Progressive Men of Iowa
1899

CHRISTY, Ira Sheridan, expert violinist and one of the leading musicians of the state, resides at Keokuk and was born at Williamstown, Lewis county, Mo., March 1, 1866. He is the son of H. D. Christy, a farmer in easy circumstances, who came from a musical family and was a fine singer. Mr. Christy's mother, whose maiden name was Shoptaugh, was not a natural musician although an accomplished pianist.

Our subject learned the first rudiments of music from his mother. Still, she did not like violin music and compelled him to leave the house in the summer and go to the most distant room in the winter to practice. When he was 12 years old his oldest brother gave him a toy violin for a Christmas present and taught him to play a few simple tunes upon it. His brother took quite an interest in his progress and soon made him a better instrument out of a gourd, which he prized very highly.  With this same brother he played for small parties until he had earned enough to buy a $10 violin.

In 1880 he borrowed a so-called self-instructor for the violin, which he studied carefully for about a year. With the money he earned playing the violin he next made arrangements to take his first violin lessons of a German musician, who came every week to teach his sister piano music. He only took a few lessons and was compelled to stop for want of money.  He had no more lessons in music until he was 23 years of age. His father, while he seemed proud of his son's musical accomplishments, would not give a cent towards his musical education, but offered instead to send him to College if he would give up music as a profession. This, as might be expected, he refused. He was allowed to go to school three months in the year but did not take as much interest in that as in his musical studies, and at 16 years of age quit school altogether. He took up the study of harmony in 1883 alone, and also purchased his first good violin method, "David's Violin School," for which he paid $5, and was reprimanded very severely by his father for so doing. He, however, studied this work together with others all his leisure time for four years. In 1887, at the age of 21 years, he left home and located in Keokuk, leading the orchestra at the opera house and teaching violin for a season. The next season we find him in Des Moines loading the orchestra composed of members of the now well known "Iowa State Band." He also led the orchestra at the old Capital City opera house and played in L. S. Gerberich's Symphony orchestra. He traveled then for about two years with Peyton's Comedy Company No.  2, as leader of the orchestra. When he attempted violin solo work he received the most flattering press notices, but was still sadly in need of better schooling. Finally, by a written request, signed by all the members of his company, his mother was induced to furnish him with the necessary financial aid to continue his musical education under some of the best teachers.

He then, in February, 1891, took violin lessons of S. E. Jacobson for two years, during which time he received harmony under Adolph Koehling, followed by additional exercises to Richter's manual of harmony under Walter Petzett; then counterpoint under Louis Falk; and after that a few violin lessons from Bernhard Listemann.  At the same time he taught violin music in Chicago, making a specialty of the rapid and modern school art.

He returned to Keokuk in 1894 to resume work with his former pupils. Since that time he has been engaged especially in advancing the methods of violin teaching, having written and published in 1895, "The Analysis of Violin Playing, " which has been highly recommended and well received by leading violin teachers and players. At present he is compiling a "Synthetical Violin School," which, it is hoped, will be equally well received. During last season (97-98) he had charge of the violin department of the Ottumwa Conservatory.

He was married in Chicago September 7, 1892, to Lucy P. Bozeman. They have no children. A Keokuk paper says: The "Analysis" has the unqualified praise of America's greatest violin teachers and is said to be epoch making in the best sense. Mr. Christy is destined to be, if he is not already, one of America's greatest violin school reformers.  Since his return from Chicago his influence in establishing the modern school of violin playing in Keokuk, is very apparent as the progress of those fortunate enough to become his pupils will testify.

CRAIG, John E., one of the prominent lawyers of southeastern Iowa, is of Scotch-Irish descent Both lines of his ancestors were from County Down, Ireland, and their descendants settled in Pennsylvania.  His father was a farmer, in Washington county of that state, and attained prominence in public affairs as a democratic politician. Alexander K. Craig was in 1890 nominated by his party for representative in congress, and elected. His wife, Sarah F., was a daughter of William McLain, a prominent farmer of Washington county. 

Their son, John E. Craig, was born at Claysville, Pa., on the 14th of March, 1853.  He was educated in the common schools in his boyhood, and later entered Waynesburg college, attending there one year.  Young Craig earned his first dollar as a laborer in the harvest field. He began to teach country schools when but 16 years of age, continuing for four years during the winter season. He served one year as principal of Lebanon academy, in Allegheny county, Pa. He graduated with honors from Washington and Jefferson college in the class of 1877. He was a member of the Philo and Union literary societies. In May, 1878, he came to Iowa, settling at Keokuk, where he began to read law in the office of his uncle, Hon. John H.  Craig.

He was admitted to the bar in 1879, and, after practicing law alone for about a year, he became a member of his uncle's law firm-Craig & Collier. In 1884 Mr. Collier removed to California, when a new partnership was formed, taking in A. J. McCrary, the name of the firm being Craig, McCrary & Craig. At the death of John H. Craig in 1893, the name of the firm became McCrary & Craig. In February, 1895, Governor Jackson appointed Mr. McCrary district judge, and the firm was dissolved; the business of the office has from that time been conducted by John E. Craig alone. In the fall of 1885 Mr. Craig was nominated by the democrats to represent Lee county in the house of representatives of the Twenty-first General Assembly, and was elected. He became a prominent member of the house and served his constituents so well that he was re-elected, serving in the Twenty-second General Assembly during the winter of 1888, and became one of the most influential leaders on the democratic side of the house.

For eleven years Mr. Craig served on the Keokuk school board, taking a deep interest in the educational affairs of that city. In 1889 he was elected mayor of Keokuk, and in 1891 was re-elected, serving four years with great efficiency. He was chosen president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Keokuk, and became professor of medical jurisprudence of that institution. In 1896 Mr. Craig was elected prosecuting attorney for Lee county, and he is also president of the board of trustees of the public library of Keokuk.  He is a public-spirited citizen, taking an active part in all matters relating to city and county affairs. He is an able lawyer and a public speaker, who ranks high in his profession. In religion he is a member of the Westminster Presbyterian church.

After his father's death, the young son received a common school education and then entered Knox college, in Galesburg, 111. After completing the course there he went to St. Louis and graduated from the St. Louis Law school, one of the best in the country. He also studied law in the office of Hon. John Van Valkenburg, at Fort Madison, and in 1876 was admitted to partnership with Mr. Van Valkenburg, continuing till 1890, when the latter died. Mr. Hamilton has been connected with much of the most important litigation of Lee county, and has continued in practice alone since the death of his partner. In 1878 Mr. Hamilton was elected to the Iowa legislature as a democrat, and he has always acted with that party. He is one of the most conspicuous figures in the party councils of the state. In 1886 he was chairman of the committee on resolutions of the democratic state convention.  For four years he was city attorney of Fort Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Masonic lodges, and was grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias for the state of Iowa, and one of its supreme representatives.  During his term as grand chancellor, 1,500 members were added to the order through his efforts. As he is frequently in Chicago on business, Mr. Hamilton is a member of the Union League club. In 1878 he was married to Mary M. Rice, daughter of J.  M. and Kate Rice. Two sons have been born to them: Hale R. Hamilton and J.  D. M. Hamilton, Jr. The family belongs to the Presbyterian church.

HUBINGER, John C., manufacturer, millionaire and public benefactor, is one of the most remarkable men of this country; a Napoleon in business affairs, a man of destiny, through his own indomitable will, tireless energy and brilliant genius he has built up a magnificent structure on a financial foundation as solid as the rock of Gibraltar.

Mr. Hubinger was born in New Orleans, La., forty-six years ago, and is the son of John F. Hubinger, who was born in Bavaria, in 1828, and still survives, as well as his mother, who is a native of France.  It will thus be seen that Mr. Hubinger, having been born in Louisiana, is a Creole, a term peculiar to the state, and having the same significance as Buckeye to those born in Ohio, or Nutmegs to those who first saw the light of day in Connecticut.  At the age of 4 his family moved north and at Falmouth, Ky., young Hubinger received in the public schools the first and only educational training he ever received from any school system; this experience covered about four years of study, and he applied himself so closely that he got a fair foundation, which he has since built on by private study and observation, until today he can be considered a well informed man outside of business matters, in which he excels.

His career has been an eventful one, full of exciting incidents, and it is a remarkable fact that he was 30 years of age before he amassed his first thousand dollars, having innumerable ups and downs in life, but never despairing and always aggressive.  It would require a volume the size of this to recount a history of his life from the time he started out to earn a living up to the present time when he controls mil-lions of business interests, and is at the zenith of his usefulness. We will not at-tempt anything more than a passing notice of such facts as will interest his friends.  Of an inventive turn, he secured several patents which he sold to more or less advantage, and tried innumerable schemes at one time or another, succeeding at times and losing at others his little capital, through the boldness of his methods.  The idea of Elastic starch came to him years ago, when he acted as agent for a starch concern, and he had it constantly in mind, eventually arriving at the secret which he holds alone today, and which has made Elastic starch the most popular in the market.

In connection with his two brothers he founded the Elastic Starch company, at New Haven, Conn., under the name of The J. C. Hubinger Bros.' Co., and at a later period opened another factory at Keokuk, Iowa, where he subsequently amassed a large fortune and became known as one of the most enterprising and public spirited citizens in the state.

In the west his interests are colossal, as well as the ventures which he has made successful; among his holdings being large tracts of real estate, improved and unimproved, in different parts of the western country.

He is owner of the Keokuk street railway system, the electric light plant and system, the Mississippi Valley Telephone company, capitalized at $2,225,000. This takes in a large number of cities in that section, and is the most dangerous and largest competitor of the Bell Telephone company in America, having over 10,000 telephone subscribers.

A man of rare executive ability, he finds time to personally direct the policy of all the enterprises in which he is interested, and at the same time to evolve many more brilliant schemes of a local nature, all of which are put through in a practical and successful way.

The magnitude of his transactions almost surpass belief; in the starch business they dispose of about 25,000,000 packages each year, the legitimate profits from which are enormous, and in other ways he handles not less than $3,000,000 annually.  His liberality is the marvel of the country in which he is known, and at his palatial home, overlooking the historic Mississippi river, he and his charming wife dispense a boundless hospitality to those fortunate enough to be their guests. All the luxuries and benefits that wealth can procure are there supplied, and an at atmsphere of culture and refinement pervades the entire establishment.  Mr. Hubinger's family consists of himself, wife and four children, and while fond of promoting large enterprises, he is still fonder of the home circle and there spends all of his time that is not taken up by business cares.

MAXWELL Dr. Thomas Jefferson, professor of surgery and surgical clinics in the Keokuk Medical college, is one of the oldest practitioners and earliest settlers of Iowa. He was born in New Athens, Harrison county, Ohio, March 6, 1837, and came with his parents to Iowa in the spring of 1844. His father, John Maxwell, was a native of West Virginia, and came to Ohio in 1804, where he was married to Jane Orr, daughter of Robert Orr, who came to America in 1795 from County Tyrone, Ireland. John Maxwell was a wheelwright, and in 1842 sought a home still farther toward the frontier. He visited the territory of Iowa, and was present at Agency City when the treaty was concluded with the Sacs and Foxes for the purchase of the western part of the territory. Black Hawk's two sons, and Chief Keokuk, with 2,900 Indians, were present. The territory pleased Mr. Maxwell so much that he made immediate arrangements to move thither, and on the last day of April, 1844, with his wife, five daughters and one son, Thomas J., traveled by water to Burlington, where they landed May 14th, and proceeded across the prairie by team to Crawfordsville, Washington county, then a village of six houses. The country was then in all its virgin beauty, and herds of deer were seen feeding on the prairie along the way. 

The boy of the family had two or three terms of school in a log schoolhouse in Ohio, and afterwards in the district school in Iowa, and at the age of 17 he attended an academy in Crawfordsville. Afterwards he taught school and found it an even better discipline, out of which he learned more than he did when he went to school himself. He was not without experience on the farm, and his first earnings were from working twelve to fourteen hours a day dropping corn at 25 cents a day. For a time he clerked in a general merchandise store in Crawfordsville, where hogs and produce were bartered for goods, the hogs being sold by the farmers at$1.50 per cwt., and paid for in wildcat money that was gotten rid of as soon as possible.  In the spring of 1858 young Maxwell began the study of medicine with Dr. J. D.  Miles. He entered the medical department of the State university, then located in Keokuk, and took two courses of sixteen weeks each, graduating February 22, 1861.  Nearly all of his class of thirty-two at once went into the army, being about equally divided between the north and the south. 

Dr. Maxwell was commissioned assistant surgeon of the Third Iowa cavalry, January 7, 1863, and was present at the surrender of Vicksburg, where he was in charge of a general hospital for cavalry in that vicinity, having at one time 369 patients under his care. The regiment having been divided, (part under Col. H. C.  Colwell, part under Colonel Bussey), was reunited in Little Rock, Ark., and was in the campaign around Memphis, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky., from there to Eastport, and assisted in the capture of Selma, Ala., having several engagements with Gen. N. B. Forrest. Dr. Maxwell was left in care of the wounded of both union and confederates, quite a number having been captured at Planter's Station. Gen.  N. B. Forrest, after having been driven from Selma, came to the hospital and took possession. Dr. Maxwell was therefore a prisoner for a few hours in the hands of that noted rebel general. He took part in the assault and capture of Columbus, Ga., April 16, 1865. Surgeon Maxwell was transferred to the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth United States Colored troops, as surgeon, at Atlanta and was mustered out January 7, 1866.

He resumed the practice of his profession in Washington, Iowa, but he removed that summer to Olena, Henderson county, 111., where he practiced until 1878. He removed with his family to Keokuk in the spring of 1882, and three years later was elected to a position in the faculty in the College of Physicians and Surgeons. In the spring of 1890 he and other members of the faculty of that college organized the Keokuk Medical college, in which he occupied the chair of surgery and surgical clinics. He is a member of numerous medical societies in Iowa and Illinois, and in the nation, and is an elder in the United Presbyterian church.  Dr. Maxwell has always been a republican, and is a member of the G. A. R., and a member of the Loyal Legion. He was married in Crawfordsville, Iowa, October 30, 1866, to Elizabeth S. Riley, a native of Richmond, Jefferson county, Ohio. They have been blessed with six children, of whom three are living: Ralph S., born August 16, 1867, died April 16, 1868; Nellie G., born May 18, 1869, died August 16, 1872; John R., born July 16, 1871, now a practicing physician in Keokuk; Mabel Clare, born September 9,1873, died in New Mexico September 13, 1893; Maud B., born December 22, 1876; and Helen J., born September 27, 1879.

The two oldest sons are graduates of Notre Dame university, and the daughters finished their education with Madames of the Sacred Heart academy, Chicago, and by extensive travel at home and abroad.  The business of the Morrison Mfg. Co.  now absorbs the attention of Colonel Morrison and his two sons; Vincent E., who is superintendent and W. I., who is secretary of the company. Branch houses and wholesale depots are kept in all the principal distributing points west and south and some foreign trade is developing. The company are also wholesale dealers in buggies and carriages, and are taking steps to establish a carriage factory to be run in connection with the plow works.

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