"Detective Franks has just succeeded in doing a neat piece of work at Terrace, and has returned to Salt Lake. It seems that two years ago Oscar Gutke, who at that time was a Southern Pacific employee at Terrace, allowed his father-in-law to have the custody of his (Gutke's) little daughter, her mother being dead, while the father was out of employment. Gutke then went to Mexico, where he obtained a good position on the Mexican Central, and determined to get his child back. This was accomplished with the aid of Detective Franks, and the father and daughter will leave for Mexico at once unless detained by legal proceedings.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1896-07-04/ed-1/seq-8/
Another article:
| Salt Lake Tribune 1896-07-03 | |||||||||
...Oscar Gutke takes heroic measures to recover his child.
http://udn.lib.utah.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/slt16&CISOPTR=43266&filename=43267.pdf
So, if I am getting this right, the daughter is Marie Hazel Gutke Sheranian, who was ultimately raised by Oscar's sister, Mary C. Wilcox. Marie was born in 1894, so at the time of this article, would have been two. The wife's name is Rhoda Ann Player (1874-1894). I've seen Player listed as Plair, too. (Dates/spellings from new.familysearch.org)
On March 19, 1899, O. J. Gutke is listed as arriving in Salt Lake at the Walker hotel.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1899-03-19/ed-1/seq-2/
On March 21, 1899, in "TOWN TALK" of the Salt Lake City Herald, it states:
"Mr. Oscar J. Gutke, brother-in-law of A. C. Brixen and a former Salt Lake boy, is in the city, visiting relatives and friends. Mr. Gutke is a conductor on the Mexican Central railway. He has been making his headquarters in the City of Mexico for the past three years, and is here on a sixty-days' furlough."
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1899-03-21/ed-1/seq-8/
March 23, 1899
OUR SISTER REPUBLIC
Oscar Gutke Talks Interestingly of Old Mexico.
OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED
TO THE ENTERPRISING AMERICAN THEY ARE MANY.
Great Mineral Wealth of the Country--Tom Wampler Marries a Mexican Lady is Is Wealthy--General Agramonte and His Newspaper--Diaz the Great Power.
"Mexico in some ways is right and in others all wrong," said Mr. Oscar J. Gutke yesterday, "but, taking it at large, it is a pretty good country, at least it has treated me well.
Mr. Gutke is an old Salt Lake boy and for years has been in Mexico. He is now a passenger conductor on the Mexican Central railroad, and is back on a sixty days' furlough with a pocket full of opals, not to mention money, and a head full of good stories about his new home. Some men talk "encyclopedia" when they discuss a new country and others sail along unconcernedly and mix facts and side remarks and home-made illustrations together in a way that is entertaining as well as instructive; which is more than can be said for "encyclopedia" conversation. Mr. Gutke belongs to the latter class and after an hour with him the ordinary man will calmly ask for "aguardiente" when he wants bourbon, and, drinking it, say "salud y pesetas" instead of "heresatyer."
"Mexico," said Mr. Gutke, "has its ups and downs just like any other country; when crops are good there is plenty of money and when they are poor there isn't, but the country as a whole is prosperous and the opportunities it offers are limitless. For a man without money and no calling it is the last place on earth, but to the railroad man, the machinist and any man with money, it offers splendid opportunities to grow rich. There are other ways than working for money that are successful, for instance, there is Tom Wampler, he used to live here and everybody knows him. He has married a beautiful and wealthy widow in Mexico and is happy and prosperous. General Agramonte is running the Anglo-American newspaper and is also prosperous, and frequently refers feelingly to his friends of other days in Salt Lake City.
"When it comes to railroading both countries are very much alike. There is keen rivalry between the Mexican Central and the Mexican National, one running from El Paso and the other from Laredo to Mexico City. Both roads are controlled by Americans and the service is first-class in every respect. There are three classes of tickets sold in Mexico; first-class passengers ride in chair cars; second-class in what might be called 'tourist' sleepers without the beds and the third-class in cars that are fitted with four wooden benches running the length of the car; the last are not very comfortable, but it costs only a cent and a half a mile to ride that way."
Like nearly all Americans who have lived in other countries Mr. Gutke has nothing good to say about the American consular service, but extols that of England. "When an American is arrested," he said, "he is thrown into jail and kept there until the Mexican authorities get "good and ready' to try him; that may mean in ten days, ten weeks or ten years and there is no help for him. When an Englishman is arrested, however, the Lion roars promptly and the queen's subject is given a prompt trial and immediately turned loose or convicted. A year ago Al Whitney, who used to run a bar in Ogden, was arrested in connection with some gambling trouble and he is in jail yet. Nothing has been done towards securing his release by the American minister, and for all he knows, Whitney may have to stay there forever and, mind you, all this time Whitney has been unable to secure a trial and has not been allowed to give bail. If he had been an Englishman he would have been tried and either convicted or cleared long ago."
About the mineral wealth of Mexico Mr. Gutke is enthusiastic, being interested himself in several important mining concessions. "The wealth of the mines of Mexico," he said, "is fabulous and almost inconceivable. Take the old Valenciana mine at Guanajuato, for instance. It is flooded now and no longer worked (sic), but it has already produced $1,800,000,000 in silver. Many of the richest silver mines in Mexico are situated on its banks. They use arastas there instead of mills and since the beginning the tailings have been dumped into this river. They have never saved and do not now save more than 75 per cent of the ore values and the balance is there in that river, where it has been accumulating undisturbed for hundreds of years. There is a royal fortune in it for the man who takes hold of it properly and promptly."
President Diaz commands Mr. Gutke's entire admiration. He controls the country admirably, he says, and has made it safe and prosperous, but after him no one can tell what will happen. "I do not believe that there is anyone in Mexico who can take his place," he said, "and I believe that when he dies America will step in and take control."
Last night Mr. Gutke went to Ogden to visit friends, but will return to Salt Lake Sunday.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1899-03-23/ed-1/seq-8/
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