Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 134

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 134

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P ATRICK JOYCE is a native son of the Emer- ald Isle, which has contributed so large and valuable a population to the great American re- public, and here he has shown that alert mentality and business ability which are characteristic of the race, and has been very successful as one of the progressive farmers and stockgrowers of Missoula county. He was born in Ireland in 1862, the son of Thomas and Honor (Igo) Joyce, both of whom were born in Ireland, where their death occurred. Thomas Joyce came to the United States when eighteen, locating in Cincinnati, whence he soon came west in the early 'fifties, as a packer with the United States army, in which connection he witnessed the scenes incident to the Indian uprisings in Montana and California.

He came twice to the United States, first in the 'fifties, and again in 1860. In 1861 he again re- turned to Ireland, where he passed the remainder of his life, having been a farmer and stockgrower.

Patrick Joyce received his educational train- ing in his native land until 1880, when he emi- grated to New York, where he remained about three months, and thence came to the west, stay- ing for a time in Minnesota and the Dakotas and then coming to Montana, making Missoula county his ultimate destination. In 1884 he lo- cated on his present ranch on Camas prairie in the Big Blackfoot valley. Here he has a well im- proved ranch of 200 acres, devoted to general farming and stockraising, only a half mile south- east of the village of Potomac, which is his post- office address. Mr. Joyce is also interested in mining prospects in this section of the state, and owns an interest in some paying copper and gold properties. In politics his proclivities are indi- cated by the stanch support he gives to the prin- ciples and policies of the Republican party.

JOHN H. JURGENS .- A native of Germany, where he was born March 27, 1842, brought to America by his parents when he was eleven years old, beginning life as a clerk, then when he was of age crossing the plains to Montana and opening the first store ever conducted in Helena, inining, lumbering, engaging in various other oc- cupations, serving as sheriff of the county and a member of the territorial legislature, John Henry Jurgens has had a varied and interesting career. He is son of Herman and Clara Jurgens, the hus- . band taking the name of the wife at the marriage. They were natives of Germany, but emigrated to America and located in Scott county, Minn., in 1854. The father was a blacksmith, but took up land in this new home and also worked at his trade. This he continued for ten years and then turned over his business to his sons, retiring from active life, and living in peace with all his neigh- bors until 1886, when he died at the age of sev- enty-six. The mother survived him some years and then passed away at the age of seventy-eight. They had five children, all boys, of whom four are yet living. John Henry is the youngest. He had four years schooling in the old country, and after his arrival in America attended the country school during three of the winter months

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for three years, and then was put to work . his county in the Fourteenth legislative assembly. as clerk and general utility boy in a store. He and has always taken an active part in the cam- paign work of his party. He was chief of the fire department of Helena in 1866, and in the early days. of the territory was prominent and active among the Vigilantes. He is a member of three fraternal orders, the Masons, the Elks and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He was married in Helena August 27, 1866, to Miss Carmelia Bateman, daughter of Ira and Eliza (Hoffman) Bateman, of the capital city. They have three children, Clara, now Mrs. Frederick White- side, Frankie and Herman. Mr. Jurgens has lived a useful life and is enjoying the respect of his fel- low citizens and the confidence of the people. He is in the noon of his earthly day and may hope for many years of prosperity, happiness and serviceable activity. remained in this employment until he was twenty- one, rising by merit to more responsible positions and gaining the full confidence of his employers. . When he was of age he set out to see some- thing of the world and seek at its hands the liv- ing he felt that he was capable of earning. Mon- tana, then a part of Idaho, was the promising Eldorado of many a young man's dream, and thither he made his way in 1864 by the only means available, an emigrant wagon train. He was made captain of Company A, in a train containing 129 wagons, and they came by the northern route. It was long and tedious, but there was a pleasing variety of scenery, and enough of adventure with- ont real mishap to enliven it. The party was large, affording agreeable companionship of many personalities. Among the "old-timers" still liv- ing who were in the train are John Shober, Nich- olas Hilger and Philip Constance, all well known men in the history of Montana. At Montana City Mr. Jurgens made his first stop. Two months later he moved to Helena, and in partnership with Philip Constance opened the first store operated in the city. Their stock was general merchandise, and they did a good business. But in two years Mr. Constance's health failed. They sold out and Mr. Jurgens formed a new firm, that of Hartwell, Jurgens & Co., to carry on the lumber business. Their mills were located on Ten Mile creek. In the lower part of Prickly Pear valley they built and conducted a grist mill. Mr. Jurgens was engaged in this business sixteen years, then sold to Sanford & Evans, and started in general mer- chandising, contracting, furnishing ties, timber, etc., as Jurgens & Price, a new firm which had branch stores at Marysville and Rimini. This firm lasted from 1878 to 1887. Since that time Mr. Jurgens has been engaged in quartz mining, with occasional excursions into other lines of en- terprise, including a large and profitable bottling business. In 1895 he was elected sheriff of Lewis and Clarke county, on the Populist ticket. At the end of his term he took charge of a mine in Cook City, Park county, and worked there two years and a half. In 1899 he located at Butte, where he is looking after the Shohomish and Tramway mines for Mr. Heinze as inspector and material man.

Mr. Jurgens was always a Republican until he re- cently joined the Populist party. He represented

JAMES KAY .- Becoming a resident of Mon- tana in 1866 after a prosperous life in various parts of America, James Kay, of Bozeman, has witnessed the development Montana has made, and contributed a due share thereto. He was born in England on April 18, 1827, the son of James and Margaret (Craig) Kay, also natives of. England and descended from families long es- tablished there. The father was a successful wholesale merchant and died in 1857. His son James was reared in Scotland during the most of his first sixteen years, but was educated prin- cipally in England. In 1856 he located in Penn- sylvania and lived in Schuylkill county fifteen months, engaged in bridge building. He then removed to Missouri and for twenty months did carpenter work and mining. From there he changed his residence to Salt Lake, Utah, and followed cabinetmaking and carpentering for six years. In 1866 he came to Montana and passed the next three summers at Red Mountain City, Highland gulch, near Butte, from whence he came to the Gallatin valley and engaged in freighting and farming until 1873, when he removed to Bozeman and again started cabinetmaking and carpenter- ing in connection with freighting, adding later furniture dealing and directing funerals.

In politics Mr. Kay is a Democrat, but while feeling a cordial interest in party success he is not an office seeker. He has belonged to the Knights of Pythias for sixteen years. On Febru-

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ary 29, 1848, in England, he was married to Miss Mary Hope. They have five children dead and five living. Those living are: Joseph, James, John M., principal of the public schools at Red Lodge; Mary Jane, now Mrs. Winters, librarian at the Montana State College at Bozeman; and Isabel, living at home. The deceased children are : Anna, who died in England; Margaret, who died on shipboard coming to America; Matthew, George and Robert.

DELPHUS B. KEITH is a native of Apple-

A ton, Me., where he was born April 24, 1855. The story of his early life is that of thousands of American boys : he worked on his father's farm in summer and attended the public schools of his neighborhood in winter, acquiring the rudi- ments of an education. At the age of sixteen he won the consent of his parents to leave their friendly roof and begin the battle of life for him- self in that great training school which has pre- pared many men for careers of distinguished use- fulness, the country newspaper office. But he had no idea of being merely a compositor. De- voting his nights and Sundays to close and sys- tematic study, he added a knowledge of the prac- tical details of the printer's trade and newspaper work a mastery of shorthand writing and a course of reading in law. Journalism was more to his taste than the legal profession, and seemed to offer better opportunities ; and so he gave himself up energet- ically to that, mastering every branch of the pro- fession, both by study of its details and practical work therein. For he has successfully filled every position connected with the business, from the preliminary one of reporter to the far-reaching and all-important one of managing editor, and the ultimately responsible one of proprietor. He supplemented his journalistic experience with meta- physical studies, and while in New York city was graduated from the American Institute of Phrenology after completing a full course in men- tal philosophy and in anatomy and physiology. A number of the most eventful years of Mr. Keith's life were spent in the state of Iowa, where he made a reputation as a newspaper man and politician, as well as lecturer before popular and educational bodies. In his young manhood he had identified himself with the Democratic party, and throughout his career had advocated its poli-

cies both with his pen and on the hustings on every convenient occasion. His activity as a party worker made him the unanimous choice of his party for the office of secretary of state of Iowa in 1880. The fight was, of course, a hopeless one ; but he ran far ahead of his ticket and at once took his place as one of the leaders of the party, serving thereafter on important committees and in representative capacities. In 1884 he was an alternate to the Democratic national convention at Chicago, and in 1888 was a delegate to the one at St. Louis, and was potential in helping to stampede it to Hon. Allen G. Thurman as the nominee for the vice-presidency.

As editor and proprietor of the Denison (Iowa) Bulletin he expanded the reputation of that paper far beyond the boundaries of the state. He also established, and for some time conducted, Der Demokrat, a German paper of influence at Deni- son, and other newspaper enterprises. At a later date he was associated with Judge S. G. Kinney, subsequently a member of the supreme court, in publishing the Des Moines Daily Leader. Yield- ing to a desire long cherished, Mr. Keith retired from practical politics, and in 1889 located in Helena, Mont., and accepted the editorship of the Montana Farming and Stock Journal. At the close of the state campaign of that year he was persuaded by the earnest solicitation of Russell B. Harrison to become managing editor of that gentleman's paper, the Helena Daily Journal, which he conducted through the memorable "Pre- cinct 34" contest and the legislative muddles that followed.

Soon after the close of the campaign of 1892 he accepted an appointment as private secretary to Gov. Rickards, remaining with that official during his entire term of four years, and was also custodian of the state armory. During this time he served a term in the city council of Helena, and edited the Montana Mining Area, a semi- monthly, non-partisan magazine, the organ of the mining interests of the state. Later he edited the Western Mining World and then accepted the editorial chair on the Butte Inter-Mountain. During the campaign of 1900 he edited the Hel- ena Herald. In the fall of 1901 he accepted his present position as managing editor and political writer on the Butte Daily Miner.

Mr. Keith is a vigorous, thoughtful, scholarly and polished writer, with the fullness that comes of reading, the readiness begotten by conference

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and the exactness acquired from writing. His standard is never low; his style is never loose ; his meaning is always clear. In argument he is logical and convincing ; in description perspicuous and artistic ; in didactics sound and elevated ; and in controversy keen, caustic and incisive. Yet, withal, he is ever courteous, considerate and dignified. If he give the blow of the lion, he delivers it with the paw of velvet ; if his pen must needs be trench- ant, it is still the lance of a knight; if his rival be coarse, he smites from above. Many have wondered, some who know him well have asked, how he can accomplish so much and yet never seem overworked. It is because he has acquired by rigid mental training a great power of exclu- sion. That is, he can concentrate all his mental powers on the subject of work he has in con- templation and exclude everything else from his mind at the time, thereby intensifying his power and economizing his time. His mind is also en- tirely systematic. All his stores of information are seemingly in separate compartments and duly labeled, so that when he wishes for anything he can call it forth at once and in proper shape for im- mediate use.

On July 3, 1875, our subject was married to Miss Carrie Bieber, a native of Columbus, Ohio. They have had eight children, of whom five are living. Col. Keith is a man of domestic tastes and attributes much of his success in life to the counsel, encouragement and active assistance of hiis excellent wife. Yet, notwithstanding his love of home and its associations, he has been considerable of a "joiner," having united with the Iowa Legion of Honor, the Odd Fellows, the Elks, the Knights of Pythias, the Royal Arcanum, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Wood- men of the World, Modern Woodmen of America, the Fraternal Union of America, and other societies. He was formerly second officer in rank in the Woodmen of the World, and has for a number of years edited its official or- gan. He also edits the official organ of the An- cient Order of United Workmen for Montana, and is supreme steward of the Fraternal Union of America.

EDWARD KELLY .- A compilation of this nature exercises its most legitimate function when it enters a memorial of the life and services of one who has won success through his own

efforts and has gained the confidence and respect of his fellowmen by reason of sterling character and worthy deeds, as it does in the case of Ed- ward Kelly, who lived a life of honor and use- fulness, and was one of the pioneers of Montana. Edward Kelly was born in Ireland, in 1840, the son of Jeremiah and Esther (Kelly) Kelly. Jere- miah Kelly emigrated from the Emerald Isle in 1846, his wife having died a short time prior to his leaving his native land. His six children ac- companied him and he settled on a farm in the province of Ontario, Canada. His eldest child was a daughter, and she became the wife of Benja- min Long, of Buffalo, N. Y .; the eldest son, John, served in the Union army during the Civil war; two other sons settled on a farm in Ohio, and of one son all record is lost. The early years of Edward Kelly's life were passed on the paternal farm, in Canada, and he had such educational advantages as were afforded by the public schools of the period. At the age of nineteen he left home and went to Buffalo, N. Y., to live in the home of his sister and to find an occupation of some sort. Later on he went to Ohio, where he was em- ployed by his brothers on their farm. Thence going to Pittsburg, Pa., engaged in such work as he could find, and chanced to be on the river front one day, when he noticed a steamboat whose des- tination was Montana. He applied to the captain for the privilege of working his passage on the vessel to Montana, and thus it was that he cast his lot with this state. The boat made its way down the Ohio river to the Mississippi, and thence to the Mis- souri to Fort Benton, Mont., being one of the first to make the passage to this point. On reach- ing Fort Benton Mr. Kelly at once found em- ployment with J. J. Healey, who at that time was conducting a hotel, and after a few months se- cured a position in the mercantile establishment of Carroll & Steel, with whom he remained two years, and then engaged in the hotel business on his own responsibility, having a partner in the enter- prise. They opened what was known as the Ben- ton hotel, and at the expiration of two years Mr. Kelly's partner absconded with the funds, and he was thereby forced to close the hotel. He then made his way into the Canadian northwest and remained about a year in the employ of the American Fur Company, but returned to Mon- tana and purchased of the Tingley Brothers what was known as the Twenty-eight Mile Stage Sta- tion, which he operated as a hotel. He also filed

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entry on a claim of 150 acres of land adjoining and began to raise horses and cattle. There he remained for a period of twelve years, being suc- cessful in his operations, and at the expiration of that period he went to the Teton river district and entered claim to what is now known as the Elbow ranch, which comprises 160 acres. Here he took up his abode, later adding another quar- ter section to his ranch, while by subsequent pur- chase and lease its area has been increased to more than 5,000 acres. He at once began the work of improving the property and turned his attention to the breeding of a fine grade of horses, and the raising of cattle. He subsequently purchased a half interest in J. J. Kennedy's drove of cattle, worth $30,000, and eventually acquired the entire ownership. His breed of horses is known in all the leading markets of the northwest, and always command an advanced price. Mr. Kelly did much to improve the grade of horses raised in the state. He was broad-minded and progressive in his atti- tude, and was ever ready to lend a helping hand in any enterprise which would promote the public good. His genial and kindly disposition won him a host of friends, and his death was felt as a per- sonal loss to the community, where his name was a synonym for all that was honorable. Mr. Kelly died on July 18, 1890, and thus Choteau county lost one of her representative business men and highly honored citizens.

In politics Mr. Kelly gave his support to the Democratic party, but never sought the honors of public office. In religion he was a devout member of the Catholic church, in whose faith he was reared. On October 18, 1877, was sol- emnized his marriage to Miss Rose Middendorf, daughter of Theodore and Eva Middendorf, of Louisville, Ky., natives of Hanover, Germany. Our subject and his wife became the parents of six children : Edward J., Myra, Georgiana, Rose, Frank and Katharine. Mrs. Kelly survives her husband and maintains her home in Fort Ben- ton. She has shown excellent executive ability, and has continued in control of the great cattle interests of her husband, being one of the most extensive growers in the state.

IMEON V. KEMPER .- It was said by a great

S American wit that every self-made man is proud of the job ; and it might with justice be added that if the job is a good one there would be justi-

fication for the fact if the statement involved a fact. But in the main it is untrue, or an over- statement at best. The man who has been the architect and not the creature of circumstances, and has molded them to his use and profit so that he has made out of unpromising conditions a ca- reer of substantial success and pleasing comeliness, may be thankful that he had the capacity and the will to do it; but he scarcely ever overlooks the advantages he might have had in more favor- able surroundings, and the better work he could have done with them. Simeon V. Kemper, the interesting subject of this biographical notice, is a self-made man, with due appreciation of the powers given him to work withal, and without the vanity which attends a superficial or incom- plete success. He was born at St. Joseph, Mo., June 21, 1855. His parents were Thompson and Lucy A. (Smiley) Kemper, the former a Ken- tuckian descended from an old Virginia family, and the latter a Virginian of Scotch-Irish ances- try. The father was a surveyor and speculator. Our subject, the youngest of their four children, inherited from them an aggressive, aspiring, adapt- able nature, but nothing else. He received a lim- ited common school education in his native state, to which his parents had removed prior to his birth, and when he was sixteen years old launched his frail barque, freighted with precious hopes, am- bitions and resolves, on life's uncertain sea, steer- ing toward the sunset and finding a safe anchor- age in the great Treasure state of the northwest in 1871. He turned his hand to whatever offered in the way of remunerative occupation, ranching in season and attending technical schools at Hel- ena between times, studying civil engineering as a preparation for a professional career and tax- ing his sinewy and responsive muscles to earn the means wherewith to do it. In 1877 he lo- cated at Butte and went into the business of raising small fruits, which he continued for four or five years, and having by that time accumu- lated sufficient means for the purpose and a good general knowledge of the situation, he opened up on a more extended scale as a real estate dealer, buying land in the vicinity of the growing city and platting it into town lots to meet the in- creasing clamor for residence sites ; thus making several additions to the city and always at good profits to himself as well as with great benefit to the working classes. He has perhaps in this way put into the service of the city and her peo-

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ple a large acreage of land than all the com- bined real estate men who do business there. He was instrumental in establishing the State Savings Bank, for many years is active manager, and is yet one of its directors. He has, in addition, mining interests in the city of considerable value, although he has disposed of many, among them the Ground Squirrel mine, for which he got $225,000. One of those which he still owns or has an interest in is the Butte & Boston claim, which promises enormous results in time.

Mr. Kemper was married in 1881 to Miss Sally B. Shields, a native of Kentucky. They have four children, the oldest of whom is a student at the Institute of Technology, Boston, Mass. In politics Mr. Kemper is a Democrat, but is not an active partisan.

JOHN KELLY, of Ovando, Powell county. Mont., has led a life of exciting incident since he first came to the Treasure state in 1864. He was one of the earliest settlers and been an eye- witness to many of the most stirring scenes of the opening of the country and the wresting it from the hands of hostile Indian tribes. He is of Irish ancestry, having been born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1843, a son of James and Mary (McNamara) Kelly, natives of Ireland, where they lived and died. In 1863, at the age of twenty years, John Kelly came from Ireland to the United States. On his arrival he immediately sought employment and worked for day wages in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio and at Dubuque, Iowa, where he was located for several years, coming thence to Montana by way of Colorado in 1864. It will therefore be seen that he is one of the earliest settlers in the territory. Mr. Kelly first settled at Virginia City, at that period known as Alder gulch, and engaged in placer mining among the thousands who were similarly engaged. For quite a number of years he continued at this occupation at Alder gulch and other localities in Montana. But the time came when placer mining was des- tined to give way to more solid and certain avo- cations. Mr. Kelly was among the first to realize this fact, and in 1887 located on a ranch at Ovando, Powell county, where he still lives and is engaged in a lucrative business. He endured all the pri- vations and dangers of a trip by cattle train across the plains from Omaha, Neb., to Alder gulch,

Mont., and now lives to enjoy some of the dearly earned profits of those rough experiences. Mr. Kelly is a bachelor. Personally he is one of the most popular men in the county and is highly esteemed by all.

Je OHN KEENAN, one of the prominent and successful stockgrowers of Powell county, re- siding near Gold creek station, was born at Ot- tawa, province of Quebec, Canada, June 24, 1847. His parents were Arthur and Margaret (McCaf- frey) Keenan, natives of Ireland, where they were reared and married, emigrating to Canada in 1830, where they died. The occupation of the father was that of a farmer.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 134

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