Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 57

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

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real estate investments he devotes his time and at- tention.

Mr. Lynch has ever been an unyielding Demo- crat, and as a clear-headed business man, liberal and public spirited, it was but a natural sequence that he should be called to positions of public trust. From 1886 until 1890 he was an alderman from the Fourth ward, this service being most important in connection with the growth and material upbuild- ing of the city, for in this time the city was re-in- corporated, its limits expanded fully one-half, while the greater part of the street grading and other incidental improvement was accomplished. He was chairman of the finance committee and was president of the council one term, and his in- fluence and policy had unmistakable effect in mu- nicipal affairs. In 1884 President Cleveland ap- pointed Mr. Lynch postmaster of Butte, and he gave to this important office during his four years of service a business-like administration, doing much to improve the service, and handling a busi- ness which reached an annual aggregate of fully one million dollars, the office being the depository for western Montana and northern Idaho. Fra- ternally Mr. Lynch is a prominent and popular member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elk, being identified with Butte Lodge No. 240, of which he has been exalting ruler. He has been district deputy of the order in Montana, where he effected the organization of Missoula Lodge, with seventy-five members, and he has been thrice a delegate to the grand lodge. He is also a mem- ber of the Silver Bow Club.

On March 29, 1880, at Deadwood, S. D., Mr. Lynch was united in carriage to Miss Mary J. Lackie, born in County Pontiac, Canada, the daughter of Hugh and Mary (Kelley) Lackie, both Canadians. In their beautiful home in Butte Mr. and Mrs. Lynch evince a truly western hospitality.

W J. MACHAFFIE .- There is no conjunc- tion of faculties in a business man more likely to bring success in his undertakings than the sagacity to grasp at the right moment those oppor- tunities which come sooner or later to all men. This perception and readiness is found in W. J. MacHaffie, of Helena, one of the prosperous, re- sourceful and energetic young business men of the state. He was born at Brantford, province of Ontario, Canada, October 17, 1859, a son of John

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and Charlotte (Wells) MacHaffie, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of England. Both immigrated to Canada in early life, where they met and were married. The father was a prosperous cigar and tobacco merchant. He was devoted and attentive to his business, but was never so engrossed in business as to ignore the claims of social life, the spirit of improvement among his people, or the general welfare of the community. He was also an enthusiastic and zealous member of the Cana- dian militia, having been active in helping to raise and muster into service one of the first volunteer companies in the country, and subsequently ren- dered service with the regiment at the time of the Fenian raid, and also during the adjustment of the Trent affair.

The early life of Mr. MacHaffie, the subject of this sketch, was passed in Brantford and Hamilton, Canada, where he attended the public schools for a number of years, and then began his commercial career as a clerk in a book and stationery store, which he afterward purchased and conducted until 1886, when he turned his face toward the new northwest in the states, and came to Livingston, Mont., where for eighteen months he was in the business of manufacturing cigars. In 1887 he re- moved to Helena and found more congenial em- ployment as manager of the printing department of the late Helena Journal, serving in that capacity until 1892, when he was placed in charge of the State Publishing Company. Six months later, see- ing the need of a new organization in the "art pre- servative" of the capital city, and the opportunity for profitable work involved therein, he founded the State Publishing Company, of which he is now manager and has been from its inception. Under his skill and enterprise the business of the concern has had a rapid, healthy, continuous and substantial growth, responding to the quickening touch of his tireless hand and the widening force of his active mind with a gratifying steadiness and regularity of movement.

Mr. MacHaffie has also developed and improved by use his inherited love of public affairs. In polit- ical affiliation he is strongly. Republican, and gives all the interests of his party, both local and gen- eral, his earnest, active and intelligent attention. During the entire period of his residence in Mon- tana he has regularly attended its city, county and state conventions as a delegate. Fraternally he belongs to the order of Woodmen of the World, being a member of Garnet Camp No. 105, of

Helena. He was united in marriage on the 23d of August, 1893, with Miss Anna M., the daughter of the late Reuben V. High, of Philadelphia, Pa. They have two children, Edward S. and Hazel W. The success achieved by Mr. MacHaffie in all departments of life-financial, political and social- is not due to accident or favorable circumstances. It is the logical result of correct principles intelli- gently applied ; the fruit of a healthy organism oper- ating in a congenial soil and climate, and of such sturdiness and thrift in the stock as would have produced a sound, vigorous and admirable fruitage anywhere.

In conjunction with his brother, Frank M., Mr. MacHaffie is interested in business in Missoula. The firm is known as MacHaffie Brothers, and they carry a full line of stationery, fancy goods, music, etc. They occupy their own building, lo- cated on one of the prominent corners in the city.

F T. McBRIDE, one of the most prominent pioneer attorneys of the state, and a resident of Butte, first came here in 1879. He was born in Hawkins county, Tenn., on July 14, 1850. His parents were Rev. James B. and Sarah (Houston) McBride, both of Center county, Pa. James B. McBride was educated at Washington and Jefferson College, from which he was gradu- ated, and in 1847 he removed to Tennessee, and from there to Iowa in 1857. He is now a resident of Scott county, Iowa. He had seven children, of whom two sons reside in Montana. The eldest son is professor of natural science in the State Uni- versity of Iowa. The grandfather, F. T. McBride, came from the north of Ireland to Pennsylvania, where he was a leading educator for many years, giving good service in various schools and has long been in the ministerial service of the Presbyterian church. He was the father of six children, all now living but two.

F. T. McBride was educated at Lenox College, Hopkinton, Iowa, from which he was graduated in 1876. He read law with Russell & Toliver, in Greene county, Iowa, and was admitted to prac- tice in 1878. He immediately entered upon his professional duties in Cherokee county, Iowa, and remained there until 1879. In that year he came to Montana by way of Bismarck and located at Butte, which has since been his residence. For a while he was associated, in 1880-81, in the prac-

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tice of his profession with Hon. W. O. Speer, who served with acceptability as judge in 1880-1881. He was also in partnership with George Haldom for some time, but the firm of McBride & Mc- Bride was founded in 1894. Since coming to Mon- tana Mr. McBride has met with the most flatter- ing success in his profession, and is regarded as one of the leading attorneys of Butte. He is well known in the state and is highly esteemed, both socially and as a professional gentleman.

Politically Mr. McBride is a Republican, but never in any sense of the word an officeseeker. In 1888 he was united in marriage to Miss Rose L. Reed, a native of Missouri. They have one son, Francis Reed McBride.

M ALCOLM G. MACNEVIN, M. D .- Among the representative physicians and surgeons of Montana due relative precedence must be ac- corded Dr. MacNevin, who is engaged in active medical practice in Butte. Malcolm Graeme Mac- Nevin comes of stanch old Scottish lineage, he himself being a native of County Haldimand, On- tario, Canada, where he was born on November 23, 1865, the son of Archibald and Eliza (Thorburn) MacNevin, natives of Scotland, the former of the borough of Falkirk and the latter of the old city of Edinburgh. They accompanied their respective parents on their emigration to Ontario, their ages then being ten and four years. The grandfather of the Doctor in the agnatic line was a contractor in Canada, where he carried on an extensive business. The maternal line in the succeeding generations had numerous representatives in the learned pro- fessions, notably physicians and clergymen. The Doctor's parents were reared, educated and mar- ried in Ontario and they now reside in Blenheim, Ontario, the father, a successful lumber merchant for many years and later a prosperous farmer, is now retired from active business. The two fami- lies have for generations been stanch Presby- terians.

Malcolm G. MacNevin was reared in his native place, receiving his literary training in the Canadian schools. Having decided to adopt the medical profession, in 1887 he entered the medical department of the celebrated University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated with the class of 1890, receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine.

Having been a close and devoted student, Dr. MacNevin was honored by his alma mater, the dean of the medical faculty recommending his appointment as assistant surgeon for the Montana Company, Ltd., of Marysville, Mont., at the time of his graduation. He accepted the position and soon came to his new field of labor. After a service of three years at Marysville, the Doctor visited New York and Chicago and in their leading hospitals completed ten months of valuable post-graduate work. Upon his return to Montana he located in ' Butte, in March, 1894, and this has since been the field of his professional endeavors, which have been zealous and able, his practice being of a gen- eral order, though he is gradually making surgery his specialty.

Shortly after establishing himself in Butte he was appointed surgeon of St. James Hospital, an incumbency which he has since retained, while for the past four years he has been surgeon of the Alice Hospital at Walkerville. Since 1897 he has been local surgeon of the Oregon Short Line Rail- road, and he is also medical examiner for the New York Life and the United States Life Insurance Companies, and chief examiner in Butte for the National Life Insurance Company. He is closely identified with and takes a deep interest in various medical associations, in- cluding the American Medical Association, the Rocky Mountain Inter-State Medical Association, the Montana State Medical Associa- tion and the Silver Bow Medical Society. In the organization of the county society he was one of the chief factors and was chosen its first president. He gives his undivided attention to his profession, although taking an active interest in all that per- tains to the welfare of his adopted city and state. On January 5, 1892, at Blenheim, Ontario, Dr. MacNevin was united in marriage to Miss Jose- phine Ruth Telfer, a native of that place and the daughter of James and Evelyn C. (Smith) Telfer, who were previously residents of Montreal, Can- ada. They have one daughter, Evelyn, a dainty little maiden, born in Chatham, Ontario, on June 23, 1897.

JOHN McCORMICK .- Among the prominent capitalists and representative citizens of Butte is numbered Mr. McCormick, who has been the artificer of his own fortunes and has attained marked success through his own efforts, which

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have been directed by keen business sagacity and won by indefatigable industry and application. Mr. McCormick was for years identified in various ca- pacities with railroad work, and it is gratifying to realize that the rewards of honest industry and determinate effort have not been denied. He is a native of the Emerald Isle, where he was born in 1834, the son of Ezekiel and Sally (Hunter) McCormick, both of whom were born near Belfast, in Ireland, where Mrs. McCormick lived until her death. Her husband emigrated to America about 1852, locating in Indiana, where he passed the re- mainder of his days. Of their three sons and three daughters, four are now living. John McCormick was the eldest child, and was but a lad when he came to the United States about 1847, and he here joined a cousin who was operating an iron furnace in Indiana. With him the young emmigrant re- mained about six years, then went to St. Louis, Mo., and engaged in railroad work on the Mis- souri Pacific Railroad, and for a time he conducted a small mercantile establishment at Franklin, Mo. He then went to Hannibal, where he joined the party of civil engineers who were locating the line of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. He was employed until the completion of the road to St. Joseph, after which he re-entered the service of the Missouri Pacific and had charge of the track laying from Kit Carson to Denver. He then passed some time at the home of his sister at Brookfield, Linn county Mo., and was later em- ployed for two years by the Iron Mountain Rail- road Company, whose line is now a portion of the Missouri Pacific system. Finally he entered the employ of the Union Pacific Company, coming to the west in company with Charles Mead, and he was the first agent of the company at Ogden, Utah. As agent of the company he also delivered most of the material for the construction of the Utah Central Railroad, which was then building.

Mr. McCormick remained in Ogden until 1875, when he came to Montana, locating at Pioneer, Powell county, where he turned his attention to placer mining. At the expiration of six months he came to Butte, where he has continued to be iden- tified with the mining industry, and here he was for three years also in the assay business. He owns a number of mining properties in and around Butte, and is financially interested in numerous other prospects which are of a promising order. He is the owner of the Katie Toohey mine, one- half of the old Buck mine, and the Arctic lode, the

last one being now in process of development under lease. He is also the owner of much valuable realty in Butte, including a one-half interest in the Monte Cristo building, on Hamilton street, and a number of houses on Granite street. Mr. Mc- Cormick has ever been progressive and public- spirited, and in the early days he was associated with W. A. Clark and John Noyes in the establish- ing of the first water system in Butte, he disposing of his interests in 1890. In his political proclivities he has ever been a Democrat, and during the first administration of President Cleveland he held the office of deputy collector of internal revenue. His religious faith is that of the Catholic church, in which he was reared. He has never married.

While Mr. McCormick was engaged in the work of laying track on the Union Pacific he was wounded in the right hand by an Indian arrow. The savages had stampeded the horses of the con- struction party during the night, and the next morning they made an attack on the track layers, in which three men were killed. Mr. McCormick owns a remarkably fine collection of gold nug- gets, valued at $10,000. The collection was ex- hibited at the World's Columbian Exposition, in Chicago, in 1893, and it took the first prize granted to such exhibits. These nuggets were taken from the Cable mines in Deer Lodge county. They were all taken from one mine, and are not of placer product. No similar collection has ever been pro- cured from any other quartz mine, and Mr. Mc- Cormick is naturally proud of the collection, which is an interesting and valuable one.

H ON. PAUL McCORMICK .- This honor- able and highly respected citizen, whose use- ful career has been of incalculable benefit to Mon- tana, both in blazing the way for advancing civil- ization and in developing natural resources within her limits, is a native of Greenwood, Steuben county, N. Y., where he was born June 14, 1845, the son of James and Margaret McCormick, whose lives were passed in the Empire state. Mr. Mc- Cormick was educated at the common schools of his native county and Alfred Center Academy. On attaining his majority he concluded that the great northwest was the field of best opportunity for a young man, and in 1866 he came to Montana, lo- cating on Middle creek in Gallatin valley, and en- gaged in farming and freighting. In 1870 he ac-

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companied Col. Baker on his famous expedition against the Piegans to the Maria's river battle- grounds, furnishing transportation for the great- er portion of the troops. Five years later, in con- nection with Maj. F. D. Pease and Z. H. Daniels, he organized and fitted out the expedition to the lower Yellowstone, known in history as the Fort Pease expedition. This was one of the most dar- ing and dangerous expeditions ever undertaken in the state. With a party of twenty-eight men they embarked in Mackinaw boats at Benson's landing on the Yellowstone, and proceeded to the mouth of the Big Horn river. Three miles below this point, on the north bank of the Yellowstone and in the heart of the hostile Indian country, they built Fort Pease, and for eight months withstood the assaults of the fierce and treacherous Sioux Indians, enduring hardships and dangers such as seldom fall to the lot of even a party of brave frontiersmen. It was virtually an eight months' battle for existence, and during this time six men were killed and nine wounded, for when they were not actually fighting the Indians they were obliged to be in a state of constant watch- fulness and preparation. The next year United States troops came to their assistance and secured the peace and safety of the section ; and thus through the enterprise of these daring men it was made available for settlement and productiveness. After this Mr. McCormick joined the command against the hostile In- dians as a trader, and at the close of the campaign located in Miles City and engaged in general mer- chandizing and freighting until 1879. In that year he removed to Junction City and continued in busi- ness at that point until 1883, when, in partnership with Thomas C. Powers, he organized the Paul McCormick Cattle Company and continued freight- ing operations on a large scale. This partnership and company lasted ten years, at the end of which the Custer Cattle Company was formed, and Mr. McCormick was elected president of it. In 1898 the Spear Brothers Cattle Company, of Wyoming, was formed with Mr. McCormick as its vice-presi- dent. These various enterprises continued in suc- cessful operation until 1891, when Mr. McCormick removed to Billings and organized the Paul Mc- Cormick Company, for general merchandizing at this point, a company which has grown into the present conspicuously successful firm.

Politically Mr. McCormick is a Republican, but has never sought public office. In 1879, however,

he was elected to the legislature as one of the first delegates from the new county of Custer, but through some technicality was not allowed a voice in the body. But he succeeded by his personal in- fluence in having the difficulties removed and the organization of the county firmly established. He was also sent as a delegate to the Republican national convention in 1888, and served on the ticket of his party as a candidate for the position of presidential elector in the second Mckinley campaign.

Mr. McCormick was married at Helena in 1879 to Miss Mary Spear, a native of Missouri. They have three children, namely : Paul, Jr., Myrl and Blythe. Fraternally he is identified with the order of Elks.

H ON. JOHN W. POWER .- It has been left to modern civilization to perpetuate by written record the lives and deeds of those who have been prominent factors in the upbuilding of cities, states and nations. Deeds of battle have been the theme of song and story from the earliest ages; but the man who quietly remained in the ranks of indus- trial and productive activity, promoting the general prosperity through his individual efforts, passed unnoticed and unsung. Today the conditions are different, and no work that gives record of the life and labors of those who have wrought to goodly ends may be held in light estimation. In the de- velopment of Montana the subject of this memoir played an important part. He came hither in the early pioneer epoch and, associated with his brother, Hon. Thomas C. Power, in a series of en- terprises, was an important factor in the promotion of those interests that open up the way to civiliza- tion and constitutes the foundation upon which future growth and substantial prosperity is reared. His name is inseparably identified with the history of Montana's splendid advancement, and he will ever be honored as one of the sterling pioneers of the state, while in his death the city of Fort Benton gave fitting expression to the loss that was felt as personal by the community as a whole.

John W. Power was born in Dubuque, Iowa, April 6, 1844, tracing his lineage back to Irish origin of the stanchest order. His father, Michael W. Power, emigrated from the Emerald Isle when a mere lad, locating in St. Louis, Mo., whence he subsequently removed to Iowa, where was solemnized his marriage to Miss Catherine

John W. Power

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McLeer, who was born in Gettysburg, Pa., where the original American ancestors of Irish lineage, located in an early day. Michael W. Power was successfully engaged in mercantile pursuits for a long term of years, and died at the age of fifty, his widow living to attain the age of seventy-six. Both were devoted members of the Catholic church. They became the parents of eight children, three of whom are living ; the eldest is Hon. Thomas C. Power, of Helena, with whom Jolin W. was so long and intimately associated in conducting en- terprises of great scope and importance ; Josephine, now Mrs. T. C. Martin ; and Miss Sarah E. Power. John W. Power received his preliminary education in the public schools of Iowa, supplemented by a course in Sinsinawa Mound College, Wis. His brother, Thomas C. (see sketch on another page of this work.) had preceded him to Montana, and our subject arrived on June 11, 1867, having come up the Missouri river by steamboat from Sioux City, Iowa, bringing with him a stock of goods with which to engage in trade with the Indians and the miners. In 1871 he entered into partner- ship with his brother, an alliance which continued with but slight variation of title until the time of our subject's death. Their business in the early days became very extensive and profitable, having thirteen different trading stores on the northwest border of the United States and two on the Canadian side of the line. They purchased all kinds of furs from the Indians, paying them in trinkets, blankets and supplies, buffalo robes at that time costing about two dollars each. By the year 1875 their business operations were so extended that the aggregate purchase of buffalo robes amounted to 36,000. The firm sold their furs in New York and Chicago, which cities also figured as their base of supplies. After the practical and un- fortunate extirpation of the buffalo the trade of the firm materially declined, but they continued in gen- eral merchandising, wholesale and retail, selling large quantities of goods to the miners and stock- men of the country contiguous to the store at Fort Benton. Eventually the firm was incorporated under the title of T. C. Power & Brother, and the business was extended to include operations in various cities and towns of the state. Concerning the company, extended mention is made in the sketch of Hon. T. C. Power, of Helena, the subject of this memoir being its vice-president. He main- tained his home in Fort Benton until his death, which occurred on February 10, 1901. It may be 19

truthfully said that in connection with the business progress of the state there have been no men who have contributed in a more important way than the Power brothers; and the two were so intimately associated that the record of the business career of the one is practically identical with that of the other.

In 1879 John W. Power was prominently con- cerned in the organization of the First National Bank of Fort Benton; in 1887 of the Stockmen's National Bank, capitalized for $100,000, retaining the presidency of the latter from its inception until the hour of his death. He was also one of the or- ganizers of the American National Bank at Helena, of which Hon. T. C. Power is president, and they were together in the Bank of Fergus County, and organizers of the Bismarck Bank at Bismarck, N. D. Mr. Power was ever animated by the deepest public spirit, and ever ready to contribute his influence and tangible aid in the promotion of any worthy cause or project looking to the advancement of the public interests. For many years great inconvenience was caused by the lack of a bridge across the Missouri river at Fort Benton, and it was finally determined to construct one through private enterprise. Mr. Power was one of the foremost in promoting the work, aiding in the organization of the company and assuming his full quota of the capital stock. The company in time completed the fine iron draw- bridge that now spans the river at this point, the improvement implying the expenditure of $68,000. The Power brothers were also conspicuously con- cerned in providing an effective system of steam- boat navigation on the Missouri river below Fort Benton, while above this point they owned and op- erated nine steamers. Thus it will be seen that they wielded a great influence along many lines of enter- prise which conserved the material prosperity and advanced the commercial interests of the state. The advent of the railroads naturally prostrated the profitable navigation of the Missouri, ever attended by great expense and innumerable difficulties throughout the upper course of the river. Our subject was also largely interested in various min- ing and stock-growing enterprises throughout the state ; while in the line of improved and unimproved real estate his holdings were extensive and in many instances very valuable. To enter into details concerning the breadth of his efforts and business associations would overstep the prescribed prov- ince of this compilation ; but his was a wonderful capacity for details and for the handling of mani-

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 57

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