the schools of British Columbia, where he had accompanied his parents
on their removal during his childhood days. He was therefore reared on
the western frontier. Becoming imbued with a desire to enter upon a
professional career, he became a student in the Walla Walla College,
which he attended for six years, and in 1907 he entered the medical
department of the University of Oregon at Portland and there won his
professional degree as a member of the class of 1911. He afterward
served for a year as interne in the Good Samaritan Hospital of that
city and while thus engaged gained the broad and valuable experience
which can be secured in no other way as rapidly and as accurately as in
hospital practice. In March, 1912, he was made superintendent of the
Walla Walla Sanitarium, over which he has since presided. He has held
to the highest standards in its management and conduct and has made it
largely an ideal institution.
On the 14th of August, 1907, Dr. Reith was married to Miss Grace M.
Wood, a native daughter of Walla Walla county, her father having been
one of the early pioneers of this section of the state. He arrived
about 1856, when the Indians were still numerous throughout Washington
and when the work of progress and development was scarcely begun. He
brought into Walla Walla county the first harvester ever seen here
and he was closely associated with many initial movements which have
resulted in the upbuilding and benefit of the county. His wife was a
singer of considerable note and she was also the first teacher of music
in Whitman College; likewise in St. Paul's and in Walla Walla College.
She brought into this county the first organ ever within its borders.
To Dr. and Mrs. Reith have been born two children, Margaret Isabel and
Mabel Elizabeth.
Dr. and Mrs. Reith are members of the Seventh Day Adventist church and
guide their lives according to its teachings. The Doctor is a member
of the Washington State Medical Society and the American Medical
Association and through his connections with those organizations keeps
in close touch with the trend of modern scientific thought, research
and investigation. He has developed pronounced ability in the line of
his profession, is very careful in the diagnosis of his cases and
accurate in his judgment. In his hospital work he has developed a
splendid institution, one in which the most thorough care is given to
patients, and the success which has attended the work secures to it a
continued patronage.
MAJOR PAUL H. WEYRAUCH.
Major Paul H. Weyrauch, for many years connected with the United States
regular army, a veteran of the Spanish-American war and now major of
the Washington Field Artillery in the United States service, is a
valued resident of Walla Walla, where his business connection is that
of president of the Blalock Fruit & Produce Company. He was born in
Barmen, Germany, April 4, 1873, a son of Ernest and Johanna (Piper)
Weyrauch. The father died in Germany in 1886 and in 1889 the mother
came with her family to the United States, two of her elder sons having
preceded her to this country. With her younger children she settled
in the state of New York, where she resided to the time of her death,
which occurred in January, 1917.
Major Weyrauch was a youth of sixteen years at the time he accompanied
his mother to the new world. He was educated in the public schools
and in preparatory schools of his native country, and after crossing
the Atlantic he worked for his brothers, who were engaged in silk
ribbon manufacturing in the Empire state. After spending two years
in that way he went to New York city, where for some time, through
the financial panic of 1893, he was employed at whatever he could get
to do that would yield an honest living. However, he was possessed
of a good education and marked enterprise and subsequently secured a
position as shipping clerk and bookkeeper in a silk factory at College
Point, Long Island. He continued to act in that capacity until 1895,
when he entered the service of his adopted country as a member of
the regular army. He was first stationed at College Point and while
there saw much of the army engineers stationed at Willets Point, about
three miles from College Point. He became impressed with this branch
of the service, and with the hope of later securing a commission, he
joined the service and was assigned to the First Artillery at Davids
Island, New York, there remaining for almost two years. He then went
with his command to Key West, Florida. While at Davids Island he had
endeavored to be transferred to the hospital corps, where there was
greater opportunity for advancement, but his commanding officer did
not want to let him go and his transfer did not occur until after he
had reached Key West. In May, 1897, however, he became a member of
the hospital corps and on the night of the blowing up of the Maine,
February 15, 1898, he was sent to Havana, Cuba, with Major Paul
Clendemin to assist the Maine survivors, being the first enlisted man
to be sent to Cuba after the destruction of the battleship. In April,
1898, he was made hospital steward and served as such at Key West
Barracks, Florida, at Fort Jefferson on the island of Dry Tortugas, at
Washington Barracks in Washington, D. C., at Fort Monroe, Virginia, at
Hilton Head, South Carolina, and at Fort Screven on Tybee Island in
Georgia, thus continuing until August, 1899, when he was transferred
to the Twenty-eighth United States Volunteer Infantry as hospital
steward and served with that regiment in San Francisco, California,
and in numerous places in the Philippine Islands. He took part in
various engagements in the Orient and in February, 1901, he took the
examination for a commission, General Pershing, now commanding the
American forces in France, being then president of the examining board.
Major Weyrauch was commissioned a second lieutenant of cavalry to date
from February 2, 1901, and was assigned to duty with the Fourteenth
Cavalry Regiment, with which he served at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and
also in the Philippine Islands, while in December, 1905, he came to
Fort Walla Walla with his regiment. While in the Philippines he took
part in several campaigns against the Moros under General Leonard Wood.
[Illustration: MAJOR PAUL H. WEYRAUCH]
Following his return to the United States, Lieutenant Weyrauch
was assigned to duty as quartermaster at Boise Barracks in Boise,
Idaho, and later was detailed to the Army School of the line at Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas. He returned to Fort Walla Walla in the fall of
1906 and was retired from active service on the 1st of March, 1907, at
which time he again entered civil life.
On the 11th of February, 1907, Major Weyrauch was united in marriage
to Miss Edith Moffatt, a daughter of Mrs. Edith G. Moffatt, widow of
Lieutenant William P. Moffatt. The father of Mrs. Edith G. Moffatt was
the son of the old pioneer, James P. Goodhue, who was among the first,
if not the first, settlers of the Walla Walla valley. To Major and Mrs.
Weyrauch have been born two children, Paul Russell and Mary Jane.
Soon after his retirement from the army Major Weyrauch served as
assistant engineer of the city of Walla Walla for a short time and on
the 11th of April, 1907, he became connected with the Blalock Fruit
Company, with which he filled various positions, his first position
being that of bookkeeper. He was later assistant secretary, also
assistant manager, and in April, 1910, became general manager of the
company, in which position he still continues. On the 1st of January,
1916, he organized the Blalock Fruit & Produce Company, of which he
is the president. This company is a shipping concern and handles
the entire output of the Blalock orchards and also that of adjacent
tracts. This organization is also a factor in the marketing of all the
fruits and vegetables grown in the valley and the business, under the
guidance of Major Weyrauch, has been very profitably conducted from the
beginning.
Aside from his connection with interests of a personal character Major
Weyrauch has figured prominently in promoting interests that have
to do with the material upbuilding and prosperity of the community.
In April, 1913, he was elected a member of the board of trustees of
the Walla Walla Commercial Club and he served as president of the
club from April, 1914, until April, 1916. He was also instrumental
in organizing the Fruit Growers' Agency, Incorporated, was elected
its first president and has done much to further the interests of the
organization, which is composed of growers' and shippers' organizations
in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, and is
fostered by the bureau of markets of the Department of Agriculture.
He was reelected president in April, 1917, and is still serving in
that capacity. He has been a director of the National Apple Show held
in Spokane since 1913. Fraternally Major Weyrauch is a prominent
Mason, belonging to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 7, F. & A. M.; Walla Walla
Chapter, R. A. M.; Walla Walla Commandery, K. T.; Spokane Consistory,
A. & A. S. R.; and El Katif Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Spokane.
He likewise belongs to Walla Walla Lodge, No. 287, B. P. O. E., and
is a member of the Spanish War Veterans, belonging to General Lawton
Camp No. 7, of which he is a past commander. His interest in military
affairs has never ceased. In February, 1910, he organized Company K
of the Second Infantry Regiment of the Washington National Guard and
commanded the company until January 1, 1911, when he was appointed
quartermaster of the Second Infantry and thus served until July, 1912,
when it became necessary to resign owing to his increasing business
interests, which were making constantly greater and greater demand
upon his time and attention. But there came a day when he felt that
military duty was paramount to all else and in July, 1917, he organized
the First Battalion of the Washington Field Artillery and on the 9th
of July was commissioned major. The battalion was mustered into the
federal service September 30, 1917, and on the 9th of October left
Walla Walla for Camp Green, North Carolina, where they remained until
October 25th. They then proceeded to an Atlantic seaport and sailed for
France, December 24th, arriving there safely January 9, 1918. Major
Weyrauch has faithfully served his adopted land in military capacities
for many years--a splendid example of the loyalty expressed by many
men of German birth who recognize their obligations to the country
under whose laws they have found protection and by whose privileges
and opportunities they have benefited, while in return they render the
utmost allegiance and loyalty.
OSCAR E. GRANT.
Oscar E. Grant, who is extensively and successfully engaged in farming
in Walla Walla county, near Prescott, was born January 23, 1870, and
is a native son of the state of Washington. His parents were Jonathan
and Elizabeth Grant, the former a native of Indiana, whence he removed
westward and established his home in Walla Walla county, Washington, at
a very early day. Here he passed away, while his widow, who was also
born in Indiana, is still living.
Oscar E. Grant spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Walla Walla
county, as he has the period of his manhood. He was early trained to
the active work of the farm upon his father's place and devoted the
summer months to the tasks of plowing, planting and harvesting but in
the winter seasons attended the public schools. He has never sought
to change his occupation but has found in agriculture a vocation
thoroughly congenial and one which has proven highly profitable to him.
He now owns eight hundred acres of fine wheat land in this section of
the state, together with some pasture land. His fields are thoroughly
cultivated and his progressive methods produce substantial results.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. OSCAR E. GRANT]
On October 30, 1895, Mr. Grant was united in marriage to Miss Mary E.
Pettijohn, whose parents are mentioned elsewhere in this work. To Mr.
and Mrs. Grant have been born three children, Mark H., Samuel O. and
Elda M., all at home. For forty-eight years or since his birth, Mr.
Grant has been a resident of this section of the state, so that he is
largely familiar with its history and with the events which figure
most prominently in its annals. He has seen its broad lands claimed
and cultivated. In the days of his youth there was much open range
and stock raising was an important feature of business life in this
section. Today all of the land is owned individually and the work of
improvement has transformed the tracts largely into productive fields
devoted to grain raising. He has borne his part in this result and is
today one of the progressive farmers in the vicinity of Prescott.
JAMES M. CORNWELL.
James M. Cornwell, a pioneer of Walla Walla county, was a man of such
inherent strength of character that the position of leader was accorded
him by his fellows without his seeking prominence. The determination
which throughout life was one of his most salient characteristics was
never more clearly shown than during the months when he worked his way
with wagon teams across the plains to the west and especially when,
having left the train, he and his brother walked the distance of three
hundred miles from Fort Boise, Idaho, to The Dalles, Oregon, over a
country unknown to them, fighting the exhaustion and discouragement of
starvation.
His birth occurred in Orleans, Orange county, Indiana, August 7, 1834,
and his education was that usually received by farm boys in those early
days. His father, Payton Cornwell, who was a native of Kentucky, in
1839 removed with his family from Indiana to Edgar county, Illinois,
and there the mother died when our subject was but nine years old.
At that time the family was broken up and the eight sons found homes
among strangers. In 1852 James M. Cornwell, at the age of seventeen
years, with an older brother, Francis M., aged nineteen years, started
on foot from Iowa for the Pacific coast with a capital of only five
dollars between them. On arriving at a town on the Mississippi river
James M. Cornwell worked as a teamster for an emigrant, who in turn
was to furnish him with food until they reached St. Joseph, Missouri.
In addition to this the brother was permitted to put his little bundle
of clothing in the wagon. All that was left of the five dollars was
spent for crackers to eat along the journey and at St. Joseph both
of the brothers found employment as teamsters with a train bound
for Oregon. According to agreement they were to receive their food
on the trip but in addition to acting as teamsters were to continue
in the service of their employer for one month after reaching the
coast. This train was made up of professional men and their families
and when they reached Fort Boise, Idaho, late in the season after a
six months' journey, they found themselves short of rations. Fearing
starvation, the owners of the teams proposed to the teamsters that the
latter leave the train and go on ahead and take care of themselves as
best they could. Eight of the teamsters, including the two Cornwell
brothers, agreed to this plan and left Fort Boise on foot with three
days' rations and started for The Dalles, Oregon, three hundred miles
distant, which was the nearest point where there was any certainty of
obtaining food. It was a desperate chance to take, but it seemed the
best under the circumstances and they hoped that somewhere along the
way they could find food. As the days passed their scanty store was
used up, although they made it last as long as possible and as they
came down the west slope of the Blue mountains to Meacham's creek they
were almost famished. There they came upon an emigrant camped near
the water and found that he, too, had met with misfortune. His family
one by one had died and been buried along the trail, his cattle were
worn out and could go no farther, and his food supply was exhausted.
In order to sustain life he killed one of the almost starved oxen and
hospitably fed the party of eight teamsters. After leaving this man
the party of eight resumed their journey, one-half of which still lay
before them. On reaching Alkali Flats one of the men lay down exhausted
and the others went on, for there was no alternative. The only hope of
any surviving was to press forward as rapidly as possible. One by one
the men gave up and lay down exhausted until only the two brothers were
left. These two journeyed hand in hand, each assisting the other as now
one and then the other staggered and seemed about to fall. On reaching
John Day ford they came across an Indian who had a fish weighing about
a pound, for which James gave him a shirt and was glad to make the
exchange. From that point on the journey was a nightmare and at length
they lost hope and the older brother proposed that they, too, lie down
and give up the struggle. Still they staggered on, their weakness
causing them to sway as if drunk. Suddenly James saw a light and,
renewing their efforts, they at length managed to reach it and there
found an emigrant with the surviving members of his party encamped in a
nook somewhat sheltered from the wind. However, there was little hope
to be obtained here, for the family had been living on corn meal gruel
for days and had so little that they could spare none. However, they
gave the brothers a quilt and allowed them to sleep on some boxes in
the wagon. Even so, the cold of that October night chilled them and
James became delirious, but in the morning he was able to again resume
the weary way westward. After they had gone some distance they met an
Indian with a rotten fish on the banks of the Columbia and James traded
a knife for the fish, which the brothers ate in spite of its decayed
condition. When they reached the Deschutes river they gave an old
pistol as pay for being ferried across the stream and on reaching the
other bank, to their great surprise and joy, were overtaken by six of
their comrades whom they supposed to be lying dead on the Alkali flats.
Somewhat heartened by this reunion, they continued their journey and at
length reached The Dalles. James Cornwell was chosen by the party to go
to the commissioners stationed there by the people of Oregon for the
purpose of relieving destitute emigrants, but on asking for provisions
he was told that food was scarce and rations could be given only to
widows or orphans of men who had perished on the way across the plains.
However, at length he succeeded in getting two pounds of flour, which
was made into bread by a kind emigrant woman. Strengthened by this
food, they continued their journey westward and at length reached the
Willamette valley.
The Cornwell brothers engaged in hunting during the first winter in
Oregon and the following summer James farmed land on shares, but it was
almost impossible to find a market and the autumn found him with as
little money as when he reached Oregon. He then took up a ranch in the
timber nine miles southwest of Portland and resided there until 1861.
His brother, Francis M., who had accompanied him on their terrible
journey to the west, lost his health partly as the result of the
hardships endured during those six months and at length settled near
our subject and passed away in February, 1858. Mr. Cornwell of this
review remained upon his homestead in Oregon until 1861, when he sold
that property and went to work in the Oro Fino mines, where he spent
the greater part of the summer. During that time he filed on a ranch
near Dry creek, six miles north of Walla Walla, Washington, and in the
fall he came by wagon with his father-in-law to his claim in Walla
Walla county. That winter was the hardest and longest in this part of
the state and all his cattle starved to death. Although he was thus
compelled to again start with nothing, he was confident that in time he
would win success. He brought his family to Washington and during the
summer of 1862 operated a farm on shares. As he was dissatisfied with
the tract of land which he had taken up he sold it and bought a portion
of the T. P. Denny ranch on Dry creek, which, however, he subsequently
disposed of. In 1868 he purchased the Kimball farm of one hundred and
twenty acres on upper Dry creek, nine miles northeast of Walla Walla,
and for a long period there made his home. He harvested good crops and
so managed his business affairs that he received a good income from his
labors and, recognizing the fact that land would increase in value,
he systematically invested his capital in farm property, becoming at
length the owner of twelve hundred acres of wheat land and one hundred
and sixty acres of timber land.
Mr. Cornwell was married March 16, 1857, to Miss Mary Tucker, who died
on the 25th of April, 1858. On the 20th of October, 1859, Mr. Cornwell
was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Stott and they became the
parents of the following children: Laura, the wife of C. S. Robinson,
of Walla Walla; Oliver T., whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work;
Charles E., a resident of Tacoma; Nannie E., the wife of A. M. Cation,
of Walla Walla; Arthur G., also of Walla Walla; Minnie E., the wife of
Albert Cheney, of Trout Lake, Washington; and Raleigh, who died when
about sixteen years of age. The mother of these children passed away in
June, 1893, and Mr. Cornwell died in Walla Walla about 1898.
Mr. Cornwell was a staunch advocate of republican principles and served
in the territorial legislature as a joint representative from Walla
Walla and Whitman counties. His ability won recognition in that body
and he was acknowledged to be one of its most valued members. Whether
the matter in hand was some question relating to the management of his
large farm properties or some problem of government he was always quick
to distinguish between the essential and the non-essential factors in
a situation and resourceful and sound of judgment in advising a course
of action. The same spirit of dogged perseverance that led him as a
boy of seventeen to refuse to admit defeat and lie down to die when it
seemed humanly impossible to continue further on the way to Oregon was
manifest throughout his entire life and that which he undertook was
successfully accomplished.
JOHN P. ANDERSON.
John P. Anderson is one of the worthy citizens that Sweden has
furnished to the new world and although he came to this country in
limited circumstances, he is today one of the well-to-do ranchmen of
Walla Walla county, owning a valuable tract of three thousand acres.
He was born in Sweden on the 15th of July, 1853, and is a son of
Andrew Bengston and Bula Johnson, who spent their entire lives in that
country. In their family were seven children, four of whom are still
living--one in Sweden and the others in America.
John P. Anderson passed his boyhood and youth in his native land, where
he pursued his education in the public schools. Believing that better
opportunities were afforded young men on this side of the Atlantic,
he came to the United States in 1872 and after spending three years
in Illinois proceeded westward to Washington. Locating near Walla
Walla, he was in the employ of others for two years and then took up a
homestead, where he has since spent the most of his time. As the years
have gone by he has steadily prospered in his farming operations and
has added to his property until he now owns three thousand acres of
land, all improved, and he also has a beautiful home in Walla Walla
surrounded by eight acres of ground, on which he raises all kinds of
fruit.
In early manhood Mr. Anderson married Miss Anna Gamberg, also a native
of Sweden, and to them were born nine children, of whom Arthur and
Mabel are deceased. Those living are Victor, who is now on the ranch;
Bessie, at home, and Melvin, Carl, Bengt, Otto and Alice, all in
school. The wife and mother passed away November 15, 1916, leaving many
friends as well as her immediate family to mourn her loss, and her
remains were interred in Mountain View cemetery. She was an earnest
member of the Christian church, to which Mr. Anderson also belongs,
and in politics he is a staunchrepublican but has never been an office
seeker. He is one of the self-made men of the community, his success in
life being due to his own energy, enterprise and good business ability.
ALONZO L. SANFORD.