Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 101

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1092

USA > Montana > Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2 > Part 101

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G EORGE A. CARTIER .- The very interesting and capable subject of this sketch, who enjoys the distinction of being the best posted man in Mon- tana on the breeds and pedigrees of registered cattle, and who has been successful in several lines of industrial and mercantile enterprise, was born August 10, 1859, at Montreal, Canada. His parents were Joseph and Rose (Lee) Cartier, also natives of Canada, his father in later years being a mining man. They were the parents of eleven children, George being the oldest. Mr. Cartier attended the public schools in his native country until 1876, when he removed to Bingham canyon, Utah, and there worked in the mines until 1881, when he came to Montana and located at Glendale. Here he worked five or six years for an uncle in the butcher business, then about a year for his father on a ranch near Butte. In 1888 he moved to Phil- ipsburg and engaged in butchering until 1892, when he retired from business of all kinds for two years. In the spring of 1894 he bought out the grocery store of L. W. Shodair, which he has since con- ducted. Having considerable property in Philips- burg and valuable interests in various mining en- terprises in the state, Mr. Cartier can afford to gratify his fancy for breeding superior stock, and thereby contribute to the improvement of the cattle interests throughout the country. He has started a herd of pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus cattle, and there is no doubt of his ultimate success with them, hav- ing been a student of livestock breeding in all its phases, having a valuable library on the subject

of which he makes good use, as well as taking and industriously reading all the leading stock journals published in the country.

Mr. Cartier is a gentleman of great public spirit and enterprise, and allows no interest of the com- munity to languish for want of stimulus if he can supply it, nor lets one go wrong for want of in- telligent guidance. He consented to serve his people as alderman for a term or two for certain specific purposes, and has continually shown a lively and beneficial activity in all matters of general local in- terest. He was a Republican in politics until 1896, when he became a Democrat. He belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Woodmen of the World, and the Inde- pendent Order of Foresters, in all of which he has held positions of prominence and re- sponsibility. He was married at Butte Novem- · ber 5, 1888, to Miss Caroline E. Squires, daughter of Thomas and Orinda (Carney) Squires, New Englanders by nativity. Her father died when she was an infant, but her mother is still living at the age of seventy-five, and makes her home with her daughter and son-in-law. Mr. and Mrs. Cartier have one child, George Thomas, born September 12, 1890.

CHARLES CHOUQUETTE, residing near Browning, Teton county, is probably one of the earliest of the Montana pioneers who have re- mained in the state and lived to come in touch with modern life. As trapper, Indian fighter, freighter, range rider and stockman he has had a long and eventful experience, and the story of his life is much of the history of Montana. He was born at St. Charles, Mo., in 1823. In 1884, when twenty years of age, he signed articles with Pierre Choteau, the manager of a large fur company oper- ating on the upper Missouri and was placed in charge of a crew transporting a boatload of goods to Fort Union, the merchandise to be traded with the Indians for furs and skins. The distance from St. Louis to Fort Union was 2,000 miles, and the journey was long, hazardous and embittered by numerous hardships. Seventy-two days elapsed before the expedition arrived at Fort Union, near the mouth of the Yellowstone river. In those days encounters with savage and hostile tribes of In- dians were numerous, and oftentimes sanguinary.

One of the most notable Indian battles in which Mr. Chouquette was engaged occurred in April,

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1849, on the site of the city of Great Falls. He and Anton Bussette and Louis La Breche had for- tunately joined the famous trapper, "Jim" Bridger, who had eighty men in his following. While in camp on the Missouri at the point mentioned they were fiercely attacked by 400 savages, and for a time the scale of battle hung about equally between the contending forces. At last the Indians were repulsed, leaving forty-seven of their companions dead on the field. This was during Mr. Chou- quette's first trip up the river, when he assisted in moving the stores of Fort William to Fort Benton. From 1847 until 1863 he was connected with the American Fur Company. Later he built the first house erected in Fort Benton, and then for six years was in the employment of Hon T. C. Power. In 1871 he erected the first house built in Choteau county, seven miles from the old Indian agency, moved thither and engaged in farming and freight- ing until 1887. For the past seven years Mr. Chouquette has resided on the Blackfoot reserva- tion in Teton county, where his family have a ranch of 320 acres of fine, well improved land on Willow creek, five miles from Browning, devoted to the raising of cattle and horses and the growing of hay. At Fort Benton, in 1854, Mr. Chouquette was married to Rosa Lee, an Indian, the ceremony being performed by Father De Schmidt. They have six children, Melinda (Mrs. John Rana), Lou- ise (Mrs. Howburg), Josephine (Mrs. John Grant), Anton and George, all living on the reservation.

AMES CHAPPLE, M. D .- One of the repre- sentative young physicians and surgeons of Montana is Dr. Chapple, a popular citizen of Bil- lings, Yellowstone county, Mont., with whose busi- ness activities he was identified for several years before entering upon the practice of his profession, and is still interested in the Chapple Drug Company, which he organized, and known as one of the best pharmacies in this section of the state. The Doctor is a native of the Dominion of Canada, having been born in Durham county, province of Ontario, Feb- ruary 7, 1870, where his father was a prominent agriculturalist. His parents are William and Jane (Miller) Chapple, the latter being a daughter of Thomas and Mary(Wreford) Miller, the ancestry on both sides being of pure English extraction. Our subject remained on the old homestead during his boyhood, securing his preliminary educational

training in the public schools and the high school at New Castle, Durham county, where he graduated as a member of the class of 1888, which entitled him to a teacher's diploma. Upon leaving the high school, however, the Doctor did not turn his atten- tion to pedagogic work, but entered a drug store as an apprentice, and devoted his attention to the study of pharmacy and the practical duties incident to his position until the fall of 1890, when he came to Billings, Mont., and became manager of the drug store now owned by Holmes & Rixon. At the ex- piration of two years he established himself in the same line of business, organizing what is now known as the Chapple Drug Company, which has carried on a profitable business from its inception, 1892. In 1895 he placed the business in charge of his brother Charles and returned to Canada, en- tering the medical department of famous old Trin- ity College, in Toronto, where he completed a thor- ough course of study, graduating as a member of the class of 1900, and receiving from the univer- sity his degree of Doctor of Medicine. He en- gaged in the practice of his profession for one sea- son in Toronto, and then returned to Billings, where he opened an office and has here gained marked prestige as an able and discriminating phy- sician, controlling a representative practice and being held in the highest esteem in professional, business and social circles.

In politics Dr. Chapple gives his support to the Republican party, and at the election held on No- vember 6, 1900, he was elected and is now serving as coroner of Yellowstone county. Fraternally he is identified with Ashlar Lodge No. 29, A. F. & A. M., and was its secretary in 1894; he has also been senior deacon and is now junior warden. He is also identified with the Eastern Star lodge of which Mrs. Chapple is likewise a member. He is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge in Bil- lings, and also of the Billings club.

On the 3d of October, 1898, Dr. Chapple was united in marriage to Miss Edith Matheson, daugh- ter of John D. and Rebecca (Panton) Matheson, of Billings, where the father is a leading member of the bar. Dr. and Mrs. Chapple have a winsome little daughter, Dorothy Jane. They are both com- municants of the Protestant Episcopal church, in which they are active workers, Mrs. Chapple having officiated as organist of St. Luke's church in Bil- lings for a number of years. They are prominent factors in the social life of their home city, where their friends are in number as their acquaintances.

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C HRISTOPHER M. CHILD .- Long tenure and gradual promotion in the service of a great corporation is gratifying evidence of the fidelity and capacity of a man, and this has been the experience of the subject of this sketch. He was born in Bradford county, Pa., in 1846, the son of Christopher and Harriet N. (Wright) Child, the former a native of Rhode Island, where he was born in 1804, and the latter of Connecticut, where her life began in 1810. In her childhood her family moved to Pennsylvania, where she was reared and married to Mr. Child, and where she died in 1866. He went from his native state, when a young man to Bradford county, Pa., where he was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1896.

Their son, Christopher, was educated at the dis- trict schools of his native county. On January 14, 1863, when he was less than seventeen years old. he enlisted in the Union army as a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-first New York Volunteer Infantry, and served throughout the war under Gen. Banks, commanding the Army of the Gulf; participating in all the principal engagements of that department during his term of service. After his discharge at Tallahassee, Fla., in 1865, he re- turned to his old home in Pennsylvania and re- mained two years. In 1867 he went to Erie county. and worked on a farm for two years. In 1869 he removed to Osage county. Kan., and after some years service on a farm in that county, went to Marshall, Mich., and passed two years working in the shops of the Michigan Central Railroad at that point. In 1877 he removed to Brainerd, Minn .. and there began his long service with the Northern Pacific, which is still continued with unbroken suc- cession. For a year and a half he was fireman, then for an equal period was engineer. At the end of that time he was made foreman of the round- house at Brainerd, and held that position for eight years. In 1886 he was transferred to Billings, Mont., as general foreman in the machinery de- partment for the Yellowstone and Montana divis- ions, a position which he has held continuously since that time, and in which he now has thirty-six men under his supervision. To this position he has risen not only by length of service, but by fidelity and demonstrated capacity, having shown in every preceding station a thorough mastery of its require- ments and unvarying faithfulness in meeting them.

In politics Mr. Child is a Republican, active and forceful in the councils of his party, serving it well in several representative capacities. He has

been for many years a member of its county central committee for Yellowstone county, and a delegate to numerous county and state conventions. In fra- ternal circles he is identified with the Masonic lodge and Royal Arch chapter at Brainerd, Minn., and Albamar commandery, K. T., at Billings. He was married at Marshall, Mich., in 1871, to Miss Harriett Daggett, a native of Erie county, Pa.

DETER B. CHRISTIAN, of Augusta, Lewis and Clarke county, is one of the leading sheep raisers in that section. Including his homestead and leased lands his ranch embraces nearly 8,000 acres, and is most eligibly situated. He was born at Windsor, Mo., on April 29, 1867, and is at pres- ent a comparatively young but enterprising man. He is the son of William R. and Maggie Christian. The father was a successful farmer, and he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. Fra- ternally William Christian was a Mason and an Odd Fellow. Mrs. Christian died in 1884, and Mr. Christian came to Montana in 1895. During the last years of his life he had retired from active business, and he died in September, 1898. Peter B. Christian received a very limited education, and at the early age of eight he began to work on the farm, continuing to do this until he was sixteen years old. He then engaged in photography, in which business he was employed two years. In the spring of 1886 he came to the then territory of Montana and located at Helena, where he accepted all opportunities for employment that presented themselves. In 1888 he went to Augusta and en- gaged in ranch work for John Laird, and from that time he has devoted himself almost exclusively to the sheep industry, working for nearly four years for J. W. Nixon and E. B. Beach, and two years for Wellman Bros. In 1892 he was in the cattle business for himself, meeting fair sucess. In 1899 Mr. Christian secured 4,000 sheep on shares and since that time he has given all his attention to sheepraising, with considerable profit. His ranch is located ten miles southwest of Augusta. On March 22, 1893, Mr. Christian was united in mar- riage to Miss Ada L. White, a native of Minne- sota, and a daughter of Salvinas and Charlotte White, both born in Maine. The father, a wheel- wright, of late years has made his home in Montana. Mr. and Mrs. Christian have had three children, Eula L., Elton B. and Everett N. Politically he is 2 Republican.

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T HOMAS CHRISTENSEN .- Coming from Denmark to this country when eighteen years of age, the life of Mr. Christensen has been char- acterized by unremitting industry and a persist- ency of purpose which has eventuated in a due measure of success, for he is now recognized as one of the progressive and worthy young farmers and sheepgrowers of Choteau county, having a well improved ranch located eight miles east of Box Elder, his postoffice address. He was born in the town of Nibe, province of Jutland, Denmark, on February 10, 1872, a son of John and Christine Christensen, both of whom were born in the same province where they still maintain their home, the father being a tinsmith by occupation. Thomas Christensen remained in his native town until he had attained the age of eighteen years, having good school opportunities, and then determined to seek his fortunes in America. In the United States he first located at Lamont, Ill., where he was employed in a stone quarry for six months, after which he was at work in Chicago for a year. In the summer of 1891 he came to Sheridan, Wyo., whence he soon removed to the Musselshell coun- try and was engaged in driving stage to Maiden, Fergus county, Mont., for eighteen months. In June, 1893, he secured work for a year on the sheep ranch of William Cooley, while during the summer and fall of 1894 he was employed in the coal mines at Lethbridge, Northwest Territory. In the summer of 1895 Mr. Christensen returned to Fergus county, and was there engaged in driving freight teams until January, 1897, when he came to Box Elder, Choteau county, and turned his atten- tion to teaming, with which line of enterprise he was identified until the spring of 1900, when he took up a homestead claim on Duck creek and pur- chased 160 acres adjoining. Here he has estab- lished himself in a very prosperous ranching indus- try, devoting his attention to the raising of high- grade sheep, and also cultivating a portion of his ranch, and securing large yields of hay and grain. In politics Mr. Christensen is a stanch Republican.

ĮJENRY CLOUTIER is one of the prominent and progressive farmers and stockgrowers of Lewis and Clarke county, where he has also conducted an extensive dairy business for many years past. He traces his lineage to pure French extraction, having been born in the province of

Quebec, Canada, February 7, 1847, the son of Charles and Geneva Cloutier, natives of the same province and of French ancestry. The father was a farmer by occupation, and in his earlier years gained a high reputation for his musical ability, being a fine vocalist, his services being in demand for church and concert work. He and his wife passed their declining days on the old homestead, the former dying at the age of eighty-five years, his wife having preceded him into eternal rest by about one year. Both were devoted members of the Catholic church, in which faith they reared their children, eight sons and one daughter, Henry being the second son.

Henry Cloutier grew to maturity under the sturdy discipline of the farm and received a com- mon school education. He remained at the paren- tal home until eighteen years of age, when he went to Chicago, Ill., and was employed in a brickyard during one summer. He then went to Michigan and worked in a lumber camp for eighteen months, and by industry and economy accumulated $500, which he took home and gave to his father. In the spring of 1868 he went to North Hadley, Mass., where he learned the trade of broom-making and remained with one employer for an interval of twelve years, within which time his marriage oc- curred. Soon after this event he removed with his wife to Helena, Mont., in May, 1880, and accepted such employment as could be obtained. In the following year he located his ranch of 160 acres, five miles northwest of the present capital city. This valuable tract was railroad land, upon which some improvements had been made, but since tak- ing up his residence on the place Mr. Cloutier has erected good farm buildings, a commodious resi- dence, and has provided an excellent system of ir- rigation. Here he has been engaged in farming for a score of years, and has obtained good crops every season with the exception of two. He de- votes his attention to general farming, has large stock interests, and his dairy has gained a high reputation. In this line he has for many years de- voted special attention to the making of butter, being recognized as one of the representative and enterprising farmers of the Prickly Pear valley. His ranch is well improved throughout, keeps large bands of cattle of excellent grade, and he has valuable real estate interests in Helena.

In politics Mr. Cloutier supports the Republican party ; fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World. On May 5, 1877, Mr. Cloutier was

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united in marriage to Miss Carrie M. Vannasse, who was born at St. Michael, P. Q., Canada, on June 28, 1859, the daughter of Alexander and Margaret (LaSalle) Vannasse, natives of Canada, their respective parents being representatives of noble families of France, where the great-grand- father of Mrs. Cloutier was a member of the nobil- ity, having held a dukedom; her mother was born in Illinois, being a descendant of Sieur de LaSalle, the distinguished explorer, whose name will ever be associated with American history. The par- ents of Mrs. Cloutier are now residents of Helena. As a child she accompanied them on their removal to Hadley, Mass., where she was reared to ma- turity, having completed her education in the Hopkins high school, an institution of high rank. Our subject and his wife are consistent members and communicants of the Catholic church. To them have been born five children, to each of whom have been accorded superior educa- tional advantages: Mabel M., now the wife of Anton Himmelbauer, of Missoula, is a talented musician, graduated from the Montana Wesleyan University at the age of eighteen years, and then completed a course in the Engelhorn Business College, at Helena; Zelia L., now Mrs. Hamilton, also graduated from the Wesleyan University at the age of eighteen, and in 1900 completed a post- graduate course in the business department of that institution ; she likewise is a cultured musician, in both vocal and instrumental lines, and is the mother of one child, Mabel, who is now two years of age; Ranie C., is a graduate of the Jackman Business College, in Helena ; Ora C. V., was educated in the Montana Wesleyan University, took a business course at the Jackman College, and is a fine mil- sician ; and Violet Garnet M., is the youngest of the family. The family is well known and has a large circle of friends in Helena and vicinity, tak- ing a prominent position in social life and having an attractive rural home in one of the most beauti- ful of Montana's valleys.

EE B. COOK .- The stock-growing industry L in Valley county has an able representative in Mr. Cook, who has worked his way from small be- ginnings to a position of independence, and is now one of its energetic, reliable and progressive young men. He was born in Denison, Grayson county, Tex., September 6, 1870. His father, Ira Cook,

was born in Iowa, removed to Texas when a young man, and devoted his attention to ranching and stockraising until 1890, when he removed to Kansas City, Mo., his present home. His wife, formerly Mary Gibbons, was likewise born in Iowa. She died at Dallas, Tex., in 1889.

Lee B. Cook remained in Texas until 1886, when, at the age of sixteen years, he located in east- ern Wyoming, and for two years was an employe of the Seventy-six Cattle Company. He was then next with the Platt & Ferris Cattle Company, at Buffalo, Wyo., for two years, and the next two years he was with the O. W. Cattle Com- pany, on Hanging Woman's creek, Wyo. Mr. Cook then came to Dawson county, Mont., and for a short time worked for the Milnes Cattle Company at Larb Hills, then in 1892 he began operations for himself, taking up a squat- ter's claim on Snow creek, near the Missouri river, and quite successfully engaged in the cattle business. He disposed of this property in 1895, and in 1897 located on his present ranch on the Missouri river, and fifteen miles southeast of Glasgow, and now has one of the valu- able ranches of Valley county, comprising 320 acres, devoted to the raising of cattle, horses and hay, while much of the ranch is available for culti- vation. Mr. Cook is one of the popular citizens of the county, and in politics is a strong and active member of the Democratic party. At Regina, Canada, July 25, 1900, Mr. Cook was united in marriage with Edith Wright, who was born in County Kent, England, in 1880, the daughter of T. B. and Mrs. R. J. Wright, who came to America in 1886, locating in the Northwest Territory of Canada, which is now their home.

BERNARD QUINN .- The superior business qualifications and intelligence of Mr. Quinn have won merited appreciation, and his universal popularity is founded upon a most substantial ba- sis. As one of the pioneers of Montana he enjoys a distinction second to none, and his career is large identified with the history of the territory and state. He was born in County Armagh, Ire- land, about 1844, the son of Michael and Margaret (McGuire) Quinn. The father was a farmer and Bernard was the sixth of their eight children. At the age of eighteen months he was brought to the United States by his mother with his sisters and

Bernard Quinn

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brothers, and they settled in Allegheny county, Pa. As soon as he was old enough to do manual labor he was put to work in a soda factory where he re- mained a number of years. In 1856 his family re- moved to Nebraska and engaged in farming, while Bernard worked in a brick yard in Omaha three years for a dollar a day, at times being destitute of shoes or stockings. In 1864, when he was twenty years of age, he drove the "lead teams" of a train of seventeen wagons from Omaha to Virginia City, Mont. During their five months' journey they were continually harassed by hostile Indians, having a serious and sanguinary encounter at Old Laramie. The freight train consisted of flour, sugar, white lead, coffee, etc., and the white lead, that cost $2.25 per keg in Omaha, sold in Montana for $23.

Mr. Quinn engaged in placer mining at Alder gulch and joined in the Salmon river stampede. In 1868 he removed to Fort Benton and engaged in freighting and transportation between Fort Benton and Helena. The winter of 1869 he passed in Utah among the Mormons, where he purchased cattle and drove them to Montana. This proved quite a profitable enterprise. He then located land on the south side of Jefferson river, and with his brother Charles engaged in farming and stock- raising. In 1886 he disposed of his interest in the ranch, removed to Butte and interested himself in real estate. It is a matter worthy of note that he opened the first excavation in the famous Madison county Mayflower mine, now the property of U. S. Senator William A. Clark. Mr. Quinn was mar- ried on November 4, 1893, to Miss Belle Durnin, of Philadelphia, Pa., daughter of Charles Durnin, a shipowner of that city. Their two children are Joseph, deceased, and Victor J., now residing with his parents. Politically the affiliations of Mr. Quinn are with the Democratic party. He is a popular and useful citizen of Butte, deserving of the good will and esteem of all.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 101

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago Publication date: [19-?] Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1092

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1092