Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 2, Part 6

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 6

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).

1900, Mr. Carney was united in marriage to Ida Jeffries, a native of Mexico, Mo.

Politically Mr. Carney is a Democrat. He served in the First and Second terms of the Mon- tana state legislature as representative from Madi- ison county. In 1896 he was elected county com- missioner, and in 1900 he received the nomination for the same office but withdrew, as he had been nominated as one of the presidential electors for Montana on the Democratic ticket. This nomina- tion (for elector) he also resigned, as he was then serving as a county commissioner and a question arose concerning his eligibility. At present he is president of the board of trustees of the State Orphans' Home, of which office he has been the incumbent for the past eight years. During Mr. Carney's residence in Waterloo he has served as school trustee, clerk, road supervisor and justice of the peace for many years and for various suc- cessive terms. Fraternally he is very prominent. In 1894-5 he served as grand master of the United Workmen, and represented Montana four terms in supreme lodge at Buffalo, N. Y .; Asbury Park, N. J .; Milwaukee, Wis., and Indianapolis, Ind. He was one one of the principal projectors in the erection of the elegant United Workmen's hall in Waterloo. Since 1873 he has been a Royal Arch Mason, and an Odd Fellow, and a Knight of the Maccabees. As one of the Montana pioneers Mr. Carney has been successful. He has seen the state emerge from the rude conditions of a terri- tory to a splendid commonwealth. In this transi- tion he has played no unimportant part. With the progress of the state he has acquired pros- perity and won the regard of a host of friends in his home city, his county and the state.

L EW WALLACE CARPENTER .- A native of Illinois, and born in Sandwich, February 28, 1864, removing thence when but a year old to State Center, Iowa, then at the age of fourteen coming farther west to Nebraska, and four years later reaching Montana, the progress of the subject of this review may be said to have been steadily west- ward from his childhood until he found a per- manent anchorage in the great Treasure state which he has since made his home.

His father, Wallace Carpenter, who is associated with him in business, has had an eventful and varied career. He was born at Syracuse, N. Y.,

1018

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

February 5, 1832, and when he reached his legal majority, in 1853, crossed the plains with an ox team to Oregon and California, where he followed mining for about five years. Returning to De Kalb county, Ill., he spent the next seven years in farming in that locality. At the end of that period he removed to Iowa, where he and his three broth- ers, T. B., J. B. and B. F. Carpenter, engaged in a general live-stock and merchandising business from 1865 to 1878. From then to 1887 he was operating a live-stock commission business in Clii- cago. In 1887 he again settled in Iowa and for six years conducted a large farm there. At the end of the six years, in 1893, he removed to Omaha, Neb., to look after the farm and ranch interests of himself and his brother, B. F., who had been an equal partner with him for many years. B. F. came to Rosebud valley, Mont., in 1882, and in company with Frank C. Robinson engaged in stock- raising on an extensive scale. In 1900 he sold out his interest to his brother Wallace, who has since made Montana his home, and is now interested in two additional large ranches in company with his son, Lew W. Carpenter, the immediate subject of this narrative.

Mr. Carpenter, our immediate subject, attended the district schools at State Center, Iowa, until he was twelve years old, after which he spent two years at the Shattuck Military School at Faribault, Minn. On leaving this institution in the summer of 1878 he removed to the ranch of Carpenter & Robinson, in northern Nebraska, and remained there four years, leaving in 1882 to bring 2,000 head of cattle to Montana. Arriving in this state he located on a ranch of 2,000 acres in Rosebud valley, thirty-two miles from the Northern Pacific Rail- road. Later, as has been noted, his father became interested with him in this ranch and another com- prising about 6,000 acres, situated ten miles farther up the valley, which they purchased, the two con- trolling three miles and a half of the Rosebud bot- tom land, which produces ample crops of hay for their herds of cattle and horses ranging on the sur- rounding prairies enclosed by many miles of fence. On these ranches they make a specialty of thor- oughbred Durham cattle and high-grade horses, and carry on a very profitable business.

In politics Mr. Carpenter is a Republican, and takes much interest in the success of his party. He was its candidate for representative of Custer coun- ty in the fall of 1900, but was defeated by the oppo- sition of the Miles City people with whom he did

not agree on the question of dividing the county. He has been postmaster at Lee, his home office, since 1896. On December 23, 1892, he was united in marriage with Miss Annie Gaffney, daughter of Hugh Gaffney, who came to Montana in 1883 and located on Lame Deer creek. The marriage was sol- emnized at Rosebud, and has resulted in the birth of five children, namely, Vera, Wallace, Lon, Jessie and Marion. Mrs. Carpenter is a woman of a reso- lute and courageous nature, and on one occasion gave convincing proof of the fact. During the Cheyenne Indian outbreak of 1890, she, then a mere girl, was alone in the house when eight hostile sav- ages made their appearance bent on mischief, but she held them at bay with a Winchester rifle until she was rescued by a squad of soldiers from the fort.

EDWIN C. CARTER .- Upon a handsome, well-equipped ranch of 540 acres of land, lo- cated two miles west of Wolf creek, Lewis and Clarke county, resides Edwin C. Carter. He was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, on October 22, 1850. His parents are George and Jane Carter, the moth- er a native of Canada and the father of England. They were even while residents of Canada a family of agriculturists, and coming to Montana in 1882, they now reside on a ranch two and one-half miles west of Wolf creek. George Carter is a member of the Democratic party, in whose welfare he at all times manifests a lively interest. The scholastic advantages of Edwin C. Carter were by no means extensive, for at the age of nine years he was actively engaged in farm work at the munificent wages of $5 per month and board. At this place and price, however, he continued but one year, yet he was employed in various agricul- tural pursuits until he was sixteen. He then en- gaged in lumbering with wages averaging from $1.60 to $2.00 per day. This vocation he continued until he was thirty years old. In 1879 he came to Montana and located at Wolf creek where for several months he found employment in the canyon. Subsequent- ly and for three years he followed lumbering for Robert Ellis. For his services he received $50 a month and board. But he was ambitious and not content to work for other people. Accordingly he purchased an interest in a sawmill which he continued successfully for five years. Disposing of his interest in the sawmill he turned his attention to ranching at the place where he now resides and

1019

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

where he has built up a profitable industry. He has a homestead claim of 160 acres, to which he has added 381 acres of railroad land. He has made a specialty of stockraising. On January 22, 1883, Mr. Carter was married to Miss Belle Bur- gess, a native of Nova Scotia. She is the daugh- ter of Charles and Hannah Burgess, also of Can- ada. Her father was a' farmer, in which vocation he met fair success. Her parents were members of the Baptist church, and her mother died on August 27, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Carter have two children, Bessie A. and Mary B. Mrs. Carter is a member of the Baptist church.

'HARLES L. CARTHRAE, who is well known C

throughout the state as a successful rancher and one of the best judges of cattle in Montana, is located on a handsome ranch of nearly 1,500 acres, near Geyser, and twenty-four miles south- east of Belt. Practically the greater portion of his successful career has been passed in connection with the cattle interests in Montana and adjoining states and territories. He was born in Saline county, Mo., March 18, 1856, the son of Addison and Syd- ney Carthrae, natives of Albemarle county, Va. The family removed to Missouri in 1840, where the father successfully followed the career of a farmer. An active and influential Republican since the or- organization of that party, he for many years served as administrator in Missouri. Fraternally he was a member of the Masonic order ; in religion a member of the Baptist church. He died in 1865 and was followed by his wife, the mother of our subject, in 1883. They are survived by nine children, viz : Sallie, Charles L., Susan, Anna, Sophie, May, Ad- dison F., Terry and Ethel.

Charles L. Carthrae has made the best of his limited education, and has improved all his oppor- tunities since leaving the public schools wherein he received it. At the early age of nine years he fol- lowed the plow on his father's farm, and from the habits of industry formed in the days of boyhood he has never departed. Until he was eighteen years old he remained with his parents, but in 1874 he re- moved to Colorado where he first engaged in the cattle business that was destined to form so prom- inent a feature in his later career. Having com- pleted his initial "round-up" he went to Wyoming and devoted the following season to the same line of employment. Later he removed to Utalı and se-

cured employment driving a band of horses to Red Rock, Idaho; subsequently going to Sheridan and taking a position on a hay ranch at a salary of $65 per month, being in the employment of A. F. Freeley. His next engagement was with the fırın of I. G. Baker & Co., as their representative, and with whom he remained eighteen months. Follow- ing this he passed two years' time on the Shonkin round-up, receiving $50 a month, and subsequently he was in the employment of A. and Daniel Samples. The reputation of Mr. Carthrae as an excellent judge of cattle was now fully established, and he subsequently worked in the interest of Sample & Power, making two trips for that firm, and after- ward entering the employment of T. C. Power, with whom he remained two years. The nine succeed- ing years were passed with the firm of Hobson & Power in the Judith basin round-up, at a salary of $70 per month.

But the time had arrived when he made up his mind to work for himself and apply his knowledge of the cattle business to his own individual interests. He secured the first portion of his present ranch, twenty-four miles southeast of Belt, Cascade county, to which he has added from time to time until he now has a fine range of about 1500 acres devoted to cattleraising, his principal source of income. His marriage to Miss Lena M. Berges, of La Harpe, Hancock county, Ill., occurred December 14, 1891. She is the daughter of Hiram G. and Nora C. Berges, the mother a native of Ireland and the father of Germany. The father was engaged in the grocery business and died in 1877. Both par- ents were members of the Catholic church. Fra- ternally Mr. Carthrae is a member of the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows and politically a Demo- crat of the old school.

JOHN K. CASTNER, of Belt, Cascade county, is the pioneer of that district and a most estimable and worthy citizen. The title bestowed on him of "the father of Belt," is no misnomer, for he has played a prominent part in the making of the town and in the development of the surround- ing country. He was born in Washington county, Pa., on September 22, 1844, the son of Daniel and Rebecca Castner, also Pennsylvanians. His father was in early life a farmer, but later he was interested in mining and an owner of boats en- gaged in the transfer of coal. Both himself and

1020

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

his wife were devout members of the Presbyterian church, the father dying in 1874 and the mother in 1896. John K. Castner received an education at the public schools of Columbia, Pa., and added to this the practical knowledge obtained at a leading business college of Pittsburg, and during his sum- mer vacations he passed his time profitably in the boatyards of his immediate vicinity.

The discovery of petroleum gave a new impulse to the business of the state, and in 1865 Mr. Cast- ner went to Oil City and secured work at $3.50 per day. He was a thrifty young man, saved his earn- ings for two years, purchased a flatboat and en- gaged in very profitable freighting on Oil creek and the Allegheny river. In 1867 Mr. Castner came to Montana, attracted by the news of its numerous rich gold discoveries. He arrived at Fort Benton by the Missouri river in September, and his first employment was watching freight at Cow island for $2.00 per night. During the fall and winter he drove a freight team from Cow island for the Diamond R Company, receiving $75 per month and board. In the winter of 1867-8 he was hunting in the Sun river valley, and the next summer he was engaged with Joseph Largent in freighting, continuing this business until 1870.

Later he fenced government land, bought a small herd of cattle and soon after traded this for a house and lot at Fort Benton, afterward ex- changing this property for a pair of mules with which he engaged in freighting between the fort and Helena. To this equipment he added until he had three good ten-mule teams, the gradual accumulation of a successful business. In the meantime Mr. Castner experimented in a few min- ing ventures, but none of them was profitable. In 1877 he came to Belt. He was the pioneer settler and he labored long in prospecting for and in de- veloping a paying coal mine, overcoming obstacles that to men of less force of character would have been deterrent. He persevered and was success- ful, organizing the Castner Coal Company, the germ of the town. In 1894 the mine passed to the Anaconda Coal Mining Company. During the past twenty years Mr. Castner has been a leader in all ways. His house was the popular hotel, its character being still maintained by Mrs. Castner, and he has conducted a large real estate and in- surance business. In 1879 he was united in mar- riage with Miss Mattie Bost, a native of North Carolina. They have a son, Albert. Fraternally Mr. Castner is an Odd Fellow and is the present

noble grand of Coal Valley Lodge No. 54, of Belt. He belongs also to the Improved Order of Red Men and the Maccabees. Politically he is a Re- publican, and a valuable factor in the councils and official stations of the party. By diligent study Mr. Castner has so thoroughly informed himself in geology, mineralogy and kindred sciences as to be an accepted authority. .

A LEXANDER CHAMBERS, one of the lead- ing stockmen and general ranchers of Cas- cade county, is located on a range of 1,360 acres near Kibbey, twenty-seven miles south of Belt. A native of Ireland, he has been afforded ample facil- ities to contrast the advantages of the northwest with those of the Emerald Isle. Although not one of Montana's earliest pioneers he has been prosperous and successful since his advent into Cascade county, and has seen no reason to regret liis choice of location. He was born in County Down, Ireland, in August, 1831, the son of Joseph and Susan Chambers, also natives of Ireland. Joseph Chambers was a linen manufacturer and a solid farmer. The mother died in 1847 and six years later was followed by her husband. They were members of the Presbyterian church. Of their five children only Charles and Alexander sur- vive them.

While the common schools of Ireland in the days of our subject's youth were not all that could be desired in the way of educational institutions it was in them that he received his limited advantages in scholastic training. At the age of fifteen his assistance was required by his parents on the farm, and with them he remained until he reached his majority. His father died about this time, and he then lived with an uncle for three years. At the end of that time he returned to his father's farm, which was held in the family on a perpetual lease dating back to 1680, and here remained until he came to the United States, in 1887. His initial location was at Minot, N. D., where he passed one winter and removed in the spring of 1888 to Great Falls, Cascade county, at that period just begin- ning to come into some prominence. Within a few months he had located a homestead, the nu- cleus of his present fine ranch, and to which he has since added 1,200 acres, devoting his attention to cattleraising with success. Nearly a hundred acres of this property is under cultivation.

1021

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

The marriage of Mr. Chambers occurred June 10, 1856, when he was united to Miss Eliza Cham- bers, a native of Ireland, and daughter of Fergus and Mary Chambers. The father was engaged in farming, and also in the manufacture of linen. They were devout and consistent members of the Presbyterian church, the father dying in 1882, and the mother in 1870. To Mr. and Mrs. Chambers have been born ten children, two of whom passed away in infancy. The living are Joseph, James, Samuel, Alexander, Jr., John, David, Minnie and Annie. The parents are Presbyterians ; politically Mr. Chambers is a Democrat.

R S. CHAPPELL .- The scion of an old Welch family, whose name is honorably linked with history of that country, R. S. Chappell inherits from his ancestors traits of sturdy endurance, pro- ductive industry and self-reliance, that have well fitted him for the exacting life of a western fron- tiersman. He was born at Greenville, Ill., on June 6, 1858, the son of Wesley and Miriam (Henry) Chappel, the former of North Carolina and the latter of Illinois. The grandfather, Rob- ert Chappell, was a native of Wales, and emigrated from that country to North Carolina when he was a young man, and there became a planter. He removed to Tennessee and a short time later died there. His widow soon after removed with her young family to Illinois, arriving when the father of our subject was a boy. She there took up land on which his mother now resides at the age of seventy-three. R. S. Chappell was the second of eleven children. He remained on the homestead until 1875, and then removed to California, mak- ing the last 200 miles of the journey by stage. He remained in the state three years, and then, upon the death of his father, returned to Illinois to as- sist his mother ; but after passing one year with her, he joined the Leadville stampede. He re- mained at Leadville one year, engaged in mill- ing, and at its close came across to Montana by wagon train, arriving on the Yellowstone on June 19, 1880, and stopping at Rapids. In the fall he went to the Gallatin valley and bought a drove of cattle with which he returned to the Yellowstone, where, in addition to attend- ing his cattle, he gave considerable time to hunt- ing, and in this was very successful. In 1881 he sold his cattle and engaged in butchering, fui-

nishing meat to the persons connected with the construction of the railroad and others. At the end of the year he abandoned this enterprise and be- gan cow punching and freighting, which he con- tinued until 1886. Then in company with another person, be bought a flock of 2,000 sheep which they brought to Red Lodge, then a part of the Crow reservation, this being one of the first flocks brought into what is now Carbon county. They had a bad winter and the sheep venture was so disastrous that they were obliged to go to freight- ing again in the spring. Mr. Chappell continued at the business until the fall of 1890, when, in com- pany with John Weir, he took a flock of sheep on shares, and continued the enterprise until 1895. They then divided the sheep and Mr. Chappell located on his present property, known as Stanley creek, situated three miles northeast of Roberts. He is a successful and representative sheep man, and has the confidence of all who are engaged in the business. His favorite brand of sheep is the Merino, of which he has an average of 6,000 or 7,000.

In politics Mr. Chappell is Republican, and as such was the nominee for sheriff of the county, but failed of election although making a good showing at the polls, was defeated by John Dunn, the Democrat candidate.

H ANK CHAPMAN .- Born at Canyonville, Douglas county, Oregon, reared and edu- cated within the borders of the state and having conducted his business operations throughout life in the west, Mr. Chapman is distinctively a western product and has typified in his character and career the sterling qualities of manly vigor and business capacity which distinguish men of the west. His life began October 15, 1856, a son of Addison and Susan (Shuey) Chapman, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Pennsylvania. The father was a farmer in Illinois, Iowa and Ore- gon, and died at Canyonville in 1865. His widow is now living at Red Lodge, Mont. Mr. Chapman attended the schools of his native town until he was fifteen years old, and then, in 1871, went to Fort Klamath, where he remained one summer. From there he went to Harney, in Grant county, and engaged in the cattle business, which he con- tinued in Harney valley and eastern Oregon un- til 1881. In that year he collected horses in Ore-

IO22

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF MONTANA.

gon and cattle in Gallatin valley, Mont., and took them to Trail creek, Wyo., where he secured a ranch of 960 acres, with headquarters on Patohair creek. . In addition to handling horses and cattle he engaged largely in sheepraising, and continued the business in that state until 1896, when he re- moved to Red Lodge creek, Mont., where he has a 320-acre ranch devoted to raising cattle and farm- ing.

In politics Mr. Chapman is a stanch Republican, and takes a constant and active interest in political affairs. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, belonging to the organization at Red Lodge, in which he shows an active and serviceable interest. He was married at Red Lodge in 1896, to Miss Carrie Clarke, a native of Unity, Me. They have one child, Andy, aged three years.

T HOMAS J. CHESTNUT, at present postmas- ter of Clancey, Jefferson county, Mont., has had an eventful and adventurous career in the state and territory. He has achieved prosperity and in doing this he has overcome obstacles that would have discouraged if not defeated a less determined character. He was born at Royal Oak, Oakland county, Mich., on March 6, 1855, the son of Benja- min Chestnut, who, when sixteen, came from Ire- land to the United States and settled in Michigan, where he married and raised eleven children. Thomas J. Chestnut, on attaining his majority, in 1878, removed to Montana, and engaged in sup- plying wood to the steamers along the Missouri river. The cabin he occupied was used as a fort, for during 1879 and 1880 the Sioux Indians were quite annoying, and in such fear were the settlers that as soon as a Sioux appeared in his paint and feathers a rush for the cabin ensued. No one had the hardihood to advance far from this one place of comparative security without his rifle, and many shots were exchanged between the settlers and the red skins, and the party had a number of horses stolen by the Indians while several attempts were made to rob their cabin.

On one of its trips the steamer Penina arrived at the mouth of Poplar creek and some one on the boat sold rum to the Indians. This being a crim- inal offense, the United States marshal came to ' arrest the offender. Mr. Chestnut offered to as- sist him ; his services were accepted, and the boat was seized in due form. But it is one thing to

capture a steamboat and quite another to retain it. At night the captain ordered the lines cast off, and soon the Penina was under full steam, heading down stream. The marshal had captured the boat and now the boat had captured the marshal and Mr. Chestnut. After a few days' riding on the runaway steamer, the marshal and Mr. Chestnut were put ashore, and were obliged to make their homeward journey through a wilderness country and with many deprivations. From the effects of this trip Mr. Chestnut contracted mountain fever and it was four years before he recovered suf- ficiently to sign his name.

Mr. Chestnut passed the days of his illness and convalescence in the east. On his recovery he re- turned to Montana and settled at Ridgelawn, Daw- son county, on the Yellowstone river, where he re- mained eight years profitably engaged in ranch- ing. During the last two years he served as post- master and also had for one year the government contract for supplying beef to the troops at Fort Buford. In 1895 he removed to Clancey, his pres- 'ent residence. Here he engaged in merchandising in which he has been successful and prosperous. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster of Clancey by President Mckinley, and he is still most capably and courteously filling that position. In 1881 Mr. Chestnut was married, at Glendive, Mont., to Miss Wilhelmina Brown, a native of Illinois. They have had three children, Floyd and Lloyd, twins, one deceased, and Lida K. Politically Mr. Chest- nut is a stanch Republican and an influential work- er in behalf of that party. Fraternally he is a member of the Odd Fellows. In the community in which he resides he is highly esteemed. The bravery and resolute courage of our subject was more than once displayed during the tumultuous scenes of early territorial days.

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 6

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