A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. V, Part 128

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644

USA > Oklahoma > A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. V > Part 128

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JAMES A. WEISELOGEL. In these days when revela- tions of political corruption are so common as to occa- sion no surprise, and to be a politician, is, in the minds of many very respectable but undiscriminating people, to be a suspicious character, it is pleasing to find a man brave enough and strong enough to enter the political field, not for purposes of self-aggrandize- ment, but in order to abolish old abuses and estab- lish better and cleaner conditions in municipal gov- ernment. And when such a one, by sheer force of character, wins a clean cut victory against a strong opposition entrenched in the very seat of government, honest citizens may well feel hopeful for the future. The election of James A. Wieselogel as mayor of Paw- huska, Osage County, Oklahoma, which occurred in the spring of the year, 1915, was a step in the right direction and an encouragement to the friends of law and order in this county. As this was a notable achievement, a few words in regard to Mayor Weise- logel's personality and previous career will be of interest to the readers of this volume.

James A. Weiselogel was born at Linn Creek, Cam- den County, Missouri, October 21, 1886, the son of Michael and Laura E. (McIntyre) Weiselogel. The father, born in Baden, Germany, in 1852, at the age of twenty-one years came to the United States, land- ing at New York. After awhile he removed to Mis- souri, where he married, residing for a number of years in Camden County. About 1893 he made another change of location, this time going to Newkirk, Okla- homa, of which place he has since been a resident, being now a retired merchant there. His wife, mother of the subject of this sketch, was born in Indiana in 1858 and subsequently moved to Missouri, where, as already intimated, she became the wife of Michael Weiselogel. They became the parents of five children, all of whom are now living, namely D. W., a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Effie, wife of Elner Gearhart; James A., the direct subject of this biography; J. M., who is proprietor of the Eagle Cafe in Pawhuska; and Clara, who resides at home with her parents.

James A. Weiselogel resided with his parents until reaching the age of twenty years, at which time he came to Oklahoma. He acquired his elementary edu- cation in the common schools, afterwards attended the high school for awhile and then finished his studies by attendance for one year at the Presbyterian Academy at Newkirk. His father being a merchant, he began industrial life in his store and thus acquired a practical knowledge of mercantile affairs and gen- eral business methods, of which he subsequently availed himself, working as clerk in stores in various places for several years. He then returned home for a visit with his parents, remaining with them for some time. Returning to Oklahoma, he located in Fairfax, where, in company with O. C. Miller, he engaged in the restaurant business, which they conducted together successfully for about a year. At the end of that time Mr. Weiselogel sold out his interest and went to Oklahoma City, where, for a few months he was employed as a clerk. He then accepted a position as travelling man for the Great Western Sales Company, his headquarters being with the company's office at Omaha, Nebraska. Subsequently he was transferred to Wichita, Kansas, from which point he worked for the same company until the summer of 1911. In June of that year he made his advent in Pawhuska, Okla- homa, finding employment in a restaurant, where he remained for eighteen months. In August, 1912, he bought a restaurant and conducted it successfully until the spring of 1915. During this time he had made a wide acquaintance and impressed his personality upon many of the leading citizens of the town, taking an interest in public affairs and discussing the political situation, especially with those citizens who desired to see a reform movement inaugurated. The greatest obstacle to such a movement was the liquor interest, which held the city in its grip and was supported by many citizens who were either its open friends, or who were not farsighted enough to see that a "wide open " town kept away the more reputable class of settlers and was inimical to the city's future progress, as well as to its present prosperity. Indeed, the situa- tion was rendered more acute from the fact that the Department of the Interior demands that the towns in the state keep "dry" under the warning that if they do not the department will remove the Indians elsewhere, which would naturally work a great injury to legitimate trade. On the advice of his friends, therefore, Mr. Weiselogel declared himself a candidate for mayor at the election to be held April 6, 1915. He made his own canvass chiefly and

Vol. V-28

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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA

was so successful in impressing the voters with the necessity of having a clean town, uncontaminated by the liquor trade, that he was triumphantly elected on the republican ticket, having a majority of thirty-two votes. This result was the more impressive, as Paw- huska has a usual democratic majority of about 200. Taking office May 3, 1915, Mayor Weiselogel at once set about his duties in a progressive spirit and, although little more than a month has elapsed (at this writing) since he assumed the chair as presiding officer of the city government, the hostile forces have been obliged to capitulate and Pawhuska is now one of the "driest" towns of its size in Oklahoma. The beneficial results are already observable. The police force has been reformed and the city is now in a much more clean and orderly condition than it was under the old regime. Something yet remains to be done, but Mr. Weiselogel is not the man to falter or turn his hand from the work until the highest degree of efficiency in every department of the city govern- ment, which is a commission government, has been attained. And when attained, it may safely be said, it will be maintained. Mayor Weiselogel is unmar- ried, but as he is still a young man, that fault, if it be one, may be remedied in the future. He has advanced in the Masonic order as far as the Chapter, and belongs also to the Eastern Star, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the society known as Homesteaders, of all of which he is a useful and active member. To be any- thing else would be foreign to his nature, which is essentially progressive and wedded to high ideals of life and duty.

BENJAMIN F. BURWELL. The late Judge Burwell, who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma for a decade, 1898-1908, was a Pennsylvanian, born iu Armstrong County, April 15, 1866, a son of Joseph Yarenton and Maxia (Lanham) Burwell. He was educated in the public and normal schools of West Vir- ginia. The earlier years of his manhood were spent in Kansas, and in 1888 he married Miss Agnes J. Carnahan, of Hope, that state. Mr. Burwell was admitted to the bar in 1890, practiced at Gypsum City, Kansas, for about a year thereafter, and in 1891 moved to Oklahoma City, where he afterward engaged in practice and in the per- formance of his judicial duties. In 1892 he was an un- successful candidate for probate judge, and after his retirement from the Supreme bench of Oklahoma in 1908 continued in active practice of his profession until the time of his death, April 2, 1916.

CLINTON A. GALBRAITH. Judge Galbraith has a sub -. stantial record both as a jurist and as lawyer, although he has never occupied the bench in Oklahoma. He was born in Hartsville, Indiana, on March 6, 1860, and

graduated from the college at that place in 1883. For the remainder of that year and a portion of 1884 he was a law student at the University of Michigan and after- ward studied alone and under private tutorship. Judge Galbraith was admitted to the bar in 1888; served as attorney general of Oklahoma Territory from 1893-7, and in April, 1898, located at Hilo, Hawaiian Islands. He was associate justice of the Hawaiian Supreme Court from 1900-4, and in the latter year returned to Oklahoma for the practice of his profession, fixing his residence at Ada. In September, 1913, Judge Galbraith was ap- pointed a Supreme Court Commissioner; was reappointed in March, 1915, and is now presiding judge of Division No. 2. Although his official residence is Oklahoma City his home is still Ada.

JOSEPH B. THOBURN was born at Bellaire, Ohio, August 8, 1866, the son of Maj. Thomas C. and Mary Eleanor (Crozier) Thoburn. His parents migrated to Kansas in March, 1871, setlling on a homestead in Marion County. His early life was spent on the farm. Subsequently he learned the printer's trade. He grad- uated from the Kansas Agricultural College in 1893. In 1894 he was married to Miss Callie Conwell, of Manhattan, Kansas. They have two daughters, Mary Eleanor and Jeanne Isabel.

Mr. Thoburn located at Oklahoma City in 1899, where he was engaged in printing and newspaper writ- ing for several years. In 1902 he assumed the duties of the secretaryship of the local commercial club, which position he filled until March 1, 1903, a reorganization being effected during that interval. In the meantime, in December, 1902, he had been chosen as the secre- tary of the Territorial Board of Agriculture-being the first to fill that position and serving in that capacity until July, 1905.

During the past ten years Mr. Thoburn's time and attention have been devoted almost exclusively to the work or research and writing along the lines of local and western history. In 1913, he was elected a member of the faculty of the University of Oklahoma, where his work has been more nearly that of a curator than an instructor, his field of effort being widened to include American archaeology and ethnology as well as local history. He has been one of the most active members of the board of trustees of the Oklahoma His- torical Society for many years past.,

Mr. Thoburn is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, a Mason and a Modern Woodman. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. As the work incident to the collection of the material and writing the text of the Standard History of Oklahoma required all of his time for a year, he has been on leave of absence from his regular duties at the university during the scholastic year 1915-6.

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Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941 Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society Number of Pages: 644

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644