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Although most of the Englishmen who took up residence in northwestern Iowa went to farming either for themselves or as pupils or farm laborers for others, some preferred to find work in neighboring towns, even when they owned land in the country. It is manifestly impossible to know what all these men did, but the following account may be taken as. typical of what they set their hands and heads to. (216)
Besides the three Close brothers and Con Benson, who, as already related, did so much everywhere to bring untilled soil under cultivation and sold it in vast quantities, many more engaged in other lines of business. John Hopkinson and Fred Paley formed a partnership to do a commission business; and when the former became steward for the Close farms in Osceola County, Paley continued with J. C. Brockbank who had dissolved a partnership with Frank C. Cobden. The latter erected a fine brick block in Le Mars. Montague J. Chapman set up as a general insur- ance agent and later with H. Rickards advertised insurance, real estate and loans, the Floyd sale yard, feed stables, and stock sheds.
W. Gladstone was a steamship agent at Sibley. Robert Grouse and Sydney Milne maintained a business partnership until the latter's death at Hot Springs. Herbert Cope, an old resident of China, sold tea specially selected and shipped to him directly by old friends in China and Japan, and for several years he was advertised to the public as "tea importer" so that English residents of the country could not have lacked their favorite afternoon beverage.
Maclagan, Warren, and Watson built a large sale yard and did a general commission business. James Brough Warren sold his Floyd Meat Market with its roast beef for Englishmen and went to Larchwood to take charge of the Sykes estate. A. W. Maitland served as Captain Moreton's private secretary. The English owners of the Le Mars Pork Packing House with a capacity of four hundred hogs a day were Roberts, Frost, and Heaphy, but for a time they killed on only one day a week. Mr. Frost, once a London "bobby", also shipped live stock and grain from Merrill. J. H. Grayson joined John Morgan in brick making. Leuric Charles Cobbe, Charles Eller, and Alfred H. Paget bought the soap factory of Frost and Company and are said to have brought to the business "the vigor and sagacity and at the same time the conservative tendencies of the commercial classes of England where they received their training." The Le Mars Land and Stock Feeding Company was capitalized at $125,000 with Captain Moreton as president in May, 1884, other Englishmen also taking stock.
Dr. J. Twidale began practice at Le Mars in March, 1882, his professional card reading "Bachelor of Medicine, Master in Surgery, Licentiate in Midwifery, University of Edinburgh, Scotland." He does not appear to have tarried long; nor did Howard F. Deakin who arrived in the spring of -1.884 as "barrister to practise". W. Thomson, a son of the Archbishop of York, after spending a while at Quorn Farm, decided to go into law at Sioux City. Somewhat later "an English C. Q. S. (1st class)" sought an engagement as tutor in. a family for the winter. W. G. Harcourt Vernon began his career as bank cashier at Kingsley in 1884 and afterwards went to Sioux City. Charles Mylius entered a bank at Dalton, and afterwards owned the Sioux City Planing Mill before going back to the old family place on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. G. C. Maclagan and Henry J. Moreton worked V as cashiers in the bank at Le Mars, the latter now being engaged in the grain business at Minneapolis. A. C. Colledge, who also resides in the Flour City, still has a real estate, insurance, loan, and collection business in charge of Adair Colpoys at Le Mars.
Tom Dealtry, once a Moreton "pup", and later buyer of grain and stock at Maurice in Sioux County, is now with Woods Brothers at Sioux City ; while his neighbor and former Rugby schoolmate, Henry H. Drake, who worked a farm for several years, is now employed by Armour and Company. Percy E. Prescott, for many years a resident of Sioux County and popular starter of horse races at the annual fair, has in recent years owned and managed the Palace Dray Line at Sioux City. Richard Latham is a reporter on the Sentinel at Le Mars, where also Frederick K. Veal and G. A. C. Clarke of the early comers may still be found, the former owning a lumber yard. (217)
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216 It is hardly necessary to substantiate the statements made in the next few pages of the text : information on the various activities in which Englishmen engaged was obtained from Le Mars newspapers covering the years 1880-1887, as well as from individuals.
217 The writer visited Le Mars during the summer of 1921 and became indebted to Mr. Colpoys and Mr. Ed Dalton for many statements in this article. Acknowledgments are also due to Mr. Henry H. Drake of Sioux City with whom the writer spent a very pleasant afternoon talking about the early days. Mr. Drake is an Exeter College, Oxford University, man.
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