Clarence A. Bartlett Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1399-1400 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	CLARENCE A. BARTLETT, editor and publisher of the daily and weekly 
Capital Journal, at Pierre, was born in West Vienna, Oneida county, New 
York, on the 29th of June, 1859 and is a son of Aldis and Mary 
(Chisholm) Bartlett, the former of whom was born in Vermont, of English 
descent, while the latter is of Scotch ancestry and was born in the 
state of New York, where their marriage was solemnized. The Bartletts 
were numbered among the early Puritan settlers of the New England 
colonies and the great-grandfather of the subject of this review was a 
soldier in the Continental line during the war of the Revolution and was 
a brother of Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of 
Independence. The Chisholm family was established in America in the 
early part of the nineteenth century, the founders of the same in the 
new world having come hither from Scotland. In 1865 Aldis Bartlett 
removed with his family to Minnesota and located in Fillmore county, 
where he and his wife still maintain their home, being numbered among 
the honored pioneers of that section. 

	The subject of this sketch received his early educational training 
in the public schools of Fillmore county, having completed a course in 
the grammar school at Preston, and having thereafter been a student in 
Curtis College, in the city of .Minneapolis. In 1880, when twenty-one 
years of age, he came to what is now the state of South Dakota and 
became ticket agent and cashier for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad 
at Pierre, while in the same year, as deputy county treasurer, he opened 
the first set of books for Hughes county. In 1886 he was transferred to 
the city of Deadwood as agent for the Fremont & Elkhorn Railroad and the 
Northwestern Express, Stage & Transportation Company, remaining a 
resident of that city until 1890, and having in the meanwhile 
accumulated a nice sum through judicious speculations in mining 
properties. In the year last mentioned he returned to Pierre, and here 
made notable investments, having erected two substantial business blocks 
and also other buildings and thus identifying himself permanently with 
the capital city. In 1900 he effected the purchase of the Capital 
Journal, which was established in 1881, being the oldest paper in this 
section of the state, as previously noted, and of this he has ever since 
continued as owner, publisher and editor, both the daily and weekly 
editions being models in their line and exerting mucl1 influence in 
local and state affairs of a public nature. In politics Mr. Bartlett has 
ever been a radical adherent of the Republican party, in whose cause he 
has rendered most effective service in a personal way and through the 
medium of his paper. In January, 1893, he was appointed deputy county 
treasurer, in which capacity he continued to serve for eight consecutive 
years while in November, 1900, he was elected treasurer, being chosen as 
his own successor in the election of November, 1902, so that at the time 
of this writing he has been consecutively identified with the 
administration of the fiscal affairs of the county for the long period 
of twelve years. Fraternally he is a member in good standing of the 
local organizations of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the 
Ancient Order of United Workmen. 

	On the 15th of September, 1894, Mr. Bartlett was united in 
marriage with Miss Elsie M. Gleason, who was born in the city of 
Chicago, IIlinois, on the 2d of December, 1871, being a daughter of 
Alonzo and Sarah Gleason. Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett have six children, 
namely: Aldis, Eveline, Elsie, Elwin, Cora and Ella.