Mr. Buggy established himself in an assay busi- ness, in which he continues, retaining a large and representative clientage. In one of the most eli- gible locations on Main street in Butte Mr. Buggy owns a fine three-story business block, built of granite and Omaha pressed brick, of modern ar- chitectural design and equipments. He has been successful in his efforts and holds the confidence and esteem of the community. He has never mar- ried. In politics he exercises his franchise in sup- port of the Democratic party, but he has never sought or desired public office.

CHARLES BROWN, familiarly and affec- tionately known as "Old Charlie Brown," was for nearly two score years identified with Montana history, being a pioneer of 1861, a man of sterling character, a keen judge of the springs of human action, charitable in his judgment of his fellow men, and one whose life was one of "ceaseless toil and endeavor." On the roll of the "old-timers" who now rest from their labors his name merits an enduring place. The data regarding his early years is meagre, but he was born in Germany, where he lived for nineteen years, when he came to America in company with Carl Schurz, the dis- tinguished editor and statesman. Remaining for some time in the east, shortly after the memor- able gold excitement of 1849 in California he went thither in the early 'fifties. Thence he went to Colorado, and in 1861 crossed the plains to Mon- tana, then almost a terra incognita, on the out- most borders of civilization. He arrived there be- fore the discovery of gold in Alder gulch, and was one of the first to work in its famous placer mines. Later he was one of the party which gave the suggestive title to Last Chance gulch, the site of the present capital city of the state, and was among the first prospectors in that gulch. He devoted

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years to prospecting and mining in the state and was a good type of the sturdy old-timers.

Mr. Brown finally returned to Sioux City, Iowa, where he married Mrs. J. Manderchien, and they afterward removed to Moorhead, Minn., where he was engaged in the livery business for six years, when, in 1876, Mr. Brown returned to Montana and became a wagon boss for the United States government. He was with Custer's trains, wait- ing to bring them up, at the time of the historic Custer massacre. In 1878 Mrs. Brown and their children joined him at Miles City, where he was engaged in business for many years, there rearing his family of four children, Flora, now the wife of George Ulmer, of Miles City ; Laura, the widow of John I. Zook, now county superintendent of schools of Custer county ; Emma, who is engaged in cattle raising in Custer county ; Adolph, now in Valdes, Alaska. In 1898 Mr. Brown went on a prospecting tour to Valdes, Alaska, and there his death occurred on the 9th of October, 1900. He was survived by his wife and the four children above mentioned. His remains were brought home by his son and interred October 26, 1901, in the cemetery near Miles City.

J JAMES BROWN .- Left without a father's care when but three years old, but from that time carefully nurtured by his devoted mother until he was twelve, when she too passed away, James Brown, of Butte, has exhibited in his useful life the qualities of self-reliance and resourcefulness engendered by his early dependence on himself and the correct, upright and progressive manli- ness developed by his training. He was born at Oroville, Butte county, Cal., on August 18, 1857. His father, William Brown, was born in England and came to America, locating in San Francisco, when he was a young man. He died on board a ship bound from San Francisco to the West In- dies in the year 1860. His wife, Winifred May (Raney) Brown, was born in Ireland and died at Colfax, Cal., in 1877.

Mr. Brown was educated in the Colfax public schools and at the convent school in Grass valley, Cal., also at St. Mary's College and the Pacific Business College in San Francisco. At the age of twelve he accepted employment in the general store of R. S. Osborn, at Emigrant Gap, Cal., re- maining twelve years. During that time he was

also engaged in mining in Nevada county, and had a better knowledge of ores than any man in that state. In 1883 he came to Butte and worked in the mines for about five years, after which he was connected with the Butte daily newspapers as reporter, circulator, and in other capacities until 1894, when he, with Gen. Charles S. Warren, J. G. Courtney and W. G. Van Eman, together estab- lished The Basin Times, at Basin, Mont. In 1895 Mr. Brown purchased the interest of Mr. Van Eman and Mr. Courtney, and in 1896 that of Mr. Warren, and the same year he merged The Times into The Butte Times, which he has since pub- lished in Butte. The paper is independent in poli- tics, and has been potential in many campaigns, giving its support to the cause and the candidates that were best approved by the judgment of its proprietor, without regard to political or personal considerations. Mr. Brown has prospered in his business in every line of effort, and owns valuable real estate in Butte, consisting of a number of resi- dence properties and the office in which his paper is published. He also has interests in promising mines in different parts of the west. He stands well where he is known, having the confidence and esteem of the people, being always ready to render them efficient service in any good enter- prise. He was secretary of the Butte Miners' Union and the Trades and Labor Assembly of that city for years. He also aided materially in or- ganizing the Butte Workingmen's Union in 1892-3 and other labor organizations, being prominently identified with labor during these years. He was married at Boulder, Mont., in May, 1896, to Miss Anna Virena Page, a native of Oakland, Cal., where she was born. They have one child, Dudley . James Murray Brown. In both his business ca- reer and his private life Mr. Brown has exemplified the best features of American citizenship, and has justly won the high place he holds in the regard and good opinion of his fellow men.

T HOMAS BRYANT .- Born in Cornwall coun- ty, England, on September 22, 1863, and reared amid mining interests, going to work at mining early in his life himself, and following both inclina- tion and necessity in seeking a knowledge of the subject in all its bearings, Thomas Bryant has come honestly by his expert knowledge of mines and min- ing, and his skill in manipulating mineral products

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and the men who bring them into marketable form. He is the youngest of seven children of Robert and Mary (Knight) Bryant, the former a native of Devonshire and the latter of Cornwall. When he was two years old his parents removed from Corn- wall to Wales, and five years later emigrated to the United States, settling in New York state, where they remained one year and then removed to West Fairlee, Vt. Thomas at nine years of age was com- pelled by the necessities of the family to go to work, which he did at concentrating ores. In 1872 he was transferred to the copper regions of Michi- gan, and there was allowed to go to school until he was sixteen years old, finishing at Bryant & Stratton Business College in Detroit where he was graduated in 1877. He was then employed as a bookkeeper for a mining company and in 1878 went to Leadville. He has been in the far west ever since. He passed some time in the San Juan country, Colo., and came from there to Butte in 1881, and after working there in the mines for fif- teen months, went to Colorado, for two years and then returned to Butte. He worked in the mines again for two years, was then made foreman of the Neptune and later took charge of the Gambetta mine and the original. He was also superintendent of the Stewart mine for six or seven years, and in 1898 was made superintendent of all the Clark min- eral properties in Butte, embracing the mines owned and those leased. Mr. Bryant was married in January, 1884, to Miss Ellen Driscoll, a native of Michigan. They have three sons and one daughter. In politics he is a firm and zealous Democrat, and in 1895 was elected alderman from the Second ward. He was the oldest member of the council and was chosen its president. In fraternal relations he is associated with Mount Moriah Lodge No. 24, A. F. & A. M., and the Order of Elks, and is also a member of the Overland Club, of Butte. Mr. Bryant's high standing in the community is well deserved. He has superior technical knowledge of his business, all the characteristics of a good and useful citizen, and engaging socia? qualities which commend him to the residents of the city without regard to class or party.

D ARWIN BUTLER .- Born and reared in the Empire state, the son of a carpenter and mill- wright, with his childish fancy quickened and his patriotism kindled by the stories of the deeds and

sufferings of the Revolutionary ancestor who fought as a captain under Washington, contending for fortune's favors in a half dozen different states, winning success here and suffering failure there and turning his hand to various vocations, the career of Darwin Butler, of Avon, presents many attractive features. He was the son of Jonathan and Lavina (Schermerhorn) Butler, of Lexington, Greene county, N. Y., was born December 19, 1832, and where his parents, after long and useful lives, were laid away to rest. He attended the public schools of his native town, remaining at home until he was twenty-one years old, when, catching the gold fever which discoveries in California had made epidemic throughout the older states, he started for the distant Eldorado in 1854, going by way of Panama and up the Pacific coast to San Francisco, arriving there in April of that year. He gave his entire time and energy to the work he had come to do-mining for about eleven years, but with in- different success. At the end of that time he crossed the mountains to Colorado, arriving at Den- ver in 1865, then a mere hamlet. He remained there but a short time, and then renewed his journey, go- ing to Missouri. On reaching Fort Kearney, Neb., the prospects being favorable, he remained there over winter. In the spring he accepted employment on the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, which kept him employed for four years, although he spent a portion of the time on a ranch near Grand Island. In December, 1869, he returned to San Francisco by rail, making the trip in a week. He did not linger in San Francisco, but went to San Diego with the hope of securing employment on the Southern Pacific Railroad, then being built. Being disappointed he returned to San Francisco, and the following year went to Utah, anticipating work on a railroad bridge outfit, but failing to get the job he went to Corinne and chartered a four- horse outfit, and in company with seven others started for Montana, where he arrived in March, 1870. The party suffered terribly on the trip. The weather was very cold most of the way, and they sometimes almost despaired of their lives. In fact, at one point on the route, they found a number of Chinamen frozen to death. But the end of their trials and hardships came at last. They reached Deer Lodge on April 3, where they found perma- nent shelter and employment. Mr. Butler went to work on a ditch in process of construction under Col. Thornton, near race track, although the snow was four feet deep. He worked on this ditch until

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July 4, 1871, when again he began prospecting, and kept at it until near the close of the year. Not succeeding to his satisfaction, he went to work in a saw-mill at Dog Creek gulch for Albert and Reinold Kleinsmith, now leading merchants of Helena. In July, 1872, he purchased a ranch in Little Blackfoot valley, about two and a half miles from Avon, re- mained thereon for five years, and then rented it and went to Butte, but in 1882 he returned to the ranch. He now owns about 500 acres of land and makes a specialty of raising fine stock. Mr. Butler was married on May 10, 1893, to Isabella Hartz, a native of Scotland, but for twenty years a resident of Montana. In politics he is an ardent Republican, and has been since the birth of the party. He was one of its organizers in California. and voted with enthusiasm for its first presidential candidate, Gen. John C. Fremont.

M ARTIN BUCKLEY .- Among those intimately identified with that great productive industry which gave Montana prestige and through which her magnificent development has been conserved- her mining enterprises-is Martin Buckley, now in charge of the Kenwood mine, located in the at- tractive suburb of the capital city from which the mine derives its title. Mr. Buckley claims the grand old Empire state as the place of his nativity. since he was born in Essex county, N. Y., on March 6, 1860, the third of the seven children of John and Mary (Russell) Buckley, natives respectively of Ireland and the state of New York. John Buckley accompanied his parents to America about the year 1820, settling in the state of New York. He was a miner by occupation for many years and was em- ployed as mine superintendent, but during the later years of his life he devoted his attention to agricul- tural pursuits. Martin Buckley was educated in the public schools of his native state and early became identified with the mining industry, securing em- ployment at the iron mines at Palmer Hill, in Essex county, N. Y. In 1871 he removed to the Lake Superior mining district in the upper peninsula of Michigan, where he remained several years in the copper mines, removing thence to Leadville, Colo., and was there identified with mining for some years. He has followed mining almost continually from his boyhood days. Mr. Buckley was located in Utah, then at Salmon City, Idaho, where he held the position of superintendent of the Blackbird

group of mines, and from that place went to Butte in 1899, maintaining his residence in the Montana metropolis for a number of years, within which time he was superintendent, foreman and shift boss at many different mines. Under his direction the first set of timbers were installed in the shaft of the Green Mountain mine; while in the employ of the Anaconda Company he had charge of a larger corps of workmen than any other superintendent ever retained by that corporation. Later he became identified with the Clark and Heinze interests. From 1893 until 1896 he had charge of the Hope mine, at Basin, Jefferson county, and in December, 1900, he moved to Helena to assume the superinten- dency of the Kenwood mine, with which he is now identified. Mr. Buckley has devoted his life to mining, and is thoroughly familiar with all practical details of this industry. He has shown himself an able executive and has ever had the confidence and esteem of those by whom he has been employed and the respect of the men working under his direction.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 108

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago Publication date: [19-?] Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1374