USA > Nebraska > Douglas County > Omaha > Omaha: the Gate city, and Douglas County, Nebraska, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 47
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Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. His political endorsement is given the republican party but the honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him, as he has felt that he could serve his city in other ways besides office holding. Through his individual efforts he has contributed to the material development of South Omaha and has made for himself a creditable position as a business man. However, he has done important work as a city builder, and it is well known that his influence is always on the side of advancement and improvement.
ROBERT GILMORE, M. D.
Thirty years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since Dr. Robert Gilmore entered upon the practice of medicine at Omaha, taking up professional duties here well equipped for his chosen life work. He was born in Belfast, Ireland, June 4, 1856, a son of James and Jean ( McRoberts) Gilmore, who spent their entire lives in Belfast.
It was in the schools of Belfast that Dr. Gilmore obtained his early education and in preparation for a professional career he entered, in 1875, the Queen's University in Ireland at Belfast, and in 1879 he was graduated from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland. The following year he received the degree of M. D. from Queen's University of Ireland in Dublin, now the Royal Irish University, and thus very liberal professional training equipped him for the onerous and responsible duties that devolve upon him in connection with his profession. He practiced for seven years in his native country and then sought the opportunities of the new world, arriving in Omaha in 1887, since which time he has continuously and successfully practiced in this city. He concentrates his efforts and attention upon his professional duties, which he discharges with a sense of conscientious obligation, and his ability and skill, acknowledged by colleagues and contemporaries, have made him one of the prominent physicians of the city. He has some other business connections, being one of the organizers and vice president and secretary of the Skinner Manufacturing Company of Omaha, president of the Central States Investment Company and president of the Central States Land Company.
On the 21st of October, 1884, in North Lodge, Carrickfergus, Ireland, Dr. Gilmore was united in marriage to Miss Gretta Campbell Burrows and to them has been born a daughter, Amy Kathleen, who is a graduate of National Park Seminary of Washington, D. C.
Dr. and Mrs. Gilmore hold membership in the Presbyterian church and his political endorsement is given to the democratic party. His fraternal connections have advanced him to the Royal Arch degree in Masonry and he is also associated with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In the club life of the city he is also well known as a member of the Country and Omaha Clubs. Those who know him speak of him as a cultured gentleman of charming personality, courteous, genial and approachable and one whose standards of life are high.
JOHN B. CARVER.
John B. Carver, doing official service in connection with the public schools of Omaha as supervisor of attendance, was born June 3, 1869, in Clarksville, Mis- souri. His father, Charles E. Carver, a native of Virginia, belonged to one of the old families of that state of English origin. His father removed from Virginia to Missouri at an early day, becoming a pioneer of Pike county, where he followed
DR. ROBERT GILMORE
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agricultural pursuits, residing on the old homestead until his death, which oc- curred October 28, 1910, when he was seventy-two years of age. His wife, who in her maidenhood was Mattie Mackely, was born in Missouri and was of English descent. She died in Clarksville in 1886, when but thirty-eight years of age, leav- ing four children.
John B. Carver, the youngest of the family, was educated in the public schools of his native county and also spent one year in St. Paul's Episcopal school at Palmyra, Missouri. His youthful training was that of the home farm, upon which he remained until he reached the age of seventeen years and then started out to earn his own livelihood, being first employed in clerical lines in connection with mercantile pursuits. He came to Omaha in March, 1888, and followed merchandising in the employ of others until 1904, when he became an officer of the juvenile court, spending his time in that way until 1908, when he resigned to accept his present position, which he has since efficiently filled, being now super- visor of attendance of the public schools of Omaha. He devotes his entire time and attention to this department and to child labor law, having the entire respon- sibility concerning the enforcement of child labor law under his jurisdiction. He believes that the child should have the right of education as a preparation for life's practical and responsible duties and does everything in his power to enforce the law concerning compulsory attendance at school and the prevention of work among children still of school age.
Mr. Carver was married in St. Joseph, Missouri, June 4, 1901, to Miss Maggie Palmore, a native of Tennessee and a daughter of J. E. and Elizabeth Palmore. They have one child, Jack, who was born in Omaha, November 20, 1910.
In politics Mr. Carver is a republican but takes no active part as a political worker. He is a Scottish Rite Mason, having been initiated into the order in Omaha in 1912. He also has membership with the-Woodmen of the World and his religious faith is that of the Christian Science church. He has made an excellent record in office as one who places fidelity to duty before all things and exercises intelligence and tact in learning the causes of truancy or non-attendance at school for other reasons.
FRED A. BAILEY.
Fred A. Bailey, filling the position of mayor at Benson, is giving to the town a progressive and public-spirited administration. He is well known in Douglas county, having become a resident of Omaha in 1890. He was born in Toledo, Iowa, August 2, 1870, a son of Charles S. and Margaret E. (Fisher) Bailey, the latter also a native of Toledo. The father, who was born in the state of New York, went to Iowa in early manhood, taking up his abode in Toledo in 1857. He was among the early settlers there and continued to make his home at that place until 1872, when he became a resident of Shelton, Nebraska, where he resided until June 7, 1916, when his death resulted from an automobile accident. He had spent his active business life in farming and after his retirement he made his home in Shelton. He took an active part in local affairs and for thirty years filled the office of justice of the peace, the duties of which position he discharged with promptness and fidelity, his decisions being strictly fair and impartial. To him and his wife were born but two children, a son and a daughter.
Fred A. Bailey largely spent his youthful days in Shelton, where he attended the public schools, and in 1890 he came to Omaha, where he was engaged in the railway mail service between Omaha and Cheyenne, continuing at that place until 1893, when he located in Benson. He was still employed in the mail service until I9II, when he retired from that connection and turned his attention to the real estate and insurance business, in which he has since been engaged, having fine modern offices at 5821 Main street. He has conducted a general real estate busi- Vol. II-20
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ness and he is thoroughly familiar with property values and has negotiated many important realty transfers. Ile is also owner of a furniture store and his business affairs are most carefully and wisely directed, the enterprise and integrity of his methods bringing to him deserved success.
On the 4th of May, 1890, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage to Miss May E. Calkins, of Wisconsin, her father being W. S. Calkins, who came to Nebraska in the year 1885. They have one son, Charles W., who is now employed as engineer by the firm of Anderson & Bennett.
Fraternally Mr. Bailey is connected with the Ancient Order of United Work- men and the Loyal Order of Moose. He has been prominent in the affairs of his town throughout the period of his residence here and was chairman of the first elected village board, while in 1916 he was chosen mayor of the city. He has seen to the just enforcement of the laws during his term of office and stands at all times for municipal progress and improvement and is a stanch advocate of high civic ideals. In a business way he has been successful and his efforts have con- tributed much to the upbuilding of the city as well as to his own prosperity. His investments have made him the owner of considerable valuable property in the town.
SAMUEL MOUNT CAMPBELL, M. D.
Dr. Samuel Mount Campbell, physician and surgeon of Omaha, was born in Fairfield, Iowa, July 2, 1853, a son of Joel E. and Anna E. (Crawford) Campbell. The father was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, March 23, 1822, and repre- sented an old Maryland family of Scotch lineage. The paternal grandfather was William Passmore Campbell, born October 26, 1796, in Maryland. The father devoted much of his life to merchandising in Fairfield, Iowa, where he passed away March 23, 1899, on the seventy-seventh anniversary of his birth. His wife, a native of Steubenville, Ohio, born in 1831, was of Scotch descent. She met an accidental death in Omaha in 1894, when sixty-three years of age. By her mar- riage she became the mother of six children, of whom two died in infancy and two later in life, while those surviving are: Samuel Mount ; and Eugene, a physician of Los Angeles, California.
Samuel M. Campbell was educated in the public schools of Fairfield, Iowa, and afterward took up the printer's trade, which he followed for eight years, and during part of that time published a weekly journal at Albia, Iowa, called the Industrial Era. While thus engaged he became interested in medicine and re- solved to prepare for the active practice of the profession. In 1878 he entered the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, in which he completed his course by graduation with the class of 1881, at which time his professional degree was con- ferred upon him. He then went to Batavia, Iowa, where he practiced for a time, but later returned to Fairfield, where he became associated with his brother, Dr. Eugene Campbell. The partnership between them continued until 1885, when Dr. Samuel M. Campbell went to New York city and entered the Homeopathic Hospital on Ward island for post graduate work. He gained valuable experience in a year's hospital training, at the end of which time he opened an office in Omaha, where he has since been in active and continuous practice, being today one of the oldest physicians in years of continuous professional connection here. He remains in general practice and his position is an enviable one, the public recog- nizing his superior professional merit and worth.
In Omaha, Dr. Campbell was married to Miss Theodosia Kennedy, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Kennedy, and they have two children, Cecil Dorothy and Joel E. Dr. Campbell gives his political support to the republican party and while in Fairfield, Iowa, he was United States pension examiner and also a mem- ber of the sanity commission of the state. He has membership in the Methodist
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church and belongs to St. John's Lodge, F. & A. M., the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Woodmen of the World. His social qualities as well as his professional skill have gained him prominence and popularity and he is today widely and favorably known in his adopted city.
WILLIAM J. DOBBS.
William J. Dobbs, secretary and treasurer of the Campen Engineering & Con- tracting Company of Omaha, was born in Troy, New York, January 14, 1855, a son of the late John Dobbs, who until 1893 was publisher of the Winona (Minn.) Daily Republican and enjoyed a national acquaintance and reputation among the representatives of the press. At the time of the Civil war he was among the first to volunteer in defense of the Union, but on account of a slight physical imperfec- tion he was twice rejected. He had previously been a stalwart supporter of the abolition movement, and when the republican party was formed to prevent the further extension of slavery into the north he became one of its most active sup- porters. He was a man of marked prominence and influence, doing much to mold public thought and action in Minnesota. He came of a family of Scotch descent long resident at Dobbs Ferry, on the Hudson, and he passed away in Winona in 1893, when sixty-three years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Elizabeth Porter, was born in Troy, New York, and passed away in 1868.
William J. Dobbs was the second in order of birth in a family of five children and is the only one now living. He was educated in the schools of Winona, Minnesota, to which city his parents removed in October, 1864, when he was a lad of nine years. He became telegraph operator at Prescott, Wisconsin, in the spring of 1869 and followed that profession until 1898. He became the first rail- road agent for South Omaha with the Union Pacific, accepting that position in 1888. He also opened stations for all other railroads entering Omaha except the Burlington, and he continued in the railroad service until 1898, when he entered into the work of promoting interurban railroads. In March, 1914, he took up the work of contracting in heavy bridge building and general construction work, also heavy foundations for skyscrapers, and is today secretary and treasurer of the Campen Engineering & Contracting Company, which ranks among the leading contracting corporations of the state. They operate not only in Nebraska but in many adjoining cities and states, and in the spring of 1916 they completed a large government contract-the building of the postoffice at Corpus Christi, Texas. Mr. Dobbs is also secretary and treasurer of the Omaha Steel Construc- tion Company, Incorporated, the secretary of the Allen Park Power & Mining Company of Denver, Colorado, and the secretary and treasurer of the Under- wood-Stoker Company. His business interests and connections have gradually broadened and have also become of a more and more important character until he is now a prominent representative of industrial activity in his adopted city.
On the 6th of August, 1876, Mr. Dobbs was married in Winona, Minnesota, to Miss Franc E. Rowe, a native of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and a daughter of Walter S. Rowe, a representative of one of the old families of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Dobbs have one son, Nye Fred, who was born in Lewiston, Minnesota, August 5, 1878, and is now manager for the National Film Company at Portland, Oregon. He was married in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Politically Mr. Dobbs is a republican but takes no active part in political affairs, although he served as the first purchasing agent for the city under George Craig in the engineering department from 1908 until 1912, being chosen for the position because of his broad experience along those lines. He belongs to Covert Lodge, No. 11, F. & A. M .; to Omaha Chapter, R. A. M .; Omaha Council, No. I. R. & S. M .; Mount Calvary Commandery, No. I. K. T .; and is a life member of Tangier Temple, A. A. O. N. M S. For almost a third of a century he has been
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a resident of Omaha and in his business career, while all days have not been equally bright. he has worked his way upward through determination, effort and adaptability until he is now controlling important interests that contribute to pub- lic progress and prosperity as well as to individual success.
WILLIAM RILEY McKEEN.
William Riley McKeen, who in the conduct of his business interests and the exercise of his inventive genius has made valuable contribution to the world's work, pushing forward the wheels of progress, the result of his efforts reach- ing out to the far corners of the earth, is now the president of the McKeen Motor Car Company. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, October 2, 1869, and in his choice of a life work it seems he was "to the manner born," as through various generations the family have been connected with railroad interests. His grandfather, Samuel Crawford McKeen, was president of the Vandalia Railroad Company, while the father, William Riley McKeen, succeeded to the presi- dency of that company and so continued for twenty-six years. He was like- wise president of the McKeen National Bank of Terre Haute. His birth occurred in Vigo county, Indiana, in 1829, and his second wife, who bore the maiden name of Anne Crawford, became the mother of W. R. McKeen. The father died in 1913, in Terre Haute, having for a third of a century survived his wife, who passed away in 1880. One of their sons, Benjamin McKeen, is now vice president at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the Pennsylvania Lines West of Pittsburgh. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to Thomas M'Kean, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Having attended the public schools of Terre Haute, W. R. McKeen was graduated from the Rose Polytechnic Institute of that city with the Bachelor of Science degree in June, 1889, and in June, 1890, he completed a post-graduate electrical course in the Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore, Maryland. From that date until October, 1891, he was engaged in the pursuit of a post- graduate course in electrical and mechanical engineering at Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany, in the Charlottenburg Polytechnikum. In 1896 his alma mater conferred upon him the Master of Science degree and the following year the degree of Mechanical Engineer, while from Johns Hopkins, in 1890, he received a certificate covering his two years' post-graduate electrical course, while in 1891 the Polytechnikum granted him a certificate attesting his year's post-graduate work there. His preliminary practical experience came to him in 1892 and 1893, years spent as special apprentice in the shops of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway at Columbus, Ohio. He then went to the Vandalia shops at Terre Haute in 1893 as master car builder and rose to the position of general foreman of the car shop and eventually was made general foreman of all car and locomotive shops of that railway system. He was also a member of a private manufacturing concern conducted under the style of Prox, Burnham & Company, founders, plumbers, machinists, etc.
In December, 1898, Mr. McKeen arrived in Nebraska and at North Platte was made district foreman of the Union Pacific shops, there remaining until May, 1901. From June, 1901, until June, 1902, he was master mechanic of the Wyoming division of the Union Pacific at Cheyenne, Wyoming, and at the latter date became superintendent of motive power and machinery for the Union Pacific at Omaha, which position he occupied until July, 1908. Since then he has been consulting engineer of motor cars for the Union Pacific and on the Ist of August, 1908, he organized and promoted the McKeen Motor Car Company of Omaha, a million-dollar corporation, of which he is the president and general manager. While chief officer of the mechanical department of the Union Pacific Railroad, he was also head of the inspection department and under his direction
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all the material, cars and locomotives for all the Harriman lines were inspected. He was a member of the Harriman line mechanical committee, by whom all common standard rolling stock designs were perfected. Numerous papers on mechanical and operating department subjects were prepared and read by him. During this period he was chairman of the freight car committee, composed of superintendents of motive power of all Harriman lines, and under his personal supervision all freight car designs were made. He was the late E. H. Harriman's confidential mechanical engineer with whom Mr. Harriman consulted frequently by wire, correspondence and personally in New York and en route, respecting railroad matters of great magnitude. He is one of the few men who had Mr. Harriman's unbounded confidence and Mr. Harriman's regard for his ideas, mechanically, technically, philosophically and scientifically, always made him a welcome visitor, so much so that it is quite generally known that "McKeen" enjoyed an unprecedented prestige in the eyes of that famous railroad magnate. Unquestionably his personal opinion of transportation problems has such weight that most railroad presidents, managers and officials are glad to hear and receive it.
His predictions of a decade ago on many important railway subjects have developed into prophecies, as his original conception and designs of various classes of rolling stock and appliances are being rapidly copied and incorporated in numerous sections of the world, some of which are the special features of the McKeen steel gasoline motor car, such as semi-circular car roof, semi- circular car rear, wedge-shaped front end, depressed center side door entrance, round window. There have been awarded to Mr. McKeen or are pending in the United States and foreign patent offices, approximately two thousand patent claims covering the McKeen gasoline motor car. Mr. McKeen commenced motor car work in 1904 and in 1905 he completed designs for a light-weight, all-steel box (freight) car, two of which were built in the Union Pacific Omaha shops in 1906. Coincidently an all-steel: light-weight. passenger coach and all- steel mail car were designed and built. The passenger coach contained several motor car features, such as semi-circular roof, semi-circular end, round win- dows and depressed center side entrance. The McKeen motor car is today in use by the following railroad companies: Bessemer & Lake Erie ; Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie ; Galveston,, Harrisburg & San Antonio; Central New York Southern; Morgans, Louisiana & Texas ; Houston & Texas Central ; Arkansas Northwestern; Motley County (of Texas) ; Union Pacific; Alberta Great Waterways (Canada) ; United States Government (Yuma Valley Rail- way) ; Southern Utah; and the Jucaro & Moron of Cuba. The cars are sup- plied with gasoline motors. For the Queensland Government Railways of Australia narrow gauge cars were built of two hundred horse power to be run on a three-foot six-inch track. The cars were shipped knocked down, complete dismantling following their construction, but the manufacturers sent an expert to superintend their reerection in the shops of the railway company at Ipswich. The first motor car built for the Union Pacific was a single truck, four-wheel car, designed for light branch and interurban passenger service, and had seat- ing capacity for twenty-five persons. The car was built very strong, affording great safety to passengers in case of accidents or wrecks, as the strength of the car almost entirely precludes the possibility of telescoping. In addition to its efficiency, the car is a model of construction, and with its coat of maroon and aluminum striping makes a pleasing picture. The interior finish is of oil and varnish. The line of design of the car body is similar to that of a racing yacht. inverted, the front end of car being tapered off into a sharp point and the roof being rounded off from the top, presenting no flat surface to the resistance of the atmosphere; the rear of car is rounded off, avoiding the vacuum produced by square end cars. The wind resistance is thus reduced to a minimum. The upper deck and the old style sash ventilators have been done away with, and adequate ventilation is secured by means of roof ventilators, which exhaust by suction the air from inside the car, fresh air being taken in from the front of
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roof of car. A complete change of air can be obtained every four minutes, if desired. The water from the cylinder jackets of the engine is run around the sides of the car, so that in cold weather the heat is radiated to the interior of the car. In warm weather this water is piped to coils immediately below the car. These two systems of coils afford a most perfect system of regulating the temperature inside the car. If car is too warm the water circulates below ; if too cold, the majority of the water circulates through the interior coil. Acety- lene gas lighting system is used, giving a powerful light for the headlight, and the lamps inside the car are provided with opalescent panels, producing a soft and at the same time a powerful light. The car is equipped with air brakes of the direct system, with breaking power on all four wheels. Attached to the crank shaft is an air pump which supplies and maintains one hundred pounds air pressure in two reservoirs of thirteen cubic feet each. Numerous tests at a 'speed of twenty miles per hour have shown that car stops in one hundred and twelve to one hundred and fifteen feet, without inconvenience to passengers. (Air is also used for starting the engine.) In addition to the air brake, car is also equipped with a ratchet lever hand brake. The motive power is a six- cylinder gasoline engine of one hundred horse power. The cylinders are eight by ten inches, of the upright type, placed at right angles to center line of car. The six cylinders are arranged and connected up in opposed sets of three cyl- inders, resulting in three power giving pulsations at each revolution of crank shaft.
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