W. E. BERNER, of Jamestown, has by his own efforts and ability worked himself up from telegrapher to the important position of division superintendent of the Northern Pacific Railroad and is recognized as one of the able executives of that company. He was born in Meriden, Minnesota, August 6, 1868, a son of William T. and Mary (Wilcox) Berner, the latter of whom is deceased. The father, who followed agricultural pursuits during his active life, is now living retired at Waterville, Minnesota. To them were born three sons and three daughters.

W. E. Berner was educated in the public and high schools at St. Charles, Minnesota, but when fifteen years of age began his business career, becoming a telegraph operator in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad in 1883. After remaining with that road for four years he became an operator in the service of the Northern Pacific road, and he worked in that capacity until 1889. He was then made train dispatcher at Jamestown.  In the same year he entered the employ of the Wisconsin Central Railroad as dispatcher at St. Paul, which office he filled until the spring of 1890, when he again became connected with the Northern Pacific, becoming chief dispatcher and train master. In 1907, when the old Dakota division was divided into the Fargo division and the Dakota division, he went to Fargo as train master, in which office he served until the spring of 1912. He was then stationed at Livingston, Montana, where he remained for two years, but in the spring of 1914 he was promoted to the position of division superintendent with offices at Jamestown. He has supervision over seven hundred and seventy-seven miles of track and keeps in close touch with conditions throughout his division. His thorough understanding of railroading and his ability to gain the cooperation of those under him qualify him for his present position as an executive. The operation of his division is kept up to a high standard of efficiency and his work has gained the commendation of his superiors.  He believes firmly in the prosperous future in store for North Dakota and has given practical evidence of his faith in the state by investing in farm land.

On Christmas Day, 1890, Mr. Berner was united in marriage to Miss Julia Schmutzler, a daughter of Ferdinand Schmutzler, and they have four children: Veta, who is teaching domestic science in the Park County High school located at Livingston, Montana; and William, Glenn and Vernon.

Mr. Berner is a republican, but has found no time to take an active part in politics. He holds membership in the Presbyterian church, to the support of which he contributes.  He has given his best energies and his undivided loyalty to the service of the railroad which he represents and his rapid promotion is but the merited reward of his faithfulness, his initiative and aggressiveness and his administrative ability.

CHARLES SUMNER BUCK, who is engaged in the practice of law in Jamestown, was born at Steamburg, New York, on the 16th of March 1868, a son of Amasa and Lucy (Hayward) Buck. The paternal ancestors came from England in 1635 and the maternal ancestors from the same country in 1640. Representatives of the family in both lines were found in the war of the Revolution. Amasa Buck was born at Bath, New Hampshire, and served as a soldier in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company H, Sixty-fourth New York Volunteer Infantry with which he continued for three years and three months. He died in 1879, while his wife, who was born at Sodus, New York, March 7, 1837, passed away in 1891.

Charles Sumner Buck attended Chamberlain Institute at Randolph, New York, from which he was graduated with the class of 1887. In 1893 he removed to North Dakota, locating at New Rockford and two years later he came to Jamestown. He afterward became a student in the University of Minnesota, at Minneapolis, and was graduated therefrom in 1902 with the degree of LL. B., having there prepared for the bar. In the meantime he had worked on the home farm as a boy and had later clerked in a drug store for seven years. He then became a commercial traveler in North Dakota, spending three years in that way and since 1903 he has continuously practiced law in this state.  He was also cashier of a bank for two years and a half but the major part of his attention for the past decade and a half has been given to his law practice. For five years he has been general attorney for the Midland Continental Railroad and his private practice has been of an important and distinctly representative character. For four years he has been a director of the Midland Continental Railroad and he is a director of the Jamestown Gas Company.

At Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the 29th of August 1900, Mr. Buck was united in marriage to Miss Nellie M. Lenhart, a daughter of W. and Mary Lenhart. Her father was a soldier of the Civil war and one of the early pioneers of Iowa and North Dakota.  The children of this marriage are Lucy Elizabeth, who was born April 4, 1902; Charles Sumner, Jr., born July 1, 1905; and Marian Luella, born April 6, 1907.  The religious faith of the family is that of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Buck has served as one of the elders of the church since 1909.

He was one of the committee of five that organized the present Young Men’s Christian Association in Jamestown, and is one of its directors and takes an active part in its work. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, the Elks and the Knights of Pythias, Politically he is a republican of the conservative, progressive type. He believes in protective tariff and in a reasonable military preparedness, a preparedness for defense rather than for attack. In 1913 he was elected a member of the North Dakota legislature and as both lawmaker and lawyer he has made an excellent record, doing much to uphold the legal and political status of the state and to further advance intellectual and moral progress.

JOHN H. CANHAM, of Jamestown, Stutsman county, is manager and part owner of the Western Electric Company, which is one of the important industrial concerns of the central part of the state. He was born in Nova Scotia, October 27, 1864, a son of John and Mary (Henderson) Canham. His father, who was a farmer by occupation, settled in North Dakota in the fall of 1879, homesteading land on the Wild Rice river.  Subsequently he removed to Idaho and he and his wife are now residing at Moscow, that state. There are nine children in the family, seven sons and two daughters.

John H. Canham received his education in the Dominion of Canada, attending school during the winters. From the age of eight years he worked during the summers and when sixteen years of age he learned steam engineering. He worked for two years on the Missouri river and was subsequently employed in Bismarck for three years. For twenty-six years he has been connected with the Western Electric Company, which he and his wife purchased thirteen years ago and of which she is president and he is manager. The capacity of the plant has been increased a number of times and it supplies light to the city of Jamestown, pumps the water for the city and also furnishes heat. It has nine blocks of mains in the city and represents an investment of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. It furnishes employment to fifteen men and its business is of such volume that an up-town office is maintained.

Mr. Canham was married on the 23d of February 1888, to Miss Agnes McHarg, a daughter of John McHarg, a veteran of both the Mexican and Civil wars. Three children have been born to this union, Lottie, Norma and Louise.  Mr. Canham casts his ballot in support of the republican party and he has served on the city council, and fraternally is connected with the Elks, the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen and the Masonic order, in which he has attained the Knights Templar degree, and has crossed the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He holds membership in the Young Men’s Christian Association, which affiliation indicates the high standards that govern his conduct. He is a public-spirited citizen and cooperates heartily in the various projects of the Commercial Club, of which he is a member. He believes firmly in the great future in store for North Dakota and does all in his power to further its development along all lines.

FRANKLIN A. CARLEY, who is engaged in the implement business in Montpelier, is a native of New England, his birth having occurred near Mount Tabor, Vermont in January 1849, his parents being Alva B. and Lucina (Greeley) Carley, who in the year 1855 left their Vermont home and removed westward to Wisconsin, settling at Stephensville, near Appleton. There the father took up the occupation of farming, which he continued to follow until his life’s labors were ended in death in 1871. His wife has also passed away.

Franklin A. Carley had scarcely begun his education when the removal was made from Vermont, so that his studies were largely pursued in Wisconsin, where he continued to live until 1879. He was married in that state in 1871 to Miss Liza McAllister. He continued to engage in farming with his father until the latter’s death, after which he cultivated the home place for about nine years and then disposed of it preparatory to removing to North Dakota in 1879. This was then a frontier state and he homesteaded on section 24, township 137, range 63, Stutsman county. He complied with the law’s requirements and became owner of the place and he still lives upon the farm, which he transformed from a tract of raw prairie land into a highly cultivated property, continuing to actively engage in the work of the fields until 1896, when he accepted a position with the Andrews Grain Company at Montpelier as manager. He remained with that company for twelve years and also handled the lumber and coal trade for several years. In fact he controlled all the business interests of the village- except the general store. In 1907 he took full charge of the interests of the Lutz Lumber Company and continued in that connection for about two years, after which he was obliged to go to a hospital, where he remained much of the time for two years. He had previously also been engaged in the farm implement business but in 1908 he severed his connection with all other interests and concentrated his efforts upon the farm implement trade. He now carries a large stock and is conducting a profitable and growing business. He also farms two quarter sections of land and lives upon that place and in addition he owns eight lots in the village, upon which his store is located.  From 1883 until 1887 he and his wife conducted the noon stage depot or relay station on the stage line from Jamestown to Oakes, and so excellent was their table that their meals became renowned and they had a large trade.

Mr. and Mrs. Carley became the parents of seven children but lost their firstborn, Bert A. The others are: Hattie, now the wife of W. N. Campbell, a real estate dealer and ranchman living at Medford, Oregon; Edith L., the wife of I. H. Porter, a truck farmer residing at Gold Hill, Oregon; Roy E., postmaster at Montpelier; Frank H., who is agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company at Glover, North Dakota ; L. Isabelle, who is a graduate of the Valley City Normal School and for three years taught at Wyndmere; and I. Margaret, who is attending the Agricultural College at Corvallis, Oregon, where she is pursuing a general course in domestic science and chemistry.

Mr. Carley has always been deeply interested in the cause of education and has given his children good opportunities in that direction. He served as clerk of school district No. 7, in Stutsman county, from 1881 to 1889 and then became clerk of district No. 14.  He was largely instrumental in securing the erection of the fine new high school building, which is the best in this part of the state. He stands at all times for progress and improvement and believes that one can give to the young no better aid than to provide them with liberal educational opportunities. For thirty-seven years Mr. Carley has been a resident of the state and has therefore witnessed much of its growth and development, taking an active and helpful interest in all that has pertained to public progress and improvement in his community.

JUDGE J. A. COFFEY, since his elevation to the bench in 1911 has gained a place among the most able and most impartial judges of the state and holds the confidence of the bar and the general public alike. His official duties make the first demand upon his time and attention but he takes a great deal of interest in farming and in all movements that tend toward making it more scientific and efficient. He holds title to a large amount of land and personally supervises the operation of two excellent farms.  Judge Coffey is a native of North Carolina and was born on the 4th of July 1872.  His parent a were Patterson V. and Martitia (Estes) Coffey, the former of whom died in Eugene, Oregon, in 1911 and the latter in 1910. The father was a successful farmer and was highly esteemed in his community. In 1888 he removed with his family to the Pacific coast. To him and his wife were born six children, two sons and four daughters, the brother of our subject being Dr. R. C. Coffey, of Portland, Oregon, who served at one time as vice president of the American Medical Association, and is one of the lending surgeons of the United States.

Judge Coffey was educated in the public schools, at Willamette University, of Salem, Oregon, where he took his preparatory work, and at the University of Idaho, graduating from the classical department thereof in 1897. Subsequently he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he took a course in stenography and typewriting, and still later took up the study of law in the night school of the University of Minnesota, continuing his work therein for three years. During the daytime he worked in law offices and in the loan department of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, thus gaining practical experience that was of great value to him when he began the independent practice of his profession. Following his graduation in law in 1900 he remained with the insurance company for two years, after which he engaged in inspecting lands with the view of determining their fitness as security for loans, and he also devoted considerable time to the examination of titles. In July 1903, he removed to Wahpeton, North Dakota, where he engaged in the practice of law in partnership with F. B. Lambert, of Minot. In November 1902, he removed to Stutsman county and established an office in Courtenay, where he continued to practice law until appointed judge of the fifth judicial district by Governor Burke. He removed to Jamestown in 1912, and was chosen by the people for a term of four years in that year and in 1916 for another term of four years. His thorough knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence, of statute law and of precedent, combined with his natural fairness and openness of mind, fit him admirably for his duties as judge and his record on the bench is a most creditable one.

Judge Coffey is a firm believer in the possibilities of North Dakota as an agricultural state and in connection with others owns five thousand acres of land and he oversees the renting of this tract. He also supervises the operation of two farms which he owns individually and which are among the best improved places in his section of the state. All the buildings are of the most modern design and construction and he has a number of silos as he believes in the value of ensilage of stock food. He grows alfalfa, sweet clover, blue grass, wheat grass and timothy and raises stock extensively, specializing in short-horns and Red Polled cattle and in Duroc-Jersey and Poland China hogs. He also has a fine young orchard and makes the development of his farm his recreation, sparing no labor nor expense in bringing it to the greatest degree of perfection possible. He has demonstrated that North Dakota is adapted to the successful raising of field crops and his example has been a factor in the promoting of scientific farming in his district.

On the 30th of December 1902, Judge Coffey was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Andrews, of Faribault, Minnesota, and their children are two in number, Robert and Eleanor.

The Judge is a democrat in politics but never allows partisan considerations to influence his conduct on the bench. He is an elder in the Presbyterian church, to the support of which he contributes generously, and his influence can always be counted upon to further the right. He is also a trustee of Jamestown College, located at Jamestown, North Dakota. He is identified with the Young Men’s Christian Association, believing that it is one of the most efficient organizations in the building of strong, upright manhood, he also cooperates with the projects of the Commercial Club, of which he is a member, and has proved himself a broad-minded and public-spirited citizen.

CHARLES E. DAVIS, cashier of the Millarton State Bank, is a western man by birth, training and preference and the spirit of western enterprise finds expression in his active business career, for he is a representative of that class of men who in advancing individual interests also promote public progress and improvement. He was born in Glencoe, Minnesota, in 1883, and is the third in order of birth in a family of eight children, seven of whom are living. He is a son of John and Hettie (Drew) Davis, both natives of Maine, the former born in 1848 and the latter in 1854. The father became a general merchant and contractor.  He spent the period of his minority in the Pine Tree state and upon attaining adult age, in 1869, left New England for the far west. He went first to Minnesota and afterward to Oregon, where he and his wife are now residing. He has put aside business cares and is enjoying a period of well earned rest.

To the public school system of his native state Charles E. Davis is indebted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed and when he had mastered the branches of learning taught in the common and high schools he became a student in Hamline College of St. Paul, Minnesota. He did not complete his course there and when he put aside his textbooks he immediately entered the Bank of Glencoe at Glencoe, Minnesota, which was established before the Civil war and was later reorganized as a state bank. He continued in that connection for a period of three years in the capacity of bookkeeper and clerk, and left the bank to accept a position with the firm of Ross & Davidson, a bank syndicate of North Dakota. He afterward became teller in the First National Bank of Williston, North Dakota, where he remained for a year, when he was transferred to the First National Bank of Courtenay, with which he remained for a year. He was next employed in the James River National Bank at Jamestown, where he spent five years, at the end of which time he removed to Millarton, where in June 1913, he entered upon the duties of cashier of the Millarton State Bank. He has since been active in the management and control of that institution and he also speculates in farm lands and handles city real estate. His judgment concerning property values is good and his investments have been carefully made, bringing to him a substantial financial return.

Mr. Davis studies closely the political problems and questions of the day and votes with the republican party. He has served as treasurer of the district school board but has never sought nor held political office. In fraternal circles he has become widely and favorably known, belonging to Hope Lodge, No. 42, F. & A. M., at Glencoe, Minnesota, Millarton Lodge, No. 155, I. 0. 0. F., and the Modern Woodmen Camp, No. 2335, also at Glencoe. His religious faith is evidenced in his membership in the Methodist church and he has always endeavored to guide his life by its teachings, being recognized as a man of high principles and of sterling worth.

DR. RICHARD GAY De PUY, who has gained a place among the successful and able physicians of Jamestown and Stutsman county, was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on the 24th of September 1855. His father, Captain Richard Gay De Puy, who was born in Ohio and was a lawyer by profession, gave proof of his patriotism by enlisting in a regiment of Michigan volunteer infantry and was killed in battle at Gaines Mills, Virginia, on the 27th of June 1862. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Frances Matilda Pierce, was born in Vermont and reached the advanced age of ninety years, dying in 1913. They were the parents of four children, of whom our subject is the third in order of birth.

Dr. Richard G. De Puy was forced to meet his own expenses at an early age owing to his father’s untimely death, but his energy and ability are such that he not only provided for his material needs but also secured an excellent education. After completing the courses in the grammar and high schools of Ann Arbor, Michigan, he entered the University of Michigan there, from which he was graduated in 1879 with the degree of A. B. and two years later with the degree of M. D. He continued his professional preparation for another year, serving during that time in the College Hospital, but in June 1882, he located in Jamestown, North Dakota, and opened an office for the practice of medicine.  He has since built up a large patronage and holds the respect not only of the general public but also of his professional brethren. He keeps abreast of the developments of medical science by constant study and reading, and has taken post graduate work in the Chicago Homeopathic College. He is also a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy and of the Stutsman County Medical Association. Although his practice requires the greater part of his time and attention, he supervises his ranching interests, which are extensive, as he owns twenty-two hundred acres of land near Jamestown. He is also a director in the Citizens National Bank.

Dr. De Puy was married on the 5th of September 1883, to Miss Charlotte Lloyd, a daughter of Thomas B. and Mary (Patton) Lloyd. She passed away on the 30th of December 1887, leaving two children, Anna Estella and Thomas Lloyd. On the 3d of March 1897, Dr. De Puy was again married, Miss Elizabeth Bonham becoming his wife. She is a daughter of Thomas B. and Octavia (Green) Bonham.

Dr. De Puy is a republican and has served for twenty-seven years as county physician, an unusual record, which indicates the confidence placed in him. He has also been city health officer and has likewise served on the school board. In all of these capacities he has proved able and conscientious in the discharge of his duties. He is well known in local fraternal circles, being both a thirty-second degree and a Knights Templar Mason, and being also identified with the Elks, the Eagles, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Labor Federation. He is an influential member of the Presbyterian church and for many years has served as trustee thereof, doing much in that time to promote the growth of the church. He is very fond of outdoor life and finds needed recreation in hunting, fishing and motoring. He has been prominent in the good roads movement and has done much to improve the condition of the roads in his county. He is a man of many interests and has aided in promoting the public welfare along varied lines of activity.

CHARLES DRAWZ, manager of a general merchandise store at Edmunds and also postmaster of the town, was born in Minnesota in 1884, a son of Carl and Eliza (Sacliow) Drawz, the former a native of Germany and the latter of Minnesota. The father became one of the pioneer settlers of Minnesota and there carried on general farming for many years, his death occurring in 1910. His widow survives and is now living at Minot, North Dakota.

Charles Drawz is the sixth in order of birth in a family of seven children, all but one of whom are now living. He mastered the branches of learning taught in the district schools of his native state and afterward became a high school student in Browerville, Minnesota, while subsequently he pursued a business course in Minneapolis and thus qualified for life’s practical and responsible duties. After leaving school he entered the employ of the Haas Mercantile Company of Jamestown, North Dakota, and remained with them for a period of six years, having come to the state in 1905. He removed from Jamestown to Edmunds when made manager at that place for the Haas Mercantile Company, which had established a general store there, and since 1913 he has continuously been in charge, making a success of the business, in which connection he employs two clerks. A complete line of general merchandise is carried and the trade has steadily grown and developed.  Mr. Drawz’ previous experience had made him well qualified to undertake the management of this business and he had also become well known in commercial circles. He undertook the work entrusted to his care with enthusiasm and his devotion to the interests of the business has made him one of the successful general merchants of this part of the state.

In 1911 Mr. Drawz was married to Miss Adeline Lueck, who was born at Spiritwood, North Dakota, in 1887, a daughter of John and Louise Lueck, who were early residents of this state and are now making their home in Jamestown.  On the 15th of May 1913, Mr. Drawz was appointed postmaster at Edmunds, which position he has since filled. Fraternally he is connected with Camp No. 1477, M. W. A., at Jamestown, but he makes all other interests subservient to his business affairs, concentrating his efforts chiefly upon the management of the store and the extension of its trade.

NELS P. FALK, a hardware merchant of Montpelier, was born near Skane, Sweden, on the 8th of April 1866, and the first twenty years of his life were spent in the land of his nativity, during which period he pursued his education and worked on the home farm for his father. He is a son of Peter S. and Elna Falk, both of whom have now passed away, the former in 1888 and the latter in 1910. Their family numbered four children Swan, Nels P., Martin and Anna.

Nels P. is the only one who ever came to the United States.  It was in May 1887, that he bade adieu to friends and native land and crossed the Atlantic to the new world, settling at Wilmar, Minnesota, when a young man of twenty-one years. He resided in that locality for two years, working at farm labor and also attending school. In 1889 he arrived in North Dakota, settling in Jamestown, where he was employed for four years, but desirous of engaging in business on his own account, he rented land north of Montpelier in 1894 and in 1896 took up a homestead claim on section 26, township 136, range 63, in Stutsman county. He at once began to develop and improve the property and in time was given title to the land. For seven years he remained upon that farm, converting it into a neat and attractive tract of land, but in 1906 he removed to Montpelier and has since been identified with its commercial interests.  Here he purchased a hardware business—a small stock in a small building. Concentrating his energies upon the development of the trade, success attended his efforts and in 1910 he erected a large building and now carries an extensive and complete line of hardware, implements and harness. He has a good trade and his business is constantly growing in a satisfactory manner. He has ever realized that satisfied patrons are the best advertisement, and he has done everything to please his customers. Aside from his mercantile interests he is interested in the Montpelier Farmers Elevator Company as one of its stockholders and he is farming about three-fourths of a section of land, thus being actively and prominently connected with agricultural interests in Stutsman county. Upon his place he has one hundred and ten head of full blooded Duroc-Jersey hogs, also shorthorn Durham cattle, and he utilizes both horses and a tractor for his farm work. In fact he follows the most modern and progressive methods and accordingly wins most substantial results. In the early days he met many hardships and with some difficulty gained a business start, in fact he had to go to the woods of Minnesota and secure work there in order to obtain a little ready money, but he combined industry with perseverance and with diligence and determination at length overcame all difficulties and obstacles in his path, so that he is now on the road to success and fortune. He certainly deserves all that he has acquired, for it has come to him as the merited reward of persistent, earnest and honorable labor.

NORMAN E. FJOSEE, Intelligently directed effort has brought Norman E. Fjosee to a creditable position in connection with the financial interests of Stutsman county and the eastern part of the state, for he is now cashier of the First State Bank of Edmunds. He was born in Decorah, Iowa, August 12, 1884, a son of N. N. Fjosee, a native of Norway, who came to the United States in 1852. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Helvig Tandberg, is also of Norwegian birth and is now living in Decorah, but the father passed away in December, 1915, after having devoted his entire life to general farming and stock raising.

Norman E. Fjosee is the youngest of a family of six children, all of whom are yet living, and the schools of his native city afforded him his educational opportunities. After his textbooks were put aside he entered the State Bank at Matlock, Iowa, an institution that has now passed out of existence. He was employed as stenographer in the bank there for a period of a year and a half and later he entered the employ of the firm of Comstock & Buttz, attorneys of Minnewaukan, North Dakota, with whom he continued for six months, during which period he learned to draw up legal papers, which was his purpose in accepting that position. He then went to Morristown, South Dakota, where he became cashier in the Morristown State Bank, with which he was connected for three years. On the expiration of that period he arrived in Edmunds, North Dakota, and accepted the position of cashier in the First State Bank, in which capacity he has continued since 1912. He is a popular and obliging official, always courteous to the patrons of the bank and at the same time carefully safeguarding the interests of those whom he represents. This bank was organized in 1907 by John McCarty, W. C. Norem and W. C. Wescom, and from the beginning it has had a prosperous existence. Mr. Fjosee is also interested in farming, having two excellent tracts of land which are now being cultivated under his direction and from which he derives a substantial annual income.

In 1913 Mr. Fjosee was married to Miss Matilda Jacobson, who was born at Sauk Center, Minnesota, in 1885, her parents having been among the first settlers of that part of the state. Her father has now passed away, but her mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs.  Fjosee have one child, Wayne, born February 22, 1916.  Politically Mr. Fjosee is an earnest republican, having a firm belief in the efficacy of the party principles as factors in good government. He has attained high rank in Masonry, holding membership in the blue lodge at Lemmon, South Dakota, and in the Scottish Rite bodies at Aberdeen, that state. He is a member of the Lutheran church and his influence is always given on the side of moral progress, reform and improvement. A young man, he has already won a creditable position for himself as a business man and as a citizen, and Edmunds is proud to claim him as one of its representatives.

ROBERT GETTY, Commercial enterprise in Stutsman county finds a worthy representative in Robert Getty, who owns and conducts a general store at Montpelier. A native of Ireland, he was born on the 1st of December 1875, a son of John and Margaret (Agnew) Getty, who are also natives of the Emerald isle, on which they resided until 1880, when they left that country to seek a home in the new world. Settling in Minnesota, they purchased land near Blue Earth and there the father concentrated his efforts upon general farming, his work bringing to him a measure of success that has enabled him to provide comfortably for his family. To Mr.  and Mrs. Getty were born six children, of whom Robert is the third, and the family circle still remains unbroken by the hand of death.

Robert Getty was a little lad of but five summers when the voyage to the new world was made and in the schools of Minnesota he pursued his education, while upon the home farm he was trained to habits of industry, economy and perseverance. When not busy with his textbooks his attention was given to the work of the fields and he continued to assist his father until he attained his majority, when he began farming on his own account. The year 1905 witnessed his arrival in North Dakota, at which time he settled in Kidder county, where he homesteaded, thereafter giving his attention to general farming and stock raising until 1910. His labors were manifest in the cultivation of the fields, which annually brought forth good harvests. He worked diligently day after day in reclaiming the wild land and converting it into productive fields. In April, 1911, he removed to Crystal Springs, where he entered the general mercantile field, remaining there until November 1914, when he established a store at Montpelier, having disposed of his interests at Crystal Springs. At both places his business was attended with a steady growth consequent upon his close application and keen business discrimination. His stock of goods is attractive and in the management of his store he is assisted by one clerk and also by his wife. He is still interested in farm lands from the standpoint of a speculator and he owns property in Kidder county.

In 1900 Mr. Getty was married to Miss Edith Cook, who was born in Blue Earth, Minnesota, May 21, 1876, a daughter of Silas and Hannah Cook, both early residents of Minnesota. In their family were six children, of whom Mrs. Getty is the third. The father is now deceased but the mother still resides at Blue Earth. Mr. and Mrs. Getty have three children: Eva, born February 21, 1906; Hazel, born May 18, 1909; and Berniece, born December 21, 1911.

In his political views Mr. Getty is a republican and his fellow townsmen, appreciating his worth and ability, have called him to several local offices. He was formerly a member of the town board and was president of the board in Tanner township, Kidder county, for two terms. He also served on the school board of the same township for four years. He is an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the lodge at Jamestown.  He attends the Presbyterian church of Montpelier and the rules which have governed him in all of his life’s relations are those which measure up to high standards of manhood and citizenship. Almost his entire life has been passed in the west and the spirit of enterprise which has led to the rapid development of this section of the country has been manifest in his entire career, gaining him advancement along the lines of his chosen life work.

A. M. HALSTEAD, has gained a competence by well directed labor in former years and is now living retired in Jamestown, Stutsman county. He was born in Indiana on the 28th of October 1860, a son of John and Sarah (Martin) Halstead. the former a farmer by occupation. The mother died when our subject was a child and the father passed away when his son, A. M., was twenty-one years of age. The two brothers of our subject are J. E., who is proprietor of the Jamestown Steam Laundry, and A. P., of Canada.

A. M. Halstead was educated in the common schools and in the normal school at Ladoga, Indiana, and made his home with his grandmother until he began his independent career. Before he became of age he became connected with merchandising and in 1883 he came to North Dakota and located in Jamestown, where he engaged in the livery business for ten years. At the end of that time he formed a partnership with H. B. Wood for the conduct of a livery barn and they also owned a furniture store. Subsequently Mr. Halstead sold the livery business to his partner and became the sole proprietor of the furniture business, which he conducted successfully for ten years. He then closed out and purchased a bowling and billiard hall and bottling works, of which he was the proprietor for twelve years. His various ventures were successful and he is now living retired. He still owns five quarter sections of fine land which he rents and he is a director of the Hebron Fire and Pressed Brick Company, which manufactures pressed and fire brick, which is used in the construction of many of the principal buildings in this section. He was an organizer and is a director of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank of Jamestown, which was established in 1889.

In March 1908, Mr. Halstead was married to Miss Augusta Schultz, a daughter of Gottlieb Schultz, and three sons have been born of this union: Harold, seven years of age; Everett, aged three; and Stanley born in 1915. Mr. Halstead is a democrat and has served as chairman of the central committee. He is active in politics and has been called to office, having served as county treasurer and as mayor of Jamestown. He finds a great deal of pleasure in outdoor life and spends a great deal of time in the open.  During the winter seasons he lives in Florida but his chief interest is in North Dakota and he has great faith in its future development.

GILBERT R. HORTON, who makes his home in Jamestown, Stutsman county, is one of the best known architects in his part of the state and has erected many important buildings, especially school buildings. He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on the 10th of November 1888, a son of Gilbert L. and Annie (Napier) Horton. The father, who is a traveling salesman, is living in Litchfield, Minnesota, but the mother is deceased.

Gilbert R. Horton attended the public and high schools of Litchfield, Minnesota, the University of Minnesota and the University of Washington, adding to his general education the study of mechanical engineering. Since leaving school he has gained gratifying success as an architect. In the spring of 1911 he located in Jamestown, where he has since remained.  Among the buildings which he has erected are the following: the Consolidated school of Montpelier and the Consolidated Hebron school in Wells county; schools at Woodworth, Goodrich, Warwick, Nortonville, Wilton, Coleharbor, Mercer, Streeter, McKenzie and Edmunds; the graded and high schools at Ellendale; the high schools at Medina, Mandan, and Linton, and at Veblen, South Dakota; the hospital at Carrington; the residences of H. C. Flint, Dr. W. A. Gerrish and A. Sundahl and of W. T. Martin at Edgeley and J. A.  Buchanan, of Buchanan; a store and office buildings for the W. B. S. Trimble Company at Jamestown and L. W. Blaisdell at Medina; and bank buildings at Edmunds and Clemontsville.  He has remodeled and built an addition to the following: the Northside high school at Jamestown; the State Bank at Kimball, Minnesota; and the public school at Denhoff.  He has also built an addition to St. Mary’s Episcopal church and to the business building owned by A. D. Grant and Morris Beck and has remodeled the offices of the Dakota Meat Company, the office of the firm of Movius & Wood, the passenger and freight depots for the Midland Continental Railroad at Jamestown and a garage building for .J. E. Anderson.  He has likewise installed the mechanical equipment in the Carrington high school and in many other buildings. He has specialized to a considerable extent in schools and besides those schools mentioned has erected many one room schoolhouses.

Mr. Horton was married on the 10th of November 1913, to Miss Evangelyn M. Roberts, a daughter of R. A. Roberts, of Jamestown, and they have one son, Gilbert E.  Mr. Horton is a republican in politics and takes an active interest in affairs of public concern. He is especially active in the good roads movement, as he realizes the close connection between the development of a district and its highways. He is fond of all outdoor sports and finds much recreation in baseball and motoring. His religious faith is that of the Protestant Episcopal church and at all times he strives to conform his conduct to high standards. He is one of the youngest architects in the state and is also one of the most successful, having gained an enviable reputation in his chosen profession.

G. M. JORVE, is a representative of commercial interests at Ypsilanti, Stutsman county, where he is conducting a store. He was born near Rothsay, in Wilkin county, Minnesota, November 23, 1879, a son of Martin and Elnora Jorve, both of whom were natives of Norway and came separately to the United States. The father entered land in Minnesota, casting in his lot with the pioneer settlers there. He devoted his attention to the occupation of farming for a considerable period, or until his life’s labors were ended in death. His widow still survives. They were parents of ten children, of whom three sons are now living in North Dakota.

G. M. Jorve, the eldest of the family, pursued his education in the public schools near his boyhood home and worked upon the farm until he attained his majority, early becoming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. On reaching man’s estate he secured a clerkship in a store in Rothsay, Minnesota, where he remained for two years and then went to Omaha, Nebraska, where he resided for four years, and there engaged in the printing business in connection with job printing establishments. He formed a partnership with his uncle, Julius Lynstad, with whom he continued for three years, and was afterward alone in business for a year. He then sold the printing business and removed to Ypsilanti, North Dakota, where he erected a two-story business block and opened a hardware store. A few years afterward he bought out the business of the Jamestown Implement Company’s branch and is now carrying a complete line of hardware, implements, harness, vehicles and automobile supplies. The business is conducted under a partnership relation, Mr. Jorve being the senior partner. He carefully directs his commercial interests, following thoroughly reliable methods and at all times conforming his trade to high commercial standards.

In the fall of 1911 Mr. Jorve was married to Miss Ethel Swartwood, a native of Minnesota, and they have two sons, Vernon and Harold. In politics Mr. Jorve is an independent republican and is now serving as constable of his district. He holds membership in the Lutheran church and his influence is always on the side of progress and improvement, right and truth. In his business career he has gradually worked his way upward, always placing his dependence upon industry and determination, which are his salient qualities. He is never too courteous to be busy or too busy to be courteous. His is a well balanced life and the high standards to which he adheres have made him a man worthy the respect which is uniformly given him.

WILLIAM E. KELLOGG, editor of the Jamestown Alert, is one of the most widely known journalists of the state, having been identified with newspaper publications here for a third of a century. When statehood was being agitated he was one of the leaders in the movement and has at all times been an advocate of progressive measures. He was born in Pittsfield, Illinois, in 1857, a son of D. F. and Helen Kellogg, both members of old New England families. They were pioneer settlers of Illinois and performed well their part in the development of their section of the state.

After completing the course offered by the public schools of Pittsfield, William R.  Kellogg entered the Illinois College at Jacksonville, Illinois. In 1882, in early manhood, he came to Dakota territory and became connected with the Fargo Argus under Major Edwards, one of the pioneer publishers of the state. He worked on the Argus until 1885, when he purchased the Jamestown Alert, which he has conducted during the three decades that have intervened. He has made the paper one of the most influential dailies in the state and it has time and time again been felt as a strong force making for advancement and civic righteousness.  Its progressiveness and the reliability of its news columns have gained it a wide and representative circulation and it carries a large amount of high grade advertising.

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