Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 183

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 183

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On the IIth of December, 1881, Mr. Weaver was united in marriage to Miss Mary Lewallan, who was born in Madison county, Mo., the daugh- ter of William Lewallan, a native of Tennessee, who became an influential farmer in Missouri, where his death occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver have two children: Thomas J. and Ida May.

F RANK S. WEBSTER .- Three brothers of the name of Webster came from Wales to Amer- ica in very early times and settled in different parts of the country, and from them the great Webster family is descended. The one who set- tled in New England was the progenitor of Daniel Webster, of Massachusetts, and also of Frank S. Webster, of near Winnecock, Mont. Mr. Web- ster was born July 21, 1857, at Unity, Me., the son of Daniel and Rebecca (Libby) Webster, also natives of Maine, where the family had lived for generations. His great-grandfather was a colonel in the Revolutionary war, his grandfather a cap- tain in the war of 1812. On the Captain's return home, being a pioneer in the wilds of Maine where supplies and facilities were scarce, he was obliged to break up the sword he had worn with honor and make butcher knives of it for use on his farm. Mr. Webster's father was a farmer in early life but later learned the trade of a shipwright, and in partnership with his brothers, David and Ben- jamin Franklin, was engaged for a number of years in ship-building at Bath, Me. During the

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Civil war he was occupied at Rondout, N. Y., in building barges for the government. His later years were passed on his farm in Maine. His son, Frank S. Webster, received a public school education in his native town, and when he was twenty-one years old came west and passed two years in Colorado, at the end of which time he returned home and began the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1883 and practiced two years and a half, but his health becoming im- paired, he was unable to continue office work and abandoned the profession. In the spring of 1886 he started for Montana, and on his arrival located on the Musselshell and engaged in the sheep industry. The next year he acquired an interest with Ralph Berry and continued the part- nership until 1894, when he located on his pres- ent ranch, fourteen miles east of Harlowton on the Musselshell, where he has about 20,000 acres of land, a good portion of which is well irrigated and under cultivation. Merino and Cotswold sheep have been his favorites, but of late he has intro- duced Rambouillets, and runs in all about 15,000 head. His place is particularly well adapted to sheep, being abundantly supplied with water and fine groves for protection. In 1890 his brother, Daniel C., joined him, and since then they have worked together. In 1892 Daniel took a band of sheep to Dawson county and remained until the fall of 1900, when he returned to the home ranch.

On November 9, 1888, Mr. Webster was united in marriage with Miss Sadie A. Lord, a native of Portland, Me., and a daughter of Maj. Lord, of that state. They have three children : Ralph D., Frances and Lucile. Mr. Webster takes great in- terest in public affairs. In politics he is a Re- publican, and in 1898 was the choice of his party for the legislature, but it was impossible to over- come the large adverse majority. Fraternally he is a Freemason. Daniel C. Webster is a progres- sive and enterprising young man, whose future is full of promise. He has sagacity, industry and quick perception in business, a genial and pleas- ing manner in social life and nerve and self-re- liance for any emergency. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias.

UGUST HOLLENSTEINER .- In entering A a record touching the careers of those repre- sentative citizens of the state who are conspicuous- ly identified with her industrial life and who have

served in positions of public trust and responsi- bility, there is signal propriety in offering a resume of the life history of Mr. Hollensteiner, who is at present a county commissioner of Missoula coun- ty, and whose finely-equipped and attractive fruit and dairy farm is located two and a half miles west of Lolo, his postoffice address. Mr. Hollensteiner is a native son of the German empire, having been born there on March II, 1850. His parents, Francis H. and Wilhelmina (Depping) Hollen- steiner, were born in northern Germany, whence they emigrated with their family to the United states in 1855, locating in Wisconsin, where they now reside. There the father for many years en- gaged in milling, having acquired the trade in Ger- many. In their family were five sons and one daughter, and four of the sons and the daughter are now residents of Montana, while the other son dwells in California.

August Hollensteiner was reared and educated in Wisconsin, where he had the privileges afforded by the public schools and Franklin College. He put his scholastic acquirements to the practical test by engaging in teaching school for a time near Sheboygan, but his business life had inception in his learning the miller's trade in the establishment of his father, and he followed this vocation for eleven years. In 1879 Mr. Hollensteiner went to Kansas, later removed to Iowa, and in 1881 he came to Montana, making the trip by way of Og- den and Salt Lake City, thence to Dillon and on to Missoula county, where he took up a claim of land on Lolo creek, two miles below where Capt. Rawn erected barricades to repel the dusky Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perce Indians. Here he has now a fine ranch of 800 acres, improved with a commodious and attractive dwelling of modern design and conveniences, with all other needed buildings for the work of the place, which is de- voted to fruit culture and to .dairying. The place is one of the most valuable in this beautiful val- ley, and Mr. Hollensteiner has directed his efforts with such excellent judgment that a marked suc- cess has resulted, and he is known as one of the representative men of the community.

Mr. Hollensteiner has been an ardent sup- porter of the Republican party, and in 1894 he was elected a member of the lower house of the state legislature, while in the fall of 1900 he was chosen one of the board of county commissioners for Mis- soula county, his eligibility for this important office being generally recognized and naturally

august Stollensteiner.

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leading to his nomination and subsequent election. He has held other offices of minor importance, and has at all times shown a deep interest in the best interests of the county and state. Fraternally he is identified with the order of Foresters, and he and his family are members of the Presbyterian church of Missoula, in which he is superintendent of the Sunday school, taking an active part in forwarding the work of the church in its various avenues of useful and beneficent activity. In 1879, in Wis- cousin, Mr. Hollensteiner was united in marriage to Miss Wilhelmina Krause, who was born in Ger- many, whence her parents came to the United States and were among the early settlers in Wis- consin. Mr. and Mrs. Hollensteiner are the par- ents of six children, Armin W., Arno G., Aury ·F., Anna, Edna and Neola.

NICHOLAS WEINGART, a progressive and prosperous ranchman of Madison county, re- sides near Jefferson island, Mont. He was born at Berne, Switzerland, on January 7, 1859, the son of Jacob and Barbara (Bieri) Weingart, both na- tives of Switzerland. Having received his edu- cation in Berne, at the age of twenty-two years, he came from Switzerland to the United States in 1881, first locating at Litchfield, Conn., where he engaged in farming for two years. In 1883 he came to Montana, and to Fish creek, Jefferson county. Here he was employed in farming for one year, after which he took employment with his uncle, Benjamin Weingart, a wealthy and suc- cessful rancher, further mention of whom appears in another portion of this volume.

Eighteen months later he took up government land, purchased more acreage, and established him- self as a rancher on Fish creek. He passed ten years there and was very successful. Then the Butte Water Company bought his property at a good figure, and he purchased the Price ranch of 320 acres near Jefferson island, and 160 acres adjoining, making a handsome and valuable prop- erty. Here Mr. Weingart is engaged in cattle raising, usually wintering 100 head of stock. He is yearly adding to his herd and some seasons he sells several hundred tons of hay. His property is in a fine location, well adapted for the business, and he will, if the promise be followed by ful- fillment, become one of the largest cattle men in Montana, as he is in the prime of life, industri- ous, sagacious, honest and progressive.

JEVI B. WELLS .- There is scarcely a more pleasing task to the annalist of human events than to record the life story of a good man and useful student, he who performs with diligence and fidelity the daily duties of life without am- bitious effort "to shine or rule." Such a task is in- volved in the duty of recording the fruitful ser- vices to his fellow men rendered by the active, energetic and creditable career of Levi B. Wells, whose untimely and universally lamented death occurred on July 23, 1890, when he was less than fifty years old and in the full vigor of his mature powers.

Mr. Wells was a native of Livingston county, N. Y., where he was born May 10, 1842. His father was a prosperous farmer, and in work on the farm our subject acquired much of the taste and skill in horticulture which distinguished him later in life. He was the second of their four children. Mr. Wells received a good education, attending both the academic schools and a medical college. He was also active in assisting his father on the farm, making himself proficient in practical details of agricultural work and acquiring from the exercise vigor of body and breadth and clear- ness of mind. When the Civil war broke out he secured a contract for feeding three regiments of soldiers, and also kept a separate boarding house for officers at Grand Rapids, Mich. After the war , he conducted a prosperous grocery business ; but in 1868 he sold this out and came to Montana, locating at Helena, where he engaged in the milli- nery business for twelve years, finding it profitable and agreeable. In the meantime he began oper- ations as a horticulturist, and gradually drifted from the millinery business into that line, winning reputation as a skillful landscape gardener and architect, and achieving success as a florist that was really remarkable.

In politics Mr. Wells was an ardent Republi- can, and while not an active party worker he was always interested in the welfare of his party. Fra- ternally he was connected with the Order of An- cient Free and Accepted Masons, and took an active and intelligent interest in the proceedings of his lodge. He was united in marriage on June 4, 1863, to Miss Laura J. Gordon, a native of Kent county, Mich., and daughter of George W. and Elizabeth Gordon, the former born in Mas- sachusetts and the latter in Maine. Her father de- voted his time to teaching the Indians how to grind corn, and also conducted a sawmill. He was

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moderately successful in business, was a zealous Democrat in politics, and was the father of seven children, of whom only four are living, namely : Lucy, Mary, Laura and George. He died March 4, 1844, and his widow followed him into eternal rest on May 20, 1877. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Wells has carried on business as a florist with excellent success. She is well sus- taining the reputation of the house for good taste in the arrangement of floral tributes, and for the superior quality of goods offered for sale. She has also won many friends by her genial manner and strict attention to orders, as well as by her fair and honorable methods of dealing with all who seek her wares.

'HARLES A. SHORTHILL, one of the popu- C lar and progressive young stockgrowers of Park county, where he is associated with Calvin West, was born in Center county, Pa., on Octo- ber 18, 1873, the son of John Shorthill, to whom individual reference is made on another page, and to which article we refer the reader for family details. Mr. Shorthill secured his educational dis- cipline in the public schools of Colorado and Mon- tana, remaining at the parental home until 1887, when he became associated with Mr. West in ranching. On January 27, 1897, Mr. Shorthill was . united in marriage to Miss Emma E. Allen, born in Essex county, N. Y., the daughter of Thomas and Jane (Boyd) Allen, who were born and mar- ried in the north of Ireland, whence they removed to America in 1850, locating in Essex county, N. Y., where the father followed mining and engin- eering, later removing to Clinton county, where he established a homestead and engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. His large family embraced seven sons and six daughters, and the father passed away on May 21, 1899, while the mother still resides in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Shorthill have two children, Hazel Bernice and Charles Harold.

RTHUR HARVEY WETHEY was born in

A Bristol, England, March 2, 1862. His father, Edward Canes Wethey, was one of the chief clerks in Stuckey's Banking Company, of that city, his father before him having been also engaged in banking for many years, being manager of one of

the branches of the National Provincial Bank of England, with which institution his family has been connected for the greater part of the last century. His mother, Phoebe Harvey, was the eighth daughter of Malachi Harvey, of Shaldon, Devonshire, whose family for generations was en- gaged in seafaring enterprises, and especially in the Newfoundland trade, in which adventurous business all the direct male members of the family lost their lives. Three houses erected by Malachi Harvey's father for his three sons, over 100 years ago, are still comfortable residences, and one of them is occupied by E. C. Wethey, the father of the subject of this sketch.

A. H. Wethey was educated in private schools until he reached the age of thirteen, when he en- tered the office of H. R. Harvey, secretary of the Ashton Gate Brewery, Bristol, where he took his first instruction in practical bookkeeping. After a year in this office he entered the employ of Hen- ry L. Worth & Co., wholesale wine and spirit mer- chants, with whom he remained five years, learn- ing the business in all its branches and becoming an expert accountant. At the age of nineteen he returned to the Ashton Gate Brewery and studied practical brewing and malting under the personal supervision of John Marriott, at that time consid- ered to be at the head of his profession in that part of the country. During this time young Wethey studied chemistry at the School of Mines, taking both practical and theoretical instruction in or- ganic and inorganic chemistry, but making a spe- cialty of the first, as being more important to him in his profession. After remaining under Mar- riott's care for about sixteen months young Wethey took a position with Wm. Warne, Tetbury, Glou- cestershire, as brewer and manager, and remained with him two years, when he accepted a position of brewer and manager for the Torquay Brewing Company, at Torquay, Devonshire. This was a corporation owning considerable hotel and other property, and employed a large number of men. In this responsible position young Wethey came in contact with all sorts and conditions of men, and the thought as to whether his occupation was one to be proud of often occurred to him. After two years, during which time his company prospered greatly, young Wethey resigned his position, and after doing some expert work in Cardiff he decided to give up the profession entirely. He spent a few months in England seeking other employment, and came to the United States in August, 1886,

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landing in New York. He brought with him let- ters to prominent men in his own profession, but these he determined not to use if other employ- ment could be found, and the letters referred to were never made use of. On reaching New York young Wethey went at once to the Young Men's Christian Association rooms at East Twenty-third street, where he met Mr. R. R. McBurney, its sec- retary, to whom he presented letters of introduc- tion. Mr. McBurney received him with the great- est kindness, told him where he could find suitable quarters, and made him feel at home in his new surroundings. A day or two later Wethey met Mr. W. F. Lee at the Y. M. C. A. rooms, and pre- sented a letter of introduction he had brought for him. Mr. Lee received him kindly and gave him a note to Dr. Albert R. Ledoux, who carried on an assay office and laboratory at 10 Cedar street. This interview led to an immediate engagement, and Wethey remained with Ledoux until October, 1887, when he left New York for the west. Dur- ing the summer of 1887 Dr. Ledoux went to Europe and spent several weeks, leaving his office in Wethey's charge. In this position Wethey frequently met W. A. Clark, of Butte, Mont., as Clark was shipping considerable quantities of argentiferous copper matte to Liverpool, and payments were made in New York on Ledoux's weights, samples and assays. When Wethey left New York for the west he visited friends in Min- neapolis, and found a position with the Northwest- ern Fuel Company, of St. Paul. He was only there a few weeks, however, when a better position was offered him by W. A. Clark in his Butte office. Wethey accepted this offer and arrived in Butte December 19, 1887, and has remained with Senator Clark ever since. In July, 1888, he became super- intendent of the Butte reduction works, and has since been closely identified with it. The works have greatly improved and increased under his care, and his patent roasting furnace for the de- sulphurization of ores has proved a great success and been widely adopted.

At the present writing, March, 1902, Wethey is Senator Clark's general manager for his Montana enterprises. He is vice-president of the Western Lumber Company, secretary of the Bridger Coal Company, Original Mining Company, Colusa-Par- rot Mining & Smelting Company, and an officer in several other companies owned or controlled by Senator Clark. The only office of a public nature that Wethey has held was in 1895, when he was a

member of the state board of education under Gov. Rickards.

When Wethey gave up his profession as brewer, etc., in 1886, he determined not only to stop man- facturing liquor for others to drink, but to stop drinking intoxicating liquors himself. He also gave up the use of tobacco at the same time. He has ever since remained a consistent teetotaler and non-smoker, and has endeavored to lead a quiet, Christian life, and in this he has been great- ly assisted by his good wife.

Wethey became engaged in the summer of 1887 to Miss Katherine Mason Brown, third daughter of Rev. Samuel Gilman Brown, the only son of Rev. Francis Brown, a former president of Dart- mouth College; and himself subsequently a pro- fessor there, and for fourteen years president of Hamilton College, New York state. Her brother, Rev. Francis Brown, is at this writing the acting president of the Union Theological Seminary of New York. Wethey returned in May, 1888, to New York to claim his bride, and the marriage ceremony was performed by her brother, Rev. F. Brown, assisted by Rev. Dr. Parkhurst, of Madi- son Square church. The result of the marriage has been a son, Gilman Brown Wethey, born July 2, 1889, who died in the following November ; also Phoebe Harvey Wethey, born May 17, 1890; Arthur Harvey Wethey, born March 15, 1892, and Francis Van Vechten Wethey, born July 10, 1893.

BENEDICT WEINGART .- Claiming the fair land of Switzerland as the place of his nativ- ity, and now one of the representative farmers and stockgrowers of Madison county, and one of the sterling pioneers of the state, Benedict Wein- gart was born in canton Berne, Switzerland, on February 12, 1832, the eldest of the ten children of Benedict and Mary (Mercer) Weingart, who were lifelong residents of Switzerland. Attending the schools of his canton in his youth, Mr. Wein- gart also learned the trade of shoemaking from his father, who followed that occupation. Upon attaining his majority he set forth to try his for- tunes in America, among strangers, without any knowledge of their language. This action demands courage, fortitude and earnestness of purpose. He first located in Ohio, and worked at his trade until 1860, when he secured a contract for carrying the United States mails between Findlay and Paris-

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burg, Ohio, which he carried out until 1864, when he became one of the pioneers of Montana.

He made the long journey across the plains with three yoke of cattle and a wagon. On arriving in Virginia City he engaged in freighting until the spring of 1866, when he went to Fort Benton to

As a hotel man he was more than usually suc- cessful. The business was very much run down and by superior business sagacity, energy and rare meet his wife, who had made her western trip . executive ability, and infusing new life into it, by the Missouri river. Making the family home he soon built it to a fine paying basis. at Spring gulch, Mr. Weingart engaged in handling In 1900 Mr. Whetstone located in Boulder, Mont., where he at once became connected with the Gaff- ney Mercantile Company. His untiring and faith- ful efforts in their behalf soon won their esteem, and secured his rapid advancement. In January, 1901, he was made general manager and secretary of the concern, which position he still retains, and in the duties of which he affords the utmost satis- faction. In 1901, Mr. Whetstone was made a Mason in Boulder Lodge No. 41. Politically he is a Democrat. Mr. Whetstone is a young man of excellent judgment and keen business sagacity, and he is extremely popular. ore and supplies for the quartz mines. In 1869 he came to Silver Star, and found profitable em- ployment in hauling quartz for the Green Camel lead mine. While thus engaged he took time to locate a portion of his present fine ranch property, which comprises about 800 acres in one body and is located three miles north of Silver Star. It was not long before his ranching demanded all of his attention, and he has ever since continued in its cultivation and improvement, and has devel- oped an attractive home and a well improved prop- erty. He raises large crops of hay and grain and fattens cattle for the Butte market. His success has been gratifying, and he is now one of the prosperous and substantial men of the commun- ity in which he has made his home for more than three decades. He is also the owner of two quartz mines at Silver Star, and these properties are very promising ones. In politics Mr. Weingart ad- heres to the Republican party, and he and his wife are consistent members of the Lutheran church. On May 20, 1858, in Ohio, Mr. Weingart was married with Miss Elizabeth Kurt, who like himself was born in Switzerland. Of their two children a son survives, Alfred, who assists in the management of the homestead ranch.

W G. WHETSTONE, general manager and secretary of the Gaffney Mercantile Com- pany, at Boulder, Mont., is one of the most highly esteemed citizens of the place. He was born in Michigan on April 13, 1877, the son of Charles and Mattie (Forler) Whetstone, the latter a daughter of George K. Forler, a prominent Niles merchant. Charles Whetstone conducted a popular hotel in Michigan, and W. G. remained at home attending the public schools until 1893, when, at the age of sixteen years, he removed to Chicago and engaged in the grocery business, first with Forler & Spen- sail, and later with a Mr. Meyers. For the latter house Mr. Whetstone was head clerk and manager.

In 1898 he returned to Michigan and became associated with his father as general manager of the hotel.

CALVIN WEST .- It is a well recognized fact that Park county offers exceptionable advan- tages for agriculture and stockgrowing, which in- dustries constitute a vital element in the develop- ment which has given Montana a foremost place. Mr. West had sufficient appreciation of this fact to prompt him to relinquish effective pedagogic work and identify himself with them. He was born in Knox county, Ohio, on October 11, 1856, one of the five children, four sons and one daugh- ter, of Alexander C. and Mary (Williams) West, natives of Washington county, Pa. His grand- father in the agnatic line was Samuel West, who resided in Virginia, the original American ances- tor who came from England as one of William Penn's colony having been his grandfather. Alex- ander C. West removed to Ohio in 1830, becoming one of the pioneer farmers of Knox county. In his earlier years he had successfully taught school in Mississippi and in 1869 he removed to Henry county, Mo., and was one of the prosperous and influential farmers of the state until his death in 1876.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 183

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