USA > South Dakota > Who's who in South Dakota, Vol. III > Part 3
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"If thou art worn and hard beset With sorrows that thou wouldst forget, If thou wouldst read a lesson that will keep Thy heart from fainting, and thy soul from sleep, Go to (Ruskin Park) ! No tears Dim the sweet look that Nature wears."
LONGFELLOW
POLITICS
Like other aggressive pioneers, gifted with leadership, Dowdell got into politics. He is
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the son of an abolitionist soldier, and a Re- publican by birth and training. Yet, he fol- lowed Bryan in 1896 and has been more or less identified with Democracy since that time. He was the first assessor of Sanborn County, - serving for two years. He was elected to the lower house of the state legis- lature in 1895, and to the state senate in 1907 and again in 1917. He also served two years as a member of the State Board of Agri- culture. For seven years he was president of the board of education of Artesian.
Dowdell is a very ready speaker and his services on the platform are greatly in de- mand, not only in politics, but at all social and patriotic functions as well.
PERSONAL
After his return to Iowa from the Black Hills, in 1879, he was united in marriage to Miss Lydia J. Pearce, of Iowa Falls. She died the next year, leaving an infant son - Marion Dowdell, now of Artesian, S. D. Mr. Dowdell remarried in 1882. His second wife was Miss Lavilla A. Moler - also of Iowa Falls. To her he owes much of his success
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in life. She is the mother of six children - three girls and three boys.
Mr. Dowdell is Secretary of the Territorial Pioneers and of the South Dakota Home- comers' Association. He is also a member of the State Historical Society.
The family spends their summers in Rus- kin Park where their commodious "Elmwood Inn" is always open to their host of personal friends. Mr. and Mrs. Dowdell and two of their daughters - Misses Ethel and Lavilla, - spent the winter of 1920-21 in the Ha- waiian Islands -
"The land of Beulah - Blessed, blessed land of light, Where the flowers bloom forever And the sun is always bright."
GENERAL CHARLES H. ENGLESBY
GEN. C. H. ENGLESBY
OUR MODEL SOLDIER
The balls came pell-mell Like a moulten hell, Smiting us left and right; We rose or fell While through the dell We rushed for yonder height.
We did not shrink
At the awful brink Of the river's roaring breath,
But on we pressed
As our ranks grew less To the open jaws of death.
Through human gore
We onward bore, As the foe began to run;
Brave men fell dead,
But on we sped Till the final trench was won.
Oh! charge sublime!
O'er dust and grime Each hero stamped his name
In shot and shell Like a molten hell On the topmost heights of fame, Ay! cold and stiff 'Neath a bush on the cliff, Our wounded and dead did lie,
While the hot March sun On that grand deed done Looked down with his piercing eye.
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What fight was it? The fight on the Marilao river, twelve miles north of Manila, in the Philippine Islands, on March 27, 1899. The town was defended by four regiments of Aguinaldo's "red-jackets" - troops that had been thoroughly trained in the Spanish army. They were heavily intrenched on the opposite bank of the river. It fell to the lot of the First South Dakota Infantry to storm the place.
The day was hot and sultry. The battle was begun by the First Battalion, com- manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Lee Stover, of Watertown. The Second Battalion, com- manded by Major Charles A. Howard, of Aberdeen, rushed forward to their assis- tance. Major-General Arthur McArthur took charge in person and ordered the Third Battalion of the South Dakotas, commanded by Major William F. Allison, of Brookings, to double-quick into the fight.
While racing his troops across a rice field, pell-mell, to get them into the melee, Major Allison was sunstruck. He did not recover for two months. This forced Captain Charles H. Englesby, of Watertown, the senior cap-
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tain of the regiment, to take command of the Third Battalion, in the capacity of Major.
Although the battalion idolized their reg- ular commander, Major Allison, they gave the most hearty and loyal support to their new commander, and faced death as content- edly under him as they had done before.
It was during the subsequent battles in the Philippines, while acting as major, that Englesby revealed his great judgment as a commanding officer under fire, and laid the foundation for his subsequent military career.
General Englesby has been thirty-three years in the national guard of the state, and he was the senior national guard officer from South Dakota in the World War.
He enlisted as a private in Co. H, 2nd Regt. of the old Dakota National Guard in 1888. During the first year he earned and received his promotion to Corporal and Ser- geant. The next year he was made First Sergeant. Next, he was promoted to Battal- ion Sergeant-Major, and then to Regimental Sergeant-Major; and, finally, in 1891, to 2nd Lieutenant and Battalion Quarter-Master.
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After filling each of these positions with credit, he was put back onto the line and made a 2nd Lieutenant in Co. H. From this position, he was elevated to Captain and Regimental Adjutant; and in 1898, at the breaking out of the Spanish-American War, he was transferred back to Co. H as its Cap- tain and Commanding Officer. He made an able Captain and his old company missed him greatly after the fight at Marilao when he was made an acting-major.
At Maycauyan, P. I., on March 25, he was slightly wounded when a bullet crashed through the fleshy part of his left shoulder and littered him all over with blood; yet he refused to go to the hospital and remained in charge of his troops.
After the hard fighting in the Philippines, where he gave such a good account of him- self, he returned with the regiment to the United States and was mustered out October 5, 1899.
In 1901, when the Guard of the state was reorganized, he was made Colonel and In- spector-General of the old 2nd Regiment; and when the 3rd Regiment was organized,
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he was made its Lieut .- Colonel, and later its Colonel.
In 1905, when the 2nd and the 3rd Regi- ments were merged into the 4th, he was ap- pointed Adjutant-General of the state. He served in this position eight years, - the longest, to date, that any man has ever held the position.
From 1913 to 1916, he was again In- spector-General of the S. D. N. G., with the rank of Major.
However, in 1916, when trouble arose on the Mexican border and war with that nation seemed imminent, he hastily organized a regiment of Cavalry, but was not quite in time to get into service.
Later on, however, when America got into the World War, this Cavalry regiment was promptly recognized by the War Department and accepted as a part of the National Guard of the United States. It was drafted with all other Guard troops on call of the Presi- dent, August 5, 1917 ; and the regiment land- ed at Camp Cody in September following.
Here the regiment was broken up and ap- portioned among other organizations of the
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37th Division, - it having been ascertained that the country would have no use for Cav- alry troops in the war.
Colonel Englesby, as he had every reason to, felt very proud of his Cavalry regiment. It was as he says, "a hand-picked crowd." It was made up of the flower of South Dakota's best young manhood, in which very many of the state's leading families were rep- resented. Every effort was made by Colonel Englesby and the higher officers of the regi- ment to have the War Department continue it intact, either as Artillery or Infantry, but to no avail. The junior officers and men were apportioned out to the other organizations at Camp Cody, and Colonel Englesby was ordered to Camp Wadsworth, S. C., and from there to Montgomery, Ala., where he estab- lished a large camp for training young men of the new draft, who were to be organized into an ordnance corps. Upon completion of this duty the War Department again or- dered Colonel Englesby to Camp Wadsworth, where he was assigned to the command of the old 47th New York Infantry, which had been converted into the 53rd Pioneer In-
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fantry. There were but a few hundred of the old organization left in this regiment when Colonel Englesby assumed command on July 4, 1918. Three thousand new draft men were assigned to the regiment within the next two weeks and on August 4 the regi- ment set sail from New York. Upon arrival at Brest it was assigned to the First Army Corps and despatched in all haste to the First Corps front, which was organizing its forces for the St. Mihiel offensive. The regiment arrived in its position on August 28, re- ceiving its first baptism of fire within ninety days of the time a large majority of its per- sonnel had donned the uniform of a soldier. The regiment went over the top with the front line offensive at St. Mihiel and con- tinued with the advancing infantry until operations on this front had been success- fully concluded, when Colonel Englesby, with his regiment, was sent by motor truck to the Argonne front where they again went over the top and continued on the First Corps front in the Argonne and beyond as far as Stenay, near Sedan, where they were at the suspension of hostilities. Colonel Englesby
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was the recipient of the highest complimen- tary mention by General Pershing, delivered by the Commander-in-Chief in person at an inspection of the regiment by the General, prior to its departure for home, for its ser- vices with the First Corps, which organiza- tion had been under his personal direction and observation throughout the two major offensives.
Upon Colonel Englesby's arrival in New York he and his men were accorded a grand reception and banquet at the Hotel Astor, at which time the mayor of the city presented the Colonel with a magnificent silk flag as the commanding officer of a New York City regiment in the World War.
Having filled every military position from Private to General, he knows the lot of a soldier well. His ability to get along with soldiers arises from his wide experience and his even temper. Well might we snatch from Macbeth the words which Shakespeare put into his mouth, and apply them to General Englesby :
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"'Tis much he dares; And, to that dauntless temper of his mind, He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor, To act in safety."
Goldsmith, in that lamentable poem, "The Deserted Village," must have had in mind a soldier who was just the opposite from Gen- eral Englesby, when he wrote :
"The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay, Sat by his fire, and talked the night away; Wept o'er his wounds, or, tales of sorrow done, Shouldered his crutch, and showed how fields were won."
The General was in much of the heaviest fighting on the western battle front in Europe, yet Providence spared him to his family and preserved him for later days. Since his return from the World War, he has engaged in business.
CIVILIAN CAREER
We must not pass over his busy life with- out going into his activities outside of the army.
He was born on a farm near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, March 19, 1869. When he was but one year of age his father moved to
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Alma, Wisconsin, and went into the hotel business. Later he engaged in a similar business at Mondovi, Wisconsin.
However, when Charles was eleven years of age the family moved to Watertown, S. D., where the father again entered the hotel business as proprietor of the old City Hotel at that place. (It was later known as the Massasoit House.) The father passed away in 1905.
While a young lad at Mondovi, Charles had attended public school. Later he attend- ed at Watertown. Then he went to Brook- ings College for one year. This constituted his educational equipment for life. The rest he got in the hard school of experience.
At different times he has been employed on all the newspapers of Watertown, and has served in every capacity from printer's devil to editor. In 1893, he bought the South Shore Messenger and moved it to Watertown where he conducted it as a weekly until 1898, when he sold out to enter the Spanish-Amer- ican War.
In 1901, and again in 1905, he was elected to the state senate; and in 1907, to the house.
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General Englesby was united in marriage in 1895 to Miss Julia E. Parker, of Water- town; and to their union four children came to bless their home. One died in infancy, leaving two daughters and one son living.
He belongs to the Masons, the Elks and the Rotary Club.
"When he speaks not like a citizen, You find him like a soldier." - SHAKESPEARE
HON. HARRY L. GANDY
CONGRESSMAN, 3RD DIST., SOUTH DAKOTA
"When I bade Mrs. Gandy 'Goodby,' last night," said Hon. Harry L. Gandy to a friend as they were riding along together on the train while he was on his way to Washing- ton to be sworn in for the first time in 1915, as a Member of Congress, "I said to her:
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'Wife, we must save our money to build up a home for a broken-down politician.' "
"What is your theory concerning that ?" queried his friend.
"Well, you see," replied Gandy, "I'm a Democrat, and my district is normally Re- publican by over 5000 votes. I overcame this majority this time and was elected by a plu- rality of 1632; but, unless political senti- ment in my district changes, it is only a question of time when I'll be defeated and have to return to private life. Then, I want a place to go."
He had been nominated for Congress, from his district, by the Democrats in 1912, but was defeated by Cong. E. W. Martin, of Deadwood. Martin was not a candidate for reelection in 1914, - his health having failed. Another Republican was nominated in his stead. Gandy won in this campaign. He was reelected in 1916 by a plurality of 4373, and in 1918 by 3060. But, in 1920, even though he ran ahead of his ticket about 10,000, he nevertheless got caught in the Re- publican landslide and was defeated by Judge Williamson by approximately 3000.
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HARRY GANDY
The days of the "broken-down politician" had come to him, just as he had honestly pre- dicted, and just as they are almost sure to come to every man nowadays who strives to stay in public life. Yet, he accepted his fate without bitterness, and will return to his large ranch, near Wasta, which he has been developing for the past few years, and of which his homestead constitutes an origi- nal part. There he expects to spend the ma- jor portion of his time directing scientific farming and stock raising on the place.
"Whate'er betides, by destiny 'tis done, And better bear like men, than vainly seek to shun." DRYDEN
ADVANTAGES
Harry Gandy has two distinct advantages in life: First, he was born well, - both of his parents being teachers. His father, of Scotch-Irish descent, was for many years superintendent of the city schools at Churu- busco, Indiana, but ended his days as a prac- titioner at the bar. His mother, of New England Yankee stock, was a teacher in the Churubusco public schools at the time that she and the elder Gandy were married.
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Second, he was given a finished education. One needs only pause to recall that every president of the United States since Abra- ham Lincoln, has been a college graduate, and that, in all probability, every one in the future will be. An education has come to be an asset : lack of it, a distinct liability.
Harry was born in Churubusco, August 13, 1881. His parents put him through the pub- lic schools of that place, including the high school. Then they sent him to the Tri-State College, at Angola, Indiana, where he grad- uated from the scientific course with the class of 1901. , His teacher in science was Professor L. W. Fairfield. The latter was also elected to the 65th and 66th Congresses, so that he and Gandy - teacher and student - served together.
PURSUITS
After completing his college course, Mr. Gandy taught for a year in the public schools of Fulton county, Ohio; one summer term in Defiance College, at Defiance, Ohio; and a portion of one year at Copper Falls Mine, near Lake Superior, in the copper country. He resigned the latter position before the
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end of the year, to enter the newspaper busi- ness at Lagrange, Indiana, where he became publisher of the Lagrange Democrat. Later he also acquired the News at Kendallville, Indiana. In 1906, he converted it into the Kendallville Daily News. The next year he disposed of both properties and came to Dakota, where on September 28, he began work as news editor of the Rapid City Daily Journal, - filling the position until May 1, 1909.
From then until January 1, 1910, he was business manager of the Rapid City Printing Company and editor of the Gate City Guide. He then purchased the Wasta Gazette and removed to that place where he gave his per- sonal attention to the business.
On March 14, 1910, Judge Carland ap- pointed him United States Commissioner, which position he held until July 1, 1913, when he resigned, having been appointed by President Wilson as Receiver of Public Moneys in the U. S. Land Office at Rapid City. He held this position until March 3, 1915, when he resigned to become a Member of Congress.
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In 1910, Mr. Gandy was nominated and elected to the state senate, on the Democratic ticket, notwithstanding the fact that Pen- nington County was strongly Republican. He bears the reputation of being the "best single-handed campaigner in the state." After his election to congress the first time, he was driving on the Rosebud in his auto when he was met by a staunch Republican who had opposed him in the campaign, com- ing from the opposite direction in his car. The two autos were stopped.
The Republican said: "Hello! Congress- man."
"Stop that!" said Gandy, as he climbed out of his car to step over to shake hands with the other driver. "You call me 'Harry' the same as you always have." The Republi- can voted for him ever since.
While in the state senate, he was the youngest member in the session of 1911; yet he gave a good account of himself, being the author of the law providing for an Executive Accountant to check up the accounts of state institutions, which has now been expanded until it includes all counties, cities, towns,
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and public accounts of every description in the state.
IN CONGRESS
Gandy had only been in Congress two years when the United States declared war on the Central Powers of Europe. This re- sponsibility brought with it opportunities as well. He voted for the original declaration of war, for higher pay for soldiers, sailors, and marines, liberal family allowances, war risk insurance, and a number of other im- portant measures under which the great war was fought and won. During his six years in Congress the Federal Farm Loan law was en- acted, as was also the section-homestead law, federal assistance for highways, closing the rolls of Indian tribes, and many other things in which South Dakota has a local interest.
During his service he was a member of the Indian and Public Lands Committees. He is author of the measure which opened to homestead entry the agricultural lands in the Forest Reserve in Pennington and in Law- rence counties; also of the two laws under which it was sought to compel the Milwaukee Railway Company to build a permanent
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bridge over the Missouri River at Chamber- lain, and under which 600 feet of steel bridge has been built, and 300 feet more were re- cently ordered constructed by the Secretary of War.
He introduced and secured the passage of the bill providing for the establishment of the Custer State Game Sanctuary, which added 30,000 acres to the State Park in the Black Hills. Mr. Gandy is the author, and secured the passage, of the bill which secured for the Sioux Indians an authorization to have their claims against the United States Government adjudicated at once by the Court of Claims. He introduced and secured the adoption of the amendment which pro- vided for non-contiguous additional home- steads under the section-homestead bill; also an amendment by which livestock demon- stration work was installed and is being carried on by the Government Experimental Farm at Ardmore, in Fall River County.
Congressman Gandy is the author of sev- eral amendments making special appropria- tions for highway work on Indian Reserva- tions; also of an amendment to the 1919
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Indian Appropriation bill making an appro- priation to assist in building a bridge across the Cheyenne River, on the southern boun- dary of the Cheyenne River Indian Reserva- tion.
Not forgetful of his home town, he se- cured an appropriation for a new building and for extensive improvements in the old buildings, at the Indian School at Rapid City.
The foregoing facts are taken from the official records. It will thus be seen that Congressman Gandy, although defeated at the polls, can retire to private life with con- siderable satisfaction to himself as well as to his friends who previously elected him. Modesty would forbid him making a con- fession such as Shakespeare forced Othello to make:
"I have done the state some service, and they know it."
And Smollett, thinking of the possible de- feat that comes to men in the race of life, steps up and declares :
"What though success will not attend on all, Who bravely dares, must sometimes risk a fall."
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Gandy took the risk - lost! Won bien- nially for the next three times; then, lost again.
PERSONAL AFFAIRS
Mr. Gandy was united in marriage, Octo- ber 30, 1909, to Miss Frances M. Keiser, of Rapid City. Their little family consists of a son and a daughter - Robert James and Helen Louise.
The family is generous in their church views. Mr. Gandy was reared as a United Brethren; Mrs. Gandy, as a Baptist; while their children attend the Presbyterian Sun- day School.
He is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Lagrange, Indiana ; of the Odd Fel- lows at Wasta, and of the Masonic and Elks Lodges in Rapid City.
Back to the farm!
"Happy the man, whose wish and care A few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air (On) his own ground."
POPE
ARCHIBALD K. GARDNER
A LEADER OF THE STATE BAR
One of the really big successful lawyers of the state is Archibald K. Gardner, of Huron,
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general attorney for the Chicago and North Western Railway Company, in South Dakota. He has been successful because of natural ability, hard work, and the fact that he has stuck close to his chosen profession.
When Colonel Robert Stewart resigned the attorneyship of the North Western Company in South Dakota, to become associate counsel for the Standard Oil Company, in 1907, there were numerous applicants for the position. A. K. Gardner, who at that time was prac- ticing law in Rapid City, was not one of these applicants. His success as an attorney had, however, gained wide attention. The North Western people sent for him to come to Chicago. He went. They looked him over and offered him the attorneyship, which, after a few weeks of consideration, he finally accepted, taking up the work September 1, 1907. He moved to Huron where he has since resided. Attorney Gardner has held the general counsellorship of the North Western in this state the longest any man has ever held it to date.
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HIS EDUCATION
His career has been an interesting one. His parents were both Scotch. He was born in Jasper County, Iowa, December 3, 1867. His boyhood was spent on a farm, where he attended rural school in the winter. Mr. Gardner took his preparatory course at Iowa College - now Grinnell College. After com- pleting his freshman, his sophomore, and the first term of his junior, years, he was obliged to leave school and teach for a year to earn money with which to continue. After this he attended the State University of Iowa for one year, taught another year, and then com- pleted his college course at the latter institu- tion, with the class of 1892. He had taken part of his law course with his classical work, so that he was able to finish the law school of the State University in 1893. At the time of his graduation he won the Hudson prize on his law thesis.
After finishing his scholastic preparation for life, he roamed over northwestern Iowa looking for a suitable location, in which to practice law. But, the panic of 1893 was at its height. Lawyers everywhere were dis-
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gusted with their profession. They were making a scant living collecting on notes that had been given by farmers in payment for farm machinery.
OFF TO THE OZARKS
Young Gardner could find no suitable opening and no encouragement anywhere. Consequently, in the fall of 1893, he drifted down into the Ozark mountains in south- western Missouri, ostensibly on private busi- ness for his father, yet he had taken his en- tire law library with him - all in a trunk.
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