The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-11-07

Hiram Knowles was born 10 the year 1884,
at the house of his grandfather In Hamden
Maine. His father was engaged in maratims
commerce, and at the time was sea captain
and absent at the island Of Martinique
Owing to the financial crisis that followed
The veto of the National Bank charter by
President Jackson, he lost large portion OF
his fortune, aud in 1886 or 1887 removed
West and settled in what was then Hancock,
now Warren, county, Ills. In the following
year his wife joined him in the West. Here
his father resumed the practice of medicine,
for which he bad been educated, and In the
fall Of 1910 moved to West Point, Iowa, "a
Territory then) and continued his profession.
Iowa had then a population of about 40, 600
people, and the Bla khawk Indians were as
plentiful along the Mississippi in Iowa and
Illinois as Indians have been In Montana for
the past IS years. In lS47 the father re-
moved TO Keokuk, Iowa, where he generally
resided until his death In 1870. During
these years he had large practice. During
the war he had charge Of one Of the U. s.
Hospitals at Keokuk, and for a time was
Surgeon of q regiment Of U. S. Regulars at
Helena, Ark. For the eight or ten years
preceding his death be was a Professor in
the Iowa Medical University. In 1S49 the
cholera ragged with great fury at Keokuk, and
the clerk employed by DR.. Knowles IN his
Drug Store fed. Young Hiram was placed
temporarily In the vacated position, and re-
manned until the following spring. Then
the California fever, which had seized the
country, found the father, suffering in health
from the overwork and anxiety ofthe cholera
visitation, ready to join the Argsnauts, and
Hiram, who at that time could have maas
ready In an hour for an expedition TO the
L. .ol L.. l.
TO take him along. Father aud son reached
Hsngtown, now Placerville, Cal, July %,
1850. The father purchased a stock Of
miners goods In Sacramento and opened .
trading post In cloth house al Cold Springs,
some seven miles below Hangtown. Hiram
was placed in charge of the store, and the
father began the practice of his profession at
Sacramento, being urged to de so by his
friend, j. Nealy johnson, afterward Gov.
ernor of California. The fathers health
failing, and having q severe attack Of optbal.
mia, he relinquished his profession, sold
the store, and father and son started via Cen
trail America for their home In the States.
They stopped two months In Central Amer
lea, meantime circumnavigating Lake Near
aqua with party Of Americans, and reached
home in March, 1851. In the early summer
of 1851 Hiram commenced attending Col
lege that had been started NJ West Point, but
was Frustrated by . relapse of climatic fever,
Of which he had an attack In Central Amer
lea, and for some months had but precari-
Gus hold on life. His health finally improv-
ing, he took light employment in the mer-
camille house of bis uncle and partner at
Keokuk, and remained two years. His
health having been re established be entered
Denmark Academy, Iowa, remained q year
and half, and Is ranked rs one of Its grad
yates. From thence he went to Antioch
College, organized by the Christian church
Of Ohio, and whose President was the cele-
sachusetts, Horace Mann. There he re-
NAMED two years. In 1857 he went with
IN invalid sister to the home of relative In
Mississippi, remaining about . year, six
months of which time he taught in Pine
Land Academy. In the summer Of 1858
Horace Mann died and Antioch College was
shaken by the sad event. 1t was decided the
subject Of our sketch should not return
here, and In the summer of 1858 he entered
The law Office Of Messrs. Rankin & Miller As
he law student of Judge Miller, q warm
personal friend of his father. Hiram Knowles
vas admitted 10 the bar in Keokuk, Iowa, In
1859. The same autumn he entered the
Cambridge law school At Cambridge, Mass.
At that time Judge Parker, who had been
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New
Theophilus Parsons, ESQ.,, we'll
Known as the author of "Pafsons on Con.
iacts," aud Emory Washburne, author Of
.Washburne on Real Property" were the |
Professors. Hiram Knowles graduated there |
n 1860 and returned that fall to Keokuk and |
the practice Of law. His office |
djoined that Of his friend, Hon. George w. 1!
dGCrary, for time Judge of the Western |
]. s. Circuit, embracing Minnesota, Iowa,
Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, Kansas and |
ard during President Hayes nd |
Secretary Of War; also that Of |
General John Bruce, now one RI the u. s.
District Judges Of Alabama. In those days
hey were all struggling young fellows, and
whatever of books or Information they pos.
essed was common property. In 1862 the
ubject Of our sketch went 10 the Territory
( Montana. In the fall Of the same year
)rrian Clemens, the brother Of "Mark
'wain," then Secretary and Acting Governor,
ppointed Knowles District Attorney for
humboldt county, New. The glowing &C
cunts OF the mineral richness Of that region
iven him by his friend, Hon. William FL.
laeett, encouraged bis anticipations OF real
ling fortune In that mining region, and
he appointment was accepted. He was
fterward elected Probate Judge Of the
,unty, and for two or three years, like the
st of the Humboldt boys, PIT oil the
loney he hsd In the development OF mine,
but they didn't develop. In 1886 Frank
anabl, ESQ, . lawyer we'll known on the
scific coast, and Hiram Knowles, associated
law partners, and went to Idaho City,
here they practiced until 1866, when, hear
q of the rich mines Of Elk Greek, and
ear Gulch, Montana, Knowles removed ,
'efc, reaching Reynolds City June /, 1896.
snahl was TO Join him II the mines were Is !
,od ~ reported, but they did not realize ex-
The mines about Reynolds City