Charles W. Beggs, Pioneer Merchant
by
Lt. Col. Ronald Ringsrud (Ret.)
There's no way to pay tribute to somebody you admire other than teLLing his story. Fate and good luck brough! this man to Dakota TerrLtory. This story is based on the autobiographtcal sketch of CharLes W. Beggs which was found in the Chicago Historical Society archives by Miss Hazel Conway, aformer Elk Point teacher. The story is wrttten to reflect quotes by Mr. Beggs and commentary by the author.
"Born in Peoris, Illinois, July 31, 1840 and moved in 1844 with my father and mother. Father rented a house for which he paid eleven dollars per month rent until he could build a 15x15 shed on the south side of the old fort.
"My father and mother lived in the frame shed until he could build a little house about a quarter of a mile south of the old fort where we stayed until I was 15 years old. When he sold off 60 acres of his farm and bought a nice house on the Juliet Road in Plainfield where I stayed with the family and went to Plainfield College School until I was 22 years old.
"Then I rented the old farm of father and went into the stock business raising cattle. I kept this up for 5 yrs. Then I began to think I ought not spend my whole life on a farm. So I advertised my stock and machinery for sale. and, as good luck had it, all was sold and all my debts paid and I had just $4000 to start on.
"But I could not remain idle and was very enthusiastic so I started for the Pittsburgh-Harrisburg, PA oil regions thinking I could make a million. But every move I made there was against me and I struggled along for 6 month and not ahead one dollar.
Then my dear old mother was taken sick in Plainfield and I started for home and only managed to get there before she passed away. I stayed around Plainfield for a month or two until I heard that my brother James was going to Pike's Peak with a load of goods to sell in Denver, Co, and I thought I could make some money out there, but as I did not think it best to take the balance of money I had. So I started for Des Moines, IA and purchased a quarter section of wild land so that I would not lose it all.
"Then started for Omaha, NE to meet brother James, with whom I expected to ride in his wagon but found there was no room for me, so I bought a horse and saddle and all started for Denver, about 500 mi.
"Me on horseback and no place for me to sleep nights but under the wagon on the ground. I would get so tired riding the horse that I would have to get off my horse and walk half the distance and picket my horse out during the night to eat grass, whtch was about all he had to eat. Well, after taking the trip which took many days and rainy nights, we landed in Denver and then what to do for employment was the hardest job I ever undertook. After looking around day after day I started for Pike's Peak and the only job I could find there was shoveling sand out of the side of a large mountain at $1 a day and no place to sleep nights so I had to take my place in a hay mow in a barn.
"Well, I shoveled sand into wagons day after day until my throat and lungs got so full of sand I could hardly breathe. I got so frightened I did not know what to do, so had to quit the job as I was not able to do a thing and how to get back home was the next question, as I thought I would not live to get back. But as good luck would have it a teamster with a loaded wagon said he would take me if I could sleep under the wagon. So home I started but my throat and lungs were so filled up with sand that I never expected to get there.
Then after days of travel and nights of rain I landed in Omaha with my throat and lungs nearly well. So I boarded a train and started to sell my land. I was fortunate enough to get about what I paid for it so I had a little left when I got back, but on arriving at home I found that my father had married a second wife. After a few weeks I found it was no place for me. Where to go or what to do was a question that I could not answer. But as good luck would have it I received a letter from Charles Northup, one of my old friends from Plainfield, that was then in Elk Point in South Dakota and asked me to come right out and go into business with him. Well. if you ever saw a happy boy, that was C.W.B. in fact.
Note: Charles W. Beggs was a very religious man and through his quotes there were many references that he would give 10% of all his profits as long as he lived to help the poor and other good works. However after numerous failures in his enterprises he began to think that he had not given $1 to charity as he had promised. It was not until he was firmly established in his Elk Point business that he was able to do so.
"So I counted my money over and found that I had $365. left after paying expenses out to join him in business and he had $500. We hunted the town over to find a store that we could rent but the only building we could find was an old saloon 16x20 and a shed out back. We put up some shelves and a small counter or table and wrote Mr. Chitendon (a friend of Mr. Northup) to go to Chicago and establish our credit and buy us a small lot of dry goads and graceries, and as soon as they came we put out a sign and started to sell. After about 6 months we had quite a gaod trade. Well to our surprise everything went splended and in about 2 yrs. we decided we could build a store.
"We bought a cheap lot (located where the city auditorium now stands) and as we had no spare money we started to dig the cellar ourselves (working before and after business hours) and at last we had it done in goad shape. Then to start the buildings, 25x40, two stories and after 1 yr. it was completed. We moved into it and such a trade as we had was a wonder to all the people in town. But mind you I never forgot my promise to my guardian angel. Every years the stack was invoiced and my 10% was delivered to charity as I agreed and year after year our capital increased amazingly."
Note: At this point, Northup accused Beggs of being a thief.
"Well I was thunderstruck to have my partner call me a thief-I could not speak for a few minutes. Finally I straightened up and said: 'Sir, this store will be closed at once and never will be opened again until we have dissolved partnership' and in about 10 min. I took the key and locked the door. You choose a man to look after your interests and I will choose another to see that a square deal is made.' My attorney took me aside and said, 'Now you let him take the most of the stock so you can buy the building.' So I did and $7000 was my bid. He stopped bidding at once and said you may have it. But when he took all of his purchases and left my
store almost bare and no clerk to help arrange things it looked like desolation for sure. He (Northup) at once took in one of his old friends as a partner and they built a new store in the best part of the town."
Note: Later Northup went broke and left town.
"Our trade, or the best part of it, was the Norwegians so I at once applied for a Norwegian clerk and the only one that came in was a good Norwegian, 13 years old, and such a looking boy it would be hard to find nowadays- his clothes all played out, no socks under his shoes and a 6 months schooling. Well, I said, young man, could you do waiting on the women from behind the counter? He said: Well, sir, I will do the best I can.' The next thing was the price I would pay him so it was decided $7 per month and board with me upstairs. It was accepted (1 June, 1870) but the people of Elk Point would be surprised to know that this boy is now A.O. Ringsrud, one of the best and wealthiest men in the state.
"I ordered new stock and when it arrived our doors were opened. Finally we got it started in good shape and it ran along for a few years. Then a fearful calamity fell upon the whole of the state. Flying grasshoppers just covered the sky and came down on our crops and all was destroyed. So the farmers had nothing left of their crops and what to do we could not conceive. My attorney advised me to make out mortgage notes so the farmers could sign and give security for such goods they would need during the winter. I found that I had over $ 13,000 in mortgages notes, was in debt to four wholesale houses in Chicago for $ 12,000. At once I started for Chicago with two satchels full of mortgage notes. So I said, 'Gentlemen, you can take these and collect them or I will keep them and pay you as collected.' They adjourned into a private room and in a short time they came back and said: You can keep the notes and collect and pay us as you collect and your credit is good for what you need in our stores.' Well, I don't think I ever saw a happier moment in my whole life.
"Well, I bought what goods I needed and started for home. On my arrival I found everything all right and as soon as my goods arrived my trade increased so I had to hire another boy, so I took John Reid, an American boy, to give him a trial and he proved a wonderful success. Then as the cattle and hogs that were in good shape for the farmers to sell began coming in, I took in a man to live on my farm one mile south of town and had him fence in 80 acres so I could turn them out in my pastures. Cattle, hogs, sheep and oxen, but no horses as the farmers were trading the oxen for horses. As my trade increased I found I had to ship to Chicago as fast as we got a car loaded. But it was a hard time for the other merchants in town. My trade was increasing so I had to hire another boy, Oluf Johnson, who later became the president of the First National Bank in Elk Point."
Note: Those three young clerks of Mr. Beggs, A.O. Ringsrud, John Reid and Oluf Johnson were known as the Beggs Boys. They were highly respected and all went on to successful careers.
"Well then I got the fool notion in my head that I could not end my whole life in a small business in this town. So I asked E.C. DeWitt, an old Elk Pointer, if he thought he could sell his patent medicine through the states if I would start in the medicine business and he jumped at the chance. But we soon saw that we must locate in Chicago so as to get a better name for our goods.
"The worst of the whole business was what I would do with all my store goods, my elevator, my farm and etc." (Note: In September 1874, Messers Beggs and Caton built a large elevator near the depot.) In 1885 A.O. Ringsrud entered into partnership with Mr. Beggs. The new partners immediately embarked on an expansion program by moving the store into the new Rust brick building adjacent to the Court House and updated the stockyard pens, sheds and loading chute near the depot. The following year, 1886, Mr. Beggs sold his interest in the store to Mr. Ringsrud. Business at the store, yards and grain was good. In December 1889, Mr.
Ringsrud purchased the Rust brick building.
During this many years Mr. Ringsrud was associated with Mr. Beggs he lived in their home, and their sterling and gracious character undoubtedly played a great part in his development as a man and leader. The Ringsrud family is forever grateful to them.
[A collection of Beggs and DeWitt medicine bottles are on display at the Historical Society Museum. They are very interesting, some are brown and come clear. The large bottles of medicine sold far $1 and the small for 50¢. Two of the bottles of Dandelion Bitters were sold under the Beggs & DeWitt label of Sioux City, lowa. Four were of the Chicago address including: two of E.C. DeWitt & Co. Stomach Bitters; one of C.W. Beggs & Sons Catarrh--Hay Fever; one of Beggs Mfg. Co., Egyptian Cement. Four of the bottles under the Beggs label, two Tropical Oil, one Diarrhea Balsorn and one Cherry Cough Syrup had no city identification but were probably of Chicago.]