Progressive Men of Iowa
1899

HERTERT, Emil Benedict Mathias, was born at Eich, near Luxemburg, Germany, August 7,1855. His father, Mathias Hertert, was a tanner by trade, and November 28, 1851, married Catherine Probst.  Both were natives of the grand duchy of Luxemburg. Emil's early schooling was received at Weimerskirch, near his birthplace, and in 1866 he entered the college of Beauregard, near Thionville, Alsace. He finished his education at the agricultural college at Ettelbruck, Luxemburg, in 1870. 

Mr. Hertert came to America in 1872 and located at Luxemburg, Dubuque county, Iowa. He remained in Dubuque and Clayton counties until 1878, when he removed to Shelby county, where he has since resided. For a number of years, he engaged in farming, and in 1884 was appointed deputy auditor of Shelby county, under John W.  Herrod, who was then auditor. In 1887 he resigned that position, and with his brother, Lucien R. Hertert, purchased the land, loan and abstract business of Aldenk Riley, which is still under his management and supervision. They have also a branch office at Pierce, Pierce county, Neb., which is conducted by the brother, Lucien R., who resides at that place. The business at both places is carried on under the name of Hertert Bros., and has been remarkably successful and prosperous.

Since he became a voter, Mr. Hertert has been affiliated with the democratic party. He is a member of the school board at Harlan, and has been a member of the city council for eight years. In November, 1897, he was a candidate upon the fusion ticket for treasurer of Shelby county, and was elected.  He was married at Dubuque, December 16, 1878, to Mary Muller, who was born in Niederauven, Luxemburg. They have had seven children: Charles N., born January 2, 1880; Lucien R., born October 22, 1881; John P., born June 25, 1885; Victor C., born January 24, 1888; Amelia M., born September 21, 1889; and Mary C., born August 23, 1891; Anna M. died December 11, 1889.

WHITNEY, Cassius Henry, of Harlan, county attorney of Shelby county, is a promising young lawyer. His father, Daniel R. Whitney, a farmer of Scotch descent, was born in Ohio July 16, 1822. He was married February 25,1847, at Rives, Mich., to Isypheny Dow, who was of Dutch descent, and was born November 6, 1827, in Garrard county, Ky. To them ten children were born, and eight are now living- seven sons and a daughter, of whom Cassius H. is the youngest, save one. D.  R. Whitney was an early settler in Iowa, coming with his family to Marshalltown in 1857, where he was engaged in freighting, or hauling goods from Iowa City, the nearest railway station, to Marshalltown, Fort Dodge, Webster City, and other pioneer towns. After a few years the family moved onto a farm near Le Grand, in Mar-shall county.

Here C. H. Whitney was born, June 8, 1865. He was brought up on the farm, and secured his early education at the country school, one of his first teachers being Dr. G. H. Hill, now superintendent of the hospital for the insane at Independence. In March, 1876, he moved with his parents to Shelby county, which was then but sparsely settled. They lived at first in a log house on a rented farm, but soon purchased a farm of 240 acres, which young Cassius helped to break and improve. He entered the Harlan high school in September, 1884, remaining until the following March. In the fall of 1886 he aided in the construction of the Manilla & Sioux City branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, acting in the capacity of " dump boss. " In November of that year he began teaching, and in this he continued alternately with farming until early in the spring of 1888, when he entered Western Normal college at Shenandoah, of which O. H. Longwell was then president.  Here he stood well in his classes, as he had done in the high school, and took an active part in the social and literary life of the institution He paid his own way through school, out of the savings of former years, and graduated in July, 1889. During the following year he again taught school, and read law under the direction of his brother, Jesse B., a graduate of the law department of the State university, who was at that time serving his second term as county attorney. Cassius H. was admitted in September, 1890, to senior standing in the law department of the State university, from which he graduated the following June.  He entered into partnership, August 5, 1891, with his brother and former instructor, with whom he is still associated, under the firm name of Whitney Brothers. By close attention to business they have succeeded in building up a good practice, although they are the youngest firm in the city.

Mr. Whitney is a democrat, but is liberal in his political, as in his other, views.  In March, 1896, he was elected city solicitor of Harlan, on a non-partisan ticket, receiving about two-thirds of all the votes cast for the office. At the general election that year he was elected county attorney on the fusion ticket, receiving the largest vote of any candidate on the ticket. Mr. Whitney is a member of the American Institute of Civics, and is a Mason, Knight of Pythias, and Modern Woodman. He was married April 5, 1893, to Hattie E. Records, who was born in Delaware, but has been a resident of Iowa since childhood. They have one child, Agnes, born August 27, 1894.

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