Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 104

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 104

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In politics. Mr. Crawshaw is an ardent Demo- crat, and has manifested the liveliest interest in the success of his party. In the fall of 1898 he was its nominee for assessor in Custer county, but was unable to overcome the adverse majority in · the county, although making an excellent run. He was deputy sheriff of the county under Sheriff O. C. Cato from 1898 to 1900. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, having been a charter member of Rathbone Lodge at Billings, which was organized in 1891, but on the formation of the lodge at Forsyth he transferred his membership to that body, where he is now a valued member, standing high in the craft.

1532

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

D AVID A. CROMLEY, one of the extensive and successful sheep raisers of Choteau county, residing near Lloyd, is an Irish-American who, doubtless, has seen no cause to regret his emigra- tion to the United States. Soon after his arrival in this country he saw the possibilities of the north- west and was not slow to take advantage of them. He was born in Londonderry, Ireland, February 28, 1858, the son of John and Sarah J. (McCorkel) Cromley. His father followed him to the United States in 1892, and located the ranch upon which he now resides in the Bear Paw mountains, Cho- teau county. But it was in 1884 that David A. Cromley, inspired with the idea that the new world offered greater advantages to the ambitious young man than did the overcrowded territory of the Emerald Isle, decided to cast his lot with Amer- ica. He first settled in Philadelphia, Pa., and until 1888 engaged in the dairy business. But the rap- idly unfolding northwest possessed attractions that he cared not to resist, and in 1888 he came to Mon- tana and secured employment at the sheep busi- ness in Fergus county. He remained there one year and then came to the ranch upon which he now resides in the Bear Paw mountains. His valu- able property is fenced and otherwise improved, making it one of the most conveniently equipped ranches in Choteau county. The revenue that he has derived from his successful business has en- abled him to purchase considerable real estate in Chinook, and he has a handsome home in that thriving town. His chief and almost his only business is the sheep industry. In 1892 Mr. Crom- ley was united in marriage with Miss Alice A. Cutting, daughter of Chapman Cutting, a native of England. To them have been born three chil- dren, Elizabeth B., Wilhelmina and David A. Po- litically the sympathies of Mr. Cromley are with the Republican party.

ROBERT J. CROSSETT .- No human life success. Every man can come to a realization of himself and his possibilities, and when thus awak- ened it needs only determination to win a position as cne of the world's workers. The subject of this review is one of the able and progressive young men of Valley county and its present clerk and recorder and proves a capable and discriminating executive. In earlier years he had not failed to

take advantage of the opportunities which pre- sented ; ever ambitious to make the most of himself and to advance rather than retrograde, he felt that no position in the life of any individual should be stationary, and as one of the representative young men of the country we are glad to enter a re- view of his career. Robert J. Crossett has the distinction of being a native son of the national metropolis, having been born in New York city . on December 16, 1871. His father, Thomas H. Crossett, was a native of the Emerald Isle, whence he emigrated to America when a young man, lo- cating in New York city, where he became a mem- ber of the metropolitan police department and held the office of sergeant for a number of years. In 1872 he removed to Paxton, Ill., and engaged in general merchandising until 1881, when he removed to Chicago, and was employed as an expert ac- countant until his death, which occurred in St. Louis, Mo., whither he had gone on a business trip. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza- beth Bailey, was also born in Ireland, but she died in Chicago in the year 1886.

To the public schools of Chicago is Mr. Cros- sett indebted for his educational discipline and he early assumed the practical responsibilities of life. At the age of fifteen years he secured employment in a tack factory, where he remained a short time and then entered upon an apprenticeship as a sheet- iron worker in a large Chicago establishment. Becoming an expert workman he continued to be employed as a journeyman at his trade for six years. In 1896 Mr. Crossett came to Montana, locating at Glasgow, Valley county, where he en- gaged in general merchandising for four years. In the fall of 1900, as the candidate on the Republi- can ticket, he was elected to his present office of clerk and recorder of the county, and his admin- istration of the office has already shown him to have a distinct capacity for the handling of the business in all details and keeping it in thorough system- atic order. He has been an active worker in the cause of the Republican party, and is one of the numerous and sincere in their professions.

need be wasted nor lacking in what is termed . sterling young men of the county. His friends are

G REELEY H. CRUM .- Three and one-half miles southeast of the village of Cascade, Cascade county, is located the fine ranch property of the subject of this sketch, who is known as

1533

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

an enterprising and successful farmer and stock- raiser. Mr. Crum is a native of the old Buckeye state, having been born at West Unity, Williams county, Ohio, on September 29, 1860, the son of Henry W. and Katherine Crum, the former born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Ohio, where she makes her home with her daughter at West Unity. The father of our subject was engaged in farming in Ohio, and also devoted considerable atten- tion to the carpenter's trade. He was one of the California argonauts during the excitement of 1849 and he remained in that state for five years, when he returned to his home in Ohio and died in 1891. He was a stanch Republican in his political proclivities ; and was a zealous member of the Evangelist church, with which his widow is also identified as an honored communicant.

Greeley H. Crum received his education in the public schools of Ohio and continued to assist in the work of the parental homestead until he had attained the age of eighteen years, when he en- gaged in farm work for wages. In 1881 he went to Colorado and engaged in mining near Lead- ville quite successfully. In the spring of the fol- lowing year he came to Montana and made the overland trip from Butte to Sun river, packing thence to Cascade, and there engaging to herd sheep for W. W. Strong, in whose employ he re- mained until the fall of 1884, when he entered the employ of J. A. Harris and was thus identified with the cattle business until the fall of 1889, hav- ing in the meantime taken up a pre-emption and a tree claim of 160 acres each. After proving up he traded the tree claim for a homestead of equal area, and has since purchased 480 acres, so that he now has a fine property devoted to farming and cattleraising on a large scale. Well applied. industry and careful methods have promoted the success of our subject, and he is an excellent type of the progressive ranchmen. of the state.

In politics he gives his support to the Republican party, but has not been an aspirant for public office. In October, 1889, was celebrated the mar- riage of Mr. Crum to Miss Alice Crumrine, who was born in Ohio, her parents being Frederick and Elizabeth Crumrine, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father died on November 3, 1889, his wife having passed away on the 15th of the preceding January. They were devoted members of the Methodist church; in politics Mr. Crumrine was an active supporter of the Democratic party, and by occupation he was

a farmer. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Crum one child has been born, Esther E. Crum.

A DELBERT E. CUMMING is a native of the old Empire state, having been born in Her- kimer county, N. Y., on March 25, 1854, the son of James Y. and Barbara (Hane) Cumming, both born in the state of New York and where they passed their entire lives. The father was an officer in the state militia, and by occupation was a gen- eral mechanic. His marriage occurred in 1849, and they became the parents of three sons and three daughters, the subject of this review being the third in order of birth.

In the public schools of his native county Adel- bert E. Cumming received his early educational dis- cipline, and in 1869 became a student in the Whites- town Academy, Oneida county; later continuing his studies in the Cook Academy, at Havana, near the celebrated Watkins Glen. In 1874 he matricu- lated in Union College, at Schenectady, where he completed a thorough course in civil engineering, graduating as a member of the class of 1877 and receiving the degree of C. E. His first professional work was done in central New York in the way of retracing lot lines in the town of Ohio, Herkimer county, the original lines having been surveyed in the time of George III., king of England. He thereafter taught school during the winters and worked at his profession during the summer seasons for a period of three years. In 1880 Mr. Cumming came west to Omaha, Neb., to engage in engineer- ing for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in southern Nebraska and northern Kansas, and was in the employ of this company for two years. He next engaged with the Northern Pacific Rail- road, and first came to Montana, assisting in the revision of the lines between Bozeman and Town- send, and later having charge of the work from Gallatin county into the Misouri river canyon. Still continuing in the employ of the Northern Pacific, Mr. Cumming was placed in charge of the con- struction from Mullan tunnel to Elliston, Powell county, Mont. In this connection he located the line over the mountain through which the Mullan tunnel now passes. Later he was transferred to the Wickes branch, and built the line from Helena to Clancey. While thus engaged he had the mis- fortune to meet with an accident, breaking his leg and being incapacitated for further service for a

1534

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

period of six months. He resigned his position with the Northern Pacific in 1884 and opened an office in Helena, from which headquarters he has since tran- sacted a large and important professional business. In 1889 Mr. Cumming had charge of the construc- tion of the canal and ditches of the West Gallatin Irrigation Company, Gallatin county, expending for the company in this connection about $200,000, it being the most extensive private enterprise of the sort in the state and of inestimable benefit to the sec- tion covered by the system, and has devoted two and a half years to the bringing of the work to comple- tion. In the meantime he devoted his attention to professional work in Helena, having served as city engineer in 1888-9. In 1898 Mr. Cumming began the work of constructing an elaborate irrigation system in the Fort Belknap Indian reservation, and is still devoting his attention to this enterprise, under the auspices of the government, the source of water supply being Milk river. He has thus given a full decade to the study of irrigation in Montana ; has been identified with the most important projects in this line, and is recognized not only as an author- ity upon theoretical possibilities, but has shown his practical skill and professional ability in a way that has gained him distinguished prominence as a civil engineer. In 1893 Mr. Cumming became a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and is a charter member of the Montana Society of Engin- eers, of which he served as vice-president from Jan- uary, 1896, to 1898. Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World ; in religion his faith is that of the Presbyterian church, of which he is a member. In politics he exercises his franchise in support of the Republican party. On April 22, 1884, Mr. Cumming was united in marriage to Miss Eulalia A. Smith, who was born in Michigan, as was also her father. Her grandfather Smith was one of the early settlers in the vicinity of Pontiac, that state. The former rendered valiant service in the war of the Rebellion, sacrificing his life in the cause, as he died in hospital before the close of the war. Mr. and Mrs. Cumming have four children : Frederick L., a member of the class of 1902 in the Helena high school; Bertha J., also a high school student ; Mary Theodora and James R.

H UGH CUMMING .- The genial race of publi- cans who inhabit all parts of the earth and contribute so essentially to the comfort of mankind, have no more companionable or entertaining repre-

sentative in this part of the country than Hugh T. Cumming, the subject of this review, proprietor of the Moore House at Granite. His life began Sep- tember 5, 1857, at Sunny Brae, Nova Scotia. His parents, also natives of that province, being of Scotch ancestry, lived comfortably on a farm which they owned, and on which they reared their family of thirteen children, of whom Hugh was the ninth. Both father and mother have paid nature's debt, and are at rest in one of the beautiful valleys of the land they loved and lived in, the father having died in 1865 and the mother five years later.

Mr. Cumming attended the public schools of his native place until he was sixteen years old; then drove a stage and mined until the autumn of 1879, when he made his way to Leadville, Colo., and worked there for a year in the employ of the Aming Mining Company. At the end of that time he was sent by the company to Sonora, Mexico, as shift boss in one of their mines. After spending a year and a half there, he went to Nevada county, Cal., and followed placer mining from 1881 to 1886. From there he went to Lake valley, New Mexico, and leased mining lands for one summer, but at the end of the season returned to Leadville and re- mained two years longer. In 1889 he came to Mon- tana and settled in Granite. Here he engaged in the hotel business, in which he is still occupied, having valuable residence and other property in Salt Lake City and mining interests of considerable value in various parts of Montana in addition to his business at the hotel.

In politics Mr. Cumming was a regular Republi- can until the division of the party on the silver issue, when he affiliated with the silver element. Fraternally he is identified with the order of Free- masons in its various branches, and has held high office in each, being past master of his lodge, past high priest of his chapter and a past patron of the Eastern Star chapter to which he belongs. At present (1901) he is captain of the host in the grand chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the state. He is also a past noble grand in the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows. His religious affiliations are with the Presbyterian church. He was united in marriage at Granite in 1892 with Mrs. Margaret May Bigger, daughter of Edwin and Margaret Tease, and three children have blessed the union, namely : Finley Edwin, Hugh Raymond and Forrest Clifford. Mr. Cumming is well esteemed 'by those modern knights-errant, the commercial tourists, who make his house a frequent resort and enliven

I535

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

it when they are there with a merriment in which he joins and to which he contributes his share of the wit, anecdote and companionship.

0 SCAR S. CUTTING, one of the represent- ative young men of Valley county, where he served a term of four years as county clerk and recorder, but now engaged in the raising of live stock, is a native of Wright county, Minn., where he was born December 20, 1868, a son of William H. and Mary (Gates) Cutting, the former born in Vermont, about the year 1841, and the latter at Currituck, N. C., in 1848. The father removed from the old Green Mountain state to Pough- keepsie, N. Y., when a young man, and about the year 1866 to Buffalo, Minn., where he and his wife still maintain their home. He has been promi- ment in the political affairs of Minnesota for many years, being an ardent supporter of the Democratic party and an effective public speaker, rendering im- portant service in many campaigns.

Oscar S. Cutting, the immediate subject of this sketch, received his scholastic training in the schools of Clearwater, Minn., acquired the art of telegraphy and became an expert operator. In the spring of 1888, at the age of nineteen years, he came to Montana, and during his first year in the state was telegraph operator for the Great Northern Railroad at its stations in Portage and Assinniboine. In the fall of 1889 he came to Hins- dale, Valley county, where he was operator for the same company for one year, and the ensuing two years was agent for the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Soo Line) at Ender- line, N. D. In the fall of 1892 Mr. Cutting located in Glasgow, Valley county, entered the employ of J. L. Truscott as clerk in his general mer- chandise establishment, remaining there until 1895. In 1896 he was appointed deputy clerk and re- corder of Valley county, and in November of that year was elected as the clerk and assumed full control. During his term of four years he gave a most careful and discriminating administration of this important office, was the candidate of his party for re-election in the fall of 1900, but was defeated at the polls. He has ever been a stanch supporter of the Democratic party and an active worker in its cause. Fraternally Mr. Cutting is identified with Glasgow Lodge No. 141, I. O. O. F.

In the year 1900 Mr. Cutting took up a ranch

at Fifth Point, on the Missouri river, forty miles south of Glasgow, and is now devoting his atten- tion to the raising of cattle and horses, and is mak- ing excellent improvements on his place, which is most eligibly located. In July, 1901, in com- pany with John Survant, Mr. Cutting purchased the business of W. A. Davis, at Hinsdale, where they have erected a handsome new store building and are engaged in general merchandising, control- ling a good trade and conducting operations under the firm name of the Hinsdale Mercantile Company.

On February 11, 1892, in the city of St. Louis, Mo., Mr. Cutting was united in marriage to Miss Marie Lippincott, who was born in the city of Chicago on September 12, 1870, the daughter of Mary C. Lippincott. Mr. and Mrs. Cutting have five children : Wendell, Grace, William, Benja- min and Rose.

H FLORIN CURTIS, who is one of the most successful ranchers near Evans, Cascade coun- ty, is a young man of distinctive energy and busi- ness ability. He was born May 12, 1875, at Bunker Hill, Ind., the son of Harvey H. and Mary Curtis, natives of Ohio, the former being the son of Daniel and Sarah Curtis, who likewise were natives of the Buckeye state and representatives of pioneer families. The grandfather of our subject devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, and his death oc- curred at Bunker Hill, Ind., at the age of sixty- five years. His wife thereafter removed to Iowa, where she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Anna Hedrick, until her death, at the age of seventy- one years. Herbert Florin Curtis received an ex- cellent education in the schools of his native state, and in 1886 became identified with the wood busi- ness and was so engaged until he came to Mon- tana, where he assisted his father until 1891, when he began working for wages on various ranches. In 1896 he took up a homestead claim of 160 acres, and in the spring of 1900 purchased an equal amount of land from his brother, Guy Curtis, and has since been successfully engaged in raising cat- tle and sufficient horses for carrying on the work of his ranch.

He gives his support to the Republican party, and is a young man of distinct ability, well equipped for attaining still greater success in connection with the great stockraising industries of Montana. On the 3Ist of December, 1896, Mr. Curtis was united in

1536

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

marriage to Miss Edna Mullins, of Grinnell, Iowa, the daughter of John and Martha Mullins, both of whom were born in Ireland, whence they respective- ly emigrated with their parents when quite young and settled in Iowa. The father died at Grinnell in 1894, at the age of 49 years, and Mrs. Mullins now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Curtis. Our sub- ject and his wife are the parents of three children : Clarence Herbert, Harry William and Grace Marie.

W ILLIAM LUPPOLD .- A few miles from the little city of White Sulphur Springs is the fine ranch property of the well-known pio- neer of Montana, and to him is accorded uniform respect and esteem as a citizen, a pioneer and a sterling veteran of the war of the Rebellion. Mr. Luppold was born on May 25, 1839, at Baden, Ger- many, the son of George Adam Luppold, who passed all his life in Baden, where he was a manu- facturer of window sash and like products. He married Pauline Spitc, likewise born in Baden, and became the parents of six sons and five daughters. Mr. Luppold was reared and educated in his native land, where he remained until 1861, when he came to America, going from New York to Boston, where he met a schoolmate, a cooper by trade, and this led to his learning the same vocation. He continued in the east until 1862, when the two partners came to Hardin county, Iowa, where they established a cooperage business. Here his part- ner enlisted as a soldier in the Sioux war, and Mr. Luppold continued their business until January 2, 1864, when he also enlisted as a member of Com- pany F, Second Iowa Cavalry, in command of Col. Hatch. He was mustered in at Marshalltown, Iowa, and thence the regiment went to Davenport, and were ordered to Memphis, Tenn., where they organized and drilled for an expedition under Gen. W. F. Smith. The command finally started for Mobile, Ala., proceeding as far as West Point, Miss., having several skirmishes while en route and a battle at West Point. Here also on Febru- ary 21, 1864, they had a second battle, capturing the town and all the Confederate supplies. It may be noted that when the command left Memphis the men received each one ration, consisting of two crackers and a small piece of bacon, and after this stock was exhausted they were compelled to forage for themselves and their horses, finding the task one of great difficulty over the course traversed.

They destroyed everything as they passed along, including flour, cotton and whiskey mills, but showed sympathy for persons in private houses, assisting them to remove what they might wish. They burned the town of Redland, where the ad- vance guard had been fired on from the houses, and at Oakland they destroyed several tobacco fac- tories and much valuable property.

After the second battle at West Point the bat- talion of which Mr. Luppold was a member was sent on a scouting expedition to Salem, Ala., being absent all night. At 4 o'clock a. m. the reveille sounded for boots and saddles, and they marched west where the enemy were located, the Confed- erates being under Gens. Forrest and Kirby Smith, and supposed to be 40,000 strong. They began firing and such was their superior force that the Federal troops were ordered to retreat, Mr. Lup- pold being in the rear guard. They retreated about ten miles, were overtaken by the enemy, and, after numerous skirmishes the Confederates made a charge, under a brother of Gen. Forrest. The regiment dismounted and the men were lying low awaiting the charge. When the enemy had ap- proached to within 200 yards the Union men opened fire, and Forrest and several of his staff of- ficers were killed in the first volley, this stopping the advance of the enemy. The Federals now re- treated to a better vantage point, and here they met a second charge, which resulted in a terrific conflict. Mr. Luppold's regiment was on the left wing, their batteries being on a high ridge, thus getting the range of the enemy over the heads of the Union troops below. The enemy made a flank movement and by means of a cross-fire soon gained the day. Mr. Luppold's company lost seven men and his regiment eighty-six, all the wounded save himself being taken prisoners. He was shot through the right leg, and almost simultaneously through the left leg, and he has been permanently lame from these injuries. He escaped captivity by being taken off the field on the back of a mule by a man who came down between the lines. This comrade assisted him into the saddle, but both fell off and the mounting had to be repeated. They started toward the Union batteries, and though ordered to surrender, refused and reached the bat- teries. Finding the remnants of his regiment he was taken to the rear by two of his comrades. He thereafter remained in the ambulance for twenty- four hours, being taken therefrom at La Grange, where he remained over night, and receiving in the

I537

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

morning a cup of coffee, the first food he had re- received in three days. The next morning he was placed in the hospital at Memphis, where he was compelled to remain more than a year, assisting in hospital duties as soon as he was able. He re- ceived his honorable discharge in Overton hospital in Memphis, on August 13, 1865, and then re- turned to Iowa and resumed his trade.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 104

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