Geary, Ben E.

Ben Geary was born on April 10, 1894 in Oregon, USA. He was the son of Samuel E. Geary and Maggie ( ) Geary. He married Georgia ( ) Geary. He died in Oregon in 1961.

Ben Geary came to Canada with his family in 1916. The family cattle ranched in the Chilcotin region and then moved to the Similkameen around 1918.

He followed the rodeo circuit as a rough rider. In August 1915, he competed at the Vancouver Exhibition and won the bucking contest. He was awarded the championship and $50.00. He competed in the Princeton Stampede (1916), the Penticton Stampede (1917, 1918) and the Calgary Stampede (1919), Oroville Stampede (1919).

In addition to competing in the stampedes, he helped organize them. In October 1918, Ben Geary and Hans Richter organized a big stampede in Princeton with $300 in prize money. He also provided stock to local events – the Keremeos Labor Day celebrations in 1921 used Ben Geary’s horse and steers.

When he was off his horse, he could run: At the celebrations of the district Orange Lodges in Princeton on July 12, 1919, Ben Geary won the 100 yard foot race.

He also gave rough riding demonstrations – August 1917, he gave an exhibition in rough riding at the school ground in Princeton. He rode three outlaw horses and, according to the Similkameen Star, put on a good show.

Geary attempted to enlist during WWI. In May 1918, he travelled to Merritt and, as reported by the Similkameen Star, “rigged up with his chaps, spurs and large sombrero,” he talked with the exemption board and told them: “If this country is worth living in, it is worth fighting for.” Although he had a bad back, he felt he could “lasso the Kaiser and bring him home on the end of a rope.” He was given six weeks to gather his horses and straighten up his affairs. He told the board that he was a “trifle gun shy” but he thought he would get over that without much difficulty. He reported for military duty in Vancouver in June 1918.

His father died on March 26, 1921 and Ben Geary began to run afoul of the law. He assaulted Mr. V. Quadvlieg and his son at the Princeton train depot in May 1921. He was charged with assault and arrested. He was released and then tried at the fall assizes in Vernon. He was fined $100 by Judge Brown

In September of that same year, the Oroville Gazette in Washington reported that he had been caught bootlegging. He had eleven cases of whisky in his car. He was fined $250 and 60 days in jail in Okanogan, Washington. However, he didn’t have to serve his time as he paid an additional $250 to avoid jail.

At the end of September 1921, J. Gellatly and the Geary Brothers (Ben and Sam) jointly shipped over 600 head of sheep from Princeton. The Geary Brothers were going out of business due to the constantly dropping market. J. Gellatly thought he might re-enter the sheep industry if market conditions improved.

He had left the region by 1924. The Similkameen Star reported there had been a rumour “about town” that Ben Geary had lost the sight in both eyes. Ben Geary explained in a letter to his brother, Sam, that only one of his eyes was impaired due to a “backfire” from a .22 rifle.

He was reported to have been “employed on a sheep ranch near Bend, Oregon” in 1924

See also: Geary, Samuel E.; Geary, Samuel E. (Jr.)