USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Memoirs of Milwaukee County : from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Milwaukee County, Volume II > Part 66
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Minn. A year later, in 1882, he embarked in the general mer- cantile business, which engaged his attention for a period of some fourteen years. During this period he was likewise engaged in the wholesale tea and coffee business, his company being known as The Early Breakfast Coffee Company, of Minneapolis, Minn., and St. Louis, Mo. For the past twelve years he has also been inter- ested in the Nugent Sanitarium at St. Paul. In 1900 Dr. Nugent came to Milwaukee, where he founded the famous Nugent Sani- tarium, known far and wide throughout the Middle West for its successful and scientific treatment of chronic and nervous diseases, and alcoholic and drug addiction. The sanitarium is situated at the corner of Wells street and Hawley Road, and can be con- veniently reached by the Wauwatosa car line, being only a twenty minutes' ride from the heart of Milwaukee. Dr. Nugent has recently opened another sanitarium of a similar character in Mon- treal, Canada. In addition to the skilled medical attendance pro- vided at the Nugent Sanitarium in Milwaukee, the patient is assured of rest, quiet, and comfort, and is surrounded by beau- tiful grounds and a home-like environment, which make for a speedy restoration to normal health. While living in Minnesota, Dr. Nugent took a lively interest in National Guard matters, and was a member of the State Militia for three years. He enlisted as a private in Company F, Second Minnesota National Guard, rose to the rank of corporal, and was mustered out as such in 1887. He served for some time as president of the alumni association of St. John's University. He was also president of the Retail Merchants Association of Minnesota for a term of four years, and acted as president of the Merchants' Protective Association of St. Cloud for six years. He has been a life-long Democrat in his political affiliations, but has never been a mere partisan, and could always be counted upon to support the best measures and men. He served as alderman of the First ward, St. Cloud, Minn., for two terms, and was an influential member of the Minnesota State Central Committee for a period of eight years. He was reared in the Roman Catholic faith, and is a zealous and liberal supporter of his church. He was first married on June 24, 1884, to Miss Mary Edelbrock, a daughter of Joseph and Eva M. Edelbrock, of St. Cloud, Minn. Four children were the fruit of this union: Olivia, now the wife of S. E. Riley, connected with the Mueller Furnace Company, of Milwaukee; Leon, a graduate of the Mil- waukee Medical College; Arthur, a student in Marquette College ; and Irene, a student at Holy Angels Academy. The doctor lost his first wife on April 29, 1895, and was again married on July 18, 1907, to Mrs. Mary Murphy, of Milwaukee, a native of Detroit, Mich. Mrs. Nugent is the mother of two children by her former husband, their names being Reginald and Madeline, the former of whom is attending the Jesu School, and the latter Holy Cross School.
Charles F. Pfister needs no introduction to the people of Mil- waukee county, as his name stands as a synonym for that push and enterprise that has brought the Cream City into the front
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ranks of American municipalities. He was born in the city to whose upbuilding he has given so lavishly of his efforts, and-he is the son of Guido Pfister, to whom also a great deal of Milwau- kee's past greatness was due. The father was born in Hohenzol- lern, Germany, Sept. 13, 1818, and there spent his youth and early manhood, laying well the foundation for his future achievements, the scenes of which were to be found in free America. On July 13, 1842, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Gasser, who bore him two children, a daughter who became the wife of Frederick Vogel, Jr., and a son, Charles F., whose name introduces this review. In 1845 Guido Pfister migrated to America and located temporarily in Buffalo, N. Y., but two years later he came to Milwaukee, with the business interests of which he was identified during the re- mainder of his exceedingly active career. As an introductory ven- ture he opened a leather store, and at about the same time, in association with Frederick Vogel and J. H. Schoellkopf, estab- lished a tannery on the Menomonee river. The firm was styled Guido Pfister & Co., and its plant was the nucleus of the present mammoth establishment of the Pfister & Vogel Leather Company. Guido Pfister was honest and industrious, quick to grasp the problems of the expanding commercial situations of a developing country, and was fearless in taking advantage of these situations. Ever pushing forward in the field of his particular endeavor, he also reached out and gave both his moral and financial assistance to a number of budding enterprises which have since developed into some of Milwaukee's soundest institutions. He was the prime mover in the organization of the Milwaukee & Northern Railroad Company ; was one of the founders of the old Merchants' Exchange Bank; he was a director in each of the above-named concerns and also in the Northwestern National Insurance Company, and he was a trustee of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Com- pany. The present Pfister & Vogel Leather Company, which is a continuation of the pioneer firm of Guido Pfister & Company, is the largest producer in its particular line in the United States, and its trade extends to all parts of Europe. In 1874 Frederick Vogel, Jr., a personal sketch of whom appears on another page of this volume, became a stockholder in the company. and in 1883 Charles F. Pfister also became financially interested in the business. Since the demise of Guido Pfister and Frederick Vogel, Sr., the affairs of the company have been managed by the following efficient corps of officers : President and general manager, Frederick Vogel, Jr .; vice-president, Gottlieb Bossert; treasurer, Charls F. Pfister; sec- retary, Aug. H. Vogel. From the comparatively small beginning in 1847 the volume of business has increased until at the present time it amounts to $14,000,000 annually. Charles F. Pfister, the immediate subject of this sketch, was educated in the public schools of Milwaukee and early in life started a business career, becoming interested in the leather industry as mentioned above, connecting himself with the Pfister & Vogel Leather Company, of which as stated he is now the treasurer. Though still compara-
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tively young Mr. Pfister has won for himself an enviable position among the business men of Milwaukee. Through his able manage- ment and that of his associates the Pfister & Vogel Leather Com- pany has reached its present mammoth proportions, and in other lines his business acumen is evidenced by remarkable success. He has always been especially active in affairs pertaining to the advancement of Milwaukee and has given his personal and finan- cial assistance to a number of enterprises of a public nature, which have been a potent force in placing Milwaukee among the promi- nent cities of the world. The extensive street railway system was earnestly promoted by him at a time when only the shrewdest business foresight could point to ultimate success, and the magnif- icent Hotel Pfister stands as a monument to his enterprising nature. He was one of the managing officials of the Merchants' Exchange Bank before it was merged with the First National, and he is now a controlling spirit in the last-named institution. Though never an office-holder or a seeker of political preferment he is an untiring worker in the ranks of the Republican party, and he is recognized throughout the state and the country at large as a wheel-horse of the organization. It may be said that politics is his diversion and not his business, but he brings the same sagacious thought and remarkable energy into action in his political work as he does in his management of business affairs. In 1897 he purchased the Milwaukee Sentinel, the newspaper representative of the Stalwart faction of the party in Wisconsin, and has continued with the greatest fearlessness to guide it so as to influence the public mind in favor of what he considers the best policies for his party and his country to adopt. As a newspaper the Sentinel is the leading publication in the state and the power that it wields is recog- nized far beyond the confines of the commonwealth, to the up- building of which it is particularly dedicated.
Alvin C. Brazee, judge of the Municipal Court, and a leading attorney of Milwaukee, was born in Wauwatosa, Milwaukee county, July 24, 1855. His parents, Benson and Althea F. (Neal) Brazee, were both natives of New York state, the former of Fayetteville, Onondaga county, and the latter of Hudson, Colum- bia county. The father came to Wisconsin in 1835, locating on government land in Wauwatosa, which land he developed into a fertile and well-cultivated farm, which was his home until 1870, when he sold it and removed to Winnebago county, but later returned to Milwaukee county, making his home in the city until his death in 1886. The mother was the daughter of Capt. John F. Neal, who participated in the War of 1812. She was a woman of education and culture, and was a teacher for some years before her marriage. Her home was in Wisconsin from her sixteenth year until her death, in April. 1880, in her fifty-second year. Both of the parents were members of the Congregational church and active forces in the social and religious life of the communities where they resided. Alvin C. received his education in the public schools of Wauwatosa, and at Ripon College, leaving the latter
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institution, however, before he completed the full course of study. He was an apt student, with a quick and retentive memory, which enabled him to stand well in his classes without the usual amount of effort, leaving too much leisure for outside matters for him to acquire the reputation of the model scholar. He left college without having decided upon any definite career, and he tried sev- eral lines. before he finally settled down to the study of law in 1876. He began in the office of Finch & Barber, of Oshkosh, was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-two, and began the practice of his profession in company with Charles W. Felker, of Oshkosh. In 1879 he went west, spending a year in Superior, Neb., where he opened a law office, but subsequently returned to Wisconsin, settling in Milwaukee, where he has since practiced, having had at various times partnerships with Messrs. C. S. Brown, V. W. Seeley, A. W. Bell, J. H. Stover, and being at the time of his election to the office of district attorney of Milwaukee county, a member of the firm of Brazee & Stover. During his private prac- tice he had considerable experience and acquired a wide reputation as a successful attorney in criminal cases, following, in addition to this line, a general law practice. His first election to the posi- tion of district attorney, in 1894, was by a plurality of 6,900, and his efficiency in the conduct of his office was recognized by an increased plurality upon his re-election in the fall of 1896. He was again elected in 1898. In May, 1900, and while serving as district attorney, he was appointed by Governor Scofield to the Municipal Court bench, to fill a vacancy created by the resigna- tion of Judge Wallber. In 1901 he was elected judge, re-elected in 1907, and is still on the bench. Mr. Brazee, while engaged in active practice, was recognized by the members of his profession as an able lawyer, and as one who prepared his cases with great care and skill, omitting nothing that could strengthen his position or present it with clearness and force to a court or jury. Outside of his professional life he is a man of wide reading, and has a large and carefully selected general library to which he devotes much of his leisure. In politics he is a Republican and has been a strong champion of the principles of his party, but outside of office con- nected with his profession has never cared for personal preferment. He was married on Aug. 10, 1884, to Miss Alice M. Beaver, of Chippewa Falls, a woman of much culture and refinement of character, and who before her marriage was for some time a most successful teacher. One daughter, Enola, has been born to this union, and she is now nineteen years old.
David Stuart Rose, mayor of Milwaukee and a leading attor- ney of that city, was born in Darlington, La Fayette county, Wis., June 30, 1856, and is the son of James R. and Phoebe A. (Budlong) Rose, the former of Scotch and the latter of German descent. James R. Rose was also a lawyer, educated in Albany, N. Y., a Democrat, and a man who exercised a wide political influence in his party. He came west in 1852 and formed a partnership with Judge Cothren, of Darlington. Mrs. Rose was a graduate of the
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Normal School at Albany, N. Y., came west with her parents, and shortly afterward married Mr. Rose. Both were born in New York state, and are now deceased, the father passing away on Sept. 6, 1890. David S. received his early education in the public schools of Darlington and was graduated in the high school at the early age of fourteen. He then spent three years in a printing office, but at the age of seventeen decided to follow the legal pro- fession and began reading in the office of Cothren & Rose at Darlington, teaching school during the winter terms while pur- suing his legal studies. He was admitted to the bar on June 30, 1876, and practiced for one year in Belmont, La Fayette county. Then returning to Darlington, he formed a partnership with his father, under the firm name of J. R. & D. S. Rose, which con- tinued until the son removed to Milwaukee in 1886. He prac- ticed alone in the Cream City for two years, and was then the senior member of the firm of Rose & Bell for four years, after which he again practiced alone until his election to the position of mayor of Milwaukee in 1898, being subsequently re-elected in 1900, 1902 and 1904, and again elected in 1908. At the expiration of his fourth term he went to Tucson, Ariz., to look after mining interests which he had there. The Twin Buttes Mining and Smelt- ing Company is capitalized at $2,000,000. It owns 1,300 acres of land, covering sixty-one mining claims, and has built thirty-one miles of railroad, the object of the company being to promote and develop the business and put it on a shipping basis. Mr. Rose is a Democrat, and beside representing his party in many con- ventions-having been a delegate to nearly every county conven- tion in La Fayette or Milwaukee county since he was twenty-one, and at the national Democratic conventions of 1884, 1900, and 1904-he has also received its suffrages on many occasions, besides the notable ones already mentioned. He was mayor of Darling- ton in 1882-84, two terms; was elected county judge of La Fayette county in 1885, resigning in 1888; was nominated by the Demo- cratic party for governor in 1902, cutting down the Republican plurality about 60,000 on that occasion, and he has also received the nomination of his party for Congress. He is devoted to the principles of his party and is ready to take his place in the ranks or as a leader as : the exigencies of the case seem to demand. In his legal practice he has won a number of notable cases, among which may be mentioned the case of the State of Wisconsin vs. Meighan et al., which attracted widespread interest at the time because of the fact that a special plea of insanity was interposed in behalf of the'seven defendants, tried together. They were all found to be insane at the time that the homicide was committed, and three were found to be insane at the time of the trial, being committed to the hospital for the insane at Mendota. The cir- cumstances leading up to the homicide were these: In the fall of 1890, a farmer named Meighan was returning to his home from Darlington, Wis., riding upon a wagon loaded with lumber. With him was his hired man, named Sieboldt. They engaged in a
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quarrel, when Sieboldt pounded Meighan's brains out with an iron wrench. Sieboldt was arrested within a few hours after the tragedy, and because of strong threats of lynching was taken to Monroe, Green county, for safe keeping. Later, when it was deemed that the danger of lynching had passed, Sieboldt was returned to Darlington for his preliminary examination. Arriving about noon, he was taken to the county jail and locked up. A mob immediately formed, broke into the jail, took Sieboldt out and hanged him to a tree at the corner of the public square. Shortly afterward a grand jury was empaneled and seven indictments were returned, charging as many persons, residents of La Fayette county, with homicide by lynching. The case came on for trial a few months later and was prosecuted by J. B. Simpson, district attorney, assisted by the late William E. Carter. Martin & Wilson also represented the accused, but the defense was conducted by Mr. Rose. The trial occupied twenty-nine days and resulted as stated above. The significant feature lay in the fact that the case of insanity was made so strong for four of the defendants that the state's experts answered the hypothetical questions in their favor. Another homicide case that commanded great interest at the time was that of the State vs. Robert Luscombe, tried in 1896, in the criminal court of Milwaukee county. The parties involved belonged to well-known families, and the defendant, Robert Lus- combe, although young, had been city attorney of the city of Mil- waukee. He killed his brother-in-law, Emil Sanger, by shooting him with a shot-gun. The trial consumed several weeks and Mr. Rose was one of the leading attorneys for the defense. Luscombe was acquitted in a trial upon the merits of the case within ten minutes after the jury retired. Mr. Rose was the attorney for Mayor P. J. Somers in the trial for impeachment brought by Gar- rett Dunck against that official, winning the case. He also par- ticipated in one of the most notable election contests that ever occurred in the state, that of John Fetzer against Edward Scofield, afterward governor of the state, for a seat in the state senate in 1891. Frauds in the election were charged and a writ of quo war- ranto was applied for to the supreme court. The writ was issued, an issue was framed and sent to the Marinette county Circuit Court for trial by jury. The trial resulted in a disagreement, the jury dividing on political party lines, and the contest was then taken to the senate, where Mr. Scofield was unseated and the office given to Mr. Fetzer. Mr. Rose is a prominent member in a number of leading fraternal, social and professional organiza- tions, among which are the Elks, Eagles, Knights of Pythias, Improved Order of Red Men, Milwaukee Athletic Club, and the Milwaukee Bar Association. On Sept. 8, 1887, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Margaret Blakeley, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (O'Connor) Leahy, of Darlington, Wis. By a former marriage Mr. Rose is the father of two children: Earl B., of Rose. Witte & Rose, who married Miss Barbara E. Curtis, daughter of Col. C. A. Curtis ; and Ethel, wife of Truman Kemler, who is en- gaged in general mercantile business in Platteville, Wis.
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Theobald Otjen, of the firm of Otjen & Otjen, attorneys, Mil- waukee, was born on Oct. 27, 1851, at West China, St. Clair county, Mich. His parents were John C. and Dorothea (Schriner) Otjen, both born in Germany, the former in 1809. The parents came to the United States in 1827, locating in Baltimore, Md., later removing to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then to Michigan. In the first two named places the father followed his trade of cabinet- making, but after settling in Michigan he became a farmer. Theo- bald Otjen was educated at an academy in Marine City, Mich., and at a private school in Detroit, the latter conducted by Prof. P. M. Patterson. He came to Milwaukee in 1870 and remained two years, being at that time foreman in the rolling mills; and then concluding to study law he entered the legal department of the University of Michigan, in which he was graduated in 1875 with the degree of LL. B. He immediately began practicing at Detroit, Mich., and was for two years a member of the firm of Otjen & Rabbeaut, afterward practicing alone until he came to Milwau- kee in 1883. Here he has since continuously resided, and he has been eminently successful both in his profession and in real estate business. His practice has been connected more especially with business transactions, rather than with court work. He was the attorney of the village of Bay View from 1885 until 1887, in the latter year was elected to the common council of Milwaukee, and was re-elected three times, serving in all seven years. He was nominated for Congress by the Republican party in 1892, by accla- mation, but was defeated by Hon. (afterward Senator) John L. Mitchell, that being one of the years when the agitation of the "Bennett law" transferred a large foreign vote to the Democratic party. He was, however, elected in 1894, and continued in Con- gress thereafter until 1907, serving as a member of the Fifty- fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, and Fifty-ninth congresses, a period of twelve years. He was a trustee of the public library and museum of Milwaukee from 1887 until 1904, during which time the beautiful new building was erected, and he has served in the state central committee of the Repub- lican party. His public career has been one eminently satisfac- tory to his constituents-an honorable career, reflecting credit on both himself and the people whom he served so long and faith- fully. On March 12, 1879, he was united in marriage to Miss Louisa E. Heames, daughter of Henry and Neoma (Carpenter) Heames, of Detroit, Mich., and they have four children: Henry H., Grace V., Fannie H., and Christian John. Mr. Otjen ranks high in Masonic circles, belonging to Ivanhoe Commandery, and he is also a member of the Royal Arcanum. In religious faith he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church.
Milton H. Umbreit, attorney, was born in Prairie du Sac, Sauk county, Wis., Aug. 14, 1873, and is the son of Rev. Traugott and Catherine B. Umbreit, of whom further notice is given in the sketch of another son, Augustus C. Umbreit. He was educated in the public schools of Milwaukee and the Waukesha high 34
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school, and then spent two years at the University of Wiscon- sin. His legal studies were pursued in the offices of H. W. Lander and Judge J. J. Dick, at Beaver Dam. He was admitted to the bar by examination in 1897, and he began the practice of his profes- sion at once in Beaver Dam, remaining there until January, 1901, when he came to Milwaukee and entered into a partnership with his brother, Augustus C., under the firm name of Umbreit & Um- breit. This association lasted until 1903, for the next three years he practiced alone, and then, in 1906, he again formed a business partnership with his brother, which is in force at the present time (1908). They carry on a general practice, are very successful in the prosecution of probate and civil cases, and also in criminal cases, although that class forms but a small part of their general business. Mr. Umbreit is a Republican, and while a resident of Beaver Dam filled the office of justice of the peace. In 1898 he was nominated on the Republican ticket for district attorney of Dodge county, but as the voting population of that district is three-fourths Democratic he failed to get the position, although he made an exceptionally good canvass against overwhelming num- bers. He belongs to the Milwaukee County Bar Association, to the Milwaukee Bar Association and to the Wisconsin State Bar Association. He is also popular in club and society circles, was for three years president of the Wisconsin Pony Bowling Associa- tion, and conducted three tournaments at the Calumet Club-to which he also belongs-in 1904, 1905, and 1906. He is considered one of the most promising among the younger attorneys of the city, and the firm of Umbreit & Umbreit professionally takes a high rank among the lawyers of the city and the state. Personally the members who compose it enjoy a large measure of the respect and esteem of their fellow citizens. The junior member of the firm belongs to the Evangelical Association. In Masonic circles he is a member of Kilbourn Lodge, No. 3, Kilbourn Chapter, No. I, and Kilbourn Council, No. 9.
John W. Wegner, a prominent attorney of Milwaukee, was born in that city on Aug. 18, 1862. His parents, Frederick and Caroline (Tesch) Wegner, are of German origin and came to this country in 1852. The father was a farmer by vocation, but is now retired from active life. John W. atteneded the public schools, there obtaining the elementary education which formed the foun- dation of his later acquirements. He attended first the Oshkosh Normal School and then the University of Wisconsin for his higher education, and was graduated in the latter in 1883 with the degree of LL. B. He began practicing law the following year, at first alone, and later be formed a partnership with Jefferson C. McKiney and John F. La Boule. At present he is a member of the firm of Wegner, Blatchley & Gilbertson, with rooms in the Rail- way Exchange Building. He has been associated for many years with very important legal cases, participated in the litigation con- cerning the consolidation of the street car lines in Milwaukee, and has done much business in the supreme court, having argued over
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