Butte County

Biographies

 

 

 

 

CHITTY C. KEYES

 

 

      CHITTY C. KEYES.--An experienced railroad man, especially familiar with the perplexing problems of railroad construction, who has become by natural leadership a prominent citizen of Oroville, is Chitty C. Keyes, the local passenger and freight agent of the Western Pacific Railroad at Oroville. He was born at Washington, Ill., August 5, 1862, the grandson of David Keyes, an Englishman, who early came to Massachusetts. His father was Judge David Keyes, a native of Michigan, who became an attorney at Pekin, Tazewell County, Ill., and for twelve years was Judge of that county; he also was the first sheriff, taking office with the organization of the county. He later retired and died at Washington, Ill. The mother was Hanna Merris before her marriage; she was born in Maryland but came to Illinois at a date when Tazewell County was partly peopled by Indians. Her brothers were killed during the Civil War. Mr. and Mrs. Keyes became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, among whom is L. J. Keyes, now Federal District Passenger Agent of the Union Pacific Railroad at Salt Lake City; another son is K. O. Keyes, Commercial Agent of the New York Central Railroad in Salt Lake City.

      Chitty C. Keyes was the third eldest son and was brought up in Pekin, Ill., where he attended the grammar and high schools. It was while he was attending school, in 1878, that the father organized a quartette with his sons, for Republican campaign purposes, under the name of Keyes Brothers Quartette. The oldest son, F. D., was tenor; the second son, L. J., was bass; Chitty C., was counter tenor, and K. O. was baritone. They traveled all over the Middle Western country and, in competition met the famous Lombard Brothers Quartette, who were singing for the Democratic party, and the Keyes Brothers took a prize in Chicago for the best singing. In later years, while Chitty C. Keyes was stationed at Denver, Colo., he continued his musical work by organizing the Red Rose Quartette, composed of mandolin, guitar, violin, piccolo, flute, and concert-grand auto-harp. This was done to advertise a particular rose propagated by a local nursery. A friend of Mr. Keyes, J. D. Fanning, was manager of the Albany Hotel, in Denver, and the hotel was not proving a financial success, so Mr. Keyes made the suggestion that he put music in the lobby and dining-room, as music never failed to draw a crowd. The experiment was made and proved very successful and, so far as known, this was the first music in hotels in Denver. The second night the dining-room was crowded, and from that day to the present the hotel has succeeded. While playing in that leading hotel the musicians were known as the Albany Quartette. As these days are noted for Hooverizing, we give below the menu of a game dinner at the Albany Hotel, on Sunday, October 21, 1894, for fifty cents per plate, with music.

                                    Oysters.           Green Turtle.               Consomme of Game.

                                      Stuffed Olives.            Celery.             Salted Almonds,

Black Bass, du lac l'Italien.

                                                Pommes Curled.

                                    Boiled Leg of Roebuck, Quince Jelly.

                                                Terrapin in Rice Cases, a la Maryland.

                                                                                    Salmi of Blue Wing Teal Duck.

                                                            New Michigan Cider.

                                    Roast Wild Turkey, aux Marrons.

                                       Roast Mallard Duck, Raspberry Jam.

                                                Young Grouse Larded, with French Peas.

     Mashed Potatoes, String Beans, Sweet Potato Saute.

                                                Stuffed Tomatoes.                    Sugar Corn.

Huntsman's Punch.

                                                Broiled Quail on Toast, Water Cress.

                                                Salad of Prairie Chicken.

                                                Mohawk Hunter Pudding, Brandy Sauce.

                                    Lemon Meringue Pie, Snow Float                                 Angel Food.

                                                Mince Pie.   Assorted Cake.   Tutti Frutti Ice Cream.

                                                            Nuts and Raisins.  Fruit.

                                                Water Crackers.   Edam and Cream Cheese.   Coffee.

March.......Washington Post                              March.......The Gladiators.

Waltz...Summer Comes Again                          Selection.......Honey Boy.

Selection.......The Lela Polka                            Waltz.......Sobre Las Olas

March..............Buffalo Bill                                March.......High School Cadets

Selection.......The Bogie Man                            Waltz.......Red Rose Favorite

Waltz.......Sweet Alpine Roses                          Selection....By James Whittier

            After completing his studies in school, Mr. Keyes entered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, at Lincoln, Neb., where he became assistant agent. In 1880 he went to Colorado to take charge of railroad construction, and acted as a manager for McMurtrie and Streeter, who had the contract for building the Burlington into Denver. He helped build the Colorado Midland out of Colorado Springs, and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad into Aspen and Glenwood Springs. He also helped construct the F. E. & M. V. Railroad into Deadwood, and the Kansas City and Omaha, in Nebraska. Finally he worked on the St. Lawrence and Adirondack Railroad in New York State; he also assisted in the building of the Santa Fe Central into Santa Fe, N. Mex. For twenty-five years Mr. Keyes made his headquarters in Denver, and from this central point brought to completion some of the difficult undertakings in American railroad building.

            In 1888 he took the first outfit into the Pecos Valley, N. Mex., building part of the large irrigating canal through that state, after which, in 1889, he took the outfit to El Paso, Texas, building the large irrigating canal running south from there down the valley. To secure water for this canal he constructed the widely-known dam, going down sufficiently to catch the underflow water. This dam is across the Rio Grande River, which is fully drained many miles north of El Paso, so far as visible water is concerned in the river bed, it apparently being bone dry, yet he raised sufficient water to fill a canal one hundred feet across at the bottom and running miles south through the valley. In order to construct this canal Mr. Keyes had to secure permission from the Mexican government, it requiring the consent of both governments, the center of the river being the boundary line.

            At another time Mr. Keyes was in the operating department of the O. C. & G. Railroad, acting as chief clerk and taking charge of construction work in Arkansas. He was also connected with the E. P. & S. W. Railroad in Texas and New Mexico, and directed the building of a branch of the E. P. & S. W. from Dawson, N. Mex., to Tucumcari, and the Midland Valley from Fort Smith to Arkansas City, Kans. His railroad experience ranges from car clerk to assistant general auditor in the accounting department, and from brakeman, conductor, fireman and engineer to assistant general manager in the operating department.

            While at Fort Smith, Ark., in 1908, Mr. Keyes became interested in placer mining at Happy Camp, Siskiyou County, Cal. He personally managed the work for about a year, then sold out. On the completion of the Western Pacific Railroad he came to Oroville as cashier, and forty days later he became General Local Traffic Agent, and now devotes all his time to the interests of the railroad.

            In Colorado and Wyoming, in the eighties, buffalo were thicker than the cattle, and Sioux Indians were on all sides ready to harass the whites. Several times it was necessary for Mr. Keyes to organize his forces before any work could be done. It happened, therefore, that he had numerous brushes with the savages. The Pawnee Indians were friendly and helped the whites, or the railroad men would have been killed or driven out. Buffalo Bill was a scout at Fort Sedgewick, ten miles away, and Mr. Keyes knew him well; they formed a friendship that lasted until Buffalo Bill's death.

            C. C. Keyes has been twice married; first at Laramie, Wyo., when he was wedded to Miss Isabella Weir, a native of Toronto, Canada. They had a son, George David, who graduated from the Denver High School and then became connected with the C. & S. Railroad in that city as car-loading inspector. He is now chief clerk and cashier of the Western Pacific at Oroville, where he and his wife reside. Mrs. Keyes died at Oroville on August 8, 1916. Through his second marriage Mr. Keyes was united with Mrs. Alice Munsey, a native of Iowa, a lady of many accomplishments, and an artist of more than ordinary talents, who shares with her husband the esteem of a wide circle of friends. In national politics Mr. Keyes is a Republican, and fraternally he belongs to Denver Lodge, No. 5, A. F. & A. M., in Denver and to Chico Lodge, No. 423, B. P. O. Elks, in Chico. As a public spirited citizen Mr. Keyes is always found ready to support all measures for the public good and the upbuilding of Northern California.

 

 

Transcribed by Sande Beach.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 780-783, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

© 2008 Sande Beach.

 

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