Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 168

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 168

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Rev. Father Sullivan received his early schol- astic training at St. Aloysius preparatory school at Helena, which he attended until 1889, after which he took a complete classical course of study at Gonzaga College, Spokane, Wash. In 1893 he entered St. Thomas Seminary at Mt. Angel, Ore., an excellent institution conducted by the Benedic- tine Fathers, at which he remained four years, two of which he devoted to the study of philos- ophy and two to theology; at this institution he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then went to Rome, and spent three years at the Prop- aganda College, an international institution for students of all nations.

He was ordained to the priesthood May 20, 1900, and in July of the same year secured the degree of doctory of divinity from the Roman University. On his return to Helena he was at once assigned to duty as assistant priest at the cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Helena, and also as priest in charge of St. Helena church. He has the distinction of being the first citizen of Montana ever ordained to the Catholic priesthood. He has put his conscience and his soul into his work in the community, and is winning a very gratifying appreciation of his labors from all classes of people who share in their benefits, which includes many outside of his own household of faith. He is a living and potential force for good in the community, and has quickened all its cur- rents of moral fruitfulness by the vigor of his work and the power of his example. The de- partments of the church interests immediately un- der his charge are prospering and flourishing in a way that does him great credit, and steadily enlarging their influence and usefulness.

W ILLIAM M. BEATTIE .- The firm of Beat-

tie & Blessing stands as a worthy exponent of the stockraising industry in Fergus county. They have brought to bear marked capacity and discrimination in their business and command the confidence and esteem of the community. William M. Beattie was born in Fayette county, Pa., on the 2d of February, 1842, the son of John and Anna Maria Beattie, both of whom were born in Pennsylvania and represent good old families of that state. In his early manhood John Beattie devoted his attention to teaching school and later became superintendent of large iron works at Uniontown, Pa. He was a stalwart Democrat, a man of strong character and great executive force, and served on the board of super- visors of Fayette county, and was also justice of the peace for years. He was a Presbyterian in religious thought, of which church his wife was also a member. His death occurred in 1890. His widow now resides at Iowa City, Iowa. They had eleven children, of whom Ella and Belle are deceased, the others are Sarah A., Anna K., Jane H., Alice A., William M., Mary M., Louisa B., Isaiah M. and George D.

William M. Beattie attended the public schools of his native county and when sixteen found em- ployment on a farm for two years, when he em- barked in the same line of enterprise for himself in Rock Island county, Ill., until 1873, when fail- ing health led him to close out his interests and make a trip through Kansas and Nebraska, and thence on to California. Here he remained some years, coming to Montana in the spring of 1882 and locating at Boulder, Jefferson county, where he conducted a successful dairy business until 1883. He then came to Fergus county and took up a squatter's claim twelve miles south of Cotton- wood, which is now known as the Mahana place. Here he was very successful and here also he became associated with Samuel V. Blessing in 1888, the firm of Beattie & Blessing there con- tinuing successful operations until 1898, when they sold the property at a good price, the ranch at that time comprising 320 acres. The partnership of the two gentlemen still continues, and since disposing of the Mahana ranch they have continued stockraising on a fine ranch of 524 acres, located nine miles south of Cottonwood. They give their attention particularly to the raising of a high grade of cattle. In politics Mr. Beattie is a stanch Democrat.

S. V. Blessing

W. M. Beattie

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S AMUEL V. BLESSING .- Connected with W. M. Beattie in the firm of Beattie & Blessing is one of the typical "old timers" of the west, Samuel V. Blessing. He is a native of West Virginia, born in Smith county when it was part of the "Old Dominion," on the 5th of March, 1833, the son of Solomon and Mary Blessing, who were likewise born in Virginia. In early days they emigrated to Macon county, Mo., where Solomon Blessing continued to reside until his death in 1858. He survived his wife six years. He was a man of positive character and a stanch old- line Whig. He and his wife were parents of nine children. All are now living except one, Sarah. The names of the others are Elizabeth, Samuel V., Catherine, John, James, Eliza, Jacob and George. Samuel V. Blessing is the only one of the number residing in Montana.

Mr. Blessing remained at the parental home until he was twenty-one, after which he was vari- ously employed until 1857, when he made the trip across the plains to California, where he followed farm work and teaming. In 1870 he went to Nevada, and secured employment as a teamster, receiving from $60 to $75 per month. He remained in that state until 1873, when he proceeded to Utah and passed the winter in the north part of the state, after which he continued on to Salt Lake City, then started for the Salmon river country, in Idaho, at the time of the great gold excite- ment there. He engaged in prospecting and min- ing, meeting with so little success that he returned to Utah, where he passed the winter of 1873-4. The next spring Mr. Blessing went to Boise City, Idaho, remained a short time and then came to Montana, locating in the Gallatin valley. Not long after this he came to Fergus county and lo- cated at his present residence, entering into part- nership with Mr. Beattie in 1888. Mr. Blessing is a man of strong mental powers, well defined opin- ions, mature judgment and practical experience, and his life has been one of consecutive industry and usefulness. He is a stalwart Republican and is respected by all who know him, either in a busi- ness or social way.

R ICHARD P. SUTTON .- The name which initiates this review is familiar to theatre- goers in all sections of the Union. As an amusement caterer Mr. Sutton has purveyed to the public

for a long term of years, while he has attained high popularity among the members of the the- atrical and circus coteries and with the general public, and in a managerial capacity he has at- tained high reputation and a well earned success. Butte has the distinction of being his first per- manent place of residence, and here he has pro- vided the best of attractions and supplied the city with a modern and attractive amusement resort, and his name is prominently identified with the theatrical business in the northwest. Mr. Sut- ton was born in Jessamine county, Ky., on April 15, 1845, the fourth of the nine children of David P. and Isabella (England) Sutton, natives of Vir- ginia and Kentucky, in which latter state his mother passed her life, and his father died. David P. Sutton removed from Virginia to Kentucky about 1828, and, an honored pioneer, erected the first frame house and store in Jessamine county. His home served as a store, tavern and post- office and was a stage station on the road between Lexington and Harrisburg. He never exacted pay for the entertainment given, but secured prof- its from the sale of liquors, owning a distillery in which he manufactured apple and peach brandy.

In the primitive schools in his native county Richard P. Sutton received his educational dis- cipline, and the advantages thus afforded him were very limited in scope. In 1854 the family removed to the beautiful city of Lexington, Ky., where 1855 found him an orphan, at the age of ten. He then remained some time in the home of an uncle at Evansville, Ind., after which he secured employment on the packet boats of the Ohio river. In 1862 he joined Wm. M. Lake's circus of trained animals, his initial duties being to fill lamps and ride the trick mule. In 1863 the show started for Mobile, Ala., but on account of the Civil war the trip was abandoned. In 1864 Mr. Sutton became identified with Mike Lipman's "col- lossal circus," which had as its main attractions and entire menagerie the educated bears of "Sir William Wallace," Professor Williams' educated bulls from Hindostan and a buffalo broken to the saddle. For several years thereafter Mr. Sut- ton was a performer in side shows, doing con- cert and specialty turns, and from 1871 to 1873, inclusive, he conducted two restaurants at Mo- berly, Mo., being still identified with the show business. In 1874 he located at Ottumwa, Iowa, where he built a hotel, which he conducted for two years. In 1877 he organized the largest "Uncle

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Tom's Cabin" company which has ever been placed on the boards and by which his name became familiar all through the Union. This was the first company to exhibit two "Topsies" and two "Marks" and to inaugurate the street parade fea- ture. The enterprise proved a great success, and Mr. Sutton recalls the fact that he played the attraction two days in Butte to a business of $2,140.60, and had the largest gallery house ever shown in the city with the exception of the one on the appearance of John L. Sullivan.

Mr. Sutton was ambitious to launch a large . circus enterprise, and invested a large amount in equipping an aggregation in 1891 and in ex- hibiting it through the west, where it proved a losing venture. He then went east, but con- tinued to lose money and finally closed out the business. In 1892 he came again to the west with an "Uncle Tom" show and cleared $6,000 on the season's tour, never having failed to "make good" on this popular drama. On returning east the show was given under canvas in Chicago for sixteen weeks, changing location daily. To Mr. Sutton's encouragement and aid was due the es- tablishing of the Gentry trained animal shows. The following season he put on the road the drama "Montgomery, or Cradle of the Confeder- acy," in which was introduced the inauguration of Jefferson Davis, and later he sent out a com- pany in a play designated as "Texas," in which were introduced James Bowie and David Crockett, the drama being founded on the Alamo massacre, at San Antonio, Texas. In this drama he intro- duced his "Uncle Tom" bloodhounds, which now pursued fugitive Mexicans. These shows toured the southern states for several seasons.

In 1896 Mr. Sutton came to Butte and opened in the old Casino theatre with forty-three peo- ple in the cast. On October 19 of that year he opened the small Sutton theatre as a popular price house. The opening night showed an audi- ence of fifty-five people, the second night twenty- two, while on the third night only eighteen per- sons sat before the curtain. Yet before three weeks had passed the revenue was $100 a day. In 1898 Mr. Sutton began to organize a western theatrical syndicate, and finally succeeded in form- ing the combination which now controls the best theatres in Butte, Helena, Spokane, Portland, Ta- coma and Seattle, and also the booking in the smaller towns of Montana and Washington. It also has in process of erection fine new theatres

in Butte and Spokane. The new Sutton theatre in Butte, one of the finest theatres west of Chi- cago, having a seating capacity of 2,175, the larg- est of all theatres in the northwest, opened to the public on September 29, 1901, for the season of 1901-2. Mr. Sutton controls three theatres in Butte and has a number of companies on the road. His long experience and marked executive ability make him a most successful manager, and he offers to the public the best attractions to be secured, and enjoys marked personal popularity in his home city. In politics Mr. Sutton gives his allegiance to the Democratic party. In 1884 Mr. Sutton was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Keeler, who was born in Canada and who was formerly an actress of marked talent in character roles and general repertoire.

JOHN A. SWANSON .- One of the prosperous young farmers and stockgrowers of the Camas prairie district of Missoula county is John A. Swan- son. He is a native of Minnesota, born in 1863, the son of Jonas Swanson, a native of Sweden, whence he emigrated to the United States in 1860, locating on a farm in Minnesota. He had not been a resident of this country four years when he en- listed in Company A, Fourth Minnesota Infantry. He participated in the ever memorable battle of Gettysburg and other engagements, and was mus- tered out on July 19, 1865. He returned to Minne- sota, where he devoted his attention to agriculture until his death in 1892.

John A. Swanson was educated in the public schools of Minnesota and early assisted in the work of the homestead farm. He resided in Minnesota until 1883, when he came to Montana and in 1888 located on his present ranch, which is eligibly sit- uated on Camas prairie, two miles southeast of the village of Potomac, his postoffice address. He has a fine tract of 240 acres, and he has made excellent improvements, and gives his attention to farming and stockraising, conducting operations with such discrimination and industry as to insure the best of returns. He is held in high estimation in the community and is one of the sterling men of the county. In politics he accords allegiance to the Democratic party. In 1892 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Swanson and Miss Lydia Comer, who was born in Minnesota, the daughter of Thomas and Ellen (Webb) Comer, the former a na-

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tive of Illinois and the latter of England. They were numbered among the early settlers in Minne- sota, where they still maintain their home. Mr. and Mrs. Swanson are the parents of five children, Myrtle, Bertha, Arthur, Leonard and Minnie.

JOSEPH E. SWINDLEHURST. - Identified with lines of industrial enterprise which have im- portant bearing on the business advancement of any community-insurance and real estate-Joseph E. Swindlehurst is a young man who has been prom- inent in the official life of Park county, Mont. Mr. Swindlehurst was born in the town of Richmond, Sherbrooke county, Quebec, Canada, on July 5, 1864. He comes of stanch old English stock, his father, Joseph Swindlehurst, having been born in the town of Preston, Lancashire, England, and having come to America about 1851, locating first in New York, where he remained for some time and where his marriage was solemnized. About 1862 he removed to Canada and engaged in agricul- ture and in blacksmithing, and where he resided until 1867, when he moved to Iowa, and later to Minnesota, where he still resides. The maiden name of his wife was Maria O'Connor. She was born at Kinderhook, N. Y., and is now dead. Of their six children, Joseph was the second.

Joseph E. Swindlehurst received his early edu- cation in the public schools of Iowa and Minne- sota and supplemented this by a course in a business college in Minneapolis. In 1887 he located at Fargo, N. D., where he held a reportorial position on the Daily Democrat. Two years later Mr. Swindlehurst was a resident of Miles City, Mont., when he remained for a time and then removed to Helena. He devoted his attention to mining in McClelland gulch for one year and then returned . to Minnesota, and after another year he passed one season in the Yellowstone National Park, after which he entered the employ of the Carver Mercan- tile Company in Livingston. Here he became prom- inent in local political affairs and an active worker in the cause of the Democratic party. In 1882 he was elected to the office of city treasurer, retaining the incumbency thereof for a term of two years. His also was the distinction of being a chairman of the Democratic central committee of Park county.

In the last administration of President Cleveland Mr. Swindlehurst held, by appointment, the office of postmaster at Livingston, and gave efficient ser-

vice. He was also prominently concerned in the business life of that city, where he was engaged in the real estate business and where he organized and became manager of a telephone company, whose in- terests were eventually sold to the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone Company, with which he remained for some time as manager at Livingston. He was also interested in mining enterprises in that section of the state, where he made his home until 1899, when he located in Butte, as manager for the Realty Company, of Boston, which position he has since retained, controlling a business of wide scope in the handling of real estate, the extending of finan- cial loans and in acting as agent for a number of the leading insurance companies.

Fraternally Mr. Swindlehurst is identified with the Masonic order, as a member of Livingston Lodge No. 32, A. F. & A. M .; Livingston Chapter No. 7, R. A. M .; and St. Bernard Commandery No. 6, K. T., while he also has membership in Al- geria Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Helena. He is a member likewise of the Benevolent Protec- tive Order of Elks, and while a resident of Fargo was a member of the National Guard of North Dakota. His religious faith is that of the Protes- tant Episcopal church, of which he is a communi- cant. In 1883 Mr. Swindlehurst was united in mar- riage to Miss Augusta Tandberg, who was born in Minnesota and whose untimely death occurred on May 5, 1901, at Livingston, this state. Of this union two children were born, Joseph E., Jr., who was born in 1886 and who died, at Livingston, in 1891; and Katharine, who was born in 1888, and who is now attending school in Minnesota.

T THOMAS M. SWINDLEHURST .- Among the representative young business men of Montana is the subject of this review, who is prominently identified with the real estate and insurance business in the city of Livingston, and to whom has been the distinction of serving two terms in the lower house of the legislature as the representative of Park county. He was born in Richmond, Carlton county, Canada, on June 17, 1869, being the son of Joseph and Maria (O'Con- nor) Swindlehurst, the former of whom was born in Lancastershire, England, and the latter in the north of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Swindlehurst were married in Trinity church, New York, and in 1865 removed to Richmond, Canada. Later, 1872,

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the family removed to Wadena, Minn., where Thomas M. attended the high school and con- tinued his studies in the Minnesota University ; in 1888 he entered the Curtis Business College, in Minneapolis, where he completed a thorough course and graduated in 1890. After leaving busi- ness college Mr. Swindlehurst was for a time iden- tified with newspaper work in Minneapolis, and in 1892 he came to Livingston, Mont., where he was employed for four or five years in the shops of the Northern Pacific Railroad. His brother, Joseph E., was appointed postmaster in Livingston in 1894, and our subject thereupon became assistant postmaster, retaining this posi- tion for a period of four years. He then estab- lished himself in the real estate and insurance business, to which he has since given his atten- tion, transacting a very satisfactory business in each department of the enterprise and proving him- self a capable business man. He has at all times represented on his books the most desirable of investments in the line of Montana realty, while as an underwriter he is the local agent for several of the most reliable insurance companies in the world. Fraternally Mr. Swindlehurst is a mem- ber of Livingston Lodge No. 246, B. P. O. E., in which he has passed all the official chairs, being one of the enthusiastic members of this popular fraternity ; and he is also identified with the Wood- men of the World, being a member of Zephyr Lodge No. 151. He is a man of marked individ- uality and genial presence, and these attributes have conserved the popularity which he enjoys in the business and social circles of Livingston.

In politics Mr. Swindlehurst is an ardent sup- porter of the Democratic party, and has been an active worker in its cause in the local field. In 1898 he was the candidate of his party for the office of representative in the legislature, serving with marked ability during the Sixth general as- sembly and being elected as his own successor in 1890. In the Seventh assembly he was speaker pro tem., and served many times as chairman of the committee of the whole, while in both ses- sions he was assigned to a number of the most important house committees. He proved a capa- ble legislator and was an active working mem- ber, doing all in his power to forward the inter- ests of the commonwealth and to effectively serve his constituents. On October 23, 1901, Mr. Swin- dlehurst yielded to the flowery yoke and was married to Miss Mary Wilson, one of the most

attractive, accomplished and popular young ladies of Helena. The ceremony was performed in the First Presbyterian church in the presence of a throng of friends of the contracting parties, who had assembled to witness the sacred rite which matured feeling into destiny and converted a sen- timent into a sacrament, and to express the ar- dent hope that calm sunshine would hallow these joined hands.

ANDREW W. SWITZER .- Honored and es- teemed by all, and identified with ranching in the Madison valley for fully thirty-five years, Andrew W. Switzer was one of the very first to file claim for government land in this part of the state, and the property he then acquired has ever since been his home. He was born in Michigan City, Ind., on January 2, 1836, the son of Tavner B. and Susan (Walter) Switzer, the former born in Kentucky and the latter in Pennsylvania. The father removed to Indiana about 1834, a pioneer of that state, where he engaged in farming and also followed his trade of carpenter. He became a pioneer of two other states, Iowa in 1854, and Montana in 1863, where his family joined him in 1865. Here he passed a long and useful life, dy- ing in 1900, aged eighty-eight years. His wife also died in Madison county. Andrew W. Swit- zer is the oldest of their three surviving chil- dren. The others are Malphus A. (see sketch on other pages of this work) and Ellen B., now the widow of Warren Long.

Pioneer life has been familiar to Andrew W. Switzer to a greater extent than falls to the lot of many men. His childhood was passed on a farm in Indiana, where he received his education in the log school house; later he was with his parents when they were early settlers of Iowa; and he . came to Montana at a time when it was on the extreme frontier. He is a "pioneer of pioneers." When the family started from Victor, Iowa, on the weary overland trip, their outfit was four teams of cattle, with two yokes to the team, half of them being cows. They brought only such household goods as would be required in the new home. Companies ahead of and following them had serious trouble with the Indians, but they escaped molestation. They left Victor May 27th and arrived in Virginia City on October I, 1865, and lived in a tent for quite a while before

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the erection of a permanent habitation. Mr. Swit- zer came to his present ranch in March, 1866, pre-empting the land and filing entry on it in 1869. In addition to his ranching he has done much work at his trade of carpenter, there being a great demand for his services in this line in the early days. His well improved estate of 140 acres is located one and one-fourth miles east of his postoffice town of Ennis. He has a fine herd of graded Jerseys cows and keeps sufficient horses to do the work of the farm. He has large crops of hay and conducts a successful dairying business.

Mr. Switzer has ever given loyal support to the Republican party, and fraternally he is iden- tified with the Masonic order and with the Odd Fellows, affiliating with Montana Lodge No. 2, A. F. & A. M., at Virginia City, and connected with Virginia City Lodge No. 7. He is one of the oldest Odd Fellows in the state. Both Mr. and Mrs. Switzer are communicants of the Protestant Episcopal church, and members of Trinity Mission church. At Ennis, on October 23, 1856, Mr. Switzer was married with Miss Lizzie Martin, who was born in Ohio, the daughter of Joseph Martin, a native of Maryland, as was also his father, and belonging to one of the old families. Of the five children of Mr. and Mrs. Switzer all but the youngest were born in Iowa ; Florence, now widow of M. D. Jeffers, resides in the Madison valley ; Susie L., wife of J. B. Jeffers, of Madison valley; Tavner B. married Miss Bessie Pickens and resides in Madison county; Mary R. is the wife of J. L. Hartman, a successful rancher of the Madison valley, and Nellie C. is the wife of B. J. Bailey, of Great Falls, Mont.

M ALPHUS A. SWITZER .- A resident of Mon- tana from the age of seventeen years, having accompanied his parents to this section of the Union when the present state was the very frontier of civilization, and now one of the respected farmers of Madison county, his well improved property be- ing five miles northeast of the village of Ennis, his postoffice address, Mr. Switzer traces his lineage to stanch German origin, but the family has been long established in America. He was born in Indi- ana on August 31, 1848, the youngest of the six children of Tavner B. and Susan (Walter) Switzer, natives respectively of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The father was a pioneer farmer in Indiana, who

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 168

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