Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 107

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 107

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).

RTHUR W. DOUGLAS .- Montana is young A in years among the states of our Union, but she has already produced a generation of hardy, thrifty, far-seeing and progressive men, who are exemplifying in their energetic and productive lives the qualities of fortitude, self-reliance and readiness for emergencies for which their parents are so renowned. And of this number is Arthur W. Douglas, who was born at Boulder, Jefferson county, Mont., on January 24, 1870, the son of George A. Douglas, whose life story is related on other pages of this volume, and Calista (Allen) Douglas. He received a good practical education in the public schools and an excellent academy at Corning, Iowa. He was diligent and active in the assistance of his parents, remaining with them until he was nearly twenty-two years of age. He then entered the offices of the Great Northern Railroad. as a clerk, and has risen by successive promotions until after ten years service with it he now holds the responsible position of traveling auditor. His work is appreciated by the company, and he has the cordial regard of all who know him well. In fraternal relations he is identified with the Order of Pendo and with the Good Templars.

On January 16, 1894, Mr. Douglas was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Andrews, a native of Crawford county, Pa., and a daughter of William and Elizabeth Andrews of the same nativity. The father was a prosperous farmer, a Republican in politics and a highly esteemed citizen. Both he and his wife were zealous members of the United Presbyterian church. He died aged forty-eight years at Conneaut Lake, Pa. Of their seven chil- dren Howard, George, Silas, Sarah E., Cornelia, Nancy and Belle, all are living. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas have three children, Vernon A., Wallace E. and Miriam E. Both parents are active mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, and have a strong position in the regard and esteem of their neigh- bors and friends.

JOHN DOUGLAS is one of the active and en- terprising young native Montanians who have found financial success on the cattle ranch. He was born in the vicinity of Augusta, Lewis and Clarke county, on June 21, 1876, the son of Theodore and Mary Douglas. The father, one of the earliest of Montana pioneers, coming to the territory in 1861, for thirty years followed mining and ranching with a fair degree of success and died on December 6,

1548

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

1891. Since his death the home ranch has been conducted by his son, John Douglas. It comprises 640 acres, of which 320 acres are leased lands, and quite a fair proportion of the land is suitable for cultivation. It is located near the village of Augusta, and is an eligible and desirable stock ranch, supplied with all the accessories necessary to a profitable prosecution of the industry. Mr. Douglas is a member of the Catholic church.

DETER DOUGLAS, although one of the later settlers in Teton county, near Browning, on the Blackfoot reservation, is a young man who is evi- dently on the high road to prosperity. He is a genuine Montanian, and was born at Fort Benton, Choteau county, on April 9, 1869. His father, Theodore Douglas, a native of Canada of French ancestry, came to Montana in early territorial days and for several years was in trade at Fort Ben- ton, going from there to Sun River Crossing, where he died in 1891. His widow, Mary Douglas, the mother of our subject, now resides at Augusta in Lewis and Clarke county. The earlier days of Peter Douglas were passed at Fort Benton, Prickly Pear valley and Augusta, and in the time he could spare from working hours he succeeded in acquiring a practical business education and improved his op- portunities to the utmost. In the spring of 1900 Mr. Douglas brought his family to the Milk River country, and located a fine ranch of 320 acres, where he has since profitably engaged in stockrais- ing. In 1897 he was married, at St. Peter's, Mo., to Miss Mary Lewis. They have two children, Ed- ward, aged two and one-half years, and John Henry, aged ten months.

HARRY DRABBS .- In the immediate vicinity of the thriving little town of Hinsdale, Valley county, is located the attractive ranch home of the subject of this sketch, who came from his native land, the "right little, tight little isle" of England, to cast in his lot with the new and vigorous state of Montana, where his well-directed efforts have been attended with a due measure of success.

Mr. Drabbs was born in Yorkshire, England, June 26, 1852, and was there reared and educated, having such advantages as were afforded in the excellent public schools. His father, Oxley

Drabbs, was born in the same county, and when a young man he came to America, locating in Penn- sylvania, where he remained a short time, when his health became so impaired as to render it ex- pedient for him to return to his old home in York- shire, England, where he passed the residue of his life, passing away in 1871. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Thompson, was born in Yorkshire in the year 1819, and still maintains her home there, "having attained a venerable age.

After leaving school Harry Drabbs was em- ployed on various farms in the vicinity of his home until the year 1892, in the spring of which year he came to the United States, locating near Hudson, St. Croix county, Wis., where he was employed on a farm until April, 1893, when he came to Valley county, Mont., locating at Hinsdale and being variously employed for a period of four years. In 1897 he took up a claim of 200 acres adjoining the townsite of Hinsdale, and upon this he has made the best of improvements and devotes his attention to the raising of cattle and horses, his energy and well directed efforts making the enterprise a profitable one and insuring him accumulative suc- cess in his operations. In politics he gives his al- legiance to the Democratic party, taking a lively and intelligent interest in all questions and issues.

In the year 1873, at Carcroft, Yorkshire, Eng- land, Mr. Drabbs was united in marriage to Miss Annie Jackson, who was born in that shire in the year 1856, but was summoned into eternal rest December 29, 1893, at Hinsdale, Mont. She was a devoted wife and mother, and her gentle grace of character endeared her to all with whom she came in contact. She left five children : Samuel Oxley, a most promising young man, who met his death at the untimely age of twenty-two years, the result of a pitiable accident, being fatally shot by a hunt- ing companion on December 12, 1900, when on an expedition along the wilds of the Missouri river, seventy-five miles from Hinsdale, and the other children are Robert, Lottie, Granville and Effie.

M ATTHEW DRISCOLL .- The proprietor of the Driscoll hotel in Billings, and a popular boniface, his hotel being a favorite resort of the traveling public as well as for residents of the sur- rounding territory, is Matthew Driscoll, who is thoroughly familiar with the industrial life of Montana, having long been connected with the

I549

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

cattle business in various capacities, and having had the varied experiences of life on the range. He is a native of Leavenworth, Kan., where he was born- on May 5, 1859, a son of John and Mary (Curtin) Driscoll, both of whom were born in Ireland, whence they came to America in their early life, finally locating in Kansas, where they passed the remainder of their days, the father having served twenty-five years in the regular army. He received the rank of captain and was stationed for ten years at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and served during the entire Civil war. He later was engaged in farming. They had two children : Anna, wife of George King, a resident of Kansas City, and Matthew. Matthew Driscoll, after attending public schools in Kansas until he was twelve years old, went to the Indian territory, where he rode the range as a cattle herder for two years. He then returned to Kansas, joining his father, who was engaged in farming twelve miles south of Oxford, Sumner county, and assisted him until his death in 1876. Matthew then went to Leavenworth and was in the hack business for one year, when he went to Oregon and entered the employ of Ryan & Lang, for whom he drove a bunch of cattle through to Wyoming, continuing in their employ until 1881. He next drove stage on the Rock creek and Buffalo line in Wyoming and came to Montana in the spring of 1883, in the em- ploy of the Ryan Bros., and was identified with their cattle business on the Musselshell until the spring of 1885, when he was employed by the Bar- rell Cattle Company in the same locality and re- mained with this outfit until 1890, when he had his right arm broken, incapacitating him for the ranch.

In 1891 Mr. Driscoll came to Billings and here became identified with the hotel business, being clerk at the Grand hotel for five years and becoming most popular with its patrons. In 1897 he leased the Cottage inn for one year, and since 1899 he has been proprietor of the Driscoll hotel, catering to a good class of trade and making it one of the popular hostelries of this section of the state. In political adherency Mr. Driscoll is found with the Democratic party ; his religious faith is that of the Catholic church, in which he was reared, and fra- ternally he is identified with the Woodmen of the World. Mr. Driscoll was riding the range during the exciting period of the Nez Perces war, and the cowboys formed a company to protect the cattle from being driven off by Chief Joseph and his warriors. On March 4, 1897, Mr. Driscoll was united in marriage to Mrs. Ella H. Crawford,

daughter of Dr. Lumpkin. She was born in At- lanta, Ga., and they have one child, Virginia, born on January 8, 1900.

THOMAS DYER .- From his early manhood the subject of this sketch has had close at heart the interests of organized labor, and has risen naturally and by reason of special fitness to a position of commanding influence in its councils. He was born in County Cornwall, England, on July 25, 1853, the third of the five children of Joseph and Charlotte Dyer, also English by nativity. Mr. Dyer's opportunity for education during his youth was very limited, as he began working in the mines of his native place when only thirteen years old, being employed in the tin and copper mines of Cornwall. He continued operations there until 1884, when he came to America, located at Butte, Mont., and following mining there until 1888, when he removed to Granite, worked at mining for a short time, and then engaged in the livery business for about two years. Selling out this business he again followed mining for a short time. On March 5, 1901, he was elected secretary of the Miners' Union, of Granite, which has a member- ship of about 500, and he attends to the duties of that office with conceded ability.

In politics Mr. Dyer was always a straight Re- publican until the silver issue divided the party, and he then adhered to the silver wing. In fra- ternal relations he is a Mason, and has held every office in his lodge up to and including that of senior. warden. He is also an Odd Fellow, and is a member of the Grand Lodge of the state. In addition to these he is president of the Home Forum, Safety Fund Society, and is prominent in the Order of the Eastern Star. His religious af- filiation is with the Methodist Episcopal church. On February 3, 1876, in his native county, he mar- ried with Miss Eliza Ann Rodda, daughter of Joseph and Eliza Rodda, both of England. Eight children have blessed their union, each of whom has taken an active and useful place in life as the age of maturity has been reached. The children are : Alice, the wife of Walter Pierce, at present in Africa ; Salina, the wife of William Kelley, now of Butte; Eliza J., Thomas, Annie, Lillie, John and Lottie. Mr. Dyer has a pleasant home in Gran- ite, and owns other property. He is a recognized leader of affairs.

1550

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

G EORGE C. EDER .- The subject of this me- moir was numbered among the worthy pioneers of Montana, and as one of the representative farm- ers and stockgrowers of Lewis and Clarke county he attained marked success, leaving to his family the heritage of a good name and also a valuable property. Mr. Eder was born in Bavaria, Germany, in the year 1830, and was there reared and educated, securing such advantages as were afforded by the public schools. He there acquired the trade of shoemaker, and at the age of sixteen years he severed his home ties and emigrated to the United States, determined to win for himself a place in the world. He arrived here in 1846 and located in Minnesota, where he followed various pursuits until the year 1864, when he came to Helena, Mont., and there engaged in placer mining, devoting his at- tention to operations in this line for a number of years and eventually taking up a pre-emption claim of 160 acres, located fourteen miles east of the pres- ent village of Augusta, 100 acres of the tract being available for cultivation. Here he engaged in general farming and stockgrowing, devoting his attention more particularly to the raising of cattle during the later years of his life, and attaining suc- cess by his well-directed and industrious efforts. He gained the esteem and confidence of all who knew him, and was one of the sterling citizens of the community. His death occurred December 19, 1885, he being killed while returning to his home from Helena by the overturning of his wagon, his loss being sincerely mourned.

On the 12th of December, 1882, Mr. Eder was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Fullberg, who was born in Hanover, Germany, the daughter of Frederick and Caroline Fullberg, both natives of the same province, where the father was engaged in agricultural pursuits. They became the parents of four children, of whom Mrs. Eder is the only sur- vivor, the others being Christian, August, Carolina, and Minnie. Both parents were devout members of the Lutheran church. The mother passed away in 1849, being survived by her husband until 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Eder were the parents of four chil- dren, their names being as follows : Frederick, Lena (now Mrs. Prentice Parker), Ernest and Charles. All are members of the Lutheran church, and so is also the widowed mother. The ranch is conducted by Mrs. Eder and her three sons, who are success- fully engaged in farming and stockraising, ably continuing the work instituted by the husband and father and being numbered among the representa-

tive families of this section. In politics Frederick Eder gives his support to the Republican party, while Ernest is a Democrat.

G EORGE ELGIE .- Twelve miles southwest of Belt, Cascade county, is located the ranch of Mr. Elgie. He is one of the industrious young ranchers of the county, and is a native of Ontario, Canada, where he was born on December 8, 1864, the son of John T. and Eliza J. Elgie, the former of whom was born in Yorkshire, England, while the latter is a native of Ontario, where she resides with her daughter Eliza in Toronto. In religion she is a Roman Catholic, while her hus- band, who for many years was a miller, and died in 1884, was a member of the church of England.

George Elgie received his education in the pub- lic schools of Ontario, and assisted his parents un- til he was seventeen, when he assumed individual responsibilities and engaged in various pursuits until 1887, when he came to Stanton, Mont., where he drove team for John Ross one year, and for three seasons was employed in shearing sheep and in sheep herding. In the fall of 1890 he made a trip to North Dakota in charge of a train load of sheep owned by a Mr. Proddy, of Grand Forks, while in the fall of 1891 he took a ranch on shares with excellent success. The same year he took up his homestead claim of 160 acres, and in 1898 added to this a desert claim of 130 acres. Sixty acres of his land is available for cultivation. Mr. Elgie strongly supports the Republican party.

W TILLIAM H. ELLIS .- The reader of this volume will find frequent reference to gentle- men who have attained positions of independence through industrial pursuits in Montana, and Mr. Ellis, now engaged in the sheep business in Val- ley county after having passed many years in the west and southwest, is not among the least of the goodly company.

Mr. Ellis is a native of the state of Missouri, having been born near Boonville, Cooper county, November 18, 1858, a son of James H. and Ellen J. (Johnson) Ellis, natives of Albemarle county, Va., the former born in 1835 and the latter in 1836. The mother's death occurred in Saline county, Mo., in 1881. The father of our subject removed

1551

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

to Missouri in his youth and engaged in agricul- tural pursuits for many years, eventually removing to Oklahoma, where he now maintains his home. William H. received his early education in the dis- trict schools of Saline county, Mo., and in a pri- vate institution at Forest Park. In the spring of 1882 he went to Texas, and rode the range for five years. In 1888 he visited his old home in Mis- souri, and in 1891 went to Forsyth, Custer county, Mont., where he worked on a ranch for two years. In 1893 he arrived in Valley county, and rode the range near Glasgow until the fall of 1897, when he secured employment on the stock range of J. B. Booth, near Culbertson, and there remained until the spring of 1900, when he invested his savings in the sheep business on Big Muddy creek, his ranch being located thirty miles north of Culbertson, his postoffice address. Mr. Ellis is meeting with good success in his enterprise, having a high grade of sheep that are thriving under his thorough knowl- edge and long identification with stock business.

In politics Mr. Ellis gives his support to the Democratic party ; is well liked in the community, having made manifest his integrity of purpose and his well directed industry and is well worthy the confidence of his neighbors and a full measure of prosperity. Mr. Ellis has never married.

JOHN C. ENGLISH, postmaster at Anaconda, has risen in the regard of his fellows through an active professional life and meritorious conduct. The mainspring of his actions has not been the de- sire of popular applause, but a high sense of duty which respects the rights and feelings of others. His father was James English, born in the north of Ireland in 1812, a farmer's son, who came to Canada with his parents at the age of nine. When he was fourteen, in 1826, he went to Boston, Mass., where he received a common school education and began newspaper work. He was married in Ver- mont to a Miss Mary Stanton, and then went to Wisconsin in its early days. Miss Stanton's father was born in Vermont in 1787 and removed early to Wisconsin and from there to Minnesota, being among the first of its settlers. The town of Stanton, Goodhue county, derived its name from him. He was in religious belief a Baptist and fraternally a member of the Masonic order. James English and Giles Titus, operated in company the first reaping and threshing machines ever operated in Wisconsin.

John C. English began his education in the pub- lic schools of Fond du Lac county, and he was born at Horicon, Dodge county, Wis. At the age of nine he went with his parents to Brandon where his father engaged in merchandising and a commission business. John C. English attended the Brandon schools until he was sixteen and then Brockway College at Ripon, Wis., some years thereafter mov- ing with his parents to Goodhue county, Minn., where he read law at Red Wing, and was admitted to practice in the courts of the state and in the United States courts in May, 1876. Soon after his admission he was elected city attorney of Zum- brota, Goodhue county, Minn., and held the office seven years. In 1890 he removed to Montana and located at Anaconda, where he opened an office and began legal practice in April, 1891. He was elected city attorney for Anaconda, served for two years, was re-elected and served another term. He was appointed assistant United States district attorney in March, 1898, and retained the office until April 3, 1901, when he resigned it and accepted the commission of postmaster of Anaconda. He had before this become extensively known, as his official duties necessitated his presence in various parts of the state. He was appointed post- master by President Mckinley in April, 1901. The appointment being made "ad interim," he was re- appointed by President Roosevelt on January 20, 1902, and the appointment was confirmed on the same day that it was made.

Mr. English married in Minnesota in 1874, with Miss Maria Slosson, a daughter of an eminent physician of Clinton county, N. Y., who removed to Illinois from that state, from there to Wiscon- sin, and afterward to Minnesota. He was in the active practice of his profession for more than fifty years. Mr. and Mrs. English have two children, a son and a daughter, both of whom are graduates of the high school at Zumbrota, Minn., and the son is deputy clerk of the court in Deer Lodge county. Mr. English was "made a Mason" when he was twenty-one years of age, has held every office in the gift of the craft in all the degrees which he has taken, and counts his connection with the order as occupying all of the years of his mature life. Mr. English had a brother who served in the Seventeenth Wisconsin throughout the Civil war, having enlisted before he was eighteen years of age. Afterward he served on the Chicago police force for a long time, only lacking three months of fifteen years' service when he died. In this service

1552

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

he had many thrilling and amusing experiences and was for six years in charge of the "Rogues' gal- lery." He was on duty when the Haymarket riot occurred in 1892.

J OHN EPPESON is one of the pioneer miners of Montana, who is now engaged in the later industry of cattleraising, his property being located near Belt, Cascade county. He was born in High- land county, Ohio, on April 5, 1838, the son of John and Nancy Eppeson, the father a native of North Carolina and the mother of Ohio. John Eppeson during his entire career was a successful farmer and a stanch oldline Whig. He died in August, 1852, and his wife did not long survive, dying in September of the same year. John Eppe- son made the most of his opportunities for edu- cation, was industriously engaged with his books during the winter months and fully as industriously employed on the farm through seed time and har- vest. He remained with his parents until their death, when he was thirteen years of age. He then began work on a neighboring farm for wages, fifty cents a day and board, and this work he con- tinued until he was twenty years old.

In the spring of 1859 he went to Colorado. For one summer he followed mining, unsuccessfully, and then returned east where he continued on the farm until 1861 when he again made an overland trip, this time going to California with a large par- ty of emigrants. Five months time were passed upon the route. In those days nearly all overland parties encountered difficulties with Indians and this one was no exception to the rule. One night the horses by their restlessness showed that there were Indians in the vicinity. Mr. Eppeson went out with his revolver and discovered an In- dian hastening through the bushes. He fired five shots at him without visible effect and the rest of the night was passed in peace. In California Mr. Eppeson began mining for wages, which there ranged between $50 and $80 per month, continuing in this employment until 1865, when he removed to Silver City, Idaho, remaining, how- ever, but one month.

He came to Helena, Mont., in June, 1865, and was engaged in mining until 1882, working for wages the earlier years and subsequently prospect- ing for quartz mines. In 1882 he located on Belt creek, Cascade county, securing homestead and

desert claims, and combined the two into a ranch property of 320 acres. Since then he has devoted his attention to the stock industry, cattle having been the principal stock raised. On August 16, 1876, Mr. Eppeson was married to Miss Anna T. Hackshaw, of Ohio, daughter of Enos and Servia Hackshaw, natives of England and Ohio, respect- ively. In earlier years the father was a cooper and later a machinist. The family came to Mon- tana in 1864, settled at Virginia City, and a year later removed to Helena. In 1876 they removed to a ranch in the Bitter Root valley, where they lived until his death in 1880. He was a member of the Christian church and a Democrat. To Mr. and Mrs. Eppeson have been born six children, two of whom, Rhoda S. and Charles, are dead. The living are John E., Cornelius B., Albert L. and Thomas W. The handsome ranch upon which the family reside is located nine miles north of Belt.

R OBERT ENGLISH is one of the progressive ranchmen of Lewis and Clarke county, his well improved place being located six miles north of the village of Augusta. He gives special atten- tion to raising horses, and in this line of industry has been very successful, using marked care and discrimination in its management. Mr. English is a native of the beautiful little city of Cobourg, Canada, where he was born on the 4th of January, 1858, being the son of James and Mary English, the former of whom was born in the dominion of Canada and the latter in Ireland. They are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, and the father, who is a farmer by occupation, gives his political support to the Conservative party.

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 107

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