USA > South Dakota > Who's who in South Dakota, Vol. I > Part 10
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Take for instance Clate Tinan, editor of the Kimball Graphic,
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"the only strictly moral newspaper in South Dakota." In 1883, Mr. Tinan came out to South Dakota, with two hunting dogs, guns, a bit of ready change, a good education, and a fine business instinct. He bought a bunch of printer's junk in a little 8 by 10 shop, and has ever since been engaged in the busines. He lives today in one of the finest houses in the state, skids over the country in a highpower auto, wears nearly as good clothes as Senator Gamble, takes frequent trips to the cities to see the sights, and he probably never took a bushel of potatoes or a piece of sidemeat in settlement of an account in his life. If you are looking for the newspaper rube, don't go to Kimball.
Mr. Tinan is one of the most popular of the newspaper boys. He has been a member of the State Press association from the early days. He has served as the association's president, and is always called upon on state occasions to do the talking. He is a winsome speaker, and the editors know that when Clate Tinan gets on his feet to respond to an address of welcome, or give a toast at a banquet, or argue a point of mutual interest, the work will be well done. He has at his command a vocabulary of bulls- eye English, and he never fails to hit the mark. A meeting of the association without "Clate" would be set down as a failure. Of late years, a weak auditory nerve resulting from a nervous trouble, aggravated by over work, has decreased the pleasure he formerly secured from these gatherings, but his comrades of the press compete with each other in the splendid rivalry of "putting Clate wise," and his keen appreciation of all the points is double compensation. He is one of the best writers in the state, and his influence towards the democratic cause in Brule county has for years kept it in the democratic column. We know of no reason why Brule county should always be democratic-except that Clate Tinan lives there -and that Harry Wentzy used to-and that both are steadfast adherents of the democratic faith and good fellows.
Clate Tinan was designed for a business career. He was born on the Western Reserve in Ohio, in the little settlement of Rome in Ashtabula county, made famous by Joshua R. Giddings. When he was three years old, his father moved to Rainesville, thirty miles from Cleveland, and engaged in the commecial pur- suits for which Clate was designed. After his high school edu- cation was completed, it was planned that Clate should go into a commercial line. This he fully intended; but one day -how often little things change the current of life-he went hunting with a friend. That day's sport changed the whole tenor of his life. From that time on, the young man's thought turned away from dusty ledgers, and long columns of figures, and wandered to the
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woods, the streams and the fragrant fields. He began to study the question of field sports. He read everything he could find pertaining to the subject. Soon he began to write upon it him- self. Gradually he became one of the principal contritbutors to "Forest and Stream" of New York, and the "Chicago Field," the principal field journals of that time. His reputation spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific; the Chicago Sunday newspapers began to call for his articles and the late N. Rowe, founder of the "Chicago Field"-now the "American Field"-tendered him a staff position. It was
about that time that he came to what is now South Dakota, and the bright sun- shine, and breezy western life caught his fancy, and he has remained here ever since, winning friends, making a competence, growing intellectually, and doing his man's work. If he is not the father of the present game law in South Dakota, he is the biggest accessory, before the fact in God's green earth, for he has written more, and more effectively, in support of game and fish protection than any other dozen men in the state. No one has done so much to create the sentiment which has made the present law possible or which makes it possible to enforce it with some de- gree of perfection.
In May, 1903, Mr. CLATE TINAN Tinan was enlisted, in be- half of Mitchell, to handle the publicity end of Mitchell's capital campaign. He stayed by the job for eighteen months, working like a beaver. He prepared original copy for more than 100 newspapers, which was not duplicated in any two papers. The campaign was conducted from first to last without personalities and when the fight was over, the business men of Mitchell sent
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him a personal letter of commendation for the work he had done. Mr. Tinan's popularity was attested by the fact that though the fight was a long and bitter one, not a newspaper in the opposition had an unkind word to say of Clate Tinan.
"The world has been mighty good to me in all and South Dakota in particular," said Mr. Tinan not long ago to the writer. Mr. Tinan is an optimist. He has faith in things. Despite his infirmity -his gradual loss of hearing -- he is a great news- gatherer, and there is no newspaper in the state which has a higher standard of accuracy, or perfection in its local field. This infirmity cuts him out of a few associations which he is just built to enjoy -the lodges and clubs and societies, for he is a natural born "mixer"-but his magazines and books and the weekly let- ters from the "boys" through his list of exchanges bring him the fine content of a great soul, and with his family of wife and two little boys, and a grown up boy, now an all 'round newspaper man in Manila, Philippines, he lives his useful and helpful life, a credit to his state, the pride of the newspaper craft, a daily help in his community, beloved by his multitude of friends, and a delightful believer in the serene philosophy of life and its adjustment. -By C. M. Day.
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WILLIS C. COOK
LAWYER-POLITICIAN
The Quakers of old Pennsylvania were noted for their silence, particularly so in their mode of worship, where not a sound was heard, and each penitent prayed silently for himself. They had a verse which they used to teach to their children. It ran as follows:
"A wise old owl sat on an oak ; The more he saw, the less he spoke; The less he spoke, the more he heard: Let us mimic that wise old bird."
The owl in this case happened to be W. C. Cook of Sioux Falls. Here is one of the most silent "wise old birds" that ever sat at the throttle of the political engine of the republican party in South Dakota.
You can go riding with Mr. Cook, talk to him all day, enjoy yourself in his company, come back at night, reflect upon your conversation, and then ask yourself, "Really, what did he tell me ?'' He's the driest well that a political pump was ever thrust into. You can "pump" him until your vocal valves are worn out, only to find that you have been sucking wind, and that not one ounce of refreshing information has come to the service.
Some one says, "Oh! well, there is nothing in him to pump." Not on your life ! We dont' know what Mr. Cook's religious beliefs are, but certain it is he has great faith in that pious pas- sage, "A wise man keepeth his own counsels."
Mr. Cook was born in Gratiot, Lafayette county, Wisconsin, October 5, 1874 and comes of Revolutionary stock. Somehow in these articles we certainly do unearth a lot of Wisconsites. May we digress to say no wonder we feel so much at home in South Dakota, after having married a Wisconsin girl.
At an early age Mr. Cook got it into his head to fit himself for a lawyer. At twenty-one he walked out of the Law School of Wisconsin University, the proud possessor of a piece of sheepskin
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that told the story complete-the hours of sacrifice and patient toil.
In 1899 he removed to South Dakota, and the next year he was elected Judge of Aurora county. In 1904 this same county sent him to the state senate, and two years later it returned him.
Mr. Cook is a reformer clear through to the backbone. One of his pet reforms is the
direct election of United States senators by the people themselves. Once in the state legislature, he lost no time in getting busy along the lines of his own thought. The first thing he did was to introduce a joint-resolution memorializ- ing congress to call a consti- tutional convention to pro- pose an amendment to our federal constitution for the election of United States sen- ators by direct vote.
He is also the author of the 1907 statute which pro- hibits corporations from con- tributing to candidates or to political committees. We'll wager that the corporations WILLIS C. COOK are glad and that on a number of occasions Cook, as chairman of the state central committee, has been just a trifle sorry .
CAMPAIGN MANAGER
At the time Mr. Cook was a candidate in 1906 for re-election to the State Senate from Aurora County, the reform forces cap- tured the Republcan State Convention and he was chosen chair- man of the Republican State Central Committee.
So successfully did he conduct the campaign of that year and so well did he get the warring factions of his party to pulling together, that he was an easy successor to himself in 1908 and again in 1910.
In 1907 Mr. Cook purchased a half interest in the "Sioux Falls Daily Press," and became identified in newspaper work with Mr. Dotson. In 1910, Cook sold his interests in the paper
WILLIS C. COOK
to Dotson. While identified with the Press he "hammered" the Argus-Leader plenty ; but those days have passed, and new battles to be fought are still before us.
Mr. Cook is a very likeable fellow. His close-mouthed dis- position, his political foresight, his inherent honesty, his fidelity and his shrewdness-all combine to fit him preeminently for a political organizer and campaign manager; and we predict that he will always play the game fair, and that the future will hear still more of him than has the past.
(Later. - Since the above article was first published, Pres- ident Taft has appointed Mr. Cook Internal Revenue Collector for the two Dakotas, at a salary of $4,000 per year. It pays to "play the game." -O. W. C.)
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A WORLD-FAMED SINGER
Freckled faced twin girls, bare-footed and bare-headed, chas- ing butterflies and winged grasshoppers over Dakota prairies, is a vision that brings back to many of us Monnie and Mrytle Lee, of Spink county. How kind was Providence when He decreed that most girls should shed their freckles as they merge into womanhood.
Here was a pair of ideal twins-the greatest earthly blessing that can come to any man's home. Nature never produces any two things just alike, but she almost was caught napping in fash- ioning the Lee twins. In fact we have always thought that one of them should have been named Kate and the other Dupli- "Kate," and that their names should have been tattooed on their foreheads, for the sake of identification. They fooled their teachers in school, surprised the right fellow by informing him at the gate that he had escorted the wrong girl home, and cut up all sorts of pranks.
THE NAME OF LEE
The surname which they bear is familiar to all of us. One of the most conspicuous names in American history is that of Lee. One of Washington's major-generals bore this name, while at the outbreak of the Civil War there were in the American army thirty-two officers of various ranks, bearing this name.
The famous Lee twins were born at Cresco, Iowa. In 1880 their parents brought them to Dakota and settled on a farm near Big Stone City. The next year they removed to a farm near Ash- ton, in Spink county.
Here the twin girls got their secondary education in the Ashton public schools. At the age of sixteen their parents sent them to Dakota Wesleyan University, at Mitchell, where they graduated from the normal course with the class of '94.
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MUSICIANS
The girls were musicians by birth, instinct, training and choice. Their mother is a splendid musician. She gave piano lessons to her promising twins at an early age.
When the girls entered the D. W. U. their natural and ac- quired musical ability was soon detected. The old music teacher, Miss Curran, at once said, "They are un- usually talented girls of great promise."
These twins not only played well but they sang with great charm and power. Dame Nature favored then, in that she gave to Myrtle a sweet, strong full soprano voice; and to Monnie an alto voice of equal triumph.
At the D. W. U. two literary societies, the "Protonian" and the "Zeta Alpha," were struggling for supremacy. Each was SOFIA STEPHALI (Myrtle R. Lee) determined to capture for part of its membership the Lee twins. The "Zetas" won, but the "Protonians," were always equally favored with their services. Whenever it was shown by the posted programs that the Lees were to appear in either a vocal or an instrumental duet before either society, that night the oppos- ing society had a lot of delinquents
After graduating from the norn al department of the D. W. U. these twin sisters taught school and saved their money with which to complete their musical educations. In 1898 they went to Chicago and entered the "W. S. Mathews's School of Piano," -specializing on piano work, but also taking voice culture under
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Bicknell Young of Chicago, and John Dennis Mehan, of New York City.
OVERPOWERING SADNESS
Just why a pair of such promising twin sisters -parts of each other's physical, mental and moral beings-parts of each other's very souls-should be separated by death just as the budding hours of womanhood and the gilded sunrise of success were dawn- ing upon them, is not within the finite powers of man to conceive.
The young ladies had just gotten nicely started in on their work, and saw before them the realization of their girl-hood hopes, when Monnie was taken very ill and was sent to Wesleyan hospital, in Chicago. Only a few days had elapsed when Myrtle was summoned to hurry to the hospital. Imagine, if you can, her feelings when she was led to her twin sister's death chamber and told that the unconscious form before her-that intrinsic part of her very self, which she thought more of than life itself-would soon be stilled in death.
Is it any wonder that Myrtle turned away her face, felt a clammy coldness come over her, bit her lips and then looking up- ward through tearless eyes, said to herself, "There's no such thing as God !"' Cringing under a sting of remorse such as Jesus suffered upon the cross when he cried out, "My God! My God ! Why hast thou forsaken me?" she presently heard a voice whisper plainly in her ear -as plainly as though her own mother had spoken to her-"You will both meet again."
Instantaneously hope returned, faith was resurrected, cour- age sprang up. Monnie died; Myrtle went to the undertaker's, selected a casket for that half of herself which had just passed away, had her sister's body placed in it, and at five o'clock of the same day she was accompanying the remains on a Milwaukee train bound for Mitchell where Monnies's body was tearfully laid away in Graceland Cemetery. Why this sacrifice? None ever will know. Perhaps sadness entering into Myrtle's life was the very thing that was needed to mellow her soul and give to her the power that caused her to bring over a massive assemblage in the Corn Palace at Mitchell one year ago a hush that melted an entire audience into tears, as accompanied by the United States Marine band, she closed the week's engagement on the last night with an almost supernatural interpretation of "Home, Sweet Home." Perhaps after all one of the twins was sacrificed for the development of the other. Let us believe this to be the case.
INSTRUCTOR IN MUSIC
Returning to Dakota Wesleyan, Myrtle was elected instructor
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..
in music. Here for nine consecutive years she served faithfully and well, doing the work that three people are doing today. In addition she handled without pay the Methodist choir. Her work wore her out. On one occasion, during the last year of her D. W. U. work, she gave completely out while walking up the long slope to the school and had to lie down on the side- walk until she could rest and accumulate sufficient energy to move on.
IN BERLIN
But always in her soul there was that burning desire to de- velop her talents, to mount to the top of her chosen career. She longed to go to Berlin; the opportunity came: - her niece, Miss Hazel Lathrop, of Mitchell, agreed to go with her. They de- parted in 1907 and remained in Europe for two years.
MME. CORELLI WEEPS
Miss Lee intended, when she went abroad to continue her studies in both voice and on the piano. In the try-out before that great artist, Mme. Corelli, of Berlin, one of the world's sweetest singers and greatest musicians, she asked the young lady to sing for her.
It so happended that Mme. Corelli's mother, Mmr. Rose Cillac, was, in her day, one of the greatest singers and mus- ical interpreters in all Europe. Mme. Corelli had inadvert- ently placed before Miss Lee. on the pinao, one of Mme. Cillac's favorite songs. When the young singer had finished its beautiful strains, and had breathed into its rendition the essence of her own soul, she was surprised as she turned MME. CORELLI around to find Mnie. Corelli in tears. Asked as to the cause. she said: "Yours, my child, is the only voice I have ever heard that sounds so like ny mother's that it brings her dear, sweet face back to ine."
At this, she clasped the young American in her arms, ex-
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claiming: "You cannot afford to divide your energies in the future, in attempting to master both piano and voice. A great career awaits you, as a concert singer. You have a marvelous voice. There's a fortune in it. You will return to America a great concert artist, that your country will be proud to claim."
Momentarily a deep-seated friendliness was kindled between teacher and pupil, which resulted in Miss Lee's being the recip- ient of much extra time and attention on the part of her in- structor, as well as numerous tokens of appreciation.
STERN CONSERVATORY, BERLIN
Whatever the future may bring forth in Miss Lee's life, she can never fully discharge her bond of indebtedness to Mme. Corelli. For two years she specialized on tone production work under the supervision of this great artist; sang at numerous state ceremonies abroad; was enthusiastically received and loudly ap- plauded wherever she appeared; returned to America and sang for a week at the Mitchell Corn Palace, being accompanied by Santleman's famous United States Marine Band; and then re- moved with her aged mother to whom she has brought so much delight, to the city of Chicago, where at present they live at 6106 Kimbark Avenue.
HER CHICAGO DEBUT
During her first eight months in Chicago, Miss Lee appeared in 189 solos in various parts of the city, but it was not until the evening of November 4, that she made her regular debut at Music Hall and was formally introduced to the city at large.
She was assisted by Theodora Sturkow-Ryder, pianist; Sieg- mond Cull, violinist; Julius Fuhrmann, flutist, and Miss Bernice Lathrop, accompanist
Her program was given in English, Italian, French and Ger- man; yet her articulation was equally distinct in all four tongues, and she won unstinted praise from all her critics.
On this occasion she was terribly handicapped by a severe cold. Several times. between numbers, she was compelled to go behind the curtains and gargle her throat with hot witchhazel. Despite the capacity of Music Hall the room was filled. Some had come to he entertained but many who themselves were artists that had been studying abroad came to criticise. Despite the handicaps, at the end of her first number she had already broken down the barriers of prejudice and had sung herself so completely into the hearts of her hearers, that she was obliged to respond to three successive encores.
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Chicago music critics are severe. Any singer who makes his or her debut and escapes an adverse criticism from at least one, or more of them, may well feel proud. Miss Lee did more than this-she escaped censure and won ringing praises from them all. At the conclusion of her program over thirty trained artists went forward to congratulate her in person; and an eminent French critic, making a tour of this country to form an estimate of the best living American singers, stepped up to her and said, "Miss Lee, you possess the greatest concert voice I have ever heard. When I return to my native land and write up for publication the account of my trip, I shall have nothing but words of commen- dation for you."
Miss Lee's voice is a rich coloratura mezzo-soprano of wide range and exceptional charm. She colors her interpretations with a deep sympathy, weaves around them a charming personal- ity, and she gives to them a dramatic effect which shows she thoroughly appreciates the power of the platform.
Since her formal introduction to the musical world, her ser- vices have been everywhere sought for with an earnest persistence. She has now signed up under New York management for two years to give Music Concert Lecture Recitals in all of the large cities of the United States. Her initial appearance in this role will be in San Francisco in February. Her stage title will here- after be "Sofia Stephali." Although she has left our state, we as South Dakotans will forever be proud of the little surviving twin girl who once roamed our prairies, who earned every dollar she ever spent, who all these years since 1894, when her father died, has supported her mother and sister; and who now has gone forward into the world, a finished product at her own expense, to sing herself into fame and fortune. God bless her!
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A MODEST MAN
"I have never consented to collect detailed data concerning myself, when requests like yours, have come in. If others wish to do it, that is their privilege."
The quotation above is the solid shot that was fired through our hull, in the region of our boiler-room, and came within a hair's breadth of exploding our think-tank, just as we were clear- ing our literary deck for action. But, after consideration, find- ing that we had not sustained any permanent injury, that no man's life is a closed secret, that others who actually forbade us to write them up in this department, wrote and thanked us for our kindly sentiments after reading the retrospect of their lives -we decided to weigh anchor, steam out in the deep-blue, trans- parent, literary sea, whirl around and train our "Who's Who" telescope upon him who fired the shot-Henry Kimball Warren. president of Yankton College.
We offer no complaint about President Warren's reply. It is inimical of the reservation of the man. Almost any other reply. unless the rebuke should have been still more severe, would have lessened our admiration for him Such replies only whet our determination. If the writer, in the construction of this series of articles, had passed up every person who denied him "private" information, he should have been "licked to a frazzle" long ago. (This slang is all right -Mr. Roosevelt once used it.) Have you never read the story of the giant Ab, who kept on chasing the active Flee-Foot through the mighty forest, with his great mus- cles vibrating all over him, until at last, through endurance and determination, he finally caught her and carried her back to his cave, a captive, to become his wife?
Well, President Warren's reply, only brought out the best there was in us, and stimulated us to look up his past life in Michigan, in Nebraska, in Utah, and in South Dakota, and re- view it much more thoroughly than we could have done from any brief notes which he might have prepared.
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HENRY KIMBALL WARREN
SCHOLASTIC PREPARATION
Athough born at Cresco, Iowa, President Warren got his early education in the common schools at Portland, Michigan. Later he was graduated from Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan. In 1882 his Alma Mater pre- sented him with his Master's degree, and ten years later conferred upon him his LL. D.
A former member of President Warren's faculty, when he was engaged in pub- lic school work at Hannibal, Michigan, who now resides in Chicago, has this to say of his work:
"About two years after taking his degree from Olivet College, Michigan, in the year 1884, Mr. H. K. Warren was elected by the board of educa- tion to fill the office of super- intendent of the public schools of Hannibal.
"The position was not a sinecure. For many years the school had been conducted without a superintendent, af- HENRY KIMBALL WARREN fairs educational being di- rected by a corps of capable principals. As a result of this old order of things there was a division of opinion in the community as to the real need for filling the office of superintendent.
"With barriers to be broken down, obstacles to be surmounted. the forceful, determined, decisive man, Mr. H. K. Warren, soon made himself master of the situation in Hannibal and accom- plished his work with eminent success and to the great satisfac- tion of an appreciative community.
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