USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > History of Milwaukee, city and county, Volume II > Part 32
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RT. REV. MSGR. BOLESLAUS EDWARD GORAL.
Rt. Rev. Boleslaus Edward Goral, pastor of St. Hyacinth's Catholic church of Milwaukee and diocesan consultor, was born March 12, 1876, in West Prussia, German Poland. There he obtained his elementary education and when a youth of thirteen years came in 1889 to the new world, at once entering the Polish St. Cyrill and Meth- odius Seminary in Detroit, Michigan, where he pursued his classical and philosophical studies, showing special aptitude in his work. Having decided to devote his life to the priesthood he joined the archdiocese of Milwaukee and in the fall of 1896 became a student in the seminary of St. Francis de Sales of St. Francis, Wisconsin, there com- pleting his theological studies in 1899, winning the first prize-a gold medal-for the best Latin dissertation on the Habit and Man as its subject. He was ordained to the priesthood by Most Rev. F. X. Katzer on the 18th of June, of that year.
Rt. Rev. Goral was then appointed professor of the institution, in which he had been pursuing his studies, beginning his work there in the fall of 1899. He had ample opportunity, moreover, to review his studies and used this opportunity to the full. He was the first Polish professor in St. Francis Seminary and during the nine years and two months of his professorship taught Latin, Greek, German, French, Polish and Homiletics. During the year prior to his resignation he taught philosophy and homi- letics exclusively. He has always possessed marked literary ability and during his student days composed many poems or translated them from other languages into Polish. Some of these, written under pseudonyms, have appeared in print, while others remain in manuscript form. He has also contributed many articles to the Polish press on vari- ous subjects and a number of his sermons have been printed in Polish journals. He is well known, too. through his work as a translator and some of the dramas translated by him from the German or English into Polish have been produced on the stage of the St. Stanislaus Literary and Debating Society of St. Francis Seminary and also by other dramatic societies. Likewise the comic opera the "Bells of Corneville," better known as the Chimes of Normandy, in his rendition, has been produced on the stage in Milwaukee with decided success.
Rt. Rev. B E. Goral is one of the few Polish speaking collaborators of the monu- mental Catholic Encyclopedia, which is being published in New York. Circumstances
RT. REV. MSGR. BOLESLAUS E. GORAL
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and lack of time have prevented him from writing more in English. In 1905 he pub- lished his "Zasady Interpunkyi Polskiej" (Elements of Polish Punctuation Marks), which has been pronounced by competent European critics the best treatise of the kind that has ever been written in the Polish language.
Rt. Rev. Goral has ever been a most thorough, comprehensive and earnest student and has made a special study of Polish philology and linguistics, having the best library along this line in America. In fact there is bardly any work of any importance on these subjects that cannot be found in his collection. The great love which he lias always manifested for philological studies, finally influenced him to issue a periodical in this line and therefore in 1905 he began the publication of the "Oredownik Jezykowy" (Language Messenger), a monthly, devoted to advancing the interest of the Polish language, literature and pedagogy. This publication has accomplished much in pre- serving the purity and integrity of the Polish language, special attention being paid to the Polish-American slang. The publication is being read by the most scholarly of the Polish-American citizens, especially by teachers and students of higher institutions. Rt. Rev. Goral is also well known in pedagogic circles. The Polish executive committee of Chicago, Illinois, assigned to him the task of preparing a new series of Polish text- books for use in parochial schools and only lack of time prevented him from writing the books.
Rt. Rev. Goral is a member of the diocesan school board of Milwaukee. In 1906 he was active in promoting the publication of a new Polish weekly, called the "Nowiny," which appeared before the close of the year in the city as a weekly publication with Rev. Goral as editor-in-chief. In 1908, when the Nowiny Publishing Company was reorganized and it was decided to publish a daily, Rt. Rev. Goral was chosen its president, treasurer and general manager. This company issued the "Nowiny Polskie," or Polish News.
In October, 1908, Rt. Rev. Goral resigned his position as one of the professors in St. Francis Seminary and took charge of the congregation of St. Vincent de Paul in Milwaukee. He continued to act in that connection for eleven months and was then transferred to St. Hyacinth's church, while in February, 1912, he was made diocesan consultor by Archbishop S. G. Messmer. In the fall of 1921 Father Goral was ap- pointed domestic prelate with the title Monsignor. The solemn investiture took place October 4. in St. John's cathedral, Milwaukee, on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebration of the Most Rev. Archbishop S. G. Messmer. He continued his philological and philosophical studies and is devoted to the interest and welfare of his country- men and to mankind at large. He is indeed a man of scholarly attainments and one who has done much for the Polish people of his diocese.
OTTO A. BRAUN.
Otto A. Brann, handling general insurance and mortgage loans in Milwaukee, his native city, has made for himself a creditable position in financial circles through his enterprise and diligence, whereby he has overcome all difficulties and obstacles in his path and worked his way upward to success. He was born April 15, 1876, and is a son of Adolph H. and Louise ( Bieberich) Braun, the latter a native of Indiana, while the father was born in Nuremberg, Germany. He came to the new world and settled in Milwaukee in 1848 and for several terms he taught school in this country but later was admitted to the bar and entered upon the practice of law, in which he was active from 1870 until the time of his death in 1908, maintaining a creditable position as an attorney of this city. Otto A. Braun also comes of German ancestry in the maternal line. His grandfather was Captain Jacob Bieberich, a native of Germany, who crossed the Atlantic to the new world in early life and took up his abode in Indiana, where he lived for several years, removing thence to Milwaukee about 1845. Here he or- ganized what was called the Green Hunters, a military band, for the purpose of protection against the Indians. He served his adopted country in the Mexican war and afterward made a trip to California during the gold excitement, experiencing the hardships and privations incident to the task of reaching the Pacific coast at that early day. Later he resolved to return and started homeward with a company but never reached his destination, the report being received that the party were killed and scalped by the Indians.
Otto A. Brann obtained his education in the schools of Milwaukee and started out in the business world in connection with a land company, with which he re- mained for seven years. In 1905 he opened an office in the Mack block, in which he began handling general insurance and mortgage loans. Through the intervening period he has continued in business and is today a prominent figure in financial circles of the city. He has written a large amount of insurance annually, has placed many loans and has so conducted his affairs as to win substantial success as the years have gone by.
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In 1907 Mr. Braun was married to Miss Gertruida Droppers, a daughter of John Droppers. Fraternally he is connected with the Knight of Pythias and the Benev- olent Protective Order of Elks and is also a member of the Optimist Club and the Old Settlers Club. In politics he is a republican where national questions and issues are involved, but the honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for him, as he has always preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs. In connection with his general insurance and mortgage loan business he became interested in the Wisconsin Mutual Plate Glass Insurance Company, which was organized at Juneau, Wisconsin, in 1905 by Judge Lueck and Paul Hemmy. Mr. Braun is now general agent of this company for the state and this department of his business has likewise proved a growing and profitable one.
ALBERT ZINN.
Albert Zinn, president of the Milwaukee-Western Malt Company, has for many years been associated with the line of business in which he is now engaged and has made steady progress through the development of his interests in that connection. Mr. Zinn is a native son of Milwaukee, born June 14, 1859, his parents being Carl and Christiana Zinn, both of whom were natives of Germany, whence they came to America in 1845, settling in Milwaukee, where the family has since been represented, taking active part in the progress and upbuilding of the city, contributing not only to commercial advancement but to the development of Milwaukee along art and other lines.
Albert Zinn, at the usual age, became a public school pupil and completed the high school course. Starting out in the business world in 1877, he took a position with the commission house of Zinns, Goetz & Company and there remained until 1879, when he became bookkeeper at the flour mill of The Nunnemacher Company, which after- ward was reorganized under the name of the Star Flour Mill, at which time Mr. Zinn was elected secretary and treasurer. In 1883, however, he withdrew from that con- nection and became associated with his brother Adolph in the Zinn Malting Company, of which Albert Zinn became secretary and treasurer. In 1892 they merged their in- terests with those of the Asmuth Malt & Grain Company, thus organizing a new corporation known as the Milwaukee Malt & Grain Company, of which Albert Zinn became the treasurer. Thus business was sold in 1897 to the American Malting Company, at which time Mr. Zinn was elected assistant general manager and so con- tinued until 1900, when he associated himself with the Milwaukee-Waukesha Brewing Company of which he became vice president. After a year he resigned to become general manager of the Fred Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee. In 1903 he organized the Milwaukee-Western Malt Company, of which he was elected president and has since occupied that position. Long experience in the business, definite purpose and indefatigable energy have brought to the concern of which he is the head, a large measure of success and it is today one of the leading enterprises of this character in Milwaukee.
In May, 1882, Mr. Zinn was united in marriage to Miss Leonora Heitbahn, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Heitbahn. The children of this marriage are: Madeleine, the wife of Arthur Wenz; Juanita, who married George T. Johnson, and who died in 1918; and Gertrude, the wife of George F. Kiewert. Mrs. Zinn departed this life in June, 1919.
In his political views Mr. Zinn has been a stanch advocate of republican principles since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Fraternally he is a thirty-second degree Mason, also a member of Ivanhoe Commandery, K. T., and a member of Tripoli Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is prominently known in club circles, belonging to the Wisconsin Club, the Milwaukee Athletic Club and the Blue Mound Country Club and was president of the last named in 1914 and 1915. He likewise belongs to the Wisconsin Society of Chicago and his deep interest in affairs pertaining to the progress and benefit of Milwaukee is shown in his connection with the Association of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce and the Milwaukee Art Institute. His cooperation is at all times counted upon as a factor for the city's benefit and improvement.
DANIEL W. CHIPMAN.
Daniel W. Chipman, now living retired in Milwaukee, was born July 10, 1836, in Essex, Chittenden county, Vermont, his parents being Hiram and Lavona (Searls) Chipman, who were also natives of Essex and who during the infancy of their son, Daniel W., removed to Harbor Creek, Erie county, Pennsylvania. Later they resided successively at Beaverdam, at Union and Waterford, all in Erie county, remaining
ALBERT ZINN
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in that county until 1841. It was while at Waterford that Daniel W. Chipman began his education in the public schools when about five years of age. Early in 1843 the family removed to Erie, Pennsylvania, where they remained until July, 1846, and then started for Milwaukee, the party consisting of father, mother, four sisters and two brothers .. They proceeded after the leisurely manner of travel at that time, arriving at their destination in the middle of August, 1846. After living on Spring street, now Grand avenue, Main street, now Broadway, and East Water street for a period of about two years the family removed to Walkers Point, now the south side, and through the intervening period Daniel W. Chipman has con- tinued to make his home on the south side when in Milwaukee. From 1846 until 1849 he was in school and after that spent the winter months in school until 1852. His father was a carpenter by trade and in those early days could not accord his children very liberal educational opportunities.
Daniel W. Chipman earned his first money by assisting in loading and unload- ing wood from a wagon, receiving a shilling per day and his dinner. In 1850 he entered upon his career in connection with marine and navigation interests as an engineer under Captain Fred Knapp on what was called the old Hawly dredge, hav- ing obtained his engineering experience under his elder brother, A. S. Chipman, who was the engineer of the dredge prior to the time when Daniel W. Chipman took the position. Later he and his brother went to Portage City, Wisconsin, where they fitted out the engine and boiler of a small steamer called the Star, which they took down the Wisconsin to the Mississippi river and down to Galena, Illinois. For about a week or two they traded around that locality, carrying corn, wheat and other produce to Galena. Concerning his activities at this time Mr. Chipman wrote as follows: "The business in this locality seemed to not have been good enough to warrant staying. The owners concluded to go to Rock Island with the boat, where we proceeded and entered into the same freighting business in that neighborhood. After running for two or three weeks they found it did not pay, so laid up the boat at Rock Island. A short time afterward the owners concluded to take the Star onto the Rock river, quite an undertaking, as there were swift rapids at its mouth, but after unloading everything on board movable and procuring two or three ox teams and a number of men and taking down the smokestack to enable her to go under a bridge, we started and after working hard for the best part of two days succeeded in getting her over the rapids on the river. After getting everything on board and ready we steamed up the river. At this time there were very few settlers on the river bank and wild game such as prairie chickens, partridge and quail were plenty and did not seem to be afraid of the steamer and would hardly ever fly on our approach. We were about two days getting up to a place called Sterling. Here we left the boat with ten dollars in our pockets for our spring work. From here we took stage to Peru and from there traveled by rail to Chicago, whence we proceeded to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the steamer 'Queen of the Lakes.' I think early in June, soon after returning, } went to work helping to get railroad iron out of a vessel that had been wrecked just north of the old harbor piers. About two
hours after commencing, a bar of railroad iron turned over onto my finger, taking the end off, which ended my working and disabled me from doing any work for about two weeks. After my finger became healed so that I could use it, I took passage on the steamer 'Delaware' for Buffalo and during the balance of that season was engaged as porter and waiter on the steamer 'General Taylor.' In the spring of 1851 } shipped on the steamer 'James Wood' as porter, bound for Buffalo, loaded with grain. After making a few trips between New Baltimore, on Lake St. Clair, and Buffalo, I left her and shipped on a small steamer called 'Potent,' engaged in towing on Niagara river and Chippewa creek. My brother having charge of this steamer, I acted as engineer. After remaining on her about two months 1 returned to Buffalo, shipped as porter on the steamer 'Forest City' and soon afterward became steward, remaining on her during the balance of the season. In the summer of 1852 I helped to build the schooner 'Kittie Grant' and afterward made a trip as a sailor to Manistee on the schooner 'Jacob Steinhart.' At that time no harbor im- provements had been made and there was only about four feet of water at that place. We went to the upper end of the lake loaded with lumber, came down to the mouth and were obliged to raft the deck load to get over the bar into Lake Michigan. Eighteen days were consumed in making this trip, which ended my
career as a before-the-mast sailor on a vessel. Previous to this I had been before the mast one trip to White Hall on the small schooner 'A. J. View.' In the season of 1853 I was employed on a pile driver, as cook on the schooner 'Cramer' and ran an engine in a small elevator on West Water street. In the spring of 1854 I was second engineer on the steamer 'Rosseter' and later ran a wrecking pump For an insurance company at this place in 1855. In the latter connection I wrecked vessels as follows: H. M. Gates at Pentwater, Michigan; John B. Wright at Pere Marquette; Brig Sandusky at Manitou Island; Steamer Lady Elgin at Manitowoc; Huron at Ahnapee; Traveler at Chicago, Illinois. During the winter seasons from 1850 to
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1854 I worked in shipyards on the schooners Fred Hill, Norway, Milwaukee Belle and Kirk White, ran an engine in the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien railroad shop and a steam boiler in a slaughter house."
Mr. Chipman afterward became interested in the tug and boat business . and owned personally or was interested with others in the ownership of a number of tugs and boats, of all of which he was manager. His experiences were varied and ofttimes interesting as he proceeded on the different trips to many sections of the country and on many different boats. During the winter of 1855 he went to Hebron, Wisconsin, to spend the winter with his cousin, Frank Dustin, and while there they arranged to go to California in the following spring, Mr. Chipman returning . to Milwaukee in February, 1856. Here he was joined by Mr. Dustin in March and they began preparations for the long journey to California. They arrived in New York on the 18th of March, 1856, and on the 20th of that month sailed on the steamer "George Law" for Aspinwall. Later they crossed the Isthmus and thence proceeded up the Pacific coast to San Francisco, steaming into the Golden Gate on the 18th of April. As the days passed they had the usual experiences of the men seeking gold on the Pacific coast. They regarded Todds Valley, a small mining town in Placer county, as the end of their journey and reached that place in April, 1856. Mr. Chipman was first employed as dish washer in the only hotel of the town at a wage of twenty-five dollars per month but after a brief period secured a position as cook for a company of miners at seventy-five dollars per month. The record of his sojourn in the west contains many interesting incidents and episodes. Mr. Chipman has prepared a story of his life, given largely in detail, and it is of great interest to those who have known him personally. With the supposed dis- covery of gold on the Frazer river he joined the large body of men who were mak- ing their way into that district, but this-like many another gold bubble-bursted and by slow and arduous stages Mr. Chipman returned from British Columbia to Whatcom, Washington, and eventually reached San Francisco, having in the mean- time been employed in various capacities and in many places. At length he deter- mined to return home, but while in the west he was a witness of many events which constitute interesting chapters on the pages of American history, one of these being the celebration held in San Francisco at the laying of the first Atlantic cable. He was at one time steward on a ship called the "Anglo Saxon," bound to the Sand- wich Islands to load oil and bone for New Bedford, and thus he started upon his return home, although by a circuitous route. While the ship was laying off the
Sandwich Islands, the heir to the throne of Hawaii came on board and spent one day there, Mr. Chipman becoming quite well acquainted with him. Later he was
king of the Islands and afterward passed away in San Francisco.
At length, as
steward on the good ship "Anglo Saxon," Mr. Chipman reached New Bedford and a day or two later was on his way to Buffalo via New York, where his brother had secured for him a position as second engineer on the Mayflower, running between Buffalo and Chicago. Thus on his way to the latter city he was able to visit his family in Milwaukee, whom he had not seen for more than three years. Mr. Chip- man afterward sailed on various ships and following his removal to Pennsylvania was drafted for service in the army during the Civil war, but when he reported at the place of enrollment had no trouble in convincing the authorities that two sons out of a family of three was a sufficient representation from that family. In the following fall, however, he went to Philadelphia, where he was examined for an acting second assistant engineer in the navy and in December received his appoint- ment, being ordered for duty on the ship "Protius," then laying at the foot of East Seventh street in New York city. Mr. Chipman's connection with marine and navi- gation interests continued until 1876, when he entered into partnership with C. S. Raesser for the conduct of a general commission business in wood, bark and cedar. His attention was devoted to that enterprise until 1890, when he entered the gov- ernment service as United States boiler inspector, having an unlimited chief en- gineer's license. He resigned his government position in 1905, after fifteen years' service, and has since lived a retired life, enjoying a well earned rest.
Mr. Chipman has been married twice. In January, 1861, he married Miss Susan M. Consaul and they became the parents of six children, three of whom are yet living: Daniel Webster, George Perkins and Susan Mary, the last named the wife of George D. Francey of Milwaukee. The wife and mother passed away April 2, 1881, and in December, 1891, Mr. Chipman was married to Miss Helen Tutkin, a daughter of Ricklef and Henrietta Tutkin, who were natives of Germany and early pioneer resi- dents of Milwaukee.
Mr. Chipman is a Consistory Mason and a loyal follower of the teachings and purposes of the craft. He also belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and has served as commander of E. B. Wolcott Post, to which position he was called in 1916 He has been a lifelong republican, earnest and unfaltering in his support of the party. He belongs to the Old Settlers Club and has long been an interested witness of the growth and progress of Milwaukee. His life experiences have been of wide range.
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They have carried him into many sections of the world and brought him a splendid knowledge of human nature, leaving him with many pleasant memories and with many interesting anecdotes which enrich his conversation and make him a most com- panionable man. There is something fresh and invigorating as the salt water breeze in his conversation and something as virile in the character of the man as that pioneer spirit which prompted him to make his way to the far west in the early days of gold exploration along the Pacific coast.
ROBERT WITTIG.
Robert Wittig, general manager of the Milwaukee district for R. G. Dun & Com- pany, was born in this city June 11, 1876, a son of Joseph and Ottilie (Link) Wittig, the former a native of Saxony, Germany, while the latter was born in Waukesha county, Wisconsin. The father came to Milwaukee in 1857 and engaged in the plumbing contracting business, which he has carried on for fifty-five years under the name of the Joseph Wittig Company. Modest and unassuming, he has never sought promi- nence in any public connection but has quietly pursued the even tenor of his way, a substantial citizen who has made for himself a creditable position in the business world and has reached his eighty-second year, respected and esteemed by all who know him. On the mother's side the family comes from Bavaria, Germany, and was founded in America about 1840 by three brothers, all farmers, who crossed the Atlantic at that time.
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